Phoenix Suns

[Doc_Brown]

First off, I haven't done a story for a long time. I'm not sure what style I'll use and I may change randomly throughout the story.

I'll be playing as GM and all on-field stuff will be handled by the manager, even if I disagree with it. I guess I can always fire him/trade away any player he's playing who shouldn't etc etc.



The story mirrors real life baseball, the League started in 1871 and leagues contracted and expanded over the course of time, until 1901 when the American League and National League combined to become MLB.(For teams and leagues, I'm using the pack that cephasjames created several years ago (http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=227176). So a big hat tip to him for spending the time creating the jersey's/leagues and history, although contracting and expanding minor league teams over the course of time was a pain in the...

The MLB has several levels of minor leagues (AAA to R) which started out as unaffiliated leagues until the 1940's when they became affiliated with the MLB. The world also has some independent leagues, Japanese, Korean, Cuban and Mexican leagues running.

[Doc_Brown]

National League:

Atlanta Indians(Boston, Milwaukee) (1901)- : 8086 - 7144. 9 playoff appearances, 8 NL Pennants and 5 World Series(1927,1932,1937,1948,1950).
The Indians enjoyed a fine run between 1927-1950 where they won 8 Pennants and 5 World Series titles. Since that spell the Indians have made the post season once in 1992, but were beaten in the NLCS.

Chicago Colonels (1901)- : 7378 - 7849. 3 playoffs 0 Pennants and 0 World Series.
The Colonels haven't given their fans anything to cheer about in their history, their long suffering fans had to wait until 1970 for their first playoff appearance. They've made the postseason twice in the last 7 years but have suffered first round exits both times.

Cincinnati Redbirds (1901)- : 7032 - 8197. 14 playoffs 14 Pennants and 8 World Series(1926,1930,1980,1981,1987,1989,1991,1993).
The Redbirds had a nice run between 1925-1931 where they claimed 6 pennants and 2 WS titles, they had another run between 1980-92 claiming 8 pennants and 6 WS titles, in between those runs the Redbirds have hung around in the towards the bottom of their league, after the last run they're now in a rebuild and their fans will be hoping for another winning run.

Denver Rockies (1993)- : 299-511.
It's been a hard introduction for the Rockies since they entered the MLB with 4 losing seasons and 3 of them containing 100+ loses, although they recorded their first winning season in 1997.

Houston All-Stars (1962)- :2956 -2878 5 playoff 2 Pennants 2 World Series(1985,1986).
The All-Stars won back to back titles in 1985-86, then had a decade where they hung around the lower reaches of the NL West, they made the postseason in 1995 and 1996 but missed out in 1997.

Los Angeles Blue Sox (Brooklyn) (1901) : 8578 - 6651 27 playoffs
16 Pennants 9 World Series(1933,1939,1942,1945,1953,1961,1965,1967,197 0 ).
The Blue Sox are there or there about every season, although it's been a while since they last won the World Series, their fans will be hoping that wait comes to an end soon.

Miami Whales (1993): 245-565
Like their 1993 expansion brothers the Rockies, the Whales have had a tough time, finishing last in their division and losing 100+ games every year, although last year they won 62 games and will be looking to build on that improvement.

Milwaukee Hops (1969): 2122 - 2576. 1 AL Pennant 1 World Series(1995)
The Hops were a middling team for most part of their existence, then had a close call in 1994 where they just missed out on the playoffs for the first time, they went all the way in 1995. Due to the expansion they are moving to the NL for the 1998 season.

Montreal Canadiens (1969): 2078 - 2620
It's been tough for Montreal and not much to cheer about for their fans, although the last few years have seen an improvement and 4 straight years of .500+ ball has given their fans some hope.

New York Metropolitans (1962): 2844 - 2988 4 playoffs 1 Pennant 1 World Series(1997)
The Mets started out slow finishing towards the bottom of their league for the first decade of their existence, they give their fans some hope in the mid 70's but just couldn't get over the line. They made their first playoffs in 1986 but then made their fans wait until 1995 for their next. They finally won it all this year and their fans will be wanting more in the coming years.

Philadelphia Keystones (1901): 7523 - 7704 28 playoffs 14 Pennants 12 World Series(1912,1913,1914,1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,192 2,1977,1978,1992)
The Keystones were the dominant force at the start of the league but success has been harder for them to achieve since the mid 1920's, they've won 3 World Series since their early run, although they've made the postseason for the last 4 years but haven't been able to get to the World Series.

Pittsburgh Pioneers (1901): 8104 - 7125 15 playoffs 11 Pennants 3 World Series(1949,1952,1973)
The Pioneers are one of the leagues finest regular season teams, they just can't seem to find the magic in the post season.

San Diego Sailors (1969): 2075 - 2623 1 playoff
The Sailors spent the first 20 years of their existence with the exception of 1975, struggling to play close to .500 ball. They looked to have changed that by putting together back to back .500+ seasons in 1995,1996 but injuries in 1997 derailed that momentum.

San Francisco Miners (New York) (1901): 7419 - 7807 11 playoffs 9 Pennants 3 World Series(1903,1969,1996)
The Miners started out life fast, winning 3 pennants in the leagues first 4 years, then the tough times hit and the Miners quickly grew to a frustration for their fans, they won the NL pennant back to back in 1923 and 1924 but their fans then had to wait another 45 years for postseason ball and they delivered their 2nd title, after that there was another drought off success, but the Miners the last 3 years have turned it around and won a World Series title and made the NLCS last season.

St Louis Royals (1901): 7641 - 7588 18 playoffs 13 Pennants 6 World Series(1906,1909,1910,1946,1955,1957)
Up until the start of the 1960's the Royals were one of the better teams in the league with 11 pennants and 6 titles, but since the 1960's expansions and free agency starting in 1976, there hasn't been much to cheer about for the smallish market Royals. Although with some better drafts since the start of the 1990's the Royals are starting to look like a title winning team again.

[Doc_Brown]

American League:

Baltimore Bombers (1901): 6848 - 8387 5 playoffs 2 Pennants 1 World Series(1974)
Life isn't easy for a Baltimore fan, regularly finish last or as close to it as possible as often as they can. There have been a few bright years for them but mostly it ends in tears for them.

Boston Rebels (1901): 7675 - 7562 12 playoffs 9 Pennants 4 World Series(1907,1911,1915,1975)
The Rebels were at their peak before the expansion years, since the league has expanded the Rebels have made the postseason 4 times winning a pennant and a World series. They were looking good to break the barren spell in 1997, but injuries to key arms in their rotation but paid to those plans.

Chicago Athletes (1901): 8303 - 6933 23 playoffs 19 Pennants 11 World Series(1904,1905,1921,1924,1943,1947,1951,1954,195 6,1959,1984)
The Athletes are another team that did well before expansion and free agency, they still play solid ball but struggle to make the postseason only doing so 7 times since their 1959 World Series win, although they did claim their first pennant in 13 years this past season.

Cleveland Kings (1901): 8203- 7033 20 playoffs 16 Pennants 15 World Series(1901,1902,1936,1938,1940,1944,1958,1960,196 2,1963,19661968,1971,1972,1988)
When they make the World Series they normally win it, although they've now gone a decade since they last lifted the trophy. Although 6 last place finishes in the last 9 years hasn't given their fans anything to cheer about, is the rebuild over?

Dallas Rangers (1972): 2086 - 2127 3 playoffs 1 Pennant 1 World Series(1982)
Dallas are the kind of team you wouldn't know were in the league unless you were a fan of the league, the finish in the middle year in year out with a few exceptions when they've sneaked into the postseason, this tactic has worked once when Dallas brought home a championship.

Detroit Robins (1901): 6805 - 8429 3 playoffs 1 Pennant 1 World Series(1976)
The Robins are so bad it almost makes you feel sorry for them, the made their fans wait until 1976 for their first post season which they won, the made the playoffs the next 2 years but since then have returned to anonymity.

Kansas City Huskers (1969): 2315 - 2383 4 playoffs 2 Pennants 1 World Series(1983)
The Huskers are a team that in another reality could have 7 or more World Series titles, since their only world title they have finished 2nd in their division 8 times and in 6 of those occasions have missed the postseason by a handful of games.

Los Angeles Angels (1961): 3006 -2989 8 playoffs 5 Pennants 1 World Series(1979)
The Angels have no issue in getting to the World Series but when they get there they seem to forget how they got there.

Minneapolis Lakers (1961): 2844 - 3150 6 playoffs 4 Pennants 0 World Series
Joining the league after the Washington Generals disbanded, the Lakers have promised to deliver on several occasions but have yet to climb that final step.

New York Bears (1901): 8022 - 7214 19 playoffs 11 Pennants 5 World Series(1923,1925,1929,1934,1941)
The Bears were one of the better teams in the post WW1 days, they managed to hold on to that until the middle of WW2. After that there were close finishes but no postseason action until 1980, the last 4 years they've managed to make the postseason but not make it to the World Series.

Oakland Oaks(Philadelphia, Kansas) 1901: 7955 - 7284 18 playoffs 13 Pennants 3 World Series(1908,1964,1990)
Another team that enjoyed early success then suffered long spells of failure. The start of the 1990's was kinder to them as they made the postseason 6 times in a row, although they've missed them the last 2 years.

Seattle Warriors (1977): 1514- 1888 1 playoff
The Warriors finally made the postseason this year although they fell at the first hurdle. The team and it's fans will be hoping this is the start of long winning run.

Toronto Maple Leafs(1977) 1599- 1803 3 playoffs 1 Pennant 1 World Series(1994)
Like all expansion teams, the Leafs have struggled, but in 1992 they made the postseason for the first time and won it 2 years later, a couple of close calls in 1995 and 1996 but the Leafs missed out, but they made it back into the postseason in 1997.

[Doc_Brown]

Leaderboards:

Season Records:

Batting Avg: Jarrod McCarthy .418 (New York Bears) 1921.
Hits: Mike Azar 261 (Philadelphia Quakers) 1941.
Singles: Tim Mitchell 197 (Pittsburgh Pioneers) 1961
Doubles: Lonnie Sellars 64 (St. Louis Royals) 1937
Triples: Travis Pruitt 47 (St. Louis Royals) 1896
Home Runs: Tim Suh 55 (Houston All-Stars) 1997
Runs: Tim Thorne 174 (Brooklyn Blue Sox) 1895
RBI's: Bob McAskill 170 (Cleveland Kings) 1961
Steals: Chris Browning 150 (Washington Generals) 1887
Walks: Walt Wolf 198 (Brooklyn Blue Sox) 1941
Strikeouts: Russ Cook 233 (Cincinnati Redbirds) 1987

ERA: Andy Weber 1.20 (Chicago Athletes) 1905
Wins: Brandon Bradburn 38 (New York Nationals) 1876
Losses: Ray Arnold 39 (Louisville Stallions) 1876
Winning %: Nick Domingue .963 (Detroit Robins) 1966
Saves: Joe Miller 52 (Chicago Athletes) 1995
Strikeouts: Jay Barnes 336 (Kansas City Huskers) 1967
Base on Balls: Brian Payne 299 (Cincinnati Redbirds) 1893
WHIP: Adam Neal 0.75 (Pittsburgh Pioneers) 1963


Career Records:

Batting Avg: Jarrod McCarthy .381 (New York Bears) 1920-1933
Hits: Rick Gonzalez 3630 (Philadelphia Quakers) 1921-1942
Singles: Rick Gonzalez 2728 (Philadelphia Quakers) 1921-1942
Doubles: Jeff Brown 717 (Detroit Robins) 1922-1941
Triples: Miguel Melendez 429 (Philadelphia Quakers) 1903-1926
Home Runs: Tyler Kirchhoff 614 (New York Nationals/San Francisco Miners) 1954-1975
Runs: Miguel Melendez 2108 (Philadelphia Quakers) 1903_1926
RBI's: Tyler Kirchhoff 1918 (New York Nationals/San Francisco Miners) 1954-1975
Steals: Miguel Melendez 1245 (Philadelphia Quakers) 1903-1926
Walks: Walt Wolf 2164 (Brooklyn Blue Sox) 1934-1955
Strikeouts: Luis Catarino 1890 (St.Louis Royals/Philadelphia Keystones) 1974-1990

ERA: 1.86 Andy Weber(Chicago Athletes) 1901-1012
Wins: 476 Brian Buck (Chicago Colonels) 1876-1901, Dustin Lofgren (Boston Indians) 1905-1928
Losses: 347 Carlos Castro (Cincinnati Redbirds/Chicago Athletes) 1906-1923
Winning %: .703 Cody Packer(L.A. Blue Sox, Pittsburgh Pioneers, Cleveland Kings) 1959-1975
Saves: 514 Haim Perez (L.A. Blue Sox, New York Bears, Philadelphia Keystones) 1983-
Strikeouts: 4260 Miguel Cardenas (Montreal Canadiens, L.A. Blue Sox, Chicago Colonels) 1983-
Base on balls: 2271 Chris Knight (Philadelphia Quakers, Chicago Athletes) 1930-1950
WHIP: 0.99 Andy Weber (Chicago Athletes) 1901-1912

[Doc_Brown]

October 28th 1997:

It's official the Phoenix Suns and Tampa Bay Pirates are now the 29th and 30th teams in MLB.

The expansion draft is scheduled for 22nd of November. Me and my staff will spend that time looking at reports of the players who will be available in the expansion draft, we'll also be looking for players to sign to bolster our minor league teams and add depth to the players we select in the expansion draft.

[Doc_Brown]

Just a quick around the horn before the expansion draft.

Some minor league signings by the Suns:
SS Matt Dyer, just released by Kansas. Above average defender, average hitter. 3rd round pick, 1993 draft.
RHP Elliott Slocum, an 11th round pick by the Sailors in 1996 was cut lose just before the end of the season, after reaching their A-ball club.

It was Award season time in MLB and here are the winners.

Gold Gloves:
P: Sal Lorenzelli (Miami Whales)/ Nelson Olivarez (Chicago Athletes)
C: Brian Crofford (Atlanta Indians)/ Ryan Phillips (Chicago Athletes)
1B: Jesus Quezada (Houston All-Stars)/ Danny Watson (Dallas Rangers)
2B: Monte Quiles (Denver Rockies)/ Jim Wood (Chicago Athletes)
3B: David Hunt (LA Blue Sox)/ Ricardo Contreras (Kansas City Huskers)
SS: Danny O'Dell (Montreal Canadiens)/ Alberto Cruz (Chicago Athletes)
LF: Matt Eisel (San Diego Sailors)/ Bryan Hildreth (New York Bears)
CF: Jonathan Salvatierra (Houston All-Stars)/ Robbie Cazares (Toronto)
RF: Travis Bassler (Philadelphia)/ Tony Rico (Baltimore)

Silver Sluggers:
P: Mike Mervine (St Louis) DH: Hector Silva (Oakland)
C: Andy Glavin (Denver) C: Mike Morgan (Oakland)
1B: Cruz Martinez (Denver) 1B: Danny Watson (Dallas)
2B: Leo Sanchez (Pittsburgh) 2B: John Crisp (Toronto)
3B: David Hunt (LABS) 3B: Ricardo Conterras (Kansas)
SS: Danny O'Dell (Montreal) SS: Dan Lujan (NYB)
LF: Tim Suh (Houston) LF: Bryan Hildreth (NYB)
CF: Warren Munro (Denver) CF: Robbie Cazares (Toronto)
RF: Isaiah Porter (Montreal) RF: Alex Rodriguez (Seattle)

Fireman Award:
NL: Haim Perez (Philadelphia)
AL: Miguel Ybarra (Chicago)

Rookie of the Year:
NL: Juan Morales (NYM)
AL: Bryan Hildreth (NYB)

The Cameron Heller Award(Manager of the Year):
NL: Steve Smith (NYM)
AL: John Williams (NYB)

Buck-Lofgren Award(Cy Young):
NL: Nick Stavola (Denver)
AL: Juan Martinez (Seattle)

MVP Award:
NL: Nick Stavola (Denver)
AL: John Crisp (Toronto)

Trades:
In a minor move Oakland sends 24 year old minor league OF Chris Pacillo to Miami in exchange for 25 year old minor league RHP Luis Rodriguez.

Cleveland send 2 minor leaguers (RHP Josh McIntosh and LHP Jon Limon) to the Milwaukee Hops for minor league 3B Chris Potts.

[Doc_Brown]

Expansion Draft

The day is here that we'll finally welcome some players to the Phoenix Suns.

These are the 35 guys who'll be vying for a spot on the 25 man roster,

Pitchers:
RHP Juan Campos 29 years old. $294,000. Pitched in 5 MLB seasons, been a starter and used in relief. Has pitched 338.1 innings for an era of 4.07(FIP has him at just under 4) has a career K/9 of 8.4 but his BB/9 is 4.6 but has been coming down year after year. He's currently recovering from a partially torn UCL but should be fit for Spring Training. Drafted from the Houston All-Stars.

LHP Robby Vaughan 23 years old. MiLC. Yet to crack the majors leagues, but has a decent track record in the minors(aside from a bad run at AA, but handled AAA fine). He's been used as a starter and in relief, at present I see him in the bullpen and his K/9 numbers point to him being more efficient in relief. Drafted from the Minneapolis Lakers.

RHP Paul Leach 26 years old. $139,200. Had a brief 16.1 inning spell in the majors and was hit pretty hard with an ERA to prove it. Has looked a lot better in the minors with some impressive K/9 and BB/9. Hopefully we can work out the trick and get him to perform at his minor league numbers in the majors. Drafted from Chicago Colonels.

RHP Mike Garcia 30 years old. $264,000. Pitched 183 innings in the bigs for 4 teams, has had some impressive spells but had some struggles too. Drafted from the Cincinnati Redbirds.

LHP Jonathan Clark 26 years old. MiLC. Yet to make it to the show, doesn't get a lot of strikeouts but doesn't give up many walks or home runs. Might be a useful innings eater during our formative years. Drafted from the Atlanta Indians.

LHP Jesse Flores 24 years old. MiLC. Yet to make it to the show and currently recovering from a torn UCL, should be ready for Spring Training. I know it's a risk selecting him, but he throws his fastball over 100mph has 2 other plus pitches and doesn't give up walks. Drafted from the New York Bears.

RHP Victor Garza 24 years old. $139,200. Spent a little bit of time in the show, his K/9 numbers are over 10 but sadly his BB/9 are close to 5. If he can figure out control he could be a dominant bullpen arm, another young arm who throws 100 mph+. Drafted from the Boston Rebels.

LHP Chris Armstrong 24 years old. MiLC. Not made it to the Majors yet but that should soon change. ERA just under 3.25 and FIP is also that low plus he backs that up with a high K/9(over 10) and a low BB/9(under 2). Drafted from the Pittsburgh Pioneers.

RHP Dave Ortiz 30 years old. MiLC. Spent time in the majors nothing to write home about, but might be able to eat up some innings in our debut season. Drafted from the Dallas Rangers.

RHP Adam Riley 28 years old. $1,040,000. Premier set up man for is previous team and managed a few saves(if that's your thing). Should be a useful arm in the bullpen and hopefully a trade chip near the deadline. Drafted from the New York Metropolitans. (1 time World Series winner)

RHP Jimmy Houde 28 years old. $1,000,000. Another set up man/closer. Should be another useful arm and again hopefully a trade chip before the deadline. Drafted from the Montreal Canadiens. (2 Time All-Star)

RHP Gabe Velthouse 24 years old. $230,000. As the previous two, although he's younger and under team control for a touch longer than the 2 above. Drafted from the Cleveland Kings.

LHP Nick Bonds 26 years old. MiLC. Suffered from his fair share of injuries, but has put up solid numbers when he's been on the mound. Drafted from the Montreal Canadiens.

RHP Marty Wade 23 years old. MiLC. A young hand not made it to AAA yet but has dominated in AA and A+. Not sure if he can make it as a starter in the majors but what do we have to lose? Drafted from the Kansas City Huskers.

RHP Felix Godinez 23 years old. MiLC. A 2 pitch guy with a 3rd pitch that may or may not develop, but worth the risk as he throws over 100 mph. Just needs to cut down on the free passes. Drafted from the Boston Rebels.

RHP Jorge Tovar 24 years old. MiLC. Another guy who has in his minor league career shown flashes of brilliance and flashes of nothingness. Hopefully he can figure it out and provide us with some useful innings.

[Doc_Brown]

Position Players:

C Jorge Gonzalez L/R 24 years old. $139,200.Had a brief spell in the majors with 2 teams last season, hit well with one not so well with the other. But he was drafted for his glove. Drafted from the Montreal Canadiens.

C Alex Blevins R/R 28 years old. MiLC. Had a 4 year spell in Japan, not made the Majors. Again drfated for his glove. Drafted from the Minneapolis Lakers.

1B Bill Hansen L/R 24 years old. MiLC. Brief call up this year with his old team in 19 AB's hit for a 316/409/684 slash line. Drafted from the Pittsburgh Pioneers.

2B Ricky Lopez R/R 26 years old. $139,200. Not really a hitter but a good defender at 2nd and at CF. Drafted from the Oakland Oaks.

3B Scott Ellis R/R 26 years old. $139,200. Had 3 cups of coffee in the majors and has improved each time he's been in the majors. Drafted from the St.Louis Royals.

3B Raul Molina R/R 24 years old. $139,200. Played for 2 major league teams last season, loved it in the NL West with San Francisco, struggled in the AL East with the New York Bears. Solid glove at 3rd and can play 2nd. Drafted from the New York Bears.

SS Drew Bowser R/R 28 years old. MiLC. Not cracked the majors, not the best hitter, but plays solid defense at short and has some speed. Drafted from the Seattle Warriors.

1B Micah Seuffert L/R 25 years old. $139,200. Made his debut in the bigs this year and didn't look overmatched, 297/380/539. Drafted from the Pittsburgh Pioneers.

IF Zach Center R/R 27 years old. MiLC. Had a quick go in the majors in 1994 with San Diego, not going to win any batting titles but plays above average defense in both middle infield positions. Drafted from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

IF Kelly Garcia S/R 22 years old. MiLC. Yet to make the step up to the majors, not a hitter yet but has time to develop. A future gold glove winner at 2nd or Short. Speed to burn. Drafted from the Atlanta Indians.

SS Isaac Rodriguez R/R 28 years old. MiLC. Glove man who's toiled in the minors. drafted from the Philadelphia Keystones.

OF Alan Knopf R/R 27 years old. $139,200. Can hit at the Majors, not the best defender. Drafted from the San Francico Miners. (World Series winner)

OF Bill Foster L/R 29 years old. $2,840,000. Can hold his own at the plate and plays good defense in the corner outfield. Drafted from the Cincinnati Redbirds (3 Gold Gloves, 2 World Series)

OF Dave Encinas L/L 21 years old. MiLC. Has the tools to hit, not yet developed. Plus defense in the outfield and speed to burn. Drafted from the St Louis Royals.

OF Jamel Bowman S/R 22 years old. MiLC. Not yet played in the majors but that will change in a few months time. Has speed to be a stolen base threat glides in the outfield, the question is, can he hit at the major league level? Drafted from the Chicago Colonels.

OF Eric Brooks L/R 27 years old. $166,000. Not really stuck yet in the majors, may never be a batting title contender but should be able to hit a bit and get on base. Plays gold glove center field. Drafted from the Oakland Oaks.

OF Lance Craigo R/R 29 years old. MiLC. Not made it to the majors yet, but has shown he can hit at AAA level. Plays good corner outfield. Drafted from the Chicago Colonels.

OF Eddy Miller L/L 25 years old. $139,200. Struggled to hold a spot in the majors, but hasn't embarrased himself with the bat. Average defender in the corners. Drafted from Cincinnati Redbirds.

OF Estevan Carranza R/R 23 years old. MiLC. Not yet advanced past A+. Has the ability to hit, but if he can turn that ability into actual hits only time will tell. Drafted from the Pittsburgh Pioneers.

[Doc_Brown]

November 22nd - December 7th 1997.

Phoenix Suns news:
11/28:20 year old OF Jose Barriga signs a minor league contract.
11/30: 28 year old IF Danny Sierra signs a minor league contract.
12/2: 16 year old LHP Carlos Escobedo joins on a minor league deal and heads to our international complex.
12/3: 31 year old IF Juan Grijalva signs a minor league contract.
12/3: 24 year old OF Mario Cilley signs a minor league contract.
12/7: 24 year old IF Ivan Sambrano signs a minor league contract.
12/7 Purchased the contract of 21 year old RHP Manuel Santigo from the Siouz Falls Canaries.

Around the League:

Extensions:
11/29: 31 year old OF Aaron Brown resigns with the Philadelphia Keystones for $40,700,000 over 5 years. The 1989 Rookie of the year and 2 time All-Star and Silver Slugger is a lifetime .277 hitter with 1206 hits, 235 home runs.
12/1: St Louis Royals ink 34 year old CL Eric Wimberly to a 3 year deal worth $12,000,000. Wimberly has 54-63 record with 165 saves and a career era of 3.78
12/6: 31 year old RHP David Kozuszek signs a 2 year extension worth $8,400,000 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 3 time All-Star and 1994 Fireman award winner was drafted by the Leafs in the 7th round of the 1984 draft. Lifetime he has a 41-35 record with 161 saves and an ERA of 2.87

Trades:
11/22: New York Metropolitans send 28 year old C Donald Wagner to the Kansas City Huskers for 31 year old RHP Luke Senecal.
12/3: Atlanta Indians sends 31 year old 1B Allen Callaway and 18 year old 1B Jesus Rodriguez to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for 2 minor leaguers, 26 year old OF Bobby Hammer and24 year old IF Andrew Lofton.
12/5: Kansas City sends 30 year old IF Johan Matthews to the Cleveland Kings in exchange for 25 year old IF Tony Nogueira and 23 year old LHP Miguel Cordero.
12/6: San Francisco Miners send 31 year old IF Tim Ingersoll to the L.A. Blue Sox for 37 year old LHP Bob Wilcoxen.
12/7: New York Metropolitans send 24 year old RHP Andy Plume and 24 year old minor leaguer RHP Ken Lowry to the Pittsburgh Pioneers for 26 year old LHP Garrett Wiggers.
12/7: L.A. Blue Sox send 31 year old RHP Sam Eich to the Oakland Oaks for 23 year old RHP Juan Meza.

Next up for me and the 29 other GM's are the winter meetings.

[Doc_Brown]

So the winter meetings are over, we made a few trades and some off the other GM's pulled the trigger on deals.

Phoenix Suns:
12/7: We send 26 year old IF Ricky Lopez to the Cleveland Kings for 34 year old RHP Bobby Anderson and 26 year old RHP Elisha Benayoun.
12/7: We send 22 year old minor league 1B Jason Eichorn to the L.A. Blue Sox for 22 year old minor league 3B Steve Belk.
12/8: 24 year old OF Manny Pena signs a minor league contract


Around the League:

12/8: 34 year old LHP Matt Glenn signs a 3 year deal worth $15,900,000 deal with his hometown club the Boston Rebels. The 3 time All-Star and 2 time Fireman award winner is 72-47 in his career with 202 saves and an era of 2.54
12/8: The New York Bears sign 33 year old C Ryan Phillips to a 5 year deal worth $31,000,000. Phillips is a .274 career hitter. a 2 time gold glove winner with 1 silver slugger award, he's also appeared 5 times in the all-stars game.
12/12 The Cleveland Kings sign IF Pete Hixon to a 6 year contract worth $36,000,000. Hixon is a career 344/394/445 hitter with 1344 hits and a 1 time all-star, he won the World Series whilst on the Keystones team in 1992.

Trades:
12/8: Pittsburgh send 25 year old minor leaguer LHP Jim Basinger to the New York Metropolitans for 2 minor leaguers, 24 year old LHP Terrell Rayford and 23 year old IF Dave Myers.
12/8: Miami Whales send 35 year old OF Antonio Sergueiro and 21 year old minor leaguer 1B Alberto Catlett to the Minneapolis Lakers for 3 minor leaguers, 22 year old SS Goncalvo Lordelo, 24 year old OF Josh Foutz and 23 year old OF Casey Farmer.
12/10: Cleveland Kings send 26 year old RHP Josh Hayesto the St. Louis Royals for 2 minor leaguers, 20 year old SS Carlos Sosa and 24 year old RHP Jose Lopez.
12/10: The New York Bears send 26 year old OF Edward Carbajal to the Los Angeles Angels for 33 year old RHP Mike Starner and 21 year old minor leaguer Antonio Torres.
12/12: Pittsburgh send 30 year old RHP Ramon Alvarado and $270,000 to the Baltimore Bombers for 3 minor leaguers, 18 year old RHP Miguel Gloria, 21 year old LHP Chris Thompson and 24 year old OF Randy Miller.

Next up the Rule 5 draft.

[Doc_Brown]

Phoenix Suns:

12/12: The Chicago Colonels selected Danny Sierra in the 2nd round of the rule 5 draft.
12/12: The Minneapolis Lakers seleceted Jonathan Clark in the 5th round of the rule 5 draft.
12/15: The Cleveland Indians claimed Nick Bonds.
12/21: We sign 29 year old C Dave Sanchez to a 3 year deal worth $6,000,000. Dave is a switch hitter and a solid defender, but he's also a leader and the rest of the team are delighted he's on board.
12/23: 24 year old RHP Juan Avalos signs a minor league deal.
12/23: 29 year old RHP Mark Doull signs a 1 year contract worth $250,000.


Around the League:

12/22: The New York Bears sign 30 year old RHP Joe Miller to a 2 year deal worth $8,560,000. Lifetime Miller sports a career 31-26 record with 108 saves with a 2.90 era.
12/22: L.A. Blue Sox sign 29 year old RHP Nick Monzon to a 6 year deal worth $36,000,000. Lifetime Monzon sports a 65-71 record with a 4.21 ERA.
12/24: Kansas City Huskers sign 39 year old RHP Jeff Hassani to a 3 year deal worth $13,880,000. Lifetime Hassani has racked up 3109 strikeouts and sports a career era of 3.80 and has won the Buck-Lofgren award twice.
12/24: Milwaukee Hops re-sign 29 year old OF Enrique Gomez to a 4 year deal worth $12,520,000. Gomez has 3 World Series rings and has racked up 1073 hits during his career.
12/25: New York Metropolitans sign 31 year old OF Angel Hernandez to a 4 yer deal worth $22,000,000. Hernandez should feel at home in the NL East as he sent the last 7 years playing for Atlanta.
12/27: Pittsburgh Pioneers sign 27 year old RHP Pat Umar Khel to a 3 year contract worth $3,130,000. Khel has a career record 9.1 K/9 but also gives up 6.4BB/9, although last season he dropped that to 2.4 BB/9 whilst maintaing his high K/9.
12/31: Philadelphia Keystones sign 39 year old LHP Jonathan Kelley to a 1 year deal for $1,180,000. Lifetime Kelley has made 826 appearances with 245 saves and an era of 2.89.

Trades:
12/15: L.A. Blue Sox send 31 year old C Colin Carter to the Boston Rebels for 24 year old OF Corey O'Dell.

In the Rule 5 draft, several teams took a shot on players that were available, our expansion brothers the Tampa Pirates selected a player in all 10 rounds.

[Doc_Brown]

Phoenix Suns:

1/1 Claimed 22 year old OF Scott Tucker from the Cleveland Kings.
1/1 Traded 29 year old RHP Juan Campos to the Atlanta Indians for 30 year old RHP Jabari Thomas and 25 year old 1B/OF Ray Schirm.
1/10 Claimed 23 year old RHP James Whalen from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1/10 Claimed 22 year old 2B/CF Sean Fowler from the Milwaukee Hops.
1/13 Claimed 23 year old LHP Jonathan Abreu from the Chicago Colonels.
1/31 Signed 24 year old LHP Victor Cisneros on a minor league contract.

We've met with a fair few free agents and offered MiLC to them, some have been offered a Spring Training invite in their deal. Our head scout has been racking up the air miles and has signed up several young talents, hopefully they'll make it all the way to Phoenix.



Around the league:

1/7 The Milwaukee Hops sign 32 year old IF Jose Martinez to a 2 year deal worth $2,800,000.
1/8 The Houston All-Stars sign 30 year old RHP Jesus Prado to a 5 year deal worth $35,000,000. Prado was probably the best FA pitcher on the market.
1/8 The Dallas Rangers sign 29 year old LHP Jose Gomez to a 4 year deal worth $27,600,000.
1/10: The Oakland Oaks sign 29 year old SS Raul Barona to a 5 year deal worth $23,480,000.
1/13: The Chicago Colonels sign 36 yera old LHP Adam Taylor to a 1 year deal worth $730,000.
1/14: The New York Bears sign 32 year old RHP Ian Marlor to a 3 year deal worth $10,440,000.
1/15: The Philadelphia Keystones sign 29 year old RHP Agustin Bautista to a 4 year deal worth $8,260,000.
1/16: The Chicago Colonels sign 29 year old RHP Marcos Galban to a 1 year deal worth $930,000. We made an offer to Galban but he chose the Colonels.
1/16: The Dallas Rangers sign 37 year old SS Mark Doolin to a 1 year deal worth $590,000.


Trades:
1/10: Pittsburgh Pioneers send 29 year old RHP Gabe Mendez to the Philadelphia Keystones for 2 minor leaguers, 23 year old RHP Bobby Breazeale and 18 yera old 1B Bobby Gonzalez.
1/19: The Cleveland Kings send 29year old RHP Erik Boone and Angel Lara a 19 year old 1B to the Atlanta Indians for 24 year old RHP Adrian Hernandez.
1/19: The Philadelphia Keystones send 32 year old RHP Mike Pedersen to the St. Louis Royals for 30 year old IF Jonathan Deptula and 21 year old minor league RHP Carlos Longoria.

[Doc_Brown]

Phoenix Suns:

2/1 32 year old OF Javier Becerra signs a minor league deal.
2/5 We sent 25 year old 1B Micah Seuffret to the L.A. Blue Sox and got back 24 year old 1B Vic Mendez, who just happens to be a home town boy.
2/8 We claimed 22 year old LHP Dave Trant from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
2/10 35 year old RHP Carl Doherty signs a minor league deal.
2/10 26 year old OF Erik Attwood signs a minor league deal.
2/25 35 year old RHP Nick Balboa signs a minor league deal.
2/25 33 year old OF George Kelly signs a minor league deal.


Around the League:

2/2 The Atlanta Indians sign 34 year old IF Butch Cabe to a 4 year deal worth $15,320,000.
2/5 The Toronto Maple Leafs sign 33 year old OF Rich Hancock to a 3 year deal worth $1,840,000.
2/12 The Milwaukee Hops sign 33 year old RHP Ivan Cortez to a 1 year deal worth $700,000.
2/25 The Pittsburgh Pioneers sign 38 year old RHP Jarrod Wadsworth to a 2 years deal worth $1,400,000.


Next up for the Suns is Spring Training,
40 man roster:

Bobby Anderson RHP
Elisha Benayoun RHP
Mark Doull RHP
Jesse Flores LHP
Felix Godinez RHP
Manuel Santiago RHP
Jabari Thomas RHP
Mike Garcia RHP
Victor Garza RHP
Jimmy Houde RHP
Paul Leach RHP
Elliott Slocum RHP
Dave Trant LHP
Robby Vaughan LHP
Gabe Velthouse LHP
James Whalen RHP
Chris Armstrong LHP
Chris Slusher LHP

Position Players:
Alex Blevins C
Jorge Gonzalez C
Dave Sanchez C
Bill Hansen 1B
Vic Mendez 1B
Zach Center IF
Kelly Garcia IF
Scott Ellis IF
Raul Molina IF
Ivan Sambrano IF
Matt Dyer IF
Estevan Carranza OF
Bill Foster OF
Eddy Miller OF
Ray Schirm OF
Jamel Bowman OF
Eric Brooks OF
Mario Cilley OF
Dave Encinas OF
Lance Craigo OF
Alan Knopf OF

Non-Roster Invitees:
Marty Wade RHP
Juan Grijalva IF
Drew Bowser IF
Javier Becerra OF
Jonathan Abreu LHP
Victor Cisneros LHP
Bobbie Burton IF
Eric Attwood OF
Scott Tucker OF
Justin Watson RHP
Juan Avalos RHP
Alfredo Gayo IF
Steve Belk IF
George Kelly OF
Nick Balboa RHP
Jeff Walter LHP
Jesse Cook OF
Carl Doherty RHP

[Doc_Brown]

March:

During Spring Training the Suns finished 3rd in the West with a 15-15 record. We showed some hopeful signs for the forthcoming season, but there was also some meltdowns, which hopefully will be erased before the real games start. We also managed to avoid injuries in spring ball which was another plus.

Phoenix Suns:
Trades/Offers:
3/10 The Montreal Canadiens make a trade proposal, they would send 33 year old 2B Josh Swanson and in return they would like 29 year old RHP Jimmy Houde and 24 year old LHP Robby Vaughan. I kindly reject the offer.
3/14 The Pittsburgh Pioneers make a trade proposal, they would send 29 year-old 3B Manny Rodriguez(and retain 60% of his salary) and minor league 24 year-old 3B Tony Gonzalez for 29 year-old OF Lance Craigo. We reject the offer.
3/18 The Montreal Canadiens come a calling again, this time they wanted to send 33 Year-old 2B John Swanson(retain 40%)and send $385,000 for 29 Year-old OF Lance Craigo.
3/12 We sent 27 year old OF Alan Knopf to the Cleveland Kings and in return we got 23 year old LHP John Dover, who was a 1st round pick in the 1996 draft.
3/12 We sent 26 year old 3B Scott Ellis to the Philadelphia Keystonesin return we got 29 year old 2B/SS Justin Moore in return. He has 5 years left on his contract and is getting paid $6,100,000 a year, Philadelphia are paying 10% of that.
3/23 We sent 33 year old RHP Ryan School to the New York Bears, in return we get 28 year-old 2B/SS Robert Moore (Moore was claimed by the Bears in the Rule 5 draft from the L.A. Blue Sox).
Roster moves:
3/13 LHP Jeff Walter, OF Javier Becerra are sent to AAA Reno.
3/13 2B Alfredo Gayo, 3B Bobbie Burton, OF Scott Tucker, RHP Juan Avalos, LHP Jonathan Abreu, RHP Marty Wade, LHP Victor Cisneros are sent to AA Jackson Generals.
3/13 3B Steve Belk, OF Dave Encinas, OF Estevan Carranza are sent to A+ Stockton. RHP Manuel Santiago, RHP Felix Godinez, RHP Justin Watson are sent to A Aurora
3/21 RHP Nick Balboa, RHP Carl Doherty, OF Mario Cilley, OF Eric Attwood, OF George Kelly, SS Drew Bowser sent to AAA Reno.
3/21 RHP Elliott Slocum sent to AA Jackson.
3/25 OF Jesse Cook sent to AAA Reno.
3/25 With the signing of A.J. McClary, we DFA'd RHP Elliott Slocum to create an opening on the 40 man roster.
3/28 2B Juan Grijalva, LHP Chris Slusher, LHP Dave Trant, LHP Robby Vaughan, C Alex Blevins, 3B Raul Molina, LF Eddy Miller and LF Bill Foster sent to AAA Reno.
3/28 RHP James Whalen, 2B/SS Kelly Garcia, SS Matt Dyer and RHP Elliott Slocum are sent to AA Jackson.
Signings:
3/25 31 year-old OF A.J. McClary signs a 1 year deal worth $350,000.

Around the League:

Trades:
3/13 The Atlanta Indians send 31 year old LHP Keith Webster, 24 year old RHP Fernando Villavicencio and 23 year-old 1B Ralph Constable to the Boston Rebels for 25 yera-old 3B Justin Zelle.
3/13 The Philadelphia Keystones send 26 year-old OF Dave Martin and 2 minor leaguers, 23 year-old 3B Adam Barnes and 19 year-old OF Robbie Beers to the Oakland Oaks for 27 year-old SS Larry Menzer.

Injuries:
3/3 Los Angeles Angels RHP Sean Anthony suffered a ruptured UCL and is out for an intial 13 months.
3/4 Oakland Oaks LHP Bradley Humphries will miss 4 weeks with an elbow strain.
3/6 New York Metroploitans RHP Bill Williams will miss 6 months with a torn rotator cuff.
3/10 Denver Rockies RHP Doug Wertheim suffers a torn rotator cuff and will miss 12 months.
3/13 Oakland Oaks RHP Jeff Davis is suffering from an inflamed rotator cuff and will spend at least 3 months resting it.
3/13 New York Bears RHP Jason Samuels has suffered a torn Labrum and will miss the 1998 season.
3/16 Toronto Maple Leafs 2B John Crisp is out for 9-10 months suffering with post concussion-syndrome.
3/16 Milwaukee Hops 3B Roberto Aguirre will miss 3 weeks with a calf strain.
3/19 Boston Rebels RHP Sandy Cruz has torn his flexor tendon and will miss 17-18 months.
3/20 Miami Whales will be without LHP Jeremy Rosko for 13 months as he tore his rotator cuff.
3/22 San Diego Sailors lose 1B Michael Carey for 4 months due to some torn meniscus in his knee.
3/23 Pittsburgh Pioneers RHP Ben Fernandes is done for the year, he tore a flexor tendon.
3/25 New York Bears lose RHP Johnny Rodriguez for 4 months due to radial nerve compression.
3/26 Oakland Oaks 25 year-old RHP Hector Silva is suffering from a herinated disk and is expected to miss 6 weeks.
3/26 Milwaukee Hops will be without the services of 26 year-old RHP Victor Marquez for 14 months, due to a torn flexor tendon in his elbow.


Extensions:
3/22 The Minneapolis Lakers sign all-star closer RHP Ramon Ramos to a 3 year deal worth $15,300,000. Ramos is 8th on the all time saves list with 318.

Signings:
3/24 The L.A. Blue Sox sign 32 year-old 2B Ryan Henry to a 1 year deal worth $1,420,000.

Retirements:
3/25 26 year-old LHP Korey Brock of the Oakland Oaks has called time on his career. Brock has been suffering from a torn labrum.

[Doc_Brown]

Phoenix Suns.

3/30.
So after Spring training, we've finally cut down the roster to 25. There were a couple of hard calls on who to keep and who to send down. So without any delay here are the inaugural Phoenix Suns.


Pitchers:

SP Bobby Anderson 34, S/R (9-13, 4.54 ERA - 130-119, 3.98 ERA) The 1989 Buck-Lofgren award winner and 3 time All-star. We're hoping that Anderson can anchor the rotation in the early years of the team.

SP Elisha Benayoun 26, R/R (4-5 1SV, 5.12 ERA - 6-6 14SV, 4.46 ERA)Whilst he's spent time in the major's , he's yet to start a game. He started a lot of games in the minors and we're hopeful he can translate that success to the major's.

SP Mark Doull 29, R/R (5-21 5.71 ERA - 19-43 12SV 4.72 ERA) Signed to add depth to our rotation, whilst some of his traditional numbers don't look great we're hoping he can eat some innings.

SP Jesse Flores 25, S/L (Yet to pitch in the Major's) Our scouts are hopeful that Flores can be a #1 starter for us. Hopefully in his first shot in the show, he'll be able to keep his head above water.

SP Jabari Thomas 30, R/R (4-9 5.98 ERA - 70-80 4 SV, 4.15 ERA) Last year was a tough one for Thomas, he suffered his first major injury and we're hopeful that he can return to the form he showed from 1991-1996 where he produced above average results.

MR Chris Armstrong 24, L/L (Yet to play in the major's) Whilst Armstrong has yet to play at the major league level, is numbers in the minors fill me with confidence that he'll be more than useful member of our bullpen, possible closer material.

MR Mike Garcia 30, R/R (2-1 1SV, 5.40 ERA - 7-3 3SV, 4.52 ERA) Yet to figure it out in the big's but should be able to get some outs in low pressure situations.

MR Victor Garza 25, L/R (1-2 1SV, 5.05 ERA - 1-2 2SV, 4.50 ERA) Only pitched 46 innings in the big's, shown some promise and doesn't give up many home runs, and strikes out hitters at 10 K/9.

MR Jimmy Houde 29, R/R (2-1 25 SV, 2.64 ERA - 16-25 148 SV, 2.99 ERA) A solid option for the bullpen and led the league in saves in 1996 with 50.

MR Paul Leach 26, L/R (0-4 3SV, 11.02 ERA) Cracked the big's last year for the first time but was bitten due to his high walk rate. Hopefully he's improved from last year and can cut down on the free passes.

MR Gabe Velthouse 24, L/L (11-4 17SV, 4.22 ERA -13-4 17SV 4.27 ERA) Going to be our primary set-up guy. Last year he was used as a starter and in relief and produced some promising numbers in both roles.

CL Adam Riley 29 R/R (4-4 25SV, 2.75 ERA - 19-12 36SV, 2.46 ERA) Had a good year for the Metropolitans last year, hopefully he can handle the full time role of closer.

Position Players:

C Jorge Gonzalez 24, L/R (.218, 1 HR, 13 RBI) Whilst his bat has yet to come around at the major league level, his defensive skills behind the plate make up for that short coming at the moment.

C Dave Sanchez 29, S/R (.244, 9 HR, 49 RBI - .255, 125 HR, 513 RBI) Dave can hit, whilst he's not going to win any batting titles, he can hold his own at the plate. Behind the dish Dave is a a defensive wizard. He's also a leader and the clubhouse is more than happy he's here. 1 time all-star.

1B Vic Mendez 24, S/R (.263, 2 HR, 5 RBI) Limited time in the big's last year with the Blue Sox, but hit the cover off the ball at AAA before his promotion last year. Hopefully he'll trend in the right direction with the bat this season.

2B/SS Zach Center 27, R/R (Didn't appear in majors last year - .250, 0 HR, 0 RBI) Not known for his hitting, Center offers great defense at both center infield spots.

2B/SS Robert Moore 28, S/R (.229, 0 HR, 8 RBI - .226, 0 HR 9 RBI)Not a hitter but doesn't strikeout a whole bunch. Another wizard at both center infield positions.

3B/1B Bill Hansen 24, L/R (.316, 2 HR, 5 RBI) A brief call up last season with the Pioneers showed that Hansen can handle his own in the majors. Was slated to be our 1B this year until we traded for Mendez, should be able to hold his own at the hot corner.

3B/LF Ivan Sambrano 24, R/R (Yet to play in the majors) A .270 career hitter in the minors and those numbers have risen as he rose through the minors. With the glove Sambrano should be above average at the hot corner.

SS Justin Moore 29, S/R (.294, 1 HR, 55 RBI - .326, 22 HR, 384 RBI). Justin is blessed with a lot of speed, rarely strikes out and draws his fair share of walks. 2 time Gold Glove, 1 time Silver Slugger, 1 All-Star game and a World Champion with the 1992 Philadelphia Keystones.

RF/LF A.J. McClary 31, R/R (.326, 9 HR, 64 RBI - .296, 69 HR, 318 RBI) McClary is a solid hitter, won't hit 20 home runs but will chip in with his share, solid corner outfielder and has some speed on the bases. Won the World Series with the Metropolitans last year.

LF/1B Ray Schirm 25, S/R (.222, 6 HR, 18 RBI - .234, 6 HR, 18 RBI) Ray can play good LF. Another one who's blessed with blistering speed.

CF Jamel Bowman 22, S/R (Not played in the majors) Bowman is a future gold glove winner, batting title challenger and stolen base champion.

CF Eric Brooks 28, L/R (.210, 6 HR, 14 RBI - .192, 6 HR, 20 RBI) Whilst not a threat at the plate, Brooks provides outstanding defense in center and is yet another with blistering speed.

LF/RF Lance Craigo 29, R/R (Yet to play at the majors, but is a career .301 hitter in AAA.) Not going to be up there in the home run charts, but can hit and hopefully will do so at the majors. Another one who's quick in the field and on the bases.

Next up for the Suns is a 2 game series @ St. Louis Royals

[Doc_Brown]

Phoenix Suns:

The Boffins in charge of MLB's computers have crunched numbers and come out with the Pheonix Suns finishing 3rd in the NL West with a 89-73 record(I'd glady take that).

Chris Perez the owner of the Phoenix Suns has set these goals:
Don't suck completely.
Upgrade Right Field by 2000
Reach the Playoffs by 2002

Upcoming Games: Vs St. Louis Royals

RHP B.Anderson vs RHP J.Knutson
RHP Jabari Thomas vs RHP M.Mervine



Around the League:
Signings/Contract extensions:
3/31 The New York Metropolitans sign 33 year-old LHP Dave Uphaus to a 1 year deal worth $890,000

Accomplishments:
3/31 Cleveland Kings, Pete Hixon's 25 game hitting streak came to an end. He went 0-3 vs the Oakland Oaks.

Top Prospects:
Shawn Rushing of the Montreal Canadiens is named the top prospect in MLB. Rushing is a hrad throwing starter who reaches 100 mph on the gun, he has a plus plus Fastball, curveball and slider. He also uses a changeup but that needs a lot of work.

We have the #2 prospect in 1B Vic Mendez and a few others in the top 100, Steve Belk is 12th,Jesse Flores is 15th, John Dover is 29th and Jamel Bowman is 32nd.

[Doc_Brown]

March 31st, Game 1 @ St. Louis Royals, Attendance: 37,965

Line-up
J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Bowman CF, Sanchez C, R.Moore 2B, Anderson P.

Lance Craigo picked up the first hit in the Suns history, he hit a single in the 1st inning. It got better for the suns in the 2nd when R.Moore drove in the first run.In the bottom of the third, the Suns ran into some trouble, with 2 outs the Royals got 2 men on base and 3B A.Butler sent the ball over the center field wall. They then added another run in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. In the 7th Craigo hits a sac fly and scores R.Moore. A.Orepeza then sends the ball out to right field and restores the Royals 3 run lead. The top of the ninth, J.Gonzalez singles to get the inning started, J.Moore then hits a run scoring triple, next hitter Craigo hits another sac fly to get J.Moore home 5-4 St. Louis, can the dream comeback really happen, next hitter Mendez drops the ball in front of their LF Orepeza, 1 on 1 out. Next hitter Hansen is fanned by Wimberley, 1 on 2 out, McClary comes to the plate but sadly for us he's also a strikeout victim and the Royals take it 5-4.

Home Runs: Butler, Orepeza (St. Louis Royals)
WP: Knutson 1-0 (2.57)
LP: Anderson 0-1 (6.75)
SV: Escobedo (0.00)
POTG: Knutson



April 2nd, Game 2 @ St. Louis Royals, Attendance: 35,084

Line-up;
J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Bowman CF, J.Gonzalez C, R.Moore 2B, Thomas P.

The game starts off in the best possible way, 3rd pitch of the game and J.Moore sends the ball deep over the right field wall, 1-0 Suns. 2 quick outs follow, then Hansen draws a walk, McClary steps up and deposits the ball next to the left field foul poll, 3-0 Suns. Then in the bottom of the first we get 2 quick outs, but then we commit some errors and the Royals score on a passed ball, then the next hitter Martinez plates a run on a sac fly, 3-2 Suns. Top of the 3rd and a couple of runners on base and McClary drops a single into left field and scores a run, 4-2 Suns. Bowman is next up and he drops the ball into left field, 5-2 Suns.Bottom of the 3rd with a runner on 1st Rouser hits a double and Parker scores,5-3 Suns. Top of the 7th and Mendez sends the ball to center field scoring J.Moore, 6-3 Suns. The bullpens shut down both teams and the Suns claim the first win in Franchise history.

Home Runs: J.Moore, McClary (Phoenix Suns)
WP: Thomas 1-0 (1.29)
LP: Mervine 0-1 (7.50)
SV: Riley (0.00)
POTG: A.J. McClary

Forthcoming Series, April 3rd-5th
A 3 game set vs the Cincinnati Redbirds, in Cincinnati. The Redbirds are currently 0-2.
LHP J.Flores vs RHP J.Dominguez
RHP E.Benayoun vs RHP D.Moore
RHP M.Doull vs RHP S.Sullivan

[Doc_Brown]

April 3rd, Phoenix Suns (1-1) @ Cincinnati Redbirds (0-2) Attendance: 41,410

Line-up
J.Moore SS, Bowman CF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Schirm RF, Sanchez C, R.Moore 2B, Flores P.

The game started badly and went down hill even quicker. The Redbirds scored 2 in the first, they then notched 3 more runs in the 2nd, then in the 3rd the wheels really came off for us as the Redbirds added another 5 runs, we then pulled a run back in the top of the 4th but the Redbirds got it back in the bottom of the fourth. There was no more scoring until the 6th when Bowman notched his first home run, then in the 7th inning Mike Garcia(who had come on in relief of Flores) hit a 2 run bomb, we added 1 more run in the 8th but that weren't able to get anymore back. Rebirds win 11-5.

Home Runs: McCray(2nd of the year), Dunn (Cincinnati Redbirds); Bowman, Garcia (Phoenix Suns)
WP: J.Dominguez 1-0 (3.18)
LP: J.Flores 0-1 (30.00)
POTG: Adam McCray.

April 4th, Phoenix Suns (1-2) @ Cincinnati Reds (1-2) Attendance: 41,924

Line-up
J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Bowman CF, McClary LF, J.Gonzalez C, R.Moore 2B, Sambrano 3B Benayoun P.

After yesterday's mauling it was important to get back to winning, enter Elisha Benayoun he silenced the Redbirds went the whole way giving up 4 hits and a walk and collecting 10 K's. McClary was once again the star of the show with the bat, getting 3 hits in 5 AB's and knocking in 2 RBI's.

Home Runs: -
WP: E.Benayoun 1-0 (0.00)
LP: D.Moore 0-1 (4.50)
POTG: E.Benayoun

April 5th, Phoenix Suns (2-2) @ Cincinnati Redbirds (1-3) Attendance: 40,580

Line-up
J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Bowman CF, Sanchez C, R.Moore 2B, Doull P.

Mark Doull produced a solid 6 innings where he limited the Redbirds to 4 hits and 2 runs, he struck out 6 and walked 1. On the other side McClary continued his hot start to the year with 2 hits and his 2nd home run of the year.

Home Runs: McClary 1(2 on the year) Phoenix Suns, D.Moore 1 Cincinnati Redbirds.
WP: M.Doull 1-0 (3.00)
LP: R.Flores 0-1 (5.54)
SV: A.Riley 2SV's (0.00)
POTG: M.Doull

Next up for us is a day off, before our home opener VS Denver Rockies.

The Rockies are 4-2 on the year.

Projected starters:
RHP B.Anderson 0-1 (6.75) vs RHP G.Moya 0-0 (3.00)
RHP J.Thomas 1-0 (1.29) vs LHP A.Garibay 0-0 (7.94)
LHP J.Flores 0-1 (30.00) vs RHP T.Abbott 0-1 (9.00)


Phoenix Suns:

4/2 Bit of an issue in the Suns clubhouse as A.J. McClary is not impressed with Bill Hansen who isn't running out groundballs.
4/3 Hansen is very unhappy about being called out by McClary.
Contracts:
4/2 31 year old 1B Joel Loconte signs a minor league deal(with a major league option $450,000) and reports to AAA Reno.

Waiver Claims:
4/2 We claim 20 year-old RF Luis Rigal from the Houston All-Stars.
4/2 We claim 22 year-old RF Victor Serrano from the San Diego Sailors.
4/2 We claim 20 year-old SS Cris Gonzalez from the L.A. Blue Sox. This is meet with disdain in the clubhouse as Gonzalez has a bit of a reputation as a trouble maker.

Roster moves:
4/3 LF Bill Foster was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
4/3 SS Cris Gonzalez placed on waivers.
4/3 LF Eddy Miller was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
4/6 SS Cris Gonzalez was claimed by the Oakland Oaks.
4/6 LF Eddy Miller was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pioneers.

Around the League:

Awards:
4/6 25 year-old 3B Rich Vaughn of the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed the AL PLayer of the Week Award.He hit for .650 (13 for 20)with 3 home runs, 8 RBI'S and 5 runs scored, He had no strikeouts and no walks.
4/6 31 year-old LF A.J. McClary of the Phoenix Suns claimed the NL Player of the Week Award. He hit for .524 (11 for 21) with 2 home runs, 8 RBI's and 3 runs scored, he walked twice and struck out twice.

[Doc_Brown]

April 7th, Denver Rockies (4-2) @ Phoenix Suns (3-2) Attendance: 48,618

Line-up;
J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Bowman CF, R.Moore 2B, J.Gonzalez C, Anderson P.

Not the result that we wanted for our debut home opener. With 2 outs in the 1st, Munro hit his 2nd home run of the year, the next batter up Burton hit his 2nd home run of the year. Then in the 2nd inning Galvin hit another home run for the Rockies and his 2nd of the year, they add another run from a J.Rodriguez single. In the bottom of the third, we get on the board thanks to a 2 run shot from J.Moore, his 2nd of the year. We claw another run back in the 5th, but Pinkey hits a 2 run shot of his own in the 6th for his 1st of the year. The Rockies then add an insurance run in the 9th to make it 7-3 Rockies.

Home Runs:
Suns: J.Moore (2)
Rockies: Burton (2), Munro (2), Galvin (2), Pinkey
WP: G.Moya 1-0 (4.09)
LP: Anderson 0-2 (7.84)
SV: Hyslop 2nd (0.00)
POTG: J.Moore (Suns)


April 8th, Denver Rockies (5-2) @ Phoenix Suns (3-3) Attendance: 22,400

Line-up:;
J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Bowman CF, Hansen 3B, Schirm LF, Sanchez C, R.Moore 2B, Thomas P.

A sticky start to the first, as Thomas couldn't locate the strike zone, he managed to get out of the jam and only gave up 1 run. But Vic Mendez hit his first home run for the Suns giving us a 2-1 lead. We added another run in the 4th to give us a 3-1 lead. Thomas had now put his 1st inning trouble behind him. The Rockies pulled another run back in the 7th to make it 3-2, but we made it a 2 run game in the bottom of the 7th thanks to a Mendez single that resulted in a error by the Rockies allowing J.Gonzalez to score. The back end of the bullpen then shut down the Rockies in the final 2 innings, so the Suns win their first game at home.

Home Runs:
Suns: Mendez
WP: J.Thomas 2-0 (1.38)
LP: A.Garibay 0-1 (6.39)
SV: A.Riley (3) (0.00)
POTG: V.Mendez

April 9th, Denver Rockies (5-3) @ Phoenix Suns (4-3) Attendance: 21,470

Line-up;
J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Bowman CF, R.Moore 2B, J.Gonzalez C, Flores P.

Flores was hoping for a better start than the one he had last time out and he managed to go 5 innings, not the greatest 5 innings but he kept the Rockies to 1 run on 5 hits. On the other side of the field, J.Gonzalez hit his first home run of the year and Craigo, Bowman and the Moore's added a few more hits. The Suns take the game 8-2.


Home Runs:
Suns: J.Gonzalez (1)
Rockies: -
WP: J.Flores 1-1 (12.38)
LP: T.Abbott 0-2 (9.90)
POTG: J.Gonzalez (Suns)

Next up for us is a 4 game series at home VS the Houston All-Stars who are 6-4 on the year.

Projected Starters:
RHP E.Benayoun 1-0 (0.00) vs RHP K.Clifford 1-1 (6.30)
RHP M.Doull 1-0 (3.00) vs RHP J.Paige 0-0 (2.25)
RHP B.Anderson 0-2 (7.84) vs RHP J.Doyle 1-0 (3.46)
RHP J.Thomas 2-0 (1.38) vs RHP T.Heacock 1-0 (0.56)

Phoenix Suns:

The Minor League season started today,
AAA Reno lost to the Portland Beavers 7-6.
AA Jackson lost to the Jackson Senators 10-7.
A+ Stockton won vs Lancaster 6-3
A Aurora lost to the Burlington 4-1


Around the League:

Signings/Extensions:
4/8 Chicago Colonels sign 29 year-old RHP Ramiro Hernandez to a 1 year deal worth $1,080,000
4/10 New York Bears sign 31 year-old RHP Chris Green to a 1 year deal worth $1,760,000


Under the knife:
4/10 L.A. Blue Sox 30 year-old RHP Danny Klapheke will miss 4 months with a partially torn labrum.

[Doc_Brown]

April 10th, Houston All-Stars (6-4) @ Phoenix Suns (5-3) Attendance: 33,905

Line-ups
Suns:J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Bowman CF, R.Moore 2B, Sanchez C, Benayoun P.

All-Stars:J.CorteZ 2B, E.Coffey RF, T.Suh LF, J.Quezada 1B, J.Seymour 3B, A.Ramires SS, J.Salvatierra CF, S.Heredia C, K.Clifford P.

This game swung back and forth until the end. The Suns got an early lead in the 2nd thanks to a run scoring triple for Bowman. The All-Stars hit back in the 3rd with a 2 run shot from Cortez but that lead was short lived as Mendez hit a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning. Mendez extended our lead in the 5th by driving in another run. The Astros added 2 runs in the 7th to take a 4-3 lead. Bottom of the 7th and Mendez once again delivers with a 2 run bomb, we pad the lead with a further 2 runs to take a 3 run lead. Then the top of the 8th the wheels fall off, Velthouse has a meltdown with 3 wild pitches allowing the All-Star to tie it all up. In the 9th Suh steps up and drives in what turns out to be the winning run.

Houston All-Stars 8 - 7 Phoenix Suns
Home Runs:
Suns: Mendez 2(3)
All-Stars: Cortez 1 (4)
WP: J.Cottrell 1-0 (0.00)
LP: A.Riley 0-1 (2.25)
SV: S.McLeish (2) (3.60)
POTG: V.Mendez (Suns)

April 11th, Houston All-Stars (7-4) @ Phoenix Suns (5-4) Attendance: 29,468

Line-ups;
Suns: J.Moore SS, Bowman CF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Schirm RF, J.Gonzalez C, Center 2B, Doull P.

All-Stars: D.Solis 2B, J.Warner RF, T.Suh LF, G.Vasquez CF, J.Quezada 1B, A.Ramires SS, B.Abernethy 3B, S.Penberthy C, J.Paige P.

Another close game between the two sides but once again the All-Stars come out on top. Abernethy got the ball rolling with a 2 run shot in the 2nd, it remained that way until J.Moore plated Center to make it 2-1. After that it was a pitching duel between the 2 starters, in the bottom of the 6th Hansen tied it up at 2, with his first home run of the year. Sadly for the Suns we coughed up the lead in the top of the 7th as Quezada hit a solo shot to give Houston the lead, this time there was no comeback for the Suns. A positive from this game is that Velthouse put yesterday's wildness behind him.

Houston All-Stars 3 - 2 Phoenix Suns
Home Runs:
Suns: Hansen
All-Stars: Abernethy, Quezada
WP: J.Paige 1-0 (1.64)
LP: M.Doull 1-1 (3.46)
SV: S. McLeish 3 (3.00)
POTG: J.Paige

April 12th, Houston All-Stars (8-4) @ Phoenix Suns (5-5) Attendance: 28,655

Line-ups:
Suns:J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Bowman CF, McClary LF, Sanchez C, R.Moore 2B, Sambrano 3B, Anderson P.

All-Stars: E.Coffey RF, D.Solis 2B, J.Warner LF, G.Vasquez CF, J.Quezada 1B, A.Ramires SS, B.Abernethy 3B, S.Heredia C, J.Doyle P.

Another close game, this time we managed to take the win. The All-Stars took the lead in the 4th when Abernethy plated Warner with a single down the left field line. In the 6th Mendez once again pulled a rabbit out of the hat with his 4th of the year. It was then a tense bullpen battle, ours held it's nerve and in the bottom of the 10th, Craigo knocked in the game winning run.

Houston All-Star 1-2 Phoenix Suns
Home Runs:
Suns: Mendez (4)
All-Stars: -
WP: A.Riley 1-1 (1.50)
LP: T.Merriam 0-1 (3.38)
POTG: J.Doyle (All-Stars)


April 13th, Houston All-Stars (8-5) @ Phoenix Suns (6-5) Attendance: 22,576

Line-ups:
Suns: J.Moore SS, Craigo RF, Mendez 1B, Hansen 3B, McClary LF, Bowman CF, R.Moore 2B, J.Gonzalez C, Thomas P.

All-Stars: E.Coffey RF, D.Solis 2B, T.Suh LF, G.Vasquez CF, J.Quesada 1B, A.Ramires SS, B.Abernethy 3B, S.Penberthy C, T.Heacock P.

This game was a tight one until the 8th inning and then it was blown open by some timely hitting from the middle order of the Suns line-up. Craigo got the scoring going with his first home run of the year, it stayed 1-0 until the 3rd when the All-Stars put a string of hits together to plate 2 runs and take the lead. In the 4th inning the Suns took the lead, when Gonzalez sliced the ball down the left field line and it just had enough juice to creep over the wall. It then remained 3-2 until the bottom of the 8th, then the Suns strung some hits together and added 4 more runs to the total.

Houston Astros 2-7 Phoenix Suns

Home Runs:
Suns: Craigo, Gonzalez (2)
All-Stars: -
WP: J.Thomas 3-0 (1.80)
LP: T.Heacock 1-1 (1.64)
POTG: J.Gonzalez.


Next up for the Suns, is a quick 2 game set in Los Angeles against the Blue Sox. The Blue Sox currently sit 4th in the West with a 6-8 record.

Projected Starters:

LHP J.Flores 1-1 (12.38) vs RHP A.Jaquez 1-1 (6.75)
RHP E.Benayoun 1-0 (2.25) vs RHP N.Monzon 2-1 (3.63)

Around the League:

Accomplishments:
4/10 Juan Morales of the New York Metropolitans goes 5 for 5 VS the Milwaukee Hops.

Awards:
4/13 27 year-old LF Branden Beehn of the Seattle Warriors picks up the AL player of the week. He put up a .542 bbatting average (13 for 24) 1 HR AND 6 rbi's
4/13 24 year-old 1B Mario Bautista of the Chicago Colonels picks up the NL player of the week. He put up a .424 batting average (14 for 33) 1 HR and 8 rbi's.

Under the knife:
4/13 Juan Morales of the New York Metropolitans will miss 5 weeks due to a strained anterior cruciate ligament.