WWBL Independent No. 13

[Clipper]

The Independent
Vol. 1 No.13 Thursday, June 20, 2002


Catching on: Hartford, Syracuse league's top defensive teams

SYRACYSE, N.Y. -- Keith Nasser prides himself on his defense.
Yeah, he's hitting .375, but it's the attention he gets for playing outstanding second base that he enjoys most.
Nasser is leading a fairly unflawed Blizzard squad that is tied with Hartford for the best defense in the league. The Blizzard and Storm each have team fielding percentages of .987. Nasser's .992 has helped.
The 31-year-old made 14 errors and had a .983 fielding percentage last season. He and third baseman James McKay lead the team's solid defense surge. McKay has made one error this season after playing mostly as a utility man last year. He made four errors in 54 games while playing third and short last season.
Hartford's Randy Walczak, who leads the league in pay with a $13 million a year deal, has made just one error this season. The shortstop made only 10 errors in 162 games for the Storm last year. He and Tim Selders, who has been perfect at first base this season, lead the team.
The squad with the worst defensive numbers this season - Dallas. The Destoyers have been plagued by errors, making 29 errors, more than one a game. Their team fielding percentage is .973.

Is your team a one-run wonder?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Ghost Riders have one of the best records in the league, and they've built it by the smallest of margins.
The Ghost Riders and five other teams have kept in contention by excelling in close games. Grand Rapids and West Texas, both resurgent teams who struggled in 2001, have won nine one-run games, accounting for nearly half of each of their 19 wins.
Grand Rapids is 9-2 in one-run games and West Texas is 9-1. Albany and Savannah have each ecked out eight one-run wins and Fargo is 6-1 in those situations. Dallas has the words one-run game record, dropping seven of eight one-run games.
Ghost Riders closer Eddie Hernandez has amassed nine saves this season in leading the team to its first place spot in the Great Lakes Division. Similarly, West Texas' Randy Auten has put together 11 saves for the Gulf Coast Division's top team.
Of the five top one-run winning teams, three are winning there divisions. Fargo is in second place in the Frontier Division and Albany is the lone team with a losing record on the list.

Muskies, Marvels top draws

MADISON, Wis. -- By looking at the WWBL attendance figures, it would be difficult to figure out that Wisconsin and Idaho are two of the least populus states in the nation.
Last year's runner-up Muskies have drawn 580,000 fans to lead the league. Possibly related to their new logo and marketing strategy, the Marvels have drawn almost 547,000.
Both team's attendance averages have increased from 2001. Idaho was second to last with 3,079,000 fans last season and Madison was sixth. Last season's second biggest draw, Albany, is third so far this season with 513,000 fans. Melbourne, which led the league with 4.4 million fans in 2001, has fallen to 23rd, with less than 400,000 fans.

Agustin loses to former team

SAVANNAH -- Sitting at his locker after the April 21 game, Mark Agustin's head hangs low.
Looking at a wallet sized schedule Mark eyes May 19th, 20th and 21st. Drawing a red pen from his locker he circles the dates on his still new Melbourne Energy team calendar in which he himself is on the cover of.
He whispers something. "Revenge will be sweet".
That is the mood of Mark Agustin after having lost to his former team the Savannah Sharks on the night of April 21st. Agustin came into Savannah having a 13-2 record and a beyond stingy ERA of 1.26 at Savannah's Oglethorpe Field last season.
Melbourne and Agustin were confident they would come out on top. When the game that pitted Agustin against his former team came to the eighth inning, however, the contest was still undecided. Agustin and new Savannah ace Curtis Streicher had battled to a 1-1 tie to that point. With no outs in the bottom of the eighth Agustin let go of a flat curve with a 2-1 count. So flat that Rod McCall turned on the pitch and hit it 389 feet. More importantly, he launched it over the right field wall. The blast would prove to be the game winning hit and it would hand Agustin his first loss of the year.
After the game Rod McCall was elated he'd led his team to a win over last years Player of the Year.
"This is a big win for us," he said. "[Mark] made a mistake and I capitalized. He pitched a fantastic game and if it weren't for that one mistake, it might have been a different outcome." Agustin refused to comment on the game when questioned by the press.
Not knowing if his turn in the rotation will be up, he continues to stare at the mid-May date when Savannah makes it's first trip of the season to Melbourne. He whispers something again. "Yes, revenge will be so sweet."

to be continued (because of owner participation, this week's Independent did not fit into one thread)

[Clipper]

Continued from last post

Division-by-Division Dispatches

Great Lakes

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Look out folks, there go the Ghost Riders into first place! I will be out of town today and tomorrow, so I hope to get my team file in on Thursday.....
Gulf Coast

BATON ROUGE -- The Batton Rouge Battlecats, off to a slow start at 9-19, going 5-5 in the last 10 games. Leftfielder Ronald Wakefield, was selected as the Blue League Player of the Week after hitting .417 with 2 HR's and 9 RBI to bring his BA up to .302 with 8 HR's and 28 RBI with 8 SB. "I'm starting to see the ball better and I'm also getting better pitches to swing at". Wakefield, who will be a Free Agent after this season, is currently negotiating a 3 yr extention with the club, "my agent called me last night and said that it should get done by the end of the week if not early next week, I like it hear in Baton Rouge, the fans are great and they deserve a winner and I want to be hear when that happens".
On a Minor Note
As fans and beat writers swarm to the Battlecats Double A games to get a glimpse of 18 year old fireballer Zack Wright, single A pitcher Matthew Young is being promoted to the AA club this weekend. "He was unhittable in single A, so we're bringing him up to AA ball and see how he does", 'Cats Manager Billy Kidd stated.

LUBBOCK -- Richard Manzi doesn't know much about being first. He was the last of five children. He was last on the team bus before each game last week. Heck, his team last season was always last. Things have changed for Manzi and his West Texas cohorts. The Wildcats took a two-game lead over dominant Mississippi last week, taking control of first place for the first time in the franchises history. Manzi's played a part. As a 23-year-old rookie, the middle reliever played well last season, but not as well as many had hoped. This season he's led the 'Cats' stingy bullpen. He has .93 ERA and has appeared in 14 of the teams 28 games. The Wildcats won two against Providence and took two of three from Columbus last week to take first place.

DALLAS -- A miserable start to the season for the Destroyers seems to have only gotten with the latest injury news showing young left handed starter Antoine Cavender being lost for the year. Cavender was being counted on to hold down the 5th spot in the rotation for the Destroyers but all hopes of that ended when he tore his rotator cuff in the 5th inning against Madison. The injury bug has knocked starters out for the year in the first two seasons for the Destroyers and the owner is wondering if the owner from Austin has hired a voodoo queen to put a curse on the team. The team will have to be creative to come up with a fix for the rotation and only time will tell what kind of impact the loss of Cavender will be. At 8-14 things certainly have started rough and the Dallas owner is getting impatient with manager Jeb Walker who is rumored to be sitting on the hot seat. Stay tuned....

Frontier

SPOKANE -- Last night, in the cover of darkness, the front office of the Cougars made a very questionable move. The Cougars traded for Dom Higgin, from Durham, and gave up, #1 pitching prospect 19 year old, Eric Buntin, and up and coming leftie closer, Chico Taylor. The cougars also gave up an undisclosed draft pick.
While Higgin may well be one of the better pitchers out there, the Cougars won it all last year and it wasn't done with starting pitching. No offense is intended toward Houston or Dorst, they came thru, in the end, when needed. But his team was built around the bull pen, and if the starters got you to the 5th inning you were happy because you knew that the bull pen was going to hold the other team to whatever runs that they had already gotten and the Cougars had a chance to win. Well the front office just went and traded one of the best young arms in the bullpen and Chico Taylor will surely be missed. Buntin also will be missed. At 19 years old, Buntin was in the top 50 of the WWBL prospects. So say good bye youngsters, hello big money pitcher.
The Cougars already had money troubles without getting this clown. The Dom already makes 4+ mill this season and is a free agent this fall. He will more than likely ask for twice what he makes now. Add that to the already three important pitchers that are free agents this season and shortstop Frank Trueblood, who is a must keep, along with left fielder Christopher Lewis are also free agents. Don't forget that Spokane's favorite son, 1B Derick Fanning, is a free agent after next season. So where does the money come from? Don't get me wrong folks, I like the Dom as much as anyone and think he will be great for the team, my big question is, how will this team stay together? Money doesn't grow on trees, at least not in Spokane. So is this the begining of the end for the Cougars? What are the moves that this front office has to make to keep this team together? As for now, only time will tell. But Cougar fans, the future ain't so bright to me.
I'm Chili Spencer, and that's my $.02.

FARGO -- Fargo (13-9) now sits in 2nd place in the GL Frontier Division 3 GB the leader Spokane.
The River Rats have been lead on offense by Theo Raurk (.306 AVE, 3 HR), Scott Mondor (.310 AVE, 3 HR), and new acquisition Richard Terrell (.295 AVE, 7 HR). Lloyd Depuy has been their best pitcher this season going 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA so far this season. John Dalrymple, last years 19 game winner, has really struggled this season he is 1-2 with an ERA over 6. Dalrymple states, "Man I just can't figured it out... I put in the work just like I always have and I feel good out there on the mound. Players are just crushing the pitches that I am throwing. I know I am good pitcher and I am not letting this get me down. I am just going to go out there each game Mr. Kerns puts me in and give it my all. In the end, I think I will have a successful season."
Also struggling at the plate are catcher Mervin Small (.143 AVE, 3 HR) and 3B Andrew Lunn (.198 AVE, 1 HR). Manager Bruce Kerns said, "Mervin has never been know for hitting for average he is obviously a long ball hitter. We know he will come around and produce for this team. He is a leader and he always plays with a lot of heart. Andrew however hit .290 last season. We know he is a better hitter than he is showing us right now. What is really hurting us right now is that he is hitting .056 with runners in scoring position. He knows that is just not acceptable. We expect Andrew to pick up his production as the season continues forward. He is a good player. We are challenging him to work on his swing more everyday and to get back to the hitter we all know he can be."
MR Alan Thatch has been Fargo's suprise this season. Last year he sported an ERA over 7 and right now he is 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA in 10 apperances this season. Also SP Eddie Albert who came over in the Terrell trade with Idaho has pitched well. Eddie is 3-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 2002.

COLORADO SPRINGS -- The Colorado Springs Firestorm have made a flurry of deals recently to bolster their squad over the past 2 weeks.First, Donald Molden and Bill smith, acquire din the offseason from Albany, were both called to action at the ML level. Smith has done well from a relief role, and Molden has done well, and is showing signs of improvement.
Secondly, is the first of two moves with the Savannah Sharks. The Firestorm deal LF James Leming, P Joesph Matthews, and 3b Fredrick Jun to Savannah for 3b Brad Delaville, Lf Daniel Pitts and RP Brad Ledonne. Delaville will bring much needed power to the Firestorm lineup. And Pitss should serve well in the outfield.
The third move, and second with the Sharks was to send Lf Doug Seigrist and MR prospect Burhadaden to Savannah for agin SS R Craig. Craig, should also add some pop to the already potent Colorado Springs lineup.
The Firestorm are not done however. Rumor has it that they have been discussing dealing All-star Catcher Micheal Eady. Eady was voted one of the leagues top ten players in the offseason polls. NO confirmation on these reports, but its fun to report them anyway.
The Colorado Springs are reportedly VERY interested in acquiring bullpen help. Not just help, but they are looking for top notch guys to improve thier bullpen. No one is untouchable as the FireStorm seek to patch what they believe is their biggest hole. The FireStorm sit at 11-11, and are shooting for the playoffs....

to be continued

[Clipper]

Continued from last post

Sunshine

COCOA BEACH -- Power hitting 1B JOHN BIBLER is available. Open to all trade ideas. Lee So far this season he is hitting .315 6 16

COCOA BEACH -- The Cocoa Beach Rebels record dropped down to 10-12 and now 4 games back of Savannah. The Rebels offense has not been the problem says manager Baez. We have a tm ba of .302. Its our Pitching. Over the last week the Rebels went 2-5 and there team era went from 3.87 to 4.72 in just seven games. 3B Eddie Wentzel continues his hot hitting. Wentzel is now batting .375 3 16. For the Rebels ,offensive player of the week is 2b Joey Robison. Robison who was handed the starting job hit .393 2 4 . The Rebels need another sp to try to contend and keep up with Savannah.

CHARLESTON -- Charleston's new GM made his first big trade the other day, sending a top starting pitcher in Edwin Lebouef to Savannah for 2 first rounders and 2B prospect Dave Sitz. This however is expected to be only the first of many moves to completely rebuild the Charleston squad. Basically every player is still up for sale for prospects and / or picks. The most notable player on the roster would have to be 2B Michael Richardson, a 1st rounder when this league had its original dispersal draft. But no matter what your need, you can likely fine something on this squad can help.

SAVANNAH -- The Savannah front office is busy. So busy that no one in the front office had time to answer questions from the press.
Since beginning the season 3-5, the Sharks have put up wins in 11 of their last 14 contests and are now protecting a gracious 4 game lead over second place Cocoa Beach. But wins aren't the only thing circling the waters that surround the Savannah front office. Trades and rumors of more trades are also surfacing.
This past week saw Savannah pulled off two moves. The first of which was a highly controversial one in the Shark headquarters. Despite a difference of opinion in the front office, Savannah sent Dallas' first round pick, their own first round pick and second base prospect Dave Sitz to Charleston in exchange for Starting pitcher Edwin Lebouef. It appears that this was a stop gap move that was needed to keep the Shark ship afloat when it was learned that pitcher John Runnells would need surgery and would miss 4 to 5 weeks. Without any able bodied replacement in site, the Sharks decided to make this move and insert Lebouef in the #3 spot in their rotation. The question now is what will happen to the Shark rotation when Runnells returns in late May? Our best guess is that either starter Jonathan Yelverton or Martin Millitello will be put on the trade block.
Runnells, who was brought in this past offseason in a trade that sent Mark Agustin packing, started just three games before he complained of shoulder pain. Team physician Dr. Scott Ewing confirmed that he had an inflamed rotator cuff muscle and that minor surgery would be necessary.In another surprising move the Sharks have also traded away power hitting short stop Rodney Craig. Craig was dealt for LF Donald Siegrist and pitching prospect Youshiru Benrakuken. Benrakuken was high on the Sharks draft list this past off season and more than likely was the key to the trade. Incumbent short stop and defensive master Marvin Lechuga will inherit the short stop role. Furthermore, the Shark have cut even more salary from their payroll, which now ranks fifth in the WWBL (down from first last season).

Bluegrass

DURHAM -- Im looking to deal some players. Pretty much anyone on my roster is available. Keep in mind that im looking to rebuild with younger type players by dealing mostly vets. Notable names would be: C Claude Tse, C John Chambers, P Dominique Higgin and pretty much anyone else. Inquire via icq (9534496) or email if you're interested. Peace.

DURHAM -- Riding a 7-3 record in their last ten games, the Durham Dukes have managed to squeak their way into first place in the Bluegrass division of the Gray League. Most consider this to be an extremely temporary position for the Dukes, as they managed to fight their way into the lower eschelon of teams last year in the league formerly known as the GBC Tres. Thus far in this young season, Durham has managed to get quality pitching across the board, while receiving timely hitting from the youthful lineup. On the pitching side of the coin, team ace Dominque Higgin has been completely dominant in his last four starts and currently sports a 1.95 era. Additionally, Charles Meyerson and Dennis Winningham have sparkled, posting 2.89 and 3.07 eras respectively. The bullpen has been solid all around. Highly touted 24 year old rookie reliever Ken Mizelle has been fantastic in his pro debut and manager Joe Bogle has recently handed him the closer duties full time. The Dukes feature of total of five players who were used almost exclusively as closers in their time in the minor leagues. Oscar Lavigne has been an average starter while Jeff Mershon, Nick Kangas and Matt Bernhard have been quality middle relievers and setup men.

SYRACUSE -- The Syracuse Blizzard had a mediocre 3-4 sim to drop to 9-13 on the year, good for a tie for last in the BL Patriot Division. Surprisingly, the offense has been the problem all year. In the four losses this sim, the Blizzard scored 4 runs. The bullpen has also been horrendous, minus stud closer David Gross. If the season continues like this for a couple more sims, look for a Syracuse fire sale, as the Blizzard are nearing dire financial straits.
The Good: P Gregory Copeland has pitched like the ace management thought he would be when they drafted him in the initial draft. In 5 starts, he is 2-1 with a 1.11 ERA....Kenneth Scott (2-1, 3.33) and Myron Smithers (1-2, 3.19) have also thrown well...Closer David Gross has 4 saves and has not allowed a run in 9 IP, covering 10 appearances...2B Keith Nassar is the ONLY one hitting anything at .351, with 1 HR, 6 RBI and 6 SB.
The Ugly: EVERYTHING else...Star RF Daniel Furlow is batting a meager .209 with 5 HR and 13 RBI.Newcomer 3B James McKay is hitting .148...P Jamie Sickels is 0-3 with a 7.79 ERA thusfar.

*Dispatches are pulled according to timeliness and
appropriateness to league happenings. Information that is already invalidated will not be placed in the dispatches.

***
Players of the Week

Blue League: Ronald Wakefield, Baton Rouge, hit .417 with two homers and nine RBI last week.

Gray League: Loren Bhatt, Durham, had a .652 average and a .654 on base percentage last week. He also knocked in nine runs.

***
Line of the Week

Little Rock first baseman Brandon Gerdes, who is hitting .329 for the Rapids, had the top line last week.
AB R H RBI HR
5 2 3 5 0
***

The WWBL Independent is published weekly on Thursdays at the offices of the West Texas Wildcats. This publication is a work in progress. Please send suggestions, articles or constructive criticisms on how we can serve you better to: wt_wildcat@verizonmail.com.

To inquire about openings in the WWBL, please contact Brian Ferris, league chairman, at brianwferris@hotmail.com or visit the league Web site at http://www.wwbl.net/.

[WWBL Commissioner]

thanks again for another great newspaper. Great Stuff!!!!!