2081: Desperation in Denver

[jamus23]

So after contemplating numerous dynasties that I've never managed to get off the ground, I am bound and determined to see this one through. It seems to me that many dynasties here are with brand new leagues just starting up, and while there is a certain excitement about a fresh league, I think that I prefer a league that's "lived in," so to speak. A league with some history to it. Well, this league has some history to it. This is a pseudo-fictional league. By that, I mean that the players are fictional, most of the teams are fictional- though not all (for example, there is a Pittsburgh Pirates franchise)- and the structure is fictional. On the other hand, most of my award names come from MLB, including the "Cy Young award," which, of course, makes no sense in a league that Cy Young didn't exist in. No matter.

At any rate, this league began in the year 2003. There were two leagues and 2 divisions in each league, and four teams in each division for a total of 16 teams. Only the division winners reached the playoffs. In the year 2038, the league expanded, adding one team per division. The playoff format remained the same. The league expanded once more in the year 2064, again adding one team per division. This time, however, the playoff format was altered to allow the top two teams in each division to make the playoffs.

That brings us to the year 2081, and to the focus of our story: The Denver Broncos baseball team. Denver was one of the 2038 expansion group, and after some ups and downs(and some wayyy downs), they have established themselves as a team much like the 1990s Atlanta Braves- only slightly worse. Consistently good, consistently in the playoffs, but just as consistently unable to breakthrough. Despite reaching the playoffs each year since 2073, the team has yet to even reach a World Series in this time period, with heartbreak after heartbreak. The latest failure was getting no-hit in Game 7 of the Divisional Series in 2080.

Before I begin chronicling the 2081 season, however, I would like to provide some backstory as to where this Denver team came from. I will try to do that in the form of newspaper snippets from a beat writer by the name Al Vincent.


Our tale begins with a major announcement prior to the 2069 season...

[jamus23]

A New Dawn in Denver?
1/15/2069
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

As a hush grew over the assembled journalists and TV reporters, a very familiar face to Denver fans bounded up to the podium to deliver what many believe to be the best news they‘ve heard since it was first announced that Denver would even have a baseball team. Seventy two years old and still as energetic as ever, Hall of Fame center-fielder Benjamin Middlebrook has announced that he has become the new owner of the Denver franchise. Middlebrook, as longtime Denver fans will remember, was the very first free agent signed by the team in their expansion year of 2038, and it was while playing for Denver that year that Middlebrook reached 3,000 hits in his career. Middlebrook has always claimed a soft spot for the Denver organization because of that.

The new owner wasted no time making changes as he replaced General Manager James Baldridge with 46-year old John Mounts, former outfielder and, more recently, the assistant scouting director of the Miami organization. Mounts has already named a manager, longtime teammate John Wilkerson (43 years old), who after retiring following the 2066 season, managed Miami’s AA squad for the last two seasons, finishing in 4th place and 2nd place. Wilkerson has already named his hitting and pitching coaches. The 53-year old Abraham Neiman will be the hitting coach. Neiman, a former shortstop who hit .305 in his career, with 597 doubles, has been a coach in the Miami organization ever since retiring after the 2054 season. The pitching coach is an interesting choice due to his lack of experience. Another former teammate of Wilkerson and Mounts, 40-year old former starting pitcher Ervin Wright retired just last season, after winning 212 games in his career.

Middlebrook had this to say about Mounts and Wilkerson: “The Miami organization is the epitome of success. They’ve won 10 championships in 15 chances in the last 27 years, so both of these guys know what it takes to win. I want that knowledge here in Denver! I want that winning mindset! I want those wins!” Winning, of course, has been all but forgotten in Denver. After reaching their first (and only) World Series in 2058 (a 7 game defeat against Pittsburgh), Denver has finished above .500 only twice (and both times just barely) and has lost 100 games 5 times, including the last 4 seasons. Last season’s 114 defeats marked Denver’s worst season since 2040, when they were still just a fledgling franchise in it’s third year of existence. With the franchise teetering on the brink of collapse, Middlebrook has stepped in wearing his shining armor.

The new GM discussed his opinions on the state of the franchise, saying that he felt there were a lot of reasons to be positive. “John Dear is one of the best sluggers in the game, and at 29 years of age, he is still very much in the prime of his career. Anytime you can put a guy like that in the middle of your lineup every day, you have a chance to win.” When asked if he had given any thought to trading Dear, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, for younger talent, Mounts said: “Obviously, when you’re losing 100 games a year, nobody is untouchable. But Dear is a guy you build around. I would like to keep Dear in Denver for as long as I can, and I would like to win with Dear in our lineup.” Mounts added that he felt outfielders Harold Willems and Ryouichi Koan had a lot of promise, as did 19 year old starting pitcher Angel Gonzalez, though he was displeased that Gonzalez had spent so much time at the major league level last season. “A guy that young has no business pitching in the bigs against major league hitters.” John Wilkerson had good things to say about outfielders Samuel Mendosa and Bryan Corner and added that having so many talented young outfielders was a pleasant problem to have. Despite the optimism, Mounts conceded that the team suffered from an overall lack of talent, especially the pitching staff, and that he would have his work cut out for him trying to improve that. “No question, this franchise is in dire straits. When you don’t win, the fans stop coming, and when the fans stop coming, it is difficult to generate revenue. Without money, it’s not easy to bring in better players to help you win more, and so you keep losing. It’s a vicious cycle. We will turn this thing around, however. You can count on that.”

Outfielder/designated hitter John Dear was excited after hearing the news, saying that the last few years had been very hard on both the players and fans alike. “Losing this many games, every year, is tough. I just want to thank those fans that have stuck with us these past few years. It can’t be easy, but they keep coming to the games. I don’t think there is any question about who has the most loyal fans in the league. Maybe now, with a new owner, GM, and coaches, that light at the end of the tunnel is approaching.” Dear was also excited that he would be getting to play for Wilkerson: “He was such a great player, and coming from an organization like Miami.... I mean, this guy has played with some of the all time great hitters...Axel Perez, Gillespie, Farr, Salvaggio, Hayes, Romeo... the list just goes on and on. Plus, he been around some great pitchers as well... Barger, Granville Jarvis, Rene Finley, Manzanares... If there is a guy out there who can give you advice on hitting and pitchers, Wilkerson is him. I hope to learn a lot from both him and Neiman.” On his impending free agency, Dear simply said: “This is the organization that drafted me. I came up through their system. I’d like to end my career as a member of their system. I want to play for Denver, and I want to win with Denver.”

[jamus23]

Lots of Silver for Dear
10/8/2069
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Today was a great day for both Denver slugger John Dear and fans of the Denver Broncos. First, after a season in which he batted .353 with a Denver single season record 57 home runs, and 141 RBI, Dear was awarded the 2069 American League Silver Slugger Award for being the league's best hitter. Second, and much more importantly, Dear and the Denver front office came to terms on a contract extension. Dear's new contract will pay him $20 million over the next five seasons. General Manager John Mounts allowed that it was a lot of money, but for a player who is possibly the best hitter in the game, it was worth it. Mounts said that if the Denver franchise wanted to turn things around, they needed to prove that they could compete for the best talent. “John Dear is one of the best hitters in the game, and by giving him this extension, we are making a statement to the rest of baseball that we can and will be competitive. John is the foundation of our franchise. When this team is a winner again, it will be John leading the charge.” For Dear’s part, he was elated. “This is the place I want to be. I want to help make Denver a winner again. I love these fans and they deserve a winner, and I hope to be a part of that.” That may come sooner than expected, as Denver avoided 100 losses this season for the first time since 2064, winning 73 and losing 89.

[jamus23]

All Quiet on the Denver Front
11/4/2070
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

One year after the excitement that was produced when star John Dear signed a contract extension, things are much quieter in Denver. After winning 73 games last season, the team slumped to just 65 wins this year, despite more heroics from Dear, who blasted 53 HR, and Harold Willems, who hit 36. Manager John Wilkerson spoke very candidly when he said that while he was very disappointed with this season, there remained a lot to be excited about. “Dear and Willems are as good a middle of the order as any in the league, Roberto Garcia is an excellent young catcher, both at the plate and behind the plate, Mendosa, Koan, and Corner are all very talented outfielders, and Landon Alverson had a pretty good year on the mound, pitching in a great hitters’ park. David Lesher and Joe Lewis provided some nice relief work, as well. We've got some pieces in place right now.” Wilkerson also gushed about hitting prospects Ellis Bolling, Alexis Vazquez, and David Paiva. “In a few years, these guys will be making this one of the most formidable lineups in baseball. If we can put together a solid rotation, the wins will come.” Bolling, who was drafted in the first round this season, blasted 25 HR at AAA, while Paiva hit .333 with 16 HR at AAA.”

[jamus23]

Denver Divided as Mounts Deals Big Names
1/30/2071
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver fans were stunned when they heard the news that young outfielders Harold Willems and Bryan Corner were dealt in two separate deals today. Willems, who batted .288 with 36 HR and 112 RBI last season, was traded to Charlotte in a multi-player deal, the primary object of which was pitcher Carmelo Fort. Meanwhile, Corner, who hit .303 with 31 stolen bases a year ago, was moved to Buffalo in exchange for two pitching prospects, Edgar Molina and Robert McNatt. General Manager John Mounts said that while both Willems and Corner were extremely talented, the trade was necessary due to a combination of a crowded outfield, payroll limitations, and a severe lack of pitching in the organization. “Fort gives us a very capable starting pitcher, who can start right away. Molina and McNatt are further away, certainly, but they both have a lot of talent. I wish Harold and Bryan the best of luck with their new organizations.” Team leader John Dear said that he was very unhappy to see Willems and Corner get traded. “I hope that there is a plan in place. I chose to stay here because I thought things were going to turn around, but I’m not sure how trading away some of your better players will help.”


Deadline Dealing? Why Wait?
7/14/2071
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Although it’s not quite the trade deadline yet, Denver GM John Mounts jumped into the fray today with a series of trades involving five other teams (Sacramento, Buffalo, Washington, Portland, and Green Bay) and a whopping total of 24 players. Leaving the Denver organization are, among others, first baseman Fidel Sanchez, pitching prospect Edgar Molina (who had been acquired in an offseason deal), power-hitting outfielder Bill Ruckman, pitcher Richard Leiser, and outfielder Ryouichi Koan. The player John Mounts was most excited about acquiring was second baseman Mark Francis: “This guy is a legit power hitter. With regular playing time, 30 or 40 HRs is a very real possibility.” Francis was both excited and unsure about coming to Denver. "Well, I'm glad for the opportunity to see regular playing time. Playing behind an All-Star like Oscar Guadalupe, I had only about 60 AB so far this year. I'd like the chance to prove myself as an every day player. On the other hand, Sacramento is a great organization, and I know that Denver has had their troubles in recent years. I guess all I can hope for is that maybe I can help turn things around there."

Both Mounts and manager John Wilkerson were very positive towards outfielder Estanis Jimenez, catcher Matthew Cendejas, and infielder Melchor Nieves, who were also acquired in the deals. “What we like about these three,” Wilkerson said, “is their very good plate awareness. These guys will work the count and wear down opposing pitchers, and when they get the right pitch, all three have the ability to hit one out on occasion. This lineup needs more table-setters for Dear, Bolling, and now Francis, to drive in.” When asked if Cendejas would be replacing the struggling Roberto Garcia in the lineup, Wilkerson said: “Not necessarily. Both catchers are pretty good players, and it’s good to have a nice tandem behind the plate. Catcher is a very tough position to play- and I should know: I couldn‘t hack it there!- and it’s not good to have one guy get worn down. Garcia will be fine.”

John Mounts was also asked what the presence of two capable starting catchers meant for hotshot catching prospect Lee Chappel, currently tearing up AA. Mounts replied: “These things will work themselves out. You can never have too much talent. Chappel’s only 20 right now; there is plenty of time to figure things out.” Mounts also agreed that the trades of outfielders Ruckman and Koan were definitely an indication that prospect Alexis Vazquez was getting close to being brought up to the majors. “No doubt about it. He’s a very talented young kid. He’s been very impressive at AA and we‘ve brought him up to AAA now. I don’t expect to bring him up to the majors this season, but next season is certainly a possibility.”

Designated Hitter John Dear had this to say about the transactions: “It’s hard to tell what all of this will mean for the team. I guess we’ll just have to wait until the dust settles. But with all the trades that have been going on, both before this season began and now, you really have to wonder about things. I mean... if these guys are getting traded, anybody could get traded...”

Wait 'Till Next Year Guys
11/6/2071
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The clubhouse was quiet as another disappointing season came to a close. Denver lost over 100 games again this season, over half of which came in front of the home crowd. With rumors swirling about both GM John Mounts’ and manager John Wilkerson’s job security, Wilkerson could only offer this as a defense: “Look, this is tough, no question. You lose this many games.... of course there are going to be rumors. I can‘t worry about that. What I’ve got to worry about is getting these guys to play to their full potential game in and game out. There’s talent here, and a lot of it. But some of these guys are still growing. They’ll get better. The team will get better. When you lose 100 games, it seems absurd to say that the team is close to winning, but we are close. I truly believe that. There are some very good ballplayers here.” Wilkerson also added, “Remember, this is a tough division, too. You’ve got three teams that won 90 games in Tucson, Green Bay, and Grand Rapids. You’ve got some of the elite hitters in the league like Bolden, Baeza, Burdick, and Britt Reid, and some of best pitchers around, like O’Brien, Grear, Carbajal, and Kenzo. Not to make excuses, but as talented as we might be, there are a bunch of other teams out there with great talent as well. But don’t worry. We are closing that gap. The record might not show it yet, but we’re getting there.”

Owner Benjamin Middlebrook did his best to quell the rumors about Mounts and Wilkerson, saying, "While I'm certainly disappointed with the last two seasons, I have complete confidence in the ability of my GM and my coaches to right this ship. They know what they are doing. These rumors are just that, rumors."

In other news, rookie 1B Ellis “Frenchy” Bolling was named the American League Rookie of the Year after batting .289 with 24 HR and 89 RBI. Bolling said that he was honored to win the award, but that he knew that he still had a long ways to go as a hitter. He also said that he hoped he wouldn’t have the same fate as the last Denver player to win the award: Harold Willems, who was traded before this season began. “I like it here in Denver. Hopefully, I can play my whole career here,” he said. Bolling declined to comment when asked about the origins of his nickname.

[jamus23]

Breakthrough?
11/3/2072
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Has the long awaited resurgence come about? Denver finished the year with a .500 record, the first since 2064, and won 20 more games this season than they did last year. John Dear, as usual, led the way, batting .322 with 41 HR and 131 RBI, but two other hitters enjoyed breakout years. Infielders Mark Francis and Mark Bakke both busted out the big bats, Francis hitting .308 with 46 HR and 136 RBI, and Bakke hitting .296 with 42 HR and 107 RBI. Meanwhile, outfielder Samuel Mendosa hit .332 and stole 37 bases. The only disappointing season among the hitters belonged to last year’s ROTY winner, Ellis Bolling. Bolling got off to a great start in April and May, but completely disappeared in June, hitting just .115 with 1 HR in 87 AB. July was only marginally better, as he hit .232, but managed to hit zero HR in 82 AB. His struggles continued through August, but there may be reason for optimism, as he finished the season on a high note, hitting .291 with 5 HR in 79 AB down the stretch. He finished the season with a .238 AVG and only 22 HR. He also managed to set the Denver single season strikeout record by whiffing 169 times. The hitting coach, Abraham Neiman, did not seem too concerned: “He’ll be fine. It’s just a sophomore slump. Lots of young guys have those. He’ll bounce back next year, I’m sure.”
It wasn’t just the hitters that carried the team, however. While the pitching overall was among the worst in the league, starter Carmelo Fort won 21 games with a 3.49 ERA. Wilkerson said that it was nice to have a guy like Fort in the rotation: “No matter how much some of the other guys might be scuffling at times, it’s nice to know that every 5 days you can turn to a guy like Fort and he can stop the bleeding with a great start.” When asked about his expectations for next season, Wilkerson was very excited: “These guys are coming around. They are really very close. I’ve got three or four sluggers in the middle of the lineup, and Mendosa and Jimenez setting the table for them, and I’ve got an ace in my rotation- a real stopper to throw out there every 5 days. All we need is to get the rest of the rotation figured out, and we are going to be right there in the thick of things.”

[jaykno14]

This looks interesting. Good luck with it!

[jamus23]

Originally Posted by jaykno14

This looks interesting. Good luck with it!

Thanks. It's taken me long enough to finally start one, so I hope it turns out okay.


One other thing that occurred to me is that since there will be several places (and I've already done it at least once so far) where I mention players from around the league- either current players or guys from the past- who aren't really focal characters to the storyline but might still be intriguing to people, if anyone wonders about these guys, feel free to ask questions. One thing I like about having a league that's been existence for nearly 80 seasons is that there are so many legendary (and tragic) figures. I like digging around through the retired players and reliving the impact that some of those guys had- and sometimes, you even come across players that had you never really noticed.

Continuing on....

Playoffs!
11/5/2073
AL Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver made the playoffs for the first time since 2058, winning 96 games and taking the Central Division by 7 games over Memphis. In the first round, they defeated Knoxville in 6 games, but then fell to Miami in 7 games, the 7th game being a wild back and forth contest that saw Miami prevail 10-9 despite 6 RBI from Ellis Bolling. The team was led by the usual suspects, a few breakout players, and one comeback player. John Dear belted 39 HR and drove in 129, Mark Bakke led the team with 43 HR and 131 RBI, and Mark Francis smacked 26 HR. Meanwhile, rookies Lee Chappel and Alexis Vazquez burst onto the scene in impressive fashion. The sweet-swinging Chappel, en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award, hit .313 with 16 HR and 82 RBI. He also led the team with 15 postseason RBI. Vazquez batted .332 with 9 HR and 16 SB. Outfielder Samuel Mendosa, always a good table setter, broke out with 25 HR and 100 RBI, while hitting .327 with 34 steals (Mendosa was also rewarded for his efforts with a 4 year contract worth $4.5 million per year). Ellis Bolling, who struggled much of last season, returned in a big way this year, hammering 39 homers and driving in 129. On the pitching staff, last season’s free agent signee Kenneth Retzlaff earned his paycheck, winning 18 games with a 3.77 ERA, and younger pitchers Tony Meras and Arden Hawthorn combined for 23 wins, while pitching very solidly themselves. GM John Mounts and manager John Wilkerson agreed that this was only the beginning. “We’ve got a lot of great young players here; we won’t just be some one year wonder. Now the next step is to win it all,” Wilkerson said. DH John Dear had this to say: “This is why I chose to stay here in Denver. I wanted to be a part of the turnaround, and here it is. And for the fans- we won’t let you down next year. This team is in the playoffs to stay, and we’re going bring home that championship.”



Mounts Wheels and Deals
7/8/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver GM John Mounts, always an aggressive trader, was at it again. In a three for one deal, Mounts dealt slick fielding SS Efrain Bloodworth and two pitching prospects to Charlotte in exchange for speedy outfielder Asbel Fuentez. It seemed like an odd trade, as Bloodworth has a great glove and has hit pretty well, while Fuentez has struggled for the first three months of this season, however Mounts explained that with outfielder Juan Ramos lost for the season with a broken hip, the team needed a replacement outfielder, and he was “uncomfortable with Denver’s internal options.” He said that Bloodworth’s glove would be greatly missed, but Fuentez was a player with a very promising bat and blazing speed that would be very valuable. "A little work with our hitting coach and he'll be a quality table setter for us in no time." Replacing Bloodworth at SS will be third baseman Mark Bakke, not known for his glove at any position. To replace Bakke at third, the team promoted infielder Tomas Sato, who was tearing up AAA with a .346 AVG. Manager John Wilkerson said this about Sato: “This guy is a pure hitter. He will be a joy to watch for Denver fans.”

Bombs Away for Bolling!
9/14/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver 1B Ellis Bolling tied teammate John Dear’s team single season record for HR today by hitting his 57th blast of the season. Bolling seemed almost embarrassed about potentially breaking his teammate’s record, which was set in 2069. Dear only joked that it would have been nice if Bolling could have at least waited until he had retired before breaking his records. The HR leaves Bolling just 5 home runs short of matching the American League mark of 62 first set by Scott Border for Kansas City in 2007, and matched by all time HR king Donald Murillo for Memphis in 2034.

Bolling Does It!
10/3/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer


Fifty years ago, home run king Donald Murillo belted 62 HR for Memphis, matching Scott Border’s American League single season mark set in 2007 while playing for Kansas City. Today, Denver’s Ellis Bolling matched that number as well, belting his 62nd HR of the season. Bolling humbly remarked that it is a very select company to join: “It’s been 50 years since it’s been done in the AL, so that right there tells you how difficult of a feat it is. And then, consider the two guys who achieved it. Murillo is the all time HR leader, and Border is the only guy to have hit 60 HR in a season more than once. It’s a great honor to have my name mentioned with those two guys.”

Bolling becomes the 12th player to hit at least 60 HR in one season. Scott Border is the only player to do it more than once, accomplishing the feat a whopping five times. Emmanuel Maxon holds the all-time single season record, hitting 70 for San Diego in 2030.

Another Division Title for Denver
11/5/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver reached the postseason for a second straight season, winning 95 games and the division (by a whopping 13 games), but fell to Washington in 7 games in the first round of the playoffs. The team was led by Ellis Bolling, who tied the AL single season record for HR, and was awarded the American League Silver Slugger Award; veteran DH John Dear, who belted 47 HR and drove in 117; outfielder Samuel Mendosa, who hit .317 with 27 HR, 106 RBI, and 35 SB; and Mark Francis, who slugged 36 HR and drove in 110. Rookie infielder Tomas Sato, called up in midseason, batted .331 in 178 AB. Second year catcher Lee Chappel ripped 51 doubles. Midseason trade acquisition Asbel Fuentez finished very strongly, ending the season with a .284 AVG, 38 doubles, 13 HR, and 40 SB. On the mound, starters Kenneth Retzlaff, Tony Meras, Arden Hawthorn, and Timo Soto all managed to post ERAs under 5.00, and Denver as a team finished with the 7th best ERA in the American League. The only disheartening aspect to the season involved pitcher Carmelo Fort. After missing five weeks with an arm injury a year ago, Fort struggled for most of the season, and in late September, a torn bicep muscle was discovered in his arm, causing him to miss the rest of the season and the playoffs.

Manager John Wilkerson praised the team for its performance and offered this for the fans: “This team isn’t going anywhere. We’re going to be back in the playoffs next year and for years to come, and we will keep plugging away until we bring home that championship. This team has the talent. We will get it done.”

[jamus23]

Mounts At It Again
3/2/2075
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

General Manager John Mounts, known for getting trade happy at times, has swung another deal, this one a real head-scratcher. Hard hitting Mark Francis and two minor leaguers were traded to Washington in exchange for a somewhat highly touted relief pitching prospect and a mediocre 1B prospect. Mounts spoke frankly: “Our infield is getting crowded, and Mark Francis, while still a good player, is in mid-30s now and making a little more money than we would like. The situation has improved here in Denver, but we still have to pay very close attention to who we’re giving money to, and how much we’re giving them. We felt it was time to move in a different direction. The reliever, Leo Salguero, has excellent stuff, and is close to the big leagues. Herbert Lin adds some solid depth to the organization at first base where we felt we were lacking.”

Francis was disappointed at being traded. "Denver was the first team to really give me a shot at playing, and I was glad to be a part of the turnaround here. I'm going to miss these guys."





Another Year, Another Playoff Defeat for Denver
11/10/2075
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver failed to win the division this year, but their 92 wins were good enough for a playoff spot. Unfortunately, they still haven’t been able take that next step forward. They defeated Memphis in 7 games in the first round, but fell to Knoxville in 7 games in the ALCS. Denver was led by the usual names: John Dear hit 50 homers and drove in 138, Ellis Bolling hit 43 and drove in 141, Lee Chappel hit .325 with 33 HR and 103 RBI, Mark Bakke hit 32 HR and stole 38 bases, Samuel Mendosa hit .328 with 18 HR and 35 steals. Second year player Tomas Sato hit .304 with 22 steals, Asbel Fuentez hit .306 with 52 steals, and Alexis Vazquez enjoyed a breakout year, hitting .319 with 15 HR. The pitching staff was erratic, but Kenneth Retzlaff and Arden Hawthorn stepped forward, winning 17 and 15 games respectively, and pitching very solidly. Former ace Carmelo Fort returned from injury to win 14 games, though he struggled quite a bit at times. He did pitch very well in the postseason, winning three games with a 3.33 ERA, so perhaps there is hope for a rebound next year.

Manager John Wilkerson was visibly frustrated with the postseason loss: “This team is good. These guys, they know that they are good. But then you run up against a team that’s got both the Hitter of the Year and the Pitcher of the Year on their roster, it’s like running into a brick wall. I don’t know that Knoxville was a better overall team than us, but right then, in Game Seven... they were. We split the season series dead even. For six playoff games, we split ‘em dead even. And we lose Game Seven. They go to the World Series, and we’re out on the golf courses. Me, I know what it’s like to win a World Series. I won a bunch as a player with Miami. But these men, these guys, they don’t know that feeling. I want them to know that feeling. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”

[jamus23]

What Do 100 Wins Buy You?
11/1/2076
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Apparently, another postseason disappointment. Denver set a franchise record by winning 102 games this season, good for the best record in the American League. All it got them was a first round playoff loss to 90 win Knoxville in 6 games. Knoxville, of course, went on to beat 96 win Miami in the ALCS, and 103 win San Jose in the World Series. Meanwhile, the Denver sluggers were getting to practice those powerful swings on the golf course a little earlier than they would like. As usual, there was no shortage of home runs hit by Denver this season: Ellis Bolling blasted 56, John Dear ripped 48, Mark Bakke belted 42, Lee Chappel clobbered 34, Alexis Vazquez continued his development by hitting 26, Samuel Mendosa mashed 25, and utility man Joseph Swayze smashed 21. When the team wasn’t blasting baseballs into the stratosphere, their base runners were burning up the basepaths: Mendosa and shortstop Antonio Sequeiros stole 55 and 51, respectively, while Asbel Fuentez, Bakke, and Tomas Sato stole 46, 42, and 40. But neither the home runs and steals, nor the solid pitching contributions from Timo Soto, who won 20 games, Arden Hawthorn, who won 15, and reliever Ramon Gomez, who notched 13 wins, were enough to change the playoff fortunes of Denver.

“You run into some hot bats and some hot pitchers, and there just isn’t much you can do, no matter how well you play. Hell, we outscored them by a couple of runs, but they just got those timely hits and some good breaks and they came away with more wins than we did,” manager John Wilkerson snapped to reporters.






Anyone Up For Some Golf?
11/2/2077
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

In what has rapidly become an annual tradition, Denver cruised to a playoff spot, winning the division with 92 wins, only to fall to Washington in the first round of the playoffs in seven games. The team slugged their way to the postseason, having 4 players reach 30 home runs, and another 2 hit more than 20, then largely fell flat on their faces in the playoffs. Washington, like Knoxville a year ago, used their victory over Denver as a springboard to a World Series title.

Veteran DH John Dear, now 37 years old, knows that his time is running out to win a World Series (Though, given that he was awarded the American League Silver Slugger Award for 2077, he may have more time than he thinks): “I’ve had a great career. I’ve won a lot of awards. I’ve hit a bunch of homers. But I’m still missing one thing. A championship. When I agreed to stay in Denver, I did so because I wanted to deliver a championship to this town. These fans, they deserve it so much. But I haven’t been able to deliver that championship. It eats at me every single day...”

Starting pitcher Arden Hawthorn, who after having another solid season and winning 19 games has arguably become Denver’s ace, said that the losses were especially frustrating because Dear wasn’t the only player getting up there in years: “Dear and Retzlaff are the old men, of course, but Mendosa isn’t much younger, and Bakke, Fort, Soto, and I are all getting into our mid-30s. How much time do we have left?”

GM John Mounts has begun to be criticized for a seeming lack of action after a relatively quiet season on the trade and free agent front,. Many fans are wondering if he’s asleep at the wheel. Surely, they believe, there are one or two key moves to be made that could push this team over the top. Unconcerned, Mounts just said: “Remember, nothing we do is done in a vacuum. We aren’t the only team looking to make deals. So is every other team out there, which means that sometimes, deals are hard to get accomplished. Don't think that a seeming lack of action means that I'm not trying, or that I don't care that we haven't won a World Series yet. I care very much, and I am constantly trying to find ways to improve this team and get them over that hump.”

[jamus23]

The Little Moves
3/2/2078
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver GM John Mounts made a series of small moves today. First, he sent a pitching prospect to Tucson in exchange for young centerfielder Javier Segarra, who hit extremely well splitting between A and AA last season, but may actually be ready for the major leagues. His bat is still a little raw, but he has tremendous range in the outfield. He is expected to provide some measure of replacement for veteran outfielder Samuel Mendosa, who was allowed to leave as a free agent. Next, backup catcher David Jaggar was traded to Washington for slick fielding infielder Tim Glasgow. Glasgow is expected to play a utility role at the major league level, while organizational favorite Eric Fudge is expected to replace Jaggar as the backup catcher.

Finally, with veteran starting pitcher Kenneth Retzlaff also leaving as a free agent, Mounts was looking for a starting pitcher. He found that pitcher in Nashville’s Kenny Pillsbury. Pillsbury compiled over 300 K’s at AA last season, and made one appearance at the big league level. In return, Mounts gave up veteran reliever Joseph Kline and highly touted pitching prospect William Bergan. Mounts said that while he liked Bergan, he wasn’t sure how well he would fit pitching for Denver as he tended to be vulnerable to home runs. Mounts also said that Pillsbury was a guy who was ready to break out in a big way, in his opinion.




It's #600 For John Dear!
4/12/2078
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver slugger John Dear entered his name among the most elite sluggers to ever play the game by belting his 600th career HR against Knoxville. Dear is the 10th player to reach 600 homers, joining Donald Murillo, Christopher Bohanon, James Paras, Hector Abad, Kenneth Bryant, Antwan Leanos, Bill Bolden(who is still active), Emmanuel Maxon, and Earl Quon. “Wow,” an amazed Dear stammered, “To have your name mentioned in the same breath as those guys is unbelievable. Murillo hit nearly 700, and a bunch of those guys managed to hit 60 in a single season- Maxon even hit 70! I don't think I'll ever touch those numbers, but just being mentioned with them is an honor."





The Fort Has Fallen
4/30/2078
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Disheartening news for the Denver organization today. It was learned that pitcher Carmelo Fort has bone chips in his throwing shoulder, and that it is very serious. There are severe doubts about Fort even being able to play ever again. Tony Rivera, who was brought up just a week ago to replace injured reliever Chad Helton (who himself had been a replacement for the injured Florian Blanco), is expected to move into the rotation. Helton will be activated from the DL and will take Fort’s roster spot.



When It Rains It Pours
7/21/2078
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Only a couple of months after Carmelo Fort’s likely career-ending injury, another Denver player has succumbed to injury. Second year outfielder Zankuro Maresuke, in the midst of a promising season, has a broken foot, and is expected to miss the rest of the season. In response to the injury, GM John Mounts traded SS Antonio Sequeiros and a minor leaguer to Charlotte in exchange for outfielder Norman Cadet and infielder Patrick Chason. Cadet will replace Maresuke on the roster, and Chason will replace Sequeiros. Although some may be surprised that Mounts was willing to deal his starting shortstop for what will likely just be a one year stop gap in Cadet, Mounts simply made the comment that Sequeiros “wasn’t really contributing much at all this year, both at the plate and in the field” and if Denver is to have a weak bat at SS, it should at least be coming from a guy who can field well. On that note, manager John Wilkerson announced that light-hitting but slick-fielding utility infielder Tim Glasgow would become the starting shortstop for the rest of the year.

With two serious injuries in the last few months, the Denver clubhouse was much more sedate than normal, even in the midst of another winning season. John Dear quietly said, "It's hard news to take. Any one of us can go down to injury at any time, of course, but when it actually happens.... And a guy like Zankuro- he's just trying to establish himself as a major-leaguer. How much will an injury like this set him back?"







Running Into a Brick Wall
11/3/2078
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

One can’t complain too much about the latest Denver playoff defeat. When you go up against a 117 win powerhouse like Miami, you are lucky if you can just avoid getting swept. Denver did manage that, falling to Miami in 6 games. Manager John Wilkerson, a man very familiar with the superbly run Miami organization, was almost in awe: “A team like that, they just have no weaknesses. Sure, we might be stronger at a position or two. But Miami, they simply don’t have a weak spot anywhere. Nine quality hitters in the lineup, an excellent bench, a rotation that features Nelson Manzanares, as old as he is now, as their fifth starter, and a superb bullpen. Yeah, I might be somewhat of a biased observer, but that is just a consistently great ballclub. That is where I want Denver to be. Of course, to even come close to Miami, we got to win it all...”

Of course, as great a team as Miami is, someone was able to find their weaknesses. Memphis, a fine team in their own right- winners of 109 games this season- manhandled Miami in 5 games in the ALCS. And then Memphis fell flat on their faces against 94 win Rochester in the World Series. Regarding this, Denver GM John Mounts made the comment: “Ultimately, any team can beat any other team on any given day. And if we keep working to consistently reach the playoffs, eventually, we will win it all one of these years. We have the players here to do it. We keep adding players. The championship will come.”

[jamus23]

One More Shot for Dear?
2/4/2079
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Veteran slugger John Dear doesn’t have a whole lot left in him, and even he admits that: “I’ve played a long time, and put up a lot of great numbers, but I just don’t think I can do that anymore.” In an impressive display of both determination and humility, Dear, after signing a 1 year deal worth only $600,000 with Denver, has agreed to play for Denver’s AAA affiliate during the regular season if Denver promises to make room for him on their postseason roster if they reach the playoffs. Dear admitted that he wasn’t likely to be able to contribute much during the regular season, and another player would be better able to help Denver reach the postseason. However, he still wants one last shot at a championship. Denver GM John Mounts had no problems with this agreement: “Look, when I was hired, I made the decision to keep Dear because I felt that it was the best decision for the team, no matter how much money it would take. I wanted to bring a championship to Denver, and having John Dear on the roster was more likely to accomplish that than not having him. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet been able to accomplish that, and it’s looking like the end of the road for John. This agreement with John, I think, is a win-win situation. John is at a point where it will be difficult for him to help us win a lot of games during the course of the season. He knows that. So for now, he goes down to AAA. We get him to spend some time with some of our young players, almost like a coach. It will be a great experience for them. And when the postseason comes- and we will be in the playoffs, make no mistake about it- I don’t think it will be too difficult to find a spot for John on the roster. And if we can win it all, then John can walk away from a tremendous, Hall of Fame career with a Championship to his credit as well.”






Thanks For the Memories, Dear
11/2/2079
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Not even the fact that one of the all-time greats would soon be hanging them up for good could change Denver’s October fortunes. Once again, a strong season came to an abrupt end, as Denver fell in seven games to Miami in the first round of the playoffs, as Miami cruised to a World Series title, losing only one game after the first round. John Dear, the great Denver designated hitter, had hung on for one more year at the age of 39, even agreeing to spend most of the season at AAA in exchange for a postseason roster spot, in the hopes of finally winning a World Series. But it was not to be, as they ran into a Miami team that was simply too strong to overcome.

Perhaps taking it the hardest of all was slugging first baseman Ellis Bolling, who after blasting 49 regular season homers, came up empty in the playoffs, collecting only 4 hits in 28 AB, none of which were HR. “I let everyone down. The fans. My teammates, especially John. Myself. We all wanted this so badly, to win one for John, and I go out there and embarrass myself,” he said. Manager John Wilkerson was also very disappointed: “It’s a shame that such a great player never got the chance to even play in a World Series. Sure, every player wants those personal accolades: The home runs, the RBIs, the high batting average, the awards. A spot in the Hall of Fame. But the most important thing of all is winning games and winning championships. John Dear deserved a championship, and we couldn’t bring him one. That saddens me.”

For Dear’s part, he was surprisingly upbeat. “Sure, it’s disappointing. Every player wants to win a championship. But what can you do? I went out there every year, and left everything on the field. I played hard and I played well. Sometimes, it just isn’t enough. But there are other ways to win a championship. Maybe I’ll get into coaching, and win one that way.” Dear’s career comes to a close with him ranking 7th all-time in home runs with 632 and 24th in RBI with 1924. He also won three Silver Slugger Awards.




Neiman Retires, Dear to Replace Him
11/17/2079
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Only a few weeks after Denver's season came to a close, 63 year old Hitting Coach Abraham Neiman has decided to retire from that position, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his wife. John Wilkerson quickly replaced him with the recently retired John Dear. "Hey, I did say if I couldn't win a championship as a player, maybe I could win one as a coach."

Wilkerson, being a little bit more analytical about the hire, said that as a hitter, Dear always had an excellent approach, and that he felt that Dear would do a good job passing those skills onto other hitters.

[jamus23]

No-No Denver, Not This Year
10/16/2080
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Denver clubhouse was quieter than it’s ever been after their latest postseason failure. After taking Tucson to the wire and forcing a Game 7 in their first round postseason matchup, they knew that getting past Tucson ace Cleveland Lauria would be a very difficult task. Little did they realize just how difficult it would be.

Lauria no-hit Denver, striking out nine and walking none, and Tucson rolled to a 10-0 victory. Tomas Sato, whose .190 AVG in the series bore a stark contrast to his .346 regular season mark, had this to say: “Absolutely embarrassing. Sure, Cleveland’s a great pitcher, one of the best in the game today. But for us to get no hit?! In Game 7?! There’s just no excuse for it. That was just an embarrassing display of baseball that we put on.”

The normally even-keeled John Wilkerson conducted an enraged language class in his office following the game: “Every bleeping year it’s something bleeping new! One bleeping year it’s a bleeping injury! Another bleeping year we run into some bleeping red-hot team! The bleeping bats go bleeping cold! The bleeping pitchers can’t hit the bleeping side of a bleeping barn, and when they do hit the bleeping barn, the bleeping barn blasts the bleeping ball into kingdom bleeping come! And now this bleep?! A bleeping no-hitter?! BLEEP! We are going to win this bleeping thing next year and that’s final!”












Whew! That pretty much brings the backstory to a close, bringing us to the present season of 2081. I'll do a discussion of the current construction of the Denver roster next. The pace from here on out will likely be much slower. I don't normally play each game out (except in September) but I may do a little bit more of that now for the purposes of this.

I hope that the backstory has done a good job of setting the stage for a team continually frustrated in the postseason and given an idea of where this Denver team has come from.

[jamus23]

New Centerfielder in Denver
2/8/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver GM John Mounts announced today that the Broncos have signed former Sacramento CF Russell Thomas to a 4 year contract worth $9,000,000 per season. The two time batting champion(2076 and 2079) is coming off of a season in which he hit .373 and finished 3rd in the NL batting race. Mounts said that while previous CF Javier Segarra, since allowed to leave as a free agent, was an adequate player, the chance to acquire a player of Thomas' caliber had to be taken advantage of. "Thomas is an excellent hitter, a smart baserunner, and covers alot of ground in CF. He'll be a great fit at the top of the order for us."

When asked if the signing was related at all to getting no-hit in the playoffs a year ago, Mounts said, "I won't deny that what happened last season has made us reconsider certain aspects of the team, but we would have gone after Thomas regardless of whether we had gotten no-hit last year. Thomas is simply a great player, period."

Thomas was excited to join his new team. "One thing I like about Denver is that they like to be a little more active on the basepaths than Sacramento. I know I'm not the fastest guy in the world, but I think I'm pretty good at picking my spots, and if they let me run, I know I can steal a good number of bases."




Opening Day Outlook: The Hitters
3/31/2078
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

To kick off the new season, let's take a look at how the Denver roster is shaping up.

Behind the plate, sweet-swinging Lee Chappel is the best all around hitter in the Denver lineup. The 30 year old, left-handed catcher does everything you want at the plate: hit for average, hit for power, draw walks, and make good contact. He enters the year with a career batting line of .314/.418/.575 and a .992 OPS. He moves well behind the plate to block pitches, but has only an average arm.

Backing him up is 31 year old Eric Fudge. Fudge is probably good enough to at least compete for a starting spot on many teams. A switch hitter with line drive power, Fudge also has very good plate awareness. He has a career line of .285/.371/.450 with an .821 OPS. In a pinch, Fudge can also play 3rd base. Behind the plate, Fudge offers an average arm.

At 1B, the 32 year old Ellis Bolling has more pure power than almost anyone else in the game. He enters the year with a .274/.349/.605 line, a .953 OPS, and 415 career homeruns. The two time Silver Slugger winner(2074 and 2076) also has a fantastic glove at 1B, with tremendous range and incredibly sure hands.

Secondbase is manned by a platoon of Tomas Sato and John McQuillen. Sato, a 31 year old left-handed hitter is an excellent hitter for average and is very difficult to strike out. He has posted a .328/.388/.449 line with an .837 OPS. He has only an average glove at second.

The right-handed hitting McQuillen is 27 years old and doesn't have a huge amount of experience. An average hitter, his best skill is drawing walks. He has an average glove. So far in his career, he has hit .257/.350/.426 with a .777 OPS.

Third-baseman Joseph Swayze offers only one above average skill: Home Runs. The 32 year old Swayze plays lots of positions, but none of them particularly well. A right-handed hitter, he has hit .266/.299/.506 in his career with an .806 OPS.

Like Swayze, short-stop Javier Cordero is fairly one dimensional. In Cordero's case, however, it is his glove. As a hitter, the 30 year old infielder offers very little, except the occasional double or walk. His career batting line is a meager .215/.291/.355 and a paltry .646 OPS. His range at short, however, is among the best in the league, and he is very sure-handed. He is also a very good defensive second-baseman.

31 year old Patrick Chason fills the utility infielder spot. Chason makes good contact, and can hit the occasional double. He has a good glove at third, an average one at second, and a below average one at shortstop. His batting line stands at an unappealing .234/.301/.329 with a .630 OPS.

Asbel Fuentez mans left-field. The 33 year old is a natural leadoff hitter, but will likely hit around the 5 or 6 spot, functioning as a "second leadoff man" while new acquisition Russell Thomas hits leadoff. The left-handed hitting Fuentez is an excellent hitter for average, will hit plenty of doubles and triples, and the occasional homer. He draws a good number of walks and is very difficult to fan. He has excellent speed, and has great base-stealing instincts. He isn't the best fielder, but does have a strong arm. In his career, he has hit .311/.380/.456 with an .836 OPS and 561 career stolen bases.

Free agent Russell Thomas will man CF. The 30 year old is a great hitter for average and has excellent plate discipline, but has very little power. He has only average speed, but great instincts. In the outfield, he covers plenty of ground, but has only an average arm. A two time batting champion, Thomas has a career line of .351/.406/.444 and an .850 OPS. Despite his ability to steal bases, he has only compiled 100 in his career so far.

32 year old Alexis Vazquez handles right field. Vazquez has proven himself a capable hitter for average with above average power and good contact skills. He is fairly slow, but is smart on the basepaths. In the outfield, he has little range, but a very strong arm. Vazquez is a career .312/.356/.499 hitter with an .856 OPS.

Zankuro Maresuke fills one of the reserve OF spots. A 28 year old switch hitter, Maresuke has a little pop and can draw the occasional walk. His best defensive position is RF, and he has a strong arm. In his career so far, he has managed a .269/.336/.455 line and a .792 OPS.

The other reserve OF spot belongs to Michael Stennis. 32 years old, Stennis offers a little power off of the bench, and a decent glove in LF. He also has a strong arm, and can play 1B in a pinch. His career line is .225/.290/.467 with a .756 OPS.

Filling out the lineup at designated hitter is 36 year old Mark Bakke. Never known for his glove at 3B or SS, Bakke moved to DH in 2080 after John Dear retired. At this point in his career, Bakke offers a decent batting average and solid contact ability. His days as a 40 HR hitter are likely long gone, though he might still manage 15 or 20 with the aid of Denver's very friendly home ballpark. Bakke remains one of the most efficient base-stealers in the league despite his average speed, having stolen 373 in his career with only 98 caught stealing. Bakke's career batting line sits at .308/.369/.514 with an .883 OPS.

[jamus23]

Opening Day Outlook: The Pitching Staff
4/1/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The rotation is anchored by 29 year old Kenny Pillsbury. The right-hander doesn't throw particularly hard, but his stuff is good enough to get a decent amount of strikeouts. His control is excellent, and he generally keeps the ball in the park. His career numbers so far include a 53-26 record, a 4.37 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP.

Followed by Pillsbury is veteran right-hander Arden Hawthorn. The 35 year old is one of the few pitchers who has been able to pitch consistently and solidly for many years in the unfriendly confines in which Denver plays. Not a huge strikeout guy, Hawthorn has survived because of his ability to throw the ball wherever he wants it, and by keeping the ball in the park. He has amassed a career record of 123-69, with a 4.65 career ERA, and a 1.39 WHIP. There are question marks around him, as he is coming off of the worst season of his career and is certainly no spring chicken. Can he rebound, or has he begun the inevitable decline?

The youngest member of the rotation is 26 year old, left-handed knuckleballer Robert McNett. When he's got control of his knuckleball, he has the ability to pick up quite a few strikeouts, while limiting both walks and homers. When he doesn't have control of it....
McNett has also been quite injury prone, having already suffered 4 lengthy injuries in his career.
His career line includes a 15-15 record, an ERA of 5.00, and a WHIP of 1.35.

The fourth spot belongs to 28 year old innings eater Christopher Kirk. Kirk throws hard, and can strike out a good number of hitters. He also has very good control, and can generally avoid homers. He has a 17-13 career record, a 5.23 ERA, and a 1.46 WHIP.

Tony Rivera will man the 5th spot in the rotation, though his turn will likely get skipped as often as possible. The 28 year old can throw hard, but doesn't get many strikeouts. He has decent control, and isn't excessively hittable; although, when he does give up hits, a good number will likely leave the park. His career numbers are: 24-26, 6.09 ERA, and a 1.55 WHIP.

Ramon Gomez has filled the role of closer for the last two seasons, and has reached the All-Star game in each of them. The 30 year old southpaw racks up a ton of K's, has excellent control, and is very difficult to get hits of any kind against. In addition, he's no one-inning specialist; in fact, he's quite capable of throwing multiple innings. He has 86 career saves, a 4.07 ERA, and a 1.31 WHIP. Both the ERA and WHIP have been dropping rapidly since he became the closer. In 490 2/3 IP, Gomez has whiffed 525 batters, while walking just 88.

31 year old right-hander James Virgen is the workhorse of the bullpen with 688 innings pitched in 517 career appearances. A hard-thrower, Virgen strikes out a lot of batters, and has solid control. He does a good job limiting home runs. Virgen has a 4.59 career ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.

Roman Torre is the oldest pitcher in the bullpen at 33 years of age. A left-hander with good strikeout ability, good control, and an ability to keep the ball in the park, Torre has never really been able to put up pretty numbers for Denver on a consistent basis. One year, he'll have a very respectable ERA in the 4's; the next year, the ERA has jumped into the 7's. For his career, he has an uninspiring 5.60 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. Torre also has a tendency to get hurt.

28 year old Fred Lemire has the least experience among Denver's relievers with only 26 career appearances. The hard-throwing right-hander can get some K's when he needs to, and doesn't walk too many. He is, however, vulnerable to the longball. In those 26 appearances, Lemire has a 4.56 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.

Leo Salguero is the third right-hander in the bullpen. 31 years old, Salguero has never had much success, posting a 6.07 ERA in 197 career apearances, along with a 1.59 WHIP. He throws hard, and has the ability to get a good number of K's, but his control is mediocre.

Florian Blanco is only 27 years old but has already pitched in more games than Lemire and Salguero. In 209 games, the left-hander has posted a 4.80 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He throws hard and gets a good number of K's, but his control isn't great and he is very susceptible to the home run.











Players to Watch in the Minors
4/1/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

After analyzing Denver's 25 man roster, it would be a good idea to take a look at what players might be available in case of injury or struggling players.

Infielder Michael Phillips made a good impression a year ago, hitting .335/.435/.462 with an .896 OPS in a 39 AB cup of coffee. The 25 year old isn't much of a fielder, but has good plate discipline. If John McQuillen can't handle the job as Tomas Sato's platoon partner, Phillips may very well get an opportunity.

24 year old outfielder Robert Perkins made a strong case for a roster spot in spring training, but Denver management thinks that he needs a little more time at AAA, as he put up a mediocre .753 OPS at that level a year ago. Perkins projects as a good hitter for average who may develop a little pop eventually. He is not a good fielder.

Veteran outfielder Norman Cadet is the only other hitter at AAA who is likely to get much playing time in the big leagues. The 35 year old is a career .256/.324/.359 hitter, with a .684 OPS. He is good at making contact, and is an adequate centerfielder, with a strong arm.

On the pitching side of things, there are just three pitchers likely to be given an opportunity to make an impact.

26 year old Valentine McGurk throws hard and can strikeout quite a few hitters. However, he has only 8 starts above AA and no major league experience.

Larry Waltz is 32 years old, and has been in the organization since 2070. He's always flashed good potential, but has never really put it all together. A hard thrower who can strike hitters out, he also has good control, and generally keeps the ball in the park. Despite this, he has tended to be too hittable to have much success. He has 14 major league appearances, with 8 starts. He has posted a 7.11 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP.

Another player who made a good impression in a cup of coffee last year was reliever Omar Lopez. The 26 year old has excellent control, and does a good job keeping the ball in the park. In 3 appearances at the big league level last year, Lopez posted a 1.93 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and notched 2 saves.

[jamus23]

4/1/2081 and 4/2/2081

The Denver Broncos


AT

The Memphis Grizzlies



Opening Day Defeat
4/2/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The efforts of Asbel Fuentez and Tomas Sato couldn't overcome a poor performance by Kenny Pillsbury as Denver fell to Memphis 8-6 on Opening Day. Sato doubled three times: Once to lead off the 5th inning, he later scored; once with two on and two out in the 6th inning, driving in both runners; and once with 1 on and two outs in the 8th, driving in that runner. Fuentez delivered 3 hits, 1 HR, and scored 3 times in the defeat.


Memphis By Two Again
4/3/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Veteran Arden Hawthorn picked up this season right where he left off last season: Getting beaten like a drum. Hawthorn lasted just 4 innings, giving up 6 runs, while walking 5. The Denver hitters did their best to salvage the game, but fell short. Lee Chappel homered in the first inning, Ellis Bolling hit a 2 run shot in the 8th inning, and Tomas Sato continued his quick start by homering to lead off the 9th inning. But it wasn't enough as Denver fell to Memphis 7-5.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------


4/4/2081 to 4/8/2081

The Denver Broncos


At

The Tucson Diamondbacks


Take That Tucson!
4/5/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver finally got a good pitching performance. Robert McNett threw 7 1/3 innings, allowed just 1 run, and struck out 6 batters. Meanwhile, the Denver bats blasted Tucson, pounding out 17 hits in an 11-3 rout. Lee Chappel drove in 3 runs, Joseph Swayze delivered 4 hits and a home run, and Mark Bakke picked up 3 hits.


Touche, Tucson
4/6/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Ouch. Denver starter Christopher Kirk got lit up for 15 hits and 9 runs in just 6 innings as Tucson returned the favor. One day after losing 11-3, the Diamondbacks pummeled Denver 11-0, banging out 17 hits against the pathetic 5 that the Broncos mustered. Tucson starter Peter Boughner threw the complete game shutout despite not striking anyone out.


No "No-No" This Time
4/7/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver exorcised some demons yesterday, banging out 11 hits in a 6-3 victory over Tucson starter Cleveland Lauria, who no-hit the Broncos in Game Seven of the Divisional Series a year ago. The Broncos opened the 4th inning with a triple, a double, another triple, and then a single. After two outs were recorded, Tomas Sato stepped to the plate and delivered a two run homer. He was immediately followed by Mark Bakke, who put one over the fence, as well. Kenny Pillsbury bounced back from a tough start on Opening Day to throw a complete game for the victory.


Hawthorn Roughed Up, Broncos Lose
4/8/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Arden Hawthorn got blasted for a second straight start, giving up 11 hits and 8 runs in 4 1/3 innings, as Tucson ripped Denver 12-4. Lee Chappel and Mark Bakke provided most of the offense for the Broncos, each hitting home runs. Denver now heads into their home opener against Green Bay with a 2-4 record.

[jamus23]

4/8/2081 and 4/9/2081

The Green Bay Packers

AT
The Denver Broncos



Home Opener Relief
4/9/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Before a sellout crowd in Denver, the Broncos prevailed over the Packers 7-6 in their Home Opener. Starting pitcher Robert McNett struggled, giving up 6 runs in 5 1/3 innings on 9 hits and 3 walks. Poor fielding contributed to three of the runs being unearned, however. Despite that, the Denver bats kept the team in the game, banging out 13 hits, as Lee Chappel, Joseph Swayze, and Mark Bakke each delivered home runs. Tomas Sato added three hits as he continued his torrid hitting to start the season. Bailing out McNett on the mound was right-hander James Virgen. Virgen, already having seen a lot of action due to the poor starts of Arden Hawthorn, threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to help pull out the victory.

Sweep!
4/10/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Broncos moved to 4-4 by completing the two game sweep of the Packers with a 6-4 win. Starter Christopher Kirk served up a 1st inning home run before settling down, shutting out the Packers for the next 6 innings as the Broncos built a 3-1 lead. Kirk ran out of gas in the eighth, however, and gave up 3 runs to put the Packers ahead 4-3. It didn't last long as the Denver hitters bailed out Kirk with 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th, and Ramon Gomez locked down the 9th inning with 3 strikeouts. Secondbaseman Tomas Sato kept up his hot hitting with 2 more hits.




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4/10/2081 to 4/12/2081

The Memphis Grizzlies

AT
The Denver Broncos



Memphis Mastery
4/11/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Broncos fell to 0-3 against the Grizzlies this season with a 9-4 loss yesterday. Starting pitcher Tony Rivera, making his first start of the year, got hammered, allowing 5 runs on 4 home runs in 6 innings of work. The Denver bats briefly got the team back in the game, scoring 4 runs in the 6th inning with the aid of a 2 run double from the struggling Ellis Bolling. However, an overworked bullpen couldn't keep the game close and relievers James Virgen and Ramon Gomez each surrendered 2 runs to produce the final score. Carrying the Memphis lineup was Roy Chouinard who blasted a pair of homers and a double, while driving in 4 runs.


Marathon with Memphis Leads to Same Result
4/12/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

What have we learned after 15 innings of Memphis-Denver baseball? Memphis is still better. Memphis improved to 4-0 against the Broncos, and like the previous three, this one featured lots of scoring and several lead changes. It also featured 15 innings as the Grizzlies prevailed 10-7.

Denver starter Kenny Pillsbury gave up two runs in the top of the first as he had difficulty finding the strike zone (he would walk 5 in 7 1/3 IP), but settled down after that. The Broncos rallied and led 4-2 through 6 innings, but Pillsbury couldn't hold the lead, and gave up the tying runs in the 7th inning. He was bailed out when Denver took a 6-4 lead in the bottom half of the 7th, but that lead didn't last long. Reliever Leo Salguero coughed up 2 runs in the 8th inning and the game was tied at 6. It stayed that way through 10 innings, aided by a masterful job of pitching out of a bases-loaded, no outs situation by Florian Blanco. Blanco's success was short-lived as he gave up the go ahead run in the 11th inning. The Memphis lead didn't last, and the Broncos rallied to tie it up in the bottom of the 11th. Roman Torre got the Broncos through the 13th and 14th innings, but ran out of gas in the 15th and surrendered 3 runs to take the loss.


Bullpen Implodes, Memphis Sweeps
4/13/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Memphis Grizzlies completed their 3 game sweep of Denver with the aid of reliever Fred Lemire's implosion, winning 10-7 in yesterday's game. Denver starter Arden Hawthorn, after getting knocked around in his first two starts, looked like he might have another disastrous start. After getting two quick outs in the first inning, he loaded the bases. But he pitched out of the jam, and after Russell Thomas led off the bottom of the 1st with a home run and the Broncos picked up another run in the first for a 2-0 lead, Hawthorn settled down. Tomas Sato added to the lead with a solo homer in the 4th inning, and the Broncos led 3-0 going into the 6th inning. Hawthorn gave up a run in the 6th inning before tiring. Lemire came on in relief, and gave up another run in the 7th inning to make the score 3-2. And then the 8th inning happened. With the bullpen severely overworked after the last few games, Lemire remained in the game, and opened the eighth with this: walk, walk, home run. Just like that, the Broncos 3-2 lead turned into a 5-2 deficit. Lemire didn't stop there. By the time the dust had settled, Lemire had gotten lit up for a total of 8 runs in the inning, with 5 walks and 3 home runs allowed. Denver put together a rally in the 9th inning, scoring 4 runs, to complete the scoring.

Manager John Wilkerson said that today's day off couldn't have come at a better time. "With the way our bulllpen has been getting beaten up, we really needed a day to stop and catch our breath. The next three games (at 9-2 Miami) aren't going to be any easier than these games were and we'll need every man to be available."

[jamus23]

4/14/2081 to 4/16/2081

The Denver Broncos



AT

The Miami Dolphins





Expected Pitching Matchups:

LH Robert McNett (1-0, 2.84 ERA) VS. LH Jim Miller (1-0, 3.78 ERA)
RH Christopher Kirk (1-1, 7.07 ERA) VS. RH Jose Caceres (1-1, 1.29 ERA)
RH Kenny Pillsbury (1-1, 5.56 ERA) VS. RH Mark Prior* (2-0, 2.51 ERA)

*Author's note: Yes, there is a player named Mark Prior in this league. No, he's not a walking injury. In fact, he is the 2080 AL ROTY, having won 18 games with a 3.53 ERA, over 200 strikeouts, and a league leading 4 shutouts.






Thank You for the Lesson, Professor Miller
4/15/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

39 year old Jim Miller spent yesterday's game schooling the Denver lineup, throwing 8 innings, allowing just 5 hits, and only 2 runs as Miami cruised to a 7-2 victory. Denver fell behind in the 1st inning when Miami third-baseman Thomas Fuentes, Jr. hit a 2 out, three run homer. Denver starter Robert McNett appeared to settle down after that, throwing three scoreless innings. Denver inched back into the game when shortstop Javier Cordero was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the 5th inning to drive in a run, but in the bottom of the inning, McNett fell apart. Dolphins' 1B Aaron Shorts ripped a two out, two run double, and LF Roy Springs followed by putting one over the fence to make the score 7-2.


Five in a Row
4/16/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver lost their fifth straight game, falling to the Dolphins by a score of 5-1. Miami jumped on the Broncos in the 1st inning when catcher Jake Foss ripped a 2 run homer off of starter Christopher Kirk. Kirk gave the Broncos 8 innings, but gave up 5 runs. The Denver lineup was shut down again, this time by Miami starter Jose Caseres, who surrendered only 4 hits in the win.


More First Inning Blues
4/17/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

For the third straight game, a Denver starting pitcher gave up a 1st inning, multi-run home run. This time, Kenny Pillsbury coughed up a 2 run shot to 2B Edward Rehberg. Pillsbury settled down after that, giving up only one more run as he threw 7 1/3 innings. But the three runs were too much for the Denver lineup which has gone ice cold in this series. Miami starter Mark Prior threw a complete game 5 hitter, whiffing 7 batters. One of the few bright spots in Denver's 6th straight loss was Alexis Vazquez collecting 4 hits in the game.

Miami manager John Wilkerson, clearly frustrated with the losses, seemed glad to have another day off today. "It's good to be able to step back for a day to look at what's been happening. You play every day, and sometimes you miss out a little bit on being able to do that. You get a day off, and you can reexamine things. Alright, so we've lost 6 in a row. But these are good teams we've been playing. You're going to lose sometimes against good teams. Most of our hitters are doing okay right now. If we can just get Ellis out of his slump, the lineup will pick things up. The pitching has gotten a little bit better, which is good. Yeah, there's been trouble in the first innings lately, but we'll get that sorted out. Knoxville will be tough, but after that we get some games against Charlotte and Atlanta, and they've been struggling a bit, too. It's early yet, we can get this ship righted in no time."

First-baseman Ellis Bolling, his batting average mired well below .200 right now and only 1 HR to his credit, was surprisingly relaxed. "Of course it's tough, feeling like you're not contributing very much, but I know what I am capable of as a hitter. We've been facing some good pitching, and I'm just in a little slump. I'm not worried. It's only 14 games. 14 out of 162. I'm working with Johnny [Dear] every day, trying to get my timing where it should be. We'll figure it out."

[jamus23]

4/18/2081 to 4/20/2081

The Knoxville 79ers (9-5)


AT

The Denver Broncos (4-10)


Expected Pitching Matchups:
Edward Headrick (2-1, 3.38 ERA) VS. Arden Hawthorn (0-2, 8.16 ERA)
Raul Vilardebo (2-1, 1.80 ERA) VS. Robert McNett (1-1, 5.03 ERA)
Clarence Kahn (2-1, 4.30 ERA) VS. Christopher Kirk (1-2, 6.55 ERA)




Seven in a Row
4/19/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Broncos lost their 7th consecutive game when reliever Ramon Gomez gave up the go ahead run in the 9th inning to lose 4-3 to the 79ers. Arden Hawthorn gave the Broncos 6 2/3 innings of solid pitching, but got battered for 12 hits, and failed to hold leads of 1-0 and 3-1. On the positive side, Joseph Swayze and Eric Fudge each delivered home runs in the game.




Bolling Comes Through!
4/20/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Broncos stopped their losing streak when struggling 1B Ellis Bolling delivered a 2 out, run scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game 8-7 in what was a crazy, back and forth contest. The Broncos jumped on Knoxille starter Raul Vilardebo early, scoring 2 runs in the first inning. Robert McNett couldn't hold the lead, however, and Knoxville went ahead 3-2 in the second inning.

It remained 3-2 until the 8th inning, when Denver reliever James Virgen imploded, giving up 3 runs in the 8th to put Knoxville ahead by a seemingly insurmountable lead of 6-2. The Broncos wouldn't go down without a fight, however, and managed to put across 4 runs in the bottom half of the inning. The tie game didn't last long, as Virgen blew it again, allowing Knoxville to take a 7-6 lead in the ninth inning.

Once more, Denver rallied. Tomas Sato, who had 4 hits and 3 RBI in the game, delivered a 2 run double with 2 outs to tie the game at 7 apiece. That set the stage for the badly struggling slugger, Bolling. Mired in a slump that has seen his batting average hovering on the low side of .160, Bolling stepped to the plate and delivered the base hit that scored Sato to win the game 8-7. Bolling seemed rejuvenated after the game. "Man, I know it's just one hit, and I didn't do much else in the game, but to come through with the hit to win the game... it makes you feel like you're going to turn things around really quickly. I'm just thankful the other guys were getting the job done and were able to me in the position to come through," he said.

Also coming through with an impressive performance was McNett. Despite blowing the early 1-0 lead, McNett came through with a 7 inning performance, allowed just 6 hits, 3 runs, and struck out 6 batters.




Two in a Row!
4/21/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Broncos made it two straight victories when they beat Knoxille 6-5 yesterday. Starting pitcher Christopher Kirk gave up a run in the 2nd inning, but in the bottom half of the second, Joseph Swayze slammed a 2 run homer to give the Broncos the lead. In the 4th inning, they pushed the lead to 5-1, and heading into the 9th inning, they led 6-3. Kirk pitched into the ninth inning before tiring. He gave up two more runs before Ramon Gomez finished things off, preserving the victory. Asbel Fuentez delivered 3 hits, and Swayze hit a double, a homer, and drove in three runs.

Manager John Wilkerson told his players to relax as much as possible on today's day off, because after today, they have a stretch of 14 consecutive games without a day off, beginning with the reeling Charlotte and Atlanta baseball clubs. "I told them to take it easy today, rest up, and get themselves prepared, because we've got a grueling stretch coming up," he said.

[jamus23]

4/22/2081 to 4/23/2081

The Charlotte Panthers (4-13)



AT

The Denver Broncos (6-11)




Expected Pitching Matchups:

RH Amadeo Carrera (1-2, 5.30 ERA) VS. RH Kenny Pillsbury (1-2, 4.80 ERA)
RH Kenneth Olivera (1-2, 6.06 ERA) VS. RH Arden Hawthorn (0-2, 6.86 ERA)




Panthers Pound Pillsbury
4/23/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver "ace" Kenny Pillsbury got lit up by the previously reeling Charlotte Panthers, surrendering 4 runs in the first inning, en route to a 6-1 loss. Pillsbury's final line was a very less than stellar: 5 IP, 10 H, 6 R. Meanwhile, the Broncos' bats went silent, mustering just 5 hits, though Asbel Fuentez was a lone bright spot, delivering 3 of the hits, 2 of which were triples, and driving in the only Denver run.





Bolling Blast Bails Out Broncos; Bakke Completes the Comeback
4/24/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The struggling Ellis Bolling hit a game-tying three run homer in the 9th inning, and Mark Bakke added a sacrifice fly two batters later to complete the come from behind 10-9 victory for the Broncos.

After doing little at the plate in the first game against Charlotte, the Denver bats were quick to strike in yesterday's game, scoring 2 in the 1st and 2 in the 2nd to build a 4-1 lead after 2 innings. But then starter Arden Hawthorn collapsed, giving up 4 runs in the third inning, and another 3 in the fourth. After 4 innings, the Panthers led 8-5. The two teams exchanged runs to give Charlotte a 9-6 lead heading into the 9th.

2B Tomas Sato led of the 9th with a single, and went to third on a single by RF Alexis Vazquez. That set the stage for 1B Bolling, who so far this season, has done very little. Bolling promptly blasted one into the bleachers to tie the game at 9. Eric Fudge immediately followed with a triple, to put the winning run at third with still nobody out. Up stepped veteran DH Bakke, himself not having a very good season. Bakke was able to hit one deep enough to score Fudge to win the game.

Arden Hawthorn continued to get beaten around, surrendering 15 hits and 8 runs in only 5 1/3 innings. Russell Thomas delivered 3 hits, 3 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases, while Joseph Swayze had 2 hits, and 3 RBI.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------





4/24/2081 to 4/26/2081

The Denver Broncos (7-12)



AT

The Atlanta Braves (4-15)




Expected Pitching Matchups:

LH Robert McNett (1-1, 4.73 ERA) VS. RH Thomas Sanchez (0-3, 7.41 ERA)
RH Christopher Kirk (2-2, 6.16 ERA) VS. RH Tony Testa (0-2, 4.95 ERA)
RH Tony Rivera (0-1, 6.10 ERA) VS. RH James Patrick (0-3, 4.43 ERA)





Another Back and Forth Victory
4/25/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

In what has become an all too familiar pattern, the Broncos grabbed an early lead, blew it, and then rallied to pull out the victory. After two innings, the Broncos had raced out to a 6-2 lead, and seemed like they might run away with yesterday's game against the hapless Braves. But then starter Robert McNett coughed up three runs in the third inning, and after 5 innings, the score stood at 7-7. After 7 innings, the Braves had taken a 9-7 lead, but the Broncos managed to tie it in the 8th inning. In the top of the ninth, the Broncos grabbed what seemed like a safe 12-9 lead, but barely escaped with a 12-10 victory.

McNett was battered in 6 innings of work, giving up 11 hits and 7 runs. The Denver lineup exploded for 18 hits, and drew 6 walks in the game. Asbel Fuentez and Lee Chappel each had three hits, and Chappel drove in 2 runs. Joseph Swayze continues to be red hot, delivering 2 hits, a HR, and 3 RBI.






Kirk Collapses in Atlanta Victory
4/26/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer


Denver starter Christopher Kirk held the Atlanta lineup at bay for 8 innings, as the Broncos built a 4-1 lead. Then, in the ninth, Kirk fell apart, serving up a 2 run homer to Raymond Stair, followed by a double and a walk. Reliever Ramon Gomez came in and managed to get one out before giving up a single, and then a 2 run double to Antoine Macias to lose the game, 5-4.

This has become a familiar pattern for Kirk, as he has gone deep into games multiple times this year, only to fall apart around the 8th or 9th inning. Having good games for Denver were Asbel Fuentez, with 3 hits, and Tomas Sato, who had 2 hits and a home run.


Bolling Breaks Out!
4/27/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Struggling Ellis Bolling may have finally broken out of his slump, delivering 3 hits and 5 RBI (aided by an RBI triple and a 3 run HR) in Denver's 10-7 victory over Atlanta yesterday. Through three innings, the game was a tight 1-1 affair. In the fourth inning the Broncos broke it wide open, scoring 4 runs to take a 5-1 lead. But that didn't last long; the Braves inched to within a run with a 3 run 6th inning. The Broncos added two more runs to make it 7-4, and then Bolling seemingly put the game away for good with a 3 run homer in the ninth inning to give the Broncos a commanding 10-4 lead. Relief pitcher Fred Lemire entered the 9th inning with a runner on base and promptly surrendered back to back home runs to make the game a much more shaky 10-7. Ramon Gomez came in, however, and finished things off with no further damage.

Bolling was more animated than he's ever been after the game. "Man, it felt so great to have a game like that! I've been struggling and struggling, never seeming to get things going, and then Bam! A game like that! I feel great right now!" In addition to Bolling's superb game, Russell Thomas had three hits, and Asbel Fuentez, Lee Chappel, and Tomas Sato each had two hits, with Chappel also driving in 2 runs.