Just hows ago the Fresno Griz and the Wichita Black Lightning agreed on a four player trade. The swap gives the Lightning the replacement they were seaking since Jerry King's early season injury.
The Lightning sent short stop prospect F.P. Johnson, who was acquired from the Richmond Shaggy Marlins just a few weeks ago in the Tom Owens deal and had just recently been promoted to the majors as the club did not believe they were going to be able to work out a deal and wanted his bat in the line-up.
The Lightning also gave up lefty #5 starter Herman Runyan in the deal. Runyan has been in and out of the Major Leagues in his career and was given a spot in the roataion shortly after the injury to King.
In return the Lightning received starter Jolbert Palacios, who will likely move into the #4 spot in the rotation bumping Wayne Anderson back to the #5. The club also got rp Alex Black.
"We are very happy with this trade," said GM zhawks,"We really needed to add another righty into our rotation. After suffering the loss of King early that left us with 4 lefty starters and we really needed a second righty."
The trade also gives the club one of the younger starting rotations in the AL, with the oldest starter being Chili Stocker at the age of 29.
"We are always excited about getting younger, of course," said GM zhawks at today's press conference,"We hope this can be the move to help us get back into contention in the division."
The Griz were also happy with adding to their offense in this trade, something GM joemac55 had been adament about.
"We needed an offensive boost and Johnson gives us not only solid offense and speed, but also great defense," GM joemac stated at his respective press conference, "And Runyan gives us an established end of the rotation lefty."
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Blockbuster Deal: Dolphins' ship Baumann to Montreal
Last week a major blockbuster went down. Future Hall of Fame starting pitcher Oscar Baumann was traded to the Montreal Royals just days after he pitched a perfect game for the Jacksonville Dolphins.
The Dolphins also sent cf Lou Gumbert to Montreal and received All-Stars, Kent Stinnett and Johnny Bollea, along with young 3b Angel Santiago.
Dolphins' GM mpate10 said that "(The trade) was a hard decision but getting two All-Stars and one young player (along with) dumping some salary was too hard to pass up and inevitably made the deal one that was good for our franchise."
The Royals made the move in hopes to get back on top of the AL North, which they have done. After 2 starts with the new club Baumann has yet to win a game but has a 1.32 ERA to go along with 12 strike outs.
"We are thrilled to be able to acquire such a great talent and future Hall of Famer," said Montreal GM 12mira12," We didn't expect to have such a huge trade this year and think this could make us the favorite in the AL."
Baumann's contract runs through next season and he has yet to make any decisions on his future.
Jacksonville has traded two of the top pitchers in the game the last two seasons, Baumann and Jesus Fernandez, who the club dealt to the Salem Witch Doctors last year.
The Dolphins also sent cf Lou Gumbert to Montreal and received All-Stars, Kent Stinnett and Johnny Bollea, along with young 3b Angel Santiago.
Dolphins' GM mpate10 said that "(The trade) was a hard decision but getting two All-Stars and one young player (along with) dumping some salary was too hard to pass up and inevitably made the deal one that was good for our franchise."
The Royals made the move in hopes to get back on top of the AL North, which they have done. After 2 starts with the new club Baumann has yet to win a game but has a 1.32 ERA to go along with 12 strike outs.
"We are thrilled to be able to acquire such a great talent and future Hall of Famer," said Montreal GM 12mira12," We didn't expect to have such a huge trade this year and think this could make us the favorite in the AL."
Baumann's contract runs through next season and he has yet to make any decisions on his future.
Jacksonville has traded two of the top pitchers in the game the last two seasons, Baumann and Jesus Fernandez, who the club dealt to the Salem Witch Doctors last year.
Friday, January 22, 2010
League approves Trade - Garcia to Boise
Earlier this morning the proposed trade of cf Eugene Garcia to the Boise Spudchuckers.
GM tdvy31 was estatic over the announcement of the trade,"We are very excited to be able to land an elite centerfielder / secondbase player."
The last star 2b the club acquired, Jolbert Seneca, tore his hamstring in the Season 5 playoffs and missed part of the start of last year and has had to move to left due to the injury.
"I'd rather not recall those memories," said GM tdvy31.
Boise also received p Eduardo Picasso from the Mexico City Diablos Rojos in the deal.
In his first big move as Mexico City GM tdsdweet bolstered the clubs pitching by getting starting pitchers Jose Cedeno and Nicholas Stechschulte.
"We really needed to address our pitching staff, that was my first priority when I was hired," said tndsweet,"Garcia is a great player and would have been great here but we aren't going to contend for any titles with the way our staff looked."
This was one of three trades that happened today in a flurry of action across the league. As reported yesterday the Jacksonville Dolphins and Wichita Black Lightning agreed to a deal to send All-Star catcher Tom Harper, to the Lightning.
Boise also agreed to terms on another deal, this one with the Tampa Bay Waves where the club sent 3b Del Johnson and ss Hersh Hamlin to Tampa for Alex Cairo.
Time will tell how these deals play out in the race to dethrone the Salem Witch Doctors.
GM tdvy31 was estatic over the announcement of the trade,"We are very excited to be able to land an elite centerfielder / secondbase player."
The last star 2b the club acquired, Jolbert Seneca, tore his hamstring in the Season 5 playoffs and missed part of the start of last year and has had to move to left due to the injury.
"I'd rather not recall those memories," said GM tdvy31.
Boise also received p Eduardo Picasso from the Mexico City Diablos Rojos in the deal.
In his first big move as Mexico City GM tdsdweet bolstered the clubs pitching by getting starting pitchers Jose Cedeno and Nicholas Stechschulte.
"We really needed to address our pitching staff, that was my first priority when I was hired," said tndsweet,"Garcia is a great player and would have been great here but we aren't going to contend for any titles with the way our staff looked."
This was one of three trades that happened today in a flurry of action across the league. As reported yesterday the Jacksonville Dolphins and Wichita Black Lightning agreed to a deal to send All-Star catcher Tom Harper, to the Lightning.
Boise also agreed to terms on another deal, this one with the Tampa Bay Waves where the club sent 3b Del Johnson and ss Hersh Hamlin to Tampa for Alex Cairo.
Time will tell how these deals play out in the race to dethrone the Salem Witch Doctors.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wichita makes splash, acquires All-Star
The Wichita Black Lightning made a splash this morning by agreeing to terms to acquire All-Star c Tom Harper from the Jacksonville Dolphins, right before the 2nd game in the teams series.
The Lightning will send sp prospect Bob Parrish and 1b prospect Nick Stahl to the Dolphins in exchange for Harper and minor league relief pitcher Bing Neagle.
"We are very happy to be able to have the opportunity to bring Harper on board," said GM zhawks at the press conference following the game,"he brings another good bat to our already outstanding line-up."
The move will push current c Khoury Riley into a backup roll, although zhawks mentioned that the two would platoon the position for a while to keep Harper fresh throughout the year, with Harper starting against lefties and Riley getting the nod against many righties.
The move will also push recently promoted defensive c Howard Hughes back to the minors to continue his development.
The Dolphins gets a good young pitcher to add to their already deep farm system. And slugging 1b Stahl. They were also happy to unload most of Harper's $5.9 million contract after starting off 3-16 this year, agreeing to pay $1.35 million of his remaining salary this year.
The Lightning will send sp prospect Bob Parrish and 1b prospect Nick Stahl to the Dolphins in exchange for Harper and minor league relief pitcher Bing Neagle.
"We are very happy to be able to have the opportunity to bring Harper on board," said GM zhawks at the press conference following the game,"he brings another good bat to our already outstanding line-up."
The move will push current c Khoury Riley into a backup roll, although zhawks mentioned that the two would platoon the position for a while to keep Harper fresh throughout the year, with Harper starting against lefties and Riley getting the nod against many righties.
The move will also push recently promoted defensive c Howard Hughes back to the minors to continue his development.
The Dolphins gets a good young pitcher to add to their already deep farm system. And slugging 1b Stahl. They were also happy to unload most of Harper's $5.9 million contract after starting off 3-16 this year, agreeing to pay $1.35 million of his remaining salary this year.
Wichita takes big hit
Just when the Wichita Black Lightning were starting to chug along, going 7-3 in their last 10 after starting the season 3-6, they took a major blow.
#1 starter, veteran Jerry King, irritatited a nurve in his elbow while throwing a sinker to the Jacksonville Dolphins' c Tom Harper. Jacksonville and Wichita had just agreed to terms to send the c to the Lightning minutes prior to the game, but the league still needed to approve the deal.
Harper hit the pitch for a single into RF.
"It really hurts us," said GM zhawks after the game," Jerry is a big part of our rotation and losing him is huge."
The Lightning have not had any luck with signing veteran pitchers as King only adds to the list of vet starters the club has acquired, only to see them get hurt. Joe Cohen, Jarrod Collins and Reid Stanton are a few other names that have come to the club, only to get hurt.
"Yes we are going to weigh our options in adding another starting pitcher to bolster the end of our rotation," zhawks continued,"right now we are going to Herman (Runyan) to show us what he's got."
The time table for King's return is 18-20 weeks, possibly making him ready for the playoffs should Wichita qualify. Frank Mlicki has been promoted to the majors to provide relief help.
#1 starter, veteran Jerry King, irritatited a nurve in his elbow while throwing a sinker to the Jacksonville Dolphins' c Tom Harper. Jacksonville and Wichita had just agreed to terms to send the c to the Lightning minutes prior to the game, but the league still needed to approve the deal.
Harper hit the pitch for a single into RF.
"It really hurts us," said GM zhawks after the game," Jerry is a big part of our rotation and losing him is huge."
The Lightning have not had any luck with signing veteran pitchers as King only adds to the list of vet starters the club has acquired, only to see them get hurt. Joe Cohen, Jarrod Collins and Reid Stanton are a few other names that have come to the club, only to get hurt.
"Yes we are going to weigh our options in adding another starting pitcher to bolster the end of our rotation," zhawks continued,"right now we are going to Herman (Runyan) to show us what he's got."
The time table for King's return is 18-20 weeks, possibly making him ready for the playoffs should Wichita qualify. Frank Mlicki has been promoted to the majors to provide relief help.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Power Poll - Week 3
With week 3 of the season underway let's take a look at the top 12 teams in this weeks addition of the Power Poll.
#1 New York Moose Knuckles
New York has started off strong with a 16-2 record. While the club has had series against the Cincinnati Sinners, Boston Puritans and the Houston texans, who have a combined 15-37 record, the club took care of business and swept all three opponents. The club has received a loss from each the Trenton Generals and the Montreal Royals.
New York is averaging 2 Home Runs and 7 runs a game while it's pitching staff has a sparkling 3.33 era, good for 2nd in the AL.
1b Bill Weaver has been the teams leader with his bat, hitting 9 Home Runs and 30 RBI with a dazzling .365 batting average and a 1.230 OPS.
#2 Scranton Dunder Mifflins
Scranton has started the year off with hot bats, leading the National League with a .313 team batting average. The hot bats have been a major reason why the club has started 14-3.
The club has won every series it has played in so far this year, going 5-1 versus the Syracuse SkyRockets and the Richmond Shaggy Marlins.
lf Stone Stephenson and 1b Willie Cairo lead the teams offense, both batting around .370 for the year.
#3 Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus
Kansas City has started off hot this year, starting the season 14-3 and is looking to dethrone the 5 time conference champion Wichita Black Lightning for the AL East Title.
Two of the clubs big Three have been great for KC this year. lf Ted Wilson and 3b Jimmie Lugo are both hitting at .340 batting average and are a big reason the club has started off hot, along with the clubs 3.67 era.
#4 Florida FlyTekks (13-5)
#5 Tacoma Amber Flashlongs (13-5)
#6 Montreal Royals (11-6)
#7 Boise Spudchuckers (12-6)
#8 Fresno Griz (12-6)
#9 Syracuse SkyRockets (10-8)
#10 Tampa Bay Waves (10-8)
#11 Pittsburgh Pranksters (9-8)
#12 Salem Witch Doctors (10-8) and Wichita Black Lightning (9-9)
#1 New York Moose Knuckles
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New York has started off strong with a 16-2 record. While the club has had series against the Cincinnati Sinners, Boston Puritans and the Houston texans, who have a combined 15-37 record, the club took care of business and swept all three opponents. The club has received a loss from each the Trenton Generals and the Montreal Royals.
New York is averaging 2 Home Runs and 7 runs a game while it's pitching staff has a sparkling 3.33 era, good for 2nd in the AL.
1b Bill Weaver has been the teams leader with his bat, hitting 9 Home Runs and 30 RBI with a dazzling .365 batting average and a 1.230 OPS.
#2 Scranton Dunder Mifflins
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Scranton has started the year off with hot bats, leading the National League with a .313 team batting average. The hot bats have been a major reason why the club has started 14-3.
The club has won every series it has played in so far this year, going 5-1 versus the Syracuse SkyRockets and the Richmond Shaggy Marlins.
lf Stone Stephenson and 1b Willie Cairo lead the teams offense, both batting around .370 for the year.
#3 Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus
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Kansas City has started off hot this year, starting the season 14-3 and is looking to dethrone the 5 time conference champion Wichita Black Lightning for the AL East Title.
Two of the clubs big Three have been great for KC this year. lf Ted Wilson and 3b Jimmie Lugo are both hitting at .340 batting average and are a big reason the club has started off hot, along with the clubs 3.67 era.
#4 Florida FlyTekks (13-5)
#5 Tacoma Amber Flashlongs (13-5)
#6 Montreal Royals (11-6)
#7 Boise Spudchuckers (12-6)
#8 Fresno Griz (12-6)
#9 Syracuse SkyRockets (10-8)
#10 Tampa Bay Waves (10-8)
#11 Pittsburgh Pranksters (9-8)
#12 Salem Witch Doctors (10-8) and Wichita Black Lightning (9-9)
Hot Stove Rumors - Eugene Garcia
Rumor has it that new Mexico City Diablos Rojos owner tndsweet has been in talks with numerous franchises about moving star cf/2b prospect Eugene Garcia.
At the age of 21 Garcia has played in only 29 Major League games, hitting for a .319 batting average and stealing 17 bases.
The club has stated they are looking for Starting Pitching and is willing to take on salary.
More from this story will likely develop throughout the week, stay tuned for details.
At the age of 21 Garcia has played in only 29 Major League games, hitting for a .319 batting average and stealing 17 bases.
The club has stated they are looking for Starting Pitching and is willing to take on salary.
More from this story will likely develop throughout the week, stay tuned for details.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Where are they now? #1 Picks
Let's take a look back on the past #1 overall selections and where they are today.
Season 1
The first overall pick in the Season 1 draft was selected by the San Juan Tiburones, now the Chicago Dumb Asses.
Lush was projected as a great bat with good eye coming out of North Clayton HS in College Park, GA and received a $4 million signing bonus at the age of 18.
Lush is now in his 4th Major League Season and has Hit a career 68 Home Runs and a .247 batting average.
While 3b has been the position that Lush has played the most in his career, he is more suited to play in either right or left field and is currently suiting up for the New York Moose Knuckles in right.
Lush has been the centerpiece of three trades in his career, the first was when he was only 19 years old. Only 1 year after being drafted Lush was sent to the Iowa City I Wanna Score More along with 2 other players for rp Mario Dyer and 3b Peter Pedersen.
In season 3 he was shipped to the Little Rock Jaeger Bombs along with sp Andres Guzman for lf Ted Wilson.
Later in Season 3 he was traded from Little Rock to the Buffalo Wings along with 2 other players for 3b Everett Fleming, sp Fausto Manuel and cf Vic Sosa.
Notable players drafted after: 2b Scott Tankersley (#2), cf Guy McKinley (#5), cf Kent Stinnett (#7), c Red Benton (#8), rf Bruce Gibbons (#14), 2b Corey Witt (#17), lf Juan Ibarra (#28).
Season 2
Hutton projected as a great contact hitting 1b with good fielding coming out of college, where he graduated from the University of Tennessee-Martin and received a $4 million bonus at the age of 22. He was drafted by the Charleston Chews and has spent his entire career in the organization.
Hutton is in his 4th Major League season and had his best season last year hitting 32 Home Runs, bringing his career total to 71, and hitting .310. Hutton has a career .290 batting average and .822 OPS.
Notable players drafted after: ss Gerald Fossum (#2), rf Ricky Brock (#3), cf Posiedon Hudson (#5), 3b Jesse Hoyt (#6), sp Charles Wynn (#7), 3b Kiel Buchanan (#9), rp Tom Owens (#11), sp Howard Reagan (#14), cf Ted Hines (#16), rp Leon Patrick (#18), ss Tim Casey (#29).
Season 3
Meyer was the #1 pick in season 3 out of Texas Tech University. He received a $5.5 million signing bonus from the St. Louis blue browns. Meyer was projected as a hard throwing righty with two + pitches.
Shoulder injuries have hampered Meyer, including a trip to the 60-day DL with a shoulder aneurysm that forced him to miss parts of both season 4 and 5.
Meyer has yet to break into the Majors. His career MILB numbers are 4.34 era and 33 wins in 471 innings.
Notable players drafted after: rf Stewart Wells (#2), sp Leo Grieve (#3), sp Doc Harris (#4), rf Chris Lyons (#5), sp Red Hitchcock (#6), sp Glen Stottlemyre (#7), sp Joaquin Santos (#10), ss Steven Jackson (#11), sp Derek Poppell (#13), sp Roger Reed (#14), 1b Rod Schultz (#17), cf Carlos Fuentes (#22).
Season 4
Walters was the #1 pick in Season 4, he was projected as an Ace pitcher out Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem, NC at the age of 19. He received a $4 million bonus to sign with the Salem Witch Doctors.
Walters was part of a blockbuster trade in only his 2nd season. The Witch Doctors dealt him to the Florida FlyTekks along with 2 other players for starting pitchers Galahad Dale and Chad Lamb, who helped lead Salem to back to back World Championships.
Walters broke into the Majors last season, going 5-3 in 14 starts and 77.0 innings, registering a 4.68 era and 56 strike outs.
Notable players drafted after: lf Clyde Valent (#2), sp Trevor Douglass (#3), cf Eugene Garcia (#4), sp Walter Russell (#6), cf Alex Baker (#7), sp Albert Delahanty (#9), sp Connie Lemaster (#10), sp Jerry Hayes (#11), ss Dan Sisk (#12), sp Pete Kirk (#17), cf Dion Heathcott (#19), ss F.P. Johnson (#25), rf Arthur Roberts (#27).
Season 5
Sanford was the #1 pick out of Greybull High School in Greybull, WY. He received a $5 million bonus for signing with the Oklahoma City The Total Package. He was projected as a short stop in high school but maybe be more likely to end up playing 3b as there have been questions about his range. He looks to have a very good command of his bat, using his good eye to hit both righties and lefties well. He also has Elite speed.
Jamie has yet to reach the majors, in only his 2nd full year in Oklahoma's organization he has a career MILB batting average of .316 and 47 stolen bases.
Notable players drafted after: rf Steven Munson (#2), sp Placido Prieto (#3), sp Merv Newman (#4), ss Johnny Powell (#5), sp Brian Davis (#7), sp Carson Bowles (#30), sp Damion Black (#51).
Season 6
Lf Borchard was the #1 pick in the Season 6 draft by the Albuquerque Tequila. He projects to have an elite eye and have top-notch contact in his bat to go along with great speed.
Borchard was drafted at the age of 18 out of Milton Hershey High School in Hershey, PA and received a $4 million signing bonus.
Last year between Rookie and Low A he hit 9 Home Runs with a .365 batting average and is currently playing at the clubs High A affiliate.
Notable players drafted after: cf Delino Rodriguez (#2), sp Rickey Norton (#3), 3b Marshall Sveum (#4), lf Chet Turner (#5), rp Desi Carreras (#15), sp Barry Vickers (#20), sp Dave Smith (#25).
Season 1
The first overall pick in the Season 1 draft was selected by the San Juan Tiburones, now the Chicago Dumb Asses.
Lush was projected as a great bat with good eye coming out of North Clayton HS in College Park, GA and received a $4 million signing bonus at the age of 18.
Lush is now in his 4th Major League Season and has Hit a career 68 Home Runs and a .247 batting average.
While 3b has been the position that Lush has played the most in his career, he is more suited to play in either right or left field and is currently suiting up for the New York Moose Knuckles in right.
Lush has been the centerpiece of three trades in his career, the first was when he was only 19 years old. Only 1 year after being drafted Lush was sent to the Iowa City I Wanna Score More along with 2 other players for rp Mario Dyer and 3b Peter Pedersen.
In season 3 he was shipped to the Little Rock Jaeger Bombs along with sp Andres Guzman for lf Ted Wilson.
Later in Season 3 he was traded from Little Rock to the Buffalo Wings along with 2 other players for 3b Everett Fleming, sp Fausto Manuel and cf Vic Sosa.
Notable players drafted after: 2b Scott Tankersley (#2), cf Guy McKinley (#5), cf Kent Stinnett (#7), c Red Benton (#8), rf Bruce Gibbons (#14), 2b Corey Witt (#17), lf Juan Ibarra (#28).
Season 2
Hutton projected as a great contact hitting 1b with good fielding coming out of college, where he graduated from the University of Tennessee-Martin and received a $4 million bonus at the age of 22. He was drafted by the Charleston Chews and has spent his entire career in the organization.
Hutton is in his 4th Major League season and had his best season last year hitting 32 Home Runs, bringing his career total to 71, and hitting .310. Hutton has a career .290 batting average and .822 OPS.
Notable players drafted after: ss Gerald Fossum (#2), rf Ricky Brock (#3), cf Posiedon Hudson (#5), 3b Jesse Hoyt (#6), sp Charles Wynn (#7), 3b Kiel Buchanan (#9), rp Tom Owens (#11), sp Howard Reagan (#14), cf Ted Hines (#16), rp Leon Patrick (#18), ss Tim Casey (#29).
Season 3
Meyer was the #1 pick in season 3 out of Texas Tech University. He received a $5.5 million signing bonus from the St. Louis blue browns. Meyer was projected as a hard throwing righty with two + pitches.
Shoulder injuries have hampered Meyer, including a trip to the 60-day DL with a shoulder aneurysm that forced him to miss parts of both season 4 and 5.
Meyer has yet to break into the Majors. His career MILB numbers are 4.34 era and 33 wins in 471 innings.
Notable players drafted after: rf Stewart Wells (#2), sp Leo Grieve (#3), sp Doc Harris (#4), rf Chris Lyons (#5), sp Red Hitchcock (#6), sp Glen Stottlemyre (#7), sp Joaquin Santos (#10), ss Steven Jackson (#11), sp Derek Poppell (#13), sp Roger Reed (#14), 1b Rod Schultz (#17), cf Carlos Fuentes (#22).
Season 4
Walters was the #1 pick in Season 4, he was projected as an Ace pitcher out Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem, NC at the age of 19. He received a $4 million bonus to sign with the Salem Witch Doctors.
Walters was part of a blockbuster trade in only his 2nd season. The Witch Doctors dealt him to the Florida FlyTekks along with 2 other players for starting pitchers Galahad Dale and Chad Lamb, who helped lead Salem to back to back World Championships.
Walters broke into the Majors last season, going 5-3 in 14 starts and 77.0 innings, registering a 4.68 era and 56 strike outs.
Notable players drafted after: lf Clyde Valent (#2), sp Trevor Douglass (#3), cf Eugene Garcia (#4), sp Walter Russell (#6), cf Alex Baker (#7), sp Albert Delahanty (#9), sp Connie Lemaster (#10), sp Jerry Hayes (#11), ss Dan Sisk (#12), sp Pete Kirk (#17), cf Dion Heathcott (#19), ss F.P. Johnson (#25), rf Arthur Roberts (#27).
Season 5
Sanford was the #1 pick out of Greybull High School in Greybull, WY. He received a $5 million bonus for signing with the Oklahoma City The Total Package. He was projected as a short stop in high school but maybe be more likely to end up playing 3b as there have been questions about his range. He looks to have a very good command of his bat, using his good eye to hit both righties and lefties well. He also has Elite speed.
Jamie has yet to reach the majors, in only his 2nd full year in Oklahoma's organization he has a career MILB batting average of .316 and 47 stolen bases.
Notable players drafted after: rf Steven Munson (#2), sp Placido Prieto (#3), sp Merv Newman (#4), ss Johnny Powell (#5), sp Brian Davis (#7), sp Carson Bowles (#30), sp Damion Black (#51).
Season 6
Lf Borchard was the #1 pick in the Season 6 draft by the Albuquerque Tequila. He projects to have an elite eye and have top-notch contact in his bat to go along with great speed.
Borchard was drafted at the age of 18 out of Milton Hershey High School in Hershey, PA and received a $4 million signing bonus.
Last year between Rookie and Low A he hit 9 Home Runs with a .365 batting average and is currently playing at the clubs High A affiliate.
Notable players drafted after: cf Delino Rodriguez (#2), sp Rickey Norton (#3), 3b Marshall Sveum (#4), lf Chet Turner (#5), rp Desi Carreras (#15), sp Barry Vickers (#20), sp Dave Smith (#25).
Mexico City hires new GM
The Mexico City Diablos Rojos announced the hiring of a new GM today.
The club announced the hiring of tndsweet as the clubs new GM after former GM yorker had went AWAL.
"I am happy to be here," said an enthusiastic tndsweet at today's press conference,"Looks like I have some work to do."
The club has started the year 2-10 with a Payroll of $75.1 million.
The clubs top players are cf/2b Eugene Garcia and sp Valerio Javier.
The club announced the hiring of tndsweet as the clubs new GM after former GM yorker had went AWAL.
"I am happy to be here," said an enthusiastic tndsweet at today's press conference,"Looks like I have some work to do."
The club has started the year 2-10 with a Payroll of $75.1 million.
The clubs top players are cf/2b Eugene Garcia and sp Valerio Javier.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Game of the Week
Iowa City @ Montreal
Sandy Murphy was poised to dominate throwing a complete game victory on his last outing. The Montreal Royals countered with Enrique Carrasquel. In an instant classic pitching duel, the Iowa City I Wanna Score More lost focus on several opportunities in the early innings.
Baserunning mishaps hurt Iowa all game long, first Francis Kennedy was caught stealing in the first and Angel Hernandez was gunned down by "Popeye armed" Kent Stinnett in the third. Then Benny Melton was picked off 1st by the pitcher in the fourth. Solid pitching and defense ensued with Iowa squeaking in a run in the 6th and Kennedy hitting an insurance lead-off HR in the eighth to make it 2-0.
Murphy was sent out for the ninth, hoping to preserve a 1-hit shutout.
Things quickly started to unravel.
Murphy quickly loaded the bases giving up a single to Endy Suzuki, a walk to Diego Johnson and another single to lead-off man Rich Speier. Murphy convinced pitching coach Placido Baez to preserve his complete game following a visit to the mound.
Perhaps poor strategy or oversight, but most GM's would rather get the out and have a run score than risk a play at the plate. Iowa finally put in setup man Carlos Estrella but he gives up a walk to tie the game.
In a some what surprising move Montreal replaces All Star 3b Vladimir Calvo with veteran Mikey Robbins. Robbins hits the first pitch to centerfield giving Montreal the exciting, bottom of the ninth walk off victory.
Sandy Murphy was poised to dominate throwing a complete game victory on his last outing. The Montreal Royals countered with Enrique Carrasquel. In an instant classic pitching duel, the Iowa City I Wanna Score More lost focus on several opportunities in the early innings.
Baserunning mishaps hurt Iowa all game long, first Francis Kennedy was caught stealing in the first and Angel Hernandez was gunned down by "Popeye armed" Kent Stinnett in the third. Then Benny Melton was picked off 1st by the pitcher in the fourth. Solid pitching and defense ensued with Iowa squeaking in a run in the 6th and Kennedy hitting an insurance lead-off HR in the eighth to make it 2-0.
Murphy was sent out for the ninth, hoping to preserve a 1-hit shutout.
Things quickly started to unravel.
Murphy quickly loaded the bases giving up a single to Endy Suzuki, a walk to Diego Johnson and another single to lead-off man Rich Speier. Murphy convinced pitching coach Placido Baez to preserve his complete game following a visit to the mound.
Perhaps poor strategy or oversight, but most GM's would rather get the out and have a run score than risk a play at the plate. Iowa finally put in setup man Carlos Estrella but he gives up a walk to tie the game.
In a some what surprising move Montreal replaces All Star 3b Vladimir Calvo with veteran Mikey Robbins. Robbins hits the first pitch to centerfield giving Montreal the exciting, bottom of the ninth walk off victory.
Pittsburgh looks towards the future
The Pittsburgh Pranksters made a budget slashing move today, sending sp Allen Anderson, who currently accounts for almost 34% of the teams budget.
Pittsburgh's total player budget was $17.4 million this year and will be cut to under $12 million after this deal goes through, the smallest in the league.
Pittsburgh's average Major League Salary will be just under $500k.
The club sent Anderson to the Boston Puritans. In return the Pranksters received sp prospect Tony Megias.
Both pitchers are very similar, the main differences being salary, age and being flyball (Megias) and groundball (Anderson) pitchers.
Pittsburgh GM idigapygmy said he was "Thrilled to be able to make this move" and that "we will look to continue to get younger based on our early season play."
The club has some talent, but has yet to be able to put together a winning season. The club has 4 starting pitchers all under the age of 26, Charles Wynn, Julio Martin, Jimmie Aguilar and Ricardo Blasco.
The line-up is equally as young with slugging 3b Benito Padilla, lf Clyde Valent, cf Carlos Fuentes and rf Arthur Roberts.
And waiting in the minors are ss Ryouta Lee, although his range might project him out to be more suited to play 3b or 2b and cf Brian McPherson who projects to be an elite contact hitter in the Majors and a complete defender, along with the bat of lf Chet Turner.
Boston continues to improve a team that plays in a very competitive division with the Wichita Black Lightning and the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus.
Pittsburgh's total player budget was $17.4 million this year and will be cut to under $12 million after this deal goes through, the smallest in the league.
Pittsburgh's average Major League Salary will be just under $500k.
The club sent Anderson to the Boston Puritans. In return the Pranksters received sp prospect Tony Megias.
Both pitchers are very similar, the main differences being salary, age and being flyball (Megias) and groundball (Anderson) pitchers.
Pittsburgh GM idigapygmy said he was "Thrilled to be able to make this move" and that "we will look to continue to get younger based on our early season play."
The club has some talent, but has yet to be able to put together a winning season. The club has 4 starting pitchers all under the age of 26, Charles Wynn, Julio Martin, Jimmie Aguilar and Ricardo Blasco.
The line-up is equally as young with slugging 3b Benito Padilla, lf Clyde Valent, cf Carlos Fuentes and rf Arthur Roberts.
And waiting in the minors are ss Ryouta Lee, although his range might project him out to be more suited to play 3b or 2b and cf Brian McPherson who projects to be an elite contact hitter in the Majors and a complete defender, along with the bat of lf Chet Turner.
Boston continues to improve a team that plays in a very competitive division with the Wichita Black Lightning and the Kansas City Black and Blue Brachiosaurus.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Little Rock makes push to get back to World Series
The Little Rock Jaeger Bombs were 1 game away from the World Series last season.
"We just couldn't close them out," said GM timo1964 in a post NLCS news conference,"We'll make some changes this winter and be back stronger then ever next year."
After losing to the Syracuse SkyRockets in a thrilling 7 game series the club missed the World Series for the 5th straight year, after winning it all in Season 1.
One big move that timo1964 promised shortly after the game 7 loss was acquiring sp Quentin Daniels, who is a control pitcher with a ++ 4-seamer and SS Orber King, who is a vast improvement defensively at ss, from the Scranton Dunder Mifflins.
"King should be huge for us. Our defense up the middle hasn't been great before and I really think that this will help us out a lot."
To get King and Daniels the team sent sp Brett Borders, 3b Everett Fleming and rp Brad Mota.
In another big move, just announced today, Little Rock acquired slugging 2b Achilles Cohen and rp Paul Brock. The team sent sp Bronson Brown and his career 3.67 era, along with 2b Douglas Barnes to the Richmond Shaggy Marlins.
"We really hated seeing Brown go but we really felt that we needed a hitter like Cohen in our line-up," said timo 1964 in today's press conference,"I am very excited about our teams prospects for this season."
The team started out today losing their home opener 3-2 against the Florida FlyTekks. Cohen was not yet available for this game as the commissioners office still needs to approve the trade.
"We hoped to start out a little bit stronger today, it's still early and once we get Cohen in the line-up we should have a much more prolific offense," said an excited timo1964 after today's game.
"We just couldn't close them out," said GM timo1964 in a post NLCS news conference,"We'll make some changes this winter and be back stronger then ever next year."
After losing to the Syracuse SkyRockets in a thrilling 7 game series the club missed the World Series for the 5th straight year, after winning it all in Season 1.
One big move that timo1964 promised shortly after the game 7 loss was acquiring sp Quentin Daniels, who is a control pitcher with a ++ 4-seamer and SS Orber King, who is a vast improvement defensively at ss, from the Scranton Dunder Mifflins.
"King should be huge for us. Our defense up the middle hasn't been great before and I really think that this will help us out a lot."
To get King and Daniels the team sent sp Brett Borders, 3b Everett Fleming and rp Brad Mota.
In another big move, just announced today, Little Rock acquired slugging 2b Achilles Cohen and rp Paul Brock. The team sent sp Bronson Brown and his career 3.67 era, along with 2b Douglas Barnes to the Richmond Shaggy Marlins.
"We really hated seeing Brown go but we really felt that we needed a hitter like Cohen in our line-up," said timo 1964 in today's press conference,"I am very excited about our teams prospects for this season."
The team started out today losing their home opener 3-2 against the Florida FlyTekks. Cohen was not yet available for this game as the commissioners office still needs to approve the trade.
"We hoped to start out a little bit stronger today, it's still early and once we get Cohen in the line-up we should have a much more prolific offense," said an excited timo1964 after today's game.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Montreal hopes to keep streak alive
The Montreal Royals have won over 109 games each of the last four years and hopes their offseason moves can keep that streak alive.
To accomplish this GM 21mira21 made 3 big trades this offseason hoping to increase the clubs talent in hopes of finally winning an ALCS series with hated rival, the Salem Witch Doctors.
The club brought in two OF's to cut their budget and maintain some young legs on the team.
In the first trade the team brought in rf Kirt Purcell who they received from the Tacoma Amber Flashlongs for 3 prospects, 1b Vic Cedeno, ss Dizzy Lindsey and p Ellis Corbin. Purcell has both great power and contact in his bat but has had struggles against lefties in the past. His career .312 batting average will be much appreciated in Montreal.
To make room for some of the added salary that the club took on when they traded for Purcell the club made another deal sending #5 all-time home run slugger, 3b Wade Lincoln, cf Posiedon Hudson and rp Santiago Zurbaran to the Vancouver Giants for cf Kent Stinnett, who is an improvement who is an improvement both offensively and defensively over last years starter Hudson.
The club also acquired setup rp Al Womack and sp Greg Regan from the Pittsburgh Pranksters. Montreal sent c Bob Justice, who has a good bat but lacks great pitch calling abilities, cf prospect Carl Baptist and rp prospect Brett Walker.
Montreal, who is always at the top of the AL, having been a 1 or 2 seed in the playoffs the last four years, has gotten beat by Salem in the ALCS each of the last two years.
"I really thought we had a good chance to play for the World Series last season," stated 21mira21 during the winter meetings,"I guess it just wasn't in the cards. Salem has a great franchise and played some really good ball against us. I expect us to make a few moves this offseason and contend again for the Championship."
And follow through on that he did, but will it be enough to move the team past Salem?
The city of Montreal hopes so.
To accomplish this GM 21mira21 made 3 big trades this offseason hoping to increase the clubs talent in hopes of finally winning an ALCS series with hated rival, the Salem Witch Doctors.
The club brought in two OF's to cut their budget and maintain some young legs on the team.
In the first trade the team brought in rf Kirt Purcell who they received from the Tacoma Amber Flashlongs for 3 prospects, 1b Vic Cedeno, ss Dizzy Lindsey and p Ellis Corbin. Purcell has both great power and contact in his bat but has had struggles against lefties in the past. His career .312 batting average will be much appreciated in Montreal.
To make room for some of the added salary that the club took on when they traded for Purcell the club made another deal sending #5 all-time home run slugger, 3b Wade Lincoln, cf Posiedon Hudson and rp Santiago Zurbaran to the Vancouver Giants for cf Kent Stinnett, who is an improvement who is an improvement both offensively and defensively over last years starter Hudson.
The club also acquired setup rp Al Womack and sp Greg Regan from the Pittsburgh Pranksters. Montreal sent c Bob Justice, who has a good bat but lacks great pitch calling abilities, cf prospect Carl Baptist and rp prospect Brett Walker.
Montreal, who is always at the top of the AL, having been a 1 or 2 seed in the playoffs the last four years, has gotten beat by Salem in the ALCS each of the last two years.
"I really thought we had a good chance to play for the World Series last season," stated 21mira21 during the winter meetings,"I guess it just wasn't in the cards. Salem has a great franchise and played some really good ball against us. I expect us to make a few moves this offseason and contend again for the Championship."
And follow through on that he did, but will it be enough to move the team past Salem?
The city of Montreal hopes so.
Waves break the bank, hope to end losing streak
Tampa Bay, FL - Before the season GM bjwilson04 apologized to the city of Tampa Bay.
"It's year 7 of our 5 year plan and I take full responsibility for that," bjwilson04 said in a press conference this past winter,"I promise that we will do what it takes to start a winning tradition here."
The Tampa Bay Waves had their best season last year, going 72-90.
Early indications show that the team is serious about changing its image.
The team went out and racked up the credit card bill this offseason, its biggest move was signing 1b Omar Lopez and his career .321 batting average to a $52 million over 4 year contract.
"We expect Omar to vastly improve our offense right from the start," said bjwilson04,"We finished 31st in runs scored last season and that is not acceptable."
The team also spent $28.4 million to sign lefty RP Frank Niekro to be the lock down lefty that they lacked last year.
The team also went out and made a big trade for closer Derek Harris. The team sent three players to the New York Moose Knuckles, cf Cookie Wilkinson, rp Jose Gabriel, p Bert Kaufman and $1.5 million. With the addition of Harris that moves last years closer, 23 year old righty, Douglas Nielsen, where he struggled last season, into a lead setup role.
With the continued development of two of the best young starting pitchers in the league in lefties Walter Russell and Red Hitchcock in addition to veteran lefty Earle Smart the rotation should be very good at the top.
With Neikro and Harris in the 'pen bjwilson04 hopes,"Waves fans won't be cursing (quite as much) and pulling their hair out at the end of games."
Is it all enough?
Bjwilson04 hopes so.
"My job depends on it."
Watch out AL South, there might be a new sheriff in town.
"It's year 7 of our 5 year plan and I take full responsibility for that," bjwilson04 said in a press conference this past winter,"I promise that we will do what it takes to start a winning tradition here."
The Tampa Bay Waves had their best season last year, going 72-90.
Early indications show that the team is serious about changing its image.
The team went out and racked up the credit card bill this offseason, its biggest move was signing 1b Omar Lopez and his career .321 batting average to a $52 million over 4 year contract.
"We expect Omar to vastly improve our offense right from the start," said bjwilson04,"We finished 31st in runs scored last season and that is not acceptable."
The team also spent $28.4 million to sign lefty RP Frank Niekro to be the lock down lefty that they lacked last year.
The team also went out and made a big trade for closer Derek Harris. The team sent three players to the New York Moose Knuckles, cf Cookie Wilkinson, rp Jose Gabriel, p Bert Kaufman and $1.5 million. With the addition of Harris that moves last years closer, 23 year old righty, Douglas Nielsen, where he struggled last season, into a lead setup role.
With the continued development of two of the best young starting pitchers in the league in lefties Walter Russell and Red Hitchcock in addition to veteran lefty Earle Smart the rotation should be very good at the top.
With Neikro and Harris in the 'pen bjwilson04 hopes,"Waves fans won't be cursing (quite as much) and pulling their hair out at the end of games."
Is it all enough?
Bjwilson04 hopes so.
"My job depends on it."
Watch out AL South, there might be a new sheriff in town.
FlyTekks to leave Miami
Miami, FL - It was a sad day for baseball fans in Miami, FL today as GM of the Florida FlyTekks announced that the team would be moving to New York at the end of the season.
Rumors had been swirling about the possible sale of the team to a group that would want to move the team away from Miami.
"We are excited to move our team to the great city of New York," said GM Flytekk at today's press conference.
The team will move into Shea Stadium, where New York Evil Empire moved to Durham prior to this season.
Rumors had been swirling about the possible sale of the team to a group that would want to move the team away from Miami.
"We are excited to move our team to the great city of New York," said GM Flytekk at today's press conference.
The team will move into Shea Stadium, where New York Evil Empire moved to Durham prior to this season.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Hot Stove Rumors - Dover Devils
Before the teams Spring training game against the Scranton Dunder Mifflins today at Watkins Field Dover Devils owner chet1212 was asked by the media what he thought of his club this year.
His response was bold.
"I expect us to win the division without too much trouble. We have made some big moves this offseason bringing in guys like Brian (Gragg) and Scott (Tankersley) and I expect Torey (Fernandez) to improve on last years performance."
Dover has never won the NL East.
"I know we haven't won the division before," said chet1212 responding to reporters questioning,"I expect us to have many firsts this year. We are much improved upon last season and should be the early favorites."
Dover has made two big trades this year that GM chet1212 is relying on to spark the team to its first winning season.
The team acquired well traveled, power hitting 2b Tankersley from the Florida FlyTekks and IF prospect Stevie Gleason in exchange for SP prospect Alex Black and lf Jamie Bradshaw. Tankersley will be a great addition to Dovers line-up, his power numbers should increase with the change from pitcher friendly Dolphin Stadium to more hitter friendly Watkins Field.
The teams other big addition is RF Gragg from the New York Moose Knuckles, the speedster who feasts on left-handed pitching. Dover gave up 3b William Shin and superb defender Sammy Sanchez. The Devils also got young RP Pedro Lorenzo.
Gragg has a career .269 average to go along with 413 rbi and 197 stolen bases.
chet1212 also hinted at the fact that the organization was still pursuing trade options in hopes of acquiring a front-line starting pitcher.
His response was bold.
"I expect us to win the division without too much trouble. We have made some big moves this offseason bringing in guys like Brian (Gragg) and Scott (Tankersley) and I expect Torey (Fernandez) to improve on last years performance."
Dover has never won the NL East.
"I know we haven't won the division before," said chet1212 responding to reporters questioning,"I expect us to have many firsts this year. We are much improved upon last season and should be the early favorites."
Dover has made two big trades this year that GM chet1212 is relying on to spark the team to its first winning season.
The team acquired well traveled, power hitting 2b Tankersley from the Florida FlyTekks and IF prospect Stevie Gleason in exchange for SP prospect Alex Black and lf Jamie Bradshaw. Tankersley will be a great addition to Dovers line-up, his power numbers should increase with the change from pitcher friendly Dolphin Stadium to more hitter friendly Watkins Field.
The teams other big addition is RF Gragg from the New York Moose Knuckles, the speedster who feasts on left-handed pitching. Dover gave up 3b William Shin and superb defender Sammy Sanchez. The Devils also got young RP Pedro Lorenzo.
Gragg has a career .269 average to go along with 413 rbi and 197 stolen bases.
chet1212 also hinted at the fact that the organization was still pursuing trade options in hopes of acquiring a front-line starting pitcher.
Aftermath of the Ed Donovan Trade
Two seasons ago the Philadelphia Black Lightning were looking into dealing the face of the franchise, All-Star 2b Ed Donovan. The teams asking price was high and while many teams were interested GM zhawks couldn't find anyone willing to give what he was asking for. After a few weeks of mulling over trade offers the Lightning front office got a call from the Trenton Generals who were in contention for a playoff berth, sitting 2nd in the AL North behind the Montreal Royals.
After a few days of discussion the clubs reached a trade agreement that would send Donovan and minor league SS Bill Buford to Trenton in exchange for 2b Scott Tankersley, SP Joaquin Santos and RP Tom Owens, none of whom still wear a Lightning uniform.
So what happened?
First the club agreed to trade All-Star SS Che Kim to the Portland Hippies along with RF Alex Alfonseca. In return the club got 3b Nick Hunter and SP Valerio Javier.
Then the Lightning quickly agreed to a trade proposal sending Tankersley to the Florida FlyTekks in exchange for SP Brian Baek, who the club had been trying to acquire all season.
The lightning then turned around and made an agreement with the Nashville Nerd Herders sending them SPs Santos and Javier, along with slugging 1b prospect Vic Cedeno. The Lightning received SPs Wilt Pagnozzi and Wayne Anderson and $1.5 million. The Lightning were the forth team that Pagnozzi was a part of in Season 5 but they wouldn't be his last.
Philadelphia, who had been in trade talks with the Louisville Long Balls about SP Ted Phillips for a while agreed to terms to bring the pitcher to Philly. The Lightning sent Pagnozzi, LF Don Atkins and 1b James Morton and got Phillips and RP Kid James.
Fast foward to the Winter Meetings following the Salem Witch Doctors repeat as World Champions and the overnight sale of the Lightning and move to Kansas, Owens is the only player directly from the Donovan trade still in a Lightning Uniform, until today when the club announced its trade with the Richmond Shaggy Marlins, where they acquired IF F.P. Johnson for Owens.
"I hadn't really thought about that," said Lightning GM zhawks at todays press conference announcing Owens trade,"I guess you are right, nobody that we got for Ed (Donovan) is currently suiting up for our organization. I guess we've been busy, I must be earning my salary!"
"In my brief time with the club I have been happy with the way this club has continually tried to improve the talent within the organization," stated Wichita Bench Coach Juilo Duran at the same press conference,"zhawks won't back down from making a big move if he feels it will improve his team and I like that."
The club has won one AL Pennant under GM zhawks and has 5 straight AL East Titles, but has failed to win a playoff series in any other year.
"We know that we have not had the success in October that we would like to see and we hope that moves like these will put us in the position to play for the AL Pennant this year and for the foreseeable future," zhawks stated.
After a few days of discussion the clubs reached a trade agreement that would send Donovan and minor league SS Bill Buford to Trenton in exchange for 2b Scott Tankersley, SP Joaquin Santos and RP Tom Owens, none of whom still wear a Lightning uniform.
So what happened?
First the club agreed to trade All-Star SS Che Kim to the Portland Hippies along with RF Alex Alfonseca. In return the club got 3b Nick Hunter and SP Valerio Javier.
Then the Lightning quickly agreed to a trade proposal sending Tankersley to the Florida FlyTekks in exchange for SP Brian Baek, who the club had been trying to acquire all season.
The lightning then turned around and made an agreement with the Nashville Nerd Herders sending them SPs Santos and Javier, along with slugging 1b prospect Vic Cedeno. The Lightning received SPs Wilt Pagnozzi and Wayne Anderson and $1.5 million. The Lightning were the forth team that Pagnozzi was a part of in Season 5 but they wouldn't be his last.
Philadelphia, who had been in trade talks with the Louisville Long Balls about SP Ted Phillips for a while agreed to terms to bring the pitcher to Philly. The Lightning sent Pagnozzi, LF Don Atkins and 1b James Morton and got Phillips and RP Kid James.
Fast foward to the Winter Meetings following the Salem Witch Doctors repeat as World Champions and the overnight sale of the Lightning and move to Kansas, Owens is the only player directly from the Donovan trade still in a Lightning Uniform, until today when the club announced its trade with the Richmond Shaggy Marlins, where they acquired IF F.P. Johnson for Owens.
"I hadn't really thought about that," said Lightning GM zhawks at todays press conference announcing Owens trade,"I guess you are right, nobody that we got for Ed (Donovan) is currently suiting up for our organization. I guess we've been busy, I must be earning my salary!"
"In my brief time with the club I have been happy with the way this club has continually tried to improve the talent within the organization," stated Wichita Bench Coach Juilo Duran at the same press conference,"zhawks won't back down from making a big move if he feels it will improve his team and I like that."
The club has won one AL Pennant under GM zhawks and has 5 straight AL East Titles, but has failed to win a playoff series in any other year.
"We know that we have not had the success in October that we would like to see and we hope that moves like these will put us in the position to play for the AL Pennant this year and for the foreseeable future," zhawks stated.
Richmond and Wichita swap
The Wichita Black Lightning had been rumored to be shopping young RP Tom Owens over the winter but couldn't make a deal. That changed yesterday when the club shipped him to the Richmond Shaggy Marlins.
Owens is a hard throwing righty with great control. He have a 4 pitch selection that includes a ++ 4-seam fastball and curveball. He pitched in 8 games for Philly last year, recording his first Major League save and win with a 1.06 ERA.
In return for Owens the club received IF prospect F.P. Johnson. Johnson projects as a great fielder and hits lefties better then righties. He also has Elite speed.
"We are happy to get Johnson today, he will start the year in our farm system but could end up getting time at the major league level at some point. We project him as our 2b opposite Tim Casey." said Wichita GM zhawks in todays press conference.
Both teams got a good deal with this trade, Wichita who has the same bullpen returning for the fifth straight year in Setup men Peter Palmer, Marc Beverlin, Gary Yates and closer Danny Brinkley and the club was not sure how many innings they could provide for Owens.
The Lightning hope that Johnson can help shore up the 2b position that hasn't been the same since the club traded All-Star Ed Donovan to the Trenton Generals.
It appears that the odd man out will be Brooks Fasano who was acquired shortly after the Donovan trade almost 2 years ago to shore up the middle of the Infield. The club was reportedly upset about his arbitration demands this season.
Owens is a hard throwing righty with great control. He have a 4 pitch selection that includes a ++ 4-seam fastball and curveball. He pitched in 8 games for Philly last year, recording his first Major League save and win with a 1.06 ERA.
In return for Owens the club received IF prospect F.P. Johnson. Johnson projects as a great fielder and hits lefties better then righties. He also has Elite speed.
"We are happy to get Johnson today, he will start the year in our farm system but could end up getting time at the major league level at some point. We project him as our 2b opposite Tim Casey." said Wichita GM zhawks in todays press conference.
Both teams got a good deal with this trade, Wichita who has the same bullpen returning for the fifth straight year in Setup men Peter Palmer, Marc Beverlin, Gary Yates and closer Danny Brinkley and the club was not sure how many innings they could provide for Owens.
The Lightning hope that Johnson can help shore up the 2b position that hasn't been the same since the club traded All-Star Ed Donovan to the Trenton Generals.
It appears that the odd man out will be Brooks Fasano who was acquired shortly after the Donovan trade almost 2 years ago to shore up the middle of the Infield. The club was reportedly upset about his arbitration demands this season.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Flytekks acquire new Ace
The Florida FlyTekks made a big splash today by acquiring Ace Starting Pitcher Doc Hunter from the Houston texans.
The deal was the third move the club had made this offseason and second for a front-line starter.
While Florida GM FlyTekk was unavailable for comment and did not immediately return a message left a source close to the clubs front office said that the club was very pleased with this years winter.
Houston received LF Everett Barkley and solid SP prospect James Sheets and unloads Doc's $7.25 million per season contract, looking towards the future.
Florida looks to be in the early hunt for the Pennant race.
The deal was the third move the club had made this offseason and second for a front-line starter.
While Florida GM FlyTekk was unavailable for comment and did not immediately return a message left a source close to the clubs front office said that the club was very pleased with this years winter.
Houston received LF Everett Barkley and solid SP prospect James Sheets and unloads Doc's $7.25 million per season contract, looking towards the future.
Florida looks to be in the early hunt for the Pennant race.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Santiago, Trinidad look to bring home World Championship
Syracuse, NY - $150 Million and two no trade clauses later the Syracuse SkyRockets looks to win its fifth NL pennant and third World Championship in six years.
After losing the last two World Series to the Salem Witch Doctors the team felt it needed to improve.
Benny Trinidad, who had played for Syracuse and had filed for Free Agency before the season started decided to resign with the club for $59 Million over 5 seasons and looks to anchor the line-up once again.
The big signing that has all the fans buzzing was that of Ace starter Julio Santiago. The Four time All-Star and Cy Young winner looks to lock down the clubs pitching rotation and help push them over the top for the World Series.
"We are looking forward to beating the Witch Doctors this fall," said an enthusiastic Santiago at his press conference last night.
Santiago has 100 career wins and a 2.56 ERA.
After losing the last two World Series to the Salem Witch Doctors the team felt it needed to improve.
Benny Trinidad, who had played for Syracuse and had filed for Free Agency before the season started decided to resign with the club for $59 Million over 5 seasons and looks to anchor the line-up once again.
The big signing that has all the fans buzzing was that of Ace starter Julio Santiago. The Four time All-Star and Cy Young winner looks to lock down the clubs pitching rotation and help push them over the top for the World Series.
"We are looking forward to beating the Witch Doctors this fall," said an enthusiastic Santiago at his press conference last night.
Santiago has 100 career wins and a 2.56 ERA.
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