1986 Mid-Season Reports

[Clay]

A place to do a Mid-Season report if you want to....

[Clay]

Mid-Season Report

Virginia Colonials (39-43)
12.0 gb in Stout
5.0 gb in IL Wildcard

Overview:

What a rollercoaster the '86 season has been thus far for the Virginia Colonials! The season wasn't even an hour old when they lost All-Everything, Future Hall of Famer and highest paid player in the BLB Wilton Harcourt to a season-ending finger injury. Drawing a walk in his only plate appearence, the 34 year old lefty slugger will not even register an official at-bat in the '86 season, yet still cash a $27.0 million paycheck!

However, making lemonade out of a the world's most expensive lemon, the Colonials spent most of the first 2 months of the season at or near the top of the Stout standings or at least in a great position in the early Wildcard race. Joe Arrendondo was proving to be the Ace of the staff again, but he went down with a strained oblique, the team went down with him. The acquired Jeff Franklin, but despite some good outings, he's still yet to register a 'W' on the season.

As we enter the All-Star break where 3 Colonials will make the trip to Los Lunas to participate, we'll take a few moments to look back at the first half that was and get a glimpse of what the rest of the year may hold.

Starters:

1B - Frank Hamlet (.296/.351/.497/.848 - 10 HR - 51 RBI) - A May '85 deal brought the former DL Refreshing New Brew to the Colonials in exchange for 5-tool, but overpaid, OFer Tim Murcott, but it took that entire season for Hamlet to adjust to the IL. He's returning to form this year and making a very interesting case to be part of future plans with the Colonials. Pre-season reports had Hamlet being shopped to move to allow an '87 move for Wilton Harcourt to 1B. However, with a relatively inexpensive contract for his productivity, Hamlet may have played himself into a permanent home. A tough sell for a 1B in the IL to make the All-Star team against players like Dani Alvarez, Hamlet is having a great '86.

2B/3B - Joshua Poling (.316/.395/.559/.955 - 16 HR - 62 RBI) - Poling grabs his second straight All-Star Game start, this time at 2B. Poling slid into the everyday 2B spot when Harcourt went down with the injury. Just last week, however, he moved back to his more natural 3B position to hopefully provide a slightly more consistent defense for the Colonials. Poling entered the OSA Top Players list the week going into the AS Break for the first time. If he stays healthy, he's having the kind of season that should at least get him on the Stout Slugger ballot.

SS - Dale O'Hegarty (.281/.418/.424/.842 - 69 Runs - 68 BBs - 30 SB) - The other piece of the Joe Sargentini trade that brought Josh Poling to Virginia, Dale O'Hegarty may be the best pure leadoff man in the BLB. With an OBP above that has hovered between .415 and .445 all-season, O'Hegarty has matured into a hitter that even surprises some of his biggest fans. In his first two season in the BLB, he drew 64 and 72 walks respectively while striking out over 100 times in each season. This season, he has already taken 68 free passes and is showing the plate discipline that no one expected. O'Hegarty is on pace to break personal best in nearly every offensive category and become the standard by which other leadoff hitters are judged.

3B/2B - Cristián Martínez (.297/.325/.459/.784 - 90 Hits - 21 2B - 12 SB) - Martinez has to be one of the best stories in the BLB this season. When a 1983 deal sent him (along with a 2nd Round pick) to Virginia for Herbert Dunlop, there was little to no reaction by the media. The Colonials really liked Martinez for his versatility and he proved them right in 1985 by spending the entire season in the big league and playing 7 different positions including a Catcher. When Wil Harcourt went down in Game 1, the organization made the decision to give the kid a chance to be an everyday player. They felt like #1 prospect Yoritoki Maeda was not quite ready and they would love to give him one more season in AAA. Martinez has given them that and a whole lot more.

C - Alberto Hernando (.253/.312/.369/.681 - 44.4% RTO) - A slow start by Hernando, lead to an early time-share with the newly acquired Matt Partin. He's since recovered the everyday Catcher spot. His defense is by far his strong suits, but his ability to find the gaps at Colonial Park make him a dangerous at bat.

OF - Jose Llombart (.238/.350/.368/.718) - Perhaps the biggest "head scratcher" of the season, Jose Llombart should be producing in his new home in Virginia. Maybe it's an omen that he's still pictured in his Brawler's uniform in the Colonials Media Guide, but this multi-talented lefty just has not found a groove at the plate in Virginia. Experts think that a May foot injury has not healed properly and that Llombart is struggling to generate the same burst that he has in season's past. With next year being a contract year and two corner outfielders lurking in the high minors (Artie Rhodes and Florian Tosselli), don't be shocked to see Llombart's name on the trade block next month.

OF - Danny Nelson (.268/.300/.397/.697 - 11 HR - 53 RBI) - What can you say about Danny Nelson? He's kind of like a hamburger from McDonald's. You know what you're going to get before you even get there. The taste doesn't change. It's not gourmet, but you love every bite. Nelson is really the heart and soul of the Colonials. The fans love him and he loves to be there. In fact, the team just added another 3 years to his existing deal that will keep him in Williamsburg until at least 1990. While few will argue that he did not turn into the Superstar that many expected after his Refreshing New Brew season of '79, his power and flawless defense can be counted on year in and year out.

OF - Ted von Wenckstern (.237/.299/.320/.619) - Coming into the '86 season, no one, including Ted von Wenckstern, expected him to the everyday CF for the Colonials. But an injury and rumored attitude problem for 85's starter Jerry Tracy thrust the journyman into everyday duty. Unfortunately, while his D has been solid and his speed appealing, he's just not a BLB level starter. A trip to the bench is likely in the cards.

Bench:

1B - Brad Talbert (7 Runs) - Talbert's run with the Colonials will likely end soon. His lefty stick on the bench has been a security blanket, but he simply doesn't do enough to merit the roster spot. With Pepe Gonzalez knocking on the door in AAA, Talbert will likely be looking for a new team before 1987.

C - Matt Partin (3 HRs - 27 RBI) - Partin has provided a consistant backup and solid option to start this season. His 27 RBIs in limited action have been a nice compliment. The Colonials will hope for more of the same.

UTIL - Rodney Nakagawa (0 errors) - Nakagawa is a $280,000 glove. An injury to an everyday player would mean a trip back to Detroit for Rodney. He simply doesn't do enough with the bat to play regularly.

OF - Jerry Tracy (16 RBI in 106 abs) - An anonymous report from the Colonials Clubhouse has the former 6th overall pick in numerous altercations with the coaching staff. We've been told that Management had a "heart to heart" with the lefty and we expect to see him back in the starting lineup after the break.

OF - Yan van den Adel (10 for 10 on SB - 9 Runs) - The #4 overall pick in '81 was suppose to be the next Mel Woodbury. Unfortunately, the bat never developed quite like the legs. The kid can run. He may be the fastest man in BLB history and he proves it when pressed into duty. He's on the roster simply to get himself into scoring positon. Not the career anyone expected from thie kid, but his legs could continue to bring him a paycheck.

Starting Rotation:

SP - Joe Arrendondo (4-2 - 1.69 ERA - 1.05 WHIP) - Arrendondo set the pace for his season by going out in the Opener and dominating the Batavia Muckdogs in a Complete Game Shutout. His 102 pitch masterpiece was the first of 10 good starts for the veteren right hander who joined the Colonials during a Winter Meeting trade back in December of '83. An oblique strain has sidelined him for the last 6 weeks, but the Virginia Front Office says he's back and ready to start the second half opener. His health and success may be the key to the Colonials making a 2nd half charge.

SP - Nate Magness (5-5 - 2.26 ERA - 0.99 WHIP) - "The Skull" was 16-8 last season when a torn tricep put him on the shelf in late September. After extensive rehab in the off-season, the kid seems to be back as sharp as ever. Though his run support has cost him more than his share of decisions, he's shown great poise and masterful control this year. Another All-Star Game apperance was well-deserved as his elevation to #1 in the rotation - where he'll start the 2nd half of '86.

SP - Yeong-suk Kang (4-7 - 4.11 ERA - 1.37 WHIP) - Kang is a vet who probably doesn't have to stuff anymore to pitch head-to-head with the #1's of other teams as he was asked to do in the 1st half. Kang will keep you in a game. He makes good pitches and gives his defense a chance. At 36, many experts think Kang may be a commodity at the trade deadline for a team looking for the Veteren presence for a deep playoff run.

SP - Delmar Oyos (4-6 - 4.92 ERA - 1.28 WHIP) - Delmar Oyos was the Colonials' Nate Magness, before Nate Magness. He was the 1st Round Blue Chipper that was going to evolve into the shutdown Ace. However, fate has cost Oyos 26 months of his big league career due to multiple injuries including a major elbow surgery that kept him out over a year. Upon returning in early May, it took a few starts to shake the cobwebs off and learn to trust his elbow. After an early June hammering at Washington and what was described by teammates as a "heated heart to heart" with Pitching Coach Marvin LaPointe, Oyos has shown great improvement over his last 5 starts. Staying healthy will be the key to where Delmar goes next.

SP - Jeff Franklin (0-6 - 5.40 ERA - 1.71 WHIP) - "Nobody is beating Jeff Franklin right now worse than Jeff Franklin." That was the reoccuring comment coming out of the Colonials' clubhouse. Since Virginia sent a some mid-level prospects and picks to Baltimore for their one-time Ace of the Future, Franklin has brought his "yips" that plagued him to Williamsburg. Colonial Management is hoping it's just one of those things you have to pitch through. They're ready to invest in the 24 year old beyond this season. They believe he can turn it around.

SP - Mike Hinchy (5-7 - 5.40 ERA - 1.59 WHIP) - Another BLB Executive once said, "Nobody will ever win with Mike Hinchy in their rotation." Strong words, but, not necessarily wrong. Mike Hinchy is an inning eater. He's not a great option. But, he's served his role for Virginia. He'll start the 2nd half in the bullpen handling long relief and mop-up duties.

Bullpen:

RP - Joe Negron (34 Games - 3.72 ERA - 1.30 ERA) - Workhorse out of the 'pen. Hanging a few too many pitches this year. Needs to get control of the zone.

RP - George McSwain (35 Games - 2.92 ERA - 1.16 WHIP) - Great bullpen guy to have. Gives you dominant innings. The fans love him. Doesn't give any freebies. If the Colonials fall out of the race, don't be shocked to see McSwain get some interest. He can close in this league.

RP - Errol Blue (26 Games - 5.40 ERA - 1.59 WHIP) - "Jekkyl and Hyde" of the Colonial 'Pen. One night he'll come out and blow the side away in the 7th, the next night he'll come in and give up three straight doubles. Scouts are still very high on this kid, but he needs to settle down... before he's sent down.

RP - Adrian Boyd (16 Games - 4.71 ERA - 1.62 WHIP) - Sent down at the All-Star Break to make room for Arrendondo's return. Needs more conditioning.

RP - Ivan Perez (11 Games - 4.03 ERA - 1.34 WHIP) - Management team found this kid while scouting for the first WBC. They think he has a ton of upside as an inning-eater, but still gives up way too many hard hit balls. A trip back to Detroit could be coming.

SU - Tim Pardue (23 Games - 2.73 ERA - 1.67 WHIP) - Solid set-up man with no real designs on moving to Closer. Needs to cut down the hit totals and let his defense help him a little more.

CL - Martin Carlton (4-2-15 - 1.91 ERA - 0.99 WHIP) - Carlton is quietly becoming one of the most consistant Closer in the game. He's not flashy, he just gets people out. He's issued just 4 BB's the entire season while converting 15 of 17 Save Opportunities. He just reupped with Virginia for 3 more seasons, however, persistent rumors have the team quietly shopping him right now because of the fast-track progression of fireballer Jayson McQueen (AAA).

[Whale]

Hartford Whalers - (45-37)
2nd in Ale Division - 8GB
1st in DL Wild Card - 1 game lead

Midway Point Overview:
Better performance than Clay expected.

[Pat]

Mid-Season Report

Washington Bats (51-31)
1st in Stout by seven games

Overview:

Last year I won the IL Wild Card. This year I think I will win the division. Windy City right now is a by far better squad than Washington, but maybe I will get lucky.

Starters:

C - Keita Uchiyama - A poor defender who I leave in the lineup because he is normally one of my best hitters. He has been below average this season, but I am expecting a big second half.

1B - Joe Sierra - He is really struggling this year. I thought he was upset about not having a contract extension, but after I signed him to a two-year $16 mill guaranteed contract, he still isn't hitting. Normally I like having Sierra in the three or four spot in the lineup, but this year because he has struggled, he is just a nice number two. Like Uchiyama I am expecting a better 2nd half.

2B - R.A. Grounds - Having a career year with 56 RBI at the break. His career high is 75. His defense is top notch and might be the MVP of the first half.

3B - Pete Summers - After winning the IL Refreshing New Brew award in 1985, Summers is having a sophomore slump. Hitting .100 points less than he did last year. I am expecting a much better 2nd half.

SS - Jack Dynes - One of the best defensive infielders in the game. He isn't in the lineup for his bat, but as a switch hitter he is usually solid at the bottom of the lineup. This year is no different, posting a .344 OBP in the first half. For a glove wizard, I'll take it.

LF - Michio Nago - He has played LF, CF and RF this season. After a slow start hitting leadoff, I moved Nago to the three-hole vs. right handers and he has really responded. I expect him to have a much better 2nd half as well.

CF - Larry Fitzsymons - The reason why Nago is playing LF and not CF. Fitz has hit leadoff and flourished. A .392 OBP for the switch hitter vs. righties...really can't be beat.

RF - Nick Latham - A late FA signing Latham has provided a ton of power for my squad.

---

Bench and pitchers to come later.

[liquidcrash]

Carolina Tobs
41-41, .500.
17 GB in Bock (damn Windy City)
3 GB in Wildcard

A disappointing first half for my team. I really thought we would be a 90 win team and is just isn't happening. The lineup has been much worse than I expected while the bullpen has been a mess. Windy City has already clinched the Bock and we're barely hanging in the Wildcard race with Wilmington beginning to find their form. Key decisions are coming up in the next sim or two as I try to figure out if we need to sell a little bit and regroup in a couple years.

Lineup

Vincent Nino (.286/.333/.472/.805, 14 HR, 72 RBI)- He's having another solid season. Numbers are a bit down this season, but he's still driving in runs as usual. Needs to pick up the power numbers in the second half.

Dan Hogan (.280/.353/.471/.824, 7 HR, 30 RBI)- As good as I could have expected. Hogan really came off his injury hot but has cooled a bit these past few weeks. Still a big upgrade in my lineup.

Will Porter (.303/.368/.403/.811, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 22 SB)- He's having the best season of his career so far since his rookie campaign. Porter has really picked up his performance at the plate and will have to keep it up. Of course it's his contract year.

Angelo Opio (.289/.339/.467/.806, 10 HR, 37 RBI)- Another good year so far from Opio. We're still happy with his signing from a few years ago.

Other than those 4, our lineup has been disappointing. Ochoa has really struggled so far, Jimmy Joy hasn't regained the form he showed as a rookie. I was expecting Grajeda and Guizan to put up decent numbers and that hasn't happened.


Pitching

Ezequiel Parongao (6-5, 2.61 ERA, 1.17 WHIP)- While he hasn't been as good as he has been, Parongao is still a solid top of the rotation pitcher. He still doesn't walk many batters and is pitching better than last year.

Joe Ponte (7-5, 2.65 ERA, 0.99 WHIP)- The best season in several years for the Magician. He started showing signs of his old form last season and has improved this year. Not the dominant force of a seasons ago, but back to being a top-line starter. He's been the face of my organization but is in his contract year.

Shawn Gates (7-3, 2.17 ERA, 1.15 WHIP)- Better than I could have expected so far in his rookie year. I was worried about him skipping AAA, but those fears have been alleviated by his play. A bit of rocky start in April, but he's been excellent ever since. Has to be a leading candidate for New Brew in the IL and figures to be a major part of my rotation for many years.

Winchel and Cashan are decent pitchers, but nothing to write home about. They'll do fine as 4th and 5th options.

The bullpen outside of Cabezas and Rogers has been a complete disaster, just as I feared it might be. Cabezas is still among the best closers in the league while Rogers does well in his setup role. Other than those two, we're lucky if the rest of the bullpen doesn't blow it for us.

[Lintyfresh85]

Mid-Season Report

California Kodiaks (40-42)
3.0 gb in Porter
4.0 gb in IL Wildcard

Overview:

Starters:

1B - Robby Shannon (.297/.388/.467/.855 - 11 HR - 42 RBI) - Shannon is quickly becoming one of the best OBP guys in all of the IL. Thanks in part to 12 intentional walks out of the 3 spot no less... Shannon is already over 50 walks halfway through the year. Power is finally starting to come around for Robby and the rest of the game is also falling into place. Look for an all-star nod in '87 if Shannon stays healthy.

2B - Mark Steward (.295/.336/.428/.764 - 7 HR - 36 RBI) - Steward is still hitting for average... but he's not hitting for nearly as much power as he produced last year when he belted out 28 HR's. While he's till down about .30 points I'm sure he'll be close to .300 when it's all said and done. I think I'll be moving him to the two spot in the second half to take advantage of his solid contact skills.

SS - Lucio Mendez (.272/.338/.413/.751 - 7 HR - 40 RBI) - Mendez is an interesting case. Last year's gold glove winner at SS, Mendez has already coughed up 11 errors in a half season... compared to 4 all of last year. If not for his recent breakout in the box, Mendez would be riding the bench... he's got an 8 in errors so I'm hoping he'll turn things around in the second half in the field.

3B - Alberto Grandon (.270/.329/.550/.879 - 21 HR - 57 RBI) - Grandon will be making his return to the All-Star game after a year off last year. The masher in my line-up, Grandon is the power and the producer for which the team lives and dies with.

C - Joe Lavadie (.296/.360/.465/.825 - 6 HR - 28 RBI) - Joe has been great for us all year behind the dish. He's been a solid contact guy while putting up a surprising 26 doubles in just half a year. He was supposed to hold the fort for a few years until Jared Austin is ready... but if he keeps playing like this... who knows.

OF - Odilio Farelo (.296/.379/.345/.724) - Farelo is our main #2 hitter. While he has no power whatsoever, he does get on base and that means a lot in the two spot. He won't be back in 1987, but he's been great for us this year.

OF - François Dupuis (.265/.371/.466/.837 - 11 HR - 36 RBI) - Our leadoff hitter. I could not have asked more from Dupuis when I picked him up off the waiver wire last year. He's already over 20 2B and he'll be over 20 SB soon as well... throw in 20 HR's and Dupuis has been stellar. He's already at a 19.2 VORP for the year... can't wait to see what his final numbers turn out to be.

OF - José Compres (.282/.312/.388/.700 - 5 HR - 36 RBI) - Compres, who's only 23 has slowly but surely improved every single season he's been in the bigs. While he's not getting on base much or showing a ton of power, Compres plays a solid RF and functions as a decent #8 hitter.

[Clay]

Added Pitchers

[Clay]

1B - Robby Shannon (.297/.388/.467/.855 - 11 HR - 42 RBI) - Shannon is quickly becoming one of the best OBP guys in all of the IL. Thanks in part to 12 intentional walks out of the 3 spot no less... Shannon is already over 50 walks halfway through the year. Power is finally starting to come around for Robby and the rest of the game is also falling into place. Look for an all-star nod in '87 if Shannon stays healthy.

Is Dani Alvarez going to die???

[Pat]

Is Dani Alvarez going to die???

We can only hope.

[Jistic]

Is Dani Alvarez going to die???

Good, then Kirby will be in. Woot!

[Gyrodork]

Los Lunas Loses Luster

Midway through the '86 season, the Javelinas have managed to put together one month's worth of decent baseball. In the Lager division, that's good enough for 1st place and a 5.5 game lead over Hyundai and Mississippi. Here's the story thus far on the 44 - 40 Javelinas:

Team Sadistics - Ranked 10th in the Domestic League for hitting (.246) and 4th for pitching (3.82 ERA). That's pretty much all you need to know about this year's Furry Pigs. Hitting Coach Nobuhisa Kimura has come under fire lately. The team's woes at the plate began shortly after Kimura signed a 5-year contract extension. Some question his methods, which were proven successful in Japan but have yet to win general acceptance in the BLB. Pitching Coach Tabor Felix, on the other hand, has become a baseball god in the eyes of the Los Lunas sportswriters. SP Igor Goderie credits Tabor for instilling a mental toughness that has enabled him to successfully challenge hitters and simultaneously reduce the number of long balls.

Starting Rotation - The team has been utilizing a 5-man rotation, but that may change. The Javelinas have been unsuccessful thus far in their attempts to land another starter that can hold an ERA of 4.00 or below.

SP Donato Guardamagni - 1.72 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, .219 OAVG, 153 K: Donato currently leads the BLB in ERA and Strikeouts. These stats clearly show how important Guardamagni is to this team. But there are some other statistics that show how important he is to the fans in Los Lunas and Valencia County: In the last 4 months Valencia county has named or renamed 8 roads after him; and 14 newborn babies (13 boys and 1 girl) have been given the name "Donato". In that same time frame Guardamagni has received 56 commercial endorsement offers from local businesses, the keys to the city, 18 marriage proposals, and a pinch on the ass from the city's 94 year-old matriarch, Verna-Mae Campbell. Igor Goderie - .302, 1.32, .265 He's been throwing a very heavy ball this year. Hopefully his 33 year-old arm can keep it going in the second half. Ron MacLagan - 4.88, 1.64, .263 He was carrying an ERA of 2.98. But his last 4 starts have been horrendous. If he craps out in the second half, the Javelinas have NO chance to win the division. Phil Gibson - 4.10, 1.38, .258 Acquired in December via a trade with Washington, Gibson has fared reasonably well in his new role as a starter. However, his stats don't currently justify the 3-year $2.1M (total) contract extension he was given.

Bullpen - Gary Closson (1.67, 1.13, .209) and Elvio Vasquez (1.94, 1.34, .250) have been brilliant. Leon Gilbreath (3.28, 1.42, .266) Got off to a terrible start in April, but has been carrying an ERA of just 1.42 since then. Clint Vanstone (6.33, 1.37, .286) has fallen off a cliff and probably won't be with the team next season. Rule V acquisition Martin Nigo (5.73, 1.82, .269) seems to be settling down; but will likely begin the '87 season in AAA. Setup man Jerry Kraft (3.55, 1.58, 2.60) and Closer Carl Bell (3.46, 1.15, .214) have both been disappointments so far. Neither shows the intensity they exhibited last year.

Catcher - Xever Magano and Lucero Iaizarry continue to be two peas in a pod, batting .268 and .269, respectively. Magano won the starting job last season, but stumbled early this season. It's currently Iaizarry's job to lose.

1B - Vance Miller, batting .195, followed Vanstone over the cliff. Management was looking forward to another .250, 20 HR season from the Texan. His production thus far is not what the team bargained for when they inked a 3-year, $10M contract extension.

2B - The Javelinas don't have a 2B. Oh, a guy shows up on the field every night and claims to be a major league infielder. But I also have an uncle who thinks he's Winston Churchill.

3B - Amoldo Andradez is the only legitimate infielder on the Javelinas roster. Although he's not exactly setting the world on fire (.289, .331, .392), at just 22 years of age he hopefully has a long, prosperous, major league career ahead of him.

SS & Utility IF - See 2B.

OF - Perennial star Ken Cahill also became a Lemming this year, hitting just .259. The team has given up on Gary Lippincott and is looking to dump his contract in another "one-sided" deal. His temporary replacement, Rule V acquisition Chad Petty, has played well and earned BLB "Rookie of the Month" honors for June. Phil Sephton (.289, .387, .470) has certainly been a bright spot. He could become the highest paid bat in the Javelinas lineup after this season.

DH - 36 year-old John Harbison has given the Javelinas more than they expected (.285, .337, .462). It would be nice if some of the younger guys would match his intensity.

Outlook for the 2nd Half
We're not expecting much success in the second half. There are simply too few bats in the lineup. The 2B and SS positions are in need of a SIGNIFICANT upgrade. If that is not accomplished, the division title and playoff appearance will go to Hyundai or Mississippi.

[Riverman]

Catcher

The highlight of the season for the Brawlers so far is easy to identify. Backup catcher Brian Greenham threw out the first 7 base runners who attempted to steal against him. Since that time base stealers have had their way with him though, going 16 for 16.

Jerry Fortin has done a decent job as the starter when healthy .238/.356/.477 with a combination of power and strike-zone judgement.

Infield

First basemen Kenichi Sato's batting average has been a pleasant surprise, currently second in the IL at .326 but with only 6 home runs in 334 ABs after hitting 40 in 880 ABs his first two years in the league. Despite the lack of power Sato has been our most consistent offense performer.

20-year-old Vern Branch has been promoted after dominating AAA pitching for the fist two months of the season. He has not been overmatched by BLB pitching .240/.311/.417 but his fielding has been another story. While standing near 3B he has made 6 errors in only 44 chances and has a range factor of just 1.95. By contrast the RF of my other 3B, Duane Cullins, is 3.01. Branch has done slightly better while standing near 2B but our second baseman of the future is likely to be Victor Fernandz currently hitting .330/.408/.456 at AAA so it doesn't make much sense to play him there. Branch's future could lie in the outfield if his defense at 3B does not improve.

Rookie Ivan Solis has played most of the innings at SS. He hasn't been terrible but will probably need to develop as an offensive player to keep the job for too many more years.

Second base has been a disaster as no one we tried there has produced and my entrieaties to other teams to trade me one of theirs have not born fruit.

Outfield

Dave Ibison has been the big surprise so far hitting .280/.326/.472 with 49 RBIs but he has cooled considerably after a hot start.

Meanwhile Dave Robbins has not managed to recapture his old form after he struggled with injuries the last two seasons. He still is hitting with power and draws a ton of walks but his .196 BA needs to improve. One problem the team has experienced is the inability of latter part of the lineup to drive in Robbins and Fortin as both have been stranded frequently after working their way on board with a free pass.

Several players have shared time at the third OF spot. None have been completely terrible or very good either.

Pitching

The other big dissapointment of the season has been Jud Graham. He appeared to be ready for the BLB and I had hoped he was ready to be the true ace the Davenport staff has lacked since the early days of Larry LaRochelle. But he struggled with his control and has now dropped to around 50th on the BA list after being around 10th for a long time. Fortunately, there is a plan B in Davenport, which is likely to become clear in the early 1990s.

My other top pitching prospect, Jerry Sizemore, dominated in a brief stop in AAA and since my scout indicated that his current ratings are the same as his potential ratings in his last report, there did not seem to be much point in leaving him in the minors. So far so good in that regard - 1-1, 2.33 in three BLB starts.

The bullpen has improved markedly over last season as I am getting decent seasons from most. Deron Vaughn has showed particular promise after 13 BBs in 10 innings during spring training earned him a demotion to AAA. Even though his control has still been bad upon his return - 28 BBs in 33 ininings - he has been phenominal at stranding those runners allowing just 15 hits and no homers resulting in a 1.36 ERA. He could be a great one if he can upgrade his control.

[Guest]

Catcher

Clapp started off blazing hot, but has cooled off as of late. Currently sporting a sub-.700 OPS, but his defense is too valuable to take him out of the lineup. I was hoping Hector Orozco would step up in AAA, but he has yet to do so.

1st Base

Still no power from EG, but he's hitting the hell out of the ball, so I can't complain.

2nd Base

2nd Base has been a black hole for me ever since the league began. Leal came up in '83 in the second half and tore it up, but he's been horrible since. I tried out John, but he failed, so back to AAA he goes.

Shortstop

Haydon has been good. Not as good as last year, but still above average.

3rd Base

I have the best 3B in BLB, not much else to say. Buzz has been awesome as usual.

Outfield

Another weak spot for me. Fallon was supposed to provide some production, which he sort of has by way of home runs, but he's hovering around the Mendoza Line average wise. Sykes has been good since his call up, hope he improves. Nazaire started out guns-a-blazing but has cooled off lately. Hopefully he can pick it up.

Rotation

Huge disappointment. Delclos has been horrible, Lang has only had some flashes, and O'Connors isn't pitching as well as I had hoped. Curt Goodwin has been a huge surprise, however. Mercier is nothing more than a #5, so he's decent I guess. I can't wait until Gonzo comes back next year.

Bullpen

An absolute clusterfuck. Middle relief has been absolutely terrible. Sato and Degarcia have been dominant at the end of the game, but Simmonds has pitched horribly. He's been back to his shut-down self this month though, so hopefully April was just an aberration.

All in all, this season is lost. I just need to figure out what to do for next year.

[Lintyfresh85]

You didn't really give John much of a chance. He was doing OK for his first BLB action, IMO.

[Jake]

Syracuse Slammers - 43-41 - 3rd in DL Pilsner

Catcher
Mark Jerome (.260) has played well enough and it's nice having his defense behind the plate. I thought he would have progressed a little more with the bat over the offseason, but I still think he will get there.

On the catcher note, our DH has been rookie C Teagan Cannell. Cannell has been a guy I've loved for a while and I'm happy I turned down some offers including him. So far he's hit .307 with 21 doubles but no HRs. I think his power will eventually develop to the tune of 8-12 HRs a year.

First Base
Maureo Gonez (.227, 18 HR, 60 RBI) has exceeded expectations. His average is considerably down, but he's hitting for the power we've lacked for what seems like forever.

Second Base
Frank Rancourt (.292, 35 doubles) has been fairly consistent over his career and 1986 is no different. He is a doubles machine and plays solid defense.

Shortstop
I was a complete idiot when I signed Noah George (.294, 43 RBIs) to an insane extension through 1991. He always hits for average but simply doesn't draw enough walks or play good enough defense to be an elite SS. That being said, he is putting up great numbers for a SS and I'll take it.

Outfield
Vittorio Samarano (.261, 6 HRs, 45 RBI) is obviously in decline at this point of his career. It's been a nice run in Syracuse for Samarano, but I'd much rather have Roger Morgan right now than Samarano, Tessai MacArthur, vadillo and Walker.

Jose Urra (.246, -1.6 VORP) - welcome back to earth.

Curt Halpern (.274, 18.4 VORP) is solid but not putting up the numbers I was expecting from him in 86.

Pitching

Rather than go into each pitcher I will just say that I have been both underwhelmed and impressed at my staff this year. The bullpen has been solid (3.85- 3rd in DL); the starters have been back and forth (4.36, 6th in DL). Tian has been a bright spot; I am waiting for Tajo Hernandez to settle down as well. Julian Orozco was great in his first start before getting injured; when he returns he will probably fill a bullpen role to finish out 1986. I am really excited about his future.

Others to note
3B Hector Carbajal (AAA) has been tearing it up in the minors and I think he's ready for the BLB, but right now he's blocked. I'd like to try to move one of my catchers or someone from the IF to make room for him. I think calling him up would be just as impactful as a deadline deal, but I need to figure out how to get him ABs.

SP Raul Perez started out great in A ball, then I moved him to AA and he got shelled. He started to settle down before a minor injury. My scout still loves him and I think he can still develop into a solid #2 or 3 guy. I am constantly looking to upgrade my pitching, but when I think about it, if Perez can develop I like the Orozco-Hernandez-Perez trio as much as any outside of WC.

For anyone interested, Steve Boyd has pretty much flamed out. He's been decent enough in AA before being moved back to AAA for the first time in three years but at age 26 he hasn't shown anything that would make me think he can contribute at the BLB level in any way.