1992 @ The Quarterpole

[Ryan]

Trouble is brewing, Ryan. Trouble is brewing!

Hells yeah it is.

[Jistic]

Windy City Playboys
20-18
2nd place 1GB

What we like:

Some suprises this year some planned others not. I like some of our under the radar moves.

Jared Williamson was a nice pickup. Anytime you can get a 26 yr old SP that has never had a losing season you do it.

Hit ratings don't blow me away but he's off to a good start. His highlight was 1 hitting the mighty Virginia lineup.

Gene Cunningham was meant to be a backup high .OBP guy to spell Yoshinaka Toiguchi. Well he's gotten quite a few starts with Toiguichi's struggles. Cunningham isn't an allstar but he's .375/.432 in spot duty and had recently been promoted to starter vs RHP

Victor Ramirez. Ramirez is a bit of a mystery. Kid was a 10th round draft pick. My scout thinks he sucks, so does OSA, but at 22 he's demanding to be in the starting lineup. I had to because all he does is hit. He's batting .365 with a .577slg.

Doug Bryant. We couldn't be happier with this kid who's about a year or two from his prime but just getting better every year. He'll never be mentioned with the great hitters of the league but you can never have too many guys hit .300 20+HR 100RBI guys and that's what we expect from him this year. He's already on pace.

Cristin Rivera Finally the rook. The only thing holding his kid back is gonna be the injury risk. Otherwise this kid will be a perennial batting title contender. Already he's batting .333 even slugging a respectable .600 with 4 bombs.


What we don't like.
Yoshinaka Toiguchi Here's a guy that my scout sees as a legit Stout Slugger threat. A guy that should hit .280, 40HR 100RBI and 40 steals. Toiguchi has not come close to meeting expectations. He's only 26 so there's a ton of time but he's know riding the bench to relearn his swing.

Curt 'Hack' Wells The REAL Refreshing New Brew of 1990 is off to a shivering cold start with a whopping .173 BA and 2HR. The good news is he's hitting .100 points better in May so we're really not too worriedl.

Overall we're pretty happy. We lost a ton of 1 run games early in the year but that evened out later winning a bunch of them. We're still a very young maturing team that will only get better. Also since we've been in the playoffs every year since 1980 this is our "on" year so it's time to book your plans!

[Clay]

Another Colonial thought....

Jerry Daly, the reigning IL New Brew, has 8 triples at the quarterpole. He's becoming a human highlight film when he puts the ball in the gap. He could put up a nearly untouchable number this season.

[Delandis]

Baltimore Bulldogs: 23-15

The Good:
For the most part, offensively we are playing as well as anyone in the league this year. As the most patient team in the league, not only do we have six players with over 20 walks, we also have the fewest strikeouts in the BLB. With the addition of Kubota, our 3-4-5 is tough to deal with and we hope Wallace, Kubota and Castor can maintain this level of play.


The Bad:
For the first time that I can remember, we are pitching worse away from home. It is not just a negligible amount either. We are giving almost a full run more away from home which is puzzling to me. Although we did expand our park, Phillips Field is still small compared to most BLB fields. Our ERA for starters and the bullpen has rocketed up over the last two weeks and our recent record indicates that.

Summary

With the 2nd best record in the IL, we're about where we expected to be. Last week's performance was a bit disheartening, but it was only one week and I'm sure we can perform better than that. I still believe we will win the Porter, even with Alverez moving to Philadelphia.

[BradZ]

Cristin Rivera Finally the rook. The only thing holding his kid back is gonna be the injury risk. Otherwise this kid will be a perennial batting title contender. Already he's batting .333 even slugging a respectable .600 with 4 bombs.

.600 is now respectable? I'll assume you'll forever be punching blank HOF ballots if you see a .600 SLG% and give it the ol', "that'll do pig" response.

[Jistic]

.600 is now respectable? I'll assume you'll forever be punching blank HOF ballots if you see a .600 SLG% and give it the ol', "that'll do pig" response.

I meant it as in he will NOT have a high sluggin % at the end of the year. THose numbers are all skewed this time of the year.

In other news.

Kyoden Kubota's home/road splits are awesome!

[Delandis]

Kyoden Kubota's home/road splits are awesome!

He went 1/15 against Virginia and Wilmington last week. He still has a .412 OBP, though.

[Lintyfresh85]

California Kodiaks
15-23, Last place in Porter Divison

Starting Rotation<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Coming into the year, the Kodiaks rotation was filled with more question marks than sure things. Losing rotation anchors Conan Wilkerson and Joe Toapanta as well as mercurial starter Curt Goodwin via FA and all-time BLB great Donato Guardamagni to injury, it was clear that 1992 was going to be a rebuilding year. In the wake of the mass exodus, the Kodiaks have turned to three young left handers to lead the way. Headlined by 25 year old fireballer Tynan Brown, 25 year old Curt Race and 23 year old Curt Warren, the Kodiaks starters have posted a 3.84 ERA, good for 4<SUP>th</SUP> best in the IL. To add to their strong start, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> leads the BLB in shutouts with six. Pat Coleman, a 22 year old rookie will be making his BLB debut this week after putting up a 2.59 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 33 starts at AAA.
<o:p></o:p>
Bullpen<o:p></o:p>
In 1991, the Kodiaks bullpen was its biggest weakness. In 1992, things have changed for the better. Offseason signings of Tom Rice (<st1:City w:st="on">Denver</st1:City>) and Deron Vaughan (Pittsburgh/Indy) coupled with the trade for <st1:City w:st="on">Pawtucket</st1:City> castoff Don Jones have helped, but the biggest surprise has been Scott Brady, who was claimed off waivers from <st1:place w:st="on">Los Alamos</st1:place> at the beginning of the year. Brady, 27, has shown a live arm and ability to shutdown right handed hitters holding them to a .159 average in 16 appearances.
<o:p></o:p>
Hitting<o:p></o:p>
If it wasn’t for the offense, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> would be in the thick of things in the Porter Division, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Led by young 3B Tad Jackson, the Kodiaks have struggled to score, averaging a BLB low 3.7 runs per game. To compound matters, for what seems like the fifth or sixth year in a row, the Kodiaks simply do not have a power threat. Robby Shannon, the franchise’s all-time best hitter seems to be a power hitter, yet since his broken kneecap in Spring Training of 1988, <st1:place w:st="on">Shannon</st1:place> has only managed to hit 20 HR’s once in the four seasons that have followed. <o:p></o:p>

The lack of power would be acceptable if the rest of the offense was clicking, but quite frankly, it’s not. Offseason additions Artie Ward, Howard Haydon and Roger Willis have all shown signs of contributing, but that’s all so far. Without everyday production from most of the lineup, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jackson</st1:City></st1:place>, who lead the BLB in 2B in 1991 and is currently leading the BLB in 2B in 1992 is often left stranded on the base paths.
<o:p></o:p>
Rest of the Way<o:p></o:p>
Currently at 15-23, the Kodiaks have long ceded the Porter to whoever can claim its prize. Content to build upon our strong rotation, we’re happy to play spoiler to any team that sleeps on our pitching staff.
<o:p></o:p>
A few minor tweaks may come as the season progresses, but for now, things are happening according to plan.<o:p></o:p>

[Jistic]

He went 1/15 against Virginia and Wilmington last week. He still has a .412 OBP, though.

Sure a walk is walk in any park.

[Carlos]

A Quarter of the Way and I want to know what the heck is wrong with Dane Browning.

He was electric as a lead off hitter in last season's second half so I refuse to believe it's that. But suddenly, the walk and double machine can't put bat on ball. His strikeout rate is abnormally high and he is struggling at the plate. Like really bad struggling. It's one thing to slump to a .270 or something if you're a .300+ hitter. But, the man is batting .200 and doesn't appear to be on his way back up.

Now he's injured so maybe it'll give him time to recollect himself.

I'm really happy with Manny Rivera. I needed that right infield insurance. Goodness, where would this team be if not for him with Zamarida out and Browning struggling?

The pitching will pick up. I know Murillo will climb back into a nice spot and get his wins. Greene is improving. Gray is going to finally make his first career starts and I expect good things. Poole hit a little slide this month but I trust in him. I think Mullen is still adjusting to the work load.

This is a better pitching team than it's shown. Once that evens out, we'll be fine. Unless the hitters keep getting hurt then forget it.

[Pat]

In the Nation's Capital....
17-21 Overall 10.0 GB

What We Like:

-- The Catching Duo Mike Murdock and Tyrone Abbott not only share women, they share defensive responsibilities. Both catchers by nature, Murdock and Abbott also split time at 1B. Murdock is hitting .358 and Abbott is on pace to smash his previous career high in homeruns. Not surprisingly, these two hit the in the #3 and #4 holes and are #1 and #2 in HRs and RBI.

-- Player Commitments You know you’re not having a great season when your #2 “Like” is players re-signing…with that said, I’m pretty excited to have a few key guys locked up. Set-up man, River Matthews, re-signed for two years at a fair market price. Michio Nago took a lower offer to stay in D.C. for the next six years. Rumors are swirling that R.A. Grounds could be re-signed as soon as the next sim. These guys have been keys to this franchise for a long, long, time.

-- It’s an every other year I know I’ve mentioned this on the forums once or twice, but my #4 outfielder, Larry Fitzsymons, is good every other year. Seriously. Look at the numbers. It’s pretty unreal how consistently he does this…. .634 OPS….723….681….774….697….796….666….and this year, currently .821.

Disappointments:

-- Where is the Hitting? Robert Abbott, Miguel Angel Padilla, Michio Nago and R.A. Grounds are all multiple All-Stars and all are playing significantly below their averages. I’m not sure how to explain this slump by my offense. 10th in the IL in runs scores, 12th in strikeouts, 10th in walks, 9th in average….gross.

-- Where is the Pitching? Every pitcher outside of one or two guys is struggling below their career averages. Some significantly. Tell me if you have heard this before….10th in bullpen ERA, 8th in starters, 12th in walks, 10th in strikeouts….

-- Injuries I’ve been hit much worse…and I shouldn’t complain…but I have lost three starters to significant injuries.

Outlook:

17-21 This is probably the worst record the Bats have had, maybe ever, at the quarter point. Definitely the worst record the team has had out of the gates in a decade. However, all things considered, the handful of injuries, struggling with pitching and hitting, I should actually be pleased that I’m only four games under .500. I’m not pleased with the performance of many players, but even when struggling top to bottom, this team is still winning a few games here and there.

What do I expect the rest of the way? Who knows. I could be in denial but I think this team still has a run in them. I get a few guys back from the DL this next week and hopefully the group can turn it around. I’m also making significant changes to the pitching staff this week.

Players to Watch For:
1. CL Ivan Garcia (AAA)
2. SP Pat Daniels (AAA)
3. MR Don Bolton (AAA)
4. MR Edgar Salazar (AA)
5. OF Shawn Burton (AA)

[Gyrodork]

give it the ol', "that'll do pig" response.

Hey, we own that trademark! It goes up on our jumbotron each time one of our guys hits one out or flashes some leather.

[spot]

At the quarter pole Los Alamos Likes:

the fact that we are in the Bock.

That is all.