Baseball Tri-Weekly: ATB Week 22

Winston Salem's Kason Gabbard pitches during a game against Arlington. Gabbard and company were pounded by Warriors pitching, and now the Green Monsters find themselves on the outside looking in.



Around the Bases: Week 22
By Listen Deplayohs, Baseball Tri-Weekly

August has been a month of horrors for the Green Monsters, and a new dawn for the farm dwellers. A return of the status quo for Weymouth, and a return to brotherly curse that grips the Rockets.

Winston-Salem had been flying high at the end of July, securely in a playoff spot and quietly eyeing a bye and the division crown. After a brutal east coast swing, the Monsters swept through three Western Division teams, beating Tijuana, Golden and Santo Domingo by a combined 25-4. Things looked bright for the nicotine kings.

Conversely, their lone remaining rival hiccuped their way back into the playoff picture. The Piglets looked dismal in their East Coast trip. They lost terribly to Rakeville and Weymouth. After a few trades, they showed signs of a turnaround, only to squeak out a tie against poor Golden club. The momentum heading into the pivotal division matchup was clearly in Green Monsters favor.

“The team was down,” said Piglets pitcher Jake Peavy. “I had never seen it this bad. Guys were hanging their heads in the first inning. It was tough to go out there and pitch when the team behind me as already defeated.”

Somehow, Peavy overcame the despair. Instead of collapsing under the weight of failure, he stepped up and pitched two stellar games for Quebec City, earning two wins, 10 strikeouts while only giving up two runs.

“It was huge to see Jake carry this team on his back,” said fellow pitcher Justin Verlander. “He left it all on the field that game. After seeing that, the rest of the team found new energy.”

Three Piglets, Cain, Kazmir and Marcum, threw shutouts. Newly aquired pitcher Tim Lincecum struckout 16 batters and Greg Maddux posted a .67 Whip. Combine, Quebec City had one of the best pitching games of the season, earning a 2.26 ERA and a 1.12 Whip, netting them four of five pitching categories.

Winston-Salem’s staff tried to fight back, but an overwhelmed Daniel Cabrera, and Paul Maholm were battered by the late revival of Piglet bats.

“It was a turning point for our team,” said Peavy. “It was our first must win of the season. It was really the only game that was really all or nothing. We had to win. We had to come together.”

The win sent both teams careening in different directions. Winston Salem Then travelled to Bridgewater, but were no match for the Weasels. Next was a game with national exposure against the Arlington Warriors.

“I can’t imagine what was going through their heads when we beat them,” said Warrior infielder Derrick Jeter. “You could see how angry they were. I would have felt the same way. After being so strong all season, to let go at the end must have been devistating.”

The 7-2 loss sent the Green Monsters below the yellow line, and allowed Quebec City, who destroyed Arlington the week before and clinched the division in a win over Tokyo, into the playoffs.

Out east, the team everyone expected to be floating around the yellow line was suddenly back in the race. Weymouth meandered to a tie against Tokyo, and looked dead in the water in their matchup against Las Vegas to start the month. Yet, a record-breaking week from the Shaduppu bats quickly turned the tide in their favor. Miguel Tejada, Josh Willingham and Bobby Abreu drove in 26 runs combined on the way to 57 total RBIs. The Doggs stuck with their strengths, and found themselves on the losing end of a 7-3 game.

Weymouth kept rolling, beating Tijuana and Santo Domingo elbowing out a half-game lead for the fourth spot.

“We weren’t kidding when we said we were going to earn a home game,” said Shaduppu pitcher Carlos Zambrano. “These teams we are playing are not as good as us. It is a joke that we were not winning games. That has changed. We have changed. Nobody will want to face us now.”

A team that wouldn’t hesitate to face Weymouth is Rakeville, if it meant they wouldn’t have to play Bridgewater. The Rockets were one win away from gain a shot at Las Vegas for the Eastern Division crown, but the furry little beasts that have plagued them for the past three seasons struck again. Up 6-3 in the last day, Bridgewater surged back thanks to five Rakeville players missing the game to see a movie. In the end, Rakeville was one point in batting average away from a playoff game and their second division crown in three years.

Since 2005, Rakeville has a slight edge on the brother-series, going 3-2-1 against Bridgewater. Still, The Weasels dashed the Rockets championship dreams in 2005 with a second round win in the playoffs, and now they’ve kept them from winning the Price Trophy.

“At some point you just want to beat them with your baseball bats like Jose Offerman,” said Ian Snell. “Snell likes beating, not losing.”

Matchups

Only Rakeville has clinch it’s spot in the playoffs. Las Vegas and Bridgewater are in a dog fight for the final bye spot, and Arlington, Weymouth and Quebec City are hoping they don’t have to take on the loser of that battle in the first round.

The best of the east and west square off in the final game of the season, and the implications will certainly effect the playoff seeds. It is hard to believe that even with a big loss Quebec City will find themselves out of the playoffs, considering Winston-Salem’s opponent (Rakeville), but they will definitely see the most difficult route to the playoffs if they can’t pull off a win.

Las Vegas is a game and a half out of the bye and every Dogg understands the value in having a weeks rest. In their two championship runs, Las Vegas held the top spot in the regular season, and every championship appearance was coupled with a bye. Even worse, the Doggs have gone 1-3-1 against the three teams below them, meaning a first round appearance could very well mean a first round upset.

I suck at making predictions, but I pick the Piglets to win. I have no doubt they will prove me wrong though.

Their first match up ended in a 4-4 tie, and both teams wouldn’t mind a similar result if they can’t pry away a win. Weymouth is looking down at Arlington who has a relatively easy game against Tokyo. I doubt Shaduppu can outplay Bridgewater enough to hang onto the fourth spot, but as long as they don’t blow this game they should stay in the sandwich playoff game rather than face Bridgewater or Las Vegas again.

The Weasels are in the same boat as the Green Monsters, riding high all season only to find themselves playing until the last day to stay alive. Bridgewater haven’t lost a game in a month, but two close wins and two close ties have them walking a tight rope. With Alex Rodriguez’s surge no longer carrying them to easy wins, they will have to use their entire roster. They haven’t been pitching well, yet set a season record for wins. Weymouth will have to take there shots there if they want to win.

The big question here is who will make it the most obvious? Peoria and Santo Domingo square of in the most disappointing match up of the season. The White Devils lead the league in inactive players, while Peoria has the most productive bench in the EHCC. What player will have a surprisingly good game and fuck over the rest of his team?

My money is on Peoria losing this one. Not only are they unashamed of their poor play, but they are also incredibly skilled at starting the worst possible players. Because of Santo Domingo’s thin bench, it is hard for them to make the moves needed to lose.

Transactions

-- A big surprise for everyone in the media was Bridgewater’s signing of Josh Barfield. “We didn’t see the press release until after he was signed.”

League Notes

-- Midway through their game with Tijuana, the Peoria events crew set off fireworks to celebrate the injury of Cole Hamels. The party went on well after the 6-3 loss, with fans burning down the Chris Shelton Robot and replacing it with a wooden sculpture of Hamels in a cast.

-- The Quebec Freeze Press reported that Josh Barfield has a drug problem, but the Brockton Enterprise conducted a sting operation soon after his arrival to Bridgewater. “We offered him every drug he could find, but he turned us down. He likes titties though.”

-- In an effort to bring a more diverse crowd to the ball park, Tijuana has installed skate ramps in the area around the team’s ballpark. Nelly Furtado was the first to use the ramp, but the singer fell and broke her leg.

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QC Freeze Press: 'Josh Has A Problem'

Quebec City Piglets second baseman Josh Barfield (left, clearly stoned) has been having a horrible season and was recently released by the Piglets. But is there more to this story than meets the snout?


'Josh has a Problem'
by Alexander Alejandro Marquez, Quebec Freeze Press

Thursday was a tumultuous day in and around the offices of the Quebec City Piglets. As the team fights to extend its season, numerous rumors have been popping up regarding one of the team’s once-shining stars, second baseman Josh Barfield. Reports started pouring in on Wednesday evening that Piglet GM Pat Renaud was agonizing over whether or not to follow the suggestion of Piglet Manager Brian Fantana to cut Barfield over allegations of drug use.
Barfield, a former 2nd round draft pick in the inaugural EHCC minor league draft, had had such whispers grow to a dull roar in the Piglet locker room in recent weeks, eventually leading to Luis Castillo making a second go-round in a Piglet uniform after a failed stint two years ago. Castillo’s signing and Barfield’s continued poor performance left Fantana no other choice but to let Barfield rot on the bench amidst a tight Division title race, as well as a battle for a playoff spot.
“Josh just wasn’t getting it done,” Fantana was quoted as saying this morning. “The bottom line is, we need guys who are going to perform here, and we can’t have guys just going out there and putting up oh for fours every goddanged night.” When asked about rumors of drug abuse by Barfield, Fantana responded with a terse “no comment.”
Pat Renaud was a bit more forthcoming. “Josh has a problem,” the long-time Piglets architect said. “We needed to look out for Josh’s best interests as well as the team’s. Josh needs help that he just can’t get inside a clubhouse night in and night out, especially in the middle of a pennant race. We still plan to stay in close contact with Josh and get him the help he needs. We’re even paying for his treatment, despite the fact that he’s no longer on the active payroll. We care about Josh and we want him to get better. When that time comes, he’ll be welcomed back to the clubhouse with open arms.”
But what if that time doesn’t come? Barfield’s problems seem to stretch far beyond those of normal baseball maladies. While Renaud wouldn’t address the problem specifically, saying “These matters need to be handled delicately, and we’d like to respect Josh’s privacy in his time of need,” it’s clear that Barfield’s problems go beyond his anemic .243 batting average and paltry 3 homeruns. A new batting stance doesn’t sound like the solution.
“Josh has an addiction,” one anonymous member of the clubhouse staff was quoted as saying. “The man loves Cheese Doodles. Loves ‘em. He can’t stop eating them. Sometimes, when the rest of the team is taking batting practice, Josh would be in the clubhouse crushing up cheesy puffs and straightening them into lines with a razor before snorting them up and then rubbing the excess on his teeth. You could always tell what he was up to, because he’d have a little orange trail on his nose and teeth. He didn’t think anyone noticed though. It was embarrassing for him. It was embarrassing for everyone.”
Eventually, Barfield’s problem extended onto the field. “Yeah, I saw him shoving a doodle up his nose in the field one time,” a Piglet who wished to remain anonymous was quoted as saying. “Andrew [Miller] was meeting with Russ [Martin] on the mound, discussing the next pitch, and, I don’t know, I guess he thought no one was looking or something, because he did it right out in the open, you know? Just shoved it up his nose and snorted like there was no tomorrow.” The problem has upset many in the Piglet locker room, forcing the issue to come to a head with Fantana’s suggestion that Renaud make the problem disappear from the clubhouse.
“We’re out there busting our asses every goddamned night,” said one Piglets player. “I mean, look at these guys. [Justin] Morneau broke his damn nose and was back the next day. Martin never misses a game, and he’s the friggin’ catcher! You’re telling me these guys who bust their ass every night for this team need to put up with this guy’s crap? That’s ridiculous. I’ll take Luis any day. At least he hustles.”
While the players seem to have made up their mind on the situation, Renaud is more open.
“Josh is our guy. He’s always been our guy, he’ll always be our guy. We want him to take care of this problem, confront it head on, defeat it like the champion he is, and come back to the team with a renewed confidence.”
That however, might not be possible. As EHCC rules prohibit using a disabled list spot for drug addictions, Renaud was forced to cut Barfield outright, even while the team cares for his medical bills during his absence. Technically, this means that any other team can swoop in and claim Barfield for their own. Many overtures have already been made to Barfield, with one division rival even claiming him for their own last year before he’d played an inning with the Piglets. While his putrid season and personal problems will be off-putting for some, others are already licking their chops to gain a piece of the damaged goods.
“I can’t wait for his waiver period to end,” claimed one rival GM. “He’ll look awfully nice alongside some of our other failed Piglet prospects. We’ve made a nice little living out of snatching the players they’ve dropped.” When asked about Barfield’s purported drug problem, the GM scoffed. “We’ve got plenty of cheese doodles in the clubhouse. I think he’ll be quite happy here.”
When these comments were relayed to Renaud, he was understandably upset and disappointed. With a heavy sigh, he said, “You’d hope it wouldn’t come to that, but some people in this league…well, they don’t have morals. To not only claim Josh away from us, but to encourage and exploit a problem for personal gain? That’s sub-human. I’d hope that’s just talk and not an actual course of action. It’s despicable to think someone would take advantage of both Josh and our organization when all we’re trying to do is get him the help he needs. It’s sad.”
And with that, Renaud ended the interview.
Where Barfield will end up is anybody’s guess. Both the Piglet fans and front office are hoping for a full recovery and return to Piglet Royal Blue, but with the dearth of quality second basemen in the league, it’s quite possible some scumbag will swoop in and ruin Barfield’s career—and, quite possibly, life—before our very eyes. Only time will tell. Until then, everyone here at the Quebec Freeze Press wishes Josh the very best, and a speedy recovery.

Alexander Alejandro Marquez is the Piglet Beat Writer for the QC Freeze Press. He once urinated on tobacco field because, “I hate those damn green monsters. Plus, I was drunk and had to pee wicked bad.”

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Baseball Tri-Weekly: ATB Week 21

Marco Sanchez carries a cardboard cutout of Johan Santana to the register at the Weymouth Shaddupu Team Store at Brotherhood Park. Weymouth responded to the fans outcry last week, but will it be enough to earn them a home playoff game?





Around The Bases: Week 21
By Listen Deplayohs, Baseball Tri-Weekly

They are hanging onto the playoffs by their fingertips. A team of veterans so used to winning that their current batch of losing has simply slipped under the radar.

"We take the regualr season for granted sometimes," said firstbaseman Carlos Delgado. "It is like an extended spring training in Weymouth. The fans come, the players play, but everyone seems to know that it is just a warm-up for the playoffs."

That has been the attitude in Weymouth for years. Shaddupu has never won a division championship, but has sold out every game since 2002 despite the lack of passion for regular season rivalries. They even go so far as selling "Got Playoff?" shirts in the team store next to cardboard cutouts of Johan Santana hoisting the EHCC Plaque. The team and city are focused on the playoffs from the start of spring training.

"Taking the ferry to Weymouth in June and taking it in September are two completely different experiences," said Bridgewater's Marcus Giles. "The fans recognize you, but they don't really say much. Some actually great you warmly. When we played Weymouth in the championships though, it was like getting food into Berlin.”

A week ago things changed on the island. As the playoffs inched closer and the team began a 3-week, season ending road trip, folks began to realize that if the Shaddupu remained near the bottom of the playoff hunt, they would not get a home playoff game. It would be the first time in EHCC history that Brotherhood wouldn’t host a life-or-death series.

“To think that there would be no baseball played in Weymouth in September really struck a nerve with a lot of fans,” said Yukon Cornelius. “This town lives for the excitement. We understand that we have to play on the road to win it all, but to have them all on the road is unbearable.”

Perhaps word spread, because a week after being on the fridge of the playoffs, Weymouth has vaulted themselves up into the fourth spot in the standings thanks to a 7-2 win over Tijuana. They now find themselves on top of four teams vying for three playoff spots. More importantly, they hold the coveted home field advantage in the first round.

“Yeah, it means we have to put on our playoff faces a little earlier if we want to stay ahead,” said Delgado.

A daunting stat for Shaddupu fans as we head into the final stretch. At least one bye team has made the EHCC championship game every year, and bye teams have always won it all. Despite all the upsets we've seen in the playoffs, there has yet to be one in the final.

Matchups

Both have pretty much locked in their byes, but a rare late season matchup between two elite teams has some serious implications. Both teams have sneaked up on Las Vegas for the Eastern Division title and now the winner of this week’s matchup is in line for a face off for the crown (Bridgewater would have to beat Weymouth in Week 22 to earn a playoff game). Beyond the division, the game could very well be a preview of the championship game a month from now.

Rakeville has won eight straight games while Bridgewater has gone 6-2-1 in the same span. Despite two season-ending injuries on their pitching staff, the Weasels have kept pace with the Rockets most of the season. And though Bridgewater sometimes falters on offense, they were able to pry three of the categories away in the first matchup.

The Rockets are playing so well right now, it is hard to bet against them, but Bridgewater is posed to give the top team a wakeup call this week with their bats leading the way.


The Warriors and Green Monsters were coasting to playoff appearances just a week ago, but now both teams are staring at .5 game buffer and wondering what happened. Arlington was the victim of a superb performance by the Piglets, drubbed by the resurgent team 10-0. Winston-Salem limped their way to a loss in Bridgewater. Neither showed any urgency and now one is facing absurdity.

Despite the tough loss, The Warriors offense was still effective. Surprising fill-in Ryan Theriot has earned his axe and team stud Magglio Ordonez countinue to put up good numbers. They will have to beat Paul Maholm, Shawn Hill and a interesting cast of hurlers who posted a .97 WHIP against Bridgewater’s offense.

They proved me wrong in their game against the Piglets, but I have to go with the Green Monsters track record once again. Not only do they need to win, but win big, as they will host Rakeville in the final game of the season while Arlington plays at home against Tokyo.

League Notes

-- A 10-0 win wasn’t enough to move Quebec City up in the playoff standings, but it was enough to earn them a new fan. Nick Lachey from the band 98 Degrees was seen waiting outside of the Piglets locker room after their game against Arlington, but wouldn’t say who he was waiting for.

-- Angered by the team’s recent woes, Gryphons fans had a Coors boycott Sunday. Unfortunately, the Drunken Nest only sells Coors beer at its concession stands, so everyone was very sober for their 2-6 loss to Tokyo.

-- Santo Domingo officials announced that the team plans to raise enough money to hold a night game next season, though a deal still needs to be worked out with the Island Electric Company for reduced rates.

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Baseball Tri-Weekly: ATB Week 19

The biggest name to be dealt this month was one of the league's smallest players. Can Ichiro lift Quebec City into the playoff picture?







Around the Bases: Week 19
By Listen DePlayohs, Baseball Tri-Weekly

The August 1st trade deadline was one of the most active in league history, with seven teams locked into negotiations until the final hour. The last few weeks have also yielded some interesting deals, which certainly affect the standings.

Four championship contending teams made moves, and all of them look better for a 2007 run. Let’s look at what they did and how much it costs to be a champion.

Rakeville Rockets
Incoming – RP Francisco Cordero, RP Joe Borowski, SS Julio Lugo,
*Jose Tabata, *Joel Guzman, QC 1st Rd 2008 MaDP, WS 3rd Rd 2008 MaDP

Outgoing - SP A.J. Burnett, SP Randy Johnson,
*Max Scherzer,

Notable Loss - A.J. Burnett: Though injured when traded, Burnett was expected to return in time for the playoffs. With expanded rosters, his loss could be important.

Notable Add – Julio Lugo will be pressed into duty immediately, but should provide a boast once Utley returns with his speed and versatility

2007 Outlook – Rakeville’s deals weren’t blockbuster ones. They upgraded their speed and are now a lock for saves. Though they were unable to augment their outfield, the Rockets may have tinkered enough to win a championship.

2008 and beyond – Aside from Scherzer, the Rockets kept there farm system and draft picks intact, while adding more young talent. The addition of Tabata, along with 2 major league draft picks for 2008, should put them in excellent position to contend next year.

Las Vegas Doggs
Incoming – SP Mark Buehrle, SP Dave Bush, SP Gil Meche, OF Adam Dunn, SP Yovanni Gallardo
GLD 4th Rd 2008 MaDP

Outgoing – OF Ichiro Suzuki, OF Jason Bay, SP Matt Garza
*Jay Bruce, LV 1st Rd MaDP, LV 2nd Rd MaDP, LV 2nd Rd MiDP

Notable Loss – Ichiro is having another excellent year, but was deemed expendable. His stellar batting average and stolen base ability could be on display in the first round of the playoffs if Quebec City and Las Vegas meet.

Notable Add – Gallardo was having a great season in the minors, and has been unhitable since his call-up. Some are worried that the Doggs may shut him down once he reaches 175 innings pitched, though I’m sure they will make an exception if he keeps going at this clip.

2007 Outlook – The Doggs have spent all season trying to build a pitching staff, and it looks like they have finally done it by bringing in four top-notch starters. They finally has a complete staff worthy of a championship run, though they might have gotten them a little too late for a bye.

2008 and beyond – The Doggs filled a lot of holes, but they also spent a lot doing it. They are almost devoid of assets now. The loss of Bruce, Bay and Ichiro leaves their outfield diminished, plus no minor leaguers and the loss of their first and second round picks means the Doggs are going to have to rely on their core for some time.

Arlington Warriors
Incoming – SP Chuck James, SP John Maine
TIJ 3rd Rd MaDP

Outgoing – SP Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP Chad Guadin,
ARL 5th Rd MaDP

Notable Loss – Matsuzaka was to be the face of the Warriors franchise, but trade offer after trade offer must have slowly changed their mind.

Notable Add – Maine has been performing under the radar for a bad Hispanics team. Now in the playoff hunt, expect his stuff to explode onto the main stage.

2007 Outlook – The Warriors decided quantity over quality was their best bet. Maine and James deepen their already solid young staff and give them a playoff caliber rotation. They won’t, however, be enough to slip past some of the other teams and they are destined for a 1st round loss.

2008 and Beyond – Considering some of the offers floated in the off-season for Matsuzaka, the Warriors didn’t get enough for their ace. Still the deal hasn’t hurt their position and if James develops, he could fill Dice-K’s shoes in a year or two.

Quebec City Piglets
Incoming – OF Ichiro Suzuki, SP Ted Lilly, SP Derrick Lowe, SP Tim Lincecum, SP Greg Maddux

Outgoing – SP David Bush, RP Brandon Morrow, SP Andy Sonnanstine, OF Chris B. Young
*Clayton Kershaw, Adam Miller, Cameron Maybin, QC 1st Rd MiDP, QC 2nd Rd MiDP

Notable Loss – Adam Miller was the first overall draft pick in the 2005 Minor League Draft. Though he only has a half year left on his minor league contract, he was a Canadian favorite that will be deeply missed.

Notable Add – Veterans Lilly, Lowe and Maddux may not jump out at you, but they are consistent contributors who are needed to round out a top tier pitching staff.

2007 Outlook – There are still a few holes in there pitching staff, and their infield isn’t very good at all, but the Piglets are now the favorites to take the 4th spot in the standings and the Western Division crown.

2008 and beyond – How many future stars did the Piglets package into their deals? Seven future big leaguers were sent packing this month, and while they did get Lincecum, that is a lot of talent to let go, regardless of how deep their system is.


Matchups
It is all about the division, and we have two big matchups heading into Week 19.

Winston Salem is in the driver’s seat in the West, with a half-game lead over Quebec City. The Piglets struggled for the second week in a row, unable to take advantage of Golden. They are staring up at the playoffs, already committed to reaching it but waving in performance. When playing in cigarette city, you have to deal with the speed. The Piglets have Ichiro, Barfield and Furcal to combat it, though that’s like combating fire with hair spray.

Winston-Salem has won their last three games by a margin of 24-5.
Their pitching staff is still not good enough to carry a blowout against the Piglets, but the Green Monsters were built to win these games, and I expect them to pull it off. Then they may take a look at overtaking Las Vegas for third.


The Doggs couldn’t edge out the Rockets, despite a last minute surge by their bullpen. Now they head to Weymouth to defend their division crown. A win would all but clinch the title for Las Vegas, as they only have bottom-feeder Peoria left on their schedule.

This game will be another good test for their new-look rotation. Weymouth’s pitchers are not nearly as deep as they have been in past seasons, but they still have a lot of quality arms. The Doggs churned unsuccessfully against Rakeville, but won’t need to against Shaduppu. It should be a fierce duel.

Weymouth’s offense had a nice little power burst last week, and look hot heading back to the island. Their playoff lives hang in the balance with only a handful of games keeping the Piglets at bay.


League Notes

-- Kei Igawa signed with Tokyo, his fifth EHCC team this season. When asked what he expected to bring to the Omyoujis, he replied, “My luggage.”

-- Seventeen thousand Arlington fans filed a class action suit against the Warriors for Matsuzaka jerseys purchased this season. “The team signs a contract with the fans,” said noted lawyer Jesse Jokeson. “They guaranteed a jersey of certain value. Now there is no value. It is illegal.” No word on whether Virginia courts will accept the case.

-- Jeremy Hermida is still crazy.

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Peoria Free Press Debut Edition

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Rakeville Times: No seats on the bus

Jason Isringhausen thought he would be the only Rocket closer last offseason, but now he is one of six as Rakeville looks to shut down offenses across the EHCC.

No seats on the bus
By Aviator McShadless

When pitching coach Justin Fuller told reliever Tom Gordon he would no longer be in the Rakeville bullpen, the veteran pitcher thought he has been cut or traded. He soon realized there simply wasn’t enough room on the right field bench. The Rockets made two trades at the deadline, bringing in closers Fransico Cordero from Peoria and Joe Boroski from Tokyo to max out Reed Field’s bullpen capacity.

“Both deals were last minute,” said GM Jack Reed. “We were in discussions with Peoria most of the night, trying to pry Cordero from them. Boroski was discussed briefly, and the price seemed reasonable. Five minutes before midnight, we were happy to see both come our way.”

Closers weren’t the only players being targeted by the Rakeville front office. Gary Sheffield, Bill Hall, Ty Wiggington and Reid Brignac were rumored to be part of talks, but ultimately the Rockets went with pitching.

“Arlington and Las Vegas have good bullpens,” said Fuller. “We thought we could hold our own with them before the trade, but now there is no doubt.”

As the Rockets gear up for the playoffs, recently acquired utilityman Julio Lugo looks to be an important addition also

“He and Willits give us speed,” said Reed. “Lugo can also play almost every infield position, allowing us to spell Utley and Young. An ability we haven’t had all season. I hope that now we are a more complete team.”

Rakeville wasn’t the only playoff team making moves. Arlington, Las Vegas and Quebec City made substantial moves to boost their teams.

“We new they would,” said Reed. “All we can do is earn the bye, then see where the chips fall.”

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EhP: Peoria Cardinals Hire Pitching Coach

Danny Graves takes the reigns as the Cardnals first pitching coach.



Peoria, Ill (EHP) -- Word came down tonight, the Peoria Cardinals have hired their first pitching coach in franchise history.

Former all-star closer, Danny Graves, has surfaced out of obscurity to claim the position as Pitching Coach. This season has seen the Cardinals continue to retool this staff. "With fresh faces allows for fresh starts", proclaimed GM Dave Grubb, the man responsible for this questionable hire.

Graves has rarely been heard from since flashing an obscene gesture to his home fans during a game in Cincinnati in 2005. The Peoria front office hopes that his experience with throwing the bird will allow for an immediate impact on getting these young birds to throw the ball a little better. The Cardinals currently have only one member of their entire pitching staff over the age of 30. With pitchers this young it will be vital for Graves to teach them exactly why his career fell apart abruptly, and to keep them from doing the same.

"I'm pumped", proclaimed Cardinals ace Cole Hamels. "It's not everyday that you find somebody with the same love for mullets as I do! What a good lookin' fella." Fans can only hope that this fashion sense does not spread throughout the locker room. Things have been ugly enough on the field this season in Peoria.

Terms were not disclosed.

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Baseball Tri-Weekly: House Rules

An outfield under performing. A patchwork pitching staff. A bullpen that's aging. But with Albert Pujols Las Vegas is always playing by...House Rules


House Rules
By Conor Intabedd, Baseball Tri Weekly

Who would have thought it would be this way by August? Closer to 6th place than 1st, but yet so close to the 2nd "BYE" spot they can taste it. The Doggs aren't only not living up to their own expectations, but the expectations of countless figureheads across the EHCC. Las Vegas fans aren't exactly worried however, and have all the confidence in a playoff resurgence come September.

GM Howe Dogg has done everything in his power to show the fans he's serious about making a run this season, and cementing the franchise as one of the best in the league's short history. With the acquisitions made at the trade deadline, the Doggs have upgraded almost every slumping area of their team. With Jason Bay's average approaching the Mendoza Line, and Bary Zito's ERA approaching a career high the Doggs knew they had to do something to bring their staff up to par.

"We've had some nice performances from unlikely sources this season. Olly [Perez], [Jeremy] Accardo, and Joe [Blanton] have been great additions this season. It's just not enough when we had, and still have so many expectations for a few other guys on the roster like Rickie [Weeks] and [Barry] Zito. We figured being able to pitch in his hometown half the season would really put a spark in Zito this year. Hopefully he can find it soon," commented GM Howe Dogg.

The Doggs' offense, led by slugger Albert Pujols, still leads the league overall this season. However, the team average is expected to drop dramatically with Adam Dunn rejoining the team, taking over Ichiro's spot in right field. Dunn is expected to add in more home runs however, a category the Doggs felt they needed to improve upon while making a run at the playoffs.

"I'm really looking forward to coming back to Vegas and pushing for a ring this time around. Last time I was here we didn't have enough to make it to the finals, but I feel this is my best opportunity at a ring," Dunn said at the press conferences reintroducing him to the Vegas media.

Along with Dunn, the Doggs have added four new starting pitchers, while only sending away one. Yovani Gallardo, Gil Meche, Dave Bush, and Mark Buehrle have been added through various trades. The Doggs were forced to give up quite a bit for their additions, including two of their prized draft picks from the 2006 MiDraft (Matt Garza and Jay Bruce), recently acquired Ichiro Suzuki, long time outfielder Jason Bay, and many future draft picks.

"The addition of these guys really puts a lot less stress on us [the offense] to win games. For most of the season it was all on our shoulders to pick up the slack but now I feel that the team has shown they are serious and the addition of the new guys like Mark and Gil will really liven up the rest of the staff. I was sick of seeing a new face in the bullpen every couple of days," commented Pujols in a recent interview, "Come the playoffs, we should still be a team to reckon with but we won't be looking forward to playing some of the other teams out there. It's not going to be a cake walk."

One can only imagine that Pujols was referring to regular season powerhouse Rakeville, who at press time lead the Doggs 7-2 in Week 18. Rakeville has been the team to beat all season, losing just 4 match ups this season, one of which to the defending champion Doggs in Week 7 by the score of 3-7. Even though they have a 8 game lead on Bridgewater in the league standings, Rakeville currently stands 2nd in the Eastern Division to Las Vegas. However, with a win this week things would be much more interesting in the Eastern Division, as Rakeville would only be a half game back from the Doggs with Vegas having two more division games to be played (Week 19 vs Weymouth and Week 20 vs Peoria), while Rakeville only having one more divisional match up (Week 21 vs Bridgewater).

The Doggs are currently 31 games over .500 and sit in 3rd place overall in the EHCC regular season, 3 games back from 2nd place Bridgewater and 11 games back from 1st place Rakeville. After playing Rakeville, the Doggs will finish the season off at 6th place Weymouth (Week 19), hosting 11th place Peoria (Week 20), hosting 9th place Golden (Week 21), and at 7th place Quebec City (Week 22) (all rankings are current as of press time). Las Vegas is 5-4-0 at home and 6-1-1 on the road.

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Many of the Doggs' offensive players are worried about second baseman Rickie Weeks, who has reportedly been having his gambling problems resurface. He has been spotted hanging out with The Stardust University Crazy Horses players during the off season at the Stardust VIP lounge, sometimes losing tens of thousands of dollars at a time to the FAC-10 champion players.

"He's a cool kid to hang out with, but I'm glad he's not on our team. I just wouldn't be able to trust him out there. you've got to think there's more than just baseball on his mind," stated Stardust running back Travis Henry.

Weeks' performance has declined this season, and many assume it's because of his bad habits. Rickie had no comment when asked about this ongoing issue.

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Baseball Tri-Weekly: August Cover

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