Peoria Free Press: April 2008

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BridgeH20: Road Warriors

Despite repeatedly insisting that he was Chinese and not Japanese, the Bridgewater Weasels still sent Chien-Ming Wang out onto the mound in Tokyo believing that he could excel in his home country. They were right... about the excelling. Wang pitched nine strong innings in front of his Japanese brethren.


Road Warriors
Stevie Miller, BridgeH2O Today

Starting off the season on a two week road trip around the world, Bridgewater comes home with the best record in the EHCC.

First, it was a trip across the country to Golden where the Weasels battled all week but pulled out the big win behind the bats of Derek Lee and Nate McLouth, along with the pitching of Chien-Ming Wang and Tim Hudson. Then, the team took the long flight to the other side of the world to face the Omyoujis in Tokyo. There, Ryan Howard and Lance Berkman’s bats came alive and a couple of pitching gems by Wandy Rodriguez and Joe Saunders sealed the deal.

Manager Kenny Beltram said “I like what I’m seeing out of this team thus far, we’re getting production out of all our guys, both young and old.”

Some of the old agree.

“We’re clicking together real well right now,” said Berkman, “well beside Placido who is just awful right now, but it’s okay because he’s Dominican.”

The Weasels are going to need Polanco’s bat for next week’s match against the Piglets. Alex Rodriguez did not get off to the hot start like he had a year ago, but he’s still putting up decent numbers.

A-rod had a few off the field issues before the season, like being fined by Weasels General Manager Nastra Diggus for his cover of the EHCC 2008 the video game where A-rod was donning a baby blue and white Santo Domingo uniform, which is far from the Weasels crimson red and black colors.

When asked why he was wearing the wrong uniform, A-rod responded, "Well I was running late to the photo shoot because I came straight from the strip club and didn't have time to stop at home and grab my uniform. You know how it is, eight lap dances are never enough and I had to make it rain at least one time before I left. So when I got to the photo shoot the only uniform they had there was a Santo Domingo outfit."

When asked if this would be a distraction on the season, he replied “no I should be fine. The fine is just going to cost the guys down at the strip club a days pay from me.”

With the Weasels now coming back to Bridgewater for their home opener, they have a tough week ahead of them. Facing a very good Quebec City they will have their work cut out for them.

“They are a great team and this will be a great test for us,” said Beltram. “Hopefully we can show people we deserve to be in first.”

Although the Weasels did get another boost going into this week with the signing of Brandon Lyon and the return of B.J. Ryan from injury, they have the possibility of four closers in their bullpen for the first time in team history.

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EHSPN: Fact or Fiction, Week 2

Pedro Gammo and Jayson Snark take a break from drinking beer all day to sit down to discuss some of the pressing issues facing the EHCC this week, and also drink beer. Lots and lots of beer.



Fact or Fiction, Week 2
Pedro Gammo, EHSPN
Jason Snark, EHSPN

1) Bridgewater is the Best Team in the League

Gammo: FICTION: Well, that's just not true. Why would you even ask me that? They beat a very young and rebuilding Golden staff who got one start, and not a good one, from Matsuzaka before he went north and they played them before the addition of Jonny Cueto. Bridgewater isn't even the best week 1 team in the league. Sure they won 9-1 this year, but their overall record in the past 4 years in week one 24-13-3. Vegas and Weymouth both trump that. Too much is being read into week one results. If you look into all the stats themselves, Las Vegas is the best team in the land, but they still finished with a score of 5-4-1 after week 1. Get back to me in 10 weeks and we'll see where we stand.

Snark: FICTION: Bridgewater sucks. Their pitching is all smoke and mirrors and their hitters are all old and overrated. The only thing they have going for them is that the team they played last week was even worse than them, making them look awesome, when they’re not. The fact is, Golden sucks; that doesn’t make every team that kicks their ass the best team in the league, it just makes Golden the worst. Period!


2) Golden is the Worst Team in the League

Snark: FICTION: Golden has a great young team. They’re rebuilding and looking good doing it. Thanks to the prospect shuttle from Canada to the Rockies, they’ve got some fantastic pieces that have already started delivering big-time results. Chris Young The Outfielder is destroying pitches and Johnny Cueto is the greatest Golden pitcher since Tim Lincecum. Once Clay Bucholz, Jon Lester, and Jason Bay start putting it together, watch out. Just because Bridgewater beat them badly in Week one, you can’t read too much into that. Bridgewater is the best team in the league; that doesn’t make Golden the worst. Golden is awesome. Period!

Gammo: FICTION: Again, week 1 hype is boggling my mind. We shouldn't be asking this question based on the first match up of the year, we should be asking this based on the numbers the teams put up thus far. If we really want to crown a "Worst Team of 2008" after week one let's forget who played who, who got lucky and who didn't, and let's look at the numbers. Golden has hit the second most amount of home runs in the league thus far. They are also in the middle of the past in RBI, SB, and team AVG. Their pitching staff, though didn't explode onto the scene this season, is young and building maturity, and the team has already matched their Save total from 2008 after just one week (1). They still aren't the worst team in the league. That honor goes to Tijunana, who ranked last or second to last in every pitching category except saves after week 1. They also finished last in 3 of the 5 offensive categories as well.


3) Winston-Salem will fall just short of the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row

Gammo: FACT: If week one stats are any indication, and they aren't (just look at the fact that Vegas, statistically, has the second best pitching staff in the league after week 1), the playoffs will consist of Vegas, Bridgewater, Rakeville, Weymouth, Quebec City, and Tokyo. Finishing 7th and 8th would be Peoria and Winston-Salem. This seems to be the trend for the Monsters. Unless they get a great choice to use their now #1 waiver priority on or make a big move before the all star break, I can't see them making that huge push needed to get back over the hump.

Snark: FICTION: This is the year Winston-Salem makes the leap from “also-rans” to “also-rans who lose in the first round of the playoffs”. Look at that team! They have ‘just a shade above mediocre’ written all over them! Sure, they have terrible players at every other position; but look at the OTHER positions! Great players! So what is Kevin Youkilis is a bad fantasy third baseman? Hanley Ramirez is at Short! So what if David Murphy is consistently in their starting lineup? So is Grady Sizemore! And on and on it goes! Zach Duke? Meh. Erik Bedard? Hooray! Pat Maholm? Boooooo! Rich Harden? Well, uh…can we say Erik Bedard again? Hooray!

The point is, Winston-Salem traditionally does just enough to almost make it. Thanks to their fantastic pickup of scorching hot phenom Edwin Jackson, look for them to finally get over the hump. Management is ready to play some meaningful ballgames in the postseason (for one week, then they’re ready to play some consolation matches. They’re just more comfortable with it).


4) The Peoria Cardinals are a legitimate playoff contender

Gammo: FACT: They need to fill a few holes to be a championship contender, but they could conceivably sneak into the playoffs with a well timed run and some breaks along the way. They play Winston-Salem in a shortened week 15 match-up and that could be the biggest game of the season as far as determining the bottom half of the playoff is concerned. If they can add one more quality arm to that rotation without giving up too much they should be able to pick up a few more wins down the stretch. I don't think they'll make it however. The teams above them are just a bit too strong to pass this season. They will contend but fall just short, but will definitely not be fighting for that top pick in the 2009 draft.

Snark: FICTION: They’re not quite a playoff contender just yet, but they don’t suck anymore. The off-season acquisition of Mark Teixeira gives them a big-time power bat in the middle of the order, which should nicely compliment a balanced outfield of 2008 draftees Kosuke Fukodome and Vernon Wells. With the continued maturation of future OF All-Stars Matt Kemp and Adam Jones, the Peoria offense is suddenly pretty intimidating.

Of course, to load up that offense, they took a big hit to their pitching. Losing Cole Hamels and Chris Young The Pitcher hurt their staff quite a bit, and while the addition of Shaun Marcum and Chad Billingsley were savvy moves, it’s clear pitching will likely be the team’s Achilles heel all year long; and we all remember what happened to Achilles—that’s right. He missed the playoffs too.



5) Quebec City has the best pitching staff in the league

Gammo: FACT: The numbers don’t lie in this case. After week 1 the Piglets were tops in strikeouts and ERA, while finishing second in Wins and WHIP. There's no reason to suspect that, barring 3 or 4 injuries, this rotation can't hold those numbers all season. Now, if only the pitching staff could help out their offense, who finished week one as the 3rd worst offense in the league, they'd be the top team to beat.

Snark: FICTION: It’s still Rakeville until somebody proves otherwise. While the Piglet staff is by far the most improved in the league, and while it’s true that off-season defections hurt Rakeville’s staff, it’s likely that the continued maturation of youngsters like Felix Hernandez and Phillip Hughes should offset those losses. Too bad Jack Reed couldn’t fetch his ‘King’s Ransom’ for Kelvim Escobar in the offseason before his arm was hit with toxic waste. You hate to see that.

Pedro Gammo and Jayson Snark write a column every week discussing issues related to the EHCC, and also their deepest, darkest fears. Gammo is afraid of orange highlighters.

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San Diego Chronicle: No Day Like Today

It was a day like no other: Quebec City sent their hometown hero for a couple of scrubs and draft picks. In Mexico, they're worrying about their future (at least, during the month of March). Could this mean the end of credibility to the EHCC draft as we know it?







No Day Like Today
by Skip Clifton, San Diego Chronicle




Scott Kazmir has been the poster boy of Quebec City baseball since being drafted in the league’s inaugural minor league draft in 2004. From day one, everybody knew that the young pitcher would be the ace of the Piglets’ staff for many years. He anchored a Piglets’ rotation that carried them to 2 division championships since becoming a starter, averaging 192 strikeouts over the past 3 seasons.

All good things, however, must ultimately come to an end.

Today was a sad day for Canadian baseball, as Kazmir was shipped to Mexico for a plethora of draft picks. GM Pat Renaud was dumbfounded and completely taken by surprise at the move.

“I had no idea this deal was even in the works,” said Renaud over the phone this afternoon. “It really is a shame when ownership goes over your head and sends away 3 of your best players.”

Going along with Kazmir is C Russ Martin and OF Justin Upton. In return, the Hispanics will send C Kenji Johjima, SP Joe Blanton, and their 1st round draft pick for the next 5 years.

“What can I say, their team is bad. Maybe they think it’ll be a top-3 pick every year,” said Upton.

Regardless of where the draft picks fall, Tijuana fans are more than excited at the deal. As soon as Kazmir is healthy, he will immediately become their #1 starter. Upton will fall in line with an already young and talented outfield, but still will be one of their better options. As for Russ Martin, Hispanics GM Peter Kantor referred to him as “one scrappy son of a bitch.”

The deal was made on April 1st, however, which means all players involved will probably just remain with their original teams.

“April fools,” said Renaud.

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