2009/10 Off Season Review (Part 1)

As most owners realize, the baseball season doesn't end in September. It was an active off season for most teams in the EHCC, either building for the future or trying to add the missing piece to make their roster a contender for the 2010 crown, as seems to be the case with the EHCC's newest team, the Woodland Park Wops, as they traded away Pedro Alvarez for established talent. How did your team utilize their off season?





2009/10 Off Season Review (Part 1 of 4)
By: Conor Intabedd / Reno Weekly Rag

Below is part one of a four part series which reviews exactly how the off season was used by each team in the league. Enjoy.


WOODLAND PARK WOPS

Gave Up...

Kevin Youkilis (1B,3B - BOS)
Cole Hamels (SP - PHI)
Rick Porcello (SP - DET)
Gio Gonzalez (SP - OAK)
Pedro Alvarez (3B - PIT)*
2nd Round MaDP (2010 - WP) - R2P4 [Ryan Rowland-Smith (SP - SEA)]
1st Round MiDP (2010 - WP) - R1P7 [Player TBD]
2nd Round MiDP (2010 - WP) - R2P10 [Player TBD]

Took On...

Dustin Pedroia (2B - BOS)
Scott Kazmir (SP - LAA)
Frank Francisco (RP - TEX)
Stephen Drew (SS - ARI)
Ted Lilly (SP - CHC)
Aramis Ramirez (3B - CHC)
Adam Dunn (1B, OF - WAS)
3rd Round MaDP (2011 - LV) - R3P? [Player TBD]


The league's only rookie owner tried to make up for the team's former owner's lack of movement all before his first regular season match up. Right out of the gun the Wops went after their targets: Pedrioa, Kazmir, Drew. They knew what they wanted and were willing to pay for them. Filling out the roster came later, with additions of Dunn and Aramis Ramirez. Their offense is considerably better, no question. It may have come at the expense of their pitching and future however, as they shipped off young, talented starters in Porcello and Hamels, only adding on Scott Kazmir and Ted Lilly and their injury baggage. Can't fault them for being aggressive however.
Grade: B


SOUTH CAROLINA FIGHTING WRENS

Gave Up...

Joey Votto (1B - CIN)
1st Round MiDP (2010 - SC) - R1P10 [Player TBD]
4th Round MaDP (2011 - SC) - R4P? [Player TBD]

Took On...

Ricky Nolasco (SP - FLA)
Carlos Beltran (OF - NYM)
4th Round MaDP (2010 - ARL) - R4P5 [Matt Guerrier (RP-MIN)]

The Wrens made no secret of the availability of their two young first baseman. The only issue they had is that no one needed them as much as they wanted to get rid of them, that is until the dust settled on the Las Vegas off season trading frenzy. Bringing on a solid arm in Nolasco was a good move for the Wrens, even if Votto may have been worth more. It was simply a situation of supply and demand. South Carolina had the supply, but there was just a lack of demand as the majority of the teams out there were satisfied with their first base situation. The Wrens probably did the best they were going to do considering the market. Grabbing Carlos Beltran as a veteran presence in their outfield doesn't hurt either.
Grade: B+


RAKEVILLE ROCKETS

Gave Up...

3rd Round MaDP (2010 - PEO) - R3P8 [Gil Meche (SP - KC)]
4th Round MaDP (2010 - RAK) - R4P11 [Joe Nathan (RP - MIN)]

Took On...

3rd Round MaDP (2011 - WP) - R3P? [Player TBD]
4th Round MaDP (2011 - ARL) - R4P? [Player TBD]

Another boring off season in Rakeville. Draft day trades aside, the Rockets haven't made an off season trade since December 10, 2007 when they traded for BJ Upton. The off season prior they made only two trades, both of which sent away players for draft picks. Management might still be hurting for their terrible 2005/06 off season, as the team has become a big player at the trade deadline and appears to go into hibernation come the off season. They didn't hurt themselves, but didn't help themselves either, and with the majority of the teams in the EHCC getting better now or in preparation for the future, it doesn't help the Rockets to stand still. The lack of moves for a roster in need determines their grade.
Grade: C

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Eat Pizza, Avoid Cancer.

As Mike Piazza sat there staring out his pizza place’s window, he thought to himself “man, I am one good looking man.” But just moments before that, he wondered when he would get his chance to get back into the game of baseball. It has been years since Piazza picked up a bat to simply swing for the fences and with his pizza place, Piazza’s Pizza, not taking off as he would have hoped…he has decided to try his luck coaching. “If Mark McGwire and his .263 career batting average can be a hitting coach…then I can certainly become a manager.”

It wasn’t necessarily Piazza’s cooking that was doing him in, as sales were through the roof. Piazza would get late night pizza deliveries almost every night, since drunk college kids loved to call up and say, “PIZZAS PIAZZAS PIAZZAS PIZZAS” over and over again until Piazza could take it no more. Piazza’s claim to fame is the more pizza you eat, the less chance you have to get cancer as an Italian. However, this claim is based on many erroneous studies reported over the years. Since only the drunken college kids were buying this premise, Piazza decided to move on to coaching.

When EhSPN heard this news, they sent Fredo Jomez to unnecessarily wait outside Piazza’s Pizza for 6 days before asking Piazza a single question. Finally after 6 days Jomez asked about the lack of success in the pizza business and Piazza responded, “You know, I think I was too confident in my abilities as a chef, host, delivery man, and janitor all in one. I was so confident I made the motto ‘Piazza’s Pizza; Deliveries in a half hour or less…or you get to throw a bat at us!’ Needless to say, most of our profit goes to fixing the broken windshields we get on a nightly basis. I should really come up with a less destructive motto.”

Seeing as Piazza’s Pizza is located in the beautiful borough of Woodland Park, NJ…Piazza saw the recent EHCC relocation of the Winston-Salem franchise as a perfect opportunity to instill more Italian into a league dominated by every other nationality. “Besides myself, Frank Catalanotto, Mike Napoli, and Lenny DiNardo…there just aren’t enough guineas in this league. With Woodland Park being dominated by Italians (34%), we should have no problems adding at least a few to the already established Winston-Salem roster.”

Piazza had no problem finding a man to buy the franchise. Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli himself, aka “the Fonz," jumped at the opportunity to finally see the expansion of Italians in the EHCC. His conditions of course were to only play music out of a jukebox whenever he decides to pound on it, and that he will continue to use the men’s washroom at Arnold’s as his office. When asked why he wouldn’t want a brand new office at the stadium, the Fonz simply said “aaay!” and gave two thumbs up. We’re still not sure if he heard the question correctly or that is just his answer to everything.

Finally, Piazza had to find a GM he could manage under. Piazza insists Rocco Baldelli would be his top choice since he believes he will be retiring due to his terrible rare condition. However, if Rocco decides to keep playing Piazza has another guinea in mind, “Well there’s a young and up-and-coming kid by the name of Dave Celli out there. He’s been on our radar for years, seeing as he looks like a perfect delivery man. However now that the GM spot is open, I think that goombah is as good a fit as any into our all-Italian front office.” As Piazza, Fonzie, Rocco Baldelli and assistant GM Dave Celli met in the Arnold’s restroom, they brainstormed for hours thinking what name most Italians can relate to. Goombah, guinea, dago, and guido were among names every Italian has been called throughout their life, but this one took the cake. “WOP!” said the Fonz, “you don‘t know how many people I had to beat for calling me that in my life. I will never forget it and I want to be remembered as a wop!” And there it was, the Winston-Salem franchise could now be known as the Woodland Park Wops. Until we know for sure, we’ll be cruising around on our Harley’s looking for the best leather jackets in town.

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