The Maine Pines: From Worst to First

skinsfan55 · 08-17-2021, 01:52 PM

The ABA is gaining in popularity. Four new expansion teams are being added and business is booming... that is, for most teams.

The Atlanta Hot Rods are an absolute mess.

Since joining the league five years ago as an expansion team, the Hot Rods have finished dead last every season while posting a .320 winning percentage. Truly one of the worst teams in ABA history. Last season they hit (what we hope is) a nadir of 48 wins.

Ownership could bear the losses and being the laughingstock of the league... but what they couldn't deal with was plummeting attendance figures and the mortal sin of all professional sports organizations... losing money. This league's economy has the richest teams with payrolls of $1.3 million... and the Hot Rods were losing money hand over fist. $185,519 in 09, and $158,553 in 10. A financial disaster, and wholly unsustainable. It's no wonder that the team picked up roots from Atlanta and sought a fresh start in Vacationland, the great state of Maine.

The Maine Pines were born!

New General Manager Joe Sturgeon was installed and got straight to work building a coaching staff and a front office. He also took stock of the team and the financial situation.

"Holy crap! This team is a dumpster fire!" he exclaimed "At least there's only one player making over 18k a year. Let me take a peak at the farm system and see what I'll have to rebuild this mess with."

He scanned the reports, unable to truly process what he was seeing.

"Mike Hutton, 21 years old, #3 overall pick in 2009, big righty pitcher, throws mid to high 90's from a sidearm delivery. Keeps the ball on the ground, dominated in high school...but this can't be right."

He checked and double checked.

"After being drafted out of high school he was assigned to rookie ball and... NEVER started a single game? He was used exclusively in the bullpen and then overpromoted from R to A to AA to AAA all in a single season? Why would someone do this?!?!"

Sturgeon found almost identical cases with 23 year old David Young (#3 overall 2006) who had some success in the major leagues as a reliever), 21 year old Josh Hoffman (3rd round 2008) and 19 year old Jim Hoppes (#2 overall, 2010.) All players who had promise as starters but who had been recklessly handled by the previous front office. Arrangements were made to demote these prospects and others to an appropriate level of competition and utilize them in a way that maximized their potential.

Apart from pitchers there seemed to be a few promising corner outfielders in the system. One player stood out, a former #1 overall pick, shortstop Robby Mills. Should Mills have been a #1 overall pick? It was debatable. As a HS star in Plano, Texas he wowed scouts with 4 tool ability (he lacked HR power) but #1 overall? In a year where 23 year old ace Casey Abbott was drafted 7th? Slugging first baseman Billy Porter was drafted 9th? In any case, that's neither here nor there, Mills was the pick and Maine was going to make him the best player he could be. Apart from arm strength the kid had everything you wanted in a shortstop. Plus plus range, plus hands, average arm and he turned the double play like a seasoned pro. What's more he seemed to actually be handled somewhat intelligently! Kept in R ball until he could handle the competition and then promoted to A where he availed himself quite nicely. He may even be ready to open the season in AA.

The farm system was 8th in the league with some solid future talent. The only problem was... did the team have the budget and resources necessary to develop these players? It seemed like priority 1 was making a profit, but priority 1a was freeing up enough resources to have a respectable development budget. The minor league staff seemed up to the challenge. They lacked experience, but they had the know-how.

Tough decisions were made in arbitration. Some players were nontendered. To other teams maybe $15k to $20k was peanuts, but to the new look Maine Pines, that could be the difference between making a profit and putting this team on the right track or losing even more money and potentially being a victim of contraction.

skinsfan55 · 08-17-2021, 03:31 PM

Days and weeks were a blur.

A new uniform and logo unveiling

Arbitration offers...

Nontenders...

Scores of minor league free agents who are eager for the chance to latch on with a team bad enough to actually have a path to the big leagues...

The upcoming Rule V draft...

And a contract extension!

"The Maine Pines are please to announce that they've reached a 4 year, $120,000 extension with IF Antonio Gabaldon!"

Tony was 26, batted lefty, and hit .336 last season. Pretty much everything you could want in a young player for a rebuilding team. He could hit, he could run and he was a great teammate. A budding team captain type with charisma and leadership to spare. Only problem? He can't field. He played 2B last year and had no range, no arm, and below average hands... still, his footwork was okay around the bag so maybe it wasn't a lost cause. I had other plans for him though, at 6'1'' he had a decent wingspan, maybe he could adapt to 1B. We had Taylor Hagerdorn there but well... he was 37 and making a bundle, I decided to dump his salary to Cleveland. It cost be a decent looking OF prospect, but with this team, $34k was a ton.

That brings me to Gabaldon's contract. $30k is a lot for this team, however, he's making the arbitration figure of $18k this year, the extension comes in next year... and as a 1B I think he'll provide value. If he doesn't, then the final two years are team options. If we're being 100% honest though, I had considered non-tendering him. We're up against it.

During a discussion prior to the Rule V draft I talked things over with my new assistant GM, Raul Benavides, formerly an assistant in Detroit, last season's World Series champs.

"Joe, let me understand, you were going to non-tender Tony but signed him to an extension instead."

"Yeah, we're a rebuilding club. He's 26, he's a leader and I think he can help get us on the right track. We should get him a 1B mitt though, I think that's where he's headed."

"Not a bad idea, boss, there's just one potential problem."

"Yeah?"

"The final Rule V pool was released and the Desperados are leaving Billy Porter unprotected."

I couldn't believe it. Billy Porter? 22 years old, 6'7'' 215 lbs of slugging 1B? Brooklyn native with a fantastic work ethic who blasted 28 home runs in AA last season? That guy was going to be available with our #1 pick in the Rule V draft?

"Wait, what?" I stammered "I know Austin has a lot of 1B on their 40 man already but Billy Porter is going to be available in the Rule V draft?"

"Yup. So if we draft him, I'm thinking 1B might be occupied."

"Yeah, I'd say so. Let's take a look at the list and make sure he's the pick but say he is... we can squeeze by with Antonio at 2B for a season. Maybe get a defensive replacement for the later innings. There's been talk of adopting the DH next season and that'll solve the problem... but for now, this might be the best we can do."

Billy Porter was landing in our laps, and it ended up he was clearly the best pick for our organization. We picked him #1 in the Rule 5, and also made a trade with Austin. Their system was flush with third baseman so a deal was struck to send their 24 year old slugging 3B prospect Danny Morales (Porter's AA teammate last season) to Maine for SS Melvin Cruz (65th ranked prospect) and RP Danny Melendez a crafty lefty who dominated AAA last season. It was a steep price to pay, but if Morales developed, he could be a star in Maine. Their options at 3B were underwhelming.

The work towards roster building got a lot more creative from there. The plan was for Morales to get a little more seasoning in AAA so a trade was made for San Francisco bench IF Mike Gereev as a left handed batter he was suited to handle 3B vs RHP. Dallas was also convinced to part with some of their depth as well, slick fielding SS Dusty Haigh and switch hitting utility man Isaiah Moffett were brought in via separate trades.

With absolutely no money to spend, the Maine Pines continued to make deals for players making the minimum and with #1 waiver priority were able to snag some OF depth. Whether or not they would make the active roster would be determined...

With Spring Training approaching, the pending camp battles should answer some questions and shape this roster for their quest to go .500.

08-17-2021, 01:52 PM	#1
skinsfan55 Bat Boy Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 15	The Maine Pines: From Worst to First The ABA is gaining in popularity. Four new expansion teams are being added and business is booming... that is, for most teams. The Atlanta Hot Rods are an absolute mess. Since joining the league five years ago as an expansion team, the Hot Rods have finished dead last every season while posting a .320 winning percentage. Truly one of the worst teams in ABA history. Last season they hit (what we hope is) a nadir of 48 wins. Ownership could bear the losses and being the laughingstock of the league... but what they couldn't deal with was plummeting attendance figures and the mortal sin of all professional sports organizations... losing money. This league's economy has the richest teams with payrolls of $1.3 million... and the Hot Rods were losing money hand over fist. $185,519 in 09, and $158,553 in 10. A financial disaster, and wholly unsustainable. It's no wonder that the team picked up roots from Atlanta and sought a fresh start in Vacationland, the great state of Maine. The Maine Pines were born! New General Manager Joe Sturgeon was installed and got straight to work building a coaching staff and a front office. He also took stock of the team and the financial situation. "Holy crap! This team is a dumpster fire!" he exclaimed "At least there's only one player making over 18k a year. Let me take a peak at the farm system and see what I'll have to rebuild this mess with." He scanned the reports, unable to truly process what he was seeing. "Mike Hutton, 21 years old, #3 overall pick in 2009, big righty pitcher, throws mid to high 90's from a sidearm delivery. Keeps the ball on the ground, dominated in high school...but this can't be right." He checked and double checked. "After being drafted out of high school he was assigned to rookie ball and... NEVER started a single game? He was used exclusively in the bullpen and then overpromoted from R to A to AA to AAA all in a single season? Why would someone do this?!?!" Sturgeon found almost identical cases with 23 year old David Young (#3 overall 2006) who had some success in the major leagues as a reliever), 21 year old Josh Hoffman (3rd round 2008) and 19 year old Jim Hoppes (#2 overall, 2010.) All players who had promise as starters but who had been recklessly handled by the previous front office. Arrangements were made to demote these prospects and others to an appropriate level of competition and utilize them in a way that maximized their potential. Apart from pitchers there seemed to be a few promising corner outfielders in the system. One player stood out, a former #1 overall pick, shortstop Robby Mills. Should Mills have been a #1 overall pick? It was debatable. As a HS star in Plano, Texas he wowed scouts with 4 tool ability (he lacked HR power) but #1 overall? In a year where 23 year old ace Casey Abbott was drafted 7th? Slugging first baseman Billy Porter was drafted 9th? In any case, that's neither here nor there, Mills was the pick and Maine was going to make him the best player he could be. Apart from arm strength the kid had everything you wanted in a shortstop. Plus plus range, plus hands, average arm and he turned the double play like a seasoned pro. What's more he seemed to actually be handled somewhat intelligently! Kept in R ball until he could handle the competition and then promoted to A where he availed himself quite nicely. He may even be ready to open the season in AA. The farm system was 8th in the league with some solid future talent. The only problem was... did the team have the budget and resources necessary to develop these players? It seemed like priority 1 was making a profit, but priority 1a was freeing up enough resources to have a respectable development budget. The minor league staff seemed up to the challenge. They lacked experience, but they had the know-how. Tough decisions were made in arbitration. Some players were nontendered. To other teams maybe $15k to $20k was peanuts, but to the new look Maine Pines, that could be the difference between making a profit and putting this team on the right track or losing even more money and potentially being a victim of contraction.

08-17-2021, 03:31 PM	#2
skinsfan55 Bat Boy Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 15	Days and weeks were a blur. A new uniform and logo unveiling Arbitration offers... Nontenders... Scores of minor league free agents who are eager for the chance to latch on with a team bad enough to actually have a path to the big leagues... The upcoming Rule V draft... And a contract extension! "The Maine Pines are please to announce that they've reached a 4 year, $120,000 extension with IF Antonio Gabaldon!" Tony was 26, batted lefty, and hit .336 last season. Pretty much everything you could want in a young player for a rebuilding team. He could hit, he could run and he was a great teammate. A budding team captain type with charisma and leadership to spare. Only problem? He can't field. He played 2B last year and had no range, no arm, and below average hands... still, his footwork was okay around the bag so maybe it wasn't a lost cause. I had other plans for him though, at 6'1'' he had a decent wingspan, maybe he could adapt to 1B. We had Taylor Hagerdorn there but well... he was 37 and making a bundle, I decided to dump his salary to Cleveland. It cost be a decent looking OF prospect, but with this team, $34k was a ton. That brings me to Gabaldon's contract. $30k is a lot for this team, however, he's making the arbitration figure of $18k this year, the extension comes in next year... and as a 1B I think he'll provide value. If he doesn't, then the final two years are team options. If we're being 100% honest though, I had considered non-tendering him. We're up against it. During a discussion prior to the Rule V draft I talked things over with my new assistant GM, Raul Benavides, formerly an assistant in Detroit, last season's World Series champs. "Joe, let me understand, you were going to non-tender Tony but signed him to an extension instead." "Yeah, we're a rebuilding club. He's 26, he's a leader and I think he can help get us on the right track. We should get him a 1B mitt though, I think that's where he's headed." "Not a bad idea, boss, there's just one potential problem." "Yeah?" "The final Rule V pool was released and the Desperados are leaving Billy Porter unprotected." I couldn't believe it. Billy Porter? 22 years old, 6'7'' 215 lbs of slugging 1B? Brooklyn native with a fantastic work ethic who blasted 28 home runs in AA last season? That guy was going to be available with our #1 pick in the Rule V draft? "Wait, what?" I stammered "I know Austin has a lot of 1B on their 40 man already but Billy Porter is going to be available in the Rule V draft?" "Yup. So if we draft him, I'm thinking 1B might be occupied." "Yeah, I'd say so. Let's take a look at the list and make sure he's the pick but say he is... we can squeeze by with Antonio at 2B for a season. Maybe get a defensive replacement for the later innings. There's been talk of adopting the DH next season and that'll solve the problem... but for now, this might be the best we can do." Billy Porter was landing in our laps, and it ended up he was clearly the best pick for our organization. We picked him #1 in the Rule 5, and also made a trade with Austin. Their system was flush with third baseman so a deal was struck to send their 24 year old slugging 3B prospect Danny Morales (Porter's AA teammate last season) to Maine for SS Melvin Cruz (65th ranked prospect) and RP Danny Melendez a crafty lefty who dominated AAA last season. It was a steep price to pay, but if Morales developed, he could be a star in Maine. Their options at 3B were underwhelming. The work towards roster building got a lot more creative from there. The plan was for Morales to get a little more seasoning in AAA so a trade was made for San Francisco bench IF Mike Gereev as a left handed batter he was suited to handle 3B vs RHP. Dallas was also convinced to part with some of their depth as well, slick fielding SS Dusty Haigh and switch hitting utility man Isaiah Moffett were brought in via separate trades. With absolutely no money to spend, the Maine Pines continued to make deals for players making the minimum and with #1 waiver priority were able to snag some OF depth. Whether or not they would make the active roster would be determined... With Spring Training approaching, the pending camp battles should answer some questions and shape this roster for their quest to go .500.