[Westheim]

Raccoons (57-67) vs. Loggers (71-53) – August 24-26, 1998

Second best rotation, second best offense in the league. What more do you need to know about the Loggers, who were running after the Titans in the division. The Titans, which we trailed by almost 20 games already. We were also playing a mighty .250 against Milwaukee this year.

Projected matchups:
Kisho Saito (5-10, 3.01 ERA) vs. Martin Garcia (16-7, 2.45 ERA)
Manuel Movonda (9-10, 2.71 ERA) vs. Simon Walton (1-2, 6.45 ERA)
Randy Farley (10-5, 3.09 ERA) vs. Hector Martinez (0-1, 1.13 ERA)

Game 1
MIL: CF Fletcher – SS B. Hernandez – RF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – C L. Ramirez – 3B J. Perez – 1B D. Evans – 2B J. Lopez – P M. Garcia
POR: 3B Crowe – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Parker – SS Guerin – 1B Utting – 2B McLaughlin – P Saito

Kisho had no chance. He knew it, I knew it, everybody knew it. Martin Garcia was on pace for a triple crown, and Saito lacked even the basics of his usual stuff. The Loggers got him for a run in the third, which was two innings earlier than the Raccoons ever managed to get on base. Also in the fifth, the Loggers left the bags full, after leaving two men on in the third. Saito was more or less terrible, struck out none, and allowed a home run to light-hitting Bartolo Hernandez in the seventh. Garcia went eight, struck out eight, and allowed only two hits and made an error that put Guerin on second base – the furthest any Raccoon ventured in the game. 2-0 Loggers.

Turner’s hitting streak ends at 15 games. Neil Reece managed to nab a 2-out single in the ninth off Ricardo Medina to extend a 10-game hitting streak for another day. That was our third and last hit of the day.

You didn’t honestly have money on the Raccoons in this one, did you?

Game 2
MIL: CF Fletcher – SS B. Hernandez – RF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – C L. Ramirez – 3B J. Perez – 1B D. Evans – 2B Sullivan – P Walton
POR: 3B Crowe – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – SS Guerin – LF Utting – 1B Wedemeyer – 2B McLaughlin – P Movonda

Werner Turner’s leadoff jack in the second inning opened the scoring, but any celebrations were certainly premature – by about five minutes. In the top 3rd, the Loggers took the Colombian Beauty apart forcefully, plating four runs, and that was it for the game, since the Raccoons were proven to be unable to hurt a 6+ ERA starter. Movonda couldn’t get out of the fifth inning as he got socked some more, and ended up with 4.1 innings and six earned runs against him. Simon Walton in turn pitched a complete game on four hits, killing Neil Reece’s streak in the process. The highlight from the Coons’ point of view was Kelly Fairchild pitching scoreless long relief. 6-1 Loggers. Turner 2-4, HR, RBI; Fairchild 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;

My assistant says I am pale recently. He scheduled a doctor’s appointment for Thursday, our off day.

Game 3
MIL: CF Fletcher – SS B. Hernandez – RF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – C L. Ramirez – 1B D. Evans – 2B Sullivan – 3B Buchanan – P H. Martinez
POR: RF Brady – SS Guerin – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Parker – 3B Utting – 1B Wedemeyer – 2B Caddock – P Farley

Conceicao Guerin’s speed was utilized to generate offense in this game, manufacturing runs both in the first and third innings, once driven in by Reece and Turner each, as he stole second base both times. Farley singled in another run himself, while he held the Loggers remarkably short early on. Hector Martinez was taken apart in the fifth inning, when Guerin led off with a single, and Reece and Turner followed with another single, and a 2-run double, respectively. Martinez was laden with six runs in four plus, like Movonda the day before. Farley however was flawless. By the eighth, he lost a bit of control, and a light drizzle set in. The drizzle subsided eventually as the Raccoons loaded the bags in the bottom 8th (and left them loaded), and Farley came back for the ninth, where he struck out the obnoxious Hiwalani, and then got easy grounders from Ramirez and Evans. 7-0 Furballs. Guerin 4-5, 2B, RBI; Reece 3-4, BB, RBI; Turner 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Farley 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K, W (11-5) and 1-4, RBI;

After shutting out the Canadiens on six hits on May 20, Randyboy has now delivered his second career shutout and bested his performance by axing a third of the hits. He is in that ROTY conversation, I tell you. Go Randy! 24 years old, and the sky is the limit for him.

On Thursday, the doctor found out my I am fine, apart from sleeping too little. A bit fat, though. We blamed the chocolate, and eventually the Raccoons. He advised me to bat Brady fifth, and to re-visit the Three Sisters right after the season ended.

Raccoons (58-69) @ Falcons (59-67) – August 28-30, 1998

The Falcons were similar to the Loggers in ranking 3rd in offense, but their pitching didn’t match the pace, ranking 7th in runs conceded. That still didn’t pan out for them for a winning record, but a -8 pythagorean difference was to blame, too. (Coons: -3). We are 5-1 against them this season and have already claimed the season series.

Projected matchups:
Miguel Lopez (8-12, 4.28 ERA) vs. Angel Romero (11-9, 2.63 ERA)
Jose Rivera (11-7, 2.61 ERA) vs. Terry Wilson (12-8, 3.84 ERA)
Kisho Saito (5-11, 2.99 ERA) vs. Carlos Castro (13-10, 3.24 ERA)

All southpaws here, which makes Hector Martinez the only right-hander we faced all week. Let’s hope he won’t be the only one we beat…

Game 1
POR: 3B Crowe – SS Guerin – CF Reece – C Turner – RF Brady – LF Utting – 1B Castillo – 2B McLaughlin – P M. Lopez
CHA: RF A. Lopez – 2B J. Barrón – SS H. Green – 3B M. Hall – CF M. Adams – 1B G. Adams – LF Morton – C J. Rivera – P Romero

A fielding error by Arturo Lopez in the first inning greatly helped the Coons to score two runs early. While two runs weren’t near enough for Miguel Lopez most of the year, he was in control of the game apart from a tight fifth inning, where a key double play started by Guerin’s nifty grab bailed him out of runners on the corners with one out. The score of 2-0 stood, but the weather gradually worsened. It started to rain right after the fifth inning and the game was soon sent into a delay that lasted an hour plus and removed Lopez from the game. Daniel Miller struck out Hubert Green after the delay, taking over a 1-1 count from Lopez, to end the sixth. Tamburrino came out for the seventh and Matt Adams hit a 1-out single. Glenn Adams (the ex-Coon) then grounded to the left side, and Crowe capitally missed that ball, giving the runners two bases. Joe Morton tied the game with a double, 2-2, all runs unearned. The guy who started the error parade in the first, Arturo Lopez, then homered off Donis in the eighth. The Coons entered the ninth trailing 3-2 and facing Holden Gorman, who issued a leadoff walk to Werner Turner. Newton ran for him. While Brady failed to bunt him over, he walked, too, still putting the tying run on second base, and with less outs. And then Utting, Castillo, and McLaughlin popped out in succession. Excuse me. In suckcession. 3-2 Falcons. McLaughlin 3-4, 2 2B; Lopez 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K;

Bloody…

Game 2
POR: SS Guerin – 2B McLaughlin – CF Reece – 3B Crowe – RF Brady – LF Utting – C Castillo – 1B Caddock – P Rivera
CHA: 3B Combes – 1B Morton – 2B H. Green – CF M. Adams – LF Encarnación – RF Dunphy – SS J. Barrón – C D. Smith – P Wilson

More of less offense. The Suckoons tumbled around to happen into a run in the first inning, and then left Rivera to fight for himself, not reaching second base again until the fifth inning. Rivera lined up zeroes on the board, but got into a close spot in the sixth inning. A Morton singled was followed with a walk to Green with one out, bringing up the left-handers Adams and Encarnación. Rivera reached back and struck both of them out, but this 1-0 score was severely awobble. The Coons would actually rise from the dead once more, sparked by the softest of singles off Neil Reece’s bat in the eighth, just squeezing through between Morton and Green. Crowe and Brady followed with soft liners for singles, the latter driving in Reece, 2-0. Another single by Utting plated another run, and Brady was brought in with a sac fly by Castillo to make the score 4-0. That left it to Rivera to collect another six outs. Scott Wade was standing by to come in at the slightest provocation, not having pitched the whole week. There never was any provocation, as Rivera sat down another six batters. 4-0 Furballs. Reece 2-4; Crowe 2-4, 2B; Brady 2-3, BB, 2 RBI; Rivera 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (12-7) and 1-3;

This is the third career shutout for Rivera, and the first since 1996 (but he missed most of last season to injury). It is also his fourth complete game. At 12 wins for a miserable team, he may be undervalued as #5 starter?

Game 3
POR: 3B Crowe – SS Guerin – CF Reece – C Turner – RF Brady – 2B McLaughlin – LF Newton – 1B Wedemeyer – P Saito
CHA: CF Dunphy – 2B J. Barrón – SS H. Green – 3B M. Hall – LF M. Adams – 1B G. Adams – RF Morton – C J. Rivera – P Castro

Castro was dominant, striking out the Raccoons in droves. They still managed to score a run in the second inning on a Newton sac fly, but would even leave gifts unopened, like in the fifth, when Wedemeyer drew a leadoff walk, stole second and made it to third on Jesus Rivera’s errant throw – and was left there. Saito struck out, Crowe struck out, and Guerin popped out. Saito was still untouched at that point, holding on to the flimsy 1-0 lead. Bottom 5th, Brady dropped Glenn Adams’ fly to right to put the former Furball on base. Saito picked him right off, then sent Brady a death glance out there. Don’t you mess with me, kiddo. Bottom 8th. Still 1-0, still Saito in. Joe Morton led off with a single. Rivera laid down a bunt that ran quite deep to third and Crowe made a daredevil play to second – GOT HIM! (If Crowe hadn’t gotten him, *I*’d have gotten HIM…) Dunphy singled with two down, bringing up Juan Barrón. As Barrón lined well over Crowe’s head and extended glove, the ship was sinking. Newton couldn’t cut it off in time, Rivera scored, and Dunphy turned third base. Newton hurled the ball back in, and Dunphy was out at the plate, ending the inning, but gone was the W, as usual. Wade pitched the ninth and the game extended past nine. There, Newton got on to lead off the tenth and stole second. That prompted the Falcons to put Wedemeyer (.198 anyone?) on intentionally. A wild pitch by Bartolo Gomez brought in the first run for the Coons, and Crowe drove in Wedemeyer. Reece and Turner singled, loading the bags with two out, and prompting us to hit for Wade, who had been put into the #5 slot in the expectation of a 18-inning slog to go two or more. Up 3-1 was nice, 5-1 or so would be much nicer. Parker hit for him and fouled out… De La Rosa got the ball, facing Glenn Adams, Morton, and Rivera in the bottom 10th. He walked the first two, prompting his expulsion from the contest by a raging manager, and Daniel Miller came in, as Arturo Lopez, who had homered for the winning run in game 1, replaced Rivera. Both Lopez and Javier Encarnación grounded out as pinch-hitters, but moved up the runners, meaning Christian Dunphy came to bat in a 3-2 game with the tying run on third base. Miller got ahead 0-2, before Dunphy drilled a grounder up the middle – but have no fear, Guerin’s here! Concie made the play, and the Raccoons stumbled away with this one. 3-2 Aneurysmicoons. Turner 2-5; Brady 2-4; Saito 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K;

Kisho Saito picking off Glenn Adams is the first time a Raccoons pitcher has managed to pick somebody off all season. It’s okay, boys, it ain’t even September yet.

In other news

August 25 – 40-year old BOS SP Bill Smith (13-7, 3.24 ERA) spins a 6-hit shutout against the Canadiens in a 12-0 rout.
August 26 – SAL INF Roberto Quintero (.330, 8 HR, 56 RBI) has a single in a 3-0 Wolves loss to the Gold Sox, reaching a 20-game hitting streak.
August 27 – DAL INF Rodrigo Morales (.351, 8 HR, 74 RBI) has suffered a knee sprain and will not be able to play again this season. He was third in the FL in batting average behind teammate Diego Rodriguez and Sioux Falls’ Hjalmar Flygt.
August 29 – SFW SP Arnold McCray (9-11, 3.57 ERA) survives a 4-3 shuffle over the Capitals to notch his 200th career victory. McCray, the 14th overall pick in the ’79 draft by the Buffaloes, and the 1986 FL Pitcher of the Year, pitched for Topeka, Vancouver, Oklahoma, Washington, and Sioux Falls in his career, starting 517 games and has a 200-187 record and a 3.39 career ERA. He also has 2,696 strikeouts.
August 29 – VAN 1B Bill Mosley (.329, 26 HR, 86 RBI) breaks a finger sliding into a base and is likely to miss the rest of the season.

Complaints and stuff

Marvin Ingall was given a rehab assignment starting on Sunday after coming off the DL. I’m of course bending the rulebook. I don’t want to send anybody down two days before the roster expansion, and the Coons won’t make the playoffs with Ingall either. So, Ingall will play two games in St. Pete, and then rejoin the team on Tuesday, September 1, together with a few call-ups.

Will the Raccoons call up their young hot iron at AAA, Dan Nordahl, on September 1? Nope. Nordahl made the jump to AAA just over a month ago, and has walked eight in 12.2 innings. That’s a small sample size still, but this boy will not be spoiled prematurely. He will not come up until the second half of next season at the very earliest. I am eyeing for him to be a September call-up next year, possibly. Don’t forget that he’s only 19 and won’t turn 20 until March.

Where are the Raccoons going to be next season? I’m asking because of Movonda. He was stellar this year. If we could extend him, we’d have a valuable asset in the rotation, but it wouldn’t make sense to splurge a million on him if we will play like this next year as well. Which is not an option to be honest, because sooner or later the clubhouse is going to turn into the Oregon Chainsaw Massacre…

A 40-year old Bill Smith tossed a shutout this week. I’ve been hating him for close to 15 years now…

Bad news from the minors: our 1998 top draft pick OF Chris Roberson bruised his elbow this week, and could be out for the season. He was OPS’ing .909 in AA before getting hurt and I had him on the list for a promotion to AAA once rosters would expand for the Raccoons on the coming Tuesday, when we would add a few bats regardless of performance. Most promising: Roberson hit 18 homers in just 244 AB in AA. I am not 100% sure yet, but he might start 1999 in St. Pete anyway.