[Westheim]

Slept after work, only three hours, though, to be able to take in the Gatorade Duels (finally the sports year begins, hooray!), and got to some hairy action here, too.

You can always catch up on sleep on Friday morning in the office, right?

Raccoons (31-41) @ Condors (39-33) – June 22-24, 2001

The Condors were remarkably average in most categories despite shedding most of the former Raccoons they had accumulated in the last few years. Until recently, only Ben O’Morrissey and Mauro Granados had remained of that group, but they had signed Daniel Richardson a few weeks ago. He wasn’t hitting squid.

Projected matchups:
Ralph Ford (4-6, 3.70 ERA) vs. Bastyao Caixinha (9-6, 2.58 ERA)
Randy Farley (1-5, 5.86 ERA) vs. Kelvin Yates (4-3, 4.43 ERA)
Cipriano Miranda (3-7, 4.16 ERA) vs. Jose Maldonado (7-7, 3.56 ERA)

Caixinha will be the first left-hander we go up against in over a week, and the only one in this series. The 39-year old Venezuelan – who is ancient enough to have been pursued to some degree or other by the Raccoons in the next-to-last decade – is enjoying his third and potentially final spring.

Game 1
POR: 3B Sharp – LF Cavazos – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – SS Guerin – 1B Martin – C Thomas – RF Flores – P Ford
TIJ: LF Bayle – 2B J. Barrón – 3B O’Morrissey – CF MacGruder – C Cicalina – 1B B. Boyle – RF B. Wilson – SS Adegoke – P Caixinha

Another Ford start, another wild ride. He went to a full count on leadoff man Jimmy Bayle, but struck him out, then after a perfect first walked both Jeff MacGruder and Urbano Cicalina to start the bottom 2nd, but the Condors stranded runners on the corners when Ford came back to whiff both Wilson and Adegoke to end the inning. Ford led off the third with a double, was on third after a Sharp single – and didn’t score. Ford responded by walking Caixinha on four straight balls in the bottom 3rd. When Bayle doubled, the Condors had two in scoring position with no outs. Juan Barrón hit a soft fly to shallow center that Reece snagged and the runners held. O’Morrissey grounded to Sharp, who made the play to first, and the runners held. Normally, you’d be tempted to walk slugger MacGruder (.841 OPS) with first base open and two down, but Ford would happily walk Cicalina, so he could go after MacGruder just as well. Palacios caught his pop, and we remained scoreless. The next inning the Condors put their first two men on again with a single and a walk before Ford struck out the next three – wild ride, like I mentioned. The ride ended the next inning. Ford hit his second double on the day with one out in the top 5th, but tweaked his ankle sliding into second base. He had to come out, and the Coons didn’t score AGAIN. The Condors then put a run on Manuel Martinez in the bottom 5th, and while Martin drove home Palacios with two down in the sixth to tie the score again, the game quickly got out of hand. Juan Diaz was tagged for a 2-run homer by Bill Wilson in the bottom 6th, yet then Dan Epps managed to pitch two frames without getting torched. However, the Raccoons were silenced by Caixinha over eight frames, and while Martin got on against closer Enrico Gonzalez, Thomas instantly hit into a double play. 3-1 Condors. Palacios 2-3, 2B; Martin 2-4, 2B, RBI; Ford 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K and 2-2, 2 2B; Epps 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

Diaz was so-so for the last 12 months, but now he just blows. Hard. Which is an issue since we have no other left-handed reliever available…

Ralph Ford had a sprained ankle and was officially listed as DTD, but there was quite the possibility he would have to be skipped for his next scheduled start, which was on Wednesday. We do NOT have an off day next week, so Scott Wade might get a spot start on Wednesday, in turn shortening our bullpen.

Game 2
POR: RF Cavazos – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – LF Parker – C Thomas – P Farley
TIJ: 2B B. Boyle – SS J. Barrón – 3B O’Morrissey – LF MacGruder – CF MacKey – C C. Ramos – 1B Cicalina – RF Richardson – P Yates

The Raccoons were annihilated by Yates, who struck out the side in the first, and held the Coons on the shortest leash well deep into the game. Farley was not terrible, but fell behind in the fourth inning when Cicalina drove in a run (but there had been two in scoring position with no outs, so it could have been worse). In the top 6th then, Thomas singled before Farley struck out trying to bunt. Then Yates issued his first walk of the game to Cavazos, and another one to Sharp. This was quite an important spot for Neil Reece, who was 0-6 in the series with 4 K. Yates, who had struck out seven through five inning, seemed to have lost something and fell behind Reece as well. Walks were boring however, and Reece lined a 2-1 pitch to left – and past MacGruder for a score-flipping 2-run double! Yates, tumbling, scored Sharp with a wild pitch before Reece was plated on a Martin single, making it 4-1. But it was still Farley pitching, and it was the 2001 Farley and not the 1999 Farley. The Condors reeled off three hits to start the bottom 7th, plating a run and having the tying runs on. With a heavily left-handed lineup and Diaz being useless, this was about a sure loss, but Richardson was at the plate. He flew out to center, putting runners on the corners. Granados hit for Yates, another left-hander. He singled, and everything was about to come up tails again for the Raccoons. Miller appeared, gave up the tying run to Bruce Boyle, and ended up issuing three straight 2-out walks, followed by a 2-run single to Ramos – another one of those ultra-dreadful 7-run innings against the Issuecoons. Sharp hit a meaningless home run in the eighth, because ultimately the Raccoons would have another catcher to hit into a double play against Enrico Gonzalez, this time Fifield. 8-6 Condors. Reece 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Thomas 4-4, 2 2B;

And another one of those mind- and soul-crippling losses that were so completely unnecessary. If we had any actual left-handed relief…….

Of course, all of this is down to having ****ing no money again. What do we expect from a minimum salary scrub?

Game 3
POR: RF Cavazos – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – 1B Martin – C Thomas – LF Parker – SS McLaughlin – P Miranda
TIJ: 2B B. Boyle – SS J. Barrón – 3B O’Morrissey – LF MacGruder – CF MacKey – C C. Ramos – 1B Granados – RF Richardson – P J. Maldonado

With Sharp and Reece in scoring position in the top 1st, the right-hander Maldonado struck out both Palacios and Martin, and there we went. Six days removed from his first career shutout, Miranda was rushed and wrecked by the Condors, who scored three runs in the first inning, including a leadoff jack by Bruce Boyle and the last one coming home on a wild pitch. With Miranda and Cavazos in scoring position in the top 3rd – and NO OUTS – the Raccoons plated one run on an infield single by Neil Reece between a Sharp K and two pop outs. In the bottom 4th, the Condors loaded them up with no outs when Miranda hit Ramos, walked Granados, and Richardson hit a bloop over Palacios, but the Condors also failed to bring the hammer down and were held to a sac fly by Maldonado. Miranda pitched six innings, walking five and whiffing seven, but the damage had of course been done as he trailed 4-1. Manuel Martinez was about choked in the bottom 7th, but Diaz got a lucky double play grounder to dissolve that inning, then struck out the side (because it didn’t matter?) in the bottom 8th. We didn’t face Gonzalez again in the ninth, but Ray Cobb (we’re wearing out closers!), and the Raccoons got stuck in, started with a pinch-hit double by Guerin. Parker and Flores made outs before Heart drew a walk in place of Diaz. Cavazos then singled home Guerin, bringing Sharp up as the go-ahead run. His grounder went up the middle, where Boyle made a great play to seal the sweep. 4-2 Condors. Cavazos 2-5, 2B, RBI; Reece 3-4, 2B, RBI; Guerin (PH) 1-1, 2B; Kent (PH) 1-1; Diaz 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;

Raccoons (31-44) vs. Aces (34-42) – June 25-27, 2001

These both teams had many similarities. In patheticness, their rotations didn’t take much from another, and their offense was about average as well. In both categories, the Coons had a slight edge over the Aces, but the Aces had something the Raccoons really, really, really didn’t: the second-best bullpen in the league. It would be all about hurting their starters.

Projected matchups:
Miguel Lopez (5-5, 5.92 ERA) vs. Dan Moriarty (8-4, 4.02 ERA)
Carl Bean (5-5, 4.21 ERA) vs. Rafael Barbosa (1-6, 6.10 ERA)
TBD vs. Jou Hara (3-8, 5.36 ERA)

We don’t know yet whether Ralph can go on Wednesday. He might, he might not. We will be more informed on Tuesday, but it means that we need to hold out Scott Wade of the Monday game.

Game 1
LVA: CF C. Gúzman – C De La Parra – 1B J. Vargas – RF Ghiberti – SS Cerdeira – 3B J. Bradley – LF Moreno – 2B J. Martinez – P Moriarty
POR: 3B Sharp – LF Cavazos – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – SS Guerin – RF Flores – 1B Heart – C Fifield – P M. Lopez

There were four hits in the game through three innings, and it were all the Aces’, but the game was scoreless. Dan Moriarty was perfect the first time through, but Sharp singled to lead off the bottom 4th. Cavazos doubling over Ghiberti put the Raccoons into a prime spot to strike with a pair in scoring position and no outs. Reece flew out to left, Sharp tagged, and was thrown out. Oh noes… Walks to Palacios and Guerin loaded the bags, but Flores grounded out. Sharp throwing away Moriarty’s grounder to lead off the top 5th soon enough led to an unearned run for the Aces right away. Lopez pitched seven innings and struck out NINE – and all for nought. The Raccoons – however they had escaped the Abyss – left runners on third base in both the sixth and seventh. He got the minimal mercy treatment eventually, with Palacios doubling in Cavazos in the bottom 8th, with two down. That tied the score, and Bruno managed a scoreless ninth. That put the team in prime position to walk off, but we led off with Gilberto Flores. However, the Aces fielded Charlie Deacon, whom the Coons had enjoyed success against in the past. Also, he was a righty, and we had Albert Martin on the bench. He hit for Flores and delivered the first of three incredibly quick outs. Both pitchers came back out for the tenth, with Bruno allowing no runs in the top half. He was due to lead off in the bottom half, so we went to elite pinch-hitter Chris Parker. That was again the first of three quick outs against Deacon. Leading off with Dan Nordahl, the Raccoons then had their bullpen trashed in the 12th inning, five runs, all charged against Nordahl. 6-1 Aces. Sharp 2-5; Palacios 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Lopez 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K; Bruno 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K;

And all of a sudden, they’ve lost five straight again. No matter who pitches to whom. It always results in a giant ****up with this team. I resorted to drinking myself senseless after this game and spent Tuesday in a dazed state.

Game 2
LVA: 2B Cerdeira – C De La Parra – 1B J. Vargas – LF McCormick – RF Ghiberti – CF Wills – 3B J. Martinez – SS J. Bradley – P Barbosa
POR: LF Cavazos – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – C Thomas – RF Kent – P Bean

De La Parra homered off Bean in the first inning, and the Aces loaded the bases before settling for a 2-0 lead. Here comes the sixth straight defeat. The second saw a Guerin error and Bean plating a run with a wild pitch, 3-0, and Guerin made ANOTHER error in the fourth, plating a run right away when John Bradley was awarded home from second base one Guerin throwing one to the kid with glasses in row three. In between, Palacios had hit his 17th home run of the season, but it wasn’t nearly enough to cover all the spillage by Bean and Guerin. The former went five innings, walking six (one intentional), and left down 5-2. Miller pitched the top 6th, and struck out three – however … well, he also surrendered two extra-base hits, a walk, and Sharp made an error, and - ……. And the Aces scored in every inning but the third and ninth, including another crippling 5-run seventh, as the Raccoons got themselves stomped yet again. 13-7 Aces. Kent 2-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Diaz 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

All runs in the seventh were on Dan Epps (18.00 ERA), who was banished for it. And here comes Bob Joly…

I awoke from my Jack Daniels-induced coma on Wednesday evening to find out that the Raccoons had given up a baker’s dozen on Tuesday, and that manager Lance Cox had penciled Ralph Ford in to start game 3. Oh well, SOMEBODY’s gotta absorb the inevitable loss…

Game 3
LVA: CF C. Gúzman – C De La Parra – 1B J. Vargas – LF McCormick – RF Ghiberti – SS Cerdeira – 3B J. Bradley – 2B J. Martinez – P Hara
POR: CF Cavazos – SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – 1B Martin – C Thomas – LF Parker – 3B McLaughlin – RF Kent – P Ford

Ford gave up plenty of hard contact, with Parker snagging three deep flies in the first four innings alone. Of course, it didn’t get Ford anywhere close to a win, and neither did Albert Martin’s error in the fourth that ultimately led to an unearned, and the first run of the game. Martin and Thomas led off with a walk and a double in the bottom 4th, giving Parker a chance to do anything with something other than his glove. While a hit was not in the cards for the Coons, at least Parker and McLaughlin managed to make productive outs to take a 2-1 lead. Now we had to hope for Ford to go deep into the game, since giving a 1-run lead to this bullpen was an automatic loss. However, Ford was wild again. While he was more or less on track to make it to the eighth on pitch count, he found it necessary to issue a pair of full count 2-out walks in the sixth. Although he fanned Cerdeira to end the inning, that still put him at 100 pitches on the game. He issued two more walks to leave the game with two out in the seventh. Marcos Bruno was brought on to face Javier Vargas and got him to pop out to Concie. Then it was Jason Kent to knock a leadoff jack in the bottom 7th, giving him home runs in back-to-back games. Up 3-1, we had Wade for the eighth, and had a chunk taken out of him with a Ghiberti double and an RBI single by Cerdeira. There was no insurance to be squeezed out of this team in the bottom 8th, with the Raccoons limited to four hits in the contest, and Nordahl would have to come back from surrendering five runs on Monday to protect a 3-2 lead. After he whiffed Martinez, Bernard Combes hit a single to right. Cisco Gúzman walked, and oh no here we go. Nordahl then struck out De La Parra, and Vargas shoved the ball into the ground just in front of home plate. Thomas sprang out and lobbed to first, wide, Martin with a stretch – OUT! 3-2 Raccoons. Ford 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 7 K, W (5-6);

It was not much of a win, but a win is a win is a win. And after six losses you’d take a kick into the nuts just to get a win.

And now, the Elks.

Raccoons (32-46) vs. Canadiens (28-48) – June 28-July 1, 2001

Since getting pummeled by the Aces, the Raccoons had the most runs conceded in the Continental League once again. They weren’t much worse than the Canadiens, though, who ranked 10th with 12 runs allowed less (412 to 400). Offensively, the Raccoons still held an edge, 344 runs (6th) to 328 runs (8th). Also, the two worst bullpens in the league were involved in this series, so no 7-run lead should be considered safe…

Projected matchups:
Randy Farley (1-6, 5.98 ERA) vs. Jose Dominguez (3-12, 5.94 ERA)
Cipriano Miranda (3-8, 4.29 ERA) vs. Cal Holbrook (2-2, 4.98 ERA)
Miguel Lopez (5-5, 5.42 ERA) vs. Daniel Dickerson (6-5, 4.25 ERA)
Carl Bean (5-6, 4.27 ERA) vs. Paul Kirkland (5-6, 3.80 ERA)

That’s a full slate of right-handers by the Canadiens that is on offer here. Not that it matters much with this furry team of trauma. They can’t out-score their horrendous pitching either way.

Game 1
VAN: SS A. Simon – CF T. Wilson – 1B Valenzuela – RF Velasquez – LF J. Durán – 3B A. De Jesus – C Rosa – 2B J. Zamora – P Dominguez
POR: LF Cavazos – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – RF Kent – C Thomas – P Farley

Bottom 1st, Cavazos singled, stole second, Sharp singled, and Reece walked. Three on, no outs, Palacios singled home a run before Martin killed the inning with a double play, home and first. The team would take some redemption in the next frame when they plated two runs on doubles by Kent, Thomas, and Sharp, 3-0. Farley needed 50 pitches through five innings, pitching a crisp 1-hitter. Control started to go away by the sixth however, when he needed 15 pitches to get through Zamora and Dominguez, although none of them reached. In the top 7th, he led off by plunking Tom Wilson, but Sharp started a double play to remove him. Rain started to fall then. The rain didn’t get to Farley, since it stopped after a few minutes, and the Canadiens per se didn’t either, but his control went away. After eight, he was up to 99 pitches, but up 4-0, he got a shot at the ninth, although the left-handers Simon and Wilson were due to lead off. Simon flew out to Cavazos, fairly deep, but Wilson grounded to first – for an infield single. The pitching coach went out to check on Randy’s general composure, and he wasn’t going to give up the ball anyway right now. He then struck out Valenzuela. Tony Velasquez also had two strikes on it when he grounded to left, but Guerin made the play for the final out. 4-0 Coons! Cavazos 2-4, 2B; Sharp 3-4, 2B, RBI; Palacios 2-4, RBI; Farley 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, W (2-6);

Randyboy! This was his sixth career shutout, and of course the first this (rotten) year. The win also assures us to not fall behind the Elks this weekend while playing on our own field.

Game 2
VAN: SS A. Simon – CF T. Wilson – 1B Valenzuela – RF Velasquez – LF J. Durán – 3B A. De Jesus – C Esquivel – 2B J. Zamora – P Holbrook
POR: LF Cavazos – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – C Fifield – RF Flores – P Miranda

The Canadiens came out swinging and chopped two runs off Miranda in the first inning. The Coons didn’t get anybody on until Miranda lobbed a single into leftfield in the bottom 3rd, and after Holbrook hit Cavazos, Sharp flew to deep right, but Velasquez made the play. Bottom 4th, Reece reached, and then Palacios clubbed another home run, which tied the score. The tie didn’t live long, as the Canadiens stole three bags in total off Miranda and Fifield in the top 5th and scored the go ahead run again. Flores got on for the Furballs in the bottom 5th, stole second, but Miranda failed to bunt. Flores only moved to third on a wild pitch with Sharp already at the plate and two out. Sharp would tie the score on the next pitch with a double, but Sharp would eventually be left on third base. Again, the Raccoons failed to resolve a tie in their favor. After a scoreless sixth, Miranda became stuck in the top 7th and was replaced by Bruno with two on and two out. Bruno failed completely, putting four men on before retiring Jesus Zamora, and the Canadiens jumped out to a 6-3 lead. The Raccoons got only one more man on base, Guerin, and he was caught stealing on a pitchout. 6-3 Canadiens. Joly 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Sigh.

Game 3
VAN: 3B A. De Jesus – 2B J. Zamora – 1B Valenzuela – RF Velasquez – CF P. Taylor – C Esquivel – LF A. Simon – SS Shaw – P Dickerson
POR: RF Cavazos – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 2B Palacios – 1B Martin – C Thomas – LF Parker – SS McLaughlin – P M. Lopez

The third of four contests got underway with icky weather and rain close by. The Coons had two on with two out when Martin singled to center in the bottom 1st. Reece was sent around third base – and thrown out by Velasquez. History repeated itself in the bottom 4th. With Thomas and Parker on base and one out, McLaughlin doubled into the gap in left field. Thomas scored easily and Parker was sent home, too, on the scouting report saying that Arthur Simon had a poor arm (or maybe even no arm). Simon threw him out regardless, keeping the Raccoons to scoring the tying run only once Lopez grounded out. The rain had started a few minutes earlier. The game was shortly delayed in the top 5th but Lopez returned to pitching after less than 20 minutes of interruption. Lopez pitched long enough to get hung onto the hook by a Phil Taylor triple and subsequent sacrifice by Esquivel that put the Elks up 2-1 again. The damage was not permanent as the Raccoons tied it back in the bottom 6th, but they just could not take a lead! Miller and Wade pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings (yet not quite boring innings…), still no life from the Critters, and Wade managed another scoreless innings despite a double by Valenzuela. Still tied, it was unfortunately McLaughlin to lead off the bottom 9th. As the Elks brought a new right-hander in Anthony Duhamel, Kent hit for McLaughlin, flew out, and Heart hit for Wade, and flew out as well. Cavazos failed as well, and we went to extras. With two left-handed Elks due up in the tenth, Diaz came out, and since it meant something, he couldn’t get anybody. A Palacios error got the Canadiens started, but Diaz issued a walk and a single. Three on, no outs. Martinez replaced Diaz, but the Elks scored a run despite a good effort from the righty. So the Coons had to move in the bottom 10th – Duhamel still in, Sharp led off with a groundout, Reece whiffed, and then Palacios sent a fly to deep center – with Taylor receiving it with a good stretch. 3-2 Canadiens. Thomas 2-4, 2B; Lopez 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; Wade 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

(absent-mindedly slams head against the door frame, and again, and again, and again …)

We have had four runners thrown out at home in a week’s time. Maybe I should display a bit less recklessness?

So we end June on a terrible 2-for-10 and at .370 in total. And we still have to play the Nasty Smells once more.

Game 4
VAN: SS A. Simon – CF T. Wilson – 1B Valenzuela – RF Velasquez – LF J. Durán – 3B A. De Jesus – C Esquivel – 2B J. Zamora – P Kirkland
POR: LF Cavazos – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 1B Martin – C Thomas – SS Guerin – RF Kent – 2B McLaughlin – P Bean

The Raccoons loaded the bases in the bottom 1st, Guerin struck out, and they didn’t score. Carl Bean held the Elks short at first, and the Raccoons actually still took a lead for the first time since Thursday when Albert Martin hit a 2-run home run in the bottom 3rd. The next frame, Guerin led off with a double, Kent and McLaughlin got on as well, and Bean batted with three on and no outs, and actually managed a single past Simon to bring the score to 3-0. Cavazos popped out, Sharp grounded into a force at home, and could Neil Reece show some life? Well, he walked. With a run pushed home thus, Martin came back up and singled over Jesus Zamora to plate another pair! That knocked out Kirkland, with reliever Mark Alexander removing Thomas and ending the inning at 6-0 Coons. Should be plenty even for Bean? Well yes, it should, but would it? The Canadiens didn’t get to do a lot against him in the game. Bean was efficient on the mound and at the plate, driving in another run in the bottom 5th as the Coons made it 8-0 on the Elks. The Coons left a bunch on in the next three innings, but the focus was more on Bean, who carried a 4-hitter into the ninth. Could he do it? Tim Wilson flew to deep left, but Parker made the play after entering the previous inning (Reece had been removed), but then both Valenzuela and Velasquez hit singles, a throw by Kent to third was never going to achieve anything but moving Velasquez to second, and now the shutout was going to blow, unless Bean could whiff Durán. He couldn’t, a run came in, and Bean failed to finish the game either, instead getting rocked for another double by Esquivel. Marcos Bruno had to come in to retire Zamora. 8-3 Raccoons.

They just couldn’t finish this game without cocking up again, could they? Cavazos 2-6, 2B; Sharp 3-5, RBI; Martin 3-4, BB, HR, 4 RBI; Guerin 3-5, 2B; Bean 8.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W (6-6) and 2-4, BB, 2 RBI;

Frustration. Pure, raw frustration.

In other news

June 22 – NAS SP Javier Cruz (7-5, 3.03 ERA) gives up only a second inning single to Fernando Vasquez as he 1-hits the Pacifics, 7-0, and fans a full dozen.
June 24 – The Thunder deal for the Pacifics’ INF Hector Castro (.259, 1 HR, 31 RBI), sending LF/RF Yohan Bonneau (.313, 9 HR, 42 RBI) to L.A.
June 24 – The Titans acquire backup outfielder Arturo Lopez (.300, 1 HR, 12 RBI in 80 AB) from the Canadiens in exchange for 1B/2B Jesus Zamora (.323, 0 HR, 10 RBI in 65 AB).
June 27 – The Canadiens lose 3B Raymond Sutton (.287, 2 HR, 29 RBI) for the season with a broken kneecap.
June 30 – Milwaukee’s Martin Garcia (11-5, 2.88 ERA) 2-hits the Titans and whiffs 11 in an 8-0 romp.

Complaints and stuff

(hums) I know … I know … all beauty must gooo…

That’s been stuck in my head for a few days. I don’t know whether it’s a thing. I just know the Raccoons aren’t a thing. They aren’t much of anything.

It was one of those weeks where the CL Player of the Week was from an opposing team, so you know how the Coons performed (Ricco Ghiberti hit .483, including a slick .583 against the Critters…).

Guerin is in a terrible slump, as is Martin (although the Sunday game might indicate impending improvement?), and we have nobody to lead off (or bat anywhere other than eighth). I feel the need to point one thing out: Palacios was not benched in the Sunday game because of his error the day before, but because we are in a long string of games and he was due a game off. Cavazos is the only player to not have had a day off and he will get one early next week.

The team as a whole continues to perform mediocre to badly, with 3.7 R/G and 4.8 R/A in this update (it’s 4.4 R/G and 5.2 R/A for the year). There are some notable, positive exceptions, like Palacios and Sharp, and Cavazos, and until recently Guerin and Martin. Neil Reece is … I don’t know? He’s hitting mostly singles, but he’s hitting deep flies, too, they just never seem to fall in? Brady was great before he busted his ankle! He’s still in one of those terrifically unstylish grey boots and on crutches, and it’s going to be a long time before he will be back on the field. :-(

We are the sixth-worst team in baseball (what an improvement from the last two years!), and I don’t think that that will make Carlosito spend money for next year, either… maybe we can find some caring owner to buy us out and save us from the hells of .400 ball?

Meanwhile this 17-game stretch will continue right up until the All Star break from July 9-11, and while I have some vague hope that we will get an All Star this year (we didn’t last year), I doubt we have any chances beyond Palacios.

CERTAINLY NO BOTCH- errr, PITCHERS.