SUBJECT: WEEK 4 NOTES
SCHEDULE: 1 A Minnesota 3 vs Milwaukee OFF DAY 2 @ Ohio
RESULTS:
ABA SUSPENDS TARPONS GRIDER PENDING HEARING
The ABA has announced a 5 game suspension for Tarpon DH Chris Grider after rumors surfaced he had acted 'inappropriately' during a post-game press conference the other day. A female reporter from the Miami Herald has filed a sexual harassment complaint vs the Tarpons and the ABA. Owner Juan Medina could not be reached for comment and GM Gehrig Schilling replied via email “We are looking into this matter. This is not, and never will be acceptable behavior by anyone in this organization.”
LATE NIGHT OFFICE VISIT
I Just got off the phone with Andy Viano. Andy is the 33-year-old hot shot GM for the Los Angeles Storm. LA is a GM's nightmare in that fans and media drive their agenda almost as much as real baseball decisions. I have not told anyone, nor will I, that Mr. Medina has insisted, not suggested, that I trade slugger Chris Grider. I didn't even try to defend this one. Word has it that there was a clubhouse incident and it will come out sooner or later. Given where I had him fitting here and what I was hoping to get done this changes everything and does so on a timetable that if I do not handle this right I could lose a player that should net me a legitimate return. Anyway, LA is off to a 10-11 start made all the worse by the Bears sitting at 15-6. Their offense is dead last in runs, OBP, and HR. Knowing all that prior to the call I went hard, fast. I tried to keep calm after mentioning 2005 1st rounder Jeff Faulkner. We loved him in the draft and never expected to be around in round 2, and he wasn't, going 27th overall to LA. Now having said that I made it clear it was going to need to be more than one guy, and the 2nd player in this deal had to be an ABA ready bat (which given their win it all now approach was unlikely) or another prospect. I told him I wanted AAA prospect Bobby Pergande, their #2 pick in 2002. He's got 1 option left and is making minimum but he's ready now if that needed to be the case, which it does not. We ended the discussion there. He said he needed to talk to 'his guys'. If this leaks I lose any leverage I think I may have.
- 4/24: MIN 2 FLA 0 Ignacio Justiniano 7.2 IP 4 H 8 K 5 BB W (2-2 4.50) Myres SV (5)
- Barlow CG 5 H 6 K
- 4/25: MIL 15 FLA 2 Geoff Wimer 4-4 2 2B 4 R 2 RBI (.258-1-8) Alfredo Ulloa 3-6 HR (2) (.380) Chris Ryan 4-6 4 RBI (.348-4-17) Jeff Black 7.2 IP 3H 2 ER
- Camp 3 IP 11 H 8 ER
- Jacksonville reliever Jonathan Jahnke will miss the rest of the 2006 season with a torn UCL.
- Chicago signed reliever Stever Ferdman to a 1 year 1.08 million dollar deal (we were trying to persuade him to think about coming here)
EMBATTLED SLUGGER SENT PACKING
The Florida Tarpons today announced they had reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Storm that will send 28-year-old Slugger Chris Grider to LA in exchange for SP prospect Jeff Faulkner and IF Bobby Pergande. Faulkner was the Storms 1st round selection in the 2005 draft. LA GM Andy Viano appeared to be surprised when he arrived at the park today as there was a rather large crowd of women picketing outside the Storms front offices. GM Gehrig Schilling was not available for comment.
After the press conference, it was announced that Pergande had been added to their 38 man roster and recalled to the Florida club while Faulkner was sent to Class A Farmington.
Pergande will serve as a 6th infielder as Ajani Foggie will move into the everyday lineup at 1B and Juan Barranco will serve as the clubs primary DH.
- 4/26: FLA 4 MIL 2 Chase 8 IP 9 H 2 ER Benoit SV (5) HR Gilmore (5)
- Chris Edge (SF) punched out 15 over 8 to beat KC 3-2
- 4/27: MIL 2 FLA 1 Ramirez 7.1 IP 3 H 8 K 0 R Madrid BS (1) Juan Carrasco GW HR (3)
- Omezo Yamamura 8 IP 4 H 3 K 1 ER ND
- 4/28: OFF DAY
- Much needed. Makata Hayashi started the season on fire but is just 5 for his last 50 1 HR and 4 RBI's. His slash line has gone from the 1st week of .381/.444/.952 to .187/.290/.451. Not sure how much longer I can keep running Foggie out there. He's just 3-35 on the season with 1 XBH.
- 4/29: FLA 4 OH 2 Haupt 4-5 2 HR 3 R 3 RBI (.358-5-20) Foggie 3 BB Agresta W (3-0 6.11) 8 IP 6 H 6 BB 8 K 2 ER Benoit SV (6)
- 4/30: FLA 4 OH 2 Barlow W (1-3 6.03) Loses SHO in the 9th 8.1 IP 4 H 5 BB 7 KK 2 ER Benoit SV (7) 3 HR's (Figueroa (4) Klatt (5) Foggie (1) account for all 4 runs.
- Ernesto Banderas L 7 IP 3 H 10 K 2 ER (3-3 3.43)
- In Single-A Washington Jets OF prospect Esteban Cobos hit in his 36th consecutive game. That's the all-time Professional record for players in the ABA
TARPON PLAYER OF THE MONTH – Mike Haupt .340-8-20
TARPON PITCHER OF THE MONTH – Joaquin Benoit 1-0 7 SV 2.19 12.1 IP 20 K's
APRIL POWER RANKINGS
1. Las Vegas 160.3
2. San Francisco 149.5
3. Portland Lancers 122.7
4.
Florida Tarpons 114.8
AL POTW - Harland Legge (LV) 8-20 5 HR 14 RBI (.275-5-16)
NL POTW – Maxence Brun (OK) 12-23 6 HR 16 RBI (.273-11-24)
AL PLAYER OF THE MONTH – Domenic Loetzsch (LV) .388-12-29 24 R
NL PLAYER OF THE MONTH – Zach Hogue (POR) .380-11-27 24 R
AL PITCHER – Omari Samedi (AK) 4-1 1.57 43 K 34.1 IP
NL PITCHER – Eric Kowalske (KC) 5-1 1.40 39 K 38.2 IP
AL ROOKIE –
Luis Figueroa (FLA) .330-4-15
NL ROOKIE – Damian Hargrow (POR) .367-7-19
Domenic Loetzch has no, led the AL in AVG, HR and RBI for the last 7 months. Mike Haupt had a great month. Winton Alward and RJ Standon right back on top of the leaderboard in the AL.
In the NL San Francisco was no joke this winter and no joke in April. Top 2 K pitchers in the NL, Mike Lloyd is off to a great start and Chris Edge just had that 15 K game.
Not sure what to say. From 118 losses to leading the East at the end of April. It's just 4 weeks and lord knows I would be gleeful with an 81 win season. Our pitching is going to catch up to us and not in a good way. Las Vegas has lapped the West already. Central is the division everyone thinks will suck top to bottom and I think that means one decent month could put someone way out front.
San Francisco's aggressive winter paid off in April. Portland snuck up on most but LA is treading water at 13-13 and they're riled up. Pittsburgh off to a rare horrible start and the Central looks to be a good race this year.
The two things most impactful, well three actually, on this page.
1) Our minor leagues are horrid right now, far far worse than I expected
2) Our starting pitching peripherals are crap. We are using a seasons worth of luck in a month
3) Our defense is outstanding. And even with that there are enormous upgrades to be had at 1B and at the corners in the OF. Our pitching staff as a whole is terrible defensively.