[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Archelirion

Bloody hell dude. I can remember times where the 'coons have straight stunk more (been reading through 1998 lately and that rings a bell...) but I can't place a time that they've been so profligate. This bullpen is outstandingly, impressively, unbelievably bad.



This made me giggle, as does so much of your writing. Still, your patience is nothing short of saintly.

I appreciate the emotional support. And we will recall another lowlight of franchise history in this week's rapport.

Also, patience is relative. I am known to curse in ways that make even my actual version of Honeypaws blush.

+++

Raccoons (28-40) @ Canadiens (31-37) – June 23-25, 2031

Dumpster fire here, wide-awake colonoscopy there – the Raccoons were so far 4-1 with a postponement against the formerly aspiring, but now equally routing damn Elks. Granted, no lead they couldn’t waffle away in a single sneeze was worth celebrating at this point, and I for my part was glad enough to be out of jail and to arrive at home *just* in the nick of time for first pitch on NWSN. The Elks ranked eighth in runs scored, fifth in runs allowed, and actually had a pitching staff that didn’t have for a primary ingredient “disturbing holes”.

Projected matchups:
Rico Gutierrez (2-6, 5.99 ERA) vs. Logan Bessey (3-6, 4.52 ERA)
Mark Roberts (4-3, 4.81 ERA) vs. Fernando Nora (3-1, 2.09 ERA)
Ed Hague (4-4, 4.79 ERA) vs. Joe Martin (4-6, 3.92 ERA)

Southpaw in the opener, then two right-handers. Never mind that Nora had made only 11 starts – I don’t remember what a starting pitcher with an ERA in the 2’s feels like anymore…

Game 1
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – LF Jamieson – 3B Hereford – RF Wallace – C Tovias – CF Catella – 1B Baldwin – P Gutierrez
VAN: CF Tessmann – 2B LeJeune – LF A. Torres – 1B D. Fisher – 3B Anton – RF Wojnarowski – C F. Garcia – SS N. Millan – P Bessey

To make things exciting before the inevitable pitching meltdown the Critters started this game offensively like a fire engine, rapping Logan Bessey for five hits and three runs in the opening inning. For a quick first thump, Ramos singled and Tim Stalker homered on a sub-par pitchout. Hereford and Wallace then hit singles, with Tovias’ grounder also getting past Matt Anton to allow Hereford to come around before Catella popped out and Baldwin whiffed to strand a pair. To anybody’s surprise Rico Gutierrez began his day with a K to Danny Tessmann, then remained unhit upon through the early innings. It took a David Fisher single with two outs in the fourth to get the Elks into the H column, and then a swift 2-run homer by Anton to make them appear under R as well…

The Coons kept piling on hits, but still only led 3-2 through five. When Catella and Baldwin opened the sixth inning with a pair of singles, they were out-hitting the damn Elks 10-2, though. Gutierrez bunted the runners over, Ramos was walked intentionally, and Tim Stalker was thus presented with the bags stacked and one out. Stalker hit a sac fly to center, and then Jamieson knocked an 0-2 pitch over the head of Brian Wojnarowski with two outs. Baldwin scored and Ramos tried to come around on his own account, but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning, now with a 5-2 score. Rico worked around a leadoff single by Jesse LeJeune in the sixth inning, but was less fortunate in the seventh. Wojnarowski slapped a leadoff single up the middle, and Fernando Garcia rammed one past Hereford to put runners on the corners with the tying run at the plate, e.g. time for the pen to shine in the brightest light. With Ricky Ohl and Jonathan Fleischer unavailable, we couldn’t come up with a dumber move than to send Bryan Rabbitt. He conceded a run on Nelson Millan’s sac fly, which was dandy enough, got PH Vince Cuomo to pop out, and while Tessmann singled, LeJeune went down on strikes to end the bottom 7th with Portland still up by a pair. We even got the lead past Josh Boles in the eighth, and Chris Wise would face the bottom of the order in the ninth inning. How exciting! Nelson Millan’s 1-out double brought up the tying run, but Norman Day struck out in the #9 hole, and Tessmann popped out on the first pitch, and for once the Raccoons did not piss away an early lead …! 5-3 Critters! Ramos 2-4, BB; Jamieson 2-4, 2B, RBI; Hereford 2-3, BB;

Game 2
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – RF Wallace – LF Hereford – 1B Howden – 3B Nunley – CF Vanatti – C Leal – P Roberts
VAN: CF Tessmann – 2B LeJeune – LF A. Torres – 1B D. Fisher – 3B Anton – RF Wojnarowski – C F. Garcia – SS N. Millan – P Nora

Mark Roberts did all he could to make the Raccoons’ pen fall apart completely, giving up a homer to Millan in the bottom 2nd, then left after the second inning with a strained hamstring, leaving a 1-0 deficit to whoever could be mustered out there. Nick Bates’ arm was deemed expendable, but that wasn’t all yet. David Fisher would hit a fly to deep right in the bottom 3rd that moved weirdly in a crosswind and let Jimmy Wallace to adjust several times, and ultimately he had to lunge awkwardly while going sidewards and back at the same time. The catch was made – but Jimmy also came out with a hamstring issue. Oh goodness! Wilson Rodriguez took over.

Portland tied the game in the fourth, though this required Nunley and Vanatti to go to the corners with leadoff singles to allow Leal to knot the tally with a 6-4-3 double play. Bates struck out, having to bat one way or another. Not that he got very far into the game – he got stuck in the bottom 5th, where Tessmann opened with a single, was forced out by LeJeune, but Bates lost both Alex Torres and David Fisher on balls and was removed, looking completely gassed. Boles got pops from Anton and Wojnarowski to end the inning still tied 1-1. Neither team showed much offensive vigor at this point. Fleischer pitched 2.1 innings for the Coons before yielding to Garavito in the bottom 8th when Wojnarowski’s turn to bat came up. Astonishingly, the damn Elks hit for the left-handed batter, sending Matt Dehne, who flicked a single on 0-2, but then got doubled up on a Fernando Garcia comebacker, 1-6-3 to end the eighth. There I was on the couch, clutching all the pillows I could physically hold and hoped for the game to end before the 17th inning. Vanatti, Leal, and Jamieson made straight outs against Raul de la Rosa in the top of the ninth, but Mauricio Garavito threw only two more pitches in the bottom of the inning, the second of which Millan hit over the fence to indeed end the game. 2-1 Canadiens. Fleischer 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K;

Yes, that is two solo homers by the #8 hitter to put this game in the books.

It was also time for roster moves, although I had to call the Druid 17 times on Wednesday morning until he finally answered and gleefully reported that he had good news and bad news on the pair of hamstrings. The bad news was that Mark Roberts had to go to the DL for about a month, which would surely curtail his pursuit of a single-season record of homers allowed. The good news was that Wallace’s injury was much less severe. He would have to sit out the rubber game, but we were apparently reasonably confident that he could be back in the lineup on the weekend.

Either that, or the Druid needed another 12 hours of a headstart to hide the body…

Anyway, roster moves. The Coons put Mark Roberts on the DL and sent Nick Bates, who walked four in 2.1 innings in this game, back to St. Pete. We added two relievers for the time being since we didn’t need another starter until next week thanks to an off day on Thursday (the last one before the All Star Game). We replaced one Nick with another, recalling Derks, and also brought back Fernandez, whose ERA in St. Pete was 14 times as high as the one with the Critters, whatever the hell that meant…

Game 3
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – RF Hereford – LF Jamieson – 1B Howden – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – CF Vanatti – P Hague
VAN: C F. Garcia – 2B LeJeune – RF Wojnarowski – 1B D. Fisher – LF A. Torres – 3B Anton – CF N. Day – SS N. Millan – P J. Martin

The Coons began promising with a Ramos walk and a Stalker single, then were cut short by Martin who got Hereford to ground out before ringing up Jamieson and Howden. The Elks were less picky, getting a leadoff double into the leftfield corner from Garcia and an RBI single from LeJeune to put Hague in a hole before he logged a single out. The Coons couldn’t score their catcher after his own leadoff double in the fourth – Tovias hit a high bouncer off the track and over the fence for a ground rule variety double before being left at third base. The Elks in turn added a second run when Alex Torres hit a leadoff single through between Ramos and Nunley, stole two bases, and came on around to score in the bottom 4th…

Torres went on to rub it in against the Coons in this game. After a leadoff double by Wojnarowski off the entirely hapless Hague in the bottom 6th, Torres singled him home, stole second again, and then scored on Matt Anton’s single to extend the lead to 4-0. Both starting pitchers disappeared in the top 7th, when Catella hit for Hague, but grounded out to begin the inning, well before 2-out singles by Stalker and Hereford knocked out Joe Martin. J.D. Hamm struck out Jamieson to end the inning, though. The damn Elks kept adding, though; Tessmann laced a pinch-hit double off Fernandez to begin the bottom 7th and would come around on a LeJeune single, 5-0. That was before the bottom fell out of the damn pen entirely in the eighth. Nick Derks came on, allowed a single to Torres, then walked the bases full without logging an out. Millan popped out foul, which was a start, but Derks then walked PH Steve Gries to put a run across, and was knocked out by Garcia’s 2-run single. Garavito had to dig him out, and not that the extra three runs made a difference, but GOOD GRIEF, THE RELIEF!!

…which still wasn’t the end of the game. Ramos led off the ninth against Ed Miller with a single, then watched as Stalker and Hereford made outs. With the game lost and Jamieson at 0-for-3, Wilson Rodriguez was sent out to get the at-bat and unexpectedly homered to left. Yay, consolation runs! Which still wasn’t the end, because the very next pitch nailed Jarod Howden, and Jarod objected very much, flung the bag, flung the helmet, and then raced out to try and fling one into Miller’s face. He very nearly clawed the damn Elk’s eyes out, but was held back at the last second. Both him and Miller were ejected. Chris Sinkhorn eventually struck out Nunley to end the game. 8-2 Canadiens. Stalker 2-4; Rodriguez (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Tovias 3-4, 2B;

Jarod Howden and Ed Miller were both hammered with 3-game suspensions, so Howden would miss the weekend set against the Thunder.

Raccoons (29-42) vs. Thunder (38-34) – June 27-29, 2031

Oh boy, a winning team! The Thunder were nevertheless nine games out in the South with the Condors seemingly proving elusive again. Oklahoma ranked second in runs scored, but were also conceding plenty of runs with a crummy pitching staff. Their run differential was only +3, with rotation and pen both eighth in terms of ERA. The Coons held a 2-1 edge in the season series.

Projected matchups:
Jason Gurney (2-3, 4.15 ERA) vs. Dusty Kulp (3-6, 4.65 ERA)
Dave Martinez (3-4, 4.72 ERA) vs. Peter Gill (7-3, 2.63 ERA)
Rico Gutierrez (3-6, 5.87 ERA) vs. Luis Flores (2-5, 4.65 ERA)

One righty, then two lefties to contend with in this set.

Also, the Thunder had the fewest stolen bases in the league, having nipped only 15 bags at this point.

The Raccoons also used the Howden suspension to arrange for the major league debut of “prospect” Craig Hollenbeck. The 24-year-old first baseman from Cheektowaga, New York, taken #53 in the 2025 draft, was hitting .266 with four homers in AAA, his usual crummy output.

Game 1
OCT: CF Olszewski – 2B Byrd – C Burgess – 1B D. Cruz – SS Serrato – 3B Matsumoto – LF R. Gomez – RF May – P Kulp
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – RF Wallace – LF Jamieson – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – 1B Hollenbeck – CF Vanatti – P Gurney

Batting seventh, Hollenbeck didn’t get his first plate appearance until the third inning, then hit a 15-foot grounder on which he was thrown out by at least 60 feet by Mike Burgess. Even earlier, Hollenbeck had blatantly missed an Alex Serrato bouncer for a second-inning double, the only hit on Gurney’s ledger the first time through. Vanatti would hit a single after that, with the scoreboard announcing that he now had a 13-game hitting streak, which had to be an error of SOME sort… right? – No, Maud says it’s actually true. He only had 16 hits total in the span though. Vanatti was bunted to second, then driven in by Ramos, who in turn was caught stealing, which was now happening more often as the league had (finally?) gotten wise to his act. The lead was short-lived what with John Byrd and Burgess going to the corners with base hits and nobody out in the fourth. Danny Cruz hit into a run-scoring double play, evening the score at one. Then it was Matt Jamieson to sparkle with two outs in the bottom 4th hitting a ball over the head of Rafael Gomez – who came in batting .239 with one homer – with nobody on base. A sure double turned into more when Gomez fell down and the ball made it all the way into the corner. Jamieson raced for third, Gomez was still fumbling for the ball in the corner, Jamieson kept going and scored standing up – oh, boy! An inside-the-park homer!!

Curb your enthusiasm, though. Top 5th, Gurney allowed a single to the former Critter who had just shown little to no defense in leftfield, then added to Gomez by nailing Donovan May with one out. Kulp bunted to the mound, Gurney aimed for Gomez, but the throw was late, and all hands were safe, bringing up the top of the order with three on and one down. Gurney gave it all he had and struck out Drew Olszewski on three pitches, then allowed a fly to deep right to John Byrd, with Wallace going back and making the catch near the track, stranding the full condiment of Thunder runners. It would be Byrd again with two outs and two on in the seventh inning, then the result of a May single inches past Ramos’ glove and Kulp faking a bunt before slapping a single to shallow center to discombobulate the Critters. Olszewski popped out, and so did Byrd eventually, right over home plate. Getting through seven took Gurney exactly 100 pitches, and he was not brought back for the eighth, which went to Ricky Ohl instead, with the mostly right-handed middle of the order up. Cruz was the lone exception, being a switch-hitter. Cruz also walked in a full count, becoming the go-ahead run on base after Burgess had already slapped a leadoff single. Serrato hit a grounder to Nunley, who zinged to second, but Stalker couldn’t turn the double play. Sueo Matsumoto popped out with runners on the corners before switch-hitter Jeff Nichols batted for Gomez. Nichols was weaker against southpaws, so the Coons sent for Garavito, who got a groundout to Nunley. Bottom 8th, the Coons got a leadoff single by PH Sean Catella, and before long a double play hit into by Stalker, his second of the game. Thus it was Wise with no cushion in the ninth inning. He walked leadoff man Tony Perez on four pitches, then allowed a sharp grounder to PH Richard Linnell that went to Ramos, but Stalker again failed to turn the double play… Perez was out, but Linnell remained at first base for Olszewski, who grounded to second base. Stalker with the pickup, stepped on second, and – again no throw to first. Byrd batted with the game on the line for the third time… and fell short for the third time, grounding out to Nunley. 2-1 Blighters. Ramos 2-4, RBI; Catella (PH) 1-1; Gurney 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (3-3) and 1-1;

What a pleasant surprise to see a game in the W column after it continuously tried to get away for three hours, but never could quite make it… Less pleasant was Hollenbeck, batting 0-for-3 while reaching once on a John Byrd error, and even that turned out to be entirely inconsequential.

In more pleasant surprises, Nick Valdes stopped by for the Saturday game, but at least this time Tootsie wasn’t with him. – Oh, yeah, Nick, I am also very disappointed to not have her around me…

Game 2
OCT: CF Olszewski – 3B Matsumoto – 1B D. Cruz – RF May – C Burgess – 2B Serrato – SS Nichols – LF Linnell – P Gill
POR: SS Ramos – CF Catella – LF Jamieson – 3B Hereford – RF Wallace – 2B Stalker – 1B Hollenbeck – C Leal – P Martinez

Dave Martinez, rapidly decomposing by trade, allowed two walks and a homer in the opening frame, but luckily managed to squeeze in the Danny Cruz homer between Olszewski’s four-pitch walk, Matsumoto’s double play grounder, and the walk to May. Ramos got a leadoff walk of his own, advanced on a grounder and scored on Jamieson’s single in the bottom 1st to erase the deficit, but this proved only a temporary relief. The top 2nd began with another hapless walk to Serrato, then a bomb hung to Jeff Nichols, 3-1 Thunder. From there, Linnell walked, Olszewski was hit, and Matsumoto walked – bases loaded, one out, and Martinez looked as spooked as any old dear in the headlights. A 2-run single by Cruz and an RBI single by Burgess knocked him out of the game after only 1.2 innings, four hits, five walks, and six runs once Rabbitt struck out Serrato. That pitching prowess didn’t last long either – Rabbitt was shackled for three hits, two walks, and two runs in the third inning, and as Nick Derks came in from the pen in the 8-1 game, Nick Valdes calmly remarked to me that he thought they had to start pitching a lot better to make it to the World Series this year.

Derks converted a comebacker for the final out to strand three in the third, which was such a relief. Derks would go on to pitch for another eight outs, but it sure wasn’t pretty. He allowed three hits and three walks in three innings, and that very much included not one, but two base hits by “Graveyard” Gill. The latter one knocked him out with two outs in the sixth and then also Nichols at third base. Fernandez came on, conceded the Nichols run on a hard single to right by Olszewski, and then had Wallace to the hard work to retire Matsumoto on a fly. Fernandez issued a leadoff walk to Cruz in the seventh, which the keen counter could tally up to mean 11 walks through six-plus innings. There was still room for a new franchise record at that point, but Fleischer took over and walked nobody else in the inning, and neither did Josh Boles walk anybody in the last two frames. He struck out six instead… AND allowed a homer to Burgess... All the while, the Raccoons offense was absent entirely… Gill spun a complete-game 5-hitter. 10-1 Thunder. Ramos 3-3, BB;

Hollenbeck went 0-for-4 and reached base on an error again, this time by Matsumoto.

Nick Valdes advised me to spare no efforts to find additional pitching for the playoff push before waving goodbye.

Game 3
OCT: CF Olszewski – 2B Byrd – C Burgess – 1B D. Cruz – SS Serrato – 3B Matsumoto – LF R. Gomez – RF Sagredo – P L. Flores
POR: SS Ramos – CF Catella – LF Jamieson – RF Hereford – 2B Stalker – C Tovias – 1B Hollenbeck – 3B Nunley – P Gutierrez

Twice doubled up on Saturday, Ramos was doubled up AGAIN right in the first inning. Catella spanked a sharp grounder at Byrd, who had trouble to turn the 4-6-3 on the Coons now that Ramos was a bit more cautious in running all-out. Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t – aren’t we all, though…? (unscrews another bottle of Capt’n Coma)

Bottom 2nd, Hereford with the leadoff single and Stalker with the double play. I wondered aloud with Slappy having nodded of on the couch and absolutely nobody else present whether there was some sort of trophy for the team that could spank into the absolute most double plays during a season. Something like a golden statue of two twin brothers each reaching out with one arm for an embrace, and trying to dagger each other with a pokey utensil in the other hand… At least the Thunder were almost as dumb. Gutierrez walked Burgess to begin the fourth inning, but Cruz hit a bouncer to Nunley for the double play. Rico then went on to leak singles to Serrato and Matsumoto before Gomez lined out to Hollenbeck to strand them on the corners. Bottom 4th, Ramos led off with a single, threw caution to the wind and took what was rightfully his – second base – before Catella walked behind him. Jamieson flew out to left, but Hereford dropped an RBI single for the first marker on the scoreboard. Then Stalker bounced to right, Cruz cutting it off far off first base, zinger to second, and back to first – as the Thunder elevated the turning of the double play to an art form, they turned the 3-6-4 soul-killer. If there was something like baseball ballet, this was it!

Somehow, Rico held on to the 1-0 lead, although it could not have been less pretty. He walked Luis Sagredo to begin the fifth, then was lucky enough that Flores struck out bunting. Olszewski hit into a fielder’s choice, and Byrd’s single, which would have scored a runner from third base, didn’t aid the Thunder any more than that they loaded the bases when Gutierrez nicked Burgess. Cruz then grounded out, stranding all of them. Bottom 5th, Tovias led off with a walk and then Hollenbeck ended 0-for-8 futility to begin his career and hit a single to right. Nunley also singled, loading them up with nobody out for Gutierrez, the worst-hitting pitcher in recent memory for this team. Hum! Conundrum! How much could the pen give us if we sent Jimmy Wallace to hit here? It was a gamble we had to take… it wasn’t like Gutierrez was pitching like a star, or a player worth deserving his contract… or a responsible citizen. Wallace batted – and struck out… Flores then leaked bases-loaded walks to Ramos and Catella to extend the score to 3-0, then was told in no uncertain terms by an angry pitching coach that he had to keep it together now. That led to a hanger in the strike zone that Matt Jamieson didn’t miss and hit hard and deep to left – GRAAAAAAAAAAND SLAAAAAAAAAAAMMMM!!!

With that, Luis Flores – one foe of ours in the 2026 World Series, which seems ages ago – was gone and Sergio Villarreal was in. The righty allowed a walk to Hereford, Tovias reached on an error, and then Hollenbeck dropped in an RBI single, 8-0. Nunley grounded out, and then came Fleischer into the sixth and loaded the bases while not logging an out at all. Serrato walked, Matsumoto singled, Gomez walked. YANK. Fernandez took over, struck out Sagredo, popped up Nichols, and got Olszewski to hit a fly to some place where Catella could catch it – nobody scored. That was the final attempt of the Thunder to rise, and their final base runners. Rabbitt, Ohl, and Wise each tossed a perfect inning from here, with Rabbitt striking out the side in the seventh and six strikeouts total between the three. The Raccoons did not tack on any more runs, but at least Tim Stalker got another double play in… 8-0 Racooons. Ramos 2-3, BB, RBI; Jamieson 1-4, HR, 4 RBI; Hereford 3-3, BB, RBI; Hollenbeck 2-4, RBI; Gutierrez 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, W (4-6);

In other news

June 23 – BOS SP Eric Williams (8-3, 3.33 ERA) and MR Mike Baker (1-2, 2.84 ERA) throw a combined 1-hit shutout at the Indians, who amount to a first-inning single by RF Mike Plunkett (.244, 6 HR, 30 RBI) and absolutely nothing more in a 7-0 defeat.
June 28 – The Canadiens’ and Bayhawks’ game turns bizarre after going to extra innings tied at four. Both teams score three runs in the 10th, one run in the 12th, and only in the 14th inning does a Vancouver lead hold up. They score four in the top half of the inning, and allow only two in the bottom half to elope with a 12-10 victory. Lazaro Hernandez (.327, 1 HR, 14 RBI), Alex Torres (.261, 2 HR, 18 RBI), and David Fisher (.228, 13 HR, 37 RBI) each drive in three runs for the winning team.
June 28 – As the Wolves strafe he Cyclones, 16-2, six players in the Wolves lineup land three base hits or more. Of those, 1B/OF/3B Jesse Stedham (.322, 8 HR, 36 RBI) is the only one with four hits. He has one RBI in the game and scores three times.
June 29 – The Bayhawks acquire SP Jesus Chavez (5-3, 4.26 ERA) form the Falcons, leaving Charlotte with four prospects, including #30 RF Jerry Aguilar.
June 29 – In a second deal, the Falcons send C Josh Losey (.351, 1 HR, 6 RBI) to the Blue Sox for INF/LF Erik Vitale (.280, 0 HR, 0 RBI) and a prospect.
June 29 – LVA SP Jamie Klages (2-3, 2.48 ERA) is done for the year, needing to have bone chips removed from his elbow.

Complaints and stuff

I tried to trade the odd player or two in the last few weeks… nobody wants any piece of this crew. Well, besides, obviously, Ramos. They would always take Ramos. And why wouldn’t they? He’s exciting!

Who would have thought that Rico Gutierrez would win two games in one week ever again!? He allowed three runs in 11 innings during his troubles, which sounds a lot like minimum effort, but then again we pulled him on Sunday after only 65 pitches to get the offense going. While Jimmy Wallace didn’t land the big hit, Jamieson did, so in the end I claim it was a win for everybody…

But this, too, is a fact: in 14 starts this year Rico Gutierrez has never finished the seventh inning.

Hollenbeck will go back to St. Pete tonight, and we will add a starting pitcher. It might, regrettably be Trevor Draper, because Raffaello Sabre continues to be unconvincing with the Alley Cats. Him and Bernie Chavez both have ERA’s in the high 3’s. Ignacio del Rio was a bit better, but went to the DL with a bad blister and is currently unavailable.

Fun Fact: On June 14, 1980, the Raccoons walked 19 batters in a nine-inning game while suffering a 12-1 smothering against the Cyclones.

I will never forget it.

Juan Berrios 2 IP, 8 BB
Gary Simmons 4 IP, 6 BB
Tony Lopez 1 IP, 4 BB
Ben Jenkins 2 IP, 1 BB

The following day, we drafted SP Carlos Gonzalez with the first-overall pick, which turned out to be its own sort of tragedy… there were all the injuries. There were all the walks issued (spot the pattern!). There were bitter tears. He was out of baseball at age 30 and somehow posted a 16-3 season and a 5-14 season within two years of another. He was an All Star in 1986, but retired with a 48-57 record and 3.91 ERA, pitching for the Coons and Titans.