[pauwoo]

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…

Bush League Expansion: This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while as I have a lot of players that just languish in the background after college as they fail to get drafted, make a minor league team, and have no options to sign elsewhere… so, I’m hoping this will lead to more players playing and less of me having to go in and delete characters who just sort of hang around for 5 years after college on the periphery without ever signing to play anywhere. The six new clubs will form a new BL division called the ‘Freedom Division’, and will include the following clubs: Tallahassee Tomcats, Kalamazoo Kraken, Roanoke Racoons, Birmingham Billy’s, Bowling Green Lickers, and the Gulfport Swallows. The league will continue to begin play on May 1st and will have a 132-game schedule (instead of the previous 140-game schedule).

MLB Relocations & Rebrands: Originally, I wanted to rebrand the San Diego Chargers as the San Diego Clippers, but, due to their improbable World Series win, I can’t really do that… so, instead, I moved the Green Bay Packers to Atlanta where they have been rechristened as the Atlanta Falcons, and Shawna’s Minnesota North Stars are moving to Denver where they will be called the Miners. Houston is no longer the Dynamo… they are now known as the Texans and have, in my humble opinion, much better caps, and, lastly, the Montreal Wanderers will henceforth be known as the Montreal Alouettes which is an improvement if you ask me – the Wanderers concept just wasn’t cutting it for me.

Minor League Restructuring: Well, I wasn’t feeling it this morning, so, maybe, I’ll dial that one in next season (I mean, the one after 2080).

Early Offseason Miami Silliness: Travis Scharmer has given in to greed – he’s voided the last year of his contract with the Flim Flams and will test the free agency market. Punk. Elvira has increased our budget by $4M… we’ll now have a budget of $200M with about $170M of that set aside for the team payroll. Interestingly, my personal petty cash budget has been drastically reduced and I’ve been told that Gentlemen’s clubs are not an approved petty cash expense. Yan is working out my options on that one… Also, she extended my contract for an additional year, but no word on that extension will include usage of the houseboat in my final year. Radoslav, OH HONG, and Kyle Weaver are all eligible for Salary Arbitration – that sounds costly. Thomas Deane, Saul Guzman, Travis Scharmer, Rico Sosa, and Homer Wingard are all pending free agency without compensation – also, yucky.

2079 Awards:
American League Silver Sluggers: The list includes some of my faves – 1B Pablo Madera (CAR), SS Heathcote Kinton (PDX), and LF Aitor Cubas (SEA). American League Gold Gloves: the list includes former Los Angeles Laker, 2B Sammie Fregoso, who, by the way, is 36-years old, which makes him the most ancient guy on the list. National League Silver Sluggers: 1B Tom Franzone (PIT), 3B Dontrell Gay (LAK), SS Ray Gerhold (PHX), and LF Palmer Parker (PHI) are the highlights. National League Gold Gloves: C Dominic Cooke (LAK), 3B Dontrell Gay (LAK), LF Aris Anaconda (MIA), and Kyle Weaver (MIA) round out the notables here.

2079 AL Boyce Rigg: Aitor Cubas (SEA) - .330/43/122… Heathcote Kinton (PDX) – 2nd, Pablo Madera (CAR) – 3rd.
2079 NL Boyce Rigg: Palmer Parker (PHI) - .381/34/127… Ray Gerhold (PHX) – 2nd, Tom Franzone (PIT) – 3rd.
2079 AL Pacheco: Tristan Hutchison (CAR) – 20-8, 2.47
2079 NL Pacheco: Logan Maldanado (PHI) – 17-8, 3.09

And… CL Harvey Allen (MIA) won the Kingston Cashmore (top reliever) award. That’s cool.

Oh, and one more thing… I signed OH HONG to a 3-year, $16M extension – the fans were cool with it.

Some free agents I’d like to get (but won’t)… CF Ethan Mullens, previously with Seattle, wants $35M, LF Palmer Parker, a Philly mainstay, wants $50M, 3B Pepper Grant, who played in LA last season, wants $6M, and 1B Arnold Webster, who has some much-needed pop, wants $9M.