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Westheim · 02-20-2020, 06:22 PM

About a week into free agency, the Critters still lay dormant. The rotation was still nagging me. It had not lived up to promises in 2034, Bernie Chavez (who finished 3rd in ERA) aside. Yes, the veteran rental of the season had actually lasted til the end, but between Rendon, Sabre, and del Rio we had been through a few valleys over the course of the season. The Raccoons needed a *good* arm to swing their fat bums over the Titans and into first place. Also, winning one of those 2-1 squeakers against Boston from time to time would be neat, too.

There was a weird story in the Agitator about how the Raccoons were under investigation by the league for some sort of substance violation, and that what they had passed off as fudge hadn’t been fudge. I knew nothing about an investigation, but (digs spoon into bowl with gooey mass again) even if this isn’t fudge, it’s still delicious!

November passed in a crawl. Every day I sat there at the desk, perfectly upright, waiting for the phone to ring so I could pounce. The phone didn’t ring, except that one time, but that was an elderly lady from Hillsboro that had misdialed. So I talked to her for an hour, because what else was I gonna - …

Well, the trade gears were grinding, but they were also grinding slowly. None of the free agent options was all that appealing to me where a starting pitcher was concerned, so I had to get one in a trade. And in a trade, we’d have to part with some farm pieces, but there were two or three youngsters that I was extremely hesitant to trade away even for the greater good of near-future success. That shortlist, compiled by Chad with great determination and a purple crayon, included 2032 July IFA signing Jesus Maldonado, a multi-talented outfielder that was 20 years old and had hit .236/.368/.350 in 56 games in Ham Lake to end the ’34 season. 2B Jose Brito, 20, had batted .316 in 54 games in Ham Lake. His defense wasn’t great, but he had hit 12 homers between A and AA, and that was enough to at least get you noticed. Corey Cronk was probably another outfielder I was not going to let go, and of course Tony Morales was entirely off limits – he was the catcher of the future!

(phone rings)

(stares confused)

Maud, the phone is doing.. it does noise! – Yes, please. – (Maud comes in and picks up) – Is it him? Is it him? Is it, is it?? – Of course I will talk to him! – (is handed the speaker) – Well, hul-lo…?

+++

November 23 – The Blue Sox send CF/LF Justin Simmons (.273, 12 HR, 124 RBI) to Las Vegas for OF Andy Crow (.260, 17 HR, 138 RBI) and a prospect.
November 24 – The Raccoons announce the signing of 32-yr old ex-LAP OF Justin Fowler (.282, 214 HR, 782 RBI). The 6-time All Star and 2032 home run champ signs a 4-yr, $14M contract. The Raccoons forfeit their 2035 first-round pick to the Pacifics.

+++

Talk about violently revamping the middle of the order! Fowler was a genuine slugger, an elite hitter, and a nearly invulnerable iron man, who - … weird, I feel like I heard all of this before…

Fowler was a star, mauling opposing pitching for a living, and the Raccoons had bought in quite smart, I say, nibbling off that fifth year Fowler originally wanted for his last big contract. There was hardly anything not to like about this deal, and nothing could ever go wrong with it!

NOTHING.

+++

November 27 – The Warriors sign ex-NAS LF/RF Doug Stross (.317, 109 HR, 1,119 RBI) to a 2-year deal that will make $6.64M for the 37-year-old.
November 28 – The Raccoons flick five players to the Capitals to acquire 27-yr old SP Colt Willes (40-39, 3.52 ERA). Washington receives all of 27-yr old INF Ross Sibley (.259, 7 HR, 103 RBI), 25-yr old C Elliott Thompson (.244, 8 HR, 81 RBI), 21-yr old #21 prospect AA SP Brandon Williams, 22-yr old #58 prospect SP Jonathan Galvan, and 20-yr old AA OF Dave Mendoza.
November 28 – 20-game winner and 34-year-old ex-SAC SP Andy Palomares (127-129, 4.25 ERA, 2 SV) signs a 2-yr, $4.88M contract with the Pacifics.
November 30 – The Indians reunite with 1B Ivan Pena (.293, 43 HR, 240 RBI), sending outfielder Oliver Witte (.261, 8 HR, 38 RBI) to the Wolves to receive the 30-year-old Pena.
December 1 – Rule 5 Draft: 18 players are selected in two rounds. The Raccoons draft 25-year-old 3B Fidel Nunez from the Scorpions.
December 1 – The Canadiens make a surprise splash with type A free agent, ex-RIC/CIN SP Josh Weeks (91-95, 3.89 ERA), who joins them for $4.88M over two years.
December 1 – The Gold Sox grab ex-TOP/ATL CL Josh Boles (5-9, 3.21 ERA, 39 SV) for one year and $1.88M.

+++

Willes is a great pitcher! Doesn’t walk people, doesn’t get taken deep a whole lot, and doesn’t have rotten teeth, either. (forces Willes’ snout open with an expert pinching grip on his jaw) Perfect! – My uncle Herbert told me all about judging the value of a horse by its teeth, and that it’s no different with ballplayers!

The price for Willes is hefty; I lament the departure of Brandon Williams the most, but it was either him or Maldonado or no deal at all. Originally the proposal included both Sibley and Kurt Wall, the pair of July 31 additions that in hindsight were more displaced in a playoff race than a pig roast at a Bar Mitzvah.

The Caps wanted Thompson over Wall, and in the end we didn’t care either way, since it was all eyes on the arrival of Tony Morales, which we totally expected to occur during the 2035 season, and with a smash to boot!

Our rotation is now set; our pen was pretty much a done deal even before. Now it was about tweaking things around the edges, like finding another left-handed infielder if at all possible, maybe a first baseman that was worth the effort, and the oxygen…

…and the fudge! (spoons and gobbles)

02-20-2020, 06:22 PM	#3097
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 13,492	About a week into free agency, the Critters still lay dormant. The rotation was still nagging me. It had not lived up to promises in 2034, Bernie Chavez (who finished 3rd in ERA) aside. Yes, the veteran rental of the season had actually lasted til the end, but between Rendon, Sabre, and del Rio we had been through a few valleys over the course of the season. The Raccoons needed a good arm to swing their fat bums over the Titans and into first place. Also, winning one of those 2-1 squeakers against Boston from time to time would be neat, too. There was a weird story in the Agitator about how the Raccoons were under investigation by the league for some sort of substance violation, and that what they had passed off as fudge hadn’t been fudge. I knew nothing about an investigation, but (digs spoon into bowl with gooey mass again) even if this isn’t fudge, it’s still delicious! November passed in a crawl. Every day I sat there at the desk, perfectly upright, waiting for the phone to ring so I could pounce. The phone didn’t ring, except that one time, but that was an elderly lady from Hillsboro that had misdialed. So I talked to her for an hour, because what else was I gonna - … Well, the trade gears were grinding, but they were also grinding slowly. None of the free agent options was all that appealing to me where a starting pitcher was concerned, so I had to get one in a trade. And in a trade, we’d have to part with some farm pieces, but there were two or three youngsters that I was extremely hesitant to trade away even for the greater good of near-future success. That shortlist, compiled by Chad with great determination and a purple crayon, included 2032 July IFA signing Jesus Maldonado, a multi-talented outfielder that was 20 years old and had hit .236/.368/.350 in 56 games in Ham Lake to end the ’34 season. 2B Jose Brito, 20, had batted .316 in 54 games in Ham Lake. His defense wasn’t great, but he had hit 12 homers between A and AA, and that was enough to at least get you noticed. Corey Cronk was probably another outfielder I was not going to let go, and of course Tony Morales was entirely off limits – he was the catcher of the future! (phone rings) (stares confused) Maud, the phone is doing.. it does noise! – Yes, please. – (Maud comes in and picks up) – Is it him? Is it him? Is it, is it?? – Of course I will talk to him! – (is handed the speaker) – Well, hul-lo…? +++ November 23 – The Blue Sox send CF/LF Justin Simmons (.273, 12 HR, 124 RBI) to Las Vegas for OF Andy Crow (.260, 17 HR, 138 RBI) and a prospect. November 24 – The Raccoons announce the signing of 32-yr old ex-LAP OF Justin Fowler (.282, 214 HR, 782 RBI). The 6-time All Star and 2032 home run champ signs a 4-yr, $14M contract. The Raccoons forfeit their 2035 first-round pick to the Pacifics. +++ Talk about violently revamping the middle of the order! Fowler was a genuine slugger, an elite hitter, and a nearly invulnerable iron man, who - … weird, I feel like I heard all of this before… Fowler was a star, mauling opposing pitching for a living, and the Raccoons had bought in quite smart, I say, nibbling off that fifth year Fowler originally wanted for his last big contract. There was hardly anything not to like about this deal, and nothing could ever go wrong with it! NOTHING. +++ November 27 – The Warriors sign ex-NAS LF/RF Doug Stross (.317, 109 HR, 1,119 RBI) to a 2-year deal that will make $6.64M for the 37-year-old. November 28 – The Raccoons flick five players to the Capitals to acquire 27-yr old SP Colt Willes (40-39, 3.52 ERA). Washington receives all of 27-yr old INF Ross Sibley (.259, 7 HR, 103 RBI), 25-yr old C Elliott Thompson (.244, 8 HR, 81 RBI), 21-yr old #21 prospect AA SP Brandon Williams, 22-yr old #58 prospect SP Jonathan Galvan, and 20-yr old AA OF Dave Mendoza. November 28 – 20-game winner and 34-year-old ex-SAC SP Andy Palomares (127-129, 4.25 ERA, 2 SV) signs a 2-yr, $4.88M contract with the Pacifics. November 30 – The Indians reunite with 1B Ivan Pena (.293, 43 HR, 240 RBI), sending outfielder Oliver Witte (.261, 8 HR, 38 RBI) to the Wolves to receive the 30-year-old Pena. December 1 – Rule 5 Draft: 18 players are selected in two rounds. The Raccoons draft 25-year-old 3B Fidel Nunez from the Scorpions. December 1 – The Canadiens make a surprise splash with type A free agent, ex-RIC/CIN SP Josh Weeks (91-95, 3.89 ERA), who joins them for $4.88M over two years. December 1 – The Gold Sox grab ex-TOP/ATL CL Josh Boles (5-9, 3.21 ERA, 39 SV) for one year and $1.88M. +++ Willes is a great pitcher! Doesn’t walk people, doesn’t get taken deep a whole lot, and doesn’t have rotten teeth, either. (forces Willes’ snout open with an expert pinching grip on his jaw) Perfect! – My uncle Herbert told me all about judging the value of a horse by its teeth, and that it’s no different with ballplayers! The price for Willes is hefty; I lament the departure of Brandon Williams the most, but it was either him or Maldonado or no deal at all. Originally the proposal included both Sibley and Kurt Wall, the pair of July 31 additions that in hindsight were more displaced in a playoff race than a pig roast at a Bar Mitzvah. The Caps wanted Thompson over Wall, and in the end we didn’t care either way, since it was all eyes on the arrival of Tony Morales, which we totally expected to occur during the 2035 season, and with a smash to boot! Our rotation is now set; our pen was pretty much a done deal even before. Now it was about tweaking things around the edges, like finding another left-handed infielder if at all possible, maybe a first baseman that was worth the effort, and the oxygen… …and the fudge! (spoons and gobbles) Attached Images __________________ Portland Raccoons, 91 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.