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Imperialism32 · 09-03-2020, 01:10 PM

It [URL="https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/showpost.php?p=4645526&postcount=21"]started early[URL] last year.

Shortstop Sebastian Cajar was not happy with his teammates, and they were equally unhappy with him. A 12-6 start quickly faded and the Panama City Seabees went 16-20 over their next 36 games.

"Miserable," is how star pitcher Victor Sanchez recalled it. "Even when we started winning again, nobody was having any fun. We weren't a team, nobody was together. It was like you just came to the stadium, punched the clock, and went home."

The specific of the locker room drama are still unclear. After Marcos Esquivel took a shot at Cajar in the press, Cajar snapped back. While the dust may not have completely settled, the mid-May snipes are the last time things spilled out into public.

"We handled our business," is all Esquivel would say of it. Cajar, for his part, declined comment entirely for this story, even on unrelated questions.

The undeniable talent of the Seabees eventually surfaced, and the team took second place in the Caribbean League South Division, falling to the Caracas Rangers in a seven game series. The team made one big move this offseason, signing Oscar San Carlos to a three-year contract, a pickup that raised eyebrows as the lefty will turn 40 in September. But San Carlos has a sterling reputation not just as a pitcher but as a teammate, and that was no doubt part of the calculus. Cajar is signed through 1967 and while other Seabees were careful not to cast any aspersions, they weren't exactly praising him as a changed man, either.

Instead, the plan appears to let Sabastian be Sebastian and simply surround him with Good Guys elsewhere. San Carlos is one, and outfielder Hefesto Navas is another. The 22 year old was a sparkplug on the field as a rookie last year, and he's kept up the production while taking on a role as a team leader. He's hitting .341/.419/.505 and is a big reason why Cajar, batting right in front him, is only four runs scored off the WBA lead.

The other two starting outfielders, J.C. Garcia and Ismael Eldorado have been quality contributors. Garcia was recognized as his division's MVP last season, losing out to Kingston's Maximo Loaiza for the Caribbean League award. San Carlos and Sanchez have anchored a four-man rotation while the team relies heavily on a bullpen that is stocked with top arms.

Last year's closer Preston Santiago, who was recognized as the CL's top reliever in the preseason "Best Tools" list, has moved into a fireman role. He threw 48 innings all of last season, but this year he's already thrown 43 (and has a 2.51 ERA). Danny Pastrana and free agent signee Sol Delgado have been terrific, while Edidson de Santiago is lurking as a sort of secret weapon. They've deployed him for only eight innings on the year as the multi-talented righty has gotten extended run as the team's designated hitter, where he's slashing .240/.344/.423.

Oh, and of course there's Sebastian Cajar, productive as ever: He's leading the Caribbean League in WAR while hitting .367/.411/.515 with 13 steals (he's yet to be caught) and very good defense up the middle. Whatever issues are or aren't going on haven't impacted his performance.

All of this adds up to a 35-13 record, the best record in the sport by two games (the Perth Paladins are 33-15). They've won nine straight and are traveling to visit the lowly Santo Domingo Panthers, who sit at 18-30. Their .729 winning percentage puts them ahead of the Kiev Comets' pace from last season, though the Comets did roll into the All Star break with a .740 mark. The Seabees are nine games clear of the next-closest in their division.

And yet... there's still the memories of last season, when internal strife won out over pure talent for at least part of the season. Members of the team seem more laid-back, more tightly-knight, more together. But look down the dugout and you'll see Sebastian Cajar, alone by himself more often than not. Nobody's calling him out, and he's kept quiet as well.

"We went through it all last season," Navas said. "All the ups, the downs, the craziness. As far as I'm concerned, it's behind us. I know I'm not thinking about that. Maybe reporters are, maybe fans are, but we're not."

Will the détente last? Or maybe the better question is, with a team this good, does it matter?

09-03-2020, 01:10 PM	#128
Imperialism32 Major Leagues Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 341	It [URL="https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/showpost.php?p=4645526&postcount=21"]started early[URL] last year. Shortstop Sebastian Cajar was not happy with his teammates, and they were equally unhappy with him. A 12-6 start quickly faded and the Panama City Seabees went 16-20 over their next 36 games. "Miserable," is how star pitcher Victor Sanchez recalled it. "Even when we started winning again, nobody was having any fun. We weren't a team, nobody was together. It was like you just came to the stadium, punched the clock, and went home." The specific of the locker room drama are still unclear. After Marcos Esquivel took a shot at Cajar in the press, Cajar snapped back. While the dust may not have completely settled, the mid-May snipes are the last time things spilled out into public. "We handled our business," is all Esquivel would say of it. Cajar, for his part, declined comment entirely for this story, even on unrelated questions. The undeniable talent of the Seabees eventually surfaced, and the team took second place in the Caribbean League South Division, falling to the Caracas Rangers in a seven game series. The team made one big move this offseason, signing Oscar San Carlos to a three-year contract, a pickup that raised eyebrows as the lefty will turn 40 in September. But San Carlos has a sterling reputation not just as a pitcher but as a teammate, and that was no doubt part of the calculus. Cajar is signed through 1967 and while other Seabees were careful not to cast any aspersions, they weren't exactly praising him as a changed man, either. Instead, the plan appears to let Sabastian be Sebastian and simply surround him with Good Guys elsewhere. San Carlos is one, and outfielder Hefesto Navas is another. The 22 year old was a sparkplug on the field as a rookie last year, and he's kept up the production while taking on a role as a team leader. He's hitting .341/.419/.505 and is a big reason why Cajar, batting right in front him, is only four runs scored off the WBA lead. The other two starting outfielders, J.C. Garcia and Ismael Eldorado have been quality contributors. Garcia was recognized as his division's MVP last season, losing out to Kingston's Maximo Loaiza for the Caribbean League award. San Carlos and Sanchez have anchored a four-man rotation while the team relies heavily on a bullpen that is stocked with top arms. Last year's closer Preston Santiago, who was recognized as the CL's top reliever in the preseason "Best Tools" list, has moved into a fireman role. He threw 48 innings all of last season, but this year he's already thrown 43 (and has a 2.51 ERA). Danny Pastrana and free agent signee Sol Delgado have been terrific, while Edidson de Santiago is lurking as a sort of secret weapon. They've deployed him for only eight innings on the year as the multi-talented righty has gotten extended run as the team's designated hitter, where he's slashing .240/.344/.423. Oh, and of course there's Sebastian Cajar, productive as ever: He's leading the Caribbean League in WAR while hitting .367/.411/.515 with 13 steals (he's yet to be caught) and very good defense up the middle. Whatever issues are or aren't going on haven't impacted his performance. All of this adds up to a 35-13 record, the best record in the sport by two games (the Perth Paladins are 33-15). They've won nine straight and are traveling to visit the lowly Santo Domingo Panthers, who sit at 18-30. Their .729 winning percentage puts them ahead of the Kiev Comets' pace from last season, though the Comets did roll into the All Star break with a .740 mark. The Seabees are nine games clear of the next-closest in their division. And yet... there's still the memories of last season, when internal strife won out over pure talent for at least part of the season. Members of the team seem more laid-back, more tightly-knight, more together. But look down the dugout and you'll see Sebastian Cajar, alone by himself more often than not. Nobody's calling him out, and he's kept quiet as well. "We went through it all last season," Navas said. "All the ups, the downs, the craziness. As far as I'm concerned, it's behind us. I know I'm not thinking about that. Maybe reporters are, maybe fans are, but we're not." Will the détente last? Or maybe the better question is, with a team this good, does it matter? Last edited by Imperialism32; 09-03-2020 at 01:13 PM.