[luckymann]

Full disclosure time.

To keep things fresh for myself and those of you reading along, I was on the cusp of taking a break from the Pirates, heading over to the AL to see if I could bring the A’s (my IRL team of choice) back to their glory days of the early seasons. Let the AI do its bidding with the Bucs and then go back like some returning hero a decade or so down the track.

Then I saw the Draft pool and all bets in this regard were off.

Instead, I’ll be implementing a slow but steady rebuild for our franchise to get us in the best possible shape to avoid any Murders taking place along the Row. This somewhat cryptic reference will, I am sure, become less so when you, too, see who is entering the league.

So it is business as usual for now, although don’t rule out entirely my taking this course of action at some stage in the future. We’ve a long way to go here; nearly 100 years.

We decide to part ways with Walter Johnson, despite him having two years left on his contract. There was both an opt-out and a team option in place for 1923, and we gave him the honour of opting out. Because it has been an honour to have the game’s greatest-ever pitcher at our club these past few years and to get to be part of his 400th win is something I’ll always treasure.

Frank Baker’s contract has not been renewed, and we thank him for all his years of service with the club. We do exercise the options on both Smoky Joe Wood and Ralph Comstock’s contracts. We pony up for another year with reliever Ed Warner.

The A’s are on the hunt for a new skipper after giving Jack O’Brien the heave-ho. Same goes with the Sens, who end their relationship with the great Connie Mack after 11 seasons and two Championships. John Schappert is also cut by the Phillies.

Zack Wheat, Sherry Magee, Larry Doyle and Heinie Zimmermann are the highest-profile players to hang up their hat. Ex-Pirates Nick Maddox, Possum Whitted and Ted Easterly are also calling time on their careers in the game.