[Jiggy]

Spring is a time for renewal. For organizations in the Professional Baseball Experience Minor League (MiLPBE), it is a time to refresh, to reorganize, and restart. For the Chicago Kingpins, specifically, spring – and more particularly Spring Training – serves as a palate cleanser in the wake of a disappointing end to a very strong 2054 season.

Chicago advanced to last season’s Minor League World Series and looked dominant along the way, posting a 63-45 record – earning a first-round postseason bye – and defeating the Louisville Lemurs in the semi-finals four games to one. However, the Kingpins ultimately fell short in the championship round, running into a red-hot State College Swift Steeds team clicking on all cylinders just the right moment. The Swift Steeds, who had fought their way into the postseason with a 57-51 record, caught fire throughout the postseason and bested the Kingpins in five games, extending Chicago’s World Series drought to 11 seasons.

“Really proud of last season’s performance,” Chicago General Manager Tiktaalik said. “We had a great regular season, a lot of guys in the locker room putting in the work and updating, and, up until the World Series itself, a great postseason.”

American businessman and writer Max De Pree once wrote that change without contiuity is chaos, but that continuity without change is sloth – and very risky. Chicago has been nothing if not one of the most consistent teams in the MiLPBE.

The Kingpins have finished either first or second in each of the past four seasons and have made the postseason 15 out of their 21 total seasons in the Minor Leagues, yet have won just one World Series title in that span. Last season looked to be among the most promising chances for them to add to one more, but as has been consistent with a franchise known for at least being in the postseason on a regular basis, the club fell just a bit short of winning it all.

“The wheels fell off a bit in the World Series which was pretty unfortunate,” Tiktaalik admitted, “but that’s OOTP and sometimes the sim is going to sim. Playoff series are essentially a series of weighted coin flips and you can’t get too hung up on any particular one, but it did sting a little. That doesn’t take anything away from all the work everyone on the team put in all season though.”

The offseason provided management with an opportunity to reflect on the totality of the team’s performance in 2054, and with Spring Training underway the organization fully expects to compete for the postseason and a potential World Series championship again in 2055. Chicago returns much of last year's nucleus again this season.

Five Kingpins players posted batting averages over .280 and four hit 15 or more home runs in 2054. Leading the way offensively was Rake Hard, ahard raking second baseman who notched a .325 batting average with 17 home runs in 108 games played, good for a 5.4 wins above replacement player value. Center fielder Shawn S. Shanahan hit .320 with 17 home runs of his own and posted a 4.8 wins above replacement player value. First baseman Luigi Lanikai’s 22 home runs and 78 runs batted in led the team. Left fielder Nate Brittles worked a .420 on-base percentage and scored a team-high 76 runs.

From the mound, Chicago’s rotation featured a pair of 13-game winners in flamethrower James Daly and the steady Jolene Mydog, as well as the crafty Ragnar Lothbrok, who recorded an 11-3 win-loss record. Bauer Bottom and Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss shared back-end bullpen duties and each found success, recording more than 10 saves apiece.

All except Hard and Shanahan are back with the team this season, providing the Kingpins with a great deal of continuity for the 2055 campaign. However, as though following Max De Pree’s advice, the Kingpins have used the MiLPBE draft to add a bit of change to go along with it.

Chicago entered the offseason wanting to emphasize shoring up what they perceived as a weakness that reared its head against the Swift Steads.

“A lot of stuff went right last season, so to some extent [our approach is] just ‘keep doing what we’ve been doing’,” Tiktaalik said. “One thing we noticed in the World Series is that we hit into a lot of double plays, while at the same time regularly failing to turn the double play ourselves. This offseason we’ve brought in some speed on the base paths and drafted a great defensive glove to play second, so hopefully that’s going to change in the upcoming season.”

The Kingpins selected Otijommyzarc Kove with the ninth overall selection in the MiLPBE draft. Kove is known as a magician in the field with great range and ability to turn two. While his primary position has been shortstop, he has experience at second base as a secondary position.

Chicago rounded out its draft selecting speedy outfielder Bartholomew Brown with the 19th overall pick and starting pitcher Casey Shaffer with the 29th pick. Brown is capable of causing havoc on the base paths but likely will require time to develop as a hitter and to improve his fielding range before his plus speed can make a significant impact in the lineup. The Kingpins inexplicably failed to steal a single base in 2054 and hope Brown will eventually allow them to mix up their offensive approach in a way that helps its steady offense to create a few more runs. Shaffer boasts above average movement against hitters from both sides of the plate and adds necessary depth to the Kingpins’ staff.

“Going into the draft, we knew we had some holes at second base and center field to fill, and you always need pitching,” Tiktaalik said of Chicago’s draft strategy. “We’re delighted to be able to address all of that with our picks.”

It wasn’t talent and measurables alone that caught Tiktaalik’s eye.

“At the same time, all of our draftees were great in their scouting conversations, and we think they’re going to fit in well in the locker room. So I’m really pleased with the draft and hopeful this season our rookies play great defense and enjoy the locker room, and that their bats improve through the season and become a great strength as well.”

The Kingpins hope the team’s new additions, along with the continuity established by their returning stars, will lead to another postseason appearance and, finally, another championship. Eyes have certainly been fixated on the Chicago rookies during early Spring Training as the front office gauges how the newcomers might mesh with the current roster and contribute to continued success in the 2055 season.

Through ten Spring Training games Kove is batting .243 and has helped turn ten double plays. Brown is getting on base at a .326 clip and is batting .293 with 12 hits, two home runs, a triple, and has scored six times. Shaffer has thrown 13.1 innings giving up just five earned runs, good for a 3.38 ERA, while posting a 7.4/2.7 strikeouts-to-walks per nine innings ratio.

While they typically supplement one another, sometimes change and continuity are inextricably intertwined, as evidenced by movement in the Kingpins' front office this offseason.

Just before the start of Spring Training, Chicago co-GM AK41 accepted a position as co-GM with PBE Major League franchise Providence Crabs. At face value, that loss could have had a significant impact.

“AK joined as co-GM with me a few seasons ago . . . and he’s been key to everything,” Tiktaalik said. “Always available, always there in the locker room, helping players, running fantasy – and he’s a scouting machine. I can’t say enough about what he’s contributed and I know we wouldn’t be in the great position we are in without him.

However, until a full-time replacement as Kingpins co-GM is named, an old, familiar face – Pauadrian - has stepped in to assist Tiktaalik which should allow the organization a measure of continued stability during the transition period.

“With AK leaving, Pau returning is in many ways the ideal scenario,” Tiktaalik said. “He’s done this before, he first scouted and drafted me when I joined the PBE, got me to earn and update regularly. I might not still be here in the PBE if it wasn’t for Pau encouraging me at the start. He’s going to pick up from AK without missing a beat and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Expectations remain high in Chicago's clubhouse, but success is never certain in simulation baseball. For the Kingpins, it helps to know that in 2055 there will be continuity. And change.