[Pelican]

Sorry for the radio silence on this thread. I've been out in Iowa riding my bike, then at at the Jersey Shore chasing my grandchildren around. My Mac is a Mini; but not small enough to hit the road with me (I have a Dell laptop with different seasons loaded for the road trips). Finally back to business.

Still at the tail end of Spring Training, which extends well into April in this sim. The big news is another trade. The AI summary uses the "one man's garbage" narrative (which is lame and needs to be retired), despite the fact that it involves 1B Dick Stuart, traded to LA for star closer Ron Perranoski and solid SP prospect Phil Ortega. As the deal expanded (the LA GM saying "you're close, just need a little bit more"), I included Coco Laboy and a couple of pitching prospects (Paul Brown and Marcellino Lopez) for Jim Lefebvre (age 22 in AA last year but hit well).

I admit it. I got nervous about my pitching depth. Remember, I know full well how the "Heimlich" season played out for Philadelphia. They ran out of SP, and not much depth in the bullpen. Injuries, like poop, happen. Perranoski will likely become the closer, with 41/88/56 ratings, and a LHP. Ortega (13-9 and 3.92 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League) looks ready to step into the rotation if needed. Lefebvre could well become my starting 2B, if Cookie Rojas fails to step up.

You would think that the departure of Stuart leaves a gaping hole at 1B - another key element of the Phils' collapse. It's a concern. I still have John Herrnstein, a lefty who makes contact. George Banks, acquired from Minnesota, has been hitting well in Spring games, can play all over, should make the team as a backup. Cal Emery, the 1964 version of a "AAAA" player, is an enigma. IRL he hit .295 with 207 HR over fourteen minor league seasons, with only his 1963 cup of java with the Phils. He has decent 49/47/68 ratings with better potential; although he is already 26. Worth a try, and he is hitting the cover off the ball in Spring Training.

But the big news is "Pancho" Herrera, the big Cuban 1B with solid MLB credentials. His bio from the SABR Project his well worth reading. After decent seasons for Philly in 1960 and 1961, he was blocked by the newly-acquired Roy Sievers. The Phils traded him to the Pirates, where he was blocked by Donn Clendenon. So he continued to clobber the ball in AAA and the winter leagues. I reacquired him, along with catcher Orlando McFarlane, from the the Bucks, for 2B Hank Allen (Dick's brother) and RHP Gary Kroll. We'll go with an Emery/Herrera platoon, with Banks getting some starts as well.

My guess/hope is that going for defense over offense makes sense for this team. The 1B will hit sixth or seventh in a pretty good lineup; although the C and SS at seven and eight are not going to contribute much offense. I hope that Gonzalez, Rojas, Allen, Callison, Covington/Johnson will hit hard. If everyone would only stay healthy (injuries are set to low), the pitching could be dominant. Not the Dodgers; but consistent.

The flaw in this approach is that Pancho, who started well enough, just went 0 for 4 and stranded five runners in a Spring game. Don Lock went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. (The lads nevertheless easily defeated Pittsburgh, with Dennis Bennett hurling six shutout innings, Phil Ortega two, and Perranoski closing, so there!). Unheralded speedster 2B Nolan Campbell had two hits and scored three runs, stealing a base and making a great defensive play. Hey, it's the Spring, and high TCR produces surprises!