We have tried to mix in some of the veterans for the second week of spring training but there
are still a lot of guys to evaluate. After sending nine players down following week 2, most of
them were non-roster invites, so we still have nine too many players. That number includes
the four Rule V pick-ups.
The big name on the transaction list is OF
Bob Starr. The front office had high hopes
that the 59th ranked prospect would win a job out of camp and solidify the outfield defense.
Things didn't work out as Starr only reached base six times in his 27 spring plate
appearances. You'll notice that there are a lot of veterans that were recently signed
to minor-league deals that have been sent down. That's due to the reduced spring
schedule and the inability to give everyone a proper evaluation. This is something that
every FABL team has to deal with so it's not specific to the Chiefs.
Realistically the team needs to cut three more players to get to the normal 15 position players that we normally carry. This year may be different.
The pitching competition has been so good this spring that we may have to entertain the thought of carrying 11 pitchers and cutting four more
position players. There have been some big surprises so far this year with Rule V pickup
Don Kinney leading the team with 13 hits. The problem
for Kinney is that he doesn't fit the team's philosophy of gettingon base meaning he doesn't like to take a walk. While he is sixth on the team
in batting average(.325) he is 13th on the team in OB%(also .325). With veteran
Irv Clifford finding his stroke early and youngsters
Harry Bailey and
Jorge Vallejo playing above expectations, Kinney may still be the odd man out.
The competition for the 10~11 pitching spots has been fun to watch. It has been tough to send guys down as there are so many having very
good camps. The final five starts of spring training will see
Dode Hogan(8 IP, 1 ER),
Bennie Wood(8 IP, 1 ER), and
Fred
Moore(7 IP, 1 ER) battle for the final rotation spot. Hot prospect
Roy Brandt has not lived up to expectations and will have to
impress a lot of people in his last start to make the squad heading north. The two Rule V pitchers,
Ed Funk and
Bobby McGough
have been impressive but the numbers may not work out for them. Last season's phenom,
John Thomas has struggled in his limited action
but he'll start the season in the rotation.