[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-3
Overall Record: 7-11 (8th, 5 GB)

Camp Shrinks to 35: The spring was over in a blink, and as so, I really have no idea what I'm doing. The first step was sending away anyone who didn't belong, and it got us from 60 down to 35. I wish it was another ten, but instead, we have a lot of things to consider, making the one-day sim to Opening Day so convenient, because now I have all weekend to get ready for our opener hosting the Wranglers. As much as is uncertain, there's a lot that is certain, and that's easy to break down. Roy Ellis will start Opening Day. Gene Case, Jack Gibson, and Tom Holliday will be at first, second, and third. Jerry McMillian will be in center and Henry Watson will be at one of his sides. Oh yeah and Pug White and Arch Wilson are going to anchor our pen while Dick Champ preps to pitch in the opener.

Left to decide? Who plays third, who catches, and who takes the third outfield spot. Plus the bench and the pen can be arranged in almost any way possible, though you can expect Pete Meany and I guess Jim Barton on the bench. Barton won't be in left, that'll be Watson or Dode Caudill, as our top prospect might not have done enough to get the job over Bobby Martinez. Dode wasn't bad, but .241/.312/.379 looks more like ready to crush AAA then ready to bat ahead of Watson, Case, and Gibson. I did like the double and homer, and after his five strikeouts he drew three walks and kept the ball in play. The speedsters grabbed a pair of steals, and he'd look exactly as you expect in left. The only problem is Martinez is a unique hitter with center field defense and previous FABL success. Sure, just 113 PAs, but .396/.434/.443 (133 OPS+) is outstanding, and the now 24-year-old struck out in just 6.2% of his PAs. Add the 4 steals, 24 runs, and 12 RBIs, and he more then admirably replaced Jerry McMillan when he was dealing with injury.

Stone and Henderson Make Serious Pitch for Rotation: Can't forget the rotation either, as Ken Stone and Henry Henderson decided to be our two best starters in the abbreviated spring. Stone allowed a run in just one of his starts, allowing just 7 hits, 2 walks, and a single earned run in 11 innings pitched. Best part is he struck out 8, in control of most innings. A hard thrower, Dixie has him as our highest potential pitcher, and if he could just understand that Earle Turner is a reliever, not a starter, Stone would be the top current starter too. I've more or less convinced myself he's going to be in the rotation, but that just makes the rest of the rotation construction that much tougher. As good as he is, there are guys with more FABL starts then him deserving of starts. That includes Henderson too, who like Stone had two starts with no earned runs. Where he impressed most was the K/BB, as he struck out 10 in 10, finishing with 10 hits, 2 runs, and a walk. Another pitcher with great stuff, the thing he struggles with is the home run, and that's the only mistake he made this spring. Former Panther Charlie Barrell took him deep in the 3rd, and in our park I can see that happening many times. Still, the success of these two has me seriously considering a six man rotation, which might help with the combination of more games and more double headers. Too much pitching is never a bad thing, and it covers us for poor performance or injury early on.

Change in the air?: There's a lot of phones being worked in the short spring, as teams have more uncertainty then usual with how their rosters will end up. This could lead to a lot of moves on the margin, as teams look for the right piece to their puzzle. There's grumblings of a bigger move, as after an offseason filled with tension, it feels like it's all about to burst.