Tuesday, November 12, 2019

                                  Saturday night at the Barleymoe

 Elijah Craig is joined this week by Johnny Walker, Jim Beam and Jose Cuervo

  Elijah: We don't often discuss a game. We don't often discuss hall of famers. We don't often discuss anything this interesting.  You guys catch the match-up between Vancouver and Las Vegas the other day?
 Johnny: Vegas! That is my team I love that team. All my young guys are on that team.
 Jose: Johnny, it's not about you or your young guys. It about those two antiques that took the mound.
 Johnny: We are scouts. IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE YOUNG GUYS.
 Elijah: Johnny please don't shout. I thought we covered that last week. Don't upset the waitress or she won't come to our table. She doesn't like loud. She likes quiet guys that just look at her. If you piss her off and I have to go to the bar for my drinks; I replace you with Samuel Adams. So please be respectful.
 Jose: We had two guys who are headed for the Hall of Fame. Vancouver started Yunesky De Los Santos, winner of 298 games at the start of this season. Vegas started Jose Torres who had won 319 games.
 Jose: Think about it. 300 wins used to put guys in the Hall of Fame. Back in the day when you had a four man rotation and 154 game schedule; a guy made 38 or 39 starts. Even when the season expanded to 162 games that gave starters 2 more starts a season.
 Jim: I think you are headed to that odd statistic. 300 wins is like winning every start for over seven and half years. Times change. 300 wins shouldn't be the standard anymore. Five man rotations make the standard 240 wins for the Hall of Fame.
 Jose: Jim are you making my argument for me?
 Jim: Just saying you are behind the times. Actually giving them more credit than you are.
 Johnny: I don't know old guys can you talk about the guys I know.
 Elijah: Guys nobody breaks down games like me. Shut up. Let me take you through the game. Twelve inning game, 13 base runners, 3 runs scored.
Through 5 and a half innings the only hit was a homer by Socks Gross in the second inning for the Voodoo.
 Johnny: Gross, was the fifth pick in the season 39 draft. picc818 turned down many trade offers since he drafted him. He hits a dinger every 13 at bats in the major leagues.
 Elijah: Johnny, am I giving the game story and your....
 Johnny: Just think of me as your color guy Elijah!
 Elijah: Whatever. Torres gave up a solo homer and was pulled after 5 innings. It seems like he is on a pitch count but maybe not.
 Johnny: Yea, with that homer Torres has given up a homer every 39 at bats.
 Elijah: Thank you sooo much Johnny.
 Jose: Are you making the argument that Torres is three times better than Gross?
 Johnny: How am I suppose to figure that?
 Elijah: Jose, Please don't encourage him. Really! Please! So far the game doesn't seem that unusual. Shaw started for Guerrero at shortstop for Vegas.
 Jim: Shaw kills lefties. Still the defensive difference between Guerrero and Shaw is pretty steep.
 Elijah: Managers are going to do what they think is best. I'm getting ahead of myself but there were only two defensive plays in the whole game worth mention. Neither were errors. In the fourth Cy Eaton made a great play on a lead off grounder by Max Halter. And in the eighth the Galaxy's Shawn Maronde chased down a drive in to left-center with a runner on first base.
  Johnny: Maronde one of my guys!!
  Elijah: Thank you, Johnny. Vegas' offense got it's first hit and two runners on base in the bottom of the 5th.
  Elijah: More than you or my three ex-wives could ever imagine. But about the game, with runner on first and second with one out neither the seven or eighth batter in the lineup could deliver. That set Vegas up in a bad situation. The pitcher would lead off the bottom of the sixth.
  Jose: Did it surprise you that Vegas brought in their best relief pitcher O'Donnell in the sixth inning?
  Elijah: Yea that was a gutsy call by the manager. He could have gone with anybody in the bullpen and pinch-hit to start the bottom of the sixth. However O'Donnell gave him three innings of 1 hit relief. Seems like the right call to me. Halter did have a triple after O'Donnell struck out . Unfortunately neither Rondon or Villarealcould bring him in.
  Johnny: Are you picking on my young guys.
  Elijah: Just going through the game Johnny, calm down. In the top of the seventh Gross got another hit, a single. Going to the top of the eighth both team have two hits. Vancouver leads 1-0. De Los Santos still on the mound for Vegas. Earl Mullin leads off with a base on balls. De Los Santos coming up. Jim do you pinch hit or bunt?
  Jim: Who is on the bench?
  Elijah: F. P. James and Wayne Donahue are the lefty batters.
  Jose: Do you stay with the stud pitcher and bunt or do pull the Hall of Framer and pray. I always stay with the cream. Even if he can't get the bunt down, he's a career .181 hitter with 9 doubles and 3 homers.
  Elijah: Jim do you pinch hit or bunt. Nobody asked you Jose.
  Jim: I don't have to decide; that's why I drink with you in the bar Elijah.
  Elijah: So SAD. Okay Johnny what do you think.
  Johnny: You know me Elijah. Why do the simple when you can do the extreme.
  Jose: Are suggesting the hit and run with a 40 year old pitcher at the plate?
  Johnny: Hell YES! Who would have expected that.
  Jose: Certainly not Earl Mullin at first base. He is a good baserunner but really Johnny?
  Elijah: Well the bunt wasn't a good one and now De Los Santos is on first and he's still there at the end of the inning. De Los Santos records all three outs in the bottom of the eighth, including pinch hitter Dude Haren for pitcher O'Donnell.
  Elijah: It's the top of the ninth. 1-0 Vancouver.  Sammy Martin replaces O'Donnell on the hill. He hits Avisail Ozuna with a pitch, gives up a single to Cy Eaton and then  walks Socks Gross.
  Johnny: Walking Gross who has two hits already was a good move.
  Elijah: Johnny you doing color again?
  Johnny; Yea!
  Elijah: Don't
  Elijah: Bases loaded top of the ninth. Sammy Martin bearing down. Theodore Glynn lines out. Catcher Geronimo Gonzalez hit a ground ball to first to Benny Rondon who throws to home for the second out. Virgil Hernandez pitch hits for Earl Mullin and grounds out.
  Elijah: Bottom of the ninth.  1-0 game. Voodoo trying to nail it down. Javier Flores in the game to nail it down of Hall of Fame De Los Santos. Flores converted 36 of 37 saves last season. Should be game over. Not to be tonight. Max Halter leads off the bottom of the ninth with a lead off homer.
  Jim: It's a shame Jack isn't here, tonight. He would like that his defensive ace hit a game tying homer.
  Elijah: Jack's not here. Still Halter hits a homer every ten games in his major league career, And this  may have been the biggest.
  Jose: How many defensive centerfieldershit a home run every ten games?
  Johnny: Not many, thank god  isn't here Jack would never shut up.
  Elijah: Johnny, why don't you shut up and we finish this game re-cap.
  Johnny: If I bought you a drink would you treat me better?
  Elijah: One drink only turns on my hearing aid. why don't we try to finish the game re-cap.
  After Halter's home run, the Galaxy get two more hits but fail to score the winning run.
  The tenth inning is a bust for both teams. Each team uses a pinch hitter unsuccessfully.
  The eleventh inning doesn't even produce a baserunner for either team.
  In the Twelfth T Glynn leads off with a double for the Voodoo. Geronimo Gonzalez is don't a good          bunter. Gynn has some speed. Jim do you bunt or steal?
   Jim: I don't steal on Bravo. Career he throws out of 40% of the guys trying to take second base on him.
  Elijah: It's the twelfth inning, how many guys do have hitting over .400?
  Jose: That isn't a discussion we can have here.
  Johnny: You made it abundantly clear i'm suppose to be quiet, How did the game end?
  Elijah: Glynn dies on second base and Durbin hits a walk off homer in the 12th.
  Johnny: OH YEA, THAT IS MY MAN, DURBIN !!!!
  Elijah: Johnny, please, we discussed this , the waitress hates when you scream and I hate to have to go to bar to get my drink, Can you be be discreet?
  Johnny: OH YEA, THAT IS MY MAN, DUBIN

Sunday, November 10, 2019

                                  Sunday noon at the Barleymoe

 Elijah: You guys are in early, I'm impressed.
 Jack : You changed your clothes Elijah, did you leave.
 Elijah: Hell no, I never leave the Barley. My cleaners delivers my clothes here. I have an arrangement.
 Johnny: Elijah, you got to get out or the next place you going to is a hospital.
 Elijah: That is not going to happen. I want to know why last night ended so quickly. We were doing good until the waitress came by and wanted to know which one of you guys were going to give her a ride home. What was that about.
 Jim: We don't even know her name. What is her name Elijah?
 Elijah: Her name, how should I know. She seems to answer to whatever name she is called. I've heard her called Carol, Candace, Candy,  and Cherise. My guess is that as long as you call her a name that starts with C, she will take real good care of you.
 Johnny: Oh my god Elijah you need to get out of here occasionnally.
 Jack: We aren't getting much done here.
 Jim: I like a couple of guys on the Beaneaters. They have a centerfielder Cliff Lee.
 Jack: He doesn't hit right-handers. He will not be rookie of the year lets move on. Who is the other guy, Jim?
 Jim: The other guy is a second baseman Phil Searle.
 Johnny: That was the guy selected with the first pick in the season 43 draft.
 Jack: That guy has averages 46 homers over four minor league seasons.
 Elijah: He sounds good, who wants another drink.
 Jim: Elijah, it not 12:30 yet.
 Jack: I saw a guy in Austin in spring training. Juan Sardinas, very promising.
 Jim: He's just another sinker, slider guy. You love those guys but they are never the cream of the crop.
 Johnny: Rich Winn in Cleveland is a pretty good prospect.
 Jim: He's great when he's healthy. But he doesn't stay healthy. Nobody hits cleanup on the disabled list.
 Elijah: Why haven't any of you smart guys mentioned Ivan Tomas of Helena.
 Jack: How do know about him? You don't scout you just sit here and drink.
 Elijah: I scout. They have cable here. I think he was even drafted. You guys know that stuff, was he?
 Johnny: Yes the same draft as Searle. So Elijah, what can you tell us about him.
 Elijah: He looked good on the tube and the waitress said he was cute. She is better predicting players than me; so I thought I throw that out.
 Jim: So guys who wins rookie of the year? I like Phil Searle.
 Jack: I like Albert Perez
 Johnny: It's got to be Russell Durbin.
 Elijah: The Tarot Cards say ......
 Jim: Did he just pass out. It's not 1 PM yet.
 Johnny: I'll see you guys next Saturday. Maybe he will tell us what his cards said.
 Jack: Yea, next week.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

                                               Saturday night at the Barleymoe

  Little did you know that the league has a set of scouts, or would be scouts, that meet at the Barleymoe Pub to discuss this league. It really is a large group but since occasionally they do scout not all members are ever at the pub any given week. Elijah Craig is always at Barleymoe. He seems to scout using TV, the internet and Tarot Cards. The other scouts this week are Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Johnny Walker.

 Elijah: I'm drinking to the new season and don't care what you guys talk about just don't be so loud that  the waitress doesn't want to come over and refill my glass.
 Johnny: I think we ought to predict who is this years rookie of the year.
 Jack: We never get this right. Why are we doing it again this year. It's always someone who starts at triple-A and gets called up.
 Elijah: Not so loud Jack the waitress just looked over here. She's not happy with us and I need another drink.
 Jim: Elijah we just got here. How can you need another drink already.
 Elijah: You forget I work out of here. I've been here a couple of days.
 Johnny: I really like the four young guys playing for Vegas. Alcides Villareal, Benny Rondon, Russell Durbin and Shawn Maronde are all studs.
 Jim: What the hell Johnny, I scouted those guys more than you. Sure they can mash the ball but I thought they were all left fielders. You can't play three left fielders on one team. It won't work.
 Johnny: Damnit Jim you know that anybody who hits and plays left field can play first base. So only one of them is out of position.
 Jack: Hell yes. And Jack Halter is playing center field. He can cover both center and right. If he's in center any of us could play right field, well maybe not Elijah.
 Jim: So Johnny which left fielder do you like the best.
 Johnny: Durbin.You know I like right handed hitters that own right handed pitchers. He has good power, a good eye and really likes the righties.
 Jack: He is going to strike out too much. I like Rondon. He actually hits righties better than Durbin and is better against southpaws.
 Johnny: Durbin is better defensively. Don't you care about defense, Jack?
 Jack: Not when Jack Halter is playing centerfield.
 Jim: You guys haven't mentioned Shawn Maronde. He has good power and is more well rounded than the others. In fact one time I was visiting my aunt Myrtle in Moody Alabama and saw him hit 3 homers for Odenville in one game.
 Elijah: Have I had too much to drink, or does anything you just said makes sense?
 Jim: Elijah if you ever got out of here and actually scouted you would know about rivalries.
Odenville and Moody are bitter enemies on the ball field. The year I scouted Maronde, Moody was horrible but I waited until Odenville was playing in Moody to see Maronde. All expenses paid trip to see my aunt Myrtle.
 Elijah: What do you other two guys think of Maronde?
 Jack: He's okay but he's no Rondon.
 Johnny: Yea, and he's no Durbin; either.
 Elijah: Did you guys leave out the Galaxy player who doesn't play left field.
 Johnny: Yes we did Elijah. Alcides Villareal is a good second base man with a good bat. Not the power of the outfielders but he is a solid player. I might like him  better than Durbin.

 Jack: Forget these guys in Vegas. Vegas is not a place someone should work. These are young guys. The booze, the girls, the gambling. Young guys aren't going to able to concentrate on what they need to do to be stars until they are older. I just scouted the west coast. I found three studs, one in Seattle and two in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has these two really fine pitchers. I don't know if you guys understand how to scout pitchers. It takes a finer eye; like mine.
 Jim: Are you talking about Josmil Corpas? You think he's your secret? The guy with sinker they call the Newton pitch because it drops so much. He has a good change up and slider but he lacks a dominant fast ball. That damn Newton pitch isn't going be as effective in the major leagues.
 Johnny: Josmil is good but he's not as good as J C Butler. Butler is a starter, no reliever is going to win the rookie of the year. Have you been drinking as much as Elijah?
 Elijah: Nobody drinks as much as me. It's a gift.
 Johnny: My point is that a starter, especially a starter with 5 pitches headed by a fast ball not a sinker is a bigger weapon than a reliever. Jack, what did you see in Seattle. They have a good farm system?
 Jack: Once again it's pitcher. I have a gift, maybe not Elijah's gift but a gift. Albert Perez is a Cuban, and by the time he's finishes his career he will be the second most well known Cuban pitcher of all time.
 Elijah: Who in the hell are talking about? What Cuban pitcher is well known?
 Jack: 60 years ago, the Phillies had a young Cuban pitcher who made it all the way to triple A and their forty man roster. His name was Fidel Castro.
 Jim: You mean to tell me that the Philly franchise that was really awful at that time could have pitched Castro in the majors and he would have never been a communist.
 Jack: It's possible but he wasn't good enough to pitch in the majors.
 Jim: Check again Jack, the Phillies had a lot of guys in mid 50's that weren't good enough for the major leagues. They could have taken one for the western hemisphere.
 Elijah: Are we talking baseball or geography? Please don't talk geography. Waitress...
 Jack: History aside this guy is a stud. He will be very, very good.
 Elijah: I'm feeling very drowsy. Can we pick this up in the morning.
 Jim: It's been a decade since you seen a morning, but tomorrow is good. We can talk Perez and the others tomorrow.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

                                              National League North Preseason Analysis

 Last year this division was our leagues most competitive in our league. Six games separated first place from third. The run differential between theses three teams was 167 runs.

   San Juan franchise    owner mike1184  19 seasons in this league   1,765 wins
 
    Last season San Juan was fourth in the national league in ERA. Yhoxian Sasaki led the staff with 9 complete games in 37 starts. Future ace Jose Cordero had a 3.22 ERA in 22 starts. Young pitchers Yean Carlos Mendoza, Julius Lanning, and Otis Swann will only strengthen this staff.
   If the arms were the bright spot last year, the bats were disappointing. Actually the infield was good but the outfielders were disappointing. 7 players started more than 10 games in right field, only one player had more than 30 starts.
  If free agency can bring in a couple of big bats to add to this outfield San Juan will be fine.


   Cleveland franchise   owner Saffron       14 seasons in this league      1,195 wins

 Last season the Shijirarenai were 29 and 20 in one run games and 9-2 in extra innings; it's going to be hard to duplicate those results.
 Youngsters Hipolito Prado, Hansel Difo,Glen Morris and Bartolo Herrera wild look to put up more runs this year. The pitching staff is led by Jerome Leary and Ricardo Park. The fur of the staff is bright with Russell Palmer, Saul Dolis, Tony Ontiveros and Chief Roosevelt.
 The farm system has 4 stud hitters on their way to Cleveland this season or next; so help is on the way.


 Washington D.C. franchise  owner  sport65      2 seasons in the league   194 wins

  This franchise has won the division 7 of the last 8 seasons. With a run differential of 138 runs, this team looks to make it 8 out of 9.
  Using a four man rotation for most of last season this veteran group for a bullpen that won 27 games and saved 58. If this staff has a weakness it is age. All the starters are 30 and older; with the oldest being 33.
  The bats are consistent if not spectacular. Of the tan players with over 300 at bats only 1 hit above .300;Jett Whiteside. However Tony Funaki, Sam Collins, Vladimir Oliveros, Dave Schwimer, Pierce  Karstens, and Kelly Randolph hit above .280.
 
Durham franchise        owner beecher                first season in the league

 A franchise in the rebuilding mode. Beecher will have the second pick in the draft.
 The left side of the infield is strong with Tony Martin and Chris Malloy.
 The pitching is led by Anthony Daniels, Chad Sellers and Guillermo Ortiz.
 The Tobacconists have over 50 million to spend in free agency to help with the rebuild.