THE NEW YORK GIANTS OF THE BDBL

2012 NYG SEASON PREVIEW

2012-01-29T15:27:00.002-05:00

Mike Napoli 2012 GIANT CAPTAIN

The New York Giants open the 2012 BDBL season with a significant makeover from the prior season. The Giants will open with the following opening day lineup:
 
Mike Napoli C
Billy Butler 1B
Darwin Barney 2B
Alex Gonzalez SS
Orlando Hudson 3B
Alphonso Soriano LF
Brett Gardner CF
David DeJesus RF

Bench 

Yonder Alonso CR/OF
Willie Harris UT
Mitch Maier OF
Matt Treanor C

Reserve 
 
Juan Castro C
Brandon Crawford INF
Jesus Montero C
Rene Rivera C
Juan Uribe INF

Rotation 

Jair Jurrjens 
Ricky Nolasco 
 
Bartolo Colon 
Brad Penny 
Jeff Karstens 

Long Relief 

Brett Cecil
Kevin Drabek
Clay Mortenson 
Scott Atchinson
Phil Hughes 
Sergio Mitre

Short Relief 

Mike Dunn
Leo Nunez
Tim Collins 
Manny Acosta

Closer 
 
Drew Storen
 
Mike Napoli was signed to a 3 year contract which starts at 13 million a year and was named team captain for the 2012 season. Napoli posted one of the best MLB seasons by a MLB catcher. Despite the critics, Napoli has the ability to earn all of the 13 million the NYG has invested in the 30 year old catcher not only because he had the second best OPS in MLB with a 1.046 OPS but also because he has a VG/VG rating  behind the plate.  

Napoli will be joined next year by Jesus Montero, a hitting machine who can fill in at C or 1B and is projected to hit between 30-40 HRs every year for the next 10 years. Yonder Alonso will also be joining the team next year which will give the Giants a solid middle of the order for several years and will hopefully solve the offensive troubles which have beset the Giant organization.

The Giants are also hopeful Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek and Phil Hughes can live up to their potential and provide a stable rotation to support the new offensive additions.

The start of each BDBL season is like Christmas morning. There is excitement over the possibility maybe this will be the year players exceed their individual potential and produce a winning team, a team which can upset the media favorites or the arch rival and give the satisfaction of knowing you can actually win in this demanding league.

HOT STOVE REBUILDING FOR NYG FRANCHISE

2011-12-28T18:32:00.002-05:00

Jesus Montero: NYG Future Foundation

After a 74-86 record, the NYG brass thought it best to blow up the club and rebuild from scratch. Given his marching manuevers, new GM Brian Sabean set out to find a catcher who would anchor the Giants for the next 10 years so naturally his sights turned to Jesus Montero.

11.30.11

Gio Gonzalez, Phil Humber and Lance McCullers to St. Louis for Chris Carpenter, Jesus Montero and Anthony Gose.

Gonzalez was the big loss in the trade but Montero can be locked in for a 10 year contract and all trades in the off season were made with the goal of obtaining long term value or reducing salaries so more funds would be available for signing at least 1 quality free agent.

Anthony Gose is a 5 tool prospect who only has to cut down on his strikeout rate and has a chance to become a good Carl Crawford clone. Gose stole 70+ bases in the Toronto AA team here in New Hampshire. Again, a multi-year contract seems to be in his future.

Chris Carpenter was acquired with the intent of flipping him to a BDBL contender in exchange for prospects.

12.11.11

Jake Peavy, Sergio Santos, and Andrew Oliver to Mississippi for Wandy Rodriguez ....

A classic salary dump that saved the bottom line 4 million and cost Santos and Oliver. Santos could come back to haunt the Giants but Oliver does not look like he will ever master his control problems.

12.11.11

Joey Votto, Scott Downs and JJ Hoover to Corona for Mike Moustakas, Drew Storen and Billy Butler.

Moustakas and Storen in exchange for Votto was a great trade while Butler fills the 1B hole. Moustakas was the key to this trade and it was our intent to keep Moustakas for the long run until a better offer came along.

12.12.11

Chris Carpenter to Cleveland for Ricky Nolasco, Dan Wheeler and Kyle Drabek.

Carpenter was flipped in exchange for Nolasco and his inning eating 206 arm and Kyle Drabek, another Blue Jay pitching prospect who looks like he will settle in as a #3 starter in the near future.

12.18.11

BJ Upton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Stewart, Pat Burrell and Mike Moustakas to Great Lake Sphinx in exchange for Zach Greinke, Brett Gardner and Yonder Alonso.

The most controversial trade of the offseason. The Giants did not want to part with Moustakas but with a gaping hole in CF and Alonso in the deal, Gardner will be a fixture in CF for several years while Alonso will take advantage of his gap power in the spacious right center area of the Polo Grounds. Alonso also will have increased playing time as the starting 1B for the Padres.

12.18.11

Zach Greinke and Alex Meyer to Southern Cal in exchange for Josh Reddick, Jose Iglesias, Kevin Correia, Michael Wuertz and Marcus Thames.

Greinke was a salary dump, Meyer looks like his ceiling was limited to set up duty while Josh Reddick will play a full season in the Oakland/ San Jose outfield and Iglesias could be the next Ozzie Smith if he can improve his OBP.

The net result of these trades is a younger roster with future All Stars like Montero, Gardner , Anthony Gose and Drew Storen providing hope for all Giants fans.

NY GIANTS 2011 BDBL YEAR IN REVIEW

2011-11-05T14:44:00.001-04:00

GIANTS FINISH 74-86

The New York Giants finished the 2011 BDBL season with a 74-86 record, 12 games behind the first place Mississippi Meatballs and 22 games behind in the Ozzie League wild card race.

Joey Votto 2011 NYG MVP

Joey Votto won the Giants MVP 2011 award . Votto (287/392/512) hit 32 home runs, scored 96 runs, 100 RBIs and stole 12 bases in 16 attempts. Votto did this despite being intentionally walked 21 times , more than any other hitter in the 2011 BDBL season.

Nelson Cruz ( 310/373/570) provided some great support for Votto but was limited to 442 plate appearences, a hole which the Giants could not fill while Cruz was out of the lineup.

BJ Upton (276/364/507) had a surprisingly productive season at the plate with 16 home runs, 68 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts. However, Upton did most of his damage against LHPs and needs to improve against RHPs to become a complete hitter.

Despite these standout players, the Giants finished 8th in the Ozzie League in hitting (259/332/401) so look for NYG to make major investments in free agent hitters.

Brett Cecil (15-5, 3.85) NYG Pitcher of the Year

The Giants have made a number of controversial moves in an attempt to establish a talented young starting rotation to support some high priced FAs like AJ Burnett and Jake Peavy. Brett Cecil made the most of his opportunity as he finished with a 15-5 record and a 3.85 ERA in 187 IP.

Edwin Jackson (15-19, 4.79) was the workhorse of the staff, throwing 214 IPs , usually starting against the staff ace of every opponent. Jackson has a great arm and is capable of outstanding performances but still lacks the mental toughness to actualize his vast potential.

Gio Gonzalez (10-14-3.89) held down the number 2 spot in the rotation and while he is likely to become the staff ace next year, he needs to reduce the 104 walks he posted during the year.

Phil Hughes (11-10-4.47) finally overcame his injury history and held down the 4th spot in the rotation. Hughes whiffed 156 batters while only walking 68 batters but still needs to become more consistent and suffered some major arm problems in the MLB so he is a big question mark as far as his future contributions are concerned.

While the consistent starting pitching allowed the Giants to finish 5th in the Ozzie League with a staff ERA of 4.12, high priced free agents were major disappointments. AJ Burnett (7-6-1-4.69) and his 9.5 million salary was relegated to mop up duty and Jake Peavy (1-9-8-2.86) and his 13 million salary was restricted to 116 IPs and basically spent time as a closer and RH set up man. Peavy was a major choker, given his 1-9 record and the fact he finshed second with 5 blown saves, bested only by Sergio Santos 6 blown saves. Scott Downs (6-7-11-2.21) provided the only real stability in the bullpen but even Downs blew 2 save opportunities.

While the Giants finished 8th in hitting and 5th in pitching, NYG led the Ozzie league in fielding with a .985 fielding percentage. Once again, Joey Votto (997-#2) led NYG in fielding % and finished 2nd in the league. Yorvit Torrealba (997-2), Orlando Hudson (988-2) and Nelson Cruz (983-5) also showed some leather. Upton (9) and Cruz (8) ended some opponents' rallies by gunning down runners attempting to take the extra base. Despite these good results in fielding, opponents were successful on 75% of all SB attempts so adding a top notch defensive catcher is a hot stove goal.

Going into the offseason, the starting lineup looks like this

C XXXX

1B Votto

2B Hudson

SS Barney

3B XXXX

LF DeJesus

CF Upton / Nix

RF Cruz

SP Gio Gonzalez

SP Phil Humber

SP XXXX

SP Cecil

SP Peavy

RL Hughes

LL XXXX

RSET XXXX

LSET Collins / Dunn

LCL Downs

RCL Santos

MONEYBALL AND DECISION MAKING

2011-10-07T22:21:00.000-04:00

                                 Making Decisions in Baseball and Life

I work about 6o hours a week and every once in a while a case settles and I can leave the office a little early and spend a little time relaxing. So, totally drained after dealing with law and office politics, I called Maureen and asked her if she wanted to go to the movies and she told me just go see the Moneyball movie and let her know how it was.

I loved it... I always like a story which uses baseball as a springboard to explain life and this was a classic. While some of you agnostics see no need to dwell on questions like discerning God's will and the mystery of life, you surely have to recall the times in your life when you made critical decisions which shaped your life or led you to your present situation and when you have a few moments to reflect on those critical decisions, you probably wonder what you can do to make the right decision the next time life throws a defining moment at you.

Moneyball examines the choices Billy Beane has made in his life. He was a prodigy on and off the field. How many of us, besides the ever young Mr. Paulson, have 5 tool abilities on the baseball field and full rides to Stanford ( well, I think Jeff lives close to Stanford but he went to Oregon and can probably run all of us into the ground except perhaps Mr. Weiss so I guess that counts for something.)

Anyway, Billy Beane had some critical choices to make in life. He chose to become a bonus baby with the New York Mets but his stint as a player never worked out thanks to injuries and the "Baseball Gods"( someone explain to me why Glander thinks baseball has multiple deities yet mankind has none overlooking the rest of the universe).

A great priest I met told me God allows suffering to bring about a greater good. I do not think Billy Beane saw any good coming out of his failure to become a successful ballplayer but maybe the experience made him a better GM and this movie suggests Beane discovered that mystery later on in his life.    Maybe the adversity made him strong enough to believe to stick with his OBP strategy even when it was resisted by his scouts, his manager and questioned by his boss.   I guess adversity helps you grow a pair...

Beane knows how to work with people, not just ideas. I am sure all of us have had to deal with people who are supposed to help us do our jobs place obstacles in front of us and make it virtually impossible to accomplish our goals. This movie shows Beane knows how to stay within his role as a GM yet work around people who do not share his vision for excellence and are stuck in mediocrity. It is inspiring to see Beane trade the players his manager was using instead of the players he wanted them to use, to explain to David Justice they both wanted Justice to succeed but needed the team to succeed for Justice to succeed, etc.

The movie is a great case study on how to run a corporation. Beane does not care about titles, past experience or the normal way of doing things. He changes the paradigm, finds people who share his vision and have the skills needed to carry them out then clears away all the obstacles that get in the way of accomplishing his goals.

The movie is also a great case study on how to be a father. For some unknown reason, his marriage failed but he works to keep a strong relationship with his talented daughter and the struggle to respect his daughter's freedom while longing for a deep bond with her is solved by his constant presence with her during his down time.

Beane's daughter lived on the west coast and the Boston Red Sox offered Beane 12.5 million to come to Boston but his heart told him to stay on the west coast so he could stay close to his daughter. The Red Sox moved on to Theo Epstein and Beane stayed on the coast with the A.s and his daughter and it looked like everyone gained when Beane chose the love of his daughter over the money.

There is plenty I left out but the point is go see the show. I mean, I always wanted to see a picture of the bean factory Bill James worked at and I always wondered how does an Economics major from Yale talk to a multimillionaire baseball player about stats... too bad Vince Vaughn was not in this movie but then, that was the directors decision...   The rest is for you to view and decide if you like it.   The decision is yours.

2011-09-16T18:50:00.000-04:00

                                          Jackson: Best Pitcher of the Chapter

The New York Giants finished Ch5 with a 15-13 record. Edwin Jackson (4-3, 1.93, (48k/12BB)) led the way. While the BDBL press criticized NYG owner Jim Doyle for not trading Jackson at the trading deadline, Jackson pitched some of his best games of the season, helping the Giants take 3 out of 4 from the arch rival Salem Cowtippers and another 3 out of 4 from the Benes Division leading Mississippi Meatballs.

Scott Downs (3-2-5, 2.55 (8k/4BB)) added some clutch relief pitching.

On the offensive side of the ledger, Nelson Cruz (344/389/607), Joey Votto (271/378/467), David DeJesus (311/377/410), Pat Burrell (259/368/552) and BJ Upton (269/356/519) provided some consistent offensive firepower .

NYG now stands at 59-73 on the season, 12 games behind in the Benes Division and 19 games out of the wildcard race in the Ozzie League.

With only 28 games left in the season, the Giants added Juan Gutierrez and Vin Mazzaro for bullpen depth and released Dan Runzler and Kelly Shoppach. Shoppach ran out of plate appearences and Dan Runzler had only a few innings left in the season and failed to pitch very well in MLB 11.

Locally, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats beat the Reading Phillies in the Eastern League playoffs and split the first 2 games with the Richmond Flying Squirrels here in Manchester NH. I had the opportunity to see Fransico Peguero and although he has talent, it has yet to turn into production.

2011-08-13T08:38:00.000-04:00


VOTTO WAKING UP

GIANTS FINISH CHAPTER 4 (11-13)

The New York Giants finished Chapter 4 with a 44-60 record, 16 games out of first and 17 games out of the wild card hunt. The Giants went 11-13 in the Chapter 4 and it appears Joey Votto (295/343/505) woke up during the 24 game chapter.

Votto is attempting to overcome the hostile hitting enviroment all left handers face in NYG park. The dimensions lead to a 24% reduction in doubles, a 41% reduction in triples and a 16% reduction in home runs. Compared to his actual MLB 2010 stats, Votto's DMB stats show a 6% reduction in OBP and a 12.6% reduction in SLG.

The hope is Votto can close the gap in those numbers and turn around the Giants' fortunes in the last 56 games.

While Votto led the Giants' offensive attacks, lefty Brett Cecil (2-1, 2.87) led the Giants' pitching corp. While the pitching corp has usually been the bright spot on the team, various pitchers need extended rest given their overuse earlier in the season and some recent additions to the pitching staff are serving as cannon fodder for the rest of the BDBL. For example, AJ Burnett (3-2, 7.08) recently pitched 8 innings in a 19-1 loss.

Pat Burrell (186/239/326) and Brad Hawpe (220/273/317) have failed to provide any offensive help since their recent acquisition. Giants fans can only hope they improve over the last 52 games.

WHY DO WE LOVE OUR TEAMS ??

2011-07-02T18:14:00.001-04:00

My wife Maureen recently expressed concern about my recent conversion to the San Fransico Giants as my favorite MLB baseball team. After all, I had been a Yankee fan for 28 out of the last 30 years she has known me . Moreover, I still have the Yankee pennant and street sign in my sports center and still give her trouble every time the Yankees beat her beloved Red Sox. So, what gives ??

First, the Giants have won more games in the history of major league baseball. Although a number of players have graced their uniform, you have to love players like Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey , Bobby Bonds and his son Barry.

It also helps they have the most beautiful ball park and a great starting pitching staff. The current World Champs had the most miraculous run since the '69 Mets. It must be great to look out at the San Fransico Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge and watch the best pitching staff in baseball hold down the opposition until the Panda Bear or Posey or someone else comes up with a late hit to save the day.

The trip to SF a few years ago has also made me a Giants fanatic. I have a project where I try to keep a scoresheet of every 2011 Giant game. I have watched the first 25 games of the season and enjoy using the MLB.com option of watching previous games.

Anyway, this is not to say there are not other teams I will watch with varying degrees of interest such as :

New York Yankees:

This is the team my father taught me how to love. Dad played ball back when teams would barnstorm in the off season and he actually played against Billy Martin and Mickey Mantle when they were in the minors. Growing up in Kansas City during the A's 100 loss seasons, my father would take me to the ballpark anytime the Yankees came to town so I could see how "real baseball" was played. When the A's took Reggie Jackson and the rest of the A's to Oakland, I rooted for the Yankees as my number 1 team until the conversion to the Giants. I still love the uniform, the pinstripes, the tradition but I am disenchanted with the corporate image and 2,5o0 dollar tickets.

Washington Nationals

You cannot be an Irish American and not love an underdog. Their uniforms remind me of the old pictures of the Negro League teams and it is great to be able to go to the roof behind home plate and see the nation's Capitol. They are building a team from scratch and they use players like Ivan Rodriguez and Ryan Zimmerman as a bridge to a future which would include players like Strasburg, Harper, Storen and others. They used to have a great TV commentator duo in Bob Carpenter and Ron Dibble but Dibble made some ill timed statements about Strasburg's injuries and he was gone. Hopefully, they will find a good partner for Carpenter and get a new radio team.

Kansas City Royals

Ewing Kauffman brought baseball back to KC when I was 12 years old and although the Yankees remained my favorite team even during all those playoff wars , I loved the upstart Royals and ROY Lou Pinella, Amos Otis and George Brett , etc.

I went to my first and only World Series in 1980 and watched the Royals lose a heartbreaker to the Phillies. I had standing room only tickets and went with a college friend and had a great time. My favorite visit to the ballpark with the most fountains occurred when I took 20 nieces and nephews and bought them the best seats in the ballpark and gave each of them 20.00 for concessions and watched the game with all my siblings and one of my friends from the old neighborhood.

Now that the great prospects are on their way to the majors, I enjoy checking in on them from time to time.

Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs (tied )

Attachments to these teams are probably due to moves in my life. I first developed interest in the Cubs during the '69 pennant race with the Mets but I used to listen to their games alot while I was in law school at Notre Dame in the 80's ( wow, I am old ).

And the Red Sox, 1 hour south of my house , the favorite team of my best friend David Horan. David grew up on the poor side of Manchester and people in his neighborhood never scored perfect SAT scores in math until he came along. He spent his undergraduate years at MIT and his law school years at Boston College and shares 2 pairs of season tickets for his beloved Red Sox. He takes me along about 5-10 times every season and I ruthlessly attack his Boston teams as he tells me details of the great games he has witnessed at Fenway. We have a great time everytime we go and I must admit I am hearing Dirty Water and I Am Shipping Out to Boston alot these days.

At the end of the day, baseball is all about passion and learning lessons about life with all the people who touch your life and share your dreams and memories.

ROSTER MOVES AT THE HALF WAY POINT

2011-07-02T10:43:00.000-04:00

JOSE FERNANDEZ JOINS GIANTS FARM TEAM

At the half way point of each BDBL season, minor league prospects become available for the Giants to upgrade their prospects and also their current lineup.

The Giants needed to address several needs at the transaction deadline. The most immediate need was finding substitutes for David DeJesus and Nelson Cruz. DeJesus and Cruz have limited PAs and given the number of interleague games, the Giants needed to pick some OF help. Consequently, the Giants sent Jeff Karstens and Renato Nunez to the Salem Cowtippers in exchange for Pat Burrell and Austin Kearns. In addition, NYG picked up Brad Hawpe as a free agent. Burrell and Hawpe provide some much needed power while Kearns has a 395 OBP and provides adequate defense on the corner outfield positions. These moves should also lead to increased playing time for Carlos Gomez as a pinch runner and as a defensive replacement.

The second objective was to improve the prospect list. According to the most recent BDBL farm rankings, the Giants ranked 21st out of 24 teams. This was partly due to the trade of top prospects for Nelson Cruz and Joey Votto but also due to past failures to draft prospects at the end of Chapter 3.

Thanks to a friendly reminder from the BDBL commissioner's office, the Giants added the following players (BA rank) from the recent MLB draft: Jose Fernandez (#20) and Chris Reed (#60).

The Giants also used their minor league scouting reports to pick up the following players with the following ratings: Adrian Salcedo (9D), Brandon Crawford (8D), Fransico Peguero (9D) and JJ Hoover (8B).

Finally, Kyle Davies was picked up as a free agent to fill the mop up role on the pitching staff.

The farm picks received the following praise from a BDBL analyzer:

" 6. New York
Selections: Jose Fernandez, Chris Reed, Adrian Salcedo, Brandon Crawford, Francisco Peguero, Brad Hawpe, Kyle Davies, JJ Hoover
Overview: Fernandez is a hard throwing HS pitcher taken by the Marlins in round 1. He is also, apparently, quite fat. Continuing down the amateur draft list, Reed was taken 2 picks later by the Dodgers. Salcedo is a solid pitching prospect in the Twins organization with the chance to add velocity to his already 94 mph fastball. Peguero is a fast outfielder who doesn’t walk much and has below average power. Hoover is a low ceiling SP who could move quickly and has already been to AA and AAA this season. Crawford is starting at short in SF but can’t seem to hit; Hawpe is a little pricey but seem to be bouncing back from a dreadful start while Davies contract expires after this season.
Grade: B. I really liked New York’s draft even though there seemed to be much higher upside picks available when he took Reed and Crawford. Nevertheless, Fernandez, Salcedo, and Peguero all have potential and, ultimately, these drafts are about acquiring players who could eventually help you to a BDBL title. You don’t do that with “average” players. "

GIANTS FINISH CHAPTER 3 (12-12)

2011-06-13T10:25:00.000-04:00


NELSON CRUZ: CHAPTER MVP

The New York Giants finished Chapter 3 of the 2011 BDBL season with a 12-12 record during mostly inter league competition. Nelson Cruz earned MVP of the Chapter with 8 home runs, 22 RBIs, 3 SBs and a good stat line (276/354/632)

SERGIO SANTOS: CHAPTER PITCHER

Sergio Santos led the pitching corp with a win, 2 saves, an 1.29 ERA and had great command (17Ks/3BBs) in 14 innings. The performance led to a promotion as the Giants' closer for the 2011 season.

The Giants' pitching was stellar (3.01 ERA/174Ks/74BBs/8-13 Saves) thanks in large part to the Giants' bullpen only allowing 7 of 39 inherited runners to score. Despite the improving bullpen, the Giants' starters only delivered 8 out of 24 Quality Starts and New York still suffers snakebite in 1 run games, only winning 6 out of 19 contests.

Another problem area is the anemic offense (256/336/409). Joey Votto began to awake out of his year long slump (261/404/523) and David DeJesus still gets on base (323/429/369) but the Rebels need some more consistency from the rest of their lineup.

One of the areas the Giants need to work on is the running game. New York was 10-18 on SB attempts while opponents were 11-13 in the same stat. Perhaps the increased playing time for Kelly Shoppach would explain opponent's success on the base paths but Giants need to reassess their stolen base strategies.

SHAWN HILL: GAME OF THE MONTH

Shawn Hill deserves a honorable mention for pitching 8 innings of no hit ball against the Salem Cowtippers. Unfortunately, Hill ran out of gas in the 9th and the Giants ended up with a 4-1 loss in extra innings.

GIANTS FINISH CHAPTER 2 AT 12-16

2011-04-01T20:42:00.001-04:00

                                   PHIL HUGHES LEADS GIANTS IN CHAPTER 2

Phil Hughes (4-1, 2.57) posted 5 quality starts in 6 starts as he continued his development as one of the top pitchers in Chapter 2. Unfortunately, the Giants finished with a 12-16 record in Chapter 2 and now stand at 22-34 in the 2011 BDBL season.

Despite a 3.41 team ERA in the chapter, the Giants hitting suffered a power outage ( 255/ 323/ 393). Joey Votto ( 214/ 345/ 378) slumped badly in the chapter so he should do better in Chapter 3.

BJ Upton (322/ 362/ 598) continued to surpass expectations and Kevin Kouzmanoff ( 333/ 367/ 596) had the best chapter of his career as a Giant.

NYG continues to be snakebitten in 1 run games with a poor 3-12 record, including an exhausting 1 run loss in an 18 game marathon against the Slymar Padawans.

Mistakes continue to be made in the GM office. First, Mike Dunn has fewer than 20 innings so he will be moved to the reserve roster, leaving the fragile bullpen in need of quality innings and lefties. Unfortunately, LHP Franklin Morales was released at the end of Chapter 1 and the Giants incurred a 600k fine for the early release. Given Dunn and Morales will not be on the Chapter 3 roster, the Giants presently only have 2 lefties in the bullpen so the Giants will have to scour the waiver wire and use some innovative trade offers to patch up the bullpen.

As far as the offensive power outage, we need Votto and Cruz to end their slumps and turn the tide.

UNLIMITED MINUTES

2011-03-19T13:39:00.000-04:00

EDWIN JACKSON PICKS UP 5TH WIN

A report from Slymar:

Game 1
Jackson vs Sheets

DeJesus doubled in the game's first run in the third, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. In the top of the third, Ian Stewart's 2-run home run started a three run outburst that increased the lead to 4-0. The rout was on as the Giants add another run in the sixth and one more in the seventh.

When the dust settled, the Giants walked away with a 6-0 victory. Edwin Jackson picks up his 5th win of the season, allowing only 4 hits in 6 innings of work.

Game 2
Cecil vs Bumgarner

Kouzmanoff doubles home Votto to get the Giants out to a 1-0 lead in the third.

After being shut-out for the first 14 innings of the series, Sylmar would finally put some runs on the board in the sixth. Cuddyer's three-run shot capped a four-run explosion that put the Padawans on top 4-1.

The Giants got one right back in the top of the seventh, but would get no closer as Sylmar hangs on for a 4-2 victory. Brian Wilson picks up save number 14 and Bumgarner improves to 3-1 on the year.

Game 3
Garland vs Hughes

Forget about the starters, they wouldn't factor into this game despite the fact that they both pitched brilliantly. Both Hughes and Garlnad went 6 innings and both gave up only one run, but by the time this one ended in the 19th inning, no one remembered who started. Fifteen pitchers in all took the mound. Sylmar scored their run in the fourth and New York tied it in the sixth.

The seven, eighth, ninth and tenth through 18th innings were scoreless. The Giants bullpen gave up 8 hits in 13 innings and the Sylmar bullpen gave up only 5 hits in 13 innings.

Fast forward to the top of the nineteenth. Sylmar gets a single and a walk to start the inning. Then Mike Pelfrey lays down a bunt, but A.J. Burnett gets the force at third. Cuddyer reaches on an infield single to load the bases. Aaron Rowand, picked up on waivers at the end of April, comes up clutch, plating two with a single. With runners at the corners and only one out, Hill grounds into a double play.

But the Giants were out of gas and went one, two, three in the bottom of the nineteenth, giving Sylmar an exciting and exhausting 3-1 victory in 19 innings. Pelfrey picks up the victory, his 4th of the season.

Game 4
Sanchez vs Gonzalez

Two excellent southpaws square off in game 4. Both managers, I'm sure, were hoping their starters would go deep into this game after exhausting their bullpens in the 19th inning affair. That was not to be for either starter, but for very different reasons.

Sylmar took a 1-0 lead in the second, and in the third, a 3-run home run by Ibanez, his first since rejoining the Padawans, broke the game open a 4-0. Sanchez, meanwhile was cruising until he got injured in the fourth inning. Pelfrey, who went the last two innings of the marathon game, was called upon again. He went 3 and a third innings, giving up just one run. Sylmar would win 5-1. Crain, who pitched the last inning and two thirds--and for reasons still unclear to me--was given the victory.

Sylmar feels very fortunate to have taken this series 3 games to 1. Jim's Giants played very well. Sylmar now stands at 22-14 for the season.

GIANTS TAKE 3/4 FROM INFIDELS

2011-03-18T15:24:00.000-04:00

BJ UPTON (357/438/575) LEADS GIANTS PAST INFIDELS

Playing against Brian Potrafka and the Ravenwood Infidels is like playing Edgar Allan Poe in a dark alley, hoping the sunlight appears before the dark demons of fear and despair use their allies of the night to remove all hope of joy and light.

Despite the dark nature of Brian's postings, he is a good guy who struggles with his demons like the rest of us, his combat is just more out in the open, stripping us of all pretensions and conventions in the hope of facing the truth of our existence and the hopes and fears we all have to contend with as we pass through life. So, this BDBL league offers us a brief respite from those battles, an escape where our love of baseball bonds us in our life's travails.

The Giants won this series, taking 3 out of 4 from the Infidels.

In game 1, Fausto Carmona and the Infidels won game 1 by a 4-0 score. Carmona (7-8-0-0-2-4) used a sinker to subdue the Giants. Scott Rolen homered and Carlos Lee hit a 2 run double to post 3 runs in the 7th to take game 1.

The Giants blitzed through the Infidel pitching in the remaining 3 games, winning by the scores of 8-3, 9-0 and 9-2. Brett Cecil and Phil Hughes provided quality starts in games 2 and 3 and Gio Gonzalez ( 5-4-2-2-4-5) would have done the same in the 4th game but walked the first 3 batters in the top of the 6th but the Giants bullpen shutdown the Infidels for the 9-2 win.

The Giants new lineup is now 7-2 in the last 9 games and is averaging nearly 8 runs a game.

NEW YORK GIANTS FINISH CHAPTER 1: 10-18

2011-03-15T18:42:00.001-04:00

10-18 is a poor result for a team that is supposed to challenge for the Benes Divisional title.

The question is how did this happen and what can be done to keep it from happening again ??

The main stat which shows the great level of frustration is the 0-7 record in 1 run games. Turn those games around and suddenly the Giants are 17-11 and a legitimate contender. So, if we start with those games, it is easy to see why Scott Downs has been such a major disappointment after the first 28 games of the season. Downs has already blown 3 saves and the Giants bullpen has only managed to save 43% of its save opportunities. The obvious conclusion is we need to make some changes in the bullpen. So, we have scoured the waiver wire and hope to pick up a couple of relief pitchers who can help solidify the bullpen but we may have to test the trade market and see what we can come up with but since we emptied our prospect shelf and traded our former ace lefty to obtain Votto and Nelson Cruz, there is little chance the next Dan Quisenberry will be joining the team anytime soon.

Another possible solution is the Giant lineup used during the 4 game sweep of the Buckingham Badgers may generate the offense needed to stay out of the 1 run nightmare games. While the Giants' offense averaged 4.21 in chapter 1, they exploded for 37 runs in 4 games against the Badgers. Perhaps the law of averages just caught up with the Giants' offense but it is also possible the Giants have finally found the best lineups and player rotations to use during a series.

The Giants continue to scour the league for trading options but league owners seem to think the Giants are just a dying carcass in the jungle and are slowly circling the franchise, waiting for me to panic and sell the store for a delusional hope in favorite players. However, after nearly 10 years in this league, I have decided to place my faith and fate in some new ideas I believe will help my franchise win in the long run. So, I no longer feel it is necessary to explain why Nelson Cruz and Ian Stewart are more valuable than Pablo Sandoval and Melky Cabrera or why it would be ridiculous to send Cruz and a prospect to another team for Austin Jackson and Chris Archer. Perhaps these offers are the result of the reputation I have of making terrible trades but slowly I am gaining my self respect after gaining DeJesus, Cruz and Votto in recent trades and have enough self-confidence to trust my evaluation models.

Perhaps the key to changing things around is figuring out how to make better use of Jake Peavy. In chapter 1, Peavy pitched 20 innings, all in relief and usually a setup for Downs. The Giants only had Quality Starts in 32% of the 28 games in chapter 1 and only converted 43% of their save opportunities. Peavy converted 2 out of 3 save chances and still has 87 innings left for 2011. The choice comes down to making Peavy the closer or placing him in the starting rotation and sending Phil Hughes to the bullpen. Given Hughes gave up 25 gopher balls in 2010 MLB, we probably need to leave Peavy in the pen.

At any rate, the 10-18 record isn't as bad as it seems when you sit down and analyze it and hope changes in the lineup and a few changes can put us back in the race.

The top performers for Chapter 1:

Joey Votto (307/392/535) led the team in hits (35),Home Runs (6), 19 runs and 6 stolen bases.
Nelson Cruz (361/438/680) posted 23 RBIs.
BJ Upton (293/386/587) added some pop.
David DeJesus (239/356/386) led the squad with 9 doubles.

Edwin Jackson (4-2/ 3.90) led the team in wins and had quality starts in 57% of his starts.

MISSISSIPPI SWEEPS GIANTS

2011-03-04T20:58:00.000-05:00

MORROW LEADS MEATBALLS

In the BDBL preseason preview, the Giants were given the nod as the favorite to win a tight Benes Division race and the Meatballs were slated to be right behind in the race. So the first series of the 2011 season promised to give an early indication of how the teams would stack up against each other in the 2011 season.

Game 1: Meatballs 3-2 (11 innings)

Gio Gonzalez (NYG) v. Cole Hamels ( Miss)

Both starters provide quality starts in the opening tilt. Gonzalez (6-2-2-4-6) and Hamels (6.2-6-1-1-3-6) lived up to their preseason hype as two of the best lefties in the Ozzie League.

BJ Upton gave NYG a 1-0 lead in the top of the 3rd as he launched a shot over the right field wall. Gonzalez tired in the top of the 7th by walking 3 batters in a row and while Jake Peavy did not give up a hit, 2 runs scored on a sac fly and a groundout to make it 2-1.

The Giants tied the game 2-2 in the top of the 8th on a lead off double by David DeJesus and a single by Yorvait Torrealba.

The Meatballs won the game in the bottom of the 11th when Dan Uggla doubled off Scott Downs and JD Drew singled off of Chan Ho Park.

GAME 2: Meatballs 6-2

Meatball starter Brandon Morrow fanned 12 batters in 6 innings and a series of Mississippi lefties roughed up the Giant's Phil Hughes for 4 runs in the first 2 innings to win the game.

GAME 3: Meatballs 6-5

The Giants are 0-7 in their first 24 games of the season and this was another example of the frustrations bedeviling the team. Brett Cecil (NYG) faced off against former teammate Ricky Romero ( Miss) in a matchup of formidable southpaws.

Slugger (?) Jason Varitek launched a 3 run blast in the 2nd and Jeter and Uggla hit doubles in the 3rd as the Meatballs jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. The Giants fought back as Yorvait Torrealba hit a 3 run double in the 6th and BJ Upton launched a 2 run blast in the top of the 9th for a 5-4 NYG lead.

Scott Downs was sent out to nail down the victory but Jason Bay singled and Carlos Beltran hit a walkoff tater for a 6-5 Meatball win.

GAME 4: Meatballs 6-2.

Edwin Jackson (NYG) v. Nate Robertson (Miss)

Robertson delivers the 3rd quality start of the season to complete the sweep.

JD Drew launched a HR off Jackson for a 1-0 Meatball lead after 1.

Cruz singled , Kouzmanoff doubled and Torrealba hit a sac fly for a 2-1 NYG lead after 1 1/2 innings but Tulowitski homered to knot it at 2-2 after 2.

The Meatballs exploded for 4 runs in the 5th off Jackson on 5 hits and a walk.

Series Stats:

NYG : 197/288/292
MISS: 242/331/409

Nelson Cruz (333/529/500)
BJ Upton (231/286/692)
Troy Tulowitski (250/438/583)

CECIL AVOIDS CORONA SWEEP

2011-02-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

                                 Brett Cecil fans 9 in Game 3

2.11.11

The Corona Confederates took 3 out of 4 from the Giants in a recent series which sent shock waves through the Giants' front office as the Confeds made mince meat out of New York's pitching staff.

Game 1: Corona 7, New York 3

Anibal Sanchez v. Gio Gonzalez

Giants broke out to an early 3-0 lead on a 2 run single by Yorvit Torrealba in the second and a third inning solo shot by Nelson Cruz.

Gonzalez (6-6-2-2-2-7) posts a quality start but leaves at the end of 6 with a 3-2 lead. Sergio Santos enters the game and promptly gives up 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th as the NYG mid relief corp fails again.   Kyle Kendrick had a 3 run double in the inning to nail down the win for Corona.

Game 2: Corona 4, New York 2

Joel Pineiro (Cor) v. Phil Hughes (NYG)

Ian Stewart hits solo shots in the second and the fourth to give NYG a 2-0 lead but Corona explodes with 4 runs in the bottom of the fourth to chase Hughes (4-6-4-4-3-2) and hand the Giants another defeat. Joaquin Arias had a 2 run double and Hughes unleashed a WP to allow another run in the inning.

Game 3: New York 4, Corona 2

Brett Cecil (NYG) v. Derek Lowe (Cor)

Cecil fans 9 in 5 innings and gives up only 2 runs as the Giants turn the tables on the Confederates. Lou Marson and Shin-Soo Choo had run scoring singles in the second and third as the Confeds took an early 2-0 lead but NYG tied the game on Matt Stairs SF and Marco Scutaro's RBI single.   Joey Votto won the game with a 2 run double in the bottom of the 5th.

Game 4: Corona 10, New York 2

Justin Masterson (Cor) v. Edwin Jackson (NYG)

Michael Saunders launched a 3 run shot in the first and Adam LaRoche lined a 3 run shot in the 9th as the Confederates pasted Jackson and AJ Burnett for 10 runs and 14 hits.   A game for the Giants to forget.

SALEM TAKES 3 OUT OF 4 FROM GIANTS

2011-02-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

EDWIN JACKSON SHUTS DOWN SALEM

02.06.11

The following report appeared on the BDBL website:

The series that somehow has the bragging rights of New Hampshire weighing upon it, even though one team claims for be from New York, for reasons unknown (but it has something to do with Willie Mays having played in New York 60 years ago.)

Game 1: John Lackey vs. Gio Gonzalez

The circus clowns wasted no time in this game. Top of the first:

Lastings Milledge: single
Ryan Zimmerman: single (a rarity!)
Matt Holliday: walk, to load the bases
Matt Kemp: two-run single (to unload the bases)
Troy Glaus: two-run double

4-0, Salem. From there, it was simply a matter of holding the Giants offense at bay. Lackey (6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K) was up to the task. And Billy Wagner and Darren O'Day then closed it out, with O'Day getting his first save of the season.

Final score: Salem 5, New Kansas 3

Game 2: Francisco Liriano vs. Phil Hughes

Once again, top of the first: circus clowns.

Placido Polanco: double
Ryan Zimmerman: walk
James Loney: 3-run homer
Matt Holliday: hit-by-pitch (a pussy reaction by Hughes)
Corey Patterson: 2-run homer (made him pay for it)

5-0, Salem. From there, it was simply a matter of holding the Giants offense at bay. Liriano was up to the task, but just barely, holding New York to four runs through six innings (with five walks!)

After two scoreless innings of relief from Matt Belisle, Lloyd McClendon then came into the game and gave up run #5.

Fortunately, his teammates had tacked on five more runs by then, so it was a moot point.

Side note: for some reason, Doyle started a guy with a .144 batting average (Justin Maxwell), and decided to bat him leadoff. I'm still not sure why.

Salem 10, Manch York 5

Game 3: James Shields vs. A.J. Burnett

The series shifted to Salem's Sam Adams Stadium -- which looks EXACTLY like New York's new home ballpark, amazingly enough, but without the nasty ballpark factors that hurt every hitter in the lineup!

Once again, Salem jumped out to an early lead, taking a 3-0 lead after three innings. But the "Giants" then scratched out a run in the fourth, and two more in the sixth, on back-to-back doubles by Nelson Cruz and Joey Votto, tying the game at three apiece.

In the bottom of the sixth, Doyle brought the most expensive reliever in baseball into the game (Jake Peavy and his $13 million salary) after a leadoff double by Loney. After a passed ball, Holliday plated the go-ahead run with a single up the middle.

Once again, however, the Giants tied the game when Ivan DeJesus delivered a clutch two-out single off of O'Day in the seventh inning to tie the game yet again.

Placido Polanco then stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning. And with Peavy still on the hill, Polanco managed to hook one right around the foul pole in left, putting Salem ahead, 5-4.

O'Day then retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth, and Wagner then recorded a cheap save by striking out the only batter he faced.

Final score: Salem 5, Kansas York 4

Game 4: Colby Lewis vs. Edwin Jackson

Colby Lewis has been nothing short of brilliant this season. He came into this series with an ERA under 2.00, and today allowed a respectable three runs in six innings, allowing only two hits.

But he also entered this series without a win in two tries. Would this be the game where the one-time Cleveland Rocks prodigy would finally record his second win ever in the BDBL?

Errr...no.

Because for the third time in 12 games, the Cowtippers were shut out. Either we score 9 runs or we score none. That's just the way we roll, I guess.

The only run Manchyork would need came on slugger Marco Scutaro's second inning solo shot off of Lewis. But Cruz added a two-run shot in the sixth, just to make his teammates feel better.

Final score: Manchsas Cityork 3, Salem 0

The 'Tippers are now 8-4 on the season. Much better start to the season than last year. Of course, we haven't played Los Altos yet...

NY GIANTS SPLIT FIRST SERIES WITH INFIDELS

2011-02-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

                                 BJ UPTON PROVIDES PUNCH FOR SPLIT

2.1.11

You have to love the good job the Infidels did on Pallas Roost. Owner Brian Potrafka farmed out the job to SAB owner Greg Newgard and it looks like Greg has a new vocation in life.

In addition, it appears the computer software is much better this year in describing each play so it looks like an enjoyable season in 2011.

GAME 1:

Gio Gonzalez (NYG) v. Fausto Carmona (RAV)

Carmona ( 6.2-5-1-1-3-9) used an outstanding sinker to hold the Giants in check while Gonzalez (6-5-1-1-3-7) mixed up his pitches and kept the Infidels off balance.

The Infidels drew first blood in the bottom of the 4th. Dexter Fowler beat out an infield hit, Audrey Huff moved him over to 3rd on a single to RF and Jose Tabata knocked him for a 1-0 lead.

BJ Upton tied the game up at 1-1 with his first HR of the season.

The Giants self destructed in the bottom of the 9th. Bip Roberts singled, Lance Berkman advanced Roberts to second on an E5 and Roberts scored on Phil Humber's wild pitch with the bases loaded.

Humber choked and cost us the game.

Infidels 2- Giants 1

GAME 2

Giants 7
Infidels 2

Phil Hughes (5-5-2-2-5-3) picked up the win and Wendy Rodriquez (5.1-8-5-5-5-5) was tagged with the loss.

BJ Upton led the Giants offense with a double, home run, stolen base, 3 runs and 2 RBIs.

GAME 3

Infidels 6
Giants   5

Giant lefty Brett Cecil ( 5-4-1-1-2-5) pitched well enough to win and the Giants offense roughed up Infidel starter Mark Buehrle ( 5.1-9-5-4-2-8) and took a 5-1 lead after 6 innings.

Someone forgot to tell the Giants' middle relief corp they are not supposed to blow these kind of games. The Infidels exploded for 4 runs in the bottom of the 6th. Promising lefty Mike Dunn gave up 3 straight hits. He was promptly replaced by Chan Ho Park who walked Lance Berkman and gave up a 2 run single to Jamey Carroll and a 1 run single to Omar Vizquel.

The game stayed tied until the bottom of the 9th when Berkman hit a 2 out walk off HR off Phil ( choker ) Humber.

GAME 4

Giants 3
Infidels 1

Giant starter Edwin Jackson ( 6-3-0-0-3-4) and reliever Jake Peavy (2-3-1-1-0-0) shut down the Infidels to gain the split.

Orlando Hudson knocked in Joey Votto with a RBI single in the second and David DeJesus knocked in Lance Nix with a RBI triple and BJ Upton followed with a SF to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.   Nyjer Morgan had a RBI single in the bottom of the 9th to make the final score 3-1....

GIANTS TO OPEN SEASON AT INFIDELS

2011-01-29T20:03:00.000-05:00

1.29.11

The New York Giants announced today that Gio Gonzalez will be the opening day starter for the 2011 season as NYG visits the Ravenwood Infidels.

The 2011 BDBL season represents a number of new beginnings for the NYG franchise. The Giants have chosen ATT Park as their new BDBL stadium.

It is safe to say Giant's owner Jim Doyle underwent a conversion a few years ago when he traveled with other BDBL owners on a weekend trip to see games at Oakland and San Fransico. Without a doubt, San Fransico is the best stadium in MLB so the Giants decided to use the same stadium for the NYG franchise.

The BDBL website, filled with propaganda from the Commissioner's office, quickly criticized the change of stadiums, claiming the new stadium would limit the effectiveness of newly acquired sluggers like Joey Votto and Nelson Cruz.

Doyle had a quick reaction:

" First, the BDBL Commissioner has a major conflict with our franchise. We both compete for the same fanbase so naturally he will do whatever he can to keep fans from experiencing a BDBL game in the best stadium in the BDBL. Second, the Commissioner fails to note the stadium we tore down was one of the worst hitter's parks in the BDBL and the new stadium actually is a better hitter's park than the old stadium modeled after Safeco Park. Third, he dismisses the beauty of the new NYG park."

Despite Doyle's sharp criticism of the BDBL Commissioner's office, the BDBL preview picked the NYG franchise to edge out the Infidels and the Meatballs in the Benes Division in 2011.

Beside the new ballpark, NYG's front office made a concerted effort to assemble a winning team in the new park despite dealing with a budget cut due to Rule 7.16 penalties for failing to win 80 games.

Dealing with the reality of 11 consecutive losing seasons and budget cuts which made it virtually impossible to acquire impact free agents in the auction draft, the NYG front office decided to trade top prospects and use their depth in starting pitching and some other positions to reconstruct their starting lineup.

During the Thanksgiving weekend, the Giants sent Aaron Cunningham to LAU for Mario Scutaro and Dan Runzler. Scutaro will start at shortstop and Runzler will provide LH relief. As significant as filling the starting SS position was, the trade paled in comparision with the acquistion of Joey Votto from Mississippi in exchange for Ricky Romero, Chris Sale and Matt Dominguez. Votto was the MVP in the MLB NL 2010 season and will be the NYG starting 1B till the end of the 2015 BDBL season. Votto came at such a steep price that the NYG front office gasped after the trade was finalized. Not many teams give up an ace starter, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and another 3B prospect who may crack the MLB starting lineup in 2011. Time will tell if the risk was worth the price.

Votto needed protection in the lineup so on 12.3.11 the Giants sent Jameson Taillon and OF Adam Jones to SAB for Nelson Cruz. Cruz will provide the power and OBP needed to make pitchers face Votto. With Cruz and Votto stabilizing the middle of the lineup, the Giants acquired Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Diaz for NYG prospects Arencibia and Levon Washington. Finally, the Giants obtained Scott Downs as a closer in exchange for 3B prospect Dayan Vicideo.

With Fausto Carmona scheduled to pitch the opener for the Infidels, NYG will go with the following starting lineup on opening day:

Orlando Hudson-2B
David DeJesus-LF
Nelson Cruz-RF
Joey Votto-1B
Ian Stewart-3B
Yorvit Torrealba-C
Marco Scutaro-SS
BJ Upton-CF

Against LHPs, look for Reggie Willitts to lead off in LF and Kevin Kouzmanoff to replace Stewart at the hot corner. Jason Castro (c), Craig Counsel (Inf), Lance Nix(of) , Justin Maxwell (of) and Jorge Cantu (Cr) will provide bench depth.

NYG pitching will have a rotation of

Gio Gonzalez
Phil Hughes
Brett Cecil
Edwin Jackson

and the bullpen will include:

AJ Burnett
Chan Ho Park
Jake Peavy
Mike Dunn
Phil Humber
Scott Downs.

The Infidels expect a sellout crowd for the 12 pm est start.

KCM BECOMES THE NEW YORK GIANTS

2010-12-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK GIANTS REPLACE THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS

For a variety of factors, the New York Giants is the new name of the team formerly known as the KC Monarchs.

You all should be aware of my love for the Giants' franchise and I have written several tirades opposing the Commish's propaganda machine. This is the franchise of Christy Matthewson, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, etc...

Secondly, there were alot of ballplayers like Mays and Monte Irvin who left the Negro leagues and joined the MLB so in a way I am not giving up on the idea of remembering those players.

Third, I love ATT Ballpark and perhaps it will become our new ballpark in the BDDL.

Finally, I think it is wise to leave all of Kansas to Chris given he seems so protective of his territory. :)

More to follow......

2010-12-08T20:33:00.000-05:00

TORREALBA JOINS MONARCHS CATCHING CORP

A catcher is the soul of a baseball team, the general leading his troops to battle,the player who must commune with a pitcher's psyche and make decisions about how to defeat each batter as they come to the plate, in short the leader of the team.

The Villanova Mustangs sent Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Diaz to KCM in exchange for JP Arencibia and Levon Washington. Torrealba, Jason Castro and Kelly Shoppach now are responsible for handling the tools of ignorance for the Monarchs. Torrealba provides both defense and offense while Shoppach hits lefties very well and Castro has a gun for an arm but needs to mature before he takes over the starting duties.

NELSON CRUZ TO CLEANUP FOR MONARCHS

2010-12-08T19:36:00.000-05:00

NELSON CRUZ TAKES OVER KCM CLEANUP CHORES

Adam Jones and Jameson Taillon were sent packing to the San Antonio Broncos in exchange for Nelson Cruz. KCM Management released the following statement:

" We are happy to announce Nelson Cruz has joined the Monarch family. Although we are sad to lose quality players like Adam Jones and James Taillon and wish both of them the best, we believe Nelson will do a great job batting cleanup behind Joey Votto. While we continue to look for players who will complement our outfield trio of DeJesus, Upton and Cruz, we are hopeful we have made great strides in improving our offensive and defensive capabilities."

The general consensus among BDBL owners is SAB got the better of the deal but KCM owner Jim Doyle respectfully disagrees.

"The fact of the matter is our franchise now ranks 23 out of 24 franchises in the BDBL and we are at risk of falling into last place. We believe we have an opportunity to put together the second team in franchise history to finish above 500 and provide our fans with a top notch product they can be proud of and bring their friends and family for a good time. If we need to blow up our farm system to have our team mentioned as possible contenders for the Benes division championship, then so be it."

Nelson Cruz (445/318/374/576) gives KCM a legitimate power threat but his limited 445 PAs coupled with David DeJesus' limited PAs means another OF acquisition will be made to complement OF Carlos Gomez on the KCM bench.

MONARCHS HOT STOVE REPORT

2010-11-28T12:16:00.000-05:00

JOEY VOTTO JOINS MONARCHS

In a historic trade , the Kansas City Monarchs obtained 2010 MLB NL MVP Joey Votto and pitching prospect Dan Cortes from the Mississippi Meatballs for ace lefty Ricky Romero, top prospect Chris Sale and future starting 3B Matt Dominguez.

Votto posted a 7.4 WAR and a 1.6 FLD rating with some great stats (648/324/424/600) and fills a huge hole in the Monarchs lineup. Improving the Monarch offense was a top priority for the Kansas City management, a goal made even tougher by the loss of Carlos Pena, the inconsistency of Adam Jones and the loss of Jimmy Rollins and the reduction of PA in BDBL2111 for the injured David DeJesus.

Cortes is a pitcher with a high ceiling and KCM management hopes he fills in as a 4th starter in a future rotation.

MARIO SCUTARO NEW KCM SS

In another trade, KCM shipped Aaron Cunningham to LAU for Mario Scutaro and LHP Dan Runzler.

With Jimmy Rollins filing for free agency and Juan Uribe traded for David DeJesus, Scutaro posted a 2.1 WAR and a -4.8 FLD and some other stats (695/275/333/388) and is expected to take over the day to day SS duties. Manager Satchel Paige is concerned how effective Scutaro will be with the glove given his -4.8 FLD rating but will have to wait for the new DMB disk to see what his actual rating will be in 2011 BDBL.

Dan Runzler is a 25 year old lefty who gives up a lot of groundballs and impressed KCM owner Jim Doyle during SF Giant games. If Runzler has a good infield behind him, he could induce alot of DPs in crucial situations.

MONARCHS FINISH 2010 BDBL SEASON (64-96)

2010-11-25T08:04:00.000-05:00

                                PHIL HUGHES KCM PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The Kansas City Monarchs held their first annual Thanksgiving Dinner and awarded Phil Hughes (7-2-6- 2.89) with the Jackie Robinson Player of the Year Award.   Hughes is the first recipient of the most prestigious franchise award.

Hughes plans to move from the bullpen into the starting rotation in BDBL 2011. Manager Satchel Paige had the following comments:

" I think Phil just needs a little more snake oil to keep his arm in shape and needs to improve his mental toughness and his pitch selection to lefties. Nevertheless, Phil was the most outstanding player on our team and he should be a team leader for several years. "

Hughes and the Monarchs enter off season contract negotiations with local media sources reporting KCM management is vacillating between 4 and 7 year contract offers. Monarch brass are officially noncommittal.

Several other Monarchs made major contributions to the team:

JIMMY ROLLINS ADDED SPEED

Jimmy Rollins showed up for work nearly every day during the 2010 season. Rollins led the team with 153 GP, 592 PA, 32 SBs and 34 doubles. Rollins speed and gap power were definite assets for the club.

Rollins will become a free agent during the offseason.

ADAM JONES: AN KCM ENIGMA

Adam Jones has unlimited potential but his inconsistency and moodiness make KCM fans question whether he will ever use all his ability. In 2010, Jones led the team in several catagories including 297 BA, 346 OBP, 137 Hits and finished second with a 474 SPC. Jones is signed through the 2016 season so KCM fans are hoping Adam is on his way to turning the corner in his BDBL career.

CARLOS PENA: HOMER OR WALK ??

Carlos Pena ended the season with some fine stats including .501 SPC, 36 HRs, 79 RBIs, 86 BBs and 131 Ks.

Carlos was always expected to strikeout and walk in every game and hit a HR once every 4 games. Pena also had a good glove at 1B and should be in the running for a gold glove award.

Carlos is another free agent and the team wishes him the best in his future endeavors.

ORLANDO HUDSON: KCM SPARKPLUG

Hudson was the clubhouse leader in 2010, providing a fine glove, 7 triples and 70 runs scored. Hudson has 2 years remaining on his contract and may be named the team captain given his fine glove, leadership ability and consistent hitting.

JAKE PEAVY: PLEASE HEAL QUICKLY

Peavy was signed to a 3 year 40 million dollar contract in the off season and posted some modest numbers ( 6-7-3-3.97) in 102 IPs. The key problem is the endless injury history which will limit his 2011 BDBL season to 170 innings.
KCM fans are hopeful they will get a full 250 IP season in 2012.

EDWIN JACKSON : A FUTURE ACE

Edwin Jackson joined the team in midseason and led the team in wins and posted some good numbers (8-9-0-4.72). Jackson has the arm to become an ace but he needs to learn how to think and pitch like a BDBL ace.

AJ BURNETT: A LOST SOUL

Burnett (7-19-5.06) led the team with 206 IPs, 195 Ks and 114 BBs. Burnett was a major disappointment to KCM brass and rumors are floating all over the local sports pages that Burnett will be released in the offseason and the Monarchs will eat half of the 9.5 million remaining on his contract.

MONARCH FINISH SEASON 64-96

The 2010 season left KCM with a 64-96 record 46 games out and 3rd in the Benes Division. The Monarchs finished 5th in the league in fielding, 11th in team ERA and 9th in Batting Average.

A TRIP TO CITIFIELD

2010-09-20T19:35:00.001-04:00


CITIFIELD 9-19-10 " I am too anxious, an old man driven by habits of paternity, which the son in the fullness of his manhood no longer needs. I remain here as a sign and a presence, a refuge to which he can return to if he should need it. That is my role, yet I so often forget it and slip back into the emotions of young fatherhood. " Theophilos by Michael O'Brien I spent the last few days crying in my beer over the loss my friend Ovide Lamontagne suffered in the NH Republican primary for the US Senate. He lost by less than 1% of the vote. I remember the first time Ovide ran for office 15 years ago. My son Seamus was 7 years old and I was always working at my law office or on Ovide's campaign. One day I ate dinner in about 10 minutes and left the house in a hurry and Seamus chased my car down the street asking me to stop and play some catch with him. I made a decision that night that it was ok to lose an election but not ok to lose my son. Seamus is 22 now and lives in Brooklyn, trying to make his fortune in the music industry. Now I am chasing him down and asking him to catch a baseball game. So I bought some cheap tickets to the Mets game and drove down to a New Haven hotel which we used when he was in school. Seamus drove down from his Brooklyn apartment and picked me up at the hotel and drove me to the ballpark. I have diabetes now and have to exercise a hour a day so Seamus walked me around the ballpark for the hour then let me eat some forbidden food at the Snack Shack before we made our way to our seats behind homeplate in the upper deck section of the ballpark. My son is on a roll in his life. He is dating several women that are all beautiful, smart and funny. He tells me about the Irish girl who spent the summer working for Amensty International, the Asian model who interns for the Red Sox and the Swedish blonde who is working for a music label. I could not make this stuff up and it is obvious he is giving up time with them to spend it with me. He tells me how men stare at his dates and I tell him how I had the same problem with his mother. He has his mother's personality and makes friends easily. He has a number of music projects and explains the latest one. It involves a jazz expert from Berkeley and a singer who sings like Nora Jones and a couple of other musicians including him. He trys to explain it takes time for the group to get on the same page and they are planning on how to get their music circulated but it is all beyond my comprehension. In the end baseball brings us back together. He remembers me playing catch with him that day and I tell him about the exploits of his grandfather playing against Billy Martin and Mickey Mantle during barnstorming games. I tell him about the days I spent with my father and brother at the ballpark and how I wished my father was still around because my father would be proud of my son. Derek Lee slams a grand slam right after I predict it and we laugh at my lucky guess. The Braves won 6-3 and the game only lasted a few hours but I wished it lasted forever. We had dinner together at a Italian Restaurant back in New Haven. Seamus dropped me off at the hotel and drove back to Brooklyn and promised he would make it home for Thanksgiving. I am not sure how many days we will be able to spend in the future but I will always remember this trip to the ballpark. It was a trip where I suddenly realized my son was a man and had his own life and I have to deal with that reality. Thank God we have baseball parks to teach us life's lessons.

MONARCHS FINISH CHAPTER 5 WITH 12-16 RECORD

2010-09-20T19:31:00.000-04:00


Phil Hughes Shows Promise

MONARCHS FINISH CHAPTER 4 AT 12-12

2010-07-24T19:13:00.000-04:00

                                 EDWIN JACKSON NOW MONARCHS ACE

The Kansas City Monarchs brought a little respectability to the franchise by finishing Chapter 4 with a 12-12 record. The net result is the franchise stopped its dreary descent into the nether world and now sits at 41-63.

Edwin Jackson was the ace of the staff. Jackson compiled a 4-2 record and fanned 27 batters and walked 11 in 33 innings.   No one doubts that Jackson has potential but it is nice to see him actually start producing some tangible results.

Carlos Pena ( 288/419/746) also managed to heat up during the chapter. Carlos has been in a slump most of the 2010 BDBL season so it was nice to see him wake up.

Here are the series results:

Undertakers   0-4
Blazers              1-3
Badgers             2-2
Padawans        2-2
Broncs                3-1
Jamboree         4-0

The Jamboree series was the first time the Monarchs have swept a series this year.

Here are the team leaders after 4 chapters:

Franklin Gutierrez leads the team with a 299 BA and a 356 OBP.
Carlos Pena has a 479 SLG and 22 HRs and 51 RBIs.
Jimmy Rollins has 22 doubles and 21 stolen bases.

Jon Papelbon has posted 14 saves and sports a 2.12 ERA.
AJ Burnett (5-15) has worked 145 innings and fanned 137 batters.
Edwin Jackson has posted 6 wins since joining the club.
Jeremy Affeldt has made 48 appearences.

MONARCHS ACQUIRE DAVID DEJESUS

2010-07-09T12:50:00.002-04:00

DAVID DEJESUS JOINS MONARCHS IN REBUILDING PROCESS

The Kansas City Monarchs announced today that they have traded Juan Uribe, Frankilin Gutierrez, Jeremy Affeldt and Jon Papelbon to the Atlanta Fireants in exchange for Ian Stewart, David DeJesus, Ryan Madson and Sergio Santos.

Owner Jim Doyle had the following comments:

"Our franchise needs to make long term decisions even if it costs us short term pain. In our opinion, we needed some left handed bats who we could sign for several years to solidify our offense. We hope to sign DeJesus and Stewart to multi-year contracts at the end of this season and we have some very positive scouting reports which convince us that Sergio Santos will be a competent right handed set up reliever to compliment the young starters coming up in our system.

In order to make these long term gains, we have to deal with short term pain. We gave up Franklin Gutierrez because his contract expires at the end of next year and we have an excess of right handed centerfielders. We are not giving Affeldt and Papelbon save opportunities so their present value is depreciated in our present circumstances. Uribe was tough to give up but the long term value of DeJesus , Stewart and Santos is worth the cost."

The trade comes on the heals of opening Chapter 4 with a 1-7 record. The Monarchs are presently 30-58 in the 2010 BDBL season.

MONARCHS GO 7-17 IN CHAPTER 3, NOW 28-51

2010-06-27T20:49:00.000-04:00

                                 ADAM JONES LEADS KCM OFFENSE ( 386/435/509)

Monarch Clubhouse

Media: We are honored to have Hall of Fame Manager Satchel Paige with us. Satch, glad to have you.

Satch: Glad to be here.

Media: Satch, how do you explain the Monarch's 7-17 record in Chapter 3 ?

Satch: Well, basically we were playing interleague baseball and I thought it would be a good time to rest veterans who have limited PAs of IPs. So, we rested Jake Peavy, Orlando Hudson and Gary Sheffield because they will be more valuable to us against Ozzie League competition. As a result, we took alot of lumps but if you are going to take some lumps, it's better to take it them in interleague play. We also thought it would be a great learning opportunity for pitchers like Brett Cecil and Gio Gonzalez to get a taste of what BDBL baseball is all about.   We also had some free agent pitchers we wanted to air out and see what they could do. Obviously, the free agent pitchers did not meet the challenge and our younger pitchers have to mature.

Media: Is there still friction between you and the BDBL Commissioner ?

Satch: Well, the man will have to live with his own decisions. His ignorance about Negro League history and my personal MLB career turned into an opportunity for me to manage this team and give our team its present name. So, all in all, it turned out for the best.

Media: Do you think this club can turn it around this year ?

Satch: Realistically, we are hoping for a .500 mark over the remainder of the season and hope for the best. As for Chapter 4, we will have to rest Hughes and Morales and Raul Chavez but everyone else should be available.

Benes Division Standings after Chapter 3

Infidels    57-23
Meatballs 43-37
Monarchs 29-51
Flamingos 28-52

The Monarchs are 17 games out of the wildcard...

Team Leaders

Jimmy Rollins   16 SBs- 298 PA
Adam Jones   309 / 363/ 466
Carlos Pena   14 HRs

AJ Burnett   (2-13) 106 IP- 104 Ks- 14 HRs
Jake Peavy   (4-3 )
Jon Papelbon 11 Saves
Phil Hughes   44   Appearances

062110: MONARCHS SPLIT WITH COWTIPPERS

2010-05-08T14:36:00.001-04:00

MATT KEMP LEADS SALEM

I will be flying into Washington DC to meet with some clients , visit my brother in law and his family, then fly back home Friday night at midnight then drive my wife down to New Haven Ct for my son's college graduation. Despite his disdain for nerdy scholars, Seamus will be graduating with degrees in Music and Sound Recording. In other words, the kid can not only make the music, he can produce it. After his graduation, I will have a week of vacation which my wife has decided means we will be visiting our son in his new Brooklyn apartment/basement abode and explore the sights and sounds of New York City.

It is a daunting task for a college graduate in this economy but he has scrounged his old job waiting tables in a tuxedo for 20 bucks a hour and has some interviews for some real jobs and even has some free enterprise dreams of making and producing his own music and making a living at it. I admire his courage and his determination and his talent although he still manages to do some things which causes me to question his judgment (i.e., taking the subway down to Times Square once he heard about the attempted terrorist attack) but I digress.

In the midst of all this anticipated activity, it was great to sit down at my laptop and play the Salem Cowtippers in this 4 game series. Salem and the Commish are 2 of my favorite things to hate. For all of his tirades about other franchises, the fact of the matter is Salem is the second most successful franchise in BDBL history while my franchise frantically attempts to avoid slipping to the worst franchise in BDBL history.

Naturally, the David and Goliath images float through my head. Mingle that in with the life long class envy ethos that has followed me through life and some geographical factors and you have the ingredients for a classic BDBL rivalry.

GAME 1.

Jake Peavy (KCM) takes the mound against Salem's Dan Haren.

The problem with the BDBL is any joy that may build up during the course of a game can be wiped out by one bad inning.

Adam Jones doubles in Raul Chavez but Brian Roberts cranks a HR in the same inning for 1-1 tie after 3. Franklin Gutierrez hits a 2 run shot with Uribe on first to make it 3-1 and Jones adds a HR in the 5th for a 4-1 lead after 51/2 innings. Salem rallies in the bottom of the inning and scores 2 runs on a Chipper Jones single and a Teahan groundout. The rally dies when KCM catcher Raul Chavez picks off Matt Holliday on 3B. I mean, the guy was already on 3B, he was not even trying to steal.Chavez comes to the plate the very next inning and drives in Franklin Gutierrez to make it 5-3 KCM.

How better can it get ???

Apparently, not good at all.

Bottom of the 9th. Monarchs lead 5-3. Simple decision. Bring in Jon Papelbon and go home with the win.

Salem forgot to read the script. Here is the actual breakdown:

Lugo- single

PO-

Suzuki- HR (2 RBIs)

Roberts- BB

Chipper - 1B

Holliday- BB

OK, Paps has blown the game and his pitch count is soaring and Tex is at the plate. Conventional wisdom says bring in a groundball pitcher and hope for the double play. I bring in Franklin Morales and hope for a big K. Texiera singles and the Monarchs lose 6-5.

God, I hate Salem....

GAME 2...

Salem blows through the Monarchs bullpen and wins 8-3. Felix Hernandez (9-4) (7-3-1-1-4-9) picks up the win and AJ Burnett(2-8) (6-4-3-3-5-5) picks up another hard luck loss.

Matt Kemp (4-1-3-1) and Omar Infante (5-2-3-1) provide the Cowtipper's firepower. Rollins and Suzuki hit homeruns.

GAME 3

Already down 2 games and I am using my best pitchers.

Edwin Jackson makes his first start in a Monarch uniform and faces Ross Ohlendorf. It is bad enough when you are losing a series against a hated rival but simply infuriating when you realize your opponent is throwing his canon fodder against you because they have more important games to worry about.

Jackson (6-6-3-3-3-4) raises his record to 6-3 as the Monarchs down Salem 5-3.

Juan Uribe launched a 3 run shot in the second and Franklin Gutierrez hit a solo shot in the 8th for KCM. Willingham hit a laser over the LF wall for Salem.

Papelbon picked up the save.

GAME 4.

Ricky Romero (KCM ) vs. Ed Mujica (Salem)....

Lugo and Kemp pick up RBI singles to give Salem a 2-0 lead after 3 innings.

Romero leaves with a sore arm in the 4th and Carlos Pena drove a line drive over the right field wall to make it 2-1 after 4.

KCM added 3 runs in the 6th. Rollins homered, Sheffield picked up a RBI single and Juan Uribe added a SF to make it 4-2 after 6.

The Monarchs had one of their best innings of the season in the 7th, not so much because of the number of runs scored but because of the way they were scored.

Jason Giambi pinch hits and draws a walk.

Carlos Gomez pinch runs then steals second after several pick off attempts fail.

Jimmy Rollins doubles in Gomez then scores on an Orlando Hudson single. Hudson steals second but he is left stranded. End result: 6-2 KCM after 7.

Matt Kemp jacks a 2 run shot over the centerfield wall to make it 6-4 but neither team could do anymore damage so KCM took home a 6-4 win.

INDIVIDUAL STARS.

Matt Kemp 545/843/818

Josh Willingham 375/400/875

Brian Roberts 286/500/500

Carlos Pena 375/615/750

Adam Jones 357/400/643

Jimmy Rollins 333/333/833

KCM 224/286/440

Salem 242/391/395

EDWIN JACKSON JOINS MONARCHS, ARROYO TRADED

2010-05-08T10:02:00.000-04:00

EDWIN JACKSON JOINS MONARCHS

The Kansas City Monarchs shipped Bronson Arroyo to the Cleveland Rocks in exchange for Edwin Jackson right before the Chapter 3 trading deadline.

Arroyo (7-2) was the ace of the Monarch staff after the first 2 Chapters of the 2010 BDBL season. Edwin Jackson (5-3) is only 26 years old and is signed through the 2011 BDBL season for 3.1 million. Arroyo was bound for the BDBL free agent market so the Rebels were happy to pick up the durable right handed starter for the remainder of the 2010 season and the 2011 season. Cleveland is gunning for the 2010 playoffs and hopes to maximize on Arroyo's dominance of right handed hitters.

Detractors of the deal point out that Jackson is having a horrible 2010 MLB season and Cleveland will benefit by dumping Jackson's 3.1 Million Dollar Salary in 2011. Monarch Owner Jim Doyle disagrees:

"Edwin has averaged 160 innings a year over the last 3 years and we are glad to have him aboard. He fits in nicely with the other young arms in our stable. Our rotation for next year will include Hughes, Gonzalez, Cecil and Jackson. Throw in some veteran inning eaters like Burnett and Peavy and you have a solid rotation. "

Doyle addressed the detractors concerns:

" Look, Baseball Prospectus projected a 24.2 2010 MLB VORP for Jackson and Fangraphs makes some solid points that Edwin needs to start using his slider more often. Plus, 7 starts in a new league requires some adjustments and we think Jackson can make those adjustments throughout the rest of the season.

You do not spend 7 years in the majors at the age of 26 without being a major talent. "

THE BDBL TEA PARTY LETTER TO THE COMMISSIONER

2010-04-24T11:36:00.002-04:00

                                                FREE CLAY CONDREY NOW

Dear Commissioner Glander:

As the founding father of the BDBL Tea Party , I wish to list the grave trangressions that many teams in this union have suffered under your tyranny. We write this post in the hope that you will return from your vacation with a renewed spirit and clear vision and recognize how you have let liberal tendencies seep into the very fabric of the BDBL constitution and have let our beloved BDBL lose the beloved traditions of the game of baseball.

Hopeful that you will see the errors of your way and look with compassion on the teams with poor winning percentages and teams with coffers that are being robbed by the league office for the purposes of regressive taxation without proper representation, we implore you to return to the golden age of baseball with all of its rich traditions and find the courage to reverse the liberal ideas that are seeping into our beloved BDBL.

We implore you to look on the following proposals with the same intelligence and insight that led you to ban the DH rule from the BDBL and renew your conservative convictions that led to the founding of the league in the first place.

Hopeful that you will return to the true game of baseball, I ask you to place the following proposals before the entire BDBL for a vote to save the league from the liberals that wish to destroy the league we so dearly love.

For the sake of diplomacy, I will not list the names of these vile liberals given even they may be so moved by the logic and reasonableness of the proposals that they will see the errors in their ways and repent by voting in favor of the following resolutions:

1. ELIMINATE INTERLEAGUE PLAY:

The great game of baseball flourished on the assumption that the AL and NL were 2 distinctive entities that only met during the All Star Game and the World Series.   There was no doubt that if your favorite team was in the American League, you always rooted for the American League in the All Star Game and the World Series.

There was also great debate on who exactly had the greatest team in baseball and it was decided in the world series.

2. ELIMINATE   DIVISIONAL ALIGNMENTS...

Divide the 24 teams into the American League and the National League and have each team play the other 11 teams in their league 14 times for a 154 game schedule and let the top four teams in each league qualify for the league playoffs. The #1 AL team would play the #4 AL team in a 7 game series and the #2 AL team would play the #3 AL team in the playoffs and the 2 winners would play a 7 game series for the national championship. The National League would follow the same format.

This change would insure that some team with a losing record would not qualify for the playoffs just because they played in a weak 4 team division.

3. RENAME THE LEAGUES

The American and National leagues are the names we have grown up loving and no player deserves to have an entire league named after him.

Preserve the tradition of baseball....

4. ELIMINATE RULE 7.18

Rule 7.18 reads as follows:

7.18 Beginning with the 2010 BDBL season, all penalties or rewards assigned by Rule 7.16 will accumulate permanently, and roll over from one season to the next. (In other words, any penalties or rewards assigned in the 2009 BDBL season will be added or subtracted from each team's salary cap in 2010, and for every season thereafter.)

This vile attempt at creating a BDBL aristocracy is the most anti baseball clause in the BDBL constitution and is almost as reprehensible as Bendict Arnold's treason.

As few owners other than myself can definitely attest to, the devastating effect of a losing record in a given season is hard enough to bear and the rule of being penalized for failure in a given year is penalty enough. It should not last for eternity so that a BDBL team is effectively driven to the lower circles of hell with no hope of salvation or love.

4. FREE CLAY CONDREY

It is unconstitutional to single out and perpetually ban a man for the sins committed by his owner. Such an act is almost as vile as people holding your sons accountable for their fathers sins. Surely you should have mercy on Mr. Condrey and allow him to participate in the BDBL...

Remember that the BDBL Tea Party is not a fringe element living on the outskirts of the BDBL society.   We are loyal sons of the BDBL who have pledged our lives, fortunes and our honor to the success of the BDBL and we do not wish to see our great BDBL league suffer from these abusive laws.

Your loyal sons of the BDBL....

The BDBL Tea Party....

MONARCHS 8 GAMES OUT OF WILD CARD

2010-04-10T14:41:00.001-04:00

BRONSON ARROYO NOW 7-2 AFTER 2 CHAPTERS...

The Manchester Monarchs finished Chapter 2 of the 2010 BDBL season with a 22-34 record. As of the date of this report, the Benes Division of the Ozzie League had the following look:

Ravenwood Infidels: 41-15
Mississippi Meatballs 18-22
Kansas City Monarchs 22-32
Las Vegas Flamingos   18-30

After a disappointing 10-18 record, the Monarchs went 12-16 in Chapter 2.

The stat sheet showed the following team leaders:

Offensive Leaders:

AVG: Franklin Gutierrez: 297
OBP: Franklin Gutierrez   347
SLG: Adam Jones                  453
HRs: Carlos Pena                      10
RBIs: Carlos Pena                      25
Runs: Orlando Hudson            26
SBs:    Jimmy Rollins                  16

Pitching Leaders:

IP: Bronson Arroyo            82
W:   Bronson Arroyo           7-2
S:    Jon Papelbon                   8
G:    Phil Hughes                    31
SO: AJ Burnett                     74

Jimmy Rollins leads the BDBL with 16 steals in only 17 attempts. Usually, Rollins would take the lead off position in the lineup but he has slumped badly at the plate (226/254/300) and has been spending alot of time in the lower part of the batting order.

The Monarchs seem to be suffering from a power outage (237/302/372) and help does not seem to be on the horizon. Carlos Pena is in a terrible slump against RH pitchers (145/266/382) and may lose playing time to Jorge Cantu if he does not reverse the trend.

MONARCHS FINISH CHAPTER 2 WITH 22-34 RECORD.

2010-04-10T14:05:00.003-04:00

JIMMY ROLLINS LEADS BDBL WITH 16 STEALS

MONARCHS SPLIT SERIES WITH INFIDELS

2010-03-24T18:49:00.001-04:00

RONNIE PAULINO LEADS MONARCHS

Manchester NH

According to the latest standings on the BDBL website, the Ravenwood Infidels are 32-12 and have the best record in the BDBL. The Monarchs surprised the rest of the league by splitting this series with the Infidels. Coupled with the recent split with Corona, the Monarchs have served notice that they should not be taken for granted by the rest of the league.

May 25, 2010

Kansas City (6-10-1)

Ravenwood (5-9-1)

WP Bronson Arroyo (6-1) (6-4-2-2-2-2)

LP Javier Vasquez (4-2) (5.2-8-3-3-0-8)

Valbuena hit a 2 run shot in the bottom of the 3rd for a 2-0 Infidel lead.

In the fourth, Adam Jones and Gary Sheffield singled and Paulino followed up with a double which plated Jones but Sheffield was thrown out at the plate to make it 2-1.

Arroyo led off the fifth with a double, Hudson knocked in Arroyo with a single and Adam Jones plated Hudson by hitting a double in the gap. 3-2 KCM.

Monarchs catch a break when Vasquez leaves with 2 outs in the 6th.

Adam Jones hits a bases loaded double in the 7th to make it 6-2 KCM.

Infidels answer in the bottom of the 7th with a 2 run double by Jose Morales and a run scoring single by veteran Todd Helton to make it 6-5 KCM.

Phil Hughes and the KCM bullpen held the lead for the rest of the game for a 6-5 KCM victory.

May 26, 2010

Kansas City (5-7-0)

Ravenwood (1-5-1)

WP: AJ Burnett (2-6) (7-2-0-0-2-9)

LP: Wandy Rodriguez (8-1) (7.2-4-2-2-1-10)

Will the real AJ Burnett please stand up..

Part of the Monarch success in the 2nd chapter has been the improved pitching of AJ Burnett. The timing could not have been better given Wandy Rodriguez won 8 straight starts until this game.

Gary Sheffield hit a 2 run bomb down the leftfield line in the 1st for a 2-0 KCM lead. The Monarchs added 3 runs in the 9th on a 2 run Paulino double and a Adam Jones single for a 5-0 lead.

Jose Morales broke up the shutout with a RBI single in the bottom of the 9th.

May 27, 2010

Kansas City (4-11-0)

Ravenwood (5-8-2)

WP: Al Aceves (2-2)

LP: Jeff Affeldt (2-2)

Jon Papelbon walked Adam Lind with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th to hand the Infidels a 5-4 win.

Neither Jake Peavy (5-6-4-4-3-5) nor Mark Buehrle ( 6.1-10-4-4-0-0) had their A game so the bullpens battled it out in this game.

Gary Sheffield's 1st inning 3B knocked in Iwamura for an early 1-0 KCM lead.

Adam Lind hit a 3 run lazer over the rightfield wall to make it 3-1 Infidels.

Adam Jones had a RBI triple in the 4th to make it 3-2.

MARK BUEHRLE HIT A HOME RUN in the 4th to make it 4-2 Infidels.

Adam Jones hit another RBI triple to make it 4-3 after 6 innings.

Iwamura knotted it up at 4-4 with a RBI single in the 7th.

The fatal bottom of the 9th went like this;

Jeffrey Affeldt on the mound....

Jose Morales singles and advances to 2nd on a wild pitch.

Todd Helton walks...

Papelbon replaces Affeldt...

Crosby pinch runs for Morales...

Runners advance to 2nd and 3rd on a Jamey Carroll Sacrifice Bunt..

Papelbon intentionally walks the Panda Bear to load the bases ....

LIND WALKS WITH THE BASES LOADED FOR A TRUE WALK OFF WIN.....

May 28, 2010

KCM (4-11-0)

RAV (5-8-2)

WP: Brad Bergersen (2-2)

LP: Mike Hampton (0-3)

Infidels win a 13 inning thriller and dash the Monarchs hopes of winning their first series of the season.

Cody Ross knocks in Rolen and Helton on a RBI double for a 2-0 Infidel lead.

Carlos Pena and Ronnie Paulino both homer in the 2nd to make it 2-2.

Jimmy Rollins doubles , takes 3rd on a sacrifice bunt and scores on a wild pitch to make it 3-2 KCM.

Cano launches a rocket in the 6th to tie it at 3-3 and the Infidels take a 4-3 lead on a Panda Bear triple and a Sam Fuld SF. KCM answers in the top of the 9th when Paulino singles and Gutierrez hits a double in the gaps to knock in pinch runner BJ Upton for a 4-4 score after 9 .

Both bullpens hold the line until the bottom of the 13th when Nyjer Morgan led off the inning with a bunt single, a Panda Bear double and a Sam Fuld game winning RBI single.

KCM starter Ricky Romero (6-6-3-3-3-2) and Infidel starter John Lackey (7-7-3-3-1-4) provided quality starts for their respective teams.

SERIES NOTES

KCM (260/305/416) stars:

Ronnie Paulino (563/563/875)

Adam Jones (500/526/889)

Gary Sheffield (389/389/667)

Infidel ( 241/348/394) stars:

Robinson Cano (333/529/667)

Todd Helton ( 313/450/313)

Adam Lind ( 313/389/625)

MONARCHS GAIN RESPECT, SPLIT WITH CONFEDERATES

2010-03-21T14:10:00.000-04:00

PINERIO THROWS SHUTOUT FOR CORONA

The Corona Confederates came into this series as the surprise team of the 2010 BDBL season with a 21-7 record. Corona is led by superstar Joe Mauer and Kendry Morales. Morales had a break out year in the 2009 MLB season and has created havoc among BDBL pitching staffs.

The Monarchs had a couple of surprises up their own sleeves.....

5-9-10: Monarchs 6, Corona 5 (15 innings)

Carlos Pena hit a walkoff HR off of Corona ace Aaron Cook in the bottom of the 15th inning to give KCM a 6-5 win. Jake Peavy picked up the win by shutting down the Confederates over the last 4 innings of the game and fanned 7 Corona batters.

KCM was decimated by series ending injuries to Jimmy Rollins, Juan Uribe and starter Bronson Arroyo. The injuries forced KCM to move BJ Upton to the shortstop position and hope for the best.

The 15 inning contest was the longest game of the year for KCM.

KCM could have ended the game in the bottom of the 9th but Franklin Gutierrez fanned with the bases loaded.

5-10-10: Corona 3, KCM 2 10 innings

Another extra inning affair. This time Chone Figgins singled off of KCM closer Jon Papelbon and drove in Howard Kendrick for a 3-2 win.

Anabel Sanchez (6-3-2-2-0-0-6) gave Corona a quality start but Alex White picked up the win.

KCM took an early 2-0 lead but AJ Burnett (5-3-2-2-6-6) walked Shoo-Shin Choo with the bases loaded and committed an error to allow in a second run.

5-11-10: Corona 8, Kansas City 0

Joel Pinerio (9-4-0-0-0-3) threw a complete game shutout to lead Corona to a 8-0 blowout. The Confederates knocked around KCM starter Brett Cecil (5-7-4-4-1-4) and saddled Cecil with the loss.

The Confederate offense was led by Chone Figgins (2-2-0-0) 3 BBs, Joe Mauer (3-2-1-2) BB and Kendry Morales (5-0-2-3) 2B, 2B.

5-12-10: Kansas City 9, Corona 8

The Monarchs exploded for 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to hand the Confederates a 9-8 loss.

The victory was the most impressive comeback of the year for KCM.

Corona helped create their own demise by loading the bases on 3 walks and the Monarchs did the rest on a RBI single by Iwamura, an Adam Jones single which plated 2 runs and Kevin Kouzmanoff's walkoff SF.

SERIES NOTES

The Monarchs have split the first 3 series they have played in Chapter 2 and now own a 16-24 record.

Kansas City stole 6 bases in 8 attempts but Corona had 8 swipes in 9 attempts.

Kansas City(224/297/322) continued to struggle offensively but had a few stars:

Carlos Pena (231/267/769) 2 HRs

Franklin Gutierrez ( 353/389/471)

Corona (274/369/369) had their own troubles but Shin-Soo Choo (313/500/625) 5 BB, 2 SBs made sure KCM did not forget he was on the field.

Joe Mauer (333/500/400) got on base but did not have his usual power numbers.

Monarchs split with Broncs

2010-03-21T12:30:00.002-04:00

SHOPPACH LEADS MONARCHS

The San Antonio Broncs are in a rebuilding mode in 2010 so KCM hoped it would win its first series of the season. Newgard's Broncs dashed those hopes.

050510

SAB (4-11-0) W. Fister (6.1-3-1-1-0-4) S. N. Feliz

KCM (1-4-0) L. Arroyo (5-8-2-2-4-2)

Orlando Hudson homered in the bottom of the 1st for a 1-0 KCM lead.

SAB tied it at 1-1 in the top of the second on a Montero walk, a Barmes single, and a Johnny Peralta double.

SAB took the lead for good in the top of the 3rd on Lopez single, a Chris Davis walk, and a Nelson Cruz single.

Davis homered and Cruz scored on a double play groundball to give SAB 4-2 win.

050610

SAB (3-10-1) L. Richmond (5-8-4-4-3-3)

KCM (4-9-0) W. Burnett (5-7-2-2-4-5) S. Papelbon

Scott Richmond knocked in a SAB run in the second and a Micah Ownings knocked in a second run with a 8th inning double for the 2 SAB runs.

Shoppach and Upton hit back to back bombs in the second and Adam Jones launched a 2 run satellite probe in the 5th for 4 KCM runs.

KCM's AJ Burnett picked up his first win of the season.

050710

SAB (3-5-0) L. Parra (5-9-6-6-3-4)

KCM (9-14-1) W. Peavy (6-4-1-0-4-8)

KCM blows out SAB to finally give Jake Peavy some run support.

SAB scored in the top of the 3rd on a Chris Davis SF but Shoppach launches a 2 run strike in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1 KCM.

Monarchs extended their lead to 4-1 in the 4th. Upton walked, stole second and scored on a Uribe single. Uribe stole second and scored on an Iwamura single.

KCM added a pair in the 5th to make it 6-1. Shoppach singled, Kouzmanoff doubled, Adam Jones added a RBI single and Carlos Gomez plated Kouzmanoff on a SF.

KCM continued the offensive assault in the 6th when Iwamura's double knocked in Uribe and added another 2 runs in the top of the 9th when Uribe drove in Upton with a double in the gap and later scored on a Cantu single.

SAB tallied 2 runs in the top of the 9th on a 2 run pinch hit homer by Wladimir Balentin.

050810

SAB 4-12-1 W. Pavano (7-8-2-2-0-5)

KCM 2-8-0 L. Romero (5.2-7-3-3-2-8)

Montero picked up a RBI on a double play groundout to give SAB a 1-0 lead.

SAB extended the lead with a Chris Duncan jack in the 4th to make it SAB 2-0.

Hudson and Uribe singled and Hudson scored on an Adam Jones single to make it SAB2-1 after 4.

Shoppach homered in the 5th to make it 2-2 but Duncan hit a RBI double in the 6th and Jose Lopez homered in the 7th to give SAB a 4-2 win.

SERIES NOTES

KCM (273/347/453) showed a little more life in this series.

KCM stars:

Adam Jones (438/471/625)

Juan Uribe (333/412/400)

Kelly Shoppach (308/438/1000)

SAB (281/376/444)

Jose Lopez (316/316/632)

John Peralta (400/438/367)

MONARCHS SPLIT WITH COWTIPPERS

2010-03-19T15:36:00.000-04:00

GARY SHEFFIELD LAUNCHES GRAND SLAM

The New Hampshire rivalry of the BDBL heated up during the offseason. It all started when KCM owner Jim Doyle petitioned the BDBL league office for permission to change the name of the franchise from the Manchester Irish Rebels to the Kansas City Monarchs in honor of all the men who played in the Negro Leagues. Instead of honoring the request, the BDBL commissioner responded in with his usual lack of class and sarcasm. During the BDBL weekend trip to San Fransico, the Commissioner finally bet Doyle that the BDBL would allow the name change if Doyle and the Commissioner could name Negro league players who did not play in MLB baseball. The first one to miss lost the bet.

The Commissioner went first and named Satchel Paige and promptly lost the bet. While the Commissioner has engaged in the type of revisionist history that only Stalin could love, the league did allow the name change but the derision from the BDBL league office has continued in every conceivable fashion.

So it was no surprise that when the Cowtippers and Monarchs met for the first time in the 2010 BDBL season, tensions were high. The NAACP organized a massive demonstration outside of Sam Adams Stadium condemning the Commissioner of the BDBL for his failure to respect the history of the Negro Leagues while the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians organized their own counter demonstration demanding KCM owner Jim Doyle explain why he needed to ignore his own Irish heritage. The 2 demonstrations met each other in the streets and given it was St Patricks Day, a number of the demonstrators were arrested after consuming an excessive amount of Guiness and Sam Adams beer.

Asked to comment prior to the game, KCM manager Satchel Paige had the following comments:

"Commissioner Glander has a right to his opinion but it is regrettable that he cannot have enough class to admit when he has lost a bet. It is even more regrettable that someone who prides himself on knowing the history of baseball did not know I played for the Cleveland Indians. That fact alone should be all you need to know if you wonder why our team is named the Kansas City Monarchs."

Asked if the series had any special meaning to him , Satchel said the following:

" Our franchise needs to rebuild from the ground up and that process will take awhile but when these 2 teams meet you can toss out their records because the intensity on both sides of the field resembles a BDBL playoff series. We want to beat them as many times as possible and I am sure they want to do the same thing to us."

Game 1

Bronson Arroyo (KCM) vs. Dan Haren (Salem)

Arroyo (7-2-0-0-2-3) raised his record to 5-0 by outdueling Haren (7-6-2-2-3-8).

The Monarchs scored their first run in the 4th on a Sheffield single, an Adam Jones double and a Paulino groundout. Juan Uribe stroked a 5th inning home run and knocked in Paulino with a RBI single in the 9th to give the Monarchs a 3-0 win.

Jon Papelbon picked up a hold in the 8th and Phil Hughes completed the shutout with a ninth inning save.

Game 2

AJ Burnett (KCM) v. Felix Hernandez (Salem)

Neither Burnett (5.1-11-5-5-3-4) nor Hernandez (6.1-4-5-5-4) had their best stuff in this game. Trailing 5-3 in the top of the 7th and with 2 outs and nobody on, the Monarchs exploded for 5 runs. Chavez singled, Rollins walked, Hudson walked, Uribe hit a sacrifice fly and Gary Sheffield launched a Grand Slam to seal the Cowtippers fate.

The loss so demoralized Glander that he quit playing the series and ordered that I play the remaining games against his MP.

Unfortunately for KCM, the MP would cause more trouble than Glander.

Game 3

Niemann (Salem) v. Peavy (KCM)

Niemann (7.1-4-1-1-4) outpitched hard luck loser Jack Peavy (7-5-2-2-3-7).

Peavy gave up a gopher ball to Josh Willingham and a RBI single to Kurt Suzuki. Carlos Pena knocked in Orlando Hudson with a SF.

Game 4. Mujica (Salem) v. Romero (KCM)

Salem cruised to a 9-0 win in this laugher. Rickey Romero (4-4-5-5-5-2) dropped to 0-6 on the season.

Matt Holliday (3-3-2-2) and Kurt Suzuki (4-1-2-2) led the Cowtipper attack.

Series Notes

Pitching dominated this series given neither KCM (220/308/331) nor Salem (221/323/294 ) could generate any offense.

The key to the Monarchs wins was holding Mark Teixeria (143/323/143) in check. Adam Jones (333/429/667) and Gary Sheffield (300/500/600) led the Monarch attack.

Salem drops to 16-16 on the season while the Monarchs improve to 12-20.

MONARCHS FINISH CHAPTER ONE AT 10-18

2010-03-14T10:36:00.001-04:00

PAPELBON CHAPTER ONE MVP

(14.2/3-1-6/1.84)

CHAPTER ONE NOTES

10-18.....

Well, we know we are constantly rebuilding but this is a pretty ugly start. At this pace, we are looking at 57-103 in 2010. Monarchs ranked 3rd in fielding, 10th in hitting and 11th in pitching. The major problem with the pitching staff was the absence of an average #4 and #5 starter and a gaping hole in anybody who can provide middle relief.

We attempted to patch the problem by claiming Jason Jennings (61/414/480/320/434) and Justin Speier ( 40/430/552/290/359) but it is doubtful that will be enough to stop the bleeding. If you take a look at the chapter performances of some of our pitchers, you just have to hope Burnett and Romero will do better the rest of the year:

Bronson Arroyo (42.2/4-0/4.43) 7 GDP

AJ Burnett ( 34.1/0-6/7.08) 38Ks

Ricky Romero ( 29/0-5/7.85) 7HRs

Jeremy Affeldt (16/2-1/0.56)

Jon Papelbon (14.2/3-1-6/ 1.84)

The hitting (225/286/358) was nothing to write home about but there was some life in the lineup:

Orlando Hudson (252/304/427) 7 2Bs, 4 3Bs, 13 RBIs

Franklin Gutierrez ( 301/350/419) 14.2 RC, 4-4 SBs

Jorge Cantu (295/338/475)

Jimmy Rollins 8-9 SBs

Carlos Pena (167/287/389) 4 HRs was ice cold.

Benes Division Standings

Ravenswood 20-8

Mississippi 11-17

Kansas City 10-18

Las Vegas 10-18

Kansas City is 7 games out of the wildcard race...

Jennings and Speier will be used alot in Chapter 2 and Jared Burton and Ronnie Paulino are likely to spend alot of time on the reserve roster in Chapter 2. Speier should make it easier for Hughes and Affeldt to spend more time in setup roles instead of middle relief.

Of the 10 wins this chapter, Jon Papelbon picked up 3 wins and 6 saves to win the Chapter 1 MVP award.

Monarch Ozzie League Leaders

Hudson ranks 1st with 4 triples.
Jimmy Rollins ranks 3rd with 8 steals.
AJ Burnett ranks 6th with 38Ks
Arroyo ranks 7th with 4 wins
Papelbon ranks 10th with 6 saves and 10th with 3 wins.

040502: TULOWITZKI LEADS MISSISSIPPI OVER MONARCHS

2010-03-14T07:21:00.002-04:00

TROY TULOWITZKI ( 533/579/800) POUNDS KCM

1. Mississippi 2 Kansas City 1

Jake Peavy (6-6-2-0-3-4) and the bullpen pitched well but the Meatballs prevailed 2-1.

Ronnie Paulino knocked in Carlos Pena with a RBI single but Ethier posted a RBI double and Peavy walked in Tulowitzki to give the Meatballs and reliever Andrew Bailey the win.

2. Mississippi 13   Kansas City 2

Joel Pineiro (9-10-2-2-2-3) kept the Monarchs in check and the Meatballs roughed up AJ Burnett ( 4-7-6-6-5-3) and the rest of the KC pitching staff for a 13-2 blowout.   Here are the main offensive stars:

Dan Uggla (5-3-4-1) 2B
Troy Tulowitzki (6-3-4-3) HR
Andre Ethier ( 6-1-2-3) HR
Joey Votto ( 3-2-2-1) 2B, 3 BB
Brad Ausmus ( 4-2-3-2) 2B

Gary Sheffield (4-1-3-0) was the only offensive spark for the Monarchs.

3. Kansas City 5, Mississippi 4

Bronson Arroyo (8.1-7-4-4-2-4) survived a rough 8th and 9th to claim the only KC victory of the series. Mike Pelfrey ( 6-5-5-5-8) took the loss and Jon Papelbon picked up another save.

3 walks , a double and a single produced an early 2-0 KC lead after 4.
A Juan Uribe RBI triple and a Carlos Pena run scoring double increased the lead to 4-0 lead after 5 and a Adam Jones 6th inning HR gave KC a 5-0 lead.

Andre Either launched a 2 run shot in the 8th and the Meatballs added 2 more in the 9th before Papelbon shut the door.

4. Mississippi 3, Kansas City 0

Rick Vandenhurk (8-1-0-0-0-6) and Mike Adams combined for the shutout and Ricky Romero ( 6-6-3-3-3-1) took the loss.

The Meatballs mixed a HBP,BB and singles by Vandenhurk and Bautista for a 2-0 lead after 3 and added another run in the 4th on a Jason Varitek RBI single for the 3-0 win.

SERIES NOTES

Mississippi (291/386/410) used some good pitching to dominate KCM (174/254/248).

Hitting Stars

Dan Uggla (375/444/438)
Tulowitzki (533/579/800)

4/13/10 PADAWANS DOWN MONARCHS 3-1

2010-03-07T14:11:00.062-05:00

ALEX RODRIGUEZ HITS 500TH BDBL HR

Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th BDBL HR in this series to lead the Sylmar Padawans to a 3-1 series victory.

While many still debate the steroid era and AROD's off field troubles and character, you cannot doubt that he has produced on the field.

GAME 1: KCM (5-8-0) SLY ( 4-5-1)

The Monarchs jumped on Jonathan Sanchez early in this game. Ronnie Paulino hit a 2 run bomb in the first and Brett Cecil and Franklin Gutierrez hit RBI singles to give the Monarchs an early 4-0 lead after 1 1/2 innings.

Brett Cecil (KCM) shutout the Padawans through the first 5 innings until Sylmar scored 3 times in the 6th when Mike Jacobs hit a 3 run pitch hit HR off of Phil Hughes to cut the KCM lead to 4-3. The Padawan's tied the game in the 7th when Brett Gardner scored all the way from first base on an Elvis Andrus double but Orlando Hudson knocked in the winning run with a double in the 9th to give the Monarchs their only win in the series.

Papelbon picked up the win while Frankie Rodriguez took the loss....

4-14-10 Sylmar (9-13-0) KCM ( 3-9-2)

Alex Rodriguez launched his historic 500th BDBL in this game. The shot came off of KCM lefty Gio Gonzalez with 2 men on during a 5 run rally in the 2nd. AROD had 2 HRS and 6 RBIs and Ken Griffey added a triple and home run to lead the Sylmar assault.

Jon Garland (9-9-3-3-2-5) went the distance to claim the victory. Garland started after Jason Hammel was scratched due to a MP problem.

Carlos Pena had a double and HR for the Monarchs.

4-15-10 Sylmar (12-18-3) KCM (2-4-0)

Sylmar starter Kenshin Kawakami (7-3-2-1-0-2) came up with a quality start while the Padawans blasted KCM starter AJ Burnett ( 4-9-7-7-3-3) for a 12-2 rout.

Cuddyer and AROD went yard for Sylmar .

4-16-10 Sylmar (7-12-1) KCM ( 6-13-0)

Neither Padawan starter Jason Marquis (6-9-5-5-2-4) nor KCM starter Bronson Arroyo ( 3-6-6-6-2-3) were much of a mystery for the hitters in this game.

The Paddies raced out to an early 4-0 lead on a Mike Jacobs 2 run single and an Elvis Andrus 2 run double. Pena and Cantu hit RBI singles in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 4-2. The teams both added 2 runs in the middle of the game to make it 6-4 SYL until Paulino hit a HR to make it 6-5 and KCM tied it 6-6 on a Hudson triple and an Uribe single.

The Padawans won the game 7-6 when Hermida, AROD and Cuddyer hit singles in the 9th.

Brett Cecil took the loss, Frankie Rodriguez picked up the win and Hudson Street earned the save.

SERIES NOTES

Padawans (333/400/500) outhit the Monarchs ( 252/311/415).

Sylmar Stars

Alex Rodriguez (438/526/1063)

Elvis Andrus ( 538/563/769)

Mike Cuddyer (333/400/ 500)

KCM Stars

Carlos Pena ( 385/467/769)

Orlando Hudson ( 333/333/733)

Frankilin Gutierrez ( 333/429/500)

The Monarchs are presently 9-15 on the season.

2010-03-06T18:47:00.000-05:00

Franklin Gutierrez leads Monarchs to Split

It is tough to win in the BDBL and even harder to write about it. After all, everyone in the league has access to the latest scouting reports and the latest stats and the best sources to evaluate talent. Nevertheless, when you are tired of life and remember the game your father taught you and you want to get away from life for a while, then you come back to the BDBL.

GAME 1 NHB (14-12-2) KCM (8-10-2)

WP: Andy Pettitte (5-6-6-4-0-2)

LP: Rickey Romero ( 3-5-7-4-4-2)

What was that song that Steely Dan used to sing....

Rickey don't lose that sinker, its the only pitch you have....

Romero is 0-4 as I write this.... what the hell is going on.....

Franklin Gutierrez leads off the game with a single , steals second and scores on a Cantu single for a 1-0 KCM lead but NHB knots the score at 1-1 on a Rajai Davis 1B, a sacrifice, consecutive walks by Raburn and Lee and a Ludwick SF.

KCM answers with a 3 run 3rd. Gutierrez reaches second on a 2 base error by Pettitte and scores on a Hudson single. Hudson and Cantu score on Cantu's HR to make it 4-1 after 2 1/2 innings.

NHB exploded for 6 runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Rajai Davis singled, Tolbert walked, Raburn walked, Lee hit a 2 run single, Ludwick hit a SF, Sizemore doubled, a run scored on a Cantu error and Pettitte hit a 2 run double.

Lee knocked in a run for NHB in the 4th and Kouzmanoff hit a 2 run HR in the top of the 6th to make it 8-6.

In the bottom of the 6th, Ramon Hernandez hit a grand slam against Phil Hughes to give NHB a 12-6 lead and cruised to a 14-8 win.

GAME 2: KCM 3 NHB 1

WP: Affeldt (1.1-2-0-0-1-2)

LP: Lowe ( 2-3-2-2-2-4)

S: Papelbon (1.2-0-0-0-0-2)

Another classic Monarch win. Rollins reaches on a pitchers' error and scores on a Orlando Hudson SF to make it 1-0 after 3. Rajai Davis walks in the 5th , takes second on a WP and scores on a Tolbert single to tie the game 1-1 after 5. In the top of the 8th Uribe walks, Gutierrez doubles and both score on a Hudson 2 run double to make it 3-1.

Papelbon shut out the lights and sent the Badgers home....

GAME 3: NHB 5 KCM 3

WP Galarraga (7-7-3-3-1-3)

LP AJ Burnett ( 5-5-3-3-3-8)

S Cormier (1-0-0-0-0-1)

Derek Lee cranks a 2 run shot in the 1st to give NHB a 2-0 lead.

Pena and Sheffield hit SFs to knot the score at 2-2 in the top of the 4th.

Lee knocks in Davis with a RBI single to make it 3-2 in the 5th.

Brandon Harris hits a laser beam over the wall in center to make it 4-2 after 6.

Uribe cranks a solo shot in the 8th but Ludwick scores on a WP in the bottom of the evening to make it a 5-3 final.

GAME 4: KCM (10-9-2) NHB (8-15-0)

Another great come from behind victory for the Monarchs... Life is good....

Badgers take an early 4-0 lead on a 2 base error by Jones, a Sizemore single, a Mora single and a Derek Lee 3 run shot to give NHB a 4-0 lead before the Monarchs come to the plate.

In the top of the second, Sheffield walks, Paulino walks and Gutierrez launches a 3 run shot to cut the NHB to 4-3. KCM took a 6-4 lead in the top of the 3rd on a Uribe double, a Hudson single, an Adam Jones RBI single, a Pena walk, a Sheffield walk and a double play ball. NHB struck back in the bottom of the 3rd on a Derek Lee 2 run HR and a Hanigan RBI double.

KCM fought back to take a 8-7 lead after 4 on Orlando Hudson's 2 run shot.

Brendan Harris hit a solo shot to make it 8-8 after 5.

KCM put the game away in the 9th on a Hudson double and a Papelbon single.

Papelbon shut the door on the Badgers in the 9th.

SERIES STATS

NHB (288/388/468) hit better than KCM (231/298/396).

KCM stars

Franklin Gutierrez (357/357/714)

Orlando Hudson (538/538/1000)

NHB stars

Brendan Harris (375/444/750)

Derek Lee ( 600/677/1200)

Ryan Ludwick ( 429/444/429)

The Monarchs are now 8-12 on the young season....

GODZILLA AND BCJ SMOKE MONARCHS

2010-03-06T10:42:00.001-05:00

Matsui Destroys Monarchs

Saturday morning and the power is out at the office so time to update the Monarch website. Spring is on the horizon but my bones still feel the winter cold and I am tempted to try Satchel Paige's snake oil and see if that will take away the chill but nothing will work.

The Monarchs seem to be in a perpetual rebuilding mode mainly due to my inability to draft top talent and keep the talent that we have. Going into this season, I am resigned to the fact we are still rebuilding and we hope for a 500 season. Between resignation and hope is the fact that we are going to place young hurlers on the mound and will have to endure all the growing pains necessary to turn potential into production. This series was a great example of those growing pains.

Game 1. Ricky Romero (KCM) v. Kevin Correia (BCJ)

KCM 1-6-0

BCJ 10-12-1

James Loney (BCJ) picks up a RBI single in the bottom of the second but BJ Upton's (KCM) SF in the 5th knots the score 1-1after 5. The roof caved in on the Monarchs and their young pitchers in the 6th as the Jamboree explode for 8 runs to take a 9-1 lead. Here is an outline of the horror show...

Bonaficio -BB

Dye-1B

Tejada -2B (RBI)

Gio Gonzalez replaces Romero

Matsui -2B( 2 RBIs)

Raul Chavez allows PB

Callapso-BB

Phil Hughes replaces Gonzalez

Loney-1B-

Ortiz-BB (RBI)

Maier-BB (RBI)

Franklin Morales replaces Hughes

Bonaficio BB (RBI)

Dye BB (RBI)

Tejeda FO (RBI)

Bonaficio added a RBI single in the 7th to make it a 10-1 final score.

Rickey Romero ( 5-7-4-4-1-1) took the loss while Kevin Correia (7-5-1-1-2-5) shut down the Monarchs to pick up the win.

GAME 2: Mike Hampton (KCM) v. John Lannan (BCJ)

KCM 9-13-0

BCJ 7-6-2

You have to love it when your team comes from behind to win a game and this game was the best win of the young season for the Monarchs.

It certainly did not start off well for the Monarchs. Veteran lefty Mike Hampton was picked up from the FA scrap heap at the end of the last FA league draft with the audacious hope that he could pitch some garbage innings and neutralize lefties in important situations.

In this game, Hampton walked 4 out of the first 5 batters before he was replaced by Phil Hughes. Hughes struck out the first batter he faced but Raul Chavez allowed a PB for 1 run and James Loney hit a 2 run gapper to make it 4-0 before the Monarchs even came to the plate.

The Monarchs cut the lead to 4-2 on a BJ Upton double in the second but Hideki Matsui launched a 2 run shot to make it 6-2 after 5 and Mitch Maier added a RBI single in the 6th to make it 7-2 after 6.

It was time to mail it in but someone forgot to tell the Monarchs. Kansas City exploded for 5 runs in the the 8th . Here was the sequence:

Gutterrez1B

Kouzmanoff 1B

Rollins 1B (RBI)

Byrnes BB

Pena BB (RBI)

Uribe 1B ( 2 RBIs)

Ad Jones 1B (RBI)

The Monarchs added 2 runs in the top of the 9th on a Jorge Cantu RBI single and a Eric Byrnes SF to make it 9-7.

Jon Papelbon (2-0-0-0-1-1) picked up the win while Ramon Ramirez (1.1-4-2-2-2-1) was tagged with the loss.

GAME 3 (BCJ) Matt Palmer at (KCM) AJ Burnett

BCJ 4-8-1

KCM 3-9-1

This was a heart breaking loss because it is the type of game the Monarchs need to win to play 500 ball this season.

Luis Castillo led off the game with a single and scored on a Brad Hawpe double for an early 1-0 lead. KC tied it up in the bottom of the first on a Adam Jones double, Jones steal of third base and a SF by Carlos Pena.

BCJ took a 3-1 lead in the top of the 2nd on RBI singles by Luis Castillo and Carl Crawford. Adam Jones and the Monarchs knotted the score 3-3 on Jones' 2 run shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the 5th.

The top of the 7th was the deciding factor. AJ Burnett hit Kyle Blanks high and inside. Both benches emptied and when the dust cleared Blanks and Burnett were ejected. Pinch runner Mitch Maier promptly stole second base and scored on Carl Crawford's game winning RBI single.

Matt Palmer (BCJ) ( 6-7-3-3-2-4) picked up the win and AJ Burnett (KCM) (6.1-7-4-3-1-8) took the loss. Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys picked up the save.

GAME 4 Joe Saunders (BCJ) at Bronson Arroyo (KCM)

BCJ 1-6-0

KCM 2-10-1

Bronson Arroyo (6.1-5-0-0-2-2) outdueled Saunders (4.2-5-1-1-0-2) for the win.

Raul Chavez drilled a Saunders change up over the wall in left centerfield in the 4th and Carlos Pena hit a towering drive down the rightfield line in the the 6th to give KC a 2-0 lead. BCJ cut the lead to 2-1 on an Alberto Callapso RBI 3B in the 7th to cut the KC lead to 2-1.

Jon Papelbon was on the mound in the 9th and almost gave KCM manager Satchel Paige a heart attack.   Brad Hawpe led off the 9th with a BB, Tejeda reached on a Franklin Gutierrez error and a sacrifice bunt left BCJ with runners on 2nd and 3rd and only 1 out. Papelbon intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases but fanned the next 2 batters to pick up the save.

Series Stats

KCM (227/333/409) and BCJ (250/369/352) had similar offensive state.

Raul Chavez caught most of the series for KCM mainly to keep Carl Crawford in check and provide solid defense. While BCJ went 2-3 in Stolen bases, Chavez gunned down the only runner who attempted a steal but amazingly allowed 3 PBs. KCM also picked up 7 DPs while BCJ had 5.

Here were the hitting leaders

KCM Hitters
Jimmy Rollins (16/429/500/571)
Jorge Cantu   (14/462/500/692)
Adam Jones (13/333/385/667)

BCJ Hitters
Hideki Matsui (11/667/818/1500)
Carl Crawford (9/444/444/444)
Luis Castillo   (10/556/600 / 667)