The Besuboru Journal (04/29/2057) [post-Sim 4]

[R.Umali]

The Besuboru Journal [post-Sim 4]

3-4 sim

2-2 @ Jerusalem
1-2 @ Cairo

8-17 season record (-7.5)

"We like the bats, the bats they go boom."

That banger by Azeal hadn't been heard since the Manama Pearls era when young sluggers Taylor Barfoot and Joshua Koka graced our team. Those were definitely the boom years, 2046 - 2050, when balls flew out of the park and making the post-season was a routine affair. Interestingly, both Barfoot and Koka now don the colors of the 5th place London Monarchs. And Azeal hasn't had a hit since Trashcar Po Gotchar.

With apologies to Ismael Zumaya (who hit 2 home runs during his debut sim), GM Renato Umali has finally made a real play to bring back that boom and inject some needed offense. The last place Pearls have hit only 13 home runs and have scored only 87 runs. Both rock bottom in the GBC.

Enter the American lefty-slugger known as "Sloth." Joe Melucci has become a Pearl and will make his GBC debut in Sim 5. Out of baseball for a year, the 33-year old Melucci was last part of the Charm City Jimmies' 2055 team that eventually went on to win the Brewster Championship. Known for his potential to swat 30 homers a season and boasting a career BBA slash line of .265 / .352 / .490, Melucci looks set to be the Pearls' regular DH, first base being manned by Biao Li and Sjaak de Greef. Melucci signed for $700k, a substantial cut from the $4.6m he commanded just a couple of years ago. There may be a story there, but it just might be as simple as wanting to again feel the barrel make sweet contact with the ball.

If Umali's latest move mirrors his earlier success in acquiring Ismael Zumaya, then dare we dream of a winning simulation?

NOTES

Markuri Siliqi is lost to the season. The former Round 1 pick had been the Pearls' most effective reliever, striking out 16 in 9 innings and only ceding 1 earned run.

Seu Park, after having saved 6 of the Pearls' 8 wins, has been removed from the closer role. Over 10.1 innings, he registered a 6.97 ERA, blew 3 saves, lost 2 games, and walked 9 while striking out 8. Rolf Reinhardt looks to close out games for the Pearls.

The Hadji Ufanisi experiment is over. After registering 2 hits during the previous Sim, Ufanisi has been waived.

[jiminyhopkins]

Ugh looked like Siliqi was finally starting to put it together.