2062 Shark Bites TN No. 1 - SYDNEY SHARKS MEDIA GUIDE

[thatboynicecoast]

Fall is finally arriving and with it the return of Sydney Sharks baseball. Many fan favorites are back in the Blue and White and geared up for a sure-to-be exciting season in the brutally difficult AfSAmOc division of the GBC.

Meet your 2062 Sydney Sharks.

Opening Day Roster

SP Jeff Bannon
SP Mark Reardon
SP Slawomir Trzcinski
SP Hassan bin Zuhair
SP Na'il Tamir

RP Juan Blanco
RP Ryan Cline
RP Ron Fay
RP Kent Jones
RP Ferede Keohi
RP Daljit Mayappan
RP Satoshi Shirai
RP Bryan Hall

C Hazom Danishmend
C Frank McMillan
1B Naoaki Kurioka
1B Jules Le Gal
2B Ari Ernalia
2B Isat Kasturirangan
3B Gonzalo Morales
3B Howard Walsh
SS Wattas Hondo
SS Takehide Nakayama
OF Jose Marquez
OF Lucio Rodriguez
OF Masinisan Sumait
OF Gregori Perunov

Returning Players (20)

SP Jeff Bannon
SP Mark Reardon
SP Na'il Tamir
SP Hassan bin Zuhair
RP Juan Blanco
RP Ryan Cline
RP Daljit Mayappan
RP Satoshi Shirai
RP Bryan Hall

C Hazom Danishmend
1B Naoaki Kurioka
2B Ari Ernalia
2B Isat Kasturirangan
3B Gonzalo Morales
3B Howard Walsh
SS Wattas Hondo
SS Takehide Nakayama
OF Jose Marquez
OF Masinisan Sumait
OF Gregori Perunov

New Players (7)

SP Slawomir Trzcinski (FA)
RP Ron Fay (R5)
RP Kent Jones (FA)
RP Ferede Keohi (FA)

C Frank McMillan (FA)
1B Jules Le Gal (FA)
OF Lucio Rodriguez (FA)

Hunting Grounds

The 2061 version of the Sharks made positive strides in stability and competitiveness. The 2062 version is very well on the hunt. The front office tackled the off season with a plan that had been put in place months prior. A young, athletic infield took its lumps throughout last season while playing at positions they were inexperienced at, though were also more suited to their natural abilities.

The results were as expected, as Sydney finished near the bottom of the GBC in zone rating. But by the end of the year, Wattas Hondo and Gonzalo Morales had grown much more comfortable at shortstop and third base, respectively. The mid-season arrival of Masinisan Sumait provided extra coverage up the middle from center field, setting the stage for a defense that stands to see significant improvement this season.

With that in mind, the Sharks held its core together over the summer months and opted for additions minimum in quantity, but maximum in quality. The priority targets were pop in the lineup and groundballers on the mound.

Jules Le Gal serves as the splash signing and crown jewel of the team's free agent class, arriving from the BBA with a lifetime OPS of .830 and coming off a career-best OBP of .404. Le Gal can help move the order and drive in runs for an offense that finished top three in OPS a year ago, but bottom-half in runs scored.

Name recognition wasn't the play for the pitching staff, however. But Sydney did land talented lefty and two-time BBA All Star Slawomir Trzcinski. Though the 35-year-old Pole has not started a game since college, Trzcinski will open the season in the rotation as he attempts to regain some late-career value in a new role.

The bullpen was strengthened with Kent Jones and Ferede Keohi, two groundball pitchers who hope to take advantage of the Sharks' infield defense. In line with that idea, the return of starters Mark Reardon and Jeff Bannon were critical to the front office.

This year's Sharks are the first to be put together completely by the second-year regime.

Top prospects

SS Ilia Arakchaa (2nd)
SP Vincent Wigmore (10th)
RP Edgardo Reyes (25th)
3B Maximo Bracciolini (26th)
1B Yoritomo Kawasaki (46th)

Climbing the Ranks

Bryan Hall is back for his fifth season in the Sharks' bullpen. The Canadian is third in Sydney franchise history in saves with 46 and needs just 8 to pass Miguel Hernandez for second.

Knocking on the Door

Relief pitching prospect Edgardo Reyes was taken in the third round of the 2061 draft less than 12 months ago and has since turned heads with his quick progression. The right-hander has a two-pitch arsenal highlighted by a lethal circle change that is complimented with a league-ready fastball. Reyes posted a 0.87 ERA in A across 45 appearances in 2061 and will open the new campaign in AAA after impressing in spring training with a 1.20 ERA.

Rejuvenated Career

Naoaki Kurioka's career has come full circle. Initially drafted into the UMEBA, Kurioka found himself in a BBA farm system and eventually carved out a role that earned him 238 appearances in the BBA. The 32-year-old native of Japan made his GBC debut with the Sharks last season and turned in a 31-home run ledger. Reports out of Blacktown suggest the slugging first baseman has made further improvements with his glove, positioning himself to be one of the more valuable two-way first basemen in the GBC.

Continuity is Key

The coaching carousel in the GBC is constantly churning, but Sydney hitting coach Julio Caballero has taken a liking to his current post. Caballero is entering his fifth season with the team, by far the most of anyone in the organization. Caballero's first stint came between 2054 and 2055 after three years and two playoff trips with the Yellow Springs Nine. He returned in 2060 and hopes to remain in Blacktown for the remainder of his coaching career. The team's .270 batting average last year was the best since 2057 and only the third time the team has batted at least .270 since the franchise moved to Sydney.

Come See Your Sharks!

Fan interest is growing in Sydney and we're showing our appreciation by slashing ticket prices by 15 percent this season. So come out and support your Sharks and bring your friends!

[Jwalk100]

Frank!

I'm glad McMillan found himself a contract.

[JRamirez]

"The Pole" and Kasturirigan are both former Kernels. Best of luck to them. Good luck spelling the latter guy's name. I still don't know how.