Dragon Questions - 2037, Part 2

GM: Joe Faulstick

Moderator: Joby21

stormfall
Ex-GM
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:52 pm
Location: Dobbs Ferry. NY
Been thanked: 4 times

Dragon Questions - 2037, Part 2

Post by stormfall » Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:48 pm

Running a baseball team is a difficult business. It's even more difficult if you don't communicate with your fans. Here on Dragon Questions, I'll be taking on your most pressing questions about the Bucharest Balauri, so you can stay informed about your favorite team. This week, I'll be answering your questions about our season-ending homestand, potential player-managers, and rumors about Vladdy the Golden Dragon.

The Balauri’s season will end with one more series against every other team in the league. What are your thoughts on facing each of the other three teams?
Bogdan H
.
Although we'll take each series as it comes, we've set two goals for ourselves for the last nine games. In our opinion, we need four wins to reach the playoffs, and six wins to top the league. No matter who we beat to get there, we believe those two numbers will define the end of our season. That being said, here's our thoughts for the individual series.
MUMBAI - This may not be the same kind of must-win series as our matchups against Beirut and Jerusalem, but this is the kind of had-better-win matchup that could leave us reeling if we don't take at least two of three. The Metro Stars team we'll be facing over the next three days isn't quite the same as the one that we jumped all over earlier in the year, and they'll go into this matchup knowing they have a chance to play spoiler and ruin our season. The key factor in this series will almost certainly be starting pitching. We haven't had many close games with Mumbai this year - one starting pitcher or the other has usually been hit hard early - but I feel confident that our series rotation of Castro, House, and Acosta can outlast Brunelleschi, Núñez, and Gutiérrez. I expect the Balauri to take this series off of the Metro Stars.
BEIRUT - The Green Knights have too much talent to be in free fall for much longer, and we really don't want to be there when they snap out of it. It's easy to forget, after their nine-game losing streak, that Beirut dominated the first half of the season and is still within sweeping distance at two games back. Just like with Jerusalem, taking two games from the Green Knights should solidify our hold on first, but that may not be so easy. We'll have to really hit, not just to stay ahead of a lineup with eight regulars hitting .297 or higher, but also to break through two potential Pitcher of the Year candidates (R.J. Hughes, Felipe Jiménez) to get to the goods - a leaky bullpen with an ERA of 5.98, even worse than Mumbai. I can see us coming out of this series on top, but Beirut will definitely have their chances to win.
JERUSALEM - This is the tough one. As we've shot up past Beirut and into first, the Hebrew Hammers have been right behind us the whole time. They've been improving just as fast as our players have progressed, and they're going to be ready for a huge series at the end of the season. If we're going to end our season on a high note, we need our whole team coming in hot. Barry Buckner and Martin Cooper need to produce at the plate, Miguel Jiménez needs to pitch to his full potential, and most importantly, we need our bullpen, including reserve callup Akil bin Kasim, to provide us with lights-out pitching - given the amount of close games we've had with Jerusalem this season, I'd bet on at least one of these games being decided in the late innings. I'm not really comfortable with the 50-50 chance I think we have in this series, but hopefully our record in the first two series can keep this one from affecting the final outcome.
None of these predictions are canon, but I feel that the Balauri can come out of this stretch with at least five wins, and hunt for more in the postseason.

What's this some fans are saying about how Balauri players might manage the last two games of the season?
Nico C.

Yeah, we knew we would eventually have to do something like this as soon as we put Mike Román and Juan Solís on the same team. They've been best friends ever since they were kids roaming the outfield together at the Kengos Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico - and like with any good friendship, Mike and Juan will argue about anything and turn everything into a competition. We'd already seen the usual throwing contests, batting-practice derbies, and the odd rain-delay tarp-sliding contest - but the idea of them having a managerial battle only came up last week when our actual manager, Ron Alexander, put in Brian Cramer in a pivotal game situation. Both Solís and Román took exception to that decision, and complained to each other that they could do a better job than the inexperienced Alexander - which was when the whole idea really took off. I found the two of them in my office right after the game, and before I even had a chance to kick them out, they filled me in on their plan. If the Balauri clinched the Bancroft League title by September 16, Román and Solís would each manage one of the last two games - and whichever one of them guided the team to a better result would win the Copa de Jefe-Jugador (a piece of pipe that our clubhouse assistant drew on with a gold Sharpie) and have bragging rights for the whole offseason. That idea was fine by me - the sooner we could clinch a playoff spot, the better, and as long as the Balauri finished the season in first, it wouldn't matter how anyone was motivated to get there. Now all we can do is hope that the Balauri can lock up the division in the next seven games - and that the team is still standing once the new managers are through with it.

Is it true that you are planning an event on Saturday where Vladdy the Golden Dragon will actually breathe fire?
Elena I.

WHAT?!? NO, of course not, ha ha! ;) We would NEVER do such a thing in our ballpark! ;) We have far too much respect for the UMEBA to ever pull such a dangerous and foolhardy stunt! ;) And if we were to shock the league with such miscreant behavior ( ;) ), we wouldn't JUST have Vladdy breathe fire! No, we'd have him fight a KNIGHT! With ARMOR! On a HORSE! And then - well, I guess you'd have to come to the ballpark to find out!
(Just don't tell the league.)
;).

That's it for this week, everyone. We've got the usual pile of mail that we're still working to answer, and if you feel like adding, go ahead and submit your question or suggestion! What's the worst that could happen? Find out next week, with another look inside the front office of the Bucharest Balauri!

bschr682
Ex-GM
Posts: 8038
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:24 am
Has thanked: 306 times
Been thanked: 383 times

Re: Dragon Questions - 2037, Part 2

Post by bschr682 » Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:54 pm

Should be a fun finish.
GM Vancouver Mounties

stormfall
Ex-GM
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:52 pm
Location: Dobbs Ferry. NY
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Dragon Questions - 2037, Part 2

Post by stormfall » Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:34 pm

Major story on Vladdy the Golden Dragon tomorrow morning...

usnspecialist
Ex-GM
Posts: 6652
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2017 9:39 am
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Has thanked: 207 times
Been thanked: 776 times

Re: Dragon Questions - 2037, Part 2

Post by usnspecialist » Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:37 pm

stormfall wrote:
Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:34 pm
Major story on Vladdy the Golden Dragon tomorrow morning...
is it about how you are going to demote vladdy to the reserve roster for 2 weeks in order to keep him cheap for another year?
Randy Weigand

Havana Sugar Kings/San Fernando Bears: 32-50 (1608-1481)
Des Moines Kernels: 52-

League Champion- 34
JL Champion- 34
FL Champion- 36, 37
JL Southern- 34
FL Pacific- 37, 39
Wild Card- 33, 35, 36, 40, 43

Image

stormfall
Ex-GM
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:52 pm
Location: Dobbs Ferry. NY
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Dragon Questions - 2037, Part 2

Post by stormfall » Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:39 pm

usnspecialist wrote:
Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:37 pm
stormfall wrote:
Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:34 pm
Major story on Vladdy the Golden Dragon tomorrow morning...
is it about how you are going to demote vladdy to the reserve roster for 2 weeks in order to keep him cheap for another year?
Now you tell me.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Sao Paulo Pilots”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests