I know what you're all thinking! Is it time for me to go? Nope, that's not what this team news is about. No, this is about Lumberjacks closer Frank Wilson.
By now you know the story of Frank Wilson. Pitched. Disappeared for 5 years without a trace. Returned to Portland as a closer. Set franchise records. The whole spill.
Well now the story of Frank Wilson could be turning for the worse. The 35 year old's season last year was a good one but ended on a sour note. Don't make me re-tell it. Please don't. Fine, I will. Portland led by 1 run in game 7 of the Doubleday Series last years vs Sacramento in the bottom of the 9th. Long story short, Portland didn't advance.
Well, that bad ending may be carrying over to 2062. Wilson did not have a good spring. Wilson appeared in 10 games this spring, pitching in a total of 10 innings. Over that span, he surrendered 16 hits, 4 walks, and 13 runs while striking out just 4 batters.
"Wilson didn't have a great spring" commented Portland manager Mons Raider, "but he's our guy. I know how the season ended, I was there. I saw it unfold. But I'm not going to take one bad outing and a series of exhibition games as my deciding factor. Wilson saved 36 games last year and had a career best 1.8 WAR. Sure, the season didn't end the way he wanted it to. It didn't go the way any of us wanted it to. But he had a helluva a season last year and we have no reason to think he won't again this year. Obviously if he struggles, we'll make changes. But we're not to that point yet."
Portland doesn't have another closer candidate on its roster. But they did sign two relievers to help boost things so if things do go bad for Wilson to start, it'll be interesting to see who they turn to in the role. It could mean Portland, as it did for many season, abandons the closer role all together.
