February 25, 2043
by Anonymous
Location Unknown
With the start of spring training upon us, let’s take a jump into a time machine to this point last year. Kuwait City had yet to find adequate leadership and was the squad was filled by a group of retirees that were recruited from a Sunday baseball beer league back in the States. The result was not pretty. While GM Chad Nason made leaps and bounds to try and improve the Alhafr, the end result was a predictable early exit from playoff contention, finishing with a measly 60 wins.
But spring is a time for change. Nason has worked tirelessly to improve the team on both sides of the field. The club is predicted to win 98 games this season, clearing second place, Manama Pearls, by 9 games. It will be sweet revenge against a franchise that soured Kuwait City’s inaugural season. Nason’s most recent signing, César 'Warthog' Sánchez, should help as a versatile weapon on the mound. It will be interesting to see if he is stretched into an already deep rotation or left to anchor a weak bullpen. Either way, fans should be excited to see Warthog’s electric stuff. Not many Alhafr pitchers were able to blow away batters like Sanchez, who finished runner up in the 2042 RHML (AAA) RL Reliever of the Year Award voting.
Sánchez
Also returning is C Sean Smith. The veteran backstop will be a nice complement to the improved pitching staff. Some expected Jesús Díaz to take over the reins, but he is suspended for the first 80 games for testing positive for PED’s while home in his native Argentina. Luckily, the generosity of team owner, Domingo Rivera, allowed the budget to sign the veteran Smith as an alternate solution.
A number of minor league veterans and youngsters, alike, will be invited to spring training looking for a shot at the major league roster. Most starters are solidified at this point, but things can change with a hot preseason. There are several bench spots up for grabs, so competition will be fierce. Let’s hope the preseason predictions are correct and Nason can lead this squad to the playoffs. There may be a few tricks left in his bag and he’ll need them in the competitive BURT.
