Pharaoh Phollies 2058-02 : Controversy in Cairo

[JRamirez]

Special Off-season Edition

This rag plans to examine the team's unimpressive 5 games to 1 loss in the GBC championship to the London Losers, aka Monarchs when time permits. The crowds on the street, to put that debacle out of mind, are entertaining themselves with possible arbitration and free agent re-signings. The big name is Chua-kah Yang. Will he go or will he stay? Yang led the league, sorry the team with 100 runs batted in and doubles with 43... Yang mustered 630 plate appearances; turned 39 in July and spent most the year hitting clean up for the Pharoahs, dammit, Pharaohs. He's is a loyal guy and Yang is considering re-upping with the team and not skipping out like the rest of the starting infield. Damn you Vogelsang and Fonzarelli. Not cool, Fonz, not cool.

However, the new Pharaoh in town, JR, after offering Yang $3.4 for a couple year's renewal, has had second thoughts. "I think there's other firstbaseman out there who we can sign for less, and be at least close to productive. I don't know but there's just gotta-be. Plus we'll need that money in order to offer Blair Peyton a $28M extension fore next year."

Yang hit 413 home runs in 12 years in the BBA, where he played in two all-star games.

The team must also decide if and what kind of extension to offer Satoshi Shirai, who former GM Dan Gladden called "the extremely capable but belligerent pitcher." Shirai pitched mostly at Triple-A Pretoria in 2058, where he went 9-10 with a 114 ERA+; he threw a no-hitter against Port Elizabeth in September and was transferred the 5000-mile distance between Pretoria, South Africa and Cairo. He pitched 200+ innings for Cairo in '56 and '57. His arbitration estimate is $1.8M; the team might offer him a little over the $1.5M he made in 11.2 innings in the bigs. If they offer him anything. The word around town is that "Satoshi demonstrates few loyalty traits, lacks motivation, and has intellectual limits. He has not gotten along with many coaches." If he sticks around Cairo, expect him in the bullpen.

The other "maybe" signings include relievers Tony Lamplough (6-2, 2.42) and Vaughn Mullally (4-2, 2.06).

Catcher Dave Butler is asking way to much to re-sign.

[Jwalk100]

Peyton's price tag may only be affordable stateside after 2059.