The rites of Spring
February is about to turn into March and once more the UMEBA Spring Training camps are about to get underway. For Riyadh it will be their third time assembling for the buses to take them to camp, this year though it will be a whole fleet as the Red Crescents will rock up with 60 in camp. Riyadh are running through the full repertoire of who’s who in the organisation this year, anyone with any immediate prospects will be demonstrating their skills (or lack of). 25 pitchers and 35 batters will report to camp, although quite a number of the expected first team regulars will open camp sunning themselves on the Sheikhs yacht, moored offshore. They will be resting up, preparing for a long, possibly fruitless season, saving themselves for later in camp. They won’t be picking up any early injuries, that will be left to the young and not so young prospects that will open camp.
The youngest player in Camp will be 18-yr-old pitcher Kononae Walakino, drafted 12th overall by the Red Crescents in 2046, he has already posted winning records at every level he has played and finished 2047 by winning both his starts in Double-A Santiago posting a 0.90 ERA, in 23 starts at R, A & AA he has a 14-8 record to date. Coming in as a non-roster invitee he isn’t expected to be around for long, but it will give him a taste of the big time hitters and he’ll be keen to be back in the 2049 camp with a more realistic chance. The oldest swinger in town will of course be 36-yr-old third baseman Jamie Ramirez, signed last year on a 1 + option year deal as the team weren’t really sure if he could cut it. They needn’t have worried Ramirez played 156 games, picked up a player of the week award, went to the All Star game and won the BURT league 3B Gold Glove. His 40 walks were a career high for him and his +7.5 ZR at third equalled his position best set a decade earlier in Louisville. He will have earned his first week sat on the yacht joshing with the other senior guys.
