The Sun is Setting in Brooklyn
But unfortunately for the rest of the BBA, this is the city that never sleeps!
It was just two short years ago that a poll was posted on the BBA forums. It was asked who was current division leader most likely to stick. In a unanimous decision the Robins were not that team. It was excellent bulletin board material. It helped propel the Robins all the way to the Cartwright Cup. Something that nobody in the league expected.
So with a new poll on the forums asking who was the most disappointing team in the legue this season started to make it rounds. One might expect the Brooklyn Robins to be on that poll. The cocky team had called it's shot, proclaiming that they would be the Landis winner in 2037. Yet have been middling below .500 around the all star break. Surely the league felt highly enough of the Robins that they would get a slot on the 6 team poll. Or maybe even a mention in the comments thread. But nope. No mention of the "All in" Robins. So for that... we got two words for you....
In order to keep up with the class and dignity that has been the standard here at Robins Roundup. I'll let you fill in the blanks. But like the previous poll, doubt may have woken a sleeping giant. Brooklyn is playing .625 baseball through 16 July games and has leapfrogged several fellow middling teams to position themselves back in the playoff hunt. With that, let me put the Johnson league on notice... Do not let Brooklyn in the playoffs!
Why should you be scared? When it comes to playoff baseball. What is the most important asset to have? Front line pitching. Brooklyn has it. Mauro Flores (10/7/8 Ratings) and Francisco Ruiz (10/7/5 Ratings) are probably the most deadly one-two punch in all of the Johnson League and the bullpen is jam packed with power arms. There will be no gimmicks needed come playoff time. This pitching staff can shut down the most potent offense.
Speaking of offense. I'm sure there are some little girls in the back snickering about Brooklyns offense. It's true we are bottom of the league in most offensive categories. Brooklyn's offense was never really great on paper to begin with. Then with Mario Balderas (7/5/8/6/10 Ratings) and Alfredo Martinez (7/6/10/10/6 Ratings) missing a collective 5 months of the first half, the bottom fell out in June. This will always be a pitching and defense first team. But the stretch run offense looks much better. The additions of Gerardo Guzman (8/7/2/6/8 Ratings) and Jorge Vargas (7/6/6/4/9 Ratings) also add a level of depth to the lineup that was never there before. And with the return of Arief Alatas (5/6/5/4/7 Ratings) this week, the entire offensive roster is healthy for the first time this season.
So good job Johnson League. You should have kicked this team when it was down and triggered an early fire sale. Now you have to see more cringeworthy trades and more obnoxious articles. And just know that Brooklyn intends to pitch Flores till his arm falls off in October. So if you've been saving up money to sign him this winter. Good luck with that. If we can't have him, no one will.
