April Review (2035-11)

[Fat Nige]

April 30th, 2035

APRIL REVIEW

So the first month without the Genius didn't work out too bad in the end for Louisville as they sit second in their new division, three games behind New Orleans, with a 15-12 record. The story of the month though was inconsistency as the Sluggers after starting with several one-run defeats ended swinging between heavy losses and spanking wins. In successive days the Hustlers were beaten 16-5 at Waterfront Park and then the Pikemen came to town and won 13-2 A sweep of Las Vegas was balanced by being swept late in the month at Phoenix. A four game losing streak there took the gloss off what could have been a pretty good first month for new GM Laverick.

From the 2034 rotation Kevin Morales, Pepe Jaramillo and Mario Villarreal are back but after Abe Colbert Jr was traded it was rotation by committee for the last two places. Return to 2035 Morales is 2-0, Jaramillo is 5-1 and Villarreal is 3-2 but has pitched his first BBA shutout which turned into his first pro-career No-Hitter. Filling the two vacant rotation spots have been Doug Clement and Rogerio Vazquez. Clement's main BBA action to date so far as mainly been out of the pen but despite the knock on him that he gets knocked around by righties Laverick has decided to try him as a starter., it hasn't gone too well so far with Mexico tagging him for a one-run loss and Huntsville putting seven runs on him in five innings on the way to a 10-1 win. Vazquez started with a loss, won his next game but coughed up six runs in four innings against Phoenix late in the month. New stopper Carlos Rosa started with two two-innings saves on the first two days but was rocky the rest of the month with three blown saves, two losses but balanced that with three further saves. Rookie bullpen arm Lando Klomp took to the set-up role with gusto posting a 3-1 record in his first BBA month with two saves and ending up with a 1.50 ERA. Felipe Chavez who made eight starts in 2034 out of his 18 outings is getting the eye from the pitching coach after posting a 10.5 BB/9 in his first month of 2035 in the pen.

The main change in the batters has been in the outfield. Desiderius Kirshbaum, a 2034 waiver pick-up, was signed from free agency in a spectacular overpay in an attempt to bring experience to the outfield without age. The whole outfield has been mix and match with rookies Scott Martin, Vince Osborn and Pedro Saldana competing with Kirshbaum and former backups William Gelinas and Chris Clohessy. With nearly all of them being comfortable all across the outfield it has been very confusing in this first month. Saldana appears to have locked down not only a starting spot but the clean-up spot as he has five homers and 24 RBI in his first BBA month mainly from right field. Kirshbaum with his contract has 23 starts with solid but not spectacular defence in left and centre, he had a shaky start with the bat but had improved to .231 by the end of the month. Vince Osborn had also come through to claim a spot by the end of the month hitting .310. The infield is basically the same as 2034 but the position in doubt is Gabriel Talamante, he has produced solid defence at second and launched five homers already but there has been murmurs about his .168 batting average. George Lee Anderson is the obvious replacement there but while he has impressed with the bat on the occasions he has started his defensive range has been less and he is ticketed as a first base sub as well. Fernando Cruz and Brian Clough have changed their 1B/DH roles so 41-yr-old Clough can rest more instead of playing first. He had a 5 for 5 day early on against Brooklyn and as the month ended had been stuck on 999 RBI for the past 11 games. He is however pressing on with the chase for 3,000 hits, 30 in April means he needs just 83 more for the milestone.

The Front Office has been quoted as saying they are pleased with the progress in April. Every time you have to bring in a new GM there is upheaval but add to that the change of League and division they are very pleased with the fact they are right in the mix for the Division Pennant.

[Fat Nige]

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