It's beginning to look a lot like . . . . (2037-7)

[Fat Nige]

April 7th, 2037

It’s beginning to feel a lot like 2036 ! No, that’s a bit harsh I suppose but it could go that way. For the second straight year the Sluggers opened at home but at least this time it wasn’t a 5-22 loss.

44,601 came to see the April 1st Opening Day game against Huntsville and the dedication of the new section of the Louisville Hall of Fame. 90-yr-old Julio Guillermo was pushed out to home plate in his wheelchair by his Granddaughter and 80-yr-old Fred Mahaffey just about made it under his own steam. Both players were presented with miniature versions of the plaques that now stand in the Hall of Fame as GM Laverick read out a list of their records that still stand in the Louisville record book despite it being almost 50 years since they played for the Sluggers. The crowd were in fine fettle after that and were still loud when Kevin Morales, showing signs of his 2035 form, left in the sixth innings with the game tied at one. It all went pear-shaped then though, the bullpen gave the Phantoms the lead back and although the Sluggers once more tied it up in the bottom half, Huntsville were off and away when the ‘pen coughed up four more runs in the seventh. A 7-2 defeat pushed the crowd down the next day when three runs off Pepe Jaramillo in the fifth innings was enough to see the Phantoms home 3-2. 35,650 still came to see the travel day game and were rewarded to see Sluggers score in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead. The mood was properly deflated though when over the last two stanzas Huntsville clawed in back to 3-3, Gabriel Espinosa allowing the tying two runs in the ninth. All was not lost though, pinch hitter Desiderius Kirshbaum reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the ninth and backup catcher Hector Torres promptly hit a 2-run walk-off homer to send the crowd home happy. Former starter Doug Clement picked up the team’s first win of 2037 as he had come on to get the final out in the top of the ninth. As they filed out of Kentucky Truck Plant Stadium all the talk was of relief as at least they would not start 2037 0-10 as they had done last year.

Things didn’t continue in that vein as the team arrived in Montreal for the season’s second series and lost the first two games 0-9 & 4-6. To extend the fans gloom Huntsville also lost their next two games leaving half the fans arguing that the one win was devalued as obviously the Phantoms were nothing special this year while the rest argued that the losses were against Rockville and one was only by the score of 12-13. Louisville now have to face the final game in Montreal before heading home for a nine-game set against San Fernando, Las Vegas and San Antonio, three teams who are never that easy to brow beat.

Morales had showed flashes of his old arm as he struck out six in his 5.1 innings of work and gave up just one unearned run while rookie Brendon Carr pitched 5.2 innings in his first ever BBA start and struck out four batters and still got the no-decision after allowing nine hits and three earned runs. There were no wins for the rotation first time around and closer Carlos Rosa had no saves, an 0-1 record and a 6.75 ERA.

There was success and failure in the batting ranks. Rookie shortstop Joey O’Brien registered six hits, all singles, in his first 21 AB’s while driving in one and scoring twice. Maximo Quezada wasn’t perhaps all offence with just three hits he did at least grab his first Louisville homer in his first ever appearance as well as managing a +1.0 ZR and a 1.132 def efficiency in the field. Unfortunately, not so good was Vince Osborn, one hit & two walks in 16 PA and first baseman Jose Vazquez who started slowly with a .125 batting average. Abay Omoruyi doesn’t look as though he has long in the LF role after a single and a solo homer was all he could manage from his 15 PA. Pedro Saldana looks a lock to return to that LF role after hitting .400/.500/.600 in his two games.

Still small sample sizes, in the extreme, but Laverick is not known for his patience dealing with underperforming players.

A reasonable start for the teams on the farm. Missouri went 3-3 with first base prospect Yoshitake Saikawa hitting .444 along with 5 RBI. Louisville hit the top of the division with a 4-2 record but had to call up Antonio Cordero from Low-A Caracas after RF Damien Mayne headed for the DL after he suffered a severe hip strain and backup Damien Ibison is struggling with a sore elbow. Ocalas opened 2-4 but that’s not as bad as it sounds after 3/5ths of the division opened 1-5. It could be a long season in the Gulf Coast Division.