Slugger Shavings 2055.1 - WTF

[RT60]

The Sluggers entered the 2055 season with high hopes. That was despite losing their best player in Luis Mendoza to free agency. GM BP was able to sign Mal Fountain as a replacement to Mendoza, and future ace Callum Martin won a permanent place on the pitching staff. The team was also getting Yoshii Takuda back from injury. On paper the team was set up to win games. That is not how 2055 started.

Currently the Sluggers sit at 23-32 and until recently were locked in the basement of the Heartland. Star pitcher Antonio Baldez heard about quiet quitting and decided to give it a try. Plus, it turned out that the effect of the loss of Mendoza on the overall offense was bigger than the front office anticipated. Fountain is simply not a difference maker. And team legend Semei Kwakou is picking a bad time to coast, especially given his 26M/year salary which will likely hamstring the club again next season.

Despite those players, there are bright spots. Martin is pitching like he will be an all-star someday. And Jeffrey Smith looks like a man possessed. What a signing Smith turned out to be!

The clubhouse is happy but there is a feeling that the players are just going through the motions. Manager Chris Hooper has been taking a lot of heat from the local media. Hooper pushed back in an interview yesterday explaining that the team is playing the long game. "It's a long season and there are a lot more games to play. I told my players to focus on the fundamentals and just work on chipping away at our deficit slowly but surely. Don't count us out just yet."

[trmmilwwi]

Holy Kwakou! Dude's number have taken a steady decline but should be better than what they are this year.