Slugger Shavings 2056.6 - Anticipating Anticipation

[RT60]

2056 was a season the Sluggers faithful have already forgotten. Predicted by pundits to finish 81-81, the team could only manage a 79-83 record. Worse for fans was being leapfrogged by Yellow Springs in the standings. Nashville, Des Moines, sure, those teams were going to be tough to catch. But now Louisville has to worry about a resurgent YS9 for years to come.

Adding to the difficulty in 2056 was the team's apparent mishandling of franchise legend Semei Kwakou. After moving Kwakou to 1B to platoon with Sandro Rodriguez, Kwakou appeared to resent the effort to ease him into the last stage of his career. GM BP noted, "We thought Khayyat Isa was going to have a breakout season and so wanted to give him RF. Defensively Isa is miles above Semei, so we thought why not try Semei at first to save his legs and give him a chance to platoon to save some wear and tear. Isa didn't exactly hit as well as the season before, but his 25 stolen bases were nice. And unfortunately Semei was in a bad mood all year until the very last part of the season. It affected his batting, no doubt."

When asked if he wants to return to Louisville, Kwakou was evasive. "I don't know, it might be time for me to think about my next chapter. Not sure I like where this team is headed. I didn't want to talk about my contract during the season, but I got nothing better to do right now to be honest."

The Kwakou drama notwithstanding, Louisville could be starting a possible record number of rookies next year, with the pitching prospects perhaps overshadowing a ringer named Gustavo Canales. Canales was the team's first-round pick in 2055, a potential steal at #28. After spending 2055 zipping through A and AA, Canales spent a full season in AAA hitting .305/23/82. What was even more impressive was his 51 stolen bases. Louisville could potentially have starting corner outfielders that can wreak havoc on the base paths. "The kid is something. I won't commit to anything yet, but good chance he finds a place on the team next year."

[trmmilwwi]

Interested to see how Canales does at the BBA level. Good stuff happening in the bourbon land.