Bobby Beat 2003 v2: Pythagoras says we suck

[jiminyhopkins]

Washington, DC:

The Bobs are playing over their heads, and everyone knows it. Even Pythagoras can see that the club has a -17 run differential. So, even though everyone is taking the team's 9-8 record with a grain of salt, early attendance returns are still good as the club looks forward to the return of #1 starter Shane Christen from the DL this week. In addition, the club ranks in the top 5 (JL) in nearly every offensive category, so the fans get a show nearly every time out.

Early slumps by veteran 1B Neil McKinney (rumored to be on the trade block) and 2002 JL ROY Paco Morales were worrisome for a team that relies almost entirely on offense, but both players have quickly righted the ship and are once again raking. McKinney was just named JL Player of the Week, while Morales is back up to a more typical .329/.360/.471.

Speaking of Rookies of the Year, could the Bobwhites conceivably have two award winners in a row? The buzz was pretty high this offseason around LF Jim Wilson, and so far it appears to be justified. Faced with the added pressure of replacing bought-out former star George Goutones (now in the EBA), Wilson has nonetheless responded well this April, turning in a .348/.386/.576 line to go with 4 homers and 13 RBI. If Wilson keeps it up, Washington could join Madison, New Orleans, Atlantic City, and California as teams with consecutive ROY winners.

In other news, Ed Widdicombe's conversion to a full time reliever is going well. Its a small sample size, but as one of the club's two setup men, Widdicombe has been unscored upon in 4 outings, sporting a WHIP of 0.69. In fact, the back end of the bullpen, consisting of Widdicombe, and 25 year old hurlers Aurelio Rodriguez and James Endres, has only allowed a single earned run among them in 17 total innings.

Stay Tuned for further team updates, including news about the Bobwhites' two top-10 selections in this year's draft!

[7teen]

Wilson has a good shot at ROY. I also like Widdicombe as a reliever.

[recte44]

Also, Wilson's rocking a pretty sweet mustache.