2063.03 - Forrest Rockburn on July 21 (Saturday)

[R.Umali]

Forrest Rockburn got the call into his manager's small office. It was a Saturday, a travel day and the last place Double AA Peoria Spirits (46-63). They were heading to Weymouth to face the Irish, who were really in last place (36-73).

Forrest secretly held hopes that his manager was going to finally send him on a different trip, the one North by Northeast to Chicago.

It seemed like all of Chicago was clamoring for it. Other first round pitchers from last year's draft were already in the top league. Harry Bransington, taken 3 picks ahead of him as the 6th overall pick, was already establishing himself as the ace of the Shredder's rotation. The Steamboat has won 6 of his last 7 starts was was really cooking now.

Forrest did not heed that 3 of these rookie pitchers of the 2062 class have suffered devastating injuries. Emilio Carrillo of the Flyers (19th overall pick) tore his UCL, Serge Elovsky (7th overall) of the Mounties tore his triceps, and Eduardo Jimenez (24th overall) of of the Crawdads tore his labrum. Forrest just wanted his chance and he felt that his 160 Ks in 144.1 innings, along with a 3.37 ERA and a 7-7 record for a struggling Spirits team, justified that chance.

The news that kicked his hopes into the stratosphere was that 3rd year pitcher Salvador Montanez was going to have some time off to deal with elbow inflammation. Earlier today, Montanez had been cruising against the Krill and was well on his way to his 11th win. But things fell apart in the bottom of the 5th. 3 walks and 2 singles and the 8-1 lead the Black Sox enjoyed dwindled down to 8-4. Montanez gamed it and induced Juan Ramos to fly out and that was it. He clutched his elbow and the trainer, Bhujabalin Padmesh rushed out. Joey Naybet had already been warming up.

Montanez had been having an excellent year, highlighted by his incredible 10-strikeout no-hitter of the Surfers exactly one month ago. Elbow inflammation can be minor but word had it that the Black Sox were going to shut him down and send him to the 60-day, clearing up a space in the 40-man roster. For Forrest the timing was right: he had last pitched on the 18th and was lined up to make a start on Monday, the day after next.

Why would they do that if not to call up a pitcher not on the 40-man? And Umali or Alfredo Aragon or whoever they were that called the shots up there had a history of calling up players straight from AA. Tony Radtke did it just last year to excellent effect.

And so, Forrest had been expecting there to be somebody else in the manager's office. He thought the friendly college intern, older than him actually, who was basically the Peoria Spirits' social media crew, would be there to film the moment his manager gave him the news.

But manager Jorge Feliciano was the only person in the office.

Jorge started with "This isn't the news you are hoping to hear." And ended with, "You're going to triple AAA Rockford. You'll have to wait a little longer for that final step."

Forrest forced a smile and numbly accepted a hug and the travel voucher. It was a bus ticket. Forrest never learned how to drive. Rockford was only 130 miles away up I-39 North. Chicago, depending on which highway you took, was an additional 30 to 40 miles. To Forrest, it felt like millions.

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[notes]

Instead of Forrest Rockburn, Chicago promoted 25 year old Robinson Pena, the 13th round pick of the 2055 draft. In his 2nd year on AAA Rockford (following two years in AA Peoria and four years in single A Huntsville), he was 3-6 with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP over 20 starts, an improvement of his previous year.

Pena's first start for the Black Sox was a success: 7.1 innings - the farthest he's pitched in a game this year - 4 hits allowed, 1 earned run, no walks, and 5 K's in a win over the Krill. This greatly quieted the incensed calls for Forrest Rockburn.

Pena's second start, against the Bluebirds, ended in the top of the 2nd when he left the game with back tightness. No sooner had he left the mound did the clarion calls for Rockburn resume.

For his part, Rockburn pitched unevenly in his first two starts at AAA. He struck out 11 in his first game but gave up 2 home runs in a loss against the Rattlers. But he rebounded and pitched 8 strong innings in a 5-2 win against the Sailors.

After Sim 17, the Black Sox are 60-49, are tied for 3rd place in the Frick Heartland with the Twin Cities River Monsters and 7 games behind Nashville.

[Dington]

Not looking forward to dealing with this guy. And you whooped my ass without him last week.

[R.Umali]

Yeah, our current series has been surprising - closer than a whooping. Robles getting 2 HR off Stevens was huge.

I've been really babying Forrest. He had an excellent "developmental" relationship with his AA pitching coach but now only has an "average" one in AAA.

[ae37jr]

You should add him to the 40 man before August 31st, even if you have no plans to call him up. This way he can pitch(out of bullpen?) in the playoffs without burning any service time. Chicago is going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs with that pitching and a few stud hitters.

[Dington]

You should add him to the 40 man before August 31st, even if you have no plans to call him up. This way he can pitch(out of bullpen?) in the playoffs without burning any service time. Chicago is going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs with that pitching and a few stud hitters.

Shut up