Sox Scoops 42.023 Briefing for Benny: Center Fielders

[HoosierVic]

To: Benny Vitale, GM
From: Bill McGuffin, For-Your-Information-I-Don't-Even-Know-What-Assisted-Living-Means, Asst. GM
Date: Jan. 26, 2042

About: Center Fielders

Look, I live in a nice apartment along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. It's not "seniors only" and the only "assist" I get is a spot in the garage for my Mazda, OK?

You wanted a rundown on CF next, correct? Let me put my walker in the corner, and I'll get right to it. Wait, what do you mean, 'Ah ha!' That was a joke, Benny. Just a joke.

Where was I? Oh yeah, center field:

Center Fielders

Player	Level	Ovr/Pot	Contact	Gap	HR Power	Eye	Avoid K's	Pos. Rating	Range	Error	Arm
M. Cleide	Majors	45/45	5/5	6/6	3/3	6/6	6/6	8	9	9	11
J. González	Majors	35/45	4/4	5/6	3/5	5/6	5/5	8	9	8	7
J. Lorenzen	AAA	40/55	4/4	5/5	7/7	6/6	4/4	11	10	9	7
K. Sánchez	AAA	45/45	4/4	6/6	4/4	6/6	4/4	11	10	9	9

This is not a position of need for the Sox so much as it's a position of frustration. Manny Cleide is fine in CF and, while he's not a whiz with the bat, he's solid as can be. Not to mention that he can bunt to get on base seemingly at will. The problem, though, is he's a Diamond Glove right fielder with a cannon arm that terrorizes base runners, and that goes to waste when he's in center.

González is a Rule 5 guy who likely won't last the season, but we picked him up because he's solid - and also a captain, which is a nice bonus.

In AAA, as you can see, we've got two guys in Lorenzen and Sánchez who are both all-universe defenders and who, by all rights, should be roaming CF in Black Sox Park vacuuming up everything hit even vaguely in their direction. Neither, however, has shown they can even find the Mendoza line with a compass. We've got a new hitting coach in Carolina who's rumored to be a "big talent" when it comes to tutoring hitters, so we're hoping he can help these two figure things out at the plate.

Meanwhile, we'll go with Cleide.

I didn't put them all on the list, but there are any number of prospects in A, Short-Season A, and Rookie League ball who are magnificent defenders who can't hit their weight.

All of which is to say, we're not bereft of in CF, and we hope we'll be able to get one of those AAA guys up to the majors and performing reasonably well this year. Hell, if either Lorenzen or Sánchez could hit even .250, we'd count ourselves in excellent shape. Let's hope Mr. Big Talent in AAA knows what the hell he's doing.

If not, just go ahead and put me in a rest home.

That's another joke, Benny. Just kidding. I'm a yuck a minute - an extremely youthful yuck a minute.

[johnd2442]

This was a fun read. I was just curious, what does it mean about Gonzalez being a captain?

[HoosierVic]

This was a fun read. I was just curious, what does it mean about Gonzalez being a captain?

If you look under the personality type for players, you see guys are rated a variety of ways - captains are team leaders and greatly help club morale and offset troublemakers like "disruptive" players.

I personally try to have a captain (at least one) at every level, from majors to rookie league. Good team morale helps in any number of ways, including making guys want to sign extensions, etc.

Some folks don't like that addition to OOTP, but I personally think it adds a nice level of immersion to the game. The Sox have two captains, currently: Gonzalez and Diesel Dave, one of our catchers.

Addendum: Just for the heck of it, I looked at Cairo - you don't have any captains, but you've got one disruptive guy (Salinas) and a few selfish guys (Rivera, Garza and Felix Torres). If you find that your clubhouse morale isn't where you'd like it, that's probably why. A captain and some leaders would help offset their influence. As you're looking at free agents, draft picks or trade possibilities, leaders and captains are something you might want to keep an eye out for.

[johnd2442]

Thank you for the needed education! And for taking the time to look over my squad as well. At least now I won't be flummoxed when I do have some issues!

[shoeless.db]

Thank you for the needed education! And for taking the time to look over my squad as well. At least now I won't be flummoxed when I do have some issues!

Just to add on to Vic’s helpful response, you’ll find the team chemistry tab on your teams home page.

[johnd2442]

Thank you for that as well! Getting lost in a UMEBA wormhole today, I discovered so much about the game...but probably only about 10%! I'll look for that team chemistry though. I am glad that this is one of those things that can change. I like the variance of that.

[recte44]

Upgrade needed here

[RonCo]

Cleide can play, but, yeah.