Wildcard Hopes Dim as
Injury Claims a Rookie
Chicago, August 25, 2049 -- The chance that the Black Sox could claim the final Frick League wildcard slot have dwindled considerably in the past week as the team now finds itself 3.5 games behind the Madison Wolves.
This is a disappointing drop, given that just a few weeks ago the squad was only a half game out of the fourth and final WC position. Ah well, most die hard fans would say that a team only three games above .500 doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs.
In fact, we spoke to several fans who are long time season ticket holders and they all agreed that four wildcard slots are silly. "A team only three games above .500 doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs, is what I say," said Bennie Kleinman, head of the Black Sox fan club 'The Southside Slobs." The club's vice president, Tillie Taldowesky, agreed:"Greedy owners are ruining this game."
Black Sox loyal fan Tillie Taldowesky
With that question of post-season activity now pretty much moot, we turn our attention to a far more disturbing occurrence: the season ending injury to one of the team's brightest young talents, 22-year old relief pitcher Clarence Pritchard. On August 17, during a game against Twin Cities, Pritchard went down while pitching in the top of the 9th to River Monsters LF Rory Linesman. Pritchard had struck out Linesman but in his final pitch, a fastball with the count 1-2, he felt something pop in his shoulder. Sure enough, an MRI found a partially torn labrum, and Pritchard's year was over.
And what a year it had been. Pritchard had wowed the front office during spring training and was the only rookie to make the big league squad when the season began. In 84 innings out of the pen this year, Clarence had a 2.67 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and notched 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Truly one of the bright spots of a generally mediocre season.
Some fans blame Black Sox manager Antonio Velasco for overworking the youngster, whose previous season high of innings was just about half that: 45 innings pitched in R ball in '45. "If that kid doesn't come back, we have only that idiot manager to blame," said Bennie Kleinman, with Tillie Taldowesky nodding in agreement. We here at Southside Ramblings will stay out of that debate and wish Clarence a strong recovery in time for the 2050 season!