2062.04 - Letter from Bhujabalin Padmesh (Team Trainer) to Ert Plabes (Director of Development Labs) (dated 3/7/62)
Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2025 1:41 pm
Ert,
I've forwarded your recommendations up to Alfredo Aragon and to Umali, although Umali's been AWOL since the middle of last year. It's becoming increasingly clear that Aragon's been pulling the strings. It's strange times in Chicago. Despite continuing to post losing records season after season, the BNN again predicts us to not only win but to make the playoffs. Alfredo is barely keeping it together, and now the owner is apparently worried.
I do appreciate your thoughts about Tony Cochran. Believe me, he's a big subject. I wonder. Do you know that his nickname is "Legacy"? Whoever bestowed upon him that nickname also cursed him a tremendous burden. If you read the Reader, Mac O'Zach used it in his annual preview:
TIME TO BUILD THE LEGACY
... 2057 1st round draft pick Tony Cochran turned 22 last week. Remember him? He has been looking great down in the Dominican Republic, guiding the Green Sox to back-to-back playoff appearances. It's now time to bring those winning ways up to Illinois, past Peoria, past Rockford, and all the way up to Chicago. There is no doubting his big league power. Mark these words, if he gets 600 at bats, he hits 30-35 home runs.
And then Tony goes ahead and hits 4 homers in the first Spring Training sim, while hitting .400. All the while Matthes hits .200 with no xbh. There's a chance that Matthes starts the season in Rockford, since Angelo Lucchesi, Omar Robles, and Shafiq Zahir have to be rostered. I don't know what Alfredo was thinking signing Zahir. I think he was just afraid that we'd lose out on Lucchesi. The outfield situation is a mess.
To your question about the RP Conversion, we did it in house. Even so, it costs a bunch because the players union really pushed back on this. What I can gather, though, the RP conversion is basically one guy (in this case our pitching coach Tito Lozano) yelling during bullpen sessions. Lots of haranguing. And withholding of treats. Lot of Pavlov Dog stuff that I don't particularly subscribe to. It's quite strange because otherwise Tito's quite the personable guy. But then again, he's also a big believer in subliminal messages, ley lines, and crystals. Razvam was forced to listen to ambient music with subliminal messages embedded buried in the mix. You ever incorporate these strategies? Tito attributes his ability to get by on 4 hours of sleep largely by using subliminal messaging.
At any rate, the RP conversion held and seems to have benefitted Razvam Chilom. He appeared in 5 of the 10 games in the preseason sim and outperformed all the other relievers, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing 1 hit, and striking out 5. Small sample size but he faced Twin Cities, Yellow Springs, and Nashville. I saw your tech, Christy Khalafian, taking notes. I introduced myself and she seems nice. Very serious. She's a softball player? We'll get her better seats next time. Goodness knows there's a lot of them available.
Group B should be finishing up. I'm excited to see the results. I'm so thankful this schedule allowed for another cohort to go through your program, even if it was just for defensive adjustments.
Bhujabalin
I've forwarded your recommendations up to Alfredo Aragon and to Umali, although Umali's been AWOL since the middle of last year. It's becoming increasingly clear that Aragon's been pulling the strings. It's strange times in Chicago. Despite continuing to post losing records season after season, the BNN again predicts us to not only win but to make the playoffs. Alfredo is barely keeping it together, and now the owner is apparently worried.
I do appreciate your thoughts about Tony Cochran. Believe me, he's a big subject. I wonder. Do you know that his nickname is "Legacy"? Whoever bestowed upon him that nickname also cursed him a tremendous burden. If you read the Reader, Mac O'Zach used it in his annual preview:
TIME TO BUILD THE LEGACY
... 2057 1st round draft pick Tony Cochran turned 22 last week. Remember him? He has been looking great down in the Dominican Republic, guiding the Green Sox to back-to-back playoff appearances. It's now time to bring those winning ways up to Illinois, past Peoria, past Rockford, and all the way up to Chicago. There is no doubting his big league power. Mark these words, if he gets 600 at bats, he hits 30-35 home runs.
And then Tony goes ahead and hits 4 homers in the first Spring Training sim, while hitting .400. All the while Matthes hits .200 with no xbh. There's a chance that Matthes starts the season in Rockford, since Angelo Lucchesi, Omar Robles, and Shafiq Zahir have to be rostered. I don't know what Alfredo was thinking signing Zahir. I think he was just afraid that we'd lose out on Lucchesi. The outfield situation is a mess.
To your question about the RP Conversion, we did it in house. Even so, it costs a bunch because the players union really pushed back on this. What I can gather, though, the RP conversion is basically one guy (in this case our pitching coach Tito Lozano) yelling during bullpen sessions. Lots of haranguing. And withholding of treats. Lot of Pavlov Dog stuff that I don't particularly subscribe to. It's quite strange because otherwise Tito's quite the personable guy. But then again, he's also a big believer in subliminal messages, ley lines, and crystals. Razvam was forced to listen to ambient music with subliminal messages embedded buried in the mix. You ever incorporate these strategies? Tito attributes his ability to get by on 4 hours of sleep largely by using subliminal messaging.
At any rate, the RP conversion held and seems to have benefitted Razvam Chilom. He appeared in 5 of the 10 games in the preseason sim and outperformed all the other relievers, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing 1 hit, and striking out 5. Small sample size but he faced Twin Cities, Yellow Springs, and Nashville. I saw your tech, Christy Khalafian, taking notes. I introduced myself and she seems nice. Very serious. She's a softball player? We'll get her better seats next time. Goodness knows there's a lot of them available.
Group B should be finishing up. I'm excited to see the results. I'm so thankful this schedule allowed for another cohort to go through your program, even if it was just for defensive adjustments.
Bhujabalin