That's What Cheesehead: 37.07 - Wolves Sign Hinson. Katzenbogen Out?

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It appears the David Katzenbogen (4/5/5/6/4 Ratings) experiment is on hold for now. Granted experiment may be a strange way of phrasing playing a guy with an elite ability to play defense but can't hit. The Wolves announced today that have signed a contract agreement with 8-time all star catcher Elroy Hinson (8/7/7/7/9 Ratings) to be the starting catcher of the club next season. The signing drastically changes the make-up of the 2037 version of the Wolves.

"We improved in a variety of ways next season" said Wolves General Manager Chris Wilson. "Our offense is already shaping up to be much more improved compared to what we saw last season. With some young additions coming up from the minors along with the addition of Elroy, we should be able to keep up with some of the higher scoring teams in the league. And Elroy brings instant leadership and fan interest to our ball club. Both have already been evidenced just in the few hours of the signing becoming public."

Season ticket sales went on sale this week and Madison has already seen a flocking to the offices by fans wishing to purchase or renew tickets. Obviously it's still too early to predict whether the club can surpass last year's total but the Hinson signing has clearly boosted an interest.

As for leadership, various members of the team have already expressed their excitement to see Hinson join the team. "He's a winner" said Steve Dempsey (9/9/2/3/9 Ratings). "He's played on some winning teams in his career and spent the last couple of seasons in the post-season. We need someone to step in here and help guide us veterans and these younger guys in winning ways. I'm glad he's on our team."

What it means for Katzenbogen remains to be seen. All early indications are that David will remain as the back-up catcher with the Wolves and play a couple of times a week to keep Elroy rested. "As of now, we expect David to play anywhere from 2 to 3 times a week still" said Wilson. "Maybe every third or fourth day. Maybe once a series. Something like that. While we know the differences in abilities between the two, we aren't ready to pull the plug on David. His defensive ability makes him a great asset to have. Perhaps being in a back up role can help David next season since he won't be expected to be a daily part of the lineup." Katzenbogen agreed.

"To have the chance to learn from a future hall of famer like Elroy is a blessing" said David. "To say I'm his back-up is fine with me. That's the good thing about the position we play. Even if you aren't the everyday guy, you'll still be called on to play a couple of times a week. Until I can figure out how to hit big league pitching consistenly, I'll accept my role as a defensive replacement and back up and be glad to be in the big leagues."

If nothing else, it is pretty clear the Wolves have two true team leaders representing the club as their backstops!

Hinson's deal is a 3-year deal with options. He'll make $10 million this season with a player option for $13 million in 2038. 2039 is a team option worth a whopping $17.5 million with a buyout clause on top.