Wolves Weekly: “A Little Bark, A Little Bite”Week of June 5–10, 2063 | Record: 4-3 | Overall: 24-41 | Back-to-Back Winning SIMs
The Madison Wolves are officially on a heater. A 4-3 week gives them their first back-to-back winning SIMs since last September, and they’re doing it without star rookie Carlos Cruz, who remains sidelined with a mysterious "tightness" that the front office assures is "no biggie." (Translation: Please stop asking.)
Instead, this was the Gary Keller Show, with the veteran infielder spraying lasers all over the park, hitting .462 on the week while somehow stealing 3 bags without popping a hamstring. Making 32 on the season - good enough for 2nd place in the Frick.
The team dropped the first two against Vancouver before rattling off 4 wins in their next 5, capped by taking the first 3 in Valencia. That series finale featured a sharp turn from Wilson Herrera, a well-timed heater from Alejandro Ramiraze (3 saves on the week!), and an emotional dugout pizza party sparked by Frank Ostrom’s 1-run, 5-inning gem.
But enough about the grown wolves. Gertie’s got eyes elsewhere.
Gertie’s Watchlist: The Five Chosen CubsAs the team builds for the future, GM Gertie quietly slipped back into seeing how the big boys were doing and came back with a list of five guys to monitor closely — and maybe, just maybe, accelerate (or decelerate) their timelines.
| Player | Pos | Level | Gertie’s Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Keller | 2B | MLB | Hitting .462 this week. Man’s bat is a GPS—finds the gaps every time. |
| Dave McClain | LF | MLB | .370 avg, still no power, but he’s a pest. I like pests. |
| Frank Ostrom | SP | MLB | Ice-cold on the mound. 12 IP, 2 ER this week. Make him our stopper. |
| Alejandro Ramiraze | CL | MLB | Three saves this week, zero drama. The priest of peace in the 9th. |
| Clint Thomas | RP | MLB | Clean relief work. No walks, no noise. Just gets outs. I see you, Clint. |
Expect Ramírez to be the first of the bunch to get a ticket north if the bullpen gets wobbly again. The others? Gertie’s watching, grading, and quietly planning.
Trending Up
- Dave McClain (.370 AVG) quietly posted his best week of the season.
- Negera Zeroual went 3-for-5 in a cameo and reminded everyone he still exists.
- Clint Thomas & Wesley Turner are suddenly reliable back-end bullpen arms. We're not sure when this happened.
Trending Down
- Otto Holstein (.231), Alfred Primm (.185), and Mike Winchester (.200) continue to form the Bermuda Triangle of offensive production.
- The Wolves are still 17 GB and haven’t sniffed .500 since April 11.
Week Ahead: Home is Where the Homestand IsThe Wolves finish up in Valencia on June 11 before returning to Shotz Stadium for a massive 16-game homestand. First up: series finally with Valencia, followed by the Sacramento Mad Popes (and their exorcist of a rotation), then Bikini pays a visit.
The message in the locker room? Keep the momentum. Keep the fun. Keep pretending Carlos Cruz is just "day to day."
Gertie’s Final Word:
I like what I’m seeing. We're not out of the woods, but we’re not wandering aimlessly anymore. Some of these guys are playing like they know I’m watching. And they should.
