by Valerie Davies, Yellow Springs World
July 6, 2053
The 2053 draft was a bit of a strange one for the Brewster Baseball League, in that many scouts were discussing (and some general managers complaining) the apparent lack of can't-miss prospects available from the high school and college ranks. It was going to take careful planning to ensure that drafts were successful, especially for teams like the Yellow Springs Nine, who were drafting towards the back end each round, 24th to be exact.
It means that any mistake could cause severe repercussions.
Well, apparently, General Manager Rob McMonigal, in his first draft, made a horrible mistake early in the draft that could cost them. Or at least someone did.
In the third round, the Nine called the name "Leonardo Arevalo." He was their third pick and 103rd overall in the draft. He certainly wasn't projected for super stardom, but the Nine's rookie team had no strong candidate to play first base, and Arevalo looked like a prime candidate to fit the bill and perhaps grow into something more.
Scouts generally saw him as a journeyman type, but given the draft prospects of others in 2053, that was actually a complement. He'd hit 13 home runs and wholloped the ball to a 1.017 OPS in his final year of high school. He'd also had 15 in 2051, with a .997 OPS. He was also amazingly agile, with range at first stretching around 9, though scouts felt he was a liability in the field and his team used him more as a designated hitter. There were no known character issues, either. It looked like McMonigal had a good, solid pick on his hands.
Negotiations didn't take long, either. Arevalo's family signed the deal on his behalf (he's still only 16), with a bonus worth $600,000. Here were McMonigal's comments at the time:
"I'm a little worried about his maturity, not going to lie. But those muscles are so strong now and he's only got room to grow. He's a giant at 6' 7", too. The question is whether he can handle the competition with men who are often five years older."
That question, at least in McMonigal's world, will never get answered.
13 days later, he wasn't a part of the Nine anymore.
Two days after that, he was a part of McMonigal's old organization, the London Monarchs.
So what happened?
We may never know for sure, but I've done some interviews to try and pin down the answer. The truth is likely somewhere in-between, as it often is. I'm providing a timeline in roughly chronological order.
The Negotiations:
"For a northerner, McMonigal was okay," said Rafael Arevalo, Leonardo's father. "He didn't try to do what some others might, trying to pinch every penny. We told him what we were looking for, and he said 'that works for me.' I was surprised.
"I liked McMonigal a lot," said Leonardo Arevalo. "It was his staff I had an issue with."
"They're an amazing family," said McMonigal. "He's the middle child of seven children. I got to talk to each and every one of them. I had no indications they had any problem with our deal. That's why this was all so shocking. And that poor mother! All those kids to watch all the time. I can't even imagine. I hope she told her husband she's taking a break."
The Thirteen Days:
By rights, Arevalo should have shown up shortly after the deal was signed to the rookie team, Alamogordo Road Runners. Obviously, that never happened. Why? Well, the stories differ a little on this.
"Where in the Sam Hell is that place, anyway?" asked Rafael.
New Mexico, in case you weren't sure. And this is where the issues start.
According to the Arevalo family, the Nine were supposed to fly all – and I do mean all – of them to the rookie league location, effectively relocating the family on the team's dime.
"We never agreed to that," said McMonigal. I get that he's young, but we have plenty of people under 18 in the organization. All of us [meaning the BBA] do, and we have special staff members to help mentor and guide them. Strict protocols."
"We were not letting our boy out there alone," said Rafael. "No damn way. Those protocols are [expletive]. We know damned well they let those boys do whatever they want. Just look at that diary from that Maggard kid."
Rafael is referring to a controversial diary that a shortstop for the Madison Wolves' farm team has been writing. It's been giving inside information on being part of a minor league team, and while this writer doesn't see anything in it that's particularly salacious, the deeply religious (there was a cross in every room, along with pictures of Jesus staring at each child's bed) Arevalos may feel differently, particularly the references to "drinks."
Asked about whether this dispute meant that McMonigal was aware that Leonardo might not make it to New Mexico after all, he had this to say.
"No. They never once said things as an ultimatum. Not to me, anyway."
"Did anyone else talk to them?" I asked him.
"We aren't going to comment further on this," said McMonigal.
It appears that this is where the organization made some key mistakes. Someone should have been ensuring that Leonardo get to the Road Runners. Instead, his "clock" kept ticking, and without reporting anywhere, the League Office duly marked the young man as released.
Reportedly, McMonigal didn't even know until after the young man was under contract with another team, one that would end up taking him far, far away from home.
The Monarchs Connection
It's well known that McMonigal came and went quickly with the London Monarchs, and his time there was not exactly stellar. The fact that his old team signed Leonardo is, at the very least, one hell of a coincidence.
"We were contacted almost immediately," said Leonardo. "It was like they were ready to pounce on any players not signed in the States."
"I liked what they offered us," said Rafael.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Terms are sealed," said Rafael. "Sorry."
I did some digging and found no further bonus provided to the family. That's not uncommon in cases like that. However, a search of flight records indicates that Rafael, his eldest son Donatello (23), and Donatello's wife have all been to Wuchang, where Leonardo now plays. And given Rafael works seasonally as a roofer, it's unlikely those trips are being paid for himself.
The Monarchs themselves denied comment, stating that as a team under Global Baseball League receivership, they have no press office. I was, however, able to talk to my colleague in baseball beat reporting, Niles Standish, who was happy to add some insight.
"Oh, they hate, and I mean HATE McMonigal in those offices!" said Standish. "It's League-wide. They despise him in London and at Central Headquarters. Not just for leaving in such a rush, but for things like allowing three players to be signed and then released because he wasn't paying attention. Oh he'll tell you it was a League Office Issue because the team is still listed as playing ball in Beirut, but that hasn't been a problem for the receivers. And the team is playing much, much better now. Instead of being complete and utter crap, they're only crap!"
"Do you think they interfered? Cut a secret deal?" I asked Standish
"Oh no, my dear, I've made many calls anonymously, and it's clear that while they would have loved to hurt McMonigal, the signing was merely a coincidence and a golden opportunity for the Monarchs to grab a player who can succeed for them. Nothing sinister. I rather wish it was!"
I mentioned all this to McMonigal.
"You talked to that deranged puppet of a man, Standish?" he said. "This interview is over!"
The Future
There's no way to know long term if the Nine are out anything but money, or if their interaction with the Arevalo family might cause problems in future drafts. All of the other 14 players reported promptly and are playing well so far. Other than hard core fans, it's unlikely anyone will remember this in a few months, let alone a few years. First base is an easy position to cover, and while July finds Leonardo hitting about .290, he has no power, which might doom him as a potential piece for the Monarchs – or any other team for that matter.
I would say that it's strange that McMonigal has had issues with players being abruptly released, and that's something for us as journalists to look into. I did ask the Nine's back office if they play to sue the Arevalos to get the bonus money back, but was told (anonymously) that it's unlikely they'll do so.
"I truly wish them well, especially Leonardo. I hope he can provide a strong slash line, buy a van for his parents, and maybe gets some pizza or something." said McMonigal. "It's just one of those things that people like you write about. We'll move on. We already have."
In the meantime, some fans will wonder "what if" – and I for one will keep an eye on his progress. The one who got away is always an interesting story. McMonigal is right about that – even if he's probably wrong about most other things in the strange case of Leonardo Arevalo.
