Yellow Springs Nine Honor Cat Island Pirates for Post-Season Success
November 7, 2056
Cat Island, Bahamas – The Yellow Springs Nine are pleased to congratulate the 2055 Cat Island Pirates on their playoff success in 2055, reaching the post-season for the first time since 2051. The teams' 8th time in the Angela Drake League found themselves winning The Face Off two games to one against the St. Kitt's Selects, but losing The Showdown two games to one versus eventual Drake League winners Hot Springs Magestics.
The Pirates were simply terrible for several years, going 22-54 in 2052, 36-40 in 2053, and 35-41 in 2054, before springboarding to a 19 game improvement and a 54-23 record. Despite the .701 winning percentage (third best in team history, with only the 2018-2019 teams at .732 and .725 faring better), Cat Island still finished second in their division, losing a 77th game tie-breaker to the Havana Cigars
Stars of the Cat Island Pirates included the following players:
SP Mike Snow. Snow came over in a trade with Omaha in 2054 and was spectacular in his first full year in the Nine organization, going 11-2 in 16 starts. He was a member of the All-Star team and finished second in the Pitcher of the Year Awards for the Drake League. Snow was second in the league in wins and strikeouts, and co-led the league in innings pitched. Snow led the Pirates in all major pitching categories and will look forward to moving up to the Tarpons in 2056.
Tyler Rodriguez. A 2nd round pick in 2054, Rodriguez may have only notched 6 wins, but his 3.0 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and sparkling 10 k/9 (leading all Pirates) kept the team in all of his 15 starts. At just 21, he may start next season with the Pirates but it depends on how the teams are organized in the spring.
IF/OF Felix Abernathy. The first round draft pick of 2054 for the Nine already knows what success looks like. He won the Rookie League Championship with the Road Runners, along with an All-Star nod, The Frank Moore (best player), and Platinum Stick (best hitter at position) award. While 2055 would find him "only" winning another Platinum Stick, he kept on being a solid hitter, batting .327 with an OPS of .977 and a WAR of 3.1. A solid player at 3 positions (SS, 2B, and LF), with 19 HR (more than double any other teammate), he's a lock to move up to A-ball in 2056.
1B Jumah Abdul-Ghafur. A truly magical baseball story, Jumah was a 12th round pick in 2054 who had a good season with the Road Runners that year. But this year was something the young man can hold onto forever, no matter what happens going forward. Batting an astounding .467, Abdul-Ghafur set the new Drake League single-season batting average record by 2 percentage points! He also had 30 doubles, leading the league in that as well as on-base percentage (.509). Ironically, his 119 hits tied him for first. He was an All-Star and finished second for Batter of the Year.
OF Edgar Baron. Baron was the Nine's first round selection in 2055 and he didn't disappoint, batting .307 with an OPS of .899. He played all three outfield positions to positive ratings and stole 16 bases. Baron will likely move to A-ball, where is likely to play more center field and be groomed as Duggin's successor.
"It was great to get back to the playoffs again, after so many years," said Manager Huibert Staps, who is now in his 10th year managing the team, with a 381-382 career record. "I honestly thought I might be let go last year, but Mac [GM Rob McMonigal] told me he had faith that this year would be different. I'm so glad the boys and me were able to prove him right. I haven't had players this good for a long, long time. It will be difficult to see them go, but I know that's the nature of being a minor league manager."
"I said when I took over the Nine, I wanted to instill a culture of winning. That starts with drafting quality players, from round one to round twenty. Jumah is a perfect example of my philosophy. I couldn't be happier for the players on the Pirates and I look forward to seeing many of them in Silver Springs in 2056, where I hope the core group can move on to another playoff appearance!"
