November someday .. I don't know, let's say 10th?, 2035
Offen Sichtlich der Kunstgriff
It's a sad day, Crusaders fans. Even moreso under the circumstances. I mean ... we just one a Landis! I don't know about you guys, but I'll always remember the members of this 2035 squad more prominently than most. So many players come and go, that even I, Offie, a reminder that fan is short for "fanatic" can't recall all the faces. As I look back at rosters from years past I see guys like Melvin Sims and think, "I forgot all about that guy! They called him 'Shorty'. He was magical in 2024!" Or wonder, "What the heck is a Jose Tovar?" (It's a retired 41 year old outfielder from Tia-hhooWANA!) But this team. A championship team? The Team of Destiny? I'll be able to tell you the entire roster 20 year from now (assuming Mama hasn't done Offie in with her terrible cooking by then). They're something special. The players must feel this way as well.
But a championship marks the end of a season, and that means players leave, no matter how sudden it seems. So goodbye to Reynaldo Garza. He was incredible for us this year, the keystone of the best bullpen in the league. Or linchpin, or whatever metaphor you want to use. He was also asking for free agent mid rotation starter money and well ... look, let's remember the good times.
Thanks Mr. Garza. Thanks for your incredible 120.2 innings pitched in 73 games. Thanks for all those multi inning appearances that got us through a game with only one or two relievers used. Thanks for your 2.28 era. Thanks for an incredible 2.8 WAR out of the bullpen. Goodbye and good luck.
(authors note, as this is a late submission, I see now that Mr. Garza has landed with the Huntsville franchise for 4.5 million per year. That's less than half, HALF!! of what he was asking us for ... but still more than my boss, Mr. Schmidt wants to pay relievers, sooooooo ... Okay. That's a good organization. And in the other league. And Reynaldo got PAID! Good for him. I think I'm good with this.)
Garza isn't the only Crusader to depart, of course. But he is the one that makes me the saddest. We already talked about how Mark Stuart and Newman Watson retired. What a way to go out! No tears for Offie there! But we did lose another useful player to retirement, Atilio Seabra.
Now, Atilio made his name with the Seattle Storm. He was so good, and could play all over the place. And that's what made him so valuable to the Crusaders, as a right handed backup for our fairly left handed infield. He was definitely a bit long in the tooth (Why do we say that? ... hmm .... looking ..... Horses? Have you guys ever noticed how many idioms are about horses? It's crazy. I mean, who doesn't like horses? Pretty cool animals. Offie's always wanted a noble steed. Also, if you don't get a flutter in your chest watching THIS, I think there's something wrong with you. I mean ... greatness and other related words are so overused today, but that ... that's greatness ... the pinnacle of a thing being the absolute best version of what it can be. This is why we love sports, right? Because it's a place to see that? .... So wait ... oh yeah .... horses. Having horses must have just been incredibly important at some point in history. All those idioms. ... wait ... oh yeah, Seabra ... long teeth .. right.
Ahem, Mr. Seabra rattled off a robust .. .188/.286/.328 .... ??? That can't be right. He had an .850 OPS at the all star break. I think? I mean, I recall him cooling off a bit as the season went on, but he HAD to still be .800 at the break. What did he do, go to the plate without a bat in August and September? Oh well. He helped. Trust me. I remember it. For half a season anyway. Weird. Goodbye Atilio. Enjoy whatever it is you do in your free time.
One more player left via free agency, and that's John Cochran. Ugh. What a bad ending. Our Crusaders picked up John as a minor league free agent back in 2027 when the former first round pick was released by the then Indianapolis Grasshoppers for what appears to be No Good Reason. He made the Brewster as a full time player in 2032, and hit pretty well for a few years, but his glove always held him back. This always seemed weird to me. I remember him having borderline center field range in the minors, but in the spring of 2032, it all just ... disappeared? Well ... his bat ... um ..also disappeared this year .. when he got the majority of time as the DH. Yikes. Some fans didn't want to see him in the lineup anymore. And the Crusaders declined to give him arbitration. Yikes. Well, at least he got a championship. Goodbye Mr. Cochran.
