Swept by Yellow Springs and Omaha
Mounties Sign New Catcher
by Caitlen Sullivan
Vancouver Sun Sports Reporter
May 26, 2035
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Blah.
- Started out by losing the finale at home against Yellow Springs, thus making it a Nine sweep.
- Went into Omaha with high hopes; left with tail between legs after suffering yet another sweep.
- Came home and got torched by the Hawaii Tropics 11-0.
- Finally righted the listing ship and took the last two from Hawaii.
- Fell back to last in division behind Boise.
Despite not being able to get his batting average above .200, Hotha Popo is clearly the team’s number one backstop. Popo is just 23 years old. He does a fine job defensively. His “throw out” percentage is at 37.5%, up again after a subpar 26.1% last season. The hope is that he will get his batting average into the .250 range eventually.
His backup this year and last has been another 23-year-old, Rich Xi. He hit .266 last year, albeit with only 72 plate appearances, but he is down to .217 this season. There are much lower expectations of Xi’s future than there are for H-Po’s. Now, however there has been a change. Xi has been optioned to Victoria where he will become the de facto starter. Perhaps playing regularly will improve his eye at the plate.
In his place on the roster comes a free agent acquisition: Dave Robertson. Robertson is a strong defensive catcher with a rifle for an arm. Perhaps more importantly, he is highly regarded as a leader. At age 32, he has eleven years experience in the BBA. While serving as backup catcher, the expectation is that he will be a positive influence in making Popo better. While not noted as a particularly good contact hitter, Robertson has considerable power in his bat. He has signed a minimum salary deal with the Mounties and, barring an extension will be a free agent at year-end.
Assistant General Manager Rafael Méndez stated: “We may not have legitimate or realistic playoff aspirations, but we want to win games and preserve our fan base and attendance levels. We think Robertson leadership value and tutorial skills make him worth the small investment we are making.”
DISSA AND DATA
Relief pitcher Ray Perkins, who makes $7.8 million, will be a free agent at the end of the season. His agent recently announced that his client is looking to get a two-year deal worth $8.5 million per season. It would seem unlikely that the Mounties would be willing to pay that much. With 173 saves for the Mounties, he stands number two all-time in that category behind Jason Egan’s extraordinary 753.
HALL OF FAME
The Vancouver Mounties Hall of Fame opens this week. Be on the lookout for the announcement.
