Sticking Points 2058.3: Your Pikemen Opening Day Lineup

[JimSlade]

Get ready, Rockville fans, those of your who somehow manage to maintain your faith - or perhaps you simply like a day at the park and a chance to eat reheated crabcakes - your Pikemen open the 2058 season with an intra-state series hosted by the Charm City Jimmies!

Over the course a relatively healthy spring training, the Pikemen picked up where they left off in 2057, finishing last, with a 12-18 record. Some young prospects opened eyes, like 1B/DH Masahiko Harada and SP Jorge Ramirez, but hope-starved Pikeman fans are going to have to fill up on crabcakes, as the youngsters are starting the season with the AAA Dodge City Gunslingers. "I expect we'll see these young men and a few others in Rockville before too long," said GM Jim Slade.

Slade also reported, in a rambling chat with the assembled media, that pitchers Jon Keys and David Wade will start the 2058 on rehab assignments in Dodge City. Keys, you might recall, missed the entire 2057 campaign along with reliever Richard Bryant, when both players went down with season-ending injuries at the start of spring training. "Richard had a little setback in his recovery this spring," said Slade, "we don't see him even throwing a ball for another month and a half. We hope to have him back in shape by midseason. Guy's been a horse out of the pen. We miss him."

To no one's surprise, ancient Danny Leach will pitch opening day for the Pikemen. The team plans to keep Leach on a short pitch count through the season. "At this point in his career," explained Slade, "Danny's like like an 'opener-plus.'" The team's most talented starter, Luis Gonzalez, pitches tomorrow. Word is the team has been fielding offers for the disgruntled Gonzalez, who's on his walk year, but that story's for another day. Let's get back to cheerier things, like the top of the Pikemen lineup!

SS Socrates Kazantziakis, 2B Richard Vernon, and either RF Eric Wagner or 1B Cam Whitten, depending on whether a righthander or lefthander starts for the Jimmies, can get hits in bunches. After that, the middle of Rockville's lineup runs hot and cold, and "hot" is a relative term.

Is this the year 3B Cesar Rodriguez becomes more than a month-on, month-off force, or will he forever be a guy who, if you're patient enough to add up his annual output is just above average? Manual Salinas finally got a chance to get at-bats at DH, LF, and 3B about a third into the 2057 season and looked like a proverbial "professional hitter" before an injury ended his season prematurely. Then there's C John McMuttray, who's been sending fans and front office types alike to the ER with traumatic face-palms over his inability to live up to his early promise as a bat-first, slugging catcher. Go gentle on those face-palms when "Doghouse" hangs his head and shuffles back to the dugout.

Some combination of Varnick Tuncay, Ruben Alvarado, Paul Strickland, and Numan Abu al Khayr will be bringing up the rear - and I do mean rear, as they work their humble magic to occasionally turn the lineup over.

So say it with me, Rockville faithful: ARE WE THERE YET?

No, but let's get this journey underway!

[BaseClogger]

McMuttray’s been an above average hitter every season except last year’s blip so I’d say he’s lived up to his billing. His defense just holds him back to nearly replacement level. His ratings have big splits so maybe limiting him to lefties gets him in the WAR green but then he’s a secondary guy with that contract.

[JimSlade]

Yeah, if I hadn't locked him in with that contract he probably wouldn't bug me as much. Thanks for the reality check!