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.......... Slow Start Leads to Disappointing Results Despite Hot Finish!! .....
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They say every game counts and the 2044 Montreal Blazers can confirm that. After a horrible 8-18 April the Blazers faced an uphill battle for the rest of the season. Not giving up on making the playoffs they finished the season with an 18-9 September but fell just four games shy of the final Johnson League Wildcard spot. The final push included eight consecutive victories to finish the season.
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....."We just couldn't overcome our bad start. Not for a lack of effort on the part of our players but we just needed to be more consistent throughout the season in order to make the playoffs. With the experience our rookies obtained this season and a full year with Angel Zalapa we hope to finish above .500 next season and not just make a run at the playoffs but make the playoffs. Montreal deserves a winner!
Montreal GM Herb DeSpain
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Not one to sit on what he has Blazers GM Herb DeSpain tinkered with the team for most of the season trying to find that right combination. Before the season even started he dealt from his strength(young pitching) in order to bring in some hitting and prospects. Some of those deals worked out, some have not, while others are still to be determined. The deal that will define this team for the next two to three years is the one that brought in Zalapa to play short. Zalapa's $26 million contract will handcuff the franchise for as long as he remains in Montreal but if they win during that time it will have been well worth the trouble. The veteran should help tremendously against left handed pitching where he hit 28 points higher against southpaws then he did against right handers. Montreal struggled mightily against lefties in 2044 where they finished 11 games under .500 at 24-35. Simply finishing .500 against lefties would have put them squarely in the Johnson playoff race.
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