Bandit Post, Vol 5.1, 1996

[aaronweiner]

Down and left for dead, the Birmingham Bandits...well, they may actually be dead. However, the Bandits have not gone into full rebuilding mode, have not dealt away their central players, have done nothing that will jeopardize their core. Several players were reported on the move and in negotiations, but the Bandits apparently have chosen to deal none of them, instead holding onto a team that can still finish with a winning record and give Birmingham something to look forward to next year.

"We think that we still have a shot at this thing, but, yeah, it'll be pretty tough," said Brett Favre, who continues to lead the Frick League in RBI with 93 so far this season. "I just hope we can pull it all together, soon."

Birmingham had a legitimate chance to catch up in the wild card race, having pulled to within just five games of wild card leader Calgary, and even won a three game set against the Mauraders. The problem is that Birmingham lost three out of four against last-place Montreal and Long Beach and two out of three to Las Vegas, and Calgary now stands seven and a half games up on the Bandits. Three of Birmingham's losses in the sim were by - you guessed it - one run; had they won just one of them they would have had a .500 sim.

A lot of problems continue to plague the Bandits, even at their core. Hayden Finch has a 9-7 record, but his 4.86 ERA would be the highest of his fourteen-year career by a wide margin. Damian Bedgood, despite a 12-6 record, is posting just a 3.56 ERA, a run higher than 1995 and his highest mark since 1992. The team is still waiting for Alex Khodorkovsky to make the jump forward.

In short, even the vaunted starting rotation, who heads a pitching staff that is first in the FL in strikeouts, doesn't have IT this year. They're letting down an offense that's among the best in the Frick, and there's little relief in sight here.

"I can't blame myself alone because a lot of people have had problems this year, but it's definitely something we'll have to figure out," said Finch, one of the highest-paid players in the MBBA. "It's not because we dealt Hi Brown though we've had big problems with the fifth starter spot this year. It's not just because of the bullpen. It's a whole team thing."

Will Birmingham get it together in time to make a serious run? They're still not completely out of it, and they're still fifth in the Frick in run differential. However, the cautious optimism that surrounds these players might not be enough to overcome a huge deficit.

"We've been very unlucky this year, but our whole core might be back next year and we'll have some money to add some pieces," said Bandit GM Aaron Weiner. "This might not be our year, but we have a real shot to come back."


Notes


Bandits Not Dealing At Deadline

Despite serious overtures to the league and some close trade talks, GM Aaron Weiner has not made any additional deals at this point and is unlikely to do so, said Bandit front office personnel.

"He likes where the team is and realizes that he's got a number of different assets," said an anonymous team source. "He doesn't want to add players to a team that's so far behind and he doesn't want to subtract from a nucleus that he thinks is very good."

Teams reportedly inquired about Medric Wood and Brett Favre, Jack Dark and Alex Khodorkovsky.

The team was apparently close to dealing Dark for a minor leaguer, but Dark's agent called and said that the shortstop, hitting .330 with 13 homers, might be interested in possibly signing an extension. Dark is also a Type A free agent, so if the Bandits choose to not re-sign him they'll get a prospect when someone else signs the multitalented infielder.


Team Working on Extension for Sammy Bodeen

The Bandits and All-Star Sammy Bodeen have been in negotiations for several months trying to wrap up a long-term deal. Bodeen is apparently asking for more money than the Bandits are offering, though both sides believe that they will be able to reach an agreement.

"Yes, we'd like to sign Sammy long-term, and we'll be talking to Damian next year," said GM Aaron Weiner. "They're the heart and soul of this franchise."

[lynchy34]

I think the Bandits were just chosen as that one team OOTP likes to bone. There's no way the Bandits should be this bad.

[aaronweiner]

Well, at least I'm still putting out informative, hard-hitting investigative team news.

There's a party in the Frick's underdivision, and I'm the keymaster.

Aaron

[DenverZeppo]

I can see choosing not to sell, especially to me, but darn I wanted Dark.

Zep

[aaronweiner]

I have no idea whether I'm going to re-sign him yet, so you may yet get Dark.