The Cool Of The Grass 2051.5: Des Moines Enters Wild Card Hunt, Deals For Bin Mazin

[aaronweiner]

The Des Moines Kernels have a new lease on life. Alaric has shaken off the Des Moines blues and is back to being, well, Alaric. The Kernels are second in the league in runs scored, behind the third-best OPS in the Frick League, hitting home runs like they're going out of style. Hasheem Makin is getting Sawyer Silk buzz. Des Moines just won series against Madison, Vancouver, and Chicago, got splits with Nashville and Portland, and didn't embarrass themselves against Sacramento. The improvement is real.

"Oh yeah, we're definitely a better ballclub than we were this time last year," said Topan Adjeng, who is having another excellent year pinch-hitting. "The team's so much better than before."

The Kernels got off to a hot start last year too and faded badly down the stretch, but there are a number of reasons to believe that won't happen this season. Last year's #3 overall Carlos Souza has been excellent for the Kernels early in his career, showing off his superior batting eye. The team just traded for Malik Bin Mazin, who has had mixed success in his career but a world of potential. And the starting pitching can probably pitch better than they've done, especially Thomas Turner.

"I'm allowing a few more home runs than usual, but otherwise doing okay," said Turner. "I need to spot my pitches a little better."

So can Des Moines break through this season and make the playoffs? Even if they don't, a winning record would be quite the accomplishment in the second year for the Kernels under Weiner's guidance: they haven't had one in exactly two decades. It appears that they're making good on Weiner's promise to not raise tickets until they've had a season where they've won more than 72 games so far, and this might be the year.

"We're ready for bigger things," said Makin, whose spectacular season in 2051 has made him the toast of the town. "It's time for us to break out of this cage the city has been in for so long. It's time for us to see the next step."

The Kernels are currently 31-25, a 90-win pace. Their schedule doesn't become easier until the end of the month, as they have a pair of two-game sets against Louisville, four games against Hawaii, three against Nashville, and two against Yellow Springs until they face a sub-.500 team again.

https://statspl.us/brewster/reports/new ... am_18.html

[tylertoo]

I'd be rooting for you if you weren't in my division and right on my ass. But kudos!

[lordtoffee]

I think you have a good chance to break through this year. No matter what, organizational progress is evident.

[aaronweiner]

I think you have a good chance to break through this year. No matter what, organizational progress is evident.

I feel like I have a little bit already. The next thing that has to happen is for me to shed the $25 million in marginal cap space and do some juju to my ballpark.