Kernel of Truth 59.01 : 2058-59 Dev Lab Results

[JRamirez]

Green-behind-the-ears-GM J. Ramirez (who just spent the offseason bolstering the Cairo Pharaohs in phar-off Egypt) arrived sooner than expected in Des Moines. Sooner, because he had never left his beloved Memphis, Tennessee and ran his Restock the Nile Program from The 901. Expected, because he heeded the call of Matt Rectenwald saying there was an opening in the Heartland. "Nashville's in the Heartland; I imagine Memphis must be too," Ramirez was heard to say, although the significance of this in regards to Des Moines, was not clear.

Ramirez deboarded the private jet, or whatever transport we're using in the year 2059 (I will have to rewatch Bladerunner 2049 and try not to fall asleep again), took a deep sniff of the mid-west air, ...and said

"Is this heaven?"

The response from Walter Wilhelm, Jr caught him by surprise:

"No, it's Minnesota."

And he wasn't joking. The transport had overshot the Iowa state line to avoid setting off a stampede of bison and had touched down in southwest Minnesota.

"Did you see any 'heaven' down there, JR, flying over Iowa?", Wilhelm asked. "Any 'Field of Dreams'?"

Ramirez pondered.

Then said

"Saw a lot of mounted horses."

Those would be the Iowa Expeditionary Force. Inspecting and guarding the water lines and supplies.

On horseback?!

"SUVs can't drink water. But you can trust a horse. A horse never drinks from bad water."

Ah. Didn't know that.

You're going to learn a lot out here, JR. Iowa is the heartland of the Heartland...

Skipping ahead to Ramirez's arrival at Edward Murphy Memorial Stadium, apparently one of the oldest in the BBA, the new GM made a beeline to the Development Lab and saw nothing. No activity. No donut. No rosin.

Dammit. I thought if you build it they will come and et cetera.

"If you built he, he, he, HE, will come, ... not they."

Yeah, and it's "No, I am your father" too.

The conversation had drifted into misquoted movie lines. Team trainer Muktar Jamshed, a misplaced Pakistani who had worked for the Jerusalem Hebrew Hammers a decade, handed Ramirez a stack of reports.

The hell's this?

Development Lab reports.

On paper? Y'all still use paper in Iowa?

In Iowa, no, JR. But in Pakistan, yes. And this paper, it's

It's made of corn, JR., Assistant GM Thibaud Guillard, said. The Department of Agriculture...

"Wow, this seems promising!, Ramirez said. 'Garth Dobbs [8/7/5] outstandingly completed training to make one of his poorer pitches more usable at the...' Hey, which pitch was that? The record-keeping is a vague... Let's see, a changeup of 5 outa 6, sinker of 9, knucklecurve of 10. Gonna guess the changeup. Tell me more about Dobbs."

"He's pitched in 74, 76, 78 games the last seasons," pitching coach Tony Cabrera said.

"So he's a fixture in the pen?'

"With the improvement to that third pitch, we might give him a shot at starting."

"On the other hand, this guy, Slaw, Slawomir Trzzz"

"Trzcinski. Slawomir Trzcinski."

Didn't complete the training program trying to increase his endurance.

He completed it. Just not successfully

Say, he has a 9 stamina. Isn't that endurance? Glancing down the page...Dave Lachance, successfully completed his pitch control.

And he has room for improvement.

How does that work?

Primarily through mechanics and repetition. A solid delivery is crucial, as is building muscle memory.

Okay, let's go on. Mike Young, another pitcher, successfully increased his pitch movement. Good job. Hey, how do you teach that?

Well, JR, we focus on grip and finger placement. Spin rate, too. Higher spin rate leads to more movement. With Young, we worked on his release point...

Any batters do any training? Oh, I see. Bane 'GOAT' McCoy, "Outstandingly completed training to improve his plate discipline... Outstandingly?! Well, he must be the GOAT. Hey, what does that mean, improve plate discipline?

Hitting coach José Gonzáles responded, first in Spanish, and then in English: JR, enseñamos a los jugadores a entender la zona de strike. Los alentamos a diferenciar entre lanzamientos para hacer swing y pelotas para lanzar. Les enseñamos a reconocer los tipos de lanzamiento y cómo anticipar la trayectoria y el momento del lanzamiento, para que puedan ajustar su swing, nosotros...

JR, we teach players to understand the strike zone. We encourage them to differentiate between pitches to swing at and balls to lay off. We teach them to recognize pitch types and how to anticipate the trajectory and timing of the pitch, so they can adjust their swing, we...

So, Ted Williams kind of stuff?

More than that, JR. We use video analysis of batter's plate discipline, swing choices, and pitch recognition. We do drills, like the Red versus Blue Drill. We ask hitters to swing at the red ones but let the blue balls go. We also create scenarios that simulate game situations, for example, a full count in a crucial situation...

Is this you talking, José, or MS Copilot? And who's this? Amir Baha al Din...also improved his plate discipline. Hey, he's 17. I like the early focus.

Muktar: 17, leader, low greed, power potential 7, now an eye potential 8.

Ramirez: Outstanding. And his teammate at Saylorsville (R), this Salih Bin Salah, Outstandingly completed training to improve his two-strike approach at the, the development center...

The development complex, JR, Muktar said.

Gonzáles: We've had bin Salah choke up a quarter-inch on the bat, widen his stance, move closer to the plate...

So, a lot of physical changes.

Physical, yes, physical, and also some mental.

Mental?

Yes, JR, like seeing the ball well, looking for pitches over the outside of the plate, staying calm and patient...

Whats this?! Detrimentally completed training to improve his pitch control at the development center

Developmental complex, JR.

Center, complex, concern, installation, edifice, lair, ... What I see is detrimentally. Truman Burgess, Muktar this kid has a 9 potential at control, don't fuck it up.

His work ethic needs improving, JR

And there's Vicente López, Portsmouth (A), Unsuccessfully completed training to improve his quality of contact.

His work ethic sucks, sir.

What else you got for me?

Our number 2 pick last year, Tomichi Saski, Successfully completed training to improve his two-strike approach...

Number 2 pick? Who was our number one?

Othman Abdul-Latif.

And?

He's starting for El Paso (AAA).

His ranking?

Let's see, 164th. Wait, 156th.

Starting for the El Paso Borderhounds. Hmm, not sure I like that name. Might have to change that. Certainly need a name for the development center. All right, guys, thanks for the update. Hey, where can a man get a bite to eat around here?

You might try Fong's Pizza, Guillard said.

Chinese pizza?

Or there's Zombie Burger...

Ain't touching that. Did you read what happened in Jacksonsville?

That's won't happen in the Heartland, JR, Cabrera said. Also, there's Buzzard Billy's on 3rd Street.

Buzzards?

OK, for you, Gonzáles, said, I suggest the Americana on Locust.

The Americana? I like it. Me gusta. Des Moines... Americana's team.

[Krathan]

You’re going to give Muktar a complex if you keep saying center.

[BaseClogger]

Dang, there is some excellent top end talent in Des Moines. Seems like that team should have been in the playoffs the past few seasons.

[Jwalk100]

Phantastic!