Kernel of Truth 2061.01 - the boys hit the D Lab

[JRamirez]

I guess the boys had a week or two off after Greg Shaw threw two games against Nashville in the Doubleday. If you believe the reports from Mistaken Public Radio. At any rate, there's no rest for the Des Moines Kernels, as 10 select individuals were awarded immediate assignments to the vastly improved Den of Death, aka the Development Lab.

Unconfirmed reports indicate the following assignments:

Strength & Conditioning
SP Greg Shaw
1b Bane McCoy
These two key-ish players have fragile ratings and Shaw turns 35 during Spring Training 2061. Other players, SP Truman Burgess Potentials (9STU, 6MOV, 8CON, 7PBABIP, 6HRR) and SS Pedro Gongora, also have fragile ratings. "Don't matter about Burgess," JRamirez said. "If he doesn't improve his control, his career may be as a back-end reliever, or at best a specialist against lefties." JR is not happy with Burgess's downward slope of development, aka lumping. He went from a potential 9/7/7 in April 2060 to his current 7/6/5. Absolutely blows. Something happened with this kid. Maybe the "Wiser Minds" that suggested I keep him at Triple-A in 2060 were messing with me.

McCoy gets injured too often. He is also benched a lot. "I think he could flourish in other environments," JR said.

Improve Control
Truman Burgess
Garth Dobbs
Everett Sutphin

Dobbs didn't do too bad with control in 2060: he walked 42 in 130.1 innings (2.9BB/9ip). Maybe we'll change his program to improve secondary pitch, but he has successfully completed training programs in the DL the last two off-seasons and his third-pitch change-up hasn't advanced from a visible 5 out of 7 rating.

Sutphin is a 5/6/6 guy who needs to improve something to pitch in the bigs.

Secondary Pitch Improvement
Arnold Cantrell - I don't know if this will help his third-pitch change-up, which is a 5. I also don't know how he pitched so well as a starter since 2055 with only two and a half pitches. Maybe defensive parks? Anyhow, he may be sent back to the pen in 2061 to take the place of Dobbs (15 losses) as stopper.

Improve Defense
Lf Kevin Thistle
Rf Júlio Pérez Potentials
Cof Alonso Finn

Two key starters in the Des Moines lineup. 2060 all-star Thistle fields fairly well (1.6 ZR) but it never hurts to improve. Perez had a -6.4 ZR (ouch!) although he did throw out 16 runners. This is a guy who probably should start at first, but it's crowded there. He bumped to an 8 power and 75 POT, and DM could use better production from him in 2061. He didn't hit a home run the last 40 game of the regular season and had 1 in 10 starts in the post-season.
Finn: my first draft pick (17th overall in 2059). I just changed his program from running mechanics to defense. Lets see what his High Ethics will do.

Generate Bat Speed
Inf SS Zhi-jan Shao (IL) - the $7mm man. That's what it cost DM to draft him as an IAFA. He could improve anywhere. DM invested PPs to raise his work ethic to the max, so now's the time for him to show us what he's got.

That's your, or our, 2060-61 off-season news about the Development Center invitees. And it's the end of one season and the start of another. The lower salary cap is gonna bite.


Remember to like, comment, and subscribe, and for full coverage of the Kernels you can visit my Patreon channel, where you'll also have full access to all my tossed salad.

[BaseClogger]

San Fernando isn’t a defensive park. Cantrell’s two best pitches are just REALLY good. Think Randy Johnson.

[BaseClogger]

I think some of Perez’s home run allotment got stolen by Norman.

[RonCo]

Cantrell would look good in Bikini.

[trmmilwwi]

Cantrell would look good in Bikini.

Man, I read that wrong the first time..

[JRamirez]

San Fernando isn’t a defensive park. Cantrell’s two best pitches are just REALLY good. Think Randy Johnson.

Cantrell sucked as a starter for me. Granted, only 40 IP. That included 9 ERs in 2 starts vs LOU, 10 innings. Against NSH, 1 start, 5.2 IP, 6 ERs. I understand, small sample size.

Even for LV, he had a 7.94 ERA in 5 starts in May. I told recte I thought he was more of a reliever than a starter. I still think that. I am hoping he can replace Dobbs as my stopper. He doesn't figure in my rotation plans, unless he improves his third pitch in DLab.