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Jeffrey Humperdinck, Las Vegas Sun: Edward, your club went 82-80 this year and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2045. Do you feel the season was a failure?
Edward Allen, Las Vegas Hustlers Manager: Yes, it was a disappointing season for the Las Vegas Hustlers. We have high expectations for ourselves every year, and missing the playoffs is always a disappointment. However, I don't think the season was a total failure. We had some bright spots and showed some promise in certain areas, but unfortunately, we just didn't perform at the level we needed to in order to make the playoffs. We'll be looking to make some adjustments and improvements during the offseason so that we can come back stronger next year and be in a better position to contend for a playoff spot.
JH: The pitching staff was quite subpar in the second half of the season. How much of that can you attribute to a clear deficiency at shortstop with Stewart Turton, and now at center field with the aging Kidane Ata?
EA: While it's true that our pitching staff struggled in the second half of the season, I don't believe that it was solely due to deficiencies at shortstop and center field. Every position on the field is important and plays a role in the success of the team, but we can't solely attribute our pitching struggles to those positions. Certainly, having a strong defensive shortstop and center fielder can help our pitchers by providing better support behind them, but there were other factors that contributed to our pitching struggles. We had some injuries and inconsistent performances from some of our pitchers, and we also faced some tough opponents during the second half of the season. As a team, we're constantly looking for ways to improve and address areas where we may be struggling, so we'll certainly be taking a close look at all aspects of our team during the offseason to see where we can make improvements.
JH: Tom Rudge has been a consistently good player since coming to the Hustlers in 2038, and this year was no exception. Should he expect to get votes for the Sawyer Silk Award for the best batter in the Johnson League?
EA: Tom Rudge has certainly been a valuable player for us since joining the Hustlers back in 2038, and I believe he should absolutely be in consideration for the Sawyer Silk Award for the best batter in the Johnson League this year. Rudge had another strong season for us in 2054. He was a consistent performer for us throughout the year, and his contributions were a big part of our success on the offensive side of the ball. Of course, there are many other talented players in the Johnson League who will also be in consideration for the award, so it's difficult to predict who will ultimately come out on top. However, based on his performance this year, I believe Rudge certainly deserves to be in the conversation for the award.
JH: Alfonso Trinidad hit 46 homers, drove in 140 runs, while batting .330./.393/.622 with a 1.015 OPS. He's 33 years old and signed to an incredibly cheap contract for the next two seasons and a player option after that. Considering that Rudge is 35 years old, Kidane Ata is 37 years old, and Lorenzo de' Medici is 38 years old, is Trinidad a player that you keep and build around or is it perhaps time to trade away these older guys in an effort to reload for a future dynasty?
EA: Alfonso Trinidad had an outstanding season for us, and he's certainly a player that we value highly. His production on the offensive side of the ball was critical for our success this year, and his contract situation only adds to his value. At the same time, we understand that we have some older players on our roster who may not be able to continue performing at their current levels for much longer. It's always a difficult decision when it comes to balancing the present vs. the future, and as a team, we'll need to carefully consider all of our options. That being said, I don't believe that trading away all of our older players is necessarily the best approach. While it's important to plan for the future and build a team that can compete for years to come, we also need to balance that with our desire to win in the present. As a manager, my job is to find the right balance between those two priorities and put together a team that can be successful both now and in the future. Ultimately, we'll need to carefully evaluate our roster and determine the best path forward for our team. But I can say that Alfonso Trinidad is certainly a player that we value highly, and we'll be looking to build around him as we plan for the future.
JH: You're now 65 years old. You've managed the Hustlers since 2033 (except for that brief stint in New Orleans) and have won four Monty Brewster Memorial Series championship rings. Yet you signed a new five year extension with Las Vegas. Do you think you'll stick around the whole five years, and do you think GM Matt Rectenwald will be able to put together a team you can win a fifth ring with?
EA: As someone who has spent my entire adult life in baseball, I'm certainly passionate about the game and committed to my role as manager of the Las Vegas Hustlers. I believe that I still have a lot to offer the team, and I'm excited about the opportunity to continue leading this talented group of players. Of course, it's difficult to say whether I'll stick around for the full five years of my contract. A lot can happen in baseball, and there are always unexpected twists and turns along the way. But I'm committed to doing everything I can to help this team succeed, and I'll take things one season at a time. As for GM Matt Rectenwald, I have a lot of faith in his ability to put together a winning team. He's shown a great deal of skill and expertise in building our roster, and he's been instrumental in our success over the years. While there are never any guarantees in baseball, I believe that we have a talented group of players and a strong organization that is capable of winning another championship in the future.
EA: Eli Landgre certainly made a strong impression during his time with the Hustlers this season, and his performance was a pleasant surprise for us. While he may not have been viewed as a traditional prospect, his success this year suggests that he has the potential to be a valuable player for us moving forward. That being said, it's always difficult to predict how a player will perform over the long term. Landgre's success this year is certainly a positive sign, but it's important not to get too carried away based on a relatively small sample size. As a manager, my job is to evaluate our players based on their performance, and I'll be looking closely at Landgre's performance over the course of next season and beyond. If he can continue to produce at a high level and show consistency in his performance, then I believe he has the potential to be a valuable part of our team moving forward.
JH: You have one of those "good problems" at the catcher position with veteran Pepe Prieto, top prospect Claudio Morgan, and another prospect in Cecil Clarke (who also could play first base) vying for playing time. Could this be an opportunity to deal from depth from a position that is relatively weak across the league to address a weakness elsewhere, or could you find playing time for all three of these players?
EA: Having depth at any position is always a good problem to have, and I'm certainly pleased with the depth we have at the catcher position. Pepe Prieto has been a reliable veteran for us, and Claudio Morgan and Cecil Clarke both have a lot of potential and have shown promise in their limited playing time. While it's possible that we could consider dealing from our catcher depth to address a weakness elsewhere, I believe that we have the potential to find playing time for all three of these players. Catcher is a position that can be physically demanding, so having multiple options at the position can be beneficial over the course of a long season. Of course, playing time is ultimately determined by performance, so the players who perform the best will earn the most playing time. As a manager, my job is to put our players in the best position to succeed, and I'll be looking closely at each player's performance to determine how we can best utilize our depth at catcher.
JH: Ramon Gonzalez was acquired from San Fernando at the Trade Deadline, and he was so good that he almost single-handedly carried the Hustlers to the playoffs. He has a player opt-out after the season, or he could accept his $5 million contract next year. It seems almost certain that he'll opt out. Given just how bad the rest of the pitching was, how important is it for Rectenwald to find a way to retain Gonzalez?
Ramon Gonzalez was certainly a key acquisition for us at the Trade Deadline, and his performance was instrumental in our late-season surge. He's an elite pitcher with a proven track record, and I have no doubt that he'll have plenty of suitors if he decides to opt out of his contract.
EA: Given the importance of starting pitching in today's game, it would be a significant loss for us if we were unable to retain Gonzalez. With that said, I also understand that we need to balance our desire to keep him with the financial realities of our team. As a manager, my job is to work closely with our GM, Matt Rectenwald, to identify the players who can help us build a winning team both in the short term and the long term. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to pursue Gonzalez and how much to offer him will be up to our front office. But as a manager, I can certainly say that he would be a valuable addition to our team, and I hope we can find a way to keep him in a Hustlers uniform moving forward.
JH: Is there anything else you'd like to speak on today?
EA: I just want to say that while we fell short of our ultimate goal this season, I'm still proud of what our team accomplished. We faced adversity throughout the year, including injuries and underperformance from some key players, but we continued to fight and compete until the very end. Looking forward, I believe that we have a talented group of players who are capable of competing at the highest level. We'll need to continue to develop our young talent and make smart decisions in the offseason, but I'm confident that we can get back to the postseason and compete for another Monty Brewster Memorial Series championship in the years to come. Thank you for the interview, and I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
