Maxwell M. Maple is a feature reporter for the Las Vegas Daily Star and the lead reporter for the Las Vegas Hustlers
The time for niceties was over, as was the time for me to be seen or heard. I retreated to a recliner where I would be able to fully observe, for the first time, the Las Vegas Hustlers' brain trust making their final roster decisions. Inside the belly of the beast, so to speak. I had my own idea of how they might go about these decisions. It didn't take long for me to realize that my pre-conceived notions were nowhere near the reality. Matt Rectenwald, the Hustlers' General Manager, sat silently for most of the proceedings. The entire Hustlers' coaching staff was a huge part of the process, something I truly didn't expect. What I couldn't figure out for most of the day was this: who actually had the final say?
Aaron Burnette, the Hustlers Assistant General Manager, seemed to serve primarily in the role of coordinator. He called this meeting to order, and immediately got right down to business.
"Let's start with the pitching staff, fellas," Burnette said forcefully.
The coaching staff snapped to attention. Immediately the tone in the room changed from a fun, loose environment to a business-like one, almost a hyper-focus. Burnette motioned to the young Las Vegas pitching coach, Andy Sisco Jr.
"Sisco Kid, start us off here. We have some locks, I'd assume," Burnette said.
Sisco Jr. looked to his tablet and began his presentation. "We can start with twelve instead of thirteen because of off days the first week. So we have Geddes, Harrell, Berrera, Chavez, Newsome, Ramon Gonzalez, Wallace and Stone locked in. That's eight."
Vegas' manager, Henry Rectenberg, spoke up. "Add Dominguez and Rojas right away. There's no way I'm breaking camp without those two studs in the bullpen."
Heads nodded in the room, Rectenwald remained silent, as he had since business-mode began.
Sisco Jr. carried on. "So that means we have ten spots locked in. We need two more. I was okay bringing Berrera back straight off the IL, but I think Rodriguez needs a minor league start or two to tune up."
"You really think so, guy?" Rectenberg said, with a twinge of annoyance in his voice. "Can't he just pitch up here?"
"That's a pretty bad idea, Henry." It was the veteran third base coach Juan Sweetworld who chimed in. "I've been around long enough to know that throwing a young kid into the fire when his arm isn't even built up from a full spring is a recipe for disaster. Hank??"
Sweetworld motioned to Hank Brewer, the bench coach and Hall of Fame catcher. If anyone knew about pitchers, it was Brewer. "I'm not going to call you dumb like Sweety, but yeah, Henry, I'm with these guys."
Rectenberg smiled. "That's why you are here, boys. You keep me in check when I'm about to make horrible decisions." The room erupted in laughter and Sweetworld playfully punched Rectenberg lightly on the right shoulder. "So who can I keep? Can I keep Baumschlager?"
Sisco Jr consulted his tablet once again, then offered some information. "He has maybe been pitching better than anyone all spring," said Sisco Jr, with excitement. I don't know if there's anything left for him to prove in Milwaukee, and it gives you another lefty to work with, skipper."
Burnette looked around the room. "Everyone agree on Baumschlager?" Everyone nodded, Rectenwald continued to sit silently. "So that leaves one spot, two if we want to."
"These guys are left: bin Nasser, Cummings, Rafael Gonzalez, Jose Martinez, Trevino, Chong-xian Shen, Ron Madden" said Sisco Jr. "Who can we eliminate? Hutch???"
Charles Hutchesson was a former catcher himself, and currently the "young buck" on the Hustlers staff in his position as first base coach. "I think bin Nasser, Cummings, Trevino are pretty easy decisions. I'd also say Rafael Gonzalez, I want him to get some work early in the year. I'm sure you do too, Sisco Kid."
The pitching coach nodded, affirmatively. "I'm okay with all of that. That leaves us with three guys, two spots. Shen sure pitched good for you guys last year. He does have an option, though. Depends how much you like the kids. Martinez has pitched as good as Baumschlager, if not better."
Rectenberg piped in. "Westy (Martinez) has been great. Let's bring him. Shen can be insurance for us in AAA. He needs regular work. Martinez probably does too but I'd like to see if his spring numbers were real or a mirage."
Everyone agreed. "So where does that leave us on Madden," inquired Tony Banuelos, the Hustlers' hitting coach. "He sure looked sharp this spring. I know you guys always talk about jumpstarting his development and shit, wouldn't making the Opening Day roster do that? Even if it's just for a few days, and he probably won't even pitch." Something was funny about the way Banuelos' tone seemed to become more and more sarcastic as he spoke.
Suddenly everyone in the room turned and focused their attention on Rectenwald. He hadn't uttered a single word the entire time. Until now. "Seems like everyone's looking at me," Rectenwald said, amused. "Why do you think that is, Aaron?"
Burnette smirked. "Probably because you traded for Madden last year. Gave up Cantrell and Tristan Lloyd, if I recall."
"That's not entirely fair," offered Rectenwald. "Tony, are you fairly pleased with Eduard Faktorovich so far? Because I believe he was in that trade, too."
"Yes, yes, very pleased with E-Fakto, big guy," said Banuelos, sheepishly.
"Alright then. So it's on me because I thought maybe we could unlock Madden's potential, now all of you guys think he's a 27 year old bust," Rectenwald riffed. "He probably is a bust, a complete waste of a roster spot. He certainly hasn't done anything to indicate he's a BBA pitcher. So if you all want to play fast and loose with the twenty-seventh roster spot to poke fun at ol' Recte, you go right ahead."
Laughter filled the room. Brewer was laughing so hard he fell down to the floor. Burnette guffawed, slapping the table with glee. I was the one to speak next.
"Wait, am I getting this straight? You guys are rostering Ron Madden as a joke?" This is one I hadn't heard before.
"It's only for a couple of days and maybe what Tony said will work," said Sisco Jr. "But yeah, mostly we're goofing on Recte."
"Ain't that some shit, Maxwell?" Rectenwald looked at me and winked.
To Be Continued.....
