Off Topic
Journeyman Minor Leaguer Making His Mark
July 28, 2058: Forever Land – One can probably forgive Craig Ablett a moment of fancy. Probably ignore the way he might be pinching himself every inning or two as he stands out in center field for the Bikini Krill.
The man is 32-years old, after all.
And before this year he’d appeared in only 30 BBA-level games, 22 with Boise, and 8 with the Hustlers. So his 37 and counting with the Krill represent a full doubling of his dreams coming true. Craig Ablett, after seeing John Henderson being sold, inherited the role of starting center fielder, and has taken advantage of it. The numbers:
That’s right: in 37 games, he’s made 1.1 WAR, a rate that would convert to 4.8 WAR in a full 162 game season. Of those nine homers, five came in two consecutive games with Des Moines, starting with three on June 27th and two more on June 28th. Not bad grandkid story fodder if you can make it.
Ablett came to the Krill with no expectations, signing a minor league deal at age thirty mostly to serve as a backup centerfielder for the Pasco, AAA club.
“I’m not pretending that this is going to go on forever,” Ablett said as the team prepared for a game in Sacramento. “I’m just going out there and doing the best I can. What I love most is talking to my wife about the games afterward. She’s done so much for me throughout my years in the minors. She’s the only one who really knows what this means the same way I do.
Fans of Earth’s team seem to have a bit of an understanding of his situation, though. A group of season ticket holders out along the center field wall have hung a sign calling themselves “Craig’s Cabal,” and waving big bulls-eyes every time he bats.
“I love them,” Ablett said, fighting a moment to avoid choking up. “Seeing them out there, man. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed.”
July 28, 2058: Forever Land – One can probably forgive Craig Ablett a moment of fancy. Probably ignore the way he might be pinching himself every inning or two as he stands out in center field for the Bikini Krill.
And before this year he’d appeared in only 30 BBA-level games, 22 with Boise, and 8 with the Hustlers. So his 37 and counting with the Krill represent a full doubling of his dreams coming true. Craig Ablett, after seeing John Henderson being sold, inherited the role of starting center fielder, and has taken advantage of it. The numbers:
| AB | HR | AVG | OBP | SLG | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 112 | 9 | 0.214 | 0.313 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
Ablett came to the Krill with no expectations, signing a minor league deal at age thirty mostly to serve as a backup centerfielder for the Pasco, AAA club.
“I’m not pretending that this is going to go on forever,” Ablett said as the team prepared for a game in Sacramento. “I’m just going out there and doing the best I can. What I love most is talking to my wife about the games afterward. She’s done so much for me throughout my years in the minors. She’s the only one who really knows what this means the same way I do.
Fans of Earth’s team seem to have a bit of an understanding of his situation, though. A group of season ticket holders out along the center field wall have hung a sign calling themselves “Craig’s Cabal,” and waving big bulls-eyes every time he bats.
“I love them,” Ablett said, fighting a moment to avoid choking up. “Seeing them out there, man. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed.”
