2046 Bucharest Impalers Preview

[chicoruiz]

I always feel like it’s easier to write about a bad team than a good one, and based on that theory I decided to get the Bucharest preview out of the way first. In other words, they’re really good. Really, really good. Let’s get to the details:

STARTERS: Neill Fenomore, Ajanidha Praveen, and Owen Geddes are 19, 19 and 20, respectively. Between them they already have 82 UMEBA wins. Think about that. Behind that depressing (for the rest of us) top three, they can trot out Ragnar Lothbrok, part-time starter Dermott Halford, and Freddy Delgado. They all also had nice years, but Freddy is 38, and Father Time is undefeated, so a prospect like Mariano Aguilar or Jesus Martinez might get a shot somewhere in the long, long season.

BULLPEN: Brendan Pollock and his 12-rated stuff saved 46 for the Impalers last year, and he’s only 22. Luis Miguel Flores and Shotaro Kawamura are also on hand, and Tony “Funky Cold” Medine showed well in a small UMEBA sample size after coming over from BBA Omaha. 6’9” beanpole Rhys England is probably the top bullpen prospect.

CATCHER: Maybe quantity rather than quality here. Hsien Mei is 35 and probably makes a funny noise when he crouches now, but he’s making too much money not to get at least a shot. Sang-Duk Sim, Ares Papadias and Abdel Osagboro are the other options; if it were me I’d try Osagboro first, but based on my record, why listen to me? Teenager Jose Gonzales is the eventual hope, but he’s a ways away yet. If Bucharest has a weakness, this might be it.

INFIELD: Current listing right now is Jay Gamble at first, Jeremy Owbridge at second, Vincente Archuleta at 3B, and Rakim Stevenson at short. They’re all more than solid, though Owbridge needs a rebound at the plate to hold off a couple of 2B prospects currently climbing through the system.

OUTFIELD AND DH- Current starters seem to be Mitch Dalrymple in left, Ricardo Esparza in center, Fernando Archuleta in right, and Madhi Kojo as the DH. Dalrymple came back to the pack a bit after his unbelievable 2044 season, but he was still excellent, and at 32 he should have a good year or two left. The other two OF should each be good for about two WAR apiece, and there's nothing wrong with that. Kojo hit 36 homers in his first UMEBA season, but he’s listed as “wrecked”, so if you believe stuff like that, somebody like Ellis Curran might get a chance. Young buck Rafael Mullet might elbow his way into the picture somehow as well, though it's hard to see who he might displace.

BOTTOM LINE: Bucharest is the franchise we other UMEBA owners aspire to be. Still smarting from their unexpected playoff exit, they will enter the season with a chip on their shoulder. Just what the rest of us needed…

[woods]

Nice work! Based on your opening paragraph, I'm expecting Cairo's preview last, but I'm looking forward to it!

[tylertoo]

I read about this team and then go off into a corner and quietly weep....

[RichY]

I read about this team and then go off into a corner and quietly weep....

This is why I try not to look at other teams too much.

[tylertoo]

I read about this team and then go off into a corner and quietly weep....

This is why I try not to look at other teams too much.

Says he who won it all this past season.

[CTBrewCrew]

No pressure on the new guy

[allenciox]

So, regarding Mullet, I don't know what happened to him in the offseason. He was an 11 DEF at CF with a 10 outfield range. Over the winter, he lost one point in range, and dropped two points in DEF. This is a 22-year-old we are talking about!

[BrianH]

Nice Preview!!