2012 Louisville Sluggers

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JohnC
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2012 Louisville Sluggers

Post by JohnC » Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:35 am

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With only one +.500 season since 1997, the chants of "STUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" that can be heard through The Ballpark at Locust Grove may indicate more about what they would like to turn GM Stu Hopkins into, then an adoring cheer. While he hasn't been around for all the struggles, there certainly is some pressure on him to get this team pointed in the right direction. After winning 73 games in 2010, the team fell to only 56 wins in 2011.

First Base: Millard Joseph looks to get the majority of time here. He has a decent bat against RHP, but doesn't hit much against the lefties. Hit .298 last year in limited AB's after having a solid season in AAA. Remains to be seen how he will handle a full season at the ML level as he has been a career minor leaguer until this season. Veteran Cesar Vega will also see some paying time against LHP this season. This is a position that the Sluggers could use an upgrade as neither of these guys seem to be long term solutions.

2nd Base: Torston Boss has the inside track on playing every day here. At 24yrs old, the young switch hitter is poised to take the next step. While not a superstar, he should be able to contribute with the bat as well as play solid defense. As a rookie last year, he did manage to hit 12HR's. Problem was he only hit .205 with a .257OBA. He will need to improve on those numbers in 2012 if he hopes to hold onto the starting job. Veteran Troy McLaughlin may see time her as well. With no immediate help in AAA, it looks like these two will handle 2nd all season until some of the Sluggers prospects get closer to the ML level.

Shortstop: Finally a bright spot for the Sluggers. Youngster Daryl Cumberbatch is a star in the making. He broke into the Sluggers lineup last season getting his feet wet. He only hit .237 in 400AB's, but the season tuned out to be a good learning process for Cumberbatch. He posses a ton of raw power that hasn't quite filled out yet. At 24 he may not quite reach his full power potential, but if he does then he could be among the league leaders in HR's. While best suited for 3B, he appears to be the starting shortstop for this season.

Third Base: 30yr old Devin Clark will play the hot corner coming off a another solid power season that saw him hit 29HR's, and drive in 90. He saw his batting average drop the lowest it has been as a starter at .246. He will look to rebound a little from that as he is counted on to be one of the run producers in this Sluggers lineup. There was some thought that Clark could be a piece that the Sluggers could move, however having recently signed an extension through the 2105 season, it is unlikely that Clark will be moved this season.

DH: The DH job looks to possibly be another platoon situation with Sam Sung playing against RHP, and Mike Smith against LHP. Sung had 3 straight +.300 seasons although this writer doesn't think he can do it again. He doesn't posses the kind of power that most DH have, but he has consistently hit for a high BA and OBA. If need be, he can also play the corner outfield positions pretty well. In Smith, the Sluggers have a guy with a little more power. At 26yrs old, he still hasn't really been able to crack the lineup on a consistent basis. He is out of options this season, so GM Hopkins may have a decision to make with Smith.

Starting Pitching:Abe Colbert will probably get the nod on opening day for the Sluggers. The veteran is coming off an 18 loss season, so I am guessing that things can only get better? He did give up less hits then innings pitched, however a career high 100BB's hurt him. The Sluggers are hoping that Colbert will rebound as he is in his FA season. Promising LH Zach Bauer should come out in the number 2 spot in the rotation. He won 11 games in his rookie season last year and will look to build off of those numbers. The former 1st round pick is still developing some of his secondary pitches and will need to cut down on the amount of hits allowed. Ok, so here is where it starts to thin out... Len Tatum should be next out of the gate. He doesn't have great stuff, doesn't have a ton of movement, and doesn't throw very hard. What he does have is really good control. He made 12 starts as a rookie last year, and while he only managed to win 3 games, he did have a respectable ERA of 4.07. The jury is still out on him, however he has a chance to be a decent back end starter for the Sluggers if he can paint the corners. Brian Bright is an interesting part of this rotation. A lefty will great movement and control, he managed to win 10 games in his rookie year last year. He did give up a staggering 226 hits in 197.2 innings last year, so that is something he will need to cut down on. The 5th spot looks like it could go to either Gustav Arlt or Rich Lee. Neither of these guys are going to blow anyone away. Both guys are probably best suited for long relief roles at the ML level. Top prospect Bryan Walden could be ready at some point this season. He will potentially give the Sluggers that true #1 SP. The 1st overall pick in 2009 has risen through the minor leagues fairly quickly but the Sluggers would be better suited to leave him for a full season at AAA.

Bullpen: Like most teams in MBWBA, the Sluggers have struggled to put together a quality bullpen. With no true dominant closer on the staff, it looks as though the team will have guys rotating in and out of different roles all season. Luis Villa handled the closing duties last season and may possibly have the same role this year. He saved 22 games last season but was mostly unimpressive in doing so. He's a hard thrower, but seems to struggle with his control at times. Valentine Michael Smith is another quality option in the pen. The vet has been around for a long time and is probably close to the end, but looks as though he still has enough gas in the tank to be a viable option. It get's pretty thin after that. There are such household names as Rich Kernodle, Luis Garcia, Leo Dwyer, and Jorge Diaz. Ya, you get the picture....

Prediction: Doesn't look too promising this season for the Sluggers. With the 8th ranked minor league system their is some promise on the way.

Record: 63-99
Montreal Blazers 2002 - present
Atlantic Div Champs '02,'05,'06,'11,'12,'13,'14,'19,'21,'27,'30'33
Wild Card '04,'10,'20,'28,'29,'31,'32,'34

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John Callahan
GM: Montreal Blazers
Email: doghares@hotmail.com

Greeney03
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Re: 2012 Louisville Sluggers

Post by Greeney03 » Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:25 pm

Nice write up, John.

I agree on Cumberbatch, I think he belongs at 3B. Hopefully he pans out.
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felipe
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Re: 2012 Louisville Sluggers

Post by felipe » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:06 am

I could have sworn I had catchers and outfielders...

Maybe that's the problem!

JohnC
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Re: 2012 Louisville Sluggers

Post by JohnC » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:51 am

felipe wrote:I could have sworn I had catchers and outfielders...

Maybe that's the problem!
ha..crap..they didn't seem to copy and paste properly....sorry. I'll see if I still have the write up and see if I can get it in there today.
Montreal Blazers 2002 - present
Atlantic Div Champs '02,'05,'06,'11,'12,'13,'14,'19,'21,'27,'30'33
Wild Card '04,'10,'20,'28,'29,'31,'32,'34

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John Callahan
GM: Montreal Blazers
Email: doghares@hotmail.com

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