Tater Talk (2051.08): Rookie Profile: Gavrilovich Mastinsky

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Tater Talk (2051.08): Rookie Profile: Gavrilovich Mastinsky

Post by woods » Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:48 pm

One of the unique things about the 2051 season, and one of the reasons I wanted to do this feature, is the influx of free agent talent from the now-defunct UMEBA leading to a much stronger-than-usual rookie class. Some of Boise’s top offseason acquisitions were UMEBA castoffs, and they’ll be a major part of the team this year and for several years to come.

But they’re technically rookies (as far as the BBA is concerned), so we're going to talk about them. Starting with:

Image Gavrilovich Mastinsky
Gavrilovich Mastinsky, SP/RP
Hometown: Vladivostok, Russia
BBA debut: April 4, 2051


Gavrilovich Mastinsky did not take the traditional route to becoming a big league pitcher. Hailing from Vladivostok, a port city on Russia’s east coast, baseball was a foreign concept until the city got a team in 2035 as part of the formation of the International Finishing Consortium, the feeder league for the then-UMEBA.

The story goes like this: the city advertised open tryouts as part of the new expansion. Mastinsky, just 10 years old at the time, didn’t know what baseball was, but showed up anyway out of curiosity. He watched a few hopefuls audition, decided he could do better, and took his turn. Turned out he possessed a 100-mph fastball, which he had developed by throwing rocks at animals in the woods near his home.

He was immediately invited to join the team, but ran into a snag when he presented his ID and officials saw his age. No one would’ve believed it of the hulking, 6’2” behemoth, but he needed to wait eight years until labor laws would permit him to play professionally. They told him to come back when he was old enough, and they’d keep a spot open for him.

Mastinsky came back eight years later, now 6’6” of pure muscle (the product of eight more years spent throwing rocks at animals in the woods — bears are now an endangered species in Eastern Russia, a fact that may or may not be related). And the team made good on its promise. He was inserted into the rotation, and proceeded to lead Vladivostok to its first division title, though they were upset in the playoffs by Mt. Fuji. Nevertheless, Mastinsky set team records in 2045 in strikeouts, wins, and WAR which still stand today.

Mastinsky was drafted by Tripoli the summer following his historic season. He ascended through the minor leagues quickly, and made his big league debut the following year. His UMEBA career was pretty hit-or-miss, though he did make the All-Star team in 2050, his career ERA over five seasons was a whopping 5.73.

When the UMEBA dissolved and Mastinsky became a free agent, Boise began courting him immediately. They saw his velocity, his build, and considering that there’s a pretty imposing bear population in the Boise National Forest, it was a no-brainer to offer Mastinsky a six-year, eight-figure contract, which he gladly signed.

Though Boise should’ve paid more attention to his injury history, which has already come to bite them: Mastinsky is currently out for four months with shoulder inflammation.

Still, the future is bright, and Mastinsky expects to be a part of Boise’s rotation for the better part of this decade.
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