2007 Storm Warnings - Issue 1

[SeattleGM]

2007 Storm Warnings, Issue 1

Current Record: 3-6
Frick League Pacific Standing: 3rd Place

Rookie Sensation Ron Lipp Struggles Early
The Seattle Storm organization sacrificed a great deal of talent in order to bring 25 year-old Catcher Ron 'Dinky' Lipp to Washington. That sacrifice included trading away defensive specialist Kanzaburo Yamaguchi and star outfield Jeff Stanley to the Hawaii Tropics at the 2006 regular season trade deadline. With Seattle's sights set on the future, a great deal of pressure rests on the shoulders of Lipp and several other young pitching prospects, many of whom have yet to arrive in the MBWBA. Storm GM Gavin Giles doesn't expect Lipp to produce just yet, however, feels he was ready to begin his professional career this season.

As can be expected from any Rookie player, Lipp has had his fair share of struggles early on. Through his first nine games behind the plate for Seattle, Ron has posted a .226 BA, .294 OBP, 0 HR, and a mere 5 RBI. The sample size is still incredibly small, and any analyst must also take into account the fact that Lipp is a right-hander and has yet to face left-handed pitching this season.

Note: In a move criticized by many, Giles opted to begin the regular season with just one catcher on the active roster, demoting last years starter, Sean Wilder, to Triple-A Kalamazoo.

"I have a couple of guys I can go to temporarily if anything should happen to Lipp. If he goes down, obviously Wilder will get the call back to Seattle, but until that happens, I'm going to stay with the roster I have. I had a difficult time cutting my club down to 27 players, and I had to send somebody down. I have the clubs best interest at heart. It's a gamble, but one I'm willing to take".

Starting Rotation Implodes to 7.71 ERA Through 9 Games

The Seattle Storm starting rotation can be summarized in one word; Absolute Crap. Oh...woops, that's two words. At any rate, through the first nine games of the regular season, the Storm rotation currently showcases a 7.71 cumulative ERA, rankings dead last in the entire Monty Brewster World Baseball Association.

Congratulations boys, you did it. Nobody thought it was possible to outdo your pitiful performance in 2006, but you've proven us wrong once again. Dear lord, you really showed us a thing or two!

Hebert Coolen is perhaps the only pitcher in the rotation not deserving of my negative banter. Coolen managed to hold Des Moines scoreless in his first of two starts, tossing seven innings and striking out nine while walking none. Coolen's second start against Marquette wasn't nearly as successful, though we'll let him off the hook for the one game he did manage to produce quality numbers. For the season, Coolen carries a 1-1 record, 3.55 ERA, and 1.18 WHIP,

[recte44]

[trmmilwwi]

Cripes... one catcher?! That dude's knees will have him playing 1st base in record time!! (although OOTP probably doesn't factor that in to the equation..)