Saturday, August 2, 2008

Baysox Report

Boston was a middle of the road franchise the first two seasons and realistically will be again in season three. “This is gonna take a few seasons to get it right,” new owner Brad Davis reports. “Not enough in the majors to win it now and not enough yet in the minors to win it in the future.” Sitting at his desk in the damp bowels of Fenway Park, with the classic tunes of his uncle Miles playing in the background, Davis gave this reporter a breakdown of his new organization by area:

Catching – As a catcher, Lenny Pickering makes a good DH. Light-hitting Gerald Lynch is the starter for now based on his strong defense. “We don’t have the catcher of the future in the organization yet,” said Davis as he opened up a cold Sam Adams Boston Ale. “Our minor leagues are strong on catchers who can call a game and throw runners out, and that’s good, but none of ‘em can hit a lick.”

First base – 23-year-old Gabe McEnerney is poised for a breakout year. “Our scouts say his bat has dramatically improved since last season,” claimed the new owner. “He should put up great numbers in Fenway this year.” Boston also has former first round pick Milton Killebrew tearing the cover off the ball in the minors. “We love Killebrew’s bat,” Davis mentioned, “But with McEnerney on the roster, Killebrew could be had in the right trade.” The Baysox also have veteran Pete Barr on the major league roster, another player who might be on the trade block this season.

Middle infield – “We’re really thin at the major league level,” complained Davis while popping open another Boston Ale. Elroy Daniels is the second baseman of the future, but the team doesn’t want to rush him to the majors too soon. Scott Fisher is probably the starter for now. More of a third baseman than a second sacker, the team hopes Fisher will make up in power what he lacks in range. Shortstop is more of a problem. “I wish we could keep Hersh Harris in the minors for a couple more seasons,” burped Davis. “He’s only 21, ferpetesakes. But he’s all we’ve got right now.” Aging SS Darin Barclay has lost too much range in the field to make up for his weak hitting, added Davis.

Third base – Javier Pujols, Bill Walker, and Brent Wood have a close, three-way Spring Training competition going for the starting third base job. “But heck, Walker and Wood are Rule 5 guys, so that kinda tells ya where we’re at with that position!” exclaimed Davis. Veteran Maximo Hitchcock is also on the roster, but is strictly a reserve at this point in his career.

Outfield – “Rocky Curtis would be our second sacker if we had a real CF guy,” quipped Davis while knocking down yet another Sam Adams. “But we don’t, so he’ll be out there in CF everyday this season.” After that, the organization is woefully thin when it comes to flychasers. Rookie Chris Maddux will likely start the year in left, though he has a reputation for being injury prone. “Whichever guy finishes second in the 3B derby will start the year in right,” sighed Davis. “We don’t have anyone else.” The future doesn’t look much brighter as the organization has no top OF prospects in the minors either.

Pitching – Craig Walsh, Al Delgado, Clyde Prokopec, Junior Perez, Milton Hernandez, Tony Sanchez, and Scooter Coco give the Baysox a solid, if unspectacular, rotation. “Hey, we’d even trade one of those guys for a good outfielder,” Davis blurted while reaching for the mini-fridge. “They’re all solid guys.” The bullpen is thin, featuring no stars, and Davis says that is one of his biggest worries for season three and beyond. “We don’t have many arms in the minors either,” Davis muttered while chugging the last bottle of ale. “Another area we’ll have to work on over the next season or two.”

G.M. – So what about Davis, the new owner/G.M.? “Usually I’m Trader Brad, but couldn’t do much of that here yet,” confessed Davis, lurching slightly as he rose from his desk. “I believe the best trades are made from surplus, otherwise you’re just opening up one hole while you fill another. Didn’t have much surplus here yet, so I decided to be quiet and build for a couple of seasons.” With that, he stumbled slightly and headed for the door. “Which way you headed?” he asked, flipping off the lights.

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