"I never threw the spitter, well maybe once or twice when I really needed to get a guy out real bad." (Whitey Ford)
St. Charles manager Eduardo Ortiz and pitching coach Kyle Green are hoping to at least match the team's 88-win season of 2013, and to do that they're going to lean heavily on the team's pitching. Today they announced the St. Charles pitching staff:
The starters:
Gilberto Montano: The team's Opening Day starter who missed much of last season with elbow tendinitis.
Fred Jones: Was 10-8 with a 4.34 ERA last season.
Bob Burton: Was used as a reliever in New Orleans last season, but had 8 starts in 2012.
Reynaldo Garcia: The 27-year-old is making a big leap from AA.
Dave Heckbert: Returns after recording a 3-1 record with a 3.94 ERA in 5 starts last season.
The bullpen
Vern Campbell: The team's spot starter had 9 wins last season.
Ray Hall: A big innings eater who went 10-8 with 1 save and a 4.39 ERA last season.
Mike Cunningham: Had a 2.25 ERA in 5 apperances with Baffin Island last season.
Roberto Moreno: A starter with 11 wins last season is starting the season in the bullpen for St. Charles.
Jonathan Campbell: Looks to return to his 2012 numbers, where he had a 2.67 ERA in 22 appearances.
Vanni Frangilli: Spent last season in AAA Allentown after a dismal 2012 in Orlando.
Antonio Juarez: Hopes to improve upon his career high 29 saves of last season.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Release the Dogs
"There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens." (Tommy Lasorda)
St. Charles GM Glenn Polyn comments on the offseason.
Ownership:
"Yah, that was a crazy thing. First the team is purchased by Manny Lopez a real estate mogul from the Dominican Republic. He gets the ball rolling, relocating the team and getting us set up in our offices and the stadiums. Then one morning I get a call that he's been busted by the Feds on some drug trafficking charge. So we're ownerless. But, lucky for us, in stepped Roberto Moreno, a Wall Street investor who made his fortune during the Dot Com boom. The guy's very demanding but he promised that he's here to be the owner of a winning team. And he wants the Sheens to make the playoffs this season."
Trades:
1. In the franchise's first trade, the Sheens sent OF Xing-fu Loong and OF Randolph Evans to the New Orleans Looters, in exchange for reliever Vanni Frangilli, 2B Eijiro Yamasaki and SS Alejandro Cortez.
"One thing I've noticed is we've had an overabundance of talented outfielders, and sadly Loong and Evans weren't likely going to get a chance to play for us in the big leagues. The trade enabled us to acquire two young, talented infielders in Yamasaki and Cortez, plus Frangilli is going to be someone who can bolster our bullpen this season."
2. The Sheens sent OF Manuel Vazquez and $1.2M to the Jersey Shore D-Bags in return for 3B Derek Spurr.
"This was another case where we had an outfielder, Vazquez, who we didn't have room for in our outfield to give him the playing time he deserves, and we really like what Spurr can offer us in the future. We really think he can be special."
3. Selected SS Ben Johnson in the Rule 5 draft.
"We really like him. He's a guy who can make a difference with his legs and hig glove. He's even more valuable because he can play second base as well as shortstop."
4. Free agents: reliever Bob Burton, reliever Mike Cunningham, reliever George Dickinson, reliever Paul McKee, reliever Felipe Ventura, reliever Marcos Montoya, catcher Ramon Garcia, 2B Tony Herrera, OF Santiago Valentin, OF Marcus Cantu, 3B Sterling Winsor.
St. Charles GM Glenn Polyn comments on the offseason.
Ownership:
"Yah, that was a crazy thing. First the team is purchased by Manny Lopez a real estate mogul from the Dominican Republic. He gets the ball rolling, relocating the team and getting us set up in our offices and the stadiums. Then one morning I get a call that he's been busted by the Feds on some drug trafficking charge. So we're ownerless. But, lucky for us, in stepped Roberto Moreno, a Wall Street investor who made his fortune during the Dot Com boom. The guy's very demanding but he promised that he's here to be the owner of a winning team. And he wants the Sheens to make the playoffs this season."
Trades:
1. In the franchise's first trade, the Sheens sent OF Xing-fu Loong and OF Randolph Evans to the New Orleans Looters, in exchange for reliever Vanni Frangilli, 2B Eijiro Yamasaki and SS Alejandro Cortez.
"One thing I've noticed is we've had an overabundance of talented outfielders, and sadly Loong and Evans weren't likely going to get a chance to play for us in the big leagues. The trade enabled us to acquire two young, talented infielders in Yamasaki and Cortez, plus Frangilli is going to be someone who can bolster our bullpen this season."
2. The Sheens sent OF Manuel Vazquez and $1.2M to the Jersey Shore D-Bags in return for 3B Derek Spurr.
"This was another case where we had an outfielder, Vazquez, who we didn't have room for in our outfield to give him the playing time he deserves, and we really like what Spurr can offer us in the future. We really think he can be special."
3. Selected SS Ben Johnson in the Rule 5 draft.
"We really like him. He's a guy who can make a difference with his legs and hig glove. He's even more valuable because he can play second base as well as shortstop."
4. Free agents: reliever Bob Burton, reliever Mike Cunningham, reliever George Dickinson, reliever Paul McKee, reliever Felipe Ventura, reliever Marcos Montoya, catcher Ramon Garcia, 2B Tony Herrera, OF Santiago Valentin, OF Marcus Cantu, 3B Sterling Winsor.
| "You can never have enough pitching depth, and some of these guys can be spot starters for us. Garcia is going to compete for the starting catching duties this season. Herrera, Valentin, Cantu and Winsor are kids who we want to give a chance in our minor leagues to see what they've got." |
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Out with the old, in with the not as old
"They say some of my stars drink whiskey. But I have found that the ones who drink milkshakes don't win many ballgames." (Casey Stengel)
The Denver Dynasty ended its final season with a record of 88-74, but limped into the playoffs with two players suffering career-ending injuries. Less than a month after Mathias "Crayon" Maccioni announced his retirement, Cor van Ginderen was advised by the team medical staff that his torn labrum was more severe than initially diagnosed.
Dynasty players entered the playoffs knowing they were facing an uphill climb as they took on an impressive Regina River Sharks team. However, the Dynasty split the first two games in Regina, heading back to Denver on a high. However, any momentum that existed soon disappeared as Regina took 2 of 3 in Denver. Denver needed to sweep the final two games in Regina, but the Dynasty played like a team running on fumes as Regina won game 6 by a score of 5-0.
Denver playoff statistics tell the story:
OF Larry Jackson: 3 for 21 (.143 average), 3 runs
1B Chet Harden: 2 for 10 (.200), 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 1 run
OF Manuel Vazquez: 6 for 24 (.250), 1 RBIs, 2 runs
C Ruben Santana: 5 for 21 (.238), 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs
SS Jonathan Glover: 5 for 20 (.250), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 runs
P Vern Campbell: 2 GS, 1-1, 5.11 ERA
P Jesus Martinez: 1 GS, 0-1, 15.75 ERA
CL Antonio Juarez: 2 G, 1 save, 10.80 ERA
With the playoffs over, the franchise's new majority owner, Manny Lopez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, held a news conference announcing details on the future of the franchise.
The 62-year-old real estate mogul, who owns the Acropolis Center and Bella Vista Mall in his country's capital, explained how he was talked into buying the Denver Dynasty franchise during a night of drinking with actor Charlie Sheen at the Viper Room nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. To honor Sheen, who owns a minor stake in the franchise, Lopez agreed to name the club after him. Thus the Denver Dynasty will be called the St. Charles Sheens of Chicago. Lopez explained that he chose the Chicago area as his favorite movie is "The Blues Brothers."
Lopez promised to unveil the team uniforms at a future press conference prior to spring training. However, the cover of the inaugural media guide (pictured below) gives a glimpse into the St. Charles Sheens of Chicago marketing strategy. In addition, naming rights to the stadium have already been sold, and the home of the St. Charles Sheens will be called Crown Royal Stadium.
The Denver Dynasty ended its final season with a record of 88-74, but limped into the playoffs with two players suffering career-ending injuries. Less than a month after Mathias "Crayon" Maccioni announced his retirement, Cor van Ginderen was advised by the team medical staff that his torn labrum was more severe than initially diagnosed.
Dynasty players entered the playoffs knowing they were facing an uphill climb as they took on an impressive Regina River Sharks team. However, the Dynasty split the first two games in Regina, heading back to Denver on a high. However, any momentum that existed soon disappeared as Regina took 2 of 3 in Denver. Denver needed to sweep the final two games in Regina, but the Dynasty played like a team running on fumes as Regina won game 6 by a score of 5-0.
Denver playoff statistics tell the story:
OF Larry Jackson: 3 for 21 (.143 average), 3 runs
1B Chet Harden: 2 for 10 (.200), 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 1 run
OF Manuel Vazquez: 6 for 24 (.250), 1 RBIs, 2 runs
C Ruben Santana: 5 for 21 (.238), 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs
SS Jonathan Glover: 5 for 20 (.250), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 runs
P Vern Campbell: 2 GS, 1-1, 5.11 ERA
P Jesus Martinez: 1 GS, 0-1, 15.75 ERA
CL Antonio Juarez: 2 G, 1 save, 10.80 ERA
With the playoffs over, the franchise's new majority owner, Manny Lopez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, held a news conference announcing details on the future of the franchise.
The 62-year-old real estate mogul, who owns the Acropolis Center and Bella Vista Mall in his country's capital, explained how he was talked into buying the Denver Dynasty franchise during a night of drinking with actor Charlie Sheen at the Viper Room nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. To honor Sheen, who owns a minor stake in the franchise, Lopez agreed to name the club after him. Thus the Denver Dynasty will be called the St. Charles Sheens of Chicago. Lopez explained that he chose the Chicago area as his favorite movie is "The Blues Brothers."
Lopez promised to unveil the team uniforms at a future press conference prior to spring training. However, the cover of the inaugural media guide (pictured below) gives a glimpse into the St. Charles Sheens of Chicago marketing strategy. In addition, naming rights to the stadium have already been sold, and the home of the St. Charles Sheens will be called Crown Royal Stadium.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
When it rains, it pours
"I've had pretty good success with him, by throwing my best pitch and backing up third." (Carl Erskine, on pitching to Stan Musial)
There have been rumors swirling around the league on what happened to Matthias Maccioni. Did "Crayon" win the Colorado Pick 6 lottery and retire to buy his own pro baseball team? Did he turn his back on baseball to join Scientology? Did he get signed to a lucrative contract to be a judge on the upcoming season of "American Idol"?
The truth of the matter is that on 9/19/2013, Maccioni stroked a single in the 8th inning and then suffered a concussion during a play at 2nd base. Doctors examined him and decided that the damage was so severe it would be too dangerous for him to continue playing baseball.
Thus, at the age of 24, Maccioni has retired from baseball. He leaves the game having played 977 games, with 3359 at bats, 753 hits, 84 HRs, 404 RBIs, 21 SBs, a career .224 average, .370 OBP and .733 OPS.
The 2013 season was his breakout year, with Maccioni posting a .293 average with 27 doubles, 33 HRs, 107 RBIs, a .442 OBP, .543 SLUG and a .985 OPS.
If Denver didn't have bad luck, it would have no luck at all. In addition to losing Maccioni on 9/19, Denver OF Phil Lindsey also was injured in that game, spraining his ankle making a play in centerfield. He's out for another 1-2 weeks. That costs Denver a dangerous hitter vs LHP. His overall season stats were 31 HRs, 99 RBIs and a .917 OPS.
But the team cannot dwell on the past, as Denver is about to face the Regina River Sharks in the Divisional Championship series. On paper, it looks like a no-brainer with Regina having posted a 111-51 record compared to Denver's 88-74 record. A sampling of team statistics look like this:
Denver: .251 average - .351 OBP - .413 SLUG - .764 OPS - 58 SBs - 4.6 ERA - .273 OAVG
Regina: .273 average - .353 OBP - .432 SLUG - .785 OPS - 156 SBs - 3.6 ERA - .237 OAVG
Normally, there would be a "Keys to the Game" analysis before the series with Regina. However, considering Denver's top two bats will be out for the series, and the team is also without its top starter, Gilberto Montano, "Keys to Not Getting Swept" would be more appropriate.
* Play error-free in the field.
* Limit the number of walks allowed.
* Larry Jackson needs to have a big series at the plate.
If Denver succeeds in those three areas, then they won't get dominated in the series.
There have been rumors swirling around the league on what happened to Matthias Maccioni. Did "Crayon" win the Colorado Pick 6 lottery and retire to buy his own pro baseball team? Did he turn his back on baseball to join Scientology? Did he get signed to a lucrative contract to be a judge on the upcoming season of "American Idol"?
The truth of the matter is that on 9/19/2013, Maccioni stroked a single in the 8th inning and then suffered a concussion during a play at 2nd base. Doctors examined him and decided that the damage was so severe it would be too dangerous for him to continue playing baseball.
Thus, at the age of 24, Maccioni has retired from baseball. He leaves the game having played 977 games, with 3359 at bats, 753 hits, 84 HRs, 404 RBIs, 21 SBs, a career .224 average, .370 OBP and .733 OPS.
The 2013 season was his breakout year, with Maccioni posting a .293 average with 27 doubles, 33 HRs, 107 RBIs, a .442 OBP, .543 SLUG and a .985 OPS.
If Denver didn't have bad luck, it would have no luck at all. In addition to losing Maccioni on 9/19, Denver OF Phil Lindsey also was injured in that game, spraining his ankle making a play in centerfield. He's out for another 1-2 weeks. That costs Denver a dangerous hitter vs LHP. His overall season stats were 31 HRs, 99 RBIs and a .917 OPS.
But the team cannot dwell on the past, as Denver is about to face the Regina River Sharks in the Divisional Championship series. On paper, it looks like a no-brainer with Regina having posted a 111-51 record compared to Denver's 88-74 record. A sampling of team statistics look like this:
Denver: .251 average - .351 OBP - .413 SLUG - .764 OPS - 58 SBs - 4.6 ERA - .273 OAVG
Regina: .273 average - .353 OBP - .432 SLUG - .785 OPS - 156 SBs - 3.6 ERA - .237 OAVG
Normally, there would be a "Keys to the Game" analysis before the series with Regina. However, considering Denver's top two bats will be out for the series, and the team is also without its top starter, Gilberto Montano, "Keys to Not Getting Swept" would be more appropriate.
* Play error-free in the field.
* Limit the number of walks allowed.
* Larry Jackson needs to have a big series at the plate.
If Denver succeeds in those three areas, then they won't get dominated in the series.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
We're gonna need a bigger boat
"Oh say can you see / By the dawn's early light / What so proudly we hail / In the twilight's last gleaming? / Whose bright stripes and broad stars / In the perilous night / For the ramparts we watched / uh, da-da-da-da-da-daaaa. / And the rocket's red glare / Lots of bombs in the air / Gave proof to the night / That we still had our flag. / Oh say does that flag banner wave / Over a-a-all that's free / And the home of the land / And the land of the - FREE!" (Frank Drebin singing the national anthem in "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!")
Date: 9//9/2013
A memo from Glenn Polyn
I've been examining the Denver Dynasty franchise from top to bottom and come away feeling like I'm driving a 1971 Ford Pinto in a Nascar race with Kyle Busch in the car behind me.
Denver's major league roster is full of talent that, other than the outfielders and Maccioni, I wouldn't call "average." What con cerns me the most is the state of the pitching staff. Our best starter is Heckbert, who we plucked last week off some construction site in South Carolina, where he was working as a bricklayer. Chandler and Juarez are adequate relievers, but have both shown a tendency to implode under pressure.
It doesn't help matters that players, such as P Gilberto Montano, 1B Chet Harden and recently SS Gary Ratzlaff, have suffered injuries, further depleting our thin major league roster throughout the season. Our minor leagues are not where I would like them, as evident with our lack of prospects who have the ability to be promoted to our active roster when players go on the DL.
Our AAA team, the Vancouver Canadians, sit at 68-81. OFs Richard Knight, Scott Jones and Xing-Fu Loong appear to be the only players with any chance of having a future in the major leagues. The pitching staff should be taken out back behind the supplies shed and be put down.
Our AA and A teams, Ocean Park Mafia and Abbotsford Heat, are both over .500 and have a few talented prospects, but none seem to be true impact players who are required to be a title contender. P Aluizio Subgua and OF Roger Robinson are the players who I feel are the only prospects who I can see in the big leagues in the next 2 years.
I'm in the process of constructing a plan for the franchise, deciding on how best to turn a mediocre team that's in first place due to smoke and mirrors into a contender that can strike fear in its opponents.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Beginning of the End?
"From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a fucking boat." (Crash Davis to Ebby "Nuke" Laloosh in "Bull Durham")
It's the beginning of the end for Denver.
The team is still called the Denver Dynasty, but that will obviously change in time. The new owner, Glenn Polyn, has already chosen the next city - St. Charles, Missouri - but has yet to announce the final team name. That will be revealed, along with the new team logo, during the offseason (perhaps during the parade after the team wins the BSA championship).
The team had a 2-3 record during the most recent sim. It's a miracle that the team is able to win, all things considered. Changes to the rosters and the lineups are already taking place. Several players - including SS Jonathan Glover and reliever Cor van Ginderen - have been placed on the disabled list, and will be replaced by players in the minor league system.
The team sits at 70-54, and the new ownership is planning to do everything to keep the team in first place. It won't be easy. It's not a pretty team, but we've won a title with less in the past.
It's the beginning of the end for Denver.
The team is still called the Denver Dynasty, but that will obviously change in time. The new owner, Glenn Polyn, has already chosen the next city - St. Charles, Missouri - but has yet to announce the final team name. That will be revealed, along with the new team logo, during the offseason (perhaps during the parade after the team wins the BSA championship).
The team had a 2-3 record during the most recent sim. It's a miracle that the team is able to win, all things considered. Changes to the rosters and the lineups are already taking place. Several players - including SS Jonathan Glover and reliever Cor van Ginderen - have been placed on the disabled list, and will be replaced by players in the minor league system.
The team sits at 70-54, and the new ownership is planning to do everything to keep the team in first place. It won't be easy. It's not a pretty team, but we've won a title with less in the past.
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