Alleghenies Quick Hits

[Tyler]

The Coal Sox have announced the winner of the 2013 Coal Sox Minor League Player of the Year Award. This year the award went to Vernon Sullivan, a former 2nd round pick out of high school in the 2010 amateur draft.

2013 - SP Vernon Sullivan (age 21, AA/AAA) - 12-5, 2.66 ERA, 169.1 IP, 42.0 VORP

2007 - SP Alejandro Melendez (age 24, AA) - 12-5, 1.78 ERA, 146.1 IP, 47.8 VORP
2008 - SP Santiago Sanchez (age 21, SS-A/A/AA) - 7-4, 1.92 ERA, 112.1 IP, 33.9 VORP
2009 - 2B Rafael Suarez (age 22, AA/AAA) - .317-9-64, 505 AB, 48.9 VORP
2010 - C Michael Ray (age 22, A/AA) - .341-5-50, 352 AB, 39.2 VORP
2011 - SP Michael Ayers (age 22, A/AA) - 7-8, 2.80 ERA, 157.2 IP, 34.6 VORP
2012 - 1B Ángel Cortéz (age 23, AA) - .316-11-70, 411 AB, 34.1 VORP

[Tyler]

BREAKING NEWS

New Owner Li Cuts Team 2014 Budget

Patrick Bailey, Charleston Gazette

November 5, 2013 CHARLESTON, WV - In a leaked internal memo obtained this evening by the Gazette, new Coal Sox team owner Lan-quing Li outlines the team budget for 2014, which includes significant cuts to most areas of spending.

The new overall budget is expected to be below $100 million, the first time the team has faced a budget of less than 9 figures. The Coal Sox, despite a series of cost-cutting moves last season (including several trades), actually broke even over the course of the season. The team had expected to walk away with a profit of approximately $10 million to re-invest for 2014.

The lost revenue is almost entirely explained by declining ticket sales. The Coal Sox set a franchise-low mark for attendance, with only 2,024,824 fans visiting Allegheny Field last season.

Li's direction for the team appears to be in line with his previous business philosophies. The Coal Sox are an unprofitable, mediocre franchise. If Li follows his standard procedure, he will cut the team down to its bare essentials, then transform it into a behemoth. Coal Sox fans can only hope he is as successful in his new venture as in his previous dealings.

[Tyler]

EXCLUSIVE

LI FILES PAPERWORK TO ALTER TEAM UNIFORMS

Patrick Bailey, Charleston Gazette

December 15, 2013 - Team owner Lan-quing Li has filed paperwork with the commissioner's office to significantly alter the West Virginia team uniforms for the 2014 season.

The deadline to submit designs for team uniforms for the upcoming season in the PEBA is the first day of the Winter Meetings, which begin this afternoon. During most seasons, teams simply resubmit their current designs and the deadline is a mere formality. But according to an anonymous source in the league office, West Virginia's submission came in a thick manila envelope containing two stacks of paper held together by large binder clips. A normal submission is an 8.5x11 sheet of paper with a cover letter signed by a team official.

The source would not divulge the nature of the changes to the uniforms. Due to the amount of paperwork submitted, the design is likely to be a heavy departure from the simple anthracite gray jersey with a team patch the Coal Sox wore during their first seven seasons.

When contacted for an interview, a team spokesperson declined to comment, stating that the team would not speak about "matters currently under review by the league office."

[klewis]

EXCLUSIVE

LI FILES PAPERWORK TO ALTER TEAM UNIFORMS

Patrick Bailey, Charleston Gazette

December 15, 2013 - Team owner Lan-quing Li has filed paperwork with the commissioner's office to significantly alter the West Virginia team uniforms for the 2014 season.

The deadline to submit designs for team uniforms for the upcoming season in the PEBA is the first day of the Winter Meetings, which begin this afternoon. During most seasons, teams simply resubmit their current designs and the deadline is a mere formality. But according to an anonymous source in the league office, West Virginia's submission came in a thick manila envelope containing two stacks of paper held together by large binder clips. A normal submission is an 8.5x11 sheet of paper with a cover letter signed by a team official.

The source would not divulge the nature of the changes to the uniforms. Due to the amount of paperwork submitted, the design is likely to be a heavy departure from the simple anthracite gray jersey with a team patch the Coal Sox wore during their first seven seasons.

When contacted for an interview, a team spokesperson declined to comment, stating that the team would not speak about "matters currently under review by the league office."

Ohhh, this should be interesting The Coal Sox team name has been a very marketable name. PEBA history is starting to change! We had a woman GM and now this. Let's hope the "Coal Sox" will stand the test of time... does anyone still remember New Jersey's old team name? I think San Antonio and Bakersfield had different names too.

[Hitmen]

Ohhh, this should be interesting The Coal Sox team name has been a very marketable name. PEBA history is starting to change! We had a woman GM and now this. Let's hope the "Coal Sox" will stand the test of time... does anyone still remember New Jersey's old team name? I think San Antonio and Bakersfield had different names too.

Looking far enough back, I know we were once the Gothic Nights, or Knights, or something of the sort. Other than that, I do not know.

[Tyler]

does anyone still remember New Jersey's old team name? I think San Antonio and Bakersfield had different names too.

New Jersey were originally the Gothic Knights. San Antonio started out as the Laredo Calzones, briefly (I think). I think Bakersfield was always Bakersfield.

The Gloucester Fishermen were the New York Liberty, and the Arlington Bureaucrats were the Arlington All-Blacks for awhile. We talked about some of these changed in this thread way back when.

Aurora, I think, is the most recent team to change its uniform. As far as I know, the Borealis and Bureaucrats are the only teams (as of right this moment) to change their uniforms without changing nickname or city.

[Hitmen]

Aurora, I think, is the most recent team to change its uniform. As far as I know, the Borealis and Bureaucrats are the only teams (as of right this moment) to change their uniforms without changing nickname or city.

Guess we will be adding to this list shortly

[klewis]

There was also another team that change it's city. It was a Californian team I believe. I think it was San Luis Obispo?

[Borealis]

There was also another team that change it's city. It was a Californian team I believe. I think it was San Luis Obispo?

Being vague about early PEBA history, I do think SLO became Bakersfield...

[John]

There was also another team that change it's city. It was a Californian team I believe. I think it was San Luis Obispo?

Being vague about early PEBA history, I do think SLO became Bakersfield...

You are correct, sir. The San Luis Obispo Blue Greys became the Bakersfield Bears prior to the league's start. Same story with the Miami Tropix, which became the West Virginia Coal Sox before the league kicked off in 2007.

[Tyler]

An intern cleaning the offices of Allegheny Field came across an old box from the Tyler Babcock era, and couldn't resist rifling through the papers inside. He uncovered the following document from the 2010-2011 offseason, projecting the then-Coal Sox lineup through Opening Day 2015. So, five years ago, here is the predicted 2015 West Virginia Alleghenies opening day lineup, along with the player's current location:

C Orlando Santos (AAA, WV)
1B Ken Krause (free agent)
2B Rafael Suarez (WV)
3B Alaard van der Kooij (AAA, WV)
SS Steve Henry (REN)
LF Edgardo Sanchez (WV)
CF Carlos Hernandez (SA)
RF Monte Williams (WV)
DH Ken Hooper (retired)

SP Juan Flores (AAA, NO)

[Hitmen]

That is awesome, I have spread sheets of all my past rosters in the year at different points in the season, but I don't remember what I had planned for the future. Looking back like this is a lot of fun

[Tyler]

BREAKING

ALLEGHENIES FIRE MANAGER CASTELLANOS
Patrick Bailey, Charleston Gazette

October 5, 2015 - The Alleghenies wasted no time in beginning their offseason moves, firing manager Pedro Castellanos eary this afternoon, one day after the end of the season. His firing comes after a franchise-record 100 loss season and West Virginia's first 6th place finish in the Dixie Division.

Castellanos was hired as the second manager in team history in 2011 and led the Coal Sox to their only playoff appearance in his first season. He was one of the a select few individuals retained by team owner Lan-quing Li when Li acquired the team before the 2014 season. West Virginia went 401-409 (.495) under his leadership with one playoff appearance, a loss to Florida in the Division Series.

No announcement is expected about a new manager anytime soon.

[Alan Ehlers]

Might be a good idea. Castellanos will be 69 next year and one would assume that he might be out of touch with the young Alleghenies team.

[Tyler]

BREAKING

ALLEGHENIES HIRE BUSINESS EXECUTIVE RYUICHI SUZUKI AS MANAGER
Patrick Bailey, Charleston Gazette

November 12, 2015 - The West Virginia Alleghenies issued a press release this afternoon naming Ryuichi Suzuki the third manager in team history. The hiring came as a complete surprise to fans, with no media reports indicating any selection was imminent.

Suzuki, 40, is an acquaintance of team owner Lan-quing Li and has no prior managerial experience at any level of baseball. He played eight years of minor league baseball in Japan before moving to the United States to take a job with the Soo Line railroad company. He met Li in early 2009 when Li purchased the railroad. The Gazette could find no record of his position with the company after to the merger.

Li has now completely staffed the top spots in the Alleghenies organization with employees from his railroad companies. General manager Travis Babcock previously served as Li's right-hand man as president of the Dakota, Mississippi, and Mexico Railroad Company. It is currently unclear if the decision to hire Suzuki was a mutual decision between Li and Babcock or made exclusively by the notoriously detail-oriented owner.