Edinburgh News - 2028-04-09 - 'Week One"

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Vic
Triple-A
Triple-A
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 7:56 pm

Edinburgh News - 2028-04-09 - 'Week One"

#1 Post by Vic »

By Hamish Campbell
Evening News Staff Writer
2028-04-09

With a roll of drums, a bang of fireworks, and a bleat of bagpipes, the Scottish Claymores opened their 2028 season on April 3 with that most improbable of results for this beleaguered franchise:

A victory.

And not just any victory – a convincing, 14-5 blowout victory over the visiting San Juan Coqui.

It was a welcome breath of regular season air after a fraught and frustrating spring training marked by a dismal 7-17 record, management disagreements, and a well-documented player meltdown.

But would it last? Well, actually, it sort of did. Scotland ended its first week of season play with a winning record – 4-3. After five consecutive losing seasons, four of which saw the Claymores lose 96 or more games, Edinburgh fans weren’t sure what to make of a .571 winning percentage.

It almost made up for the fact that General Manager Vic Caleca still hasn’t actually set foot in Scotland, preferring to work remotely from his office somewhere in the wilds of central Indiana in the U.S.

“He’s a weird one, he is,” said longtime season ticket holder Olivia Reid. “He keeps telling the media that the weather is too gloomy, but I’ve never heard that the Midwest in the States had a paradise climate. Whatever. If he can make the Claymores a winning team, I’ll pay for his Internet hookup myself.”

Caleca, reached via Skype late last week, laughed when told of Reid’s comment.

“Well, bless her,” he said. “Don’t think I won’t hold her to that!”

Does he currently have any plans to visit Edinburgh in person?

“Sorry,” he said. “The connection’s lagging out …”

And with that, he was gone – but not so the afterglow of a satisfying first week of Scottish baseball.

Now, some items of note:

Flexible or weak?
OK. Enough of the afterglow. Let's get back to wallowing in the muck.

To wit: Claymores rookie manager Hayato Sasaki took stands on two issues shortly after assuming control of the team.

And, to outward appearances, he’s lost both.

The first is understandable. GM Vic Caleca had promised reliever Soichiro Ogawa a shot at the starting rotation and, although Sasaki stated his misgivings, he ultimately yielded to his boss. Given that Ogawa got shelled in his first outing as a starter, maybe he shouldn’t have caved. But still, understandable.

The second, at least on the surface, is a little harder to fathom. Sasaki wanted infielder Naomi Honma to play third base instead of his natural position, shortstop, where he is considered an elite talent.

Sasaki’s reasoning seemed sound. While not world-class at third, Honma is still considered an excellent fielder at the hot corner – much better than anyone else on the roster. And with other viable alternatives at short, there seemed little doubt where Honma would play.

That’s when Honma (nicknamed Dr. Evil by his teammates) pitched an extremely public hissy fit over the proposed move, and all but held his breath until he turned blue.

Sasaki seemed unmoved, though, and everyone expected he would hold his ground. Except everyone was wrong. Honma started every game of the first week at shortstop, with Sixto Dueñas getting the playing time at third.

So what happened?

Apparently, a conversation between Sasaki and the team’s legendary Scouting Director Yuji Nakayama changed the young manager’s mind.

“Yugi sat me down and told me that Naomi’s potential at shortstop had graded at the very top of his scale, and that to do anything but play him there would be a grave disservice,” Sasaki said. “I have nothing but the greatest respect for Yugi, so when he tells me something, I pay attention.”

Which, of course, makes sense.

But it doesn’t help the outward image that Sasaki doesn’t have control of his team. Whether that will come back to bite him is a storyline we’ll need to track throughout the season.

Collateral Damage
One unfortunate unintended consequence of the Honma kerfuffle was a signal lack of playing time this week for one of Scotland’s highest profile offseason acquisitions, veteran shortstop Orlando Barrón.

Barrón, who started 160 games last season for the PEBA champion Shin Seiki Evas, was expected to be the everyday shortstop for the Claymores this year. He’s excellent at short, even though he grades out a couple of notches below Honma. In the good news, Barrón plays a more-than-respectable first and second base. He also plays an OK third base.

Some creative lineup work, you would think, should keep Barrón on the field enough to contribute.

To date, he has taken the situation in stride and made the most of his three starts, hitting .417 and scoring three runs while playing first.

“I’ve talked to Hayoto, and he assures me that I will get plenty of playing time,” said Barrón, who signed with Scotland for $25 million over two years. “Of course, I will be very disappointed if that proves not to be the case.”

Him and a couple million Claymores fans …

Claymore ClipsKeeping it real: After a fairly mediocre spring training (.232 batting average, .328 OBP), left fielder José Guillén pretty much had his way with opposing pitchers in the opening week, putting up an otherworldly slash line of .500/.542/.864. His explanation: “Spring training is fake. The regular season is real. Reality motivates me.” … Hardy fans: Despite temperatures in the 30s (F) and wind chills in the 20s (F), the Claymores packed the Castle to near capacity during their opening home stand. Winning warms more than the heart, apparently … Up Next: A three-game home series against West Virginia, followed by a road trip to New Orleans.
Last edited by Vic on Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Vic Caleca
Scottish Claymores
User avatar
Sandgnats
All-Star
All-Star
Posts: 1648
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:52 pm
Location: Spokane, Washington State, United States of America

Re: Edinburgh News - 2028-04-09 - 'Week One"

#2 Post by Sandgnats »

I hope Orlando Barrón has more success in the IL.
RJ Ermola
Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats

*2024 PEBA Champions*
Post Reply

Return to “Scottish Claymores”