Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#61 Post by DrewV »

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Mandy Scott, Senior PEBA Analyst

Offseason Updates: Return of Medina, Bullpen Takes Form
If Auld Relievers be Forgot



January 3rd, 2028

It's Wednesday morning--the hills lining Lake Superior are inlaid with fog--and just two days after New Years celebration in dowtown Duluth, Warrior Hall announced (with a decidedly victorious tone) that Closer Vincente Medina will return to Duluth after testing Free Agency--for $3 Million less than his previous salary.

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"Duluth is thrilled to see Vincente back in Duluth," GM Ricky McCoy told reporters in a small press conference (following the Rule 5 Draft) in Warrior Hall. "We look forward to Vincente wearing the emerald stripes for years to come."

Medina, 31, joined PEBA from the Dominican League in 2026 via Toyama. After a year in Shin Seiki, he was traded to Duluth as a package deal for elite closer Jesus Lopez. Medina gave a 2.73 ERA performance for Duluth last year, saving 12/13. Popular both in Duluth an on the national stage, Medina hopes to recreate his nearly impeccable 2028 season.

"It feels good to find a longer-term home in PEBA," Medina told the Duluth Times via telephone. "I'm happy to do my part for the Warriors again."

Medina's contract, a scaling 4-year agreement that increases at $1 Million/year, isn't without it's risk for the Warriors. At 32, Medina may find himself struggling to maintain his 98 mph fastball, as is common with closers. There's reasonable concern that Medina won't manage to hold the line through his 2031 Team Option.

Medina represents one of the only 2028 relievers in the 2029 Warriors Bullpen--with drastic sweeps of the relief team so far this offseason. Only Medina and Jesus Guerra remain from last year--a clear focus for the Front Office to realign the 'pen going into 2029. With plenty of personality, history, and potential, the 2029 bullpen represents 6 countries.

This eclectic Duluth bullpen received one more addition today with the Rule 5 drafting of Polish lefty Elek Klim, joining Duluth from San Antonio's AAA Red Racers. Klim, a 3rd-Round, 87th Overall Pick from Outback State University, is a 2028 AAA All-Star who posted a 2.25 ERA over 200 innings last year. He adds a cheap, much-needed southpaw to the Duluth Bullpen.

With 8 relievers and 5 starters solidified for Duluth, the team will see starter Won-Taek Kim off the IR in a matter of weeks--and his performance in Spring Training will be critical to his future. Kim enjoys a costly $13 Million contract through 2032, and has so far contributed only 17 innings to Duluth before his torn UCL. His injury, along with former star SP Victor Latham's--was considered devastating to Duluth's 2028 season.


Amanda Scott is a Staff Writer and Senior PEBA Analyst for the Duluth Times.

Follow us on Twitter: @MandyScottDT

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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#62 Post by KenH »

Warriors looking strong!
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#63 Post by DrewV »

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Offseason Updates: Kim Sent to Yuma for Lefty Reliever, AAA Utility Man




January 27th, 2028

A vestige of the Mercer trade is headed to Yuma. Announced in a short press release, Warrior Hall confirmed the rumors that 2B Yeong-Hun Kim was headed southwest, with his price tag and the Warriors' second round pick, for left-handed reliever Soetsu Hirai and Second Base utility man Steve Arnold.

Kim, who slashed .226/.289/395 last year for Duluth, came to the Warriors at the Deadline with Eitoku Tamura and Jesus Guerra in exchange for superstar Don Mercer. His 2029 team option gave him another year at $10.5 Million, which Warrior Hall seemed fine with before the unexpected acquisition of Third Baseman Andy Sharp.

The cost for dumping Kim's salary was steep--Duluth is now almost completely out of the 2029 amateur draft. However, Hirai adds another lefty to the pen, and gave a commendable performance last year for the Bulldozers with a 2.89 ERA over 91 innings in relief.

Amanda Scott is a Staff Writer and Senior PEBA Analyst for the Duluth Times.

Follow us on Twitter: @MandyScottDT

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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#64 Post by Vic »

Poor Kim just can’t seem to find a home, can he? Maybe this time ....

You’ve done a nice job of cleaning up the Warriors’ mess and positioning them for the future. I think Duluth is going to have a very interesting 2029! I look forward to watching them surprise some folks.

It’s going to be an uneventful draft for Scotland, too. We lost our first round pick as compensation for signing Barry, and we traded away our 2nd through 4th rounders, so The Claymores won’t have any picks until the 5th round. Should save money signing draft picks, at least ...
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#65 Post by DrewV »

Thanks Vic! It's been a labor of love with the bad contracts...only one left.

Right around Winter Meetings I decided to try some more major league re-alignment before diving in to rebuild. Now that we're in the green financially and the fan interest is up...my hope is that Warrior Nation can put 2027-28 behind us...
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#66 Post by Leones »

Kim was on at the pivot point on being a quality pivot but then he just started tapering off. One of those guys good enough to get a cup of coffee but not good enough to prevent somebody else from getting replacing him. Hope he can put up some good numbers before its all over.
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#67 Post by DrewV »

Offseason Review: A New Leaf in Spring


February 28th, 2028

It's been an extremely eventful offseason at Warrior Hall. The Duluth Warriors will see an entirely new lineup in the emerald stripes this year, led by all-star Andy Sharp, PEBA Player President Jim Klein, young slugger Gary Charron, Steve "Steve Hott" Hott, and new right field heavy-hitter Dewitt Barry.

Following a season that saw the utter collapse of Warrior Nation, the Warriors Front Office declined the "full rebuild" narrative of last July. Instead, due largely to a heavily publicized $25 Million injection into the franchise by the Bong Estate, the general strategy seemed to be selling draft picks to shed bad contracts, bring in popular names, and stabilize the hemorrhaging club funds.

The strategy certainly revitalized a declining popular interest in the team, with independent polls projecting over a 20% increase in Fan Interest for 2029's opening day. Likewise, reports reveal Duluth's bottom line to be (relatively) secure, despite taking on PEBA hero Andy Sharp's monstrous $140 Million contact. However, the strategy comes with the sort of cost relegated to Greek tragedy--the wholesale of the club's future. Namely, the loss of nearly all 2029 draft picks, along with promising 1B Francisco Lucador.

New faces

RP Beau Phillips
RP Cain Bright
RP Joaquín 'No Neck' Montoya
CF Jack Flynn
3B Andy Sharp
RP Steve Hott
2B Ichiro Kanno
RP Elek Klim
RP Geoff Lawson
RP Soetsu Hirai
RF Dewitt Barry
RP Kyoji Uchiyama
2B Jim "Bizzare" Klein

Departed Warriors

CF Orlando Rubio
LF Paul Dillworth
RP Jose Campos
2B John Dickson
2B Yeong-Hun Kim


Along with these changes, CL Vincente Medina signed a 3-year deal with the club to retain his closer slot from 2028.


Overall, fans are excited to see the Warriors take the field for 2029--still wary of an upsetting 2028. Duluth acquired several pieces that may provide attractive deadline bait, should 2029 prove bleak for the Warriors.

Stay tuned for a Spring Season primer in the works by none other than Duluth's own Grumpy Joe Larsen.

Amanda Scott is a Staff Writer and Senior PEBA Analyst for the Duluth Times.

Follow us on Twitter: @MandyScottDT

Last edited by DrewV on Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#68 Post by Ghosts »

Warriors wrote:Steve "Steve Hott" Hott
It's catching on! Nice write up!
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#69 Post by Leones »

That's a lot of new faces. This promises to be an interesting season for the Warriors. Nice work!
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#70 Post by DrewV »

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Grumpy Joe's Tuesday Grumbles:
Your Team is Bad and You Should Feel Bad


March 5th, 2029

It's that time of year again, fellow prisoners.

Let us huddle under the dirge of the dilapidated pipe organ that adorns Doyle Bluth Stadium like an auditory cyst, dip our dying toes in the scarce turf of the outfield, and lap up the garbage that is PEBA's Duluth Warriors.

Corporate tool Mandy Scott may sing a siren's tale of "re-energization" and "bottom lines" and "fan interest," but you and and me, we're smarter than that.

The board-controlled yellow magazine for which I write may have forgotten about Duluth's $73 Million loss in revenue just a few months ago, but Grumpy Joe hasn't. And what, dear reader, does the Warrior Nation have to show for it? What is the one, minuscule consolation given to teams with a radial stench akin to a sulfur mine? Amateur draft picks--none of which are to be seen. Traded away, like Saturn devouring his young!

Even worse, the hill tribe of chimpanzees running the Duluth Front Office managed to shed off the debts of terrible contracts by selling her stars wholesale---Mercer, Lopez, Prat, and the gang--only to dump all that savings into the worst investment since my idiot nephew liquidated his IRA for a warehouse full of fidget spinners---mediocrity astronaut Andy Sharp! The most expensive third base buckle in the universe.

I could go on. But supposedly this is a "Spring Training" Review. So be it. Stare into the darkness with me, dear reader. Strap on your helmets.

Spring Training 2029: Some Youngsters who Aren't Completely God-Awful


RF Jeremy Craig

Acquired by shipping out the only professional pitcher in Duluth worth half a damn, this young buck maintains an excellent OPS in the minors and will soon be on the bubble for PEBA. However, he lacks the real pizzaz to ever be a decent outfielder, and will likely be relegated to a DH role.

RP Cain Bright

Coming to Duluth's anarchic sink-pit from Yuma, Bright projects to be a half-way decent addition to a terrible bullpen. He gives up too many walks, but has some real salty stuff.

RF Sean Kirkland

The Minor League Batter of the Year for Duluth last season, Kirkland is a popular player with a big bat, and could find his way into a platoon if he can prove his spot. Of course, none of it will matter because Duluth will still lose 90 games.

RF John Howe

Really the only newcomer with much promise this spring. Howe began taking shifts from the miserable Joe "Dive off the face of the earth" Kenny last summer, performing well and generating a commendable OPS. A good glove in the outfield, he looks ahead of Kirkland in the running for an active slot headed into Spring Training.

RP Elek Klim

A rule 5 snag this offseason, this left-handed Pole baffled AAA batter last year and may find a solid long relief role if he can handle the heat. His personality is worse than a landed pike on a hot day, so I look forward to footage of the dugout drama.


Conclusion

This team is bad, and you should feel bad. If PEBA had any mercy they would pull the plug on this lakeside monument to the ignorance of man. I find subtle irony in the fact that as the trees on Warrior Row begin to bud hopeful leaves to lead the way to Doyle Bluth Stadium, her fandom spirals deeper into the winter of discontent.

Harumph!


Joe Larsen is a contributor for the Duluth Times.

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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#71 Post by Borealis »

:bang: :bang: :bang:
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#72 Post by Sandgnats »

Borealis wrote::bang: :bang: :bang:
I will quote this quote... with :clap: ;-D
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#73 Post by Leones »

Warriors wrote:Your Team is Bad and You Should Feel Bad
Quite possibly the best sports line since 'scoreboard'. :clap:
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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#74 Post by DrewV »

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Spring Training Update: Thawing Out



Ah, Spring Training--the informal, awkward telecasts; the amateur atmosphere; the deep sense of maniacal anxiety over speculating on games that don't count.

It's certainly been an interesting Spring for Duluth, with a tale that seems to be as old as time for the emerald pinstripes; a phrase immortalized on every child with a dream that dares creep to the edge of the risers in Doyle Bluth Stadium and watch their heroes: Good bats, bad pitches.

Garry Charron is stunning audiences as one of the best sluggers of Spring Training. "The Man with 4 Rs" is tied for the most Home Runs and RBIs in Spring Training, leading the Sovereign League in OPS, tied in PEBA for RBIs, and 2nd in PEBA slugging. While we, like all reasonable folk at the Times, don't read too into Spring Training stats, it's hard not to get excited about these numbers from a slugger coming off a 35-Home Run year.

Likewise, Duluth has blown the Sovereign League out of the water in stolen bases. This team is fast...I mean, fast. All-Star Andy Sharp is tied with 'gnat rival Clarence Carpenter for 11 stolen bases this Spring, and behind him is a lineup of sprinters with 33 bags so far (Crystal Lake is closest with 24).

This Spring, the Warrior slugging percentage has been positively dominant, with players over 10 At-bats logging a collective .763. This may seem moot, until you compare it to the Rodriguez-Cup winning Fargo Dinosaurs, who currently register just south of .389. Worth noting, too--Duluth brought up a very large class of minor league players to this year's Spring Training.

This, sadly, is where the good news ends. Henry Carter, a rookie All-Star last season, has had, by all accounts, an abysmal Spring Training so far. In 11 innings, he's given up 12 runs and walked 10. He did improve significantly from the first to third week, and one can expect some rust--especially from younger players. But it's enough to make Duluth fans worry-as Carter is supposed to be the future that carries Duluth back to contention.

Likewise, Jeffrey Mendoza, who pitched an incredible 3.29 ERA in his rookie season last year, started out awful--and has improved significantly in the second and third weeks. This is what Spring training is for--and if Carter and Mendoza can build upon their dominance last year, Duluth may have a worthwhile staff behind two older fellows who are blowing everyone away--39-year-old Kata Nakamura (2.25 ERA over 16 innings this Spring) and newcomer Soetsu Hirai (2.25 ERA). Hirai's WHIP--1.35, is a sign that his defense has bailed him out more than once. Nakamura, the (ironically) oldest member of the staff, is having the best Spring on the front-5.

The bullpen, meanwhile, has pitched admirably, minus waiver-pickup Cristian Contreras. It seems to be an improvement over last year--even if Vincente Medina did blow a save (at least he's pitching at .094 WHIP!)

Overall, it's hard not for Duluth fans to smile, despite their lackluster Spring Training record. Most games they lose are close, and the team is hitting the ball well. The risky staff is pitching very well--with some troublesome performances from the "reliable" cadre--which one may attribute to "Spring Fever." The bullpen is holding it's own. So far, there's no reason to panic as a member of Warrior Nation.


Amanda Scott is a Staff Writer and Senior PEBA Analyst for the Duluth Times.

Follow us on Twitter: @MandyScottDT

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Re: Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

#75 Post by KenH »

Great job on the retooling of your club! I'm happy to see sharp playing so well for you guys! He's a great player .. I can definitely feel his abscence in my lineup

I don't think grumpy Joe can even be too upset with your spring!
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