Warrior Beat: Duluth Times Blog

[Borealis]

Whoo Hooo!! He's to grand success for Ricky McC!!

[DrewV]

Mandy Scott, Senior PEBA Analyst

Duluth Announces New Manager

November 30th, 2034

Newly re-hired GM Ricky McCoy is wasting no time in Duluth, announcing in a press conference this morning that Manager Danny Grimes, a Minor League Manager and former San Juan Bench Coach, will take the helm of the Warriors with an ambitious 5-year deal at $1.2 Million/year.



While McCoy touted Grimes as an "essential piece of Duluths vision for 2035 and beyond," in-shop rumors speculate that Duluth's initial targets, including longtime London skipper Sergio Manetti and Reno's Tony Whitey Carmona, were non-starters on moving to the beleaguered Minnesota franchise.

Relatively unknown in the PEBA world, Grimes is a native of Los Angeles, California and spent two years managing London's AAA affiliate in Leeds, where the Rhinos were swept in the Divisional Championship by the Chesapeake Bay Oysters. After an unsucessful campaign in 2032, Grimes left Leeds and spent one season with the AA Sauntrice Castillos, where he was again swept, this time in the Wildcard, against the Liverpool Beatles (London's AA team). Grimes has the unfortunate distinction of qualifying twice in three years of managing with a postseason record of 0-7. After 2033, Grimes was promoted to Bench Coach of the San Juan Coqui, who finished 24 games behind at 81-81 this year.

Known as a stern, controlling skipper, aggressive on the basepaths and insistent on shifts and tactical matchups, Grimes is an offense-oriented Manager and should provide an exciting experience for Duluth's young and bat-heavy team.

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

Follow us on Twitter: @MandyScottDT

[Ghosts]

Dude just looks like a baseball manager, so Duluth at least has that! Looking forward to seeing if he can be the missing catalyst to harness what should be a potent offense going forward.

[DrewV]

Mandy Scott, Senior PEBA Analyst

Duluth On the Attack at Winter Meetings

Saturday, December 23rd, 2034

The dust is only beginning to settle on a long and buzzing day for the Warriors staff at the Asheville Hotel, where notes, confetti, and empty checkbooks are still scattered across the ballroom floor.

GM Ricky McCoy led a full-on onslaught of names and dollar signs today, including several splashes that shocked even some faces at the Duluth table.

The flurry of trades opened with Commissioner Harry Castle announcing that the Tempe Knights have shipped elite SP prospect Cooper Harris to Duluth in exchange for RF Jacob Gill, SP Will Taylor, and CF Roberto Madrid. The bombshell deal places the 24-year-old rising star on a fully rebuilt Duluth staff with a minimum of five seasons of team control left. Harris pitched 172 inning for Tempe this year, his first full season at the Major League Level, posting a 2.81 ERA and a league-leading 0.3 HR/9.

Not long after, Castle announced that the West Virginia Alleghenies were sending Left Fielder Raul Garcia to the Warriors, along with RP Jorge Gomez and a 7th Round draft pick in exchange for SP Roberto Ruiz, SP Jorge Mendoza, C Sumio Tanaka, SP Sergio Esparza, and $2M. Lefty Ruiz slashed .273/.358/.742 in 2034 with 53 walks and 56 RBIs.

Next on the blotter was OF Forrest Aldridge, traded to Duluth for LF Manuel Chavez and $500K.

Attention then turned to Shin Seiki, in a massive exchange of players that may be a Duluth record: SP Chris Acevez, RP Marty Bernard, RP Frank Ridell (AAA), RP Les Harding (AAA), CF Reese McLaughlin (AAA) and RF Brant Gibson (AAA) are coming to Duluth for 1B Jose Ramirez, SS Marvin Schoe, 1B Jochen Uptedel, SP Ronaldo Hernandez, and CF Sandro Gonzalez.

By this point in the evening, no one could keep track of who was who was a Duluth Warrior now, and who was not.

The long day in Asheville saw 13 prospects shipped from Duluth's farm in exchange for a bolster of major league talent and one of PEBAs best pitching prospects.

While the day was certainly exciting for Duluth, there are those that question the extensive sale from the Warrior farm, which Ricky McCoy himself help assemble in the 2028-2031 rebuild. The Warriorsphere is thick with rejoice over the acquisition of Cooper Harris and Raul Garcia, but there are already reports of mass confusion and outrage from members of the owning firm, the Arne Bong Foundation--and even speculation that none of these trades were authorized in conference (a professional courtesy not technically required by majority-owner Jason Bong, son of the franchise founder).

"Let me be clear," GM Ricky McCoy told the Duluth Times, taking the microphone from the beat reporter as his team celebrated near the slot machines, "Enough spreadsheets. Enough calculations. I am tired of wringing hands over whether or not we can squeeze more blood out of second or third place. We are a large-market team with one of PEBA's best and oldest fanbases. It is time for the Duluth Warriors to come off the bench."

Responding to the cheers of his team, an uncharacteristically passionate McCoy looked into the cameras and pointed his finger at the audience. "Enough waiting. Tell Kalamazoo--tell the Desert Hills and Rising Sun, tell Drew Streets--The Warriors are here."


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

Follow us on Twitter: @MandyScottDT

[Apollos]

It was indeed a massive day in Duluth. I was trying to figure out what the Warriors roster looked like in the wake of the meetings but alas - so many moving pieces it was hard to assess until we got the new file! It looks like Duluth is going for broke and is going to be an early off-season winner - can't wait to see how the new team shapes up on the field. Good luck with Harris, we'll be rooting for him!

[Borealis]

Definitely a crazy day for Duluth - and for all the talk about Cooper, Acevez is also a big pick up...

[DrewV]

Mandy Scott, Senior PEBA Analyst

Roster Shakeup as Division Lead Shrinks to Seven Games

Monday, July 21st, 2036

Early this morning, Warrrior Hall confirmed that struggling starter Michael Doyle, who gave up five runs yesterday in a 12-2 blowout against Rising Sun backrunner Okinawa, is officially relegated to bullpen duties. Veteran Chris Acevez, recently returned from the 2036 PEBA All-Star game in Manchester, will return to the rotation. Acevez, who has over $60 Million remaining on his five-year contract with the Warriors, has struggled against lefties this season but ravaged right-handed batting in his forty innings of Closer duties. Lefty Manuel Gonzáles, not expected to vest his $25 Million salary next season, will replace Acevez as the Duluth Closer.

Bought for an agonizing package of Warrior prospects that included CF Robert Hayes, 1B Will Dingle, and SP Wilbert Dugles, Doyle was brought over last offseason to bolster a maturing staff with an attractive team control contract. However, Doyle's first year in Duluth has been all but disastrous, struggling to adapt to the hitter-friendly Doyle Buhl Stadium with a BABIP of .345 over 40 Innings. As the Warriors watch their once-dominating lead of the Great Lakes shrink to seven games against Kalamazoo, desperate measures seem in order to see if Acevez can provide more security than the flailing young pitcher.

"No one enjoys watching a young pitcher struggle to deliver," Manager Danny Grimes told the press in a brief interview with KWAR this morning. "This is the business we are in. Mike will either work out his delivery, or he won't. The game goes on."

Raúl García, who has inexplicably fallen off a productive cliff after accumulating 5.2 WAR for the club last season, is off waivers and back for DH duties. Dave Petersen, the old workhorse of the clubhouse, continues to experience pain in his knees and hamstring. The 37-year-old First Baseman was moved to the 10-Day IL. Left-Handed Outfielder David Trujillo was promoted from AAA Racine to replace Petersen. Norberto Escamilla, recently traded from Amsterdam, will assume full-time duties at First Base for the time being.

Coming off a disappointing series split with the Shisa, The Warriors look ahead with their new shakeup to find some stability on the road against Fargo and Yuma. The Dinosaurs are on a white-hot streak this July--the series will be definitive in the future of the SL standings as Kalamazoo faces Reno and San Antonio.

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

Follow us on Twitter: @MandyScottDT

[Thoroughbreds]

Wow - I am surprised to see Doyle struggle that much. I checked on him early on this season and I thought I remember him doing well and I was thinking what have I done!!

If it helps, Hayes has dropped about 15 spots in the prospect rankings - he still should be a excellent defensive centerfielder, but offensively maybe average at best.