Despite a recent slide it has been a solid start to the season for Kentucky. At 32-20 they sit in a familiar spot in 2nd place in the division, 4.5 games behind *surprise* Florida. They are in 1st place in the Wild Card with a 3.5 game lead on Amsterdam. Overall in the league the Thoroughbreds are 3rd in runs scored, 6th in ERA and 8th in defensive efficiency. They have had a relatively easy schedule and will have to continue to build on their Wild Card lead as they have an extremely difficult path over the last month and a half of the season.
Dong-Hak Yi on form
Last season, Kentucky gave up a king's ransom to get Yi. They traded 3 mid level prospects and 5 draft picks - including a first rounder to acquire the young starter. So far this season Yi has been lights out - arguably the best starter in the PEBA. He is 9-2 with with a 1.94 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. He has 6 complete games which is double the amount of anyone else in the league and with 88.1 innings pitched, he has pitched 13 more innings than anyone else. Yi is also amoung the leaders in strikeouts, shutouts and ERA +.
"I have had a lot of ups and downs already in my career" said Yi in a recent interview. "Things have been going great, but I am trying to stay level headed and remain consistent. I can't really expect my numbers to stay like this all season. My focus is getting this team to the playoffs and having success once we are in - everything else is gravy."
Yi's 100 MPH fastball and his nasty forkball have been big keys to his early season success - along with a very solid defense behind him. If he continues on this pace he will most definitely be participating in his first all-star game and the critics of last season's trade will be silenced, if they aren't already.
Injuries at 2b give Aliimalu his shot
Kanai Aliimalu is a 25 year old infielder who was drafted in the 2nd round (70th overall) in the 2031 draft. For the past couple of seasons he has been asking for more regular playing time. Things looked bleak in this regard as the Kentucky Thoroughbreds signed veteran Luke Kossan to a multi year deal in the offseason. Kossan grabbed the starting 2b spot hitting, 370 with a .424 OBP over his first 33 games. To add to Aliimalu 's problems he was 3rd on the depth chart at 2b behind Kossan and Dale Spencer, the former 14th overall pick and reigning all leather winner at 2b.
At perhaps his best position, thirdbase, Allimalu was firmly entrenched behind speedster Juan Carlos Cruz who was coming off a 3.1 WAR season.
Fortunes changed quickly for Allimalu as within a span of 10 days when Kossan partially tore his labrum and Spencer broke his foot. When all is said and done, both players will miss close to 2 months. Suddenly the second base spot is wide open and Aliimalu has the chance he has been waiting for. His audition started with a bang as hit a game winning walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against San Juan in his 3rd appearance since the injuries.
Since then Kanai has scuffled a little, hitting only .222 on the season so far.
If he wants more playing time when the Thoroughbreds get healthy he is going to have to show more than he has. He does have the talent - can he put it together when the pressure is on?
Ju-Hyung Park to lose his spot?
Coming into this season Park had been the Thoroughbreds most consistent starter over the past 3 seasons. He was the best and most consistent starter last season and was a lock for the rotation coming into 2038. He has lost some zip on his fast ball and opponents are taking advantage. Park's 1.41 WHIP is highest on the team and his 4.87 ERA is over one and half runs worse than his career average. Walks are up and strikeouts are down. Insiders say that the Thoroughbreds are thinking of putting him in the bullpen for awhile to give him a break and see if he can recover his form.
Nelson Alvarado and Luis Jimenez are both more than capable of stepping in to fill the void. Alvarado has been asking to be in the rotation for several seasons. He is an extreme groundball pitcher who should fare will with Kentucky's solid infield defense. Jimenez is a former all-star who also wants back in the rotation, but he has been valuable in relief this year, leading the relievers in innings pitched - so the guess is he may stay there for the time being.
Call to the Post - 2038 Season updates
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Call to the Post - 2038 Season updates
Sean Torgerson
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Re: Call to the Post - 2038 Season updates
The all-star festivities are well underway and at the break the Kentucky Thoroughbreds are for the first time in a long time within shouting distance of the first place Florida Farstriders . They sit 5.5 back with a record of 58-32, being close is nice, but 5.5 is a lot of ground to make up on the PEBA 's best team. And also for the first time in a while, despite having the IL's second best record and despite there being an extra Wild Card spot this season, Kentucky is not completely comfortable in their playoff spot. Thanks in large part to great seasons from Hartford and Amsterdam, Kentucky has 3 extremely talented teams close behind them in the standings - West Virginia, Amsterdam and Scottish. In addition to this, Kentucky looks to have a very tough schedule the rest of the way. The still have 5 series and 15 games to go against Florida, so fans will be biting their nails as the race comes down the stretch. It started with the 7 games prior to the all-star break when Kentucky went 2-2 vs Amsterdam and 2-1 vs London - many of the games were tightly contested with a playoff atmosphere.
Thoroughbreds send 4 to the All-Star game
Starter Dong-Hak Yi had one of the best first halves in Kentucky history. He went 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He also had lead the league with 7 complete games, 3 shutouts and 141 Innings pitched. Yi will be the starter for Imperial League, the 2nd Kentucky starter in 3 seasons as Luis Jimenez was the starter in the 2036 game. These will be Yi's first all-star appearance.
Despite missing over 3 weeks with an Intercostal strain, second baseman Luke Kossan was selected to his first all star game. The veteran 2b was signed by Kentucky to a 5 year 42 million dollar contract in the offseason and hasn't disappointed. In 191 at bats he is hitting .335 with a .407 OBP.
Also going to the game for the first time will be centerfielder Pedro Bermudez and DH Dan Gore. Bermudez has been the Thoroughbreds best position player this season. He has been stellar defensively in CF and has a .304 average with 35 stolen bases. He has already accumulated a 4.0 WAR so far. Gore leads the team with 76 RBI, and is second with 20 homers. He has slowed down a little after a torrid start, but is still on pace for 139 RBI. The fact that Bermudez and Gore are 25 and 24 years old respectively bods well for their future.
Takaki still above .400
It has been an amazing run for super-sub Yatoro Takaki this season. He went 6 for 15 over the last week and he enters the All-star break with a .403 average. In 112 at bats this season, Takaki has 45 hits, 19 of which were extra bases - good for a 1.085 OPS. "He hasn't stopped hitting all year long since day 1" said coach Paul Conner. "He has been extremely tough to keep out of the lineup - he has done everything we have asked, plus a whole bunch more. A lot of his hits have come in key situations as well."
He has appeared in 20 games at first base, 14 games in rightfield and 6 games in left field. He is also shown off his leather on several occasions in the outfield with some brilliant catches. All this from a kid who is still a rookie.
How long can Conner keep him out of the starting lineup.
Thoroughbreds send 4 to the All-Star game
Starter Dong-Hak Yi had one of the best first halves in Kentucky history. He went 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He also had lead the league with 7 complete games, 3 shutouts and 141 Innings pitched. Yi will be the starter for Imperial League, the 2nd Kentucky starter in 3 seasons as Luis Jimenez was the starter in the 2036 game. These will be Yi's first all-star appearance.
Despite missing over 3 weeks with an Intercostal strain, second baseman Luke Kossan was selected to his first all star game. The veteran 2b was signed by Kentucky to a 5 year 42 million dollar contract in the offseason and hasn't disappointed. In 191 at bats he is hitting .335 with a .407 OBP.
Also going to the game for the first time will be centerfielder Pedro Bermudez and DH Dan Gore. Bermudez has been the Thoroughbreds best position player this season. He has been stellar defensively in CF and has a .304 average with 35 stolen bases. He has already accumulated a 4.0 WAR so far. Gore leads the team with 76 RBI, and is second with 20 homers. He has slowed down a little after a torrid start, but is still on pace for 139 RBI. The fact that Bermudez and Gore are 25 and 24 years old respectively bods well for their future.
Takaki still above .400
It has been an amazing run for super-sub Yatoro Takaki this season. He went 6 for 15 over the last week and he enters the All-star break with a .403 average. In 112 at bats this season, Takaki has 45 hits, 19 of which were extra bases - good for a 1.085 OPS. "He hasn't stopped hitting all year long since day 1" said coach Paul Conner. "He has been extremely tough to keep out of the lineup - he has done everything we have asked, plus a whole bunch more. A lot of his hits have come in key situations as well."
He has appeared in 20 games at first base, 14 games in rightfield and 6 games in left field. He is also shown off his leather on several occasions in the outfield with some brilliant catches. All this from a kid who is still a rookie.
How long can Conner keep him out of the starting lineup.
Sean Torgerson
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Re: Call to the Post - 2038 Season updates
After losing a 4 -game series to the Claymores, Kentucky has gone 6-2 in their last 8 games to improve their overall record to 68-37. For most of the season they managed to stay in touch with Florida for the division lead but now the Farstriders have open up an 8.5 game lead, which is the biggest gap of the season. As far as the WIldcard goes, Kentucky has a 2 game lead on Amsterdam, a 5 game lead on Hartford. With 3 teams making the WC this season, the Thoroughbreds have a 7 game cushion on the Claymores but with a tough schedule upcoming the Kentucky faithful won't breath a sigh of relief until they have clinched.
Stand pat or make a move?
With the trade deadline upon us it will be very interesting to see if Kentucky makes any moves over the next day or two. Kentucky is right there with the best teams in the league, the right addition could put them over the top. Rumour has it that the Thoroughbreds are looking to upgrade their third base position, preferably with a right handed bat, Both Juan Cruz and Kanai Aliimalu have underachieved there this season. Another high leverage arm in the bullpen would also help.
One name that keeps popping up on the Kentucky trade block is left fielder Antonio Canseco . Canseco is a 3-time all-star who won the MVP in the divisional round of last years playoffs. He is a left handed hitter who is 30 years old and approaching 200 homers for his career and is solid defensively in LF. He is in the first year of a 4 year, 62 million dollar contract. He would be a nice addition to many teams - the problem is most contending teams are pretty set in the corner outfield positions so the return for Canseco could be limited. The reason that Canseco is suddenly expendable less than a year after he signed a 4 year deal has been the play of the 2037 2nd round draft pick Sergej Van Den Abel . He is hitting .320 with a 4.8 WAR in AAA and is itching at the chance to play in the big leagues As good as Van Dan Abel has been it would be a risk to throw him into a starting role ahead of the proven bat of Canseco.
Another interesting name that may be on the block is 33 year old starter Rory Soutar. Soutar has been among the best starters in the league this year going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA. Soutar's stuff is electric and he could pitch at the top of most PEBA rotations. The problem is Soutar is a free agent and will most likely want a long term deal to close out his career which doesn't fit with ownership's plan to trim the overall budget. With many long term high contracts on the team it almost a certainty that Kentucky will not be able to resign him. So do they let Soutar walk for nothing? Or do they try and grab some assets for him?
My guess is they are going to want him around for the playoffs regardless of the risk of losing him for nothing - either way this will most definitely be Soutar's last hurrah in a Thoroughbred uniform.
Mesegue turning his season around?
Speaking of high priced veterans, one player who has struggled most of the season for Kentucky has been veteran catcher Antonio Mesegue. In his first 2 seasons with Kentucky he made the IL all-star team and was expected to contend for another selection this year but that as not been the case. He has been outplayed for most of the season by rookie backstop Tony Gonzalez. Mesegue has been well below career averages in almost every category and until recently had a team worst (by far) negative 0.5 WAR. However In his last 4 games, he has had multiple hits in each one of them including two 3-hit games. Over the last week he has raised his average up from .217 to .240 and now his WAR is actually on the positive side of the spectrum.
Can he keep this turnaround going or has it been a product of him facing some weaker pitching?
Antonio Santos approaching a couple of milestones
One player who has been very good all season has been first baseman Antonio Santos . After underachieving in his first season with the Thoroughbreds, he has been much better lately. He leads the team with a.413 OBP and is one behind Dan Gore in homers with 25. Santos has been solid defensively at 1b, despite this only being his second full time season there.
After his 2 homers yesterday against Arlington he is now 17 homers shy of the 400 mark for his career. He would have to get really hot to hit that milestone this season, but he should manage to get there early next season. One milestone he will reach this season is the 1000 RBI plateau - he is only 7 shy of that mark for his career. If Santos can put together a couple of more solid seasons he could be a safe bet for the PEBA's hall of fame.
Stand pat or make a move?
With the trade deadline upon us it will be very interesting to see if Kentucky makes any moves over the next day or two. Kentucky is right there with the best teams in the league, the right addition could put them over the top. Rumour has it that the Thoroughbreds are looking to upgrade their third base position, preferably with a right handed bat, Both Juan Cruz and Kanai Aliimalu have underachieved there this season. Another high leverage arm in the bullpen would also help.
One name that keeps popping up on the Kentucky trade block is left fielder Antonio Canseco . Canseco is a 3-time all-star who won the MVP in the divisional round of last years playoffs. He is a left handed hitter who is 30 years old and approaching 200 homers for his career and is solid defensively in LF. He is in the first year of a 4 year, 62 million dollar contract. He would be a nice addition to many teams - the problem is most contending teams are pretty set in the corner outfield positions so the return for Canseco could be limited. The reason that Canseco is suddenly expendable less than a year after he signed a 4 year deal has been the play of the 2037 2nd round draft pick Sergej Van Den Abel . He is hitting .320 with a 4.8 WAR in AAA and is itching at the chance to play in the big leagues As good as Van Dan Abel has been it would be a risk to throw him into a starting role ahead of the proven bat of Canseco.
Another interesting name that may be on the block is 33 year old starter Rory Soutar. Soutar has been among the best starters in the league this year going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA. Soutar's stuff is electric and he could pitch at the top of most PEBA rotations. The problem is Soutar is a free agent and will most likely want a long term deal to close out his career which doesn't fit with ownership's plan to trim the overall budget. With many long term high contracts on the team it almost a certainty that Kentucky will not be able to resign him. So do they let Soutar walk for nothing? Or do they try and grab some assets for him?
My guess is they are going to want him around for the playoffs regardless of the risk of losing him for nothing - either way this will most definitely be Soutar's last hurrah in a Thoroughbred uniform.
Mesegue turning his season around?
Speaking of high priced veterans, one player who has struggled most of the season for Kentucky has been veteran catcher Antonio Mesegue. In his first 2 seasons with Kentucky he made the IL all-star team and was expected to contend for another selection this year but that as not been the case. He has been outplayed for most of the season by rookie backstop Tony Gonzalez. Mesegue has been well below career averages in almost every category and until recently had a team worst (by far) negative 0.5 WAR. However In his last 4 games, he has had multiple hits in each one of them including two 3-hit games. Over the last week he has raised his average up from .217 to .240 and now his WAR is actually on the positive side of the spectrum.
Can he keep this turnaround going or has it been a product of him facing some weaker pitching?
Antonio Santos approaching a couple of milestones
One player who has been very good all season has been first baseman Antonio Santos . After underachieving in his first season with the Thoroughbreds, he has been much better lately. He leads the team with a.413 OBP and is one behind Dan Gore in homers with 25. Santos has been solid defensively at 1b, despite this only being his second full time season there.
After his 2 homers yesterday against Arlington he is now 17 homers shy of the 400 mark for his career. He would have to get really hot to hit that milestone this season, but he should manage to get there early next season. One milestone he will reach this season is the 1000 RBI plateau - he is only 7 shy of that mark for his career. If Santos can put together a couple of more solid seasons he could be a safe bet for the PEBA's hall of fame.
Sean Torgerson
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Re: Call to the Post - 2038 Season updates
The Thoroughbreds went 22-5 in the month of August and have opened up an 11.5 game lead on Amsterdam in the Wildcard race. They are still 8.5 back of Florida, so once again Kentucky is in the familiar position of not having much to play for over the last month. Expect some new faces to get some opportunities and some veterans to get some rest over the last month.
Some of the top performers for Kentucky in August were:
Antonio Santos .309 with 9 homers and an OBP of .495
Dan Gore .293 with 7 homers and 18 RBI
Rory Soutar 6-0 with a 1.20 - won the pitcher of the month
Mike Travis 0.53 ERA in 17 IP's
Kentucky sweeps the Farstriders
It is tough enough to beat Florida one time in a series, let alone 3. It is even more difficult when you consider Kentucky had to come back in 2 separate games from 4 run deficits.
Game 1 had Valke Petiet squaring off against 22 year old Kiyohira Goto. Florida struck early scoring 4 runs in the first 2 innings highlighted by a Van Wondel 2-run homer in the first. It looked like it was going to be a very long day for the Thoroughbreds, but Petiet did manage to right the ship somewhat, lasting 5 innings, giving up 8 hits and 4 earned runs.
Kentucky started to chip away at the lead with backup catcher Tony Gonzalez hitting a solo homer - only his 4th of the season to make the score 4-1. Kentucky scored 2 more in the bottom half of the 6th as Gonzalez and Shu-de Mu led of the inning with back to back doubles. Later with 2-out, Luke Kossan would single home Mu and that would spell the end of the game for Goto.
It was 4-3 going into the bottom of the 7th when another backup, super-sub Yatoro Takaki would lead of the inning with a solo homer to tie it 4-4. That was Takaki's 7th long ball of the season. That set the stage for the bottom of the 9th when once again it was Takaki and Gonzalez who would strike again. The both hit singles to start off the inning which led to a walk off Pedro Bermudez sacrifice fly to make the final 5-4.
On a night when the stars were quiet, Takaki and Gonzalez were the unlikey heroes, along with the bullpen that only gave up 1 hit and zero runs over 4 innings.
Game 2 saw a couple of veterans square off against each other - the red hot Rory Soutar aganst the 12-4 Louis Whitaker. Soutar was sensational once again, pitching a complete game shutout, allowing only 4 hits. This performance would earn him his 14th win in his last 14 starts. Whitaker was excellent through the first 5 innings but he would go on to give up 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th. Mu hit a solo homer to make it 1-0 and then Sergej Van Den Abel in his first start in the PEBA, got his first hit, a 2-run homer to make it 3-0. Adel wasn't done there yet as he added an RBI double with 2 out in the 8th to make it a 4-0 game and that would be the way it ended.
Game 3 was crazy - how many times has Florida scored 7 runs in one inning and gone on to lose the game. Kentucky had ace Dong Hak Yi on the mound and he would have his worst outing of the season, going only 4 innings and giving up 7 earned runs. On the mound for Florida was George Moss, Kentucky would score 4 runs over the first 4 innings off of Moss, highlighted by a 3 run homer by Juan Carlos Cruz. After the bottom of the 4th, disaster struck as Florida put up 7 runs in the top the 5th to open up an 8-4 lead.
Kentucky would once again battle back and tie it, this time thanks to a Naomi Honma 3-run homer in the bottom of the 7th. The Thoroughbred bullpen was once again solid as the would hold Florida scoreless for 6 innings, stretching it to the 11 inning where Kentucky would win it again on a sacrifice fly - this time by catcher Antonio Mesegue .
The series win pretty much cements Kentucky's position in the standings - Florida will have plenty of chances for revenge as the two teams still have 9 games left against one another.
Who will get the September call-ups?
Well we already know one person and that is Sergej Van Den Abel. Abel is the front runner for minor league hitter of the year for Kentucky. The outfielder, who was drafted in the 2nd round, 69th overall in the 2037 draft hit .318 with 17 homers and 25 stolen bases in AAA this season. He also played very well defensively in the outfield. All reports say this kid is a born leader with a high work ethic and he has started his PEBA career off with a bang. Will Kentucky be able to make room for him in their lineup next season??
Edward Anderson was a second round pick way back in 2030. He has spent the last 3 seasons in AAA, this year going 11-11 with a 4.33 ERA. Anderson is an extreme groundball pitcher and Kentucky is hoping he will be effective with their solid infield defense behind him. Anderson will probably be a longshot to make the team next season. Top prospect Kyle Ferguson, 20 homers in AAA, will probably get a look - as will relievers Angel Villa and Fred Gross.
Some of the top performers for Kentucky in August were:
Antonio Santos .309 with 9 homers and an OBP of .495
Dan Gore .293 with 7 homers and 18 RBI
Rory Soutar 6-0 with a 1.20 - won the pitcher of the month
Mike Travis 0.53 ERA in 17 IP's
Kentucky sweeps the Farstriders
It is tough enough to beat Florida one time in a series, let alone 3. It is even more difficult when you consider Kentucky had to come back in 2 separate games from 4 run deficits.
Game 1 had Valke Petiet squaring off against 22 year old Kiyohira Goto. Florida struck early scoring 4 runs in the first 2 innings highlighted by a Van Wondel 2-run homer in the first. It looked like it was going to be a very long day for the Thoroughbreds, but Petiet did manage to right the ship somewhat, lasting 5 innings, giving up 8 hits and 4 earned runs.
Kentucky started to chip away at the lead with backup catcher Tony Gonzalez hitting a solo homer - only his 4th of the season to make the score 4-1. Kentucky scored 2 more in the bottom half of the 6th as Gonzalez and Shu-de Mu led of the inning with back to back doubles. Later with 2-out, Luke Kossan would single home Mu and that would spell the end of the game for Goto.
It was 4-3 going into the bottom of the 7th when another backup, super-sub Yatoro Takaki would lead of the inning with a solo homer to tie it 4-4. That was Takaki's 7th long ball of the season. That set the stage for the bottom of the 9th when once again it was Takaki and Gonzalez who would strike again. The both hit singles to start off the inning which led to a walk off Pedro Bermudez sacrifice fly to make the final 5-4.
On a night when the stars were quiet, Takaki and Gonzalez were the unlikey heroes, along with the bullpen that only gave up 1 hit and zero runs over 4 innings.
Game 2 saw a couple of veterans square off against each other - the red hot Rory Soutar aganst the 12-4 Louis Whitaker. Soutar was sensational once again, pitching a complete game shutout, allowing only 4 hits. This performance would earn him his 14th win in his last 14 starts. Whitaker was excellent through the first 5 innings but he would go on to give up 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th. Mu hit a solo homer to make it 1-0 and then Sergej Van Den Abel in his first start in the PEBA, got his first hit, a 2-run homer to make it 3-0. Adel wasn't done there yet as he added an RBI double with 2 out in the 8th to make it a 4-0 game and that would be the way it ended.
Game 3 was crazy - how many times has Florida scored 7 runs in one inning and gone on to lose the game. Kentucky had ace Dong Hak Yi on the mound and he would have his worst outing of the season, going only 4 innings and giving up 7 earned runs. On the mound for Florida was George Moss, Kentucky would score 4 runs over the first 4 innings off of Moss, highlighted by a 3 run homer by Juan Carlos Cruz. After the bottom of the 4th, disaster struck as Florida put up 7 runs in the top the 5th to open up an 8-4 lead.
Kentucky would once again battle back and tie it, this time thanks to a Naomi Honma 3-run homer in the bottom of the 7th. The Thoroughbred bullpen was once again solid as the would hold Florida scoreless for 6 innings, stretching it to the 11 inning where Kentucky would win it again on a sacrifice fly - this time by catcher Antonio Mesegue .
The series win pretty much cements Kentucky's position in the standings - Florida will have plenty of chances for revenge as the two teams still have 9 games left against one another.
Who will get the September call-ups?
Well we already know one person and that is Sergej Van Den Abel. Abel is the front runner for minor league hitter of the year for Kentucky. The outfielder, who was drafted in the 2nd round, 69th overall in the 2037 draft hit .318 with 17 homers and 25 stolen bases in AAA this season. He also played very well defensively in the outfield. All reports say this kid is a born leader with a high work ethic and he has started his PEBA career off with a bang. Will Kentucky be able to make room for him in their lineup next season??
Edward Anderson was a second round pick way back in 2030. He has spent the last 3 seasons in AAA, this year going 11-11 with a 4.33 ERA. Anderson is an extreme groundball pitcher and Kentucky is hoping he will be effective with their solid infield defense behind him. Anderson will probably be a longshot to make the team next season. Top prospect Kyle Ferguson, 20 homers in AAA, will probably get a look - as will relievers Angel Villa and Fred Gross.
Sean Torgerson
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Re: Call to the Post - 2038 Season updates
One week to go and the Kentucky Thoroughbreds have comfortably clinched a playoff spot. They lead the wildcard by 15 games, but are 8.5 games behind the division leading Farstriders - on a positive note (glass half full) this is as close the Florida that Kentucky has finished in many years. 7 years to be exact, since the Thoroughbreds last won the division in 2031. For the third straight season and 6th time in franchise history Kentucky has reached the 100 win mark - it is the first time that they have done it 3 consecutive times.
Most likely Kentucky will face the Claymores or the Lions in the first round of the playoffs, but the Hartford Harpoon have an outside shot of making it as well.
Gore sets team record for RBI
Dan Gore's first full season in the PEBA has been an streaky one, but it has definitely been more up than down. Currently with 135 RBI, Gore has smashed the previous Kentucky record of 122, which was set by Jaime Espinoza in 2019. He will be going into the playoffs on a hot streak as he is hitting .348 with 7 homers and 28 RBI in September.
In Kentucky's last game vs Florida, Gore hit a 3 run homer in the top of the 10th inning to win the game, It was Gore's 40th home run of the season becoming the 7th Thoroughbred to reach that mark.
Dan Gore should also set the record for Kentucky for total bases in a season. He sits at 342, just 2 shy of the mark of 344, which was set in 2018 also by Espinoza. Gore also has a shot at the team record for doubles - he has 45 on the season, 3 less than the team record of 48.
Going into the playoffs he will be a very important player for Kentucky to say the least.
Defense wins ball games
Up until this season Kentucky wasn't necessarily known for their defense but they have lead the league for most of the season in defensive efficiency. The starting rotation has been good, but the ERA's have all been helped by the gloves behind them. At 33 years old Naomi Honma remains one of the best defensive shortstops in the game - he is having one of his best defensive seasons ever. Regardless of what he does on offense he will remain in the starting lineup until he starts to slow down. Pedro Bermudez is one of the more electrifying centerfielders in the game - Personally he hasn't had his best defensive season but he still remains one of the better ones in the PEBA. Luke Kossan has been better than advertised defensively at 2b, while Antonio Santos looks like he has played 1b his entire career.
Kentucky has three young outfielders (Hayes, Van Den Abel. Takaki ) who are all great defensively and have all contributed this season.
I am guessing the Kentucky pitching staff will be buying an extravagant dinner for the team this season.
Unsung Heroes
Kentucky had 2 players this season that not much was expected from but they ended up playing a huge role during the season. The first is 23 year old reliever Mike Travis. Travis was expected to spend the year in AAA developing his cutter. He pitched well in the minors and was called up when the Thoroughbreds needed a lefty in the pen. Since his call up he has been absolutely amazing. 41 innings pitched, a WHIP of 0.75 and a miniscule ERA of 0.87. He has only allowed 4 earned runs since his call up in early June and he has struck out 46 innings in those 41 innings pitched. He has arguably been the best reliever in the PEBA since he came to the league. He also alleviated the need for Kentucky to give up an asset at the trading deadline to acquire a bullpen arm.
The other player has been well documented - Yataro Takaki - who didn't stop hitting all season long. Many of his hits were of the clutch variety. For a back-up player to end the season with a WAR of 3.1 and an OPS + of 179 in over 200 at bats is pretty remarkable to say the least. He had the highest average (.385), slugging (.644), OPS (1.063) and OPS + on the team. Will he be satisfied in a back-up role next year?
Most likely Kentucky will face the Claymores or the Lions in the first round of the playoffs, but the Hartford Harpoon have an outside shot of making it as well.
Gore sets team record for RBI
Dan Gore's first full season in the PEBA has been an streaky one, but it has definitely been more up than down. Currently with 135 RBI, Gore has smashed the previous Kentucky record of 122, which was set by Jaime Espinoza in 2019. He will be going into the playoffs on a hot streak as he is hitting .348 with 7 homers and 28 RBI in September.
In Kentucky's last game vs Florida, Gore hit a 3 run homer in the top of the 10th inning to win the game, It was Gore's 40th home run of the season becoming the 7th Thoroughbred to reach that mark.
Dan Gore should also set the record for Kentucky for total bases in a season. He sits at 342, just 2 shy of the mark of 344, which was set in 2018 also by Espinoza. Gore also has a shot at the team record for doubles - he has 45 on the season, 3 less than the team record of 48.
Going into the playoffs he will be a very important player for Kentucky to say the least.
Defense wins ball games
Up until this season Kentucky wasn't necessarily known for their defense but they have lead the league for most of the season in defensive efficiency. The starting rotation has been good, but the ERA's have all been helped by the gloves behind them. At 33 years old Naomi Honma remains one of the best defensive shortstops in the game - he is having one of his best defensive seasons ever. Regardless of what he does on offense he will remain in the starting lineup until he starts to slow down. Pedro Bermudez is one of the more electrifying centerfielders in the game - Personally he hasn't had his best defensive season but he still remains one of the better ones in the PEBA. Luke Kossan has been better than advertised defensively at 2b, while Antonio Santos looks like he has played 1b his entire career.
Kentucky has three young outfielders (Hayes, Van Den Abel. Takaki ) who are all great defensively and have all contributed this season.
I am guessing the Kentucky pitching staff will be buying an extravagant dinner for the team this season.
Unsung Heroes
Kentucky had 2 players this season that not much was expected from but they ended up playing a huge role during the season. The first is 23 year old reliever Mike Travis. Travis was expected to spend the year in AAA developing his cutter. He pitched well in the minors and was called up when the Thoroughbreds needed a lefty in the pen. Since his call up he has been absolutely amazing. 41 innings pitched, a WHIP of 0.75 and a miniscule ERA of 0.87. He has only allowed 4 earned runs since his call up in early June and he has struck out 46 innings in those 41 innings pitched. He has arguably been the best reliever in the PEBA since he came to the league. He also alleviated the need for Kentucky to give up an asset at the trading deadline to acquire a bullpen arm.
The other player has been well documented - Yataro Takaki - who didn't stop hitting all season long. Many of his hits were of the clutch variety. For a back-up player to end the season with a WAR of 3.1 and an OPS + of 179 in over 200 at bats is pretty remarkable to say the least. He had the highest average (.385), slugging (.644), OPS (1.063) and OPS + on the team. Will he be satisfied in a back-up role next year?
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Re: Call to the Post - 2038 Season updates
Despite the season being over and the Thoroughbreds long since eliminated there still has been some news surrounding the club this offseason.
Former top prospect traded
Almost 3 years ago to the date, Kentucky acquired OF Robert Hayes in exchange for talented started Michael Doyle. At the time Hayes, a former 11th overall pick, was a top 40 prospect, with speed, power and top end defensive abilities. Unfortunately Hayes never developed into the star that Kentucky thought he would. He was a handy back-up for them the past couple of seasons, used mostly in a defensive role in late innings to help protect the league. With the emergence of some other young outfielders in the organization there was no longer a role for Hayes. Yataro Takaki, Kyle Ferguson and Sergej Van Den Abel have all passed him on the depth chart. So last week Kentucky shipped him out along with a 5th round draft pick to the Evas for former Kentucky prospect Carlos Fernandez. Kentucky had traded Fernandez to the Evas in 2037 as part of the huge deal the brought Dong-hak Yi to the Thoroughbreds.
At this point in time Fernandez hasn't developed the way some thought he would and has a long way to go before he can be considered a solid prospect. Still he has some positive traits with 5 quality pitches and great movement on all of them. He is an extreme groundball pitcher which the Kentucky management really likes but he is going to have to improve his control in order to have a shot in the PEBA.
Fernandez fits the mold of the type of pitching prospects that Kentucky has been adding to their organization - mid level prospects that have potential but need some improvement to be considered a blue chip prospect. I guess the theory is that one or two of them surprise and exceed expectations.
Canseco traded
In their second trade of the offseason, Kentucky made a somewhat surprising move and traded away veteran outfielder Antonio Canseco. Way back in 2024, Canseco signed with Kentucky as an international free agent. He made his debut with the big club in 2031 playing 11 games that season. For the next 7 seasons he was a starter in the outfield for the Thoroughbreds, making the all-star game 3 times and hitting 203 homers over that span. In 2037 he won the divisional IL MVP award during Kentucky's playoff run. Earlier that year he had signed a 4 year extension with Kentucky worth 62 million dollars, so it looked like he was here for the foreseeable future. But with the aforementioned outfield depth in the organization and a little bit of a financial crunch coming from new ownership, Canseco was deemed expendable.
The haul was not much to write home about, in exchange for Canseco the Thoroughbreds added another young arm in the form of Juan Vega . Vega is a 20 year old starter with good control and average stuff. He struggled in rookie ball last season, going 0-9 - but management thinks there could be some potential with him. He can throw in the high 90's with above average control so you can understand why Kentucky sees some value in him. His previous coaches have mentioned outstanding work ethic which will undoubtedly help him reach his potential.
Other Kentucky notes
- It is becoming increasing clear that Rory Soutar will test free agency and not return despite having a career year. Kentucky would love to have him back, but with so many big contracts they just can't afford to add another one to the books.
- With the Canseco contract off the books it may allow Kentucky to resign veteran Nelson Alvarado. The 32 year old Alvarado went 12-6 with a 3.10 ERA last year as a starter. If he resigns he will most likely be the team's 5th starter.
Former top prospect traded
Almost 3 years ago to the date, Kentucky acquired OF Robert Hayes in exchange for talented started Michael Doyle. At the time Hayes, a former 11th overall pick, was a top 40 prospect, with speed, power and top end defensive abilities. Unfortunately Hayes never developed into the star that Kentucky thought he would. He was a handy back-up for them the past couple of seasons, used mostly in a defensive role in late innings to help protect the league. With the emergence of some other young outfielders in the organization there was no longer a role for Hayes. Yataro Takaki, Kyle Ferguson and Sergej Van Den Abel have all passed him on the depth chart. So last week Kentucky shipped him out along with a 5th round draft pick to the Evas for former Kentucky prospect Carlos Fernandez. Kentucky had traded Fernandez to the Evas in 2037 as part of the huge deal the brought Dong-hak Yi to the Thoroughbreds.
At this point in time Fernandez hasn't developed the way some thought he would and has a long way to go before he can be considered a solid prospect. Still he has some positive traits with 5 quality pitches and great movement on all of them. He is an extreme groundball pitcher which the Kentucky management really likes but he is going to have to improve his control in order to have a shot in the PEBA.
Fernandez fits the mold of the type of pitching prospects that Kentucky has been adding to their organization - mid level prospects that have potential but need some improvement to be considered a blue chip prospect. I guess the theory is that one or two of them surprise and exceed expectations.
Canseco traded
In their second trade of the offseason, Kentucky made a somewhat surprising move and traded away veteran outfielder Antonio Canseco. Way back in 2024, Canseco signed with Kentucky as an international free agent. He made his debut with the big club in 2031 playing 11 games that season. For the next 7 seasons he was a starter in the outfield for the Thoroughbreds, making the all-star game 3 times and hitting 203 homers over that span. In 2037 he won the divisional IL MVP award during Kentucky's playoff run. Earlier that year he had signed a 4 year extension with Kentucky worth 62 million dollars, so it looked like he was here for the foreseeable future. But with the aforementioned outfield depth in the organization and a little bit of a financial crunch coming from new ownership, Canseco was deemed expendable.
The haul was not much to write home about, in exchange for Canseco the Thoroughbreds added another young arm in the form of Juan Vega . Vega is a 20 year old starter with good control and average stuff. He struggled in rookie ball last season, going 0-9 - but management thinks there could be some potential with him. He can throw in the high 90's with above average control so you can understand why Kentucky sees some value in him. His previous coaches have mentioned outstanding work ethic which will undoubtedly help him reach his potential.
Other Kentucky notes
- It is becoming increasing clear that Rory Soutar will test free agency and not return despite having a career year. Kentucky would love to have him back, but with so many big contracts they just can't afford to add another one to the books.
- With the Canseco contract off the books it may allow Kentucky to resign veteran Nelson Alvarado. The 32 year old Alvarado went 12-6 with a 3.10 ERA last year as a starter. If he resigns he will most likely be the team's 5th starter.
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Interview with GM Sean Torgerson
Hi,
It is A.J. Payton here with you - exclusive writer for the Kentucky Thoroughbreds. GM Sean Torgerson has been with the club for 4 full seasons now. 4 seasons of exceptional regular season performances, but the playoffs haven't been as exceptional. In those 4 playoff seasons there have been only 2 series wins and three first round wild card exits. We are here with Torgerson to discuss where the team goes from here.
Payton Hi Sean, thanks for being here.
Torgerson No problem, glad to be here.
Payton So, you had another great regular season with 108 wins and the 3rd best record in the league but unfortunately that didn't translate into playoff success. How difficult was that loss to the Scottish?
Torgerson Yeah, this one hurt a lot. Of the 4 season I have been with the team I thought this year was are best opportunity for success. We had 2 dominant starters at the top of our rotation, a great defensive and bullpen along with well balanced lineup. Last year we got over the hump and won a couple of rounds so I was expecting another long run. For whatever reason the Scottish had our number and outplayed us. It was a very tough loss, nobody wanted to go out that early.
Payton Three out of the last four seasons Kentucky has failed to make it out of the first round, despite being favoured in all 3 of those series. What are you going to do to address that?
Torgerson Look, anything can happen in a 5 game series. It is basically a coin flip. All we can do is keep making the playoffs and continue to give ourselves a chance each and every year and hope the bounces go our way and our team is peaking at the right time. This past season with the personnel we had in place I wouldn't have changed a thing and we only won one playoff game. All we can do is go out next season and give ourselves another opportunity in the postseason.
Payton Speaking of next season - how confident our you that you will make the postseason? Losing 21 game winner Soutar will be a huge hole to fill. Can Yi repeat his remarkable 2038 performance? Canseco is gone and you have quite a few aging veterans on this roster.
Torgerson We like our chances next season, but it definitely won't be easy and reaching 108 wins will be tough. West Virginia, Scottish, London and of course Florida are always extremely tough to beat. Then you have teams like Amsterdam, Havana, Hartford and New Jersey right there. Not to mention teams like San Antonio, Gloucester and Charleston are are loaded with prospects.
Losing Soutar will be a tough blow, but we think Jimenez will be able to step back into the rotation and do well. Yi may not replicate his numbers next season, but we still expect him to have a strong year. I also think Rivera is capable of improving on his 2038 numbers.
On offense I think the combination of Takaki and Ferguson in left field will actually out produce what Canseco gave us last season. Mu, Honma and Santos are all veterans but they have shown very little signs of slowing down and I think guys like Bermudez, Gore and Adel have all just started to scratch the surface.
Payton Is coach Paul Connor's spot in jeopardy if the team bows out early again?
Torgerson We will assess that at the end of the season, but we are 100 percent behind Connor.
Payton You mentioned some of the teams that have great farm systems. Along with the three teams you mentioned, the Claymores and the Farstriders also have really top notch systems. In fact 5 of the top 6 ranked farm systems belongs to team's in the IL, while Kentucky is at the other end of those ranking with no prospects in the top 100. That has to be concerning for you..no?
Torgerson As a GM, I am always worrying about things. Would I like to have more top end prospects? Of course. But we are still comfortable about where we sit. We have some talented arms in the system. I expect both Dave Sherman and Jae-hoon Li to make the Kentucky roster at some point in the future. We have 5 or 6 other arms that we believe have potential as well. On offense we have Adel, who we project to be a started in the outfield very soon and we have Xavier Gonzales and Eduardo Colomo who we have ranked in the top 100 prospects - even if the league scouts don't see it that way. We also have a full compliment of draft picks this season including an extra pick at the end of the first round.
Long story, short - our farm system isn't where I want it to be at the moment, but we do have some bonified prospects working their way up.
Payton You have made a big splash in free agency every season - will that continue this year? [/b]
Torgerson I don't think you can expect much from us this year. We have a lot of big contracts on the books. I would have loved to a signed Soutar but we have to be fiscally responsible. You will probably see some depth signings and some minor league signings to help boost our depth.
Payton Your first big signing when you tool over was starter Ji-Hyung Park. He enjoyed 3 very good seasons before struggling last year and losing his spot in the rotation. He still has 2 years and 36 million left on his contract. At age 33 it looks like he has lost a lot of velocity - what are your plans for him?
Torgerson Park has been a valuable player for us these past few years. He will be given every opportunity to make the rotation and if he doesn't he will have a spot in the bullpen. With his contract he will be on our roster this season.
Payton Thank you and good luck this offseason.
Torgerson Take Care.
It is A.J. Payton here with you - exclusive writer for the Kentucky Thoroughbreds. GM Sean Torgerson has been with the club for 4 full seasons now. 4 seasons of exceptional regular season performances, but the playoffs haven't been as exceptional. In those 4 playoff seasons there have been only 2 series wins and three first round wild card exits. We are here with Torgerson to discuss where the team goes from here.
Payton Hi Sean, thanks for being here.
Torgerson No problem, glad to be here.
Payton So, you had another great regular season with 108 wins and the 3rd best record in the league but unfortunately that didn't translate into playoff success. How difficult was that loss to the Scottish?
Torgerson Yeah, this one hurt a lot. Of the 4 season I have been with the team I thought this year was are best opportunity for success. We had 2 dominant starters at the top of our rotation, a great defensive and bullpen along with well balanced lineup. Last year we got over the hump and won a couple of rounds so I was expecting another long run. For whatever reason the Scottish had our number and outplayed us. It was a very tough loss, nobody wanted to go out that early.
Payton Three out of the last four seasons Kentucky has failed to make it out of the first round, despite being favoured in all 3 of those series. What are you going to do to address that?
Torgerson Look, anything can happen in a 5 game series. It is basically a coin flip. All we can do is keep making the playoffs and continue to give ourselves a chance each and every year and hope the bounces go our way and our team is peaking at the right time. This past season with the personnel we had in place I wouldn't have changed a thing and we only won one playoff game. All we can do is go out next season and give ourselves another opportunity in the postseason.
Payton Speaking of next season - how confident our you that you will make the postseason? Losing 21 game winner Soutar will be a huge hole to fill. Can Yi repeat his remarkable 2038 performance? Canseco is gone and you have quite a few aging veterans on this roster.
Torgerson We like our chances next season, but it definitely won't be easy and reaching 108 wins will be tough. West Virginia, Scottish, London and of course Florida are always extremely tough to beat. Then you have teams like Amsterdam, Havana, Hartford and New Jersey right there. Not to mention teams like San Antonio, Gloucester and Charleston are are loaded with prospects.
Losing Soutar will be a tough blow, but we think Jimenez will be able to step back into the rotation and do well. Yi may not replicate his numbers next season, but we still expect him to have a strong year. I also think Rivera is capable of improving on his 2038 numbers.
On offense I think the combination of Takaki and Ferguson in left field will actually out produce what Canseco gave us last season. Mu, Honma and Santos are all veterans but they have shown very little signs of slowing down and I think guys like Bermudez, Gore and Adel have all just started to scratch the surface.
Payton Is coach Paul Connor's spot in jeopardy if the team bows out early again?
Torgerson We will assess that at the end of the season, but we are 100 percent behind Connor.
Payton You mentioned some of the teams that have great farm systems. Along with the three teams you mentioned, the Claymores and the Farstriders also have really top notch systems. In fact 5 of the top 6 ranked farm systems belongs to team's in the IL, while Kentucky is at the other end of those ranking with no prospects in the top 100. That has to be concerning for you..no?
Torgerson As a GM, I am always worrying about things. Would I like to have more top end prospects? Of course. But we are still comfortable about where we sit. We have some talented arms in the system. I expect both Dave Sherman and Jae-hoon Li to make the Kentucky roster at some point in the future. We have 5 or 6 other arms that we believe have potential as well. On offense we have Adel, who we project to be a started in the outfield very soon and we have Xavier Gonzales and Eduardo Colomo who we have ranked in the top 100 prospects - even if the league scouts don't see it that way. We also have a full compliment of draft picks this season including an extra pick at the end of the first round.
Long story, short - our farm system isn't where I want it to be at the moment, but we do have some bonified prospects working their way up.
Payton You have made a big splash in free agency every season - will that continue this year? [/b]
Torgerson I don't think you can expect much from us this year. We have a lot of big contracts on the books. I would have loved to a signed Soutar but we have to be fiscally responsible. You will probably see some depth signings and some minor league signings to help boost our depth.
Payton Your first big signing when you tool over was starter Ji-Hyung Park. He enjoyed 3 very good seasons before struggling last year and losing his spot in the rotation. He still has 2 years and 36 million left on his contract. At age 33 it looks like he has lost a lot of velocity - what are your plans for him?
Torgerson Park has been a valuable player for us these past few years. He will be given every opportunity to make the rotation and if he doesn't he will have a spot in the bullpen. With his contract he will be on our roster this season.
Payton Thank you and good luck this offseason.
Torgerson Take Care.
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Interview with GM Sean Torgerson
Hi,
It is A.J. Payton here with you - exclusive writer for the Kentucky Thoroughbreds. GM Sean Torgerson has been with the club for 4 full seasons now. 4 seasons of exceptional regular season performances, but the playoffs haven't been as exceptional. In those 4 playoff seasons there have been only 2 series wins and three first round wild card exits. We are here with Torgerson to discuss where the team goes from here.
Payton Hi Sean, thanks for being here.
Torgerson No problem, glad to be here.
Payton So, you had another great regular season with 108 wins and the 3rd best record in the league but unfortunately that didn't translate into playoff success. How difficult was that loss to the Scottish?
Torgerson Yeah, this one hurt a lot. Of the 4 season I have been with the team I thought this year was are best opportunity for success. We had 2 dominant starters at the top of our rotation, a great defensive and bullpen along with well balanced lineup. Last year we got over the hump and won a couple of rounds so I was expecting another long run. For whatever reason the Scottish had our number and outplayed us. It was a very tough loss, nobody wanted to go out that early.
Payton Three out of the last four seasons Kentucky has failed to make it out of the first round, despite being favoured in all 3 of those series. What are you going to do to address that?
Torgerson Look, anything can happen in a 5 game series. It is basically a coin flip. All we can do is keep making the playoffs and continue to give ourselves a chance each and every year and hope the bounces go our way and our team is peaking at the right time. This past season with the personnel we had in place I wouldn't have changed a thing and we only won one playoff game. All we can do is go out next season and give ourselves another opportunity in the postseason.
Payton Speaking of next season - how confident our you that you will make the postseason? Losing 21 game winner Soutar will be a huge hole to fill. Can Yi repeat his remarkable 2038 performance? Canseco is gone and you have quite a few aging veterans on this roster.
Torgerson We like our chances next season, but it definitely won't be easy and reaching 108 wins will be tough. West Virginia, Scottish, London and of course Florida are always extremely tough to beat. Then you have teams like Amsterdam, Havana, Hartford and New Jersey right there. Not to mention teams like San Antonio, Gloucester and Charleston are are loaded with prospects.
Losing Soutar will be a tough blow, but we think Jimenez will be able to step back into the rotation and do well. Yi may not replicate his numbers next season, but we still expect him to have a strong year. I also think Rivera is capable of improving on his 2038 numbers.
On offense I think the combination of Takaki and Ferguson in left field will actually outproduce what Canseco gave us last season. Mu, Honma and Santos are all veterans but they have shown very little signs of slowing down and I think guys like Bermudez, Gore and Adel have all just started to scratch the surface.
Payton Is coach Paul Connor's spot in jeopardy if the team bows out early again?
Torgerson We will assess that at the end of the season, but we are 100 percent behind Connor.
Payton You mentioned some of the teams that have great farm systems. Along with the three teams you mentioned, the Claymores and the Farstriders also have really top notch systems. In fact 5 of the top 6 ranked farm systems belongs to team's in the IL, while Kentucky is at the other end of those ranking with no prospects in the top 100. That has to be concerning for you..no?
Torgerson As a GM, I am always worrying about things. Would I like to have more top end prospects? Of course. But we are still comfortable about where we sit. We have some talented arms in the system. I expect both Dave Sherman and Jae-hoon Li to make the Kentucky roster at some point in the future. We have 5 or 6 other arms that we believe have potential as well. On offense we have Adel, who we project to be a started in the outfield very soon and we have Xavier Gonzales and Eduardo Colomo who we have ranked in the top 100 prospects - even if the league scouts don't see it that way. We also have a full compliment of draft picks this season including an extra pick at the end of the first round.
Long story, short - our farm system isn't where I want it to be at the moment, but we do have some bonified prospects working their way up.
Payton You have made a big splash in free agency every season - will that continue this year? [/b]
Torgerson I don't think you can expect much from us this year. We have a lot of big contracts on the books. I would have loved to a signed Soutar but we have to be fiscally responsible. You will probably see some depth signings and some minor league signings to help boost our depth.
Payton Your first big signing when you tool over was starter Ji-Hyung Park. He enjoyed 3 very good seasons before struggling last year and losing his spot in the rotation. He still has 2 years and 36 million left on his contract. At age 33 it looks like he has lost a lot of velocity - what are your plans for him?
Torgerson Park has been a valuable player for us these past few years. He will be given every opportunity to make the rotation and if he doesn't he will have a spot in the bullpen. With his contract he will be on our roster this season.
Payton Thank you and good luck this offseason.
Torgerson Take Care.
It is A.J. Payton here with you - exclusive writer for the Kentucky Thoroughbreds. GM Sean Torgerson has been with the club for 4 full seasons now. 4 seasons of exceptional regular season performances, but the playoffs haven't been as exceptional. In those 4 playoff seasons there have been only 2 series wins and three first round wild card exits. We are here with Torgerson to discuss where the team goes from here.
Payton Hi Sean, thanks for being here.
Torgerson No problem, glad to be here.
Payton So, you had another great regular season with 108 wins and the 3rd best record in the league but unfortunately that didn't translate into playoff success. How difficult was that loss to the Scottish?
Torgerson Yeah, this one hurt a lot. Of the 4 season I have been with the team I thought this year was are best opportunity for success. We had 2 dominant starters at the top of our rotation, a great defensive and bullpen along with well balanced lineup. Last year we got over the hump and won a couple of rounds so I was expecting another long run. For whatever reason the Scottish had our number and outplayed us. It was a very tough loss, nobody wanted to go out that early.
Payton Three out of the last four seasons Kentucky has failed to make it out of the first round, despite being favoured in all 3 of those series. What are you going to do to address that?
Torgerson Look, anything can happen in a 5 game series. It is basically a coin flip. All we can do is keep making the playoffs and continue to give ourselves a chance each and every year and hope the bounces go our way and our team is peaking at the right time. This past season with the personnel we had in place I wouldn't have changed a thing and we only won one playoff game. All we can do is go out next season and give ourselves another opportunity in the postseason.
Payton Speaking of next season - how confident our you that you will make the postseason? Losing 21 game winner Soutar will be a huge hole to fill. Can Yi repeat his remarkable 2038 performance? Canseco is gone and you have quite a few aging veterans on this roster.
Torgerson We like our chances next season, but it definitely won't be easy and reaching 108 wins will be tough. West Virginia, Scottish, London and of course Florida are always extremely tough to beat. Then you have teams like Amsterdam, Havana, Hartford and New Jersey right there. Not to mention teams like San Antonio, Gloucester and Charleston are are loaded with prospects.
Losing Soutar will be a tough blow, but we think Jimenez will be able to step back into the rotation and do well. Yi may not replicate his numbers next season, but we still expect him to have a strong year. I also think Rivera is capable of improving on his 2038 numbers.
On offense I think the combination of Takaki and Ferguson in left field will actually outproduce what Canseco gave us last season. Mu, Honma and Santos are all veterans but they have shown very little signs of slowing down and I think guys like Bermudez, Gore and Adel have all just started to scratch the surface.
Payton Is coach Paul Connor's spot in jeopardy if the team bows out early again?
Torgerson We will assess that at the end of the season, but we are 100 percent behind Connor.
Payton You mentioned some of the teams that have great farm systems. Along with the three teams you mentioned, the Claymores and the Farstriders also have really top notch systems. In fact 5 of the top 6 ranked farm systems belongs to team's in the IL, while Kentucky is at the other end of those ranking with no prospects in the top 100. That has to be concerning for you..no?
Torgerson As a GM, I am always worrying about things. Would I like to have more top end prospects? Of course. But we are still comfortable about where we sit. We have some talented arms in the system. I expect both Dave Sherman and Jae-hoon Li to make the Kentucky roster at some point in the future. We have 5 or 6 other arms that we believe have potential as well. On offense we have Adel, who we project to be a started in the outfield very soon and we have Xavier Gonzales and Eduardo Colomo who we have ranked in the top 100 prospects - even if the league scouts don't see it that way. We also have a full compliment of draft picks this season including an extra pick at the end of the first round.
Long story, short - our farm system isn't where I want it to be at the moment, but we do have some bonified prospects working their way up.
Payton You have made a big splash in free agency every season - will that continue this year? [/b]
Torgerson I don't think you can expect much from us this year. We have a lot of big contracts on the books. I would have loved to a signed Soutar but we have to be fiscally responsible. You will probably see some depth signings and some minor league signings to help boost our depth.
Payton Your first big signing when you tool over was starter Ji-Hyung Park. He enjoyed 3 very good seasons before struggling last year and losing his spot in the rotation. He still has 2 years and 36 million left on his contract. At age 33 it looks like he has lost a lot of velocity - what are your plans for him?
Torgerson Park has been a valuable player for us these past few years. He will be given every opportunity to make the rotation and if he doesn't he will have a spot in the bullpen. With his contract he will be on our roster this season.
Payton Thank you and good luck this offseason.
Torgerson Take Care.
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds