By Howard Roarke

7/30/2009: Arlington, VA – Taking a break from covering the Badgers, I’ll take my time here in Virginia to give my assessment of the situation the Arlington Bureaucrats find themselves in.  I approached the task with a considerable amount of enthusiasm despite the sorrow surrounding the club down here.  Probably because change and meeting new folks is always exciting, no matter what the team’s record.  All the fans might think there isn’t anything to write about, figuring what you have witnessed on the diamond this season.  But there is, because all you Bureaucrat diehards are just excited about the future as you are frustrated with the present.

Arlington is in last place and needs to put on their hard hats and commence the rebuilding phase.  They need to find out what to keep, and what to jettison.  What is apparent is that the franchise has put extreme faith in GM Dan DiVincenzo to take on this mighty task, because not only are the Bureaucrats in last place but also the Kilauea Volcanoes (SS-A), Alexandria Macedonians (Hi-A) and Hampton Airborne (AA) share the dweller with them.

Attention should be concentrated on the highlights, which mainly come from the Bureaucrats’ infield.  Not just because they have shown solid performance, but also because of the potential of some of players and the trade-ability of the others.  The knowledgeable Arlington faithful told me before I even delved into the numbers that 3B Kiril Nijenboer and SS David Teague were integral to any success the team might have now or in the future, and I agreed.  This tandem has been the silver lining to this mine-laden campaign of 2009.  Not only are they two of the few happy men to be playing on the banks of the Potomac River, but both are young and get it done in the field and the batter’s box while not costing enough to require government assistance.  What is even better is that there is still room where these two might improve the left side of the infield even further.  Regretfully, that is it when it comes to optimism.  All other positives will need to be created through some intricate roster management.

Besides Kiril and David and a couple young hurlers to be mentioned later, there are 19 other players on the active roster whose future probably won’t be in Arlington.  And for all you who are thinking about trashing this article for not mentioning MR John Page and 2B Pablo Souza as a part of the positive outlook, they do not want to be here and you can expect to get a good haul if you somehow package them together.  Similarly, SP Víctor Matos and especially MR Hollis Godwin should join 3B Ernest Cunningham and company on the Bureaucrats already-posted trade block.  To ensure a satisfactory result, DiVincenzo should assume the role of traveling salesman to actively get these guys moving.

What I think would make the fans happy is quantity being valued slightly more then quality.  I couldn’t find any empirical studies to back this, but a few minor leaguers graded 2/5 by your scout might give you a better probability of success then one graded a 3 or 4.  What would really get the folks talking on Fairfax Drive is if the franchise could come up with a few more draft picks in rounds four and above.  Just because the people in Arlington will not be able to experience quality baseball for the next couple years doesn’t mean the families of Newport News, Hampton, Alexandria and Kilauea should be deprived too.

To avoid eternal depravity, we should get into some specifics.  As tough as it may be, the first rule that is to always be very patient with prospects when rebuilding.  But right now it’s not a huge issue because there is not a plethora of talent in the farm.  Energies in the Bureaucrats’ front office should now, however, be squarely focused on shedding payroll to try to get something out of the free agent market.  The key is take advantage of the increased $5 million or more in budget the team looks forward to having for this offseason.  There is also an inherent advantage the Bureaucrats have: Michael Bender and Ronald Workman, who are two good young pitchers that are content making league minimum.  But once again, all the other miserable guys in the bullpen and dugout that no one I talked to on George Mason’s campus likes anyways have to be traded even if every deal isn’t exactly to the team’s liking.  Hopefully with some swift maneuvering before the trade deadline your team can create enough salary relief to sign two or three worthwhile replacements in free agency, who could include:

• LF Cris Palmeiro
• 2B Josh Emery
• 3B Júlio Aragón
• 2B Scott Veeck
• RF Joe Johnston
• RF Arturo Flores

All these guys have talent and are in the market for short-term contracts.  Since it does not look like Arlington will be causing the scoreboard operator much reason to sweat next season, an emphasis should be to make sure the troops coming in are capable defenders.  After some smart work in free agency and getting rid of some of the anchors that are keeping their ship from sailing, the team should be in an exciting position by the start of the 2011 season.  Saying sayonara to 2010 isn’t exactly what you all want to hear, but things have already gotten worse so performance should be better from here on out.  If the plan to get some quality seeds planted in the minors is successful, by 2012 the Bureaucrats should be in a position to maneuver to supplement there pitching staff.  It sounds like by 2012 your beloved ‘Crats will have some good hitter and pitchers, so it is safe to say by 2012 they’ll be winning…. more.