Dobney Fires Back

[Jason]

Bryan Dobney is not a terribly large person and he does not have all that short of a fuse. However, when the Cyclones GM gets going – as he did earlier this week – his rants are a sight to behold. They often include acts of physical violence on inanimate objects and foaming at the mouth. Dobney had just such a moment earlier this week as the combination of his team starting September on a 1-6 skid and several fairly pointed comments from the beat writer of his brother Brad Dobney's team, the Canton Longshoremen, sent him over the edge. "How do we go 20-9 in August, lose a negative contributor (Miguel Angel Hernández), and still manage to completely melt down for an entire week?" queried the red-faced Dobney. "How could one guy with an OPS of .644 make that big of a difference? We are going to get a fire lit under these guys for the last month and make a push for a .500 record, which we think will attract a few fans."

It would be completely unfair to say that the performance of his team is the lone factor in Dobney's recent bouts with rage. Comments made by Canton Repository writer Frank Terry were also met with much disapproval. “I read the write-ups for most of the teams around the league, but especially for Canton, Duluth, and Yuma. Those teams are run by my brothers and it is one of our objectives to finish above them." However, Dobney was infuriated by what he felt was a pot shot at the Cyclones made by Frank Terry. "The fact that he went after Kevin Costner was irresponsible, but putting the photo of our part-owner Mike Owen as his illustration for the term 'pants' was across the lines of human decency." Owen, who bought partial stake in the club shortly after its foundation due to his "unnatural fascination with tornadoes”, has been instrumental in supplying funds for the recent contract renewals with RF Armando Santana and SP Norris Moncrieff. However, due to his employment overseas, Owen was unavailable for comment on the slanderous illustration. "It just really ticks me off that the home town team can't provide the writer with decent entertainment or fodder for articles. He should have left well enough alone but instead he has to turned the heat up in Cyclones-Longshoremen rivalry even more than before." When confronted with the possibility the Terry was unaware of Owen's stake in the club, Dobney replied, "I highly doubt that."
News N' Notes:

- After signing a 2 year extension, Norris Moncrieff picked up the August SL Pitcher of the Month Award. Says Dobney: "After he lost 4 times in 5 starts to begin the season, this guy has shown us why he should be a part of our rotation. I was hoping he would get hurt or stranded on a desert island or something, but he has come around and we are happy to have him for the next 2 years."

- The development of Narahiko Imada, which was supposed to be a 2 year process, is ahead of schedule. The Japanese slugger has hit 10 HR and driven in 37 runs in the last 2 months while batting .261. "He is not the player he can be yet, but these last 2 months he has shown some progress at the plate that has encouraged us in the FO."

- And when Reno visits town on September 12 it will be "Miguel Angel Hernández is Finally Hurt Pennant Night", presented by CitiBank. Each fan 11 and under will get a pennant depicting the Omaha shortstop's debilitating rotator cuff injury at the exact moment it happened. "I really hope he gets mad and either hits the ball or quits... I don't care which," says Dobney.