Featherheads Introduce New GM

Message

klewis · #1 Post by **klewis** » Sat May 03, 2008 3:13 am

12/9/2007: Jacksonville, FL - The Florida Featherheads passed to new ownership after onlyNew GM Jason Parker has a clear vision for the Featherheads future one year in existence, where the team finished 3rd-worst in PEBA with a 69-93 record. With many holes in the roster and not much payroll to work with, new GM Jason Parker has his hands full. Parker, however, sees reason for optimism.

"The Featherheads organization has an excellent farm system, which I expect to produce the players we need to form the basis of a contender. My philosophy has always been to build from the bottom up and use free agency only as a last resort to bolster the roster. This strategy will work well in Florida, where payroll restrictions dictate that we develop our own talent.

I believe the offense can be much more productive than people anticipate. While the numbers from last year aren't pretty, Farmer Field is one of the toughest ballparks on hitters in the PEBA. Our offense doesn't have to put up astronomical numbers; we just have to score more runs than the other team."

And just what does Parker think about the team's young hitters?
"There is a lot of young talent in our lineup that should only get better. 1B Tsumemasa Morimoto has one of the most powerful bats in the PEBA. With some protection, there is no reason why he can't hit 30-40 homers every year. We have some youngsters with absolutely amazing potential, including 3B António Coronado, SS Mark Richardson, and RF Kwang-chih Zhu. It may yet be a few years before they reach their ceiling, but we are blessed to have such a solid core of guys to build around."

As far as pitching goes, Parker indicated that he considered it the most important part of the team.

Don't be fooled by the poor stats; at just 19, Saunders future is positively brilliant"Anytime you can get a quality start, you have a great chance of winning. Right now our rotation lacks stability, but we are working on that. Héctor Gutiérrez and Chris Saunders, 20 and 19 respectively, should occupy the top two spots of the rotations for years to come. We are also very encouraged to have an excellent bullpen, anchored by veteran closer Ben Ellis and young studs Jesse Powell and Shigochiyo Hayashi."

So what should Featherheads fans expect in the upcoming year? Parker indicated that the team is not planning on doing anything drastic, preferring to continue to develop their young talent. Realistically, the team is a few years away from contention, but there is cause for optimism in the heads of the Featherheads.

Sandgnats (Bill) · #2 Post by **Sandgnats (Bill)** » Sat May 03, 2008 4:34 am

Welcome Jason!

There is an awful lot to absorb with PEBA, so I won't fill your head with any additional info. I just wanted to say good luck and don't be afraid to post away on here and ask questions. You may not like the answer, but I guarantee you one thing, you will get help with your question! John/commish is awesome! He's very quick with his responses and is a fountain of information.

Have fun with Florida and welcome to the world of PEBA!

klewis · #3 Post by **klewis** » Sat May 03, 2008 9:15 pm

Ive found everything to be extremely helpful so far. I'm thinking this will be a lot of fun once my team gets going, right now its a matter of getting acquainted with everything.

Tyler · #4 Post by **Tyler** » Sat May 03, 2008 9:31 pm

Featherheads wrote:Ive found everything to be extremely helpful so far. I'm thinking this will be a lot of fun once my team gets going, right now its a matter of getting acquainted with everything.

I too am counting down the days to the season opener. It'll be fun not to have the Florida series be rollovers anymore.

#5 Post by **Hitmen** » Sat May 03, 2008 10:00 pm

Coal Sox wrote:
Featherheads wrote:Ive found everything to be extremely helpful so far. I'm thinking this will be a lot of fun once my team gets going, right now its a matter of getting acquainted with everything.
I too am counting down the days to the season opener. It'll be fun not to have the Florida series be rollovers anymore.

Don't worry. Florida will still beat you.

Tyler · #6 Post by **Tyler** » Sat May 03, 2008 10:02 pm

Hitmen wrote:
Coal Sox wrote:
Featherheads wrote:Ive found everything to be extremely helpful so far. I'm thinking this will be a lot of fun once my team gets going, right now its a matter of getting acquainted with everything.
I too am counting down the days to the season opener. It'll be fun not to have the Florida series be rollovers anymore.
Don't worry. Florida will still beat you.

Yeah, that's the thing, they never were.