May 1, 2011: Bridgeport, CT – April was a month of mixed emotions for Bureaucrats fans as the team sits in fifth place, 4 games behind the division-leading Manchester Maulers.  For most of the month, the pitching was far better than advertised.  The team struggled mightily on the other side of the ball, though, again ranking dead last (or close to it) in several offensive categories.  Cipriano López, the team’s DH, is the only hitter who actually hit the ball with authority, so he’ll be the de facto “Batter of the Month”.  The Pitcher of the Month of April is Carlos Pérez.  He threw a stinker in his last outing, but much of that can be attributed to the defense, as three unearned runs crossed the plate in only two innings.  Even with the lousy start, Pérez still has a 28/8 K/BB ratio in 31.1 innings and a 2.59 ERA.  The two rookies, Larry Brown and David Teague, didn’t have a good month, and the ‘Crats are in for another long season if those two can’t at least provide league-average offense.  Mario Hernández also had a putrid April, but hopefully it was one of his patented cold streaks and not a major cause for concern.  The front office was fairly quiet in the season’s opening month, with minimal roster moves and a trade of minor league players.

Who’s Hot:
DH Cipriano López – .287 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .893 OPS
CL Peter Goodwin – 7 SV, 2.38 ERA, 11.1 IP, 4 K, 0.97 WHIP
MR Owen Hinton – 1-0, 0.69 ERA, 13 IP, 13 K, 1.00 WHIP
SP Carlos Pérez – 2-0, 2.59 ERA, 31.1 IP, 28 K 1.09 WHIP

Who’s Not:
CF Mario Hernández – .170 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .497 OPS
The Entire Offense – .214 AVG, 19 HR, 76 RS, .652 OPS

Injuries:
C Ronnie Johnstone was injured while running the bases.  Diagnosis: calf strain.  He’s expected to miss about 3 weeks.

Transactions:
Purchased contract of C Morihiro Minami from AAA Newport News.
RF Toshiro Takahashi was designated for assignment and placed on waivers; claimed by Manchester.
Traded 23-year-old LF Juan Ortíz to the Crystal Lake Sandgnats, getting 20-year-old SP Augusto Colomo in return.
Signed free agent LF Peter Stanley to a minor league contract.
Signed free agent CF Jorge Rivas to a minor league contract.
Signed free agent LF Takechi Hasegawa to a minor league contract.
Signed free agent CF M.  Romano to a minor league contract.
Signed free agent SS G.  Reed to a minor league contract.
Signed free agent RF G.  Moreno to a minor league contract.
MR Stan Strong was claimed off waivers from Manchester.

LHP Augusto Colomo
20 years old
2010: 11-4, 2.33 ERA, 135.1 IP, 123 K (Hi-A El Cajon – Crystal Lake)
Contract: Minor league contract

RHP Stan Strong
27 years old
2010: 3-2, 15 SV, 1.32 ERA, 41 IP, 43 K (AAA New Brunswick – Manchester)
Contract: $400,000

C Morihiro Minami
26 years old
2010: .185 AVG, 4 HR 27 RBI, .562 OPS (168 AB with Arlington)
Contract: $400,000

Notes:
GM Daniel DiVincenzo signed some minor leaguers to help add depth to the system; a much-needed move as the minor league system suffered a swathe of injuries during the month.  None of the players signed will make much of an impact.

Ronnie Johnstone was 2-for-2 in his first season as the second string catcher but quickly injured himself running the bases.  Perhaps he was not used to all the downtime that comes with his new job.  He’ll be down a few weeks, but should be back soon.  Hopefully the increased idle time doesn’t cause the 36-year-old to become too brittle.  Minami, Johnstone’s caddy last season, will fill in for Ronnie in the backup role.

Stan Strong was claimed off waivers from the Manchester Maulers and will add some depth to the Bureaucrats strong bullpen.  He has a good fastball that sits in the low-to-mid nineties but has had control problems at the major league level.  Strong won’t be a major part of the bullpen, but could be a hard-throwing option for Manager Rafael Navarro.

Outfield prospect Juan Ortíz was shipped to Crystal Lakes for a young left-handed pitcher.  Augusto Colomo excelled as a 19-year-old in A-ball last season and has been even better so far in 2011.  While Ortíz was a ranked prospect in the organization and will be missed (he’s tearing up A-ball pitching), you can’t be too upset when the return is a very young southpaw with the potential to dominate hitters.  It’s really too early to tell, but so far this trade has been a win for both organizations.

Down on the Farm:
AAA Newport News – 18-8, 2.0 GB (Second Place)
The Anchormen are off to a great start with a balance of pitching and offense.  They still trail the rampaging Jefferson County Independence, but the race remains close.  Right fielder Jason Guillén was off to a monster start before going down with a minor injury.  He’ll be back in May, though, and will be looking to add to his .462/.481/.864 triple-slash line (Ed. note: Hah!  Good luck “adding” to that!).  The team is strong up the middle, and April saw both middle infielders and the center fielder turn in a trio of good performances.  Second baseman Lee Middleton hit .404 and drove in 16 runs while shortstop José Herrera hit .333 driving in 12.  Chris York patrolled center and accumulated a solid .371 OBP while playing outstanding defense.  Ralph Gunter, tabbed by many to be the Bureaucrats third baseman of the future, knocked in 26 base runners, which ranks him second in the Global Baseball Brotherhood.

AA Hampton – 16-10, First Place
Arlington‘s double-A affiliate is also off to a nice start and are owners of a 3-game lead over the Beaufort Loggerdoggers.  The infielders crushed opposing pitching, and all but one of the starters were stellar.  Only a slightly leaky bullpen and a punchless outfield keep the Airborne from being juggernauts.  Super prospect António Carbezola has gotten off to a phenomenal start with a .337 average and a .930 OPS.  Fun fact: the youngster has walked 24 times while whiffing only three times in 120+ plate appearances.  This guy is going to be a monster.  As a team, Hampton has walked a league-leading 150 times in 26 games; that’s a lot of base runners!  On the other side of the ball, starter Javier Sáenz has been outstanding with a 3-1 record and a 27/9 K/BB ratio in 31.2 innings.  Speaking of strikeouts, setup man Juan Rodríguez ties Sáenz at 27 punch-outs, but in only 20.1 innings.  If the team’s weaknesses are addressed, Hampton could be in the hunt for the clubs first playoff berth.

A Alexandria – 9-4, First Place
The Macedonians continue the organization’s 2011 minor league success and put the entire farm system’s record at 43-22.  The deadly one-two punch of Martín Francisco and Augusto Colomo has dominated opposing hitters.  Add starter Mark Tucker and the trio has a combined 6-1 record and an ERA well under 2.00.  The offense also has a three-headed monster in Luis Cruz, Derrick Brown and Enrique Suárez.  Cruz and Brown sport ridiculous averages of .458 and .444 respectively, and Cruz has launched three bombs.  Their third musketeer, Suárez, isn’t hitting over .400 (.395) but has an insane OBP of .587: the 20-year-old lefty has walked 19 times in 13 games.  The success of Cruz is particularly uplifting as the big outfielder (6’5″, 235 lbs.) was almost released on several occasions during his two years with the organization.  Scouts projected big-time power from the Cuban, but Cruz was absolutely horrendous in 2009 and mediocre in short-season ball last summer.  That fair 2009 season and organization’s faith in their scouting allowed Cruz one more shot at professional baseball in the United States.  He’s a bit old for the level he’s at and there is no way to tell if he’ll enjoy any success in the high minors, but one thing is for sure: Luis Cruz is on Cloud Nine right now.