3/23/2011: Laredo, TX – We are back to chronicle another exciting season of Calzones baseball.  We will start this year’s coverage with a round table discussion of the Calzones.  Joining us from the Calzones will be General Manager Matt Higgins, Head Scout Héctor Nieves and Manager Manny Aguilar.

CC: First off, thanks for agreeing to sit down with me and discuss the upcoming season.  The fans of South Texas are already in a frenzy about the upcoming season.  Obviously there are high hopes for the team, but before we talk about the upcoming season, let’s address a few issues from last season and discuss some of the events of what was a very active winter.  Let’s start with how last season ended.  The Calzones, surprise contenders in what should have been year two of a rebuilding plan, were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of the season.  More importantly, it came to light later that many players on the squad were pointing the finger squarely at Barry Murdock, who at least some teammates felt had quit down the stretch.  Octávio Pexego referred to Murdock as “Misses Murdock” in an offseason interview.  There were rumors of a heated discussion and possibly fisticuffs between Murdock and Carlos Madrigal during the final week.  And the most shocking rumor of all was that someone had defecated in Barry’s locker after the final game of the season.  Barry was traded this past offseason in a deal that has been criticized in some circles.  Would any of you care to comment on exactly what did take place late last season and if it affected the decision to move Murdock?

Nieves: Barry is a fine young ballplayer who has yet to reach his full potential.  He had a decent season and showed continued progress on his way to what should be a fine career.  As for what may or may not have happened in the clubhouse, I am not privy to that information.

CC: Manager Aguilar, would you care to offer us some insight as to what really happened?

Aguilar: What happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.  That said, down the stretch we had a lot of guys who were tired and nicked up.  Some strapped it on and went to battle.  One sat in the whirlpool.  You do the math.

CC: GM Higgins, could you tell us what, if any, affect the events of late last season had on the decision to trade Murdock?

Higgins: It would be disingenuous to say that clubhouse chemistry was not part of the equation.  There were issues, but every clubhouse has issues.  In Barry’s case, we felt we really have an opportunity to compete now.  We have several of the game’s premier players in their prime.  We just could not afford to wait any longer for Barry to reach his full potential.  We had holes to fill if we wanted to make it to the next level, and trading Murdock to fill those holes made sense.  Barry was a square peg being jammed into a round hole.  He did not fit well into our batting order or into the environment in Laredo.  We love Barry as a player and we wish him nothing but the best.

CC: As usual, Calzones GM “Trader Matt” Higgins lived up to his well-deserved nickname this past offseason.  Without discussing each individual trade, let’s just quickly touch upon what those deals mean for the Calzones this season.  Recently, GM Higgins was quoted as saying the Calzones could win it all this year.  Considering the Calzones play in without a doubt the toughest division in the PEBA, a division that features defending champion Charleston, former champion New Orleans, a solid Florida squad that actually dominated the division last year, and two teams – West Virginia and Kentucky – that could begin making noise of their own very soon, are you all willing to stand by such a bold assessment?  Manager Aguilar, let’s start with you.

Aguilar: Well, if I can’t win with this squad, I need to find a new line of work.

CC: GM Higgins, any chance you will step back from those comments?

Higgins: No.  We’re throwing down the gauntlet.  Charleston‘s the champ; they have the bullseye on their back.  The pressure is on them to repeat.  The pressure is on Florida to prove that last year was no fluke.  We want to turn up the heat and let them know, here and now, game on.

CC: Héctor Nieves, as the head scout and the person who has evaluated the talent on all the teams in the division, do you care to stand behind your GM?

Nieves: We have as talented and deep an offensive team as there is in all of the PEBA.  We will score runs, but every team in the division has added good bats.  It’s been a freaking arms race over here.  We have made strides in improving our pitching, but the jury is still out if we have enough at this point.  That said, if my boss thinks we will win it this year, who am I to argue?  He knows our weaknesses as well as anyone, and will anyone be really surprised if he pulls two or three rabbits out of his hat at the trade deadline?

CC: Okay gentleman, let’s cut to the chase and discuss the 2011 Calzones roster.  You were kind enough to provide me a handout beforehand with a great deal of information about each player, such as their projected roles, projected stats, etc.  So let’s work our way around the horn, starting with catcher.  Brock Brett had been rumored to be on the trading block, as he has been slow to produce at the PEBA level despite having what the scouts believe to be a wealth of talent.  Brett has had a fine spring to this point.  Will he be the Calzones starting catcher, and if so, let’s talk about what you see from him this year?

Higgins: We go into the season with Brock Brett solidly instilled as our starting catcher.  We had some minor discussions with some teams, but his fine spring led us to believe that he was ready to turn the corner.

Aguilar: Brett came into camp in great shape, had a great attitude and has worked really hard.  We originally projected him to be our number 7 hitter, but we have begun to think about moving him up to 6, ahead of Madrigal.  Both guys are free swingers, but maybe Brett might benefit from having the veteran hit behind him.

CC: Héctor Nieves, what do you see?

Nieves: Brett has struggled in each of his first two seasons at the PEBA level, but that is to be expected from any young catcher.  He’s showing more discipline at the plate this spring and getting better pitches to hit.  We think he could realistically hit .250 this season with 18 HR and 70 RBI.  Defensively, he calls a great game and pitchers love to work with him.  He gets pitchers to work to their strengths.  He’s agile behind the plate and is adept at keeping balls in front of him.  His arm is just a tick above-average, so he needs some help from his pitchers when it comes to shutting down the running game.  Overall, we expect him to take a big step forward this year and to be in the top 5 of PEBA catchers in the next several seasons.  Probably not a superstar, but should be solid contributor during his prime.

CC: Let’s briefly address the backup catcher situation.  At this point, Iwasaki and Vélez seem to be battling it out for the spot as Brett’s caddy.  Any insight as to who will get the job?

Higgins: From the business side, Vélez has an option left; not so for Iwasaki.  So this may be one that we have to hash out at the roster deadline.

CC: Manager Aguilar, your thoughts?

Aguilar: We would love to have Iwasaki take the job.  He has great skills behind the plate and a cannon for an arm.  And we have an abundance of jackrabbits in our division, especially on the Florida and Kentucky squads.  We need someone who can shut that down, especially in the late innings.  But Vélez is making a statement with his hitting…

CC: Héctor Nieves, you’re the guy with the eye for talent; call this one for us.

Nieves: Iwasaki has great skills behind the plate, no doubt.  His arm is unmatched.  It’s a howitzer, and accurate.  He’s a shutdown catcher.  The problem is this guy wouldn’t hit the ground if he fell out of a tree.  Vélez has never lived up to his potential, but he’s still a better hitter than Iwasaki, and the difference in their defensive abilities is probably not enough to justify keeping Iwasaki.  We’ll be a better team with Vélez coming off the bench

CC: With the addition of Rubén Cruz, the Calzones have two of the game’s premier slugging first basemen.  Octávio Pexego won the Royal Raker award last season, and the addition of Cruz simply gives him better protection in the lineup.  These players are nearly identical.  Who plays first, who is the designated hitter, and who hits where in the lineup?  Manager Aguilar, take this one for us.

Aguilar: It’s impossible to differentiate between the two defensively.  If I had my way, I would burn both their gloves.  Unfortunately, the rules allow for just one DH.  We plan to just flip them back and forth, let them each get about 75 starts at 1B, 75 at DH.

CC: Whoa, that’s about 150 games each.  It’s well known that Rubén Cruz wants to be on the field every day.  In four seasons of PEBA play, he has missed a grand total of 3 games.  Do you think you can keep him off the field a dozen times without it being issue?

Aguilar: It’s a team game.  We rest our players and keep them fresh for the long run.  I make out the lineup, so it’s no issue at all.

CC: Who will hit where in the lineup?

Aguilar: We see Pexego batting fourth and Cruz batting fifth most days.  If Pexego has a day off, Cruz will bump up to fourth.

CC: Héctor Nieves, give us the scouting reports and what you forecast for each player this season.  Start with last season’s Royal Raker Award winner and fan favorite Octávio Pexego.

Héctor Nieves: It’s hard not to think that this is only the tip of the iceberg for Pexego.  He’s clearly one of the most gifted hitters in the game.  With an improved lineup in front of him he should have more RBI opportunities, and with Cruz batting behind him he should see more pitches to hit.  We think he may have hit his high water mark for average and OBP last season and maybe he is closer to his career averages in those areas this season, but we think he has just begun to tap into his power and the home runs and RBI could go up.  We think splits along the line of .310/.420/37 HR/130 RBI might be about what to expect this season.

CC: Give us the low down on Pexego’s new best friend, Rubén Cruz.

Héctor Nieves: Cruz is just an intimidating presence at the plate.  His numbers slipped last year, as did the entire New Jersey squad.  But he had a career high in walks, which tells us he just wasn’t getting good pitches to hit.  He’s just 28 so last year was probably an aberration.  We would expect numbers near his career averages.  We think .305/.400/35 HR/120 RBI are realistic expectations.

CC: GM Higgins, give us some insight into the trade that brought Cruz over to the Calzones.

Higgins: We had been searching for another solid bat to add to our lineup and had been vigorously shaking the trees, looking for something.  We had inquired multiple times about Bud Hoffman of Yuma but had not been able to get talks past the opening stages.  So when we heard Cruz was available, we moved in that direction and pulled out the stops, and between the Cruz deal and the Holloway deal we basically emptied our farm system.  But you just don’t pass up on a Cruz.  He was the IL Royal Raker winner in 2007 and he still has his best years in front of him.  Putting him in a lineup with Pexego and Miyata… that’s a GM’s dream.

CC: Let’s move on to another new Calzone, new leadoff hitter Powell Clark.  Clark was part of the deal for Barry Murdock, and this is a deal that has been widely criticized.  Clark will be a free agent after the season, and certain parties have said they believe Clark to be on the slide.  GM Higgins, why Clark?

Higgins: First, to address those that believe Clark to be on the slide – he had the second highest RBI total of his career, the highest walks total of his career and the highest SB total of his career.  What more does anyone want from this guy?  We needed a real threat at the top of our lineup.  Good OBP, can create havoc on the bases.  Clark gives us that.  You can figure this guy for a .370 OBP and 65 plus stolen bags.  He is one of the top three leadoff hitters in the game.  We want to win now and Clark gives us that chance.

CC: Manager Aguilar, much has been made of the fact that Powell may not have a set position this season.  Can you let us all know what the plan is with Clark?

Aguilar: Obviously Clark should bat leadoff about 150 times.  He is an average fielder at best, so we’ll move him around a bit and try to hide his glove where we can.  He will play second against lefties because McGinnity will not start against the southpaws.  Then he will probably play third a couple or three times a week, and maybe get an occasional start over at first if one of the big boys needs a rest.

CC: Héctor Nieves, give us the scoop on our leadoff hitter.

Nieves: Simply one of the best leadoff hitters in the game.  Hard to strike out, he sets the tone for the rest of the lineup by seeing a lot of pitches and making the pitcher work.  Then when he gets on, he can quickly take a pitcher’s mind off the batter and create havoc on the base paths.  Defensively, he’s just average at best.  While there was some flak for trading the younger Murdock, keep in mind that Powell is only 28, which puts him in his prime.  He is in his walk year, which always motivates a player, so numbers somewhat above his career averages are not out of the question this season.  He’s a lock to score 100 runs with this lineup behind him, and we tend to be aggressive on the base paths, so a new career high of 70 stolen bags is not out of the question.  He should bat at least .300 with a .370 OBP.

CC: The remainder of the infield consists of four younger players who will get varying amounts of playing time.  Let’s start with Ben McGinnity, the young speedster who figures to get the most playing time.  Manny Aguilar, break down his playing time.

Aguilar: We like the energy that McGinnity gives to our offense.  His ability to hit the balls in the gaps and his blazing speed on the base paths are exciting to watch.  He’s a game-changer.  That said, he is still young and he still has some difficulties against southpaws.  We are also asking him to make the jump from AA so we don’t want to overexpose him.  He will start at second base against right-handers most days and sit against lefties.

CC: GM Higgins, you are often criticized for not growing your own talent.  McGinnity was a tenth round draft choice of the Calzones who has made it to the PEBA with the Calzones.  Do you have anything to say to your detractors?

Higgins: Suck it, Cooley!! Suck it!!!

CC: I am not sure I follow you…

Higgins: Sorry, flashback to the day our computers went haywire and turned our scouting reports into gibberish.  Cooley called and…

CC: Okay… moving right along… Héctor Nieves, what can you tell us about our young second basemen?

Nieves: McGinnity’s biggest asset is his speed.  He’ll put the ball in the gaps and run all day.  He has shown enough potential with the bat that we believe he can be our leadoff hitter of the future.  But he’s making a big jump and we need to be patient with our expectations for this season.  Two or three years down the line, we should easily see 50 doubles and 50 stolen bags from this exciting player.  His plate discipline should get better as he grows.  He has above average defensive skills and great footwork around the bag.  We see him getting about 400 AB this season and we are hopeful he can hold his own with maybe a .260 average, .330 OBP, maybe 30 stolen bags.

CC: Rule 5 pick Keith Eby was expected to get the starting third base job after Michael Kelly was dealt, but rumblings now are that Víctor Puente has been called up from the minor league camp and will be given a shot to compete for playing time at third.  Where do we stand with these two players?  Manny Aguilar, give us your take.

Aguilar: We like Eby, especially his glove, and he has some nice power, but his lack of plate discipline is a concern.  We discussed it internally and felt that Puente would be a better fit in our lineup.  Despite the fact that the youngster has never played a single professional game, he has the skills to be successful.  His plate discipline is the key; we need the guys at the bottom of the lineup to just put the ball in play.  Puente should start against lefties and get an occasional start against right-handers, while Eby will come off the bench as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement.

CC: Héctor Nieves, give us your take on both these young players.

Nieves: Eby is a fine-looking player.  Good defensive skills, soft hands, good power.  But as Manny pointed out, the plate discipline remains a concern.  A bench role is best until he begins to get more selective.  As for Puente, he has decent defensive skills and a cannon for an arm, but his hands are not as soft as Eby’s.  But Puente shows much better plate discipline and could hit for just as much power as Eby.  The question mark is can he go from a sandlot league in Costa Rica to a contributing role at the PEBA level?  Time will tell.  With Clark playing some of the time at third, neither player will get overexposed and hopefully the experience they gain in limited roles this season will translate into them being prepared to take on more playing time next season.

CC: In order to make room for Puente on the roster, enigmatic Jack Cobb was designated for assignment.  Would anyone like to comment?

Higgins: Good Riddance.

CC: With that, let’s look at the last player on the infield, Mauro “Pac-Man” Pacheco.  Pacheco is a refugee from the Mexican League, where he earned a reputation as one of the finest glove men in the business.  Manny Aguilar, how do you see Pacheco’s role?

Aguilar: We love Pacheco.  He solidifies our infield defense.  There is nothing that this guy can’t gobble up.  Great footwork around the bag, soft hands, plus arm.  He’s a pitcher’s best friend.  He will be our starter at shortstop and we could care less if he hits.  We just want to be strong up the middle, and he is hands down the favorite to win the All-Leather Award at SS in the IL.  He will bat 9^th most days.

CC: Héctor Nieves, give us the scouting report on Pac-Man.

Nieves: Maybe Manny should be the scout; he just summed up Pacheco quite nicely.  He’s a glove man.  The best.  He makes all the plays.  What might be a surprise is that he might be a bit underrated with the bat.  He is difficult to strike out.  He walks three times as often as he strikes out.  He won’t hit for average, but he has put up a career OBP that is nearly 100 points higher than his average.  That’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked.  He will swipe about 15 bags a season, so pitchers shouldn’t go to sleep out there.  He does all the little things well and can drop a bunt with the best of them.  Expect him to not only win an All-Leather Award but to also lead the league in sacrifice bunts and drag bunts for base hits.  Not a superstar, but he’s a gamer.

CC: Thank you, gentleman.  Let’s take a short break, grab some fresh coffee and come back to talk about the rest of the offense.

Part Two of Calzones Corner: Calzones Season Preview will run tomorrow.