Intrigue Abounds as Confidential Maulers’ Memo Leaked
Monday, March 4, 2011
L.H. Thompson,
Intrigue has enlivened what has otherwise been a typical offseason of “promising moves” made by the Manchester Maulers baseball club. As Manchester-ites prepare for what will almost certainly be another year of soul-crushing, foul “baseball” offered by the local 9, the Boutique has laid its dirty hands on a document so befuddling – nay, shocking! – that it demands exposure in the cleansing light of day.
That such a document, which positively lauds the Maulers’ offseason moves and rejoices in the club’s chances of competing for the Pan-Atlantic title, was leaked from the Maulers’ front office is hardly surprising. Discerning readers will recall that such leaks have become rites of passage for the Maulers in this era of incompetence ushered in by Manchester GM and insufferable jackass Jeff Dudas. That the annual appearance of such “confidential” documents has been the product of cynical calculation meant to fuel flagging season ticket sales can hardly be disputed. The giveaway – the illegible scrawl at the bottom of such documents that approximates the letters “J”, “R” and “D” – signals that these are nothing but propaganda pieces meant to dupe the good residents of
But this year’s leaked document differs radically from its predecessors. It is, in the first place, full of actual baseball insight and not the typical pap offered by Dudas. Instead of depictions of stiffs like Glen Hester as “the reincarnation of Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby, combined!” we get frank assessments such as this one of middle reliever Rafael Pérez: “Pérez’s PEBA career thus far has sucked bad. Still, we might be able to get 60 serviceable innings out of him for little more than the league minimum. It’s worth a shot.”
The second notable difference of this year’s leaked memo – the omission of those three awful letters at its bottom and their substitution with the clear, confident script “Morris Cooley” – makes it legitimately intriguing. Indeed, this memo hints at scandal. Why is Morris – my dear, damaged friend and current Manchester Head Scout – putting his name to this apparently forthright assessment of the state of the 2011 Maulers? Is it possible that he actually penned it? If so, what could this mean? Has Morris taken on a new, elevated (if so far hidden) role in the Maulers organization? And what of that nincompoop Dudas? Is it possible that this document, which lacks all of his identifying mania, points to his displacement from authority?
The document itself, dear readers, asks more questions than it resolves. Let us thus judge it for ourselves:
Executive Summary:
This year’s Maulers’ club is a legitimate contender for the Pan-Atlantic Division title. It will be a struggle and there remain significant concerns about the depth of this team (at both major and minor league levels), but the improvements made in the major league roster over the last several months are notable and manifest. If all goes well, the Maulers project to between 86-90 victories, which just may be enough to win what appears to be a division without a dominant team.
Starting Pitching
Yoritoki Ando: Ando is very close to emerging as an elite starter. His fastball reaches into the high 90’s. Combined with pinpoint control and dazzling command over 7 (!) above-average pitches, Ando is on the precipice of greatness.
Kirby Gibson: Gibson remains a very good, if not elite, starter. A late addition to the Maulers’ squad, Gibson retains outstanding command of 3 very good pitches and an adequate changeup. He can still pile up the strikeouts in bunches and should be a very good influence on Ando. Together, Ando and Gibson give the Maulers a potent 1-2 punch.
Jesús González: A command lefty who has consistently gotten the most out of middling stuff. He is well suited to succeed in Whiten Field [Ed. note: Whiten Field is the home stadium for the Manchester Maulers]. His pitches have downward movement, resulting in a goodly number of ground balls; González will be helped greatly by the Maulers’ superb infield defense.
Luis Peña: Coming off a disappointing season, Peña should provide at the very least league average starting pitching. Peña was a stud in New Jersey but suffered last year from a lack of run support and, especially, inconsistent outfield defense. The additions of Martin Griffin in centerfield and Katsu Kichida in leftfield should benefit Peña more than any other
Ryan Dawson, Alberto Magana, & Augusto Torres: The top 4 spots in the rotation are secure; the #5 spot is unsettled. Each of these guys has some ability; each also is a big question mark.
Relief Pitching
Carlos Antonio: Veteran lefty who features an excellent fastball and changeup. Control is an issue, as he issues far too many walks. Is capable of missing a lot of bats. He could work his way into the late-inning rotation.
Rafael Pérez: Pérez’s PEBA career thus far has sucked bad. Still, we might be able to get 60 serviceable innings out of him for little more than the league minimum. It’s worth a shot. He figures to be used in middle relief or in lefty-lefty matchups.
Álex Valdés: Was expected to offer solid middle relief, as his groundball-centric tendencies play well in Whiten Field. Blew out his arm last week in Spring Training and is out for the season.
Stan Strong: A contender to make the team; he’ll be trying to earn the last spot out of the bullpen. He’s had limited success in the PEBA, but he’s also struggled badly at times. He struggles with his command but does a good job of keeping the ball in the park. If he makes the team, it will be in long relief.
Nelson Ortíz: Absolute stud in the making. A power lefty who throws in the mid-90s with outstanding command. He should be the #1 setup option by June, if not earlier.
Kent Murphy: Veteran right-handed setup man whose pitches have tremendous movement. It’s very hard for batters to square up against Murphy. All that movement does mean that sometimes he loses command, so he needs to be watched carefully in close games.
Octávio Estrada: Veteran right-hander who has preternatural control over 3 mediocre pitches. Best suited to middle relief. He’ll eat some innings and hopefully keep games close; little more than that should be expected.
Rob Monroe: Most likely a AAAA middle reliever. If everything breaks right for him, he might make the team and contribute some useful innings in long relief.
Augusto León: Superstar closer – one of the best in the PEBA. León throws a high-90s fastball with tremendous movement and a brutal power sinker that makes the best hitters look foolish. The key to the Maulers bullpen this year will be how well it can bridge from the starters to get to León.
Infield
Catcher:
Juan Jose Benítez/Francesco Amati: Benítez is the starter here and there is a lot to like about him. He calls a good game, blocks the plate well and throws effectively. Benítez is an emerging hitter blessed with superb plate discipline and gap power. Amati is a strong-armed backup with big power and terrible plate discipline. He will again serve as an adequate caddy for Benítez.
First Base:
Kikugoro Memeto: Arguably the best hitter in the Japanese Major League over the previous 4 seasons, Memeto is a major addition to the Maulers’ lineup. A slugging left-handed hitter with excellent plate discipline, Memeto will find Whiten Field’s short porch in right field to his liking. His middling defense, however, makes him the weak link in an otherwise impressive defensive infield.
Second Base:
Todd Hanna: The future is now for this 2007 1st round draft pick. Hanna plays a superior second base with terrific range and a very sure glove. He has legitimate gap power but will not hit many homeruns. Hanna possesses an intuitive feel for the strike zone and should maintain a high on-base percentage. An excellent baserunner but only a pedestrian base-stealer, Hanna figures to bat leadoff.
Shortstop:
Silas Boone/Jeff Goulding: Both rookies, neither Boone nor Goulding have the same pedigree as does Hanna. Of the two, Boone is the better shortstop but Goulding is more versatile. I have lingering doubts about whether either of them can hit enough to become above-average PEBA players. Boone can appear lazy and disinterested at times, while Goulding has so far relied upon an abnormally high batting average on balls in play (BABIP) that may or may not translate into PEBA success. The ability of one of these guys to emerge as a league average player is key to the Maulers’ chances this season.
Third Base:
Scott Brown: Switch-hitting, power-hitting, slick-fielding player who has never garnered more than 300 at-bats in a season. He’s never shown the consistency to be an everyday player in the PEBA, but he’ll get his chance this season. He’s smart and a hard-worker and will, at the very least, provide outstanding defense at the hot corner. As important as it is that either Boone or Goulding emerge at shortstop, it’s probably more important that Brown shows himself to be a viable everyday player. There is little organizational depth at third base; if Brown flames out, the Maulers will be in trouble.
Utility Infielder:
Juan Ríos: The good: Ríos is a terrific and versatile defender; he is very smart and hard working; he possesses a strong command of the strike zone; and he has legitimate gap power and perhaps more. The bad: None of these things may be enough to enable Ríos to be anything more than a marginal PEBA player, even as a utility infielder. His bat speed can be very slow and he has had a hard time catching up with good pitching at the PEBA level. He could be a capable replacement if a starter suffers a short-term injury. Anything more than that would be stretching it.
Outfield
Left Field:
Katsu Kichida: The second of the Japanese major leaguers brought to
Center Field:
Martin Griffin: Outstanding center fielder with great range and a strong arm. The big question mark about
Right Field:
Mario Martínez: A big buy who runs surprisingly well for his size. Martínez has big-time power and figures to again take advantage of Whiten Field’s dimensions to boost his power numbers. Martínez shows good plate discipline but hits for a low average and strikes out too much to be considered an elite hitter. An adequate right fielder, Martínez is best suited to DH. The arrival of Manny López, however, means that Martínez will play in the field.
Reserve Outfielders:
Ramón Camacho/Miguel Dueñas: One of these guys will make the team, and possibly both will. Camacho is an excellent corner outfielder with an advanced approach at the plate; he rarely swings at bad pitches. Unfortunately, he lacks big-time power and probably has a ceiling as a 4th or 5th outfielder. Dueñas plays all of the outfield positions well, has a consistent line-drive swing, and is an outstanding baserunner. Dueñas is coming off a very good season at AAA and is still young, but I worry about his lack of power and merely average plate discipline.
Designated Hitter:
Manny López: López has tremendous raw power and a fairly decent command of the strike zone. When he is locked in, he is one of the most dangerous hitters in PEBA. However, he is coming off a serious injury that will keep him out of Spring Training entirely, so he may well show some rust in the early part of the season. López is a butcher in the field and cannot be trusted to play a competent first base at this point in his career. When he’s not DH’ing, he’ll have to come off the bench.
— Morris Cooley