March 14, 2011
featuring Serenity Summers, A.K & Nelly

Sudden Impact (Part 2 of 2)

1B Kikugoro Memoto (Manchester)
Serenity
Last edition, we left off in the Pan-Atlantic Division with Connecticut‘s Chandler Davis.  In this edition, we start off by continuing the Pan-Atlantic theme.  Coming off a division crown in 2009, the Manchester Maulers expected to defend their title in 2010.  Lucrative free agent contracts to Luis Peña and Mario Martínez showed management’s faith in the team’s chances to repeat as division champs.  Unfortunately for the Maulers, a repeat was not in order.  Maulers fans witnessed their team go from first to worst.  The disappointing play led to a fire sale, including the trading of franchise player Michael Kelly.  With all that behind them, Manchester hopes to now go from worst to first in the Pan-Atlantic Division.  A big part of their rebound plan includes one of Japan‘s most cherished players in Kikugoro Memoto.  The Pat Lilly of Japanese baseball, Memoto’s accolades include 4 All-Star selections and a Saiyu-shu-senshu Award (Batter of the Year).

A.K.
Wowzers!  Talk about a sudden impact!  Memoto was like Elvis over in Japan!  The guy was a rock star and rightfully so!  He’s done it all in the LRS!  How many times do you see a “Batter of the Year” and reigning champion (won the Neo-Tokyo Cup with the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors) defect to another team?!  Not only did he leave the Warriors, but he left the entire league!  That’s why you gotta love baseball, baby!  Anything can happen on any given Sunday!

Memoto brings instant credibility to a Maulers’ offense that ranked near the bottom of most offensive categories last season.  Here’s how I would describe the Memoto signing.  It’s like back in junior high when you first heard that juicy gossip that the most unpopular kid in school scored a date with the head cheerleader.  It makes you look at that kid in a different light.  Now all the girls at the school want to date that kid too.  The same thing with Manchester.  That’s why Kirby Gibson signed with the Maulers.  Good ol’ Kirby wanted a piece of Manchester after he found out that the team scored the hottest player on either side of the ocean.

That is what Memoto brings to the table, baby!  Not only is he an offensive juggernaut, but he brings stability to a franchise that had a dismal 2010 season.  This signing gives hope to all the Manchester fans out there.  You can surely bet that fans were not happy about the loss of fan favorite Michael Kelly.  The signing of Memoto immediately gives fans a recognizable name to identify the team with.  Aside from the intangibles, Memoto’s dangerously scary bat will be expected to carry the load all season long in Manchester.   Promising youngster Todd Hanna and fellow countryman, Katsunosuki Kichida will help shoulder the offensive load, but not no mistake about it; it is Memoto who will drive the Manchester engine!  With that said, this acquisition is definitely “sudden impact” label worthy!  Not only will Memoto impact games with his bat, but his name alone has already impacted fan morale and ticket sales.

Nelly
How can you knock a guy that has recently won a championship and voted as the best hitter in baseball?  You can’t.  Well, maybe you can, or rather I can.  Just like the American dollar, ballplayers imported from another league are susceptible to value loss when you bring it to another country.  Ki-tong Pei, Tetsui Sakai, Jun Saikawa and Josh Emery come to mind.  If you are into all that hocus pocus kind of stuff, then you surely are aware of Ryuichi Yamauchi.  If Memoto craps out, you can surely bet some fans will deem it a Japanese curse of sorts.

My biggest beef with the Memoto signing is not the signing itself but the timing of the signing.  With the fire sale that happened last year, it was clear that Manchester had many holes in their team.  Man, they needed to take their lumps and rebuild.  Large sums of dough were given to Memoto, Kichida and Gibson.  As much parity as the Pan-Atlantic has shown, Manchester still has some holes to fill.  These acquisitions are just putting a band-aid on things – an expensive band-aid, to boot!  These signings have placed Manchester in the red.  That’s the thing with free agency.  It’s like the housing market.  Everyone and their grandma were jumping into the market buying houses in hopes of ridiculous profit.  Sadly, most of these people were buying houses using money that they do not have.  As history has shown lately, jumping into the market without real money is just asking for trouble.  Manchester has placed their bets on Memoto and company to turn around the team.  Another losing season or free agent disappointment and it could very well be a collapse – not a housing market collapse but a collapse of a franchise.

 SP Kiyoemon Takeda (Crystal Lake)
Serenity
Just as Memoto is expected to bring his dominant LRS game to the PEBA, Crystal Lake awaits for their equivalent in two-time LRS Sawamura Award (Pitcher of the Year) winner Kiyoemon Takeda.  Unlike Memoto, Takeda is not expected to carry the team.  Takeda is fortunate to be pitching in an All-Star rotation that includes names such as Norberto Pacheco, Nelson Anderson, José Cruz and Bryan Stewart.  The former Japanese pitching star is expected to just fit and blend in.  Make no mistake about it, though; Takeda’s main job is to bring home a championship that Crystal Lake desperately salivates after.  Crystal Lake hopes Takeda is the final piece to the puzzle, similar to Víctor Matos‘s sudden impact on defending champs Charleston.

A.K.
Goodness gracious, baby!  This pick up is just plain sexy!   This addition makes Crystal Lake my preseason pick to go all the way!  Not only did the LRS lose one of its best hitters, but it also lost its best pitcher!  You can see why people deem Crystal Lake as one half of the Evil Empire.  Well, I go one step further!  Takeda is the antithesis of Robin Hood!  Instead of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, Crystal Lake steals from the poor and gives to the rich (themselves)!

All you need to know about Takeda is that he has a sub-2.50 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP over his career.  For good measure, you can throw in his 71% winning percentage!  I don’t care if he is pitching in Japan, the United States, Zimbabwe or Mars – the guy will get the job done no matter which country or planet he is pitching on!  At 36 years old, it is clear what Crystal Lake had in mind with this signing.  Takeda was brought in to do what Crystal Lake has failed to do in the last several years; he was brought in to finish the job against the likes of Aurora, Palm Springs and Charleston.

Besides being a gifted pitcher, the best thing I like about this move is that it prevented competing teams from acquiring Takeda’s services.  With all that money available, you can surely bet league rival Bakersfield was in the running.  Getting Takeda is like a double whammy.  Not only do you make your own team stronger but you prevent your rivals from getting stronger.  This is huge, baby!  It would be along the lines of Apple hiring the top nerd programmer away from the clutches of Microsoft!

Nelly
It’s hard to see any negatives with this signing.  Crystal Lake has loads of money so who cares if Takeda somehow flops.  The only way I see this as a failure is if Takeda fails to complete his job.  Like my partner A.K. said, his job is to lead this team to the coveted Rodríguez Cup.  If Crystal Lake fails to win a championship during Takeda’s tenure then it is a failure.  When you are as talented as Crystal Lake, anything less than a championship is a failure.

As I already mentioned with international players, you can usually expect a production drop when making the jump to the PEBA.  You also have to wonder if this is the year where Father Time finally catches up to Takeda.  At 36 years old, the baseball biological clock is ticking away.  Takeda is approaching the age where arms just do not simply bounce back as fast as they do.  Looking at Takeda’s history, his amazing health could ultimately lead to his undoing.  His health and lack of injuries has allowed him to rack up the innings year in and year out.  All these innings along with the wear and tear on the arm will eventually take its toll on him.

On top of his age, you have to factor in the culture shock.  Whereas Kikugoro Memoto has Yoritoki Ando and Katsunosuki Kichida, Takeda is all alone in Crystal Lake.  So not only will Takeda have to tackle on an entire new league, he’ll have to familiarize himself with a whole new environment.  That can be tough for anyone, let alone a baseball player who has the added pressure of a collective city thirsting for a championship.  Oh well, maybe he can buy some friends with that hefty contract.

SS Barry Murdock (Crystal Lake)
Serenity
Staying with the Crystal Lake theme, we put our focus on the young and talented Barry Murdock.  Murdock, a former Thoroughbred, reunites with his former teammate Eduardo Molina.  Crystal Lake hopes lightning will strike twice with ex-Kentucky players.

A.K.
People may think I am on the Crystal Lake payroll after reading this, but the acquisition of Murdock is hands down the best offseason move of 2010-2011!  This move is the epitome of sudden impact.  I am so jealous of this move.  It makes me wish I thought of it first!  Let me break it down for you guys!  Not only does this move help Crystal Lake win now but it helps them in the future.  At 24 years old, Murdock has plenty of stupendous years ahead of him.  Not only is the future bright with Murdock but let’s not forget he’s already a two-time All-Star!  He’s already an established star awaiting mega-stardom!  He is what scouts call a five-tool player!  The kid can hit for average, hit for power, run, field and throw!

The beauty of this move is that it killed so many birds with one stone.  Heck, it killed an entire flock of birds!  First, Crystal Lake received a player that immediately upgrades their infield.  Second, Crystal Lake was able to jettison some overpaid and declining ballplayers (Powell Clark and Manny López) – players that Crystal Lake was not planning to re-sign, I may add!  So let’s recap for you guys out there; Crystal Lake got the youngest, cheapest and best player in the deal.  Here’s something scary to ponder.  Murdock will team up with top prospect Chris Holmes and last season’s Wunderkind, Sok-man Yi, to form a deadly infield for seasons to come.  Third, shedding Clark’s and López’s salaries also played part in the ability to sign Kiyoemon Takeda.

So there you have it, folks!  That’s how you build an Evil Empire!  Good teams learn how to add talent while reloading at the same time!  With additions like Murdock and Sok-man Yi, Crystal Lake not only got better but younger and cheaper, too!  I have no problem drooling at this deal because this deal is absolutely scrumptious, baby!  These are the type of deals GMs dream about at night!

Nelly
I don’t think Murdock will be a significant upgrade over Clark.  Murdock’s impact on Crystal Lake will be minimal compared to the other guys we chronicled.  In fact, I would say that Barry Murdock is overrated.  Yeah, you heard me: OVERRATED.  Sure, he’s got the tools to be one of the top 20 players in the game, but I have yet to see him put it all together.  He just does not work hard at maximizing his skills.  He’s got a million dollar body and a 10 cent head.

For a two-time All-Star, he sure does have a lot of holes in his game.  He’s a career .240 hitter and gets on base less than 31% of the time!  If you don’t believe me, look at his career numbers.  I dare ya.  I know the Murdock backers will say that his career numbers are skewed because of his early years where he was still a kid in the league.  I’ll remove the overrated label from him when he bats over .300.  Until then… OVERRATED.

Besides being overrated and over-hyped, Murdock is just plain soft and selfish.  There is a reason why he already has been on 3 ball clubs while entering his 5^th year in the league.  He’s not a leader and sports that “me” mentality.  It’s all about the money with him.  If you want proof of how soft he is and him not being a team player, look no further than last September.  While with San Antonio, Murdock “injured” his back while running the bases.  After that game, he sat out two weeks with “back soreness”.  First of all, who the heck injures their back while running the bases?  Second of all, how do you let a “sore back” sideline you for two weeks?  Keep in mind that this all occurred while San Antonio was desperately fighting for their playoff lives!  That, my friend, is just an example of how soft Murdock is.  Rub some dirt on it and play the game, boy!

2B Artie Marsh (Bakersfield)
Serenity
Similar to Crystal Lake, Bakersfield has had playoff success with three consecutive playoff appearances from 2007-2009.  Despite the playoff success, Bakersfield failed to qualify for the playoffs last season.  Fans this year will have a hard time looking at the left side of the Bears’ infield.  Since the inception of the franchise, talented infielders Bob Petersen and Theodore Boyd have anchored the left side.  With both not re-signed, the Bears hope that newcomer Artie Marsh can help fill the void.

A.K.
Here we go again, discussing another former New Jersey player!  I like Marsh a lot.  Although he will not be playing SS or 3B, I like Marsh’s offensive consistency over Petersen and Boyd.  Bakersfield will still have to find defensive players to replace those two, but Marsh can certainly make up for the offensive loss.  If Nelly wants to throw around the overrated tag, then I will use the underrated tag for Artie Marsh!  Can you believe that he has never made an All-Star game?!  We’re talking about one of the better top-of-the-order hitters in all of the PEBA!  He’s a .300 hitter that knows how to get on base and score some runs.  Not only will he score runs but he will knock them in, too!

Lacking proven infielders, Marsh gives Bakersfield at least one infielder they can rely on.  Marsh’s arrival also gives Bakersfield the legit leadoff hitter that they sorely have been seeking.  With bangers like Pat Lilly and Jude Pew, you can expect Marsh to pile on the runs throughout the season!  Plain and simple, Marsh is a perfect fit for the team.  With one player, Bakersfield immediately upgrades two of their weaknesses: infield and leadoff hitting.

I’m predicting a big year out of Marsh in 2011!  All-Star, baby!  Marsh is entering the prime in his career and has shown improvement each and every season.  He’s a hard worker and student of the game.  This is the year he breaks out as a star!

Nelly
The problem with Marsh is that he is a flawed player.  He is a first baseman or designated hitter without power.  For several seasons, he has been masked as a second baseman.  So-called experts will probably dispute me on this claim.  They would be quick to point out that Marsh led PEBA in assists (461) and range (5.05) last season amongst second basemen.  Sure, that’s great and all, but the dude has butterfingers and a peashooter arm!  He also led PEBA second basemen with 17 errors!  His .979 fielding percentage is atrocious!  I sure hope the center fielder is ready to back up any ground ball up the middle because chances are that it will go through the 5-hole!  Bears catchers better run down the first base line on any ground ball because Marsh will surely short-arm one!  Between Marsh and the terrible-fielding Josh Emery, Bakersfield pitchers have got their work cut out.  Thank goodness Bakersfield drafted all those relievers!  They will surely be put to the test this upcoming season.  Fans better hope for a “Batting Helmet” promotion night because that’s what they will need once you see these infielders airmailing balls into the stands.

Another thing to note about Marsh is that he has been injured every single season of his career.  Luckily for him, he has yet to suffer a major injury.  I would not be surprised though if Marsh finds himself on the DL a few times this year.

3B Michael Kelly (Tempe)
(Ed Note: This afternoon it was announced that Kelly is on the move yet again, this time from Tempe to our own Florida Featherheads!  This article was written prior to the announcement of the deal.)
Serenity
“Playoffs” and “Tempe” are not two words that are usually spoken in the same sentence (or paragraph, for that matter).  However, last season Tempe gave fans one fantastic ride, including whispers of a playoff run.  My apologies to Conan McCullough, but Markus Hancock cemented himself as the best pitcher in the game last season.  On the arm of Hancock, Temple finished above .500 for the first team in their history.  This season Temple hopes to complete their playoff goal with the addition of 4-time All-Star Michael Kelly.  Kelly and 2010 midseason pickup Orlando García are expected to carry the offensive load.

A.K.
I’ve always been a Kelly fan.  He’s just a professional baseball player, baby!  I love the way he fields his position.  He has soft hands and excellent footwork.  Voters apparently agree with me because he is a 4-time All-Leather recipient!  Not only does he play defense, but he plays offense too!  You can expect about a .300 average, 25 dingers and 90 RBI a season with Kelly.  How many players in the PEBA can you say have 4 consecutive All-Star selections and All-Leather Awards?  That’s a trivia question for ya, baby!  Somebody ask Jeeves for the answer!

Kelly will certainly provide sudden impact for Tempe.  He gives them an offensive presence in the middle of the lineup.  The team can certainly use the help.  Last season, the offense was just anemic.  Tempe ranked 10^th in the Sovereign League in runs scored and on base percentage.  Main offensive contributors Waylon Whaley and José Trujillo have departed via free agency, so Kelly’s arrival is just what the doctor ordered, baby!  Furthermore, he will help pitchers with his great defense.  Hancock and Chet Collins will appreciate that!  That’s what I like about Kelly; he impacts the game both offensively and defensively.  Even if he slumps with the bat, he still can help a team with his slick glove.  You cannot say that every player out there.  Some guys are useless to a team when they are in a batting slump, but not Michael Kelly!  No sir!  This 2011 season you can expect another All-Star selection and All-Leather Award.  Book it!

Nelly
Call it a hunch or whatever, but I have a feeling Kelly is in for a slide.  He seems to have hit the “30-year-old wall”.  Defensively, Kelly is still excellent at the hot corner.  Offensively, however, I think his game is in for a slide.  After the trade to San Antonio, he was just terrible.  He batted only .230 with a sub-.750 OPS.  It was just so embarrassing that San Antonio wasted little time to ship off Scooter to another team.  In fact, he has failed to replicate his magical 2008 season.  Since then, his numbers have continued to drop and drop.  His numbers are dropping faster than a fashion model’s weight!  Expect Kelly’s power numbers to drop even further in Tempe.  Knights Stadium is not a friendly park when it comes to the long ball.

Tempe fans will also be disappointed that Kelly lacks leadership abilities.  That was evident in Manchester.  After helping Manchester to a division title in 2009, Kelly failed to rally the troops in 2010.  Manchester continued to lose and Kelly did nothing to right the ship.  Then, after the trade to San Antonio, Kelly failed to deliver under the pressure.  Here’s a fun fact for you guys: Kelly has a career postseason batting average of .043!  That’s one hit in 23 postseason at bats!  The guy is a choker and you can’t count on him when it matters.

In fact, sources have told me that Tempe has Kelly on the trading block (Ed Note: Your sources are quite credible, Nelly!).  Tempe must know something about Kelly.  Like maybe the fact that he is overrated.  The only impact Kelly will have in 2011 is in the owner’s checkbook!

LF Pedro Silva (Fargo)
Serenity
Surprise, surprise!  We have a special 11^th Sudden Impact player to highlight.  To round out our discussion, we have Pedro Silva.  Formally of Canton, Silva had a career year last season.  His 33 homers and 113 RBI were career bests.  His performance was so good that it earned him a 5-year deal worth a little over $85 million with Fargo.  The Dinosaurs hope Silva can help shoulder the load with slugger Ramón Flores.  Fargo‘s playoff berth last season was in large part due to apitching staff that included Javier Encarnación, Armando Gallegos, Anastasio Juárez and Raúl Pinto.  Fargo is optimistic that Silva will help make sure the offense pulls its own weight.

A.K.
Coming off a playoff run, Fargo addressed a weakness this offseason.  The Dinosaurs lacked a power left-handed bat to complement righty slugger Ramón Flores.  More to the point, Fargo just lacked a true, legit secondary run producer.  This is where Silva comes in.  I’m sure Flores can appreciate the help!  In fact, management’s faith in the team’s direction has led to Flores signing a lucrative 4-year extension.

Silva is just an assassin against righties!  Just look at his numbers, baby!  He swatted 31 taters and delivered 100 RBI against right-handed pitching last year!

The signing of Silva also tells the Fargo fans that management is serious about the commitment to winning.  Rather than constantly build and wait for the youth to develop, Fargo added an All-Star player that can contribute right away.  This commitment to winning goes a long way with the fans.  A mid-market team, Fargo needs all the fan support they can get!

Nelly
Silva is just lucky he had that season or else he would not be sitting on this fat contract right now.  5 years for $85 million is a lot for a 31-year-old that has a career .257 batting average.  He currently ranks as the 14^th highest paid player in the PEBA, making a shade under $17 million this season.  That’s a lot of money for a player that has accomplished much less than a majority of the players on that list.  Silva is currently making about 80% of Pat Lilly’s salary this year.  Does anyone believe Silva will produce 80% of Lilly’s production?  I think not!  He’d be lucky to produce even 50% of Lilly’s production!

As much as my colleague loves Silva against righties, you gotta hate Silva against lefties.  He’s a one-trick pony.  Against lefties, he is not so hot.  He slugged less than .400 last season against southpaws.  Heck, he only had 2 home runs and 13 RBI all season long against lefties!  For that reason alone, I don’t see Silva protecting Flores.  It will be the other way around.  Silva has got to hit ahead of Flores.  If Silva is hitting behind Flores, opposing managers will simply intentionally walk Flores and bring in a lefty specialist for the out.

Big contracts are scary for a modest market team.  What happens if Silva ends up suffering a major injury like Jude Pew?  Or what if Silva pulls a Daniel Ríos?  These types of contracts can set back a team for several years.  Fargo has worked too long and hard building up the team only to risk it on one player.  Flores and his $23 million per year contract signing is worth the risk.  But why risk it on Silva?