London Free Press
Monday, November 25, 2013

The 2013 season turned out to be a disaster for the London Underground.  A 100-loss season was not in the cards for the team, but at the end of the season, a 62-100 record is exactly where the Underground landed.  All hope is not lost, though, as there are brighter days on the horizon and the arrival of some highly rated rookies is expected to take place in 2014.

he first of these players expected to get the call to the big club is pitcher Hiroyuki “Zippo” Nii.  The 25-year-old from Japan has nothing left to prove in the minors after spending the past two seasons in AAA.  He has compiled 267 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA in 279 AAA innings.  Zippo is expected to join the rotation next season.

Next is Australian 1B Decheng “Hoss” Wen.  Wen got a taste of the majors this year with 190 ABs.  He struggled to adjust, hitting only .190.  In 364 AAA AB this year, he hit .354 with 16 home runs and amassed a 1.005 OPS.

3B Scott Morris from New York is also expected to make the club.  Morris was acquired in a June trade with West Virginia.  Splitting time between shortstop and third base at AAA, Morris hit .322 while improving with his glove at both positions.  Which position he will play for London is undecided, but he will most likely make the big league roster.

With youngsters like Francisco Robles and Dale Mitchell and an expected bounce back from CF Orlando Germán, the future is looking bright for London.  The only question is if the players can put it all together on the field.