The Gulf Coast Express Journal

The Show Must Go On

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Biloxi GM Harry Connick III had a somewhat disappointing recruiting season during the past winter, unable to sign the middle infielder or starting pitcher solution for the next few years during free agency or during trading. Cane management kicked in Plan B, resigning aging David Washington for another year from the free agent market and going with a modified 4 man rotation during the first half of the season.

The problem becomes compounded next season, as 3 starters in the infield, one of the league's prime closers, and longtime Cane favorite Terry Warkentin are looking at the end of their contacts, and in some cases the end of their current employment.  Connick needs to decide who will return and who will be left to test the market as the majority of these potential free agents are well into their mid-thirties.

Hitless Wonders

Despite hitting less than .250 during the first half of the season and having less than overwhelming power, Biloxi has managed to lead the Feller during the entire season thus far.  Most recently the lead has been extended to 5 games, surprising the Cane front office and delighting the fans.  

It's the starting pitching and the closer that have carried the load.  Doug Crossen and Manny Espinosa both have 9 wins, all 4 major starters already have 100 K's, and 3nd year starter Chad Nieman is second in the WL with 132 whiffs.  The 4 man rotation with a heavy spot starter experiment is working so far, along with the support of James Gaston, continuing in his form from last season.  Rookie callup John Billips is setting well into a setup roll as well.

Halfway Reporting

Approaching the all-star break, GM Connick is negotiations with several teams, as the faith in Plan B only goes so far, and the assumption is that 42 wins in  77 games is the best that this current lineup could ask for, and is unlikely to repeat in the second half of the season. 
 
Maldonado Watch

Current Supes Level - Not Wolverine - Having a good season but missed a month with a broken hand.

Learning to Fly

Biloxi Blues

A poor last third of the season for the Hurricanes kicked up a 17-31 record.  Mostly caused by a tremendous offensive slump - pitching varied durning the slump from slightly below average to very good - David Washington's injury collapsed what had been a nicely functional offense to cream cheese.

Washington's injury pointed out the largest deficency from the Tempest's bats during 1972; a lack of significant power from anyone other than DW left the team dangerously open to slumps and a lack of big innings.  Contributing factors include:

• Terry Warkentin's return to a midlevel offensive threat, rather than the 103 RBI performance in 1971.
  
• Superman Maldonado's development was not as advanced as hoped - lots of doubles, great CF play, enough to win him a Gold Glove - but only 12 dingers and a .246 BA.
  
• Shin Seo's road to nowhere began as his average, power and playing time diminished as Fermin 'Friar' Barrientos was brought up in August to take his firstbase role.
  
• The Cane's middle infield play once Washington pulled up in August ranged from poor to truly rank.

Middle relief not only was average at best but in the end cost the team its hoped for advance to the World Series, and David Mcbeth 10 million dollar salary brought in 13 losses and a 4.03 ERA along with his 16 wins.  Other starters woes include Willie Coffey stepping in for Chad Nieman during his injury, and was a disaster during the slump, going 0-8 with almost a run an inning and 2 baserunners a frame.  Doug Crossen also came back to earth after the all star break, which he nearly qualified for, going 1-8 at one stage.  It wasn't always Doug's fault though, as he only got 3.4 runs a game through the season, and still managed 11 wins.

But on the Other Hand...

Chad Nieman had a nice sophomore season despite a season ending injury - he returned to the playoffs and gamely pitched through a evident amount of pain - and finished with a 9-6, 2.86 ERA.

He headed up the Children's Crusade during 1972.  Significant contributors include: Maldonado 20, Nieman, Barrientos and MR Kerley, all 22, and middle infielder Ramos 23 who looks like a nice utility infielder.  If Willie Coffey, 21, can shake off his poor debut the 'Canes have a nice base for next decade.

On the other side of the age spectrum, Dan Curcio shook off his early season doldrums and was very solid during the last half of the season and into the playoffs.

Into the Breach!

The Canes barely made the playoffs, blowing a 8 game lead with 3 weeks left to Bradford, but recovered to beat them by 3 games.  Good thing too, as Homer would have beaten the Canes via tiebreaker.

But once they were in, they took advantage as they took out an outstanding Falls Church squad in 4, and despite losing to Homer in 6 in the WLCS, could have easily beaten the Yeti as the middle relief and the otherwise reliable James Gaston failed to hold leads in the eighth and ninth innings in 3 of the Yeti victories.

David Washington returned from his injuries to hit .300 and knock in 13 runs in 10 playoff games.  Washington then bade his team he led to the edge of a Championship Series farewell as he decided to hit the Free Agent market.

Comfortably Numb

Down for the Eight Count

Canes fans were disappointed at the trade deadline as two minor deals, one bringing in a utility outfielder from St. Louis - Frank Knaus - and another bringing in a rental middle reliever from Halifax - Glen Jackson - failed to address the two issues in making a run to the pennant this year.  Those two issues: adding some power to the 23rd best team in home runs, to add some big innings to a nice on base team percentage, and some additional good bats to an infield that only had David Washington (20 HR, 88 RBI) to boast about.

The boasting was short-lived.  Washington chose to parlay his newly refound fame in the free agent market, assuming his aging body would support another nice year like 1972.  Unfortunately, his body chose to reply 2 weeks later, as he tore a hamstring pulling into second during a game in mid August which will have him back for the playoffs but with some obviously diminished capabilities.

Meanwhile the middle infield suffered its 8th through 10th injuries of varying lengths and severity over the last two weeks.  In addition to that jab, Biloxi's young ace, Chad Nieman (9-6, 2.86 ERA) went down with a ruptured triceps in early August, and he's expected to miss the first round of the playoffs.  Doug Crossen (11-12 and 1-6 since mid July) took a batted ball off his head during this difficult time and toughed it out, but showed some obvious effects.  These body blows and head shots led to a nasty slump in August and early September where the team suffered several extended losing streaks and went 14-21, despite some strong starting pitching from the remaining starter corps.

Free at Last!

In other free agency news, Biloxi's front office chose not to extend an offer to David Mcbeth (15-12, 3.91) as he was requesting $13.5 million for 4 years, and negotiations quickly broke down from that starting point.  Manual Espinosa (12-6, 3.22) chose to sign a $5 million extension over 2 years in the one piece of good news over the last couple of months.

Off the Cane Fields

In order to deal with the weaknesses exposed by the Washington and Nieman injuries, the front office has chosen to promote "Friar" Barrientos and Willie Coffey from AAA Nome, to varying degrees of success.  Barrientos (5 HR) is learning first base as he enters the bigs, always a challenge; but he's responding well and is growing in confidence week by week.  Coffey (0-5) looks badly overmatched and will probably get demoted to middle relief to start next year - or may return to the cold clutches of Nome baseball.

Maldonado Watch

Supes Current Rating:  Plastic Man - Able to stretch singles into doubles frequently (3rd in the WL with 43).  His value will best be seen in the future, but for now he's a nice role player on a good team.

Bring the Boys Back Home

Trader Albatros

Taking a page out of Trader Slotzky's normal level of activity... for this season, anyway, Biloxi GM Harry Connick III and owner Albatros have been working the PMs during the all star break, after having put out a trade block notification across the BBL that the catcher corps had some availability.  An unnamed high placed BBL source indicated that the duo is being very hard nosed in their negotiations, as they seem to feel like they have some talent to work with.

All Star News

Selected for Williams All Star team this summer is catcher Benji Vargus (.329, 9 dingers, .959 OBS) having a career year, and second year ace Chad Nieman, who has to be one of the youngest all stars in BBL history at 22.  Nieman had a 7 game winning streak to go 8-4 with a 3.19 ERA.

Big surprises in the 'Cane fields were the non-selection of 2B David Washington - red hot for the first half - and dominant closer James Gaston.  Gaston likely would have been chosen if not for an inconvienent injury a week before the selection process.  DW's omission is a bit more strange as his stats at the very least rivaled Bradford's Sheedy and St. Louis' Kingston, but Washington's tenure and importance to his team's hot first half are hard to argue with.  Certainly he's a likely winner of any Comeback of the Year awards.

Maldonado Watch

Supes Current Rating:  Arthur the Moth Man - No superpowers, just a uniform and some guts and brains.  His late June and mid July have the Biloxi front office Ticked off and considering demotion for the rest of the season for further seasoning.

A Nice Pair

In response to HYPE.com

In the absense of a late spring ESPN.com article that this columnist could argue with, and take to task for his evident lack of research and judgement in his earlier edition (18th!?!?!? were you on peyote?  Aren't you going to be embarassed to have to move us up 12 places? ), we post another edition of the GC Express Journal.

We here at the GCEJ also wondered why 'Canes management paid maximum dollars for maximum age, but then we discovered what other management did during this last free agency round - that maximum talent (with maximum bucks, mainly) was only available from that end of the age spectrum during this free agency for SP's.  It also appeared that Cane management was looking for sure things for a single year run - but whether they got that was another question, as the age question, especially for Dan Curcio, will obviously raise its graying, grizzled head soon.

Oh, What a Guy, Gaston!

While getting what was hoped for from the starters for the most part, the middle relief has been a significant issue, undercutting some strong work from the starters and limiting the brilliant work from recent closer aquistition James Gaston.  Gaston has given up earned runs in only 2 of his 32 outings, is in the running for the saves lead and is generally unhittable.  The most interesting stat is his effectiveness against lefties (Gaston is a right hander) as he has given up 5 singles and 4 walks against 53 batters, while striking out 13.  James is already showing up in 47 local TV and radio commercials and is a regular on 15 national and local sports talk radio stations.

Spring Surprise from the Cane Fields

Normally slow starting second bagger David Washington has been red hot, supplying sorely needed power to the low line drive hitting Cane gang.   David's 12 year major league career has been consistant, just under all star status (exceptions: '62 and '63), but 1972 at his new Biloxi home has given him new life, as his numbers attest (.323, 10 HR, 45 ribbies, .902 OBS).  Strangely, the fans have not taken to him much - there was a autograph incident with a 9 year old boy widely reported in the local press - but he's a favorite in the clubhouse and with team management, with sage elder advice to go with his hot bat.

Maldonado Watch

Supes Current Rating:  Robin - A young sidekick with evident skills but really, for now, just average except for his acrobatic field and a mild punch.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

The 'Canes staff turned on a dime during the last week, and even the seeming Curse of Curcio failed to damage the team:

Not a bad week.  The team's fortnight was a nice 11-4, and placed the Tempest in the running for the Feller crown.  Strongest showing was a 6 game sweep against the division rival St. Louis Shockz.

Surprising offensive output came from recent Ironhorses David Washington (.295 6HR 20RBI) and Richard Candler (.292, .830 OBS). arrivals in a late spring trade to restructure the middle infield.

Maldonado Watch: Supes Current Rating:  Green Arrow - A specialist, able to hit line drives at high speeds.  Clever, because he doesn't have the chops yet to knock 'em out.

Canes Front Office Active

A flurry of free agent signings and preseason deals by new GM Harry Connick III has changed the aspect of Biloxi's entire franchise.  What was a team with a below average offense, a slightly above average starting staff with no dependable closer, and a strong top end farm systems has been transformed into:

• a slightly above average set of bats (and some nice gloves),
• an outrageously good, but partly elderly starting staff
• a closer with a nice shot at 35 plus saves
• a farm system with some talent still ready to feed players for a year or two - but in need for a rebuild thereafter.

The deals and signings made by Connick have almost all added veteran players with single years left in contracts; a evident strategy of a single year run at a title.  A spring injury to long time Cane 2B Taro Osaka forced a last second trade with hated rival Chessie to reform the middle infield.

Roster below shows bold for each player who was not in the majors with the 'Canes to start 1971:

1B: Shin Seo
2B: David Washington
SS: Richard Candler
3B: Tobias Yoder
 C: Benji Vargas
LF: Joel Benitez
CF: Superman Maldonado
RF: Terry Warkentin

SP: Dan Curcio
SP: David Mcbeth
SP: Chad Nieman
SP: Manny Espinosa
SP: Doug Crossen

Closer: James Gaston

MR: Nathan Pinnock
MR: Adam Burr
MR: Marcus Kerley
MR: James McCormick
MR: Jerrell Ivy
Spot Starter: Dyu-ku Benkei
Bench: Placido Parra  Arthur Bays  Bill Henderson Yuichi Kajimoto

The first two weeks have been somewhat disappointing, as the starting pitching has been substandard, tiring out the not so terrific middle relief staff.  The calvalcade of second base injuries continue into the season as well.  Spring saw Taro Osaka lost for the season, and then injuries to Washington and Kajimoto required some scrambling in the 'Cane front office.

Good news: Maldonado's first fortnight in the majors have produced nice results, hitting .306 despite a recent 1 for 15 slump.  Due to the lack of a better leadoff solution, Supes is likely being awarded that slot soon.

Southern Powers Look to Change Directions

Biloxi, MS (XP) - Hurricane GM Harry Connick, III announced a trade with Sunburn GM Tempus today, dealing 1962 Hurricane draftee Eric Quinn.   Biloxi is now Sugar-free for the first time in 7 years.

The sad news was certainly felt in the front office of the Hurricanes, but was offset by the news that the team had recieved star starter Dan Curcio, 3 time Top Pitcher Award winner and All-Star as the other half of the trade.

The trade signaled a immediate drive for the playoffs, and Connick did nothing to change that perspection, stating "Of course we plan on winning every year, but we look to this move and some others planned to make us strong contenders for the BBL championship".

The trade created a strong starting staff, led by Curcio and second year 21 year old phenom Chad Neiman, and veterans Crossen and Espinosa, both showing indications of being able to support double digit wins for a capable offense.  Waiting in the wings is another talented youngster, Willie Coffey, who looks like he's a strong spring away from joining this suddenly high powered staff.

With the advent of Superman Maldonado, expected to take the Cajun center field over to start the season at the tender age of 19, there are high expectations from the players, fans, and front office to turn around last years 72 win season into something to remember.