Well, well, well, The 2022 Friendship League has concluded for the Montreal Grizzlies.
Skipper, General Manager and Team Owner Mike Walter is disappointed on yet another losing campaign in the league. "You know after being in the lottery for like 6 straight seasons, one would think this once proud franchise would make a leap, yet here we are with what should amount to a 3rd place finish in the Leyland Division. The fans in Montral are growing restless, and we are trying to put our best effort, at least in the front office side of things."
On the player side, it was a mix of untimely quiet bats and the bullpen woes continue to haunt the Grizzlies. A lot of games were decided by one run or fewer, and we came out on the losing side of those, cant have that when trying to compete for a wild card spot, let alone a playoff spot in general. The Grizzlies got waxed by Toronto late in the season right when Montreal was trying to jockey for a wild card spot. Toronto, in the battle of Canada, pulled a Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend!" and won the season series 7 games to 4. It did not help that Minnesota also owned the Grizzlies in head to head games this season, by a similar margin, perhaps even 8 games to 3. Division games continue to derail this team. If one saw how the Grizzlies competed on the non-division league games one would almost certainly point out a team who should be in the playoffs. But, alas, the Grizzlies got molly whopped in their division and only won against Wichita 6 games to 5. Not a very good record in their own division.
Montral also says good-bye, and not see you later to a few players to have been here since the Montreal Grizzly inception. Carlos Santana - Couldn't hit for a lick, but he got on base, he was the literal Hattersburg of this team, very moneyball like, he got on base via the walk, but this player has seen better days and was in the national league all season in 2023. We will miss him and his dead eye fish looking card as he trot to homeplate. Goombye Mr. Santana! Also Mr. Gary Sanchez. I made the terrible decision of holding onto previous seasons when I did initially draft Jonah Heim and he was pretty bad, but Gary Sanchez, the once proven home run, double mashing machine was still in the back of my mind, and thinking no ones going to pick up Heim. Well, Pittsbrugh made me eat my Bart Simpson-esq shorts, and scooped Heim from underneath me. I was stuck with goofy looking Gary Sanchez. He struck fear into one of the managers in this league and intentionally walked him due to his previous reputation and I thanked Wichita for it. Too bad Gary was more so Gary "Free Strikeout" Sanchez and not the feared Yankee Catcher of old. So I bid farewell to Monterry'a own Gary Sanchez as well. "HEEEEE GONE!!!" If I had to have a ring of honor for Monterry, Carlos Santana probably has an invite in 5 years. He was very solid, or the hall of very average. Gary Sanchez had a good outlook and then just like Anthony Rendon, fizzled out. (Something I am very aware of with the Alek Manoah Fiasco in real life.)
With this being said, Montreal is again going to be on the outside looking in at a lottery draft pick yet again, 37-44 record. Here is the way too early, but almost certainty Keeper and Cut list:
MTL KEEPERS FOR 2023:
1.) Bryan Abreu - RP, 2.) Emmauel Clase - RP, 3.) Alex Verdugo OF, 4.) Enyel De Los Santos - RP, 5.) Ezequiel "Zeke" Duran - UTL, 6.) Cristan Javier - SP, 7.) George Kirby - SP, 8.) Julio Rodriguez - OF, 9.) Alek "Cant pitch" Manoah - SP, 10.) Tarik Skubal SP, 11.) Chas McCormick - OF, 12.) Jake Meyers OF, 13.) Alek Kiriloff 1B/DH, 14.) Harold Ramirez DH, 15.) Spencer "Tork Bomb" Torkelson - 1B, 16.) Gleyber Torres - 2B, 17.) Cal Quantrill - SP
MTL "HEEEEEE GOOOONNNEEEE!!!"
1.) Nick Gordon - UTL, 2.) David Fletcher - 2B/SS, 3.) Anthony "Hablo Ingles" Rendon, 4.) Scott Barlow, 5.) Andrew Wantz 6.) Jalen "CAW!" Beeks, 7.) Oswaldo Cabrera - UTL, 8.) Franciso Meijia
NO CARD WHATSOEVER
1.) Glen Otto SP, 2.) Harold Castro 2B/UTL, 3.) Gary Sanchez - C, 4.) Carlos Santana
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