Way Too Early Protection List for the Toronto Thunder

Already too excited for next years draft and season to wait until this season is done to throw out my initial Protection List. Most of the choices are easy, as I solved some of the keeper issues with mid season trades.

It starts with the MVP Aaron Judge!

Add in MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr!

The rest of the Fielders: Shea Langeliers Oakland Catcher, Yandy Díaz Tampa Rays First Baseman, Jorge Polanco Seattle Second Baseman, Jordan Westburg Baltimore Third Baseman, Randy Arozarena Seattle Left Fielder, Max Kepler Minnesota Right Fielder, JJ Bleday Oakland Center Fielder, and Ryan Jeffers Minnesota Catcher.

Even though we think our pitchers are very good, we look forward to hopefully an even better performance next year. That said we are proud to protect the following Pitchers: First Pick Overall last year Grayson Rodriguez Baltimore Starter, Second Round Pick last year Bryan Woo Seattle Starter, First Overall Waiver Pick Tanner Houck Boston Starter, Second Round Waiver Pick Tyler Anderson Los Angeles Starter, Shane Baz Tampa Bay Starter, Clay Holmes New York Reliever, Yimi Garcia Seattle Reliever. And as I said, looking forward to even better next year, Yu Darvish, Jacob deGrom Starter Texas.

In doing the cut list we have to start with the worst loss we have ever had. We wish a very sad good bye to Chris Sale. Team leader in most every pitching category, and key to our World Series win. We are so glad he showed what he still had this year, in winning the Cy Young for Atlanta. Also good bye to Luis Garcia who could still be a great pitcher, but we simply can not wait for the injury to heal. Cuts: Sale NC, Garcia NC, Means NC, May NC, Barria NC, Brash NC, Severino NC, A Diaz NC, Ibanez Detroit INF, McKinistry Detroit INF, McArthur Kansas City RP, and Patrick Sandoval Los Angeles SP.

On the road....to Frisco TX!

Was able to stop in Riders Field in Frisco, Texas while visiting Michael Walter.   This park has long been on my list to see in person, and it did not disappoint. We ended up spending six innings in the Lazy River looping around the outfield area.  Great time!

Defending Champs Ride Roller Coaster of Season

 

The Maine Loggers have gone on the Mine Ride, Blue Streak, Corkscrew, Gemini, and Top Thriller Dragster (1 & 2) the past month.  The Loggers started the season in less than thrilling fashion, going 8-12 in their first 20 games.  Then, the champs put it into gear, winning an unprecedented 13 (THIRTEEN!) games IN A ROW.  Now, this writer has played Strat-o-Matic for pretty close to 50 years now, and I can pretty safely say that I've never won 13 games in a row in all that time.  

Then, just when it looked like there was no stopping this runaway freight train, it's gone in the opposite direction.  The 13 game win streak ended.....then they lost another.....and another.   Now SIX Losses in a row (And still counting), as suddenly the Loggers can do no right.  

What will happen next?  Will the six-game losing streak turn into 13 in a row?  Nothing can surprise at this point.  The second half of the season gets underway next week.  One thing is for sure in Maine: it's gonna be a wild ride.  

Draft Weekend 2024!

As always, was a great weekend full of food, laughs, sports, and incredible feats of athleticism (as displayed by Mike Jones, the ONLY person to make a Nerf Basketball shot into the League Trophy Cup!)

Realized that I never posted any pictures from the draft so enjoy these :-) 

 

Pawtucket Pressure

GM Scott Mallon unexpectedly traveled to KC for the Patriot/Butcher series to give Pawtucket manager Mike Jones a not so subtle message regarding his expectations for this season. Jones came through taking 5/6 in the home and home battle with the Butchers. 

AI Friendship League Logos

 

If this AI-generated image is any indication, I fear life after the singularity.

This was the prompt I fed into Chat GPT: Create a logo for a professional baseball team called the Michigan Mammoths that incorporates an outline of the state of Michigan and a baseball player riding a woolly mammoth.

Men no more, please welcome the Pawtucket Patriots!!!

 Posting this for Mike Jones.   He is moving his team to New England and renaming them the Pawtucket Patriots!

Grizzly Update

 Montreal has asked to make Alek Manoah their Yu Darvish, and adding the oft-injured Anthony Rendon to the 17 man protected list.  Rendon is the star of a good meme....

This leaves Montreal with the following...

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 ) Tarik Skubal SP, 10.) Chas McCormick - OF, 11.) Jake Meyers OF, 12.) Alek Kiriloff 1B/DH, 13.) Harold Ramirez DH, 14.) Spencer "Tork Bomb" Torkelson - 1B, 15.) Gleyber Torres - 2B, 16.) Cal Quantrill - SP, 17 ) Anthony Rendon

MTL "HEEEEEE GOOOONNNEEEE!!!"

1.) Nick Gordon - UTL, 2.) David Fletcher - 2B/SS, 3.) Scott Barlow, 4.) Andrew Wantz 5.) Jalen "CAW!" Beeks, 6.) Oswaldo Cabrera - UTL, 7.) Franciso Meijia 

YU DARVISH

1 ) Alek Monoah

NO CARD WHATSOEVER

1.) Glen Otto SP, 2.) Harold Castro 2B/UTL, 3.) Gary Sanchez - C, 4.) Carlos Santana 

 

BANDITS MAKE A CHANGE 

Yu Darvish: Bobby Dalbec 

Dropping Nate Eaton  - N/C

Michigan protected list

 

 

Keepers

Brayan Bello
Kyle Bradish
Nathan Eovaldi
Sam Hentges
Jarred Kelenic
Kevin Kiermaier
Reynaldo Lopez
Nathaniel Lowe
Kenta Maeda
Matt Manning
Manuel Margot
M.J. Melendez
Ryan Mountcastle
Jeremy Pena
J.P. Sears
Framber Valdez
Andrew Vaughn

Cuts

Yu Chang
"Where's Hunter" Dozier
Michael "The Plumber" Fulmer
Oscar Gonzalez
Tanner Houck
Joe Jimenez
Nicky Lopez
Daniel Lynch
A.J. Puk
Devin Smeltzer
Jose Trevino
Ken Waldichuk
 

Yu Darvish

Beau Briese