Sunday, April 27, 2008
What a Start
Through four games, the Brooklyn Moabs are perfect. An undefeated start has given the organization the momentum which has been missing the last few seasons. Jacoby Ellsbury and Ichiro Suzuki are hitting wild atop the lineup. There are some questions that Ellsbury's start may make injured Curtis Granderson expendable. Other's claim that Jason Bay is now expendable. Regardless the crowded outfield may be a problem if Ellsbury continues to get on base. The Moabs are getting good starting pitching and are winning games.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Day One
Moabs win opener on road in Las Vegas. Fausto Carmona pitched very well limiting one of the league's best offenses. A 5-3 victory is a very good start to the season, as Brooklyn hopes to find the playoffs again. Helping Carmona was Ichiro Suzuki and Miguel Cabrera, who each had four hits.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Early Predictions!
Good News Brooklyn Fans
Early predictions have the Brooklyn Moabs as the team to beat out East. Easily the toughest division in BARB, the East looks to outscore many opponents. The bullpens are quite even, although Brooklyn has the least depth and talent in the pen. Please note that Brooklyn is missing Mike Gonzalez and Joel Zumaya. Their addition in the middle of the season will be great for the team down the stretch. But the difference maker is the starting rotation. Brooklyn has the most depth in the rotation with playable arms. In the long run, this will be a bitter battle of Easterners, but Brooklyn hopes that the longer the season lasts the more important the depth comes into play.
Early predictions have the Brooklyn Moabs as the team to beat out East. Easily the toughest division in BARB, the East looks to outscore many opponents. The bullpens are quite even, although Brooklyn has the least depth and talent in the pen. Please note that Brooklyn is missing Mike Gonzalez and Joel Zumaya. Their addition in the middle of the season will be great for the team down the stretch. But the difference maker is the starting rotation. Brooklyn has the most depth in the rotation with playable arms. In the long run, this will be a bitter battle of Easterners, but Brooklyn hopes that the longer the season lasts the more important the depth comes into play.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Two Adds to Depth
Brooklyn has completed a pair of deals with the hopes of improving the outfield. Jason Bay had an injury plagued season a year ago and now Curtis Granderson, acquired on Draft Day for top pick Yunel Escobar and change, will begin the season on the DL and could miss up to a month with a broken hand. GM Eric Caskey viewed the question marks as potential obstacles to winning the East.
On Draft Day, Brooklyn selected at least five starting pitchers to improve the team's depth. It made Jeremy Bonderman, a Moab since day one, expendable. Brooklyn dealt Bonderman and Kendry Morales to Casselton in exchange for OF Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury will be the team's fourth outfielder as he adds speed and contact at the bottom of the lineup. Cox believes that there is power in his future as well, "Clearly Ells has a wonderful stroke. He has a good body to help his slight uppercut produce 10 to 15 homers annually." The Moabs also took Jarrod Washburn to clear Bonderman's salary. Washburn returned to the Moabs for only five minutes.
In the second deal, the Moabs swapped Jarrod Washburn and Joel Guzman to Black Mesa for outfielder Austin Kearns. While Granderson is on the DL, then Kearns and Ellsbury will platoon in right field. Kearns will also see some at-bats against lefthanders with DH. Since Brooklyn will not be using a DH at home, the New Yorker's front office wanted a strong bench. With Molina or McCann, Aki Iwamura, Jhonny Peralta, Jacoby Ellsbury or Austin Kearns, and Travis Buck, there is tremendous depth as well as lefties and righties. This bench paired with a dynamite lineup featuring all-stars at every position could have Brooklyn having the last laugh this season!
Crash Jackson
The Aftermath
On Draft Day, Brooklyn selected at least five starting pitchers to improve the team's depth. It made Jeremy Bonderman, a Moab since day one, expendable. Brooklyn dealt Bonderman and Kendry Morales to Casselton in exchange for OF Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury will be the team's fourth outfielder as he adds speed and contact at the bottom of the lineup. Cox believes that there is power in his future as well, "Clearly Ells has a wonderful stroke. He has a good body to help his slight uppercut produce 10 to 15 homers annually." The Moabs also took Jarrod Washburn to clear Bonderman's salary. Washburn returned to the Moabs for only five minutes.
In the second deal, the Moabs swapped Jarrod Washburn and Joel Guzman to Black Mesa for outfielder Austin Kearns. While Granderson is on the DL, then Kearns and Ellsbury will platoon in right field. Kearns will also see some at-bats against lefthanders with DH. Since Brooklyn will not be using a DH at home, the New Yorker's front office wanted a strong bench. With Molina or McCann, Aki Iwamura, Jhonny Peralta, Jacoby Ellsbury or Austin Kearns, and Travis Buck, there is tremendous depth as well as lefties and righties. This bench paired with a dynamite lineup featuring all-stars at every position could have Brooklyn having the last laugh this season!
Crash Jackson
The Aftermath
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Is Darwin Brewing Drugs?
Yet another Darwin Finch was suspended for human Growth Hormone. Last season, Jeremy Jeffress and Juan Salas were suspended for steriod usage. This time, it is top prospect Jordan Schafer. Schafer, an elite prospect in the Braves system, had hopes of reaching the majors this season. So it begs the question: Is Darwin the BARB version of Oakland/San Francisco?
Friday, April 4, 2008
Completed Trade for an Ace
Looking to upgrade Brooklyn's starting rotation, management went out and re-acquired stud Justin Verlander. Verlander was traded two years ago straight up for Ryan Howard. Now Brooklyn dealt third starter Jeremy Bonderman, long reliever Scott Baker, fireballer Jeff Niemann, and prospects Joel Guzman and Jose Tabata. Clearly, Black Mesa was desperate for depth in the starting rotation and acquired three arms who will contribute for years to come. In addition, Black Mesa added a utility player in Guzman, who can play first, third, left and right. He has unbelievable raw power. And, Black Mesa adds Jose Tabata, who might get a September callup this season. He can be a real asset in the offseason.
Coming over with Verlander is OF Franklyn Gutierrez. GM Eric J. Caskey is proud of his scouting department: "Clearly this deal would not have been done without the accumulated depth of prospects from past drafts and deals." Baker was added as a player to be named later in which Brooklyn dealt young shortstop Stephen Drew for Joe Kennedy. The other four were acquired in past drafts, as Jeremy Bonderman has only known the Moab uniform: "We hope JB all the best. He was a joy to work with and hopefully the change of scenary will jumpstart his arm." For the short time, Gutierrez will serve as a platoon RF with Travis Buck. Both men are playing in a platoon until Curtis Granderson returns. Caskey also claimed that Brooklyn is now the team to beat in the East, "We have improved the starting rotation as Wang will be the team's fifth starter despite winning 19 games in the American League. Carmona will serve as the third starter behind Oswalt and Verlander, and Carm won 18 games and had the lowest ERA in the second half last season. Our rotation should be able to compete and could endure injuries better than ever before despite dealing three pitchers for Verlander. The bullpen is deeper than ever before as Brooklyn barely missed out of the playoffs a year ago with Bob Wickman and Joe Kennedy setting up. Now those two would have been cut from the roster. Also, the lineup is just as good if not better with Granderson, Jason Bay and Troy Tulowitzki."
Coming over with Verlander is OF Franklyn Gutierrez. GM Eric J. Caskey is proud of his scouting department: "Clearly this deal would not have been done without the accumulated depth of prospects from past drafts and deals." Baker was added as a player to be named later in which Brooklyn dealt young shortstop Stephen Drew for Joe Kennedy. The other four were acquired in past drafts, as Jeremy Bonderman has only known the Moab uniform: "We hope JB all the best. He was a joy to work with and hopefully the change of scenary will jumpstart his arm." For the short time, Gutierrez will serve as a platoon RF with Travis Buck. Both men are playing in a platoon until Curtis Granderson returns. Caskey also claimed that Brooklyn is now the team to beat in the East, "We have improved the starting rotation as Wang will be the team's fifth starter despite winning 19 games in the American League. Carmona will serve as the third starter behind Oswalt and Verlander, and Carm won 18 games and had the lowest ERA in the second half last season. Our rotation should be able to compete and could endure injuries better than ever before despite dealing three pitchers for Verlander. The bullpen is deeper than ever before as Brooklyn barely missed out of the playoffs a year ago with Bob Wickman and Joe Kennedy setting up. Now those two would have been cut from the roster. Also, the lineup is just as good if not better with Granderson, Jason Bay and Troy Tulowitzki."
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Brooklyn's Draft
Please contribute on how Brooklyn drafted in 2008. Since I commented on everyone, I feel that it woud be helpful for everyone to comment on Brooklyn's New York Moabs' draft.
Yunel Escobar* Traded for C. Granderson
Rafael Betancourt
Ubaldo Jimenez
Adam Wainwright
Micah Owings
Manny Parra
Ross Detwiller
Jhonny Peralta
Bengie Molina
Matt Lindstrom
Chris Coghlan
Hank Conger
John Meloan
Let me know...
Yunel Escobar* Traded for C. Granderson
Rafael Betancourt
Ubaldo Jimenez
Adam Wainwright
Micah Owings
Manny Parra
Ross Detwiller
Jhonny Peralta
Bengie Molina
Matt Lindstrom
Chris Coghlan
Hank Conger
John Meloan
Let me know...
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