The ever elusive Championship Ring finally landed in Sacramento in season 7. After winning 101 games in season 4, 105 in season 5, and setting an NABCL record by winning 114 games in season 6, the Two's slumped back to 97 wins in season 7 due to injuries up and down the lineup (Otis Pavlov lost for 90 games; Vinny Granger lost for 95 games; Tony Johnson lost for 300 games; Tony Martin lost for 45 games; Alex Schmidt lost for 60 games). But the team responded with grit and determination in the playoffs; rolling through with only 2 blemishes on the record. It was not that easy though. The World Series versus Philly could have easily gone either way as shown by the final game being decided by backup catcher Roger Gonzalez's 2-out bases loaded single (after an intentional walk of reigning NL MVP Otis Pavlov to load the bases). As we set out on our journey to repeat, there are more question marks with the team than we would like; and with the ultra-competitive NABCL as the backdrop, running the gauntlet again will not be easy.
Losses:
Tony Johnson (SP)--The season 6 Cy Young winner had his option declined as he went down for 300+ games with surgery and unfortunately wouldnt have been back until 20 games remained in the season. He will be sorely missed at the front end of the rotation with ace Albert Boone.
Tony Martin (SP/RP)--Again, injury concerns forced the Two's to let Mr. Martin go to free agency. It was a very close call with this one. The day before he was to sign a 5-year contract extension he went down to injury. Sacramento just didnt think he would ever regain his form and didnt justify a long term deal.
Alex Wright (SP)--A long time Terrible Two, Wright was acquired in a trade during Season 1 and was a main stay in the rotation. He was a workhorse and an innings eater but at 36-years old and declining attributes, his price tag was simply too high. We looked into bringing him back during free agency but even at $5 million, youth from within the organiztion won out.
Ismael Franco (RF)--In a move to make room for two up and coming prospects (Dave Glaus and Mitchell Drew), Franco was traded to Norfolk for phenom SS Dario Moran. Franco won the Silver Slugger in RF and was a bona fide power hitter but with his arbitration years coming to and end (and younger, cheaper alternatives beating down the door to the bigs) he was moved in a deal that was a win-win for all involved.
Additions
Dave Glaus (LF)--A true 1B by trade, his defensive numbers are just good enough (considering his bat) to move him to a corner outfield spot. Former MVP Albert Piper will move to RF to take over for the departed Ismael Franco so the young phenom can get his stick in the lineup. Glaus comes in at 79 (contact), 98 (power), 77/57 (splits), and 81 (eye) and his projected numbers are even higher. He tore up every stop during the minors and will more than make up for the loss of Franco. He hit 34 bombs in part time duty last year and in a lineup surrounded by Pavlov and Piper the Two's expect huge numbers from the youngster who was the 17th overall pick in the season 4 draft.
Mitchell Drew (C/1B)--With All Star Brandon Nixon firmly entrenched behind the plate and a pitchcalling defeciency, Drew will move to 1B. He is another pure hitter who can do it all. Another prospect who dominated every stop in the minors brings a 82 (contact), 58 (power), 89/94 (splits), and 84 (eye) to the table. Chosen with the 15th overall pick in the season 3 draft, he projects to a ridiculous 85/60/96/98/89 line. In part time duty last year he hit .302/.390/.463 with 16 hr's and 54 rbi in only 104 games. This year he wont have to catch which should add at-bats and ultimately production to the lineup.
Randy Delucci (SP)--Delucci was chosen by Durham with the 6th overall pick in the season 4 draft and was acquired by the Two's in a trade from Iowa City in season 6. He will step into the rotation after trips to the Minor League All Star games in AA and AAA. His projected numbers are 87 (stamina), 84 (control), 79/71 (splits), and pitches (93/73/61/46). With a 26 durability rating and 100 health, Randy should step right in and be a solid 4th or 5th starter this season with less pressure than your average rookie.
Ken Small (SP)--The Two's have used the recipe of trading for players and building from within and rarely open up their wallets during free agency, but this off-season was different with more question marks than usual. Small was signed away from New Orleans to a 3 year, $12 million contract to step in at the back end of the rotation. An 11-year veteran has done it all with 23 saves and 41 wins over his career. When Sacramento goes with a 4-man rotation he will move to the bullpen and provide solid leadership and quality innings.
Evan Oquist (SP/RP/possible closer)--Another free agent signed away from New Orleans, Oquist inked a 2 year deal for $5 million. Former win totals of 14, 12, 11, and 11 show he has the makeup to get big league hitters out. And with a starters stamina, he will get a very long look at becoming a possible 2-inning closer. It will be a battle going up against arguably the leagues best bullpen in Zephyr Johnson, Cy Dillon, and the infamous Billy Ray Politte. Either way, you can never go wrong with a solid arm in this wonderful game of baseball.
Lineup
Teddy Fischbach 2B-Teddy in his middle arbitration year won a salary of $6.1 million (which is an unfortunate trend for the Terrible Two's and will eventually lead to their breakup--but not for awhile) will once again lead off. He had a down year for him last year after hitting in the high .280's+ the last 3 years he slumped to .246 last year and failed to hit double digit hr's for the first time in his career. He also failed to steal 30 bases for the first time as well. With a line of 81/58/80/77/60 we will chalk that up to a fluke year and expect a return to the .290/.380 12 hr/80 rbi/100 runs/35 sb line of years past. He is only 28 years old and should have many solid years of production ahead.
Vinny Granger CF-Vinny was coming off a fantastic season 6 where he won the CF Silver Slugger and was an All Star when he hit .309/.399/.518/.917 while hitting 22 hr's/100 rbi and scoring 129 runs. Season 7 was interrupted with a torn knee ligament and limited him to only 347 ab's. He still put up solid numbers while hitting .294/.385 with 10 hr's and 51 runs scored but his glove and bat were greatly missed. He is back to 100% health and will once again be a force at the top of the lineup.
Albert Piper RF-Where do you start with Piper? He is one of the best in the league, a 4-time All Star, a Silver Slugger winner last year, and was the season 5 NL MVP. His last 3 seasons have produced 116 hr's, 424 rbi, 363 runs scored, averages of .326, .300, and .313, and on base percentages of .390, and .387 twice. He is as good as they come and will hit in his customary 3 hole ahead of Dave Glaus and another MVP in Otis Pavlov. After suffering an almost career ending injury in season 3, he has responded by averaging 620 ab's the last 3 seasons. Look for Albert to be among the debate for NL MVP once again in season 8.
Dave Glaus LF-The 25-year old Glaus will see his first full season in the bigs this year. A left-handed bat with prodigious power, he will have the benefit of hitting between Piper and Pavlov and will have plenty of ducks on the pond as well as plenty of chances to cross home plate. He hit 34 bombs in only 444 ab's last year and he could easily reach 50 hr's this season. If he can reach his minor league average of .344 he will also be among those in the discussion for league MVP.
Otis Pavlov 3B-Pavlov has done nothing but produce since he was acquired from Las Vegas in season 3. He has been an All Star 5 times, won a Gold Glove, has accomplished 2 30/30 seasons along with 2 more with 28 stolen bases, has won the Silver Slugger 4 times, won the MVP once, and finished 2nd in the MVP race twice. A switch hitting menace, Pavlov also went down to injury last season and only reached the plate 363 times; but still hit an amazing 40 hr's while driving in 89 runs. That is ridiculous!!! He was on pace to hit 72 hr's if he received his usual 640 ab's. With the lumber on base in front of him Otis should easily return to his MVP form and hit .300 while regaining his 50+ hr form and once again reach 160 rbi; while also stealing 30. He is one of the best 3 all around players in the game. Period.
Mitchell Drew 1B-The other young buck in the lineup has one of the sweetest strokes around and could also hit 2 or 3 on any given day. In only 404 ab's last year he hit .302 with a .390 obp, and chipped in 16 round trippers. There is no ceiling for this future All-Star and he has more than one batting title in his future.
Brandon Nixon C-A 2-time All Star and season 6 Silver Slugger winner also had a pitchers ERA of 3.25 in 127 starts behing the plate. That would normally be enough to warrant the start, but when you throw in his average season of 30+ hr's, 90+ rbi, near 100 runs, .300+ ba, and .400 obp, you see why he is so valuable to the team.
R.J. Lee SS-The one Two who isnt in the lineup to hit. Lee is a Gold Glove winner in waiting and his expertise is with the leather. His range (92), glove (93), arm strength (90), and arm accuracy (94) put him near the top of the defensive SS food chain. He led the league in K's which the organization would love for him to cut down on, but ultimately as long as he keeps saving runs with his glove no one will mind.
Bench
Harry Decker (OF/2B)-Decker is the perfect "Jack of all Trades" utility man and was voted as the teams MVP last year by his teammates. He stepped in to play CF when Vinny Granger went down to injury and performed admirably. He hit .276/.334, scored 71 runs, and stole an amazing 43 bases in a career high 464 ab's. When it was all said and done, Decker played 2B, 3B, and all 3 OF spots. He is as valuable as they come and will see plenty of action in season 8.
Roger Gonzalez (C)-He would be the starting catcher on almost any other team in the bigs. He rarely strikes out, hits for power, and absolutely crushes left-handed pitching (100 rating). He also had the most memorable at-bat in Terrible Two's history. The scene was Game 5 of the season 7 World Series and it was the bottom of the 10th inning with Sacramento holding a 3 games to 1 lead over Philly. It was a tie game, 2 outs, with runners at 2nd and 3rd when Otis Pavlov came to the plate. With a base open Philly decided to intentionally walk Pavlov and load the bases. Sacramento countered by bringing in Gonzalez off the bench to pinch hit. The rest is history as Gonzalez singled up the middle giving Sacramento its first ever World Championship. This year he will once again backup starter Brandon Nixon and should see about 200 ab's. Last year in 139 ab's he hit .281/.342 but more importantly possessed a 3.78 pitchers ERA.
The rest of the bench will be decided during Spring Training but one spot will be held for a defensive player to take over for Dave Glaus in LF late in games.
Rotation
Albert Boone (SP)-He is the Ace of the staff, the longest tenured Two (on the teams original roster in season 1), the Face of the Franchise, and the All-Time Wins Leader (122) in NABCL history. At 36 years old he shows zero signs of slowing down and has actually gotten better each year that has passed by as his off season workouts always bring him to Spring Training with higher attributes than the season before. He is extremely durable (knock on wood) as shown by the fact that he has never thrown less than 246 innings in a season. He also set NABCL records last year with 317.2 innings pitched and an amazing 300 strikeouts. He won 21 games (a career high), had 10 complete games (a career high), and 6 shutouts (also a career high). Boone has made the All-Star team in 5 of the 7 seasons in the NABCL and is also one of the best hitting pitchers in the game. He was the season 6 Silver Slugger winner for pitchers. He is signed through season 9 at a very reasonable $8 million. He should be a lock as a first ballot Hall of Famer and the first in Terrible Two's history. He will be inked in on Opening Day and should continue to be the dominant workhorse to lead the Two's on their quest to go "back to back".
Fausto Bennett (SP)-Already a 20-game winner in his 3 year career, Fausto had his best season to date. A 16-7 record, 205 ip with only 159 hits given up, 223 k's, a .214 oav, and a 3.03 ERA. At only 28 years old he is just now entering the prime years of his career. In only 3 1/2 seasons of work his overall record stands at 69-33 and is considered another Ace pitching out of the 2 hole. With only 1 arbitration year remaining, the team doesnt want it to get that far and are working on a long term deal which will hopefully be signed during the season.
Alex Schmidt (SP)-Oh how the seasons fly by; the phenom all grown up. Schmidt was the first ever draft pick for the Terrible Two's, selected with the #2 overall pick in teh season 1 draft. And he has not dissapointed. Now a fixture in the starting rotation, only elbow tendinitis kept him from another stellar season last year. Although 11-5, a .240 oav, a 3.50 ERA, and 3 shutouts in only 136.1 innings is still a very good year. At 25 years old Schmidt is still developing and has yet to reach his peak, which is a scary thing for the rest of the league. He will eventually take over for Albert Boone as the Ace of the staff and a Cy Young Award in the future would not surprise anyone.
Randy Delucci (SP)-This is where the rotation gets somewhat dicey, if only because Delucci has yet to perform at the major league level. A great prospect in the Durham/Iowa City systems, he was the 6th overall pick in the season 4 draft. He projects to be a stud; 87 (stamina), 84 (control), 79/71 (splits), 93/73/61/49 (pitches). Delucci was called up late in the season but managed to throw only 4 innings, which is the extent of his big league experience. It may take him a few starts to get acclaimated to his new surroundings, but Sacramento has enough faith in his abilities to hand him the #4 spot in a great rotation.
Ken Small (SP)-As stated in the "additions" section at the beginning of the preview, Small will provide veteran leadership and a quality arm at the back end of the rotation. The Two's will go with a 4-man rotation at times during the season which will put Small in the bullpen and strengthen it that much further.
Other candidates for the #5 spot in the rotation-Jeff Schmidt (a Rule V pick this year with a 16-5 career record in parts of 5 ML seasons); Evan Oquist (signed as a free agent in the offseason will get a chance to close, but will play a huge role whether it be in the bullpen, at closer, or in the rotation); Duke Myers (another injury plauged pitcher who missed part of last season with a sore elbow, the injury caused him to lose some of his overall projections and he will have to regain those projections to fulfill the promise he showed early in his minor league career which spawned the trade to the Two's)
Bullpen
The trio of Zephyr Johnson, Billy Ray Politte, and Cy Dillon are among the very best in the business. Somehow, someway, they get the job done, get guys out, and close out games.
Zephyr Johnson should be the closer of the future. He has ridiculous projected attributes and with his stamina could easily be a 2-inning closer. His problem is that he makes it interesting far too often. He rarely gets a 1-2-3 inning (although this Spring Training he has been much more dominant; a sign we hope carries over to the regular season), but also rarely allows runners to score. A typical inning consists of a walk, a hit or two, and 3 outs with zero runs. If he ever learns to keep guys off base his ceiling is unlimited.
Billy Ray, Billy Ray, Billy Ray!!! He hasnt officially been the closer in 3 seasons but still ranks 4th on the all-time saves list. He seems haunted by a blown save versus Portland in the season 4 NLDS. He has not been the same since that fateful night. If it is not a save situation he is as good as they come, but somehow he cant get his mind right to close games. A change of scenery could reignite his career as his attributes are borderline unhittable. He will still get a chance to close at some point, but his name has also been linked to numerous trade rumors this season and he could just as easily be closing for a different team at the end of the year.
With Cy Dillon, he saved 36 games in 41 chances in season 6 as the full-time closer. He saved another 15 last year but it was ultimately a bullpen by committee (something the Two's want to avoid this year at all costs). He will get a look as well at the end of games. His rating numbers are pedestrian compared to the other two, but somehow he finds a way to dominate hitters (and that is the bottom line). The offense in Sacramento is among the leagues best, but the pitching is its backbone. With a monster rotation and a solid bullpen, the Two's will continue to be amongst the leagues best even on nights where they themselves run into lights out pitching (which the NL is stock full of).
Prospects
We will update our prospects (the few we have) in the next post. Most of our prospects are now in the bigs but the Two's do have a handful of players that will one day take over positions in the show.
Overview
I won't make a prediction for my team because I dont want to sound like a homer, and besides, who wouldnt pick their own team to win it all? We are going to try to become the second team in the history of the NABCL to win back to back titles.
Strengths-If healthy, our offense is full of All-Stars who hit for power and average. They get on base and can play small ball. We can also get around the bases by stealing or the hit and run. The Two's have never scored 1000 runs in a season but have had over 950 three times, and even with all the injuries last year we still scored over 800.
Again, if healthy, the pitching staff should be outstanding. Last year Sacramento gave up only 602 runs which led the league. A potent offense and a stingy pitching staff usually lead to success. The Two's also have finished in the top 3 in defense (fewest errors) the last 3 years.
Weaknesses-Two rookies on offense being thrust into starting roles and one rookie pitcher on defense. The season wont necessarily hang in the balance with these 3, and they could become strengths, but at this point they are unknowns, what ifs at best. 3/5ths of the rotation over 35 years old, although Albert Boone pitches like his is 27. If it continues great, but it could be a disaster otherwise.
Overall the Sacramento Terrible Two's must be considered one of the early favorites to win the pennant and represent the NL in the World Series. But the NL is loaded with Chicago, Vancouver, Scranton, Seattle, Trenton, Kansas City, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio, Portland, Salem, and Colorado Springs, all proven teams or on the rise. Nothing will come easy in the Senior Circuit, and the winner will be much deserved.
Raley Field is SOLD OUT and ready to rock!!! The ceremony to hang the banner is set, and the rings have been designed, ordered, and delivered. Let's get it on. Bring on Season 8!!!
