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Elendil · 03-11-2008, 08:55 PM

2018-19 Offseason

Midnight Sun Game Scheduled

The Montreal Nationales won the Canadian League championship for a third consecutive time and would travel to Kodiak to face the Grizzlies in the revival of what Alaskan League officials hoped would become an annual tradition: the Midnight Sun Game, played at 10 PM near the time of the summer solstice. This year's game would take place on July 4, by happy coincidence, the first off day for Kodiak after June 21.

Incidentally, Montreal's third consecutive victory in the Canadian League had some Canadian League owners worried. Some teams had started to experience financial trouble, and despite the fact that the league's dual wild-card system kept most teams in the league in the postseason hunt until the last week of the season, it appeared that some fans were losing interest as the novelty of the league wore off. It would be good for the league if some other team began to win championships.

Henry and Cormack Leave

Meanwhile, the Canadian League was doing its part for parity in the Alaskan League. The top two Alaskan teams lost their top pitchers this offseason, as Steven Henry of Kodiak signed with Edmonton, and Fairbanks ace John Cormack made a deal with Ottawa. Both pitchers would make roughly twice what they could have made in Alaska. Following the losses of Yuke and Teranishi after the 2016 season, the top-level pitching in Alaska started to look depleted.

Whitehorse and Fairbanks Bring in New Talent

At the same time, the Yukoners and Goldpanners were doing their part to bring in new talent from the MLB system. Outfielders Nelson Lent and Ben Boyer arrived in Alaska, Lent to play for Whitehorse and Boyer with Fairbanks. Lent is a lifetime .287/.369/.417 hitter at the A level, while Boyer has compiled a .284/.350/.398 line in A ball. The Jets also signed an outfielder from the Lower 48, Dale Clement, but his career numbers weren't quite as solid.

Major Free-Agent Signings

The biggest signing of the offseason had to be pitcher Sam Lockwood by the Anchorage Bucs. They got him on an eye-popping, $145,000 a year, 3-year contract that harkened back to the old days of the league. There was certainly a lot of money floating around the league these days! And the Lockwood signing really put Grizzlies fans in a depression. Kodiak had now lost their top two starting pitchers.

Kodiak tried to improve offensively by bringing in 37-year-old first baseman Charley Logan on a 3-year deal. Logan had hit .306/.425/.420 last year with the Jets; nevertheless, a 3-year deal was risky for a guy his age.

Defensive catcher Dave Lepine moved from Chugiak for the first time in his career, accepting a surprisingly modest 1-year deal with Bethel. Lepine has been in the league since 2010 and has won two Glove Wizard awards. His lifetime hitting line is a respectable .266/.314/.419.

The Grizzlies tried to replenish their rotation with a rather risky contract, giving $81K over 2 years to unproven youngster Jeremy Henderson. Henderson sat out all of 2018 after surgery on a ruptured bicep tendon. Before that, he had pitched three years with Mat-Su, compiling an uninspiring 5.23 ERA and 20-27 record. He must have looked good in tryouts!

In a deal that was bigger in terms of sentimentality than reality, the North Pole Nicks pried veteran pitcher Scott Northeast away from Juneau, where he'd spent his entire (2007-2018) career. Northeast, now 32, has a career 111-77 record and 3.46 ERA, but now appears to be on the downslope of his career. North Pole still gave him a generous four-year deal, though.

Major Trades

Whitehorse had brought in new front-office management, unhappy with the results of their lengthy rebuilding project. The first sign that things were about to change drastically came when franchise icon John Mack was traded to Juneau for defensive outfielder Miles Pyke. Pyke was actually demoted to the Training League not long after the deal. Needless to say, Yukoners fans (those who still exist) were outraged. Mack was clearly on the decline now, though. His ERA last year was 4.25, and he got only 42 strikeouts in 150 innings, giving up 46 walks and 17 home runs.

The Yukoners weren't done. They then sent 23-year-old pitcher Ron Gunter (4.56 ERA as a rookie in '18) to Chugiak for a couple of third-tier pitching prospects. This deal looked like a steal for the Jets no matter how you slice it. Gunter's still a little raw but has much more potential than the guys he was traded for. Whitehorse isn't in financial trouble anymore: why are they dumping salary?

In perhaps a sign that they didn't expect to compete again right away, the Oilers dealt useful outfielder Keith Willerton to the Glacier Pilots for reliever Bill Gardner and a low-level pitching prospect. Willerton hit .349/.400/.542 last year, but no one really expects him to repeat that. Gardner is a control specialist and a lefty, but not very durable.

Chugiak continued to make shrewd deals, as they finally got rid of 40-year-old starting pitcher Martin Gagnon, sending him to Juneau for 29-year-old second baseman Johnny Ledlow. Gagnon had a 6.04 ERA last year, while Ledlow had an equally disappointing .244/.310/.356 line with Fairbanks and Juneau. However, Ledlow's career line is an impressive .286/.358/.458. He's pretty subpar in the field, though.

In a minor note, 27-year-old right fielder Jerry Peterson was dealt from the Pilots to Miners for washed-up lefty reliever Sam Haida. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Peterson hit .337 with 21 homers in 2016, but sat out all of 2017 with a training camp injury. He wasn't the same in 2018, but he still wants to try to make a comeback. Hopefully the Miners give him at least a little chance.

The musical chairs continue for former Juneau standout Ralph Collette. The second baseman was dealt from the Pilots to the Panners for reliever Bryce Brown. Although Collette is 38, he really showed something last season after his trade to Anchorage, and I for one hope Fairbanks gives him a lot of playing time this year.

The Fairbanks Goldpanners welcome third baseman Mark Beach back into the fold, four years after trading him to Mat-Su (before their championship runs!). Mat-Su receives 25-year-old star first baseman Dave King. Beach has compiled a .321 batting average with 831 hits, 19 homers, and 276 RBI and is still just 26.

Training Camp Injuries

Sitka will miss 22-year-old third baseman Bret Turner for the first month of the season. Turner could have been a Rookie of the Year candidate last year, had it not been for McGrath and MacGregor.

The mood across Anchorage and, indeed, the league became subdued when it was learned that reliever Rowan Evans would never pitch again. Evans, just 25, had been one of the top setup men in the league since his entry in 2012. He has 192 career strikeouts to go with 97 walks allowed and 24 home runs allowed in 215 innings pitched.

The Bucs saw sophomore starting pitcher Mark Tucker go down with a strained bicep just before the start of the season. He'll miss the first five weeks. He's a promising pitcher, who could become a star if his command develops as expected.

Oilers starter Harvey Romanov tore a rotator cuff muscle, an injury that has ended many a pitcher's career. He'll need surgery, but there's a chance he could pitch again. Romanov was once a highly touted prospect, but his career numbers since 2009 are 49-69 with a 5.05 ERA.

Next time: team previews...

03-11-2008, 08:55 PM	#211 (permalink)
Elendil Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the dynasty forum Posts: 2,176 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	2018-19 Offseason 2018-19 Offseason Midnight Sun Game Scheduled The Montreal Nationales won the Canadian League championship for a third consecutive time and would travel to Kodiak to face the Grizzlies in the revival of what Alaskan League officials hoped would become an annual tradition: the Midnight Sun Game, played at 10 PM near the time of the summer solstice. This year's game would take place on July 4, by happy coincidence, the first off day for Kodiak after June 21. Incidentally, Montreal's third consecutive victory in the Canadian League had some Canadian League owners worried. Some teams had started to experience financial trouble, and despite the fact that the league's dual wild-card system kept most teams in the league in the postseason hunt until the last week of the season, it appeared that some fans were losing interest as the novelty of the league wore off. It would be good for the league if some other team began to win championships. Henry and Cormack Leave Meanwhile, the Canadian League was doing its part for parity in the Alaskan League. The top two Alaskan teams lost their top pitchers this offseason, as Steven Henry of Kodiak signed with Edmonton, and Fairbanks ace John Cormack made a deal with Ottawa. Both pitchers would make roughly twice what they could have made in Alaska. Following the losses of Yuke and Teranishi after the 2016 season, the top-level pitching in Alaska started to look depleted. Whitehorse and Fairbanks Bring in New Talent At the same time, the Yukoners and Goldpanners were doing their part to bring in new talent from the MLB system. Outfielders Nelson Lent and Ben Boyer arrived in Alaska, Lent to play for Whitehorse and Boyer with Fairbanks. Lent is a lifetime .287/.369/.417 hitter at the A level, while Boyer has compiled a .284/.350/.398 line in A ball. The Jets also signed an outfielder from the Lower 48, Dale Clement, but his career numbers weren't quite as solid. Major Free-Agent Signings The biggest signing of the offseason had to be pitcher Sam Lockwood by the Anchorage Bucs. They got him on an eye-popping, $145,000 a year, 3-year contract that harkened back to the old days of the league. There was certainly a lot of money floating around the league these days! And the Lockwood signing really put Grizzlies fans in a depression. Kodiak had now lost their top two starting pitchers. Kodiak tried to improve offensively by bringing in 37-year-old first baseman Charley Logan on a 3-year deal. Logan had hit .306/.425/.420 last year with the Jets; nevertheless, a 3-year deal was risky for a guy his age. Defensive catcher Dave Lepine moved from Chugiak for the first time in his career, accepting a surprisingly modest 1-year deal with Bethel. Lepine has been in the league since 2010 and has won two Glove Wizard awards. His lifetime hitting line is a respectable .266/.314/.419. The Grizzlies tried to replenish their rotation with a rather risky contract, giving $81K over 2 years to unproven youngster Jeremy Henderson. Henderson sat out all of 2018 after surgery on a ruptured bicep tendon. Before that, he had pitched three years with Mat-Su, compiling an uninspiring 5.23 ERA and 20-27 record. He must have looked good in tryouts! In a deal that was bigger in terms of sentimentality than reality, the North Pole Nicks pried veteran pitcher Scott Northeast away from Juneau, where he'd spent his entire (2007-2018) career. Northeast, now 32, has a career 111-77 record and 3.46 ERA, but now appears to be on the downslope of his career. North Pole still gave him a generous four-year deal, though. Major Trades Whitehorse had brought in new front-office management, unhappy with the results of their lengthy rebuilding project. The first sign that things were about to change drastically came when franchise icon John Mack was traded to Juneau for defensive outfielder Miles Pyke. Pyke was actually demoted to the Training League not long after the deal. Needless to say, Yukoners fans (those who still exist) were outraged. Mack was clearly on the decline now, though. His ERA last year was 4.25, and he got only 42 strikeouts in 150 innings, giving up 46 walks and 17 home runs. The Yukoners weren't done. They then sent 23-year-old pitcher Ron Gunter (4.56 ERA as a rookie in '18) to Chugiak for a couple of third-tier pitching prospects. This deal looked like a steal for the Jets no matter how you slice it. Gunter's still a little raw but has much more potential than the guys he was traded for. Whitehorse isn't in financial trouble anymore: why are they dumping salary? In perhaps a sign that they didn't expect to compete again right away, the Oilers dealt useful outfielder Keith Willerton to the Glacier Pilots for reliever Bill Gardner and a low-level pitching prospect. Willerton hit .349/.400/.542 last year, but no one really expects him to repeat that. Gardner is a control specialist and a lefty, but not very durable. Chugiak continued to make shrewd deals, as they finally got rid of 40-year-old starting pitcher Martin Gagnon, sending him to Juneau for 29-year-old second baseman Johnny Ledlow. Gagnon had a 6.04 ERA last year, while Ledlow had an equally disappointing .244/.310/.356 line with Fairbanks and Juneau. However, Ledlow's career line is an impressive .286/.358/.458. He's pretty subpar in the field, though. In a minor note, 27-year-old right fielder Jerry Peterson was dealt from the Pilots to Miners for washed-up lefty reliever Sam Haida. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Peterson hit .337 with 21 homers in 2016, but sat out all of 2017 with a training camp injury. He wasn't the same in 2018, but he still wants to try to make a comeback. Hopefully the Miners give him at least a little chance. The musical chairs continue for former Juneau standout Ralph Collette. The second baseman was dealt from the Pilots to the Panners for reliever Bryce Brown. Although Collette is 38, he really showed something last season after his trade to Anchorage, and I for one hope Fairbanks gives him a lot of playing time this year. The Fairbanks Goldpanners welcome third baseman Mark Beach back into the fold, four years after trading him to Mat-Su (before their championship runs!). Mat-Su receives 25-year-old star first baseman Dave King. Beach has compiled a .321 batting average with 831 hits, 19 homers, and 276 RBI and is still just 26. Training Camp Injuries Sitka will miss 22-year-old third baseman Bret Turner for the first month of the season. Turner could have been a Rookie of the Year candidate last year, had it not been for McGrath and MacGregor. The mood across Anchorage and, indeed, the league became subdued when it was learned that reliever Rowan Evans would never pitch again. Evans, just 25, had been one of the top setup men in the league since his entry in 2012. He has 192 career strikeouts to go with 97 walks allowed and 24 home runs allowed in 215 innings pitched. The Bucs saw sophomore starting pitcher Mark Tucker go down with a strained bicep just before the start of the season. He'll miss the first five weeks. He's a promising pitcher, who could become a star if his command develops as expected. Oilers starter Harvey Romanov tore a rotator cuff muscle, an injury that has ended many a pitcher's career. He'll need surgery, but there's a chance he could pitch again. Romanov was once a highly touted prospect, but his career numbers since 2009 are 49-69 with a 5.05 ERA. Next time: team previews...