The Mountaineer League

[scuffleball]

Patriots Sit Atop Division; Hutton Leading The Way

You'll excuse the Parkersburg Patriots if they would like to end the season right now. No mention of those old sports addages like, "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game". No, this is not that kind of team. The Patriots (20-15, currently in first place in the Mountaineer League's Blue Division) would like it just fine if the season ended today.

"It feels pretty good on top," Patriot's Manager Thomas Reynolds remarks as his first place ball club practices before heading to the team's next series in Clarksburg some 65 miles away. "But it's still early," he's quick to add with a coy smile.

"We haven't played anywhere near what we're capable of," third basemen Curt Bagnold says. When asked to give a percentage, the 24-year-old from Buckhannon dutifully ponders for a moment. "20%," he answers with a straight face. "Seriously, this team can be a lot better. Scotty's the only one who I would say is anywhere near playing where they should be."

The "Scotty" he refers to is not the world famous one from Star Trek manning the transporter. This Scotty is a 20-year-old phenomenon from Jackson County who is leading the Patriots in nearly every statistical category. This is even more remarkable when you consider he was hurt early in the season and missed four weeks. He is quickly becoming a major draw for the club, and expanding an already strong fan base to now include Jackson County.

To a man, the Patriot players will admit that Hutton is the only reason they are in first place right now. While they can all quickly find fault in their own play, they hold that Hutton is as fast, talent, athletic, and competitive as any player at any level on the planet. It's quite a striking scene, as player after player admits that Hutton is their best player, and without him they'd probably be in last place.

But ask the man in question, and he's a bit more humble.

"This is a team game," Scott Hutton replies when told of his teammates admissions as his cheeks redden. "I can't do anything alone. Guys are getting on base, and it's my job to drive them in. We are getting great pitching, too. Our defense is great, and I really have a great feeling about this team and this group of guys."

When you talk with the 5'11', 190 pound centerfielder from the tiny hamlet of Evans, you hear the words "team", "us", "guys", and "group" a lot. In fact, you can't get him to talk about himself or his early season numbers, which are impressive. He leads the team in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, stolen bases, runs, and runs created, just to name a few. He's also second on the team in runs batted in, despite missing, again, four weeks of the seven week old season.

"I have waited for this my entire life," he beams, slyly turning the questions from himself to the Mountaineer League as a whole. "Professional baseball in my home state is a dream come true. And to play for a team so close to my family is really special."

While that may be true, it's still not as special as the feeling one gets that this team, and in particular, this young man from Jackson County, may turn out to be something for the ages.

[scuffleball]

(NOTE: I will only be reporting on the Mountaineer League from now on, since I am really starting to follow it myself. I will expand the coverage of the ML and provide all the leagues through the web reports. I will write up some stories about WVIL from time to time, though, as well, and still plan to build a good rivalry.)

Mountaineer League Report 2
Through 6/17/2006
The Mountaineer League's inaugural All-Star break is here, with all ten ML teams taking a much deserved respite from the intense on-field competition. Things have been remarkably consistent through the first 58 games. Morgantown, quickly becoming known as the Monsters of the North, continue to lead the Gold Division and, barring injury, show no signs of faltering. They are being pursued by the resurgent Wheeling Owls, lead by All-Star catcher JW Casto.

In the Blue Division, the Parkersburg Patriots is the only team playing above 500 baseball (more on the poor performance of the Blue Division below). Huntington and Kanawha Valley trail by four and five games respectively.

Blue Division Playing the Blues
Earlier in the season, it was considered an anomaly, simply a fluke. 'It would work itself out' were the buzz words of the day. Now, as the five teams of the Blue Division find themselves at the all-star break, pundits and casual fans are starting to reassess their attitudes. Everyone seems to be asking, "What's wrong with the Blue Division"?

What, indeed.

Only one team, the streaking Parkersburg Patriots, is over 500, but only just, sporting a record of 32-26. Several teams that many considered to be potential league frontrunners - Bluefield, Kanawha Valley, Huntington - are languishing with losing records and in very real danger of not making the playoffs. Bluefield, with much touted 1st round draft choice Steven Hutton (LF), is surprising, currently entrenched in last place in the division.

"It's not pretty, that's for sure," Kanawha Valley Vipers Manager Chris Schultz remarked, sounding both optimistic about the second half and embarrassed about the first. "I wish I could tell you what the exact problem is. All the teams in our division are talented. Every team has played very well at times, but nobody seems to be putting it together over an eight or ten game stretch."

"It's horsecrap," Bluefield closer Nick Boone notes with disdain. "Embarrassing. I'm embarrassed, I know my teammates are embarrassed. We're making the entire central and southern parts of West Virginia look stupid. But we'll turn it around. By season's end, Parkersburg won't be the only team with a winning record, I promise you."

In Their Own Words
"Until today, I really didn't know what I was batting. I really had no idea. It's not something I personally track. I knew I was doing well, sure, but I had no idea I was doing that well. If I'm getting on base, regardless of how it happens, then I'm doing my job and helping the team. But thanks for pointing that out . . . I really appreciate all the added pressure that will bring with it."
-- Fairmont Engineers All-Star Shortstop Dave Lowry in answer to a question about what his thoughts were about leading the league with a batting average of .432

“No. Absolutely not.”
-- Mountaineer League Commissioner James L. Holcomb when asked about rumors of a possible merger between ML and WVIL.

”Does hell come before no?”
-- off-the-cuff remark made by Martinsburg Spirit 1B Daniel Kerley when asked if he was pleased with his play, and the play of his teammates, over the first half of the season


League Standings
Below are the ML current season standings for all games played up to the All-Star Break.

					
Blue Division		W	L	PCT	GB	Streak
Parkersburg Patriots	32	26	0.552	-	L2
Huntington Hawks	28	30	0.483	4	W2
Kanawha Valley Vipers	27	31	0.466	5	W1
Beckley Bears		26	32	0.448	6	W1
Bluefield Bullfrogs	26	32	0.448	6	L1
					
Gold Division		W	L	PCT	GB	Streak
Morgantown Monsters	38	20	0.655	-	W2
Wheeling Owls		34	24	0.586	4	W6
Fairmont Engineers	32	26	0.552	6	L4
Clarksburg Cardinals	25	33	0.431	13	L2
Martinsburg Spirit	22	36	0.379	16	L1

League Leaders
Below are the current Mountaineer League statistical leaders in selected categories:

Batting Average:		
0.432	D. Lowry, FMT
0.410	T. Moore, CLK
0.397	S. Hutton, PBG
0.372	J. Griesck, WHL
0.358	J. Casto, WHL
		
Home Runs:		
21	E. Fernández, MOR
19	A. Butler, KV
18	J. Casto, WHL
15	S. Hutton, PBG
14	2 tied with	
		
Runs Batted In:		
55	R. Thwaites, KV
54	V. Ortíz, PBG
52	E. Fernández, MOR
46	M. Weaver, FMT
45	J. Casto, WHL
		
Wins:		
10	J. O'Breen, MBG
10	D. Slater, MOR
7	M. Armstrong, BCK
7	7 more tied with	
		
ERA:		
1.71	D. Slater, MOR
2.73	B. Walters, PBG
3.08	T. Roblez, KV
3.13	T. Santos, HTG
3.29	J. O'Breen, MBG
		
Strikeouts:		
124	D. Slater, MOR
118	S. Squire, HTG
95	J. O'Breen, MBG
93	T. Santos, HTG
90	A. Searle, CLK

The full, online leagues report can be found here:
WV Baseball Leagues Online Report
Updated on 7/28/06

[AZTarHeel]

This one should be fun to follow -- I've found myself interested in these types of dynasties all of the sudden...

I have family from Beckley, so go Bears!!! I've heard that Oceana wants a team at some point in the future, even if its a farm team. Maybe Sophia as well... But that's just rumor from folks in the know in those parts... There's a fan base there waiting!

[scuffleball]

Originally Posted by AZTarHeel

This one should be fun to follow -- I've found myself interested in these types of dynasties all of the sudden...

I have family from Beckley, so go Bears!!! I've heard that Oceana wants a team at some point in the future, even if its a farm team. Maybe Sophia as well... But that's just rumor from folks in the know in those parts... There's a fan base there waiting!

Word is that Sophia made a strong push to be Beckley's developmental squad from the start, but it fell through at the last moment and they (Beckley) had to look elsewhere. There is talk, due to the tremendous success of the ML, of expanding some of the developmental leagues to allow more independent teams in. Also, althought it's a little early, of expanding the Mountaineer League to a 12 or 14-team league perhaps. There are also talks of mergers (of ML and WVIL) nearly every day. Any of these options would also open up the system for rotating developmental deals, which could be interesting

Thanks for reading - I'll be updating soon.

[AZTarHeel]

If you had a team from Coalwood, you could call them the Coalwood Rocket Boys, in honor of Homer Hickam and Company (see movie October Sky from a few years back)...

[scuffleball]

Originally Posted by AZTarHeel

If you had a team from Coalwood, you could call them the Coalwood Rocket Boys, in honor of Homer Hickam and Company (see movie October Sky from a few years back)...

Now that's not a bad idea. My wife has family in Coalwood and also Welch and Gary. She's actually from McDowell County.

That's a great movie, too, by the way

I wish this game had the ability to add whole leagues once you get started.

[AZTarHeel]

Originally Posted by scuffleball

Now that's not a bad idea. My wife has family in Coalwood and also Welch and Gary. She's actually from McDowell County.

That's a great movie, too, by the way

I wish this game had the ability to add whole leagues once you get started.

Both of my parents, and my grandparents, and as far as know, my great-grandparents are from Southern WVA. Even though I was born and raised in North Carolina, I still claim some WV heritage ... I checked out Homer Hickam's book called The Coalwood Way from the library a few years back (actually the book on tape) and listened to it about 3-4 times. I could almost see everything he was describing since my dad grew up in a similar town.

There is something special about those types of places despite some of the misery associated with trying to make a living there...

[Herd Fan]

Go Patriots! BTW, did you know there was at one time a semi-pro football team in Huntington called the Hawks? I figure you probably did as some of the other mascots are pretty obvious references to people from the state.

Good work on this dynasty--keep it coming!

[scuffleball]

Originally Posted by Herd Fan

Go Patriots! BTW, did you know there was at one time a semi-pro football team in Huntington called the Hawks? I figure you probably did as some of the other mascots are pretty obvious references to people from the state.

Good work on this dynasty--keep it coming!

Yep, that's why I went with the name. It is a good name for Huntington, I think, and rolls right off the tongue. Of course, you know why Parkersburg is called the Patriots . . . well Parkersburg South, anyway

Thanks for reading. The sad thing to me though is that everyone always 'used' to live in WV . . . that doesn't speak well for my beloved state, but I really appreciate everyone's interest.

The next update will arrive shortly.

[spark240]

Originally Posted by scuffleball

That's a great movie

It was a fine movie, but--as usual--the book was better. Anybody who liked the movie but hasn't read the book, should. HH wrote a couple sequels too.

[spark240]

Scuff, I realize it's early days yet for your league (world), but when the time comes, I'd appreciate some attention on the financial dynamics of the teams. Like whether free agents are commanding big (in relative terms) money, and how teams at each end of the financial scale (whatever that is) are reacting, whether there's much movement between the two leagues, stuff like that.

[SC_Dawg]

Originally Posted by scuffleball

Yep, that's why I went with the name. It is a good name for Huntington, I think, and rolls right off the tongue. Of course, you know why Parkersburg is called the Patriots . . . well Parkersburg South, anyway

Thanks for reading. The sad thing to me though is that everyone always 'used' to live in WV . . . that doesn't speak well for my beloved state, but I really appreciate everyone's interest.

The next update will arrive shortly.

Did you know that Wheeling is also the Patriots, that is the Wheeling Park Patriots? My wife's alma mater.

[scuffleball]

Hi Everyone,

First off, I sincerely apologize for this dynasty falling off the face of the OOTP Earth. That was not my intention. Real life got in the way and other interests grabbed my creative attention . . . typical I know.

Anyway, I am going to revive this. I am also going to structure it in a way that I can maintain and keep updated. I like my general layout, so I'm going to keep following the Mountaineer League, provide the league reports for all leagues on my website, and do little write-ups and blurbs as we move along.

I am going to post four league reports per season (1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and end of season mark) and also do a report for the quarterfinal playoff round and the Mountain State Series, respectively. I will also post the All-Star Game information and have a series of quotes from the selected players. I will also try to write at least two newspaper-esque articles like the Parkersburg News article above per season. I will also have a post covering the off-season, particularly the financial/contract stuff, since I have a very small league with a $1.75 million salary cap per team. Most good players are currently resigning at around $50,000-$60,000 per season for 3-4 seasons. I think that's pretty cool, personally.

My first update in this reborn dynasty will be after the inaugural season's Mountain State Series (which I am preparing to simulate).

Thanks for reading this . . . and it looks like (with 1 week left in the first season) that we may have a triple-crown winner . . . it's going to be close

Take care.

[SC_Dawg]

Originally Posted by scuffleball

Hi Everyone,

First off, I sincerely apologize for this dynasty falling off the face of the OOTP Earth. That was not my intention. Real life got in the way and other interests grabbed my creative attention . . . typical I know.

I am just happy as a clam to see the league appears to have not died afterall. Looking forward to your starting it up again.

[scuffleball]

Huntington Hawks (66-60) vs. Wheeling Owls (70-56)

Wheeling Claims Inaugural Mountain State Series Crown
WHEELING, WV - The Wheeling Owls wrapped up the first Mountain State Series at home, 14-9, before better than 4,000 enthusiastic fans at WesBanco Field, taking the series four games to two, and going down in history as the first ever Mountaineer League Champions. The Owls were lead by Triple Crown winner and Rookie of the Year, catcher J.W. Casto, who batted .343 in the playoffs and paced the Owls with 6 homeruns and 11 RBI's in Wheeling's 10 post-season contests. Wheeling opened the playoffs by promptly dispatching the Blue Division regular season champions, the Parkersburg Patriots, four games to none, in what is considered the most surprising upset of the playoffs. The Owls' opponent, the Huntington Hawks, advanced to the championship finals by defeating the Mountaineer League's team with the best regular season record, the Morgantown Monsters, four games to two.

Game 1


Game 2


Game 3


Game 4


Game 5


Game 6



Catcher Claims Triple Crown
WHEELING, WV - The Wheeling Owls not only marched through the playoffs to claim the inaugural Mountaineer League championship, but they also produced the first, and so far only, Triple Crown batting champion in Mountaineer League history. J.W. Casto, the Owls catcher, lead the Mountaineer league in batting average, homeruns, and runs batted in to claim the title. The numbers are impressive: a .383 batting average (.006 ahead of second place), 45 Homeruns (6 in front of second place) and 120 RBIs (7 more than second place).

"I just wanted to prove catchers were offensive players, too," Casto said when asked about his record-setting season. "Yeah, we throws guys out, and yeah, we usually bat in the bottom of the order, and, well, that just didn't look like something I wanted to do. I wanted to bat clean-up. God just saw fit to put a clean-up hitter in a 5-foot 11, 245 pound body with bad knees. Who are we to question that choice?"

Mountaineer League Seats - State's Hottest Ticket
CHARLESTON, WV - The Mountaineer League, the premier professional baseball league in the state of West Virginia, saw more than two million fans attend league games in their inaugural season. Fans from all 55 counties and the states of Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia made up the attendance total of 2,144,808.

"We are absolutely ecstatic," Commissioner Holcomb noted during a recent telephone interview. "But we still need to double or triple our efforts, to build on this fantastic start. To say thank you to all of our wonderful fans just doesn't seem like enough."

ML Season Attendance Totals
251,169 - Parkersburg
245,202 - Kanawha Valley
244,337 - Wheeling
225,010 - Huntington
214,793 - Fairmont
213,677 - Beckley
208,543 - Morgantown
186,496 - Bluefield
186,307 - Martinsburg
169,274 - Clarksburg

ML Per Game Attendance Averages
3,987 - Parkersburg
3,892 - Kanawha Valley
3,878 - Wheeling
3,572 - Huntington
3,409 - Fairmont
3,392 - Beckley
3,310 - Morgantown
2,960 - Bluefield
2,957 - Martinsburg
2,687 - Clarksburg

[scuffleball]

I will be uploading the league reports shortly.

[scuffleball]

All league reports are now available online. They are up-to-date to the start of the off-season. All five WV leagues are covered.

WV Baseball Reports

WV Baseball Organization

• Mountaineer League
• Appalachian League (farm)
• North Counties League (farm)

• West Virginia Independent League
• Central Baseball League (farm)

[SC_Dawg]

Originally Posted by scuffleball

Huntington Hawks (66-60) vs. Wheeling Owls (70-56)

Wheeling Claims Inaugural Mountain State Series Crown

LOL I have to tell my wife Wheeling has a championship team!!!!

Great report also scuffleball.

[scuffleball]

The Mountaineer League - Quarter Point Report

Current Standings
Here are the Mountaineer League season standings through 35 games:

Blue Division		W    L  PCT	GB
Beckley Bears		23  12	0.657	--
Parkersburg Patriots	22  13	0.629	 1
Kanawha Valley Vipers	16  19	0.457	 7
Huntington Hawks	15  20	0.429	 8
Bluefield Bullfrogs	12  23	0.343	11

Gold Division		W    L	PCT	GB
Fairmont Engineers	25  10	0.714	--
Clarksburg Cardinals	19  16	0.543	 6
Morgantown Monsters	16  19	0.457	 9
Martinsburg Spirit	15  20	0.429	10
Wheeling Owls		12  23	0.343	13

League Leaders
Below are the current Mountaineer League statistical leaders in selected categories:

Batting Average:		
0.442	D. Lowry, Fairmont
0.386	J. Rogers, Bluefield
0.380	J. Acord, Kanawha Valley
0.375	G. Rice, Parkersburg
0.374	S. Hutton, Parkersburg

Homeruns:		
11	F. Cardinales, Martinsburg
11	J. Rogers, Bluefield
10	K. Bennett, Beckley
10	M. Weaver, Fairmont

Runs Batted In:		
45	M. Weaver, Fairmont
42	D. Thacker, Kanawha Valley
32	G. Rice, Parkersburg
31	S. Hutton, Parkersburg
30	C. Bagnold, Parkersburg

Wins:		
7	O. Pérez, Parkersburg
7	J. Williams, Parkersburg
6	S. Parrish, Clarksburg
6	D. Slater, Morgantown

ERA:		
0.94	D. Slater, Morgantown
2.24	C. Swank, Kanawha Valley
2.33	O. Pérez, Parkersburg
2.34	J. Williams, Parkersburg
3	K. Aniya, Huntington

Strikeouts:		
99	D. Slater, Morgantown	
69	O. Pérez, Parkersburg
53	J. Williams, Parkersburg
49	E. Davis, Clarksburg
48	R. Coster, Martinsburg

Owls Losing Their Hoot
WHEELING, WV - The Wheeling Owls, defending Mountaineer League champions, are struggling, mired in last place in the Gold Division with a 12-23 record. They are showing no signs of turning it around any time soon, and currently sit 13 games back with a little more than a quarter of the season behind them.

The Owls problems stem from two key areas - offense and pitching. They are currently 8th in the ML in runs scored, 7th in slugging percentage, and 8th in homeruns. Their starting pitching is currently ranked 9th in ERA, and their team ERA of 4.96 is only good for 8th in the 10-team circuit.

Last years Triple Crown winner, J.W. Casto, while not playing poorly, is not producing at the rate he did last year. His .287-6-17 numbers are respectable, but far off last season's torrid pace, and the entire Owls offense has seemed to follow suit.

In Their Own Words
"I don't think we're finished by any stretch, but right now we're embarrassing ourselves."
-- Wheeling Owls catcher, J.W. Casto, regarding the Owls performance through at the quarter mark of the season

"A 16-19 record doesn't make what I'm about to say make much sense, but I really think this team has a chance to go all the way this year."
-- Kanawha Valley Vipers 2B, Dickie Thacker

"In the end, I can't say that the attention concerning my recent play hasn't been nice, but let's be honest here. I'm just a kid from Buckhannon who dreamed of playing baseball. I'd lay awake at night in the bed I shared with my three brothers and sisters, dreaming of hitting homers or making diving catches in the outfield. We'd huddle around the fire in the winters, wrapped in blankets as the snow blew through the gaps in the siding. My mother and father would scrap together enough money to buy me a glove or cleats when I needed them, and then we'd go without meat for a week or two as I practiced. But God they loved to see me playing baseball! They really sacrificed so that I could be standing here today . . . Nah, I'm just playing around with you. My family did alright, and I was an only child. Hell, if anything my father thinks I'm crazy for playing baseball when I could be working in his law firm."
-- Curt Bagnold, streaking Parkersburg Patriot third baseman commenting to reporters on his journey to the Mountaineer League

[scuffleball]

The Mountaineer League @ The All-Star Break

Current Standings
Here are the Mountaineer League season standings through 58 games:

Blue Division		W    L	PCT	GB
Parkersburg Patriots	34  24	0.586	--
Beckley Bears		33  25	0.569	 1
WhilHuntington Hawks	32  26	0.552	 2
Kanawha Valley Vipers	26  32	0.448	 8
Bluefield Bullfrogs	22  36	0.379	12
				
Gold Division		W    L	PCT	GB
Fairmont Engineers	40  18	0.690	--
Clarksburg Cardinals	29  29	0.500	11
Morgantown Monsters	29  29	0.500	11
Martinsburg Spirit	24  34	0.414	16
Wheeling Owls		21  37	0.362	19

League Leaders
Below are the current Mountaineer League statistical leaders in selected categories:

Batting Average:
0.439	D. Lowry, Fairmont
0.375	G. Rice, Parkersburg
0.368	J. Acord, Kanawha Valley
0.366	J. Griesck, Wheeling
0.365	O. Goeble, Morgantown
Homeruns:
17	M. Weaver, Fairmont
16	J. Rogers, Bluefield
14	C. Bagnold, Parkersburg
14	T. Tarriman, Clarksburg
13	4 tied with
Runs Batted In:		
70	M. Weaver, Fairmont
50	D. Thacker, Kanawha Valley
48	O. Esparaza, Wheeling
47	C. Bagnold, Parkersburg
45	2 tied with
Wins:
11	D. Slater, Morgantown
10	J. Williams, Parkersburg
9	A. Cuecuecha, Fairmont
9	O. Pérez, Parkersburg
8	4 tied with	
ERA:
1.00	D. Slater, Morgantown
2.05	J. Williams, Parkersburg
2.77	O. Pérez, Parkersburg
3.00	L. Butlin, Huntington
3.04	A. Searle, Clarksburg
Strikeouts:
165	D. Slater, Morgantown
108	O. Pérez, Parkersburg
83	S. Squire, Huntington
81	E. Davis, Clarksburg
81	J. Williams, Parkersburg
Saves:
16	W. Holland, Huntington
15	J. Reguejado, Beckley
15	S. von Tettau, Morgantown
14	B. Grayer, Clarksburg
13	J. Costello, Martinsburg

All-Star Selections
Below are the players selected by fan voting for the 2nd Annual Blue-Gold All-Star Classic. This year's mid-season classic will be played at Appalachian Power Park, home of the Kanawha Valley Vipers.

Blue All-Stars Starting Lineup

• J. Acord 1B, Kanawha Valley
• K. Kingsley C, Huntington
• Sc. Hutton CF, Parkersburg
• St. Hutton LF, Bluefield
• J. Rogers 3B, Bluefield
• S. Hoskinson 2B, Huntington
• J. Cablleno RF, Beckley
• V. Broughall SS, Beckley
• O. Pérez P, Parkersburg

Gold All-Stars Starting Lineup

• R. Lain CF, Fairmont
• M. Weaver 1B, Fairmont
• J. Casto C, Wheeling
• D. Lowry 3B, Fairmont
• T. Moore LF, Clarksburg
• O. Esparaza RF, Wheeling
• J. Griesck SS, Wheeling
• K. Solomon 2B, Wheeling
• A. Cuecuecha P, Fairmont

Controversial All-Star Voting Has One Team Asking Questions
MORGANTOWN, WV - Forgive the Morgantown Monsters if they are monstrously upset. Fans in Morgantown apparently feel the same way, as they have been barraging Mountaineer League headquarters in Charleston with angry calls, conveying their displeasure with the starting lineups for the upcoming All-Star Classic. Even Monsters team management has joined the disgrunted chorus.

"We are not pleased," team GM John Archer stated bluntly when asked about the brewing controversy. "This is supposed to be an All-Star Game, and to have the best pitcher in this league not starting only diminishes the whole thing. It's a joke, really. Slater'll tell you that he's not concerned about it, but I can tell you this - this team isn't happy right now. It feels like we've been disrespected, and to some extent, that's how this entire city feels, too."

David Slater, they collectively say, was robbed.

And they have a case. "Slice" as he is called in Morgantown, is, quite frankly, dominating the league. His ERA of 1.00 is more than a run per game better than the next closest hurler. He leads the lead in wins with 11 and strikeouts with 168. He has struck out 57 more batters than his closest competitor. He's also tops in the league in Innings Pitched, Strikeouts Per 9 IP, Complete Games, and WHIP.

"How can he not be the starting pitcher in the All-Star game?!?" an incredulous fan proclaimed outside the Morgantown Mall, his buddies all nodding in agreement. "This guy is killing everyone, and he's not the starter? Probably people in Fairmont double-voting to keep him out!"

While there is no evidence to suggest that fans in Fairmont are to blame, Mountaineer League fans, however, are apparently guilty. The official tally shows that "Slice" fell just short of Gold Division All-Star starter Arturo Cuecuecha from Fairmont by just 121 votes.

"Cuecuecha is a joke," an editorial in the Dominion Post recently chided. "He's not even on the same planet in terms of talent as half the Monsters pitching staff. His ERA is nine times higher than Slater's, and that stat alone should tell you where the minds of these so-called "West Virginia baseball" fans are, for they certainly aren't on legitimate baseball talent!"

"It's not really that big of a deal to me," Slater admits, somewhat sheepishly. "I appreciate that the fans here in Morgantown support me and think I deserve the starting nod, but in the end, if we don't win the championship, I'm not going to worry about it. I just want to go out, make my pitches, and get this team to the playoffs."

In Their Own Words
"Let the belly-aching begin. I think we'll send them a case of Tums."
-- Fairmont Engineers GM Elvin Park, regarding the announcement that David Slater of the Morgantown Monsters was not the starting pitcher for the Gold All-Stars.

"I'm going for 150. Not to brag or sound too over-confident, but yeah, I think 150 is a good round number for the record books."
-- Fairmont Engineers 1B Mark Weaver replying to a question about how many runs he thinks he can bat in for the season. He currently leads the league with 70 in 58 games.

"They still around? Seriously, I had no idea. With any league that has a team named the Crickets, you have to ask that question."
-- Huntington Hawks RF Jeff Derenberger replying to a question regarding the comparison of talent in the ML and WVIL.