Miami and the United States Baseball Association

[dkmsoxfan88]

Expansion teams awarded to Cleveland, Miami
Teams to begin play in 2000 season

usba.com - April 1, 1999

NEW YORK - USBA commissioner Jim Smith officially announced today that the league will expand to 20 teams to begin the 2000 season. The expansion teams will call Cleveland and Miami home. The teams will be joining the Eastern league, with Cleveland going to the Washington Division and Miami to the Jefferson Division. This expansion will re-balance the league with 5 teams in each division.

Although no date has been announced, it is expected that the expansion draft will, as with the league's first round of expansion, coincide with the first day of free agency.

Neither team has announced a nickname. Both teams are expected to unveil nicknames, uniforms, and logos during this season.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Herald readers "Name the Team"

May 10, 1999

MIAMI - The ownership group of the new Miami baseball franchise is teaming up with the Miami Herald to let the fans help decide the name of the new team!

Fans will be able to choose from a list of names. Votes can be submitted by phone, by mail, or online at our website, MiamiHerald.com

[dkmsoxfan88]

Cleveland franchise unveils name, logo, uniform

usba.com - June 1, 1999

CLEVELAND - The ownership group for the expansion Cleveland franchise announced today that their team would be nicknamed the "Redbirds." Along with this announcement came an unveiling of the team's official logo and uniform.

Logo:


Uniform:

[dkmsoxfan88]

Miami franchise to be nicknamed "Pelicans"
Team unveils logo, colors, uniforms

July 11, 1999

MIAMI - The Miami baseball franchise now officially has a name. As chosen by Herald readers in the "Name the Team" promotion, the team will be called the Miami Pelicans. Team officials announced this yesterday at a press conference at the team's headquarters. Also revealed were the team's logo and uniforms.

Logo:


Uniform:

[dkmsoxfan88]

Pelicans name O'Higgins as general manager

Sept. 1, 1999

MIAMI - The Miami Pelicans have named 28-year-old Bernardo O'Higgins as their first general manager. O'Higgins will have the daunting task of building an organization from the ground up. O'Higgins, a University of Miami graduate, said, "I'm excited to take on this challenge. I think that baseball fans in Miami are going to be very happy very soon."

Miami and fellow expansion team Cleveland cannot add players to their teams until November 4, the first day of free agency. The expansion draft is scheduled for the next day.

O'Higgins hopes that Miami can be more successful than the USBA's last two expansion franchises in San Diego and Milwaukee. Neither team has had any success since joining the league in 1990. Other than a 2nd-place finish in 1996 for Milwaukee, neither team has finished above 4th in their division since beginning play.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Pelicans select 2B Carson with first pick of expansion draft

Nov. 6, 1999

MIAMI - The Miami Pelicans selected 27-year-old second baseman Travis Carson from the Philadelphia Liberty with the first pick in the expansion draft. Carson, who hit .292 with 3 home runs and 59 runs batted in, is expected to be the starter at second base and a cornerstone for the Pelicans.

The complete list of players drafted by Miami:
Round 1 - T. Carson, 2B (PHI)
Round 2 - B. Randall, SP (ATL)
Round 3 - R. Garrett, SS (MIL)
Round 4 - D. Everhart, SP (NO)
Round 5 - J. Valdes, SP (LA)
Round 6 - E. Boswell, CF (DEN)
Round 7 - K. Booth, 1B (PHI)
Round 8 - O. Borges, SS (PHI)
Round 9 - J. Ball, RP (BOS)
Round 10 - J. Curtis, 1B (RIC)
Round 11 - D. Strickland, C (ATL)
Round 12 - J. Bell, RP (LA)
Round 13 - J. Betancourt, SP (LV)
Round 14 - C. Ortiz, 3B (SD)
Round 15 - J. Anderson, C (BOS)
Round 16 - P. Cooper, SP (SD)
Round 17 - C. Castillo, SP (PHI)
Round 18 - J. Jordan, RP (CHA)
Round 19 - D. Brown, SP (NO)
Round 20 - P. Bowman, RF (ATL)
Round 21 - L. Lord, LF (SD)
Round 22 - E. Martinez, C (MIL)
Round 23 - A. Brown, 1B (MIL)
Round 24 - R. Cameron, SS (NO)
Round 25 - A. Guzman, 3B (DEN)
Round 26 - C. Torres, RP (AUS)
Round 27 - A. Guzman, SP (SD)
Round 28 - D. Simonton, RP (BOS)
Round 29 - J. Randall, RP (ATL)
Round 30 - J. Rodriguez, SP (CHA)
Round 31 - M. Vazquez, RF (LV)
Round 32 - P. Bannatyne, SP (BOS)
Round 33 - T. Street, CL (ATL)
Round 34 - E. Butler, SP (LA)
Round 35 - B. Davis, RP (PHX)

In other transaction news, the Pelicans claimed right fielder Ron Thomas off waivers from Washington. Thomas, 24, is expected to contend for a starting spot.

[dkmsoxfan88]

--GM Journal--

Well, we're officially a baseball team. We've got players on our roster and now it's time to sort through what we have (not much) and what we still need (a lot).

At the major league level, we have a bunch of position players who look pretty good (on paper, at least). Our first pick, Travis Carson, is a fairly young guy with good speed and a good bat. He's put up good numbers in his limited time in the bigs, and I think he's going to be crucial for us. We also somehow had a young right fielder by the name of Ron Thomas fall into our laps via waivers from Washington. He's got tons of raw talent at the plate, although he strikes out more than we'd like. He's also fast and an excellent defender. Look for him near the top of the order as well.

The pitching situation is a whole different story. There was no high-quality big league pitching available in the draft, so we picked up a few guys who can eat innings for us at the back end of the rotation. We also picked up some talented relievers, and there were plenty of pitching prospects to be had. A few years down the road, we should be in good shape.

Unfortunately, there's not much pitching help to be had in the free agent market. We've offered to some guys that we think may be able to keep their heads above water in the bigs, so we'll see how that shakes up. On the offensive side, don't be surprised to see us make a big-impact signing - we may have to outscore guys to have success this year.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Well, so much for those big free agent signings.

We spent a good three months negotiating with guys only to have them sign elsewhere. It was a tremendous bidding war, and the players got too pricey for what we thought they were worth. Our prize target was, of course, LF Angel Nunez. Nunez is second on the all-time home run list with 422, behind Gustavo Aicon's 451. He's as big a superstar as there is in the game, and he certainly would have led our offense and brought the fans to the park in droves. In the end, we got up to nearly $20 million per year - that's a lot to pay a 36-year-old - but he signed with Los Angeles.

We also lost out on a young pitcher, coming out of the Mexican League, named Jose Escalante. The bidding reached upwards of $5 million per year before we decided that we didn't want to pay that much for an unproven pitcher. His services were worth more to the Charlotte Flyers.

So, we didn't make any big signings during free agency. Looks like we're going to battle with what we have now. Here's a look at our roster, starting with our pitching staff:

PITCHERS

SP Dave Rollin (RH, Age 32, '00 salary $2,750,000)
Dave was one of our few free agent signings. He pitched in Japan for his entire career prior to coming over (despite being born in Canada). He boasts a 3.51 ERA with 158 wins in the NPB. He'll be at the top of our rotation this year, which isn't saying much.

SP Pete Cooper (RH, 23, $263,807)
Pete was taken in the expansion draft from San Diego. He was effective for them in the minors, but has only 12.2 innings of big league work under his belt. He's got great control and his pitches have scary movement, so we're hoping his raw talent means success in our rotation.

SP Anibal Guzman (RH, 35, $263,807)
Anibal pitched in the Mexican league before coming to the USBA. He bounced around between the minors and majors for a while, and hasn't had any real success in the bigs. Like Cooper, he's got control and good movement, so here's hoping he finally learns how to pitch.

SP Phil Bannatyne (RH, 29, $263,807)
Phil's got decent stuff, but he's as wild as they come. He's posted a career ERA of 6.05, with only one season under 5. I don't even know if he's going to make the roster, with the prospects and other scrubs in the minors.

SP Ismael Perez (RH, 34, $263,807)
Ismael's pretty experienced and has stuck around in the majors for a while. In '97 he posted a 3.83 ERA, so his "best" years aren't that far behind him. A respectable year from Ish would be absolutely great.

SP Bob Willis (LH, 30, MLC)
Bob is your typical guy who bounces from the minors to the majors every year. He's posted some pretty good numbers in AAA as a starter, and had one good year in the bigs, going 15-6 with a 4.06 ERA in 1994 for Philadelphia. He's also pitched some relief, so he may end up as our mop-up/spot starter, if he doesn't make the rotation.

SP Jorge Betancourt (RH, 25, $338,400)
Jorge came over late last season from the Mexican League, where he was solid, and went 2-2 with a 6.63 ERA in four starts with Las Vegas. Yikes. He'll probably start in Cooperstown of the Northeast League, although he'll have his shot in Spring Training.

SP Juan Valdes (RH, 25, $296,700)
Another former Mexican Leaguer, Juan is a bit perplexing. Our scouts rave about his talent and potential, yet he put up this line last year in Los Angeles: 5-13, 6.95 ERA, 28 GS, 1.79 WHIP. He'll almost certainly start in the upper minors. Hopefully we can straighten him out.

RP Roman Fernandez (LH, 37, $600,000)
"Booker" has had a long, successful career as a reliever. He spent most of his years with the New York Empires, alternating between set-up and closer. He's recorded 197 saves and has a career ERA of 2.89 and a WHIP of 1.19. Though his numbers have fallen from what they were in his heyday, he should still turn in some respectable outings in middle relief.

RP Victor Fernandez (RH, 33, $300,000)
Victor's never really had any big league success. He's been ineffective for Chicago, but he put up some nice numbers for their Northeast League affiliate, the Worcester Rockets. Victor's presence on this team, as with many others, is based on the hope that those minor league numbers translate.

RP Glenn Thomas (RH, 36, $700,000)
Old age has caught up to Glenn, who used to have some of the best stuff in baseball. Another former closer (218 career saves), he's turned in some tremendous years. Although nowhere near his prime, he's been consistently effective the past few years, and we have no reason to believe that that will not continue.

RP Carlos Torres (LH, 24, $280,000)
Carlos was terrific last year in the Mexican league, but was absolutely putrid in five appearances for Austin after signing near the end of the season. This kid's got great talent and we're hoping to see Mexican League Carlos this year and in the future.

RP Jim Bell (RH, 27, MLC)
Jim's got the tools he needs to be a dominant reliever. He's just never used them at this level. He's never really been dominant in the minors, which is kind of scary. But if there's talent there, we'll give him plenty of chances.

RP Joe Ball (RH, 22, $263,807)
Joe's one of our top candidates for closer. He's got the raw stuff, like Jim Bell, and he's been pretty darn good so far in the minors. He had a solid, if unspectacular, stint with Boston last year, and he's only going to improve. He'll be solid in our bullpen for a while.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Next, we'll look at the guys who will be catching that staff:

C Terry Reese (Bats R/Throws R, Age 30, '00 salary $2,750,000)
Our biggest free agent signing of the offseason, Terry was quite the bargain (compared to other catchers we pursued). He's got a great arm from behind the plate, and he can hit for average and power (.275/22/95 in '99). Definitely our starter.

C Jack Anderson (R/R, 22, MLC)
Jack projects to be a solid, solid hitter, although his defensive skills leave a lot to be desired. He hit .333/.381/.483 in full-time action last year in Providence of the Northeast League. With no big league experience, he'll have to fight for a spot on the opening day roster.

C Donald Strickland (R/R, 20, MLC)
Another prospect who has the talent to be a big-league hitter. Like Anderson, Donald is nothing special defensively and is even less experienced. He put up some pretty good numbers in the lower minors last year, so he's still a couple years away.

C Esteban Martinez (R/R, 23, MLC)
Esteban is a defensive catcher, which may earn him the backup spot this year. He has an absolute cannon for an arm. He hit pretty well at both levels of the minors, but we don't expect much from him offensively.

The infield:

1B Kurt Booth (L/L, 33, $1,165,000)
Kurt has been a very consistent bat in his time in the USBA. Hits for average and some power, and has a good eye (career .302/.366/.468). Not very nimble, and below average defensively, so he may end up as our DH.

1B Albert Brown (R/R, 23, $263,807)
Al's not quite the hitter that Kurt is. He's more of a gap hitter, although he's got a little home run pop. Hit .263 in his first full big league season last year in Milwaukee. He'll probably start at first base because of his superior defense.

2B Travis Carson (R/R, 27, $263,807)
Travis, our first pick in the expansion draft, has got some real tools, and can use them. I don't know why Philly left him unprotected, because his numbers in the majors have been beyond respectable (career .307/.353/.431) in two full seasons. He's got great speed, and plays quality defense as well. I've already got him penciled in as our #2 hitter.

3B Carlos Ortiz (R/R, 24, MLC)
Carlos is the question mark of our infield right now, but I'm not sure we have anyone who can force him out at the hot corner. He's got a good swing, but strangely he hasn't been much of a hitter. He plays great D, though, so that helps him. We'll be looking for an improvement, but it probably won't be a priority.

SS Orlando Borges (L/R, 28, $348,450)
Orlando is another one of our top picks from the expansion draft. He's been a very decent hitter for average in his limited time in the USBA (yes, we have a lot of former international players on our team). He's currently slotted as our shortstop, although he does have the arm and ability to play third if another one of our shortstops steps it up.

SS Lowell Daniels (R/R, 23, $263,807)
Lowell is one of our top prospects at the moment. He split last year between the lower and upper minors and succeeded at both levels. He got a call-up with Richmond at the end of the year and was underwhelming. Our plan is to let him play a full year in Cooperstown and then look at him at the end of the year, but if he plays well enough he can work his way up to the big club.

SS Rhett Cameron (R/R, 22, MLC)
Rhett's another great SS prospect (we're pretty set at short right now). He owned Northeast League pitchers last year, so he might be ready for the show. He can do pretty much everything except hit homers, which is fine by me. He'll get a look in the spring.

SS Andres Garcia (R/R, 35, $470,000)
Andres will be playing the role of utility infielder this year. He plays all four positions well, with great range and a strong arm. He hits well enough to platoon if need be, but we probably won't look to him as a starter because he hasn't played full-time since '93.

Finally, our outfielders:

LF Leo Lord (R/R, 24, $263,807)
Leo's got some tools. He looks like a solid contact hitter with above-average speed and defense. He was decent last year for the San Diego Aztecs, hitting an even .300 in 323 at-bats, although with just a .713 OPS. He'll compete for the job in left, and will at the very least be a solid sub.

LF Zach Vaughn (R/R, 26, MLC)
Our scouting director, Mario Gonzalez, insisted we take Zach in the Rule 5 draft. So he's more or less guaranteed a spot on our roster. Zach's got average hitting skills at best, although he put up good numbers in the upper minors last year. His real value, however, is his blazing speed, bunting ability, and defensive range at all three outfield positions. Zach will get his shot in either left or center.

CF Erik Boswell (L/R, 23, $263,807)
From the looks of it, Erik Boswell looks like he could be a pretty special player. He's a four-tool guy (not the best arm) who played well spending most of last year in Las Vegas. Could be a .300/20/100, 30 SB guy. He's the favorite to win the CF job.

RF Phil Bowman (R/L, 24, MLC)
Baseball America has Phil as our top prospect. Phil has earned that distinction, tearing up the Northeast League the past two seasons (.325/.408/.416 in '99). He doesn't have a lot of power, but he should hit for a high average for us in the near future. He'll battle for the starting job; I'm not sure where we'll put him if he doesn't win it.

RF Ron Thomas (L/L, 24, MLC)
The very first member of the Miami Pelicans (claimed off waivers before the expansion draft), Ron Thomas's acquisition seemed almost too good to be true. He projects as a big-time hitter for both average and power, and hit .322 with a .901 OPS in a short stint with Richmond last year. Ron is the front-runner to start in RF.

[dkmsoxfan88]

2000 Season Preview

usba.com - April 10, 2000

A quick preview of all 20 teams as we prepare for Opening Day:

EASTERN LEAGUE - Washington Division


Boston Shamrocks
One of the USBA's two winningest franchises (seven championships, tied with New Orleans), the Shamrocks are looking to win the division for the first time since 1991. The Shamrocks will be led by star shortstop Kip Donnelly (.293/26/104 in 1999).


Cleveland Redbirds
Cleveland joins the USBA for the 2000 season. The Redbirds shouldn't expect to compete right away. This team is built for the future with prospects like first baseman Juan Cuellar.


New York Empires
New York has been improving for the past few years, and the Empires will look to build upon last year's second-place finish. If young starter Jeff Harper comes into his own, the Empires may be a force in the Washington division.


Philadelphia Liberty
The Liberty will look to defent their Eastern League pennant this year. As long as Roman Garcia (career 2.70 ERA, 2016 K) continues to be one of the best starters in league history, the Liberty will always be a favorite. Shortstop Gabriel Villareal (.293/31/109 in 1999) is still improving, so Philadelphia will be a contender again in 2000.


Washington Patriots
With a strong rotation led by Juan "Baby Bull" Montoya, the Washington Patriots stand a good chance of improving their 80-82 finish last year. Catcher Johnny Snyder emerged as one of the best players in baseball last year and should continue his excellence.

EASTERN LEAGUE - Jefferson Division


Atlanta Cherokees
The Cherokees have won the division four years running, and with second baseman Avery Cook the team's only significant loss from last year, they will contend again this year, particularly if third baseman Raul Lopez returns to 1997/1998 form.


Charlotte Flyers
The Flyers finished second in the Jefferson Division in 1999, but may be in for a harder time this season. The loss of catcher Donald Moore for the season won't be good for Charlotte's chances. Closer Shunso Rin's departure won't help the back of the bullpen, either.


Detroit Hawks
Improving on a last-place finish won't be easy for the Hawks. The team is led by slugger Jake MacGoun in left field and added star closer Shunso Rin, but the bullpen won't matter if Detroit's weak rotation doesn't improve.


Miami Pelicans
The Pelicans won't have it easy in their first year in the league. With no quality starting pitching, Miami will have a hard time staying in games. The offense, led by second baseman Travis Carson, will have to be stellar for Miami to have any success.


Richmond Rebels
Richmond will be lucky to improve on their 74-88 record from last year. The Rebels lack the starting pitching necessary to compete, and their offseason additions - shortstop Willie Davis and reliever Kevin Gardner - won't be enough.

WESTERN LEAGUE - Lincoln Division


Austin Cowboys
Austin finished third in a very competitive Lincoln Division last year. The Cowboys replaced departed catcher Terry Reese with free agent signing Derrick Fulton. Look for them to be in the thick of things again.


Chicago Wolves
The Wolves finished in fourth place last year, but were still only four games out of the top spot. Their offense, led by catcher Jorge Alvarado and third baseman Pat "Love Machine" Schmidt, will carry the team through another tough division race this year.


Milwaukee Bulls
The Bulls will be looking to complete only their second winning season since joining the USBA in 1990. Unfortunately, one look at their team makes that seem unlikely. Their top talent, most notably starter Terry Davis and first baseman Larry Jacobs, is still a ways away, and there isn't much of it to begin with.


New Orleans Cajuns
The Cajuns came within two games of winning an astounding 23rd division title last year. Outfielders Cornell Watson and Jose Cordova are two of the game's best, and with guys like them it's hard to rule out a franchise like the Cajuns.


St. Louis Saints
The WL runner-up Saints are a favorite to repeat as division champs, but their chances are hurt by the loss of young starter Donald Calhoun. Still, with the best hitter in the game - first baseman Roberto Castillo (.338/.457/.665 with a USBA-record 54 home runs) - the odds are still in their favor.

WESTERN LEAGUE - Adams Division


Denver Grizzlies
Denver finished second in the Adams Division last year. They will be in good standing as long as they have Ruben Gonzales, one of the game's premier starters. Second baseman Juan Howard is a star in his own right.


Las Vegas Aces
The Aces haven't won a title since the days of the great Lance Batchelor. Unfortunately, that won't change this year. The Aces should be better than they were last year (fourth place), but unless late-season, international-league signees Rafael Trujillo and Landon Maddox are superstars, it won't be enough to handle the tough division competition.


Los Angeles Stars
The biggest baseball story in Los Angeles this year will be left fielder Angel Nunez's pursuit of the career home run record. At 422, he needs 29 to tie Boston great Gustavo Aicon's long-standing mark - not a long shot, since he hit 27 last year and 35 in 1998.


Phoenix Rattlers
The defending World Champs took a couple of big hits this offseason with the loss of a pair of stars - left fielder Angel Nunez and catcher Derrick Fulton. Left fielder Mike Hoffman and catcher Claudio Anruvio have the potential to be more than adequate replacements, so look for Phoenix to be successful again this year.


San Diego Aztecs
The Aztecs continue to be woefully inept, ten years after joining the USBA. San Diego is coming off its fourth straight last-place finish. With no top-notch talent to speak of, and prospects that are still far from ready, the sad state of affairs is expected to continue. Sorry, Aztec fans.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Ahh, finally some actual baseball. Enough team building, enough crunching numbers, enough stats and scouts. Now it's time to see what these guys can do. Time to see how we've been doing.

So, first things first. Cutting down a spring roster of 35+ guys down to 25 for the opening-day roster is not easy. There were some surprises in the spring, and some guys played their ways on or off the roster. For example, reliever Tim Street put up a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 innings. Like all these stats, a small sample size. But enough to warrant giving him a spot. Unfortunately, there were also disappointments. One big blow was losing starter Ismael Perez. Ish has bone chips in his elbow and will not be pitching for us this year. Three more of our starters - Anibal Guzman, Dave Rollin, and Bob Willis - posted ERAs over 7. Not looking good. Reliever Carlos Torres also pitched his way out of the bigs, allowing nine earned runs and a WHIP of 3.40 in five painful innings.

Offensively, we were thrilled to see what young SS Rhett Cameron did. He went 21-for-50 and will be getting a longer look in the big league lineup. Shortstop/center fielder Ray Garrett also looked good and will be one of the first guys up this year. At the same time, a lot of guys we'll be counting on - Kurt Booth, Terry Reese, Albert Brown - had very poor showings. We'll just have to hope for the best with them.

So here's how the opening-day roster shakes down:

PITCHERS (11)
18 - SP Ray Brown
28 - RP Joe Ball
30 - RP Roman Fernandez
36 - SP Jorge Betancourt
39 - RP Tim Street
46 - SP Phil Bannatyne
47 - SP Bob Willis
49 - SP Anibal Guzman
52 - SP Dave Rollin
56 - RP Victor Fernandez
57 - RP Glenn Thomas

CATCHERS (2)
12 - C Jack Anderson
19 - C Terry Reese

INFIELDERS (7)
3 - 2B Travis Carson
6 - 3B Orlando Borges
14 - SS Rhett Cameron
17 - 1B Kurt Booth
24 - 1B Albert Brown
35 - SS Andres Garcia
54 - 3B Carlos Ortiz

OUTFIELDERS (5)
9 - CF Erik Boswell
27 - LF Zach Vaughn
40 - RF Ron Thomas
42 - RF Phil Bowman
48 - LF Leo Lord

So now the first test. Of course we get to open with a tough five-game set against the defending division champs. On the road, no less. Well, it's baseball, and I'm excited.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Pelicans lose first-ever game
Miami offense unable to produce

April 10, 2000

ATLANTA - The Miami Pelicans lost their first regular season game Monday at the hands of the Atlanta Cherokees, 4-1. Dave Rollin (0-1) took the loss for Miami, while Atlanta's Justin Lewis (1-0) earned the win. Felipe Perez was credited with the save.

Rollin was solid for the Pelicans, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing only three hits and two earned runs, on a home run in the third inning by right fielder Ramon de los Angeles. Rollin was also charged with a third unearned run, after shortstop Rhett Cameron committed an error to load the bases. Roman Fernandez relieved Rollin and allowed the inherited runner to score.

Miami was unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities throughout the game. The lone run scored on a Cameron single with two on in the fourth inning. Miami left 12 runners on base, including three in the third inning and two to end the game, with the tying run at the plate.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Miami wins first game in dramatic fashion
Five-run rally in ninth lifts Pelicans

April 12, 2000

ATLANTA - The Miami Pelicans earned their first win in franchise history Wednesday with a come-from-behind, 11-10 victory made possible by the heroics of right fielder Ron Thomas. With no outs and the bases loaded, down 10-7, Thomas drove a Felipe Perez offering on a 1-0 count into the right-center field seats. It was not Thomas's only home run of the game - he also homered in the second inning off of Atlanta Cherokees starter Alec Morris.

Pelicans starter Anibal Guzman had a rough go of it, pitching three innings and allowing eight runs (five earned). Bob Willis followed with three innings of mop-up work, allowing two more runs. Glenn Thomas and Victor Fernandez (1-0) then shut down the Cherokees for two innings before closer Joe Ball entered the game with a man on first in the ninth and earned his first save of the season.

In addition to Thomas's five runs batted in, two runs each were driven in by Travis Carson, Albert Brown, and Leo Lord. Carson and Erik Boswell contributed two hits each.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Pelicans lose home opener in a heartbreaker
Bullpen blows strong outing by Rollin

April 15, 2000

MIAMI - The Miami Pelicans opened their new home on a sour note Saturday, losing 6-4 to the Philadelphia Liberty in 11 innings. The final blow was a two-run shot in the top of the 11th by Philadelphia right fielder Manny Carrasco off of reliever Tim Street (0-1).

Miami entered the ninth inning with a 3-1 lead. Starter Dave Rollin, who turned in a second strong outing, was removed with one out in the ninth after allowing a solo home run to shortstop Gabriel Villarreal. Rollin's replacement, southpaw Roman Fernandez, promptly allowed a homer to the next batter, left fielder Ramon Lopez. Closer Joe Ball then entered and allowed another run, making it 4-3 in favor of Philadelphia.

Albert Brown tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a single off of closer Dave Richards, but the Pelicans left the bases loaded to end the ninth and tenth. Miami fell to 2-4 with the loss.

[ashantewarrier]

Hey I am following this. Good stuff! Have any pics of the players?

[dkmsoxfan88]

Cooper shuts out Shamrocks
Pelicans back at .500

April 19, 2000

BOSTON - Pete Cooper hurled the best game yet in the short history of the Miami Pelicans on Wednesday, going a full nine innings in shutting out the Boston Shamrocks. Cooper pitched to contact most of the night, striking out only four but walking none. Cooper (1-1) threw 111 pitches - a whopping 83 for strikes - and only had trouble in the sixth inning when Boston loaded the bases before he got Joe Yates to fly out to left.

Said manager Paul Clark, "Coop really helped us out tonight. His effort went beyond our winning this game. We've been using our bullpen a lot recently and he really bailed us out there, giving those guys all a day of rest."

The Miami offense was nothing to scoff at, either. Second baseman Travis Carson had three runs batted in and extended his season hitting streak to ten games. Carson had two hits and is now batting .444 on the season. His predecessor in the lineup, center fielder Erik Boswell, was unable to continue his nine-game hitting streak. First baseman Albert Brown drove in two runs, and Rhett Cameron and Zach Vaughn contributed one RBI each.

With the win, Miami is now 5-5 on the young season. The Shamrocks fell to 6-4.

[dkmsoxfan88]

Originally Posted by ashantewarrier

Hey I am following this. Good stuff! Have any pics of the players?

Awesome, thanks. Good to know I'm not just talking to myself here (although I'd still keep going).

I'll work some pics in. Gonna have more stories besides game stories and GM blogs, just wait. This is the first time I've played out every game in a dynasty, and damn it takes a while.

[ashantewarrier]

Originally Posted by dkmsoxfan88

Awesome, thanks. Good to know I'm not just talking to myself here (although I'd still keep going).

I'll work some pics in. Gonna have more stories besides game stories and GM blogs, just wait. This is the first time I've played out every game in a dynasty, and damn it takes a while.

I hear ya keep it coming! I want to see how the Pelicans turn out!

Do you have a quickstart of your league that you can send?

My e-mail address is: rnjguard-ootp@yahoo.com

Thanks!!

[dkmsoxfan88]

Originally Posted by ashantewarrier

I hear ya keep it coming! I want to see how the Pelicans turn out!

Do you have a quickstart of your league that you can send?

My e-mail address is: rnjguard-ootp@yahoo.com

Thanks!!

Damn, I knew I forgot something! I don't think I ever saved this as a quickstart before I started playing. I have a quickstart from when I started the league (in 1954), I think, if you're interested.

I'd make it available to everyone if people were interested.

[ashantewarrier]

Originally Posted by dkmsoxfan88

Damn, I knew I forgot something! I don't think I ever saved this as a quickstart before I started playing. I have a quickstart from when I started the league (in 1954), I think, if you're interested.

I'd make it available to everyone if people were interested.

That's cool! I'll take it!