Close Enough to Dream

[Big Six]

Hi, everyone.

This time, I'm going to try my hand at a project that's unlike anything I've ever done with OOTP.

I've always loved minor league baseball. I grew up in a big league city (Baltimore), but my parents took our family out to minor league games several times a season. We'd catch games in cities we visited on vacation, too. My wife and I have gone to minor league games together as long as we've known each other and we're carrying on the family tradition with our own kids.

A few OOTPers have written dynasties based on minor league managerial careers, and there are one or two active now. I'll add one more to the mix.

I've chosen to take the reins of the Portland Sea Dogs, the Class AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

Why the Sea Dogs? I just returned from a fantastic family vacation in New England and the Canadian Maritimes, and we caught a Sea Dogs game at Hadlock Field. We had a lot of fun that night; we like the ballpark and its atmosphere. I like the Red Sox; I have family roots in Connecticut, and I always root for them unless they're playing the Orioles.

As a minor league manager, I will be at the mercy of the Red Sox' computer GM. Virtual Mike Hazen will be moving players in and out of my team over the course of the season, and there won't be a thing I can do about any of the moves he decides to make. That will make my job challenging and, no doubt, frustrating at times, but such is the lot of a minor league skipper.

Depending on how my career unfolds, I might be fired, or I might be offered the chance to move on to a new club. I'll handle those situations if, and when, they occur.

I hope I can create a story that's interesting and engaging enough to keep you coming back for more. It's certainly a different kind of story for me.

[Big Six]

Meet the Sea Dogs

Here is the cast of characters as our story begins. The ratings are those of Mike Rikard, the Red Sox scouting director.



Sam Travis and Andrew Benintendi are, without doubt, the best prospects on the roster.

Travis, an Indiana University product was the Red Sox' #2 pick in the 2014 draft. His hit tool is legitimate, and ought to carry him to a good major league career.

Benintendi had a glorious 2015 season at the University of Oklahoma, winning the Dick Howser and Golden Spikes awards. The Red Sox took him with the #7 pick in the draft, and he hit well at short-season Lowell and low A Greenville. He's skipped the next step (Salem, in the Carolina League), and I'm delighted to have him.

Sean Coyle and Tzu-Wei Lin will form a solid double play combo...unless the Boston front office sees fit to send their #1 prospect, Yoan Moncada, to Hadlock Field at some time this season. Reed Gragnani begins the season on the DL.

I also like 3B Mauricio Dubon, a promising hitter who is young for Double A.

Ali Solis is an oustanding defensive catcher, while Jake Romanski offers a little more offense. They'll both play.

Henry Ramos and Aneury Tavarez will play right and left, respectively.



For some reason, Rikard doesn't like Simon Mercedes as much as the OSA scouts do. I see a guy with the potential to have three plus pitches in his repertoire.

On the other hand, we're both high on Teddy Stankewicz, Boston's #2 pick in 2013. His fastball touches 96, and he also has a wicked slider in the making.

The rest of the rotation will be manned by Anyelo Leclerc, Heri Quevedo, and Justin Haley. None of them project to be much more than organization guys. Haley was a sixth round pick, and he's back for a second shot at Double A after a disastrous '15 season.

The other intriguing pitcher is Oddanier Mosqueda. He's pitching in the Eastern League, while the young men his age in Portland are finishing up their sophomore years in high school. I'll use him in middle relief for now.

Kyle Martin will be my closer, with Williams Jerez and Jorge Marban his primary setup men.

We don't appear to have as many potential major league pitchers on our staff as most of our opponents do, which could make for a long season.

[RchW]

I had several customers in Maine, 2-3 in Portland and area, one each in Winslow, Augusta, and in Belfast. I went to several Sea Dogs games over the years. I learned to bring a jacket after the first time there. Pretty cool breeze later in the evening.

Nice pick for a minor league story line.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by RchW

I had several customers in Maine, 2-3 in Portland and area, one each in Winslow, Augusta, and in Belfast. I went to several Sea Dogs games over the years. I learned to bring a jacket after the first time there. Pretty cool breeze later in the evening.

Nice pick for a minor league story line.

I know what you mean about the need for a jacket! We went to a game that started at 6:05, and it had been a warm day. By the time the sun started to go down, we'd all added an additional layer. There were fireworks after the game, and by then my daughters were wrapped up together in a blanket.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll enjoy the story!



Series One
April 7, 8, 9, 10 @ Reading Fightin Phils


If you like exciting finishes, this series was for you. That is, unless you root for, play for, or manage the Portland Sea Dogs.


Game 1
Reading 4, Portland 3 (13 innings)
WP: Alec Asher (1-0)
LP: Keith Couch (0-1)

On opening night, I sent Simon Mercedes to the hill to face Jake Thompson, a big right-hander who is one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Jake pitched like a future major leaguer, going eight innings before leaving with the score tied, 3-3. Simon wasn't as efficient, but he held his own, and he gave his team a chance to win. That's all I can ask of him.

Teenager Oddanier Mosquera threw 2.2 scoreless innings, and Kyle Martin and Aaron Wilkerson followed him, holding the Phils at bay through the 12th. Unfortunately, we couldn't put a run on the board either, and Aaron Brown won it for them with a single in the bottom of the 13th against Keith Couch.

Sean Coyle went 2-6 with a home run. Aneury Tavarez smacked two doubles in four trips, and Henry Ramos also went 2-4.


Game 2
Reading 9, Portland 8
WP: Ben Lively (1-0)
LP: Kyle Martin (0-1)

The next night, we looked like we had things well in hand as the Phils came to bat in the bottom of the eighth. We were ahead 7-2, thanks to a Ramos home run and three RBI from cleanup man Sam Travis. Starter Anyelo Leclerc pitched 5.2 strong innings, striking out five and walking two.

Then, things fell apart. Reading battered Rob Wort and Jose Marban for five runs in the bottom of the eighth and tied the score. Agggh.

To our credit, we regained the lead in the top of the ninth. Travis was the man once again, singling home Mauricio Dubon. I gave the ball to the closer, Kyle Martin, and sat back to watch him do his job.

Kyle didn't do his job. He allowed a home run to Nick Williams, who went 3-4 with three RBI. He put runners on first and second, and he allowed a single to Harold Martinez. Ballgame.

Five Sea Dogs had at least two hits, Ramos and Tavarez doing so for the second straight night.


Game 3
Reading 4, Portland 3 (11 innings)
WP: Hoby Milner (1-0)
LP: Oddanier Mosquera (0-1)

Teddy Stankewicz had the task of preventing Reading from sweeping the series. He barely made it out of the first inning, as the red-hot Nick Williams blasted a 448-foot shot to put the Phils up 3-0. Teddy settled down, however, and got through six innings without further damage.

Trailing 3-1 as the eighth inning began, we tied the game on a two-base error, an RBI single by Andrew Benintendi, and a clutch double by Sam Travis.

Once again the game went into extra innings, and once again, it was our bullpen that blinked first. This time the hero was J.P. Crawford, who singled in Harold Martinez with one out in the bottom of the 11th. Oddanier Mosquera took the loss.

Travis went 2-4 again, and ran his RBI total to six in three games.

Three games, three walk-off losses, two in extra innings. If this is the kind of season I'm in for, I'll be completely grey by August.


Game 4
Reading 8, Portland 3
WP: Tom Windle (1-0)
LP: Heri Quevedo (0-1)

This one provided no late-inning drama. The Phils scored twice in the first, broke the game open in the sixth, and cruised home from there.

Dylan Cozens drove in five runs for Reading. He and Nick Williams, who got two more hits, completely wore us out.

Mauricio Dubon, Tzu-Wei Lin, and Andrew Benintendi had two hits each for us. Their pitchers finally seemed to figure Sam Travis out, holding him to a single in five trips.

We'll pursue our first victory of the season in Trenton, where we'll be for three games before returning for our home opener on the 14th.