Philly Fans - Fire FW_Kekionga!

Less then one week after firing the previous GM, the Philadelphia Phillies fans are already calling for the firing of his replacement, FW_Kekionga.  Even for the notoriously fickle, rude, and impatient Philly fanbase, this opinion is particularly rapid in it's ascendence.  What has brought about this sea change in the originally massively favorable fan opinion of new GM FW is the teams horrific record since he took over, taking the team from 3 games out of first place to a losing record and 11 games back in less then a week.

Phillies superfan Sal LoVecchio had this to say of new GM FW_Kekionga, "He's a piece of crap.  I want to punch him in the face and vomit on his daugher!"  That sentiment was shared by notorious superfan Matthew Clemmens, who also said he would vomit on FW_Kekionga's daughter if given the opportunity.  It was hard to find a fan who approved of FW's handling of the GM job, with the exception of Santa Clause, who said, "Any person willing to put up with the grief that lot of morons gives you on a daily basis immediately gets put on my 'nice' list.  According to my records only 7 out of nearly 3 million Phillies fans hasn't been put on my 'naughty' list and is in line for a lump of coal this year, so FW is in elite company!" 

When asked about the cold reception he has received, FW_Kekionga was rather ambivalent.  "Look, the only reason I took this job is because this team looks good on paper and Philly has some great cheesesteaks.  In fact, I hate Philadelphia, if I had my druthers I would pack this sad sack of a franchise up and move it to the Midwest.  Even Detroit is better then this town, and believe me that is saying a lot!"  FW went on to add, "I can see why the original GM left this dump of a city, but I'm stuck with it, and even though this team isn't performing well at the moment I think my lifetime record as a GM speaks for itself.  If they want to moan about how their overpaid and underperforming players can't score a run and how their bullpen could probably be swapped with the rookie squad with no perceivable difference, well, that's not my fault that they are uneducated baseball fans."

Making matters worse is the clamoring of the fan base that rawdk should have been hired as GM instead, citing the fact that he actually loves Philadelphia, and has a proven track record as a winning GM.  But new GM FW_Kekionga still harbors a grudge against said GM for some World Series loss in another time and place many years ago that he still feels should have been his victory, so he is refusing to leave the GM chair.  "I'm like Jim Hendry," FW said, "no matter how much you hate me, you are stuck with me."

Behind the scenes (courtesy of dwboyce)

MLB Wold Blog had cameras behind the scenes in the St. Louis Cardinals war room on Draft Day. Here is what the story of that day told by Owner/GM dwboyce...

Hitting is the priority in St. Louis. Our club is last in the league in homeruns and all other major offensive categories. I made it crystal clear to our scouts that our hopes rested on obtaining either a power bat at catcher, or a power bat at first base or left field. If either of those two options were lacking, we were to default to pitching. As the draft unfolded, stunned silence gave way to apoplectic fits of rage. Of all the yellow teeth, curled mustaches and mono-brows I had been forced to deliberate over for days on end, five of the first six heavenly-faced mug shuts selected never made it across my desk. We then watched coveted everyday reliever Mac Kirkland go early, perhaps predictably, taken at #7. A jack and coke helped settle me down and deal with the reality of the situation. A heated debate erupted in our war room as our pick rolled around. Given the lack of any hitting remaining, we had a choice to make: short reliever Vin Cueto, who had better stuff in the opinion of many, or starting pitcher Mark Prince. After much time, we settled on Prince, hoping that his stellar control, velocity, his ability to induce a ground ball and the movement on his pitches would offset his mediocre effectiveness that perhaps we were underestimating. We issued our pick – and then watched as Donnie McInerney – the Kodiak bear wrestling, stud hitting catcher from Alaska and would be perfect, no-brainer selection for St. Louis – was selected right behind us. I asked my scouts if anyone had bothered to check out Alaska recently. Security arrived a few minutes later to escort my scouting staff to my private jet, where they will spend the entire winter there scouring that state for talent.

Draft Recap

1. San Diego
2. Oakland
3. Cleveland - Neftali Barrios 2B
   Great power. Good contact. Can drive the ball well. Has great knowledge of the strike zone. Good speed. Good glove, average range, weak arm. Durable.
   hurricane384 on Barrios:
   This guy is ready for the bigs right now...given time to develop he could definitely become an MVP candidate. Best position will likely be LF.
   Owner abesmem says:
   
4. Washington - Raymond Small RHP
   Good control. Good stamina. Durability worries. Great against RHB. Above average against LHB. Decent at inducing GBs. 2 good pitches. 2 above average pitches. 1 average pitch. Decent velocity.
   hurricane384 on Small:
   Although I'd be worried about his durability affecting his ability to pitch in more than 33 or so games, he still has the stuff of an Ace and that makes this a very good pick.
   Owner hamilton44 says:
   
5. Cincinnati - Humberto Posada LF
   Great power. Great contact. Dominant against RHP. Great knowledge of the strike zone. Average speed. Above average durability. Poor defensively.
   hopkinsheel on Posada:
   Looks like the best "pure" hitter in the draft. Should be an all star for many seasons. Will hit for average and power and could lead the world in OPS. Great pick at #5.
   Owner hurricane384 says:
   This was our #1 guy. He's more of a 1B, but that doesn't really matter since he can hit so well. This pick makes the organization very excited for his development.
   
6. New Orleans: Rich Coco RF
   Good power. Good contact. Better against RHP than LHP. Great eye. Good speed. Great range for a RF. Good durability.
   hurricane384 on Coco:
   This is a nice pick, he's not going to put up MVP numbers, but should definitely be good enough to help this team offensively in 2-3 years. Could play now if needed.
   Owner Weena says:
   
7. Chicago (AL)
8. Philadelphia
9. Houston: Ignacio Polanco LHP
   Great control. Great fastball. Good change. Above average slider. Does a nice job of keeping the hitters off-balance. Durable. Below average stamina.
   hurricane384 on Polanco:
   A nice pick, Polanco may be destined to be a super reliever with his low stamina and only having 3 pitches. He does have 3 good pitches though.
   Owner drichar138 says:
   
10. Arizona: Jim Schafer RF
    Plus contact. Above average power. Good splits. Great eye. Good durability. Good speed. Weak arm for RF. Good range and glove.
    hurricane384 on Schafer:
    Schafer should be able to hold down the #2 spot in the lineup for Arizona. He should hit about 25-30 HRs a season, and have an OBP of .380 or better.
    Owner The__Kid says:
    Very happy to get my 3rd ranked hitter with the #10 pick. Jim Schafer projects to be a 1B of LF with some speed. A great #2 hitter.
11. Florida - Carl Marte SS
    Great defensively. Average contact. Average power. Better against LHP. Great speed. Great durability. Good eye.
    hurricane384 on Marte:
    With this draft being so top-heavy, anytime you can grab a SS who isn't going to be an offensive black hole while playing gold glove caliber defense, you have to do it.
    Owner cnsmuck says:
    
12. Minnesota
13. Detroit: Pat Palmer RHP
    Great stamina. Good control. Keeps hitters guessing. Above average velocity. Great GB pitcher. Above average fastball and 3 average pitches.
    hurricane384 on Palmer:
    Picking 13th, you don't normally expect a pitcher of this caliber to be around. He can be a good #2 for years for Detroit.
    Owner Arte says:
    
14. St. Louis: Mark Prince RHP
    Good control. Average splits. Great velocity. Great durability. Good stamina. Adept at groundballs. Great sinker. Good changeup and slider.
    hurricane384 on Prince:
    The splits worry me as does the fact that he is a starter with only 3 pitches, but everything else seems good, so he should develop into a good player.
    Owner dwboyce says:
    After much time, we settled on Prince, hoping that his stellar control, velocity, his ability to induce a ground ball and the movement on his pitches would offset his mediocre effectiveness that perhaps we were underestimating.
15. Los Angeles: Donnie McInerney C
    Above average defensively. Above average game caller. Great contact. Above average power. Drives the ball well. Above average eye. Great durability.
    hurricane384 on McInerney:
    In a catching poor world, it's hard to believe that he dropped so far. Any time you can get a catcher who can appear in 140+ games and post a .300/.370/.500 line, you have to do it. Great pick.
    Owner rawdk27 says: When our pick came up in the 1st round we were totally caught off guard that Donnie McInerney was still on the Vin Cueto . The room was divided and with 10 seconds left on the clock our GM flipped a coin. Tails it was and Donnie was our pick. Looking back on it and having Frank Hunter in the fold already, with the bullpen being a strong need, Cueto should have been our guy.
16. Anaheim: Rey Sowders C
    Above average defensively. Above average game caller. Good contact. Poor power. Decent splits. Great eye. Great durability.
    hurricane384 on Sowders:
    Although he might not look like much, he should be able to catch nearly every game for Anaheim while posting a .375 OBP. Not bad for a C.
    Owner allright says:
    
17. New York (AL)
18. Colorado
19. Montreal - Bret Roosevelt CF
    Good defensively. Great durability. Decent speed. Great power. Will strike out...A LOT. Above average eye. Average against LHP. Weak against RHP.
    hurricane384 on Roosevelt:
    This is a great pick at this stage in the game. Montreal gets a player who will be able to hold down CF defensively, and he will provide a lot of power to go along with it.
    ekoontz41 says:
    
20. Baltimore: Vin Cueto LHP
    Great control. Dominant pitches. Great durability. Weak stamina. Poor velocity. Great against LHB and RHB.
    hurricane384 on Cueto:
    When you have a pitcher who is going to post a WHIP of less than 1.00, it's hard to find anything to complain about. This is a great spot for 1-inning closer.
    Owner hopkinsheel says:
    Cueto was ranked 5th on our board so we were pleased to snag him at pick #20. This is the least amount we've ever budgeted in the amateur draft so we weren't sure what to expect.Hopefully we can invest more next season. With Cueto's combination of great splits and two plus pitches, Cueto will be tabbed our closer of the future.
21. Chicago (NL): Kenny Kulik LHP
    Great control. 1 good pitch. 1 average pitch. 3 average pitches. Decent stamina. Great durability. Great velocity.
    hurricane384 on Kulik:
    A tough pick here as I simply do not like the splits. He might do well, but I'd be a little suprised if he were any more than a long reliever. The pitches might make up for his splits.
    Owner tk21775 says: Kulik was rated #8 on our draft board so we were happy to grab him with the #21 pick. With his durability/stamina combo he can help out in either the starting rotation or long relief, has great control and decent splits. There wasn't a lot of depth at pitching this draft but we were glad to add a lefty into our farm system.
22. Seattle - Danny Lee CF
    Good defense. Decent durability. Good speed. Great contact. Below average power. Average against LHP. Good against RHP. Good eye.
    hurricane384 on Lee:
    This is a good pick. Should be able to play good defense and be one of the best lead-off hitters in the league.
    jakaitis says:
    
23. Anaheim: Brad Hinchliffe SS
    Tremendous defensively. Great speed. Great durability. Above average at making contact. Poor power. Struggles against average pitching. Poor eye.
    hurricane384 on Hinchliffe:
    This is a hard pick to quibble with as he picked up a nearly dominant defensive SS who won't kill a team offensively.
    Owner allright says:
    
24. Chicago (NL)
    Owner tk21775 says: Presley was our 11th choice and got him with the 24th pick. We thought he would drop down to us as his overall isn't very solid but we think it has to do with his defense. He'll be good enough defensively to play 1B for us and has a solid bat all the way around. Very happy to add a quality bat like Presley's down this far in the draft.
25. Pittsburgh: Glenn Lowry LHP
    Good durability. Decent stamina. Very good control. Very good against LHP. Good against RHP. Very good velocity. 3 good pitches. 1 average pitch. 1 poor pitch.
    hurricane384 on Lowry:
    He's a solid pitcher, who can hold his own as a starter or a reliever. Should develop into a solid #3 member of the rotation.
    Owner ajwalton says:
    
26. Kansas City: Nipsey Baez SS
    Exceptional defender. Good durability. Good speed. Below average offensively with the exception of his knowledge of the strike zone and effectiveness against LHP.
    hurricane384 on Baez:
    Another good defensive SS who is not going to be a black hole offensively.
    Owner bighead34 says: Kansas City was very happy to draft Nipsey. We had him ranked around #10. He profiles as an elite defender at SS. His bat projects to be at least average for the position. He will also be able to add value on the basepaths. We believe he has the talent to be an everyday player on a contending team.
27. Montreal - Howard Coghlan RF
    Good defense. Very durable. Above average speed. Good power. Good contact. Average splits. average eye.
    hurricane384 on Coghlan:
    He's a good pick. At this point in the 1st round, you're looking for guys who can contribute to the team's success, and Howard will definitely do that. He's not going to be a superstar, but he'll be a good player.
    ekoontz41 says:
    
28. New York (NL): Donzell Root LF
    Good power. Good average. Good against LHP. Average against RHP. Good eye. Durable. Decent defense.
    hurricane384 on Root: A true testament to the scouting department of the Mets, Root has the ability to be a very good LF/1B offensively and a gold glove 1B.
    nymetman says: My scouts were drawn to Root's combination of power, speed and durability. We anticipate him progressing into a perennial 35 HR/15 SB threat. Very pleased that he dropped to us so late in the 1st round.
29. Atlanta - Akinori Zhang RHP
    Good durability. Great stamina. Good splits. No velocity. Great at inducing groundballs. 1 great pitch. 2 good pitches. 2 average pitches.
    hurricane384 on Zhang:
    I love this pick. Zhang, in my opinion, has a legit shot at being a #1 pitcher in Atlanta's rotation and to get that with the 29th pick is awesome.
    Owner kilgore says:
    
30. Chicago (AL) -
    
31. Florida - Lawrence Walker 3B
    Average range. Average glove. Strong arm. Average contact. Average power. Good against LHP. Average against RHP. Poor eye.
    hurricane384 on Walker:
    Not a bad pick, not a great pick. It is a solid pick for this area. He's a useful player who won't embarrass his team.
    Owner cnsmuck says:
    
32. Toronto: George Wright SS
    Good power. Average contact. Average against RHP. Above average against LHP. Good eye. Poor defense. Good durability. Good speed.
    hurricane384 on Wright:
    No way does he stay at SS with his defensive ratings. He's not going to be a top 5 player at any position, but he definitely could hold down the fort at either CIF, COF, or even 2B.
    Owner mitchrapp says:
    
    

Trade Talk (III) with tk21775

1. The next 3 for 1 deal belonged to the Oakland A’s and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona receives 20 year old P Candy Martin and sends the A’s 21 year old P Larry Wells, 19 year old P Willie Parrott, and 27 year old DH Rafael Chantres. Chantres is the only one of the three to get the call to the majors where he’ll bring a nice bat to the DH spot along with Molina like speed. Parrott gets sent to Low A where he’ll develop into a force against right handed batters and no slouch against lefties. Wells gets sent to High A where he’ll develop into a nice starting pitcher himself. He’s got excellent control and very nice splits. Arizona will start Martin out in Low A this season where he looks to work on his pitching so that he’ll be a lights out closer when he reaches the majors. Outstanding control and splits, absolutely dominant against righties, when the Diamondbacks have the lead and send this guy to the mound you might as well call it a game. Luckily it looks to be a few years before he’ll be competing at the highest level.

   Owner train on the deal: “I gave up a really good RP prospect but was able to add a DH, SP prospect and a RP prospect. The guy I moved projects to have tremendous splits, control and stuff, but the opportunity to add multiple pieces was too good to pass up.”
   Owner The__Kid on his move: “Taking the Bill Belichick route. We made the deal because we thought it was the best move for our ballclub. We expect Candy to develop into a shutdown closer."

2. Next up on the trading block were the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers will receive 23 year old 1B Jim Thomson in exchange for 20 year old P Ken Smith, 36 year old P Andres Gonzalez, and 25 year old 1B Sergei Lloyd. Gonzalez and Lloyd get called to the majors where Andres will help out in a long relief role. He has great control and stamina/durability combo but a little below avg. splits. Lloyd will take over at 1B where he’ll be an all around nice player for the Padres. He’s got a bat with no weakness although no overall strengths and some speed on the bases. Smith will get sent down to High A where the pitcher will work on his arm which projects to great control and nice vR split. Thomson will take over 1B for the Brewers where the slugger will give fits to opposing pitchers. He’s got a great eye and contact, will trot around the bases as fans fight in the seats for the ball and his splits are pretty good as well.

   Owner gerald007 on the deal: “Hutch needed a slight upgrade at 1B and a touch of salary cap relief. I received a very good young arm, and two hitters, who while not quite a good as the hitter I hit him, helps me strengthen my minors for other possible deals. He also got a good PC catcher from me, but I have a couple more of those laying around right now, so that was just a throw in for me.”
   Owner mlhutch on making it happen: “Well, we coveted Thomsen since we opened trade discussions with SD. It is easy to see why. He has got a nice contact/power combo, a great eye, and solid enough splits. Also, he is only 23 so he will be peaking when all of our blue-chip prospects come up. I had to give away a solid SP prospect and others but, in the end, Thomsen was a great fit for both our short-term and long-term needs.”

3. The Dodgers make another move, this time with the Minnesota Twins who have been relatively quite in trades so far. The Twins acquire the rights to 20 year old SS Glenn Sweeney and 21 year old LF Morgan Taylor for 22 year old P Cameron Lundquist. Sweeney will begin in Twins career at High A where the defensive SS will work on his glove and he’ll be able to hit a little at the majors as well. Taylor moves up a level to AA where the 1B/LF will spend a little time in the minors but should be seen in the majors soon. He’s got a very nice bat with power behind it. Lundquist looks like he’ll join the starting rotation possibly for the Dodgers with great control and very nice splits along with 3 great pitches.

   Owner Iceman67 on making the deal: "It was a tough decision in dealing a promising young star in Lundquist. I feel that I have a strong enough starting rotation, that I could afford to deal him. He should flourish pitching at Chavez Ravine. Sweeney & Taylor are welcomed additions to the franchise...Taylor will probably be on the big league roster sooner than later...Sweeney's defense will be a big plus”

4. Arizona doesn’t waste anymore time making a deal happen, hooking up with mexd781 and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays will receive 29 year old P Josias Gonzales and give up 18 year old P Walter Gray and 21 year old P Al Lange. Lange and Gray both start out in Low A for the D’backs where Gray has projections for outstanding control dominant against lefties and no slouch against righties with 3 very good pitches. Lange will hold his own on the mound as well although he’ll be working out of the pen where he also projects to outstanding control and very nice splits no matter what side of the plate batters are swinging from. The Rays will pencil in Gonzales into their starting rotation where he’s got great control and great splits. He’ll throw for the majority of games with his stamina/durability and give the bullpen a rest. The Rays have him signed for 2 years at $6.8M

   Owner The__Kid on the move: "We were looking to solidify our bullpen of the future. With the acquisition of Martin, we thought that he would be better utilized as an everyday closer. To achieve that, we needed a strong left/right combo with some stamina ahead of him. Trading away Gonzales was tough since he's been our #1 starter for the last few seasons. We felt that his best years were behind him."
   Owner mexd781 on the deal: “With the price of Fausto Lopez going up in FA, I had to turn my attention to acquiring another SP via trade. I called up Arizona to see if Gonzales was available. He is great against right handers and has pretty good control. He will step in as our #2 starter behind Walker Bryant. I did have to give up my top SP prospect, but with Josias only being 29 and Walker 27, it gives us a great 1-2 punch for the next couple of seasons.”

5. The Diamondbacks stay right in the middle of things, this time with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies will receive 30 year old SS Phil Perez in exchange for 19 year old P Carl Swift, 24 year old P Doug Rose, and 28 year old 2B Ivan Rivera. Rivera and Rose will be called to the majors where Rivera looks to handle 2B this season with some speed when he gets on the bases. Rose will be pitching in the later innings and projects to great control and splits. Swift moves to Low A where the SP prospect will develop into a very nice pitcher with great splits. Perez will handle SS for the Phillies and while he’s a little short on defense he’ll make up for it with a great bat for the SS position.

   Owner The__Kid: "With Phil Perez heading to FA at the end of the season, we wanted to make sure we received value in return for his services this season. With Carl Swift projected as a #2 starter, our future rotation is taking shape. Doug Rose was a key component of this trade. His abilities to be effective against left and right handed batter will solidify his place in the bullpen for seasons to come."
   Owner disposable77 on the deal: “We had alot of interest in Perez from the beginning of the season, and found out he was available. We were able to work out a deal with Arizona that wouldnt bleed our LL pitching dry. To be able to get a player of his caliber will be an asset for us in the long run, and we are excited to have him.”

Top RP

A very good group, there are some definite stars out there.

1. Fred Adams (SF)
   Fred has decent durability and good stamina for a RP. He dominates RHB while doing pretty well against LHB. He has 2 good pitches and an above average pitch. Great velocity will lead to a lot of strikeouts. He's not going to walk many people either. He can get a groundball double-play should he run into trouble.
   
2. Benny Waddell (LA)
   Waddell lacks the stamina/durability combination that one looks for in a truly elite closer, but his talent level is such that he's definitely worth using on a regular basis. He's got great control, that combines with the ability to avoid the hitting zones most of the time. He's a groundball pitcher, so he shouldn't serve up a lot of gophers balls. He's got good velocity that combine with a good pitch and 2 above average ones to generate some strikeouts.
   
3. Elvis Janssen (TEX)
   Jansen doesn't quite have the stamina to be a starter so he's relegated to the bullpen. He's got good control that combines with an innate ability to force groundballs that should limit any trouble he runs into. He's got a great pitch, 2 above average pitches, and a below average pitch to go with great velocity. He should strike out a lot of batters. He's very good at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
   

Top SP

This is a solid group, there are some very good pitchers at the top.

1. Edgar Martin (BAL)
   Gotta be the favorite for the AL Cy Young, Martin has great durability that combines with very good stamina. Very good control will prevent him from hurting himself with walks. He does a great job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. He lacks the velocity to record a lot of strikeouts, but he is a groundball machine. A great sinker combines with 2 above average pitches and 2 average pitches to make him a formidable pitcher.
2. Bernie Speier (LA)
   Good durability and good stamina means he should see lots of innings this season. He's dominant against RHB, while doing well at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone against LHB. He's got great velocity which should combine with a great pitch, 3 above average pitches and an average pitch to generate a lot of strikeouts. Not a groundball pitcher, he still can induce a grounder when necessary. He will not walk many.
   
3. Hugh Downs (PIT)
   Better against LHB than RHB, he can definitely hold his own against RHB. He's a pure groundball pitcher so his team should be ready. He's got an exceptional fastball, 3 above average pitches and an average pitch. He lacks dominant velocity. Good durability and solid stamina. He's got great control.
   

Top RF

Once you get past the top 2, you really struggle to find much nice to say about this group of scrubs.

1. Harold McKnight (LA)
   A quality player, McKnight could potentially win the GG at RF with his defense. He's makes contact more often than not and with his power, any one of those hits could go yard. He does a good job of driving the ball consistently. He's going to get on base quite a bit as well as steal some bases.
   
2. Ernest Cambridge (FLA)
   A mediocre defender, Cambridge survives thanks to his great power and ability to hit LHP. He struggles somewhat against RHP. He knows the strike zone well and should reach base, where he can put his speed to good use. He will get caught stealing some though. He's not going to strike out much.
3. Javier Mercado (NY1)
   A solid player, he's an average defender with good durability. He makes good contact and has some power to go along with it. He does well against LHP but isn't going to do a whole lot against RHP. He struggles with working the count. He's got good speed and should be able to get some IF hits and stolen bases.