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SYDNEY
(AP) - The 2024 season saw the Rebels finish what could only
be considered a step backwards when measured against last
season. After finishing with one win fewer than last season
at 68- 94 the Rebels again found themselves finishing dead
last in their division, five games behind the resurgent Argentina
Archers. Of course it could be said that the loss of 2024
Free Agent Signing Veteran Closer Dale Martinez in the second
week of the season definitely cost the team a few wins over
the course of the season, but as team Owner Ad Costa would
say; Hey
thems the breaks ya know ?
Anyone can tell that the Owner is disappointed with the team
that he inherited a few years ago. How could he not be ? The
man has been known to build winners, even if as he claims
it seems it happened completely by accident. Its obvious
that hes had a plan for this team and to a point its
worked out for him, although certainly not as hed thought
it would. To see success in the organization all one needs
to go is look towards one of the best young tandems in the
league in third year First Baseman Jim Keating and second
year Catcher Stinky Edwards. Both have shown signs of having
bright futures in the league.
Although
Keating had a down season in terms of his Batting Average
and production he also set a career high for Home Runs and
Stolen Bases while only giving up two defensive errors all
season long. Defensively Keating has only committed three
errors in his entire career. Stinky Edwards showed improvement
across the board, hitting for higher average, more home runs,
more RBI and more Stolen Bases. He also improved his strikeout
count, striking out fifteen fewer times than he had the season
before. Its no wonder Costa so strongly resisted trading
the two players in spite of getting inquiries from multiple
teams about the both of them.
Theyre
both exceptional athletes, they are the kinds of players that
one definitely builds a strong team around. Jim has already
shown us what he can do, and in spite of the drop in average
and walks this season Im completely confident that hell
manage to give us that home run production that we saw this
season while returning to his three hundred batting average
ways. The stolen bases are nice too of course. Theres
a reason I chose him to be the Team Captain last season. I
also know I can expect big things out of Stinky in this upcoming
season and the future as well. Hes going to be another
special player, even more so than he is already.
The
Rebels will have their Veteran Closer back next season, of
course that is if they dont trade him this off season
and they have let it be known that there have been teams who
have inquired about him. Martinez is most likely in the same
boat as fellow Veteran Joe Bell, although the team could loose
Bell to Free Agency this season. Costa admits that the two
men are valuable to the team in terms of the experience that
they bring to what is rapidly becoming a very young team.
Bell has already been productive in his two seasons with the
team, generally taking a spot as the teams Designated
Hitter and occasional First Baseman. The team had been counting
on having veteran Center Fielder Kelvin Thomas in the new
season as well. Thomas had just finished his first season
with the team after being acquired from Argentina in the same
trade that netted the team Rookie Starting Pitcher Roy Rock,
a man who ended up being incredibly valuable to the team after
being called up to substitute for veteran Starter Bunny Triandos,
who had suffered an injury. Although Thomas would be the first
to say that it wasnt the season that he was expecting
when he was traded to the team, he was also honest enough
to admit that he didnt exactly deliver what the team
had expected of him when they acquired him. Thomas played
all of the teams games this season, racking up almost
six hundred at bats in the process. Thomas hit .244, hitting
29 Home Runs and driving in 69 RBI. He was also fourth on
the team in Runs Created (RC) with 73. Thomas spent the better
part of the season at Second Base, although he did shift out
to his more natural position of Center Field for a few games.
Thomas retired in December after more than a decade in the
league. When he had been asked how he felt about the season
and the possibility of being traded the veteran player had
this to say;
It
was tough coming over to a new team and then shifting between
my natural position of Center Field and the position that
the team needed at Second Base. It had some effect on me,
but I hit almost thirty home runs this season so it couldnt
have affected me that much. People asked me when I had made
up my mind to retire this season, but truth be told I didnt
make that decision until after the season was over. When the
season ended I knew I faced the possibility of being traded
if I stayed around another season in Sydney and I honestly
think that at one point in mid November that I was ready to
return and face that, although I loved playing for the Rebels.
I didnt make up my mind until I had talked it over extensively
with my wife and family and I decided that although I still
had plenty of power and the ability to produce that it was
time for me to hang the cleats up. Mr. Costa called me a few
days ago and offered me a position in the Minor League System
Im
thinking about it right now. I have to see how my wife feels
about it.
Although
Mr. Costa had made it very clear that he wouldnt hand
the player away and would have made every attempt to get what
he saw as full value for him he did say that trading Thomas
wouldnt have been a personally easy thing for him to
do.
I
personally like Kelvin a great deal. He has a great attitude,
he loved helping our younger players learn the game and hes
a great leader and positive influence on the clubhouse. In
addition to that he was a solid bat who I have no doubt would
have posted a bounce back Average next season. That being
said, if I had gotten the player or players that I wanted
in return for him Id have traded him. Kelvin knew it
was part of the game and as a valuable veteran commodity he
could have helped us fill a hole or two in the team if we
had moved him. Since he decided to retire, and Triple A Center
Fielder Henry Nagle seems to be progressing extremely well
it all seems to have worked out in the end. I spoke to Kelvin
about joining the team in some capacity within our Minor League
system. He told me that hed let me know. I hope he accepts.
When
asked what his starting lineup and defensive alignment might
look like next season he replied that there were only three
(five if Thomas hadnt retired and the team manages to
keep Bell through Free Agency) of the nine batting order spots
guaranteed to be filled when the team goes into Spring Training.
Those spots are known to be held by Catcher Stinky Edwards,
First Baseman Jim Keating and Right Fielder Mookie Sabo. Costa
admitted that hed like to fill the Shortstop position
with 23 year old prospect John DiNapoli and Center Field with
23 year old prospect Henry Nagle, but he admits that he wont
know where they fit into things until after the completion
of Spring Training next April.
There
really arent too many easy decisions to be made here.
We all know that this team needs to get younger, faster and
smarter on the base paths. We also have to get stronger up
the middle. Well have a better idea of where we stand
once Spring Training is complete. We hope to make some moves
in the off season as well. Well see what we look like
as a team once thats all said and done.
There
are rumors coming out of Sydney that the team is considering
trading two of their Starting Pitchers. Although the team
hasnt confirmed the rumor it has said that it would
consider making such a move if it served the teams long
term plan and purposes. The Rebels have said that they plan
on making multiple moves this off season, but they wouldnt
elaborate on what they were beyond bulking up the bullpen
and trying to patch some of the teams holes in the infield.
What happens is widely dependent on the Free Agent market
and how it ends up affecting the wider trade market as a whole.
Its very clear that Roy Rock, who most within the team
feel deserves the Rookie of the Year Award, isnt going
anywhere and will be a long term fixture in the teams
rotation. The team also hopes to see progress in Right Handed
Pitchers Mark Thormodsgard, Paul Rowen and Philip Mars. If
any of those three end up major league ready going into next
season the team will have greater flexibility to not only
juggle the rotation around, but also to make moves towards
acquiring other badly needed talent. Mars had been expected
to be the next player to be ready out of the Minors as he
already has a strong Fastball and a curve ball that has been
described as more than Major League ready. It
appears though that 25 year old Mark Thunder God
Thormodsgard will get the call first and end up somewhere
in Sydneys Bullpen.
Thormodsgard
doesnt possess any truly dominant pitches or even particularly
fantastic control, but the team thinks that as a Long or Middle
Reliever that he could really help the team out and get very
valuable Major League Experience. Right now the Bullpen only
has a few set components, amongst them righties Mo Bailey
(1-0, 4.82, 37.1 IP in 2024), Rob Walker (2-6, 4.62 and 109
IP) and Dale Martinez (2-1, 4.85 and 2 saves in 13 IP before
going down with a season ending arm injury). It is suspected
that the team might place Bret Bridewiser into the pen as
well. Bridewiser had no major league record last season, spending
the entire season in Triple A. The team is expected to try
and deal a few veteran pieces in order to upgrade the Bullpen
and plug up a few holes. Thormodsgard would be considered
a solid contributor to the pen if he finished this season
with an ERA in the low 4.00 range. Thormodsgard is said to
be very excited by the potential call up. In LOW and Triple
A he was known to be an eccentric and very energetic player,
often wearing a red cape and Burger King crown to the bullpen
by carrying a mock up of the Norse war hammer Mjolnir. According
to fellow Minor Leaguer Paul Rowen;
Thor
is at one hundred percent, full bore tweaked twenty four hours
a day, seven days a week and three hundred sixty five days
a year. Ive never seen Thor actually be what wed
all call clam. Hes perpetually amped and
always has that damned noise hammer with him. Im starting
to really hate that thing. Hes gonna drive those guys
in the Rebels Pen insane
but at the same time theyre
all going to love the guy like an insane little brother like
the rest of us do. Thor is older than me, but hes such
a goofball that he just has that goofy little brother thing
going on. Were going to miss him down here if he gets
to the big show.
The
team also called up 24 year old Left Fielder Doug Pepper.
Pepper was acquired from Jamaica last season in the trade
that sent Relief Pitcher Ramon Law to the Caribbean. Pepper
is another one of those almost there players.
Although he already posses strong Defensive skills and a good
arm, his bat hasnt quite matured at the same rate. At
this point he projects to have about the same batting eye
as current Left Fielder Rip Reninger (a career .207 hitter),
just with less power. The team hopes that Pepper can mature
a little more with the bat so that they can play him more
often than Reninger and get the benefit of his defense into
the field. The team will probably try to shop Reninger as
a component in another trade if possible and start veteran
Kid Bella, although management has always been disappointed
by his production issues as well. When asked about Pepper,
Rebels Manager Jim Edmonds had the following to say;
We
see Doug as the kind of kid who right now projects as substitute
base runner and fourth Outfielder. Wed love to see him
refine his eye a little more and put a little more power into
his swing so that he could eventually start for us. We know
hell never be a thirty home run hitter or a fifty base
stealer, but honestly wed all be happy to see him hit
fifteen to twenty a year with maybe ten to fifteen stolen
bases. If he did that wed have him starting for us in
Left just to put his glove and his maturing cannon arm into
the field for us. We like what we see in the kid, we like
it a lot. The kid has a great attitude and great potential;
we just have to help him unlock them.
That
may seem like a bit of a long shot in some ways, but Sydney
as a team has always been known for taking those head scratching
moves that no one else seems to understand. The team may not
be great on paper, but it certainly has a lot of character
and that suits them perfectly. Eventually this team will begin
to get it right, even if they do so completely by accident.
Somehow
that would suit them perfectly.
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