‘Firebirds Fire Frogs Frenzy!’

‘Firebirds Fire Frogs Frenzy!’

A ‘Shibe Star Scoop’ Exclusive by Hammer the Homer

June has not been kind to the Philadelphia Firebirds, as their current 4-11 record readily confirms on the heels of their 14-12 April and 18-10 May accomplishments, but they still own a respectable 36-33 First Time Winning Record at This Point of Any Season in their Brief History.

However, the Extraordinary News out of Philadelphia is the ‘Fire Frogs Frenzy’ that has swept the city!

It began early in the season when the Firebirds were jumping around the Rust Belt Division standings in the newly anointed New Millennium League, where they had been Mostly Door Mats in the Previous MBL Seasons.

Vendors began hawking ‘Fire Frogs Hoppers’ and ‘Fire Frogs Jumpers’ plus ‘Fire Frogs Leapers’ as a result of the Firebirds having spent April to May in All 4 Positions of the Rust Belt Division: jumping from 4th place to 3rd place to 2nd place to 1st place.

Currently, they have hopped backwards to 2nd place, while their Rivals in Detroit took advantage of the Firebirds ‘June Swoon’ to secure a current 2.5 game lead over the Firebirds with 12 games remaining for Philly to play, before the All Star Break.

However, this has Not Curtailed the Fire Frogs frenzy!

Petitions have been presented to the Philadelphia Front Office to change the name of the Firebirds to the Fire Frogs; plus Big Bird, who throws out the Ceremonial First Pitch at Shibe Park on each Opening Day, has endorsed his long time friend Kermit The Frog to be the ‘Face of the Franchise’ as it were to replace him as the Celebrity to Throw Out the First Pitch in 2007 on Opening Day!

It is even rumored that the Philly Mascot aka Firebird is willing to retire from his gig in favor of a newly anointed Fire Frog Mascot, should the New Millennium League allow the Philadelphia Front Office to change the Franchise Name from Firebirds to Fire Frogs!

In fact, the Fire Frogs Frenzy has swept throughout the city to such a degree in recent weeks, that chants of “Fire Frogs! Fire Frogs!” can be heard not only outside the stadium, but all over the interior of Shibe Park as Rowdy Philadelphia Fans cheer on their favorite team!

Currently, the Fire Frogs aka the Firebirds have responded with a 20-13 Home Record, but have hopped a bit backwards on the Road with a modest 16-20 Record.

As we head towards the All Star Break, it is this Humble Reporter’s Seasoned Opinion that the Fire Frogs Frenzy is not only Here to Stay for the remainder of the 2006 NML Season, but the possibility of a Name Change in 2007 from Firebirds to Fire Frogs has jumped from a Remote Possibility to a Distinct Probability, because the Philly Fans have Totally Embraced the Fire Frogs Frenzy!

In Other Fire Frogs aka Firebirds News: the Newly Anointed Ace of the Starting Rotation, namely Rookie Phenom Cole Hamels, has seemingly been Snake Bitten by a Lack of Run Support Production when he takes the Pitching Mound for the Philly Firebirds aka Fire Frogs!

Hamels has been saddled with 2 Wins, 4 Losses and 8 No Decisions for his efforts in the first 14 games he has pitched for Philadelphia!

A Victim of Little or No Run Support thus far in the First Half of the 2006 Season!

First Appearance: Hamels gave up 2 Earned Runs in an Opening Day 4-1 Loss!

Second Appearance: Hamels gave up 1 Earned Run in a 2-1 No Decision! A Philly Loss!

Third Appearance: Hamels gave up 1 Earned Run for a No Decision! A 6-5 Philly Win!

Fourth Appearance: Hamels was Brutalized for 12 Earned Runs! A 17-0 Philly Loss!

Fifth Appearance: Hamels gave up 1 Earned Run for a No Decision! A 6-5 Philly Win!

Sixth Appearance: Hamels gave up 1 Earned Run to garner an 11-4 Win! Philly Run Support is Rare!

Seventh Appearance: Hamels gave up 5 Earned Runs (1 Un-Earned Run) and Suffered a 6-Day Injury in another No Decision! An 8-6 Philly Win!

Eighth Appearance: Hamels gave up 1 Earned Run in a No Decision! A 5-2 Philly Win!

Ninth Appearance: Hamels gave up 0 Earned Runs in 6 Innings with the Bull Pen Preserving a 1-0 Win! Again, Not Much Run Support from the Philly Bats!

Tenth Appearance: Hamels gave up 3 Earned Runs for a No Decision! A 6-3 Philly Loss!

Eleventh Appearance: Hamels gave up 1 Earned Run (5 Un-Earned Runs) for an 8-5 Loss!

Twelfth Appearance: Hamels gave up 1 Earned Run in 7 Innings for another No Decision! A 2-1 Philly Win! Again, the Philly Run Support is Rare!

Thirteenth Appearance: Hamels gave up 2 Earned Runs (3 Un-Earned Runs) for a No Decision! A Philly 6-5 Win!

Fourteenth Appearance: Hamels gave up 4 Earned Runs in a 5-4 Loss!

According to the Philadelphia Firebirds aka Fire Frogs Team Stats: Rookie Cole Hamels currently has a 3.97 ERA having given up 44 Runs/35 Earned Runs with 26 BB and 97 SO in 79.1 Innings!

In 14 Games in which Hamels was on the Mound, the Philadelphia Batters Mustered a Mere 59 Runs for an Average of 4.2 Runs Per Game!

When Hamels was on the Mound an Average of 3.1 Runs were Scored by the Opponents!

Yet, the Rookie has Only 2 Wins and 4 Losses to Show for His Efforts!

In Hamels 8 No Decisions, the Fire Frogs aka Firebirds had 6 Wins and 2 Losses! Proving that the Philadelphia Firebirds aka Fire Frogs Bats had Woken Up Enough after Hamels had Left the Game to Secure 6 Wins from Hamels’ 8 No Decisions!

News from the Batter’s Box: Runs Batted In by the Firebirds aka Fire Frogs Batters that produced the Run that Ultimately Won the Game are as Follows:

Ivan Rodriguez (6), Greg Norton (4), Miguel Cabrera (4), Barry Bonds (4), Wily Mo Pena (4), Gerald Laird (4), Ty Wigginton (4), Juan Rivera (2), Brandon Inge (1), Willie Bloomquist (1) and Yuniesky Betancourt (1) for a Total of 35 Game Winners!

In the Other Philly Victory (36 Total Victories), it was Wily Mo Pena who tied the Game in the Bottom of the Ninth Inning and the Firebirds aka Fire Frogs pulled out a Victory in the Bottom of the 11th Inning, when Philly had the Bases Loaded and No Outs. Their Opponent Threw the Runner Out at Home Twice, before a Wild Pitch Secured the Philly Win!

Gerald Laird had Doubles in 2 Extra Inning Games to Claim a Philly Victory! Top of the Tenth for a 6-5 Win and in the Very Next Firebirds aka Fire Frogs Victory in the Bottom of the 11th for a 5-4 Win!

Ivan Rodriguez hit a Game Winning Single for a 6-5 Victory in the Bottom of the Ninth; Barry Bonds hit a 3-Run Homer in the Bottom of the Ninth for an 8-6 Victory; Ty Wigginton hit a 2-Run Homer in the Bottom of the Ninth for a 4-3 Victory; Miguel Cabrera hit a 2-Out Solo Home Run in the Bottom of the Ninth Inning for a Philadelphia 2-1 Victory and Juan Rivera hit a Single in the Bottom of the Ninth for a Firebirds aka Fire Frogs 2-1 Win!

Still Available from Vendors on the Road or at Home: You can still Purchase the Fire Frogs Hoppers, Jumpers or Leapers from Vendors at Home or Away versus the following Opponents prior to the All Star Break Festivities:

Home: St Louis Sliders

Away: San Diego Vipers

Home: San Francisco Quakers

Home: Seattle Lightning

Experience the Firebirds aka Fire Frogs Frenzy in Pursuit of a First Time Ever Winning Season!

Secure Your Tickets Now!

See You at the Stadium!



--- Hammer the Homer aka the Star Reporter for the Shibe Star Scoop

The Future is Now for the Firebirds!

‘The Future is Now for the Firebirds!’

A ‘Shibe Star Scoop’ Exclusive by Hammer the Homer

Heading into the 2005 Season MBL Draft with an 80-82 2004 Season finish, the expectations for the Philadelphia Firebirds 2005 Season was to be near .500 and at the worst be a 90+ loss team.

Realistically, a possible Winning Season was looming just over the horizon in 2006, so the draft strategy for 2005 was for the Firebirds to get some Players who could help bring a Winning Season to Firebirds Nation in 2006.

Then an interesting thing happened during the August – September stretch of the 2004 Season that would have a direct impact upon how the Firebirds Front Office would approach the Draft prior to the 2005 Season.

Dynasty Baseball had changed the Injury Settings for Pitchers, making it a ‘Walk in a Mine Field’ for Managers who kept sending Fatigued Pitchers out to the mound.

Therefore, the Philadelphia Firebirds Management would be forced to use their Bull Pen sooner than they had been accustomed to doing in past seasons, or run the risk of their Starting Rotation ending up on the DL List much more frequently during the 2005 Season.

So, with their eyes on a Winning Season in 2006, the Firebirds Front Office decided to explore these ‘New Waters’ of risking Pitcher Injuries during the 2005 Season.

There was optimism after landing Barry Bonds in a Pre-Draft Trade, even though he would carry an F Durability rating during the 2005 Season, mainly because the Legend of F Durability Mark McGwire from the MBL 2000 Season gave All F Durability Players Hope!

But it was not to be for the hapless Philadelphia Firebirds, as Bonds only played in 29 games before being lost for the 2005 Season.

Also impacting the 2005 Season Draft were Personal Matters that motivated the Firebirds Front Office to trade some Early Round 2005 Draft Picks for Players and Future 2006 Season Picks.

However, there was Hope and Confidence that the 2005 Firebirds would still be close to a .500 Team and at the Worst Only Lose 90+ Games.

Pickings were a bit slim in the 2005 Season Draft for Starting Rotation Pieces, but the Firebirds Front Office had a Plan to Explore the ‘Unknown Waters’ of Pitcher Injuries: to be Better Prepared for Drafting a Winning Season in 2006.

Part of this Plan was to Draft an F Durability Starting Pitcher, but when the time came, only Kevin Brown was available with his Carded 6.50 ERA.

Brown served his purpose (in his Final MLB Carded Season), ending up on the DL 3 different times and finishing the 2005 Season on the Firebirds Active Roster, having started a total of 14 Games with a 1-7 W/L Record and a Team High 13.50 ERA for the lowly Firebirds.

Knowing that Brown could have been lost for the entire season once he took the mound for the first time as the #4 Starter, plus the possibility of other Firebirds Starters maybe ending up on the DL due to the new Dynasty Baseball Pitchers Injuries, the Firebirds Front Office scoured the 2005 Draft Pool for Spot Starters to fill the ranks.

Again, the Spot Start Pickings were Slim, as the Firebirds drafted Dewon Brazelton (8) 7.61 ERA, Roman Colon (7) 5.58 ERA, Scott Erickson (8) 6.02 ERA, Darrell May (9) 6.78 ERA and Wes Obermueller (8) 5.26 ERA to also serve as available options for the Bull Pen over the course of the 2005 Season.

As the 2005 Season opened, the Starting Rotation featured ‘Ace’ Pitcher Jose Lima 6.99 ERA (in his Final MLB Carded Season) and #5 Starter Joe Kennedy 6.01 ERA; who both remained in the Firebirds Starting Rotation during the entire 2005 Season.

The Firebirds played to expectations by mid-May with a 6-7 W/L Record, before those expectations were derailed by an Ugly 15-Game Losing Streak that left the Firebirds reeling with a 6-22 W/L Record; thus opening the door for Trade Offers over the course of the 2005 Season that the Firebirds Front Office probably would not have entertained had the Firebirds hovered around .500 during that unfortunate stretch of games.

By the All Star Break, the Firebirds had only won 20 Games, as they went on to finish the 2005 Season with an Unexpected 42-120 W/L Record that prompted the Firebirds Front Office to pass on SS Hanley Ramirez as a Future Lead Off Hitter and instead select ‘Future Ace’ Cole Hamels with the #2 Overall 2006 Season Draft Pick.

Along the way, during the 2005 Season, the Firebirds traded away Pitchers Jason Isringhausen, Justin Speir, Jim Mecir, Joaquin Benoit, Runelvys Hernandez and Wil Ledezma for 2006 Draft Picks, plus adding to the Firebirds Pitching Roster James Baldwin, Vicente Padilla, Glendon Rusch and Seth McClung.

The Firebirds finished the 2005 Season with a 6.78 Team ERA and a Minus 428 Run Differential.

Philadelphia was 25-56 at Home and 17-64 on the Road.

They were also 13-20 in One Run Games and 5-6 in Extra Innings.

Prior to the 2006 Season Draft, the Firebirds Front Office decided to gamble on a Winning Season by dealing one of their Early Round Draft Picks to Acquire Starting Pitcher Randy Johnson and his 5.00 ERA (F Durability in 2007 and Jam Rating in 2008 with a C Durability).

When Greg Norton 1b became available, the Firebirds gambled again to Ensure a Winning Season, by trading away a Valuable 2007 Draft Pick to prevent Norton from going to another 2006 Play Off Contender, while also providing a Quality One-Season Player to Provide Protection Behind Clutch Hitter Barry Bonds in the Firebirds 2006 Batting Order.

On the Eve of the 2006 Season Draft the Firebirds Front Office discovered they had made a Grave Error!

Thinking they would be able to acquire Starting Pitcher Brett Myers in the Second Round of the 2006 Season Draft, they were forced to deal away a 2006 Second Round Pick and More Valuable 2007 Draft Picks to add Myers (a Keeper) to the Firebirds Starting Rotation for a Possible Run at the 2006 Season Rust Belt Division Crown.

This was in addition to the Firebirds already having traded away a 2006 Round 3 Draft Pick to Boston for the One Year Services of Jam Relief Pitcher Tom Gordon.

So, the Firebirds Front Office entered the 2006 Season Draft with 13 Remaining Picks and the Task of Rounding Out the Starting Pitching Rotation and Restocking the Bull Pen.

Staying Focused on Drafting for a Winning 2006 Season, the Firebirds turned down a handful of opportunities during the Draft to trade away some of their Early Round 2006 Draft Picks in Favor of Building a Possible 2006 Season Contender!

The Firebirds used their First 12 Draft Picks to Add to their Arsenal of Arms: Cole Hamels 4.08 ERA, Chad Billingsley 3.80 ERA, Cla Meredith 1.07 ERA, Fabio Castro 2.27 ERA, Salomon Torres 3.28 ERA, Luis Vizcaino 3.58 ERA and Rheal Cormier 2.44 ERA to Fill Out their Starting Rotation and Bull Pen.

Then the Firebirds stocked their Minor League Roster with Chan Ho Park 4.81 ERA, Joe Kennedy (F Durability) 2.31 ERA, Aaron Sele 4.53 ERA, Chad Paronto 3.18 ERA and Tim Corcoran 4.38 ERA.

The Final 2006 Draft Pick was spent on Eric Young LF/2b/CF/RF to Add a Little More Depth to the Firebirds Minor League Roster.

Hopes are High among the Firebirds Nation Faithful for a Winning 2006 Season and Possible Play Offs at Shibe Park.

Out of Spring Training the Newly Anointed ‘Ace’ Cole Hamels 4.08 ERA is replacing Former ‘Ace’ Jose Lima 6.99 ERA; Randy Johnson 5.00 ERA is replacing Kevin Brown 6.50 ERA; plus Vicente Padilla 4.50 ERA is expected to improve upon his 2005 Season ERA of 4.71 and is being counted upon to hopefully be able to contribute as a .500 or Better W/L Record Pitcher.

Starting Rotation Additions Brett Myers 3.91 ERA and Chad Billingsley 3.80 ERA are also Cause for Optimism that the Firebirds 2006 Team ERA May Be Greatly Reduced from Last Season.

The Back End Bull Pen Tandem of Jam rated Tom Gordon 3.34 ERA and Jam/On/Off rated Trevor Hoffman 2.14 ERA Should Drastically Improve Upon the Firebirds Dismal 26 Saves/25 Blown Saves Season from a Year Ago!

The Bitter Stain of the Firebirds Minus 428 Run Differential in 2005 should also be Addressed By the Bats of Clutch Hitters Juan Rivera, Miguel Cabrera, Barry Bonds and Ivan Rodriguez; plus the Other Projected Starters Out of Spring Training in the Firebirds 2006 Batting Order.

Rumor has it that the Firebirds are Determined to No Longer Be Platooning Players versus Lefties and Righties in their Every Day 2006 Season Batting Order. Nor will the ‘Pitcher of the Day’ Be Penciled Into the 8-Hole, as was the Case in a Majority of the Firebirds Games in Previous Seasons.

The Future is Now for the Firebirds!

Tickets for Seating at Shibe Park are Selling Like Hot Cakes!

See You at the Stadium!

--- Hammer the Homer aka the Star Reporter for the Shibe Star Scoop

Guest blog post. 'Losing is a Disease!'

'Losing is a Disease!'

A Special Shibe Star Scoop

by ‘Hammer the Homer’ aka the Shibe Star Scribe

 

On the heels of a 15-game losing streak, the Front Office Brain Trust at Shibe Park sent shock waves throughout the collective MBL with a flurry of totally unexpected trades!

 

Philly struck a deal with the Baltimore Stouts that sent RP Jim Mecir packing for a Milwaukee Phantoms 2006 Round 5 Draft Pick.

 

But, before Mecir could unpack his bags, the Stouts sent him on to the New York Bombers in a 5-Player Deal for Draft Picks that would soon impact the Rust Belt Division come 2006 Draft Day!

 

Then, the Firebirds sent RP Justin Speier and their 2006 Round Ten Draft Pick to the Washington Tribe for SP/RP Seth McClung (who had fallen out of favor with Tribe Management as a Thug) and a Tribe 2006 Round 5 Draft Pick.

 

However, in a totally unexpected move by the Firebirds Front Office: the very next day found Closer and Fan Favorite Jason ‘Izzy’ Isringhausen heading to the Playoff Bound Baltimore Stouts, along with a Philly 2006 Round 7, Round 8 and a Milwaukee Phantoms Round 9 Draft Pick Package for the Stouts RP/SP Glendon Rusch, the Arizona Apaches 2006 Round 2 and Round 3 Draft Picks, plus the Stouts 2006 Round 4 Draft Pick too!

 

When the Dust and Furor among Firebirds Nation Fans finally Settled and Abated; the Firebirds Front Office had locked up their 15 Choice 2006 Draft Selections, over the course of Rounds One thru Six!

 

Noting the Dismay of Watching the Rust Belt Rival Cleveland Rock N Rollers Build a Playoff Machine with Early Round Draft Picks Entering the 2004 MBL Season; the Philly Firebirds Now Have the Luxury of Doing the Same to Each of Their Rust Belt Division Rivals Prior to the 2006 MBL Season!

 

In Addition to Having All of Their Own 2006 Draft Picks in Rounds One thru Six, the Firebirds will Also Have the Following Treasure Trove of 2006 Draft Picks:

 

Round Two: St Louis Sliders, Baltimore Stouts and Arizona Apaches!

 

Round Three: San Diego Vipers and Arizona Apaches!

 

Round Four: Baltimore Stouts!

 

Round Five: Milwaukee Phantoms and Washington Tribe!

 

Round Six: Colorado Briar Jumpers!

 

Firebirds Nation is Now Expecting to Be Eye Witnesses to the First Winning Season in Philadelphia Franchise History!

 

If They Can Patiently Endure Another Losing Season!

 

See You at Shibe Park Firebirds Nation!

 

--- ‘Hammer the Homer’ aka the Shibe Star Scribe

Special Guest Blog: Drafting Gems for a Rust Belt Run

Firebirds Guest Blog for April 2017

'Drafting Gems for a Rust Belt Run'

A Special Shibe Star Scoop

by ‘Hammer the Homer’ aka the Shibe Star Scribe

The Philadelphia Firebirds have slowly, but surely, assembled a core of players to make a run for the Rust Belt Division Crown in 2006.

Firebirds Management entered the 2005 Season Draft with the distinction of not having made a trade the past two seasons!

But for some unknown reason, the Firebirds traded their first four 2005 Draft Picks: netting Slugger Barry Bonds, Frank Catalanotto, a Second Round and a Third Round 2006 Draft Pick.

Philly Management also dealt Jam Starting Pitcher John Patterson, slated as the Ace of the 2005 Firebirds Rotation, for another 2006 Second Round Pick and SP Runelvys Hernandez, after entering the 2005 Draft with gaping holes at SS and in the Starting Rotation.

Not picking until Round Five (2 picks), the Firebirds snatched both Willie Bloomquist and Yuniesky Betancourt (45%) to fill their needs at SS in 2005 and 2006.

With an eye on 2006 and only being allowed to retain 18 Keepers, the Firebirds dealt away a Bull Pen Arm for a 2006 Round 9 Pick, plus adding 2006 Round 6 and Round 12 Picks before the day was done!

So now, the Firebirds enter the current MBL 2005 Season with a mish mash of recycled and cast away Starting Rotation pieces, highlighted by Jose Lima, who is making his MBL Farewell Tour as a Firebird.

The New/Old Firebirds Ace gave up 8 runs to the Red Stockings on Opening Day at the Great American Ballpark: pitching a mere 4.1 innings, before leaving the mound with a 6-day injury!

Although the Firebirds have a total of 49 Spot Starts available on their entire Pitching Roster, the Firebirds Manager must make wiser decisions to prevent the Firebirds from spending those Precious Spot Starts needlessly; especially with F Durability SP Kevin Brown (slotted as #4 in the Firebirds Rotation) having been drafted to play in his final MBL Season as a Firebird.

Speaking of F Durability Players, the Firebirds have full time 2b Juan Castillo and the aforementioned Barry Bonds manning LF, as Miguel Cabrera has graciously moved to 3b this season.

MBL Fans still remember the remarkable full season slugging performance by F Durability Mark McGwire during the MBL Inaugural 2000 Season: when he led the MBL with 79 Homers!

Firebirds Management can only hope to have Bonds and Castillo survive the 2005 Season!

Last season, the Firebirds F Durability 2b Fernando Vina managed to log 125 games (would have been possibly more had the Firebirds not been on Auto for several weeks).

Therefore, the Firebirds Management is hoping for even better results from their F Durability Players over the course of this 2005 Season!

If the Firebirds manage to slug it out against their opponents, they may be able to stay in the Rust Belt Race; but Save Opportunities for either Izzy or ‘Trevor Time’ Hoffman may be hard to come by over the course of the 2005 MBL Season!

One need only take a long look at the Firebirds assortment of Long Relievers on the Active Roster and in the Minors: to draw the same conclusion!

Looks to me like a race in the opposite direction to the Rust Belt Cellar: between the Firebirds and the Red Stockings!

Looking ahead to 2006, the Firebirds will showcase a Clutch Hitting Quartet of Juan Rivera, Miguel Cabrera, Barry Bonds and Ivan Rodriguez.

They will have some Added Punch from previously drafted Catchers, Gerald Laird and Mike Redmond, who are severely limited with At Bats in 2005.

Hence, the necessity for drafting Catcher Mike Mahoney with their  2005 Round 14.20 Draft Pick to provide a warm body behind the plate: in case of injury or depleted At Bats by Laird and Redmond.

So, again looking ahead to the MBL 2006 Season, the Firebirds have already anointed their 18 Keepers:

Drafted in 2004: Marlon Anderson: a Key Bench Player with limited At Bats.

Drafted in 2005: Yuniesky Betancourt: starting SS and Leadoff Hitter.

Drafted in 2005: Willie Bloomquist: another Key Bench Player.

Trade in 2005: Barry Bonds: a Clutch Cleanup Hitter manning LF.

Drafted in 2003: Miguel Cabrera: a Clutch 3b Batting Third in the Lineup.

Drafted in 2004: Jose Castillo: starting at 2b with a -5 Arm.

Trade in 2005: Frank Catalanotto: another Key Bench Player.

Drafted in 2004: Gerald Laird: a Backup Catcher with a Mean Bat.

Drafted in 2003: Wily Mo Pena: another season in CF with a Better Swing.

Drafted in 2003: Mike Redmond: a Third Catcher who is Too Useful to Languish in the Minors.

Drafted in 2002: Juan Rivera: a Clutch Hitter in the #2 Hole with a -2 RF Arm.

Trade in 2002: Ivan Rodriguez: a Clutch Starting Catcher who will Bat Behind Bonds.

Drafted in 2002: Ty Wigginton: who finally becomes a Starter at 1b with some Defense and Pop.

Drafted in 2004: Joaquin Benoit: strictly a Long Reliever who is Vital to the Firebirds Bull Pen.

Drafted in 2004: Trevor Hoffman: a Jam/On/Off RP who may supplant Izzy as the Closer in 2006.

Trade in 2003: Jason Isringhausen: a Jam RP who can still Close or serve as a Set Up Man.

Drafted in 2003: Justin Speir: a Reliable Short Bull Pen Arm who made the cut.

Trade in 2002: Carlos Pena: who is Not Carded in 2006, but is Clutch with A Power in 2007.

As you can see, the Firebirds will once again rely on the MBL 2006 Draft to glean Suitable Arms for their Starting Rotation, as well as the Bull Pen; plus locating a couple more Role Players to be able to make a Serious Run at the Rust Belt Division Crown during the 2006 Season!

Looks like the Firebirds will be Standing Pat with No Trade Activity in Sight: from Now until the Trade Deadline!

However, if a Contender comes calling for the services of 1b Tino Martinez and his Left-Pull Power Bat in his Final Year as a Player in the MBL: the Firebirds Front Office might just Gamble on Trading Tino for a Suitable 2006 Draft Pick and a Warm Body!

After all, the Firebirds are currently a mere .500 Ball Club, as a result of splitting the first two games against their Division Rival Red Stockings: with No Guarantee of a Winning Record over the course of the MBL 2005 Season!

As always, the Firebirds are Expected to Be Entertaining!

Hence, the Record Amount of Season Tickets Sales in Anticipation of the 2006 Season!

May the Firebirds gain some Valuable Experience over the course of the 2005 Season that the Front Office (as well as the Manager) in Philly can Draw Upon to Serve the Firebirds with Great Benefits: during the MBL 2006 Season Draft Process!

That is My Humble Prayer!

Meanwhile, the Rust Belt Crown in 2005 currently Shapes Up to Be a Hard Fought Battle Between the Buckeyes and the Rock N Rollers!

Firebirds Nation Must Wait Yet Another Season!

Hope to See You All at Shibe Park for the Home Opener against the Division Rival Rock N Rollers!

Firebirds Nation will once again be entertained by the numerous antics of the Philly Firebirds Team Mascot ‘Firebird’ and the Shibe Park Opening Day First Pitch will be Hurled Once Again by None Other than ‘Big Bird’ from Sesame Street Fame!

See You at Shibe Park Firebirds Nation!

--- ‘Hammer the Homer’ aka the Shibe Star Scribe

World Series Preview & Press Sheet

Game 1. Dodger Stadium 

Live look at Dodger Stadium. People starting to arrive. 

Coaches:

LA Diablos (LAD): Thomas Sheridan

NY Rippers (NYR): Billy Hobbes

Regular Season Records:

LA Diablos: 104-58 (beat OAK, STL in the playoffs)

NY Rippers: 116-46 (beat Tribe, and Senators in the playoffs)

Date: 04/25/2017

TIME: TBA Stay tuned on the Slack channel for further updates.

Probable Starters Game 1

New York Rippers: Oliver Perez

LA Diablos: Johan Santana 

Who's Hot in the Playoffs?

New York Rippers

Name	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG
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Menechino, Frank	6	10	1	4	0	2	1	5	3	0	0	0	.400	.538	1.100
Blalock, Hank	11	36	5	14	4	0	1	7	3	8	0	0	.389	.450	.583
Mora, Melvin	13	54	5	19	5	0	0	6	2	14	0	1	.352	.368	.444
Kotsay, Mark	13	40	9	14	1	1	0	0	7	8	0	3	.350	.447	.425
Guerrero, Vladimir	13	48	5	14	1	0	3	11	5	6	0	1	.292	.382	.500

LA Diablos 

Name	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG
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Helton, Todd	12	43	11	18	4	0	5	14	10	4	0	0	.419	.519	.860
Eckstein, David	8	24	4	9	4	0	0	7	2	3	0	0	.375	.444	.542
Mabry, John	7	18	3	6	2	0	0	1	4	5	1	0	.333	.478	.444
Long, Terrence	11	39	6	12	4	2	0	6	1	5	0	0	.308	.325	.513
Lowell, Mike	12	47	10	14	5	0	1	5	6	8	0	0	.298	.377	.468

Notable injuries:

New York Rippers:

Vlad Guerrero- 4 days

LA Diablos:

Kerry Wood- 3 days