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