Hitmen Considering Move to Massapequa
Topic: Hitmen
 

Putz Traded in 5-Man Deal: Wellwood Strikes First and Steals Top Closer From Floral Park in first NYLISL Trade of 2007 Season
Topic: Front Page
JULY 10 - Three years ago, at an NYLISL All-Star Game Extravaganza in West Babylon, current Demons Owner/GM Jack Flynn had seen enough. His slugging first baseman was scuffling and, in a fit of pique after a game-ending out, was promptly traded to a league rival after the first seductive offer he was made. To this day, Flynn has regretted the deal - which sent Albert Pujols to the Mop-Ups franchise in exchange for three players.

As Winston Churchill once said, "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

The Wellwood Scribes of Lindenhurst cashed in on a similar fit of exasperation tonight, acquiring closer JJ Putz from the Floral Park Flesheaters in a five-player deal that left heads shaking and established the Scribes as a legitimate playoff contender. In exchange, Floral Park brought back Joel Zumaya and Josh Beckett, a risky move that will hurt now but will hopefully pay dividends in 2008 and beyond. Eric Chavez (Floral Park) and Mike Lowell (Wellwood) rounded out the deal.

Floral Park Owner/GM Jason Varvaro had come to the end of his rope with Putz, who had already blown a number of saves on the young season and was not pitching up to his potential. The final straw came earlier in the week when Putz could not lock down a game against the suddenly not-so-hapless Oswego Lakers. With his patience completely worn away, Varvaro quietly made Putz available. Before the other league contenders could react, Baumbach had struck an extremely favorable deal.

Putz (14/13) will provide a complement to the magnificent Jonathan Papelbon (9/2), setting up the most devastating 1-2 punch in the league. When both are fully rested, they have to potential to make any game a five-inning contest. Teams that fail to score on the Scribes early will pay the price for it later.

The deal became even more favorable for Wellwood when Floral Park agreed to take back Chavez in exchange for Lowell, in a swap good-field, no-hit third basemen. Lowell (30/43) will be a free agent after this season, although Baumbach will consider re-signing him in the offseason if the length of the deal is right. Chavez (34/42) has the advantage of being left-handed, but the distinct disadvantage of being signed through 2010 with a club option for 2011.

Floral Park will have to pray that Beckett (34/27) continues his 2007 form and becomes an ace for years to come. In Zumaya (23/20), the Flesheaters have a solid replacement for Putz, but he is nowhere near as dominant as the departed closer and is an injury risk for the future.

Bandits Steal Rising Stars; Set for '07 Season
Topic: Bandits

A number of bold draft-day manuevers by Owner/GM Chris Forster has helped to replenish the New Jersey Bandits franchise and has put the defending league champions back on the path toward a fourth straight title.

Two days before the draft, the Bandits announced they had acquired reliever Bobby Howry from the West Side Stories in exchange for a 2007 fifth-round draft pick. Howry, who was sought after by at least two other clubs, adds some depth to a powerful Bandits bullpen. Although he won't see a lot of action with the game on the line, Howry can be counted on to keep the game close when called upon.

Forster saved his best work for Draft Day, making two excellent trades with longtime rivals that yielded significant benefits for his franchise. The first trade saw the Bandits sending Brad Ausmus and their first-round pick to the Floral Park Flesheaters for Dan Haren and Floral Park's second-round pick. The trade, which only forced the Bandits to move down two slots overall, netted a burgeoning young starter and still allowed New Jersey to select the object of their affection, third baseman Garrett Atkins, with the Flesheaters' pick.

Then, with St. Jack's Demons GM Jack Flynn crunched for roster space and looking to free up a player spot, Forster cleverly parlayed the logjam into a deal that landed him Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo in exchange for a third-round pick. Sources say that Flynn originally balked at an earlier offer of a third-round pick for Delgado alone, but ultimately had little choice but to package Castillo along with the slugger in order to free up roster space to address other team needs.

A Shake-Up on The Lake: Oswego Demotes Three and Revamps Lineup In Attempt to Overcome Rough Start to First Season
Topic: Front Page
Everyone knew it was going to be a year of growth and development for the Oswego Lakers, as the first-year franchise under the control of rookie Owner/GM Sean O'Leary was sure to experience some serious growing pains. But after a 1-12 start that saw the Lakers post a collective .290 on-base percentage, O'Leary decided it was time for some new bats in the lineup.

The Lakers recalled Chris Burke, Emil Brown and Jay Payton from AAA-UC Santa Barbara on May 17 and each new player will have an expanded role in the Lakers' attack. Burke will step into a platoon role with Adam Kennedy at 2B and provides decent defense at the corner outfield positions (3e3 in LF and RF). Brown is expected to step into the starting LF role against righties and bat high in the order. Payton is not expected to start, but is a 2e8 at all three outfield positions and can provide depth and defense for a team short on both.

Jose Lopez, Damion Easley and Sean Casey were all sent to the minors to make room for the new arrivals. That trio was a combined 3 for 36 (.083 BA) with just 1 RBI in the Lakers' first 13 games. Only Casey was playing regularly, but his demotion leads the way for Kevin Youkilis to take most of the at-bats at 1B.

Although O'Leary will be hoping for some extra offense from his new-look lineup, pitching remains an area of concern. The Lakers have a 6.75 team ERA and no real way forward, as the options at AAA are even less appetizing then those with the parent club. Among the starters, only Chris Young has been effective, and he's still 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA. The bullpen will likely see increased reliance on Mike MacDougal (26/11) and Darren Oliver (20/26), although Jonathan Broxton (34/15) will be called upon to get a tough righty here and there.

Carlos Clearly Can't Control Crazy Carnage
Topic: Crusaders
 

When his name was called at the 2007 NYLISL Draft on February 3, the general atmosphere quickly became one of shock and disbelief. One rival GM openly mocked the selection, saying that it meant "one more first round player is still on the board."

But when the St. Jack's Demons chose Carlos Villanueva with their first selection (fourth overall), Owner/GM Jack Flynn saw a four-inning reliever with a 14/14 that had the potential to dominate the league unlike any other reliever in the NYLISL. Now, 15 games into the season, Flynn must be having his doubts. St. Jack's is 10-5, but Villanueva has been the unluckiest pitcher in the league. He's 0-2 with an 8.14 ERA in five appearances, but the numbers don't tell the whole story.

The big knock on Villanueva was his tendency to give up home runs and so far this season he has done just that - four dingers in just 17.2 innings. However, all four home runs have been on the batter's card, which Carlos knows he can't control. The low point of the season came on May 12, when Villanueva gave up nine runs in 4.2 innings against the Riffs. Eight of those runs scored in a wild sixth inning that saw Riffs Owner/GM Tim Walsh hit a three-run ballpark homer (a 1-4 chance) off Ryan Church's card. It was the third of what turned out to be an unprecedented eight straight rolls on a Riff batter's card - all hits or walks charged to Villanueva. Only three rolls in that fateful sixth inning landed on Villanueva's card - and all of them were outs.

Villanueva is trying to keep his spirits up, but is undoubtedly feeling the pressure that comes from being a controversial first-round pick. For his part, Flynn has retained confidence in Villanueva, even increasing his workload by placing fellow long man Hector Carrasco into the rotation.

Goddamn Derek Jeter!! Asshole Breaks Up Zambrano's No Hitter in 9th; Officially Considered Biggest Jerkoff in NYLISL
Topic: Front Page
On any other day, the games would’ve been rained out.

 

The rainstorm that slammed the Northeast on April 15 certainly was enough to stop most teams in their tracks, but not the Massapequa Hitmen. Imagine the surprise owner/GM Jack Flynn must’ve felt when he got the phone call from Hitmen head honcho Jason Boland on Sunday morning, wondering why St. Jack’s Demons players hadn’t taken the field for batting practice and instead seemed ready for a rainout. “But JB, we’re getting hit with a Nor’easter today!”

“I thought it was just a little rain,” Boland told a shocked Flynn.

With the Hitmen on the field and waiting to play ball, the Demons had no choice but to suit up and take the field. By the end of the day, Boland had to have wished he had just stayed in bed. The Demons swept the three-game series on the strength on terrific pitching performances from Curt Schilling, Roy Oswalt and Carlos Zambrano to start the season 3-0. Zambrano took a no-hitter into the ninth before it was finally broken up by Derek Jeter, who was showered with boos and debris by Demons fans as he rounded the bases after a heartbreaking solo home run.

Jeter stood in against Zambrano with one out and the bases empty in the ninth. 25 of the 27 previous batters had been retired without a hit, and Zambrano had only scattered two walks to that point. A roll of 4-9 yielded a HR 1-7, flyball-B 8 -20. Boland picked up his 20-sided die, which had just missed a ballpark single with pinch-hitter Jose Reyes the batter before, and shockingly rolled a 2. The no-hitter was gone, the shutout was gone and Jeter had further cemented his place as the most hated figure in baseball among the Demons faithful.

“Of all the guys who had to do it, it had to be Jeter. I’ve always hated that prick too!” Flynn admitted after the game.

Zambrano gave up another hit, but retired the final two batters for the complete game victory in what turned out to be a 9-1 win. He was helped out early and often by his fielders – Omar Vizquel’s fielding rating of 1 saved at least three hits alone, as Boland rolled a 2 on three straight groundball SS(X) chances during the course of the game. Perhaps the scariest moment came with two outs in the seventh, when a roll of 5-11 yielded a flyball LF(X). The ball floated toward Pat Burrell (a 4e4 in LF) and it seemed the no-hitter couldn’t possibly survive. But Boland rolled a 20, Burrell made the play and the drama continued until Jeter’s at-bat.

In the earlier games, Curt Schilling opened the season with a complete game five-hitter in a 7-2 Demons win. Schilling, who holds virtually every major pitching record in franchise history, was a little wild in walking four and plunking two others. However, three hits from Nick Johnson and a home run from Grady Sizemore helped out. In Game 2, Roy Oswalt pitched into the ninth before tiring and Takashi Saito was called on to get the final out of a 6-4 win. Scott Rolen had two homers to pace the Demons attack.

Demons Add Rolen, 4 Others In A-Rod Swap
Topic: Crusaders
Demons fans won't have Alex Rodriguez to kick around anymore.

The man known only as "A-Rod" was traded on January 5, making the first player swap of the off-season an explosive one. The beleaguered third baseman is moving to Floral Park, along with Paul Konerko and Bartolo Colon, in exchange for a five-player package headed by Scott Rolen and Justin Verlander.

A-Rod spent 2 1/2 years in the St. Jack's organization and, despite tying or setting several single-season records in 2006, never performed up to expectations. He batted .296 with 24 homeruns (fourth in the NYLISL) and 72 RBIs (second in the NYLISL) last season. He also finished third in hits with 92 and tied a single-season St. Jack's record with 71 runs scored.

His replacement at third base will be Rolen, a former Demon whose contract also expires in 2010. Verlander is expected to take the fourth slot in the St. Jack's rotation in 2007 and has a world of potential.

In addition to Rolen and Verlander, the Demons also added Rafael Furcal, Adrian Beltre and Endy Chavez. Furcal is expected to start at shortstop next season, Beltre will toil in Pearl River and Chavez has a chance to make the big club as a fifth outfielder. Beltre, who has three years remaining on his contract, is believed to be available for a low draft pick.

Walsh Already Causing Waves; Vows to Play Ineligible Players
Topic: Riffs
Resident bad boy Tim "T-Bone" Walsh has only been back in the league for less than four months, but he's already re-establishing himself as the Rebel of the NYLISL.

New Jersey Clubs Liriano: Bandits Romp in Opener, Wind Up Splitting Six With West Side Stories as Season Gets Underway
Topic: Front Page

The New Jersey Bandits started the 2007 NYLISL season with some fireworks, pounding West Side Stories ace Francisco Liriano for eight runs on 11 hits in a 16-3 Opening Day victory. Morgan Ensberg homered twice and drove in five runs to support Roger Clemens.

 

The next five games of the series included a pair of thrillers. The Stories won Game 2 by scoring three runs off Bandits relief ace Mariano Rivera in the eighth inning to tie the game. The added two more off Billy Wagner with three straight pinch hits in the bottom of the 10th to re-tie the contest and notched the winning run in the 11th on a Jermaine Dye single.

And One For The Thumb! Bandits Win Their Fifth NYLISL Championship, Outlasting Scribes in Thrilling Seven-Game Series
Topic: Front Page

Demons Give Vernon Wells Extension Through 2014
Topic: Crusaders
Vernon Wells signed a seven-year contract extension with St. Jack's on December 15, making him a Demon through 2014. The move can be potentially problematic, considering that Grady Sizemore is just 24 years old, signed to a similarly monstrous deal and is the centerfielder of the future for St. Jack's. However, Sizemore is also left-handed and so far has shown a glaring need to be platooned. Wells has historically mashed left-handed pitching throughout his career and is a three-time Gold Glove center fielder. He fits a "need" perfectly, but now he has to fit that need for the next eight years. There was some thought that Wells might be left unprotected in an expansion draft, but that is not likely to happen. A seven-year deal means nothing to a fledging franchise going into an expansion draft with virtually no long-term commitments. Wells just turned 28 last week, so the contract ends in his Age 35 season. St. Jack's certainly doesn't want to lose a good centerfielder for nothing because of fear that he may be in albatross down the road. 

The Demons are only carrying two center fielders this year - Sizemore won't have an injury on his card and will always play against righties, limiting Wells to 15 to 20 starts and maybe 100 PAs in 2007. The 2008 Draft will be particularly important for St. Jack's, who will have to get a centerfielder with star potential who will not need a platoon partner. Since that player would be joining Sizemore and Wells for perhaps the next five seasons, there would be little room for a fourth center fielder on the 40-man roster.

No Retreat, No Surrender: St. Jack's Still Stalking Stanner Division Standouts

In three starts, he has offered a tantalizing glimpse of the future and given hope to a fan base that’s holding out for a hero.

The young phenom Felix Hernandez is 3-0 since his trade deadline call-up, adding two complete games and energizing a team that is still looking for a miracle. St. Jack’s Demons (46-28) have won 10 of their last 12 and are desperately trying to narrow the gap between themselves and the league-leading New Jersey Bandits (52-27). The two titans of the NYLISL are looking forward to a late December showdown that will not only have playoff ramifications, but may also have historical implications.

The Bandits need two wins in their final five games to tie the league record for wins, set back in 2000 by – who else? – the St. Jack’s franchise. Three wins will give the Bandits 55 on the season and the record outright – just one more feather in the cap of the NYLISL’s premier team.

If the Bandits are going to make league history, they are going to have to do it by going through Hernandez. St. Jack’s manager Earl Weaver has already announced that Hernandez is being held back from his next scheduled start and will instead take the mound for both the first and the last games of the New Jersey series. With apologies to the great Ric Flair, the Bandits will have to beat the best if they want to be the best.

King Felix’s heroics have been good for three wins since his call-up, but it will be up to the rest of the Demons’ rotation to get St. Jack’s to New Jersey with a Stanner Division championship still in sight. If St. Jack’s wins their final five games (three against the West Side Stories and two against the Wellwood Scribes of Lindenhurst), they’ll go into the Bandits series just one game out of first place.

The Demons have also benefited from the addition of Luis Castillo and Cliff Politte, who were acquired from Floral Park on October 29 in exchange for Orlando Hudson and Rafael Furcal. Castillo has provided excellent defense and timely hitting for the red-hot Demons, while Politte has not allowed a run since the acquisition.

Night of the Living Dead: Flesheaters Drop Six of Seven; Take Historic Drubbing to End Saturday Night Showdown

 

The Stanner Division was in a state of upheaval on the night of October 22, at the close of a 48-hour span that saw the playoff fortunes of a proud franchise brutally battered and four trades made by a shell-shocked general manager trying to sift through the rubble of his team.

 

Floral Park played 17 games over a two-day period and went 7-10 to fall hopelessly out of contention for a division championship. The fatal blows were delivered by the New Jersey Bandits, who went 6-1 and finished the job with an unbelievable 30-3 win that prompted the pitching debut of center fielders Coco Crisp and Johnny Damon. Flesheaters GM Jason Varvaro, perhaps still slightly concussed from the vicious beating, responded by trading Roger Clemens, Neal Cotts and Ryan Zimmerman to New Jersey for Roy Oswalt, Scott Rolen, Scot Shields and Adrian Beltre.

 

The deal itself makes almost no sense for Floral Park, unless it is somehow a precursor to a run at beleaguered Demons shortstop/third baseman Alex Rodriguez. For the Bandits, it’s a case of the rich getting richer, as the addition of Clemens certainly makes them the class of the Molloy Division The Flesheaters were four games out of first place when they headed to New Jersey on Saturday night in the ultimate test of their playoff hopes. A strong performance against the Bandits could close the gap and prove that this team wasn't just an afterthought in the Stanner Division. NYLISL homerun leader Andruw Jones and his cross-river rival Derrek Lee were swapping comments all week in the local papers and both teams were certainly ready for this series.

 

The first game lived up to the hype, with Floral Park’s Johan Santana pitching a gem in the first few innings until Johnny Peralta hit a three-run shot in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead. The Flesheaters scored a run in the eighth, but the Bandits bullpen locked the game down and took a surprise win to start the series. The Flesheaters were still confident with Roger Clemens facing off against Brett Myers in the second game. The Bandits’ bats calmed Brett down by using Clemens as a launching pad and scoring 11 runs (including two home runs by Derrek Lee). Game 3 brought about an unlikely pitching duel between John Garland and Roy Oswalt. The Flesheaters jumped out top an early lead, but went hitless for the last five innings against the heart of the Bandits’ pen, which gave the home team enough time to go ahead on a Joe Mauer home run and to hold on for a 3-1 win. The Flesheaters hoped to turn the tide in Game 4, marching John Patterson out to square off against Mark Prior. The Bandits’ bats stayed hot, spreading 10 runs out over 8 innings. Johan Santana pitched well in Game 5, but the Bandits got to the Flesheater pen and relied on the bullpen to help three-hit the Flesheaters, leading to an 8-2 drubbing and a season sweep of Floral Park at the FuddDome.

 

After the series, Flesheater bench coach Thurman Munson (yes he's dead, but these are the Flesheaters after all!) admitted, "You can't beat the Bandits pen. Unless we get out ahead and shut them down, we will not win." With the series heading back to New York, Roger Clemens promised, "We're going to put this team in its place, regardless of what it takes." Clemens got tossed in the fourth inning for hitting both Bandit right fielders and sending Vlad Guerrero and Gary Sheffield to the hospital for x-rays. His actions worked though, as the Bandit bats fizzled and the Flesheaters held on to an early lead and won 6-3. There was a slight altercation after the game, when Munson apparently spit a wad of decayed flesh and chewing tobacco on Tom Seaver's shoe. Despite some pushing and shoving, nobody was seriously hurt. Nobody knew what Game 7 would bring, but no one in the house could have anticipated that history would be made.

 

The Bandits proved that John Garland's great pitching in Game 3 was a fluke and chased him before he could record an out, scoring six runs in the first inning. New Jersey batted around again in both the fifth and sixth innings and held a 15-1 lead going into the seventh inning. Neal Cotts was chased from the game with two outs in the seventh and Thurman decided to save his pen, so he brought in Coco Crisp to get the last out. Cotts and Crisp combined for 12 runs in that disastrous frame and the Bandits were up 27-1. Johnny Damon came in to pitch a scoreless eighth, but the Bandits tagged him for three more in the ninth and won by a record setting score of 30-3. Disgusted by the team’s poor performance, Roger Clemens quickly demanded a trade and the Flesheaters eventually put him on the Bandits’ bus back to NJ. 

Floral Park made three other trades this weekend, all with the Wellwood Avenue Scribes of Lindenhurst. When the smoke cleared, the Flesheaters added Dan Haren and Tadahito Iguchi and had sent Ryan Freel, Jonny Gomes and Mark Grudzielanek to the Scribes. Jose Valverde and Brad Thompson were each involved in two of the trades, eventually ending up right back where they started.

Guillen Shipped to New Jersey: Carlos Guillen is crossing the Hudson. The slugging shortstop was acquired by the Bandits from Lindenhurst on October 28 for a supplemental draft pick. The two teams had been exchanging offers for several weeks now and just weren't able to come to an agreement what players/picks should be involved in the exchange. Bandits GM Yoda broke the ice with a late call from the team hotel and brokered the final deal. Guillen, a longtime Hitman and perennial backup to Derek Jeter, will likely finish out the season on the Bandits' 40-man roster and will get the starting nod next season at short over defensive wiz Omar Vizquel and Johnny Peralta, the victim of the sophmore slump. The supplemental draft pick was earned by New Jersey for playing its games in a timely fashion under current NYLISL rules. By doing so, the Bandits were able to wrangle a 41/53 (projected) shortstop from a league rival at literally no cost to the 40-man roster, an astounding coup for team owner Chris Forster.

Varvaro Above The Law? Flesheaters Owner Avoids Fine for Disobeying Traffic Laws; What Did He Say to Local Cops?

Jason Varvaro, the owner and general manager of Floral Park Flesheaters, was pulled over by Nassau County police today but mysteriously left without receiving a ticket, sources told the league Web site.

Varvaro was on the phone with Wellwood Avenue Scribes of Lindenhurst owner Jim Baumbach at the time, said to be discussing their past trade history after agreeing to play a series of games October 20 and October 22. Baumbach, when reached for comment, confirmed only that he spoke with Varvaro by phone.

The apparent issue at hand was that Varvaro was talking to Baumbach on his cell phone, which is against New York State law. However, police went lightly on him because he flashed his postal worker identification card, according to police sources. It is unclear if he was given preferrental treatment because of his status in the community as owner the fan favorite Flesheaters.

The league website sent Varvaro mutliple e-mails to his last known e-mail address seeking comment, but shockingly enough, he did not respond. It is not known whether the league website made any attempt to reach out to him via his cell phone or through a text message.

They're The Real Hitmen! Eyre, Turnbow Tossed For Consecutive Beanballs; St. Jack's Will Appeal

El Jefe: Viva Dos Carlos! Zambrano, Delgado Back With St. Jack's; Demons Cut Ties With Ace Starter, Longest-Tenured Player

St. Jack’s and Floral Park came together to make their second trade of the season on August 6 – an eight-player swap that saw the Demons re-acquire two former players while parting ways with the franchise’s longest-tenured position player.

 

Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Delgado are back in the fold for St. Jack’s, who also added Craig Monroe and Greg Maddux in exchange for Roger Clemens, Jorge Posada, Hank Blalock and Brad Thompson. Zambrano was drafted as a rookie by the Demons and spent several years with the club before he was shipped to the Crackheads in 2005.

 

Zambrano will take over Clemens’s spot as the ace in the Demons’ starting rotation, which has been horrible since the beginning of the season. Despite a 25-12 record, no St. Jack’s starter has an ERA under 5.00 or a WHIP under 1.500. Clemens, meanwhile, will pair with Johan Santana to form the most impressive 1-2 punch in the league and will give Floral Park two legitimate aces at the top of their rotation.

 

Delgado, despite an onerous contract that includes two more years and a 2009 option, was brought back to DH against right-handed pitching. He is expected to bat third in the Demons’ lineup, between Miguel Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez. St. Jack’s insisted that Floral Park take on Blalock’s contract, which is of a similar length, as part of the deal. Blalock will likely sit in Floral Park’s minor leagues until the trade deadline and has a chance to be a defensive replacement in 2007.

 

Posada, meanwhile, will be part of the catching picture for the Flesheaters both right now (where he will compete with Ramon Hernandez or Rod Barajas for playing time) and next year (where he will be one of the top catchers in the league). A switch-hitting catcher with one more year on his contract and a .390 OBP (over .400 against righties) is a rare and valuable commodity, which Floral Park was happy to pick up. The trade leaves St. Jack’s with only two catchers on the 40-man roster and it is believed that they will be reaching out to at least two clubs – Lindenhurst and New Jersey – to inquire about the availability of one of their four backstops.

 

The trade leaves St. Jack’s with just one original member on their 40-man roster – starting pitcher Curt Schilling. Posada had over 1,000 plate appearances with the franchise and is the all-team statistical leader in several categories. Before the trade, it looked as though he would platoon with Michael Barrett in 2007, giving St. Jack’s perhaps the best catcher tandem in the NYLISL. Now it appears Barrett will have the job outright next year, with the talented Victor Martinez playing the caddy’s role.

 

Monroe is a versatile outfielder who hits lefties hard, but appears to have no role with St. Jack’s. He is believed to be very available to any team that needs a corner outfielder to supplement the lineup against lefties. Maddux is having one of the worst seasons of his career, but still has a WHIP of only 1.26 and may be rejuvenated after a recent MLB trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both are free agents at the end of the season and, barring a career renaissance from Maddux, neither is likely to be re-signed. Thompson will fill out the back of the bullpen for Floral Park, which had just five relievers on the entire 40-man roster before the trade.

Manny on the Move: Scribes, Hitmen Complete Six-Player Swap; Two Of Lindenhurst's Legends Shockingly Sent Packing

St. Jack's at a Perfect 10: Six-Game Sweep of Lindenhurst Keeps Demons Hot; Stanner Division Outshining Redmen Division

No Slugger Left Behind: Floral Park Adds Delgado and Giles to Already Lefty-Heavy Lineup; Wright Shipped to Scribes

For nearly three months, the phones were silent. The seven general managers of the New York Long Island Strat League went along at a tranquil pace, playing a few games here and there, but not even the hint of a trade rumor was heard. But everything changed on Sunday, June 3, when the first trade of the young season was finally consummated. For Floral Park, it was definitely worth the wait.

The Flesheaters acquired two huge left-handed bats for their lineup, importing Carlos Delgado and Brian Giles from Wellwood/Lindenhurst, and in the process made themselves an extremely dangerous proposition for the right-handed starters in the Molloy Divison. Floral Park also added Melvin Mora and Ryan Freel to the mix, while sending David Wright, Moises Alou, Geoff Jenkins and Chone Figgins to the Scribes.

The trade dramatically alters the look of both teams, but the Flesheaters have to be very excited about the looks of things. With Delgado playing first and Giles taking over in right field, the Crackheads now boast four starters over 54 against righties (with DH Papi Ortiz and LF Adam Dunn also in the mix. Mora is a downgrade from the young phenom Wright, but provides slightly better defense and gets on base almost as often against right-handers. 

The Achilles’ heel for Floral Park will be left-handed pitching. Sunday’s trade means that six of the Fleasheaters’ nine projected starters are worse against lefties. What’s more, the lefty lineup is almost completely punchless, with only three projected starters having more than 10 points of home runs against righties. One of those starters, C Rod Barajas, is only a 35 overall against lefties. 

Still, the trade makes sense for Floral Park when you consider that there’s only one left-handed starter they’ll have to face in division play – St. Jack’s Mark Buehrle. Both the Demons and the New Jersey Bandits are going to have to consider beefing up on left-handed pitching to keep up – expect Barry Zito to be a frequent topic of conversation in the coming weeks, as he languishes in the Lindenhurst farm system. With Ortiz and Delgado now in the mix at first base, Floral Park is now free to shop 1B Ryan Howard to address other needs. Think Owner/GM Jason Varvaro is regretting protecting Darin Erstad now? 

Meanwhile, the Scribes sacrificed in both the power and the on-base department by replacing Giles and Delgado with Jenkins and Alou. The trade of Delgado is particularly surprising, as he was the franchise leader in a number of categories, including games, home runs, RBIs and on-base percentage (although the reported career .463 OBP coming out of Suffolk sounds like a miscalculation of Tim Walsh-ian proportions). 

However, the team is off to a slow start this season and the key to the deal on the Wellwood/Lindenhurst side is obviously Wright, who undoubtedly has a world of potential. Word on the street is that Owner/GM Jim Baumbach is now looking for a corner outfielder who can hit left-handed pitchers. 

Wellwood Avenue team officials have already announced they will retire Delgado's number when the Flesheaters come to town again, similar to what the Chicago White Sox did for Harold Baines aftrer trading him to Texas in 1989. It will be called “Carlos Delgado Night at The Grumman Complex,” and the tickets are already going fast. 

Flesheaters Add Garland and Gomes: The Floral Park makeover continued when Johnny Gomes and Jon Garland were imported from St. Jack's, in exchange for Doug Davis, Adam Dunn and Brian Fuentes. The addition of Gomes adds some sock to the Floral Park lineup against lefties, while Davis and Fuentes add two left-handed arms to the Demons' staff.

Pedro Goes AWOL!! Mop-Ups Ace Hides Out On Luxury Yacht in Queens
Pedro Martinez bolted the Suffolk County-based Mop-Ups this week and has taken up residence on a houseboat in Jamaica Bay, threatening to leave the team for good if various demands aren’t met. Chief on his list of concerns is the team’s nickname, which Pedro called “an insult” to the team’s solid pitching staff.

“I’m not going to pitch for no team that don’t respect me,” Pedro vowed. “I’ve won over 200 games in my career, but you’re going to call me a Mop-Up? No way, Jose!”

Martinez was seen by paparazzi cavorting with various generic white girls on Jamaica Bay this past weekend on a houseboat once owned by former New York Met Derek Bell, who sold the boat to Pedro in an attempt to make bail after a crack cocaine bust earlier this year. Sources say the choice of Jamaica Bay may have deeper meaning, as St. Jack’s GM Jack Flynn spent his formative years there building various powerhouses before leaving in 1998.

As salsa and reggaeton blasted from the speakers, Pedro spoke candidly to one intrepid reporter who swam all the way out to the boat and was hoisted aboard. “Look at this staff. Dontrelle (Willis), Chris Carpenter. Even that kid Leiter and Johnny Franco didn’t like,” Pedro added, referring to Scott Kazmir. “We’re not Mop-Ups. Kelvim Escobar, maybe he a Mop-Up. He’s no good. But the rest of us, we’re superstars and we deserve more respect.”

Mop-Ups Owner/General Manager Kevin Baumbach was stunned by Pedro’s defection. “I like the name,” Baumbach said. “It tested very well in the West Babylon/Lindenhurst markets. But we need our ace back.” However, the current 40-man roster includes 10 other starters, so there is no shortage of candidates to replace Pedro with the big club. There are six starters waiting on the Mop-Ups’ still-unnamed minor league roster that could take Pedro’s next start if necessary.

“We won’t wait forever,” Baumbach promised. “Brandon Backe will be on the next train to Suffolk if Pedro doesn’t come back soon.”

Pedro Martinez poses for pictures on Derek Bell's former houseboat in Jamaica Bay last weekend. Martinez abruptly left the Mop-Ups last week and wants the team to change its name.