1995B Rocky Mountain Dews

Finally I had learned from my mistakes, and became competitive in 1995B. The team name was kind of a play on words to mock (or emulate?) Greg Nims and his 1995A champions, the Pocatello Mello Yellows (also, combined with Keith and his Xanadu Honeydews, and Jim Frank and his crappy team, we were the two dews and a don’t). The 95A season had gone by so fast that we decided to let each franchise protect 5 players, and then we drafted and went on to an 80 game season, which was the longest to date. I had made a lot of mistakes both in drafting, and in managing in the two previous seasons, and 95B showed some redemption on my part. Alas, it was not enough, as I fell just short of my first Spit Cup Finals appearance, and would have to start all over again the next year.

****LINEUP****
1. WClark 1B (.329 .431 .501)
2. BBonds LF (.312 .426 .647)
3. Griffey CF (.323 . 402 .674)
4. Mitchell DH (.326 .429 .681)
5. Williams 3B (.607 slg.)
6. Mondesi RF (.306 ba)
7. Alomar 2B (.306 .386 .452)
8. Cordero SS (.294 .363 .489)
9. Steinbach C +5 throw

OK, I’ll admit it may have been a mistake to protect Mondesi, but based on the team I fielded in 95A, I didn’t really have a lot of choices. My bench here is where I finally started to think ahead for the long run and draft a team, and manage accordingly. I had a 3-headed monster at short, with Cordero (SS-7) starting, Clayton (C-31) pinch-running, and Bordick (SS-9) coming in for late inning defense. I also had Piazza (.319 .370 .541) playing an offensive/defensive game with Steinbach at C. Puckett was a super-sub available to play all 3 OF positions. I had J-4 star Brogna (.351 ba, .636 slg) as a part-time DH, and pinch-hitter extraordinaire Chili Davis (.311 .410 .561) also on the bench. I am not sure why I drafted 3 quality DHs like that, but I’m known to make a lot of questionable moves.

****PITCHING****

My rotation consisted of Ontiveros, McDowell, ZSmith, Fassero, and Gross, who were all graded 11-14, and none of which were a memorable standout. My pen was Howe (21 Z), and Brewer, Plunk, and Ayala who were 15, 16 and 17 I think.

I jumped out to an early lead, and probably held as much as a 4-5 game lead over Keith, which he slowly wore down, and we were neck and neck throughout much of the 2nd half of the season. If I remember correctly, he had a 2-game lead with 2 to go, head-to-head, and I won both to force a tie. I know I won game 80 against him to force a tie, as I blew open a close game in the 8th by hitting like 5 homers back-to-back. Unfortunately the one game playoff wasn’t even close, and he went on to win it all. Pitching as usual was my downfall, and I also don’t think I was real aggressive on the basepaths all year. But again it was a learning situation, and I took my knocks this season, only to come back stronger the next year. And the next. And so on.....