It has been crazy travelling with the Grahams the past few weeks. There has been SCANDAL! LIBEL! I’m hearing thing I never heard in the Bible. But I am getting ahead of myself. My last report was before the draft was even held.
Now, the personnel around here sure have changed. Half of the original guys are still around, but that is only if you count those doing non-game related. Chris Codiroli is still working as the groundskeeper and seems to be thriving in the job. Other than that ugly incident when he ran over Babe Dahlgren, I think he’s completely mastered it. Ron Villone is assisting him. I saw him painting over the scorch marks in the bullpen the other day. Jose Molina was hired to be bullpen coach. Jim Thorpe is running the concession stand, and John D’Aquisto has opened a BBQ stand out by the bullpens. I hope he can control the heat out there better than he could in San Francisco.
Some of the guys actually made the team. Shane Spencer impressed Trolla so much with his bat, he has been able to supply one to every hitter before he hits the on deck circle. He tells me that the Skip assured him he will get in a game some day.
Frank Mancuso was so impressive in camp he made the team as backup catcher. He will need to continue to produce though, because Chris Hoiles is on the DL for some injury after he was hang gliding off the hotel roof. Details are still muddled.
Al Downing pitched well enough to make the rotation, but, given it’s performance so far, that isn’t saying much. George Puccinelli is playing pretty well in the outfield. Bert Niehoff is doing well in the utility infield role and Betancourt broke camp with the closer role.
After final cuts were made, and the team was on the way to the airport, Ernie Orsatti was discovered sleeping in an overhead luggage compartment. The coaching staff so appreciated his determination in keeping out of Trolla’s office, it was decided he could stay with the team. He still is looking for first base.
The draft was thought to have gone well, but the league’s first “incident” occurred during it. Seems Argonaut owner Jim Hepner got the date of the draft wrong and his cat fell asleep on his computer keyboard. Suddenly his team was stocked with illegal aliens of the worst kind, half breed real aliens. They reportedly reported to camp rowing across the Great Lakes in a Trireme, like galley slaves.
Graham’s GM James Earl Jones noticed this and wanted to sign some of these guys himself, just to prove he could sign real talent. Despite warnings to the contrary, he locked himself in a room with Pedro Cerrano and Jobu for three days, after which a few of these pseudo players showed up. Unfortunately, they were the weak links culled from the herd, as they have so far been as bad as the rest of the pitching staff.
Look for the second part of this narrative tomorrow. (or the next day)
