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Hartford (AP)- The Hartford Whalers ended all negotiations with the Brooklyn Flaming Skulls to acquire LF Henry Rodriguez, only days after giving up on Duluth's SS Alex Rodriguez. GM/Owner/Manager, Jeremy Chrabascz, said this of the trade negotiations of late, "Anyone with the last name 'Rodriguez' is apparently bad luck for us. I think we'll avoid trade talks involving anyone with that name or a similar one in the future *LAUGH*." In all seriousness, however, the Hartford Whalers released the following statement late Monday afternoon:
"The Hartford Whalers, upon much reflection and coaching evaluation, have decided against making any deals at this time or in the foreseable future. It has been determined, through an informal inquiry of players and coaches throughout the PVBL, that much of Hartford's woes have been directly related to a lack of overall team chemistry due to its constantly revolving roster door. The Whalers promise to make a concerted effort from here on in to be patient with everyone on their ballclub, win or lose. Although we realize that Deadwood is knocking on our door and most likely will have its share of time atop the division, we are confident that when all is said and done we will be world champions."
Off the record, Hartford's coaches commented that with team rosters expanding to 50, they were confident they could get their much needed depth off the free agent market and waiver wire. In the meantime, Hartford's has settled into a lineup it believes it will stick with awhile:
Pitching Rotation: Greg Maddux, Ben McDonald, Arthur Rhodes, Cal Eldred, John Burke
Batting Lineup vs. BOTH: CH PH SP
C Joe Girardi 62 29 56
2B Randy Velarde 58 51 51
CF Ken Griffey, Jr. 65 95 60
1B Rafael Palmiero 60 90 51
3B Scott Brosius 65 72 38
RF Mark Whiten 50 84 48
DH Tony Gwynn 79 23 43
SS Harold Reynolds 49 53 59
LF Daryl Strawberry 43 70 49
Written by Jeremy Chrabascz