Anchorage AK (AP) - Home sweet home. Some teams in the PVBL enjoy a distinct
advantage at home. Then there is the Anchorage Abomination baseball club.
Fresh on the heels of a long road trip, Anchorage returned home to face a
hot Galena Hamster club. The players and coaches alike were glad to be home,
but it didn't show on the baseball field. Anchorage got swept by the Hamsters
and dropped from first place in the division to third. They have lost seven
of their last ten games and are a pitiful 4-7 at home. "We really need to
take advantage of our home turf and win some games here. The fans aren't going
to put up with this for long." said outfielder Moises Alou.
Despite the pathetic showing on the field versus Galena, the fans came in
record numbers for the opening series versus the defending champs. For the
three dates, Anchorage averaged 36,878 people. Now if they could just put a
victory up. "We have one more series at home before we go back out on the road.This next series we definately need to win." said pitcher Billy Wagner, who
will be making his first start of the season against New Diggens tomorrow.
The series versus New Diggens marks the return of Gary Sheffield to Anchorage
for the first time since being traded in the off-season for Jeff Cirillo. It
is not yet known what kind of welcome the fans will give him. New Diggens has
struggled as well this season, but have turned it on lately, winning their last
three games. "We have to get more focused and forget about the losses we've
already had. The Frogs are a good ballclub and we have to play our best ball
to beat them." said Alou.
Notes:
- Rumor has it that Abomination manager Ted Simmons is on the hot seat already. He has not put together a winning lineup yet and has shown little ability
to control the player's off field activities. Rumored to be possible
replacements are current 'Bom outfielder Rickey Henderson, now retired
infielder Paul Molitor, and heavy metal guitarist James Hetfield.
- Anchorage players are beginning to believe that the missing mascot's feet
are a jinx on the club at home. "We can't win here without those feet.
Just look at our pathetic record." commented reserve Stan Javier. In order
to counter the supposed "curse", many players and coaches have begun forming
a cult. "We've decided to take matters into our own hands. We're not going
to let this turn into another Red Sox-type curse." said catcher Chuck Lynn,
who is heading up the "Church of What's-Happening-Now, Bigfoot?". During
homestands, Lynn plans to have sacrifices to appease whoever may have taken
the feet. "We will take turns bringing in endangered species to sacrifice
to this person before each home game. We shall overcome." said Lynn.
- Anchorage is still looking to make a deal for a starting pitcher to fill the
void left by Brett Tomko. They have Moises Alou, Mickey Tettleton, Luis
Alicea, Gary DiSarcina, Rickey Henderson, Terry Werden, #14 and #26 overall
picks in the upcoming amateur draft, as well as possibly Billy Wagner or
eddie Guardado, if the offer is right.
