Richmond, VA (Onion) - A unexpected and surprising event has occurred in
Richmond during the all-star break. They started
the break in England, playing a series of
exhibition games. Their GM had made all the
arrangements but wasn't to be found when they
boarded their flight to Richmond England.
During one game, news was passed to the manager
that the GM had resigned; and that a new GM
had already been found that planned to make
drastic changes. The team was over-the hill and
past its peak. Playing in a division with Washington
and Phoenix, the Panthers would be lucky to reach
third this year. Add to that unpromising result,
the team's age would likely keep them from advancing
much beyond 3rd place.
The Richmond Panthers have started their rebuilding
program. They started the process by unloading their
oldest player on the team (the previous GM had
made a trade for similar reasons, but it wasn't
part of a rebuild effort, so the Michael Tucker
Curt Schilling deal officially falls outside the
rebuilding phase). RF Jim Eisenreich is a great
leadoff hitter, and has given the Panthers three
stright, consistently great years. Despite his
advanced age, Eisenreich never found himself on the
DL. Against the odds he also had continued to
improve each year he was on the team. Eisenriech
could conceivably play another 3 to 4 years, but is
likely to retire after this year. While the details
have not been released yet, it appears that
Eisenreich has been traded for a #1 free agent
pick. The trade came as a big shock to Eisenreich,
who thought that he was ending his career in Richmond.
He mentioned that he first learned of the trade
just after he stepped of the plane from England.
Eisenreich had given the team 65 steals, 31 homeruns,
277 runs (5th most), 565 hits (the most hits in the
DL, 114 doubles (tied for 5th most in the DL),
has committed only 3 errors, and 180 walks - tied for 3rd most in the DL.
A second player that had provided three years of
great service was the next player on the trading
block. Thirty-three year old first baseman Edgar
Martinez has currently hit 11 homeruns, has 51 rbi,
and is hitting .307. Martinez has a career .314
batting average, 114 doubles (tied for 5th most in DL),
79 career homeruns, and a .993 fielding percentage.
While he has committed 20 errors, most of them were
in the first season (1.000 so far this season,
and close to that last season). Martinez was
traded for two young prospects that haven't
really done anything yet for their team. SS Mike
Metcalfe, with his 81 speed rating and ability
to play 3 positions (LF-75), and 22 year old
LHP Bob Autry are the players traded to Richmond.
Autry has three good pitches, great arm strength,
mild endurance and no control. So far in his
career, Metcalfe has stolen 34 bases, hit 8 triples,
33 doubles, 11 homeruns (with 31 power) and has
a .363 slg in 589 AB's (and a poor batting average).
Autry has only been in 12 games, none of them this
year.
Richmond's new GM made one last trade on his
first day as Richmond's GM. Thirty-three year old
RHP Roger Clemens has been on this team a short
period of time. He was acquired in a trade with
Deadwood near the end of season 2, threw poorly
twice for Richmond and promptly went on the dl
for around 3 months (not sure as it turned out to
be the rest of the season). Before being traded,
Clemens spent 1 week on the DL, notched 5 wins, lost 7 and doubled his career number of complete games.
Career: 442 K's - 2nd most in DL (Panthers Nomo,
with 457 is first), and won 35 games, lost 23, had
a 3.08 era, 54 QS out of 76 GS and 4 complete games.
Richmond has acquired Binghamton's 1st and 2nd
free agent draft picks and RHP Wil Cunnane, who is
on the DL for 2-3 months. Cunnane is 22, has three
pitches, 61 As, 83 EN, and 99 CO. Oddly with his
great numbers, Cunane has never started. For the
season, Cunnane is 2 and 1, 4.07 era, and 1 hold.
For his career he is 5 and 9, 4.28 era, - and in 67
games has 22 saves, and 6 holds.
In summary, traded away 37 year old RF Eisenreich,
and 33 year old's 1B Martinez and RHP Clemens.
Richmond acquired 23 year old Metcalfe, 22 year old's
Autry, and Cunnane; and Washington's #1 free agent
pick, Binghamton's 1st and 2nd free agent pick.
