BayDogs Stumble Out of Gate in Season 10

The Baltimore BayDogs are off to a slow start with a 13-21 record in the early going of Hunter League's tenth season. Hoping to build off of last seasons 80-82 record, the best in BayDogs history, the club made a number of changes over the winter. Justin Granger, was one of two free agent signings and is playing 3rd base. Last years 3rd baseman, Rich Peterson has moved to centerfield to replace veteran Ed Shelby who was traded to New Britain for hard hitting left fielder Andrew Wright. The other major change to the line-up is rookie Fernando Beltre, promoted from AAA where he was noted for his handling of the pitching staff, platooning behind the plate with James Hardy.

Offensively, the Dogs are off to a good start led by veteran first baseman Rich Peters (14 HR, 33 RBI and a .363 average) and right fielder Jack Henderson (9 HR, 26 RBI and a .321 batting average). Pitching though is another matter. The starting rotation is off to very rough start with only Roy Riley pitching to a semi-decent 4.96 ERA. No starter has more than 1 victory. The BayDogs will go nowhere in the tough NL East unless Felipe Andujar, Jose Vallarta, Don Sedlacek and Harry Guevara can get things turned around.

Most of the changes to the pitching staff are found in the bullpen where free agent Damian Wolcott is currently assuming a long relief role but may join the starting rotation sooner than planned if problems with the Big 5 continue. Rookie Gregg Murratore is excelling in the set-up role after a very successful minor league career for the BayDogs. He is joined by veterans Glenn Patterson and Ricky Spoljaric in the effort to turn the game over to 3rd year closer James Sinclair who is already 3-0 with 5 saves.

Baltimore management is hopeful that the veteran starting rotation will find its stride and begin to perform to expectations. Without a quick turn-around it could be a long season for BayDog fans.

BayDogs Finish with Best Record in 9 Year History

The Baltimore BayDogs took another step in their rebuilding program by finishing season #9 with a record of 80 wins and 82 losses. Playing at over .500 for most of the season, the BayDogs stumbled at the end but were still pleased to reach 80 victories. Though this represents the most wins of their nine year existence, the players and management know there is a lot of work remaining if they want to join the elite teams of Hunter.

Once again, the lineup was anchored by Rich Peters who had another stellar year, with 51 homers, 135 runs batted in and a very solid .286 batting average. The BayDogs exhibited some base running prowess for the first time with Rich Peterson (3b) swiping 60 bases and Jake Brock (LF) accounting for 51 more. The starting pitching, while improving, still has a way to go before the Dogs can compete with the powerhouse New York Metropolitans in the NL East. Harry Guevara, in his first season with Baltimore, led the staff with 11 wins. Former starter Glenn Patterson had a great year as the primary set-up man out of the bullpen with an 8-4 record and very respectable 2.82 ERA. James Sinclair continued to emerge as one of the league's dominant closers, with 30 saves and a 2.97 ERA.

The BayDogs are looking forward to season #10 and hope to build on the progress exhibited in season 9. Stay tuned for a look at the new BayDog season, coming soon!

Off-Season Overhaul is Working . . . . . So Far

Even though it is early in Hunter Season 9, the BayDogs are playing much better baseball. This is due at least in part to the new group of players brought on board during the off-season. Either being promoted from the minors, signed through free agency or acquired by means of a trade, the new BayDogs are enjoying a winning record and second place in their division.

New to the pitching staff are starter Harry Guevara (7-3, 3.84 ERA) acquired from Louisville and relief pitchers Vance Basile and Don Wang part of the trade with Kansas City in exchange for long-time BayDog Ted Griffin. Second year pitchers Don Sedlacek in the starting rotation and James Sinclair in the role of closer are hoping to improve on their rookie seasons. Veteran Glenn Patterson has moved from the rotation to the key role as set-up man and is enjoying a fine season.

In the field, Rich Peterson is the new 3rd baseman, Sidney Jenkins from the Dog's AAA farm team is holding down 2nd base and Marty Carson a free agent pick-up is platooning in left with Jake Brock. Gone is longtime fan favorite, hard hitting catcher Luther West, now enjoying his retirement. He has been replaced by a platoon of James Hardy (from the BayDogs farm system) and Michael Kwon, signed as free agent. A third catcher, Bruce Montgomery was promoted from AAA as a late inning defensive replacement. Veterans Rich Peters, Ed Shelby and Ivan Gonzalez return for another year. Finally, rookie Ismael Concepcion is ably filling the role of utility man.

Let's hope they can keep it up!

BayDogs Player Spotlight: Rich Peters

For six of the last seven seasons, Rich Peters has been the heart and soul of the BayDogs offense. First, as a fixture in right field, and now as a slick-fielding first baseman, Peters continues to wield a dangerous bat. He hit .303 in season 7, the second highest average of his career. Moreover, he once again put up the power numbers with 56 homers and 117 RBIs. For his career, Peters has knocked 348 balls out of the parks around the National League and driven in 897 runs. In Season 4, Rich went down with a torn ACL and missed almost the entire year. This injury robbed him of what speed he had and reduced his range in the field, necessitating his move from right field to first base. In an exclusive interview for this article, Peters stated "I am really looking forward to next season and I think some of those young guys we've been hearing about in the minors might be ready to make the jump to the Bigs. Maybe we'll finally make a run for the pennant." At 31 year old and starting the second year of a 3 year contract in season 8, BayDogs management hopes for several more years of top production from their MVP. So do BayDogs fans!!!!

BayDog Fans Suffer Through Another Losing Season

The Baltimore BayDogs once again stumbled to a last place finish in the NL Eastern Division, losing 103 games. The team signed veteran free agent starters Benji McGee and Jose Vallarta at the beginning of the season, in hopes of stablilizing a shaky rotation. However, McGee went a disappointing 4-16 with an ERA that exceeded 5 runs per game. Vallarta fared slightly better, going 11-13, but could not turn around the BayDogs starting 5. Fortunately, there were a few bright spots for the Dogs which give their faithful fans hope for the future. Perennial team MVP Rich Peters made the transition to 1st Base and put up another excellent season at the bat, hitting .303 with 56 homers and 117 RBIs. Alexander Cox avoided the sophmore jinx by playing a solid second base and hitting .284 with 82 RBIs. Finally, rookie closer Ugueth Espada was brought up from AAA when veteran Paul Brinkley went down with an injury and collected 10 saves in 19 appearances while posting an ERA of 4.15.