03 January 2009

BayDogs Stumble to 70-92 Record in Season 10

Baltimore was unable to build on the season 9 80-82 season and fell back to a 70 win season 10. The pitching, which was a problem early in the season, never straightened out and was a big contributor to the disappointing season. Additionally, Rich Peters, spent some time on the DL and his potent bat was sorely missed. He did manage to hit 40 home runs and ended the season with a career total of 490 dingers and high hopes of breaking the 500 HR barrier in season 10. Andrew Wright, a perennial All-star acquired by trade, turned in a solid season with a .296 BA and 23 home runs. Also of note was James Hardy's performance at catcher. Hardy batted .314 in a little over 100 games behind the plate and had a .996 fielding average.

There was a little to celebrate in the BayDogs pitching corps. Roy Riley fell to a 5-14 record and season 9 wins leader, Harry Guevarra slipped to 5-9 with a 6.35 ERA. One of the few bright spots on the staff was Glenn Patterson's performance in the set-up role. In his second season as the primary set-up man, Patterson had a record of 6-3 with a WHIP of 1.18. And of course, closer James Sinclair led the team with 29 saves. Pitching must improve for the BayDogs to compete in the NL East. Look for Damian Wolcott to move into the rotation along with former 1st round draft pick James House who spent most of last season blowing away the AAA hitters.

Hope springs eternal among the BayDog faithful.

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