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Kiner to Brooklyn
Minoso to Motown in Blockbuster
by Sean Holloway
DETROIT (July 31) -- GM Sean Holloway dejectedly tried sneaking past a slew of reporters who were bombarding the former Detroit slugger, Ralph Kiner, with questions about his move to Brooklyn.  Noticing the attempted escape, several hometown journalists cornered Holloway and asked him to shed some light on the deal that sent the long-time fan favorite and run-producing machine to last year’s World Series champs.
   “I felt that the team had no choice” stated Holloway.  “It was clear that with the new league financial rules Detroit would have a hard time paying Kiner’s contract.  It’s not that he doesn’t deserve it – we just cannot afford to spend that much on one player.”  And deserve it he does, compiling a .279 average, 292 HRs, 919 RBIs, and a whopping .413 OBP and .579 slugging percentage through his 7+ years of UL service.
   Rubbing more salt in the wound is the fact that Detroit had no other takers for Kiner other than Brooklyn – its division rival that already possesses a stacked line-up.  “Yeah, it was hard to trade to Brooklyn , but I have to do what’s best for Detroit.  No other team expressed any interest in Ralph, and the Griffins are still far from being able to compete with the elite clubs of the UL.  With that in mind, I decided the best move would be one for the future in an effort to keep improving on a yearly basis."
   Whether it was for financial reasons, to improve the team in the future, or a bit of both, Detroit will be hard pressed to replace Kiner in the 4-spot.  However, a closer look at what has happened to the Griffins may shed some light on a deal that almost certainly makes Brooklyn the odds-on favorite for repeating as World Series champs.
   First, Detroit’s pitching staff was rocked with injuries.  Joey Jay, Art Ceccarelli, Cal McLish, Sandy Koufax, and Gordon Jones all went down with injuries.  Holloway was so desperate for starters one game that it was rumored he had penciled in his 18-year old stepdaughter Olga out of frustration.    Second, many of Detroit’s young stars have suffered serious talent downgrades with no end in sight.  The downgrades decimated the Griffins’ promising young bullpen, and it was clear that help was necessary.
   Despite the plague of hurt pitchers and merciless downgrades, the Griffins are still limping along a game above .500, a fact not lost on Holloway.  “We have showed some heart and tried to play through it all.  If we finish at or a few games above .500 with all we’ve been through, I’d consider that a huge success, especially considering that last year we were healthy and still 14 games under .500.”
   Adding two solid relievers in Clevenger and Delock, a shortstop prospect in Causey, and having Brooklyn ’s #1 & #3 rookie picks in the upcoming draft should help Detroit re-stock the team and make the pain of losing Kiner a bit more tolerable, and having Minoso and Dorish certainly doesn’t hurt either.  Should Detroit also ever make it through a season without losing pitchers to serious injury, the team may be able to make a small splash.  Even with Holloway’s stepdaughter Olga pitching, the Griffins are #2 in runs allowed (506), and a healthy line-up of Ramos, Jay, Podres, and Ceccarelli could do some damage.
   Additionally, Detroit’s fan base has dramatically improved, and the team has already drawn over 100,000 more fans through 113 games this year than for all 154 of 1957.  Slashing $10 million will reduce the Griffins’ payroll to a measly $33 million, with that figure falling to around $26 million once Clem “I suck money but do little else” Labine is released.  Although this reporter knows not what Holloway has in mind, when pressed on what he intends to do with the influx of cash, Holloway offered the only – albeit slight – smile of the evening and continued walking to his car, a sign that obviously the man has some plan in mind.

Bubba Sent to L.A. in Shocking Deal
Clemente Also Involved in Nine-Player Trade
by Shawn Martin
NEW YORK (July 31) – The New York Gothams yesterday obtained 23 year old Puerto Rican outfielder Roberto Clemente from the Los Angeles Outlaws in a 9 player deal, according to team sources.  Original Gotham Bubba Church was apparently sent to LA as part of the deal.  The Outlaws send Clemente, 33-year old SP Saul Rogovin, SP Erv Palica and young 19-year old pitching prospect Mike McCormick to the Gothams in exchange for the popular Church, 3B Al Rosen, C Del Rice, IF Ted Lepicio, and prospect Frank Baumann.  “We have been struggling for some financial freedom for some time,” GM Shawn Martin said through a telegraph announcement, “And this deal certainly can provide us with some cap flexibility for 1959 and beyond.”
   Bubba Church was the Gothams’ 8th Round pick in the 1951 UL Initial Draft.  One of the UL’s most consistent pitchers, Church has a career 85-77 W/L record, with a career ERA of 4.13.  He has a solid 9-9 record with a 3.38 ERA in 23 games for NY in 1958.  “It really hurts us to lose a guy like Bubba in our rotation,” Martin stated, “But his numbers just weren’t helping us climb out of the cellar.  We needed to get younger, faster, and cheaper.  This deal allows this to happen sooner than later.”  It was long rumored that Church had requested a trade to a contender, though he never said that publicly.  Church refused a direct comment on the trade, only mentioning “His undying love for the fans of New York ” as he packed his locker at Yankee Stadium.  Church will be paid $6.3M over the next 4 years, until 1961.
   Financial reasons have been cited by team sources as the number one factor in this trade, as Rogovin’s $7.8M and Palica’s $1.2M contract both come off the books for the ’59 season.  According to Total UL, the industry-leading United League publication, the Gothams could have up to $22.1M in expiring contracts for 1959, not including Jackie Robinson’s albatross $12.45M deal that could also spring loose if he ever calls it a career.  With a top three pick in the Re-entry and Rookie drafts likely, the Gothams may be positioning themselves as possible contenders in the near future.
   “And this isn’t a situation where we get nothing in return,” Martin warned. “If you haven’t noticed, Roberto isn’t exactly a bum.”  Clemente, who will turn 24 in August, has already had two solid seasons in the UL, batting .302 in 1955 and .296 in ’56.  He was injured with a serious Calf tear in July of 1957, which may have hampered his development in Los Angeles .  He only played in 73 games in ’57, and has appeared in only 14 games for the Outlaws this season.  “Our plan for Roberto will require some patience from our fans.  We hope to have him finish the month at AAA Cleveland and play every day there.  We specifically want to see if he can adapt to Leftfield,” Martin added, “He can only improve his value to us if he can utilize his natural talent in multiple circumstances.”
   The acquisition of Clemente along with possible Rookie of the Year candidate Orlando Cepeda adds an interesting Puerto Rican dynamic to the Gothams’ squad.  “We are very aware of Roberto’s contributions to the Puerto Rican population in Los Angeles , and we hope he can make similar strides in New York City ,” Martin said, “I can’t think of two nicer young men than Orlando and Roberto to lead their community here in the Big Apple.”
   According to some industry insiders, Martin made this deal after a similar deal fell apart with division rival Brooklyn.  "I can't comment on any non-finalized trades, but we always keep our doors open here at the Stadium.  The fact remains that Roberto is now a Gotham, and we look forward to years of production from him."

Random Brothers Grimm Quote of the Week:

Random Minnie Minoso Quote of the Week: