Rock'n Run Rookie

In Montreal, the Bandits are in very good position to make it to the playoff for the 3rd time in a row.  Team Manager Dave Harris said, while we might not be this year favorite, because a lot of teams are playing very good baseball, we will defend our titles with fury.  We know how to win, we have experience, and more important we hate to lose.  Montreal played good baseball lately, winning 14 games in a row, which make the manager smile and said " this sequence is good because we finally put it together, but I prefer doing this in October".

After the lost of Becker at the end of the season, we were not sure if we will still be a contender.  But the addition of Chris Collins at the beginning of the season really help us to forget about the "Horseface".  Collins posted an impressive .384 era with 25 HR and 94 RBI in 95 games in Montreal. 

However the buzz in Montreal is about the new electrifying player acquired in the trade of Bob Rudyard, a Rock'n Run Rookie named Tim "the Rock" Raines, alias Joe Guthrie.   This youngster complete his development in Montreal and went from a 2 stars players to a 4 and 1/2 stars players.   You know that every time this rookie come at the plate, you know something will happen.  This 23 years old Center fielder hits for .327 with 21 HR, 73 RBI and 37 Stolen bases, in 95 games this season.  He has blazing speed.  Twice this year, after a hit or a walk, he stole 2nd base, 3rd base and HOME PLATE.  Lifting every spectators up their seat.   Raines should be considered for the rookie of the year award. 

The Champs are still there and will fight hard to go all the way again this season.

COLLINS IN MONTREAL

Montreal GM was proud to announce the acquisition of Chris Collins from the Texas Gunners for Jordan Borlase and prospect George Soucy.  We tried to get a big hitter to replace "the horseface" Becker.  Becker will might never be replaced, but we believe that Collins will provide a big bat in the middle of the line-up.  We definitively a left-handed bat to help us.   Now let's hope we can still get our division.

GM also announce the Montreal debut of Tim "The Rock" Raines, the speedy center field should help out the Bandits to solidify their roster.  We believe he will be a fan favorite for a long long time.

THANKS HORSEFACE

This is a sad moment for Montreal fans, the RCL Silver Slugger winner, Tom "Horseface" Becker is gone.  The fans had these moments in the past, when Montreal trade Gary Carter and many others.  The big difference is that the Management didn't have a real chance in signing him.  We thanks the "Horseface" for the 2 titles, but his agent is still not welcome in Montreal.

We trade Becker to Washington, before the beginning of the Free Agent period, because he still had some values and we were done negociating with Becker agent.   In return we get the Closer of the Capitalist José Guevara, a 5 stars left-handed reliever, that the bandits needed in their bullpen (no lefted arm in the bullpen last year).

With the signature of Becker contract in Washington, 8 years at 22 Millions dollars per year, the Bandits also get 50th prospect 1B George Soucy, a future big bat in the big league.  He should replace Eric Ware at the end of his contract.

Guevara and Soucy has a greater value than the 2 picks we will have obtain as a compensation for losing Becker to free agency.  For the team, it was good.  Even thought now, our division will be a lot tougher, Rudyard in Minnesota and Becker in Washington.   We were 13-2 against Washington last season, it won't be the same next year.  But GM Patterson was the only one who really show interest in Becker, therefore we had no real choice.

RUDYARD TRADE TO MINNESOTA

It appears that Bob Rudyard didn't have time to settle to Montreal, after acquiring him from Las Vegas, Today Montreal GM, trade him to Minnesota in return they get 6th prospect CF Joe Guthrie and AAA SP Jaime Hernandez.  GM said he was sad to let Rudyard go because he was amazing in Montreal 8-0 in the season and 3-0 in the playoff.  But for the better and the future of the franchise, this is a move we have to do.  I might regret this one next year, especially because we sent him in a division rival in Minnesota.  But Minnesota had what we want and depth at the CF positon.

At 35 years old, Rudyard still had a great value, SP are so rare in this league.  With his salary and his stamina, we thought that we could let him go.   We think in the long run, Joe Guthrie will solidify our team.  We him Dan Allen and Chris Fields our outfield should be performant.  Guthrie has "All Star" potential.  Jaime Hernandez might also be helpful as a number 4 or 5 starters.  At the same time, team official have announced that they have submit an offer to Scott McGuiken acquire from FA in June, he finish 10-3 in Montreal.  So our pitching staff should be something around this

#1 Raul Perez
#2 Austin Brown
#3 Scott McGuiken
#4 Ray Clay
#5 Lou Smith

Spot - Jaime Hernandez and Ed Gillespie

With Lou Latulippe at #1 SP prospect of the Club.
 

French-Speaking LATULIPPE in Montreal

Since his eligibility to the draft, we identify the young lefty LOU "THE FRENCHIE" LATULIPPE as a acquisition priority.  We know we overpaid to acquire him.  Arteago, Cuevas and Mills will all be ABL player in the near future.  However, we felt that it was important to get this french-speaking young star.  Our fan will be pleased by his personality and his ability to exchange some words "dans la langue de Molière".  Moreover, we also think, he will be a dominant hurler.
  
By the way, his brother, CHASE "THE HABS" LATULIPPE will be entering the draft this year.  Born in Montreal, the young canadian had the choice to play hockey or baseball at a high level.  Following the increase popularity of the ABL in Montreal, and the NHL lock-out, he choose to follow his brother.  The young right-handed pitcher throw already at a young age a knuckleball, he have a good potential to develop as a future star in the ABL.   Let's see who will draft him.

BACK TO BACK TITLES

The owner, the GM and the coach were delighted last year with the first ABL title, but the message was clear, it was so much fun, that when we sat down together with a bottle of champagn, we all said that we want to repeat.
We went back to the board and start working on building "the winning team" and today we can yell out load that we succeed.  Wow what a great feeling.

What a season, 105 wins, best record in the ABL, and a wonderful run in the playoff, beating Carolina, Seattle and Eureka.

The owner congratulates the GM, "I know he asked me to open my wallet" but when I see the results now it was well worth.  The acquisition of waivers of Eric Ware, the signing of free agent McGuicken (10-3 this season, and very good in the postseason), the trade for Guerrero, Clay, and more importantly Rudyard (8-0 with Montreal, and 3-0 in postseason) and Reece (.317 in postseason).

The owner also have strong words for the manager Dave Harris.  He didn't have an easy task.  The pressure was on him all year.  When you defend your title, every teams want to beat you.  But he managed his team perfectly, bringing back the last win of the season.

Finally, the owner was extremely thankful to all the Bandits.  They played great, with heart and devotion all season. What a team.  When asked about "Horseface" Becker.  He said, you know this is his right to test the free agent market.  The only regret we have, it that we didn't have the possibility to negociate with him.  We save some money aside to sign him, but we didn't have any chance to talk.  This guy will be the highest paid players in ABL next season, no doubt.  I want to thank him for the 2 great seasons, he had in Montreal.  I wish him to win the Silver Slugger and the MVP because he deserves it.  He was great during the season (.417, 45HR) and in Post season (.383, 7HR).   With 2 rings he should be rewarded.

Now what, you have win it all twice, what is next.  The owner said we like to win in Montreal, we have important decision to take with few players.  The lost of Becker will hurt us.  But will we see what we can do to replace him.  We will see, we will try to enjoy this one, it really feels good to have the bragging rights....

PERSON NON GRATA

One man is not welcome in Montreal, and the Bandits organization, not the baseball one, but real motorcycle criminal organization is waiting for this guy with a sleeping bag and a brick.  Who is this man?  Well it is Tom Becker agent?  Although, Tom Becker is one of the greatest hitter in Baseball, although he's a happy man, although he won a Championship in Montreal in 2012, although the team is on the road for another playoff trip.  The Bandits organization doesn't have a chance to negociate with his all-star player.  When asked by a journalism about Becker status for next year, the GM said that "it is tough to do anything about this, because it's been almost 2 years we try to negociate with Becker Agent, but the guy won't even just pick up the phone, so we can talk.   It is very frustrating.  We made him ONE offer, the day after we draft him in the inaugural draft, in March 2012, since then, he keep saying that he will no longer negociate with us.  As an organization that want to defend his title, we have decided to keep him.  We will try to sign him if he want to talk with us.  The fans want us to keep this all star player in town, we have room for him on our team salary structure, but he need to show interest to us."  Without Hockey in town, Baseball and Becker is one of the biggest subject in sport news....