Silkpetal Hoping to Stay. Gororon on a mission.

via Slayers Press
MINAS MORGUL - Imrilron is healthy, though the team probably doesn't miss their once-feared threat. Injury has taken its toll on the veteran these last couple seasons, and he began the year on the DL after a spring injury.

The Slayers are now 18-7, playing with those stretches that make the team seem unbeatable. Aside from one bad week, the Slayers are 15-3.

All of this without Imrilron. And now he's cleared to play and the team has been winning without him. Sakura Silkpetal is especially worried as Imrilron still is said to have skills against LHP, which is where Sakura is playing right now.

"I want to stay." Silkpetal commented, excitement easily heard in her voice, "I'm loving the taste of the major leagues and I want to keep playing here."

Silkpetal has held her own, especially considering the raw nature of her talents. Her rates are .327/.411/.653 in the early going in 49 total at bats. Ironically enough, most of her damage has come against RHP where she plays as a utility player.

This could work in her favor. Stoneteeth, the right-handed portion of the left field platoon, is struggling mightily right now. He is batting just .212, and this might make it possible to send him down instead of Silkpetal in order to make room for Imrilron. Silkpetal could then take the duties at LF vs. right-handed pitching.

Of course, the team could leave Imrilron in the cold and try using an option to put him in AAA for now. Imrilron will probably not be happy, should he agree to go, but the team would not be disturbed at the major league level.

"I can't imagine K.L. doing that to him [Imrilron]. He loves the guy for what he's done for the team and his place in league history. I can't imagine not using him, especially with Stoneteeth struggling. I know he loves Silkpetal also, but I think he'd defer to the veteran to at least give him a chance considering Imrilron still scouts decently." One analyst commented.

Meanwhile, at Nurn, there is a pitcher who's just come alive since the arrival of the new pitching coach, Norman Hammerbelly. That pitcher would be the once-lauded pitching prospect, Foiran Gororon. While scouts soured on him immediately after his arrival in Minas Morgul's system, Gororon has continued to work hard and is at the peak of those projected abilities and has pushed a little past them even.

His performance is in agreement with this so far as he's 3-1 with a 0.53 ERA in 4 starts. He's been Nurn's best pitcher in the early going and has 33 innings of work in those starts, 2 complete games, and averaging 8 innings per start.

"I want to pitch in the major leagues by the all-star break. That's my goal. I want to look good enough to where the team will take a shot on me and let me compete with the big club in the second half." Gororon spoke.

While early, it's a major turn around for him. Last season, his AAA numbers were: 7-10, 3.82 ERA. If he does maintain this level of performance, the team may well have to give him a long look at some point this season.

Posted at August 3, 2007 09:27 AM | more from Minas Morgul