Minas Morgul

September 24, 2008

Mathilda's Sluggishness Investigated

via Slayer Sports Spectacular MINAS MORGUL - It seems that Mathilda the Sling has lost some of her zing. Her "potential" is as high as ever, but somewhere between Spring Training and now, her ability has dropped off significantly. "This...

September 22, 2008

Deneadur Claims 200th Victory

What would you do after you had just won your 200th game? Run around Sylvan Cove doing cartwheels, jumping for joy and waving to the crowd? Well, maybe you and I would do that, but not Denaumir Deneadur -- that's...

September 14, 2008

Dryad Riots Mar Spring Baseball

via MESNP SYLVAN TOWN, MINAS MORGUL - Breaking news out of Minas Morgul has nothing to do with baseball. Well, that's not completely true. It seems that the local "government" has passed an act banning dryads from ever joining the...

The orcs then attacked Sylvan Cove, the stadium built and designed largely by dryads, in retailiation. No damage was done to the stadium however since rocks and sticks don't really do a lot. The dryads held a rally in the stadium recently while the Slayers were on a Spring road-trip.

The protests and counter-protests (and the violence between the groups), seemed to peak and reach an uneasy stalemate, until the orcs made a bold move. They incited the trolls to action and they launched an attack on the Dryad Monument, built by the druids many years ago when the dryads first arrived. The dryads defended the monument fiercely and a small scale battle broke out. Lives were actually lost, more orcs than dryads from the early death counts, but the tide swung when the Attack Trolls showed up. Them, and the Drummer Trolls organized the hordes and pounded the Monument relentlessly.

They dryads then awakened some ents and "found" some volunteer archers (rumored to be sympathetic elves in disguise) to counter the strike. The Monument was damaged but it seemed it would stand firm after all.

Until the Mumak Riders came. The dryads had no answer for these beasts, and even the Ents struggled against them. They were enough of a distraction to let the Trolls do the damage and eventually bring the Monument down. This caused the dryads and their supporters to scatter, but reports are that they are re-grouping and plotting a counter-attack.

The Slayers' players were saddened by this and Agnes Fernia, one of the first dryads on the team, has already asked for her trade or release, citing concern for her family. So far, it seems Sakura Silkpetal, maybe the most well-known of the team's dryad members, stand firm in playing for the team.

"I'm making a statement of support to my dryad sisters in this time of crisis. I might not can join them on the front lines, but by playing for this team, I'm in civil disobedience to this stupid act and I refuse to give up my position." Silkpetal spoke, drawing cheers from nearby dryads.

The rest of the team also seems to be speaking out against the action and hope that baseball can help heal the wounds. A highly active offseason on the field just got even more chaotic after these off-field events.

More to come as events warrant...

September 12, 2008

Slayers Throw Spring No-Hitter

via Minas Morgul Sporting News MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers' season is in question, but the spring has shown one thing consistently, the team hasn't allowed many hits at all. This week, the team did one better. Celolas, considered a...

Celolas threw a one hitter in his prior start and has only one bad outing so far this spring.

The staff as a whole has allowed 76 hits in 108 1/3 innings pitched, a rate of 6.3 H/9. Only two pitchers have shown any real trouble so far. Deneadur is having a terrible spring, allowing a ton of walks and too many hits for his ability. Gandilias would be fine if he can keep the ball in the park. He's given up 7 hits, 4 of them have been homeruns. Mathilda has also had walk problems, but competitor that she is, she's prevented much damage against her.

Of course, the question is: How much of this is the new defensive focus? It could just be a coincedence, but it could also be a real factor.

Offensively, the team has been inconsistent, but it has been good enough so far. Ruano and Gandir are the two RBI leaders on the team, no surprise. Clubwalker has the OPS lead while 2nd place is a real surprise - it's Duane Elylith. Chances are, it won't last, but he seems to be comfortable in the lineup and has shown growth.

Young catcher Denihil has shown some solidity at the plate. A decent, but not great, OPS of .770 would be fine out of the rookie, especially if his defense is as advertised. Mim Marblerage has been good as well with an .897 OPS. A lot of the hitters are making their living with drawing walks, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out as the Spring goes on and into the regular season.

September 11, 2008

Slayers, Fairies Swap Players

A trade between Minas Morgul and Bucklebury was made official this morning. The Slayers have sent 26-year old left fielder Boli Stoneteeth, 29-year old reliever Elrialob Nöriand, a 1st round draft pick and a 2nd round draft pick to the...

September 06, 2008

Firbal glad to be gone

via Minas Morgul Courier MINAS MORGUL - Firbal was making all kinds of waves when the team picked up Denihil. The reason is because he lost his 1B slot to a catcher, Clubwalker. His morale immediately went into the toilet....

"Glad that's over. We don't need distractions on this team. We have young players that are trying to make a difference and their job will be hard enough." K.L. spoke.

It seems the Slayers might be fine now, after a few releases, to get under the salary cap. That makes anyone else on the trading block, especially the unlikely-to-be-cut folks, more likely to not be traded it would seem.

Overall, Firbal is about the only major piece that's gone. In return, the team brought in a nice young catcher, two potent hitters, a young infielder with a chance, and one young reliever to hopefully help the bullpen pull together. The team is lacking at least one SP and reliever, however, and that might be a problem. Especially in the middle innings if the starters can't get the game to Buxton and Smoothflower.

Still, it seems the Slayers have held it together enough to be competitive this coming season. Whether that will be enough to get them out of the basement of their division remains to be seen.

The team is having some debate over where to apply the bonus points for this season. Everything would point to a pitcher, but the best two pitchers are aging and there's not many young players worth the expense at this point. Gandillias, the youngster brought over in trade, would be the best talent, although Frodo Goodbody, the team's lone pitching prospect in their top 20, is also a good candidate for a few years of dedicated focus.

There's more options on the hitting side to be sure. Denihil and Elylith stand out as two young hitters that could be ripe for such an improvement. Focusing on either one over the years could give the team a top level hitter in the making in a couple more seasons. Dividing between them could have them develop into solid hitters (likely for average) while contributing good defense at key positions.

There's always Silkpetal and her 20 points off from her power potential. Pushing up her power would give the team another 90 Power hitter in the lineup in a park that loves homeruns. Gandir could take a few points to join Ruano at bordering 100 Power. Silkpetal could get her contact potential up to 85 and threaten to become one of the better all-around players of all time. Perhaps pushing one of Clubwalkers 80 potential ratings to 100 would be appealing. Then next season, move up the other and give him three 100 potential ratings. Plenty of options.

"I'm likely to want to go with a young player since they will be around the longest. This team, as it stands, probably has just a few years left. Then it will be up to the young players to develop. Who knows what the salary demands will be for a Clubwalker or Gandir in a couple year's time. But we know Denihil and Elylith will likely be low." K.L. spoke.

Elylith also looks to have great signability. His loyalty is above average and his greed is low, according to sources. A focused effort on him could be very, very attractive.

Next year will be the debate over the next created player. Rumors are that the team will create a non-pitcher for the first time, though no one would confirm the truth of that rumor or any other details.

September 04, 2008

the Nasty, Armormaster Swap Teams

The Minas Morgul Slayers have finalized a deal with the Erebor Eagles for the services of 32-year old first baseman Boli Armormaster and a 2nd round draft pick. In exchange, the Eagles will receive 32-year old first baseman Firbal the...

September 01, 2008

Miners-Slayers Deal: Denihil for Draft Pick

It was announced today that the Slayers and Miners came to agreement on a trade. Moria will get a 1st round draft pick and Minas Morgul will pick up 22-year old catcher Friagorn Denihil in return. "I'm not surprised by...

Slayers: Mixed Messages or Parts of a Bigger Plan?

via Morgul Investigator MINAS MORGUL - "You never know with K.L.," a dryad reporter spoke, "Things that don't seem to make sense end up coming together in the end." This seems to be the case. The Slayers picked up two...

Then rumors are that the team has picked up Denihil to add a young catcher to a sorely lacking catcher situation. Clubwalker will likely become 1B so that Denihil's killer defense can take the forefront. What will this do to Firbal?

Assuming Firbal will be gone, the team still would have a killer lineup. The Atrocious could also mature into a slugger type and middle of the order of Ruano, Fandir, Marblerage, Clubwalker is still a killer force and young Silkpetal is still around. It looks like all of this meandering has still left the lineup with weapons. Add in Elylith and Denihil as young hitters with a chance, and the lineup could return to be a feared force from top to bottom.

Even the bench could have a weapon in Boli Stoneteeth. Boli is every bit an everyday outfielder...except when your outfield is of the calibur of Minas Morgul's. As it is, he's an excellent sub/depth option.

And the defense is better. As bad as Mithrilslinger will probably be with the bat, his defense is nice. Ruano/Gandir/Silkpetal can go get it almost as well as they hit it. Elylith is a nice 2B, Marblerage will shift to 3B and be a defensive improvement over Foxburr. Denihil mans home plate with a 110 arm. Only 1B will likely be weak, and that's no weaker than Firbal currently is.

Grillo will be missed in the bullpen, but it looks like Buxton and Smoothflower will stick around, even among cap cuts. That takes care of the back end of the bullpen. Gandillias and a healthy Orehead will be asked to take care of the middle, and the top of the rotation is still as strong as any with the Mathilda/Deneadur combo. What comes after those two is anyone's guess. It will probably fall to some kid that has a chance and hope he fares better than disappointing Celolas. Moonblossom will get one last chance to save her career as 3rd starter most likely.

Where this leaves the Slayers in the division is anyone's guess. The team lost a few key pieces, but added two huge bats in the offseason and the team seems to be more all-around skilled in offense and defense, and even a little baserunning - and have some young players with hope in the system for the first time in years.

August 24, 2008

Minas Morgul Trades Darkleaf to Dagorlad for the Atrocious

The Minas Morgul Slayers announced a deal with the Disaster today, sending 34-year old starting pitcher Kashi Darkleaf to Dagorlad for 26-year old minor league first baseman Sruuurk the Atrocious. It had been talked about for the past few weeks...

August 22, 2008

Grillo Traded for Draft Picks

The rumor has been out there for a while now and today it was made official. The Minas Morgul Slayers have sent 30-year old reliever Leopoldo Grillo to the Dead Marshes Uruk-hai for a 1st round draft pick this year...

August 14, 2008

Slayers, Eagles Agree to Deal

Done deal! The Minas Morgul Slayers have agreed to send 29-year old second baseman Milo Grudgesmelter and a 2nd round draft pick to the Erebor Eagles for 22-year old second baseman Duane Elylith, 30-year old third baseman Kosil Mithrilslinger and...

August 05, 2008

Slayers intend to go all out next year

via Slayers press release MINAS MORGUL - Appearantly, K.L. isn't ready to rebuild yet. The Slayers picked up two potent hitters in a deal with Minas Tirith tonight. One is CF Gandir, just recently extended for eleventy billion gold pieces...

August 04, 2008

Titans and Slayers Agree to Swap

The Minas Tirith Titans have parted ways with 29-year old catcher Boinar Clubwalker and 27-year old center fielder Phaiar Gàndir, sending him to the Minas Morgul Slayers for 23-year old right fielder Wanai Drowthrower, 22-year old minor league catcher Tika...

July 30, 2008

Bucklebury-Minas Morgul Trade: Marblerage for $1

The Bucklebury Fairies have parted ways with 32-year old third baseman Mim Marblerage, sending him to the Minas Morgul Slayers for $1 in cash. The Fairies general manager confirmed the deal in an announcement this morning. Marblerage is currently batting...

July 03, 2008

Firbal the Nasty Pounds HR #300

300 home runs is a lot of home runs to hit. It's a number that very few players reach. Today Firbal the Nasty became a member of that exclusive club. He belted it at Sylvan Cove against the Witch Kings....

June 30, 2008

Foxburr Reaches 2000

MINAS MORGUL - It was a great day for Minto Foxburr of the Minas Morgul Slayers -- but not a perfect day. He became the latest player to reach the 2000-hit mark, but his team lost the game. The 31-year-old...

June 08, 2008

Minas Morgul Trades Chubb to Erebor for Gorion

Officials for the Minas Morgul Slayers confirmed that they have traded 33-year old shortstop Tanta Chubb to the Erebor Eagles. In return, the Slayers will receive 20-year old minor league starting pitcher Esther Gorion, 21-year old minor league reliever Splinte...

May 24, 2008

Slayers Collapse Worries GM and Fans

via Slayers Press MINAS MORGUL - Everything is going wrong for the Slayers. From constant injuries to constant ineptitude, the Slayers find themselves in a position they haven't seen in a decade: Last place. "I don't understand it. We...

May 22, 2008

300 Homers for Ruano

Minas Morgul center fielder Boris Ruano pounded a home run during the Slayers 10-2 loss to Isengard on May 15. Despite the defeat the long ball was a significant achievement and raised his career home run total to 300. "Some...

March 30, 2008

the Nasty Nabs MC Sam Gamgee Batter

The Mordor Conference Sam Gamgee Batter has been selected for 2016 and the award went to the standout Minas Morgul first baseman Firbal the Nasty. He starred this season with a .337 batting average, 205 hits, 39 home runs, 110...

February 25, 2008

Silkpetal Selected Top Player

It was an extraordinary week for Sakura Silkpetal of the Minas Morgul Slayers. First she goes on a hot hitting streak, batting .500, then she is voted the Player of the Week in the Mordor Conference. Last week Silkpetal went...

Southfarthing Wins 2016 A League Championship Series!

The season came to a crashing halt for the Lithlad Lizards when the Southfarthing Snowthorns beat them 2-0 today at Southfarthing Grounds to sweep the single-A League Championship Series 4-0. Fans in Southfarthing have already begun the celebration and officials...

February 15, 2008

Slayers Extend Key Players

via Slayers Press Release The Slayers are looking to keep their team together in their waning years. The ballclub has not nearly been as strong as in years past, a sign that the team is in decay as age creeps...

The first was Niara Smoothflower. She signed a 2-year guaranteed contract at 14 million per year and there's a team option for a 3rd year, also at 14 million in value. The 31-year old closer had a very rocky start to her career. Between season-long injuries and underachieving, her best ERA was 3.40 in her rookie year.

That changed in 2013 when the closer figured out what was wrong with her mechanics. Since then her ERA has varied by just 5 points between 2.34 and 2.39 the prior three seasons and compiled 109 saves in that span. This year, the consistency is still there. Her ERA is 2.41 and she's picked up 22 saves.

"There was some thought that she might be difficult to please, but the negotiations went very smoothly, and for that we are grateful." K.L. spoke.

Reports are that she wanted just a one year contract initially, but agreed to the potentially three year long pact. 'This team has put up with me and has stuck with me over the years and I felt I should stick it out with them and see where this goes.' --A statement from Smoothflower.

The other veteran has been great since day one of arriving in a Slayers uniform. Denaumir 'Iceball' Deneadur agreed similarly structured deal as Smoothflower: 2 guaranteed years with a 3rd at the team's option. Each of the years is worth 12 million per. The 35-year old starting pitcher impressed the franchise since arriving from Moria. That same season, he went 8-1 with the Slayers while posting a 2.17 ERA. This would be a sign of things to come as he then posted what would be his highest ERA thus far in a Slayer jersey - 2.79. He was 43-16 with a 2.35 ERA in the last 2 1/2 seasons with the team.

This year is more of the same. He is 14-5 with a 2.18 ERA.

"This was an important signing for us. He's be steady as a rock for our pitching staff and we feel he can still be a solid or better pitcher through the duration of this contract." K.L. spoke.

That duration would have him at 38 in his next free agency year. It will be interesting to see what the team does with him then if he decides to keep playing. K.L. doesn't see the uncertainty, however.

"We will retain him. He would have to play completely awful or have completely unreasonable demands for us to part ways with him. If he's playing well still - what is there to think about?" K.L. commented.

Lastly, the team signed a younger pitcher, this time Leopoldo Grillo agreed to terms with a 2-year, 4.6 million per year contract. While the price may be high for a middle reliever, Grillo could be worth it as he has been excellent for the Slayers since arriving from Carrock. Grillo is interesting in that he has no real good skill aside from his nasty movement.

"It is near impossible to hit the ball hard off him. He has the seemingly required movement ability to make the team. It's almost like you have to have a minimum score - like the SATs or something." Pitching coach Brandewyn Arostegui commented.

What this does to next year's salary cap situation is anyone's guess as arbitration looms for quite a few players. Still, K.L. seemed pleased with the signings, saying, "We've secured a big part of this team's last attempts at a run with these signings. I look forward to their continued success and crucial skills for our franchise."

February 14, 2008

Mordor Conference Hitter of the Week

Minas Morgul Slayers right fielder Boli Stoneteeth, at the top of his game all last week, was a consensus choice today for Mordor Conference Player of the Week. He victimized opposing pitchers for a .435 batting average on 10 hits...

Slayers, Veteran Deneadur Agree to Terms

Denaumir Deneadur inked a deal that will keep the seasoned veteran on the Slayers roster another 3 years. Earlier today team personnel announced that the 35-year-old had settled on a $12,000,000-per-year deal to play at Sylvan Cove. It's no secret...

Smoothflower Remains with Minas Morgul

MINAS MORGUL - At a midafternoon press conference, Minas Morgul Slayers officials flanked Niara Smoothflower and announced they had reached an extension with the 31-year-old closer. Terms include a $42,000,000 salary distributed over 3 years. In 2016 Smoothflower has recorded...

February 07, 2008

Deneadur - MC's Pitcher of the Month

There's no doubt that Slayers starter Denaumir Deneadur earned his Mordor Conference Pitcher of the Month award. He left absolutely no room for doubt as he mowed his way through the opposition in July. During the month Deneadur was 4-1...

Firbal the Nasty Selected July's Best Batter

July's outstanding offensive player in the Mordor Conference has been picked and the honor goes to the Minas Morgul first baseman Firbal the Nasty. He won the award by batting .406, hitting 8 home runs, knocking in 15 runs and...

MC's Star Player Named

Today the Mordor Conference announced the Player of the Week Award. This week's honoree is Minas Morgul second baseman Tanta Chubb. When she steps into the batter's box, it's usually bad news for pitchers. For the week she batted .400...

January 29, 2008

Slayers land Grudgesmelter

via Slayers Press Release MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers are still ahead, but the race is a three team race and the team has been inconsistent for a .600 team. The Slayers have lost 8 of 10 and have all...

January 28, 2008

Dunharrow Devils Grudgesmelter to Minas Morgul for Eärémbor

A trade between the Dunharrow Devils and the Minas Morgul Slayers was made official this morning. The Dunharrow Devils have sent 28-year old second baseman Milo Grudgesmelter and a 2nd round draft pick to the Minas Morgul Slayers in exchange...

January 09, 2008

Slayers Deal Steelshaper to Miners for Elderflower

MINAS MORGUL - The rumor has been going on for a while now, but today it was made official. The Minas Morgul Slayers sent 31-year old reliever Nark Steelshaper to the Moria Miners for 29-year old closer Elasta Elderflower. Officials...

January 07, 2008

Mordor Conference Hitter of the Week

Minas Morgul sports fans can't stop singing the praises of Boris Ruano, who has been selected the Mordor Conference Player of the Week. Ruano was in a comfort zone all week, finishing with a .545 average (6-11), 6 RBIs and...

December 20, 2007

the Nasty Awarded April's MC Top Bat Prize

The premier hitter in the Mordor Conference in April was Minas Morgul first baseman Firbal the Nasty. For his standout play, he was voted the Batter of the Month. the Nasty was selected after batting .365, hitting 9 home runs,...

November 21, 2007

Slayers announce lower ticket prices

MINAS MORGUL - Citing waning/stagnated attendance figures despite fielding an elite ball club the last few years, the team announced that the average ticket price will drop by $2 this coming season to $9. Previously, ticket prices were $11 on...

November 01, 2007

Hall of Fame Honors Isilborn Imrilron

MINAS MORGUL - What a career and what a ballplayer. Isilborn Imrilron truly was one of the best to play the game and today he was enshrined into the Tolkien Baseball Hall of Fame. "It is an honor to be...

October 22, 2007

the Nasty Picked Best Player

Firbal the Nasty would not be denied the Mordor Conference Player of the Week Award for this past week. His consistent stroke, which produced 15 hits in 24 at-bats and a .625 average, made him the clear favorite to win...

October 18, 2007

Nurn Beats Taur e-Ndaedelos in League Championship Series

The Nurn Demons concluded the season in grand fashion -- they won the SGCBL Triple A League Championship Series. They nailed it down on September 15 at Demons Stadium by whipping the Taur e-Ndaedelos Woods 4-3 to win it all...

October 11, 2007

Howlers Crowned A Champions

The Hobbiton Howlers ignited a huge celebration on September 5th, as they beat the Lithlad Lizards 7-5 to win the Single-A League Championship Series. Hobbiton won the series 4-3, capturing the title for the 1st time. "We stepped it up...

Gorgoroth Ghosts Win AA Championship Series

The Gorgoroth faithful were cheering in the streets on September 2nd, and the Eryn Lasgalen fans were crying in their beer -- The Ghosts won the League Championship Series. They clinched it by knocking off the Old Forests 2-0 to...

September 28, 2007

Gororon out for a year

MINAS MORGUL - Prospect pitcher Foiran Gororon was devastated as the team doctor opened the results of his MRI (Magical Resonating Imagery) performed immediately after the game. "I'm sorry, but I will have to keep you off the field for...

"What?! You're an awesome doc! You can do better than that, can't you?" Gororon pleaded.

"I'm sorry. The one area I am not knowledgeable in is the back...and that is where your injury is originating. The spasms are from torn back muscles. We had hoped the pain was a sign of injury elsewhere, but the MRI confirmed our fears."

Gororon stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of what he's been told. Dr. Greenthumb left the test results on a table next to Gororon's bed and quietly left the room, leaving the pitcher to his thoughts.

Gororon was on the fast track for a September call-up at the very least. He's been excellent for Nurn all season and will end up with a 10-7 record with a 3.13 ERA. He is second in Class AAA in strikeouts with 173.

"It's a sad day. He was working so hard and even started exceeding the scouts' expectations. Then this happens. We sure have been keeping our doctor busy this year, unfortunately." K.L. spoke. "If there's one person I want NOT earning his keep, it's the doc because that means we are healthy. Not this year."

September 25, 2007

Budding Dryad Analyst Reports on Slayers

Alyssa Purpleflower wants to be a baseball analyst so she asked to review the Slayers - being a dryad-friendly organization. K.L. agreed and here is the result of her work. MINAS MORGUL, Alyssa Purpleflower, Arbor Baseball Press - Current...

Heading up this bashing lineup is Minto Foxburr. He is again putting up a great OBP, over .400 so far, and has helped with some power as well. Fireflower is having the season of a lifetime and the team even got two three good months out of Silkpetal before the league caught up to her and she was demoted to AAA.

The pitching side is cruising along despite two big blows. The first is the recent injury to Moonblossom. She is working hard in rehab, but will still need several months to recover. Scouts have already questioned her stuff post recovery, but her movement is still there.

The other has been the season long slump of Darkleaf. She is usually one of the cornerstones of the staff, but it just hasn't worked out at all for her. One thing she is still doing is preventing the long ball. She's allowed just 3 HR in 143 IP. If she can pull back on the walks or the hits, she'll return to her usual self. Two pitchers that have been nothing but wonderful are Deneadur and Mathilda. Mathilda is one that's been coveted by K.L. forever and finally was able acquire her. She's not disappointed. She's 12-4 with a 2.40 ERA this year to go with her 15-5 run last season for the Slayers. Deneadur has been just as great. He's 37-14 in his Minas Morgul career and he's 13-4, 2.44 ERA this year.

The bullpen has been inconsistent, but at least Smoothflower is still doing her job. 30 saves and a 2.57 ERA will work for this team every time. Nark Steelshaper is slightly down, but still excellent with a 2.97 ERA and Scott Buxton is looking far better than he did last season.

Near Future
The Slayers might be getting close to the time where their best players are starting to fall off and the team begins it's declining period. It may not happen for a couple years, but the ages are starting to get too close to 35, which is usually not good. It will be hard to see the team winning 65% of their games once that happens, but they could still be a division winner and certainly a playoff contender.

After that, it will be up to the young players to rise up. Fireflower already looks like she's going to be dependable and Boli Stoneteeth has shown many signs of being a pesky hitter in the lineup. Then there's Silkpetal, Foxburr should still be going strong, and perhaps Chubb could still be as good as she is now.

The pitching side gets more complicated as most of the young pitchers are relievers (like Noriand, Buxton, Orehead). The rotation will probably as they are for another 3 years, but after that it will get really questionable. Nilcarion, Gororon, and Moonblossom will be key players once the current stars start to fade. The Slayers may already see this as they have recently extended Nilcarion's contract.

One thing that might be in the Slayers' favor is the payroll. It is projected to be quite low in the coming years, and that could make for some free agency acquisitions or perhaps more trades.

The tough decision K.L. will have to make is to either break it up, like Bucklebury is doing, or if he will ride the team until they just have nothing left to give and can't maintain their contending status. The first option could speed up the rebuilding process, while the second option will give the Slayers more chances at adding to this run and staying one of the better teams in the league for an even longer time.

Should the decision to break it up comes, he [K.L.] should be proud of the run his team put together. It's one of the more dominate stretches a franchise has had in this league.

Minors System
The minors system for this team is interesting. Their scouting grades don't show many really good players coming up, but yet they are dominating the minor league levels. This makes for a difficult situation to analyze because the data contradicts itself.

Three of the team's four best prospects are already playing or have played at the major league level. Gororon is the only that has not (yet) made the jump to significant major league playing time. Other than them, there is little there to really inspire confidence that they can help transition the team while still being a competitive ballclub. They just don't have the abilities according to scouts.

The performances, however, tell a different tale. Lithlad and Gorgoroth in particular are dominating their respective levels. Nurn lacks the gaudy win totals and awe-inspiring winning percentages, but has won their level's championship two years in a row.

What it may mean is that what the Slayers have in minors could represent some of what the players will look like in 5 or 6 years. That would bode well for the Slayers should that be the case. Otherwise, the team might be stuck in a state that it was before this current run they are on now. Of course, if that happens, then it means the Slayers will get access to the top prospects once again.

Overall State
Overall, the Slayers are in very good shape now. I feel the team probably has two or three more years at it's current level and then probably a couple more years of contending for the division/wild card before age and retirements creep in and spoil the mix.

Beyond that - it is hard to tell. A lot will depend on how well the great records in the Slayers farm system actually reflects the ability of the players there. If it's relatively accurate, the team might not dip too far. If it's way off, then it will be a return to the pre-2008 days.

September 24, 2007

Imrilron Ends Speculation, To Retire

MINAS MORGUL - Minas Morgul Slayers left fielder Isilborn Imrilron will retire at the end of the season, according to reports out of team headquarters. Imrilron, 39, has been considering retirement since last season sources say, though he has declined...

September 23, 2007

Big Deal: Undomiel for Bell

MORIA - The Moria Miners and Minas Morgul Slayers have finalized a huge trade involving 31-year old reliever Deallyra Undomiel for the Miners and 31-year old reliever Katie Bell for the Slayers. "Deals like this are hard to get settled,"...

September 20, 2007

Barrage of Hits Gets Fernia MC Award

Agnes Fernia demonstrated her potential to be a star in the game last week, and today she took home the Mordor Conference Player of the Week Award. The Minas Morgul shortstop wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers last week, pounding them...

September 19, 2007

Firbal the Nasty and Eärilmarion Traded

BUCKLEBURY - The Bucklebury Fairies have finalized a deal with the Minas Morgul Slayers for the services of 20-year old minor league third baseman Gomsh Eärilmarion. In exchange, the Slayers will receive 30-year old first baseman Firbal the Nasty. So...

September 17, 2007

Best Player Award Caps Great Week

Boris Ruano of the Minas Morgul Slayers had a big week with the bat and today was voted the Player of the Week by the Mordor Conference. The 30-year-old center fielder put up these award-winning numbers: .417 batting average, 5...

Slayers *Moonblossom to Miss 8 Months

MINAS MORGUL - Minas Morgul fans held their breath as Amaris *Moonblossom left the July 15 Raiders-Slayers contest with an injury. After the game, the team's medical staff said that the 16-year-old starting pitcher had suffered a torn tricep muscle...

September 08, 2007

Dunharrow Trades Bell to Minas Morgul for Green

DUNHARROW - A trade between the Dunharrow Devils and the Minas Morgul Slayers was made official this morning. The Dunharrow Devils have sent 31-year old reliever Katie Bell to the Minas Morgul Slayers in exchange for 22-year old third baseman...

September 06, 2007

Chubb Homers Herself Into Record Books

MINAS MORGUL - Tanta Chubb hit a historic home run on July 2 -- career blast number 300. "I am happy to be in such elite company. It has been quite a ride so far," Chubb said after the game....

August 21, 2007

Royals-Slayers make blockbuster deal

RIVENDELL - The trade rumors surrounding last season's Shire Conference hitter of the year, Boris Ruano, came to fruition today, as officials of the Royals and the Slayers announced a deal that will send the 3-time All-Star outfielder to Minas...

August 09, 2007

MC Announces Player of the Week

It was announced today by the Mordor Conference that Minas Morgul shortstop Agnes Fernia had received the Player of the Week Trophy for her superlative play last week. The Minas Morgul shortstop wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers, pounding them for...

August 06, 2007

MC Presents Batter of Month Trophy to Chubb

April was one the best months in Tanta Chubb's career. The Minas Morgul second baseman had her way with opposing pitchers all month while posting a .327 batting average and was selected as the Mordor Conference Batter of the Month....

August 03, 2007

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...

"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.

August 02, 2007

Great Week for Minas Morgul's Tanta Chubb

This week's Player of the Week was Tanta Chubb of the Minas Morgul Slayers. She bombarded Mordor Conference pitching for 12 hits in 30 at-bats, 3 home runs, and 11 RBIs while hitting .400 and scoring 7 runs. This season...

July 26, 2007

Mordor Conference Picks Top Player

Minas Morgul Slayers second baseman Tanta Chubb had a great time at the plate last week, running up some sensational numbers that no one else could match. Few people were surprised today when the Mordor Conference named her Player of...

July 23, 2007

Slayers: Silkpetal to Stay, Undecided on Gororon

via Slayer Press MINAS MORGUL - Spring Training is over and the team's top prospect, Sakura Silkpetal didn't get much playing time. However, the team feels like it's time to at least give her a shot at the majors. "We'll...

The other major call up, P Foiran Gororon is causing a bit of turmoil in K.L.'s mind. Gororon seemed to develop while being with the major league team even though he didn't pitch all that well. The team might try him in the bullpen just to keep him exposed to the team's pitching coach at the major league level. However, new hire AAA Pitching Coach Norman Hammerbelly, is a vast improvement and K.L. might feel confident in putting Gororon in his hands.

"I still remember what happened to him under the last 'coach' he had and I'm a bit wary of sending him back to AAA, especially after scouts noticed some improvement." K.L. spoke.

Gororon's overall movement grade has exceeded his 66 Potential according to scouts, one of many Slayers to have "overshot" their Potential ratings with their Overall ratings.

We will see come Opening Day if Gororon does indeed get to stick at the majors.

May 31, 2007

MC's Best Player Named

This week's Player of the Week was Minto Foxburr of the Minas Morgul Slayers. His big bat waylaid Mordor Conference pitching for 12 hits in 31 at-bats, 2 home runs, and 7 RBIs while hitting .387 and scoring 6 runs....

May 29, 2007

Minas Morgul Minors Sweep

MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers organization has a reason to be happy this September as their minor league teams each won their respective level's league championships. For Lithlad, the repeat as Class A champions, actually played a little "worse" than...

May 14, 2007

Slayers Closing in on Playoffs

via Slayer Press MINAS MORGUL - August seems way too early to talk about clinching playoff spots. However, it is conceivable that the Slayers can clinch the Troll Division by Sept 1st. The team's magic number is 13. So, a...

Some concerns do show up, mostly in the pitching staff. It has been down some this month, perhaps wearing down under the 4-man rotation. Of course, it could just be a down period, but at this point, K.L. has decided to try a 5th starter to see if there's a difference.

"It may be fatigue, or just a slump, or perhaps interleague play. But it costs us nothing to really take a look, and there's no reason to really use the 4-man at this point. If we can't close the deal now, we deserve to be thrown out of the league." K.L. spoke.

The Slayers are also using it as an excuse to 'clean up' the minors. RP Xiques is already rumored to be dropped, his 1.6 million coming of the books. Mulhern will probably be dropped to make room for the first of the fifth starter guinea pigs, "In the Ear" Earunduil. The team will probably start calling up some of these "out of options" players to see what they can do, and then release them if they fail at the majors. September could be a make or break month for who ever gets the call.

The offense seems to be doing alright sans Badgerpoker. They looked a little limp two weeks ago, but came alive last week, including winning a 12-9 shoot out. Imrilron might count himself lucky that he has his extension, however, as he's been sliding since May. The team doesn't expect power, but his BABIP seems weak for him, and it's impacting his OBP.

New acquisition Boli Stoneteeth has been very strong. While his level of play so far is not likely sustainable, it is a very promising sign. He has been light on the doubles given his gap power, so if he average evens out and drops, hopefully his doubles will do the same and improve.

"Overall, the team is still being a competitive bunch and looking as strong as expected. We're doing well, and hopefully we'll be able to put things together fully before the playoffs." K.L. commented.

May 04, 2007

Gamgee wins MC prize, named best hitter in July

Petunia Gamgee battered Mordor Conference pitchers all July and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award. "I've been around Tolkien Baseball long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to...

May 03, 2007

Slayers Star Traded to Devils

MINAS MORGUL - After struggling to negotiate a contract extension with Ciurk Badgerpoker, who becomes a free agent after this season, the Slayers have worked out a trade with the Devils to move him to Dunharrow. Badgerpoker, 32, came to...

April 16, 2007

Minas Morgul's Gamgee Bags MC Batting Award

The Mordor Conference Batter of the Month has been picked for June and the honor goes to the Minas Morgul Slayers hitting machine, Petunia Gamgee. She compiled a .330 batting average with 34 hits and 7 home runs, along with...

April 09, 2007

Nusin Orehead to miss 7-8 months

MINAS MORGUL - Watching Nusin Orehead getting helped off the field today at Blackfield Park, fans of the Minas Morgul Slayers feared the worst. The news wasn't quite as bad as initially feared, but the reliever will miss 7-8 months...

March 17, 2007

Slayers complete another major trade

via Slayers Press Release MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers pick up Free Agent to be Badgerpoker along with long coveted Mathilda the Sling and catcher Silverglove in return for their top hitting prospect C Faelivirin, #10 prospect P Humanwalker, 2...

Mathilda will slide in either as the team's 3rd or 4th starter - depending on what they want to do with Moonblossom. Some think the 15-year old should still be in AAA, despite her amazing stuff, while others think the majors is fine, but with the lighter workload of a reliever.

Relief pitching might not be a bad idea considering the bullpen has some weaker areas. Mathilda would be one of the best 4th starters in the league, giving a match-up advantage. Nilcarion is a bit better as a reliever, but has shown he can do well as a starter.

Silverglove replaces Minta Sandyman, the Slayers long-time catcher. Silverglove displays more power, which is right up Minas Morgul's alley. He'll be around until 2017 and then the Slayers will need to do something about their catcher spot, but it gains the team three years of stability.

The Slayers should have one of the more potent lineups in the league with two power bats being added, especially when Imrilron returns in a month.

"We're hoping this keeps us on the path of being a high-quality team in both the offensive and pitching phases of the game. Our payroll will finally drop after this season, giving us more room to persue talent in free agency as well for the first time in a while. Overall, I think this works for us, even factoring in the fact that Badgerpoker is basically a rental." K.L. spoke.

March 16, 2007

Slayers and Darkwings reach deal

RAVENHILL - The Darkwings continued their move to a younger, rebuilding team today with a mult-player swap with the Minas Morgul Slayers. In exchange for Mathilda the Sling, Ciurk Badgerpoker and Ulaf Silverglove, Ravenhill will get two 1st round draft...

March 09, 2007

Firbal the Nasty on his way to Bucklebury

MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers and Fairies announced a deal today that sends star first baseman, Firbal the Nasty, to Bucklebury in exchange for 2 youngsters and a pair of draft picks. Firbal, 29, has been a hitting star ever...

March 08, 2007

Mordor Conference Awards Isilborn Imrilron of Minas Morgul Player of the Week

MINAS MORGUL - Today the Mordor Conference announced its Player of the Week award winner: Minas Morgul Slayers left fielder Isilborn Imrilron, who batted .464 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI. He amassed a .786 slugging percentage, thanks to...

March 05, 2007

Deneadur No-Hits Uruk-hai!

MINAS MORGUL - There was magic on the mound on April 14. Denaumir Deneadur of the Minas Morgul Slayers no-hit the Dead Marshes Uruk-hai, holding them spellbound and hitless in a masterful display. After the game he said, "It was...

February 20, 2007

Minas Morgul welcomes latest franchise player

via Slayer Press Release MINAS MORGUL - After saying goodbye to Ishanna Seladriel as she enters life outside of baseball, the team brings in a fiesty little dryad named Amaris Moonblossom, 15 years old. Amaris is noticably different than the...

Amaris is also said to be quite sadistic, having spent a LOT of time at BranMorda's sadism seminars during her rookie orientation. While not confirmed, some scouts say she is, or will be, notorious for hitting batters thanks to the 'training' she received. She is also said to have a sharp tongue and won't hold back anything on her mind - another stark difference from the prior two pitchers.

On the field, she most resembles Deneadur in ability at the present time (8-1, 2.17 ERA for Minas Morgul last season) although her endurance will need a lot of work if she's to be reliable as a starting pitcher. As a reliever, she compares well with Nilcarion (5-0, 3 saves, 3.11 ERA). She does not care at all about runners on the bases, utilizing her long windup that allows her to get the velocity and movement on her pitches.

Her unusual and lengthy mechanics are prone to control problems at this stage in her career although scouts think she may make some improvement. Her windup also leaves her with awful position after her follow through, but she does react well (i.e. charges at) the ball when it's hit near her. However, that causes her to have terrible footwork and leads to fielding and throwing errors. Her infield arm is the calibur of a shortstop's and will be able to make the throw from anywhere on the infield - assuming it's actually on target.

As expected, some of her weaknesses are showing up in spring action. She's 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA. She's struck out 8 in 8 innings of work, walking 4, and allowing 9 hits.

January 29, 2007

2013 Elrond Managers of the Year

MIDDLE EARTH - Today the league announced its selections for the 2013 Elrond Manager of the Year trophy in both the Shire and Mordor Conferences. In the Shire, Wilderland's GM, Boof the Wise, took home the award after having improved...

January 12, 2007

Slayers claim 6th postseason berth, 5th division title

MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers put the clamps on their 5th consecutive division title this week, pushing the team to a franchise high 102 wins with 2 weeks left in the season. The previous high was 99 by the 2010...

Of course, the Slayers usually have a good offense. It's the pitching that can be inconsistent and cause problems, but not this year. First was the performance of Badgred the Hated who didn't let contract strife stop him from doing his thing on the field. He is still the team's leader in wins. Denaumir Deneadur, however, stepped in and filled Badgred's shoes in a big way, going 7-1 with a 2.48 ERA for the Slayers. Followed by the nearly constant Kashi Darkleaf (15-6, 2.68 ERA), the Slayers kept a strong 1-2 combination at the top of the rotation. Meanwhile, solid Denema Earora and promising Foemaker helped the back end stay strong.

The bullpen is possibly the team's biggest weakness. A lot of shifting, new faces, and different style of pitcher were tried and maybe something resembling stable has finally formed. Nark Steelshaper was one of the few constants with over 100 innings of relief work while Niara Smoothflower did well to hold on to most games that ended up in her hands.

With things sewn up, the Slayers can turn an eye to trying some AAA players safely. Nurn, which just won the AAA championship, could provide fans at the major league level with some interesting faces to see. Most notable will likely be Ishanna Seladriel's farewell tour. Ishanna was a cult favorite for her wild-yet-effective pitching style, but she lost the magic on her knuckleball and ended up falling off the major league roster. The team is likely to name a new "special" player to their roster at start of next season, the 5th since Ishanna was added to the roster.

Ishanna's brief career was eventful. She was a part of the 2010 Championship team, where she was highly effective against the mighty Marauders and that's where fans started to flock to her. She followed that up with a 15-7, 3.07 ERA effort the next year, and worked in relief in 2012, picking up 16 saves and a 2.90 ERA before everything came apart for her. Her career numbers to date: 44-24, 32 saves, 3.67 ERA, 618 1/3 IP, 447 H, 439 BB, 663 K. She won a SGCBL title in 2010 and just earned a AAA title this season.

January 11, 2007

Mordor Conference Presents Minas Morgul Shortstop Chubb Player of Week Award

The Mordor Conference has chosen Tanta Chubb of the Minas Morgul Slayers as Player of the Week. And what a week Chubb had: She hit .385, swatted 5 home runs, and drove in 16 while scoring 10 runs. A look...

January 02, 2007

Slayers GM Anxious Over Fan Support

via the Slayer Times MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers have drawn approximately 47,000 fans per night. Hardly a poor showing, but still less than teams like Mirkwood, Misty Mountain and their ilk that routinely break 50,000 fans per game. The...

December 28, 2006

Second Baseman Gamgee of the Slayers Earns MC Player of the Week Honors

The Mordor Conference today announced Petunia Gamgee as its most recent Player of the Week. The Minas Morgul second baseman was truly in a zone. She powered her way to a 1.227 slugging percentage, with 5 home runs among her...

December 25, 2006

Red-Hot the Nasty of Minas Morgul Snags Mordor Conference Player of the Week Award

Today the Mordor Conference announced its Player of the Week award winner: Minas Morgul Slayers first baseman Firbal the Nasty, who batted .409 with 3 home runs and 13 runs batted in. He amassed a .955 slugging percentage, thanks to...

December 20, 2006

Slayers making deadline waves

via Mordor Times Dispatch MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers have been busy with trading this deadline. All of the moves were largely centered around their pitching staff, especially the bullpen, and were aggressive moves that carry risk. The keystone trade...

Ironically, the Slayers get another ex-Moria pitcher in Denedaur. Denedaur, recently signed to an extension, has been struggling along with most of the Miners this season. However, K.L. liked how he looked in his ratings scores to another one of his pitchers.

"He reminds me of Kashi [Darkleaf], and look how well she's played in recent years." K.L. spoke.

Denedaur is pretty much Darkleaf with better control and slightly less movement. If he can pitch like Darkleaf, the team could conceivably not even miss Bagdred.

Also coming over is another one of K.L.'s movement fetishes in Foemaker. He's all movement with decent control. He needs defense behind him, but with Chubb/Petunia/Halflinglover up the middle, the defense is strong where it matters most. Foemaker will likely get another spot in the rotation, probably the 4th spot for now while Nilcarion will move to the bullpen.

"I like Nilcarion a lot, but I think he's struggled to getting us deeper into games, especially with our 4-man rotation strategy, he can help boost our bullpen and go from a marginal endurance starter to a durable reliever." K.L. spoke.

The Bagdred move was the big one, but not the only one by any means. The Slayers recently completed a deal with Numenor to bring over Noriand, a reliever, in return for constantly disappointing Arborna, among others. Arborna was always a bit of a problem for the team, first getting into problems with Elensar - then next was then-ace Galealbo Elvawen - and finally just constantly not measuring up to her ratings. Noriand is another in the "movement and control" line of pitcher.

Next on the list is a rumored deal between Dol Guldur and the Slayers, sending 3 rarely used major leaguers and a couple picks to the Dragons for catcher prospect Faleivirin. "We are stripping our depth, but we need a catcher prospect. He's raw still and it's a gamble, but it's a risk to take considering the 'quality' of our minor league catchers.

Lastly, the most minor trade on the Slayers' dockett is another rumored deal, this time with Weathertop. The Slayers drop Sabino Valdez, once considered a diamond in the rough by scouts, and a 6th round pick for Weathertop's 5th round pick.

"It will be interesting to see how things go with the team, especially with the Bagdred move. It looked like things were going well, but front office concerns reared their head. Hopefully, the Slayers will keep things going in the right direction." a local analyst spoke.

December 19, 2006

Bagdreg the Hated traded to Rivendell

MINAS MORGUL - Despite a season that seemed to assure him of the Gandalf Pitcher Award in the Mordor Conference after years of struggle, Bagdreg the Hated has been dealt to the Royals. In a move that shocked fans, Minas...

December 18, 2006

Slayers make deal for Numenor hurler

MINAS MORGUL - Minas Morgul and Numenor officials announced a deal today that sees Kings pitcher, Elrialob Nöriand, and a 1st round pick heading to the Slayers' camp in exchange for Sylvania Arborna, Kinar Saphirecryer, Kimar Elradriend and Minas Morgul's...

December 15, 2006

MC Player of the Week Chosen: It's Minto Foxburr of the Minas Morgul Slayers

Not every ball that came off Minto Foxburr's bat last week was a line drive or a towering shot--it just seemed that way to the teams that played the Minas Morgul Slayers. For his exploits, Foxburr was named the recipient...

December 04, 2006

Second Baseman Gamgee Packs a Mighty Punch, Takes Home MC Batter of the Month Award

Petunia Gamgee put her mark on the Mordor Conference this June by putting together some award-winning numbers. Minas Morgul's second baseman tagged 38 hits, 8 homers and drove in 23 runs on his way to the top hitter title. If...

November 27, 2006

Big Slayers-Bears Trade

MINAS MORGUL - The Minas Morgul Slayers traded 29-year old starting pitcher E. Bladeslinger, 32-year old starting pitcher H. Eartrembler, 31-year old minor league third baseman G. Chiselsnapper, 28-year old minor league first baseman P. Elfhand, a 1st round draft...

November 20, 2006

Minas Morgul Slayers First Baseman Firbal the Nasty Dominates MC Pitching, Named Latest Player of Week

The Minas Morgul Slayers received word today that first baseman Firbal the Nasty was selected Mordor Conference Player of the Week for his stellar performance in last week's games ending Sunday. the Nasty took full advantage of his plate appearances,...

Minas Morgul Slayers Starter the Hated Picked Mordor Conference Pitcher of the Month

Bagdreg the Hated has a new piece of hardware to show his family after the Mordor Conference presented him with the Pitcher of the Month Award earlier today. Minas Morgul Slayers fans owe a lot to the Hated. In May...

Firbal the Nasty of the Slayers Ravages MC Hurlers, Wins Batter of the Month

In May Firbal the Nasty beat the baseball like a drum the entire month and netted the Batter of the Month award. In 27 games the Minas Morgul first baseman scorched Mordor Conference pitchers for a .370 BA with 40...

November 16, 2006

Petunia Gamgee of the Minas Morgul Slayers Grabs Mordor Conference Player of Week Award

Petunia Gamgee went on a hitting tear last week against Mordor Conference pitchers and collected the Player of the Week award as an acknowledgment of her dominance. The Minas Morgul Slayers second baseman swatted 12 hits in 23 at-bats with...

November 06, 2006

Mordor Conference Pitcher of the Month Awarded for April: the Hated of Minas Morgul Honored

The Minas Morgul Slayers were very happy to see Bagdreg the Hated take the hill last month as he went 5-1 with a 1.58 ERA to win the Mordor Conference Pitcher of the Month award for April....

Isilborn Imrilron of the Slayers Ravages MC Hurlers, Wins Batter of the Month

Though his face is weathered and his hands are calloused, Isilborn Imrilron can still get it done at the Tolkien Baseball level. In fact, the 37-year-old left fielder for Minas Morgul was named the MC Batter of the Month today,...

October 30, 2006

Slayers Bladeslinger Delivers a No-Hitter

DUNHARROW - Estagrel Bladeslinger made quick work of the Dunharrow Devils on April 21. The 29-year-old hurler tossed a no-hitter, fanning 3 batters in 9 innings. "I really didn't have my best stuff today," he admitted after the game, "there's...

Minas Morgul Left Fielder Isilborn Imrilron Snaps up MC Player of the Week Honors

Callers to the Minas Morgul sports talk radio station can't stop singing the praises of Isilborn Imrilron, who has been selected MC Player of the Week. Imrilron was in a comfort zone, finishing with a .480 average, 8 runs batted...

October 26, 2006

Imrilron reaches 500 HR milestone

MINAS MORGUL - Legendary slugger, Isilborn Imrilron, swatted his 499th and 500th career homers in a game against the Grey Havens Stars on April 14. Before a packed house of 49,000 Slayer fans, "Cheese Crusher" sent a "Foghorn" Shegorn pitch...

October 23, 2006

Bagdreg the Hated Hurls No-No Against Isengard

ISENGARD - Bagdreg the Hated of the Minas Morgul Slayers was certainly the King of the Hill on Opening Day in the SGCBL. He really did a number on the Isengard Raiders, and that number was zero--how many hits he...

October 14, 2006

Slayers look to young talent in draft

via Slayer Press MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers have always been high on young prospects, but they went about a far down the age ladder as you can go for their 3rd overall draft pick via Rivendell. "Garin Tunnelly" is...

September 19, 2006

Slayers-Royals Trade

RIVENDELL - Wasting no time at rebuilding the Royals, new GM Elrohir has struck a deal with the Slayers to bring Relin "The Rock" Rockmaster to Rivendell. The Royals traded their 1st round draft pick and a promising minor leaguer...

September 17, 2006

2012 Aragorn MVP

MIDDLE EARTH - The winners of the 2012 Aragorn Most Valuable Player awards for the Shire and Mordor Conferences have been determined by ballot of the owners. In the Mordor Conference, Minas Morgul's Firbal the Nasty becomes the heir apparent...

September 14, 2006

Squishmasher and the Nasty win Sam Gamgee Batter

A season for the ages earned Rivendell's third baseman Loopy *Squishmasher the Shire Conference Sam Gamgee Batter this year. *Squishmasher has hit 20 longballs this year while batting .337. He adds 38 doubles, along with 85 runs scored. He's 3rd...

September 12, 2006

Dagorlad wins 1st Mordor Title

MINAS MORGUL - For the first time since 2004, the Dagorlad Disaster appeared in the Mordor Two Towers conference finals. And for the first time ever, they were able to declare victory, defeating the defending Mordor champs, Minas Morgul, in...

September 11, 2006

Slayers take series in 7 games

ROHAN - After going 0-3 against the Slayers in the series, Rohan brought it back to their home field for a Game 7 showdown in the Fellowship Series. Game 1 saw Kashi Darkleaf and Andrack Antslammer hook up in a...

September 08, 2006

Disaster-Slayers meet in tie-breaker for Troll Division

DAGORLAD - After leading comfortably for most of the season, an amazing 14-game winning streak by Minas Morgul and a lackluster showing during the final week by Dagorlad left the Troll Division (and the Mordor Wild Card) in a...

Slayers win 14 straight and the division

via Slayer News Press Daily MINAS MORGUL - This season in Minas Morgul was another season filled with internal drama, turmoil, and threats to totally strip the team and start over. In fact, a couple icons had been dealt,...

"It was time to get going. We had just come off a great week, and still were in trouble. I wanted them to know that we haven't done anything yet, and we had a lot of work to do." Earora spoke.

The Slayers did have a lot of work to do, but started off in fine fashion, sweeping Dagorlad to put themselves in the thick of both the race for the Wild Card and Division. Still trailing both, the Slayers had to keep playing well.

Next, the Slayers were set to face Isengard. Dagorlad got to play Dol Guldur - a match up that would seem to see both teams win the majority of these games. Instead, Dagorlad stumbled, but Minas Morgul had to win to make it worth anything. As it turned out, the Slayers would take the first three from Isengard, closing down the lead to 1 game with the final game of the season looming.

The Slayers got a great performance from Kashi Darkleaf, leading the way in a clear 8-1 win. Dagorlad lost a wild, high-scoring game whose score looked more like a football score, ending at 14-10 for Dol Guldur. Ironic, because the Diaster were 14-2 against the Dragons before this week, yet went 2-2 at this crucial time. This deadlocked the Slayers and Diaster after 162 games. In the process, the Slayers had won 13 in a row and Misty Mountain had trouble with pesky Grey Havens to allow the Slayers to secure at least the Wild Card.

That would seem to take the steam out of any sense of urgency in the playoff game. Not so claims the player set to start the game, Badgred the Hated.

"There was no let down after hearing we clinched a playoff berth. We wanted to defend our division title and anything less would be somewhat of a disappointment. Taking the ball for the playoff game, I was hyped for the game." Badgred commented.

Badgred pitched on sheer will, pushing through a complete game using 122 pitches despite being less than 100%, and allowed just one run to give the Slayers the win.

It is said that big players step up when needed, and new acquisition Badgred certainly shook off any adjustment pains he had in September. He took the ball 8 times, going 5-1 with a 1.53 ERA. Despite being in a 4-man rotation, 3 of his last 4 starts went 8 or more innings.

Hagush Eartrembler also stepped up. Considered to be excelent in the clutch, Eartrembler went 3-0 with a sub-2.00 ERA after being placed in the rotation in hopes of giving the team a spark.

Relievers Steelshaper and Xiques also were excellent in September. Steelshaper won 13 games on the season, responding to the career high workload K.L. place upon his most proven and consistent reliever.

A couple more trade acquisitions put the team on their back this September. In fact, they were involved in the same transaction. Petunia Gamgee finally lived up to her skills, putting up a 1.070 OPS in September. Relin Rockmaster, a severe disappointment for much of the season, woke up in September with a .500 OBP and crushing 8 HR. Both of those performances pale to Firbal the Nasty's however. Perhaps the team's "new Imrilron" Firbal put up his first 40/40 season of his young career. He picked up much of Imrilron's slack with 11 HR, 29 RBI, and 28 Runs scored. A lot of career highs for him as well: 3B, HR, RBI, R, K (career low), AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS.

While the team celebrates a wonderful rally to victory, another large challenge stands in the way of the Slayers making their third straight appearance in the RotK Series. The next opponant is the with the best record in the Mordor Conference, the Rohan Riders.

"Rohan will be tough as always. They present a balanced, consistent roster and that's always a challenge. Hopefully this run to the playoffs didn't sap all our energy, because we'll need to dig deep and keep this thing going." K.L. commented.

Fourteen wins in a row, but the Slayers are looking for twelve more. The twelve that would net them another claim to the title of World Champions.

September 07, 2006

Hagush Eartrembler fires 2-hitter against Dagorlad

MINAS MORGUL - Hagush Eartrembler had some fun again on September 25. Dagorlad hitters did not. Minas Morgul's right-hander gave up just 2 hits in his 2nd shutout of the season. He now has 4 career shutouts in 82 games...

August 31, 2006

Player of the Week honors go to Faromli and the Nasty

The Shire Conference's best player of the week was Mirkwood's Galaigast Faromli, who wins the award for the 4th time in his career. Galaigast went 12 for 25 (.480), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 11 RBI. He got at...

August 25, 2006

Slayers go into September hopeful

MINAS MORGUL - September dawns across the league and the frantic race to get into the postseason reaches it's highest peak at this point of the season. Despite playing poorly for the last 2 or 3 months, the team...

Among those possible is Keran Grudgesplitter, a relief pitcher formerly of Grey Havens. He's possible because he needs 10 more games to reach the 700 games milestone. As mean as K.L. can be to his players, he does like to see them achieve things like this and that makes Grudgesplitter a candidate for a call up.

Oaknar Steelbark, one of the few Ents in the league, could be rewarded for his 20-4, 2.70 ERA season for Nurn. Maurin Gallegos could get a chance as well. He's been closing for Nurn, and posted 27 saves. He's got some room to grow so the team may give him so chances at the majors to see how he responds.

Warren Holton is almost assured of a spot on the expanded roster. He performed very well and has good looking skills so far. Gudish Earthcrawler has excellent command of his pitches, but there's some major question marks around his ability to get outs and prevent the extra base hit. One advantage to Earthcrawler is that he's a good hitting pitcher.

Not much expected to happen on the hitters side, although sluggers Dean Shute and Gormaichel Darkelf could get the call. Shute has played for the team before in 2010 and was decent. His versatility makes him interesting as well. Darkelf is an extra-base hit machine when he's on - able to strike doubles as well as homeruns. He also played on the 2010 team, and put up an .812 OPS - not bad - although his next season wasn't very good.

August 10, 2006

Red hot Badgerdicer and Chubb win Batter of the Month award for July

The Shire Conference's best player of the month was Bucklebury's Buugush Badgerdicer, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Buugush pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .327 with 9 and 25 RBI while slugging .615. Badgerdicer has hit...

August 06, 2006

Big Minas Morgul-Moria Trade

MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers and Miners announced a major deal that shakes up the Mordor Conference wild card leaders and, Moria officials hope, give the Khazad-dum squad a boost. Minas Morgul sends three pitchers to Moria--Quinn Ladygrass, Galealbo Elvàwen,...

August 03, 2006

Spinner (BYW) and Chubb (MIN) win P.O.W. award

It's the 1st time that the Shire Conference Player of the Week award goes to Bywater's pitcher Bugrin Spinner. Bugrin went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.00, while fanning 16 in 15 innings of work. He hurled a shutout as...

July 16, 2006

Bree's Fyrith wins Player of the Week award

Gollilmer Fyrith from Bree wins his 3rd Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the Shire Conference. In 20 at bats he hit .500 with 3 HR and 7 RBI. This year Fyrith...

Minas Morgul's Minto Foxburr pounds five hits

WEATHERTOP - Minto Foxburr saw the ball really well, leading Minas Morgul to a 10-1 win over Weathertop on June 12. His five hits thrilled his teammates and coaches, and Minto seemed happy as well after the game. In the...

July 03, 2006

Mirkwood's *Catsquisher wins Player of the Week award

It's the 3rd time that the Shire Conference Player of the Week award goes to Mirkwood's third baseman Mohair *Catsquisher. Mohair was on fire, hitting .538 with 0 HR and 4 RBI. *Catsquisher has walked 13 times this year and...

June 29, 2006

Minas Morgul News and Notes

via the Minas Morgul Times Daily MINAS MORGUL - The team has pretty much decided to send Seladriel to AAA. Her knuckleball has definitely lost something as evidenced by her giving up 5 HR already, compared with 6 all...

Coming up in her place might be the third member of the return from the Ala'Niel trade. SP Snowlegs is 7-1 in Nurn and his skills look solid. He will probably get a slot while Darkleaf gets sent back to the bullpen where she will be better utilized. Galealbo Elvawen will probably avoid the AAA fate, for now, as the team thinks her problem is BABIP allowed (which is at an absurd .390) and that usually points to defense.

A shake-up in the field is likely to occur. Halflinglover might get the oppertunity he hoped for as it's likely he'll be starting in the OF. Foxburr is pretty much going to be displaced back to 3B, which moves Gamgee to SS. Fernia will return to her utility type duties for now.

3B is a wash with this move. Gamgee is hardly good there, and Foxburr is known for his problems in the field in general. SS is a wash as Gamgee and Fernia are similiar defensively. So the improvement comes from putting Imrilron back in LF. But what of Marquis Smith? Does he get pushed aside to RF?

Another question is will this matter to Elvawen? She's a groundball type pitcher. It might be better, defensively, to put Glothien at 3B, but Foxburr on the bench won't likely fly, so he'll have to sub.

Overall, the pitching wasn't too bad. They improved their rank to 8th in the league, up from 11th last week. Many of the performances were decent, giving up 3 or 4 runs, something the offense should figure to be able to handle (though sometimes it's questionable for some reason). Imrilron is still carrying the bulk of the load, but the team as a whole is still 1st in offense, doing it with walks (2nd in the league) and power (1st in HR, team Slugging, and team OPS), as planned in the offseason. This despite a moderate 9th overall ranking in batting average.

June 26, 2006

April Batter of the Month award winners announced

The Shire Conference's best player of the month was Rivendell's Loopy *Squishmasher, who wins the award for the 5th time in his career. Loopy went 43 for 100 (.430), while hitting 4 HR and collecting 24 RBI. The Batter of...

June 15, 2006

Mirkwood's Calafalas wins Player of the Week award

The Shire Conference's best player of the week was Mirkwood's Idril Calafalas, who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. Idril went 14 for 23 (.609), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 9 RBI. While compiling an...

June 09, 2006

Slayers set lineups

The Slayers are set for the majors and have released their projected lineups: Relin Rockmaster, Age 28, 3B Minto Foxburr, Age 26, LF Isilborn Imrilron, Age 35, RF Firbal the Nasty, Age 26, 1B Tanta Chubb, Age 28, 2B Petunia...

While the OBP emphasis has been the big story in Minas Morgul and the added speed of Rockmaster gets a lot of notice, the team actually infused more power as a side effect. Gamgee and Rockmaster give the team two more power hitting infielders, especially in Gamgee - who looks a lot like Tanta Chubb.

Starters:
Galealbo Elvàwen
Ishanna *Seladriel
Kashi Darkleaf
Deneama Eärórà
Quinn Ladygrass

Relievers: (+ denotes closer)
Nark Steelshaper+
Niara Smoothflower
Hagush Eartrembler
Gemina Velenda
Vrsidush Stonejuggler
Sylvania Arborna

The starting rotation was fine last season and should be as capable this season. Denema Earora has found her rhythm on the mound while the team will look for Elvawen and Seladriel to continue leading the rotation. Quinn Ladygrass will get the first shot at the 5th starter spot although if she struggles, Eartrembler or Arborna will be there to try for the spot. The rotation tends to do their damage by limiting hits allowed, and this year's staff should be no different.

The bullpen was inconsistent last season, and it hurt the team in the win-loss column. The team won only 88 games last season, largely because of the bullpen, but they did well enough to still guide the team back to the Return of the King Series.

Still, the talent is there for this group to truely lockdown leads and shut down struggling outings from starters. Steelshaper has all the skills of a shutdown closer while he's supported by a case of well-rounded and courageous pitchers. A weakness in the bullpen has been the lack of true strikeout stuff. They do hold down walks better than the starters, though.

The pitching staff as a whole is relatively young, largely of the same age as the starting lineup. The difference is that the pitchers tend to be more inexperienced, either from injury (Smoothflower), finally getting a chance (Ladygrass) or just lack of oppertunity (pretty much everyone aside from Stonejuggler).

Overall, the Slayers should be contending all season again this year. The team played better down the stretch and in the playoffs last season, more like they should have played during the regular season, but will need better consistency to really make things easier on them.

June 01, 2006

2011 Aragorn MVP

MIDDLE EARTH - The winners of the 2011 Aragorn Most Valuable Player awards for the Shire and Mordor Conferences have been determined by ballot of the owners. In the Mordor Conference, it was another easy victory for Minas Morgul's Isilborn...

May 19, 2006

Gamwich (MIR) and Imrilron (MIN) win Sam Gamgee Batter

Mirkwood's leftfielder Minto Gamwich will never forget this day. A great season convinced the voters that he is the worthy Shire Conference Sam Gamgee Batter winner. This year Gamwich drove in 113 and scored 110 runs while batting .273 with...

May 18, 2006

Mirkwood wins 4th League Title

MINAS MORGUL - The Mirkwood Marauders won the Return of the King Series for the first time since their "three-peat" between 2005 and 2007, and they did it in grand style, sweeping the defending champion, Minas Morgul, in 4 games....

May 15, 2006

Slayers Continue Title Defense

The Slayers entered the playoffs as the worst playoff team in the league, by record. Their 88 wins were the fewest of any playoff team and for much of the season, it looked like they wouldn't even reach that...

"We didn't want to just give it away. I was confident that our bats would work and that our pitching would find a way to get it done. I knew it would be hard, but possible." K.L. spoke.

The Slayers did just that. They pitched well, especially in games two and four, and the offense took care of the rest.

Seladriel's fame grew a bit more in Minas Morgul with her 2-hit shutout in game 2 of the series to get the Slayers out of Rohan with two big wins. Already becoming a hands-down fan favorite, this performance just got the dryad fans in a frenzy as the team headed home in hopes of closing the series.

Staff ace Galealbo Elvawen didn't do particularly well, but did enough to leave with the lead after 8 tough innings. Steelshaper took care of a shaky 9th to maintain the win. Darkleaf was pounded, but Denema Earora responded with a solid outing and the series was closed on a bullpen effort after Elvawen couldn't get through the game in her second time out.

"The fans were going crazy!" Tanta Chubb spoke, "They were just getting more and more into the games with each inning. Even in the loss, it seemed like they were just willing us onward."

This trip through the playoffs holds a bit more meaning for Niara Smoothflower as she's been beset by injuries and poor play since her rookie season.

"I feel blessed to be here and am glad for the oppertunity. I hope I don't let my team or the fans down, especially the fellow dryad fans." Niara spoke humbly.

Any mention of offense has to start with MVP candidate Imrilron, but, while he had 2 HR in the series, it was Minta Sandyman of all people who did the bulk of the damage. After a terrible season, she put up 10 RBI in the series to, by far, lead the team in that category. Picked up during the season via trade, Firbal the Nasty still didn't show his HR power, but picked up 6 RBI. Marquis Smith and Minto Foxburr each scored 6 times to lead the team.

On the pitching side, Seladriel and Earora combined for 2 wins, 16 IP, and just 4 hits allowed. Beardcutter allowed 1 run on 3 1/3 IP and the rest of the bullpen pulled together to help Steelshaper pick up 2 saves and Smoothflower to claim the clinching win in game 5.

In fact, it was a lot of playoff firsts for Smoothflower. She picked up her first postseason win in her first postseason appearance. She also picked up her first postseason at-bat, with which she got her first postseason hit, extra base hit (a double), and ended up scoring her first run.

Next on the Slayers' plate is Lothlorien. Lorien pitchers simply shut down the Uruk-Hai, allowing 1 run in 4 games. The Lorien bats didn't do much, but they didn't have to. The Slayers will have their work cut out for them in trying to solve such a hot and talented pitching staff.

"If we do what we are capable, we can take them." Isilborn Imrilron spoke to the hitters in the locker room, "We did it last season, and we can do it again. We just need to take care of our business and the rest will fall into place."

May 11, 2006

Minas Morgul's Imrilron named Batter of the Month

Bree's designated hitter Gollilmer Fyrith had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the Shire Conference Batter of the Month. He had an on base percentage of .432 and hit .340, while driving in 26 runs. Fyrith has...

May 09, 2006

Slayers eager for postseason

MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers completed step one of their title defense, return to the playoffs. "Obviously, the most important step is to return to the tournament and we barely achieved that." K.L. spoke, "Fortunately, we were able to...

May 08, 2006

Mirkwood, Minas Morgul win division titles

The Mirkwood Marauders won the Shire Elf Division for the 4th year in a row, and they will be going to the playoffs for the 6th consecutive season. The Marauders usually dominate with excellent pitching, but this season they are...

Minas Morgul's Imrilron wins Player of the Week award

The Shire Conference Player of the Week award goes to Minto Gamwich, Mirkwood's starting leftfielder. He hit .375 with 10 RBI and slugged .969 in 32 at bats. The Mordor Conference's best player of the week was Minas Morgul's Isilborn...

May 04, 2006

Fyrith (BRE) and Imrilron (MIN) win P.O.W. award

The Player of the Week award in the Shire Conference goes to Bree's Gollilmer Fyrith this time, as the designated hitter displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Gollilmer pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .500 with 4 HR and 6...

May 03, 2006

Slayers' minors perform well again

MINAS MORGUL - Nurn took the cake for most of the season, posting those gaudy winning percentages and expanded their own Minor Leagues wins record to 106 wins. Although Lithlad came on very strong at the end. It is...

April 24, 2006

Player of the Week honors go to Cheeseslicer and Imrilron

The Shire Conference's best player of the week was Old Forest's Sjors Cheeseslicer, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Sjors went 2-0 with an ERA of 1.59, while fanning 16 in 17 innings of work....

March 09, 2006

Pulley (BYW) and Imrilron (MIN) win P.O.W. award

Bywater's first baseman Lester Pulley had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the Shire Conference Player of the Week. Lester was on fire, hitting .345 with 6 HR and 12 RBI. The Player of the Week award...

Minas Tirith's Bloodspear earns Batter of the Month award

The Shire Conference's best player of the month was Minas Tirith's Balin Bloodspear, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. He had an on base percentage of .410 and hit .378, while driving in 16 runs....

March 06, 2006

Moria's *the Shriek wins Player of the Week award

The Shire Conference Player of the Week award goes to Morag *the Shriek, Moria's starting third baseman. *the Shriek helped his team with an average of .440 and 11 RBI in 25 at bats. His season numbers are: .274 AVG,...

Gwogast Gorund stars with cycle against Dagorlad

MINAS MORGUL - Gwogast Gorund is a pretty good hitter, but his 4 hit performance on May 29 seemed to surprise even himself considering that the hits added up to the cycle, one of the most difficult things to accomplish...

March 02, 2006

Minas Morgul's Chubb wins Player of the Week award

The Shire Conference's best player of the week was Bywater's Lester Pulley, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Lester went 12 for 28 (.429), while hitting 2 HR and collecting 10 RBI. This year Pulley...

Slayers land Firbal

The Slayers swung another big trade today with the acquisition of Firbal the Nasty from Wilderland. The Slayers parted with a young, good-looking prospect in Terra Treegirl as well as well-rounded reliever in Piarg Halflingslobberer. The Slayers will also...

"The Nasty" will be the starting 1B. The question is who will fill the other spot in the roster. Some think the team will bring up Driderwalker for depth at 1B, although Vogel will likely get some looks as well for his sheer versitility. Less likely, though possible, is a pitcher being called up. Quinn Ladygrass is ready for major league action and now there is a roster spot for her. Fosco Sandybank and Gemina Velenda are also patiently awaiting their next chance.

Some wonder why the team would be worried about the offense. Imrilron is supposedly declining (at least according to scouts - who dropped him again last week), and is getting up in age. Perhaps the team is looking for his successor. That said, the offense has been wildly inconsistant thus far, and part of that may be the lack of ability to manufacture runs. Firbal could help with that as his singles could be followed up with a stolen base, or advancing to third on another single.

Placement in the order is another topic for discussion. Batting him somewhere around Imrilron and Chubb would be the traditional case, but leadoff is another option. Foxburr is the current leadoff hitter, but has hit lower in the Slayer order before.

Regardless, the Slayers pick up a young hitter that has the makings of being someone special as he enters his prime years. Chances are, where to bat him is a problem K.L. doesn't mind having.

March 01, 2006

Wargs Trade Firbal the Nasty

WILDERLAND - Star first baseman, Firbal the Nasty, was dealt to the Minas Morgul today in a 3-for-1 swap that brings slugger, Gandaugrin Gamaiborn, and pitchers, Prarg Halflingslobbr and Terra Treegirl to the Wargs. Firbal, 26, has been a rising...

February 25, 2006

Beardcutter wants out?

via Alynda Sylvane Minas Morgul Times MINAS MORGUL - Appearantly, Fabur Beardcutter has been feeling less than wanted in Minas Morgul lately. Not so much by his teammates or even from K.L., but instead from the fan base. In particular,...

"I mean, "Fabur continued, "no one got on Imrilron and his huge salary when Foxburr got mentioned in the same breath as him for MVP. Or jumped on him when he hit just 42 HR, his lowest ever total - in a homerun haven."

"We may be 'stupid little dryads', but we know that Imrilron is perhaps the best player ever in this league and definitely one of the best hitters - and that you're nothing like him." One dryad lashed back, "You're not even the pitcher version of him. You make Imrilron's level of money, and don't give Imrilron's level of dominance!"

A lot of this stems from the fact that Beardcutter has won no more than 15 games in his career. In fact, last season he was just 12-11, barely over .500. This combined with the fact that Elvawen has won 15 games four times in her prior six years, reached 20 wins last year, and makes less than $7 million per year has gotten the dryad portion of the fanbase in a frenzy.

"It's ridiculous. I'm just as good as any pitcher in this league and I'm on their team. You'd think they'd be happy to have me on their mound instead of for the opposition, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It's [expletive] annoying." Beardcutter continued.

Despite the lack of wins, Beardcutter has appeared on the leaderboards for WHIP and Ks in every year of his career and in all but last year and his rookie year for ERA. Still, it's hard for most dryads to grasp the wins and his salary and the relation between the two. It doesn't help that Galealbo Elvawen, their current favorite player to compare him to, has several categories of leaderboard appearances in just six full seasons.

In response to his "what do they want from me?" blurb, the dryads held a region-wide survey. The question was: What do you want from Fabur Beardcutter.

The top answers by demographic are listed:

Dryads
1. Win more than 20 games (48%)
2. Sign for less money (36%)
3. Leave (12%)
4. Marry me (4%)

Elves and Men
1. Nothing, you're doing fine (55%)
2. Win more games (30%)
3. Teach Seladriel to throw strikes (10%)
4. Become the closer (5%)

Dwarves
1. Name of a good local tavern (83%)
2. Win more games (13%)

Ents
1. Entwives (93%)
2. What was the question? I was sleeping... (7%)

Ogres, Trolls, and Goblins
1. Duh, more games win (63%)
2. Less talk. More pitch. (20%)
3. Shiny things (12%)

The survey didn't exactly turn out quite like the dryads had hoped, at least not with how some of the races responded. Still, it did show the most any of the various peoples of the region want more wins out of Fabur, though the Elves and Men were by far the most satisfied with Fabur's play.

K.L. is hoping that the frustration among his team's newest and fastest growing fan base will pass.

"I think it's just a phase. They [the dryads] have been flocking to the games and the sport in general, but don't quite get how to read the stats and such, but they understand gold and wins, and how much of each you're getting. I think that's why they are so focused on that. I think it will go over with time. Fabur has been fine for us and the salary isn't much of a thought at this point." K.L. spoke. "Hopefully, the support of his teammates and the front office will help him get through this.

Fabur can help himself through this by just keeping as quiet as he can about the rantings of the dryads. Certainly, dragging Imrilron, who's essentially revered in Minas Morgul, won't help people understand his feelings any better.

February 23, 2006

Isilborn Imrilron blisters three bombs

MINAS MORGUL - Hitting a homerun is fine, but hitting three of them in one game is something special. Minas Morgul's leftfielder Isilborn Imrilron accomplished that feat in a 12-2 win over Dol Guldur on May 5. His 1st shot,...

February 20, 2006

Firbal the Nasty (WIL) and Imrilron (MIN) win monthly award

The Batter of the Month award in the Shire Conference goes to Wilderland's Firbal the Nasty this time, as the first baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. the Nasty helped his team with an average of .390...

February 09, 2006

Bucklebury's Eärämbor wins Player of the Week award

The Player of the Week award in the Shire Conference goes to Bucklebury's Flordor Eärämbor this time, as the second baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Eärämbor helped his team with an average of .611 and 5...

January 25, 2006

New Logos for Titans and Slayers

OLD FOREST - Thanks to the design services of T. Bombadil & Sons, both the Minas Morgul Slayers and the Minas Tirith Titans will be sporting new logos this season....

January 24, 2006

Slayers Claim Title

Minas Morgul finally succeeded in getting past the first round, and they never looked back. Running the playoff gauntlet with a staggering 12-2 record (.857), the Slayers refused to be denied this oppertunity. The hordes of dryads that were in...

The dryad fans certainly got into it. They booed mightly when Dryadpoker took the mound. They cheered twice as loud whenever he got in trouble and when he was removed after allowing 2 homeruns and several runs, they cheered as he left - finding joy in his struggles.

"I just can't stand him." One dryad spoke, "It's good we beat him."

Fan favorites like Imrilron and Foxburr recieved chants of their names when they stepped to bat and the growing fame of Seladriel showed by the long line of fans wanting her autograph after her victory in game 3.

On the field, the Slayers did it in every way possible. They entered pitching duels, slugfests, and extra inning games. One duel where Seladriel has soldified her place in the hearts of the fans by outduelling the amazingly talented Brilhirion, delivering the Mirkwood ace his only loss in the postseason.

Big achievers were Imrilron, who won the RotK MVP award while Seladriel allowed just 12 hits in 25 IP. Darkleaf picked up 6 saves. The bullpen as a whole did well, and both Chubb and Sandyman both drove in at least a dozen runs.

"We played as a total team effort all postseason long and that's what I was hoping we'd be able to do and it's what we needed to do." K.L. commented.

January 22, 2006

Slayers Eager for Title Series

The Slayers players are acting like little kids. Well, maybe not that far, but they are very excited to be playing in their first Return of the King Series as well as their first Mordor Conference pennant. "This is...

After being shut down in the previous two playoff trips, Minas Morgul has lost just one game so far this playoff trip, going 8-1. The team has used both pitching and offense as they continue to establish themselves as a balanced team.

Their next opponant will be Mirkwood. Looking at the team ranks, Mirkwood is 1st in offense and 14th in pitching. Minas Morgul ranks 2nd in both hitting and pitching. That looks to put the key on-paper matchup as the Slayer pitching against the Marauder bats.

"I'm feeling good." Ishanna Seladriel spoke, "I'm looking forward to this next challenge and want to win the title for our fans and ourselves."

The Slayers will need to save their energy and emotion for the Series. The veteran players are looking to calm the team down during the off-days so that everyone can be focused and able to concentrate on what they need to do.

Slayers Sweep Rohan

ROHAN - Minas Morgul slid into their first Mordor Conference championship title with a 4-game sweep over the RoughRiders. In Game 1, Galealbo Elvàwen out-pitched Andrack Antslammer for the 5-2 victory. Game 2 saw Fabur Beardcutter doing the same to...

January 20, 2006

Minas Morgul Advances...Finally

via The Minas Morgul Times Picayune MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers finally got past the first round of the playoffs. After being ousted by the Kings the two seasons prior, Minas Morgul finally got to see a different playoff foe,...

Much has been made of the Dead Marshes pitching, ranking first in ERA. They have a solid offense to back it up while the Slayers are often regarded as an offense-first team, despite their quality pitching of their own. It's also been said that the Slayers are a bit "inflated" due to their division.

In the end, the Slayers won the series 4-1, relying mostly on the pitching as the stats show.

Ishanna Seladriel, making her first postseason trip, led the way for the rotation. She picked up a win and was on her way to what looked like another good outing when rain interfered. Overall, she put up 11 innings, allowing just 6 hits and striking out 14. The Slayers got a great performance from Beardcutter. After another weak season in the terms of Win/Loss percentage, but put up a nice 7 inning outing for a win.

The bullpen also played well, in general. Kashi Darkleaf completed 2 of the 3 saves she could, blowing a 6-3 lead in game 2 as her failure. Aside from that blowup, Kashi did well. Arborna picked up the clinching win and Stonejuggler picked up one as well. Steelshaper and Earora provided great support in the bullpen.

Offensively, there was little they could get going against the Uruk-Hai pitching. The lineup did produce 5 HR in the 5 games, but only managed 21 total runs, about 4 per game. Tanta Chubb looked like her usual self as she lead the team in OPS as well as RBI in the series. Imrilron was 2nd in OPS and had the most walks while Sandyman put up 4 RBI. None of the rest had more then 2 RBI.

The next opponant will be Rohan, who advanced against Grey Havens in the first round.

"Rohan will be another tough opponant. They are a well-rounded team and play well as a team. We have to play another round of great baseball if we want to advance to the Championship series. It's great we took the next step, but I hope the players aren't happy with just getting this far." K.L. commented.

January 12, 2006

Imrilron reaches 400 HR

MINAS MORGUL - Isilborn Imrilron became the first player in league history to reach the 400-HR mark for his career, and he did it in typical fashion, bashing 2 homers in a game against Grey Havens on September 19. The...

January 09, 2006

Slayers win Troll Division

MINAS MORGUL - With their 7-4 victory over Rohan on September 12, the Minas Morgul Slayers won their 2nd straight Troll Division pennant, finishing well ahead of 2nd place Dagorlad. The Slayers go into the playoffs with over 2 weeks...

December 22, 2005

Player of the Week honors go to Graniteslinger and Imrilron

Valin Graniteslinger wins his 9th Player of the Week award. Shire Conference pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. He hit .393 with 12 RBI and slugged .857 in 28 at bats. It's the 15th...

Imrilron reaches 1500 hits

DAGORLAD - Isilborn Imrilron keeps piling up the numbers. On August 14, he became the first player to reach the 1500-hit mark for his career when he tripled in the 8th inning of a game against the Disaster. The Minas...

December 19, 2005

Galealbo Elvàwen pitches 1-hit shutout against Dead Marshes

MINAS MORGUL - Great days are rare. But not for Minas Morgul's left-hander Galealbo Elvàwen. Dead Marshes found out the hard way that he is among the leagues top pitchers, getting just one hit. It's his 3rd shutout this season,...

December 16, 2005

*Elfheim (MT) and Elvàwen (MIN) win monthly pitcher award

Reaver *Elfheim couldn't have pitched much better than he did in July, and the Shire Conference thought so as well, naming the left-hander Pitcher of the Month. He went 4-1 in July and finished the month with an ERA of...

December 12, 2005

Imrilron reaches RBI milestone

MINAS MORGUL - Isilborn Imrilron reached an historic plateau when he collected his 1,000th career RBI in a game against Bywater on July 23. The historic milestone came in typical fashion for the league's greatest slugger, as he was called...

December 05, 2005

Minas Morgul's Isilborn Imrilron slams three taters

CARROCK - Minas Morgul beat Carrock 12-0 on July 10, but that was not the real story of the game. Isilborn Imrilron was, as he went deep three times. His 1st shot, off Berilac Boffin in the 1st inning, was...

December 03, 2005

Slayers Active Traders

The Slayers have been active on the trading block lately, making three deals around the all-star break. Among the players to go was Hildebrand Bridger. She was brought in last season and played pretty well, good enough to get...

Evermind was also traded from the team to Lothlorien for a solid-looking utility infield prospect in Padron. Padron will bolster the club's A-ball team, Lithlad, as they try to move up the standings. The teams also got a pick from Lothlorien, which became a piece in the Slayers' third trade. Another underachiever was dealt in Oathbane and the team picked up a decent looking utility infielder in Harkness as well as a high round draft pick from the Urak-Hai.

Oathbane became expendable with the emergence of Tina Legal and the acquisition and improvement of Dean Shute, the team's Rule V pick.

"I'm pleased with how the trades went. I think they help all our organizations and draft picks will help keep the system populated. I think the players we gave up will have good futures with their new teams, but I also like who's coming to us." K.L. commented.

Most of the trades did not impact the major league roster, and perhaps that's by design - not wanting to mess things up. The minor league teams, however, will get some makeover as they try to each win their respective divisions.

Dead Marshes-Minas Morgul Trade

DEAD MARSHES - The Uruk-hai have traded the injury-prone minor leaguer, Thomas Harkness, to the Slayers in exchange for Lignar Oathbane. Harkness, 23, has been plaqued by a series of injuries this season, starting with a sprained ankle in April,...

December 02, 2005

Gamaiborn-Bridger traded

BREE - Disappointed with the performance of power-hitting first baseman, Gandaugrin "Doggy" Gamaiborn, the Cheese sent him over to Minas Morgul in exchange for Slayers reliever, Hildibrand Bridger. Neither Gamaiborn nor Bridger have lived up to their teams' expectations, and...

December 01, 2005

Lothlorien-Minas Morgul Trade

MINAS MORGUL - The Slayers entered into a deal to send pitcher, Garadorn Evermind, to Lothlorien in exchange for infielder, Clement Padron and the Lumberjacks' 3rd round draft pick. Evermind, 25, started in the Rohan farm system in 2003 before...

November 29, 2005

Slayers First Half Report

The Slayers have embarked on their best ever season. After 83 games of play, the Slayers are looking at a 54-29 record, a .651 winning percentage. The team is on pace for 105 wins, a franchise high should the...

Leading the way for the team on offense has been a tandem of Minto Foxburr and Imrilron. Imrilron is no surprise, but Foxburr is a mild surprise. Foxburr has always been a quality player, frequently threatening or surpassing .900 OPS. However, this year, returning to the full-time lineup, Foxburr is putting up a career year, perhaps even an MVP type season. This infusion has helped the offense endure a poor first half by Tanta Chubb while also surviving the injury to spark plug Tina Legal.

There's also been some good supporting cast members in the offense. Minta Sandyman continues to shed her underachiever label with another solid first half. She's actually 2nd on the team in RBI. Kadish Ettinripper is batting .390 in part-time play as he shares time with Gwogast Gorund who is batting .345 himself. Perhaps the bigges