BIRTH OF THE NEW YORK OUTLAWS
The cognac was still warm in the glass as Dom Provisiero rubbed his tired eyes. He looked around the once neatly organized room and shook his head as his view now held a total mess.
No teenager lived here; no brawl or tornado had taken place. Rather the room was littered with papers and periodicals; charts and lists……this was the room where the New York Outlaws would be born today on Saturday October 13, 2012. This was affectionately called the WAR ROOM…..women and children stay out!
But I digress…..
Some months ago as a hot sun heated the sidewalks of New York, Dom Provisiero pulled into his driveway after a day of work. It was a good one……a retired NYC Correction Captain who now worked for a Body Armor company, they had registered another “save” as they call it in the industry. A Police Officer had been shot and his life was saved because he was wearing one of the many bullet resistant vests that Dom’s company created. Yes it was a good day………he stepped out of the car and thought…..”Saved a life today………now let’s check on some different kind of saves”.
He poured a cold glass of Sam Adams Summer Ale; grabbed the Newsday that was on the table and walked out into the backyard. As he sat at the outdoor table, he took a gulp of beer, and opened the paper………past the news, the winning lotto numbers, and those ever present sales and turned to the Sports Section. This is where he would pore over the boxscores to check on “his” APBA Players……..who got a hit last night?…..who went yard?…..who pitched scoreless relief?…..was there a save in the boxscores today also?
After looking over his players feats of the previous night, he also scanned some of the upcoming prospects and rookies; already thinking of next years draft. Finished with the boxscores, he turned on his I-Pad (ok; Lenore’s I-Pad….it was a gift from him anyway) to check his e-mail. He typed in the familiar [email protected] and scanned the numerous messages waiting to be opened……..his eyes widened as he spotted a specific one that was sent from a Stray Corrado. Now that’s a cool Hollywood name…..now starring in the Sopranos movie: Stray Corrado!……
He opened the e-mail and his heart raced a bit faster……he had communicated with Stray a few months earlier and inquired about joining the MWBL, an APBA BBW League with the most awesome website and career stats. Stray had put him on a waiting list…..yea, the check is in the mail……and now an actual opportunity had opened. He would get an interim team and then once the season ended would be able to have a team of his very own. Now, THIS was definitely cool. Saved a life today AND was accepted into the MWBL. Time for another beer….a congratulatory one at that. Call the media.
Flash forward to 10/13/12…..it was time to draft the very first player on the New York Outlaws……the mess around him was the result of studying and reading over bits of news and stats of all the players available in this Dispersal Draft. He would be drafting with 2 other managers to make up 3 new teams…..both nice guys; definitely will show some respect and dignity towards them………..SCREW THAT………….the job is to get the best players available for the Outlaws….do whatever it takes to stop them from getting anybody good……cut their internet wires; send them a virus; kidnap them….send drones!!!!
Today the New York Outlaws join the ranks of many honorable teams present and past in the MWBL…..today the Outlaws walk on the MWBL Red Carpet. Autographs anyone?
Where do you begin? That’s a question that expansion teams have had to answer throughout the ages in Major League Baseball. It’s no different in MWBL.
Start up the middle says “THE BOOK”……well, no Yogi Berras on the list……2B? No Cano, don’t you know……SS? No Jeter’s or Tulo’s here…….CF? Wheres Mickey, Willie, and the Duke when I need them? Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio?…..can we kick out the manager who has Trout?? I’d vote for that just in time for my pick!…….
That leaves the Pitchers mound….the place where teams have lived and died…….a night of reading/drinking/evaluating/drinking and…..well, drinking…….has led the NY Outlaws management team (I see multiples with cognac) to decide that the very first player would be a Pitcher.
And so the New York Outlaws select Cole Hamels (career 78-60 3.35 in MWBL). Last year in MLB Cole had another good season 17-6 3.05era 1.12 whip 215ip and 216 K.
He was 6-0 2.58 over his last 10 games and the 17 wins was a career high. Hes a good young lefty.
I think the choice was pretty obvious to the rest of MWBL Nation….Hamels will probably garner a Grade 13 and should be a solid pitcher for years to come as he is only 29. With 28 teams to contend with, we know pitching is a premium so we’ll roll the dice and gamble on Cole.
We will begin with Mr Hamels and hope that we can build a strong team around him. And so, my fellow MWBL-ites…..I look forward to a new beginning. Good Luck to you all.
Go OUTLAWS!