Bounders Mull 2018 Prospects
via Bywater Bulletin
BYWATER - With the lowest payroll in the league this year we go into Spring training wondering just what will be over the horizon for Bywater. Certainly MESN predict they'll barely make the playoffs, let alone defend the championship, but why? And just what has changed in Bywater? Certainly the roster looks eerily similar to last year at first glance.
The biggest change for the Bounders must surely be the loss of Ugbag Blacktooth as catcher. Rumour has it Blacktooth walked when the Bounders balked at his $22m/year wage demands, although some suspect other factors and suggest the Bounders made Ugbag better offers than he received when he signed for Grey Havens. Losing Blacktooth certainly saved the Bounders a few million dollars, but how do you fill a gap like that? Well apparently Bywater think youth is the way to go, with young human Thaivia Elriden stepping up. At 6' and 205lbs Elriden is physically larger than Blacktooth, but Blacktooth's presence behind batters is legendary, and many will be glad the orc has gone back to Mordor.
A few old veterans have left the organization, but many had been slowly phased out anyway. However some veterans have stuck around, and rather interesting they are too. Both Bagdreg the Hated and Ralin Rockbinder took heavy paycuts to return to Bywater, even if Rockbinder did tease the crowds by declaring himself a free agent and holding out on the new contract for a while. If anything the fans seem to love him all the more for the experience. And experience is something both stars add to a Bywater roster with a few rookies - Rockbinder is the oldest starter in the line-up by almost 10 years.
But bizarrely the biggest change in Bywater seems to be the stadium. Despite these times of fiscal responsibility in Bywater the Bounders have splurged, with a new roof designed to keep fans a little warmer and drier. It's an unusual gift, but the town of Bywater has always been a little left field...
Posted at September 8, 2008 05:23 PM | more from Bywater