AFBL Forum
Pressbox => Team Press Releases => Topic started by: BaseballAddict32 on March 24, 2014, 09:07:55 am
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New York State of Mind
New New York Owner, Matthew Katz, and his front office have been working hard this off season to create a new buzz and excitement for a fan base than had grown apathetic towards the franchise. Already this off season, the team acquired starting pitcher Chris Irvin, who?s a young guy that the team feels has a lot of upside and a very live arm. The hope is he will grow into a front of the rotation mainstay. Also part of the Irvin deal was proven veteran reliever Curt Hardin, whose cannon for an arm and off the field leadership will be counted on to help contribute to the organization in a number of ways. Also late season call up, Robby John caused some buzz and excitement when he came up and hit .400 late in the season, driving in 5 runs. The hope is teaming him in the middle of the order with established star Valdemar Legarth to create runs for the team and excitement for the fans.
Looking to the future, the top of the draft is creating hope for the future with New York taking Sam Campbell, a young power hitting RF with elite level power and a very good ability to make contact, along with Ken Thomas as the second and third overall picks. Thomas is a contact hitter with a great eye and elite speed. The idea for him down the road will be to lead off in front of guys like John, Legarth and Campbell, giving New York a chance to be competitive and score runs at a much better rate. While there is still much work to be, fans are excited and hopeful for a better future, one with success they are hungry for.
Also looking forward to the future, the franchise is expecting to rebrand either heading into next season or possibly the one after. There has been no official announcement as of yet but there are rumblings, from sources speaking under the condition of anonymity, that the new branding for the franchise will be the New York Twin Towers, with a logo featuring the World Trade Towers, as the organization looks to pay homage to those effected by and who survived September 11th and as a symbol for New Yorkers resolve and strength. While we await official word, this looks to be in the works along with changes coming at the minor league levels.
Check the New York Daily Post's website for the latest Brewer's news as it comes.
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Its official, with league approval, the New York Brewers have been renamed officially to the New York Twin Towers, unveiling their new team logo.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/GatorMan32/afbltwintowers_zps6bb46f57.png)
"Its an opportunity, to create a brand that truly represents the spirit of New York and the resiliency of its people. We feel like this is an appropriate way to remember those who were lost in September 11th, while also emphasizing New Yorkers ability to overcome adversity and rebuild while always remembering. The World Trade Center Towers were for many years a physical symbol of New York City, known globally. Now they represent a spiritual symbol of the city and state which embodies so much of what is great about being a New Yorker."
The fan response to the new brand has been very positive and all merchandise with the team's new logo has been flying off of shelves in stores around New York City as well as the state as a whole.
The rebranding does not stop at the Major League level. New York will honor its baseball heritage by renaming its AAA franchise the Brooklyn Dodgers and have purchased rights to the former franchise's old logo.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/GatorMan32/afbldodgers_zps5c6938fb.png)
The AA team will be the Cooperstown Greats, though its new logo was not yet released.
The A ball club will be the Highlanders, reaching deep into the past of New York baseball to bring back the name, though with a new look logo.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/GatorMan32/afblhighlanders_zpsb5b21aa0.png)
Also its rookie league affiliate has been relocated to Gainesville, FL and will be aptly named the Gators.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/GatorMan32/afblgators_zpsebef0b08.png)
"Its an exciting time for the New York Twin Towers and fans of New York baseball. As we continue to build for the future of our team, its nice to be able to look to the past of New York baseball and show our respect. We do also want to offer our sincere thanks to our friend from New Jersey, whose graphic design company was critical in the new branding for our franchise."
More to come, keep following us online for the latest updates at our New York Twin Towers blog on the New York Daily Post website.
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New York Twin Towers congratulate starting pitcher Walt Connor on throwing a no hitter v Georgia. It also marked his third straight outing without allowing a run.
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For the first time this season, Twin Towers fans were given a glimpse of hope. The Twin Towers have won 8 of their last 10 and have worked their way close to .500. New York came into the season with high hopes for starters Walt Connor, Lonnie Simmons and Chris Irvin, all of whom were traded for this offseason. The three pitchers have all really started to come on, especially with Irvin having put together 4 quality starts in a row. That effort from the starting rotation has helped begin to stabilize the pitching staff.
New York has also seen star hitter Valdemar Legarth slowly warm up inching closer to .300. Its also gotten an early season power supply from young hitters Scotty Knox and Duane Kirby who are both pacing big numbers for this season. While its just one short run in a long season, its at least given New York fans something to cheer about and hope for the future seeing the team's young stars begin to emerge.
Luis Quinonez, Greg Young and Curt Hardin have also teamed up to become a formidable back end of the bullpen. The trio, gives New York an opportunity to hold onto leads when they get late in the game with a lead. While its just a start, its encouraging for the organization along with the fans.
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Knox Honored
Knox took home the Patriot League Rookie of the Month for April with his .277 average, 7 homeruns, 21 RBI and 21 runs scored. It was a big month to open his AFBL career, especially coming off a season ending injury while in AAA last season. Knox had demonstrated massive power last season before the injury. His pace this season is for better than 40 plus homeruns, which would be a huge boost to the Twin Tower offer, if he maintains that level of production.
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Rice Honored
Rice for the month of May hit .301, hit a homerun and drove in 17 runs. On the season, he has a .316 OBP, has scored 37 runs and drove in 32 more runs from the leadoff spot. Rice spent last season in AA and to this point, despite some rough patches, has performed well in the leadoff spot in a line up full of young talent. His jump to the AFBL this season is part of a movement that the Twin Towers believe will have them competing in the next couple of seasons.
"We are excited for the future," said New York owner Matthew Katz. "There is a lot of young talent in our organization. That Junior (Rice) and Scotty (Knox) have been recognized as rookie of the month for the Patriot League in consecutive months shows that we have a good amount of young talent to build with. Our starting rotation now features 5 pitches in their 20's with a huge amount of talent and we believe they can be a foundation for the future. Certainly there are areas we need to address as the performance as a whole is not where it needs to be. Our record shows that. However, we know we can build this and compete going forward."
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New York Owner Lays Out Plan For Future
Its been a tumultuous season of change and then more change for the New York franchise in the American Federation Baseball League. It began really late last season when the team was purchased by now owner Matthew Katz. For the most part last season otherwise ended without much noise being made. Then came an active off season including acquiring Walt Connor, Lonnie Simmons and Chris Irvin, along with the promotion of hitters like Scotty knox and all indications were a commitment to immediate competition within the difficult Patriot League North division. The season start off with promise of that expectation being met but as the season wore on the struggles mounted. Efforts were made to fix the bullpen and for a time seemed to work but then the offense cooled off and guys like Scotty Knox and Duane Kirby slowed in their power production and the team drifted farther and farther back.
Finally came the, what had to be, difficult and pride swallowing decision to sell off key pieces like Vlad Lagarth and Scotty Knox and begin looking for a full scale rebuild and the future. Then a few days ago, last season's acquisition in Lonnie Simmons became this off season's departure. The future is brightening along the way but it will take time to come to fruition and that was a message of a different sort from Katz, who spoke to the Twin Tower, another change, baseball fans.
"I understand the frustration of watching other teams add guys and get closer to winning a title and to see your team trading off and getting farther. It was a reality we had to accept that there were too many holes to plug them all and catch powerhouse teams like Ontario and New Jersey with the roster we had. It simply had too many areas of need and the bargaining chips we had to try to attain the pieces we'd have needed would have been to bankrupt the future. It simply was not an option that was acceptable so we've moved on. (Lonnie) Simmons, for instance, now has a chance to go and compete for a title with Ontario and we filled an incredibly big hole by getting a top 5 prospect at a premium position like SS. We lacked a legit threat at the top of the order this season. Going forward we will be able to build with Chris MacIntosh and last year's third overall pick Ken Thomas at the top of the order.
Sam Campbell (last year's second pick overall) and Bernardo Duarte, along with this year's second overall pick Pat Gordon and current Twin Tower catcher, Duane Kirby will give us a strong middle of the order. Add in Brit Barnes, whose future now will be second base, and there is a vision for a few seasons from now where this team will be fielded with a group mostly coming up together that should be as formidable as any. While there is more work left to do with pitching we do believe with Mountainman Hatfield, Chris Irvin and Steve Paige, we could have a group to build around. Its also not out of the question to maintain Walt Connor and even though he'll be early to mid 30's when we feel we will be competing, he will still have plenty left in our opinion. With two more picks in the first round of this year's draft we will of course continue to work towards a successful future for New York baseball."
While New York fans are not known for their patience its hard to argue with the efforts being put together to do all they can to build a sustainable, successful future.
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Future is now in New York
Twin Tower fans, despite watching their team struggle through another rough season, have had glimpses of the future this year with the emergence of rookie star SS Chris MacIntosh showing he can and will be the team's lead off hitter for years to come. They also continue to see the progress of budding star catcher Duane Kirby, who has become a central part of the organizations plans for the future. Bernardo Duarte has also shown his power can make him a staple in the Twin Tower line up for years to come.
Now the future continues to come into better focus with the late season call ups that the team believes will help usher in a new era of baseball in the Big Apple. Al Jones, who can play either corner spot in the infield, has torn up AAA pitching this year. He has hit .277, with a .370 OBP, while hitting 31 homeruns, driving in 139 runs and scoring 109 more runs. He likely merited a call up sooner in the season, but he is excited and ready to get his chance to be at the big league level and show what he can do.
Where Jones' road to the highest level has been a patient journey where his talent took time to be matched by performance, lefty slugger Pat Gordon's rise has been much more rapid. Drafted number 2 overall in this year's draft, he went immediately to A Ball where he immediately began hitting for a high average and good power. His next jump skipped AA and went right to AAA where he hit .339 and hit 13 HRs and drove in 37 in just 192 at bats. Now in less than one season since being drafted, he has received his call up to the Twin Towers, a place both he and the team hope to see him stay for good.
Fellow rookie Ken Thomas did not have quite the prodigious first minor league season struggling to just a .258 average in A ball last season. Early this season his average had jumped to .287 and his OBP rose to .384. His next stop was a move to AAA with Pat Gordon. After solid but not star like play at the A level, there was some concern about the jump to AAA. However the move proved itself wise as in 212 at bats, Thomas has hit at a clip .349 and his OBP has risen to .419. His improved ability to get on has also fueled his campaign of stealing bases which between A and AAA has totaled 52 stolen bases. Combined with MacIntosh, he will help give the Twin Towers a lot of speed at the top of the line up, creating opportunities for run production.
With the influx of young hitting talent, the Twin Towers hope and believe the effort of rebuilding will be a fruitful one and perhaps its rewards not as distant as perhaps they seemed only a year ago at this time. Another future centerpiece of the team, Sam Campbell, may also not be too far off from the big league team, as he has hit well while moving from rookie ball to AA this season.
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Twin Towers Trade Up, Take Baker
Just before the 2019 draft began, the New York Twin Towers took part in a significant 3 team trade that had significant impact on the draft in particular and in the direction of the organization going forward. New York did part with future star Sam Campbell because they had one particular player the coveted in the draft. And when the third pick came around, their first choice was sitting there waiting for them. Steve Baker, who has been a star at the college level for SC, was a missing piece to the puzzle owner and general manager, Matthew Katz, has been putting together. Those closest to the organization know one of the biggest concerns to him was to be strong up the middle. With catcher Duane Kirby in place, the team was already set there. But the options were limited on what to do about second base and shortstop.
New York last off season acquired its prized shortstop in Chris MacIntosh and with this draft it took little time for the Twin Towers to make Steve Baker a priority of the draft. With this pick and the recent call up of center fielder Ken Thomas, the Twin Towers are talented up the middle at positions where productivity can be difficult to come by. Despite the loss of Campbell, the Twin Towers have RBI potential with hitters like Kirby, Al Jones and last year's second pick overall in Pat Gordon. "Corner infield and corner outfield can be addressed with a little more ease, even though Campbell has huge upside. Its difficult to get middle infielders of the quality we will be able to build around now for the next decade plus. This was a move that was of great importance to the future of the Twin Towers. Its important to note we're not done yet. Part of the deal also gets us back into this first round at 13 and there are a few guys we are looking at that we feel could be available there that would also help us going forward. We will wait and see how the draft unfolds."
On how Baker can fit in the order with two contact and speed guys already at the big league level in MacIntosh and Thomas, he expanded "We envision a team that is predicated on speed and putting the ball in play. We want guys on base so when Kirby and Gordon come up, they will have RBI chances. It will put pressure on defenses with 3 guys that are very fast and can take an extra base or steal at any moment."
New York improved by 18 games this season, giving fans reason to hope. The future continues to be built in New York.
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Good stuff as always
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Nice work, and despite being a rival in name only so far, I'm sure these moves will ensure NY sees their time above NJ in the not too distant future unfortunately.
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Thanks guys. This season was a set back but after this draft I think the future is back on track. Its just taking time. I had to really with Legarth and little else when I took over. After trying to rush I feel like the patience will pay off in about 2 or so seasons from now. My core guys at that point will be low to mid 20's and now I have a real pitching staff coming together finally.
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New York Selects 3 in First Round
In one of the deeper drafts in years, the Twin Towers managed to secure 3 selections. Here is a breakdown of each new member of the Twin Tower organization.
At 5th overall, New York took Cuban defector, Juan Arroyo. Arroyo has a power arm with a great fast ball that can hit 96 on the radar gun. He compliments it well with a slider and change up that change speed and show good potential to be possibly be plus pitches too. He is a work horse that can eat up a lot of innings and projects as a front of the rotation starter for New York. His high intelligence and work ethic are factors that help scouts project him as reaching his potential. While probably a year or two away from the big leagues, he is expected to move fast through the farm system.
At 14th overall, the Twin Towers selected left fielder Stan Turner. The Garland, TX native is a talented prospect with a great skill set. He makes good contact at the plate and is considered to project to plus power at the plate. In the field he has range and a strong arm that could really allow him to play either corner outfield spot. He has very good speed and runs the bases well. He projects well as a potential 3 or 4 hitter with a combination of power and speed as he develops and matures.
Closing at the first round at 20th overall, they picked high school starting pitcher Ruben Ferreira. Ferreira is another power arm with number 1 starter potential, though of all the picks he is considered the farthest off from the big leagues. Similarly he can hit 96 when a devastating fastball and pitches off of it with a slider and change up combination. He also can be a work horse at the top of the rotation eating up innings and has a high drive to be the best he can be and understands the game well.
New York has been looking to compliment its top pitcher in Chris Irvin and some younger arms still working their way along in Pete Frank and Mountainman Hatfield and believe this draft will move them closer to their rotation for the future. It is unclear if the team will keep talented starter Walt Connor or look to deal him.
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Twin Towers Trade up, Select Flemming
An interview with New York's Director of Scouting today revealed that the team had been split on who to take with the 20th pick, Ruben Ferreira or Artie Flemming. At the time, they went with Ferreira but had not given up hope in finding a way to select Flemming if they could find a team willing to trade with them. When Iowa was willing to trade down for a package of picks, New York went ahead and took the other pitcher that it had coveted in the first round.
Flemming is an interesting contrast to the team's pitching prospects it selected in the first round. Where Ferreiro and Juan Arroyo are right handed pitchers who pitch off of their fastball with similar off speed secondary pitches, Flemming is a lefty who does not even throw a 4 seem fastball. Instead he uses a cutter, or cut fastball that dives in on right handed hitters and away from left handed hitters and can top out at 98 MPH. He can throw off of that with a slider that has similar movement at a much lower speed and a curve ball that has a good drop off. From time to time he'll work in a change up just to show something different. The 6'10 lefty is also very tough to steal against.
He shows a great grasp of the game and is constantly studying what worked and did not work for him, especially against specific hitters. His future is bright and he is a guy New York believes can be at the big league level sooner than later.
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Breakout Season For New York
After a long process that lasted several seasons, even playing through a struggling start to this season, the Twin Towers finally broke through and made the playoffs for the first time. It was a season that could be a sign of things to come for the team and its fans, as the foundation of the team is young and the group could be together for many seasons to come. After a good close to the season which saw the New York ball club secure a wild card slot, the up and coming team than pushed Patriot League power house Pennsylvania to the limit forcing the series to a full seven games.
For New York, losing the series after leading 3 games to 2 had to be disappointing but the season as a whole was a significant improvement from previous years where the team languished around or in last place, contending for high draft picks instead of playoff spots. Certainly there is still plenty of room for improvement and the goal is not to simply make the playoffs, however for fans that were getting impatient with the building process, the 2023 season showed plenty of promise for the future and gave fans something to be excited about.
Mainstays Pat Gordon, Ken Thomas and Chris MacIntosh continued to put up plenty of production at the top of the line up. Youn hitting sensation Stan Turner had a break out season (18 HR, 74 RBI, 70 Rs, .283 average and .325 OBP) that should be the beginning to big things for him as well. Bernardo Duarte chipped in with a good season and power numbers. Also helping add depth to the line up was a breakout season from young second baseman hitting .289 and emerging as the every day second baseman for the first time in his career.
On the mound, New York benefitted from strong performances from Florante Marrald and Juan Arroyo along with finally finding a reliable option to close out games in Steve Paige, who took his transition from starter to closer in great stride. It was not a smoothe season on all accounts and the team continues to wait for Arroyo and Turner's draft class mates Ruben Ferreira and Artie Flemming to match their production to their talent, which would further strengthen their pitching staff. The season also saw the team also overcome a great deal of injuries, showing the resolve of the team.
There are rumblings the team plans to be active in the trade market, attempting to find solutions to areas of concern still. So stay tuned for all of the latest.
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Great stuff!
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Twin Towers Add Help
For years one of the things that has plagued the New York Twin Towers has been a constant struggle to finish games with a bullpen that had more questions than answers, more problems than solutions. Bolstered by the run to the playoffs and a good showing in the first round, New York decided the time was now to solve this long standing issue.
Yesterday, in two trades with Ohio and Idaho, New York made a statement about its intention to compete and its intention to strengthen its ability to contend for a title. New York sent a young minor league reliever in Ed Walker to Ohio for Brit Fisher, a well respected reliever with ample experience and success. Fisher recorded 37 saves with a 2.5 ERA last season. From Idaho New York received another established closer in Bradford Perron (24 saves, 2.55 ERA last season) and another talented reliever and consummate professional in Virgil Roberts (3.99 ERA in 88 IP in 2023) for which they sent two picks (including the 13th overall) and minor league 3B Steve Atherton.
"The chance to get 3 proven relievers, who still each have plenty of quality years left in them, was an opportunity we felt we had to take," New York owner Matthew Katz said at the team's press conference. "We felt like all 3 of these guys know what it takes to win and are guys that have shown that they are capable of delivering positive results. We dealt a chance to take a young reliever we had tabbed, along with some other good young talent, but we felt like our chance to take that next step is here and this chance we too important to pass on. We look forward to adding them to a group that includes Steve Paige, Pete Frank and Dave Stroud. We believe this gives us the most formidable bullpen we have had since I have been here."
New York is rumored to still be looking for other upgrades this offseason that it believes can help going into the 2024 season. In the meantime, there is a feeling of excitement among the fans that the Twin Towers are building towards what they hope will be an even stronger club next season.
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Twin Towers Make Big Move
In the heat of a playoff chase, bolstered by last year's playoff run, the New York Twin Towers decided to step up and become buyers this season in an attempt to get into the playoffs and hope for more success than last year's first round exit. So amid a heated division and wild card race that sees New York currently stand 6 games back of Patriot League North division leader Pennsylvania and 8 games ahead of Maryland in the wild card race, the Twin Towers made what they hope will be an important move for the franchise this season and beyond.
Coming to New York are star hitter Tim Francis, whose hitting .365 with an OBP of .425 this season. He has scored 46 runs, stole 17 bases and drove in 16 runs leading off for Texas this season. For his career he is a .301 hitter with 543 stolen bases and has scored 648 runs to date. Joining Francis in the trip to New York is left handed starting pitcher Stan Lawson. Lawson has a 2.92 ERA this season with a WHIP of 1.08. Lawson, who is in middle of a career best season ERA wise has been a consistent and quality starter for years. Both Lawson and Francis are in their 20's and people within the organization believe both could be long term contributors for the Twin Towers.
Additionally, New York will get left handed reliever Joe Heyward. Heyward has been pitching in a set up role for Texas this year and he has 2.88 ERA and has struck out 33 in 34.1 innings. At 36, he has had a long and successful career and been part of many great Texas teams. New York sends two prospets in Arturo Ramirez and Thad Hurley along with two first round picks and a second round pick.
"Obviously in terms of the future, we had to part with a lot of value, but we feel what we are getting is more than worth that. We have a team that is primed and ready to compete right now," New York owner Matthew Katz said at the press conference announcing the trade. "We know New York fans waited years for a competitive team and now that we have a chance to compete we did not think our best move was to wait on the fruition of those prospects and picks. We were able to acquire three very talented players that can help us try to have a special season. Our bullpen moves this past offseason have paid off and now our bullpen is even better for the acquisition of Joe Heyward."
"Our line up has molded together well, we feel like because our guys up and down the line up are good at putting the ball in play and each guy is a tough out. Tim Francis is a guy with a lot of success under his belt already and he is 27. So we know he can contribute now and for a long time. He will add to that formula of being tough outs and picking each other up. Contact and speed keeps pressure on the defense."
"Additionally our starting rotation has been the best we've had in our time here but as we saw last year when we tried to bring back tired pitchers on short rest in the post season, there is no such thing as too many quality starters on a team. Stan Lawson is a really good pitcher and a guy who knows how to win. We are excited to have him join our team and rotation."
New York is obviously serious about competing and have put up a lot to get the players they did and show their team and fans the commitment they to being a winning ball club.
Stay tuned for all of the latest in Twin Tower news.
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Nice one, may the neighbourly battle continue ;)
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Nice one, may the neighbourly battle continue ;)
Thanks Mike. It is nice to make that battle respectable. It has taken a lot of patience and work to get to a point of being competitive so it definitely feels good that the plan came together.
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New York Wins Title
For the first time in American Federation Baseball League history, the title has been brought home to New York. The Twin Towers pulled off an incredible playoff run that required the wild card team to go through three of the league's perenial powers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Colorado, the defending champions, ultimately to win the title. It was a historic win for a franchise that had been long mired in futility.
It was a long road to get to this point. When owner Matthew Katz took over the franchise he promised success to fans hungry, starving even, for it. The team in that first off season pulled off a succession of moves meant to rehabilitate the team and move in a new direction. Ultimately that did not happen and the struggles that season led to the dismantling of the immediate future for what was promised to be the long rebuild to a team that could win and give the fans something to cheer about. That process began going into the 2018 season. It meant some trades, mostly drafting players that fit the big picture and slowly you could see an image coming together.
For a long time one move seemed like it could be a fatal error, the deal that sent Sam Campbell as part of a package to get Steve Baker. The team anticipated Baker would give a long term solution at second base. For years Baker struggled. Now as he has emerged as one of the stars of the team, he proved to be a vital part of the title team. Federation Cup Series Florante Marrald was a player added into a deal as an add on asked for to go with fellow starter Jimmy Williams. Marrald's last 4 playoff starts saw him give up just 2 runs in 22 1/3 innings pitched.
It was a process, a plan. One that slowly came together even as fans wondered if the Twin Towers day would ever come. "It was understandable," Katz said in a recent interview with the New York Daily Post. "Patience is something you can ask for but for so long and then results are necessary. The big step for us was last year making the playoffs for the first time in history. Our team had been struggling but when they got hot and we made the playoffs, the doubts that were there faded."
"When we pushed Pennsylvania to 7, a team most thought we had no business competing with, it was a signal to us that we needed to get serious about winning now. Last off season we knew two areas of concern were the bullpen and third base. We got Bradford Perron, Virgil Roberts and Brit Fisher. The results were noticable. Our team saw our commitment to them and the ability to hold a lead and finish a game was critical. We spent a lot of last off season discussing deals for third basemen but our director of scouting assured us David Ross was ready. So we opted ultimately to seek our answer at third from within and he had a fantastic rookie campaign hitting over .300, stealing more than 40 bases, driving in 80, scoring 89 times and even nearly got to 200 hits."
"The pieces were coming together. When we made that trade before the deadline, it showed how serious we were about this team's ability to win now. Tim Francis is a fantastic hitter. Stan Lawson was a big addition to our rotation and Joe Heyward gave us another much needed reliable late inning reliever. We were convinced we were ready to compete and wanted to put a team out there that could bring home the title. When we struggled down the stretch it was a gut check time but I think internally we knew what this group was capable of and now... its hard to express the joy over this moment."
"This means so much to us and to New York. It has meant so much to bring this back to the burroughs, to the heart of New York. We look forward to celebrating with the fans in the Canyon of Heroes."
As the New York owner had the trophy presentation done on the field, in front of the fans, instead of in the locker room, the celebration was a sight to behold. Stay tuned for more on the celebration and what is next for the Twin Towers as they look to build on this success.
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I always enjoy these. Congrats again!
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Appreciate it, Matt. Thank you.
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Nice one. It's really satisfying when you make that big push for pieces and they bring home the bacon. Hopefully this shows other teams, as has been AFBL trend, the best teams in the reguler season don't often win the title, making a push IS WORTH IT!
I will admit I wasn't certain about your trade with Texas given the relative strength of PA, WV and NJ in just the Patriot League let alone Colorado and Indiana in 'that other league'. But in hindsight, it has masterstroke written all over it.
May the neighbourly rivalry continue and perhaps one day we can meet in the playoffs and give both sets of fans something to scream about.
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Thank you Mike. Given how good you are in this I appreciate that quite a bit. Yeah it was definitely a risk. I felt a little better since I knew Francis and Lawson could give me several years of production even if it didn't pay off this year. It was the level of talent on those teams that drove me to take this chance because I knew I needed more if I could have a chance against those clubs. I had been looking for a hitter with pop but Francis actually fit this line up so well as its built on contact and speed.
I definitely would encourage others to take a calculated shot and make the push. It's not an easy choice to make risking first rounders and all but difference makers won't come cheap. Just gotta figure out the move you feel most comfortable with and go for it. Winning a title is a lot of fun. Even the journey deeper into the playoffs is fun.
Would be cool to meet in the playoffs, especially the LCS.
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Dave Ross Named Rookie of the Year
Dave Ross, New York's 2021 first round pick, the 4th overall of that draft, has been named the AFBL 2024 rookie of the year. The former high school All American, enjoyed a rapid move through the Twin Towers' farm system. Normally high school players take longer than college players to develop into big league players, Ross exhibited an extremely high work ethic and a great ability to quickly learn at each level. Just two seasons after being drafted, he made his first September call up, enjoying a cup of coffee with the Twin Towers late in 2023.
At the time it was a struggle to face a level of pitching unlike anything Ross had dealt with before. New York, for their part, thought Ross might still be a ways off from producing. They admittedly had spent most of last off season seeking out a stop gap option until Ross was ready to man the hot corner for the long term. After failing to find a trade partner, New York put the job in Ross's hands this past spring and what happened next would help shape a great season for Ross and the team.
Ross went 14 for 43 (.326), driving in 5 and scoring 6. It was enough to show he could be ready to hit at the level and the decision was made to give him a roster spot. The rest, as they say, is history. Now Ross, has been named the rookie of the year. He hit .312, stole 41 bases, drove in 80, scored 89 times, recorded nearly 200 hits. He also homered 8 times and recorded 8 triples, as well. An impressive season for a rookie, but what came next might have been even more impressive.
Ross is the front runner to win the 2024 post season MVP award. In his first post season, he hit .424/.426/.667. He homered once, drove in 11 runs, scored 13 runs, doubled 5 times and tripled 4 times. His three triples in the Patriot League playoffs set a new league record. His bat was so hot, that for the championship series against Colorado, he was moved up to the third spot in the order. That spot had belonged all season to star hitter Pat Gordon.
"Its been an amazing journey, but its just beginning. I am so excited to be part of baseball in New York and to be part of the Twin Towers organization," Ross said. "This honor is definitely awesome and means a lot to me. The special part to me though is the season we had as a team though. Awards are great but to win a title as a team is why you play. Looking forward to getting back to work next season to build on what we have going."
New York owner Matthew Katz recalls the decision to draft Ross. "We had some guys of interest and there were internal debates as there are in any draft room, especially when you are picking high and trying to find those guys who will be stars for you one day. That we needed a third baseman was a big factor but when we did our homework on Dave, everything we learned, everyone we talked to, it all added up. Not only did he have the tools to be great but he had the drive and focus to make the most of his potential. We are fortunate to have Dave as part of our organization. He will be our guy at third for many years to come."
As New York celebrates its title and moves towards the future, Ross figures to be an integral part of that future.
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New York Opens Season With Celebration
New York opened its season with a pre game celebration where the rings were given out for last year's championship victory. There was fan fare and the crowd was electric going into the game. The results of the day did not disappoint either, with the Twin Towers winning 11-3. They swept their opening series from Ontario despite the need to adjust on the fly as they will have to do without starting second baseman Steve Baker for the entire season.
Third baseman Dave Ross also has been struck with an illness and will miss a few days. But the main issue on the minds of the New York management is if the need to make a move to replace Baker will become necessary. Sources tell us at the moment they are working on a number of scenarios to utilize roster flexibility to adjust to the reality of life without Baker. One scenario, one we saw in the first few games is playing Ed Chapman at first base and sliding Tim Francis over to second base. Chapman has shown a good bat in spelling starting catcher Robby Pollock as well as in the spring this year where he split time between catcher and designated hitter. This inspired the move to keep a third catcher on roster to free up Chapman to play first.
A couple of other "in house" solutions could include Bernardo Duarte returning to the starting line up and Pat Gordon moving back to first base, where he began his career with the Twin Towers. The other, much simpler move, would be to start Dave Chapman and slide Francis back to first. New York is also currently considering possible trade scenarios, though may be reserved with how much they would part with for a single season hold over until Baker is back. One thing is clear, with the options New York has, it does change the dynamic of the speed game some, however will increase the power and add another RBI guy into the mix.
New York owner Matthew Katz, while clearly frustrated with the nature of Baker's off the field injury, refused to comment on it or the organization's feelings regarding it and its consequences for the season. Much is still expected of New York, who will try to compete again with the top teams in the league to prove itself a contender once again.