Herkimer Magicians
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- Owned by Tim Farmer.
- Formerly the Santa Clarita Saints.
- Formerly the Seattle Rainiers.
- Renamed November 18, 2007.
Season 16 Transactions
- October 28, 2008 - Signed SS/CF Robin Yount to an 8 year contract
- October 28, 2008 - Acquired 3B Adrian Beltre and the Devils' 5th round pick from the Sun City Devils in exchange for Carlos Gomez and Edgar Renteria
- October 29, 2008 - Acquired LF Raul Ibanez from the Birmingham Cloverleafs in exchange for the Rollers' 3rd round pick and the Magicians' 8th round pick.
- November 9, 2008 - Acquired RF Jermaine Dye from the Birmingham Cloverleafs in exchange for RF Luke Scott and a 7th round draft pick.
Contents |
Magicians Add Final Piece to 20 Man Roster
The Herkimer Magicians have upgraded the one hole in their lineup, adding power hitting RF Jermaine Dye in a deal from the Birmingham Cloverleafs in exchange for Luke Scott and a 7th round draft choice. "We felt the need to upgrade that spot in our lineup after seeing what Manny did at the end of last season, and wanted to get more value out of that trade," GM Tim Farmer stated in a brief release to the press.
Magicians Add Two Big Bats to Lineup
In the last two days, the Herkimer Magicians have made significant additions to their offense by trading bottom feeders Carlos Gomez and Edgar Renteria and a couple of draft picks to acquire power hitting LF Raul Ibanez and power hitting 3B Adrian Beltre. "Adding these big bats to our lineup and giving up guys who we preferred to not keep made the most sense for us," GM Tim Farmer. "The acquisition of Raul will allow us to move Nate McLouth back to center field and use Mike Cameron as a defensive replacement and occasional outfielder."
Magicians Near A Managerial Hire???
There have been rumblings that the Magicians have turned to science again for their new manager. Rumors have swirled that the live interviews have failed in their quest to find an adequate manager, so the talk around the water cooler is that they may turn to cloning DNA to hire their new manager. One name that seems to always be floating around is Billy Martin, but the team would not confirm nor deny this rumor. More news as an announcement comes.
Magicians Add Hall of Fame Shortstop
The Herkimer Magicians have decided that 3B Paul Molitor was going to be easier to replace, so the team has announced an 8 year contract with Hall of Fame SS/CF Robin Yount. "After looking at the rookies and seeing what was available in trades, we decided that acquiring a shortstop now was better than trying to find one later," Owner/GM Tim Farmer stated in a press release. It is believed that the Magicians may make a move for a third baseman before the draft, and it is now expected that SS Edgar Renteria will either be traded or left unprotected in the expansion or free agent drafts.
Magicians Announce Coaching Staff for 2009
Thanks to cryogenics, the Herkimer Magicians have announced a deal that will bring Ted Williams to the franchise to be their new hitting coach. "We believe in the science of cryogenics, and who better to have as your hitting coach than the greatest hitter who ever lived?" GM/Owner Tim Farmer stated in a press release. "We hope that Williams can give his knowledge to everyone on the team to bring us up from the 13th best offense in the league." The team also announced that they have hired Tim Raines as the new third base coach and Bobby Grich as the new first base coach. A replacement for manager has not been determined yet but interviews are ongoing.
Magicians 2009 Preview
It's never too early to look at next season, so well, here goes. UPDATED TO INCLUDE HALL OF FAME DRAFT AND TRADES
Rotation: While not loaded with name guys, the Magicians starting rotation looks like it could be solid. The top four starters combined for a 52-38 record, all with ERA's under 4.00. They will be Carlos Zambrano, Jair Jurrjens, Jesse Litsch, and Kevin Slowey. The Magicians staff would have been better had they not dealt Mike Pelfrey and Jon Lester for K-Rod, but I digress. Doug Davis (6-8, 4.32 ERA, 146 IP) and Zach Miner (8-5, 4.27 ERA, 118 IP) will help fill in gaps, however they will need help in the draft. Grade: C+
Bullpen: This bullpen will probably be the best in the league next season. It's loaded with closers from both the right and left side, led by record breaking closer Francisco Rodriguez (2-3, 62 saves, 2.24 ERA, 1.28 WHIP). The depth of the pen means that Kerry Wood (5-4, 34 saves, 3.26 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) and Brian Fuentes (1-5, 30 saves, 2.73 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) will be relegated to setup men, and Ryan Madson (4-2, 1 save, 3.05 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) will fill in the sixth and seventh inning. One question that remains is will Jon Rauch (4-8, 18 saves, 4.14 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) be the 20th man protected, or will the Magicians draft another reliever to fill the rest of the bullpen? Grade: A+
Catcher: After a year of Jason Kendall's ineptness, the Magicians are expected to let him go to the draft and go with youngsters Chris Iannetta and Mike Napoli. The two young studs combined for 560 ABs, 38 HR and 114 RBI. Very solid numbers for two young guys. They will have to draft at least one more catcher, if not two, to have enough at bats. Grade: B-
First Base: One of the steadiest players in the game, MVP candidate Justin Morneau will continue to anchor the Magicians offense in 2009. He comes into the year with a .300 average, 23 HRs, and 129 RBI, and will most likely fill the #3 hole in the lineup. Grade: B+
Second Base: After a disappointing 2008 season with the Magicians after being acquired early in the season, Dan Uggla looks to rebound and help this offense from its doldrums. He comes in as the team's home run leader with 32, while hitting .260/.360/.514 with 92 RBI. Most likely the #4 or #5 hitter in 2009. Grade: B
Shortstop: Hall of Famer Robin Yount. A two time MVP with eligibility in center field as well. Rafael Furcal (.357/.439/.573 in 143 ABs) will be the top pinch hitter for the Magicians this year. A huge upgrade over what would have been Edgar Renteria. Grade: A+
Third Base: After signing SS Robin Yount, the Magicians made a trade to acquire Adrian Beltre to man the hot corner. A former Gold Glove 3B, his power bat (.266, 25 HR, 77 RBI) will be a welcome addition to the Magicians lineup. Not as good as Paul Molitor, but very solid. Grade: B+
Left Field: The Magicians wasted very little time adding more power, acquiring LF Raul Ibanez from the Cloverleafs one day after signing Yount and trading for Beltre. Another solid bat to add to their lineup, Ibanez comes to the Magicians bringing with him averages of .293/.358/.479 with 23 HR and 110 RBI. A very underrated hitter throughout his career, he should thrive in the middle of the Magicians lineup. Grade: A-
Center Field: After a couple of trades, and after taking a lot of criticism during the draft last year, Nate McLouth will be manning center field this season. McLouth brought his potential to full power, breaking out with an all-star season, hitting .276/.356/.497 with 26 HR, 94 RBI, and 23 steals, making him the likely #2 hitter next season. Mike Cameron will fill in on defense and could spell McLouth occasionally. Grade: B+
Right Field: The team recently upgraded this position as well, adding slugger Jermaine Dye to the fold. Dye brings a lot of power and experience to this team, and is a potential MVP candidate in 2008. Dye hit .292/.344/.541 with 34 HR and 96 RBI. With this upgrade, Grade: A-
All in all, the team will need to make some improvements in the draft but look poised to build for the future.
