In a subdued press conference, almost beyond notice, one of the OTBA’s all-time greats quickly announced his retirement on this dark, autumn afternoon. James Ridinger bid the baseball world adieu adieu from his hometown of Montreal. No tears, no pomp, no circumstance. Like the man, it was plain spoken, right to the point. “Sorry to have intruded on your day, but I must announce that as of today I no longer play professional baseball. Only with my children do I play. I want to thank the fans in Mildenhall and Brooklyn for their amazing support. God bless.” And with that he turned and left.

Ridinger preferred the low-key approach. Few fans probably realize this is the man who now holds OTBA all-time records for complete games with an unheard of 116 for the modern era, and shutouts with 28. Fans will probably also be shocked to learn Ridinger is the third winningest pitcher in OTBA history with 265 wins. However I am sure most fans know he won the Ryan Award in ‘27 with one of the greatest seasons in league history. He also has two World Series rings and was a key part of leading Mildenhall to its first 100 win season ever and first division title in a decade, at the tender age of 40. Not many 40-year olds have been better than Ridinger’s 16-6 record, 2.94 ERA, and more than a 50 Value Over Replacement rating.

And probably even fewer fans know Ridinger may have left $20 million sitting on the table when he retired. Mildenhall management refused to comment, but reports are the club held an option in that neighborhood to bring the diminutive Canadian back for an encore performance. One could only surmise two title rings, a Ryan, and a handful of all-time records are enough to satisfy any man for his life’s work. Then again James Ridinger isn’t just any man.

NASHVILLE ARMS ITSELFTeam surprises many with trade for De la Cruzby I. R. Pizzd, staff writer
This was a trade that no one saw coming.
And I’m the beat writer for this team.
The Nashville Apostles send stud pitching prospect Jorge Delgado and two second round draft picks to Minneapolis for star pitcher Antonio De La Cruz and cash.  Cruz, 26, won 19 games last year for the Beerman and has a career 3.14 ERA in 150 starts.
Given the new ownership of the Nashville team a deal such as this shouldn’t be surprising in itself.  The surprising factor is that no one believed the team would trade a promising young arm and two high level draft picks for another pitcher when the consensus of the writers following the league is that Nashville would be lucky to break .500 this year.
“It was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” team owner Jason Wert told reporters outside the stadium after the deal was announced.  ”Antonio is a brilliant pitcher and he will be able to take some pressure from John McCoy.  It will also allow us to send Jorge Aguilar back to triple A to let him get a few more starts under his belt before coming back to the club.  It’s a deal that is good for the long term future of the team regardless of how many wins it brings us.”
The addition of De La Cruz suddenly gives Nashville a 1-2 punch at the top of the pitching rotation that is as good as any in the OTBA.
“I’m glad he’s here,” McCoy said.  ”I’m sorry to see Jorge go since I thought we would be teammates for a long time but there’s no doubt in my mind I can learn great things from Antonio.  I know he’s only 26 but he has a lot of experience at the big league level which will help me grow and develop.”
De La Cruz is expected to make his Nashville debut on the road tomorrow night at Stockholm.

“This One’s For Nashville”
Bloomington management admit part of new deal isn’t for current city
By I.P. Offen, sports columnist

I guess it was a matter of time.

The Bloomington Beavers made a trade today with Springfield.  No, the matter of time was not because the new Bloomington ownership made a deal with their old team…it’s because this trade contained a component the management admits is solely because of their impending move to Nashville.

“The acquisition of outfielder Kyoden Kubo is entirely because of our move to Nashville,” owner Jason Wert admitted to this reporter.

The furor around the newsroom was intense during the owner’s admission that a deal had been struck that wasn’t aimed at improving the team for this season.

“The main thrust of the deal was Martinez who once off the DL will give us some good innings late in the year,” Wert said.  “We think he will be a key piece of our rotation for years to come.  While Cole (Davis, outfielder) is a promising young talent we have such a glut in the outfield that he wouldn’t have had much playing time.  If anything, this deal is going to help him get a shot at being a major leaguer.”

I asked Wert if there is a glut in the outfield why he would demand that Kubo, a journeyman minor league outfielder, be the centerpiece of the deal.

“Barbecue,” Wert said.

I proceeded to ask the obvious question Wert was wanting me to ask.

“I drafted Kubo years ago with the old team,” Wert said.  “He had outstanding ratings, lots of promise and real problem with Jack Daniels.  One summer night in his second year I was on my yearly tour of the minor leagues when I hit the Nixa club during an off-day.  Kubo was cooking the best barbecue I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

I asked what that had to do with baseball.

“We’re obviously moving to the south,” Wert said.  “Barbecue in the south is on par with air and water.  You have to have it, you have to have it good and you have to expect nothing less than the best.  Well, I can say without any hesitation that Kubo’s barbecue is the best I’ve ever eaten.  I think other folks will say that same thing.”

“So you traded him for his barbecue?”

“Yes,” Wert said.  “Look, the kid hit the sauce, dove down some stairs loaded and jacked up his ribs.  He lost his power, he lost his swing and he just keeps hanging on because he hasn’t gotten it through his head that he won’t be a major league ball player.  I kept him around when I was with the old club because it meant I had reason to invite him out to cook that manna from heaven for parties.”

“Does Kubo know this is why you traded for him?”

“He’ll know soon enough,” Wert said.  “I’m surprised that the new regime in the old house kept him around to this point.  I don’t think they knew about the food.”

“So he has no future as a player?”

“No,” Wert said.  “He does, however, have a place just beyond the left field wall where the new stadium will be housing Kyoden’s Kub-O-Cue.  The best food in any ballpark anywhere.  Maybe we’ll have him do a cookout for the last game of the season this year.”

BEAVERS TRY TO GO OUT WINNERS
New ownership’s changes show immediate impact
by I.P. Freely, staff writer

“At least they’re not mailing it in since they’re moving,” Andy McQueef said as he and his family were leaving Bloomington Park following the team’s 10-5 win over Maryville.  “I was really afraid they wouldn’t even try to win since they were leaving town.”

That was the sentiment of many Beavers fans interviewed by this reporter.  Since the team announced they would be moving to Nashville next season attendance has been down but quality of play has been up.  Prior to the ownership being able to have the team on the field they wanted due to missed trade connections and other problems, the team was 18-37.  Since the new ownership had control, the team has been 19-20.  It’s the best stretch for the team since the 2023 season.

“It’s like a whole new attitude in the clubhouse,” ace Robby Brooks said.  “The new ownership expects winning but they know the situation we’re in.  We know we have a long way to go.  Ending up at .500 would be an accomplishment for us.”

“I’m sad to see them go,” nine year old Igor Stravinsky said, “But I like to see them win.”

There have already been signs of the team’s impending departure.  The publicity and marketing departments have already relocated.  The scouting department is in the process of moving.  Still, the new ownership isn’t going to allow a lapse on the field.

“This team will play hard and play to win,” team owner Jason Wert said.  “We expect the best for every fan that buys a ticket however little that may be.”

Tickets for the rest of the Maryville series are available as they are for every other series left this season.

OTBA Beaverless In 2029

by I.M. Apigg, staff writer

It was something that the few remaining Beavers fans knew was coming when the franchise was sold.  The team is going to be packing up and heading for a new field of dreams.  The new ownership of the team announced that starting with the 2019 season, the team will be heading south to Nashville, Tennessee.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t seen the support of the business community we had hoped to find when the franchise was purchased,” team owner Jason Wert told reporters.  “Attendance has been down the last three years and it doesn’t look like it will be picking up any time soon.   Relocation was something that was foremost in our mind but the Bloomington area really didn’t give us a compelling reason to stay.”

Wert, the former Springfield owner who returned to the league after a leadership change in the league office, announced the team would be named the Nashville Watchmen.  They unveiled a black, white and grey logo.

“It has nothing to do with the book or the movie,” Wert said.  “Although it does embody a bit of the spirit of people watching out for each other and protecting each other.”

The team also announced that all the minor league franchises will be changing locations as well.

“We felt it was time for a new day for the entire organization from top to bottom,” Wert said.

The new minor league teams will be the Louisville (KY) Patriots in AAA, Birmingham (AL) Night Stalkers in AA, Knoxville (TN) Cooks in A and the High Point (NC) Missions in the rookie league.

“The team’s in serious financial troubles,” Wert said.  “We hope to be able to build a competitive team before the 2034 or 2035 seasons.  Given the state of the club, it will be a real stretch to bring a winning team before them.  We’re thankful Nashville is so open to being a part of the rebuilding process.”

In the wake of a disastrous 2026 season the Mildenhall Baseball Club did what all teams do when facing the abyss, they went into rebuilding mode.  And for the third time in franchise history they have emerged in two seasons or less as perhaps the OTBA’s most improbable playoff team.  Last season’s club tried to hang on with veterans Mike Saffold, Mike Wootton, Freddie Urbano and suffered utter failure with 76 wins.  Realizing the loyalty to aging stars was misplaced, team management made the controversial decision to jettison so many fan favorites.  Urbano’s option on his hefty eight-digit salary was not exercised by the club.  Saffold and his $15M plus salary was sent packing for a mid-level minor league prospect.  And injury cursed, all-time R-Jay great Wootton’s contract was bought out for what is rumoured to be in the neighborhood of $30M.  Club coffers were drained to rid itself of aging talent.  It was a huge fiscal risk that has proven easily correct.

In their place, the team reduced overall starting lineup age to a mere 24.8 years.  Rookies now abound at catcher (Tony Diaz), second base (Dillon Deal), shortstop (Miguel Ventura), and left field (Ramon Espinosa).  And second year players also occupy center field (John Burks) and right field (Mario Orosco).  In fact, the team is so young that improbably as it may seem, the team’s two most veteran players, Tony Williams and MVP candidate Artie Dickinson, are both just 26-years old.  At just 27, sophomore Orosco is the oldest regular player in the lineup. 

The team had tried to beef up it’s veteran presence with free agent signing Lincoln Henry.  That experiment failed, and club’s fortunes soared when Henry and rookie Espinosa swapped placed back in June.  Since that move the club has the league’s second best record at 66-43.  Espinosa taking over leadoff duties seems to have been the critical move that got this team to click.  Orosco was having a horrible time before the move, but had 23 homers (in 336 at bats) and has hit .295 since Espinosa’s callup.

On the pitching side second-year man Doug Gray has old-time fans reminiscing about Herb Witherington with his gorgeous curveball.  Veteran southpaw Angel Agosto has been rejuvenated with his first 15-win season in five years.  Veteran FA pickup Willy Hall overcame a rocky start to provide an expected strong, steady presence in the middle of the rotation.  The biggest surprise of the staff however was easily Rule 5 pickup Will Webster and his 13 wins.  The club was hoping for a decent 5-man when they grabbed him and are pleasantly surprised to find they have one of the better #4’s in all of baseball.  Out of the bullpen Dale Hicks has simply been stupendous.

All the surprises aside, the club clearly owes most of its success to High Roller Artie Dickinson.  When the club was floundering in April and May it was Dickinson keeping hopes alive with his booming bat.  He never cooled off and put up Hall-of Famer Al Murillo-like numbers.  And his counterpart on the hot corner, Tony Williams, overcame a cool start to wind up with his fourth straight 100-RBI season.  Williams’ fortunes seemed to spring forth after signing a huge contract extension back in June. 

Indeed this team seems poised to be around awhile longer with closer Hicks and starter Gray also signing mega-term deals.  Rumour has it the club’s financial prospects have rebounded so strongly that they may enter into long-term negotiations with Dickinson in the offseason.

But back to business for this team.  There was no champagne laden celebration when they clinched the playoff spot.  “We haven’t won anything.  In fact, all we really accomplished was to finish third in our division,” said team GM Kurt Bevacqua.  “We have business to take care of.  I like our chances as I think we match up well with Springfield.  But they are perhaps the all-time greatest franchise and have beaten us up more than a time or two in the post season through the years.  It will be a great matchup of a young group of hitters against a great group of veteran pitchers.”

Perhaps Mildenhall has finally finished cleaning house.  At least it better have because there’s not a whole lot of furnishing left.  In yet another financially inspired move the club has dealt another one of it’s all-time greats, trading second baseman and fan favorite Michael Saffold to New Jersey for minor leaguer Roberto Lucero.

In the most obvious respect dealing Saffold makes perfect cents, dollars and cents that is.  Saffold recently renewed a personal option for 2027 believed to come in at $16M.  That move, combined with the trade of Daniel Royster to New England yesterday means the team saved almost $20M.  Indeed, Mildenhall’s fiscal makeover is staggering.  The club had a payroll of some $92M last year, it is believed they are now down to under $35M, probably the lowest payroll in club history.

Saffold is a big fan favorite and one of the club’s all-time greats.  At 34 he still managed to lead the team in batting last year at .302.  Saffold is a career .299 batter with a career OPS of .800.  He’s also a five-time all-star, a gold glove winner, a World Series ring winner with the club, and many R-Jay fans felt he was robbed of the 2021 MVP award.  Saffold himself seemed phlegmatic.  “It’s a business.  I’m going to a team in a situation much like Mildenhall.  They are a young, rebuilding team, but a franchise with a proud history.  Hopefully I can be a leader for them like I was here.  It’s never easy when you’ve spent your whole career with a team.  But I can look back proudly at the great things we accomplished here.  Mildenhall will always be in my heart,” said the classy veteran.

GM Kurt Bevacqua defended the moves.  “We have a lot of talent down on the farm that needs to get a shot.  Pedro Lujan, Ivan Lopez, and Miguel Ventura all need a shot at the middle infield.  And I won’t deny the financial aspect of all this.  But the fans shouldn’t be too worried.  We now have plenty of money to go shopping with.  There are some quality free agents out there and we intend to be a player.  I think the fans will be happy with the direction this is heading.  I’ve done two rebuilding jobs for this franchise before, and both times we emerged after just two bad seasons and eventually won world titles.  I believe we are on track for the same plan again.  I don’t thik we’ll be all that terrible this season either.  But have some faith in us.  We had a great draft last year and we are restocking very nicely.  We’ll be back, that’s a promise.”

Reliever Roberto Lucero, the young man obtained in the Saffold deal, has had excellent results in the minors.  Last season he saved 19 games between A and AA ball.

Reliever Jorge Martinez was picked up in the Royster deal.  Club officials are very excited about the left handed 25-year old Martinez.  He saved 31 games with a 1.71 ERA in AA last season and some feel he may be big league ready now.

Report Card for Beermen

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
October 29, 2026

Well, it wasn’t a good year for the Minneapolis Beermen and their fans.  After twenty odd years out of the playoffs, the fans have enjoyed being back in the playoff picture in 2024 and 2025.  They expected to be there in 2026.  But sub-par play in April, May, and July doomed them to second place in the division with too few wins to challenge for a wild card berth.  Let’s grade the players on their performances in 2026:

First Base:
Chris Downing: B+. Ironman played every game, splitting time between first and the DH slot.  Hit a very respectable .296 with 20 home runs and 88 knocked in, but he lacks defensive skills
Henry Bailey: B+.  Hit .296 after his call-up after mid-season and was in the lineup at first everyday down the stretch when the team played better.

Second Base:
Tyler Funk: C. He played about as expected with a .238 average.  He’s solid defensively and stole 29 bases.
Felipe Perez: F. Failed to hit and ended up back in AAA.  He hasn’t met limited potential.

Shortstop:
Ed Gutierrez: B+. Team leader and two-time Aaron award winner had respectable but not spectacular year.  More will be expected now that he signed a five year contract for mega bucks.
Sam Miller: C+. Retread hit .240 and provided solid defensive infield backup. Did well considering low expectations.

Third Base:
Jose Flores: D-. Once considered a budding superstar, he hit only .206 with 10 home runs and lost his starting job down the stretch.  His career seems in jeopardy unless he turns it around next year.
Steve Connell: B. Despite fine minor league stats, no one expected much after he made his debut mid-year, but he won the starting job in August and hit .281.  Still must prove he is a long-range solution.

Outfield:
Sang Higgins: A. After a miserable debut in Minneapolis in 2025, he turned it around with a .300 year that included 110 RBIs.  Alas, he is headed for free agency to seek $26+ million a year.
Earl Wynkoop: B+. 22 homers and 66 stolen bases highlighted his .277 season which saw him play 160 games.  Led off most of the year but would be better in the middle of the order if a lead-off hitter can be found.
Gerry Hoffman: B-. Improved over the prior year and contributed 30 home runs, but more is expected of him, especially next year with Higgins gone.
Brent Bullock: D. Part timer hit only .221 in his rookie campaign and needs to step it up dramatically to win a starting job.
Mark Morrison: D+.  Fell off significantly after a fine rookie campaign.  He must rebound from the sophomore jinx to stay on the team.

Catcher:
Roberto Cruz: C. After a blazing start, he leveled off and ended up hitting .238 in his first year in Minneapolis and lost the stating job in August.  Might be relegated to backup role or dealt.
Dan Robinson: B+.  Rookie started slowly but improved on a daily basis and was the started by year end.  Much is expected next year.

Rotation:
Rick Morales: A+. Won 20 games for the first time, sported a nifty 2.71 ERA, and struck out over 250 batters.  He is clearly the ace of the staff at age 27.
Jose Egozcue: A. 17-13, 3.66.  Six complete games and two shutouts.  He’s very reliable.
Tony De la Cruz: B. 11-10 mark belies his effectiveness.  3.05 ERA.  Has the potential at age 22 to become a star.
Julio Contreras: B-.  Usually dependable starter but his ERA shot up to 4.77 by year end.  He is showing signs of slipping although he’s only 28.
Paul Gilmore: B-. Rookie looked good at times but was not consistent.  He needs to become more dependable to assure a starting role.
Shayne Canfield: D. He missed the last third of the season to injury.  He definitely lost effectiveness after winning 34 games in the prior two years and has been released.

Bullpen:
Adamar Lagario: A. Closer got the job done with another 30+ saves and a fine ERA.  A rock in the pen with 115 saves in three years, already number three on all-time Beerman list and he’s only 23 years old.
Daniel Robertson: C. Dependable starter over the past three seasons, moved to the pen when he started to loss effectiveness.  Performed OK but wasn’t happy.  Outrageous salary demands insure hi ticket to free agency.
Alonso Ramirez: B. He usually gets the job done in middle relief.  At age 26, he should be around for a long time.
Alberto Gonzalez: B. He had a very consistent year in mainly used as the set-up man for Lagario but he wants to be the closer and that won’t happen.
Jim Girouard: C-. He didn’t live up to his prior two years’ potential and saw limited action, but he doesn’t complain.
Antonio Alvarado: B+. 36-year-old just keeps rolling along.  Very effective the past two seasons with WHIP less than 1.00.
James Stanley: C. Improving 24-year-old looked OK in September cup of coffee in the bigs.  Probably will be a Beerman next year.
Randall Dow: C-. Drafted ahead of Stanley, his star has faded a bit and he pitched only 14 innings, but it’s too soon to give up on him.

Financials:
A.  Team has totally turned around the financial outlook in the past four years and outlook is rosy:

o  Regular season attendance progression (in millions): 2.3, 3.0, 3.2, 3.4
o  Player salary budget progression (in millions): $69.7, $66.4, $71.8, $78.4 ($84.6 next year)
o  Cash on hand progression (in millions): $1.6, $20.2, $29.7, $37.3 ($37.4 next year)

It’s time to put all the flowery rhetoric and false optimism aside, roll up the sleeves, and figure out the most efficient way to make Mildenhall a contender again.  Logically that assumes everyone accepts the hard fact that Mildenhall no longer is a contender.  Fans and supporters have been spoiled for two decades.  Oh there have been a few down years.  2006-2007, 2013-2014, and 2020 all come to mind.  But the club managed to retool itself into a contender every time in two seasons or less.  The harsh reality is this time around the turnaround is unlikely to be so swift.  And if management believes it can spend itself into contention things may only get worse.

Early indications are the team realizes the scope of its problems and is prepared to make unpopular decisions for the sake of best preparing the club for future success.  Indeed stallwart veteran Freddie Urbano was told his $12M option for 2027 will not be picked up by the club.  That’s 83 career wins allowed to walk, but importantly allowed to walk unpaid.  So that trims next seasons payroll down to a smidge under 70 mil.

Now comes the really hard part.  What to do about Michael Wootton and Mike Saffold.  Combined the two all-stars are due over $30M next season with Wootton owed an additional $15M the following season.  That’s nearly 50% of next season’s payroll tied up in two players.  While Saffold appears to still be an all-star caliber player, Wootton seems to have little to nothing left in his tank after last season’s horrible injury.  His astounding sub-.700 OPS gives ample evidence the 29-year old has seen better days.

On the positive side the club netted over $6M this season.  Considering the team already has maxed out its cash reserves as mandated by OTBA rules, that’s $6M the team will hold until the end of the World Series.  Then anything still left above and beyond the cash reserve max is reinvested into league coffers.  The Mildenhall club has shown altruistic tendencies to the community, however it seems unlikely such courtesies will be so readily granted to the league offices.  So there’s a $6M discount on any buyout that must be exercised in the next couple of weeks.

So Saffold could be let go to the tune of $10M or Wootton could be gone for $24M.  $10M would be a pretty easy blow to absorb for the sake of freeing cap room, but $24M would be a big hit to cash reserves, taking the club down below the $15M mark.  The franchise hasn’t been so poor in 20 years.  But for a 20% discount can they really dismiss the idea?  Saffold still hit over .300, scored 92 runs, and drew 76 walks.  He’s still a productive player.  He’d make a great DH in that other league.  Wootton though, is a pale shadow of his former self.  Sentimentality needs to go out the door.  John Burks stepped in and played very well as a rookie leadoff hitter.  His production certainly rated a grade or two higher than Wootton.

Buying out Wootton or Saffold reduces the team’s salary cap to under $55M next season.  Saffold is in his last year so will not count against a 2028 cap, Wootton still will.  The club is running out of pitching.  Urbano is gone, Cels Hermosillo and Ray Holliday appear headed for free agency.  The team has needs, and needs to shed payroll to fill them.  But losing a once certain hall of fame player and paying so much money up front makes an seemingly obvious decision not quite so obvious.  One thing is for sure, the team is not going to be good in 2027, and it’s probably not going so great in 2028 either.  But perhaps the time to trim some overpaid fat is better spent now when the course can be righted early than later, when the barrel may have already run over the falls.  The choice is actually pretty simple.  Suck it up and pay $24M now or pay $30M over the course of the next two years.

You know that when you are writing one of those articles talking about how great a ball club’s rookies are playing it’s a sure sign that team is having a horrible year.  And as this writer trumps the Mildenhall rookies that rule is definitely holding true again.  Mildenhall is having a horrible season currently at nine games below .500, and as such is finding plenty of opportunities for young players to prove themselves.  Fortunately for the club the youngsters are holding their end up of the deal just fine.

First and foremost is 25-year old rookier hurler Doug Gray.  At 13-7 Gray has been superb, establishing himself as the clubs best pitcher and its first real homegrown starter since Angel Agosto broke through in 2018.   Gray is leading the club in wins, strikeouts, and ERA.  He also has made 77 percent quality starts and is easily the best rookie pitcher in the Kuffrey League. 

The next serious Rookie of the Year candidate is right fielder Mario Orosco .  Orosco was the league’s top rookie in June and is among the league’s rookie leaders in homeruns, RBIs, and slugging.  He is on pace to hit between 25-30 homeruns this season and the club is really looking forward to what the Wisconsin native can do as he continues to grow.

Another young outfielder making his mark is centerfielder John Burks.  Burks has turned into a solid leadoff hitter with a .320 average, .777 OPS, and 36 steals.  Burks has been a surprise replacement for Michael Wootton as Wootton tries dealing with the career threatening injury that took him down late last season.  At present it appears Burks is now the man in center as the former superstar Wootton tries to recover what is left of his career.

Another late blooming rookie is reliever Michael von Heyne.  von Heyne has been a pleasant surprise for the club with his solid middle inning support, 3.13 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP.  von Heyne was looking like a career minor leaguer when losses in free agency necessitated his call to the big club where he hasn’t dissappointed. 

Left fielder John Fletcher shouldn’t be overlooked either.  An injury has kept Fletcher out since mid-June, but before he went down he was sporting a respectable .817 OPS and slugging at .497.  The club is hoping Fletcher can return at some point in September to finish out the year.