Montreal has the 17th pick in the 1995 draft. Would like to pick up a pitcher but it's unlikely any starters with any real value will be available at that spot.

In the first round, Montreal selects a young infielder named Edgardo Alfonzo. It's unclear where he will play in the big leagues but has some experience at 2B, 3B, and even at SS.

There is little doubt that the front office is targeting a pitcher for their second round (and final) pick.

Though the club seems to have a deep bullpen with Rick Aguilera, Bob Wickman, and Robb Nen on board, the Spectres grab another late-inning relief prospect in Eddie Guardado. It never hurts to have extra bodies out there.

1995 preview:

After winning 100 games in 1994, the Spectres had some bad luck during the offseason. Perennial All Star Ken Griffey Jr. suffered a broken wrist and will likely miss at least half the season. In addition, rotation member Joe Hesketh (13-3 in 1994) has decided to retire, leaving a hole in the rotation. Also leaving the baseball world is reliever Tom Edens.

In addition, Scott Sanders, another rotation member in '94 (16-7) is having some discomfort in his elbow and may move to the bullpen.

The rotation's top three is set with Alex Fernandez, Chuck Finley, and Scott Erickson. The identity of the other starters is a mystery and may be answered by a committee. Dave Burba, who disappointed as a setup man last season, will likely get a shot at starting. Little-used Willie Blair will also be given an opportunity to prove himself with regular work. It's possible that Burba, Blair and Sanders will split up the starting duties required after the Big Three.

The offense will certainly suffer without Griffey Jr. unless some other players can show improvement. While Eddie Murray looked a bit slow in '94, he spent the offseason on an extensive workout program and looks rejuvenated this spring. OF Jay Buhner looks like he's found a power stroke, and 3B Ken Caminiti may be ready to make some strides as well.

It should be a tough division race again for the NL East crown; Montreal's hopes lie mainly with the pitching. The bullpen needs to be better than it was last season, and the rotation puzzle needs to be put together effectively.

1995 begins!

Montreal will start the season on the West Coast, visiting San Diego.

Game 1: Scott Erickson gets the start and puts the Spectres in a 2-0 hole after two batters, as Greg Jeffries hits a two-run homer. Erickson settles down after that and allows only one more run (driven in by Jeffries, of course) before exiting with the Spectres down 3-1. That's still the score after eight when Mel Rojas enters to close out the game... except things don't quite work out that way. Randy Velarde reaches on an error to lead off and advances on a wild pitch. A walk to Karkovice and a single by pinch hitter Edgardo Alfonzo load the bases. Brady Anderson draws a walk to make it a one-run game, and Tony Phillips gives Montreal the lead with a two-run single. Pat Mahomes relieves Rojas and allows an RBI single to Eddie Murray before striking out Jay Buhner for the first out. Ken Caminiti then commits San Diego's second error of the inning, bringing an insurance run home, and Bret Boone hits a ground-rule double. Randy Velarde follows with another double and the Spectres lead 9-3. San Diego scores twice in the bottom half but the Spectres have a thrilling 9-5 win on Opening Day.

Game 2: AAA prospect Earl Schlegel pitches great in his first major league appearance, allowing only four hits and no walks in six innings. He allows only one run, and the score is tied at one after six. Eddie Taubensee pinch hits for Schlegel in the seventh and hits a two-run homer to give Montreal the lead. The score stays that way until the bottom of the ninth, as Rick Aguilera is given the chance to win the closer's job back from Robb Nen. Aguilera retires the first two hitters, then allows consecutive doubles to Ed Sprague and Alex Rodriguez. Danny Sheaffer's single follows, chasing Aguilera from the game with a 3-3 score. Eddie Guardado enters and faces Rickey Henderson... BOOM. Henderson homers, San Diego evens the series with a dramatic 5-3 win.

Game 3: Willie Blair looks good in his first start, allowing one run in six innings, and Ron Karkovice goes crazy at the plate, with two home runs, a double, and six RBI. Montreal takes the series with an 11-2 win. Scott Sanders throws the last three innings to earn a save.

The Spectres' home opener will be against Chicago. The Bootleggers are 2-1.

go spinctres!

Game 4: Chuck Finley takes the mound for the Home Opener and promptly allows a two-run homer to John Olerud. Montreal gets one back in the bottom half, but the score remains 2-1 through the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, two walks and a seeing-eye single load the bases. Randy Velarde, pinch hitting for Finley, laces a two-run double to to give the Spectres a lead. Tony Phillips follows two batters later with a two-run single. Robb Nen allows a two-run homer to Paul O'Neill in the eighth, but Montreal gets those runs back when Jay Buhner and Greg Gagne go yard in the bottom half. Rick Aguilera allows a single run in the ninth but ends up with a save in the 7-5 win.

Game 5: Alex Fernandez wins his first start of the year, allowing only one run in eight innings, as the spectres beat Chicago 8-1. Eddie Murray has four hits and Greg Gagne drives in three runs. Jay Buhner hits his second home run.

Game 6: Montreal takes an early 4-1 lead, but new starter Dave Burba tires in the fourth and eventually surrenders the ball to a very ineffective bullpen. The teams trade blows for a while but Chicago ends up on top, 9-8, when the smoke has cleared. Eddie Guardado and Scott Sanders allow 5 runs in 1.2 innings of work.

Montreal heads to Los Angeles to face the Looters, who eliminated us in the playoffs last season.

Game 7: The "bad" Scott Erickson shows up for this one, and Manny Ramirez continues to be a one-man demolition crew. Montreal rallies for five unearned runs late, but falls short in an 8-7 loss. Eddie Guardado throws three scoreless innings in relief... his first decent outing. One hopeful sign.

Game 8: Chuck Finley throws eight shutout innings, striking out 10, and Eddie Murray drives home four as the Spectres even the series with a 6-0 win. Murray hits his first home run of the season; Ron Karkovice hits his third.

Game 9: LA's Pat Rapp is awesome, Montreal's Willie Blair and Bob Wickman not so much, and the Looters prove that the Spectres still have some ground to make up as they win the finale, 7-2.

Montreal will host Orange County next (Atlanta has relocated).

Game 10: Alex Fernandez allows three hits and three walks in the third inning, leading to four Chopper runs and an early exit. The bottom half of the Spectre lineup does nothing, and the Spectres drop a 7-2 decision to open the series.

Game 11: Montreal rallies late, scoring three in the seventh, and Rick Aguilera pitches a clean inning, as the Spectres take the second game, 4-2. Bob Wickman gets the win in relief.

Game 12: Greg Gagne has three hits, but the rest of the Spectres are substantially less successful against Orange County's Ismael Valdez and Mariano Rivera. Orange County takes the rubber match, 6-0, and the Spectres will enter the first round of divisional play at 6-6.

Pittsburgh, tied for the division lead with New York at 8-4, will be our first stop.

Game 13: Montreal outhits Pittsburgh 8-6, but Eddie Taubensee and Edgardo Alfonzo combine to strand nine baserunners and the Melons win the opener, 4-2, beating Chuck Finley.

Game 14: Willie Blair can't retire a batter in the third inning, allowing two two-run homers before leaving, and the Melons roll to a 9-4 win.

Game 15: As usual, Sid Fernandez baffles the Montreal batters, but Alex Fernandez is up to the challenge. Alex throws a complete game shutout and Ken Caminiti drives home both Montreal runs in a 2-0 win.

Game 16: Montreal outhits Pittsburgh again but falls short in the win column as the Melons get three RBI from Tony Tarasco in a 7-4 win. Bret Boone is 0-5 with three strikeouts and eight men stranded. Dave Burba pitches poorly and gets the loss in his first decision of the year.

Montreal, reeling at 7-9, heads to Philadelphia.

Game 17: Eddie Guardado's career is not off to such a good start. He allows eight runs in the eighth inning to allow Philly to tie the game, then inexplicably is allowed to take the mound in the ninth. He allows the first two runners to reach base, Rick Aguilera FINALLY enters, he allows a sacrifice fly and the Keystones take the opener in dramatic fashion, erasing a 7-2 deficit to win 8-7. Guardado's ERA is 11.45.

Game 18: Philly's Charles Nagy has no problem with the free-swinging Spectres, walking only one batter in eight innings and starting a three-run rally in the third with an RBI single. The Keystones win, 4-2.

Game 19: It's Felipe Lira's turn to drop his ERA today, as he limits Montreal to three hits over seven innings in a game the Keystones win, 6-1.

Game 20: Montreal scores twice in the first, nearly matching their offensive output in the previous two games, but it's only a mirage. Steve Sparks shuts them out after that, pitching a complete game for his first win of the season as the Keystones rally for a 3-2 win over Alex Fernandez. Montreal is swept by Philly and in last place at 7-13.

Interleague play is next as the Spectres face Detroit, then Chicago.

man, this is a long post

Game 21: Consecutive errors by the Facerockers and an improbably two-run single by starting pitcher Dave Burba help propel the Spectres to their first win in six games, 3-2. Robb Nen gets the win in relief and Bob Wickman gets his first save.

Game 22: Tony Phillips moves to the leadoff spot in an attempt to spark the offense, and in his first at bat there he homers. Scott Erickson, however, surrenders three in the first inning and two more in the second; Montreal never recovers and drops the rematch with Detroit 7-4.

Game 23: Ken Caminiti hits a three-run homer in the seventh inning, and that holds up despite a shaky performance from Robb Nen as the Spectres beat Chicago 5-3.

Game 24: Willie Blair throws five shutout innings, but the Spectre bullpen is wholly ineffective and the unlikely Roger Pavlik strikes out 10 in throwing a complete game victory for the White Sox, who even the series by a 7-1 score.

Breaking even in this interleague stretch is better than the Spectres have done against NL competition; hopefully they can build on that as they finish the first stretch of divisional play with a visit from 18-6 New York.

Game 25: Alex Fernandez gets back on track, throwing a complete game, four-hit shutout. Greg Gagne's two-run single in the first provides all the runs Fernandez needs; Montreal adds a run in the fourth and wins 3-0. Fernandez doesn't issue a walk in beating the Cosmos.

Game 26: Dave Burba throws five scoreless innings, Montreal draws two bases-loaded walks in the fifth, and the bullpen manages to hold a lead for a change as the Spectres beat New York 9-1. It's Burba's first win of the season.

Game 27: The Spectres had some hope that Scott Erickson would be at least mediocre this season, but so far that has been a false hope. Erickson drops to 0-4, surrendering 11 hits in six innings, as the Cosmos take the third game, 6-3. Brady Anderson hits a pinch hit homer for Montreal, his first longball of the season.

Game 28: Montreal wins its first series since the second series of the season, beating New York 3-2 in the finale. Jay Buhner's three-run homer in the fourth proves to be enough for Chuck Finley, who improves to 4-2. Rick Aguilera throws a scoreless ninth, earning his fourth save and dropping his ERA below 5.00.

The next round of interleague play will see Montreal face Kansas City and the New York Diamonds.

Game 29: Kansas City gets some timely hitting and four scoreless innings from their bullpen as they win at Montreal, 7-4, despite falling into a 3-0 hole after the first inning. Montreal's bullpen struggles again and the Spectres fall to 12-17.

Game 30: Bob Wickman has another meltdown, allowing three runs in the eighth, and the Spectres are swept by KC in a 6-5 decision. Wickman's ERA jumps to 6.00. Rick Aguilera hits a two-run homer in the ninth but Ken Caminiti and Jay Buhner each strikes out with two men on to end the threat.

Game 31: The Diamonds blast four home runs, two by Tim Salmon, and rough up Dave Burba in a 16-5 blowout. Montreal manages only five hits total.

Game 32: Scott Erickson looks like a major league pitcher for the first time this season, limiting the Diamonds to two runs over eight innings, and the offense does just enough to reward him with his first win, 4-2.

We're headed to the West Coast to face San Francisco.