1996 Preview

Offense

Despite Eddie Murray's amazing '95 season, the Spectres felt it unwise to give him the multi-year deal he sought, and he has the team. Third-year player Carlos Delgado will be his replacement at first base. Delgado has little chance of duplicating Murray's production this season but the club projects him as a potential 35-homer guy down the road.

There is a player on the roster who may challenge Murray's numbers, however. Centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr. is back to full health after missing half of '95 with a broken wrist. Having him in the lineup every day will be a godsend.

At catcher, Eddie Taubensee has displaced Ron Karkovice as the primary backstop. In fact, Karkovice was let go after a disappointing spring training. He'll be replaced in the catcher tandem by youngsters Jayhawk Owens and John Wehner.

The rest of the lineup is basically intact from last season. Expect to see a lot of Tony Phillips at second base, as long as the three main outfielders (Griffey Jr., Buhner, and Anderson) stay healthy. There will be a battle for playing time at shortstop between Greg Gagne, Randy Velarde, Ricky Gutierrez, and newcomer Willie Greene.

Pitching

The rotation returns from '95, with Dave Burba being given a full-time spot and Willie Blair moving to a short relief role. Eddie Guardado should be more effective, having survived a shaky rookie season, and the club hopes for a return to form from Robb Nen and Bob Wickman. Newcomer Omar Daal should help stabilize things, replacing Tony Fossas as the primary y out of the pen.



Overall, the Spectres appear to have the talent to compete for a playoff spot, but last year's disappointing performance makes it hard to have great expectations.

The season opens at San Diego.

Game 1: The season gets off to an inauspicious start when Scott Erickson allows six runs in the first inning. He settles down and lasts through the sixth, but the Spectres never quite catch up, scoring two in the ninth to narrow the gap to one run but not getting anyone on base after that. Ken Griffey Jr. drives home five runs but doesn't get much help from his teammates.

Game 2: Chuck Finley also falls victim to the first inning jitters; he gives up three runs in that frame, and that's enough for the Conquistadors to win as the Spectres manage only two runs on six hits. Jay Buhner and Carlos Delgado each hits a solo homer for the Spectres.

Game 3: For the third straight game, the Montreal starter gets crushed in the first inning. Supposed ace Alex Fernandez surrenders four in the first and three more in the second; San Diego laughs their way to a 10-2 win over the 0-3 Spectres.

Home opener is tomorrow against perennial power St. Louis.

Eddie Murray ( now in a SF uniform) cant wait to play you cheap bastards!

Game 4: Dave Burba limits St. Louis' first-inning output to a single run, but that proves to be the difference when Eddie Guardado gets blasted in the seventh inning, allowing a three-run homer to Andres Galarraga. St. Louis wins 5-4 and the Spectres fall to 0-4. Montreal draws 10 walks and has 10 hits, but clutch hitting is notably absent. Brady Anderson and Greg Gagne hit homers for the Spectres.

Game 5: Scott Erickson finally delivers the rotations' first scoreless first inning of the season, but it makes no difference in the final outcome as the Spectres are shut down by Chad Ogea and Dennis Martinez, and Tony Phillips commits two errors leading to four unearned Blue Storm runs, in a 10-0 humiliation.

Game 6: Montreal actually takes its first lead of the season in this one, but it is short-lived. Poor fielding leads to three unearned runs and Omar Daal gets lit up in the ninth, turning a close game into a 9-5 laugher.

Montreal heads to Houston, still seeking their first win.

Game 7: Montreal gets two mutiple-run homers in the same inning, a two-run shot from Brady Anderson and a three-run blast from Carlos Delgado, and competent pitching from the bullpen to finally break into the win column, 8-4 over Houston. Alex Fernandez is the lucky winner; C Jayhawk Owens gets his first hit, an RBI double.

Game 8: Montreal blows through six relief pitchers after Dave Burba walks six batters in his five innings, but wins it in the 10th, 8-6, getting a Jay Buhner home run and a Randy Velarde RBI single in that frame. Robb Nen pitches the bottom half for his first save.

Game 9: Robb Nen blows the save in the ninth, allowing an RBI single to Kevin Young, but Brady Anderson's third home run of the day, a two-run shot in the 10th, lifts Montreal to a 7-5 win. Willie Blair pitches the bottom half for his first save.

Montreal returns home to face Cincinnati.

Damn, and I was hoping to see the first 0-162 season in the CL.

Fernandez should be traded....his value may never be higher

let the Frenchie tanking begin!!!

Game 10: Wow! The full potential of the Spectre offense was realized in the opener as Montreal blasts eight home runs and 23 hits in a 28-6 rout. Jay Buhner reaches base six times, hits two homers and a double, and drives in six. Buhner, Brady Anderson, and Ken Griffey Jr. score four each; Carlos Delgado drives home five. Chuck Finley gets his first win.

Game 11: Alex Fernandez is crushed, surrendering four home runs in 4.1 innings, as the Stingers get revenge with a 15-4 blasting of the Spectres. Ryan Klesko drives home six runs for the Stingers. Willie Greene homers for Montreal.

Game 12: Montreal concludes a disappointing opening stretch with a 7-6 loss to Cincinnati, dropping the final two games against a Stinger team that was 2-7 entering the series. Montreal collects only five hits, but does make use of nine walks issued by Cincy pitchers. However, the Spectre bullpen collapses late again, with Eddie Guardado (11.87 ERA this season) and Bob Wickman (5.87) allowing two runs apiece.

The team heads to Philadelphia (7-5) to start divisional play with a 4-8 record, four games out of first.

Game 13: Catcher Eddie Taubensee makes his first appearance of the season and blasts a three-run home run in his first at bat. The Spectres get to Mike Mussina early and hold on for a 7-6 win despite another rough outing by Robb Nen (10.13 ERA this season).

Game 14: Montreal breaks open a close game with a five-run eighth inning with two-run hits from Greg Gagne and Eddie Taubensee the key blows. Philly hits two big homers in the final two innings but Robb Nen manages to get the last out to preserve the 9-7 victory.

Game 15: Tony Phillips hits his first homer of the season, Alex Fernandez pitches very well (1 run in eight innings) and the Spectres beat Philly 5-1. Fernandez strikes out only two batters but gets outs when he needs to.

Game 16: The finale is a close one until the ends. Montreal gets three scoreless innings from the bullpen and scores three times in the ninth (two on Ken Griffey Jr.'s second home run of the game) to take a 5-2 decision.

Montreal heads to New York to face the division-leading Cosmos (12-4).

Game 17: Montreal scores twice in the first off Bobby Witt, but Scott Erickson gives them both back, plus two more, before being yanked in the first inning down 4-2. The next two Montreal pitchers don't fare much better, and the Cosmos take a 9-2 lead. Montreal tries to rally late, but falls short in a 9-7 decision.

Game 18: The "powerful" Montreal offense is shut out for eight innings by Mark Thompson. Bob Wickman doesn't help the cause by turning a 1-0 nail-biter into a 4-0 disaster in the eighth inning. Montreal finally gets on the board against the Cosmo bullpen but suffers a 4-2 loss.

Game 19: Alex Fernandez is back on the upswing after seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts. The Spectres don't do much against New York starter Tom Candiotti but tack on some runs in the late innings and get a 6-0 win to avoid a sweep. Game 1 disaster Scott Erickson, still fresh after his 19-pitch appearance, will start the finale.

Game 20: Scott Erickson does not match up well with the Cosmos.. he exits in the first inning AGAIN, surrendering four runs. Reliever Larry Thomas is no better, giving up five more. Montreal rallies for seven in the third, getting a pinch hit homer from Willie Greene, and eventually takes a lead in the seventh as Scott Sanders, Bob Wickman and Eddie Guardado provide scoreless innings in relief. Robb Nen comes in to pitch the ninth and blows the game, allowing a two-run triple to former Spectre Mark Carreon with two out. Cosmos win the game 11-10 and take three of four in the series.

First batch of interleague games is up next as Montreal will face Cleveland and Chicago for home-and-home series.

Game 21: Dave Burba surrenders three home runs to the Classics and the Spectres fall to 1-5 in one-run games as visiting Cleveland takes the first game 7-6.

Game 22: There seems little doubt that another disappointing season is underway in Montreal. The Spectres drop their third straight game by one run, 4-3 in Cleveland, and fall to 9-13. Bob Wickman loses this one in the ninth, allowing a game-winning single to Walt Weiss.

Game 23: At Comiskey, the Spectres hit two first-inning home runs off Chris Haney to take a 4-0 lead. Ken Caminiti's first error of the season leads to three unearned runs in the fifth, but the Montreal bullpen pitches four shutout innings, every one of which is needed, as the Spectres hang on for a 4-3 win.

Game 24: Chicago strikes first in this one, scoring four runs in the second off Scott Erickson, who has his third straight sub-two-inning appearance. The Spectres battle back, though, putting crooked numbers on the board in four separate innings and taking the lead on Tony Phillips' two-run double in the seventh. Ken Caminiti adds a two-run homer in the eighth and the Spectres win 9-5.

The first round of divisional play wraps up next with a visit from Pittsburgh.

Game 25: Dave Burba not only stymies the Melon lineup for six innings, he hits a three-run homer in the second inning. Edgardo Alfonzo adds three hits from the leadoff spot, and the Spectres take the opener, 5-2.

Game 26: This one is basically non-eventful through six, with the Spectres taking a 3-0 lead with a Hideo Nomo wild pitch, a Ken Caminiti home run, and a run-scoring double by Randy Velarde. In the seventh, however, Chuck Finley allows three straight hits and gives way to Eddie Guardado. Guardado retires the first batter (who drives in a run with a fly ball), then allows two singles. The fourth batter to face Guardado reaches on Velarde's error, and the next two batters hit run-producing doubles. Suddenly the Melons lead 7-3. Omar Daal finishes the inning with no further damage, and the Spectres strand two batters in the bottom half. Daal pitches a scoreless eighth. Pittsburgh brings in a new reliever to pitch the eighth. The first two Spectre batters single, the third is hit by a pitch. Six of the next seven Montreal batters coax a bases-loaded walk! (Carlos Delgado is the exception, popping out). A new reliever enters and HE walks the first two batters he faces. Two of the next three batters get hits, and the Spectres score 12 runs in the inning. Rick Aguilera pitches the ninth and the Spectres win a bizarre game, 15-7.

Game 27: Carlos Delgado atones for his fielding miscue (which leads to two unearned Pittsburgh runs) with four RBI, and the Spectres rally late to beat the Melons 6-3. Alex Fernandez improves to 5-2 and Robb Nen gets his fifth save.

Game 28: Scott Erickson makes it into the fifth this time, but gives up three home runs and nine runs before being pulled. The Spectres kind of make a comeback, but Scott Sanders kind of pitches poorly in relief, and the Melons salvage the finale, 13-9. Willie Greene and Eddie Taubensee hit home runs for Montreal.

With the first round of divisional play done, the Spectres are 14-14, three behind New York for the division lead and three behind San Diego for the wild card spot. Erickson is now 0-4 with a 12.24 ERA.

Interleague series with Detroit and Washington are next.

Game 29: Montreal breaks open a close game late, getting eighth-inning homers from Ken Griffey Jr. and Greg Gagne, beating visiting Detroit 10-2. Dave Burba pitches six solid innings for his second win.

Game 30: Chuck Finley gets shelled, Scott Sanders continues his string of poor relief performances, and the Spectres are outhomered 4-2 by Detroit as the Facerockers even the season series with a 13-10 win. Rey Ordonez and former Spectre Ron Karkovice each hit their first home run of the season for Detroit.

Game 31: Scott Erickson pitches seven scoreless innings! only to see his bullpen blow a 3-0 lead (forged by two Ken Griffey Jr. home runs) in the top of the eighth. Montreal is retired in order in the eighth; Omar Daal sets down the Senators in the ninth. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Tony Phillips walks and Brady Anderson singles, bringing up Griffey Jr. Can he do it again? YES HE CAN! His third homer of the game gives the Spectres a 6-3 win.

Game 32: Washington's Armando Reynoso shuts down the Spectres, limiting them to one run over six innings, and the Senators defeat Alex Fernandez 4-1.

The Spectres head to Los Angeles to face the Looters.

How is your team so much better than Ceez's? I like Ceez's "Fan club" but it seems like he doesn't have a Ken Griffey Jr or Delgado or Caminiti caliber player for the 90s. Also. In 1994, you all should try to get admin to program it so you get a strike shortened year (at strike reduced prices of course)