Rumors: Nixon, Hunter, Louisville, Newfield

As Colorado Springs starts the season on fire and Oakland can't buy a hot dog, let alone a win, we look at some rumors and rumblings on the street:

• The ever talented Joshua Nixon, who has seen his skill set go to waste in the Midwest has come to terms with hitting Free Agency. The four time All-Star has refused to negotiate with St. Louis, the franchise that drafted him in Season 5 and the franchise who has yet to take him to the playoffs. "You give your heart and soul to a team, to a city," said Nixon "and sometimes you don't feel like they give anything in return." St. Louis, who has started the season at 10-4, has shopped Nixon, but has been vocal about their desire to attempt one more run with him. Nixon is currently hitting .300/.390/.560 with 4 HR and 12 RBI while playing exclusively at Second Base.
• Reigning NL Gold Glove Right Fielder Philip Hunter will be on the shelf for the foreseeable future. After straining a ligament in his foot rounding 1st against Colorado Springs, Hunter was put on the 60-day DL and told his return is likely slated for game 100 or so. Hunter, hitting .306 at the time of the injury, is showing his support for Ugueth Colome to play everyday. The 26 year old Colome was drafted in the supplemental round of Season 11 and spent all last year in the Majors, being used primarily off the bench and posting a .246/.314/.403 line in 208 PA.
• With only 3 playoff appearances under their belt, the Louisville Thoroughbreds have come out of the gate with a record of 11-3. Led by Shane Henderson, Alfonso Ordaz, Phil Seung and Rafael Andrus, Louisville is leading the league in almost every major batting category, helped mostly in part to the season opening series versus Texas. Whether this team can continue their ways at the plate is yet to be seen, but all signs point to the NL South Champion coming from Louisville.
• Often imitated, never duplicated, Apollo Newfield is known league wide for his impressive mustache. A man of many skills, the starting pitcher from New York has proved his sophomore campaign was no fluke. And now after going 17-6 with a 2.87 ERA last year, Newfield has began the season 3-0 in 3 starts. At 8-6, New York stands atop the AL North by 1.0 game.

All-Time Playoff Wins

Unlike the regular season win list, which is too large for me to list everybody, this all-time playoff win list features every owner, past and present, who has ever won a playoff game in Sharkey's World.

1. pvc4twenty - 105
2. ohiopirate - 78
3. sharkeyke - 66
4. longdayintro - 46
5. kalikgod - 39
6. badercubed - 37
7. nnurmo - 35
8. dawgfan1974 - 30
9. rmkelley15 - 23
10. johnderasmo - 22
10. hallgren - 22

12. dubabe401 - 20
13. vladyhop - 18
14. landmanatee - 16
14. benny_b_la - 16
16. loganru - 15
16. dupala - 15
18. krs96 - 14
19. snarfuller - 13
20. telecasting - 11
21. mhoffa1382 - 9
21. jlinchec - 9
21. mattyfaz - 9
24. jtrueblue74 - 8
24. mcrobbyj - 8
26. canes628 - 7
27. ripnsnort - 6
28. gregg21 - 4
28. irishfury01 - 4
28. hausenpfeffe - 4
28. purplehaze54 - 4
32. hhavey - 3
32. richelle - 3
34. rockybill1 - 2
35. dave23 - 1
35. voteforlou - 1
35. esf242 - 1

All-Time Regular Season Wins

Took awhile for me to update this, I apologize.

Below is the updated list. I've featured only the Top 10, as well as owners who were in the world in season 15; plus I added cjwagner & snarfuller to the list, both of whom are previous owners who weren't around last season and are back in season 16.

1. PVC4Twenty - 1563
2. ohiopirate - 1429
3. sharkeyke - 1425
4. badercubed - 1271
5. johnderasmo - 1249
6. dupala - 1222
7. dubabe401 - 1220
8. krs96 - 1205
9. hallgren - 1181
10. dawgfan1974 - 1165

11. telecasting - 1138
12. longdayintro - 1133
13. jtrueblue74 - 1110
14. nnurmo - 1090
15. kalikgod - 1055
16. benny_b_la - 1049
17. snarfuller - 1030
18. irishfury - 1020
19. dave23 - 1019
21. vladyhop - 976
23. jlinched - 909
24. peteskin - 879
29. mcrobbyj - 643
30. rmkelley15- 638
33. cjwagner - 494
35. hhavey - 397
35. voteforlou - 397
37. mattyfaz - 365
38. hooner65 - 364
39. mikeg740 - 308
50. purplehaze54 - 94
53. richelle - 84
58. rsbke - 77
63. aaronmurphy - 72
74. brentcb - 63

Rumors: Key, Terrell, Reed, Type A's

Now that Spring Training is upon us and all of the major players have finally found their home, let's take a look at some major points this off-season:

• San Francisco's prized off-season signing, Eric Key, is looking forward to proving the critics wrong. After being picked #10 overall in Season 4, Key has spent his entire career in Memphis, amassing a 92-62 record and a 2.99 ERA. Now, the 30 year old moves out of the friendly confines of AutoZone Park and into AT&T Park in San Francisco. And although San Fransisco has its benefits and is not a hitters park, Memphis has long been one of the most pitcher friendly parks in the league. Only time will tell if the 5 year, $78.25 million commitment will pay off for the Sourdoughs.
• After the surprise quick signing of Rock Hurst by St. Louis, it was expected that Sidney Terrell would end up cashing in. 5 years and $41 million later, Terrell will be happy settling into the Kansas City lineup. The team that has been known to produce some of the best bats in the history of the league looks to add to their legacy of .300 hitters. One AL executive speaking with anonymity says " That [expletive] lineup never stops, whether it's Omar, Felix, Buzz and so on, that team can [expletive] mash."
• Perhaps it was the Type A designation, but Spud Reed never saw it coming. After seeing Key and other free agent pitchers sign large, multi-year contracts, Reed signed for 2 years and a little over $5 million. With two protected 1st round picks, Rochester took a flyer on the 35 year old Reed, who pitched to a 15-7 record and a 3.22 last season in Monterrey. In addition to Reed, Rochester also signed Type A infielder Eduardo Lunar.
• Free Agent designation has always been a hot topic at Winter Meetings and during CBA talks. This year, some players still sit at home, pinned down by the Type A status that looms over their head. Season 15 All-Star Brian Adcock has had that very problem. Recently, he has gone on record to voice his displeasure. Via Twitter, Adcock announced "this is %$#*@, 28 n no job, gimme 5 bills n im yours, eff the big wigs." No franchises have apparently contacted Adcock's agent for his services.

EDIT: Since this report, Adcock has signed with St. Louis for 2 years and $5.45 million. It appears Adcock received a call from his mother insisting that he shut his mouth and be grateful if he was given any opportunity. His agent reached out to St. Louis who was looking for an upgrade to Bernard George and struck a deal. The New Jersey native was in Seaside Heights filming a cameo for Jersey Shore and could not be reached for comment.

Rumors: Retirements

With retirements looming, lets take a look:

• World Series Champion and 3 Time All-Star Albert Burks has decided to call it quits after 19 years of professional baseball. Having last played in the Majors in Season 13, the 42 year old Burks pitched for Colorado Springs Hi-A Minor League affiliate in Season 15. Many thought Colorado Springs would let him come up during roster expansion, but that chance was never afforded him. Burks finishes with a career 165-103 record in over 2,300 innings. He retires as one of the best hitting pitchers in baseball with 3 career homeruns and a .193 average.
• Slick hitting catcher Stan Borkowski will not seek any work this year after a short stint kicking around in the minors. The career .305 hitter spent his whole time in the majors in Memphis. If not for a rare blood condition that caused him to fatigue easily, Borkowski could have made a run for the Hall of Fame. As is it, he only averaged 336 at-bats over his 10 year major league career.
• 4 Time All-Star slugger Jeremi Dunn is seeking a big league deal this offseason, but has hinted at his desire to retire to him home in Iowa. "I have a farm, a wife, 3 kids and a dog" said Dunn "there really isn't anything else a man needs, except 3,000 hits." Currently, Dunn sits at 2,814 hits which is 1st all time in Sharkey's World.
• At age 41, Max Hernandez may have seen has last action in Season 14. The 2 time All-Star and Season 9 playoff hero for Rochester remained home last year, unable to find a job. If he doesn't find a job, he finishes with a career 139-110 record and a 3.73 ERA. Although his stats will never make it into the Hall, he will never have to buy a beer in Rochester.

Rumors: Boise, Hurst, Terrell, Little Rock

As budgets are completed for Season 16, we look at the possible dismantling in Boise along with the 1st Base Free Agent situation:

• 35 year old 2B Ricardo Diaz has voiced his displeasure for playing in Boise and has been very public with his demand to return to a contender. After reaching and winning the World Series his first season in Boise, he has yet to make a return trip to October baseball. With his skills diminishing both in the field and in the batters box, as well as his hefty salary, Boise may be hard pressed to find a possible suitor.
• Will defense up the middle look different in Boise this year? With possible trades of Diaz and incumbent CF Mark Suzuki, it is possible we see ML debuts from 23 year old MIF Brent Munoz and possibly 24 year old CF Max Sosa.
• The First Base Free Agent market is a hot one this offseason. Rock Hurst and Sidney Terrell are the two top prizes, with the younger Terrell in line for a hefty pay raise from the $4.4mil he made last season. Its yet to be seen if either of these two players will resign, but they are odds on bets to test the waters. Those teams that miss out can still sign a productive player as Johnnie West, Willie Johnson and Kenny Bennett will more than likely be available.
• With a pre-budget payroll of over $98mil accross all levels, Little Rock has very little room to move. After a 1st Round exit from the playoffs and pitching that finished in the bottom half of the league, officials have said that they are willing to move one of their highly talented ML youngsters for some established pitching. Brian Posey and Joseph Aoki have already been linked to multiple teams, including Minnesota, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Career Playoff Coaching Victories

Here's the updated list for career playoff victories.

1. pvc4twenty 89
2. sharkeyke 66
3. ohiopirate 59
4. longdayintro 46
5. kalikgod 39
6. badercubed 35
6. nnurmo 35
8. dawgfan1974 30
9. rmkelley 23
10. johnderasmo 20
10. dubabe401 20
12. landmanatee 16
13. loganru 15
13. dupala 15
15. snarfuller 13
15. vladyhop 13
17. benny b la 12
17. hallgren 12
19. telecasting 11
20. mhoffa1182 9
20. krs96 9
22. jtrueblue 8
23. canes628 7
24. ripnsnort 6
25. gregg21 4
25. irishfury01 4
25. hausenpfeffe 4
25. jlinchec 4
29. rockybill1 2
30. esf242 1
30. dave23 1
30. voteforlou 1

Dave (finally) got his first career SW playoff victory this year. That leaves 8 SW members (plus 2 new members in season 14) without a career playoff victory. Mattyfaz & hhavey in the NL, and peteskin, cjwagner, mcrobbyj, frog06, mikeg740, and hooner65 in the AL.