Mar 18 2066: Esteban Carrera was claimed off of waivers.
Mar 15 2066: Edgardo Mota was released.
Mar 08 2066: Keith Davenport was claimed off of waivers.
Feb 05 2066: Danny Madden was claimed off of waivers.
Jan 13 2066: Brian Gough was hired as the new coach.
Jan 13 2066: Coach Julio Briones was let go.
Jan 13 2066: Julio Briones was hired as the new coach.
Jan 13 2066: Coach Todd Albers was let go.
Jan 13 2066: Kevin George was hired as the new coach.
Jan 13 2066: Coach Buck McCarty was let go.
Oct 28 2034: Changing of the Guard - by jetsrock48 on December 19th, 2017
First the players were accused of cheating. Now the minor league coaches are being praised for their work. In what was a strange season in minor league ball this year, teams across Broken Bat had prospects jumping leagues and overachieving at a rate never seen before. The Cobras were no exception. At first, some of the top prospects had all reported being drug tested at similar times, but nothing was found. Then it had been discovered that the league had tested prospects everywhere, with rumors that a new steroid had been circling around. Nothing has been reported yet in what has amounted to a bizarre season. The victims? Veterans everywhere.
In Davenport, Tyler Edwards retired last offseason while Ramiro Campos was released. Then Edgar Giovanni was cut mid-season. All three were franchise leaders in bizarre moves. Many prospects were promoted, with rumblings that more veterans may be on the move shortly.
Team GM had this to say, "over the past decade this franchise has been built on pitching. I can't praise our pitchers enough for their work over the past 10 years in getting this team to League II, but at some point we need to turn over the old and bring in some fresh new talent. Fortunately, our scouts all praise the talent we have in our system and we strongly believe that as an overall group, our pitching staff will be better than ever. I can only hope that our veterans can see this and hopefully mentor the kids as they blossom into stars. We of course thank everybody for their time as a Cobra and wish them nothing but the best on their journeys after us. At this point, I'd like to personally thank Tyler Edwards, Edgar Giovanni, and Ramiro Campos for their achievements over their years and to congratulate all three on joining the Davenport Hall of Fame."
Rumors around the team show that top prospects Raul Ochoa and Marco Rodriguez (both in AAA) could be joining the squad in the future and will both be inserted into the Starting Rotation upon their arrival. Izquierdo has taken a liking to his new role as a veteran and mentor, while Brandon Hendricks has had some negative comments, "My career isn't going to last forever. I'm not getting paid to coach these kids. I've given a lot of effort into this organization and if I'm not starting, well I think we need to discuss my future and whether or not it will be here."
The Cobras currently have 12 pitchers on the MLB roster, with scouts saying that a handful more are on the brink of the majors. Major changes are expected, and a new era is set to begin for the Davenport Cobras.
Apr 25 2032: Giovanni Throws a No-Hitter - by jetsrock48 on May 30th, 2017
On April 22, Edgar Giovanni threw Davenport's 2nd no hitter in team history! Needing 104 pitches, Giovanni shut down the Brooklyn offense, walking 3 batters and striking out 8 on the night. Edgar was firing all night long as he threw 73 pitches for strikes, constantly challenging the hitters. Fredrico Solano committed an error at short on the night as well.
Offensively, Luis Fajardo led the way as he went 4/4 with two doubles. Fowler and Wagner each had two hits each, as well as a 2-run homerun.
Brandon Hendricks threw Davenport's first no-hitter last season, and former ace Giovanni follows that up with his own terrific performance in 2032. Edgar is coming off a disastrous season and this is his 2nd terrific start (after spending two weeks on the DL). The Cobras can sure use their former ace returning to glory as the team looks to make its way back to League II.
Fun Fact: Two-time gold glove winner Fredrico Solano has committed a combined 11 errors in 2031 and 2032 while manning SS. He has committed an error in each of the Cobra's No-Hitters.
Jul 08 2031: No Hitter! - by jetsrock48 on April 3rd, 2017
It has happened! Brandon Hendricks has thrown the first no-hitter in team history on July 1, 2031 against the Thunder Bay Red Raiders. He tossed 9 sharp innings, yielding no hits, two walks, and striking out three. Fredrico Solano committed an error at SS in an otherwise stellar defensive effort all around. Hendricks carved through the Red Raider lineup, finishing with 15 ground ball outs and 7 fly outs. A masterpiece.
The team mobbed Hendricks after his 96th pitch of the night. A day of celebration commenced in what has otherwise been a lackluster season for the 29 year old. He will look to continue this success in hopes that this is the turnaround game for Hendricks.
Nov 04 2030: Year End Analysis and Awards - by jetsrock48 on February 16th, 2017
2030 proved to be a special season for the Cobras. After a miserable collapse in 2029 at the end of the season, the Cobras proved strong enough this season to hold onto the division lead throughout the entire season, and won the Eastern division by 4 games.
Team awards were announced today, with official awards coming in a few days. These team awards and comprised through a poll of voting that involves all the coaches (50%), the fans (25%), and the GM/owner (25%).
Offensive MVP: Julio Bonilla - in only 413 AB and playing exclusively against righties, he slashed an amazing .320/.345/.574 with 17 HR and 24 SB.
Pitching MVP: Ramiro Campos - while his W/L record may not be sexy (11-13) Campos pitched 224.1 innings to a tune of a 2.81 ERA and a 1.119 WHIP. He started a total of 30 games this season and logged 20 Quality Starts - constantly giving the Cobras a fighting chance every time he stepped on the mound. 2030 proved to be another stepping stone for Campos as this was the year he finally hit 200 innings in a season.
Most Improved: Luis Fajardo - giving the Cobras the leadoff man that they have lacked the past few seasons, Fajardo really showed up his eye at the plate. Finishing the year with a line of .277/.382/.374 with 102 runs, Fajardo was constantly getting on base and setting up the offense for the heart of the lineup. He also played steady defense at 1B, finishing with a 99.2 FLD %
Rookie of the Year: JB Foster - coming up with the spotlight on him, Foster and fellow rookie Jeff Fowler transitioned well into the major league club. The Cobra community is accustomed to seeing the team baby their pitchers and use them in situational roles their first season. Foster exceeded expectations, finishing the year with 43.2 innings, a 3.30 ERA but a lack luster 1.466 WHIP. Foster has shown he will be a key part of the bullpen moving forward, and still only 23 years old he has plenty of room to grow.
Analysis: The team was exactly what the experts said they would be coming into the season. Terrific pitching, good defense, and a struggling offense. 4 of the 5 starting pitchers finished with ERAs around 3.00, with former CY Young winner Edgar Giovanni struggling to a 3.82 ERA. Craig Vaughn proved to be a key member as well, constantly starting games with the massive amounts of injuries sustained by the starters. As a swingman, he finished the year with 44 games, 12 starts, 111.2 innings and a terrific 3.30 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
On the offensive side of things, 3B Pedro Arias and C Jeff Fowler struggled in the 8 and 9 spots in the lineup. Luckily, Julio Bonilla stepped up to offset the negatives. More production is expected out of the two as they grow older and gain more experience. Corey Elliott performed well in the #3 hole, slashing .268/.339/.452 with 22 HR and 29 SB. He may not be what he was two years ago, but he is still putting up respectable numbers. Bruce Grady was easily the team's most disappointing player. Putting up the worst numbers of his career and at age 30, much more is expected out of the starting CF in the prime of his career.
Jul 16 2030: Midyear Review and Saying Goodbye - by jetsrock48 on January 18th, 2017
Team owner and GM jetsrock48 finally pulled the trigger. He has called a press conference to discuss the release of Closer Larry Peterson. "The Davenport family would like to thank Larry for everything he has done for this organization. I know that before the season we had said that the plan was for Larry to play the year out and we would mutually part ways afterwards. But after the past few weeks, I personally called Larry into a meeting and he understood and agreed that the time to part was now. Mr. Peterson has been with this organization for the past 13 years, straight out of Vanderbilt Univ. Larry, I know you will have no trouble finding another team to play for and we wish you the best. For whatever plans you and have after baseball, I would personally like to wish you the best of luck to you and your family and the best success in any path that you choose. At this time I would also like to make it official that Larry will be the 6th induction to the team's Hall of Fame at the end of the season and he finishes with over 300 career saves - easily the highest in team history and a career ERA of 3.43. You have been the anchor in our bullpen for many years, finishing games with ease. Again, the Davenport family thanks you for your service and welcome to the team's Ring of Honor."
Rumors of Larry Peterson's release first started weeks ago after an incredibly strange season. Peterson started the first 1.5 months of the year flawless - not giving up a single run and in the midst of the best stretch of his career. Then it all crumbled. After his first blown save, a week later he suffered another. He seemed to give up at least a run in every outing after that and looked incredibly shaky while on the mound. He finally blew 3 games in a 6 game span and team manager, Tracy Wisniewski, announced that the Cobras were going with a closer by committee. Peterson hasn't appeared in a game in over two weeks. The fans knew what was coming and gave Larry a standing ovation during pregames and made him feel at home. A terrific career comes to an end for the Cobras and Larry served as a great mentor to J.B. Foster during the first half of the 2030 season.
As for the season itself, the Cobras sit in 1st place on the back of terrific pitching. Leading the league with an outstanding 3.33 team ERA, the starting pitching has been the talk of the town. Even with severe injuries to two of the five starters, the Cobras have had enough depth to push forward. Giovanni leads the pitching and three of the five finished the first half with ERAs under 3. The other two have been climbing towards that mark but sit in the 3.50 range. Giovanni and Edwards have been named this year's all stars. The hitting has been what we all expected - subpar. But it has been enough to win games and that is what matters. Headlining the hitters in the all star game is Julio Bonilla who is in the midst of an MVP type season, slashing .333/.350/.606. Fans have been shouting for Bonilla to play against lefties, but the team seems adamant in only playing him against righties. Joining Julio in the all star game are DH Billy Owen and 2B Corey Elliot. The team has seen steady progress out of young 3B Pedro Arias and rookie catcher Jeff Fowler as they both have shown good defense while gradually improving on offense as the season carries on. We will see if the Cobras can finish the season strong and retain their 1st place lead all the way to November.