Sun Apr 22, 2018 10:27 pm
BREAKING NEWS FROM KNIGHTS WAR-ROOM
Reports out of Baltimore tonight That the Black Knights have traded for SP CC Sabathia in a deal with the Muscle Shoals Swampers for a 1st round draft pick in 2013 and a 4th rounder in 2012.'We have have working on this deal for weeks and things finally came together at the annual draft'" Manager Earl Weaver Sr. told reporters just before drafting OF Tony Gwynn Jr in the 5th round.Weaver said the trade for Sabathia was considered a pivotal move by Management to stay competitive in the tough East Division.
SP CC Sabathia
Sabathia was drafted in the first round (20th overall) by the Indians in the 1998 MLB draft. He signed for a $1.3 million bonus.In 2000, he was selected for the 28-man United States Olympic Team roster. He appeared in one pre-Olympic tournament game in Sydney, Australia, but was not on the official 24-man, Gold Medal-winning roster because he was called up by the Cleveland Indians. He was named the Indians' 2000 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau Award")]
In 2001, he was the youngest player in the Major Leagues. Sabathia led the league in hits per 9 innings pitched (7.44), was third in the league in win–loss percentage (17–5, .773), fourth in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (8.53), sixth in wins, and seventh in strikeouts (171). He finished second in the AL voting for Rookie of the Year, behind future Yankees teammate Ichiro Suzuki.
Sabathia signed a four-year, $9.5 million contract with the Indians, with a club option for 2006, on February 23, 2002.In the 2002 season, he was tenth in the AL in strikeouts, with 149 in 210 innings and In 2003, he had the tenth-best ERA in the AL (3.60). He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the first time. Sabathia made his second All-Star selection in a row as he finished the 2004 season by going 11–10 with a 4.12 ERA and 139 strikeouts.
The Indians picked up their $7 million club option for 2006 on April 27, 2005 and Sabathia signed a two-year, $17.75 million deal. In 2005, he was fourth in the AL in strikeouts/9 IP (7.37), seventh in strikeouts (161) and eighth in wins . This marked his fifth straight season of double digit wins to open a career. He threw the fastest fastball in the AL in 2005, averaging 94.7 miles per hour.[9] He also hit his first career home run as a batter in interleague play off of Ryan Dempster in May. The Indians went 20–11 in his starts.
In 2006, he led the major leagues with 6 complete games. He also led the AL in shutouts (, was third in ERA (3.22), sixth in strikeouts per 9 IP (8.03) and eighth in strikeouts . He became the first left-handed pitcher to start his career with six consecutive seasons of double digit wins.
Sabathia collected his 1,000th career strikeout on May 21, fanning the player who beat him out for Rookie of the Year honors: Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the third time. On September 28, he became the youngest pitcher (27 years, 69 days) to record 100 career wins since Greg Maddux in 1993. On October 23, Sabathia won the Players Choice Award for Outstanding AL Pitcher.] His pitching performance led the Cleveland Indians to their first American League Central Division Championship since 2001, his rookie season. For his performance, he was awarded the 2007 American League Cy Young Award joining Gaylord Perry as the only two Cleveland Indians pitchers to ever win the award. (Cliff Lee and Corey Kluber have since also won.) Sabathia also won the Warren Spahn Award given to the best left-handed pitcher in the Majors. Despite his strong regular season, Sabathia did not perform well against the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. In two starts, he went 0–2 with a 10.45 ERA.
Sabathia began the 2008 season 6–8 with a 3.83 ERA in 18 starts. He was leading the American League in strikeouts (123) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings (9.05) while ranking second in innings pitched (122.1) and tied for second in complete games . However, with the Indians out of playoff contention, and with Sabathia an impending free agent, the Indians sought to trade Sabathia.At the time Sabathia departed Cleveland, he was fifth in club history in strikeouts (1,265) and sixth in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (7.448), and his 2007 strikeouts-to-walks ratio was at the time a single-season best 5.649.
Tony Gwynn Jr. CF/RF/LF
On May 21, 2009, Gwynn was traded to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Jody Gerut and was was informed of the trade by a phone call from his father, who played his entire career with the Padres. In his first game with the Padres, the same day he was traded, Gwynn pinch-hit in the 9th inning. He drew a walk and then scored the winning run.] In two seasons (236 G and 682 AB) with the San Diego Padres Tony Gwynn Jr. accumulated (165) H, (20) 2B, (9) 3B, (5) HR, (41)RBI, with a (.242) BA.] Gwynn wore the number 18 with the Padres, with his father's number 19 having been retired.
Los Angeles DodgersGwynn agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 8, 2010. He played in 136 games with the Dodgers in 2011, the highest total of his career, and hit .256 with 22 stolen bases.
On June 1, 2012, Gwynn was part of a Dodgers lineup that featured the sons of five former Major Leaguers (along with Jerry Hairston Jr., Iván DeJesús Jr., Dee Gordon and Scott Van Slyke). This was the first time in Major League history that this had occurred. In 103 games in 2012, he hit .232 with 13 stolen bases. He was designated for assignment on August 6, and accepted an assignment to AAA Albuquerque, where he hit .338 in 19 games.Gwynn spent the entire 2013 season with Albuquerque, where he hit .300 in 104 games.
Gwynn is the son of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn Sr., who died of salivary gland cancer on June 16, 2014, and Alicia Gwynn. He is also the nephew of Chris Gwynn, and brother of musician Anisha Nicole. Gwynn and his wife Alyse Mallek have four children; three daughters Makayla, Jordan and Leighton and a son, Anthony Keith III.
The Black Knights will use the rest of the draft filling out various positions that require a back-up.