Monday, March 19 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cuts begin with Cut Day for the Pittsburgh Challengers.  Ansaldo Bertrand is coming back as the team’s head coach.  Quickly pending free agent Gerald Tighe was released by the team, entering free agency.  At that point in the day many discussions were had.  The teams other pending free agent was Flavio Egger.  There was some consideration towards re-signing him.  Other considerations were with Volker Felix and Derry Savona.  These two did not get along all year.  Felix has informed the team he is likely going to leave in the 1889 offseason when he becomes a free agent.  Andrew Carnegie and Coach Bertrand hold out hope they can change his mind in the final year of his contract.  Savona continues to be unhappy with his declining role as a leader on the team.  Trades were considered.  Pittsburgh actually offered Savona to the St. Louis Steamers for the much less talented Barclay Kipling.  The Boston Checkers also got into the discussion and offered to trade Baptist Blair for Savona.  The Checkers trade seemed much more viable but before it could get any real traction, P.T. Barnum shut it down, he had news of his own to make today with regard to his coach Colin Poggi.  The Challengers moved forward with their decision making by speaking with both Longin O’Neal and Frans Klassen, the two pending Boston Checkers free agents.  Both men are from western Pennsylvania.  It appears that they have reached some sort of non-binding agreement with Klassen.  After their discussion with him, the Challengers released Flavio Egger to free agency.  They also decided to not make any trades for Derry Savona.  They did move Savona down to the First Option position for 1889.  This of course further frustrated Savona and before the day was even over, he was already speaking out against it to the press.  He said he was not a bench player.  Ronan Engman was moved down to the Second Option Position.  The Cleanup Position, previously held by Savona, was left open.  Likely that spot will be filled by Frans Klassen.
            Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston Checkers had an announcement of their own on the Challengers cut day.  They first privately and then publicly informed Coach Colin Poggi that he will be released on their cut day.  They said they are making this known now out of respect for the coach so that he can pursue other opportunities. 

Challengers Roster following cut day:

Leadoff - Ido Peyton
Middle - Volker Felix
Cleanup - 
First Option - Derry Savona
Second Option - Ronan Engman
Third Option - 

Coach - Ansaldo Bertrand
Assistant Coach - Wim Krantz 

Current Free Agents:
Fons Jespersen 
Gerald Tighe
Flavio Egger

Last edited by JMurr (2/14/2021 10:25 am)

Wednesday, March 21 – St. Louis, Missouri
Cut Day for the St. Louis Steamers.  Elian Hillam is coming back as the head coach, but Mark Twain has a message for him.  Twain said “I need to see more from my coach.  He did a good job this past season, but we need to do more this year.  I need it from the coach.”  Both pending free agents were released by the team.  Those free agents being Waldemar Llywelyn and Waldek Robert.  Benedito Holt, who was the leagues leading scorer this past season, was moved to the Leadoff Position.  Arnold Millward was moved down to the Middle Position and Sebastian Napoli was moved down to the Third Option Position.  Barclay Kipling, who was nearly traded to Pittsburgh just two days ago, was moved up to the Second Option Position.  The Cleanup Position and First Option Position were left open.  The Steamers did not wire any messages to Longin O’Neal of the Boston Checkers today, but it is expected they will likely try and lure him to St. Louis. 

St. Louis Steamers roster following cuts:

Leadoff - Benedito Holt
Middle - Arnold Millward
Cleanup - 
First Option -
Second Option - Barclay Kipling
Third Option - Sebastian Napoli
 
Coach - Elian Hillam
Assistant Coach - Orval Killough

Current Free Agents: 
Fons Jespersen 
Gerald Tighe
Flavio Egger
Declan Coughlin
Ulli Auteberry
Waldemar Llywelyn
Waldek Robert
 

Friday, March 23 – Boston, Massachusetts
With Cut Days complete, Coaches Week opened.  Coaches Week lasted only a single day this year.  The lone head coaching position was filled on the first day of Coaches Week. In a surprise move the Boston Checkers have promoted their lead Assistant Coach Leonidas Marsden to the Head Coaching position.  The move is something of a surprise because it fails to bring in some outside prospective to a team that has not won a game.  Furthermore, Leonidas Marsden is seen as something of a curse around the league.  Marsden’s involvement in the sport dates back all the way to the beginning in 1882.  He rode for Team White for a couple years, then did one year with Team Black.  Following those three years he became an Assistant Coach, first with Team White for two years, and then as a member of the Boston Checkers when they were formed.  He has been in that role for the last two years.  In all that time, he has never won a game.  That is right, every team he has ever been on has had 0 wins on the year.  Even, his lone year on Team Black was the single year they lost.  It was the year that Derry Savona was injured at the start of the game.  Despite his bad luck he presses on with his career and today the Boston Checkers took a big chance on him, that he might turn his and their fortunes.

Boston Checkers roster following Coaches Week:

Leadoff - Alf Roydon 
Middle - Gustavo Corna
Cleanup - Bennett Cleary
First Option - Baptist Blair
Second Option - 
Third Option - 

Coach - Leonidas Marsden
Assistant Coach - Yosh Hobbs

Current Free Agents: 
Fons Jespersen 
Gerald Tighe
Flavio Egger
Declan Coughlin
Ulli Auteberry
Waldemar Llywelyn
Waldek Robert
Colin Poggi
Frans Klassen - letter of intent with Pittsburgh Challengers
Longin O'Neal - letter of intent with St. Louis Steamers

Tuesday, March 27 – St. Louis, Missouri
The last man who went on the free agency list this year is the first to come off it.  Longin O’Neal signed today with the St. Louis Steamers.  He has been placed into the Cleanup Position.  Steamers coach Elian Hillam said, “We are going to do big things with O’Neal on our club.”  The signing fulfills a letter of intent between these two parties. 


Steamers roster following Signing Day:
Leadoff - Benedito Holt
Middle - Arnold Millward
Cleanup - Longin O'Neal
First Option - 
Second Option - Barclay Kipling
Third Option - Sebastian Napoli

Coach - Elian Hillam
Assistant Coach - Orval Killough 

Current Free Agents: 
Fons Jespersen 
Gerald Tighe
Flavio Egger
Declan Coughlin
Ulli Auteberry
Waldemar Llywelyn
Waldek Robert
Colin Poggi
Frans Klassen - letter of intent with Pittsburgh Challengers

Thursday, March 29 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Pittsburgh Challengers and Frans Klassen had a letter of intent signed between the two parties. Today that letter was honored.  Klassen signed on with the Challengers, reuniting him with Coach Ansaldo Bertrand and teammate Derry Savona.  Klassen was assigned to the Cleanup Position. 

Challengers roster following Signing Day:
Leadoff - Ido Peyton
Middle - Volker Felix
Cleanup - Frans Klassen
First Option - Derry Savona
Second Option - Ronan Engman
Third Option - 

Coach - Ansaldo Bertrand
Assistant Coach - Wim Krantz

Current Free Agents: 
Fons Jespersen 
Gerald Tighe
Flavio Egger
Declan Coughlin
Ulli Auteberry
Waldemar Llywelyn
Waldek Robert
Colin Poggi