Knights Set to Stand Alone - In Futility

(New York Daily Mirror -September 21, 2010)

NEW YORK - Well, here we are. Another beautiful autumn in New York has arrived. The blazing summer heat and humidity have given way to crisp and cool fall days and azure blue skies. Football has started, the kids are back in school and the Knights are out of the NASBL playoffs.

In other words, everything is normal in New York these days.

Long-suffering Knights fans are giving their final glances at the 2010 version of the team, which at press time had a 68-80 record, seven behind Troy for the second wild card slot in the LF and 12 1/2 behind the Grizzlies and way out of the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season.

But there is another aspect to this season that will tweak even the hardiest Knights fans: the knowledge that if Grundy County wins the LF Central division title (and at press time they need just two more wins in their last nine games to do it), the Knights will become the only LF Central division team not to have won the division at least once in the past 10 years. If you add the North Celtic years, the futulity streak runs to 14 years.

Don't think that the Knights front office is not aware of this. Knights insiders have told the Mirror that new GM Matt Eddy is determined to "turn the ship around" and has already assembled his brain trust in preparation for the formulation of the team's offseason plans. While nothing definite is afoot right now, Knights fans should be ready for some big changes, including the possible trade of longtime team captain Michael Young.

"I wouldn't say anyone is an untouchable," one Knights front office employee familiar with the reclusive Eddy's thinking told the Mirror, "but it would make sense to believe that Matt will hold onto the three top starting pitchers and maybe Kemp and Vladimir Guerrero and one or two others, but get rid of everyone else. This core of players has been together for awhile now and its not working."

Eddy already banished utilityman Ty Wigginton and fan favorite, but fading, catcher Jason Varitek in a deal with Vermont that brought infielder Akinori Iwamura and hurler Aaron Cook to New York. As trades go, this on was small-time; Wigginton batted just .172 in 29 at bats as a Knights in 2010 and Varitek was virtually invisible (8 at bats, no hits, 5 K's). Neither Iwamura (1 HR, 13 RBI, .230 BA, .622 OPS in 45 games) nor Cook (1-2, 6.61 ERA, 2.00 WHP) have helped the Knights but the message is clear - a housecleaning is coming.

So while Knights fans settle in front of their TV's next month to watch the NASBL playoffs in which they have no rooting interest, at least they can know that change - good or bad - is on its way.