On our recent trip to Huntington the Times Herald took some excellent photo's to document the trip. Here is a sample of what you can expect at a Hillbilly baseball game.
This is the concession stand at Eble Park, where you can purchase hot dogs, pork rinds, and tobacco. Budweiser beer is available by the can, and for beer snobs they have Coors Light.
The owner's suite at Eble Park.
Hillbilly superfan Joe Bob Jimmy Cashdollar.
Huntington Hillbillies official mascot, "Billy the Hillbilly," modeling the hillbilly overalls that are also available at the concession stand.
The confident owner of the Huntington Hillbillies, krs96, guaranteed that his team would make the playoffs this season and next, as he is sure his young talent will slug their way to the post-season. "Have to show the young kids I trust in their ability and will take the bullet for them. Mark it down in the paper now my guarantees," said krs96. Furthermore he invited "Food Head" Chuck Biscuits down to Hillbillie country to get his words in print, so the Times Herald took the opportunity to drive down to the land of banjos and coal mines to ask fans and players what they thought of their owners arrogant claims.
"I think it's great that he's willing to take a bullet for me," said Hillbillie 2B Craig Lake, "I would hate to have something as frivolous as a slug ruin my otherwise perfect health." Reacting to krs96's prediction that, "we will lead the league in runs scored yes we will make the playoffs and watch out for the hillbillies once the playoffs start," Catcher Jung Lee seemed to be happy with the prediction, saying, "I am glad that krs96 is putting his mouth where his money is, our team can hit the ball hard, and rest of the league are a bunch of pansies."
Fan Jim Bob Jethro McCoy was happy with the guarantees, "Well I'll be done happy that krs96 said we was goin' to git er done, that's for dang darn sure!" Fellow fan Mabel Hatfield also was a bit more skeptical, "What in tarnation was he thinkin bout? Just cuz those boys of his can hit a ball from here to the holler don't mean they can make the playoffs. You gotta get some pitching too, by jiminy!"
"Food Head" Chuck Biscuits may not scare the Hillbillies with his pen and pad, but their owner's boisterous claims on the message board should, as it is a well documented fact that there is a jinx associated with braggart claims within the league. It remains to be seen if the Hillbillies make the playoffs, so look for a follow-up later in the season, when the Hillbillies either back up their owners smack talk, or run with their tails between their legs back to the mountains.
Now that the Cobb World archives have been unsealed, the Times Herald will be running a series showcasing the stars of yesterday. For new owners who never had the chance to see who was great on their team back in the day, now is their chance. Division by divsion, the players that made teams great (or horrible) are now available for all to see.
NL West
San Francisco Giants (San Francisco Blur) Hitter: Vasco Chantres (Now with Wichita Wankers) --Chantres hit .324 with 26 HR's, 113 RBI's, and a 1.033 OPS. Pitcher: Deivi Guerrero --Guerrero went 15-6 with a 3.94 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
Tacoma Boogity Boogity Boogity (Seattle Seacows) Hitter: Bobby Griffin --Griffin hit .363 with 260HR's, 116 RBI's, and a 1.049 OPS. Pitcher: B.C. Steenstra --Steenstra anchored a very good rotation that also included Bernie Wyatt, Carlos Alfonseca, and Nate Rodgers. He went 16-6 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
Vancouver Wolf Pack 22 (San Diego Small Ballers) Hitter: Oscar Wang --Wang banged 48 HR's and 107 RBI's, while batting .308. Pitcher: Edgar Cortazar (Now with Sioux Falls Corn Cleats) --Cortazar went 9-8 with a 3.85 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.
Salem Raincoats (Omaha Sluggers) Hitter: Terrence Warden (Now with Jackson Pollocks) --Warden tied for the team lead with 49 HR's, and also had 140 RBI's, 92 BB's, and a 1.043 OPS. Pitcher: Carlton Wagner --Wagner was only 8-8, but had a team best 3.23 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
Now that the Cobb World archives have been unsealed, the Times Herald will be running a series showcasing the stars of yesterday. For new owners who never had the chance to see who was great on their team back in the day, now is their chance. Division by divsion, the players that made teams great (or horrible) are now available for all to see.
NL South
Huntington Hillbillies Hitter: Jose Barrios (Now with Omaha Sluggers) --Barrios was the best of an elite lineup that included Fred McConnell, Francisco Tavarez, and Vitas Newman. He hit .344 with 52 HR's, 155 RBI's, and 89 BB's. Pitcher: David Johnson --Johnson posted an 11-7 record with 1.27 WHIP and 4.02 ERA.
Louisville Tysons Hitter: Dallas Kline (Still active with the Tysons) --The Season 1 NL MVP smacked 64 HR's with 189 RBI's and a 1.159 OPS. Pitcher: Bill Fischer (Now with Omaha Sluggers) --Fischer went 15-6 with 103 K's and a 4.30 ERA.
Jackson Pollocks Hitter: Ivan Canseco --Canseco hit .324 with 40 HR's and 148 RBI"s. Pitcher: Henry Perez (Now with Anaheim Sharks) --Perez posted a 15-9 record with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.
Atlanta Hicks (Richmond Cohibas) Hitter: Ernie Jenkins (Now with Anaheim Sharks) --Jenkins hit .340 with 51 HR's, 128 RBI's, and 102 BB's. Pitcher: Scott House --House posted an improbable 19-8 record despite a 1.47 WHIP.
Now that the Cobb World archives have been unsealed, the Times Herald will be running a series showcasing the stars of yesterday. For new owners who never had the chance to see who was great on their team back in the day, now is their chance. Division by divsion, the players that made teams great (or horrible) are now available for all to see.
NL East
New York Mets (Durham Pitbulls) Hitter: Rob Quinn (Now with Louisville Tysons) --Quinn had a monster year with 56 HR's, 157 RBI's, and a 1.173 OPS. Pitcher: Harry Feliz --Feliz went 16-5 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.27 WHIP.
Trenton Zombies (Syracuse Beagles) Hitter: Wilson Ramirez --Ramirez was the best of the light hitting Zombies, posting 37 HR's, 101 RBI's, and a .976 OPS. Pitcher: Bubba Wise --Wise was the best pitcher on a staff that included Flip Heathcott, Timothy Serra, and Olmedo Contreras, a legendary rotation in retrospect. Wise went 14-9 with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.
Indianapolis Iron Brigade (Wichita Wankers) Hitter: Jeff Pose --Pose hit .325 with 40HR's, 129 RBI's, and a 1.033 OPS. Pitcher: Geraldo Santiago (Now with Nashville Rebel Riders) --Santiago converted 25/29 saves, with an ERA of 2.31 and a WHIP of 1.13.
Toledo Toodoleedoos (St. Louis HoundDogs) Hitter: Spud Jodie --The Tater clubbed 57 HR's with 149 RBI's while batting .311 for the year. Pitcher: Jose Sanchez (Now with Pittsburgh SSP) --Sanchez was the best of a bad bunch with a 11-13 record and a 4.89 ERA.
Now that the Cobb World archives have been unsealed, the Times Herald will be running a series showcasing the stars of yesterday. For new owners who never had the chance to see who was great on their team back in the day, now is their chance. Division by divsion, the players that made teams great (or horrible) are now available for all to see.
NL North
Sioux Falls Corn Cleats Hitter: Pascual Padilla --Padilla led the team in runs, batting average, and posted a record 113 steals. Pitcher: Bernard Kreamer --Kreamer went 14-7 with a 3.86 ERA, 112 K's, and a 1.21 WHIP.
Fargo Fug Nuts Hitter: Sam Lowry --Lowry hit .312 with 26 HR's and 120 RBI's. Pitcher: Pedro Fuentes --Fuentes converted 33/35 saves with a 1.78 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.
Toronto Blue Jays (New York Pick Pockets) Hitter: Rafael Guerrero --Guerrero clubbed 44 HR's with 115 RBI's while posting a .956 OPS. Pitcher: Bob Brooks (Now with Wichita) --Brooks went 12-11 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.
Chicago Black Cats (Toledo Tsunamis) Hitter: Sammy Maduro (Now with Omaha) --Maduro hit .327 with 37 HR's, 102 RBI's and an OPS of 1.051. Pitcher: Doug Moore --Moore went 4-5 with a 4.21 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and a no hitter before he hit the DL and the owner abandoned, leaving him there for the rest of the season.
Today I was able to sit down with the GM of the Durham Pitbulls, alogman1. Known for his stranglehold of the 4th place position in the NL East, and for his adamant refusal to trade Louie Tarraga, alogman1 has been bringing baseball to Durham since season 5. Here is what the often outspoken alogman1 had to say.
Who is the worst owner in Pitbulls history, metsmaniac2, jbranham39, phillyfan33, or alogman1? --Phillyfan33 – any other noob would have quit after one season with the team I inherited
What would it take for you to trade Louie Tarraga to the Fargo Fug Nuts? --Hades Booker, his top 2 SP prospects, the Season 6 World Series Trophy, and his left kidney.
Would you trade Louie Tarraga for Kosuke Fukudome? --Wouldn’t have to, I’d spend 30 million signing Fukudome as an International Free Agent
Would you trade Louie Tarraga for Ron Santo's nacho chips? --Of course, there are some offers you just can’t refuse.
What player in your minor leagues are you most looking forward to seeing hit the majors? --Brook Colin. Having that kind of bat with gold glove caliber CF defense is a dream come true.
The Pitbulls have been wallowing in last place in the NL East for quite some time, but you seem to have turned the corner. How do you rate your teams prospects for the future? --The other teams in the NL East have a lot of quality, young talent. All of the teams in the division look good for the future. Hopefully within the next couple of seasons we can dig our way out of the cellar.
Which player on the Pitbulls is most likely to succumb to roid rage? --It’s definitely Wiki Vazquez. If not from roid rage, he’s likely to wig out from some other drug, he’s been on everything trying to either recover from injuries, or stay healthy.
As the Cobb Times Herald understands it, you have been playing fantasy baseball since the dark ages of Prodigy. How does Hardball Dynasty rate in all of the baseball games you have played? --Yes, the Cobb Times Herald understands correctly. I have been playing fantasy baseball since way back around the time when mrploppie first became a senior citizen…as we all know that’s a VERY long time. Hardball Dynasty rates very highly. I love the depth of the game, and the challenge of the game. It’s very complex, and obviously, I’m still learning the ins and outs of the games in my 4th season with the Durham Pitbulls, where as other games have been easy to figure out.
Why do they call you "The Sandman?" --Cause back in the day I drank beer, smoked cigarettes and wielded a mean Singapore Cane just like the ECW wrestler Sandman. Either that or it was because I was constantly putting people to sleep.
There seems to be a bit of a rivalry between you and geltzjg. How many seasons have you finished behind him and why do you keep coming back for more? --Yes, geltzjg and I have played in fantasy baseball leagues for many years – and bglebeau of the Pittsburgh SSP has been in those same leagues – they were the ones who introduced me to Hardball Dynasty. If you count Hardball Dynasty, clearly Geltz has my record dominated. But outside of HBD, I think the record is fairly close. I come back for more because he is a fierce competitor and challenges me to become better at the games we play against each other.
Have you finished behind geltz more seasons than FW_Kekionga has finished behind mrploppie? --Nope, but sadly, it's getting close.
If you could have any pitcher and hitter from any team in Cobb World, who would they be and why? --Hitter: Jose Barrios, I have a mancrush on him after the 27 HR’s he hit in one round of the HR derby at our park. Pitcher: Eric Collins, it’s all about the mustache
If you could bean any player on geltz's team, who would it be and why? --Can I say the team’s owner? And for those that have read the World Chat, do I really need to explain why? ;>
Is it true that you are afraid to get close to a stripper? --Yes, not only for the obvious reasons you would think of, us being in Durham, but I was scarred for life after I discovered how those nuns in Fargo get down after dark.
Is it true that strippers in Durham are known to be lying cheats? --Yes, other than DA’s office, they are the biggest lying cheats in Durham by far.
Which player on the Pitbulls is uglier than a Durham stripper? --Midre Santiago. Only thing uglier than his mug was his performance at the plate in Season 7.
Does Wiki Vazquez have a nickname, and if so is it "The Porcelain Mouse?" --Yes, you guessed it. He’s so fragile, he gets knocked out by Glass Joe every time in the first round playing Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. Every day is an adventure, the only player(s) more likely to get injured in the league are star players on the Fug Nuts playing against us.
How do you afford health insurance for Wiki? --He's uninsurable, luckily, we bought a share of the Duke University Hospital to offset our losses.
Who has the best theme music on your team? --Orlando Espinoza has his own mariachi band accompany him to the plate each at bat! He bought that with the ridiculously bad contract I gave him my first year with the team. (ed. note - 4 years, 12.8 million dollars) Who will win a world series first, the Durham Pitbulls or the Chicago Cubs? --Cubs – as much as it pains me to say, my Durham Pitbulls aren’t going to win a World Series by October 2008.
Who will win the world series in Cobb World this season? --Fargo Fug Nuts – after shamefully losing to a 67 win team in the playoffs in the REGULARS league, the playoff gods owe him one.
How do you feel having fellow owners call you "log"? --From mrploppie, it’s an adoring compliment, from anyone else it’s an insult and completely out of line.
This is the concession stand at Eble Park, where you can purchase hot dogs, pork rinds, and tobacco. Budweiser beer is available by the can, and for beer snobs they have Coors Light. 
