Home of the Four Cs
A proud member of the Juiced Ball League
Team owner, manager Jerry Smith -- javaswiller@hotmail.com
1998 World Champions -- 1999 Eastern Division Champions

The Four Cs was one of two expansion teams in the Juiced Ball League in 1996. As with all expansion teams, we have had our share of woes, even though the first season (43-45) went much better than anyone anticipated. Those results had little to do with the draft, and much to do with trades. In the team's first year, 34 players were given at least one at bat or one pitch. The second year saw 39 players get a shot. The 1998 campaign brought yet another new look. The Cs opened with a new rightfielder (Raul Mondesi), center fielder (Brady Anderson), left fielder (Barry Bonds), second baseman (Eric Young), first baseman (Mo Vaughn) and rotation (Andy Pettitte, Jon Leiber, Andy Ashby) and the team's first and last true closer (Mariano Rivera). Then they went on to acquire Jeff Bagwell and Tony Gwynn. All of it translated into the 1998 World Series title and a division title in 1999.

The only players to survive the myriad of trades and cuts from Day 1 of 1996 is Javy Lopez. SS Rey Ordonez is the only first-round draft pick still on the roster; the other (Alan Benes) was lost to injury.
1999
Season In Review -- Combine a .271 team BA with a 3.47 team ERA, and it's no wonder the Cs flirted with a league record for wins in a season. While ending up only 59-29, the Cs rattled off a league record 18-game winning streak. It was bittersweet in that the Cs ended the year on an eight-game losing streak -- four in regular season to Masterbatters and four in the second round to Kelcie's Klubbers. Team records fell in almost every category, including runs (Kenny Lofton), RBIs (Javy Lopez), triples (Jose Offerman), homers (Javy Lopez), walks (Jeff Bagwell), stolen bases (Kenny Lofton) and wins (Dustin Hermanson).
Batting champ -- Tony Gwynn (.331)
Team MVP -- Barry Bonds (second on team in runs, RBIs, doubles, triples, homers and walks).
Rookie of Year -- Jason Giambi (.314, nine homers in 86 AB)
Ace of Year -- Andy Ashby (21 starts, 142 2/3 innings, 9-4, 3.28 ERA)
1998
Season In Review -- What can you say other than it was one incredible run. Trailing 2-0, heading home in the first round against No. 4 seed Klubbers. 22 innings later, it was 2-1. Then 14 innings after that, series was tied at 2. The Cs completed the sweep, then shut down No. 2 seed Bates Motel and top seeded Aran Roshta, both in five games. The key was making several extraordinarily aggressive moves to acquire Bonds, Bagwell, Rivera and Gwynn. Surprise pickups came in Andy Ashby, who was a thrown-in player on a deal that landed Edgardo Alfonzo. Ashby went 5-0 in the regular season, despite a card that could have gone 0-5. As important was the draft, one that landed a bullpen that went 20-8, including 4-4 by two players. Four relievers finished the 54-34 season with ERAs under 3.00, including three with 2.09 or less. While the offense sputtered at times, the pitching was always superb. Come the playoffs, Bonds, Bagwell and Gwynn did what they were hired to do -- bash the ball.
Batting champ -- Tony Gwynn (.338)
Team MVP -- Barry Bonds (Despite .213 BA, led team with 57 runs, 14 homers, 58 walks, 17 SB) Went on to be named Series MVP by hitting .380 with six homers.
Rookie of Year -- Edgardo Alfonzo .281, team highs 95 hits, 48 RBIs, 12 sacs).
Ace of Year -- Andy Pettitte (21 starts, 155 2/3 innings, 9-6, 10 homers allowed)
1997
Season In Review -- The newly renamed Four Cs, with one of the crappiest pitching staffs in the league, struggled to 37-51. Four Cs manager Jerry Smith used 14 different pitchers during the year, including nine in the starting rotation. The only constants were James Baldwin and Tim Belcher, both of whom made all 22 of their assigned starts. The offense was adequate, producing 3.93 runs per game. But the pitching, well like we said, was just crappy, yielding 139 home runs. Meanwhile, the Cs hit just 88 homers of their own, even though they opened the season with Mark Whiten (48), John Jaha (30), Matt Williams (22) and Greg Vaughn (38) in the lineup. Thankfully, all of those players ended up on someone else's team in a year of mind-numbing trades. Jaha hit just .187 with three homers in 123 at bats. Of course he wasn't the only dog of the year. Tom Pagnozzi (.187), Fred McGriff (.200) and Brian McRae (.208) all took big dumps. The year did end on a positive note: the Cs going 22-14 to finish the year with a rotation of Willie Adams (5-5, 3.50 ERA), Denny Neagle (4-7, 4.63), Tim Belcher (3-6, 4.45) and James Baldwin (6-7, 3.78). Neagle pitched much better than his numbers indicate. Simply, the ever-notorious computer had him bend over and drop his pants in his final four starts (fitting end to the Cs stormy season).
Batting champ -- Damon Mashore (.377)
Team MVP -- Jeff King (.320 BA, .397 OBA, Team-high 17 HR, 18 doubles, 4 triples, 53 RBIs, 44 runs, 90 hits).
Rookie of Year -- Damon Mashore (.467 OBA)
Ace of Year -- James Baldwin (22 starts, 154 2/3 innings)
1996
Season In Review -- The team's first season was a huge hit, literally and figuratively, as a Shawon Dunston-led expansion-group, playing the first of two seasons in their temporary home in San Diego, went 43-45, just missing the playoffs. 2B Mickey Morandini was the first player (No. 2 overall) selected in the expansion draft.
Batting champ -- Shawon Dunston (.328)
Team MVP -- Shawon Dunston (team leader with 22 doubles, 14 homers, 43 RBI; second with 3 triples)
Team ERA Leader -- Stan Belinda (4-2, 2.10)
Ace of Year -- Mike Birkbeck (9-7, 3.98 ERA; You know, the guy who absolutely was unhittable by lefties but drifted into the neverland of Japan before retiring to become pitching coach for Dartmouth or some other equally obscure college).