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Monday, September 22 |
Winston-Salem Spectator
WINSTON-SALEM— When I first saw Joel Cheatwood, GM of the Winston-Salem Slam I was quite excited. It’s not too often a young guy like myself gets the opportunity to talk to a GM of a winning organization. When he invited me into his home for the interview, I soon found out Mr. Cheatwood’s aim in life. He was a very, very nice man a guy who always wanted to win a championship and is now very close to accomplishing. I’ll let him introduce himself to all of you.
Moe: Okay, tell me who you are? Give me the detail on Joel Cheatwood.
Mr. Cheatwood: I’m a lifelong baseball fan who wanted desperately to play professionally. I had tryouts with the Cleveland Indians and Oakland A's but didn't sign. I tore up my right knee when I was 20 and the dream ended abruptly. After that I became a sportswriter for a newspaper in Fresno, California. After a couple of years, I left sports to work on the city government beat (boring) and then transitioned into television. I've worked in television mostly in management for 22 years now and am married. I have two stepsons and I'm a young 44 year old.
Moe: nice. Just the kind of introduction I need.
Moe: Well now that I know a little bit about you. I'm going to do my best and ask questions about the Winston-Salem Slam.
Mr. Cheatwood: okay
Moe: Coming into the season, what were your expectations for the Slam?
Mr. Cheatwood: Well, I took over the team about a third into the season. I knew they had strong pitching, but wasn't sure if we had enough offense to win the division.
Moe: hmmm, strong pitching. It's funny you would see that as a strength. In all honestly after Campbell and Oubre the quality does tend to diminish. What do you think?
Mr. Cheatwood: A couple of the starters have outperformed their ratings. Nyquist certainly is one of those. The other important part of the pitching equation has been our closer - he has been unbelievably awesome this year. We've also gotten some strong middle relief performances. Jose Martinez, in particular, comes to mind.
Moe: The middle relief is strong. It's the SP's that kind of worry me. Nyquist has certainly been a surprise. Would you say it's partly because of Nyquist that you are in first place?
Mr. Cheatwood: Definitely. If he performed only to the level of his ratings we would only have two strong starters and we' re probably nowhere near the top of the division.
Moe: I like GM's who appreciate the value of underrated players.
Moe: Okay, seeing as how you will probably be going to the playoffs. Who would be your ideal match up?
Mr. Cheatwood: Well, I would look forward to playing Hartford because Brad is a good guy. We've made a couple of deals and he's done a good job with his club. We've had some lengthy, very drawn out. Trade-discussions. We're both stubborn.
Moe: From my perspective it looks like you have the advantage. Would I be wrong in assuming this?
Mr. Cheatwood: It's tough to say. I think on paper we may have the edge, but in a playoff series that edge has a way of disappearing often times.
Moe: very true.
Moe: Overall, what aspect of your team worries you?
Mr. Cheatwood: The offense first and the health of our closer, John Prada. Once you get beyond the top four or five spots in the order the drop off is pretty severe
Moe: You have mentioned your offense as a weakness quite often. Leading up to the trade deadline did you have trade discussions to bolster your offense?
Mr. Cheatwood: We tried very hard to add a bat or two before the deadline but couldn't find a good match. Part of the problem was financial. We couldn't afford to take on a lot of salary. In all honesty, nobody was too anxious to give up offense. We actually added a couple of arms. It's usually the other way around.
Moe: Ah! So is it safe to say the Slam will be looking for bats come free agency?
Mr. Cheatwood: As best we can. Most of our roster is signed through at least next season, so payroll will continue to be an issue.
Moe: Yes, the never-ending problem of salary. Realistically do you believe that the current players on the Slam have what it takes to win the BPLA championship?
Mr. Cheatwood: I think so, but a couple of factors have to be in place: The top four starters have to continue to pitch well and we have to get maximum production from the middle of the lineup. In those games where Ramirez and Sanders don't hit - we lose.
Moe: I do agree. If Ramirez and Sanders do not hit the Slam might be in trouble. Is there one player on your team that you would label a bust? It's not a good question to answer but every team has one.
Mr. Cheatwood: Hmmm, not sure I would label this guy a bust, but certainly a disappointment - William Castillon (CF). He’s a Good young player with better than decent ratings. He just hasn't been able to get untracked this season. His name came up a lot during trade discussions several teams recognized his potential.
Moe: As the season comes to a close. Is there any move you wish now you didn't make?
Mr. Cheatwood: I made a couple of deals involving some of our prospects that I probably shouldn't have made. One in particular that landed Meyerson (SS) and Wedel (MR) didn't work out very well. Meyerson didn't hit his weight and Wedel's era hovered near 5.50. Both are now gone to Hartford. The deal looked good at the time, though. I couldn’t refuse the chance to add some offense with Meyerson and a very strong middle reliever to bolster the pen.
Moe: Thank you for your time Mr. Cheatwood. I hope you the best in the playoffs.
Mr. Cheatwood: Thank you, sir!!
Moe: No, thank you. It's GM's like you that make my job easier.
After the interview, I realized that Mr. Cheatwood is close to a dream. The chance to win a championship is within reach. If I he plays his cards right a championship might come this season. The life long dream will finally be achieved.
Moe
Guys, I’m looking for interviews always. Hit me up at smoothe_sack@hotmail.com or just instant message me on AIM at KidKala.