United League

Martin Boldly Declares "Borderline Success"
The Boston Boring Broadsheet conducted an interview with Boston Federal GM Shawn Martin during Spring Training.

BBB: How would you rate the Federals’ offseason overall?

SM: I think it went about as well as we had predicted. Obviously we were limited financially during the free agency period, so our only FA moves were very minor, filling in farm team spots and such. I do think that we had a solid draft, which makes up for our inactivity in free agency.

BBB: There were a number of high-profile trades that took place this offseason, none of which involved Boston. Was this a specific call that you made, or was it just a lack of trading partners?

SM: We made it known to other teams that we were shopping a couple of our veteran players, in order to lower our payroll and to give us some financial flexibility. Just because we didn’t go out and make a bunch of trades doesn’t mean that we didn’t have a productive offseason. Generally speaking, I do think that draft selections are entirely overvalued by the majority of the UL’s ownership, particularly considering the volatile nature of the development of those picks. Established players are just not as valued as they really should be. As a famous baseball mind once said, “Sometimes the trades you don’t make are the most important ones.”

BBB: Talk a bit about the draft, and the strategy that the Federals took.

SM: Most teams’ main focus for this draft seemed to be toward the glut of quality pitching that was out there. Like those teams, the Federals’ organizational philosophy normally steers toward picking up as many top-notch arms as possible and developing from within. That said, we had gone through a 3-4 year period where our drafts ended up pitching-heavy, leaving our farm team weak on the position-player side of things. After picking a starter in the 1^st round, we refrained from selecting another pitcher, going with positional players through rounds 2-5. I do think the guys we selected will deliver more of an instant impact than in previous years, where we were admittedly more concerned with project players.

BBB: Your top two draft picks, Mike Cuellar and Art Shamsky, will start the season with the big club. What do you expect out of them, production-wise?

SM: I’ll be very honest when I say that the organization expects quite a bit out of them. We are throwing both to the wolves, so to speak, but when we make a personnel decision, character means a lot. These guys certainly have the character to prosper in the UL, and they have the talent to do it now. Shamsky gives us a left-handed power bat to follow Cepeda and Petrocelli, and Mikey Cuellar’s ability gives us one of the best #3 pitchers out there right out of the box.

BBB: While doing research for our interview today, we noticed that a large percentage of your previous draft selections have ended up as “busts”. Is this just a coincidence?

SM: I hope so. It is very true that our franchise has had quite a few guys that have had their skills “vanish” almost instantly. Tony Gonzalez, Jimmy Lonborg, Bill McCool, Steve Blass, Tommy and Willie Davis… all of them are truly shells of their former selves, and none are older than 30! With that said, we have made some drastic changes to both our player development personnel and our developmental philosophies, which I am hoping will change our luck.

BBB: The balance of power seemed to have shifted in the East. What do you think of your chances this season in this increasingly potent division?

SM: Well, not a lot of pundits are picking us to do anything, I can tell you that much. Every preview article I’ve read barely even has our team mentioned, yet alone picked to do anything in the East. Of course you have to give the nods to Cleveland and Brooklyn, being as dominant as they are, but if we can turn our pitching around back to 1963 levels, I think we could sneak up on some folks. All the teams in the East are tough, determined foes who we take pride in beating.

BBB: So you would put Cleveland at the top?

SM: Yes, they deserve that much after their 1965 season. I would put the Superbas up there as well with them, though I do think that their age may have caught up with them. The rest of us could probably all be placed in a 2^nd tier within the East, behind those two teams up top.

BBB: Let’s talk about pitching. How do you see the Feds’ rotation shaping up for the start of the year? The bullpen?

SM: My best guess would be Chris Short and Herb Score at the top, Cuellar in the #3 spot, Dick Donovan at #4, and I believe that we will be calling up Bruce Howard to fill out the rotation. I have a lot of confidence in our starters, and I think that barring injury, we may have one of the best rotations in the league. Of course Bob Chakales will be heading up our bullpen, along with Larry Sherry, Dean Stone and the regular cast of characters.

BBB: Now, the tough question. With you serving almost 10 seasons as general manager of the Gothams/Federals franchise, and no division titles under your belt, are you feeling the pressure to succeed now?

SM: Of course, I feel the pressure every day, and have felt that pressure since the day I took over the Gothams. I will say that we have had 3-straight seasons that I could call borderline successes, but as you alluded to, we have no titles to back up those claims. I have read the many articles from my friends at the local Boston papers calling for my head on a platter, but I cannot dwell on what other people think. I can only run my franchise the way I know how, and hope that the decisions that I make, and the calls my staff have to make, and the correct ones.

BBB: Thank you for your time, and good luck this season! We’ll all be watching!

SM: Thanks for having me, and I would like to thank the Feds’ fans for all their support.