Fist Players Snubbed
(2/23/12) Iron Fist players, or should I say former Iron Fist players, were irate after the results of the expansion draft. Not one Vancouver player was selected by either of the expansion teams. Pitcher Roy Oswalt refused to talk to the media after his agent convinced him that he would surely be taken in the draft. But Oswalt was hit with another surprise - Vancouver did not protect him afterwards. Oswalt was 17-7 with a 3.34 ERA for the Iron Fist last year, probably his best year in the DMBL. "We would love to have Roy back with us in 2012" said Vancouver GM Yaro Zajac. "We just decided to try a different strategy."

Former McDonald winner Jake Peavy was also snubbed, but Peavy said that he expected to be passed over due to recent health concerns. "I hope to get a chance with someone this spring, but I understand why the teams wouldn't want to take the chance" said Peavy.

Outfield Austin Jackson was inconsolable after hearing that no one was interested. Jackson locked himself in his bedroom and didn't emerge until a week later. Meanwhile, Delmon Young took a more destructive turn, ransacking his apartment and causing $55,000 in damage.

Relief pitcher Matt Belisle decided to deal with his grief by berating all the draft picks that were taken by the expansion teams. "Neil Walker? Come on, that guy sucks" said Belisle. "B.J. Upton hasn't been good in years! Mark Reynolds? didn't he hit like .150 last year? Jimmy Rollins? Isn't he a grandpa?" Belisle ranted. When asked what skills he brought to the table, Belisle fired back. "Intangibles. Fierce competitiveness. I have an XBox. I can pick up some donuts for team meetings. Anything. Why won't someone take me?" Belisle broke down into tears and ran out of the room.

Vancouver manager Darren Daulton expects many of the castoffs to be selected in the upcoming draft. "Most of these guys still got some gas in the tank" said Daulton. "And if they can get over their little hurt feelings, they may even contribute."

New Role for Edgar
(2/25/06) Following the draft, the Vancouver Iron Fist is pleased to announce that recently retired Edgar Martinez has been hired as the team's hitting coach. Martinez was taken in the inaugural draft in 1991 by Vancouver and has spent all 14 seasons of his DMBL career with the Iron Fist. "Edgar was always one of our best, most consistent hitters and we want our young guys to learn from him" said manager Darren "Dutch" Daulton. Martinez hit .303 in his career, with a .404 OBP, 271 home runs, and 1093 RBIs.
High Hopes
(3/13/05) - Despite last year's surprise start to the season, no one really had big expectations for the 2004 Iron Fist squad. Things are very different this season. "Last season was a great time to get some experience for our young players" said manager Darren Daulton. "Guys like (Oliver) Perez, (Jake) Peavy, and (Ben) Sheets got lots of experience last season." Those three are expected to be the cornerstone of the Vancouver youth movement. Veteran Greg Maddux has remained to mentor the three. Rookie Bobby Madritsch, the fourth overall selection in this year's draft, has already made a big impression with pitching coach Dennis Eckersley.

Meanwhile the batters haven't disappointed. With nine outfielders on the roster, lots of cuts are expected. Ross Gload, Juan Rivera, David Newhan, and Torii Hunter have been battling for a job. Steve Finley, Moises Alou, and Jason Bay have seemingly already locked up roster spots. Bay, who has been dismal this spring, is projected to be a future star. "I'm just using my spring at-bats to tinker with some approaches." said Bay. "I've got a slider, changeup, and a new circle change I've been experimenting." When informed that he's not a pitcher, Bay responded "No wonder my hitting stats suck."