“Artillery” Arthur “10 Mile” was first introduced to Tapey Beercone as a member of the R Cascade Minor Tapey Beercone League. More than any other prospect from the R Cascade League, Arthur possessed possibly the highest ceiling of potential ability. This is exhibited above all by his bombastic 80 Grade raw power and concussive speed, range, and athleticism as a fielder. The only question holding Arthur back from being seen by scouts as the league’s top prospect was whether he could properly contain these raw abilities or whether he would backfire like a loose cannon and flame out.
During his time in R Cascade league play, Arthur flashed impressive tools, but also showed a concerning lack of discipline and control of his natural talents. Scouts worried as to whether his booming batting practice power would show up in games, and whether his raw athletic abilities as a fielder would overcome his hiccups of reckless inexperience at the position. Arthur held his own on the field during Cascade and exhibition play, and then, when faced with his first taste of Buckos League play in late season 4, he exploded past even the most optimistic scout’s expectation.
The occasion was the 3rd Annual Oregon TBC Invitational, and Arthur, along with a few other Cascade league graduates, was seeing his first exposure to the Buckos League. Arthur entered the event somewhat overshadowed by the debuts of other higher ranked prospects, but that wouldn’t last long. He would ignite with a thunderous display at the plate, rocketing extra base hits across the outfield. Over the double-header event he collected 4 of them, and his isolated slugging of .267 was tops for the event.
But as awe-striking as his offensive performance was, it was his defensive showing that truly established Arthur as a force to be reckoned with. Playing Left Fielder and Center Field Safety throughout the event, Arthur played superb defense. Scouts from the R Cascade League always raved about Arthur’s range as a fielder, where he had a hair trigger first step, and bullet top speed to track down balls over a wide area. His range was on full display during the double-header, as he covered nearly 50% of the balls hit into play. And it wasn’t an empty range either, as he converted six outs and had a spectacular conversion rate of over 40%. Matched up alongside “The Coach”, the two fielders played lock down defense all event, which played a major part in their team sweeping the tournament.
For Arthur individually, the impressive performance led to him being named Most Outstanding Fielder of Season 4, and the Season 4 Rookie of the Season. Having flashed immense talent as a prospect, Arthur had earned his nickname, and shown his true MVP caliber potential. The test now was whether he could sustain it. Even in success, nagging questions remained: would pitcher’s begin to exploit in eagerness at the plate? would over-aggressive fielding disintegrate his defensive value? For “Artillery” Arthur, the sky was the limit, and entering season 5 he would be looking to avoid a sophomore slump and establish himself as one of the sport’s top players.