Acquired 7/5/1999 from the free agent pool.

The Zingrods once again go "fishing" (pun intended) for cheap saves. See Wayne Gomes and Orber Moreno for details on this strategy. This time the stimulus for the Zingrods' owner was reading that several teams with questionable closers are courting the Marlins for Matt Mantei as the trade deadline approaches.

Update 8-16-1999: Speculating in the questionable closer market pays off. A few weeks ago, after Mantei was traded to the Diamondbacks, the Zingrods had four closers and a 20-point lead in saves. They therefore began courting fellow owners lacking in that category in an attempt to gain some speed (the Zingrods were second to last in stolen bases at that point). Then, despite Billy Taylor's real-life trade to the Mets and the fact that one of the Zingrods' remaining two closers would be Wayne Gomes, the Zingrods traded Alfonseca along with Frank Catalanotto and Preston Wilson to the Mudville Nine for Roger Cedeno, Carlos Febles and Ramon Martinez.

The trade certainly improved the Zingrods' basestealing ability. Now the question is: will Gomes and Hoffman be able to hold off the rest of the league in saves from here on out?

Update 10-14-1999: Nope. The Zingrods finished 3rd in saves, despite having Hoffman, Gomes and Isringhausen. Once Alfonseca was gone, the Short Gap Slayers and the Tater Tankers smelled blood in the saves category and piled 'em on to get that extra point.