STAND IN LINE: CALGARY PHENOM HUE HENDERSON WAITS...AND WAITS

SIMBL Legend Colt McAlister And Unexpected Surprise Harley Pipp Road Block SIMBL's  Ready-To-Play #8 Top Prospect's Path To The SIMBL

Calgary GM Christian DeMarco broke traditional Clippers' standards by taking a high school player in the 2024 SIMBL Draft when highly-touted phenom 17 year-old Hue Henderson (above) dropped to them at #25 of that draft.  Now, six and a half seasons later preparing as the heir apparent to future SIMBL Hall Of Famer Colt McAlister, Henderson is ready for the SIMBL but Harley Pipp's unexpected productivity has ignited a previously stagnant Calgary offense and created a logjam at first base for the perennial UL Central contenders.

Calgary former 2024 first round pick 1B Hue Henderson is finally ready for the SIMBL after six and a half seasons developing in the minor leagues as the heir apparent to future SIMBL Hall Of Famer Colt McAlister who has manned the position for the Clippers for the past 13 seasons.

Except it appears Colt isn't ready to go anywhere and a former 2024 second round pick named Harley Pipp has roadblocked Henderson's rise with unexpected extraordinary good play.

The Clippers were delighted when the 8/8/9/7/7-potential rated Henderson somehow dropped to them with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 draft.  Henderson possessed talent potential and ratings similar to former Calgary slugger and future SIMBL Hall Of Famer Carlos Molina and GM Christian DeMarco was astounded that 24 other GMs passed on the highly-touted Henderson who was just 17 years-old at the time.

At only a barely 17 years-old at the time, Henderson broke the Clippers trend of not favoring drafting high school players but when he dropped DeMarco had no choice.

"We as an organization have historically shunned away from drafting high school players in the high rounds but when Hue dropped to us we were just surprised as everybody else was and we looked at him as the long-term answer to replacing Colt someday. There just was too much talent potential to not take the risk," said DeMarco.

The Clippers didn't expect almost seven seasons later Henderson still to be standing in line in the minor leagues and Pipp making the team as a fixture before him.

Pipp, selected 23 picks later after Henderson in the same draft, was also a first baseman who was the best player available to DeMarco at the time and was groomed just as well though a year older than Henderson.  Many Clippers fans questioned the pick of two first basemen in the first two rounds but realized that the succession of McAlister in the future either to free agency or retirement was strictly in mind by the team and DeMarco.

Pipp was added to the Clippers roster earlier this season to bolster the lineup against left handed starters and has exceeded expectations currently hitting .302 with 9 HR and 30 RBI and hitting .357 with runners in scoring position in his first 41 games.  Since Pipp was added to the roster and lineup the Clippers have gone from stumbling out of the gate struggling to play .500 in April to a current UL-best 56-32 record.

Henderson, who remains the SIMBL's current #8-rated overall prospect, is scouted as more than ready for the SIMBL but hit only .162 in 37 at bats last season and .191 in 47 at bats this season before being demoted back to the Clippers AAA Columbus affiliate.

The 25 year-old 7/8/6/7/7-developed slugger in waiting is tearing up the SIMBL AAA hitting .357 with 15 HR and 57 RBI in 74 games and is a one-time AA and two-time AAA All-Star while developing.

And waiting for good old Colt to get long in the tooth.

McAlister was the #1 overall pick of the 2019 SIMBL New File Era Inaugural Draft and has proven himself worthy of the position by being a nine-time All-Star and two-time UL MVP while leading the Clippers to two SIMBL titles in 2023 and 2025.  McAlister has belted 452 home runs (fourth in SIMBL history) and driven in 1373 runs (second in SIMBL history) while hitting .285 with a career .956 OPS (second in SIMBL history).  Big Mac had an eleven-season run in which he hit 30 HR and drove in 100 RBI which was halted last season.  Though not once the contact hitter he once was, the 36 year-old is currently hitting .242 with 26 HR and 55 RBI and still a very powerful part of the Clippers offense and still possesses one of the best eyes and one of the toughest to get out in the SIMBL.  McAlister is signed through next season at $19,000,000 with team options of $18,000,000 and $17,000,000 for 2032 and 2033 when he would be 40 years-old.

"Though his average has dipped the past two seasons, Colt is still one of the top players in the SIMBL and the captain of this team which is playing to be 'in it to win it' and playing for another championship," said DeMarco.  "It doesn't matter if Hue Henderson was the next Micky Mantle because you're not going to unseat a player of Colt's status and production still at this stage of his career."

Asked about Pipp's unexpected production and reminded that Pipp was once on the SIMBL trade block last season and earlier this season and DeMarco started stumbling for words.

"Harley was brought up and has produced and has ignited this offense from an early slow start.  He has played extremely well and above our expectations and is an integral part of our young core," said DeMarco. 

"It would be premium to find a place for Henderson, Pipp and Mac to all be in the same lineup but all being first basemen that isn't practical.  So, while it's a blessing to have so much solid talent to be had it does nothing if you can't play them all at the same time," said DeMarco.

Is a trade in the works to ship Pipp while he is a proven commodity to a first baseman needy team such as Cleveland to make room for the supposed next SIMBL star in Henderson or even fathom of trading their team superstar McAlister out of Calgary to make the Clippers younger and cheaper after 13 seasons of manning first base for the Clippers and becoming a Clippers and SIMBL legend?

As usual, DeMarco was his usual transparent self when answering the speculation.

"We'll make the best moves for our team to win a championship as we always have," said DeMarco before requesting no more questions.

If all of their past several first round picks strategically work to expectation, the Clippers will sport a total infield of first round picks: catcher Randall Mays (2025 #15 overall), first baseman Hue Henderson (2024 #25 overall), second baseman and All-Star Tad Jackson (2022 #7 overall via trade with Toronto for Michael Lonewolf), three-time All-Star shortstop Austin Belaska (2023 #25 overall) and third baseman Ramiro Sanchez (2027 #8 overall).

Calgary's rebuilt young rotation core is similarly as talented and assembled with former first round or supplemental round picks: three-time All-Star and 2028 UL Hurler Of The Year Hayden James (2024 #3 overall via trade with Toronto for Michael Lonewolf), All-Star Mohammed Alvarez (2026 #21 overall), Rafael Morales (2026 #28 overall) and Ramon Vasquez (2025 #23 overall).

"It's been a savvy process though we've watched other teams rise above and under us the past several seasons but it seems to finally be paying some dividends and shaping up favorably.  We like where we are once again right now as a championship-ready franchise and we couldn't say that last season," chirped in the always vocal Clippers long-time right fielder and SIMBL career stolen base king Matthew Brown.

Meanwhile, the highly-touted Henderson sits and waits for his turn at SIMBL stardom, or at this point even stable at bats, approaching his 25th birthday and seven seasons in the SIMBL minor leagues as the Clippers currently possess the SIMBL's fifth-rated farm system and seem poised and loaded for another run for an additional SIMBL championship.