Yastrzemski World

SEASON 20 DRAFT RECAP

2011-09-06T08:18:00.003-04:00

DRAFT ANALYSIS

A.L. North
Ottawa Hosers
The Hosers are making a playoff push and at this time haven’t been focusing their resources on acquiring new prospects. Their first round pick went to Baltimore as compensation for the Jesus Astacio signing. The first selection for the Hosers was a sandwich pick at #49 where they selected Trenidad Tejada, a marginal 5’5” high schooler without much offensive promise. There wasn’t much hope for Ottawa this time around, and they didn’t pull off any surprises.
Grade: D
Syracuse Blue Sox
The Blue Sox signed Jolbert Saenz and Ed Hurst and put themselves in a similar position to Ottawa. Leaving themselves virtually no money for signing young players, the Syracuse draft was mostly about rolling the dice trying to find some bargain arms that slipped through the cracks. They once again chose pitchers with their first seven picks, but the likelihood that lefty Antonio Moore can become more than a serviceable depth arm or that Nolan Kirwan can pitch to major league hitters is fairly slim.
Grade: D+
Toronto Trout
With the 17th pick in the draft, the Trout selected left fielder Santiago Crespo, whose skill set is heavily reliant on his ability to generate runs. With better than average speed and power, Crespo could be a heart of the order bat one day. His drawbacks are that he may be challenged to hit left handed pitching, and the reality that he’ll never be a great defender. He does represent above average offensive potential for his draft position. The Trout subsequently chose some pitchers with slim chances of reaching the professional ranks. They’re hoping to hit the international market to augment this season’s youth crop.
Grade: B
Trenton Terror Hawks
Trenton chose relief pitcher Mike Champion with the 19th pick and catcher/DH Gene Bell with the 42nd choice. Champion throws a hard sinker and while he seems able and willing to run out for an inning every day, scouts doubt whether he has the stuff to be an elite level closer. Bell is perhaps the best pure hitter drafted this season, and the Terror Hawks were happy to see him drop as far as he did. Many clubs were scared off by his injury history and others pointed out that despite his unparalleled bat, his defensive skills are so poor that he’ll be a liability wherever he plays in the field. A catcher by trade, his average throwing arm is down-graded by his inability to call a game. Probably a DH in the long run, his bat will certainly make waves.
Grade: B+

A.L. East
Boston Red Sox
This time around, the Red Sox started out with a couple of questionable selections with pitchers Jamie Chamberlain and Tony Camp. Both have problems with control and consistency and coming out of college, they have a bit less time to work on discovering some more redeeming skills. The Red Sox did a little bit better with their next two picks, as infielders Aaron Alexander and Rob Ramsey should provide solid defense to go along with alliteration. Alexander has great speed and both are good enough contact hitters to merit consideration for playing time at any level. Neither shows much power, however, which reflects Boston’s draft this season.
Grade: C-
Durham County Ramblers
The Ramblers have long suffered through years of mediocre pitching and their ballpark certainly doesn’t help on that score. At the #3 slot this season, they may have found a future staff ace in 6’4” righty Dan Price. Price has the make up of a future all-star and with outstanding control and no glaring flaws, if anyone can succeed pitching in Durham he looks like the perfect candidate. After Price, the Ramblers selected Ed Slocumb and Grover Blowers both of whom have an outside chance of finding their way into the bullpen. They also took a few solid defense-only players who could contribute off the bench. Really, only one pick matters this season, and Durham will soon find out if the Price is right.
Grade: A
Jacksonville Sunbirds
With the first overall selection in this year’s draft, the sunbirds chose shortstop Walt Sirotka, a complete ballplayer who boasts a dangerous bat as well as defensive acumen. With good speed, a strong arm and the reputation of a clutch performer Sirotka should be a steady major leaguer for a long time. They followed this pick up with the selection of catcher Lon Christopher and pitcher Glenn Porzio. Solid behind the plate, Christopher has yet to sign a contract and may have other options to consider. Porzio appears to be a decent pitcher, but his skill-ceiling may be lower than the Sunbirds would like. Not a bad draft for Jacksonville, but some feel that they could have scored a little higher.
Grade: B+
New York Crunch
With the 16th pick the Crunch were glad to see outfielder Tony Stanley still available. With a natural approach at the plate, Stanley has a sweet swing and a great feel for the strike zone. He doesn’t hit for much power, but he should certainly be an offensive sparkplug as he does everything else well. Hitting well for average would project him as a table-setter for the heart of the order bats to cash in. It remains to be seen how he’ll fare defensively, but Stanley is a good piece for New York’s future. Pitchers Pat Incaviglia and Otis Bowels are easy fodder for lefty hitters and may or may not be able to overcome that hurdle. From this crop, Stanley is really the only name that will generate buzz.
Grade: B-

A.L. South
Charlotte Designated Drinkers
The only piece of real significance for the D.D’s in this season’s draft was first round back-stopper Tony Park. This pick neatly addresses a need for Charlotte, where fans are growing weary of the Robert Roberts/Nigel Valentine tandem behind the plate. At 18 years of age, Park is likely still a couple of seasons away, but he easily becomes the most promising offensive catcher in the organization. He has a scorching throwing arm as well… a decent value for his draft position.
Grade: B+
Florida GATORs
Picking at the 28th slot, Florida took pitcher Todd Chatwood, who they hope will be looked back on as a diamond in the rough. Chatwood is certainly rough at this point, without much control or velocity on his varied arsenal of pitches. The rest of this season’s picks for the GATORs are nominal at best without a standout in the bunch from either an offensive or defensive standpoint. Versatile fielder Dickie Stokes has the best chance at climbing to a high level, but as a bench player to be sure. Not a very promising draft.
Grade: F (sorry)
Louisville Lobsters
Despite a later drafting position, the Lobsters found a serviceable arm in righty Mel Grant, who shows good control and could be a steady late inning presence if he can turn his cut fastball into a money pitch. Not a hard chucker by closer’s standards, Grant could turn into a situation reliever, capable of throwing every day. Louisville also landed outfielder Joshua Malone, who has a sweet swing and good bat control. Not a natural power hitter and without great speed or fielding prowess, Malone will need to hit for high batting average to make himself a useful offensive weapon.
Grade: B-
Nashville Catfish
With a heavy focus on pitching, the Catfish selected 18 yr old lefty Jason Jameson a Boston high-schooler with a promising pedigree including a sharp fastball. Some project him to end up in the bullpen, but regardless of what his role is Jameson should one day make an impact for Nashville. Second rounder Derek Bonine can make radar guns second-guess themselves, but he's quite wild and despite owning right-handed hitters, he gets slapped around mercilessly by lefties, perhaps limiting his long-term usefulness.
Grade: B-

A.L. West
Las Vegas Numa Numa
This time around, the Numa Numa decided to focus on finding capable defensive players, and drafted four shortstops with their first five picks. Top selection R.J. Moreno is an athletic player and a good contact hitter, but his lanky frame might hinder his range and see him shift over to third eventually. Steven Bird, Justin Sanders and Galahad Andrews all display strong defensive ability, without showing much upside at the plate. On the flipside, is catcher Dee Dee Jenner, who has a natural home run swing and comes out of WSU as a major league ready offensive talent. Jenner has a decent arm behind the plate, but really lacks the game-calling smarts that many pitchers rely on and as such could wind up as a DH. He hits lefties better than most current major leaguers and represents a sound offensive selection from the 45th pick in the draft.
Grade: B
Oklahoma City Rodeo Clowns
With the 31st pick in the draft, OKC selected pitcher Jacque Nicholas. The 21 year old righty has great control and throws a good fastball. He figures to work his way into the bullpen for the Clowns and could potentially be a useful piece. Second rounder Bubba Gibbons has an outstanding fastball and throws four pitches well. If he can eventually learn to command his arsenal he could wind up as another piece of the puzzle. Not bad results from mediocre draft positioning.
Grade: B-
Sacramento Sanguillens
This season, Sacramento couldn’t pass on stud second bagger Pat Baldelli. Don’t be fooled by Baldelli’s slight build, he’s one of the best natural hitting prospects to surface in recent history. While he doesn’t possess game-changing power, he should still be able to knock a few over the wall to compliment his keen eye at the plate and a good line-drive swing to all fields. Dynamic hitting skills combined with smart base-running and a sound defensive game should give the Sanguillens another blue-chipper to build around. 39th pick Reagan Beaulac is a smart catcher with decent power, who could develop into a starter one day. Despite his talent, there are those who doubt the passion that Beaulac brings to the game, and perhaps it will take just the right coaching to get the most from the solid backstop. Second rounders Terry Lee and Steven Franco give Sacramento some more depth, the former an inning eating arm and the latter a slick fielder with a decent eye at the plate. Not much more the Sanguillens could have hoped for from this draft.
Grade: A
Scottsdale Fighting Chokes
Starting the draft with four pitchers, the Chokes are seriously addressing their future needs. First rounder Harry McEnerney is a pure talent with a first rate slider and a bright future. He had a reputation as someone who likes to party, so there’s some slight concern with his off-field behavior affecting his professionalism. Young Harry is only 18, so with the right guidance he should become a top tier major league pitcher. Second rounders Mark George and Manny Adams have far less natural talent than McEnerney, but with some hard work either of them could turn into effective ML pitchers. George has a durable arm and throws a great curveball, but he suffers against lefties and his overall stuff is fairly average. Adams has much better control and composure, also relying on his curveball as a primary pitch, but will need to avoid the long-ball if he’s going to succeed in the long term. The Chokes drafted three pitchers to watch going forward.
Grade: A-

N.L. North
Chicago Crushers
After the McKay Dunham debacle from season 19, it was very important to the Crushers to make the most of the #4 pick in this season’s draft. With speedy center fielder Carson Cannon they’ve done just that! Cannon has the potential to be an all-around 5-tool player for Chicago, as he’s already blessed with good speed (both on the base path and in the outfield) to go with a great contact bat, good power and a great glove. Cannon has a very promising career ahead of him. Second rounder Andres Perez is a solid second baseman with good speed and fielding instincts, though his average bat may hinder his progress. Third rounder Vinny Lowry is an enigmatic outfielder, boasting great speed, power and other good bat skills. Not a great fielder, Lowry is also reminiscent of Mark Reynolds, and is such a poor contact hitter that he could set strikeout records if given enough at bats. It will be interesting to see if he can overcome some of his challenges. Overall, aside from the lack of pitching help, the Crushers have to feel decent about this year’s draft. Grade: A
Detroit Tiger Sharks
Top pick Delmon Grimsley is a top tier defensive shortstop, in fact, he’s such a star fielder that he’ll force people to notice him despite some fairly average offensive skills. He does hit lefties fairly well, so he may one day be a platoon player with many a late inning fielding assignment. The Tiger Sharks then went on a run of pitchers, with towering Brendan Costello and his super-sinker the most promising of the bunch. A groundball pitcher, Costello throws hard and low and might have closer’s stuff. The Tigers have a couple of useful pieces to work with here.
Grade: B
Montreal Maroons
With a mere pittance allocated for scouting, it’s no surprise that the Maroons didn’t really make a splash on draft day. First rounder Ronnie Tyson does some things well, but many feel that his ceiling is fairly low. Second rounder “A Man Named” Gail Rogers has good control, and could potentially be a bullpen arm, but there are some doubts about his overall skill-set as well. The Maroons have done a little better with the International route and are still hoping to find another youngster overseas.
Grade: D
Philadelphia Pheremoniacs
First rounder Dave Boswell is another in the slick-fielding/light-hitting mold. He could be a major leaguer if his team is content to take a .200 hitter at the bottom of the order to put his excellent defense in the field. Catcher Armando Villanueva is a solid option, with ML-ready power and good plate patience. He has the potential to be an adequate backstop, though he’ll likely never be truly great defensively, and he also has trouble hitting the southpaws, making him a potential platoon candidate. “All-or-nothing” Guy Zimmerman is a stiff outfielder with a free swing and natural power. He seems destined for AAA greatness, as his contact skills will crumble against ML pitching. Overall, the World Champs can’t be terribly excited about this seasons draft.
Grade: C

N.L. East
Augusta Capitols
The Capitols started the season by making a number of big splashes on the free agent market, thus expunging their top choice in the draft. They started with the 43rd pick and took one of the most puzzling selections in this season’s draft class: Uber-talented Michigan high-school catcher Doug Milner is one of the brightest young talents in the country, however he’s lucky to be alive after he was severely hurt in a car crash last summer. Milner operates with only one lung, and several of his organs aren’t functioning to a normal level. Some doctors said that he would never play again, but he’s been cleared to resume baseball activities (monitored by his personal physician) provided that he doesn’t aggravate his condition. Milner has a devastating power stroke and would likely have become one of baseball’s true elite sluggers if he could play a full season. A real student of the game, he also demonstrates brilliant depth behind the plate with his pitch calling and has a strong and accurate arm. Augusta has themselves a secret weapon on a respirator, and they’ll likely be itching for Milner to get into as many games as possible. He’s really the only pick with substantial upside for Augusta…
Grade: C
Baltimore Barons
After addressing pitching for the past couple of seasons (resulting in a couple of tremendously bright young arms in their future), the Barons chose center fielder Norm Schmidt with the 8th pick in the draft. Schmidt’s bat certainly will need to develop for him to be a star hitter. He’s a pure contact hitter, not likely to draw a walk, with moderate power and far more successful against left handed pitching. The clincher with Schmidt is his defense. He could be the best defensive outfielder to come along in years! He patrols center field like a gazelle, and his arm is second to none. The Barons then chose hard throwing lefty Hal McMasters, a solid two pitch guy likely on the fast track to the Baltimore bullpen. First baseman Orlando Sanchez was a steal at pick #83, with great natural hitting instincts and a sweet swing. Sanchez will never compete for a home run title, but he sees the strike zone extremely well and has extra base power to all fields. Baltimore should be fairly satisfied with their bounty in what seems to be a fairly thin draft class.
Grade: A
Cincinnati Red Army
With the 12th and 55th picks, the Red Army chose a couple of pitchers receiving mixed reviews. Top choice Chipper Edwards has a strong arm, and a magnificent sinker. He’s a true groundball pitcher with near perfect control, however, there are some concerns that he’s prone to blow-ups (especially late in games) and Cincy will need to figure out how to get the most of Chipper’s skills. Sandwich pick Brian Damon is a curve-ball master with a 5-pitch arsenal and some good zip. There are concerns that he can be a bit wild at times and also that he can’t go too deep into games. Perhaps Damon is another bullpen candidate, unless he can work on his stamina levels. This year’s draft class will need some decent coaching in the next few years if they’re to enjoy long term success.
Grade:C+
Washington Swamp Cats
Without a pick until #26, the Swamp Cats should be pleased with their results. Second bagger Bob Forbes is a complete player with great base-running skills, good plate patience and a sound defensive game. He won’t be a star, but he should be an above average player and a good fit in Washington. Defensive infielder Kyle Hicks is another potentially useful piece, perhaps more on the defensive side. Hicks isn’t a deep threat, and as a contact hitter, he has a bit of trouble against right-handed pitching. His versatility may be his saving grace. The Swamp Cats also selected catcher Eddie Gosling, one of the soundest defensive catchers in the draft. Not really known for his bat, Gosling does boast decent power in spurts when given an opportunity.
Grade: B+

N.L. South
Atlanta World Police
The World Police didn’t pick until spot #33 and they never had much cause to celebrate this time around. Top selection Nolan Crandell is a moderately skilled outfielder with mediocre talent at the plate. Atlanta doesn’t really seem to have hit with any of their picks this season. They’re a team competing for post-season glory, so perhaps they can wait a few years for the next big thing.
Grade: F
El Paso Blancos
The top three picks for El Paso this season were American-born infielders of Latin-American heritage. Shortstop Matty Polanco is a good all-around ballplayer, with some power at the plate and a slick glove. He hits righties exceptionally well, though scouts say that he’ll struggle to hit for average and his range may not be suited to playing short long term. Range is not a problem for speedy second baseman Jorge Santana, who is a slick fielder, a fluid natural base-runner and a good contact hitter. Not a power hitter, Santana is a free swinger who doesn’t like to draw a walk, so he’ll need to figure out other ways to get on base to employ his speed game. Infielder Geraldo Estrada is a solid young contact hitter who has no major flaws in his game. Perhaps best suited as a third baseman, Estrada hits to all fields and has good baseball instincts. He doesn’t have a wealth of natural talent, so he’ll need to be in a good situation if he’s to succeed. No blue-chippers this time around for the Blancos, but they did draft three useful and skilled players.
Grade: B
Mexico City Jalapenos
Ninth overall the Jalapenos selected second baseman Buzz Hollins, a gritty hard-working throwback type ball-player who will be known more for hustle than skill. Hollins has decent range at his position, but can be prone to errors at second and might do well with a switch to the outfield. A slash hitter with good plate composure, Hollins doesn’t chase bad pitches and though he isn’t blessed with great speed, he’s a smart base-runner who makes the most of his talents. Not a natural power hitter, Buzz should still be able to knock 10-15 dingers per year. He’s really the only player with decent upside for Mexico City this time around, as pitcher Bert Tate is a bit of a longshot.
Grade: C+
Monterrey Massacre
With the 2nd overall pick, the Massacre went for Stuffy Haynes, an allergy sufferer who is a more of a great athlete than a great ballplayer. There are hopes that he can develop into an impact performer, with above average power, decent speed and good range at second base. He needs work in all departments, but he is only 18 years old, and time will tell if he becomes a serviceable player or a great one. Many scouts feel that picking Haynes at #2 was a bit of a reach, but they’ll also agree that landing Jean Berkman at #25 was a huge steal for Monterrey. Berkman is a fierce competitor with a feared bat and power to all fields. He might strike out more than his share, but he should make up for it with run production and defense. Either Haynes or Berkman will need to find a new position down the road if both top Massacre draft picks are to become successful.
Grade: B

N.L. West
Helena Phantom der Nacht
This year’s draft was a bit of a throwaway for Helena. With a mid-late first rounder (#23) and their next pick at #97, they didn’t really have access to the top talent and they bore the brunt of a very thin talent level in this season’s draft class. Top selection Vic Martinez is a 22 yr old pitcher who already throws at a AAA level, but some scouts feel that he’s already peaked. If Martinez can work on his control and improve his fastball, he could wind up as a quality major league hurler, but much hinges on the next couple season’s of his development. The rest of the draft was very forgettable for the Phantom der Nacht, as they’ve had much better luck with their international signings this season.
Grade: D-
L.A. Dead Bunnies
The Dead Bunnies took outfielder/first baseman Miguel Mota with the 22nd pick in the draft. Mota shows a fair amount of natural hitting talent that could translate into a heart of the order bat for L.A. With 30 home run potential and a good eye at the plate, Mota’s main weakness is defense, where he’ll have a tough time if the Bunnies need him in the outfield. Sandwich pick Al Maduro is a fairly smooth outfielder with great range, but he swings a fairly unimpressive bat. Second rounder Horace Scott looks like a great defensive addition, and although he’ll rarely connect with any power, he could become a good enough contact hitter to be a useful player for L.A.
Grade: B-
San Fransisco Streets
Addressing what they deem to be their top need, the Streets selected pitchers with 16 of their first 17 selections in this year’s draft. Top pick Paul Presley has the potential to be a top of the rotation workhorse in San Fran. With great control and a gritty competitive nature, Presley challenges hitters and can pitch deep into games. He’ll need a few seasons to mature, and the Streets hope that he’ll eventually be a leader for them. Second rounder Cooper Gumbert also has some promise, showing both a great curveball a nasty slider, he has a bit of work to do against lefties and probably figures in the bullpen eventually.
Grade: B+
Vancouver Vampire Bats
The V-Bats selected Marco Kelly, a soft throwing righty with decent control of his five pitches. Kelly needs to work on his stamina if he’s going to remain a starter, though he has the makeup to become a useful arm in a few seasons if he’s well coached. With their second round pick Vancouver took Jack Hackman, a solid if unspectacular hitter who’s lack of fielding prowess would best serve him as a DH in the AL. There’s some potential in these picks, but nothing ground breaking.
Grade: C+

All Time Regular Season Standings

2011-08-03T01:06:00.003-04:00

Team/Wins/Losses/Pct

Boston Red Sox 1939 1139 .630
Detroit Tiger Sharks 1905 1173 .619
Las Vegas Numa Numa 1761 1317 .572
Durham County Ramblers 1760 1318 .572
Augusta Capitols 1737 1341 .569
Philadelphia Pheremoniacs 1733 1345 .563
Oklahoma City Rodeo Clowns 1731 1347 .562
Montreal Maroons 1686 1392 .548
Vancouver Vampire Bats 1661 1417 .540
Monterrey Massacre 1644 1434 .534
Toronto Trout 1631 1447 .530
New York Crunch 1615 1463 .525
Atlanta World Police 1614 1464 .524
Sacramento Sanguillens 1543 1535 .501
Ottawa Hosers 1522 1556 .494
Louisville Lobsters 1515 1563 .492
Helena Phantom der Nacht 1493 1585 .485
Los Angeles Dead Bunnies 1479 1599 .481
Jacksonville Sunbirds 1442 1636 .468
Scottsdale Fightin’ Chokes 1442 1636 .468
Syracuse Blue Sox 1439 1639 .468
Baltimore Barons 1435 1643 .466
Cincinnati Red Army 1409 1669 .458
San Francisco Streets 1402 1676 .455
Trenton Terror Hawks 1397 1681 .454
Chicago Crushers 1385 1693 .450
Washington D.C. Swamp Cats 1372 1706 .446
El Paso Blancos 1370 1708 .445
Charlotte Designated Drinkers 1351 1727 .439
Florida GATORS 1341 1737 .436
Nashville Catfish 1260 1818 .409
Mexico City Jalapenos 1234 1844 .401

YAZ SEASON 20 PREVIEW

2011-07-27T22:39:00.003-04:00

AMERICAN LEAGUE

A.L. NORTH

Can Toronto’s young stars make up for a shaky bullpen?
Can the all-star cast in Ottawa overcome the playoff jitters?
Will young pitching in Trenton make the Hawks a team to fear?
Can Villa deliver the Blue Sox to the playoffs?

Toronto Trout
The AL North has recently developed into a “division of death” where the slightest misstep means immiseration in the cellar. The Trout, brimming with young talent, suffered through a 4th place finish last season, despite having a winning record and showing a lot of promise. But with any luck, things will change this season for our favorite lake-swimmers. Though the bullpen is a bit of a question mark, aside from Oscar Pittinger and veteran Stewart Sheldon, the starting rotation shines brightly. Juan Sosa, Jon Gonzales, and Richard Lee are a fearsome front three backed up by dependable inning-eaters Mel Leach and Clint Walker. This rotation’s strongest links are all potential all-stars; their challenge will be to pitch enough innings to make up for an otherwise unexceptional pitching corps.
The real excitement in Toronto is reserved for the team’s bats. Off-season acquisition C Eduardo Sanchez, who the Hosers let go rather than meet an average annual price tag of $7.7 million, promises to bring some serious extra pop to an already talented offense. 2B Horacio Guerrero had a career-season last time around, garnering an All-Star nomination and a Silver Slugger Award. 1B Rico Martin may strike out a lot, but when he connects, let’s just say that the ball takes a long enough trip that it has to pack an overnight bag. Willis Swift is solid, if unremarkable, at 3B. The only infield question mark is SS. Does Trent Benoit have the bat or the glove to make it as an everyday starter in the big leagues?
The Trout also potentially have the best-hitting outfield in the bigs. The cornerstone of their whole offense is, of course, future Hall-of-Famer CF Fernando Rosado. Though a bit of a liability defensively, Rosado won All-Star recognition last season to go with his Silver Slugger Award—and this writer has a feeling that an MVP awaits him in the not-too-distant future. LF is occupied by former 1B and perennial slugger Chet Neal. In RF, the Trout have unproven talent Santo Figueroa. Though he had a lackluster rookie season, Figueroa’s numbers suggest that if he can get his confidence up he has a future as a #2 hitter and reliable OBP man.
As long as the aging core of the pitching staff holds up, this team has the talent to contend for the WS this year and next. After that, there’s enough young talent that the Trout should expect to be division contenders for the foreseeable future, especially if they add young pitching. At this moment most of the stars of tomorrow have already arrived on the ML squad. There are, however, a few names to look out for. Speedy RF Maicer Serra at AAA and 2B Kevin Kida in AA hope to leg their way into the bigs before too long. Additionally, be on the lookout for Hi-A offensive threat C Felipe Estrada, most likely in platoon but perhaps as a starter.
-maxdeardorff

The Ottawa Hosers
What is there to say but, “Drats! Foiled again!” After his second showing in the WS, Greeny still hasn’t walked away with the hardware. But it isn’t for lack of trying. Over the last ten seasons, he has distinguished himself in all levels of management activity and has built one of the league’s most dynamic teams. With a mixture of youthful vigor and seasoned know-how, this is a team poised to return to the WS again, and this writer’s favorite to win it all.
The Hosers’ pitching has improved considerably since the last quarter of the prior season. The team is and has been anchored around Alex Ortiz, who made his debut in season 15 and is a sure-fire HOFer if he can stay healthy. To the rotation return Juan Guzman and Alex Darling, solid moundsmen. But Ottawa is abuzz with the news of two recent acquisitions. Jesus Astacio, the 15 million-dollar man, and Dave Gibson, who arrived in a season 19 trade, fall in behind Ortiz to give the team the most dominant 1-2-3 punch in the AL. To add to that, the Hosers have locked in a reliable corps of long relievers and a fearsome closer in the person of Kevin Baek, former Fireman of the Year.
On the other side of the diamond, at only two positions has Greeny broken with his power philosophy. Former MVP Winston Marte, who came over in the trade with Dave Gibson last season, hangs his hat in RF. He may have seen his power numbers trail off over the past few seasons, but he remains one of the game’s most dominant contact hitters. Though he may have slowed over the years and may not be able to cover as much ground, CF Ivan Armas is as dynamic at the plate as is Marte but with more power, and the two may someday see each other in Cooperstown. In LF, Derrick Flaherty provides the team’s most consistent deep threat. 3B Sammy Reyes, SS Denny Yeats, and 2B Vic Esposito all swing heavy bats as well. Interestingly, the lightest-hitting infielder is Tokyo-born 1B John Suzuki, who is making his major-league debut this year. While he doesn’t boast a lot of power, he should hit for average and contribute to runs totals that way. C Sparky Page should deliver convincing “Eduardo Sanchez-lite” numbers and DH Tony Carrasco kills LH pitchers and is looking for yet another Silver Slugger award.
Though many of Greeny’s top prospects have already made their way to the majors, AAA 1B Paul Kojima, defensive C Dick Cameron, and RF Brian Ruth may see the ML in case of injury. There is likewise a chance that AA RF Clarence Smith will eventually get a shot.
Though such stars as Armas, Marte, and Astacio have limited time left, there is so much remaining talent that this team promises to dominate for seasons to come.
-maxdeardorff

Trenton Terror Hawks
Just one season away from his second playoff experience, Wrecks has built a team that’s itching to get back to the postseason. If he can see his way through the Division of Death, the Terror Hawks should have a least a couple chances to make it deep into the playoffs—they’re the youngest team in the AL with some special young players.
SP Phil Knotts is part of a talented pitching rotation that gets none of the respect that it deserves. In fact, scouts say that Knotts and his compadre Brendan O’Neil have all the talent of recent Cy Young winners, and are just waiting to put up numbers that match their abilities. Chili Hyun and Chico Flores, IFA acquisitions from seasons 11 and 17, respectively, add depth to a six-man rotation whose other members do little more than eat innings. As long as Wrecks can make sure that his best starters get the ball on a regular basis, the offense should have a chance to propel the Hawks into the off-season.
The field marshall of that offensive attack promises to be rookie 1B Sean Avery. A corn-fed Midwesterner with a selective batting-eye, Avery hopes to deliver in his freshman campaign the 25 HRs and 100 RBIs that he became accustomed to producing in the minors. In the other power corner, recent call-up 3B Charlie Tolar hopes to build on a rookie season that showed flashes of glory. Of course Tolar won’t have it easy. Wrecks will be looking to put newcomer Bob Grimes into the lineup, and the hard-hitting Grimes has the glove to play either 3B or RF. Things are more steady in the middle of the infield, where “fastest man in baseball” Ronn Rooney has a lockdown on 2B and SS Fritz Branson seems to have sweet-talked management into overlooking the swiss cheese-holes in his glove. Left-hander Rafael Rincon has taken over catching duties from the departed Marvin Williamson, whose bat will be sorely missed. The outfield, too, saw another important free agency departure as RF Carl Bevil trotted off to greener pastures. Free swinging Eli Chavez has been imported to (hopefully) replace his power numbers. Miguel Johnson (one of the better-hitting CF in the game) hopes to return to his S 18 form, when he garnered the SS and AS awards at his position. In LF, Felipe Vega consistently puts up very solid power numbers with little recognition.
Wrecks has a bit of talent stashed away in the minors. AAA Japanese imports C Jin Hyun and RF Takumi Sung are itching to get a shot in the majors as is the former New Jersey standout, C Ron Grimsley. Perhaps Sung has a shot at Chavez’s spot in the ML? AA DHs Moises Amezaga and Elston Lillibridge also hope to get a chance to test their bats in the bigs. But perhaps the most excitement is reserved for future SP Hersh Garret, currently in Lo-A. Garret promises to dominate LH batters if he can fully develop his curve and breaking pitches. Is Lo-A pitching coach Alan Barrett up to the mentoring challenge?
-maxdeardorff

Syracuse Blue Sox
Felipe Villa joins the Blue Sox!!!!! The Blue Sox are amped about the trade that brought this superstar to town, even if it meant the departure of smooth-swinging Sawyer McCartney. With Villa’s help, they will be looking to bust the 90-win plateau once and for all.
Big budgets for the better part of a decade have guaranteed a lineup full of quality free agents. This season is no different. Laramemymonk lured RPs Ed Hurst, Jolbert Saenz, and Felipe Herrera out into upstate NY this season with lucrative contracts and a promise they’d get one last shot at the title. They join SPs Ryan Cash and Josh Shelby, other big payday FAs, in search of El Dorado. But the clock is ticking; nobody’s getting any younger. Cash’s deal is up this year and Shelby’s the following year, at which point the GM will have to make some tough decisions about the tenure of these high-priced veterans in Syracuse. The leadership of Felipe Villa may make all the difference in whether these Blue dreams come true…
On the offensive side, the lineup won’t be the same after the departure of batting king McCartney. It’s not clear whether Joel Purcell or Felix Huang will step into his shoes at 1B, but whoever it is will have a tall order to fill. But support should come from the corner outfield positions. While RF Fausto Aybar delivers a combo a solid offense and defense, LF Brad Levis brings a lefty punch to the lineup. The Blue Sox have solid defense up the middle, but little offense. CF is handled by the platoon of Hydzu/Martin, while 2B is the domain of speedy Riku Nomu. The story on the left side of the infield is completely different. SS Bert Lee adds plus defense to one of the best bats at his position in the league. 3B George Hoover may not hit for a great average, but he consistently delivers top-of-the-line power numbers. Generally speaking, this is an offense that deserves to be feared, and one that can show its chops when the gloves are on, too.
Years of focus on Type-A free agents has meant that top-flight prospects are in short supply in the Syracuse organization. What you see at the ML level is mostly what you get, though 1B Justin Jacome is waiting in the wings at AAA for one last return to glory should injuries plague the Blue Sox this season. Will this band of well-remunerated veterans prove their worth this season?
-maxdeardorff

Projected Finish
1. Ottawa
2. Toronto *
3. Syracuse
4. Trenton
(* denotes wild card berth)

A.L. EAST

Can Boston’s starting rotation hold the team together?
Will Vega’s pleadings in New York pay off?
Will the Ramblers exorcise the ghost of Sherry Grebeck?
Can Jacksonville’s slugging infielders carry the team?

Boston Red Sox
After season 18, an era ended. Gone were the familiar names: Terry Davis (left two seasons ago for New York), Blake Robinson (left last season for an FA contract), Miguel Beltran (left as a free agent in season 15, now retired), Ron Karnuth (left FA in season 16, back in Boston’s AAA in order to retire as Red Sox). The only remaining member of the Red Sox steroid-era team is Alfonso Mercedes, now 36 years old and in the last year of his contract. This new bunch is rangier, meaner, and leaner.
In some ways, this is still a typical Boston team, stronger at the plate than on the mound. Moya, Miller, Perry, Bradley, and Fernandez together form a budget starting rotation. All competent pitchers, there nevertheless is not one among them who demonstrates “ace” stuff on the mound. The most likely leader for the bunch is Sammy Moya, if he could just develop his sinker into a real “out” pitch. There’s more promise in the bullpen, where closer Grady Peterson dominates. He’s not alone; Miguel Neruda’s almost impossible-to-hit screwball keeps batters guessing. If the Red Sox can keep the lead going into the 7th inning, the control-oriented bullpen promises to keep things under control.
On offense, this is still “Alfonso’s team,” but he’s got a new supporting cast. Though he rarely plays more than 120 games a season, C Pablo Uribe has a powerful swing and an eye toward getting on base. Last season, LF Moe Stovall showed why he got called up 3 seasons ago, knocking 29 dingers and bringing home a Gold Glove, to boot. But how will he handle the transition from 1B? Stovall’s former job now belongs to Wilton Rosen, a season 17 trade acquisition who has so far been a disappointment, failing to repeat his breakout season 15 in Madison (22 HR, 124 RBI). The rest of the infield is a mixed bag. Wascar Alberro is a question mark at 2B, but 3B Ralph Hodges’ solid offense and plus-defense made him an easy All-Star pick last season. And at SS, a clear starter has yet to emerge. Veteran Matthew Standridge has slowed a bit and is facing competition from journeymen glove men Benny Barker and Jacob Martin. It’s anyone’s guess whose job that will be at the end of the season. The same is true at CF, where FP Jones is doing his darndest to hold off rookies Brian Henry and Josh Becker. RF, however, belongs to Robinson Dawkins alone.
Say what you will, this Red Sox team is oriented toward the future. A lot of the franchise’s promising players are currently making their mark in the minors. Flamethrower Matty Blasco in AAA is just waiting for his chance to take Grady Peterson’s job away. RPs Joe Clark and Derek Borowski aren’t far behind him in AA. AAA 1B Albie Bonilla is eager to nudge Wilton Rosen aside. The most promising prospect, if he can stay healthy, is SP Ed Carpenter, the more-skilled of the Hi-A “Ed and Eddie” duo. Let’s see if the current cast can hold down the fort until these guys rise up.
-maxdeardorff

New York Crunch
An inside source tells me that publicly calm Moises Vega, ace of the Crunch staff, disappointed by the team’s 2nd place finish last year, let management have a piece of his mind over the off-season. The result? A bevy of A-list talent to round out the roster. The free agent-signing period saw veteran hurlers Ramon Li and Ray Fischer come in to back up Vega. Management found especially attractive Ramon Li’s tendency to be in the right place at the right time; he’s one knuckle shy of a fist-full of WS rings. The same is true of sweet-swinging acquisition Emil Franco. Coincidence?
The experienced starting rotation is a force to be reckoned with. The above-named are joined by master-hurler Chuck Russell, who doesn’t bounce back from starts as well as he used to, but still delivers when he hits the mound. Young Dolf Paulson has got the stuff, but is still working on the conditioning. But SyrCrunch isn’t worried about over-burdening his starters; his relief corps is stacked. Closer Victor Rosado—who some believed should have won the Fireman of the Year award last season—is among the best in the game, and the supporting cast all demonstrate great control.
If everyone plays up to his potential, this is a team that should waltz into the playoffs. LF Emil Franco is joined in the outfield by two former All-Stars: ball-crushing RF Miguel Martinez and defensive maven CF Alex Wright. Defensively, 3B Octavio Pascual and SS Davey Schulte are a bit suspect, but they bring solid offense to the table. 1B Don McRae offers acceptable, if not exciting, offense at the other corner and DH Terry Davis is trying to stick around one more season to retire with 600 HRs, a feat he will surely accomplish. 2B and C are question marks. Coach has decided to give rule 5-selection Jonny Murray a shot at the 2B job, but a lot of scouts still claim the kid doesn’t have ML-quality tools. At C, duties are shared by aging Max Cora, who doesn’t have the defensive skills he once did, but can still swing a bat and switch-hitting Humberto Ugueto (who had impressive numbers last season in Jacksonville).
Though this is one of the three oldest teams in baseball, ownership is still trying to plan for the future. Everybody’s excited about RP Artie Dillon who, after a short stint in the bigs last year, is getting a little extra seasoning in AAA before he gets another shot. Scouts are divided on SP Cameron Walsh, who’ll have a chance to win the fifth starter position next year. More exciting, perhaps, are two pitchers at Hi-A. RP David Castillo has dynamite stuff but struggles with control, while SP Jorge Gonzalez would be in the ML today if he could figure out left-handed batters. Prospects among the position players are few and far between, however, so that is sure to be an objective for the team in this year’s amateur draft.
-maxdeardorff

Durham County Ramblers
Tough times in tobacco country. After a decade delivering an average of 100 wins per season, the Ramblers have weathered a couple of lean years. Durham has always guaranteed an offensive fireworks show for its fans, but of late it has lacked a superstar to finish off close games. The most glaring problem has been trying to plug a Sherry Grebeck-sized hole in the offense ever since that star’s departure into free agency in season 18.
Grebeck’s old spot at 2B is now filled by Chad McDonald. McDonald has a solid bat, but to really replace Grebeck, he’ll have to rediscover his rookie league Silver Slugger-swagger. McDonald is complemented in the infield by sluggers Morton and Scholl at 1B and 3B and recent call-up Gary Leary at SS. Scouts hope that Leary has a swing that’s tailor-made for this free-flying ballpark; he won’t hit for average, but he’s got the muscle to turn in 30 dingers a year at a defensive position. Here in Durham, offense is the name of the game, and coach is hoping to get another stellar season out of C Benji Cedeno (.346 Avg and .970 OPS last season). Does the 36 year-old Dallas native have one more miracle in him? In the outfield, the corners are held down by the wall-pounding Grey boys, and CF belongs to the young stud Joaquin Vega. Vega’s defense may not belong in CF, but his offensive numbers will help the fans forgive his shortcomings. As Vega goes, so do the Ramblers. This is a team full of offensive-stunners who never quite seem to leg out the groundball or line drive.
Of course, the rotation is doing its best to minimize the damage. Fans in Durham are excited about David Ortiz, but their patience waiting for him to live up to his $10 million price tag is wearing thin. Highly touted by the scouts, Ortiz will still probably need to deliver a sub 5.00 ERA one of these seasons if he is to have any hope of having his contract renewed after season 22. Some are starting to whisper that young guns Louis Hill, Anthony Keats, Dann Tomlinson, and Vin Biddle are more deserving. Keats and Hill are still waiting to prove that scouting reports equal on-field success, but Tomlinson and Biddle both turned in superior, if limited, performances last season. Look for these four to compete for the fans’ love. And if closer Phillip “Come on down to Cass City” Fontenot turns in yet another stinker like he did last season, look for one of these youngsters to replace him.
And if none of them fit the bill? Well, there’s relief (pun intended!) in AAA. SPs Damian Sasaki and Cam Hurst, as well as RP Peaches “Don’t you dare call me Peaches” Gruber all display major-league potential, as does AA RP Fernando Rosario. Scouts say the movement on Rosario’s forkball needs a little work, but that he already knows how to work the plate. Among the hitting prospects, minor league coaches are very excited about Lo-A LF Connie McGuire who is quickly developing into a dangerous contact hitter. And fans are sure to love both the moniker and the potential of switch-hitting 1B Pinky Baez, now making his way through AA.
-maxdeardorff

Jacksonville Sunbirds
Jacksonville’s heart is as big as its municipal area. This is a town that lives, breathes, and sleeps baseball. So it’s no surprise that the city is buzzing about all of the GM’s big acquisitions over the off-season. Bargain-minded GM larryvegas signed sluggers Marvin Williamson and Carl Bevil on very favorable terms for the organization. But all those savings got re-invested in high profile hurler Emil Pineiro, who was one of the marquee names in this season’s free agency list of SPs. Let’s hope, for the Sunbirds’ sake, that Pineiro is worth his high price tag.
C Williamson and RF Bevil promise to bring consistent offensive production to an offense long anchored by free-swingers SS Benny Villafuerte (whose contract is one of the best values in the league) and LF Matty Hayes. If Jacksonville can get run production out of the rest of the supporting cast, this should be a high-octane offense. It looks like CF duties will be shared by righty Earl Myatt and lefty Vinny Scott, who promise to be a fearsome duo in platoon. Myatt, a rookie, is a converted SS whose strong arm should garner him some extra assists from the outfield. Hopefully his plus-defense should make up for the defensive shortcomings of Scott, who displays range more typical of a LF. Aside from Villafuerte, the infield boasts a couple of new faces. The hot corner is property of recent acquisition Kordell Kraemer, who is happy to be back in the land of sunshine after spending a cold month and a half marooned in Augusta. And 1B belongs to baby-faced Bunny Webb, a rookie looking to prove his stuff. Up the middle, 2B still belongs to Villafuerte’s old double-play partner, Samuel Dickerson, still as solid defensively as he is offensively. The dish belongs to Williamson.
On the mound, recent additions Emil Pineiro and Troy Sewell are attempting to restore some respectability to a pitching staff that got plain ol’ beaten up last season, posting a league-worst 5.93 ERA. The GM is counting on young slingers Marc McLaughlin, Quentin Hargraves, and Shairon (not a typo!) Douglass to fill out the rotation. Douglass got to the show much sooner than anyone expected, mostly due to the team’s pitching meltdown early last season. Apparently, the young gun’s 4.28 ERA was enough to convince coach that he deserved to be invited back. Luckily, the Sunbirds’ solid middle relief corps of Astacio, Woods, and Guerrero are there to get the rotation out of any jams created by inexperience. And closer Dana Wheeler is aching to prove the Cy Young quality stuff every scout in the league claims that he has.
This is a young team full of recent call-ups, so a lot of the prospects drafted in the last few seasons are already here. The farm teams are chocked full of replacement players who are slowly letting go of their dreams to someday be everyday regulars in the ML, hoping instead just to spend a week or two in the bigs…
-maxdeardorff

1. New York
2. Boston
3. Durham
4. Jacksonville

A.L. SOUTH
The Lobsters set their sights high
How far off are the D.D.’s?
Can the Nashville Bats dominate?
Is the youth movement in Florida for real?

Charlotte Designated Drinkers
Charlotte saw it's team improve their record by 5 wins last season, but by season’s end they had slipped a little bit further behind Florida and Louisville in the division race. The Designated Drinkers managed the 4th best ERA in the entire American League despite having just the 3rd best ERA in the pitching-heavy AL South. Bruce Wilson won 18 games and finally established himself as the staff ace, while veteran Al Johnson was absolutely “lights out” after establishing himself as a closer for the first time in his career; both pitchers represented Charlotte in the All-Star game.
Hitting was a weakness for the D.D.’s as the .254 team batting average might suggest. While the offense was struggling to get on base, they did see an encouraging emergence from youngster William Shibata who led the team in runs, hits, walks and batting average while clubbing 24 home runs and taking pressure off veterans Miguel Jiminez and Abraham Velarde. With quite a few offensive holes to fill, Charlotte turned to the free agent market to bring in Tony Calderon, Greg Bradley and Edgard Garces. Gold glove winning shortstop Haywood Gibson left for Sacramento, but he’s replaced by 6-time All-Star Calderon who brings speed, power, defense and will (at 8.3 million per season) make a far greater impact than the one-dimensional Gibson could. Garces and Bradley give them some true speed at the top of their order, which had been certainly lacking in the past.
As a team, the Drinkers are moving in the right direction, and have the potential to be in the hunt for the division title. There are some intriguing prospects in the system, and a competitive team at the ML level, however they remain well back of the leagues elite squads and will need to get hot at the right time to be a playoff factor.
-bourbonmoon

The Florida GATORs were one of the most improved teams in baseball last season, finishing with 87 wins and a wildcard birth, disposing of the Red Sox before losing to the eventual AL Champion Hosers. The GATORs were led by All-Star Alex Keller who captured both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for right field after taking over the position for the first time. The versatile and athletic Keller is a consummate team player who excels at virtually every position, and is a steady run producer with 30+ power. Left fielder Rafael Rodriguez hit career highs in hits and home runs (44) and was rewarded with a lucrative new 5-year deal. The former All-Star enters his 8th season with the team as an always-dangerous presence in the lineup. Rising star Herb Wilkerson, took a bit of a step back in his first full major league season, finishing with fewer HRs and RBIs despite 145 more at bats. Despite seeing his batting average drop by 32 points, Herb earned his first All-Star nomination and is a very popular young player with a bright future. Much of the offensive burden will fall on Keller, Rodriguez and Wilkerson along with catcher Fernando Chavez and first baseman Ruben Johnson. After that, Florida has some depth issues offensively, and certainly would face challenges if injuries became a problem.
The GATORs strength has been pitching as of late, and they eagerly await the development of more promising young arms. Last season saw an encouraging rookie campaign from former first round pick Walter Zoltan, who posted a respectable 3.68 ERA at the pro level, one season removed from winning the AAA Cy Young award. The 23 year old will eventually be joined by fellow first rounders Manuel Lee and James Milone to give Florida what they hope will be the nucleus of a talented rotation. Three-time All-Star Matthew Langerhans returns to give them a proven closer as there will be little room for error in what figures to be a competitive division.
-bourbonmoon

Louisville Lobsters
There likely isn’t a player more ingrained within the fabric of his franchise than the Lobsters’ Wilt Blair. The now three time AL MVP shattered his previous power numbers with 59 homers and 151 RBIs and raised his career batting average to .327 with another stellar campaign. A leader on and off the field, Blair is the heart and soul of the Louisville sporting community, owns his own restaurant and brewpub, has written and starred in three feature length action films, and is pursuing degrees in law and medicine in the off-season. The superstar is under contract for two more seasons in Louisville, so the time to take the next step is now. Blair is surrounded by some solid talent, including veterans like former Tiger All-Star Tyler Cox, and the always volatile “Heart of Hicksville” Walter Taft. Talented contact hitter Tony Mendez is coming off his second straight 200+ hit season, and his younger cousin Tomas Mendez along with young talents like prospects Hugh Chase and Iago Todd give Wilt and the Lobsters some serious hope for the present and future.
While Blair walked away with more hardware, it was really the pitching that took Louisville to its third straight division title. They boasted the second best ERA in the American League last season, and it was a true team effort. Three starters won 13 or more games, with former Blue Sock Joaquin Fernandez leading the way. Youngster Russell Workman rebounded from a 20 loss season to post a 15-12 record and Workman was a “Work Horse” notching an impressive “DougWells-esque” 246 innings pitched. With 8 year veteran Javier “the Arrow” Estrada rounding out the top three, Louisville has a very stable stable of starters. One of their concerns from last season was the inconsistent work from closer Ed Hurst. The Lobsters addressed that need very nicely by bringing over 23 year old All-Star closer Davey Rosario from Detroit. Rosario saved 40 of 43 last year with a 2.30 ERA and should give Louisville some much needed late inning euphoria.
They should be considered favorites to repeat as division champs and with steady pitching, a serious playoff run isn’t out of the question in the house that Blair built!
-bourbonmoon

Nashville Catfish
After finishing at the back of the pack and losing gold glove second baseman Edgard Garces to division rival Charlotte, Nashville is looking for some silver linings. All-Star and Silver Slugger Dicky Gleason is a team leader in the prime of his career and is ready to break out! Former first overall pick Vernon Moore hit the big time with 30 home runs in his first full season and is still improving! Morris Rice is a seasoned veteran at 25 years old and came awfully close to 100 RBIs last season! First baseman Fausto Posada is a two-time All-Star and rock steady run producer! Heck, even slick fielding Tony Vega is coming off a 30-homer campaign! Add future Hall-of-Famer Pedro “Boom Boom” Chavez to the mix and it would appear that there are many silver linings around the Catfish offense. This is a young lineup that will get better this season and going forward.
The problem in Nashville might be the pitching. Top starter Ivan Gonzalez bolted for Cincinatti, and they chose to let closer Mig Alfonseca go as well. That leaves underwhelming Benny Manzanillo as the #1 starter and veteran Craig Bravo to take his first crack at closing out games. Free agents Rich Jones and Nick Hunter are hoping to pick up some of the slack until top prospect Rudy Dale is ready. There really would need to be a perfect storm for this pitching staff to achieve a high degree of success, but if the offense clicks, they just might be able to get by.
-bourbonmoon

Prediction:
1. Louisville
2. Charlotte
3. Nashville
4. Florida

A.L. WEST
Is Oklahoma still the team to beat?
How will Vegas move on without Vasco?
Is Scottsdale ready to move on up?
Sacramento builds for the future…

Las Vegas Numa Numa
Las Vegas took a bit of a step back after winning the season 18 World Series, but for the Numa Numa, a step back was to earn a wild card spot and go down swinging in game 7 of the ALCS! This year, Vegas will need to move forward without four-time Cy Young award winner Vasco Montanez, who signed a record breaking deal in Augusta after nine brilliant seasons in the desert (including a remarkable seven 20-win seasons). His “impossible to fill” shoes will be tried on by a couple of 38 yr old veterans, journeyman Nicolas Ford and southpaw Jerry Rhodes. The top spot in the rotation will likely fall to sinker-baller Ricardo Gonzalez who has only topped the 15 win plateau once, but is a steady presence on the hill for Vegas. Former rookie of the year closer Enrique Vega will need to be at his best, as there will likely be a few more high pressure situations without Vasco around.
The Numa Numa offense should still continue to click, as most of the big names return to the lineup. The highly esteemed Carlos Cruz “Missile” knows what it takes to win, as he won back to back world series titles (with OKC in season 18 and Vegas in season 19). Cruz hit .361 last season and was a finalist for AL MVP. The 35 year old former rookie of the year has made six All-Star appearances and has two previous MVP awards. He hits in the heart of a potent lineup featuring “CC” Cervantes (a five time All-Star and consistently one of the best offensive catchers in the game); feared slugger “el Halcon” Jose Fernandez (another former ROY with great power); and rising star Calvin Martin (who hits for a good mix of power and average). The Numa Numa should be able to keep scoring runs, as they’re a well-maintained franchise with good prospects in the system and a knack for making the post season. They’re an always dangerous force in the AL West.
-bourbonmoon

Oklahoma City Rodeo Clowns
The Rodeo Clowns are a tough bunch to keep out of top spot in the West. Las Vegas pushed them out in season 18, but they were right back there in season 19 finishing with 97 wins and a ML-best 3.38 team ERA. The bright spot for them was Seop Wang who went 15-9 with a 3.11 ERA en route to the AL Rookie of the Year award. Despite Wang’s success (and vast potential) it is odd to see a team with 97 wins only have one pitcher with more than 13 victories. They’re a well-balanced bunch without a well established "ace" of the rotation. Pedro Lunar might have been that star pitcher earlier in his career, but at 38 years of age, he’s a few seasons removed from his 15+ win seasons. Brian Donohue just needs to be more consistent if he’s going to be a reliable top of the rotation pitcher, and if Eric Simmons and Gerald Oliva pitch the way that they’re capable of the Clowns should once again be stingy with the runs this season. Led by Marty Koplove and Horace McInerney, the bullpen will take some pressure away and help preserve the wins that this franchise is accustomed to.
Oklahoma City can always rely on power from the likes of Gary Purcell and Luis Lee. Purcell is a former MVP with 50 HR power and gold glover Lee is a shoo-in for 30+ with steady run production. Both hitters saw significant dips in their batting averages last season and have something to prove this season. Second year man Paul Lin has become an exciting part of the offence, scoring 100 runs last season and along with veteran Malcolm Jeffries gives the Clowns two legit base-stealing threats. Fans in Oklahoma City are also very excited about 22 year old Dominican outfielder Juan Sanchez who should be ushered into the fold this season and looks to add more firepower to an already solid group. This is a well-balanced and well-run cohesive team. They’ll be competitive as usual this season.
-bourbonmoon

Sacramento Sanguillens
Baby steps are in order for the Sacramento offense, which last season was the most anemic in baseball. With only 109 home runs as a team last year, the Sanguillens scored the fewest runs in the league, finishing last in several offensive categories. Nobody with 500+ at bats finished with a batting average over .265 but these are the growing pains expected by a franchise in the midst of rebuilding. Chad “the Hammer” Valentine was the only hitter with 20+ home runs and oddly, he also was hit by 20+ pitches?!? Word in opposing bullpens is that Valentine's mouth can get him under the skin of certain pitchers and that one day "he'll get one between the eyes". His competitive nature is however, one thing that keeps the Sac-to fans excited.
The rebuild is beginning at first base, where heavy hitting Antonio McLemore is getting a chance to play every day while they await top prospects like Kevin Green and Rod Scutaro in the coming seasons. In similar fashion, the pitching staff is currently held together with chewing gum and duct tape, but there are some prize arms developing in the system. While it would be hard to imagine 30-somethings like Braden Chance, Reginald White, Marv Blake or Jason Winchester making significant strides at this point in their careers, Sacramento has drafted a couple of left-handed future aces in Harry Zimmerman and Guillermo Bonifacio. There are bound to be more growing pains for this franchise as it turns around, but with the #4 pick in this year’s draft there should be another blue chip piece to help guide the Sanguillens to eventually compete for playoff glory.
-bourbonmoon

Scottsdale Fighting Chokes
It’s been a tough assignment for the Fighting Chokes to figure out how to close the gap between themselves and the top two teams in their division, Las Vegas and OKC. Third place finishes are getting tiresome for a Scottsdale club that’s been moving in the right direction with gm mytitan at the helm, but the process hasn’t been a quick one.
There is room for improvement across the board, but also some very encouraging signs for a team looking to put itself in a solid position for long-term success. The nucleus of a solid young pitching staff has begun to form around 15-game winner Shooter Owens. The 26 year old had his best pro season in his fourth year in the league and has become a dependable and calming presence at the front of the rotation. Owens is bolstered by fellow first round picks Jorel Howington, Tyson Torres and Billy “Zig” Zagone. Howington, 26 is a lanky right-hander who has struggled with consistency and relies a bit too much on his low 80’s fastball. Torres, also 26, has had some bumps in the road early in his career and has bounced between the rotation and bullpen. He has a lively arsenal and looks to prove himself as a capable starter as he tries to overcome his struggles against left-handed hitters. Zagone, 23, is a rookie who impressed in a 4 start cup of coffee at the end of last season. With continued improvement, “Zigzag” could become a workhorse for this young staff as it develops its identity.
A bright spot offensively for the Chokes last season was rookie first-baseman Kyle Bragg, who clubbed 34 homers and knocked in 101 in his first season in the league. After seven seasons in the minors, Bragg did well to make an impression and stick with the team out of spring training to play in all 162 games. Catcher Dom Watson hit 24 home runs in his first season with everyday duties and was a pleasant surprise on a team in need of some offensive punch. Top slugger Walt Reid has regressed from his brilliant rookie season and seen his RBI total drop from 140 to 103 to 79. Reid’s batting average has also dropped considerably from the .300 that he hit as a rookie. The power certainly remains in Reid’s bat and he brings solid defense and excellent leadership as the club waits with anticipation for exciting youngster Bill Adams (currently at AA) to take over the team. In the interim, Scottsdale took a chance on Rule 5er Albert Albaladejo and will need some hitting help from defense-first players like Paul Coolbaugh and Tyrone Bolick if they’re to have any success this season.
-bourbonmoon

Prediction:
1. Oklahoma City
2. Las Vegas *
3. Scottsdale
4. Sacramento

* denotes wildcard

NATIONAL LEAGUE

N.L. NORTH

Montreal Maroons:
What can be said about our beloved commishes team except heres hoping his team comes down to Earth sometime so that the rest of us can have a chance? This team is stacked. And the sick thing is he has some good pieces still to come in the minors. Ofcourse no Enrique Valdes’s but some decent ones. Speaking of dominating players? Valdes has over 50HRs each full season hes had, and over 140 ribbies too. Then ofcourse there is the perennial all star Rios, whos defense is good enough to be a SS and yet his bat is as potent as any 3B out there. Then comes the vaunted starting rotation led by Lopez and Garces. These boys are scary! And theres no let up down to the 5th starter too. Then theres the “other” Lopez the closer who is as good as any, and way better then most too. This team is a force to be reckoned with, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. The entire AL prays that the Maroons don’t make it to the WS because then there is a much better chance for the ring.
This reporter would be shocked if the Maroons don’t make it to the final dance, and wouldn’t be surprised if they took home the bacon too.
-greeny

Philadelphia Pheremoniacs:
Congrats Philadelphia for winning it all last year. It was an exciting win for the team that is for certain! Its amazing how many WS winners have come from the NL N, what is it like 6 of the last 8 coming from that division, or something like that? Im too lazy too look, but you all know its true, the best division in Yaz is clearly the NL N. Not saying that the AL W and N are bad, but definite 2nd bananas. Anyways on to my analyses of the Pheremoniacs…
This team relies very much on base stealing and defense to win the day. They are among the very best in those qualities in the entire world. Not to say that they don’t have any good batsmen or pitchers, just that they truly excel in those departments, and surely will continue in that vein this year. Scott Mullen will likely continue his great bat and Tom Messmer will continue to grow into the staff ace spot.
As for the future, things look good in Philadelphia too with their big IFA signing in season 17 of SP Javy Moreno, he looks good enough to play this year, but looks like Max will keep him down in the minors for 4 seasons then unleash Moreno as a sure fire contender for ROY in season 21. Phi also has a rookie that was just brought up in Michael Martin who has a definite shot at ROY this year too.
The Pheremoniacs definitely seem to be in good hands with Max, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they were in the playoffs this year giving everybody fits who meets up with them.
-greeny

Detroit Tiger Sharks:
It appears that the Sharks are on a slight rebuild. They have made a few deals that have injected some great youth directly into the big club, and into their minors. No doubt the super team couldn’t stay super forever that’s for sure, but they definitely look to be a contender anyways. Gone are Villa, Huang and Murray, hello to McCartney, Priest and Jacquez. The future still looks bright in Detroit. Feamster has been able to hold onto some key pieces like Jackson, McGowan and Kramer so he definitely still has some pop to his offence. And with guys like Zentmeyer and Perez lobbing balls across the strike zone you can never count out the Sharks. The only thing is Montreal is clearly the big dog in the NLN, and the Pheremoniacs are the new kids on the block. Its going to be a tough road ahead for Detroit to regain the #1 spot up there, but Feamster def knows this game, I wouldn’t put it past him to put together a team that can really contend much sooner then later.
Now as for prospects in the system you aren’t going to easily find a better one then RF Ryan Miller, this guy is going to be the real deal, and maybe as early as next year. CF Durham looks to be one of the fastest human beings on the planet, he could come in as early as next year, but Id say more like 22 or 23. SR Valdes looks to be the CL of the future there, but maybe not for 2 more seasons. Looks like Detroits got some peeps to be excited about in the coming seasons.
Finally for season 20 things really can go either way for Detroit, they could contend for the WS if they have a dream season like Philadelphia did last year, or the could have a horrendous year and not even get into the playoffs if certain people have very off years, its hard to predict with a team like this.
-greeny

Chicago Crushers:
Chicago is a rebuilding franchise. They have some pretty good pieces coming up in the minors and a few good pieces upstairs. But this is definitely a team that needs to really concentrate on putting together as many top prospects as possible and getting 1 or 2 more top draft picks and build for a playoff run in 2 or 3 seasons. Not that its going to be an easy thing to do what with the teams sitting on top of him. Cleanshave has his work cut out for him for sure.
As for the prospects Harvey (Harley) Davidson is a serious top notch future all star 3rd baseman. Hes got the D and hes got the O. If only Davey Sanchez could add a little bit more stamina he could be a great SP, as it stands he could be a great CL, which aint so bad.
Chicago improved to nearly 70 wins last season, it seems Cleanshaves team is on the way up, and he has a few good prospects to look forward too. However he has some work to do. The scouting staff just isn’t up to snuff. Some heavier investment there and really hitting the IFA market is the way to go in my opinion.
-greeny

Prediction:
1. Montreal
2. Philadelphia*
3. Detroit
4. Chicago

N.L. EAST

Washington DC Swamp Cats:
This team has seen a steady rise up the Yas world rankings where now they are considered amongst the cream of the crop. Definitely amongst the #1B teams in the world. What with 5 straight #1 finishes in the NLE this much is clear this team is raring to win it all. 2 of the last 4 years the Cats have made it to the NLCS, and it looks like they are on track to do it again this year with the quality of ML players this team possesses. Speaking of ML players with guys like S17 MVP Sandy Hale, Wallace’s and Tobin’s insane bat, or Swanns uncanny ability to get on base. Then theres the ace of the staff Cord Epstein who should and could be a CY candidate every year. This ML team is stacked. Last years 1st rd 23rd overall pick didn’t sign, which is somewhat unfortunate for Steeple as he has significantly downgraded his scouting staff. Though maybe will be lucky and see a good 24th overall man. He did have 3 yes 3 1st round picks in S18, so in a couple years he should be stronger with those guys coming up. Though to be honest none of those guys are a Sandy Hale, but def good enough to help out.
Overall this team is pretty young with nearly all their best players under 30, so expect the Cats to be lunging for a WS title sometime in the next few years, heck maybe even this year.
-greeny

Cincinnati Red Army:
3rd year owner Commyrat has proven to be a crafty trader in his few years in HBD. His grip on the important things to look out for in terms of evaluating talent appears to be as good as most and better then many. I can honestly say that I learnt the game as fast as this young man. However the fact that he is a Commy means that we need to burn him at the stake. Looks like we will need to find a new owner for Cincy.
As for the big club the Rat has a bit of work to do to turn it into a real contender. The good thing is he has a good mix of youth and experience on the big club. No big names upstairs apart from maybe Rob Ledee and Boots Cash, but these 2 can help most good teams, and they aren’t too old, so they might see the huge influx of young talent breaking into the big club surely next year and for the foreseeable future.
As for prospects I think this might be the most stacked team in the entire world, after 5 1st rd picks in S17 hes had 3 1sts in the next 3 seasons (including this one). Talk about a derth of talent in the minors huh? The only question is will the Rat be able to turn some of the lesser talents into bigger ones? This franchise is absolutely on the way up and the top tier teams had better watch out for the Red stockings, oops I mean the Red Army…
Finally I can see big things happening with this club in 2 or 3 seasons. I think they could definitely be amongst the top tier teams, for now they are definitely a rebuilding team.
-greeny

Augusta Capitals:
The biggest signing in the history of Yaz is unquestionably the stealing of Vasco from Las Vegas. This all by itself would be huge news for any team, but the Girl has been busy. I think she’s had the phone permanently attached to her ear discussing trades with Commyrat (and pulling the trigger on numerous). Augusta is Vascolly different from the T-Bay team that she took over only 2 seasons ago. T-Bay was an aging team under the tutelage of GYDK not to say he didn’t do a good job, he did, but the Girl has breathed some wickedly new life into this team.
The big club has the top talent with the #1 SP in the world in Vasco, after him the talent is slightly less impressive, though she’s got a start of a good team. And its pretty young too with most of her better talent south of 30. And some just barely out of diapers like Eaton the rookie 2B that she traded for with the Rat.
As for prospects the team is rife with them. Maybe not any major studs in the bunch, but quite a few good pieces.
Bottom line when you have Vasco good things can happen for you. You don’t need to have a super star lineup to be a contender with this guy. All you need to do is make the playoffs and he can start every other game for you. And anything can happen in the playoffs. Some people might shake their head at “the contract” but we shall see if in the coming 5 seasons if it works out, until all 5 are done we cant say if this was a bad contract or not.
-greeny

Baltimore Barons:
The Barons were amongst the leagues leaders in SBs and SOs last year, and all things point to another good year in those departments. Unfortunately they were also among the league worst in FPct, so they are going to need to improve on their defense if they have any hope in reaching the next level.
Baltimore has some guys with ultimate speed but for some reason they aren’t lighting up the base paths as much as you’d think. I don’t know why that is, probably an off year eh? With major star John Mailman as the staff ace (even if he is getting a bit long in the tooth) and former 15 game winner Atkins the starting pitching aint bad. Burke as a future super star closer, and former 40 saveman Tarasco the short relief is in good hands for sure.
As for prospects you wont find many that are better looking then Mel Darr, and as a 2nd SP prospect Maicer Calles isn’t too shabby either! The Barons are going to be very very happy with these guys in a year or 2 when they get the call. There doesn’t seem to be any real standout batsmen in the minors though so Betty has some work to do to fill up that little hole.
The team has a bit of work to do to be the best in their division especially with Washington sitting up top. But ihatebetty has some good pieces both in the bigs and in the minors so expect some good things from this team sooner then later.
-greeny

Prediction:
5. Washington
6. Augusta
7. Cincinatti
8. Baltimore

N.L.. SOUTH
Do Street and Lopez still have enough in the tank?
Will the free fall in El Paso continue?
Can Mexico City’s pitching meet their demands?
The future looks good in Monterrey, but is now too soon?

ATLANTA WORLD POLICE
After 12 years at the heart of the World Police lineup, 7 time All-Star Brad Street is the undisputed king of Atlanta. A leader in virtually every World Police record book, the 33 year old Street is showing no signs of slowing down. 104 wins last season was an all time team record, though success in Atlanta must be measured by playoff success and a NL championship loss to Philadelphia in 5 games means Atlanta still has a ways to go. SS Hector Mintz will be entering his 3rd full season. Mintz is a defensive wizard at short, but hasn’t hit over a .250 in his first 2 seasons. He has potential to be a slightly better hitter for average, but he has probably peaked with his 9 home runs from his rookie year. Expect rookie Orlando Jose to break with the team and slowly develop into the teams everyday 3B. Former first round pick Lloyd Harper has become a staple at 1B over the past 4 seasons by averaging 30 hr and 100 rbi during that span. He’ll be looking for a big money deal after this season, so expect Harper to come out bats-a-swinging right outta the gate. The outfield is manned by the exceptional CF Jimmie Lopez, entering his 2nd season in Atlanta, rookie All-Star LF Flip Holt, and RF Omar Gomez who hits righties as well as anyone in the league. 29 year old Orlando Perez returns behind the plate to catch a staff that posted a NL 2nd best 3.53 ERA from a season ago.
Anchoring the staff is veteran starter Karim James, who broke with the team only a year after Brad Street 11 seasons ago. James has posted consistent numbers seeing his ERA only pop above 4 3 times in those 11 seasons, and never above 4.14. 24 year old stud starter Domingo Johnson appears to be next in line to inherit the ace title from James. Johnson posted 2.72 and 2.98 ERA’s in his first two full seasons with Atlanta, while watching his win totals and strikeouts increase too. Veterans Randy Bradford, Louie Bautista, and Gabe Miller return to the fold to round out the rotation, each having posted a career ERA under 4. After having been nominated to the All-Star team in all 4 of the last 4 years, Walter Milton has solidified himself as one of the premier closers in the league and looks to continue to prove worthy of his 7.25 million dollar deal.
Of the starting 8 in the World Police lineup, only Street and Lopez are over 30. They are crucial pieces, but the foundation in Atlanta is in place to have a successful team for seasons to come.
-troutis

EL PASO BLANCOS
After making the playoffs by winning the division in their first year in El Paso, the Blancos have seen their win totals drop from 87 to 82 to 68 and unfortunately, it may drop more before it picks back up again. Quiet on FA market, El Paso did cause waves in the off-season by dealing fan favourite and former 5th overall pick Todd Kennedy to Augusta for hard-hitting leftfielder Tuck Stuart. At only 25 years-old, Stuart is the veteran of 4 full ML seasons, and though there have been flashes of greatness stemming from his swing, he has yet to put together the kind of year he is capable of. The reason Kennedy became expendable no doubt has something to do with the development of B.C. Ortega and Michael ‘Big Man’ Little who may be one of the best pitchers not yet in the majors. Scouts have said Little may have one of the best sliders the baseball world has ever seen should he be able to reach his potential. Little may still be two seasons away from seeing any big league action as the Blancos would be well advised not to rush his progress, seeing as they have very little to play for these days. Logan Harper has been lights out on the mound for El Paso since coming over in a trade from Vancouver, but the rest of the rotation leaves much to be desired. Shane Fleming, Doug Campbell, Glendon Walls and Carlos Molina will likely struggle getting key outs. For all their weaknesses on the mound, the Blancos bullpen doesn’t look that bad. Jordan Yeats, Herm Lamb and Craig Riggs will be counted on heavily in late innings, though the pen still lacks a definitive closer. Look for Brian Bush to take over that role if the by-committee route doesn’t work. Though Bush is more designed for a long relief role, El Paso won’t want to be squandering leads. Bush is a prime piece that may be moved closer to the trade deadline in exchange for some youth.
There are still some good pieces in the lineup for El Paso. James Ward has been a 20 hr man in the past, Bruce Sellers and Cristian Simon are both ex All-Stars and Richard Brea is another 5th overall pick who can provide middle of the order production. Unfortunately, all of these pieces are over 30 and won’t be around when El Paso is prepared to compete.
-troutis

MEXICO CITY JALAPENOS
Last season, Mexico City’s first in that city, saw the Jalapenos hit .275 for 2nd in the NL. Led largely by the bat Otis Davis who was returning from an acl tear that saw him miss all but 42 games the season before last, Davis rebounded with a .320 avg and 30 hr. Davis is fast turning into the one of the best hitting 1B in the majors and is supported in a strong hitting lineup by career .300 hitter Harold Gonzales from the leadoff spot and the powerful Tony Servet from the cleanup spot. Former 3rd overall pick 3B Storm Patterson has made himself at home in the heart of the Jalapenos lineup. Patterson is up for a new contract after this season and needs to show management that they can win with him at third and while earning the big bucks.
Mexico City has a good, if unproven, starting staff. Pedro Rojas is a former All-Star and hasn’t had an ERA over 3.70 in 5 years. Rojas was locked up in the off season to a 3 year deal at the incredibly friendly price of 5.8 million per season. Ross Lawson came into the league with as much hype and potential as anyone in recent memory, but after 5 seasons, the Jalapenos are still trying to see what they have in Lawson. Lawson lost his starting job last season making 22 appearances out of the pen. Mexico City’s options may be a bit more limited this season as a couple of unprovens, rookie Pascual Soriano and 31 year old rookie Matty Solano look to steal as many starts as possible. Trevor ‘Wild Thing’ Sullivan has a propensity to walk batters, but also has great velocity good for powering past even some of the NL’s strongest batters. Perry Campbell will continue to close out games for Mexico City.
The teams future on the mound looks pretty strong. Bill Myers, 4th overall pick from 2 years ago, is already at AAA and dominating, while last season’s 10th overall pick Spike Parris will start the season in AA. Neither prospect will be seen in the ML this season unless Mexico City is somehow challenging for the division near the end of the year.
-troutis

MONTERREY MASSACRE
While Ricky O’Brien has been the cornerstone of the Massacre’s lineup for years, Monterrey would most definitely be interested in moving him for the right pieces. Monterrey has the 3rd lowest payroll in the majors and has most of their assets still in the minors. O’Brien, 33, still has a lot to contribute but in all likelihood won’t be around when this team starts competing. 1B Juan Rodriguez is a complete player who looks to move into 3rd place in the all time franchise rank of home runs at only 27 years of age. Rodriguez along with LF Pablo Rosario are a couple of pieces that the Massacre will look to be building around. RF Danny Rudolph surprised the league last season by belting 38 hr, knocking in 116 rbi and hitting .294. Monterrey will need another stellar season from Rudolph if they hope to compete against the big boys in the NL south. Regardless of what happens this season, the future in Monterrey is bursting with young talent. Smooth hitting catching prospect Marino Armas will be spending a couple more seasons in the minors before challenging reliable vet Clay Wise for the starting job behind the plate. SS prospects Sven Loaiza and Bill Tabaka are also a ways away from competing for ML spots but should be formidable MLers at some point. Power hitting CF Zeke Rain was last seasons 4th overall pick and assuming the injury prone defensive wiz can stay healthy, should be in the majors before too long. Starting at AAA this season, RF Harry Elster may be the most ready stud prospect in the organization and could get a call up at some point this season.
Also starting in AAA this season, starting pitcher Felipe Guillen combines a lethal fastball with a nasty slider and will be manning the mound for years to come. In the interm, a ragtag group of guys including Jose Trevino, Chris Adams, Alex Valdes, Sun Song and rule 5 pick Bobby Ray Ducey will be trying to hold down the fort for the Massacre. The foursome only have about 1500 innings between them, so the learning curve could be a bit painful this season and next. The bullpen will be relied upon heavily and there are still some question marks there. Benny Castilla looks to be the lead runner for the closing job out of spring training.
-troutis

Prediction:
1. Atlanta
2. Mexico City
3. Monterrey
4. El Paso

N.L. WEST
Will Helena’s sluggers and emerging pitchers be enough to propel them to first?
Is Los Angeles heading in the right direction?
Will the learning curves in San Francisco result in enough wins?
Can Vancouver’s bats cover all weaknesses?

HELENA PHANTOM DER NACHT
Helena has captured the NL West title in each of the past 4 seasons, but have yet to win a playoff round. Dominican born SP Carlos Lopez looks to move his way into elite status among NL starters. Lopez is a strikeout pitcher who doesn’t allow a lot of base runners. He’ll be joined by young lefty Quentin Cloud, sly Sal Rossy and converted closer Jimmy Parker at the top of the rotation. After setting the mark for all time saves, the 36 year old Parker moved out of the pen to post a 3.21 ERA in his first season as a starter. Parker wont be going deep into games, but definitely knows a thing or 2 about getting batters out in high stress situations. Bobby Courtney was once one of the most highly touted young starters in the bigs. At 33 and after years of inconsistency and a bum elbow, the Phantom Der Nacht are looking to see how much the big lefty has in the tent. Augmenting the staff is the versatile Tim Brantley who can spot start or come out in long relief if needed. All this to get to a strong bullpen made up of former All-Stars Hunter Wilkinson and Eric Klassen and captained by closer Willy Ginter who hopes to lower his 5.51 ERA from a year ago.
As it stands now, the team belongs to 3B Juan Mantalban, one of the most highly thought of IFAs in history. Mantalban is a tremendous power hitter, who can spray the ball across all fields and provide solid defense at the hot corner. The speedy rookie Patrick Cox will get the start in the outfield along with solid vets Pedro Maduro and Tomas Bennett who add tremendous depth to a very strong lineup. Raul Cruz is expected to be slotted somewhere near the top of the lineup in Helena and may b an early favourite in the NL for rookie of the year. These pieces will set the table for 60 hr man Armando Soto who may be one of the most feared hitters in baseball.
Everything has been coming together perfectly for Helena. They have a great mix of young and old as well as pitching and hitting. Another division title is very likely, but success in Helena will be measured by playoff success and its about time these guys learned how to win when it counts.
-troutis

LOS ANGELES DEAD BUNNIES
Los Angeles is a team in search of an identity. After losing star pitcher Ivan Gonzales to free agency a couple seasons ago, they also said goodbye to 2B Josh Moore who packed his bags for Montreal this past off season. Decent, but not exceptional pitching and hitting has been the hallmark of this club season after season. After 18 seasons in LA, the Dead Bunnies have advanced to the playoffs only 3 times and have yet to win a round. The team lacks a star player though 3B Donovan Barr, LF Max Johnson and 2B Tomas Bennett provide a lot of offensive spark. Still, in this pitchers park, LA needs a lot from its core hitting group and the extended cast. FA Jeff Bryant will be replacing Josh Moore at second base after signing a 4 year contract for just over 20 million. Defensively, Marvin Walker in center field and Jose Lopez at short stop do great work with the glove, but are going to be hard pressed to accomplish much with the bat, though the pitchers like seeing them in the lineup.
Mark Koehlert has put up near identical numbers over the past 4 seasons and has been incredibly reliable over his 8 year tenure with the club. Still Koehlert is a FA after this season and you have to wonder if the lack of run support he’s received over his career will make him test his loyalty in LA. Jose Ferrer moved into the starting rotation last season and posted a club high 17 wins. Ferrer along with 37 year old Mike Taylor, who was sidelined for a large chunk of last season with elbow tendonitis, hope to give LA stability along with FA signing Yamil Matos. Matos, the ex-Tiger Shark brings over 2 World Series rings and a winning attitude that can only help. In 5 ML seasons, Ebenezer Caruso has been to the All-Star game 4 times and won fireman of the year twice. He also signed 5 year deal worth 41.5 million dollars, the highest pay out for any reliever, ever. Its hard to think that Caruso isn’t worth every penny too. He will undoubtably be challenging Parker’s all time saves record at some point in his career.
LA has some pieces in place, but still have a lot of growing to do. They have the 5th highest player payroll in the majors, but not the 5th best team. For the team to succeed, they must count on career years from fringe players and stud seasons from the rest.
-troutis

SAN FRANCISCO STREETS
After narrowly avoiding a 100 loss season last year, San Francisco looks poised to finally take the next step in development. Off season free agent acquisitions Mark Aoki and Sal Grissom give the Streets something they haven’t had for years, a solid bullpen. Aoki is a top notch reliever who will be given the closing job, a role he hasn’t held since his World Series days with Boston. Grissom, another World Series winner with Montreal, will be used primarily in the setup role. San Francisco boasts a strong rotation full of kids who are on the verge of great things. Leading this pack of starters all under the age of 26 is Juan Ciriaco, a top five pick who looks to build on his rookie year last season that saw him get his feet wet with 12 starts. Julio Martis, another sophomore, can easily slide into the number 2 spot in the rotation if he’s able to get his changeup across the plate for strikes. Jay Heredia, Napoleon Gilkey, and Rudy Brand also all sophomores, provide depth to an impressive rotation that is going to require a steady presence from behind the plate.
Handling the catching duties will be a platoon of catchers Octavio Uribe and D.T. Briggs who will be counted on for their defense and pitch calling more than their offensive skills. The cornerstone of the Streets offense rests on the young shoulders of 1B Juan Valenzuela. The 21 year old Valenzuela fits well into the long term plans of the Streets and they are counting on him having a smooth transition into the bigs. The Del’s, Chen and Guerrero, man the middle of the infield with a strong mix of offense and defense. Guerrero posted strong numbers last year, 22 hr and a .276 average,, earning him the silver slugger, but must repeat if not improve on those numbers for San Francisco to compete in the West. Sophomore Edgard ‘Beer Me’ Cerveza will fit in nicely in left field. He hits right handers fantastically and has 20-20 potential along with the hope of a decent average. CF Donte Hamill came over in a trade with Boston early last season and rewarded his new team with a .299 avg and 65 stolen bases. He’s a fantastic option at the 1 or 2 spots in the order.
San Francisco is well on their way to leaving their awful history, which has seen them post only one winning season (82-80) in their last 15 years. The team is young and one should expect growing pains, but they are on the verge of competing with the perennial NL west favourites Helena and Vancouver.
-troutis

VANCOUVER VAMPIRE BATS
After a run of 11 playoff appearances in 12 years, the Vampire Bats have fallen short over the past 4 seasons twice posting sub .500 records. Relatively quiet in the off-season, Vancouver opted to resign Dan Stanley at a hometown discount of 2.8 this season. For his part, Stanly has registered no less than 23 hrs in each of his 12 ML seasons. 5 time gold glover Matty Medrano saw his season cut short last year due to forearm nerve irritation but has assured management and fans alike that he is 100% ready for this year. Slugging 3B Arthur Davis looks to improve on his 28 hrs of a year ago and is a tremendous option in the 6 or 7 spot in the lineup, while C Erick Redman and 1B Everett Robertson have been nothing short of consistent in their short tenure in the majors. Still the most exciting piece in the Vancouver lineup will be the rise of RF Max Palacios. Palacios has a bucket full of potential and is on the short list to capture rookie of the year honours.
On the mound Bruce ‘The Bandit’ Schoendienst will get the ball for his 13 consecutive opening day start. At 35, Schoendienst hasn’t slowed much though still has yet to capture a season reminiscent of his 28 win rookie year. The 6 time All-Star will be joined on the mound by Duane Belinda, Ralf Rocker and Carmen Hinske who are all full of potential, but have yet to put together the star years that their clubs are demanding. Luis Reynoso will move from the bullpen to the starting rotation, but look for Frank Lunsford to start should Reynoso falter. After proving worthy of the closing role last season, Dusty Hogan looks to build upon his 33 saves and 1.89 ERA from a season ago. Vancouver does have a strong pen that shouldn’t cost them too many games this season.
If there is an identifiable weakness in Vancouver it is team defense. Though they are not the worst in the NL in this regard, they may be the worst of all the real competitors in the NL. Still, if their pitching holds up and the bats do what they are capable of, Vancouver will be in the mix right up to the end of the season.
-troutis

Prediction:
1. Helena
2. San Fransisco*
3. Vancouver
4. Los Angeles

SEASON 18 DRAFT REVIEW

2011-02-11T18:35:00.001-05:00

DRAFT ANALYSIS

A.L. North
Ottawa Hosers
Without high expectations from a lower draft position the Hosers selected slick fielding second baseman Ray Friend. Friend won’t likely be an offensive force, but he runs well and should be a competent defender if he finds a big league role. Along with Friend, Ottawa opted for a couple of talented defensive shortstops with limited hitting skills and a pitcher who probably won’t have an impact.
Grade: D+
Syracuse Blue Sox
With the 25th selection, the Blue Sox took first baseman/left fielder Art Henderson, a sturdy hitter and a free-swinging project who probably lacks high-end power that one would hope for. Not a bad gamble late in the first round, but not a memorable draft for Syracuse this season.
Grade: D+
Toronto Trout
The only piece of significance in this season’s draft for the Trout is infielder Bill Thomas. With excellent range and a superb glove, Thomas is a sterling defender, though some have thought his arm could be a bit weak for the left side of the infield. His bat-skills are average at best and some might argue that Thomas wasn’t the best value at #15 overall.
Grade: C-
Trenton Terror Hawks
First rounder Charles Roosevelt is an 18 yr old second baseman with blinding speed and a promising all-around game. To succeed he’ll need to learn to make better decisions on the base-paths, and become more focused with his glove-work. Despite being a bit rough around the edges, Roosevelt seems a sure-fire major leaguer on athleticism alone. Trenton also drafted towering relief pitcher Charles Jackson and gritty catcher Ernie Simmons both of whom have moderate potential.
Grade: B+

A.L. East
Boston Red Sox
With the earliest pick in franchise history at #10 and a remarkable 5 supplemental picks, the Red Sox opted to choose six pitchers. They’ve landed a potential top tier starter in Ed Carpenter, an 18 yr old southpaw with an accurate and lively fastball. The other five are hit or miss, but scouts have high hopes for Ken Pettibone and Eddie Walsh, and Carlos Prado also may have some upside. Grade: B+
Durham County Ramblers
The Ramblers had four picks in the top 60, including two in the top 20. Gary Leary looks like he’ll be a good all-around shortstop, and although he may struggle to maintain a decent batting average he has plenty of power and great defense. Pinky Baez has a decent enough bat to be a ML DH or 1B if the team can deal with having a slugger named “Pinky” in the lineup. They also drafted a serviceable reliever in Fernando Rosario and solid all-around infielder Chuck Mitchell could fill a ML role if he can stay healthy.
Grade: A
Jacksonville Sunbirds
Wyatt Incaviglia will be a decent major league hitter with some power. He’s a defensive asset who could be a decent shortstop or an above-average third baseman depending on where he’s needed. Though likely never a superstar, Incaviglia looks like a solid everyday player who could provide good secondary offense behind a couple of big bats. Still unsigned, the Sunbirds would do well to lock up their first round pick. Their second pick, Shairon Douglass has borderline potential as a 5th starter or bullpen arm. He is also currently unsigned.
Grade: C+
New York Crunch
The Crunch are hoping that pitcher Pete Cortes can develop into a useful member of their rotation, but pundits have mixed reviews on the off-speed righty. Cortes has great control, and pitches well to righty hitters, but he relies on a sinker that doesn’t sink, lefties can hurt him and he’s a classic “mistake” pitcher. Left-fielder Melvin Swan is a pure hitter and perhaps a steal taken at #44. Swan is a smart hitter with natural power, and could develop into a good player if he puts in the work. Jose Molina is a less risky but less rewarding option for a first base or corner outfield job, but might end up as a “bench bat” with decent running ability. Grade: B

A.L. South
Charlotte Designated Drinkers
The D.D’s seem to have found a solid pitching talent in Troy Roberts, though despite his great arsenal and deadly control, Roberts could wind up in the Charlotte bullpen if he can’t pitch starters innings. Second rounder Kenneth Corbin is a sparkling defensive shortstop who’s only major league asset is in the field. Roberts is really the only draft value this season. Grade: B
Little Rock Razorbacks
Many scouts thought that Fritz Blackwell was a lock to be a top 5 selection, and the Razorbacks were happy to see him fall to seventh. A great all-around ball player, Blackwell has no fundamental weaknesses and even if they decide that his range isn’t best suited for shortstop, Fritz would be a gold glove caliber third baseman. It will also be interesting to watch speedy second baseman Del Cela develop, but his bat might not catch up to the other areas of his game. Grade: A
Louisville Lobsters
With first round pick Iago Todd, the Lobsters have themselves a unique talent known to have a strong arm and some pop in his bat. Todd looks like a third baseman, but he may get a chance to prove himself at short. There is some concern that despite having good power, he may strike out too much and have trouble bringing his batting average up. He crushes left handed pitching, so it would seem that a worst case scenario for Todd would be a platoon. Louisville also landed a serviceable pitcher in Michael Benes.
Grade: B+
Florida GATORs
In a very good pitching crop, the Gators wound up with Manuel Lee at the #9 spot. Lee is a hard thrower and has the potential to be an inning-eating workhorse if he finds his groove. He has fantastic control and very good fundamentals, though there is some concern that he doesn’t really have a “feature pitch”. Third rounder Geronimo Benavente may turn out to be a good value, as he plays solid defense and has a respectable bat.
Grade: B-

A.L. West
Las Vegas Numa Numa
The Numa Numa didn’t pick until late in the second round and can’t be too enthusiastic about outfielder Harry Diaz. At pick #99 Diaz isn’t such a bad value, but he’s a long-shot to develop into a useful major league talent. There wasn’t anything else of significance for Vegas in this draft, leaving the door to the international market wide open.
Grade: C-
Oklahoma City Rodeo Clowns
Though they didn’t pick until slot #29, the Clowns had four picks in the first fifty and didn’t fare too badly. Slick fielding Kent Edwards is a great athlete who excels on the base-paths and anywhere defensively that he would wind up. If he can assert himself offensively he could be a piece. Pitchers Terry Coombs, Dante Lawton and Carl Becker are all projects with slight major league upside, but they’ll need to develop well in the minors to get there. Grade: C-
Sacramento Sanguillens
With the 2nd overall selection, Sacramento passed on the high end pitching and opted for the five-tool skill set of University of Arizona product Kevin Green. Arguably the best hitter in the draft, Green displays great natural power, good speed and defense and gives the Sanguillens a star to build around. He’s really the only true talent that they found in this year’s draft, although catcher Albert Simon and speedster Braeden Kotteras may eventually prove useful. Grade: A
Scottsdale Fighting Chokes
Picking 23rd overall the Chokes opted for pitcher Charlie Ricarrdi, and unless he turns out to be a diamond in the rough his wildness should see him become a peripheral major leaguer at best. There isn’t much to be excited about for Scottsdale, as their other pitchers Orlando and John McRae are long-shots to say the least. Grade: D-

N.L. North
Chicago Crushers
With the first overall pick, the Crushers raised some eyebrows with the selection of shortstop Harvey Davidson. The well-rounded Davidson was a consensus top ten pick, but the Crushers must have seen something special in Davidson to choose him above some of the other top talents. Supplemental pick Jacque Drew doesn’t appear to have the right stuff to succeed long term, so the success of the Crushers’ draft rests solely on Davidson. Assuming they get him signed, Harvey brings solid defense, good speed and capable bat to support Chicago’s franchise player Fred Medina. Grade: B
Detroit Tiger Sharks
Picking 24th overall, The Tiger Sharks landed a solid prospect in the undersized Ryan Miller. A steal at his draft position, the 19 yr old Michigan native has good power, plate patience and a great arm. With the 40th pick Detroit chose Clayton Mahler which may be an even bigger steal, as the lanky right-hander throws a hard fastball and looks like a promising addition to their staff. Omar Valdes and Achilles Brooks are two more potentially useful arms that the Tiger Sharks did very well to find in the second round.
Grade: A+
Montreal Maroons
In taking pitcher Archie Schneider with the 33rd pick overall, the Maroons have a good arm who will doubtful ever be a great arm. With decent command of a 90+ fastball Schneider has some potential, but his stuff is average enough for Montreal to consider this a fairly forgettable draft. Grade: D
Philadelphia Pheremoniacs
Philly looks to have found a competent all-around player in second bagger Vic Little. Little doesn’t have exceptional power or speed, but he’s a smart and gritty player, selective at the plate and should contribute at some level down the road. The Pheremoniacs then drafted a couple of pitchers: the lanky Mac Ma throws a hard slider and might be an asset if he keeps his arm in shape; and WilfredoVelazquez who many feel throws too softly to compete at a high level.
Grade: C

N.L. East
Baltimore Barons
The Barons were delighted to see a top tier hurler like Maicer Calles fall to them in the #6 spot in the draft. Calles has the potential to be a true ace in Baltimore and has some of the best stuff of any young pitcher around. A truly exciting prospect for Barons fans to eagerly await, M.C. could be their staff anchor and opening day arm for years to come. They didn’t do badly with their supplemental pick either, as ourfielder David Olmeda has fantastic speed and has the power to be a good piece if his hitting develops well.
Grade: A
Cincinnati Red Army
With pick #13, the Red Army saw vast potential in Ted Washington, a power bat who could one day hit 40 home runs while contributing a sound defensive game as well. Only time will tell, but some scouts recognize Washington as the most promising hitter in the draft (though Davidson, Green and Blackwell each have a case) and his athleticism at second base should one day make him one of the best in the league. Cincy also added promising sinker-baller John DeLucia in what appears to be quite a decent draft.
Grade: A
Tampa Bay Terrific Balls
The T-Balls selected 22 yr old outfielder Paul Gomes with the 14th overall pick. The right-handed Gomes is an excellent natural swing-smith who shouldn’t take long to be ML-ready. While he doesn’t bring top tier power, scouts feel that he’s capable of somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 homers per season to go along with a high volume of doubles and a good batting average. It doesn’t appear that Tampa found any more serious prospects in this season’s draft, but Gomes should be good. Grade: B
Washington Swamp Cats
Without a pick until #30, the Swamp Cats should be pleased with their results. 6’5” eighteen yr old Milt Vaughn paints the corners with an electric fastball that he is expected to unleash either in the rotation or the bullpen. Vaughn looks a great value at the tail end of round one, as is southpaw Kevin Dodd who could prove to be a late-inning gem in D.C. when he’s ready. Knuckle-baller Ricardo Terrero is a bit more of a project, but Washington seems to have done reasonably well restocking young arms from deeper in the draft. Grade: B+

N.L. South
Atlanta World Police
The World Police didn’t pick until spot #18, but they had six picks in the top hundred. There certainly didn’t draft any blue chip prospects this time around, but they’ll really need to wait awhile to assess the results of this draft. Center fielder Benjamin Tanner is a gifted outfielder with a decent all-around skill set, but Atlanta will need to wait a few years to see how his hitting comes along. Catcher Koyie Robinson might be the best defensive catcher in this year’s draft, and will certainly be an asset down the road. Whether Robinson’s hitting is good enough to be an everyday starter remains to be seen. Slash Neal and Bubba Cedeno may be fringe talents, with some talent but some flaws as well. Pitcher Joe Darr is also a project, whose upside could be as a fourth or fifth starter.
Grade: C+
El Paso Blancos
Bruce Sellars, Sherry Grebeck, Hector Moya, Cristian Simon and Ray Fischer are five reasons that the Blancos were not major participants in this season’s draft. They shelled out some serious coin for free agent talent and were left with only two supplemental picks and a type D second rounder from last season. Despite this, El Paso found a few players worth drafting in Herm Ramirez, Sterling Anderson and Brendan Maddux. Left handed reliever Ramirez is the most promising of the three, but Anderson could also contribute from the bullpen if he stays healthy and Maddux is a good contact hitter with some speed who could be a platoon guy, or if all else fails a decent guy off the bench.
Grade: C-
Iowa City Bearcats
4th overall the Bearcats selected 6’4” righty Bill Myers. A gifted control pitcher, Myers is another of the top tier arms in a remarkable pitching draft class. It remains to be seen whether Myers will be great or merely good, but either way Iowa City has secured a key piece of their pitching future. 49th pick Craig Connelly has some decent power potential, and could contribute offensively if he settles in at a position (his arm isn’t quite good enough for third and his range isn’t quite good enough for second). Third round outfielder Harry Rodrigo also has an outside shot. Grade: A-
Monterrey Massacre
With the 3rd overall pick, the Massacre were elated to see top rated hurler Felipe Guillen fall in their lap. An all-star caliber ace if he stays healthy, Guillen’s fastball already has a reputation as one of the best most scouts have seen. With this pitching gem to build around, it hardly matters that position player draftees Eric Banks, Bubbles Benoit and Ryan Valdes are average at best. With a great arm and decent power, Banks has the best chance to be a contributor, but he swings for too many bad pitches. Guillen is the prize though, so the draft is a success for Monterrey.
Grade: A-

N.L. West
Helena Phantom der Nacht
With a late first round pick, Helena selected towering left fielder Preston Handworth. He should prove to be a durable and capable middle of the order bat, but his ceiling might be lower than other prospects. Handworth won’t blow anyone away with speed, defense or power, but he’s a gritty competitor with good raw hitting sense and is capable of playing every day. Catcher Merv Owen and first baseman James McCallum have outside chances of developing into pro players. Grade: C+
L.A. Dead Bunnies
The Dead Bunnies didn’t blow anyone away, but they made a few interesting picks in this year’s draft. Ken Prince is a solid if unspectacular right fielder displaying excellent patience and composure despite lacking star potential. Pitcher Rudy Corsi is a boom or bust pick; the radar guns laugh him off, but his control is outstanding and he has most of the tools to be competitive. Relievers Patsy Harper and Pedro Mijares are both decent enough to keep an eye on as they develop.
Grade: C+
San Fransisco Streets
In what seems to be the deepest top-heavy pitching draft in years, the Streets were able to select a gem with their #5 pick. Juan Ciriaco throws sliders and curveballs to keep hitters off-balance and will one day be the ace of the San Fransisco staff. He’s a talented pitcher and as close to a sure thing as there was in this draft. The Streets should be excited to watch Ciriaco progress through their system and help support the talented young hitters in San Fran. They didn’t really achieve much else with this year’s draft, as second round pick, defensive shortstop Ralph Martin is a speedster who will have a tough time contributing anything offensive. Nonetheless, Ciriaco is for real. Grade: A
Vancouver Vampire Bats
With the 21st overall pick, the V-Bats found a good hitting prospect in Paul Yamakazi, but he’s not quite impressive enough defensively to catch. He has a very good eye, decent power and should be a solid hitter down the road, but he’s probably best suited to DH for an American league team. Vancouver needs to decide how to make room for this offensive asset when he’s ready in a season or two. Their subsequent picks are fringe talents at best and likely won’t see their names in the paper. Grade: C-

Season 17 Synopsis

2010-10-21T10:57:00.003-04:00

AMERICAN LEAGUE SYNOPSIS

A.L. NORTH

Is Ottawa for real?

Will the new-look pitching staff put the Blue Sox on top?

Are inexperience and depth problems for the retooling Trout?

Can Trenton stay in the race this season?

Back in Ottawa? Looks like the Hosers have been re-hoserfied! After determining that moving the team to Dover didn’t make much difference, the franchise has come back to rediscover its’ eastern Ontario roots. They’re coming off a year in which they lost the division to Syracuse on the last day of the regular season, but went on to win two playoff series before falling to the Clowns in the ALCS. They did take a step back, winning 10 fewer games than in the previous season and it would appear that pitching may have been the reason. In season 15, closer Kevin Baek was good for 50 of 53 save opportunities on his way to the Fireman of the Year award. Season 16 saw Baek’s ERA rise from 2.47 to 4.02 as he blew nine saves and racked up 8 losses. At 24 years old, Baek is entering his 5^th season and is still one of the premier late inning talents in the league. The top pitcher on the team last season was Cy Young candidate Alex Ortiz, whose sparkling 18-4; 2.37 season was highlighted with a No Hitter! Still only 23, the sky is the limit for Ortiz to become one of the best pitchers in baseball. With dependable veterans Jon Gonzalez and Butch Bowen, and curve-baller Juan Guzman entering his prime, the Hosers should have a great staff this season. They have good talent in the bullpen, although perhaps depth could pose problems especially if anyone gets hurt. Ottawa felt strong enough on the hill that they could part with struggling righty David “I-might-be-big-but-don’t-call-me-papi” Ortiz. The towering 26 yr old former first rounder has yet to live up to his immense potential and the Hosers decided to cut their losses and sent him to Richmond for 5-time All-star catcher Eduardo Sanchez.

With Sanchez, Ottawa has netted a solid backstop in his prime who can hold his own both at the dish and behind it. His presence meant the departure of incumbent Hosers catcher Chad Mulder who takes his rising talent to Philly on the heels of a promising rookie season. While Sanchez should be an overall upgrade, Ottawa may soon regret giving Mulder away for so little. Meanwhile, despite being the slowest team in baseball (and being beaned by the fewest pitches), the Hosers should once again be in the playoff mix with a young lineup that looks to retain momentum and keep control of the A.L. North. Talented third baseman Sammy Reyes clubbed 29 homers as a rookie and at only 22 years of age he should have numerous accolades ahead of him. Fellow rookie Derrick Flaherty didn’t reach the pros until he was 25, but looks to develop into one of the premiere power hitters in the game. The youngsters will still be led by Pedro “Boom Boom” Chavez who steadily hammered out another 42 home runs last season as he continues his march towards Cooperstown. For now, “Boom Boom” will set his sights on a World Series ring.

-bourbonmoon

In Syracuse there’s growing hype surrounding the direction that the young franchise is headed. After capturing the division title on the last day of the season, the Blue Sox are ready to challenge any of the top teams in the A.L. and they officially don’t need to feel like an underdog anymore! Team leader George “the cleaner” Hoover responded to his lucrative new contract by setting career highs with 114 runs, 42 home runs and 117 RBIs decimating his former bests in each category. Still only 25 years of age despite entering his sixth pro season, Hoover is the face of the franchise and a pillar of the Syracuse community. But, in Syracuse, one of the top five offenses in baseball, Hoover wasn’t even the most dangerous hitter in the lineup. That honor belonged to former MVP Tom Borland who also notched career bests with 131 runs, 45 round-trippers and 137 RBIs! They’re supported by the capable bat of catcher Benji Concepcion, who earned his first All-star nomination with another strong campaign; and rookie Sawyer McCartney who impressed fans with 24/77/.294 in three quarters of a season as a 20 yr old. An excellent athlete, Sawyer has immense potential and despite a slight weakness against lefties, he should be able to hit for both power and average, while trying to improve on the 21 bases he swiped as a rookie. Hector Mercedes is the most notable departure, as he’ll try to repeat his 30 home run season for the Tiger Sharks. Newcomer Sparky Page will try to pick up some of the slack as he tries to regain his power stroke in a seriously talented lineup.

While pundits have long criticized the Blue Sox as a one-dimensional team, this year all eyes are on pitching coach Todd Kline as he’s working with one of the most talked about groups of arms in baseball! At the top of the list has to be Ralph Lambert, who had an outstanding year, picking up 44 saves on his way to the A.L. Fireman of the Year award. To push Lambert, Syracuse has added longtime Toronto closer Tony Bautista to the bullpen mix. Bautista is third all-time on the saves list and should provide a fearsome one-two punch late in games. The Blue Sox will bring back incumbent #1 starter Joaquin Fernandez, who looks to improve on last year’s 14 wins. The rest of the rotation is a high-budget retooling and time will tell if Kline can coax the best out of them. Josh Shelby hit a big pay day and will earn 11.5 million this season, despite his 93-103 career record and 4.70 ERA. With an outstanding fastball and great control, Shelby has the potential to have a career year with such a great offense behind him. Rolando Armas will earn 7.5 million and is a three time all-star, but he’s on the decline and he’s eight years removed from his last season of 15+ victories. Tuck Meacham will earn 6 million and after nine seasons with New York, he’s only topped 11 wins once. Many eyes will be on promising rookie Joshua Zimmerman, who will get every chance to succeed despite cynics suggesting that he would be best served with another year of AAA. This will be a fun team to watch.

-bourbonmoon

It’s becoming difficult to know which version of the Toronto Trout we can expect to see. The “on-again off-again” club has long been a contender and only in recent years has faced some frustration with losing some key players to free agency and retirement. They’ll have a solid campaign one year and follow it with an under.500 finish the next. According to the pattern the team is due for a rebound, as last season they shaved 14 wins off of their season 15 total. Of course the biggest news in Toronto this off-season was the signing of Dominican sensation Fernando Rosado, who signed a massive deal and exponentially brightens Toronto’s future outlook. Assuming that Rosado is still a couple of seasons from stepping up at the pro level, the Trout will first need to figure out how to fill the holes left by the departure of closer Tony Bautista and free swinging first baseman Sarma Wall. The offence in Toronto will rely heavily on outfielders Javier Lopez and Chet Neal, each of whom are young, talented and possess a high ceiling in terms of their offensive upside. They’ll be joined in a very young lineup by rookie first baseman Pedro Gonzalez, who has a chance to be an impact player on a team looking for some mid lineup punch.

The bullpen duties that have been handled for many seasons by the dependable Bautista will be passed to the relatively untested Oscar “The Arm” Pittinger. Management is hoping that “The Arm” is ready for the pressure. He’s demonstrated that he can pitch every day; he has two “go to” pitches and good control, but he’ll need to get better against lefties and his stuff isn’t exactly overpowering. How many save chances he gets is another question, as the rotation isn’t exactly intimidating after posting a 5.04 ERA last season. Juan Sosa has proven to be a dependable front-end starter, but Trevor McCarthy is inconsistent and Matt Boone is on his last legs. Prospect Dock Strong isn’t quite ready to make the jump, so the final two rotation spots should be filled by Mel Leach and Clint Walker. Leach struggled in 18 starts last season, but the team feels that he can get the job done. They’re more excited about the rookie Walker, who turned in an impressive 50-23 minor league record and could be a top of the rotation starter for the Trout. There are a few question marks here, but if the pitching comes together for the Trout they have the ability to join the pennant race by season’s end.

-bourbonmoon

After three straight 4^th place finishes, the Trenton Terror Hawks are starting to wonder what it will take to get back into the playoffs. There are some good prospects in the system and some solid players on the ML squad, but the T-Hawks have been coming up a few games short of a serious challenge each season. This off-season they signed former Rodeo Clown DH “Big Jim” Donatello, giving them a solid middle of the lineup veteran with a dangerous bat. He’ll join team leader Justin “The Colossus” Jacome and the two forty homer boys Felipe Vega and Eli Chavez. The supporting cast is decent, but they’ll need a rebound season from former first round pick Carl Bevil, who seems to have shaken the star potential from his resume after signing his big contract. Bevil reached career lows in several offensive categories last season and is certainly capable of more.

The rest of the lineup looks sound with Mendoza, Johnson and Marv Williamson capable of providing thunder to compliment Shuey and Bryant’s speed game. There are some decent future stars on the horizon as well, as the T-Hawks posture to challenge their A.L. North rivals.

The pitching staff in Trenton seems officially ready to declare former #1 overall pick Brendan O’Neil as their leader. “B.O.” finished 14-8 last season and was the only starter with less than ten losses. They let Ahmad Griffith walk to Sacramento and traded 16-game loser Duane Belinda to the V-Bats for prospects. The moves open the door for Dale Branson to try his hand as a starter, and 22 yr old phenom Phil Knotts to take aim at major league hitters after racking up greater than a strikeout per inning in the minors.

Time will tell with the T-Hawks rotation, as 5 former first-rounders could just as easily click as struggle to find their groove in a new situation. The bullpen remains shaky, despite closer Frankie De La Vega settling down to deliver his best pro effort last season. His setup men are fairly young and untested, and their best long reliever Chico Flores seems alone and unproven in his role. That being said, there really isn’t a huge gap between Trenton and the other teams in their division. Surprisingly, they were much better on the road than at home last season. The team is strong enough to beat anybody, inconsistent enough to lose any game, and with a little luck they could stay in the mix come season’s end. They’ll just need a couple of heroes to step forward.

-bourbonmoon

Prediction:

1. Syracuse

2. Ottawa

3. Toronto

4. Trenton

A.L. EAST

Will Boston’s pitching be good enough to support their dynamic offense?

How much does Durham miss Wayne Grey?

Do the Sunbirds have enough tools to get ahead in the East?

Does more experience for the young stars put the Crunch over the top?

The Boston Red Sox finished yet another season as A.L. East champs, and despite a playoff loss to Ottawa, they still look like a championship caliber team. They’re the poster team for the “offense first” approach, as they led the majors in home runs for an astounding eighth consecutive season (and 11 of the last 13)! The top run-producing squad in baseball has been the envy of the league for so long now that many teams are keeping a nice bottle of champagne for when Boston finally stumbles from their spot entrenched among the perennial contenders. This season should represent more of the same from the beantown sluggers, as Alfonso Mercedes reached the 60-homer mark for the 7^th time in his remarkable career last season and still appears to be performing at a peak level. Blake Robinson and Terry Davis could be the centerpiece of most teams’ offenses, and only with the Red Sox would such great numbers be overshadowed. The entire lineup is rock solid with Chad Valentine and Emil Franco turning the most heads with their combination of great defense and star quality bat skills. The most notable off-season departures for the Sox are Hootie Park who was send to Vancouver in exchange for pitcher Alex Darling, and Harold Gonzales who signed a lucrative five year deal with the Bearcats. Gonzales was a Type A free agent, as was pitcher Ryan Cash, but the Red Sox wound up on the wrong end of Iowa City’s three free agent signings, and will only receive a 3^rd and a 4^th as compensation, due to the Bearcats signing Clint Adcock as well. At least Boston will be sporting 4 supplemental picks this season!

The pitching is always a question for the Sox, and that isn’t about to change this season.

Mark Aoki and Ryan Cash are the most notable departures, while joining the pitching staff are Darling, and aging veterans like Brook Perez, Arthur Koskie, Rodney Davis and Paul Nicholson (each of whom are between 35-37 years old and hope to prove that they still have the stuff to succeed). Bruce Denny will step into Aoki’s shoes in the closer role, while Sammy Moya will try to anchor the rotation after a hot and cold rookie year. Needless to say, there are some valid concerns with both fading veterans and unproven talent. The Boston offense always provides their pitching with a greater than average cushion to begin with, but they’ll still need some stand-out performances along the way.

Ralph Perry is the only returning pitcher who notched double digit wins for the Red Sox last season, so the victories have to wind up somewhere. Assuming that they do, Boston will be in the playoff hunt once again.

-bourbonmoon

The always competitive County Ramblers endured yet another narrow playoff miss in season 16, slipping out of a wildcard spot in the last week of the season. Some might point to the mid-season injury to slugging outfielder Wayne Grey, who was on pace for 40+ round-trippers when he tore his ACL. He’s the heart of the Durham lineup and it’s feasible that his absence kept them out of the playoffs last year. They’ll also be starting this season without Mr. Grey as he continues to rehab his knee until approximately the all-star break. Where the offensively-minded club will be upon his return will fall on a host of other sluggers. Vinny Morton has led the club in hits for the past four seasons and is a clutch hitter and a good power threat. Al Grey (Wayne’s half brother) took over the home run lead on the team with 43, while Sherry Grebeck and Tomas Arias have both been nominated to multiple All-Star teams and round out a nice lineup. Durham finished second only to Boston in dingers last season, but unfortunately the similarities don’t end there. The hitting was almost as good, and the pitching was almost as bad! Top starters Boomer Buck, Moose English and Kelly Bravo all return for another season at the Athletic Park where keeping the ball in the yard is a definite challenge. The back end of the rotation might be a weakness, as the rest of the staff either lacks experience or talent. There are some decent pieces in the Ramblers’ bullpen, including incumbent closer Philip Fontenot (a former Fireman of the Year) and former division rival Mark Aoki who spent nine seasons closing for the Red Sox before “benedict-arnolding” over to Durham. It would appear that Aoki will set-up Fontenot, but there are two experienced late-inning arms to fall back on if the bats can generate their share of leads. If the team struggles, one wonders if it might be the last season for legendary bench coach Grant Redding. “Grandpa Grant” is far and away the longest tenured bench coach in the majors as he enters his 14^th season as the ML BC in Durham (the next longest is two tied with 8). Redding is 65 years old and has six 100+ win seasons under his belt. If there were a Hall of Fame for coaches, this lovable strategy-master with the wonderful moustache would be a first ballot entry. The Ramblers will try to put together a solid campaign for old coach Redding this year to try to send him out on top! (or possibly convince him to stick around for another season or two?)

-bourbonmoon

The resurgence of the Crunch has seen the Jacksonville Sunbirds finish last in their division for the past four seasons. While attempting to “fit in” in the tough A.L. East, the Sunbirds have adopted the popular “hitting strong/pitching weak” philosophy shared by Boston and Durham. Jesus Astacio remains the team’s ace, but despite tossing an excellent 33 starts, “the Jesus” is often abandoned by the team’s bats and came out with a losing record in season 16. Expect a nice rebound from the pinpoint curve/change dynamo. Former first round pick Emil Woods didn’t get it together in his first season as a starter. Woods often nears 100mph on the radar gun, and has decent command of the strike zone, but so far in his career he flat out just hasn’t had the stuff to succeed. Still only 23 years old, the S-Birds would love for him to take the next step, mostly to show that he’s worth the five-year deal that he inked in the off-season. A definite bright spot this season is rookie closer Dana Wheeler, another former first round pick whose lively low fast ball should help clean things up. The 22 yr old is a youthful presence on a pitching staff with nine hurlers over 30 years old and could be the closer in Jacksonville for many years to come.

The offense will remain rock solid, with the quartet of Spencer, Hayes, Arroyo and Villafuerte hitting in perfect harmony. Spencer might be the best all-around hitter; Arroyo has over 2000 hits (the most in franchise history); “Benny V” is the club’s all time home run leader and at 29 years old still has massive power, while Matty Hayes can boast power almost as good as Benny’s with the potential for a batting average fifty points higher. The Jacksonville “Fab Four” welcomes rookie center fielder Vinny Scott into the fold this season. The 22 yr old brings grit and speed, and if the S-Birds are going to make a playoff push this season, they’ll need all the tools they can muster.

-bourbonmoon

It seems like the Crunch have had a “team on the rise” label forever, but the tag still seems to fit. Youngsters MigMar, VictRo and Davey Schulte are all coming off strong rookie seasons, and with more experience should help make New York a yearly playoff contender. Miguel “MigMar” Martinez and Schulte both clubbed 20 home runs and will benefit from another season of every day play. Schulte, brings great speed and defense and the potential to hit for average, setting the table for the heart of the order. MigMar finished his rookie campaign with 20 taters and a .254 average – not bad for most rookies, but Martinez is faaaaaaar more talented than that! By most accounts, he should demolish those numbers and never look back on his way to an All-Star caliber career. We’ll see soon enough if he’s ready to meet the immense pressure that comes with such high expectations. The rest of the Crunch lineup is solid if unspectacular, with Don MacRae and Alex Wright coming off solid seasons, as is Miguel Beltran, though he isn’t what he used to be. Ken Bailey suffered a mysterious drop-off in his power totals, slipping from 30 to 16 home runs in approximately the same number of at bats. Expect a rebound season from Bailey, perhaps to about 25 homers with a decent average and good all-around run production. A statistical spike from both Bailey and MigMar will be a huge boost to New York this season. On a side note, the Crunch struck out fewer times than any team in the majors last year.

In recent seasons the Crunch have had the best pitching in their division, but that isn’t saying too much! Closer Victor “VictRo” Rosado piled up 43 saves as a freshman and has filthy stuff that might be the best on the team. The trick will be how to get the ball into his hands, and it likely won’t always be easy. #1 starter Moises Vega should be the team’s ace, but has regressed in wins in each of his pro seasons (17, 15, 11, 10). After dealing with some shoulder trouble and lacking sorely in run support (2.71 ERA) look for Vega to work out some of the quirks and put together a 15+ win season if he can stay healthy. The rest of the rotation will likely struggle at times, though veterans Ray Fischer and Mike Washburn are savvy enough to pitch their way through some tough lineups. The litmus test for the Crunch will be whether the youngsters are ready to carry the team to the next level. All the parts are coming together, so it’s likely just a matter of when.

-bourbonmoon

Prediction:

5. Boston

6. New York*

7. Durham

8. Jacksonville

* denotes wildcard

A.L. SOUTH

Can the D.D.’s make it three straight division wins?

How long until Florida’s young stars have a team around them?

More steps forward for Little Rock?

Will “Team Wilt” take a run at the Drinkers?

Two straight years in the playoffs means that the Designated Drinkers are starting to turn a few heads. Even more impressive is that last season their 92 wins was the most by an AL South team in ten seasons! Charlotte has a well-rounded squad with great power and the ability to give the top teams a run for their money. Their home/road splits demonstrated that no team in the A.L. likes to play at home for their own fans more than the D.D.’s (that way they don’t have to drive anywhere after the game).

They didn’t make a big splash in the off-season, save for bringing in the tiny journeyman Kevin Cambridge to take the roster spot of the departed all-time stolen base king Joshua Meadows. Last season’s hero was left fielder Miguel Jiminez, who swatted 47 home runs while reaching career highs in both RBIs (147) and batting average (.319). Abraham Velarde, Al Guerrero and “Mad” Max Cora all topped 30 home runs as well, to give the D.D’s multi-faceted power sources at the heart of their lineup. If there’s a concern with Charlotte’s offence, it might be depth, as the big four don’t have much support beyond first baseman Tony Wright who has 20 home run power and has twice topped ninety RBIs. Cambridge won’t hurt the team, and he’ll score some runs but he’s never shown much pop and he won’t replace Meadows’ 20 homers and 90+ steals. Catcher Nigel Valentin and shortstop Benji Costilla are in the lineup primarily for their defense, and former rookie league MVP William Shibata isn’t quite ready. There’s some swagger here, but they’ll definitely need to take it up a notch to make a playoff run.

The pitching staff is decent, but lacks a true number one starter. Bryant Linden and Bruce Wilson are both dependable #2 grade starters, with Wilson having a bit more upside of the two. Neither is overpowering, but they should both be good for 10-15 wins if healthy. Trenidad Castro has a bit more juice, but a lot less consistency. He’s due for a rebound season and is a fairly capable “back of the rotation” arm. Both Eugene Darnell and Tike Leonard have yet to prove themselves and can’t exactly inspire confidence at this point. The bullpen is also a legitimate concern, as they lack a true #1 closer. Felix Forbes led them team with a mere 10 saves last season as they opt for a true closer-by-committee approach. Overall the team is good enough to win the division again, but still has enough kinks and wrinkles that a serious post-season showing will require a minor miracle. That being said, Jiminez and Cora quite often seem capable of miracles.

-bourbonmoon

The move from New Orleans to Florida saw a slight improvement (7 more victories) last season and the team has begun to garner enthusiasm from their new fan base. One of the key reasons that the crowds come to the park is to watch crowd-pleaser, “Raffi” Rodriguez. The good-natured, stocky Dominican outfielder has clubbed exactly 33 homers in each of the past three seasons to go along with blazing speed, unparalleled hustle and the willingness to sign autographs until the wee hours of the morning. Something of a “bon vivant”, Rodriguez helps fans remember that “passion for the game” is reason enough to get behind a team that’s not quite ready for prime time. The GATORs are a team with upside though, and young Alex Keller is a player that could become a star in the league. A torn hamstring derailed the former first rounder in season 16, putting a halt on a season in which Keller was poised to demolish his rookie numbers. If he stays healthy, young Alex should be a dangerous GATOR for many seasons, teaming with “Raffi” and blue chip hitting prospect Herb Wilkinson (who should turn pro in the next season or two) to form a lethal offensive trio. For now, the ML team should get some secondary power from DH Fernando Chavez and 3B Will Mulholland, but the talent drops off steeply after that.

The pitching should struggle this season as well, but there are some promising arms down the pipeline. 24 yr old star closer Matthew Langerhans is entering his third pro season and has already appeared in two All-Star games. Langerhans has some of the best stuff in the league and should be grow to be one of the ninth innings’ finest. Aside from solid starter Hector Mateo (who likely yearns for his Vegas days) the GATORs pitchers will be battling hard for every out. The future looks more hopeful with prospects like Hamish Vining, “Zoltan”, Malcolm Rossy and Paul Kuroda vying for spots on the big club in the seasons ahead. For now it will be baby steps for Florida as they work on strengthening their franchise from the bottom up and planning for the future. The fans can breathe easier, as the ship is being righted here, but it will still take a little longer.

-bourbonmoon

The Little Rock Razorbacks have finished the last four seasons in the basement in the A.L. South, which has afforded them the privilege of a top draft pick in each of the last three seasons. With gems like season 15 #2 overall pick Dicky Gleason (who hit 19 homers as a rookie last year) and the season 16 #1 overall pick of future star Vernon Moore its hard not to see a bright future for Little Rock. In fact there are several positive elements already in place on this team, as they were 7^th in the majors in team batting average despite their poor record! Truth be told, with up and coming stars like Gleason and blossoming first baseman Fausto Posada leading the way, the bats in Little Rock command some respect. With great team speed, and four regulars who hit .300+ the

Razorbacks can certainly be competitive. Second year man “Cortes” had an outstanding sophomore season with a stat line of 116 runs, 47 doubles, 28 HRs, 105 RBIs, 29 steals and a .318 batting average! Certainly an eye-opening well-rounded season! Aaron Lidge contributed 106 RBIs of his own, giving Little Rock run production throughout their lineup. Without any significant departures, the offense should be a stabilizing factor as the team tries to climb the standings in the south.

The glaring problem here is pitching plain and simple. Posting the worst team ERA in the majors last season, the Razorbacks only saw three pitchers under 5.00 and had five over 7.00 (all five pitched over 50 innings and two of them even pitched over 100 innings)! While things certainly can’t get too much worse for Little Rock pitching, there don’t appear to be any saviors on the horizon either. The rotation will have a new look, with three veteran free agents Frank Hartman (Durham), Sam West (Chicago) and Norberto Diaz (Los Angeles) bringing experience and durability to a pitching staff in need. The aging trio is each capable of double-digit win totals, although all three have more career losses than wins and won’t be blowing anyone away with their stuff. Marty Stockton is likely the strongest starter on the team, but on many teams he’d be #3 or #4. With the bullet-throwing “Wildman” Tony Feng retaining his closers job, things should be a roller-coaster in Arkansas this season. While there’s still a long way to go, they’ve become an exciting team: making steady progress and fun to watch. They’ll battle hard to get out of the basement this season!

-bourbonmoon

Season 16 was generally a positive one for the Lobsters. While they couldn’t keep pace with Charlotte in the divisional race, and still finished below .500, Louisville jumped from 66 to 75 wins and boasted the American League MVP in star slugger Wilt Blair. While some could argue that there were others besides Blair who would have been equally as deserving of the honor, no player was more single-handedly responsible for his teams offense than the powerful first baseman. Mr. Blair was responsible for approximately one quarter of the teams total home runs, and his .360 batting average and 147 RBIs stand out far more for the Lobsters than they would for a team like Boston. The supporting cast is a bit top heavy, with Bert Lee and “the Heart of Hicksville” Walter Taft shouldering most of the load. Lee’s quiet demeanor and stoic leadership provide a sharp contrast to Taft’s terrible temper and off the field legal trouble. Both players provide solid defense and great all-around offensive production, and if Taft can avoid his altercations with fans and blow-ups with the media they should both put up great numbers. Another interesting piece of the puzzle is DH Tony Mendez, who despite a great throwing arm has never fully grasped the concept of catching, and is therefore left without a role in the field. With surprisingly little power for a DH, Mendez nonetheless has displayed great hitting skills (a la Wade Boggs) and scored an impressive 103 runs as a rookie last season. Mostly a natural singles hitter, Mendez doesn’t need to be a genius to be knocked home by Wilt Blair!

While the Lobsters assets are great, the drop off is also significant. They have one of the weakest hitting outfields in the A.L. and the pitching staff is very much contingent on the success of a few select arms. The bullpen is likely an Achilles heel, as they don’t have an overpowering closer and Ed Hurst is the only proven commodity. The top billed hurler on the team is Javier “The Arrow” Estrada, who at 24 years of age has achieved double digit wins four times on a mediocre team and hasn’t even reached his full potential. “The Arrow” is a workhorse with great velocity who absolutely freezes left-handed hitters. His supporting cast is a motley crew of unproven hopefuls led by David Pressley, who at 27 years old is trying to get his once promising career back on track. Pressley has the potential to log 200+ innings and 15+ wins if he clicks in Louisville. The rest of the crew could be labeled as “hit or miss” and they’ll try to keep things stable until top pitching prospects like Russell Workman, Ray Sodowsky and Richie Franco are ready to ply their trade at the pro level. None of the three is too far off (perhaps next season?) so the future certainly looks brighter!

-bourbonmoon

Prediction:

1. Charlotte

2. Louisville

3. Little Rock

4. Florida

A.L. WEST

Can champion Oklahoma make it happen back-to-back?

Will a dominating Vegas team take down the Clowns?

Is Scottsdale ready to make their mark?

How long will it take to rebuild in Sacramento?

Coming off their first World Series win, the Las Vegas Numa Numa didn’t miss a beat. There was no champions “hang-over” as the defending champs tied with the division rival Oklahoma City for the top spot in the A.L. before falling to those same eventual champion Rodeo Clowns in the playoffs. The off-season marked the sad departure of long-time clutch-hitting shortstop Mark “The Kobra” Kyung who signed a 5-year deal in Burlington after nine seasons in Vegas. Kyung scored 100+ runs in seven of nine seasons with the Numa Numa, stole 30+ bases eight times and leaves a healthy career .310 batting average. Also slinking away with a World Series ring and 552 home runs under his belt is Torey “Rosie” Rosario. Rosie finally ran out of steam last season, and in coming off the bench, it proved difficult for him to find any sort of rhythm. Vegas had no choice but to decline on his option, and wait until the long-time icon enters the Hall-of-Fame conversation in a season or two. The offense will surely continue to click without “Rosie” and “The Kobra”, as they boasted 7 hitters with 20+ dingers last season (4 batters reached 100 RBIs). Still only 25 years old, C.C. Cervantes is the class of the A.L. backstops with two Silver Sluggers awards and three trips to the midsummer classic in three pro seasons.

With the poise of a veteran, C.C. is a measured hitter, capable of hitting for both power and average while asserting himself as a capable defensive catcher as well. Cervantes is a true student of the game! He’s joined by Rookie of the Year Sam Hodges, whose 117/33/101/.303 line took the league by storm and thumbs his nose at the Hosers who traded him away. “El Halcon” Jose Fernandez, Joel Purcell and one of the Tomas Bennett’s will give the Numa Numa a playoff caliber lineup that’s bound to compete for All-Star spots and a division title.

The true star of the Numa Numa remains ace pitcher Vasco Montanez. When an 18-12 record with a 3.46 ERA qualifies as an off year, it becomes apparent that the 26 year old is rewriting the record books. The former Rookie of the Year is a 5 time All-Star with two Cy Young awards on his mantle and has already reached 124 career wins (halfway to the career win mark and he’s only 26). Montanez leads a very capable rotation, with talented sophomore Ricardo Gonzalez and rising talent Emil Piniero coming off an 18 win season. With a sound bullpen, this team has no real weakness and will continue to be among the A.L’s elite teams. Watch for them in the post-season!

-bourbonmoon

First Vegas, now Oklahoma City finally bring home the hardware and punctuate that the A.L. West has become the class of the American League. The Rodeo Clowns can breathe a sigh of relief, as they shake their post-season frustrations that saw them finish several seasons as one of the elite teams in baseball before collapsing in the playoffs to supposed underdogs. The Clowns are still among the top hitting teams in baseball as they look to defend their title. The Carlos Cruz “Missile” remains the offensive general in Oklahoma City, as he once again hit 30 home runs, reached 100 RBIs and led the team with a .311 batting average. Cruz is only 32, so he still plays at close to his peak level, however he missed more games than he’s used to last season, which resulted in fewer hits, runs and steals than we normally see from him. He could be losing a step, or just taking a little extra rest to stay fresh for the duration of the season. Cruz struck out a career low 41 times last season and if he can stay healthy look for him to punch in with the familiar All-Star caliber season that we’re used to. Not to be overshadowed, Gary Purcell and Luis Lee accounted for as much or more of the offense in O. City. Season 14 MVP Purcell clubbed a career best 52/155/.298 and actually topped all the numbers from his MVP season. The towering first baseman has hit 40 homers or more in four of his six seasons, and while his batting average can fluctuate from year to year his power is money in the bank. Luis Lee exploded for 46 home runs of his own in his sophomore season and is showing why the Clowns gave him the near 20 million dollar signing bonus back in season 10. Lee, a special hitting talent and a very capable infielder was an All-Star for the first time last season and it figures to be the first of many for the young Venezuelan.

It was also another memorable year for “The Mailman” John Mailman. After it appeared that perhaps his best years were behind him, Mailman turned in one of his finest seasons yet, setting personal bests with 255 innings pitched and 7 complete games en route to his 7^th twenty win season and 3^rd Cy Young Award. Despite all the accolades, the World Series ring was the most important to John, who posted a 5-0 playoff record to take his team to the promised land. His right-hand man (and #2 starter) Geraldo Oliva struggled with tendonitis last season and looks to regain his own 20 win form. Reliable veteran Eric Simmons and promising 2^nd year man Brian Donahue should give them Clowns a very solid rotation that hopes to repeat as the top-ranked pitching team in the A.L. The task of repeating as champs will be a long and daunting journey, but this team has the tools to pull it off. We should see them playing important games come season’s end.

-bourbonmoon

The franchise that’s finished at the bottom of the A.L. West for the past three seasons and the worst team in the majors last year has had trouble finding a stable home. They hope that a fresh start in Sacramento will help their fortunes as will the #1 overall pick in the upcoming amateur draft. The new owner of the freshly dubbed Big Tomatoes inherits some dubious distinctions as the team surrendered the most walks in the majors, had the fewest save opportunities, the second worst team ERA and the third worst team fielding percentage. The offense has been a relatively consistent bright spot for many years, and although they’ve tailed off a bit, there are still enough live bats to remain competitive. Despite not having a .300 hitter, anyone with 100 runs or RBIs and being 7 strikeouts away from having 8 hitters with 100 or more whiffs, there is still some talent and depth in the Sac-to lineup. The loss of Bruce Sellars to Atlanta last season certainly hurt, and the deal faced some real criticism, but the veteran bats of Jose Guerrero, Sam Baxter and Kerry Perez are still solid and can help the team win games. In their mid thirties, the trio is best suited as the supporting cast for some other top talent, and the Big Tomatoes are hoping that fleet-footed center fielder Edgard Garces, slugging 3B Roger Clapp and rising talents like left fielder Pablo Rosario (who has already shown three 20 homer seasons) will give them a well-balanced lineup that can hurt opposing pitchers in a variety of ways.

On the bump they have Juan James, who at 26 years old needs to find some consistency in order to shake his “underachiever” image. James is still trying to get back on track after his shoulder trouble from a couple seasons back. He throws a good low splitter and can pitch workhorse innings if he keeps his composure and spreads out his mistakes. Behind James is a rag-tag supporting cast of veteran free agent signing Ahmad Griffith, journeymen Chris Rose, floundering Russell Tice and the light tossing “Powder Puff” Pineda rounding out the rotation. There’s really no chance that things will come together for all four of them, though the aging Griffith has a decent track record and Tice put together 14 wins as a rookie. The Big Tomatoes bullpen is actually pretty good, and some youngsters like Joe Delahanty could be on the verge of something great, but the question remains as to how many games will still be close after six or seven innings. There are some pieces for the future in Sacramento, but with so many needs to be addressed, the high point of this season will certainly be landing a blue chip top draft pick. The franchise needs a consistent hand to guide them forward.

-bourbonmoon

The Scottsdale Fighting Chokes were the epitome of average last season, a refreshing change from the franchise’s old habit of languishing in the cellar of the league. The Chokes had their share of chokes, but also lots of great wins. There were plenty of negatives, but also many positives to draw on. The Chokes hitters had the most strikeouts in the American League. The Chokes pitchers recorded the fewest strikeouts in the American League. The Chokes led the majors in doubles. The Chokes finished 22 games behind Oklahoma and Vegas. The Chokes were only 8 games out of a playoff spot.

Scottsdale is slowly getting their act together and have become about a .500 team finishing 82-80 in season 15 and 80-82 last season.

Unlike many American League teams, Scottsdale doesn’t look like an offensive juggernaut with a knitting team for a pitching staff. Here the organization has some promising young pitchers and the strength of the hitting talent might raise some concern.

They’ll rely on the bats of Darren Carillo and Jake Douglass, both of whom have proven to be valuable assets at the plate. Perhaps it’s the hitter-friendly Davis Ballpark that makes Carillo and Douglass look very good despite not having a pure hitters pedigree. Others like Clyde DePaula, Fernando Saenz and R.J. Borbon have also hit well in Scottsdale despite possessing lesser that ideal tools at the plate. The Fighting Chokes have high hopes for similar success from youngsters Walt Reid and Joaquin Armas who both should become solid regulars in a balanced lineup.

The Davis Ballpark factor might hold back certain pitchers in Scottsdale, despite having a good young group of arms. The off-season trade of Sparky Page to Syracuse for Juan Seanez gives the Chokes a proven #1 starter. Seanez was a two time All-Star with Montreal and is still only 31 years old. He’ll be followed in the rotation by two 23 year old second-year talents in Jorel Howington and Shooooooooter Owens, both of whom showed great progress as rookies and look to turn a few heads in year two. Former Durham pitcher Darrin Patrick signed a rich three-year deal to help strengthen what could be an underrated staff. The bullpen looks rock solid as well, with former Rodeo Clown Victor Canseco holding down the fort. 38 year old Lonny Mercado left Vancouver to be Canseco’s set up man, and with the trio of youngsters Chris Christensen, Cesar Beltre and Max Gonzalez all gaining in the experience department, it looks like the Chokes have things figured out. They’re a dark horse to surprise people this season and could sneak into the playoff hunt if some other teams falter. The franchise is becoming more competitive from season to season.

-bourbonmoon

Prediction:

1. Las Vegas

2. Oklahoma City *

3. Scottsdale

4. Sacramento

* denotes wildcard

NATIONAL LEAGUE SYNOPSIS

N.L. NORTH

Can Chicago’s offence compensate for their depleted staff?

Will the highest money per player team in the NL guarantee Detroit success?

Is there any sign of weakness in Montreal?

How long before Philadelphia’s a player in the North?

After 3 consecutive seasons of 100+ loss baseball, Chicago narrowly avoided a 4-peat last season by posting a 68-94 record. Long gone are the glory days of yesteryear which saw the Crushers throw the likes of Kelly Brave, Matt Boone and Mike Taylor out for innings on end. Unable to sign dependable starter Sam West in the off-season, this year looks bleak again. Under performers like Chuck Thomas and Clay Nitkowski along with newcomers Zoltan Monahan and Bill Young, get most of the innings from the stretch but poolies shouldn’t expect great results. The saving grace of the rotation over the past few seasons has been Gerald Mills and, heading into a contract year, he better hope that continues. The problems don’t end with the starters in Chicago. Closer Yuniesky Saez, claimed off waivers from Las Vegas a season ago, will be given the opportunity to finish whatever might resemble a save in the windy city, and though Chicago has much depth to boast in the pen, a sure fire reliever has yet to emerge. Veteran Aramis Pena may be an option for Chicago on either the end. The former 17 game winner has logged more innings than just about anybody on staff and is disarming against right-handed hitters. Catching this motley crew continues to be Santos Estalella who, at age 36, is aging quite well. Gone are his 30 homerun seasons though Esalella, who stands alone atop the all-time Chicago leader board in almost all offensive categories, is quite capable of getting on base. Alfredo Baerga returns to Third Base this year, though at 33 his best years are also behind him. Joining Baerga in the middle of the line-up will be ex-Toronto First Basemen Sarma Wall. Wall has more than enough power for the clean-up spot though his average rarely sneaks above .250. Second Basemen F.P. Jones was the Crushers big signing this off season. At 7 million per season, Jones brings a solid glove and good speed to Chicago on an everyday basis. The star of the line-up will be former 3^rd overall pick, Fred Medina. Medina turned some heads during his minimal at bats as a rookie last season. Look for the sophomore to improve on last season’s totals on his way to earning favour with the Chicago faithful. Speaking of draft picks, that is where the strength of this team most certainly is. 1^st overall pick Julio Pascual will likely be stationed at AAA again this season, though don’t be surprised if he makes the jump to the majors at some point. Last season’s 3^rd overall pick, Willie Jacquez, is already 22 and has yet to play a game of professional baseball. He will start the season in rookie ball but should move quickly through the ranks to avoid minor league toil.

I know we talk about it every year, but the accomplishment keeps getting better with age; Detroit has now notched eleven straight 100+ win seasons! With ‘the incident’ now seven seasons in the past, the Tiger Sharks have carved out a new identity for themselves. Their team ERA of 3.40 was tops in the majors last season. In terms of last years pitching results, credit veterans Jesus Perez, Felipe Villa and Dick Zentmeyer as well as the emergence of rookie Bart Murray. This year, rookie Clayton Cooper looks to add to the fantastic pitching tradition enjoyed in Michigan. In an interesting twist, “Razor” Ricardo Tavarez slide nicely into the bullpen posting a 2.88 ERA in the long reliever role. Though at 40 Tavarez’s Cy Young days seem far behind him, he will still play an important role for Detroit during those late innings. Former Fireman of the Year Hunter Wilkinson was used primarily as a setup man over the past two seasons, but this year it looks like he will return to the familiar role of closer. Former 1^st overall pick Scot McGowan looks ready to take the ML plunge this season. His emergence made it possible for the Tiger Sharks to walk away from FA Second Baseman Russell Rivera, saving much money in the process. 4 time All-Star Tony Calderon, entering his 5^th major league season, remains a staple at Shortstop. Though his bat doesn’t always impress, his speed and glove make him a force to be reckoned with. A spring training injury to Third Baseman Sam “Jules” Jackson will see him sidelined until after the All-Star break. Watch for Julio Renteria to take over his duties until the All-Star is ready to return. An impressive outfield, augmented by one of the best leadoff hitters in the NL Joey Kramer, rounds out the fierce some Detroit roster. Of course the problem with boasting such an impressive team is certainly financial. Detroit will pay 12 players at least 5 million dollars this season on their way to paying a 100 million dollar total player payroll salary. Furthermore, they already have 65 million tied up in only 9 players for next season. At 3.6 million per player, Detroit has the highest average salary of any team in the NL. Still, it is hard to argue with how the Tiger Sharks are sending their money and as long as they keep winning no body will say anything.

Does it make you old to say “I remember when Montreal was a joke of a team.” Probably. Over the past 8 seasons, the Maroons (formerly the Habs) have missed the post season only once and have won the World Series twice. Over the past 4 seasons, they have posted a 424-224 record for an astounding winning percentage of .675 and second only to their divisional rivals in Detroit. Canadian hero and reigning NL MVP Fernando Rios has been the crucial reason those teams have succeeded. After 5 seasons in Montreal Rios has smacked 252 homeruns, averaging just over 50 per season. Though Rios was certainly deserving of the MVP honour, some of his stiffest competition may have come from his teammate First Basemen Enrique Valdes. Valdes, winner of the MVP and Rookie of the Year back in season 15, hit 54 homeruns and knocked in 147 runs too boot. Still Rios and Valdes only make up a portion of this potent offence. Outfielders Bailey Dykstra, Joe Rollins and Steve Guerrero are all All-Stars and all have the potential to go deep. Second Baseman was a late re-sign for the Maroons. He can only improve on his disappointing numbers from a year ago, but even if he doesn’t his glove will keep him on your scorecard every day. Watch for second-year catcher Michael ‘Cheech’ Phelps to further improve on his totals from last season. While his pitch calling leaves much to be desired, he has the potential to be one of the more impressive contact hitters on the club. Despite the powerful approach to offence in Montreal, pitching may be the strength of this club. Last seasons NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young finalist Edgard Garces shone in 198.2 innings pitched posting an 18-4 record and an incredible ERA of 2.36. The most amazing thing about the soft-throwing Cuban is that he posted those numbers at the age of 21. That being said, class of the Maroons staff is Garces’ fellow country-man Vic Lopez. Incredibly, Lopez posted better numbers than Garces last season and is more capable of going deeper into games. If there is a drawback to his game its that he has a tendency to give up the long ball at inopportune times. D’Angelo ‘Cedar Teeth’ Lopez will close out games again this year. After 5 impressive seasons with the club, Lopez is finally demanding big money. He scored a 7.7 million dollar deal in arbitration this year making him one of the highest paid closers. Montreal will have to shell out big money and a long-term deal for this gem in the near future. Definitely all systems go this year.

Philadelphia has the unfortunate geographical disadvantage of being in the toughest division in the National League. The franchise’s successes from their Madison days have resulted in tough times for the Pheremoniacs who have yet to make the playoffs since departing Wisconsin. The Pheremoniacs bullpen took a hit in the off season as 4 prominent relievers who pitched strong innings filed for free agency. A few off-season signings, waiver claims and a trade that saw 7 million dollar man Sheldon Stewart come to town should give the pen enough stability. Ace Tony Silva will reprise his role as number one on a fairly strong starting rotation. The starting rotation is far from flashy, but is definitely capable of getting the job done in Philadelphia. For example, Shane Fleming, who may slide into the number two spot behind Silva, has always had issues with his control but was good enough last season to post a 3.53 ERA on his way to notching 12 wins. 37 year old FA acquisition Willie Acosta moves into town following a difficult season at Fenway Park. He seems primed for one last hurrah to close out his career. The Standridges, Matthew and Marc, make up the left side of the infield as well as the heart of Philadelphia’s line-up but may get bumped down if the inexperienced duo of 1B Brett Meyers and 2B Oscar Kennedy can make an impact early on. Joshua Meadows also joins the fold this year via free agency. Though Meadows has lost a bit of the game changing impact he once had on the base paths (1032 career stolen bases and first all time), his is still a dynamic and smart baseball player who will likely see a lot of time at the top of the order. His transition from Second Base to Left Field will most likely improve his durability and another 500+ at bats and 50 stolen bases are not out of the question for him. AAA prospect, closer Earl Jakubauskas, may make the jump to the majors this season should the closing role become vacant due to performance. At 21 years of age, Jakubauskas has succeeded everywhere he has played and may move up the ranks quickly. AA prospect starting pitcher Tom Messmer is anticipated in Philadelphia. The 21 year old is able to throw all of his pitches across for strikes and keep the ball in yard. If his durability can improve, Messmer will be an All-Star someday. Aside from them, prospects aren’t plentiful in Philadelphia as many of their youngsters are already here.

Prediction:

1. Montreal

2. Detroit *

3. Philadelphia

4. Chicago

* denotes wildcard

N.L. East?

Is Tampa Bay’s old-man approach getting old?

Can high draft picks get results in Burlington?

Will Washington draw upon their post-season successes from a year ago?

Will off-season changes turn the tide in Pittsburgh?

Without a winning record in 11 seasons, Burlington needs to start turning some of those high draft picks into ML success. Benny Diaz, Henry Ulrich, Jimmie Shannon, Trenidad Sanchez, Jarrod Anderson, Shawn Pittinger, Reagan Buchholz, Rich Jones, Clay Wise, Toby Nation, and Dann Kelly are all former 1^st round picks on the ML roster but most haven’t been able to develop the their full potential. Perhaps 2^nd overall Stu Burke and 4^th overall Skeeter Young can contribute on the big league team this year, but for the time being the Barons’ minor league affiliates will be their home. Of this mix of talent, the Second Baseman Trenidad Sanchez seems most capable of taking his game to the next level. Sanchez hit .314 with 20 HR’s in his rookie season narrowly missing both the All-Star and Rookie of the Year vote. Also, rookie Benny Diaz is a 5 tool player who hopes to slide into the heart of the order. The Barons did turn some heads in the offseason by inking 6 time All-Star Shortstop Mark Kyung to a 5 year contract. Kyung will bring leadership and a winning attitude to this home grown team. Burlington also stole Willie Lee away from divisional rival Tampa Bay in the off season. Lee brings with him speed and a solid glove out in Center Field. Burlington also signed starting pitcher Francis Mota to a very modest .9 million dollar contract. If Mota can gain some sort of semblance of control and begin throwing his impressive fastball for strikes more consistently, he may be a bargain. That being said, he currently does have a career walk to strikeout ratio of nearly 1:1. Currently, Burlington does have the most pitcher friendly park in the majors though their team ERA must drop significantly from it 4.35 mark from a year ago in order to take advantage of that fact; compare Burlington’s team home ERA of 3.93 to their road ERA of 4.80 (2^nd lowest in the NL). Pitching coach Brutus Valdes is entering his 6^th season with the club and will need better results to guarantee his job after this year. Times are tough in Burlington and may continue to be unless Burlington can start converting some of those high draft picks ( 5^th overall this season) into ML stars. Expect another rocky road on the path to success.

In an effort to shake up an underperforming team that missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season (finishing below .500 for the first time in 8 seasons), Pittsburgh parted ways with Free Agents Rolando Armas (Syracuse), Jolbert Saenz (Richmond), Wilson Lee (Richmond), Mitchell Griffin (New York), Karl Frank (Las Vegas), Bennie Pedersen (Durham) and Mike Sadler (unsigned). The moves were done to inject fresh life into the Grindermen who consistently field a solid team but have been under performing at the plate and from the mound. The FA signings of infielders Stan Jones and Andres Alonso are most certain capable hitters, but don’t strike fear into opposing pitchers. Long time World Police pitcher Richard Lee also signed a good money deal and will attempt to transition to a starting rotation that is backed by hard luck hurler Dave Gibson. Gibson has managed to post sub 4.00 ERA’s over the past 3 seasons, yet has not been able to break the 12 win plateau in any of them. After making the All-Star team in his rookie season, Gibson has been hard pressed to find the love from either his teammates or the voting fans. Pedro Lunar has been nothing short of lights out since joining Pittsburgh a few seasons back, though he has never been a starter who could pitch deep into games and this has been tiring out the Grindermen’s bullpen over the past few seasons. Chris Wheeler has the potential to top 250 innings if he can gain his managers trust and shave something off of his unimpressive 5.03 career ERA. The former 5^th overall selection needs to start producing now to improve Pittsburgh’s chances. The offence on the team is spearheaded by the likes of Glenn Montgomery and Winston Marte who combine speed, average and power to provide a fearsome duo. Tony Servet and Roc Ledee provide great support, though both have seen a great decline in their offensive numbers over the past 2 seasons. Both are former All-Stars and have the potential to reach the mid season classic again, but another slow start will have the fans turning on these high priced sluggers very quickly. At 36 years old, former first overall pick Cal Brumfield has slowed down significantly and will likely be a platoon or pinch hitting specialist for the remainder of his career. The emergence of rookie backstop Rickey Relaford has made sweet hitting Aramis Villafuerte expendable and rumours have it that Pittsburgh is actively looking for a new home for him. In short, the Grindermen need to get off to a good start to have any hope of catching a wildcard spot this season.

With an average player age of 30 years old, Tampa Bay is the oldest team in the National League. The heart of this once potent offence is still lead by Barney Webster and Rick Nicholson, but at 33 and 35 years respectively, they are both starting to show signs of slowing down. Rick Nick’s 91 RBIs last season marked only the 2^nd time in the players illustrious 14 year career that he failed to reach the 100 mark. He also failed to hit the 30 HR mark for the first time ever. Though the first ballot Hall of Famer is on the downside of his career, he is still a threat at the plate and will likely be the first player to top the 2000 career RBI mark early next season. At 27 years of age, Kordell Kramer is far from over the hill, but injuries have slowed him down significantly. Kramer was placed on the 60 day Dl early last season with a herniated disc in his neck. He tweaked it again during Spring Training and may miss the first month of the season. This will open the door for former first round draft pick Jerome Leskanic to get some time at Shortstop. FA grab Harry Romero joined the club in the offseason and will definitely play a larger role in the Terrific Balls line-up than he ever did in Boston. On the mound William Ishii, Ben Black, Pedro Guerrero and Jerry Rhodes are all over 33; though Ishii, at 39, shows no signs of slowing down. He posted a tremendous 3.42 ERA last season and still the ace of the staff. In the pen, Boots Cash looks to cash in on a superb year as a set up man last year. Boots posted an ERA of 2.00 in 96 appearances (a franchise record) and a whopping 152.2 IP. He will likely be handed the ball in all closing situations for Tampa this season. Though they were likely better than their 80-82 record of a year ago would have you believe, time is running out in Tampa. With limited prospects on the rise and an 87.8 million dollar salary hit this season, Tampa needs to win now. Another strong pitching performance from the veterans and solid hitting from guys who have shown they are more than capable will surely see the Balls in the race come playoff time.

In an impressive post season feat from a year ago, Washington D.C. managed to knock out 98-64 Montreal in the first round and 102-60 Detroit in the second round before succumbing to Richmond in the 7 game NLCS final. Not bad for a team that snuck into the playoffs with an 82-80 record. The Swamp Cats proved to be quite inactive in the off-season with the biggest move turning out to be the non-resigning of veteran outfielder and former 46 HR man Tomas Bennett. Instead, the Swamp Cats elected to continue the youth movement. As a result, Washington can now boast the youngest average age (25.6 years) and the lowest average salary (1.1 million) of any team in baseball. Leading the charge will be First Baseman Sandy ‘Hitman’ Hale and his astounding 197 career homeruns all hit before his 26^th birthday. Not bad for a guy who has also managed to squeeze in shoulder surgery in his short time in the majors. Hale has managed to drive in runs and hit for a solid average making him a definite Triple Crown threat. He’s also the only guy on the team earning over 5 million this season. At 25 years of age, Lonnie Tobin is entering his 5^th Major League season and is coming off his first trip to the All-Star game. Tobin posses a good eye and a knack for hitting the ball out of the park. Look for him to Improve on last season’s career numbers. Guillermo Nieves, Vicente Perez and Kevin Yoshii add depth to an impressive line up and are all under 25 years old. Still, the most exciting player to emerge this season may be 22 year old Joey Swann. The former 2^nd overall pick (taken behind fellow rookie Scot McGowan) joined the club for the impressive playoff run last season but will likely start this season at AAA. Look for Swann to join the club early in the year and earn enough at bats to garner consideration for Rookie of the Year. Still, Washington’s greatest asset may prove to be on the mound with a young trio of highly drafted studs leading the way. D.J. Gragg (26 years, 3^rd overall), Cord Epstein (24 years, 2^nd overall) and F.P. Webster (23 years, 9^th overall) can throw strikes, pitch innings and get outs. Sure these talented players will be commanding high paydays in the not so distant future but for now Washington has the perfect mix of youth, talent and low salaries to make them competitive for years to come, and with the second highest scouting budget in the majors the prospect watch is far from over.

Prediction:

1. Washington

2. Tampa Bay

3. Pittsburgh

4. Burlington

N.L. South

Which Iowa team will take to the field this season?

Will keeping Brad Street prove worthy in Atlanta?

Is Richmond for real?

Will stability ever come to El Paso?

After appearances in 4 of the last 6 playoffs, followed by quick exits, Atlanta is looking to hang around with the big boys a bit longer this year. The World Police’s biggest move this off season was the resigning of 5 time All-Star Brad Street to a massive 4 year 40.5 million dollar (plus bonuses) contract that will see the former Rookie of the Year and perennial Silver Slugger be the cornerstone of the offence for the foreseeable future. Though Street’s payday was higher than any GM would’ve liked to pay, his bat in the cleanup spot is irreplaceable. Also joining the World Police is FA acquisition Grady Peterson, fresh off a World Series win in Oklahoma City. Peterson will be the primary setup man before the Police can hand the ball off to Walter ‘Don’t Stand so Close to Me’ Milton. Milton, a finalist for the Fireman of the Year last season, has posted 107 saves and a tidy ERA of just under 3 in his first 3 seasons in the bigs. At First Base, Lloyd Harper looks to build upon a fairly successful rookie campaign. Harper is a well rounded hitter with a great eye and has definite All-Star potential. Bruce Sellers, who came over in a trade early last season, is a good number 2 hitter behind the always speedy Edgardo Seguignol. Orlando Vega rounds out a very strong infield, but lacks the range to play an effective Shortstop. Street, Sellers and Vega will be making a combined 27.9 million dollars this season and with both Sellers and Vega’s contract up at the end of the year, they have a lot to prove to the Atlanta faithful. Waiting in the wings is AAA prospect Hector Mintz who is a defensive wiz at short and a not to bad hitter to boot. He will most likely make some of those high priced infielders expendable at season’s end. Atlanta has always had a knack for finding good starting pitching in the draft and internationally. Gabe Miller, Karim James and Randy Bradford are fine examples of that, though the Police are salivating at the chance of seeing prospect Domingo Johnson pitch in the majors sometime soon. Though he very well may be ML ready, Atlanta is taking their time with the 21 year old and he will likely spend this season in AAA. Look for Johnson to be called up if Atlanta finds itself in the playoff mix towards the end of the year.

Having relocated 9 times over the past 12 seasons (a sure sign of an indifferent league) the…ummm…errr…franchise has settled in El Paso where they hope to grow some deep, deep roots. To their credit, the Blancos made some good decisions in the off-season opting to do very little instead of much. They allowed some role players and minor leaguers to walk away rather than ink them and didn’t chase any high priced talent. Management in El Paso has recognized that for this team to do well, now is not the time to spend extravagantly. The Bancos have 62 million committed to players this season, but only 26 million the following year as some bad contracts come off the books. Expect more money to be placed into the scouting, signing and training budgets than have been in the past for this club. Also of note this off-season was the trade with Vancouver that saw 27 year old Logan Harper join the mix. Harper and Todd Kennedy, 26, finally give the franchise a sold 1-2 punch on the mound, something they have lacked previously. After spending last season in the bullpen, Ramon Li will likely join the rotation this season to give the Blancos 3 dependable options and if rookie Doug Campbell can keep throwing that nasty screwball for strikes, the Blancos will be looking even better. New faces FA Frank McCorley and Herm Lamb (another part of the Vancouver deal) will provide ample support for the rotation late in innings until the ball can be handed over to Tim Xavier. If El Paso has a chance at succeeding this season it will be solely due to their pitching. Corner infielders Richard Brea and Javier Pena have some punch in their bat and are the two best options for the club, though after them the talent drops off quickly. The lack luster offence that had trouble scoring runs last season and that trends is expected to continue this year. 28 year-old rookie Jed Hawkins will likely be the everyday starter in Right Field, but we’re not quite sure what to expect out of him this season. His long road to the majors has made him hungry, though there is a definite ceiling to his capabilities. Starting in Center Field this year will be the “Alaskan Assassin” Haywood Gibson who can throw a ball further than he can hit one. Tony Baez, acquired in an off-season deal with Boston, will provide stellar defense making him both a fan and pitcher favourite. This year will be one of growth for El Paso, but anything is possible. Allow this team to stay put and they could be a team on the rise.

Following a trip to the World Series 2 seasons ago, Iowa bottomed out last year dropping 96. While the Bearcats pitching was strong enough to keep them in games, their bats went limp mid-season. The offseason was a busy one for Iowa, kicked off by the 51.5 million dollar signing off oft injured Harold Gonzales. Gonzales was a trade deadline acquisition by the Bearcats 2 seasons ago and hit .317 before suffering a season ending injury that sent the Free Agent packing for Boston. Last season Gonzales, battling injuries, batted .320 with 22 HR in limited time at the plate. This set him up for his tremendous Iowa City payday. If he can stay healthy, and that is a big if, he will be a tremendous addition to the top of the Bearcats lineup. Days after the monumental Gonzales signing, Iowa again shelled out giving big bucks to FA starter Ryan Cash – also from Boston. Cash’s 5 year 62 million dollar deal will undeniably put pressure on the 29 year old pitcher who has only shown glimpses of promise up to this point. 4 time All-Star Ivan Armas will earn 12.5 million this season and closer Perry Campbell has signed on for 11.5 million meaning that Iowa has committed 47.3 million to just 4 players. For the record, that is almost 10 million more than Washington’s entire team. Iowa City franchise record holder Larry Franklin returns for his 13^th major league system with the franchise and will be commanding a modest .8 million this year. His leadership role has never been in question, though this season he will also have to mediate between the high priced egos in the dugout. Iowa was also busy on the trade front bringing in Jacksonville slugger Kris Brock to patrol Center Field in the pitcher friendly confines of Principal Park. Still, the most anticipated new face this year for Iowa will undoubtedly be rookie First Basemen Otis Davis. Pundits agree that Davis is the odds on favourite to capture this seasons Rookie of the Year. Davis’ combination of power and contact means he will likely transition into the clean-up role in a much improved lineup. Sophomore Tsubasa Chang has the bat and will get the opportunity to show that he is worthy of being an everyday starter, though the hole in his glove means he will likely never be a good option at Shortstop. If Chang does start at Short, that will relegate the 5 million dollar man Pasqual Beltre, to the position of bench warmer. On the mound, 23 year old Ross Lawson may prove to be the ace of the rotation. His control and ability to keep the ball in the yard will remind everyone why he was taken 12^th overall in season 13. Don’t expect great things from this high priced group of talent, but don’t expect a repeat of last year’s disaster in the Midwest.

After a trip to the World Series last season, Richmond’s Eric Klassen put it best. “There’s no let down. Getting that far and not winning has only made us hungrier. We expect to be right back there again this year.” Klassen should know about hunger. He made it to the Series back in season 12 with Durham only to lose the 7^th game to a hungrier Montreal club. This year, pieces are in place to make another impressive run. Joining Klassen on the mound will be the returning Chuck Russell, Nicholas Ford and Raphael Belliard. Russell has been The River City Rebel’s best starter since coming over from Toronto in a trade a few seasons back, posting an ERA under 4.00 in every year since the deal. While at 33, Belliard has appeared to breathe new life into himself posting his best numbers over the past 2 seasons. New arrival David Ortiz moves from Ottawa to Richmond in a deal that saw All-Star catcher Eduardo Sanchez go the other way. Should any of those guys falter, look for Willie Astacio, Felipe Colome or Eduardo Alvarez move in for a spot start. The pen should belong to the ancient one Jayson Levine, though rookie Daniel Hall and FA Jolbert Saenz could push him Levine’s arm weaken. The departure of Sanchez to Ottawa opened the door for young Curt Monroe to prove he can be the everyday starter behind the plate. Monroe has a great relationship with the pitchers, though he most certainly cannot replace Sanchez’s presence at the plate. To make up for the lost offence, Richmond will rely on veterans Rickey O’Brien, Jimmie Lopez and Eli Izquierdo to have career years. The three sluggers will combine for a whopping 29 million dollar payout this season and they all need to continue posting All-Star numbers to receive the approval of team management. First Baseman Juan Rodriguez followed a successful rookie campaign in season 15 with an equally impressive sophomore year last season. Rodriquez has the perfect mix of power and contact and a good eye to boot. If he can sandwich himself between some of the clubs veterans in the lineup, you can expect even better numbers this season than in his previous two. Last year’s success is a direct result of strong hitting (top average of any NL team), good pitching (a sub 4.00 team ERA) and a dependable team defence (the third best + to – plays ratio in the NL). Without too much leaving this off season, Sanchez aside, expect another strong showing from Richmond.

Prediction:

1. Atlanta

2. Richmond

3. El Paso

4. Iowa

N.L. East?

Is now the time to win in Los Angeles?

Can Helena translate be successful in their new home?

Will Vancouver return to the playoffs?

How long will the rebuild take in San Francisco?

After a storybook season which saw a group of waiver wire pickups, Rule 5 guys and youth turn the perennial NL West bridesmaids into the toast of the Majors; Tacoma has picked up and headed east to the less pitcher friendly park in Helena. Aside from the Sacramento bound Donaldo Trinidad (and his miniscule 3.23, 3.39 and 3.43 ERA’s over the past 3 seasons), the team looks very similar to the one the Phantom der Nacht’s fielded last season. However don’t expect the same 99 win total from a year ago. Though Tacoma’s ML low .244 BA and 89 HR will improve in their new confines, it probably won’t be a drastic enough improvement to support the team. Still here are the speed and defence that catapulted Tacoma into the playoffs for the first time in 15 seasons. The 558 steals posted last season, shattered the previous ML franchise record of 364 set by New Britain back in season 7. Sammy Hines, Josias Castro and Angel Henriquez all posted over 100 individual stolen bases and were all grabbed off the waiver wire. Greg Bradley, another waiver claim, posted 79 SB, won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards in RF, appeared in his first All-Star Game and garnered some consideration for NL MVP. Not bad for a guy with 143 at bats prior to last season. Most likely to improve in Helena will be Pedro Maduro and his pitiful .224 BA. Falling out of favour with the team’s manager last season was Ralph Goodwin who saw his average of 600 AB per season drop to 192 in an injury free season. Goodwin is a sure thing on the field and at the dish and most definitely will find his way back into the lineup on a consistent basis. Most excitingly, last season’s highly coveted IFA Juan Mantalban will probably be called up at some point this year. If this happens, he will surely inject the offence with his 5-tool game. On the mound, pitching phenom Carlos Lopez looks to build on his impressive 3.20 ERA posted in his rookie season. 27 year old Sal Rossy posted big numbers on the mound despite only starting 20 games last season. Their successes made it possible for Helena to turn their back on Trinidad this season. Bobby Courtney and Ron Atkins close out what is an impressive rotation no matter what park they are pitching in. The pen is full of a bunch of guys who have had a second life blown into them. They will be lead by the impressive Willy Ginter who’s 42 SV and 1.41 ERA saw him fall just short of capturing his first ever Fireman of the Year Award.

The future is fast approaching in Los Angeles and the Dead Bunnies are looking to build on a strong finish to last year’s 85 win total. Pitching has always, and will continue to be, the strength of this club. Mike Taylor and Warren Peterson are both, however, 34 years old and Mark Koehlert and Ivan Gonzales can hardly be considered young anymore. For a team without much on the way in terms of Starting Pitcher prospects, LA needs success to come sooner rather than later. With an incredible career ERA of 3.38 and a miserable record just barely over .500, Gonzales can definitely be labelled the most hard luck starter in Baseball. His contract is up after this season and he could very well be looking to try his luck elsewhere if the Bunnies bats can’t get him into the playoffs. Ebenezer ‘The Scrooge’ Caruso wowed on lookers and befuddled batters on his way to posting 54 Saves and a neat and tidy 2.11 ERA last season. Expect nothing less this year.Cementing himself in Leftfield as the face of the franchise for years to come is 11^th overall pick from season 12, Freddie Small. His weak showing at the plate is more indicative of the contours of Dodger Stadium than any offensive weakness he may possess. Joining Small in the Outfield this year will be the 5 time Gold Glove winner and 4 time All-Star, FA acquisition Napoleon Watson. There will be a battle for the starting job in Right Field with the early favourite being another FA acquisition in Monte Shields. Though the torch will be passed from Josh Moore to Small this season, Moore continues to play a vital role in a pretty limp line-up. Moore’s consistently good for 20-30 HRs, though LA is hoping for better contact numbers from the highly paid veteran. Early Rookie of the Year candidate, Donovan Barr, could put up decent numbers this year, especially if he continues to hit 5^th or 6^th in the line-up. Barr will bring strong defence, a solid bat and youthful energy to Third Base this season. Look for 20 plus HRs and 100 plus strikeouts from First Basemen Ed Towers this season. LA loves his presence in the line-up, but would be ecstatic if he could improve on his career .261 BA. What Cuban exile Jose Lopez lacks at the plate he makes up for with his glove. Don’t expect anyone to challenge him for his spot at short. Expect a .250 BA, 0 HRs and a whole lot of flair in the field this season from Lopez.

After 12 seasons in Cheyenne, 1 plus .500 season and 0 post season appearances, the Alpini have picked up and headed to San Francisco where the long ball is hard to find. The Streets will likely platoon the incredibly defensive minded duo of Eduardo Aquino and Les Reid at Shortstop. Though neither have much of a hitting game, their range, gloves and arms will make them a favourite of the pitching staff. Second Base looks to belong to B.C. Morgan and his 3 year 16 million dollar contract. Word is that management in San Fran is looking to deal the underachieving Morgan, and if that happens look for Quinn Key or rookie Gary Tannehill to man the bag. Del Guerrero anchors the infield at Third providing solid defence and good contact numbers. The Streets will be looking for the former 6^th overall pick to provide some more leadership both on and off the field as the team is undoubtedly his. Rule 5 pickup Willie Megias will provide great defence at First Base and provide the club with a bit of pop in a line-up that saw them hit only 153 dingers a year ago. At 22 years old, Tuck Stuart is coming off a fantastic rookie year that saw him notch 19 HRs and hit .297. Tris Lefebvre, Al Matrinez and Ed Benitez round out a decent Outfield, but look for speedy Omar Fernandez to steal most of the at bats in California. Veteran Keith Bunch will set up behind the plate while San Francisco waits for the young Octavio Uribe to prove he’s Major League ready. Starting pitching may prove to be a weakness for the club this season. Though the team lacks a definite Number 1/2 starter, Kennie Broome, Achilles Houston, Hugh Thurman, Julio Galarraga and Julius Shelley give them some depth to work with. Last season a closer was a hard thing to come by in Cheyenne. Anthony Epstein was handed the ball most often, but his 0-9 record and embarrassing 7.79 ERA won’t earn him favour in the dugout. There is even talk of hard throwing starter Thurman being given the ball in closing situations. He posted decent numbers in that role during Spring Training, but he may be more useful to the club pitching more innings on a day to day basis.

Following a 97 win campaign and a trip to the National League finals, Vancouver posted 2 disappointing season totals of 81 and 78 wins respectively. Though 81 wins was good enough to sneak the Vampire Bats into the playoffs, the 78 wins from a year ago landed them in 3^rd place in the increasingly competitive NL West. So where did it all go wrong for Vancouver last season? Their .254 team BA was the second lowest in team history and aside from the breakout performance of young All-Star Catcher Erik Redman, the dish didn’t treat the Bats too well. Vancouver hopes to overcome their offensive deficiencies this seasons through the signing of 3 time All-Star and World Series champ Russell Rivera who knows how to win. Rivera left Detroit after 6 and a half seasons in the Motor City for the payday and the challenge that will surely be the Bats this season. Complimenting Rivera will be the powerful bats of Dan Stanley, Bart Stewart and youngsters Del Calvo and Arthur Davis. Also joining Vancouver this season via a trade with the Red Sox is Hootie Park who will look to duplicate his 49 HR performance from 2 seasons ago. The power is all fine and good, but Vancouver needs more guys on base. That job will be left up to leadoff hitter and Gold Glove Second Baseman Matty Medrano. The speedster will start the season off on the DL, but expect him to be patrolling Vancouver’s infield for many years to come. Departing Vancouver in the Park deal was Alex Darling who will be replaced by the young and capable arms of Carmen Hinske and Ralph ‘The Rocket’ Rocker. Workhorse and 6 time All-Star, Bruce Schoendienst will undoubtedly get the ball on opening day and as many other times this year as the manager can get him to the mound. Rookie Norman McMillan and reliever turned starter Frank ‘The Laser’ Lunsford look to close out the rotation in Vancouver. You can expect growing pains from McMillan and not a whole lot of innings out of Lunsford, but still, this is one of the better rotations in the Majors. Closer Jimmy Parker surpassed Del Garces career Major League record 433 saves. He’ll have to get his puffy 5.30 ERA from a year ago to shrink for Vancouver to have absolute faith in the absolute saves leader. Expect the pitching to remain solid and the Bats bats to improve.

Prediction:

1. Helena

2. Vancouver *

3. Los Angeles

4. San Francisco

* denotes wildcard

American League Predictions

M.V.P.

1. Wilt Blair (louisville)

2. Miguel Martinez (new york)

3. Luis Lee (oklahoma city)

4. Alfonso Mercedes (boston)

5. Tom Borland (syracuse)

Runners up: Fausto Posada (little rock), Terry Davis (boston), Miguel Jiminez (charlotte), Blake Robinson (boston)

Borland puts up great numbers, but he’s too well rounded to stand out against the extreme power and run production of the other candidates. Mercedes should have another standout year, but the Boston hitters often cancel each other out. There could be two Red Sox on this list, but they’ll steal each others votes as well as RBIs. Luis Lee and MigMar are both tremendous hitters on the rise and large leaps in production seem likely, but they might fall short of what Wilt Blair is capable of in Louisville, where he’s a likely candidate to repeat. Wilt Blair is truly valuable to his team.

Cy Young Award

1. Vasco Montanez (las vegas)

2. John Mailman (oklahoma city)

3. Moises Vega (new york)

4. Brendan O’Neil (trenton)

5. Alex Ortiz (ottawa)

runners up: Joaquin Fernandez (syracuse), Juan Sosa (toronto), Javier Estrada (louisville), Jesus Astacio (jacksonville) (yes, all the runners-up needed to have “j” names)

Ortiz, O’Neil and Vega are all good pitchers on the cusp of becoming great pitchers. There are many pitchers around the A.L. with great talent who have the potential to break out this season. That being said, none of them have the experience or pure stuff to rise into the stratosphere of Vasco and Mailman. Mailman is older and he won last season, so Vasco could easily be the man this season.

Rookie of the Year

1. Pedro Gonzalez (toronto)

2. Phil Knotts (trenton)

3. Clint Walker (toronto)

4. Vinny Scott (jacksonville)

5. Joshua Zimmerman (syracuse)

runners up: Enrique Vega (las vegas), Andres Picasso (louisville), Moe Stovall (boston), Glenn Faulk (durham)

Zimmerman looks great but I think his P1 is just not there yet. The same can be said for Knotts, though the rest of the package is a little more impressive. Scott has grit, speed and might hit for decent average but he fields a tough position that he’ll likely struggle with initially and he doesn’t wow me enough at the plate. Walker is a gamer, but I think he’ll have his ups and downs in his rookie year. Pedro Gonzalez is mature, has a great eye and is a well-rounded hitter so he gets the pre-season ROY nod.

Fireman of the Year

1. Victor Rosado (new york)

2. Matthew Langerhans (florida)

3. Victor Canseco (scottsdale)

4. Ralph Lambert (syracuse)

5. Matty Koplove (oklahoma city)

runners up: Kevin Baek (Ottawa), Philip Fontenot (durham), Oscar Pittinger (toronto), Enrique Vega (las vegas), Dana Wheeler (jacksonville)

This is a really wide-open field and many closers could easily take a run at it. It’s Koplove’s first crack at closing, but he has great stuff and he pitches for a team that should give him lots of chances so I think he’ll rack up the saves. Lambert is last year’s winner and while I think he should have another fine season, his weakness against righties could cost him the award. The “Victors” Rosado and Canseco are both ridiculously good, but I think Scottsdale will be a harder place to find save opportunities. The same goes for Florida, though I’ll go out on a limb and say that if Langerhans gets enough work he could be the best of them. However, Rosado is going to be lights out and he pitches for a team that will win enough games to let him flourish. He could have won it last year if he brought his ERA down, and I’m thinking that a year of experience did him a world of good.

National League Predictions

M.V.P.

1. Sandy Hale (washington)

2. Fernando Rios (montreal)

3. Enrique Valdes (montreal)

4. Winston Marte (pittsburgh)

5. Ivan Armas (iowa)

runners up: Brad Street (atlanta), Joey Kramer (detroit), Jimmie Lopez (richmond), Steve Guerrero (monteal)

The M.V.P. trophy could easily return to Montreal with a handful of players in the mix, though we wonder if their evenly distributed offence has the potential to cancel each other out come M.V.P. voting time. Hale puts up phenomenal numbers and is far moer ‘valuable’ to his team’s offence than any of Rios, Valdes or Guerrero. Marte won the award in the AL and was a finalist for the NL version a year ago. If Armas can have anybody getting on base ahead of him, he is capable of putting up M.V.P. type numbers. Some veterans are still sticking around this board and have the potential to make an impact.

Cy Young

1. Felipe Villa (detroit)

2. Vic Lopez (montreal)

3. Edgard Garces (montreal)

4. Carlos Lopez (helena)

5. Dick Zentmeyer (detorit)

runners up: Cord Epstein (washington), Bruce Schoendienst (vancouver), Jesus Perez (detroit), William Ishii (tampa bay)

The NL Cy Young will most certainly end up in the north this season. Detroit and Montreal are consistently sending two of the best pitching rotations to the mound day in and day out. The early favourite, by a nose, is Villa. Through 4 full ML seasons, Villa has yet to post an ERA over 2.57. Though Montreal will get more run support than Detroit, it’s hard to turn your back on the 2 time winner. Carlos Lopez can surprise if Helena continues its winning ways from a year ago. Look for a lot of wins, innings and strikeouts from the 22 year old. Epstein enters the mix this season as Washington seems poised to provide a lot more run support for the starter this season. A few wily vets (Shoendienst and Ishii) are still in the mix.

Rookie of the Year

1. Scot McGowan (detroit)

2. Juan Mantalban (helena)
3. Otis Davis (iowa)

4. Benny Diaz (burlingon)

5. Donovan Barr (los angeles)

runners up: Joey Swann (washington), Clayton Cooper (detroit), Willie Person (vancouver), Doug Campbell (el paso), Jed Hawkins (el paso)

The long awaited debut of 1^st overall pick McGowan will be capturing headlines across the baseball world this season. Expect great things from the rookie, especially if he can find a nice spot somewhere atop the batting order. McGowan could get bumped if Mantalban, the most highly sought after IFA, makes a debut this season as most expect he will. They are in a class by themselves, but Davis, Diaz, Barr and Person’s bats make the second tier of rookies a force as well. Swann could easily jump into the mix should he be called up at some point this season. Don’t expect much from NL rookie pitchers this season. Cooper will get wins in Detroit, but none of his pitches look to impressive outside of his cut fastball. Campbell has the potential to throw innings and keep opponents averages down, but his control may be an issue.

Fireman of the Year

1. Ebenezer Caruso (los angeles)

2. Hunter Wilkinson (detroit)

3. Boots Cash (tampa bay)

4. D’Angelo Lopez (montreal)

5. Perry Campbell (iowa)

runners up: Walter Milton (atlanta), Jimmy Parker (vancouver), Willy Ginter (helena), Tim Xavier (el paso)

It’s a pick ‘em how you want for fireman. The head of the class, in no particular order, goes to Caruso, Cash, Lopez, Campbell and Wilkinson. The winner will most likely depend on who gets the most save opportunities. For that reason, Campbell is ranked 5 where on any other team he could’ve been as high as 2 or 3. Expect great things from the young Boots this season, while Wilkinson and Lopez will get their fair share of chances this season too. A nod goes to Caruso who will steal and save almost every opportunity this season. Also in the mix will be Milton, Xavier and Parker if he can lower his ERA. Ginter posted great numbers last season, but we’ll have to wait and see if he and Helena are for real.

One on One Interview With Boston Red Sox Owner Mike45

2010-08-23T16:47:00.002-04:00

We recently sat down with one of Yastrzemski world's original owners, Boston's 13 time division titlist mike45. We chatted about the state and outlook of the Red Sox franchise, some of his all-time favorite players, and sundry others items of interest. Here's what he had to say:

Which of your HBD teams is your favorite and why?

Boston Red Sox (Yastrzemski). It’s where I’ve had the most success, but it’s really the one I work at the most as well. I’ve been here since the very beginning and it’s sort of fun to watch the players come and go as I build an organization, rather than just a team.

The Red Sox have not yet missed the playoffs in 15 completed seasons. Without giving away any secrets, can you explain how you have kept this team so competitive over the years? Do you see the team continuing to be on top for the foreseeable future?

In the first few seasons, I think I figured out quicker than most what ratings were important and which weren’t. Lots of owners focused on overall ratings which weren’t very accurate. For example, they heavily weighted stamina, which doesn’t add nearly as much to a player’s effectiveness as the ratings bump would suggest. So I signed the right players and was able to make good trades. Since then it’s really been a lot of luck.

You have had many elite players on the Red Sox over the years. Name for us your top three, and explain how and why they have been special for you.

Ron Karnuth was just ridiculously good. I’ll give you 14 reasons why I love him the most. .318, .354, .414, .356, .377, .371, .341, .382, .357, .384, .360, .369, .361, .359. Those were his batting averages in Boston. Then you add in 5 World Series rings, a couple of MVPs, 13 all star appearances, 12 silver sluggers, 4 gold gloves…you get the picture.

Alfonso Mercedes (current); 675 homers and really shows no signs of stopping (leads ML with 46 jacks this season)

Herman Parrish: I had him for only 6.5 years, but he had an 1.173 OPS while he was in Boston. That’s just absurd.

Honorable mentions: Terry Davis (current), Miguel Beltran

Without necessarily telling how you voted, do you feel that all time career saves leader (for now) Del Garces deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame? Why or Why not?

I’m not a big proponent of closers being in the Hall, but Garces is a special case. He’s the best this world has seen. 9 time all-star, 6 fireman awards. I think he’s worthy.

Who amongst your current prospects in the minors do you feel will make the biggest contribution at the ML level?

I’m hoping for Moe Stovall (currently .333/.433/.598) at AAA to make a big impact, possibly next season.

In your opinion, which ratings are the most important when it comes to determining how successful a pitcher might be?

I’ll be damned if I know anything about pitching. I quickly realized early on that I knew more about the offensive side of the game so my resources have gravitated to that side of the ball. However, playing half of my games at Fenway, I try to find pitchers with good control, groundball tendencies, and effectiveness against right handed hitters. If this year’s stats are any indication, I should try a new strategy next season.

If you could change one thing about HBD, what would it be and why?

Coach hiring is way too time consuming. We should just be able to allocate resources among levels or coach type.

Season 16 American League Synopsis (pre-season)

2010-08-06T14:14:00.002-04:00

AMERICAN LEAGUE SYNOPSIS

A.L. NORTH
Are Dover still playoff caliber Hosers?
Can Syracuse get the pitching they need to win?
Without Marte and Meng, who will lead the Trout?
What will it take for Jacome and the T-Hawks to get some pitching?

The tightest division in baseball became much looser last season, as Ottawa separated itself from the pack. After making the post-season with 98 wins, the franchise (in a baffling move) has packed it’s bags and moved from the Canadian capital to the much smaller city of Dover, Delaware. The newly dubbed Prodigious Assault (seems that the name “the Dover Hosers” didn’t stick for some reason) will rely heavily on the bat of Pedro “Boom Boom” Chavez, who nonchalantly clubbed 44 home runs while knocking in 126 runs last season. His 41/100/.279 counterpart, Miguel Jiminez has moved on to Charlotte after one productive season with the club, and the team is hoping to fill his shoes. They’ve added an experienced veteran in free agent Steve McRae, a twelve year pro who doesn’t exactly put the ball into orbit, but has managed a career batting average of .308. There will be secondary power in spurts from Tony Vega and Vic Esposito, but in order for the offense to excel they’ll need two things:1)Former Rookie of the Year Denny Yeats needs to take a leadership role, shaking off his sophomore season in which he saw his average dip by sixty points while having less success with both base-running and run production. Yeats is realistically a 20 homer guy, not 30, but he should be able to ratchet his average up towards .300 and help his team score a few more runs. 2) Rookie catcher Chad Mulder has crushed minor league pitching to the tune of a .341 average and is behind the plate more for his bat than his defense. He possesses great plate patience and 20+ home run potential. Despite a reputation as the slowest team in the majors (only swiping 14 bases last season) if they get solid contributions from Yeats and Mulder, the “Dover” offense should be competitive if not dominating. If the team is to recapture the division title, the pitching should be their strength. Last season they boasted both the Fireman of the Year Kevin Baek and the Rookie of the Year in pitcher Alex Ortiz. Baek, who has made great progress since his rookie season had a career year in season 15, converting 50 of 53 save opportunities and fine tuning his cutter and change up to keep hitters off-balance. Ortiz finished with a 16-1 record and a 2.91 ERA in 142 innings, mostly as a reliever. It would appear that young Alex is ready to move into the rotation, and all indications are that he should dominate. The rest of the rotation looks solid with Vinny Bryant coming into the rotation from the bullpen and David “the other” Ortiz hoping to shake off his 1-10 season (13-42 over three years!!) to live up to the potential that made him a first round pick. Curve-baller Juan Guzman also won an astonishing 26 games in 200+ relief innings and will be given starting responsibilities this season. The bullpen looks solid and with Baek closing things out, the D.P.A. should not need to lead the league in hitting to challenge for another division title. This has become a competitive squad.
-bourbonmoon

The Syracuse Blue Sox finished with the same record last season as they did the year before. The problem was that in season 14 it was good enough to narrowly win the division and in season 15 it left them on the outside looking in from 18 games behind.
Their problems mostly stemmed from the pitching staff, who were in the bottom third of the league in most categories and were one of five ML teams not to enjoy a complete game. On the flipside, the Syracuse hitters struck out the fewer than any other major league club, while being generally above average in most offensive categories. In his first full season with the team, Tom Borland led the offense in runs, doubles, RBI’s, home runs, stolen bases and represented the team at the mid-season classic. Designated hitter Benji Concepcion contributed career bests in homers, RBI’s and batting average, while outfielder Kevin Cambridge added career highs of 94 runs and 192 hits while not missing a game in his first season with the team. The offense should continue to come naturally to the Blue Sox, who signed former first rounder George Hoover to a cushy five-year deal.
The athletic shortstop is a natural run producer, but would like to see a rise in batting average this season. Hoover has a similar “speed meets power” skill set to veteran Ned Daly who is a long-time team leader on and off the field. Rookie Riku Nomo is a terrific contact hitter who brings speed to the top of the order. There are many tools in the Syracuse lineup to get the job done.
The key will no doubt be pitching, as the Blue Sox will need to find a way to keep runs off the board. The huge potential that burns within 6’4” Connecticut righty Joaquin Fernandez took a backwards slide last season. Fernandez made progress each of the previous three seasons and has been anticipated to break out as the team’s top starter since he came over from Detroit. Hopefully a new multi-year contract will give him the boost he needs to put last year’s 17-loss campaign behind him. Syracuse will also need better things from last season’s two free agent signings. Both Juan Seanez and Art Koskie were mediocre at best and with over 18 million in payroll going between them, fans had reason to grow frustrated. Seanez threw about 40 innings less than his career average and his ERA was over six. Koskie simply isn’t worth his contract if he can only muster seven wins in a season. If he matches that, the B-Sox would be paying him close to 2 million dollars per win!! There is talent at the top of this rotation, and they likely can’t do worse than they did last season. 24 yr-old Ralph Lambert has gracefully evolved into the team’s closer, saving 32 of 37 games last season. Lambert is the team’s only returning pitcher who posted a sub-4 ERA last season, and the more times the ball winds up in his hands, the better!
-bourbonmoon

The departure of A.L. MVP Winston Marte to Pittsburgh will leave a gaping void in Toronto that the Trout will not easily overcome. They’ve simultaneously lost veteran Brian Meng (a first ballot Hall-of-Famer) to retirement, leaving Trout fans wanting for a new team identity. After leading the A.L. in stolen bases, maybe they’ll focus on the basepaths? Are youngsters Horacio Guerrero, Chet Neal and Willis Swift ready to take over the team? Swift hit .306 with 20 homers as a rookie and has the potential to become an All-Star. Neal is a good hitter with 30+ home run potential, but comes with a serious strikeout reputation, while Guerrero (at 24 yrs old) is entering his 4th season with the team as a terror on the bases and a true run scorer. Offensive success for the Trout will largely depend on the progress that they get from these three talented twenty-somethings. They have a dependable power source in the “Great Wall of Sarma”, as 35/110/.250 seems like a reasonable expectation. Journeyman DH Cookie Morgan and young outfielder Javier Lopez have also shown enough pop in their bats to keep Trout fans optimistic that they can recoup some of Marte’s lost offence.
If the offence gets going, the pitching should be effective enough to win games. Starters Matt Boone, Brook Perez, Juan Sosa and David Pressley each won at least 13 games. Boone has had a terrific 15-yr career, but at 37 years old there are questions as to how much he has left in the proverbial tank. Time will tell, but odds are with Boone to post twelve or more wins for Toronto this season. Sosa enjoyed a fine transition from the bullpen to the rotation, finishing with over 200 innings and a dignified 3.80 ERA on his way to a 15 win season. He’s in his prime and should be solid this season. Perez is another aging vet with an impressive resume. With eight 15-win seasons and a Cy Young award to his credit, Mr.Perez is showing signs of slowing down. Over the past three years he’s posted a 38-35 record, which isn’t cause for alarm but might not be worth the 17.6 million that he’ll receive over the next two seasons. Brook certainly isn’t throwing as hard or as late into games as he used to, but if the bullpen is solid he can certainly still do the job. David Pressley on the other hand, is entering his prime and can throw very late into games. Drawing comparisons to the like-mustached Jack Morris, Pressley will rely on 5-6 runs from his offence to win but can certainly rack up the innings. D.P. will continue to frustrate the Trout by surrendering untimely home runs, but he’s tossed 12 complete games in four seasons and could be capable of winning 18-20 games with a hot offence in front of him. The Trout’s big free agent gamble of the off-season was to bring in long time Detroit stalwart “T-Mac” Trevor McCarthy. McCarthy had posted a career record of 134-53 before blowing out his elbow at the beginning of last season. Toronto will watch closely, hoping he fully recovers from his surgery and can give them his solid career average 16-7 season.
-bourbonmoon

For two seasons now the Trenton Terror Hawks have finished fourth in the east. The team hasn’t gotten any worse since they won the division in season 13, but they haven’t improved much either and the competition around them certainly has! The team’s strength is usually a good group of well-balanced batsmen, however despite finishing in the top half of the league offensively, they still had the fourth best offense in their division. To keep pace with Toronto, Syracuse and Dover, the T-Hawks have brought in former Rodeo Clown catcher Marvin Williamson (a career .319 hitter) to augment their offence. Williamson simply murders left handed pitching and should slide nicely into the Trenton lineup to protect the power bats of Justin “the Colossus” Jacome and Felipe Vega. Fan favorite Jacome is coming off a solid 32/126/.328 campaign and is as respected and dangerous as hitters come. Cleanup hitter Vega is a free-swinging masher who smacked 56 round-trippers last season, and is entering the prime of his career. With speedy Benji Shuey at the top of the order swiping bags and scoring runs, and RF Carl Bevil and SS Jeff Bryant still looking to prove themselves as first round draft picks, the Hawks should once again have a competent group of speedy sluggers who can get the job done.
The biggest question in Jersey once again surrounds their pitching staff and whether they can stay consistent enough to win. Former top prospect Brendan O’Neil can’t seem to buy a win, as he consistently gets the worst run support of the Trenton starters. “B.O.” has the stuff to succeed and is ready to take the helm among a solid if unspectacular group of starters. Marshall, Griffith and Mendez should all reach double digit wins, and if any of them has a career season, the team’s fortunes could turn around. Rookie Duane Belinda posted a 40-16 record in the minors and looks to make his mark in the final spot in the T-Hawks rotation. The bullpen has been an adventure over the last two seasons with “Frankie” De La Vega barely hanging on to his closers job with a 4.25 ERA, but if many of Trenton’s games are being decided in the ninth inning, then they’ll probably be in good shape.
-bourbonmoon

Prediction:
1. Syracuse
2. Dover
3. Toronto
4. Trenton

A.L. EAST
How long can the Sox stay on top?
Will the “blue chippers” carry the Crunch?
Can Durham’s pitching get the job done?
Are the Sunbirds on track to make it a four-team race?

Yes, the Red Sox made the playoffs again with one of the top offensive juggernauts in the league. Maybe it’s Fenway Park? Maybe it’s a strong organization that’s been able to keep a steady stream of talented young sluggers at the ready when their veterans decide to move on? Any way you slice it, Boston seems to lose a marquee free agent each season and still haven’t skipped a beat. This time around it’s the living legend Ron Karnuth, (as much a fixture behind the plate as the 37’ green wall is in left field) who at thirty five years of age has ventured out of Boston to sign a three year deal in South Carolina. Not to digress, but Karnuth’s Red Sox accolades are great: 5 World Series rings; 2 American League MVP awards; 13 All-Star game appearances; 12 silver slugger awards; 4 gold glove awards; not to mention numerous batting titles high-lighted by an unheard of record .414 average in season 4. At 35 years of age, Karnuth no longer has the cannon arm behind the plate or thirty home run power, but he’s still (wait for it) a career .363 hitter, and those are hard to replace! But with Blake Robinson hitting .337 and jacking 54 homers last season, and tremendous power throughout the lineup, Boston should still find a way to get it done. Behind Robinson is the intimidating triumvirate of Terry Davis, Hootie Park and “The Great Alfonso” Mercedes. Davis is as solid as they come and has been crushing opposing pitchers in Beantown for the past decade. The late blooming Park has twice flirted with 50 dingers and despite his strikeouts is a force to be reckoned with. “The Great Alfonso” certainly needs no introduction, with 639 home runs to his credit and one of the all-time best power bats in the league. A free agent at season’s end, Mercedes will swing for the fences with a big contract looming. The Sox also welcomed free agent infielder Emil Franco from Detroit. Franco, an 8 time all-star, signed a four-year deal, giving Boston a solid source of speed and power to compliment their big sluggers. Rookie catcher Pablo Uribe is a skilled hitter who will look to fill Karnuthian shoes both behind and at the plate. He leads a solid supporting cast of what should once again be one of the top few offences in baseball.
Pitching is always a secondary concern in Boston, but there are some high hopes for rookie starter Sammy Moya. He joins a rotation that also includes 36 yr old free agent French pitcher Jim Sewell, out to prove that he still has what it takes. Ryan Cash and Ralph Perry should both throw some key innings for the Sox, along with rookie relievers Damaso Guapo and Bruce Denny. Mark Aoki has the closers job for a ninth straight season and looks to improve on a 4.98 ERA if he’s to hold off 19 year old Ben Reed from taking his job a season or two earlier than expected. The pitching staff will try to “hang on” and let the team win games with their bats. Those bats should once again make a serious post-season splash!
-bourbonmoon

The always competitive County Ramblers finished in a statistical tie with the Red Sox, but the tiebreaker left them on the outside of the playoffs looking in. With multiple strong teams in the North and West, the days of two East teams easily making the playoffs appear to be over. Like Boston, Durham is an offensive juggernaut with perpetual question marks in the pitching department. That their home park is a hitter’s paradise doesn’t help, but the road wasn’t much kinder to the Ramblers hurlers. They were still in the bottom echelon in most categories. No nicknames are needed as one glances down the rotation at Buck, Moose and Bravo. Top starter Boomer Buck is a consistent workhorse entering his seventh season with the team. Buck has 13 or more wins in each of his pro seasons and should have a steadying effect on an often-suspect rotation. In Moose English’s first full season with the team he posted a very solid 14-7 record, but upon closer inspection much of his success can be attributed to timely run support. Moose will try to bring the 5.51 ERA back down to respectability. Veteran Kelly Bravo enters his 11th pro season looking to regain the form that won him 18 games in back to back seasons. Bravo has never had ERA trouble and is one of the few Durham pitchers who can keep the ball in the park with regularity. If veterans Frank Hartman and Reginald White or rookie Louis Hill can pick up the back end of the rotation, then the Ramblers should forget about free agent Darrin Patrick’s departure to Scottsdale and once again be in the hunt for a playoff spot. The bullpen can be reliable enough if the rag tag group of middle and setup men can effectively get the ball to former Fireman of the Year closer Phil Fontenot.
The offense is a well balanced machine that produced nine 20+ home run hitters last season. Leading the way was first baseman Vinny Morton with an impressive 46/145/.310 line and outfielder Wayne Grey who has 120+ RBI’s in each of his first six seasons as a pro. Second baseman Sherry Grebeck returned to the All-Star game and won a Silver Slugger award with an excellent season (32/105/.327 with 27 steals and 134 runs scored). Durham brought in fragile speedster Max Felix (in his second go around with the team) to try to fill the hole left by shortstop Abraham Brinkley’s departure to Boston. The Ramblers have a few notable prospects ready at AAA if there are any injuries or problems on the big club, notably 21 yr old CF Joaquin Vega and 22 yr old 2B Chad McDonald. If at some point either gets promoted they should bolster an already solid lineup that will likely be praying for a little bit of pitching to get them over the hump and into the post-season.
-bourbonmoon

The Jacksonville Sunbirds are consistently trying to figure out a way to pull even with the teams at the top of their division. They’ve reached a plateau where they can hit with the better teams in the league, but the pitching always seems stuck in the lower tier. The team’s ace, Jesus Astacio is as reliable as they come, and pitched considerably better than even his respectable 13-8 record would indicate. Beyond “the Jesus”, the Sunbirds aren’t getting much value for their pitching dollar. Douglas Steenstra and Olmedo Martin won 10 games each, which doesn’t equate with the nearly 18 million dollars that they’ll share. Ellis Springer posted a 6-11 relief record, while relinquishing his closer job to Patrick Garcia (whose 3-12 record; 28/37 saves and 5.01ERA all caused headaches for the Jacksonville faithful). Top prospect Emil Woods continued to struggle mightily with a 7.05 ERA and has yet to turn the corner that his obvious potential suggests he should. This season, Woods should receive a decent audition in a starter’s role and the S-Birds have brought in 39 year-old 5 time all-star Randall Wilson to add some experience to the rotation. Decent production from those two would be a great bonus, but the success of this club will fall heavily on Astacio, Steenstra and Martin as well as Springer to get the pen back in order.
Offensively, the Sunbirds have a few gems that form a young and powerful nucleus in the middle of their lineup. After suffering through some serious shoulder problems in season 14, team leader “Benny V” returned to form in season 15 clubbing a team high 45 homers and making his fourth all-star appearance. Fan favorites Matty Hayes and Brandon Spencer both managed 100+ RBI’s and pose serious power threats in the heart of the Jacksonville order. Beyond the top three, the ‘Birds have great depth with Durham, Brock, Arroyo and Dickerson all capable of getting their uniforms dirty and doing the little things to scratch and claw and find a way to succeed. Catching might be a weakness, with Ignacio Estrada getting his first crack as an everyday starter. His offensive potential is moderate and his defense is average at best. He’s backed up by grizzled veteran Walter Wade, while Shawn Young and Ken Glaus are ready at AAA if Estrada has problems. The Jacksonville team might still need a few minor tweaks to compete offensively with Boston and Durham, but until the pitching gets on track it will be very tough to think about the post-season. Top pitching prospects Marc McLaughlin and Dana Wheeler provide bright spots in the not-too-distant future, although the question remains as to when that future will arrive.
-bourbonmoon

After a solid couple of seasons, it’s safe to say that the New York Crunch is back in the mix in the A.L. East. This season should be an exciting one in the Big Apple, with “MigMar” and VictRo” capturing all the headlines. Fans are coming out in droves to watch the two talented Dominican youngsters take the field. Right fielder Miguel “MigMar” Martinez fast tracked through the minors, posting astronomical hitting numbers. An athletic outfielder with a great arm, Martinez has power and pure hitting skill. At 22 yrs old, he should patrol the Crunch outfield for years to come. Victor Rosado is a pitcher with pinpoint control and a dominant fastball. He’ll take over the ninth inning duties in New York and should give the whole team confidence, as New York fans are very happy to have seen the last of Elrod Weston and his 6.03 ERA.
In season 15, the offense was already on the fringe of joining the elite clubs in the A.L. Miguel Beltran’s presence had a great impact on first baseman Don MacRae, who finally broke out in his fourth pro season, setting personal bests with 100 runs, 117 RBI’s, a .300 batting average and 34 home runs (16 higher than his previous best). Beltran himself failed to reach 100 RBI’s for the first time in twelve seasons, but still had a solid year with 30 round-trippers and 93 RBI’s, while endearing himself to the Crunch fans with his tireless charity work and visits to the children’s hospital. The ever-dangerous Ken Bailey (30/95/.321) continues to shine, while developing a reputation for consistency. A patient and talented hitter, Bailey scored a few more runs than he knocked in last season, while finishing with a sparkling .406 OBP. The solid supporting cast of Pascual, Gabriel, Schmidt and Wright all topped 20 dingers and should bolster an even more formidable lineup with MigMar in town.
The pitching that took them to the playoffs in season 14 wasn’t quite the same without Juan Sosa last year. The team ERA slid from 3.99 to 4.88 and troubled closer Elrod Weston played a significant role in that. With VictRo taking over the shutdown role, and bright spot Max Gardel coming off an encouraging rookie season to bolster the middle relief corps, success should once again (as with most teams) depend on the starting rotation. Returning are Ray Fischer, Moises Vega, Tuck Meacham and Mike Washburn. Orlando Torres came over in a trade from Tacoma to fill out the rotation, and he should take a steady if unspectacular turn in the Crunch pitching mix. Tuck is a career Crunch favorite, and he’s certainly put in his service time in New York. He’ll never be great, however he’s capable of getting the job done, and he’ll need to reassert himself in his role if he’s going to convince the team to resign him as his contract expires at season’s end. It’s a familiar situation to the one Mike Washburn found himself in this off-season. Washburn quickly tested the free agent waters before inking a new two year deal with the Crunch. With only 9 wins last year, Washburn is looking to rediscover the groove that won him 16 games a few seasons back. At 36 years old, Ray Fischer still has the stuff to be the staff workhorse. He’s led the team in innings pitched in each of the past two seasons and hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down. Fischer is a season removed from 17 wins and has previously posted 18 and 19 win seasons while never reaching the 20-win plateau. He’ll likely never get a better chance than this season. Moises Vega is a hard thrower who keeps the ball low and accurate. A 17 game winner as a rookie, and subsequently an all-star in season 14, Vega hasn’t quite fulfilled his promise since then, as he’s failed to improve either his win or inning totals since then. It hasn’t been for the lack of quality pitching, however, as his career ERA still sits at 3.13. Vega has the most upside of any of the Crunch starters and if he can overcome the pressure of playing in New York with a substantial new contract, he could be the difference maker on this team on the cusp.
-bourbonmoon

Prediction:
5. Boston
6. New York*
7. Durham
8. Jacksonville

* denotes wildcard

A.L. SOUTH
Will Charlotte take another step forward in season 16?
Is Florida ready to play .500 ball?
As the youth movement hits Little Rock, will they find some pitching?
Will Estrada and Blair put the Lobsters into the post-season?

Despite a sub .500 record, the Designated Drinkers took home the division title in season 15. They even managed to dispose of the mighty Rodeo Clowns in a tight five game playoff series. Once again, the big ticket is catcher “Mad” Max Cora, who displayed great poise silencing his doubters after his sub-par campaign in season 14. In season 15, Charlotte saw Cora regain his awesome power stroke to the tune of 47 dingers and 113 RBI’s. The offense also relied on the newly dubbed “Wright Brothers”, Tony and Rob, who each hit 20+ homers, with steady run production and decent batting average. The always steady Joshua Meadows may be losing a step, but he only needs 30 steals to catch the legendary Chris Jordan for the all-time stolen base crown! Meadows has yet to take a trip to the disabled list in his illustrious career and will almost certainly overtake Jordan part way through season 16.
After tossing 200+ innings in three straight seasons, it’s time to finally take the “bust” label off of Bryant Linden. Linden has emerged as the steadiest of the D.D.’s pitchers although he’s yet to top 13 wins in a season and succeeds more by guts and guile than by overpowering hitters with his average fastball. The wildcard in Charlotte’s deck is Bruce Wilson, who enters his third pro season with good poise and the ability to keep runs off the board. Wilson led the team last season with a sparkling 1.13 WHIP and may eventually be the go-to guy on a team that will lean on second year man Eugene Darnell and long-time V-Bats vet Edge Ramsey to hold the fort until youngsters like Malachi Wilson, Tike Leonard and Angel Gonzalez are ready to ply their trade at the pro level. The D.D.’s are a competitive squad who will be looking to take the division for the second straight season. In the A.L. South it is certainly a possibility!
-bourbonmoon

The New Orleans VoDoo have moved to Florida and taken a fun “capital” twist by naming the team after the University of Florida Gators, only GATORs. Florida is another team who posted some decent offensive numbers in season 15, but finished with the worst team ERA in the majors. Marino Villa finished with a team-high10 wins, but his 7.11 ERA indicates that he probably had some good run support as he struggled with his mechanics through a forgettable season. Former 18 game winner Hector Mateo led the team in innings pitched, but gave up a career high 43 home runs en route to a 5-16 record.
The brightest spot (by far) was the team’s young reliever Matthew Langerhans, who in his first season as closer earned an all-star nomination on his way to a 1.63 ERA and saves in 34 of the team’s 64 wins. At 23 years old, Langerhans has an un-hittable curveball and should give the team rock solid relief when they’re playing with a lead.
Season 15 saw the emergence of designated hitter Fernando Chavez as a 30 home run hitter, and he should be a solid power source going forward. Outfielder Raffi Rodriguez is coming off his second consecutive 33 HR campaign and has been rewarded with a nice four-year contract. Youngster Alex Keller was called up part way through the season and clubbed 20 homers in a successful rookie audition. These three should lead the offense as the team plans for the future. Highly touted Herb Wilkerson will swing his hot bat at AA this season while pitching sensation ZOLTAN will ply his trade at HiA. These two top prospects (among others) give Florida legitimate hope for the future. The entire A.L. South is heading in the right direction, and this club has been doing the right things to turn their fortunes around. We’re sure to be talking about them a couple of seasons from now.
-bourbonmoon

The Little Rock Razorbacks woes continued in season 15, as they managed only 49 wins, scraping the bottom of the ML barrel. With the second worst team ERA in baseball, Little Rock surrendered more walks than anyone in the majors. They failed to have a pitcher record 10 wins, and Tim Brantley and Harry Spivey floundered in the closers role to the tune of 23 of 36 save chances converted! Let’s do the Razorbacks a favor and leave the past behind. There are many bright lights on the horizon, including the arrival of promising closer Tony Feng, who features a 96 mph slider that should strike him out more than a batter per inning! While the rest of the pitching staff is fairly pedestrian to be sure, Little Rock’s offensive future is growing brighter by the minute! Last season’s blue-chip first round pick Dicky Gleason saw a glimpse of major league pitching and .343 with a .919 OPS in 67 at bats!! Gleason joins former first rounders York Uribe and Morris Rice to give the team a formidable base of talent to build around. Consider that the Razorbacks hold this season’s first overall draft pick and fans in Arkansas are starting to get excited about the future of this lineup. It might take another couple of seasons, but this team will likely never be this bad again! Things are looking up!
-bourbonmoon

The Louisville Lobsters are yet another team who is hungry to field a winning club, but still has a ways to go to achieve their goals. The difference between the Lobsters and most of the other teams with fewer than 70 wins is that Louisville finished near the top of the league in most offensive categories. While not quite at “offensive juggernaut” status, the Lobsters are led by one of the brightest young hitters in the game in Wilt Blair. Blair has increased his home run and RBI output in each of his first four seasons in the league and is still improving. A tidy 44/133/.312 line is what he’ll be looking to improve on this season and he’ll anchor a good young lineup looking to battle their way to the top of a weak division. Blair is supported in the lineup by Walter “The Heart of Hicksville” Taft and shortstop Bert Lee. The volatile Taft has scored 361 runs over the past three seasons and if he doesn’t pull any “Milton Bradley moves” gives the Lobsters an exciting mix of speed and power. Lee is a former first rounder who is a stable defender with some untapped offensive potential. He should develop into a .300 hitter with the ability to knock in or score100+ runs per season. The team has more hitting on the horizon with DH Tony Mendez and RF Santo Figueroa set to join the team over the next season or two. The offense will need to dominate, however, as the pitching has been abysmal to say the least. Another team without a 10 game winner, staff ace Javier “The Arrow” Estrada only started 16 games last season leaving the rest of the rotation in the lurch. “The Arrow” won 16 games the previous season and should be an anchor for the Lobsters if he stays healthy and even scratches the surface of his enormous potential. Louisville will likely be patient with prospects Paul Koh and Russell Workman, and in the mean time would like to see some success from former Vampire Bat Tarrik Grimsley who suffered from some tendonitis after joining the Lobsters last season. The pitching staff is likely a few seasons from overall respectability, however, in the A.L. South it might still be within their reach to pull in a division title!
-bourbonmoon

Prediction:
1. Louisville
2. Charlotte
3. Florida
4. Little Rock

A.L. WEST
Oklahoma is due; can they shake the playoff jinx?
Can powerhouse Vegas repeat as World Series champs?
Can Salt Lake City find a way to keep runs off the board?
How long until Scottsdale starts thinking post-season?

After a disappointing 4th place finish, the Helena Cowboys have moved to Salt Lake City, hoping that a change of scenery will do them good. Despite tying for the league lead with 4 shutouts, the Cowboys pitching was among the league’s worst last season, as no pitcher with 20+ innings pitched had an ERA below 4.13. Juan James is now 25, and with a 16 win season under his belt is now entering his 5th year as a pro. James endured some shoulder problems last season, but he seems recovered and is a hard thrower who should be able to dominate once he finds his groove. Look for a rebound season from starter Josh Shelby who has nasty stuff and can throw late into games. Closer Juan Hernandez should continue to be a stabilizing force late in games if the team can get him enough opportunities to close the door. At some point Japanese youngster Alex Nakamura should get another call to the majors after a disastrous debut last season. Nakamura is tough on lefties and could help out in the pen if needed.
The offense will need to get going without the bat of veteran Eli Izquierdo who signed a four-year deal in Richmond after spending 10 seasons with the team. Izquierdo lead the team with 99 RBI’s last season and brought his batting average back up to .294 after a troubling campaign the year before. Sometimes being in a contract year will do wonders for a player’s swing! S.L.C. did choose to re-sign “El Caballo” Jose Guerrero to an extension, hoping that the slugger can continue his legacy with the Cowboys. Guerrero has over 500 home runs in his 13 seasons with the team and at 32 years old appears to be on a path to Cooperstown (while emphatically denying any allegations of performance enhancing substances in his past). Rookie third baseman Roger Clapp demonstrated his excellent power potential in AAA last season with 52 long balls and a .304 average. Clapp could make an immediate impact, and although he’s not expected to hit .300 as a pro he is a legit home run threat that the Cowboys desperately need. Rosario, Fox, Redding, Baxter and Perez give SLC a well-balanced attack that can hurt teams in several ways. They’ll have their share of exciting offensive battles, but it seems inevitable that they can’t score as much as the pitching will yield. A team on the rise, they’re a few significant pieces short of contention.
-bourbonmoon

World series champs Las Vegas Numa Numa are poised to repeat as division champs, as well as take another good run in the playoffs. With a team stocked full of stars in their prime, and with new talent still being added, this team should be a force to reckon with for many seasons. This offense scored more runs than any other last season, featuring six players who hit twenty four or more HRs, and ten players who hit fourteen or more. C Carlos Cervantes leads the charge, and he has an excellent supporting cast in DH Tom Bailey, CF Gerrit Hughes, SS Mark Kyung, LFs Jose Fernandez and Torey Rosario, IF Nate Coolbaugh, RF Sam Hodges and 2B Tomas Bennett. What a deep lineup! The pitching staff was good enough to win a championship last year, led by Cy Young winner Vasco “Monster” Montanez. The addition of super rookie Ricardo Gonzales is an absolutely scary prospect for the rest of the AL. This pitching staff now has two aces. The next two starters, Emil Pineiro and Brooks Jefferson are no slouches either, and help L.V. challenge for the world’s best SP staff. Edgard Guerrero collected sixteen wins from the bullpen last season, and remains the inning eater of the relief staff. All star closer Felipe Herrera is back as well. This is a team that is capable of defending their championship, and will be on top of their game for a few seasons to come.
-shobob

If there is a team in this world that is “due” to win a championship, the Oklahoma City Rodeo Clowns are that team. They had the third best team ERA in the world last season, and they’ll rely on a talented and deep starting staff to repeat the performance. The team also finished third in team FP and tied for fourth for BA so it’s a good thing that they return most of last season’s lineup intact. It looks like D.T. Rollins will be riding off into the sunset after nine seasons with the club, most notably season 12, when he sported a record of 22-0. World series champion free agent Bobby Joe Post takes Rollins’ place in this deep pitching staff. They will need a way to make up for the loss of closer Victor Canseco through free agency. Manuel Guillen looks to fill the role after two seasons of limited, but effective play. John “The Mailman” Mailman, Eric Simmons and Geraldo Oliva round out what might be the deepest top four starters on any team. The offense is led once again by LF “The Carlos Cruz missile”. He is surely headed for the hall of fame if he can avoid a catastrophic injury before long. Cruz’s supporting cast is impressive as well, including slugger Gary Purcell, and contact hitters SS Cristian Simon and 2B Kirby Martin. The team can count on solid contributions from RF Norm Hutton, SS Luis Lee, and the C platoon of Ricardo Matos and Max Padilla. The outlook for this team is once again good. They are going to have some intense competition for the division title, but a wild card spot should be available for whoever misses out on that. Due to the strength of their pitching staff and offence, anything short of 100 wins and playoff success would be a disappointment for this franchise.
-shobob

The winds of change are blowing in Scottsdale. Long-suffering fans are hoping that the Fightin’ Chokes have made the right moves to take this team into contention. Newfound stability in ownership has a good effect on this franchise’s ability to field a competitive team, and the results should start showing up in the win/loss column soon enough. The big money signings of former fireman of the year Victor Canseco and SP Darrin Patrick add some skill and depth to a starting staff and bullpen in need of good arms. The ‘Chokes pitching staff stuck out fewer batters than any other team in the majors last season and that emphasizes where the team needs to improve. Better numbers can be expected out of SP Jorel Howington, since he now has a full year of ML duty under his belt. Brad Servais, Victor Martin and Harry Tavares were among the more reliable arms on the squad, finishing 1,2,3 on the team in both innings pitched and wins. After two years in the minors, first round pick Shooter Owens looks to make his major league debut and the expectations are pretty high for the 22 yr old to take a place at the top of the rotation.
The Scottsdale bats have been a streaky bunch of late, capable of breaking out in one game and falling silent the next. Second in the majors in doubles, the lineup boasted three 30 home run hitters (Borbon, Douglass and Saenz) and some good quickness as well (4 with 20 steals). They’re hoping for rookie catcher Joaquin Armas to make an impact this season. He joins a very deep lineup, but one that lacks star power. The ‘Chokes are a team on the rise, but they’ll be in over their heads against Vegas and O.C. in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. Give Scottsdale another season or two as things are slowly coming together.
-shobonmoon

Prediction:
1. Las Vegas
2. Oklahoma City *
3. Helena
4. Scottsdale

* denotes wildcard

Season 15 Draft Recap

2010-05-04T08:39:00.004-04:00

DRAFT ANALYSIS

A.L. North
Ottawa Hosers
Ottawa looks to have scored a solid pitcher with the 18th overall pick. Ebenezer “Wild Thing” House has a cannon for an arm and if he can learn even a modest amount of control, he could be a solid mid-tier starting pitcher. Second rounder Brian Ruth also represents decent value. Ruth might strikeout a little much to be a top hitter, but has enough skill to be an everyday player both defensively and offensively. Grade: A
Syracuse Blue Sox
With first round pick Joshua Zimmerman, Syracuse has a bonafide major league starter. Zimmerman has ace material, though there is some concern that he lacks a “go to” pitch in his arsenal. He appears to be the draft pick of significance in a draft that saw the Blue Sox select pitchers with their first five choices. Supplemental pick Jacob Sinclair has a chance to make the pros with some luck. Grade: B
Toronto Trout
First round pick Sammy Hall has some skill in certain areas, but looks to be a long-shot to be a productive major league hitter. As a centerfielder Hall’s defense certainly needs work, and if he can’t cover more territory in the outfield he may wind up in left. Hall has trouble hitting righties and despite a decent eye at the plate, doesn’t have tremendous power or bat control skills. The next three picks for the Trout all look to have some upside at the plate. There might be some major league skill among the group, although time will tell if any of them will have significant impact. Grade: B-
Trenton Terror Hawks
At #9 overall, the Terror Hawks selected shortstop Charlie Tolar, a very solid if unspectacular player in most areas. Tolar is a steady defender who can handle the duties at shortstop, but might really excel if moved to third base. He has average power and speed, but is a great pure hitter in the Stephen Garciaparra mold. At pick #33, Trenton landed the fastest player in the draft in second baseman Ronn Rooney. A decent fielder and a good contact hitter, Rooney will need to learn plate patience if he’s to become a leadoff hitter. Trenton also selected catcher Ron Grimsley, a power bat loaded with offensive potential, but considered a liability behind the plate. Maybe a future DH? Shane Worth should prove his worth as a useful bullpen arm at pick #97. Grade: A

A.L. East
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox had three draft picks between #27 and 36. Top choice Benjamin Reed is a great all-around pitcher with an active fastball-curveball combination. He projects to the a short reliever, with some slight concerns about facing lefties. Not a bad grab as a late first rounder, but it’s hard to get truly excited about short relief. Derrick Perkins is a tremendous shortstop with a cannon arm. He won’t scare too many pitchers with his bat, but he possesses one of the best infield arms in recent memory. His defense should certainly prove his worth. Boston also chose another shortstop in Elvis Kerr, who won’t hold a candle to Perkins in the field but shows a little more life in his bat. The 5’6” Kerr is a good contact hitter who might be better suited to third base if indeed he chooses to sign a contract with the Sox instead of opting for college. Grade: C+
Durham County Ramblers
With the 24th selection, Durham landed starting pitcher Anthony Keats. Keats shows a great arm with excellent stamina and control. He has the makeup of a great pitcher if he can work to improve his curveball and prevent deep flies. Keats is a solid late round pick.
Second round pick Dann Tomlinson should also be an effective pro arm for Durham in the late innings. Grade: A
Jacksonville Sunbirds
With only one pick in the top 100, the Sunbirds took a flyer on 20 yr old Michigan native Vinny Scott. A good all-around athlete, Scott has an interesting skill set that could see him turn into a solid outfielder for the Sunbirds. A good defender who is quick on the bases and absolutely kills right handed pitching, Scott doesn’t have a great eye at the plate and will likely never have more than modest power. Not a bad pick, it will be interesting to see how Scott does as he develops. Grade: B-
New York Crunch
Losing Juan Sosa, Brook Perez and Patrick Garcia netted the Crunch a hefty pile of first and second round compensation picks. None of their selections are without a caveat however, and it might take a season or two to see who could develop into a pro. The Crunch are very adamant that their draft choices pass a rigorous physical, so none of these guys are likely to have any injury problems. First baseman John Crane has a great eye and should hit for average, but he doesn’t have great power and his offensive ceiling is fairly low. Shortstop Dave Thomson is a great fielder and good contact hitter, but he can’t hit lefties, or really righties either. Third baseman Samuel Butler might be the best hitter that the Crunch drafted, but he doesn’t boast great power and he’ll really need to work on his plate discipline. The three pitchers are Cameron Walsh, who has the stuff to be a fantastic starting pitcher, save for his pathetic fastball; Scott White, a starter with great control who has tons of trouble against righties; and Clark Parker, likely the best of the three who may forego the start of his ball career to stay in college. The Crunch would love to sign Parker, but aren’t holding their breath. Grade: B-

A.L. South
Charlotte Designated Drinkers
At the 17th spot in the draft, the D.D’s opted for starting pitcher Angel Gonzalez. Gonzalez doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but should nonetheless compete to join the Charlotte team in a few seasons. In the second and third rounds, the Drinkers managed to land a couple of single-faceted hitters who could turn into productive hitters at any level. Giovany Silva would make a great designated hitter if not for durability concerns. He should still be a productive part of the team coming off the bench. Eugene Brett is another promising slugger who would best be served as a DH. Brett could also handle part time duties behind the plate, although his defense is average and like Silva, he’ll have a tough time playing a full season. Grade: B-
Little Rock Razorbacks
With the #2 selection in the draft, the Razorbacks were shocked to see shortstop Dicky Gleason fall in their lap. A complete package of offense and defense, Gleason is fundamentally sound in all areas and has “future star” written all over him. The 22 yr old has a sweet swing that should land him in the majors before long. He might take a couple of seasons to hone his defensive instincts… but first the Razorbacks are desperately trying to get Gleason signed to a contract. Second round selection Brandon Feliciano looks to be a welcome addition to any pitching staff. Likely a reliever, Feliciano has above average command, but could work on his fastball. Third rounder Albert Cuyler has the defense and the wheels, but may not be able to contribute with his bat.
Grade: B+ (higher if Gleason signs)
Louisville Lobsters
The Lobsters top three picks were 19, 72 and 107. They managed to come away with a boom or bust relief prospect in Ivan Mendoza, a superb defensive catcher in Vinny Yang and another decent bullpen prospect in Zeke “Smokin” Tabaka. Although they could have done much worse, none of their picks is terribly exciting. Catcher Yang’s presence behind the plate could certainly turn into the most valuable commodity to come out of the draft for the Lobsters. Yang has a terrific arm and an uncanny ability to manage pitchers. He may warrant a spot in the lineup despite his weak bat. Mendoza and Tabaka should both progress steadily for Louisville, but neither of the two short relievers is very good against lefties, which may prove to be a setback. Mendoza has the better control of the two, while Tabaka is an extremely hard thrower with a great fastball. Grade: C
New Orleans VoDoo
The selection of knuckle-baller Walter Zoltan with the third overall pick is something that New Orleans should be pretty confident about. Arguably the top pitcher in the draft, Zoltan has five pitches, no glaring weaknesses, and the VoDoo envision him as a #1 starter in a few seasons. New Orleans also drafted fielding whiz SS Gary Mulder with the 56th pick and a potential back of the rotation starter in Marvin Buford with pick 91. Grade: A

A.L. West
Helena Cowboys
With three first round picks, the Cowboys had reason to be excited about this season’s amateur draft. Top selection Jon Ardoin is a three pitch short reliever, possibly a closer one day, although he lacks the stuff to truly dominate. Antonio McLemore is a workhorse rightfielder, and a true power hitter. It remains to be seen if the other aspects of his hitting mechanics will translate well as he develops. Expect him to kill minor league pitching! Dan Ferguson is a steady hitter with some skill that could develop, but he’s not flashy and doesn’t have high upside. Second round selection Howie Robbins is a versatile fielder with good power, but little else. The Cowboys have some assets here, but nothing to get overly excited about. Grade: C+
Las Vegas Numa Numa
The Numa Numa opted for a relief pitcher with their first round pick and they can’t be too confident in lefty Sal Hamilton. Hamilton has great control and pitches especially well against righties, but he has no zip on his mediocre forkball which figures to be his prime pitch (if only he would throw that fastball a little more!). With low stamina and a difficult time throwing over 90 mph, Hamilton is definitely a work in progress. Vegas didn’t really land anyone else of much more than AAA potential. Grade: D-
Oklahoma City Rodeo Clowns
Oklahoma City selected pitchers with their first six picks. Three first rounders turned into Max Tarasco, Vic Reynoso and Macbeth Pierce. Tarasco is a groundball pitcher with a great fastball, a tricky curveball and a wild streak a mile wide. He certainly has raw potential and the Clowns may have a steal at pick #29. If Tarasco can keep the walks to a minimum, he could be an excellent addition. Reynoso is a bullpen arm with great control, but really doesn’t have the stuff that Pierce does. Still weighing the college option, Macbeth doesn’t have great stamina, but could give the clowns a “lights out” ninth with his slider/changeup combo. The real tragedy would be if he decides not to sign.
Grade: B+
Scottsdale Fighting Chokes
With the 20th selection in the first round, the Fighting Chokes were pleased to select second baseman Walt Reid. Already assigned to Scottsdale’s AA affiliate, Reid has a serious can’t miss power and speed combination. At 22 years old, Reid shouldn’t take long to take his game to a higher level. To become a complete player, Walt will need to learn to hit righties, as well as cut down on strikouts and boneheaded base-running mistakes. He might drive managers crazy at times, but he’s a gifted athlete and a steal with pick 20. Beyond Reid, Scottsdale didn’t land any other ML prospects. Perhaps catcher Grover Wyatt will prove to be part of a useful backstop tandem? Grade: A-

N.L. North
Chicago Crushers
With the first overall pick, the Crushers raised some eyebrows with the selection of shortstop Julio Pascual. The slick fielder was a consensus top ten pick, but the Crushers must have seen something special in Pascual to choose him above some of the other top talents. Pascual shouldn’t take long to reach the majors, with strong fielding, decent hitting and good intangibles. He’ll be counted on to be a focal point in Chicago’s rebuilding plan. He’s the only blue-chipper in Chicago’s draft this season. Grade: B
Detroit Tiger Sharks
Without a pick until #87 in the second round, Detroit should be fairly happy with their selection of Mac Denham, a workmanlike starting pitcher who could potentially fill a major league role. To give them high marks for top 40 value at the 87 spot, or low marks for not really having a high end draft choice? Well, they have Hunter Wilkinson to show for it, so I guess a generous Grade: C
Madison Moon Dogs
Taking pitcher Tom Messmer with the 11th pick in the draft looks like a great move for the Moon Dogs. With four solid pitches and an amazing ability to work the strike zone, Messmer has all the tools to be a star. He doesn’t blow hitters away, but should prove crafty enough to dominate. “Mess” also doesn’t have the stamina to go deep into ballgames, but the Moon Dogs love what they see and would be happy if he went a strong 6 or 7 each time out. 45th pick first baseman Pedro Duran has a solid bat and should give the M-Dogs some good clout. With the 64th they landed center fielder Josh Becker, who has excellent speed and could one day be a gold glove outfielder. Becker is a fantastic contact hitter, but the knock on him is that he’s “light’s out” against lefties but can’t hit righties. Maybe a platoon is in his future? After Becker, Madison went on to take a short reliever with some untapped potential in Arthur Thomas and a couple of fairly solid catchers in Shooter Foster and Derek Owens. Grade: A+
Montreal Maroons
While there’s still some debate as to whether Joshua Allen will be a better outfielder or a cornerback, everybody knows he’s leaning towards a football career. An outstanding athlete in the mold of Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson, Allen can write his own ticket and to spend a first round pick on a guy who won’t commit to your sport is a risky business. At pick 32, the Maroons felt that Allen was worth the risk. It would certainly be a coup if they were to convince him to sign. Montreal followed up the Allen pick with Woodie Musial, a quick contact hitter who could one day contribute. They also drafted some tiny infielders in Elroy Parker and Stan Matos, both of whom can hit well against lefties and demonstrate good patience at the plate. Parker in particular is a defensive gem, but he’ll need to cut down on his strikeouts to be an effective hitter. The Maroons have found some decent value if Allen doesn’t sign; outstanding value if he does. Grade: B

N.L. East
Burlington Barons
First rounder Skeeter Young has good speed and some decent bat skill. He has the makings of a solid if unspectacular outfielder, who could hit for decent average while swiping 30-40 bases per season, perhaps in a leadoff role. There’s some power here, but Young isn’t a natural slugger. Supplemental pick Al Robertson might do well to switch from shortstop to third base, and he could eventually find his way onto a major league squad. Phil Adkins and Sparky Acosta add more speed and some good skills and intangibles that could contribute down the road, however, neither should be a major league regular. Grade: B+
Pittsburgh Grindermen
With the selection of Fred Guerrero 25th overall, Pittsburgh found a solid arm with excellent control and a good changeup/curveball combo. Guerrero could wind up in the rotation or in the bullpen depending on how the Grindermen plan to use him. An undersized pitcher at 5’9”, he should be a competitive major league pitcher before long.
Grade: A-
Tampa Bay Terrific Balls
Picking much earlier than they’re used to, the T-Balls were happy to land a very good pitching prospect in Julio Martis. The 18 yr old is raw, but is a hard thrower with great potential. He’ll likely take at least three or four years to develop, but he should be worth the wait with terrific control and two terrific pitches. With their supplemental pick, Tampa chose Pascual Martin, an outstanding infielder who will likely never be a great hitter, but may be good enough to fit in somewhere. Second rounder Pedro Fernandez has a little more potential with the bat, although his eye at the plate leaves something to be desired. Martin and Fernandez won’t be stars, but Martis could be if he has the stamina to start. Grade: A-
Washington Swamp Cats
The Swamp Cats had the fifth overall pick and pinned all of their hopes on speedy power hitter Raymond Fisher. Fisher played center field in college, but could switch to the infield if and when he decides to sign with Washington. He likely will never hit for average, but scouts think that he should easily become a regular 20/20 guy. He’s patient at the plate and potentially could show even more power than that. It’s vital for the Swamp Cats to reach a deal with Fisher, as they didn’t unearth any other significant pieces to the puzzle in this year’s draft. Grade: C+

N.L. South
Charleston Southerners
Charleston has to be reasonably happy with their top two picks. Max Palacios slipped to them in the 8th spot, and scouts have been raving about the left fielder. He’s a serious power hitter who simply murders left handed pitching. Palacios will be a great everyday player at the heart of the order for the Southerners, the question remains as to whether he’ll be an all-star or just a solid player. Closer Vin Biddle is also worth the gamble for Charleston as he demonstrates pinpoint control, a nasty sinker, throws over 100 mph and knows how to generate ground balls. Time will tell if he can translate those tools to the pro level, but it was certainly worth the 61st pick to find out. Grade: A
Iowa City Bearcats
The Bearcats signed talented reliever Perry Campbell to fill their vacant closing role, and as a result didn’t have a pick in the draft until pick #78. The only choice of minor significance here was third baseman Edwards Holmes, who can hit for power but really lacks what it takes to make an overall impact. Campbell is a talented reliever and should continue to hold things together for the Bearcats. That’s the only reason that I’m not giving them an F in this season’s draft.
Grade: D-
Kansas City World Police
Orlando Jose dropped a little bit later in the first round than anticipated. Once considered a top ten prospect, the World Police did well to grab the flashy infielder with the 22nd overall selection. Jose has an outstanding arm, a steady glove, and is capable of playing any infield position or even making the transition to the outfield. A natural shortstop, he’ll likely find a home on the left side of the infield. Jose is a pure contact hitter with good plate instincts, and although he likely won’t display much power he definitely seems like a complete package. Second baseman Dioner Duran has average skill across the board and with good coaches could become a player. Second rounder Bryce Collier has much more upside both at the dish and in the field, but it might prove tricky to get him signed. Grade: B
Santa Fe Thunderbirds
As of yet, the Thunderbirds haven’t signed ANY of their top 7 draft choices. They didn’t have an excellent go of things, with only two picks in the top 100. First rounder Harry Elster is a capable third baseman with a good contact swing. He might struggle to keep his batting average healthy, but has enough clout to merit a spot at the heart of the order. Starting pitcher Irv Mays has a five pitch arsenal, but has some glaring control issues. Third baseman Stewart Trammell might be better suited to right field. He’s a power bat with little other upside. It won’t matter if Santa Fe can’t get them signed. Hopefully they can at least work something out with Elster. Grade: D+

N.L. West
Cheyenne Alpini
Johnny Manship has a good skill set on the field and off. He won’t wow anyone with his power or speed, but could turn into a good well-rounded player. He’s a contact hitter with good patience at the plate and reasonable defensive ability. Drafted as a second baseman, Manship will start getting some outfield experience with Cheyenne. Pitchers Stan Lee and Rudy Brand both have some good qualities, but it would be surprising to see either of them have a significant impact. Catcher Terry Quinn has some potential, but his bat isn’t strong enough to be a DH and his pitch calling isn’t good enough to be a regular behind the plate. Cheyenne is still hoping that they can agree on a deal with injury prone outfielder Todd Guerrero. Guerrero has great wheels and would be an ideal platoon vs. lefties at the top of the batting order, while playing great defense in center field. Grade: C
L.A. Dead Bunnies
6th overall pick Max Johnson is a sure thing and should be a star for the Bunnies. The 20 yr old left fielder shouldn’t take too long to reach the majors, and he has a good bat and good speed. 2nd rounder Walter Gonzalez has some good qualities and could develop into a solid fielder and a decent contact hitter. Really a one player draft for L.A. but they should be pleased with their top choice. Grade: B+
Tacoma Phantom der Nacht
First rounder Armando Soto is a classic boom or bust pick. Possibly the best pure hitter in the draft, Soto has many health concerns including a rebuilt spine and metal screws in his wrists. Tacoma sees him as a potential 1st baseman, although if he were a DH in the American League it may reduce his injury opportunity. If Soto can stay healthy, his bat has the potential to be among the league’s best. Time will tell. Grade: B
Vancouver Vampire Bats
In Matt Jensen, the V-Bats have another great pitcher with no stamina. It’s the second year in a row that Vancouver has addressed bullpen needs in the first round and they’ve found another late inning gem. That being said, Jensen appears to be a one-inning pitcher at best. Second rounder Pep Hubbard has some pop, but likely won’t be a ML contributor. Grade: C

Season 15 Synopsis

2010-04-20T14:40:00.003-04:00

AMERICAN LEAGUE SYNOPSIS

A.L. NORTH

Can Syracuse find a way to stay on top?

Do Marte and company have the pitching to succeed in Toronto?

Are the Hosers finally a playoff team?

Can the Terror Hawks rebound?

The Ottawa Hosers are a team that has made great strides towards competitiveness in the past couple of seasons. Management is hoping that with a few off-season acquisitions, the team can put itself over the top into the division title or at least a wildcard spot. It has been nine seasons since this franchise made the playoffs, and it looks like GM greeny9 is trying to put together a roster that can change that. The team made a blockbuster trade in the off-season that brings in all-star and world champion outfielders Miguel Jimenez and Odalis De La Vega from Montreal. They should bolster an already strong offensive attack featuring rookie of the year SS Denny Yeats, a talented athlete who should challenge for the silver slugger at shortstop yearly. Also returning is 2B Vic Esposito, a power threat from a skill position is nice. 1B Pedro “Boom Boom” Chavez should be good for 40 homeruns and 100 rbis. What fans in Ottawa are really buzzing about is the young starting pitching staff featured on this team. The staff is led by second year MLer Juan Guzman, with a good contribution from veteran Butch Bowen. Youngsters Vinny Bryant and David Ortiz should improve with age and experience. On the horizon is Alex Ortiz, a dominant force in the making. Kevin Baek is a solid option at closer, but the rest of the bullpen is somewhat suspect. This team made some moves to improve itself, and the young players have yet to hit their primes. This team should finish above .500 this season, and management hopes it’s enough for the division title or a WC spot.

-shobob

The Syracuse Blue Sox surprised many (but not themselves) when they took the AL’s Northern division title last season by a hair (albeit with a sub .500 record). Once again this division looks to be up for grabs, and most likely it will again be a team that gets hot at the right time that takes the title. This team made some free agent splashes in the off-season, with the signing of World Series champ SP Juan Seanez topping the bill. They also signed 2B/OF Kevin Cambridge to a three year deal, and inked a pair of catchers to one-year deals to platoon behind the plate. Offensive leaders CF Raul Vazquez, 2B/LF Tom Borland and 3B/IF Ned Daly return, so the team should finish near the middle of the offensive pack again. The starting pitching staff should be slightly better with Seanez taking the place of Mitchell Griffin. The bullpen gets a big shot in the arm with the promotion of wunderkind closer Ralph Lambert looking to challenge for the ROY award and FOY awards into the future. This team looks like it’s capable of finishing above .500, which has been good enough to take this division in the recent past, but other teams in this division have improved as well, so it will be a tight race.

-shobob

Toronto Trout management was quite active in the free agent market, netting themselves two high-priced ace pitchers in the process. The additions of both Brook Perez and Juan Sosa from New York should bolster the Trout’s pitching immensely. After re-signing four-time all-start closer Tony Bautista to a new two-year deal, the Trout surprised many by inking Sosa to a big contract. Toronto will try Sosa in the starting rotation and hope that he can make a seamless transition. He certainly has the stuff, with a great sinker-curveball combo, but he’ll need to focus on his stamina. Brook Perez is 35, but is fresh off yet another 200+ inning season with a 3.77 ERA. In 14 pro seasons, Brook has posted a sub-4 ERA nine times, has notched 12 or more wins in 12 of the last 13 seasons and has a Cy Young award on his mantle. Toronto’s 4.98 ERA ranked 28^th in the majors last season, so they’ll be counting on the new arms to turn things around. Matt Boone and Shane Knoblauch are seasoned veterans out to prove that they haven’t lost their edge, with Boone likely having more gas left in the tank out of the two. David Pressley enters his prime with a 16-win season under his belt and a dizzying propensity to allowing the long ball (48 home runs allowed last season). Pressley isn’t really a fly ball pitcher, so the Trout are hoping that he can reverse the trend. The pitching will need to get better if Toronto is going to compete for a division title, and the new faces should make a difference. The hitting last season was much more effective, as the Trout posted a .282 average that tied for 3^rd in the majors. Led by Winston Marte’s sickeningly well-rounded stat sheet (162 games played, 126 runs, 225 hits, 24 HRs, 115 RBIs, 42 steals and .341 avg) and Robert O’Donnell’s breakout season (career highs in runs, doubles, homers, RBI’s, stolen bases and batting average) the Toronto offense has a wide range of contributors and a good mix of power and speed. Trout fans are excited about the addition of youngsters Chet Neal and “whatchoo-talkin-bout” Willis Swift and veteran catchers Scott Meacham and Walter Wade to help manage pitching staff and hopefully contribute a little with their bats. Senior citizen Brian Meng returns for a 15^th season with the club, although pundits are not quite sure why. With an entirely depleted skill-set, one would assume that his clubhouse presence is something to behold! “Just having Meng around is inspirational for teammates and fans alike!” says infielder Harry Rodriguez, “Brian does things that the rest of us can only dream about!” This is a team with some upside, but they’ll need to fight tooth and nail to grind their way to the top of the North.

-bourbonmoon

The Terror Hawks came out on top of the tight A.L. North race in season 13, but weren’t as fortunate last season as being 5 games behind Syracuse left Trenton in last place in their division. In what should once again be a fairly even race, each team will need to figure out how to separate themselves from the pack. In the off-season, Trenton addressed their starting pitching depth by adding former first round pick Dwayne Marshall, who joins his fifth franchise after spending five seasons in Tampa Bay. Marshall has had his share of accolades, including three World Series championships (2 with Boston, 1 with Helena). He had great stuff in his first two seasons with the T-Balls, before injuries to both his knee and pitching elbow shook his confidence and he hasn’t quite been the same. Marshall needs to stay healthy to get back on track, but adds an experienced arm to a rotation that lacked veteran leadership. Ahmad Griffith and Desi Mendez each had mixed success in their first season’s with the team, but lacked consistency. Second year man Brendan O’Neil was probably the team’s best pitcher, but was left scratching his head as to why the bats fell dead every time he started. In his rookie season O’Neill finished a respectable 14-10, however despite a very similar stat line, he only managed a 6-14 record last season. He is almost certain to improve this year, but if the team is to come out on top, they’ll need dramatic improvement from their bullpen as well. Closer “Frankie” De La Vega finished with an awful 5-10 win-loss record and a 6.14 ERA while successfully closing out only 17 of his 32 save opportunities. What has been attributed to bad off-season conditioning, was the difference between making the playoffs and a last place finish last season. D.L.V will return as the closer this season, but expect him to be on a very short leash if he doesn’t correct his mechanics. The offense will once again rely upon the trio of Justin “The Colossus” Jacome, Felipe Vega and Carl Bevil to knock in runs. All three are capable of 30 home runs and 100 RBIs if they hit their stride. Benji Shuey will look to top 80 steals once again, but doesn’t get on base enough for a leadoff hitter and saw a dramatic drop-off in runs scored last season. New free-agent additions Manny Rolls and Joe Owen bring veteran experience to a well-balanced lineup. If anyone falters, Eswalin Mendoza and Miguel Johnson are swinging major league ready bats at AAA. There is also some decent pitching in the future should any Terror Hawks hurlers succumb to injury. There aren’t any glaring weaknesses on a solid Trenton team, but they’ll need to take it to the next level to stay in the playoff hunt.

-bourbonmoon

Prediction:

1. Toronto

2. Syracuse

3. Ottawa

4. Trenton

A.L. EAST

Can Boston keep winning without Beltran?

Can the Crunch keep pace with the Sox?

Will Durham return to the post-season?

Does Jacksonville have playoff-caliber talent?

The Boston Red Sox went to the World Series for the first time in five seasons, but fell short, losing in 5 games to a hot Montreal team. Always a favorite to return to the post-season, the Sox will need to do it without 8-time all-star Miguel Beltran. Beltran, after smacking 565 home run balls and helping to bring 4 World Series titles to Beantown, will take his act to the division rival New York Crunch. Boston has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to lose an all-world slugger to free agency and not miss a beat. The season before, Jimmie Lopez and Tom Borland left town and the Sox responded with a trip to the finals. There is still plenty of power left in a lineup that features the mighty Alfonso Mercedes. “The Great Alfonso” is a perennial home run king and leads a stellar crew of batsmen that also includes batting average champ Ron Karnuth, entering his 14^th season with Boston with only two sub .350 campaigns in his career (a truly astounding feat!). Terry Davis, Chad Valentine, Hootie Park and Blake Robinson all have the power to rock the confines of Fenway Park and will try to help the Sox lead the majors in batting average for the third straight season and in home runs for a jaw dropping seventh straight season. The pitching has been another story. Despite another trip to the World Series, the Red Sox had the third worst ERA in baseball and failed to have a 12 game winner among their staff. Look for a rebound from Ramon Li, who reached a career high in losses, ERA and walks allowed and will likely revert closer to his career norms. Ryan Cash pitched very well after he came over from Syracuse in the Borland deal and could finally reach his vast potential in his fourth pro season. They’re joined by free agent acquisitions, Dweezil Stone and Robert Rowan, both savvy veterans who can help get the ball to closer Mark Aoki. There are some questions about the pitching staff, but in Fenway it’s usually the bats that win games and there are still plenty of big ones here, even with the departure of Beltran. The Red Sox should once again be a strong playoff presence as has become their habit. -bourbonmoon

The Durham County Ramblers late season playoff push fell short in season 14. A mid-season trade for Moose English from the Tiger Sharks had a positive impact on the team as English went 14-8 once joining the Ramblers, making him their winningest pitcher last year. Boomer Buck (career low in wins), Kelly Bravo (lowest win total in six seasons; career high in walks allowed) and Reginald White (career low in wins/career) all had their share of struggles in what Durham fans will call a season to forget. There is reason to believe that each of them should rebound closer to their career averages and that Durham can win a few more games this season. Free agent signing Frank Hartman will round out the rotation, donning the ninth different uniform of his career. A sinker-baller, Hartman is a workhorse who can pitch deep into games (16 career complete games), but has often struggled to find wins, and allowed a career high 266 hits last season. The bullpen will rely heavily on closer Philip Fontenot to return to his award-winning season 13 form. If the rotation struggles, the bullpen could prove to be an Achilles heel on a team that has long relied on its’ bats to win. Among those bats are former Rookie of the Year Wayne Grey, heavy hitting first bagger Vinny Morton and designated hitter Tomas Arias. Grey and Morton are constant power threats, while Arias is coming off a season in which he hit .341 and has never hit below .300 in his career. The only significant departure is third baseman Manny Rolls who takes his 23/88/.298 line to Trenton, leaving multi-tooled talents Sherry Grebeck and Sergei Kydd to pick up the slack. If the pitching can keep the Ramblers in the game, the hitting looks good enough to be in the hunt for a playoff spot by season’s end. On a side note, the long-time “Kirby Puckett-shaped” Durham slugger Jorel Kaufman earned a spot in the Hall of Fame on it’s inaugural ballot. Congratulations Jorel! -bourbonmoon

It’s always been a tough task to compete in the challenging A.L. East and for a few seasons now, Jacksonville has appeared to be on the brink of challenging for a playoff berth. The potential is there, but the Sunbirds keep struggling against their divisional rivals. While their offense displays decent power, some clutch bats and some promising young players, they’re simply average in too many offensive categories to cash in with consistency. For example, despite being among the top teams in the league in home runs, they were second to last in the A.L. last season in walks drawn and on-base percentage. A team needs to be able to set the table if those dingers are going to make a difference. The ‘Birds also strike out a little too much (with 7 hitters over 100 strikeouts maybe it’s a lot too much) and hit only .263 as a team in season 14. Things aren’t too bleak though, and there are several reasons for optimism in Jacksonville this season. Rookie of the Year runner-up “Marvelous” Marv Durham had a sick rookie season, displaying power, speed, durability and a natural feel for the game. The 22 yr old Durham is one of the best young second basemen in the game and should only get better. After a severe shoulder problem hampered “Benny V” last season, he’s healthy and looking for a rebound season. Still only 27 yrs old, Villafuerte has four 50 homer campaigns under his belt and is one of the game’s serious power threats despite last season’s 16/45/.214 aberration. Young Sam Dickerson signed a 28 million dollar four year deal in the off-season and will be trying to prove that he’s worth his paycheck. A solid season should see the 25 yr old approaching a .300 batting average with great run production capabilities. He should be a lock for 20/20. Brandon Spencer and Matty Hayes are fan favorites with great power and could each knock in 100 runs if there are enough base-runners when they manage to go deep. On the pitching front, the Sunbirds need to prove that they aren’t just a two-trick pony, with ace Jesus Astacio coming off his second 19 win season, and closer Ellis Springer remaining one of the more reliable door-slammers in the league. To compete this season they’ll need former Red Sox ace Douglas Steenstra to rebound from his worst career win-loss record, and 11.5 million man Olmedo Martin to notch at least 14-15 wins. Free agent signing Patrick Garcia should challenge Springer for save opportunities and Jacksonville could certainly use the extra bullpen depth. There are some great players in Sunbird gray, but they’ll need to find some great chemistry to challenge for the division title. The nucleus is certainly there.

-bourbonmoon

The New York Crunch continue to improve each season, and to finish tied with 92 wins atop the A.L. East was more than they could have hoped for in season 14. Losing the divisional tie-breaker to Boston and their subsequent playoff series to Syracuse were not the end that the Crunch were looking for, but the pieces are certainly in place to take it a little further. With a bright future on the horizon with Dominican stars slugging outfielder Miguel “MigMar” Martinez and bullpen ace Victor “VictRo” Rosado, the Crunch have elected not to rush their young talent, instead luring long time divisional rival Miguel Beltran away from Boston. Beltran should give New York the proven power bat and clean-up hitter that they’ve been missing. With his talents (#3 all-time in home runs) at the heart of the order, pitchers will be forced to try to throw more to perennial 100 RBI man Ken Bailey as well as New York’s other offensive weapons, such as catcher Trevor Schmidt and towering first baseman Eddie Gabriel. There is more room for offensive improvement from fourth year man Don MacRae who has the potential to hit .300 with moderate power and fellow 26 yr old F.P. Jones who stole 39 bases last season and brings hustle and energy to the top of the lineup. Pitching was a strong part of last year’s return to the post season. Moises Vega, Ray Fischer and Tuck Meacham were steady through most of the season and almost always keep the Crunch in the game. Mike Washburn needs to avoid the long-ball if he’s going to achieve similar success, but he’s one season removed from a 16-win campaign and hopes to keep the ball in the yard this season. The biggest challenge for New York will be replacing Juan Sosa, the team’s closer for the past four seasons. Sosa made his first all-star appearance last season on his way to an impressive 46/50 in save opportunities and the Fireman of the Year award. He signed a lucrative 5 year deal in Toronto, leaving the Crunch a big hole in the bullpen. After five seasons in Burlington, Elrod Weston will get the first chance at the closer role, however he boasts a career ERA of 5.51 and may raise a few Bronx blood pressures with his history of blown saves. Victro may get the call sooner than expected! The Crunch’s success this season should fall on the shoulders of Beltran and the extra offense that he brings. Look for the Crunch to be in the playoff hunt. -bourbonmoon

Prediction:

1. Boston

2. Durham *

3. New York

4. Jacksonville

* denotes wildcard

A.L. SOUTH

The Lobsters look for a repeat

Can Mad Max get the D.D’s back atop the division?

The Vodoo keep looking for some magic

The Razorbacks need a rebuilding strategy

Hardball fans in Charlotte were dismayed to learn that their perennially contending NL squad was packing up and leaving for Santa Fe, but their anguish was short-lived, as the Florida’s Designated Drinkers took up residence in the Knight’s Castle immediately thereafter. The debate immediately fired up in radio call in shows, chat boards, blogs and office water coolers all across North Carolina about if they are better off now than they were before the switch. At this point it looks like it might be a toss up, since the departing team probably has better big league talent, but is aging and doesn’t have many good prospects for the near future, while the arriving team looks to have a better near future, but might not have the same level of ML talent. The only way to settle the argument will be to see how each team performs over this season and for seasons to come. Expect a bounce-back season from “Mad” Max Cora. He should get back to his normal 30-plus home runs and 100-plus runs batted in. The offence should again be led by all star 3B Al Guerrero, and stud 2B Joshua Meadows. Abraham Velarde should be able to pick up the slack from the departure of 1B Eric Chambers. The starting pitching staff will be led by young left handers Bruce Wilson and Bryant Linden, both of whom are capable of winning 20 games under the right circumstances. Felix Forbes returns as the team’s closer, he has done a decent enough job in the ninth. It looks like this team should be one of the better fielding teams again. They should finish somewhere around .500 this season, which should put them in contention for the division lead again.

-shobob

The Little Rock Razorbacks should be battling it out to stay out of the division’s basement with New Orleans. This team has finished above .500 only once in it’s history, and by the looks of things, it’s going to be at least one more season of sub .500 baseball in Little Rock. They’ll have trouble scoring runs, with 2B Daisuke Miyakazi, RF Gerald Christensen and LF Aaron Lidge leading the offensive charge. They are decent enough players, but are better suited to be supporting cast rather than leading role. 1B Fausto Posada could be the dark horse on this team. He’s capable of 20 homeruns, 100 rbis and can hit for a good batting average. The pitching staff should finish near the bottom of the statistical barrel again, as the team’s ace, Albie Bocachica has trouble hitting the broad side of a barn. Marty Stockton has some good stuff, but is particularly weak against LHB. The remainder of the roster is mainly AAAA material. The Razorbacks have a good opportunity to pick up a good prospect in the draft this season, as they pick second overall. Unfortunately, this team projects to fetch prime drafting position next season as well.-shobob

After missing the playoffs for seven straight years, the Louisville Lobsters won the division title in season fourteen. The AL South is the weakest division in the world, but solid and stable ownership has all four teams steadily improving. It might take more than just a .500 record to win this division in seasons to come. This team’s heyday was in the first few seasons of the world, winning over ninety games five times out of the first six seasons. GM cslonaker is looking to get his franchise back into a dominant position, and things seem to be trending that way. This team has made some good moves recently to build up the talent level in the system, such as the signing of international prospect DH Tony Mendez and the drafting of SP Russell Workman, who is starting the year on the DL, but has plenty of development time to recover his abilities. The ML squad features some good young talent, such as 1B Wilt Blair, who’s dominating bat skills aren’t finished developing, 22 year old SP Javier “The Arrow” Estrada, who should be racking up double digit wins for many seasons to come, and gold glove infielder Bert Lee. Star veteran players such as all-star SP Tony Silva and Silver Slugging 2B “The Heart of Hicksville” Walter Taft aren’t old by any means, and can show the youngsters how to be effective big league ballplayers. With the competition in the AL South stiffening up, Its hard to say if this young squad will repeat as division champs, but they have as good a shot at it as Charlotte.-shobob

The growing pains will continue this season for the New Orleans VoDoo. The last .500 plus season for this franchise was 13 seasons ago. GM wyatatanka has cleared the franchise of many of the bad contracts from previous ownership, and now he looks to put his own stamp on the team. There are some decent enough pieces on this team to build upon. Firstly, the team returns young stud LF Rafael Rodriguez. He should be many times a member of the 30/30 club before his career is over. RF Andrew Pride and 2B Norm Lee are some usable young players. The pitching staff doesn’t feature much depth, and the team has been let down by the contributions of Jim Sewell and Hector Mateo. It would help the team if management could find a way to get these two guys to perform at the level that is expected of them. Marv Blake has performed well as a back of the rotation guy. If the team’s starters could carry any leads into the sixth or seventh inning, free agent signee setup man Jung Lee is a quality arm that should be able to hold it down long enough to give the ball to young stud closer Matthew Langerhans, who will nail down many a save. Although it might be another painful season for New Orleans hardball fans, there is hope in sight, as the current management team has committed to build a winner out of this club. To that end, there are a few good prospects in the system, and there is some financial flexibility going forward.

-shobob

Prediction:

1. Louisville

2. Charlotte

3. New Orleans

4. Little Rock

A.L. WEST

Oklahoma still looking to make their mark

Can Vegas continue to dominate?

Can Helena keep pace with the top two?

Can Scottsdale start moving in the right direction?

The Helena Cowboys ended season 14 in the basement of the A.L. West, however new GM beerbellys has the team moving in the right direction. Despite a 4^th place finish, the Cowboys tied for the 3^rd best team batting average in baseball and have a well-rounded lineup as good as almost any in the league. Led by gritty MVP candidate Bruce Sellars, who captured his third straight Silver Slugger award and third straight All-Star appearance while turning in stellar third base defense. This season, the Cowboys will try Sellars at shortstop, hoping that he has the range to handle the switch to the middle of the infield. He certainly has a cannon for an arm, and great athleticism both at the plate and on the bases. As usual, Bruce will be protected in the lineup by the mighty swing of “El Caballo” Jose Guerrero! Guerrero has hit 40 or more dingers in eight of the last nine seasons and the Pennsylvania native should enjoy another fine campaign in which he should reach the 500 HR milestone. At 33, the diminutive Jim Fox should once again effortlessly produce 20+ round-trippers with decent run production. While his legs aren’t what they used to be on the bases or in the outfield, his strong veteran leadership and hustle provide a great mentor for the younger players. Ten years his junior, Mexican outfielder Pablo Rosario hit 28 home runs and knocked in an impressive 103 runs in his first full season with the team and should only continue to develop. The main concern with the Cowboys will once again be pitching, as they lack a true #1 ace, and questions remain regarding the reliability of the bullpen. Juan James and Josh Shelby are both former first round picks who have developed into dependable top of the rotation starters. James is coming off his first successful season as a pro, finishing with a 16-7 record including 6 complete games, but doesn’t really have the stuff to overpower hitters. Shelby has proven that he can go the distance and boasts a daunting fastball/slider combo, but has lost as many games as he has won over his six seasons. Russell Tice had a surprising rookie year with the Cowboys last season, but the league has had a second look at his sinker and things won’t be as easy for Tice in year two. There could be some serious problems with the back end of the rotation. In the bullpen, the departure of dependable Perry Campbell to Iowa City leaves a hole in the set-up department. The pressure is on former closer Jolbert Saenz to prove that he’s worth his 5.8 million dollars, and rookie Joe Delahanty who is pressed into a full time role getting the ball to closer Juan Hernandez. Hernandez is coming off a decent season, but has been streaky over the years and needs to keep his pitch count down. Saenz and Delahanty will need to be good to get Hernandez the ball, and possibly to share his closer role if his arm can’t hold up to the rigors of a full season. 22 yr old Japanese rookie Alex Nakamura will get a chance to prove himself in a long relief role. Helena can beat the best teams in the league when they’re clicking, but over the course of a long season they’ll need to find a way to consistently keep runs off the board. They’re in tough against the Rodeo Clowns and the Numa Numa.

-bourbonmoon

The Las Vegas Numa Numa are used to making the playoffs. They’re used to winning games and they’re used to an elite team full of high-level talent and a strong farm team loaded with future stars. They’re also used to early playoff exits and wondering what went wrong against the other elite teams in the post-season. It’s hard to find flaws in the Vegas machine. They arguably boast the best young battery in the A.L. between pitching phenom Vasco Montanez and catcher C.C. Cervantes. Montanez is still only 24 yrs old but has three All-Star appearances and a Cy Young award under his belt. Cervantes is coming off a rookie season in which the 23 yr old Cuban hit .303 while swatting 24 home runs and doing a bang-up job behind the plate. Behind Vasco in the rotation is an aging but dependable B.J. Post and former first rounder Emil Pineiro. Post is a three-time All-star who at 36 yrs old has lost some of his zip, but still has great stuff and should give the team a good chance to win every time out. Pineiro had his struggles in his rookie year, finishing 6-12 with a 5.57 ERA, but has terrific control and a good fastball. Look for a significant improvement in his sophomore year. With Butch Bowen going to Ottawa last season, the rotation doesn’t have the depth that it used to. There are high hopes for free agent signing Davey Delgado and for Spanish-Canadian Carlos Torrealba to make the transition from bullpen to rotation. The bullpen will rely heavily on the veteran duo of Felipe Herrera and Victor Nieves. They certainly could provide Vegas with some headaches, but front end pitching strength and rock solid hitting usually means fewer stressful late-inning situations. The Numa Numa have an always dangerous lineup, led last season by the 33/99/.313 line from designated hitter Tom Bailey. Rookie Gerrit Hughes burst onto the scene in center field, hitting 27 home runs and stealing 29 bases. Infielder Nate Coolbaugh also reached the 20/20 mark in his first full season while splitting his time between second, short and third. Mark “The Kobra” Kyung put together another solid year with a .301 average, 91 runs scored and 37 steals at the top of the order. Yet to be mentioned are the team’s long-time offensive leaders Torey “Rosie” Rosario and Jose “el Halcon” Fernandez. “El Halcon” is only 27 years old and his track record speaks for itself. For most players a season with 29 homers and 98 RBIs wouldn’t be a disappointment, but Fernandez is capable of more and is a threat to post a 40/120/.300 season if he gets back on track. For the past twelve seasons “Rosie” has been the offensive juggernaut of the Vegas ball-club through thick and thin. He’s started showing signs that he might be running out of gas, but that isn’t to say that there’s nothing left. The wheels aren’t turning as quickly, and the power might not be league leading, but look for Rosario to bounce back from last season’s 19 home runs and career low .243 avg. The real issue that “Rosie” needs to address is his .204 career post-season batting average. That’s when the Numa Numa will need him to lead the way.

-bourbonmoon

The Oklahoma City Rodeo Clowns are among the top ML teams in most offensive and defensive categories. Boasting the best team ERA in the American League as well as the season 14 A.L. MVP Gary Purcell, the Clowns finished as the #1 seed before losing to Boston in the ALCS. Oklahoma has made the playoffs for 7 straight seasons and there’s no reason to think that things will be different this year. MVP Purcell set personal bests in most offensive categories, including 50 homers and 142 RBIs. He’s in the prime of his career, as is team leader the Carlos Cruz “Missile”. Cruz, a two-time MVP and one of the game’s true superstars is a career .330 hitter and has knocked in over 100 runs in every season that he’s played. His long time “partner in slug” Big Jim Donatello has packed his bags for Kansas City, leaving the likes of catcher Ricardo Matos and infielder Cristian Simon to provide supporting offense. The pitching in O.C. remains top notch with a great overall improvement last season. It seems that the torch has been passed from “The Mailman” to “GO”, as long-time ace John Mailman has looked almost human over the past two seasons, while Geraldo Oliva has made the All-Star game two years running and looks like the team’s top starter. Make no mistake though, The Mailman is only 32 years old and wants to prove that he hasn’t lost his zip. The vertically challenged, but otherwise solid rotation is rounded out by Eric Simmons, Willie “The Pitcher” Acosta and 38 yr-old veteran D.T. Rollins. Simmons is 45-24 over the past three seasons; the always-competitive Rollins is a crafty knuckle-baller; and Acosta (the only Clown starter over six feet tall) posted a career-best 3.11 ERA last season. Missing is long-time closer Hunter Wilkinson, who signed a four year deal in Detroit. His departure clears the way for Victor Canseco to finally take over the full time closing duties after five years battling Wilkinson for save opportunities. Youngster Manuel Guillen will be counted on to fill Canseco’s old shoes as bullpen support. The Clowns shouldn’t have much trouble finding the playoffs for an impressive 8^th straight.

-bourbonmoon

The fans in Scottsdale finally have something to cheer for! After a tumultuous five seasons stuck in the basement with five ownership changes and never more than 67 victories, mytitan stepped in and did the unthinkable: a winning season!!! An 82-80 record wouldn’t be significant for most teams, but here it’s a reason to celebrate. With only two playoff appearances in franchise history, there is finally an atmosphere of optimism around the Fightin’ Chokes! Last season’s big signing, Sparky Page, had a noteworthy rookie season hitting .315 with 25 home runs after leaving Pittsburgh as a free agent before his first major league at bat. First baseman Jake Douglass also enjoyed success in his first pro season, with 115 runs scored, 44 doubles, 10 triples, 26 HRs, 104 RBIs, 24 steals and a .289 average. Rookie number three was Clyde DePaula, who also notched a 20/20 season while topping 100 runs and 100 RBIs. Page, Douglass and DePaula are the nucleus to build around, but there’s still a fair distance to go. They’ll get some offense from catcher Julio Matos, left fielder Fernando Saenz and free agent signing Darren Carillo, but they’re still a couple of big bats short of competing with the upper echelon. Nor is the offensive prospect cupboard well stocked, as the franchise hasn’t drafted a hitter in the first round since season 8. There’s also quite a bit of work to do with the pitching staff. Victor Martin enjoyed a dream season after coming over from Tampa last year. V-Mart won a glorious 20 games with a tidy 2.82 ERA and made his first All-Star appearance on the way to capturing the A.L. Cy Young award. The #2 starter is veteran righty screwballer Brad Servais, a clubhouse prankster who can usually be counted on for 12-15 wins. The rest of the rotation is iffy at best, and the bullpen is hoping that the tandem of last year’s closer Paxton Radinsky and rookie Max Gonzalez will be lights out in the late innings. Radinsky saved 36 of 40 games and finished with a spiffy 2.27 ERA, while Gonzalez has scouts talking about his live fastball and pinpoint control of the strike zone. The ‘Chokes will also test the mettle of top draft pick Jorel Howington, hoping that he’s ready to start his pro career at 21, while they wait for their other two live arms (starter Shoooooooter Owens and relief man Cesar Beltre) to earn major league roster spots. It would be a huge surprise to see Scottsdale improve on last year’s win total. It’s still going to take a well managed re-tooling of the organization to turn them into a contender, but at least they’ve become a fun team to watch!! -bourbonmoon

Prediction:

1. Las Vegas

2. Oklahoma City *

3. Helena

4. Scottsdale

* denotes wildcard

NATIONAL LEAGUE SYNOPSIS

N.L. NORTH

Montreal’s World Series team is mostly intact and at the top of their game!

Are Detroit’s bats good enough to compete with Montreal atop the division?

Could Madison be the best 3^rd place team in baseball?

Chicago starts scouting for the future…

Ouch is all you can say about Chicago’s season last year. Dropping from 60 wins in 13 to 47 in 14. We have to turn that around eh man! Chicago is starting to turn his philosophy of HBD as he has added the max amount to his college, high school and int’l scouting. That can only mean good things for his minors, and eventually to his BL club. Chicago has nowhere to go but up in virtually everyway in his team stats. Here is looking forward to better years in Chi-town! RF Willie Mateo is an excellent base stealer. Stealing 37 of em, and getting caught only 9 times. Willie Maduro had a decent year with 83 RBIs and 18 HRs and a .304 ave. Dave Brock had an ok year too with 23 HRs and 78 RBIs. SP Paul Handworth had a good year with his OAV of .243 1.50 WHIP and 4.08 ERA, too bad he only got 9 wins, but he could easily break that all important 2^nd digit this year! SP Clay Nitkowski had a respectable year too with his OAV of .272 1.36 WHIP and 3.99 ERA. Chicago has some great prospects though with 1B Sean Gwynn looking to be an all star. SS Fred Modina a 21 year old future phenom. And SU dude Santiago Mercedes looks to be a serious contributor. Chicago has some work to do to become a serious contender. Those two mega teams to the East of them must scare the be-jesus out of them, and I cant say I blame them. -greeny

The only question for Detroit is if they are going to be a wild card or division winner. And that will be for the foreseeable future too. This team is as stacked as stacked can be. The only other team in the league that comes close is their division mate Montreal. Detroit has made it to the playoffs the last 10 years and 12 of 14 years in total. Recording nine 1^st place finishes in their division. Can anybody match that? Nope. Surprisingly enough Detroit only had 3 players reach 100 RBIs last year! Though Huang hit 94, pretty much close enough eh? They hit a lot of homers but with no real standouts there, they had 8 players hit in the double digits there. 2 players hit over .300 (and just barely). How is it that this team destroyed the way that they did? The offense doesn’t look that daunting? Maybe it is the pitching? That is what it was! With a team ERA of 2.83! they had 3 Ps with ERAs under 2! And 4 more under 3! They didn’t have a single P with an ERA above 4.50! talk about dominating in every way! Man with this pitching I have no choice but to use so many exclamation points!!! J They had one P have a OAV of under .200 and everybody else was between that and .285. They didn’t have one average P in the whole team! Wow. Felipe Villa was dominating as to be expected with 20 wins 249 IP an OAV of .206 and WHIP of 1.02. What else can be said about this pitching besides OMG I don’t like facing these guys! The future of Detroit surely can’t be too bright can it? Well they certainly have 1 awesome SP in Ron Hitchcock, with a possible 99 control 90 velocity and a bunch of great looking pitches. SP Clayton Cooper looks good too but not dominating. RP Aaron Leskanic looks to be a pretty dominating SU guy his stamina looks to be the one thing that will hold him back. Detroit made a splash in FA this season too by picking up SU Hunter Wilkinson, this guy has the stuff! So look for Detroits already vaunted pitching staff to become even more vaunted. In closing Detroit is as tough now as it ever has been and it is going to take a super-human team to knock them off, which brings me to… -greeny

Madison had an impressive 10 game improvement over season 13, lets see if they can do it again this year. To be honest in this reporters eyes it might be a little tough to pull that off. This team is still in rebuilding mode, Max has a bit of work to do with this team before he can seriously contend for a playoff spot especially considering the two power houses in his division. Last year Madisons pitching was generally very average, though they did finish 6^th in SOs. Madisons batters were very good at not getting struck out too being 3^rd in the league, and middle of the pack everywhere else. Their defense was good though being 5^th in the league in pct, and 3^rd in assists. Madison surprise player is 1B Lewis Carillo this guy was drafted in the 8^th round! And hit 33 homers and brought in 95 RBIs last season, and was the AAA MVP! LF Wilton Rosen was the AA MVP and has serious potential for 100 RBIs. CL Herb Wilhelm had an awesome year converting 40 of 42 save opps, an oav of .222 1.11 WHIP and 2.91 ERA, and he is only 27 yrs old. Madisons future is looking pretty solid with a good mix of good looking prospects starting with C Ben Rossy he looks to have an awesome bat, though with a terrible PC. 2B Orber Terrero might end up with 100 contact and should run the bases like the wind,, his defense projects to be under average though. SP Curt Beltran should end up being a quite good #2 SP. SP Slick Sheffield projects to be the same as Curt. And their best prospect as far as I can tell looks to be a CL by the name of Earl Jakubauskas he is only 19 yrs onld, but it looks like he is going to be a monster. To summarize Madison has a couple seasons of really building up their prospects and can then start looking toward competing for the playoffs. -greeny

Well Montreal really has been all over the map since Shobob took the team over back in season 7 the team had a % of .309 then .327. But then 9 saw them hit .562 and hasn’t looked back since. Never dropping below .500 and the last two seasons has seen amazing strides with a .630 then a .698. What an accent! Making the playoffs 5 of the last 6 seasons and winning the big prize twice! The insane thing is the NL N is the only division to have won the WS the last 5 years! What is in their water? Shobob pulled of a big trade with Greeny9 giving Greeny two of Montreals better bats from last year in De La Vega and Jimenez. Only because those two players weren’t needed anymore with Montreals group of amazing rookies coming up. More on that later… Detroits offense is something else those two big bats Rios and Guerrero are unstoppable hitting 59 and 43 homers, bringing in 154 and 131 RBIs. Even scoring 129 and 119 runs. You aren’t going to find a better 1-2 punch then those two. Montreal had 4 guys hitting north of .300. 1 guy having an OPS of 1.000! and 2 others over .900. Very impressive batting, whats their pitching like? Second only to Detroit with a team ERA of 3.42 despite the fact that they had only 1 P under 3 ERA. That means that Shobobs Ps were overall very good with no bad ones in the bunch. Surprisingly they didn’t have one 20 game winner, though 1 18 winner 2 17 winners and 1 16 winner is pretty awesome. Somehow their amazing CL D’Angelo Lopez who finished with 46 saves in 54 opportunities finished with 13 wins! Lopez also had an OAV of .198 a WHIP of 1.00 and ERA of 3.17. No wonder he was the fireman of the year in 14, and was in 10 as well! This guy is in the hall of fame already! Lets not forget about Montreals other fireman in Michael Stieb with his accomplishment in season 11. Oh then there is season 14s ROY Troy Sewell , what a great season 16 wins with a 3.12 ERA. Do you think they have an awesome team already? How about their future? 1B Enrique Valdez has and will have an awesome bat, he has been an MVP in the minors and has a 1.188 OPS. SP Edgard Garces looks to be a monster with amazing control splits and pitches, he looks to be a future #1 with a bang. SP Vic Lopez is ready for the BL club and is a serious threat for ROY this year too. LF Bailey Dykstra and incredible looking LF is coming up this year at the 20 game mark and he is another serious threat for ROY too (that is if he can keep his temper under control). Montreals future players look about as good as Washingtons with the only real difference being the quantity, Washington has more, but they might not quite be as good as Montreal group of future superstars. Its looking like Shobob has a dynasty to stand the test of time. –greeny

Prediction:

1. Montreal

2. Detroit *

3. Madison

4. Chicago

* denotes wildcard

N.L. EAST

Montreal’s World Series team is mostly intact and at the top of their game!

Are Detroit’s bats good enough to compete with Montreal atop the division?

Could Madison be the best 3^rd place team in baseball?

Chicago starts scouting for the future…

Burlington again this year has a bit of a hill to climb for a good chance of success. This franchise has some quality in the BL, but not enough to make any kind of push. That being said they definitely have some good guys in the minors pushing their way up. They have made a couple very nice free agent pickups in Castro and Jones, but they have lost 12 that’s right 12 players to free agency. How many of those where good, I don’t know. But that seems like a lot of players to lose! Here are the notable players in their BL club: SU Harry Castro had an awesome year in 14 with a .233 ave 1.15 whip 3.21 ERA and 103 IP. LR Rich Jones also awesome previous season with a .200 ave 0.97 whip and 1.85 ERA. LR Jimmie Shannon’s rookie season was great with a .233 ave 1.21 whip and 2.50 ERA. LR Dann Kelly another very nice season with .274 ave, 1.26 whip and a 3.51 ERA. And 2B Stan Jones with his great 48 SB and only 6 CS. Some very nice Ps in the bigs though maybe too many LRs, hopefully some of them can put up SP innings. As for prospects this is where Burlington has some promise, they have several guys that look to be making the big club in time. I cant say if any of them are quite good enough to make a real contribution this year, so Burlington is really still a season or two away from making any real strides in this department. I can say that they have some great coaches! Their ML HC has a 97 rating, PC with a 87 and fielding with 79. This team has some work to do to catch up to the other three clubs, but with their solid minor league prospects it might not take too long for them to contend for a spot in the playoffs. --greeny

Pittsburgh after having the division the last two years have a bit of a battle this year for sure. Washington will absolutely give them a real run. I have to feel a bit for Pittsburgh they were battling with Tampa Bay for quite some time to win the division, and right when TB is on a bit of a possible lull Washington is now ready to stick it to them. No rest for Shelley! You have to go all the way back to season 8 that they weren’t 1^st or 2^nd, so nobody is going to call Shelley inconsistent that’s for sure. Pittsburgh is very well rounded with mostly quality players in every position, and very nice SPs to throw in too. If there is any weakness on this team it might be with their RPs. In their coaching ranks if they have any holes it is certainly with their rookie fielding instructor. Unsurprisingly Pittsburgh was in the top 5 in batting average, RBIs, 2bs, 3bs and OBP last year. Very impressive offensive prowess for sure! Their team pitching wasn’t quite as good although they were the 3^rd best in SOs. Pretty much in the middle for everything else. 1B Rob Ledee had 114 RBIs and a .337 ave very nice year, we need to keep that up. 2B Al Guzman might have a nice future if you can believe his minor league exploits having won the MVP in AAA and was an all star and silver slugger every year! 3B Cal Brumfield has a .300 career has 2 all stars and consistently hits over 100 RBIs. LF Harold Gonzalez is already a 3 time all star despite only being 27 yrs old. CF Glen Montgomery the last 4 seasons has driven in 109 to 141 RBIs and has taken home 4 silver sluggers. SP Pedro Lunar had a career year last year at 32 yrs old with a OAV of .220, 1.05 whip, 2.24 ERA and 15 wins. SP Rolando Armas has been to the all star game 3 times. In terms of future stars the cupboard is a little on the light side, I don’t really see any of any great import. That being said this team is built for today, and they really have a solid chance of going all the way and with no real needs. Some tinkering here and there will likely be all is needed to make a big splash this season. –greeny

Tampa Bay is in the process of a 4 year slide in winning percentage not so much because they have gotten worse but because Pittsburgh and Washington have gotten better. And ofcourse their biggest players are mostly getting older. It seems as though all of their best players are all in their 30s some closer to 40 then 30, not a good sign! This team still has the ability to go all the way, albeit with some good luck, and some great free agent signings. Id have to say this team is really at the point where they have to go all the way for one final stab at winning it all (which they never have) or having a major fire sale and rebuild. Either way is very possible, but in this reporters opinion they really cant stand pat. Ric Nic is coming off a (for him) bad season only batting in 86 runners compared to 13 where he belted in 155! This guy is as good as it gets (possibly still too) he has a .347 career ave, a 1.171 ops, 10 all stars, 8 MVPs, 9 Silver sluggers and the ROY! LF Barney Webster still has it with his amazing power last season was down with 94 RBIs but 151 2 seasons before, he still has it I think though. TB still has a potent pitching staff with Ishii still putting up good numbers along with his career 4 all star appearances Cy Young year, consistent 18 to 22 wins a year .245 ave 1.23 whip and 3.74 ERA. SP Jerry Rhodes had an awesome year winning the Cy Young with 20 wins, .239 ave, 1.18 whip and 2.30 ERA. SU Derrek Borowski had a great year after an off one, he got 23 saves along with a .250 ave, 1.24 whip and a paltry 2.09 ERA. The future doesn’t appear to have a whole lot of good showing up apart from SS Jerome Leskanic with an AS and 2 SS’s, bringing in 124 RBIs one year. Then there is CL Freddie Anderson his stats have been very mediocre despite having very decent ratings. In this reporters opinion TB has to do something sooner then later. -greeny

Nobody is going to be saying that Washington fans are long suffering anymore, it looks to me like they have one of the most exciting lineups in the NL, and have an exciting group of prospects in the minors that will keep the BL club well stocked for many years to come. True last year you could say that they had under-performed according to their talent level and compared to their division mates(finishing last in their division) But this year I would be surprised if they finished less then 2^nd place, and wouldn’t be surprised if they finished first. Steeplechasr has done a wonderful job of turning this franchise around, they have the goods to be in the hunt for the foreseeable future. C Lonnie Tobin has an awesome bat with ok defense. 1B Sandy Hale is a monster batting in 96 to 121 RBIs the last 3 years and with a AS to show for it. 2B Vicente Perez might break out having had 2 AS appearances in the minors to go with his .303 ave in the bigs. RF Tomas Bennett had an off year with only 79 RBIs but the year before brought in 117, so he is capable, along with 30 HRs this kid is good. Washington also has some standout pitchers including DJ Gragg’s career .243 ave 1.29 whip and 3.23 ERA, one problem with Gragg is he seems to get injured too often. LR Rick Gaillard had a great year posting a .237 ave 1.23 whip and 3.15 ERA, can he do it again? And CL Angel Tarasco brings his 2 all star appearances to the table along with 33 and 36 save seasons. This team has pitching and batting. As for their future Washington is as strong as any team in Yastrzemski. RF Swann 20 yrs old was a RL AS, and sports a career .360 ave. SP Cord Epstein looks to be a super duper #1 SP and is 22 yrs old, he could be ready for the BL very soon. SP FP Webster looks like an above average #2 man in the rotation and he is 21 yrs old. Yet another SP in Cookie Mesa who might be one of the best #3 SPs in the league is 22 yrs old. 3 very strong SPs looking to break into the big club any day now. LR Peter Hayes looks very promising and is 24. CL Wilfredo Torcato an amazing looking stopper that might be a couple seasons away, but look out Tarasco, your days are numbered! 2 SU guys in Frank Williams and Elroy Bowles at 23 and 21 both look to be quality ML studs. And finally LR Esmailyn Lopez looks to be a solid contributor too. See what I mean? This team is set for many years to come (at least on the pitching front). If this team doesn’t make a big run this year, surely next year. -greeny

Prediction:

1. Pittsburgh

2. Washington

3. Tampa Bay

4. Burlington

N.L. South

Another year of change and toil in Charleston.

Can the Bear Cats make it back to the playoffs this seasons?

The core returns for the World Police.

Sanchez needs to be a leader on and off the field for Penguin glory.

Baseball returned to Charleston this season with the move of the Little Mac Sluggers from St. Louis to South Carolina. The Southerners eagerly await the arrival of their first overall selection from season 13, 3B Scot McGowan, whose defensive prowess will probably see him shift over to SS at some point. Still, McGowan is probably a few years away and will likely start the year in High A ball this year or be used as trade bait for some more immediate help. Charleston is on the long road back to respectability after finishing with 100 losses in 4 of the past 6 seasons. Adding insult to injury is the fact that the franchise hasn’t drafted particularly well despite their high picks. A bright spot on the team this season will be the debut of, 5^th overall pick from season 12, rookie SP Todd Kennedy. Young Kennedy will be the ace of a spotty staff which will include returnees Caesar Maduro and Eugene Witasick, FA grab Rafael Belliard and off season trade acquisition Miguel Cruz. Bullpen duties will be handed out to a young group who will be lead by closer and elder statesmen Fred Malloy, who at 30 years of age will be the eldest pitcher on the team. Handling this young staff will be 24-year-old C Jude Edwards, though look for Mark Hunter to get some starts should the rookie, Edwards, tire. Defensively, the infield will be lead by the phenomenal defensive abilities of SS Haywood Gibson who holds notoriety for turning the most double plays of any Alaskan born player in league history. Defensively, 2B Gabe Blackwell nearly equals the ability of Gibson, though both leave much to be desired at the dish. At first, and likely Charleston’s cleanup hitter, will be Jose Sanchez who knocked out 26 HR’s a year ago in just 446 AB’s. Fresh faces will fill the outfield this season for the Southerners. FA acquisitions Houston Tatum and Ruben Mercedes will join waiver claims Victor Ontiveros and Joe Craddock. A year of change and a year of growth will benefit the club, so long as some sort of semblance of stability comes to the franchise. -troutis

Iowa City had its fair share of first last season. In addition to posting their first .500 season since season 6, the Bearcats won appeared in their first post-season last year by winning their first division title. Though they were eliminated in the first round by the sweeping power of Detroit, they managed to take the series to max and nearly pulled off the most unlikely playoff upset seen in years. The biggest off-season acquisition was the $43 million, 4-year contract awarded to reliever Perry Campbell who will slide into the closing role this season. Campbell has the potential to be an All-Star this year and in seasons to come, provided he stays healthy and happy. Jon Gonzales returns to anchor a solid rotation. JonGon’s miniscule 2.77 era last season justified his $13 million dollar contract, but he needs to continue making the perfect pitch for Iowa to remain tops. 3 time All-Star Ivan Armas will bring his fantastic blend of power, contact and defense back to Iowa. Though his .356 average from two years ago may not be attainable again this season, Armas is the real deal and is definitely a top tier second basemen. At 30 years old, RF Butch ‘one foot out the door’ Adams is playing in his 13^th season with the club despite his numerous additions to the trading block. He took over the franchise lead in career HR’s last season and looks to impress this season as he heads into a contract year. After being drafted 4^th overall by the Iowa franchise way back in season 2, Larry Franklin owns his share of almost every individual record in franchise history. Significant drops in power and average, following a herniated disk in his neck in season 12, will likely see Franklin depart after his contract is up at the end of this year. Still, his leadership and loyalty in the clubhouse will make him sorely missed. 10^th overall selection from a year ago, Otis ‘don’t call me Otis’ Davis looks to be the real deal and will likely take over Franklin’s role in the near future. Rookie SS Storm Patterson is considered to be a favourite for the ROY award this year though his range and glove may prove a liability to the Bearcats defense. At 3B, Andres Alonso needs to show he was such a highly touted IFA back in season 7. Though he is a whiz in the field, time is running out for him to jump to the ranks of star. -troutis

Following division titles in season’s 11 and 12, Kansas City played bridesmaid to the recently relocated Charlotte franchise in season 13 and finished one game back of Iowa City last season. Still, General Manager casanelly refused to blow up the World Police. The veteran core of Brad Street and Orlando Vega will continue to mind the middle of the infield boasting a combination of power, contact and leadership. Joining them in the infield will be a couple of off-season free agent grabs in veteran 3B Jose ‘the Terrible’ Torrealba and the power hitting ex-Rodeo Clown 1B Jim Donatello who, at 31, will likely get the chance to start everyday for the first time in his career. Donatello has the potential to reach the 40 HR mark, though the deep fences in KC may limit him to the 30-35 range. Veteran Steven Smith and rookie Darwin Rigney will likely provide rest to the infield and make spot starts throughout the season. The outfield will be comprised of Juan Aguilera, Javier Pena and rookie Edgardo Seguignol. What these 3 lack in power they will make up for contact, on-base-percentage and sheer nastiness. They are the type of guys who will spit on your mother! Behind the plate watch for Scott Parker to get the nod versus right-handers and Neil Campbell versus lefties. They may be two of the best pitch-calling catchers in the NL. On the mound, and returning in their entirety, will be Karim James, Randy Bradford, Gabe Miller, Louie Bautista and Neifi Valdes. This may be the strength of the KC roster this year as the World Police look to improve upon their 3.95 team ERA from a year ago. Though it is unlikely that any of the starters, other than Karim James, will be able to pitch over 200 innings, the ball will be handed over to a competent bullpen anchored by sophomore phenom Walter Milton. Milton will, without doubt, get his fair share of opportunities to close out some tight, low scoring games in Kansas this year. -troutis

Following 11 seasons and 9 playoff appearances, the Charlotte Spinners packed their bags and headed to the Holy Faith of Santa Fe. After years of moderate success, the Penguins find themselves stuck in the predicament of having a solid team to field – though not good enough to advance come playoff time in the tough NL – and without too much on the prospect front. ROY candidate 1B Juan Rodriguez and 25 year old C Eduardo Sanchez will likely be the core of this team for years to come. Complemented up the middle by the very capable SS Rickey O’Brien and CF Jimmie Lopez, Santa Fe may need some career years from vets like RF Joe Reid and 2B Chance Pennington to create enough runs to stay competitive in the NL South. O’Brien hasn’t delivered since getting the big money a couple years back, though his durability is tops among shortstops. Last season late acquisition of LF Napoleon Hughes could help out as well provided he improves upon his rookie totals from a year ago. The starting rotation looks strong enough with the return of veterans Chuck Russell, Nicholas Ford and Mac Lee. Willie Astacio looks to take his game to the next level this season to provide a strong fourth for the team. The weak link in the rotation will be Alex Valdes who will likely pitch more innings than he should. Setting up games this year will be the Davis’, lefty Ricky and righty Lonnie, who hope to hold leads for veteran Jayson Levine to close out. 35-year-old Levine hasn’t held the role of closer since season 8. WIS Field in Santa Fe is most definitely a hitter’s park, so the hurlers will certainly be in tough this season compared to the neutral field of Charlotte’s Knights Castle. -troutis

Prediction:

1. Iowa City

2. Kansas City*

3. Santa Fe

4. Charleston

* denotes wildcard

N.L. West

Will 13 years of bad luck continue for the Alpini?

Can Ivan ‘the Terrible’ carry a decent staff into post-season contention?

Who will drive in runs in Tacoma?

Can the V-Bats reach 100 and challenge the big 2 for NL dominance?

It’s unlikely that 13 years of futility will end this season in Cheyenne. 13 years of playoff less baseball and only 1 plus .500 season over the past 10 years has resulted in stagnation for the Alpini. The upside is the arrival of former first round picks SS Del Guerrero and 3B Omar Fernandez. Both rookies provide a good glove, decent speed and the potential for a good average and will be given every chance to succeed this season. Joining them on the infield will be the recently traded 2B Hector Moya, who had trouble breaking into the everyday lineup in Las Vegas. Moya brings a suitable amount of power to second base, but his glove is a bit of a liability. Veteran 1B Tom Sellers moves in from the outfield this season. Sellers is entering his 7^th season as an Alpini and is the undisputed leader both on and off the field. Catching duties will be split between the capable Jolbert Cruz and Keith Bunch. After posting 7 consecutive seasons of 30 plus HR’s and 100 plus RBI, LF Chuck Westbrook tailed off in his first year in Cheyenne last season hitting only 22 while knocking in a mere 66. He can only improve those numbers and his pitiful .226 average. If he can’t, rookie Al Martinez will be given the opportunity to grab some of his at bats. CF Tris Lefebvre also saw his numbers decline last season, though hopes remain high for this former 1^st round draft pick after the big money deal he signed in the off season. The speedy Brit, Todd ‘Da Daft’ Douglas, will likely regain his role as the starter in right field. The rotation offers a set of problems in Cheyenne as no undisputed number 1 starter has emerged. Julio Galarraga has shown flashes of brilliance over his tenure with Cheyenne, but has been too streaky and inconsistent to label as a number 1. Achilles Houston has been capable since his conversion from a reliever to starter, but is better suited as a number 3 or 4 guy than anything else. Robb Christenson provided may have been the best of the 3 while pitching in Washington last season before his season ending shoulder injury. The FA acquisition looks to regain his form, though don’t expect many innings from him. Barney Stevenson and Alex Satou are decent hurlers but, at 35 years of age, are stopgap solutions more than anything else. Kennie Broome is likely to crack the starting rotation this year providing youthful energy to an aging rotation. Anthony Epstein regains his role as closer this year following his first All-Star appearance. At 28 years, he is one of the youngest relievers in Cheyenne. The staff, as a whole, looks to be a sore spot in Cheyenne this season - especially considering their division rivals have appeared to build from the mound out. Another tough season in Cheyenne looks eminent unless they get career years from their flock of vets and smashing starts from their rookies. -troutis

After a division title in season 12, Los Angeles fell to 4^th place the following 2 seasons, dropping 89 and 92 games respectively. The Dead Bunnies batted a miserable .247 as a team last season, scoring a major league low 610 runs in the tough confines of Dodger Stadium. Leading the charge on offence this season will be 2B Josh Moore and 3B/LF Parker Leiter and 1B Ed Towers. Though all touted as potential stars, all three have had a tough start to their respective careers. Moore’s power, though good for 20 plus HR’s in every one of his 5 seasons, has seen numbers decline from his career high of 39 in season 11. His average has also dropped, finding him hitting below .250 over his past 2 seasons. Following 26 HR’s and a .290 average in season 12, Leiter has struggled to keep his starting job over the past 2 years. First round draft pick Towers has had a difficult time breaking into the lineup as well, getting only 264 and 293 at bats in each of his first 2 seasons. Towers will benefit from consistent playing time and a higher spot in the lineup. The fantastic defensively minded SS Jose Lopez will round out the infield after missing most of his rookie campaign following shoulder surgery. Expect a decent average, but no power from the Cuban born Lopez. Rookie CF Yoo-Nah Martin will join RF Glen Ennis and LF Santiago Alomar in a mediocre outfield. Veteran utility man Ron Fox will get most of his starts at 3B providing a capable bat and leadership to a team full of inexperience. Ivan ‘the Terrible’ Gonzales will be the undisputed ace of the staff again this season. Gonzales, the most tough luck starter in the bigs, will bring his miniscule career era of 3.15 into this season looking to surpass his career high 13 win season. Joining ‘the Terrible’ in the starting rotation will be Mark Koehlert and Mike Taylor who are adequately capable of keeping the Bunnies in games. The 4 and 5 spots will go to Adam Latham and Norberto Diaz who, despite showing flashes of promise earlier in their career, are relegated to back-end starters at this point. Look for Warren Peterson or Kenny Wirth to sneak in should either Latham or Diaz falter. 22-year-old Rookie Ebenezer Caruso will be handed the ball in all closing situations. LA has been eagerly waiting his arrival, and now that the time has come, watch for great things for years to come from this power pitcher. Paulie Sheffield, Dale Ramsay and Larry ‘the Bird’ Robinson close out an excellent pen. Despite a certain amount of strength from the mound, expect another tough year in California. -troutis

After finishing 2^nd in 4 of the past 5 seasons and missing the playoffs in 13 straight seasons, Tacoma hopes to take the next step in their development this season. Lead by the best pitching staff outside of Detroit and Montreal from last year, the Phantom der Nacht employ a staff that is built to win now. Former closer Eric Klassen will get the ball on opening day and look to build on his stellar era of 2.44 from last season. He has appeared to have mentally made the unlikely switch from closer to starter, but physical limitations wont see him pitch 200 innings this year. Look for innings to come from Bobby Courtney this season. Courtney’s stellar rookie campaign from season 11 was surpassed last season and everyone in Tacoma is expecting the development of the former 1^st round pick to continue into this season. Veteran Donaldo Trinidad continues to turn heads in his 11^th season. Trinidad is a perfect number 3 pitcher, offering innings, strikeouts and a respectable opponents batting average. Orlando Torres and former rule 5 grab Nipsey Warden will occupy the 4 and 5 starts providing an adequate mix of power and finesse. The volatile Bono Mathewson will be given the opportunity to close out games in Tacoma. Look for Willy Ginter to step in should he prove to be too much of a risk in that role. First round selection 3B Ralf Goodwin provides the best defense of any third basemen in the NL and, at 24 years of age, will be coming into his own as a hitter. His 98 RBI from a year ago weren’t an aberration. Joining him on the infield will be 3 time World Series champ SS Pasqual Beltre who brings a capable glove and decent bat to the lineup. Highly touted IFA, 2B Alfredo Lee, saw his numbers drop from 31 HR’s 2 seasons ago to 13 last year. He’ll need to regain his swing to improve the ML low 112 team HR’s posted by Tacoma a year ago. 1B Buck Weems offers consistency offering 21 and 23 HR’s and .263 and .262 average over the past 2 seasons respectively. Lenny Bennett, Bud Hunter, Julio Gomez and Delino Gomez offer a speedy and defensive outfield for Tacoma, while C Mark Yamamato brings a capable, but not spectacular bat to the lineup. Tacoma will need stellar seasons from every spot in their lineup if they wish to catch Vancouver this season. -troutis

The best ‘other’ team in the NL (Montreal and Detroit exempt) is located in Vancouver and will likely to be so for some time to come. 97 wins and an appearance in the League Championship Series would be fantastic for any other team, but fans of the Vampire Bats are demanding they to take their game to the next level and prospects look good to do so this season. After signing a massive deal last off-season, Bruce ‘the Bandit’ Schoendienst looks to prove he is deserving of the 12.5 million he’ll be earning this year. The Bandit has proven to be a workhorse, logging 230 or more innings pitched in 7 of his first 8 years in the league. Joining The Bandit in the rotation will be a couple of solid front end starters in Logan Harper and Ralf Rocker, both of who the V-Bats were able to wrestle away from other clubs in fantastic deals over the past few seasons. Alex Darling will be expected to continue his fantastic young career that has seen him post a sub 4.00 era in each of his first 3 seasons. Though not a power pitcher, Darling is fast gaining the reputation crafty hurler who can get the job done. The number 5 starter will be Edge “Achtung’ Ramsay who, at age 35, has crafted out for himself a reputation as a dependable and consistent, if not unlikely, starter. If this is the year Ramsay steps back, expect either Tarrik Grimsley or Frank ‘the Laser’ Lunsford to grab the spot. While starting pitching is definitely the strength of this club, Vancouver’s bullpen wont be squandering too many leads. Led by the 397 career saves of Jimmy Parker, the V-Bats boast a colourful bunch of relievers who are known as much for their shut down abilities as they are for their rock n’ roll lifestyles away from the field. Schenectady New York’s Erick Redman looks to improve on a fantastic rookie year behind the plate. Though Redman is strong behind the plate, he also possesses a strong bat which is a huge asset at his position. 1B Dan Stanly and 3B Bart Stewart will provide the power from the corner infield positions, but it is the emergence of the young 2B Matty Medrano that Vancouver looks most forward to. Medrano fantastic defensive abilities have been rewarded with back-to-back gold gloves and his speed has resulted in 50 plus sb’s in his first 3 seasons. Look for a platoon of a couple of defensive minded guys in Dave Williams and Steve Restovich at shortstop. In the outfield, power-hitting veteran RF Francis Yearwood will be joined by CF Bruce Lamb and rookie LF Del Cavo. The power hitters in Vancouver are now all over 30, so the Bats will be needing to make the most of their at bats this season. -troutis

Prediction:

1. Vancouver

2. Tacoma

3. Los Angeles

4. Cheyenne

Yastrzemski World

SEASON 20 DRAFT RECAP

All Time Regular Season Standings

YAZ SEASON 20 PREVIEW

SEASON 18 DRAFT REVIEW

Season 17 Synopsis

AMERICAN LEAGUE SYNOPSIS

A.L. NORTH

A.L. EAST

A.L. SOUTH

American League Predictions

1. Wilt Blair (louisville)

2. Miguel Martinez (new york)

3. Luis Lee (oklahoma city)

4. Alfonso Mercedes (boston)

5. Tom Borland (syracuse)

Cy Young Award

1. Vasco Montanez (las vegas)

2. John Mailman (oklahoma city)

3. Moises Vega (new york)

4. Brendan O’Neil (trenton)

5. Alex Ortiz (ottawa)

runners up: Joaquin Fernandez (syracuse), Juan Sosa (toronto), Javier Estrada (louisville), Jesus Astacio (jacksonville) (yes, all the runners-up needed to have “j” names)

Rookie of the Year

1. Pedro Gonzalez (toronto)

2. Phil Knotts (trenton)

3. Clint Walker (toronto)

4. Vinny Scott (jacksonville)

5. Joshua Zimmerman (syracuse)

runners up: Enrique Vega (las vegas), Andres Picasso (louisville), Moe Stovall (boston), Glenn Faulk (durham)

1. Victor Rosado (new york)

2. Matthew Langerhans (florida)

3. Victor Canseco (scottsdale)

4. Ralph Lambert (syracuse)

5. Matty Koplove (oklahoma city)

National League Predictions

1. Sandy Hale (washington)

2. Fernando Rios (montreal)

3. Enrique Valdes (montreal)

4. Winston Marte (pittsburgh)

5. Ivan Armas (iowa)

1. Felipe Villa (detroit)

2. Vic Lopez (montreal)

3. Edgard Garces (montreal)

4. Carlos Lopez (helena)

5. Dick Zentmeyer (detorit)

1. Scot McGowan (detroit)

2. Juan Mantalban (helena)3. Otis Davis (iowa)

4. Benny Diaz (burlingon)

5. Donovan Barr (los angeles)

1. Ebenezer Caruso (los angeles)

2. Hunter Wilkinson (detroit)

3. Boots Cash (tampa bay)

4. D’Angelo Lopez (montreal)

5. Perry Campbell (iowa)

One on One Interview With Boston Red Sox Owner Mike45

Season 16 American League Synopsis (pre-season)

Season 15 Draft Recap

Season 15 Synopsis

AMERICAN LEAGUE SYNOPSIS

A.L. NORTH

A.L. EAST

A.L. SOUTH

2. Juan Mantalban (helena)
3. Otis Davis (iowa)