As we roll over to a new season with hopes of making the playoffs blossoming like Ballpark Franks (they plump as you cook 'em) and the smell of baseball in the air, teams are in the midst of critical decisions that will affect their franchise for this season and beyond. Who stays? Who goes? Which coaches have tapped out their usefulness? Do I put 14 or 16 million in my medical budget? But perhaps the toughest question I found myself asking is, "Do I resign my above-average starting pitchers for $6,000,000/yr, or do I let him go and try to find a similar player for less?" It seems like 10 guys like Neifi Diaz could be found in the free agent market in past years, but I'm finding myself paying him whatever he wants due to lack of replacements.
The slugging left fielder is still plentiful, as well as the back-up catcher, DH, and middle reliever. But a quality starting pitcher has become a commodity that I will be keeping a hold of in my organization with a Kung-Fu grip, and will only let them go if they are pryed from my cold, dead hands. Hopefully a new city and ballpark can rejuvenate my team after a humiliating sweep in the LCS, and can return to greatness to slay the mighty Technocrats.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
NL WEST PREVIEW
Seattle Submariners 1st 95-67
2-time defending West division winners, with three straight playoff appearances and three straight disappointments, have led Seattle to make a huge splash into the free agent market to try and get over the hump.
KEY ADDITIONS:
Emmanuel Park FA SIGNING
Jeromy Evans FA SIGNING
Juan Beltran FA SIGNING
Stan Dickey FA SIGNING
Terry Stechschulte FA SIGNING
Willie Lira FA SIGNING
Yamid Amezaga FA SIGNING
KEY LOSSES:
Matt Bryant WAIVED
Miguel Oliva LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
Oswaldo Rodriguez LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
Walter Telgheder LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
Emil Monroe RELEASED
A Look at the Lineup:
Seattle will be starting a very talented lineup as long as everyone gels. 3B Beltran will be the MVP of the lineup as he brings his .346 avg, 41 HR, 135 RBI, .997 OPS, and 184 Runs scored to Seattle. The biggest question mark is how well Beltran adjust from Whatifsports “ERA killer” park to the pitcher friendly Safeco Field. Chip Leon will be back at SS with his 39 HR as a bonus to his outstanding defense. Leon only had 6 errors in 151 games at SS last year, which is amazing. Brian Ishida will be back at 2nd base and hoping to improve on his rookie season numbers. Ishida was able to hit 18 HR with a .277 avg and an OBP of .352, which allowed Ishida to score 89 runs last year. Harry Redding will be the QB of the OF again as he tries to continue his solid play in CF. Despite have a career best in HR’s last year with 26, Redding only had 69 RBI and a .277 avg. RF Luther Kennedy hopes to stay off the DL this year and contribute to the team like Submariners had anticipated. In limited duty last year, Kennedy was able to post impressive numbers with 26 HR, 61 RBI, .280 avg and 59 runs scored in only 88 games. It looks like Seattle will have Evans and Jesus Chavez on the field at the same time despite both being 1st basemen. Seattle signed the big bat of Evans during the offseason and he was terrific last year with 38 HR, 124 RBI, and a .304 batting avg. Seattle is banking on rising star Jesus Chavez, who belted 39 homeruns, to improve his .250 batting average. The biggest question mark will be how Evans does defensively in LF. Needless to say, his offense will probably out weigh his blunders in the field. Another big piece to the puzzle was the addition of C Amezaga. Not only can he hit with 49 HR and 138 RBI, but he can also handle the pitchers with a 4.20 ERA, which is impressive while being in the AL. The fans better bring their gloves if they want to keep all their teeth, because Seattle’s starting lineup combined for over 276 HR last year. Anyone of the Submariners could be a threat to go deep any time they step to the plate, which should make for some very exciting baseball.
Look at the Pitchers:
Leading the Submariners is 16 game winner Ricardo Arias. Arias has been brilliant with a 2.99 ERA and 1.07 whip. Durable is Arias middle name as he threw 3 CG and pitched 220 innings last year. Benito Rodriguez has also been outstanding with his 3.57 ERA and 17 wins last year. With the addition of Dickey, the Submariners have 2 SP’s that had an ERA under 3.00 last year. Dickey was brought in to help solidify the starting rotation and if he puts up the same numbers as last year, then he will definitely help in making the Submariners one of the top staffs in the majors. Neifi Diaz and Sean Hall have been good, but not great with a 4.25 and 4.49 ERA last year respectively. Vance Stanley was an excellent closer last year by closing 47 of 57 games with a 3.88 ERA. With the returning Fireman of the Year winner, don’t expect Seattle to be giving up any late leads this year.
Outlook: 100-105 wins West Division winners
Very solid pitching and hitting will lead Seattle to it's 3rd straight N.L. West title.
Salem Volcanoes 2nd 86-76
Salem just fell short on their 1st playoff appearance last year, which isn’t an uncommon thing for the Volcanoes. The Volcanoes hope to somehow get over that hump this year and make this year the franchise’s 1st playoff appearance.
KEY ADDITIONS:
Nap Williamson Promoted from AA
Frank Kim Promoted from High A
KEY LOSSES:
Terry Ellis LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
A Look at the Lineup:
At the top of the order, Salem has a very solid 2nd baseman in Jimmie Posada. Posada scored over a 100 runs last year while batting .309 with a OBP of .390 in his rookie campaign. And with a .993 fielding percentage, you might as well head back to the dugout, if you hit the ball in the general direction of Mr. Posada. Speedy CF Pascual Escuela had his starts cut down last year and so were his stats. After averaging 103 runs scored over his 1st 2 seasons in the majors, he only had 78 runs scored last year with a team leading 25 stolen bases. Escuela expects to rebound from last year and post career best numbers this year and help lead his team to the playoffs for the first time. LF Nate Brush brings the power to the lineup with his team leading 31 HR. Just a year removed from hitting 50 HR and having 138 RBI, Brush stats last year took a freefall and could be a glaring reason why Salem was left once again at home come playoff time. Aging 3B Donaldo Martinez is hoping to continue his solid contribution to the lineup with his .283 avg, 24 HR and 89 RBI. Last but not least is Salem’s most prized player in C Deivi Silva and rightfully so. Although Silva has averaged only 104 games in his brief 4 year stint in the majors, he has also averaged 28 HR, 91 RBI, .340 Avg., and a 1.045 OPS. Silva puts up better numbers in his limited time than most other players that play a full season, which is no surprise since he has made 3 NL all-star teams and won 2 Silver Slugger awards. The top of the order will be very tough and if the bottom of the order can pull it’s weight, then Salem can take some much needed pressure off the starting pitchers.
A Look at the Pitchers:
Ellis played a big part in Salem winning 86 games last year with his 16 wins and 2.86 ERA, and his departure could be the biggest reason Salem could be watching the playoffs from home for the 8th straight year. Matthew Strange will try to improve on his 4.69 ERA last year, as he heads the pitching rotation, and it will be a necessity, if he is going to make the Volcanoes fans forget about Ellis. Strange is very capable of it as he showed in season 6, when he won 16 games and had an ERA of 3.15. Following Strange is Fernando Owen, who has been a very durable pitcher averaging 214 innings over 7 seasons. Hopefully for the Volcanoes, Owen will continue to improve on his 4.46 ERA last season, or he probably won’t surpass his 12 wins of last year. Terrible doesn’t even describe 34 year old Harvey Hart's season last year that saw him finish with a 7-10 record and a 5.34 ERA. Not really the stats you are hoping for, when you are shelling out $10 million a year. Salem is hoping Hart has found the fountain of youth, or GM smackawits will be banging his head on his desk for another year, as Hart’s contract extends through season 9. Rookies Nap Williamson and Frank Kim look to bring some much needed relief to the bullpen, as they have been superb in the minor leagues. Both will probably be tested early and often, unless the SP’s can perform better than expected.
Outlook: 78-83 wins 3rd in West Division
Still could finish above .500, but pitching seems to be a problem and I don’t see Salem’s hitters overcoming the poor pitching woes.
Kansas City Baseball Furies 3rd 85-77
Kansas City won a franchise best 85 games last year and finished 3rd in the West just one game behind Salem. The Furies have come along way and hope to continue their new found winning ways all the way into the playoffs.
KEY ADDITIONS:
C Benji Carrara FREE-AGENT SIGING
KEY LOSSES:
1B Angel Santiago RELEASED
P. Courtney Mays LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
A Look at the Lineup:
K.C. added a very solid bat at C in Carrara with his 15 HR and .293 avg. If only Carrara’s pitch calling was as good as his hitting, then he would be an all-star catcher. 3B Fernando Campos showed why he started out at the majors last year, despite being only 23 years old, when he hit for .318 and had a .395 OBP. Unfortunately for K.C., Campos only scored 59 runs last year, so the Furies are hoping to get him around the bases more this year. 23 yr old 1B Kenneth Nilsson showed MVP type numbers in AAA, but only showed “needs more BP” in the majors. While Nilsson did account for 100 RBI’s last year and 26 HR, he also hit .259 for the season with a .437 slugging percentage. Hitting coach Stevie Williamson has been reported as “lighting a fire under Nilsson’s ass” and K.C. is expecting him to live up to his billing this year. The bash brothers return to K.C. this year, as Taylor Guerrero and Jack Richardson hit 34 and 41 homeruns respectively. Guerrero is a great all around player as he hit .315 and had a .389 OBP to go with his .605 slugging percentage. Richardson is what I like to call a “free swinger” as his 105 k’s prove. The Furies don’t mind though, as Richardson had a .301 avg. and 118 RBI and scored 96 runs. The Furies should score more than the 825 runs scored last year that led the West, as they have a very young maturing lineup with only 1 position player over the age of 30.
A Look at the Pitchers:
The bullpen is a gold mine compared to Kansas’s starting pitchers. Dick McNeil leads the way out of the pen with 106 innings pitched last year and a 3.55 ERA. The Furies could definitely use some upgrades at starting pitcher, as they only return 3 starting pitchers with an ERA under 5.00. Aces Tom Perkins and Stephen Connelly lead the way with their combined 27 wins and 3.11 ERA. Al Gonzalez is also solid with his 3.97 ERA and 197 innings pitched, but after that, they are going to have to win games by out hitting the opposition. Stone Eaton was brought up last year from AAA and had a eye opening experience with a 5.03 ERA, but is hoping to put up better numbers this year. The fifth starter will be between Josh Caruso and Bill Carver, which is nothing to be giddy about, considering both pitchers had an ERA over 6.00 last year. More than likely Caruso will be heading to the pen, since he hasn’t seen an ERA under 5.00 in 3 seasons.
Outlook:85 -90 wins 2nd in West Division
Despite only having 3 reliable starting pitchers, the bats of the Furies should be enough to propel them into second in the West.
Arizona mud dawgs 80-82 4th
Rebuild, Rebuild, Rebuild. After finishing 2 straight years 3rd and 4th in the West division, Arizona’s management decided to go in a different direction. Mud Dawgs are hoping by trading off key veteran players for future MLB prospects that they will be able to one day reach there goal of making the world series.
KEY ADDITIONS:
LF Dewayne Ryan TRADE
KEY LOSSES:
SP. Ronnie Servais LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
RP. Norm Rhodes LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
RP Jim Sanders LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
A Look at the Lineup:
Even though Arizona traded MVP Montanez last year, they still have some talented young hitters. Veteran CF Dennis Velarde is still with the team and batting leadoff with his 46 stolen bases returning with him. Valerde is in the last year of his contract, so look for him to have a big year to try to impress other teams for his services next year. LF Ryan is no stranger to the Mud Dawgs, since he came up through there minor league system and was welcomed back with open arms. If Ryan can duplicate his 29 HR, 122 RBI, and .341 avg., then he could be the steal of the year. 3B Fred Restovich will have 3rd all to himself this year and hopefully, he can return to form, when he belted 39 homeruns and had 112 RBI in his first year in the majors. Utility player Ray McGrady hopes to improve his stats this year and could be a very key part to the Mud Dawgs future success. The Mud Dawgs are also hoping that 1B Micah Trammell can step up his game this year and contribute more than past years. No MVP’s in this lineup, but if these guys can gel, then they should be able to score some runs this year.
A Look at the Pitchers:
Tim Brock leads the rotation with his 3.58 ERA and 1.26 whip. Arizona’s hoping he can return to his 18 win days, because that’s what it will take for the Mud Dawgs to be competitive this year. 25 yr old Willis Allen will follow Brock with his 4.51 ERA and 201 innings pitched. Allen has improved on his numbers every year and if he continues, then he will be an excellent #2 starter. Alex Pescado may be forced into the rotation this year and he may not do too bad. Pescado had a 4.36 ERA in 66 innings last year and maybe being in the rotation will improve his ERA. Closer Douglas Davis was effective when able to pitch last year, but with his low stamina, he was only able to log 36 innings last year. The bullpen is pretty much a patch work and will probably cost the Mud Dawgs some wins this year, but only time will tell.
Outlook: 70-75 wins 4th in the West division
Starting pitching should be solid but no run support will cost the Mud Dawgs any chance of finishing higher than 4th in the West.
2-time defending West division winners, with three straight playoff appearances and three straight disappointments, have led Seattle to make a huge splash into the free agent market to try and get over the hump.
KEY ADDITIONS:
Emmanuel Park FA SIGNING
Jeromy Evans FA SIGNING
Juan Beltran FA SIGNING
Stan Dickey FA SIGNING
Terry Stechschulte FA SIGNING
Willie Lira FA SIGNING
Yamid Amezaga FA SIGNING
KEY LOSSES:
Matt Bryant WAIVED
Miguel Oliva LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
Oswaldo Rodriguez LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
Walter Telgheder LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
Emil Monroe RELEASED
A Look at the Lineup:
Seattle will be starting a very talented lineup as long as everyone gels. 3B Beltran will be the MVP of the lineup as he brings his .346 avg, 41 HR, 135 RBI, .997 OPS, and 184 Runs scored to Seattle. The biggest question mark is how well Beltran adjust from Whatifsports “ERA killer” park to the pitcher friendly Safeco Field. Chip Leon will be back at SS with his 39 HR as a bonus to his outstanding defense. Leon only had 6 errors in 151 games at SS last year, which is amazing. Brian Ishida will be back at 2nd base and hoping to improve on his rookie season numbers. Ishida was able to hit 18 HR with a .277 avg and an OBP of .352, which allowed Ishida to score 89 runs last year. Harry Redding will be the QB of the OF again as he tries to continue his solid play in CF. Despite have a career best in HR’s last year with 26, Redding only had 69 RBI and a .277 avg. RF Luther Kennedy hopes to stay off the DL this year and contribute to the team like Submariners had anticipated. In limited duty last year, Kennedy was able to post impressive numbers with 26 HR, 61 RBI, .280 avg and 59 runs scored in only 88 games. It looks like Seattle will have Evans and Jesus Chavez on the field at the same time despite both being 1st basemen. Seattle signed the big bat of Evans during the offseason and he was terrific last year with 38 HR, 124 RBI, and a .304 batting avg. Seattle is banking on rising star Jesus Chavez, who belted 39 homeruns, to improve his .250 batting average. The biggest question mark will be how Evans does defensively in LF. Needless to say, his offense will probably out weigh his blunders in the field. Another big piece to the puzzle was the addition of C Amezaga. Not only can he hit with 49 HR and 138 RBI, but he can also handle the pitchers with a 4.20 ERA, which is impressive while being in the AL. The fans better bring their gloves if they want to keep all their teeth, because Seattle’s starting lineup combined for over 276 HR last year. Anyone of the Submariners could be a threat to go deep any time they step to the plate, which should make for some very exciting baseball.
Look at the Pitchers:
Leading the Submariners is 16 game winner Ricardo Arias. Arias has been brilliant with a 2.99 ERA and 1.07 whip. Durable is Arias middle name as he threw 3 CG and pitched 220 innings last year. Benito Rodriguez has also been outstanding with his 3.57 ERA and 17 wins last year. With the addition of Dickey, the Submariners have 2 SP’s that had an ERA under 3.00 last year. Dickey was brought in to help solidify the starting rotation and if he puts up the same numbers as last year, then he will definitely help in making the Submariners one of the top staffs in the majors. Neifi Diaz and Sean Hall have been good, but not great with a 4.25 and 4.49 ERA last year respectively. Vance Stanley was an excellent closer last year by closing 47 of 57 games with a 3.88 ERA. With the returning Fireman of the Year winner, don’t expect Seattle to be giving up any late leads this year.
Outlook: 100-105 wins West Division winners
Very solid pitching and hitting will lead Seattle to it's 3rd straight N.L. West title.
Salem Volcanoes 2nd 86-76
Salem just fell short on their 1st playoff appearance last year, which isn’t an uncommon thing for the Volcanoes. The Volcanoes hope to somehow get over that hump this year and make this year the franchise’s 1st playoff appearance.
KEY ADDITIONS:
Nap Williamson Promoted from AA
Frank Kim Promoted from High A
KEY LOSSES:
Terry Ellis LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
A Look at the Lineup:
At the top of the order, Salem has a very solid 2nd baseman in Jimmie Posada. Posada scored over a 100 runs last year while batting .309 with a OBP of .390 in his rookie campaign. And with a .993 fielding percentage, you might as well head back to the dugout, if you hit the ball in the general direction of Mr. Posada. Speedy CF Pascual Escuela had his starts cut down last year and so were his stats. After averaging 103 runs scored over his 1st 2 seasons in the majors, he only had 78 runs scored last year with a team leading 25 stolen bases. Escuela expects to rebound from last year and post career best numbers this year and help lead his team to the playoffs for the first time. LF Nate Brush brings the power to the lineup with his team leading 31 HR. Just a year removed from hitting 50 HR and having 138 RBI, Brush stats last year took a freefall and could be a glaring reason why Salem was left once again at home come playoff time. Aging 3B Donaldo Martinez is hoping to continue his solid contribution to the lineup with his .283 avg, 24 HR and 89 RBI. Last but not least is Salem’s most prized player in C Deivi Silva and rightfully so. Although Silva has averaged only 104 games in his brief 4 year stint in the majors, he has also averaged 28 HR, 91 RBI, .340 Avg., and a 1.045 OPS. Silva puts up better numbers in his limited time than most other players that play a full season, which is no surprise since he has made 3 NL all-star teams and won 2 Silver Slugger awards. The top of the order will be very tough and if the bottom of the order can pull it’s weight, then Salem can take some much needed pressure off the starting pitchers.
A Look at the Pitchers:
Ellis played a big part in Salem winning 86 games last year with his 16 wins and 2.86 ERA, and his departure could be the biggest reason Salem could be watching the playoffs from home for the 8th straight year. Matthew Strange will try to improve on his 4.69 ERA last year, as he heads the pitching rotation, and it will be a necessity, if he is going to make the Volcanoes fans forget about Ellis. Strange is very capable of it as he showed in season 6, when he won 16 games and had an ERA of 3.15. Following Strange is Fernando Owen, who has been a very durable pitcher averaging 214 innings over 7 seasons. Hopefully for the Volcanoes, Owen will continue to improve on his 4.46 ERA last season, or he probably won’t surpass his 12 wins of last year. Terrible doesn’t even describe 34 year old Harvey Hart's season last year that saw him finish with a 7-10 record and a 5.34 ERA. Not really the stats you are hoping for, when you are shelling out $10 million a year. Salem is hoping Hart has found the fountain of youth, or GM smackawits will be banging his head on his desk for another year, as Hart’s contract extends through season 9. Rookies Nap Williamson and Frank Kim look to bring some much needed relief to the bullpen, as they have been superb in the minor leagues. Both will probably be tested early and often, unless the SP’s can perform better than expected.
Outlook: 78-83 wins 3rd in West Division
Still could finish above .500, but pitching seems to be a problem and I don’t see Salem’s hitters overcoming the poor pitching woes.
Kansas City Baseball Furies 3rd 85-77
Kansas City won a franchise best 85 games last year and finished 3rd in the West just one game behind Salem. The Furies have come along way and hope to continue their new found winning ways all the way into the playoffs.
KEY ADDITIONS:
C Benji Carrara FREE-AGENT SIGING
KEY LOSSES:
1B Angel Santiago RELEASED
P. Courtney Mays LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
A Look at the Lineup:
K.C. added a very solid bat at C in Carrara with his 15 HR and .293 avg. If only Carrara’s pitch calling was as good as his hitting, then he would be an all-star catcher. 3B Fernando Campos showed why he started out at the majors last year, despite being only 23 years old, when he hit for .318 and had a .395 OBP. Unfortunately for K.C., Campos only scored 59 runs last year, so the Furies are hoping to get him around the bases more this year. 23 yr old 1B Kenneth Nilsson showed MVP type numbers in AAA, but only showed “needs more BP” in the majors. While Nilsson did account for 100 RBI’s last year and 26 HR, he also hit .259 for the season with a .437 slugging percentage. Hitting coach Stevie Williamson has been reported as “lighting a fire under Nilsson’s ass” and K.C. is expecting him to live up to his billing this year. The bash brothers return to K.C. this year, as Taylor Guerrero and Jack Richardson hit 34 and 41 homeruns respectively. Guerrero is a great all around player as he hit .315 and had a .389 OBP to go with his .605 slugging percentage. Richardson is what I like to call a “free swinger” as his 105 k’s prove. The Furies don’t mind though, as Richardson had a .301 avg. and 118 RBI and scored 96 runs. The Furies should score more than the 825 runs scored last year that led the West, as they have a very young maturing lineup with only 1 position player over the age of 30.
A Look at the Pitchers:
The bullpen is a gold mine compared to Kansas’s starting pitchers. Dick McNeil leads the way out of the pen with 106 innings pitched last year and a 3.55 ERA. The Furies could definitely use some upgrades at starting pitcher, as they only return 3 starting pitchers with an ERA under 5.00. Aces Tom Perkins and Stephen Connelly lead the way with their combined 27 wins and 3.11 ERA. Al Gonzalez is also solid with his 3.97 ERA and 197 innings pitched, but after that, they are going to have to win games by out hitting the opposition. Stone Eaton was brought up last year from AAA and had a eye opening experience with a 5.03 ERA, but is hoping to put up better numbers this year. The fifth starter will be between Josh Caruso and Bill Carver, which is nothing to be giddy about, considering both pitchers had an ERA over 6.00 last year. More than likely Caruso will be heading to the pen, since he hasn’t seen an ERA under 5.00 in 3 seasons.
Outlook:85 -90 wins 2nd in West Division
Despite only having 3 reliable starting pitchers, the bats of the Furies should be enough to propel them into second in the West.
Arizona mud dawgs 80-82 4th
Rebuild, Rebuild, Rebuild. After finishing 2 straight years 3rd and 4th in the West division, Arizona’s management decided to go in a different direction. Mud Dawgs are hoping by trading off key veteran players for future MLB prospects that they will be able to one day reach there goal of making the world series.
KEY ADDITIONS:
LF Dewayne Ryan TRADE
KEY LOSSES:
SP. Ronnie Servais LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
RP. Norm Rhodes LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
RP Jim Sanders LEFT VIA FREE-AGENCY
A Look at the Lineup:
Even though Arizona traded MVP Montanez last year, they still have some talented young hitters. Veteran CF Dennis Velarde is still with the team and batting leadoff with his 46 stolen bases returning with him. Valerde is in the last year of his contract, so look for him to have a big year to try to impress other teams for his services next year. LF Ryan is no stranger to the Mud Dawgs, since he came up through there minor league system and was welcomed back with open arms. If Ryan can duplicate his 29 HR, 122 RBI, and .341 avg., then he could be the steal of the year. 3B Fred Restovich will have 3rd all to himself this year and hopefully, he can return to form, when he belted 39 homeruns and had 112 RBI in his first year in the majors. Utility player Ray McGrady hopes to improve his stats this year and could be a very key part to the Mud Dawgs future success. The Mud Dawgs are also hoping that 1B Micah Trammell can step up his game this year and contribute more than past years. No MVP’s in this lineup, but if these guys can gel, then they should be able to score some runs this year.
A Look at the Pitchers:
Tim Brock leads the rotation with his 3.58 ERA and 1.26 whip. Arizona’s hoping he can return to his 18 win days, because that’s what it will take for the Mud Dawgs to be competitive this year. 25 yr old Willis Allen will follow Brock with his 4.51 ERA and 201 innings pitched. Allen has improved on his numbers every year and if he continues, then he will be an excellent #2 starter. Alex Pescado may be forced into the rotation this year and he may not do too bad. Pescado had a 4.36 ERA in 66 innings last year and maybe being in the rotation will improve his ERA. Closer Douglas Davis was effective when able to pitch last year, but with his low stamina, he was only able to log 36 innings last year. The bullpen is pretty much a patch work and will probably cost the Mud Dawgs some wins this year, but only time will tell.
Outlook: 70-75 wins 4th in the West division
Starting pitching should be solid but no run support will cost the Mud Dawgs any chance of finishing higher than 4th in the West.
Friday, March 21, 2008
End of an era in Cleveland
As season 8 begins in OTT, the Cleveland Eastsiders go into the season with optimism, but one Eastsider will be departing after 7 seasons of stellar performance. Galahad Tucker will not be offered a contract to return for season eight. Sir Galahad, as he is called by the Cleveland faithful, leaves Cleveland holding nearly all of the Eastsiders career pitching records, and will definately find his name permanately affixed to the Cleveland Wall of Honor. Alex Owen took the news hard. "We started in the organization together, and I was hopeful something could be worked out. His leadership will be greatly missed." Tucker refuses to call it quits though. "I feel good and I think I can help out a club somewhere" Cleveland wishes Sir Galahad best wishes and luck on his continued career.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Do You Believe in Miracles?
Say to any sports fan 'Do you believe in miracles?', and they will most likely think of Al Michaels and the 1980 Olympic U.S. hockey team when they upset the Soviets. It's going to take a similar miracle (and perhaps the return of Al Michaels) if St. Louis is going to make the biggest upset in World Series history since the 1906 when the 93-win Chicago White Sox upset the 116-win Chicago Cubs in 6 games. In the six-game series, each team only used 4 pitchers, with those 8 pitchers combining for 8 complete games. This series should prove to be somewhat opposite, as it should focus more around the bats of each team rather than the pitching. St. Louis is going to have to lean on the big bats of Alan Coleman, newly acquired Che Hasegawa, and rookie Brad Mintz. After a short conversation with GM boehnerm, he seems confident. "Our guys are hot right now. They just overcame an 0-2 deficit to a good Charlotte team, and truly believe that they can win it all for the fans and for the great city of St. Louis!" But that momentum may not be enough to counter the 5-time All Star George Crow of Scranton, along with 50 HR hitter 3 years in a row, Fergie Douglas. And if that's not enough for you, throw in Yamid Amezaga and his 358 career HR and you've got a recipe for success (did I really just say 'recipe for success'?!?!?...sorry). lefty, the marionette of Scranton, has no doubts about his team. "Our guys have this in the bag. St. Louis? Are you kidding? You might as well send the trophy to get engraved now."
Is it possible for St. Louis to pull out the victory? Sure...just unlikely. Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against St. Louis. I actually want them to bring the WS trophy to the NL. It just seems like an uphill climb. And not like a sled-riding hill...like a Mt. Everest hill. Good luck to both teams! It should be fun to watch no matter what happens.
I guess the only question that remains for St. Louis is...
Is it possible for St. Louis to pull out the victory? Sure...just unlikely. Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against St. Louis. I actually want them to bring the WS trophy to the NL. It just seems like an uphill climb. And not like a sled-riding hill...like a Mt. Everest hill. Good luck to both teams! It should be fun to watch no matter what happens.
I guess the only question that remains for St. Louis is...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
READY, SET, GO PLAYOFFS START.
NL DIVISION PLAY IN SERIES
Durham Bulls lost a hard fought 5 game pitching duel series with the Charlotte Flyers. This series was like a heavy weight fight as Durham came out swinging first with a 6-5 win on the road that put the Bulls in the driver seat on the way to the division championship game. Charlotte took the first hit on the chin but didn't fall as they rebounded to take the next 2 games 3-1 and 4-2 to even the series road wins at one apiece. The Bulls were on the ropes but fought back to win game 4 by a score of 3-1 to push this bout into the last round. Both teams knew they needed the knockout punch, and Charlotte didn't disappoint as they took the division play in series 8-0. Durhams coach Andres Rodriguez was quoted as saying, " We've come along way since last years 76 wins. We have a great GM in Mount187 and we know he will continue to build on this success and next year our goals will be even bigger."
Dover Pomeranians are no strangers to the playoffs as they have been in the playoffs every year except one. They faced first time participant St. Louis Bearcats in their divisional play in series. The odds makers picked the Pomeranians to come out on top but the Bearcats used that chip on their shoulder to take a 2-0 lead in the series by scoring 1-0 and 6-4 home wins over Dover. The Poms didn't give up and took the next 2 games 6-1 and 7-2 to take the series to a game 5. It looked like the Poms would prove the odds makers right but Bearcats had other plans and made a heroic comeback to score 5 and the win in the 9th inning of game 5. Coach Castillo of the Poms said, " This one hurt the most out of all of the past early departures in the playoffs. I really thought this club had a shot at making it to the world series. It's going to be a long off-season for me and I hope it is for the players too, because we don't want to come up short again. I want them to feel the sting of this defeat, because I want them to want to not ever feel this way again."
AL DIVISION PLAY IN SERIES
Two time AL west champ Anaheim Bastooglies and Houston Moonmen, who have won 89 regular season games two years running, squared off in the AL division play in series. Unlike the NL division play in series, the Bastooglies made short work of the Moonmen by taking the series in 3 with scores of 7-6, 4-2, and 10-5. Needless to say Coach Richardson of the Houston Moonmen was non too happy when asked about their performance in the playoffs. He was quoted as saying, "Hell, if I new we were going to lay an egg, I would have just stayed out on the farm and watched my freaking chickens lay them all day long. At least it would have been more exciting."
The Nitwits and Eastsiders division play in series was little more competitive than the other AL division play in series. If you like offense, which everyone does except pitchers, you would have loved this series as both teams combined for 78 runs. The Cleveland Eastsiders started off with a convincing 16-6 win in game 1. Not be out done by their counter part, the New Britain Nitwits pounded out 10 runs to squeak by in the 2nd game 10-9. The offense took a little rest for the 3rd game as the Nitwits won 7-4. The Eastsiders warmed the bats up for game 4 as they stormed to a 9-4 win. Unfortunately for the Eastsiders, they forgot to wake the bats up for game 5 as the Nitwits destroyed Cleveland 12-1. Coach Parkers was pleased with the season, even though they came up short. " We were just glad to be here and compete. When you only win 75 games, you are usually watching instead of playing. We took a 104 win team to the wire and we hope that's a sign of things to come."
Durham Bulls lost a hard fought 5 game pitching duel series with the Charlotte Flyers. This series was like a heavy weight fight as Durham came out swinging first with a 6-5 win on the road that put the Bulls in the driver seat on the way to the division championship game. Charlotte took the first hit on the chin but didn't fall as they rebounded to take the next 2 games 3-1 and 4-2 to even the series road wins at one apiece. The Bulls were on the ropes but fought back to win game 4 by a score of 3-1 to push this bout into the last round. Both teams knew they needed the knockout punch, and Charlotte didn't disappoint as they took the division play in series 8-0. Durhams coach Andres Rodriguez was quoted as saying, " We've come along way since last years 76 wins. We have a great GM in Mount187 and we know he will continue to build on this success and next year our goals will be even bigger."
Dover Pomeranians are no strangers to the playoffs as they have been in the playoffs every year except one. They faced first time participant St. Louis Bearcats in their divisional play in series. The odds makers picked the Pomeranians to come out on top but the Bearcats used that chip on their shoulder to take a 2-0 lead in the series by scoring 1-0 and 6-4 home wins over Dover. The Poms didn't give up and took the next 2 games 6-1 and 7-2 to take the series to a game 5. It looked like the Poms would prove the odds makers right but Bearcats had other plans and made a heroic comeback to score 5 and the win in the 9th inning of game 5. Coach Castillo of the Poms said, " This one hurt the most out of all of the past early departures in the playoffs. I really thought this club had a shot at making it to the world series. It's going to be a long off-season for me and I hope it is for the players too, because we don't want to come up short again. I want them to feel the sting of this defeat, because I want them to want to not ever feel this way again."
AL DIVISION PLAY IN SERIES
Two time AL west champ Anaheim Bastooglies and Houston Moonmen, who have won 89 regular season games two years running, squared off in the AL division play in series. Unlike the NL division play in series, the Bastooglies made short work of the Moonmen by taking the series in 3 with scores of 7-6, 4-2, and 10-5. Needless to say Coach Richardson of the Houston Moonmen was non too happy when asked about their performance in the playoffs. He was quoted as saying, "Hell, if I new we were going to lay an egg, I would have just stayed out on the farm and watched my freaking chickens lay them all day long. At least it would have been more exciting."
The Nitwits and Eastsiders division play in series was little more competitive than the other AL division play in series. If you like offense, which everyone does except pitchers, you would have loved this series as both teams combined for 78 runs. The Cleveland Eastsiders started off with a convincing 16-6 win in game 1. Not be out done by their counter part, the New Britain Nitwits pounded out 10 runs to squeak by in the 2nd game 10-9. The offense took a little rest for the 3rd game as the Nitwits won 7-4. The Eastsiders warmed the bats up for game 4 as they stormed to a 9-4 win. Unfortunately for the Eastsiders, they forgot to wake the bats up for game 5 as the Nitwits destroyed Cleveland 12-1. Coach Parkers was pleased with the season, even though they came up short. " We were just glad to be here and compete. When you only win 75 games, you are usually watching instead of playing. We took a 104 win team to the wire and we hope that's a sign of things to come."
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