Big Sky Alumni Hardball Dynasty

BSA Season 13 Hall of Fame ballot

2009-08-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

- Nipsey Allen
- Stuart Allen
- Dingo Beech
- Matty Bennett
- Damian Carter
- Ricardo Castillo
- Carlos Guerrero
- Mike Hall
- Roy Hardy
- Dale Harris
- Charles Hernandez
- Ryan Hoffman
- Donovan Houston
- Sam Huson
- Slim Hutton
- Hal Jackson
- Chad Johnson
- Alex Lim
- John Lloyd
- Esteban Lopez
- Al Lunar
- Sterling Mercker
- Andy Moseley
- Fausto Nieto
- Kyle Nixon
- Charlie O'Brien
- Ernest O'Malley
- Tori Ojala
- Armando Padilla
- Matthew Ramirez
- Mandy Plunk
- Tony Sadler
- Wascar Sanchez
- Benito Santayana
- Brad Scoroposki
- Jared Serrano
- Ignacio Sosa
- Hades Springer
- Norm Thomas
- Jesus Trajano
- Victor Walsh
- Vance Waters
- Richie Wright
- Bronson Yoshii

Season 13 Hall of Fame Rule Addendum

2009-08-29T16:22:00.002-04:00

I am allowing all owners the privilege of voting this season. I have last season's records and could take away privileges as the bylaws sate, but I am using last season as a freebie and giving everyone the chance to participate. New owners will also be given the right to vote this season; there will be no penalty if they do not vote and do not send an excuse. If you do not wish to vote or do not feel qualified, you simply need to send sweetsalve a sitemail and express that you are declining to vote this season and you will keep your privileges for future season. Only those who do not vote and do not communicate that they are not voting this season will lose their future rights in the voting process. These rules will be enforced from this point forward, but I wanted to practice some grace being that this was a new process last season and still working out the kinks this season.

Season 13 Hall of Fame Rule reminders

2009-08-29T16:19:00.001-04:00

Here are the rules for the Hall of Fame. As I demonstrated last season, these rules can be adjusted to best fit the purpose of this exercise.

Voting Privileges:
Only those who have been in the BSA at least one full season and are also currently in the BSA are eligible to vote. Owners in their first season must return for another year to get voting rights. Owners who have previously been in the BSA and return later on will be given the right to vote. If anyone fails to cast a ballot in a season (without a sitemailed, legitimate excuse), they will lose their privilege to vote. If someone votes for no one and sends a ballot saying "My vote is for no one", that counts as a submitted ballot. But sending nothing revokes all future privileges.

Ballot:
A player must be officially listed as "retired" on their player card to be eligible to appear on the ballot. There is no objective number to how many players can be on the ballot. Players who may obviously not be Hall of Fame material may appear on the ballot (Benito Santiago appeared on the real life Hall of Fame ballot after all). A player will be carried over from one season to the next as long as he gets one vote per season. If a player gets no votes, they will be dropped from the ballot. A player can be on the ballot 5 seasons before being dropped regardless of votes received. I will reserve the right to retain a player on a ballot to increase the ballot size if it is deemed necessary.

Who gets in:A player must receive .08 percent of total votes on submitted ballots to enter the Hall of Fame. Percentages will be rounded up to .08 percent in the event that an exact .08 percent rate cannot be obtained. There is no limit to the number of players who can be elected; there is also no minimum requirement (meaning someone does not have to be elected each season). I reserve the right to change voting rules during voting in extreme cases where manipulation of the ballot has occurred either intentionally or unintentionally. While the HOF should be an exclusive club, it should not be made impossible to attain the privilege of entering the Hall.

Voting:
Each owner will get to vote for up to 10 players. They do not have to vote for 10, but cannot vote for more than 10. This mimics the real Hall of Fame ballot. In the future, if that number seems to be producing too many Hall of Famers, it will be reduced. Or if the ballot is small, it could also be temporarily reduced.

Veteran's Committee:
This will be a 6 member committee. The initial committee will be made up of sweetsalve, evan43, hwaters397, eblitz24, hurminator, and mlownds. If a member drops out of the committee, they will be replaced by an original BSA HBD owner. This committee will be allowed to nominate one inductee per season starting with season 13. Eligible inductees will be players who have fallen off the ballot but the committee thinks should be included due to their contribution to the game (for instance, we may vote in original players who were great for a season or 2 but aged quickly and we didn't get to see their full careers but none the less are BSA legends). This committee is not restricted to voting in players. They can vote in owner/gms, coaches, or anyone else. However, the committee must come to a consensus on the one individual to be voted in that year. If a consensus is not reached, no one is voted in. Each committee member can nominate one inductee and explain to the other committee members why that individual should be inducted to the HOF. Based on the nominees, each committee member will then submit a ranking of 1 to 6 of the nominees, one being the most worthy, and the inductee with the lowest total will then be considered. All 6 of the committee members must be persuaded and agree that the final nominee should be inducted. A committee member may abstain from voting on that inductee and if the other 5 vote yes for their induction, they will be inducted.

Season 12 round 2 playoff predictions

2009-06-27T11:37:00.004-04:00

Sorry all, I didn't have time to write up previews, but I thought I would share my predictions anyway:

Columbus over Rochester in 3

Nashville over Oakland in 5

Toledo over Philly in 5

Honolulu over New Orleans in 4 (sorry New Orleans, Honolulu is hot)

Season 12 First Round Playoff Preview and Overall Playoff Predictions

2009-06-24T10:48:00.006-04:00

American League Divisional Play-in Series

#4 Minnesota Fighting Minnow vs. #5 Rochester Rampage

Offense: Minnesota is led by MVP candidate Ross Morris, who should be well rested and able to play everyday in the playoffs. LF Ruben Martinez is the key to playoff success. He had a solid but not great season, but he is hitting .381 career in the playoffs and needs to be that kind of clutch player again for Minnesota to make some noise.

With 6 hitters with 25 plus home runs, Rochester definetly upped their power game this year. Alfredo Allen, Graham Field, and Earl Baker all topped 40 dingers. Alfredo Allen may be key in this series, not with his bat but with his feet. His 33 stolen bases with only 3 caught stealing show he can take advantage of Minnesota's catchers.

Defense: Minnesota did not win their division with the gloves. Ross Morris, Morris Stull, Alfredo Marquis, and Abraham Ross are all below average at their positions. Considering 2 of those players are the 2B and SS, that spells trouble. Both their catchers have at best average arms and stolen bases could become an offensive key for Rochester. Ronald Post is still great in CF.

SS Clay Magadan and 2B Louie Mendez have to be one of the better double play combinations in the BSA. With Ocar Mullen in CF, there aren't any weak spots up the middle in Rochester. Earl Baker had a rough season with 10 errors in left field.

Rotation: Minnesota will go with the 4 man rotation of Omar Ramirez, Hugh Hodges, Howie Westbrook, and Pablo Oliva. All 4 have playoff experience and Minny will need one of them to get hot if they are going to go deep in the playoffs. Oliva has done that before in Kansas City, so watch out for him.

Gabe Murphy had another solid campaign and leads Rochester's rotation into the playoffs. Veteran Milton Allen is aging but experienced in the postseason. 10-3 Ben Mecir may be the key as he'll be called on to pitch a pivotal game 3 at home.

Bullpen: Enrique Santana was horrific in the closers role this year and showed that his days as an elite closer are for sure done. But no one else in this bullpen stepped up and pitched well enough to supplant Enrique. Youngster Jordan Falk was the lone bright spot in this pen.

In his first full season at closer, Felix Curtis flashed his potential with a great season. Kerry Mullen had a solid season as the workhors out of the pen. Aside from Curtis, this pen is solid but not amazing.

Prediction: It's tough to say who is the underdog here. Minnesota holds the high seed and home field advantage, but Rochester has the better record by 9 games. Offensively, these teams are fairly even though Minnesota seems to have a slight edge overall. In the rotation, Minnesota has a definite edge and they will be the key to the series. But Minnesota's defense and bullpen have been so poor, Rochester's edge in those categories may make up for it. The key for Minnesota will be Pablo Oliva. If Hodges and Ramirez split at home, Oliva will need to go into Rochester and flash his former Cy Young stuff to put the Minnows in the driver's seat. The key for Rochester will be Gabe Murphy. He needs to come out and win the opener in Minnesota and shut down their powerful offense.

Because starting pitching is most important in the playoffs, I'm predicting Minnesota in 5 games.

#3 Oakland Hammers vs. #6 Boston Bombers

Offense: Oakland's Stephen Maxwell may very well be one of the most underrated hitters in the BSA. He has had 40+ home run/ 100+ RBI seasons in every season he has played in the bigs, 6 in all. Slugger Henry Rose will be the key to Oakland winning this series. All of Boston's rotation is right handed and Rose hammers right handers. His power numbers fell off a little this season, but he can make up for it with a big playoff series here.

The Bombers wouldn't be the Bombers without their home runs. 6 players topped 30 homers, 8 topped 20. Stan Stewart led the way with 64. Trevor Yeats will need to reverse his playoff jinx for the Bombers to go far. Yeats is hitting only .197 in 249 career playoff at bats. He has hit some key home runs, but he's going to need to get on base more for Boston to make a run.

Defense: With his speed and range, CF Rob Faulk should be better than he is. Hammonds and Gonzales form a solid doble play combo. Jeff Lee is an above average catcher and runners only had a 63% success rate off of him this year.

Stewart was a stud in the field as well as at the plate, with 9 plus plays and only 9 errors in CF. Yearwood and Ozuna formed a nice defensive catching duo, combinging for a 71% stolen base percentage. De La Vega and Yeats form a solid but not spectacular up the middle duo.

Rotation: Young Virgil Rodriguez is thrown into the #1 starter role in his first major league season, putting a lot of pressure on the youngster. Al Vallarta will still be the key as Oakland will need him to step up and lead this young staff.

Joel Simmons got his first 20 win season and will be the staff ace coming into the playoffs. Will Poole, Ed Sauveur, and Luis Perez round out this young and talented rotation. If they pitch to their potential and not their age, this rotation could take this #6 seed to the Series.

Bullpen: Charles Hall is one of the BSA's all time great closers and proved it again this season. Brant Powell was stellar in a setup role as well. Louis Murphy will need to step up and be the bridge to get to Hall in the playoffs. He will need to limit his walks and get some key strikeouts.

Veteran Fernando Almanza stepped into the closer's role for the first time and the shoes fit. Starter Barney Kirwan will be added to the playoff bullpen and could become and important setup man or long reliever if the young rotation falters.

Prediction: It's hard to believe Boston is now a 6 seed, but the power in the American League has shifted. Both of these teams are relatively young and it won't be the last time we see this matchup in the playoffs. Boston has the advantage at the plate and in the rotation, and I see Oakland as having a slight advantage in the field and in the pen. The key for Oakland will be young Virgil Rodriguez carrying his hot streak into the playoffs. The key for Boston will be rookie starter Ed Sauveur pitching in game 3 possibly against Al Vallarta and will need him to show his real stuff and not his rookie lack of composure.

My instincts say to go with Oakland, but on paper I've got to go with Boston. Boston in 4

National League Divisional Play-in Series

#4 Philadelphia Bell Busters vs. #5 Milwaukee Butter Girls

Offense: Philly was overlooked offensively this season, but they had 5 hitters over .300 and hit for a team average of .285. Orlando Lee is the centerpiece of the offense and wants to step up this series and break out into the spotlight of the BSA.

While you may not think of power when you think of the Butter Girls, 8 hitters topped 20 homers for the club. Kevin Swann may be key in the playoffs. He led the team with 48 homers, but he struggled overall, hitting .251. He needs to be a more consistent hitter in the middle of the order for Milwaukee to move forward.

Defense: Orlando Lee is not a natural centerfielder, but he played solid out there with only 6 errors. However, his lack of range led to 8 minus plays and could cost them at times in the playoffs. Gordon Dresden will need to take over the full time catching duties with Marco Blair's injury. He is known more for his stick than his glove, so he'll need to step up behind the plate.

Statistically speaking, Troy Pavlov will be talked about as one of the great shortstops, but his days of being able to field as a shortstop are long gone. 24 erros, 8 minus plays, and no plus plays put him among the worst. Hopefully Slash Edmonds doesn't see 2B in the playoffs as he did in the regular season, where he had 25 errors in only 42 games.

Rotation: Philly has a lot of young pitchers and there are a lot of question marks about who will be in their playoff rotation. Right now, it appears veteran of the staff James Hamilton will get the ball in game one, followed by Gary Ferrell, Juan Alezaga, and Philip Buford. Fans are questioning why 20 game winner Buford is in the #4 spot while 5-14 Alezaga is pitching at all, but it appears Philly has to play with their rested pitchers after a grueling fight for the division title.

I don't know how Rube Daniels keeps doing it, but he keeps doing it. As long as this guy has an arm still attached to his body I think he'll be putting up Cy Young caliber seasons. Livan Jiminez was suppossed to be the veteran punch behind Daniels, but elbow surgery has him out for the season and has drastically altered the course of his career. But young Shawn Radlosky had a good season and will line up behind Daniels for a solid 1-2 playoff punch.

Bullpen: Veteran Trever King has emerged as the closer and has had his ups and down during the season. Jason Hartman was the workhorse and will be called on to step in early if any starters falter. Young Paxton Lunsford has struggled and been put into the bullpen, but he has the stuff to step up and make a difference if he puts it together for the playoffs.

Philip Sherman went 9-2 out of the pen this year, posting a 2.83 era in the process. Closer Jim Gload did not have a good season, but still registered 38 saves. He will need to step it up and pitch like the savy veteran he is to give Milwaukee a chance in the playoffs.

Prediction: Both of these teams have solid offenses and question marks on defense. But Philly's rotation is young and seems to be weary, while Milwaukee has Rube Daniels which gives them 2 wins in a 5 game series almost every time. Milwaukee clearly has the better pen as well. The key for Philly is Orlando Lee, both at the plate and in the field. He has the potential to carry a team on his back with his slugging, but can't cost them games with his poor range in center. The key for Milwaukee is Shawn Radlosky. If he pitches well behind Daniels, look out.

I'm calling for a Milwaukee sweep.

#3 Albuquerque Turkeys vs. #6 Honolulu Noka Oi

Offense: Jerome Duran was not the best offensive player on this team this year; Charles Romero was. That just tells you how good Romero is. And statistically, catcher Jocko Phelps blew them both out of the water with one of the best season a catcher has ever had at the plate, hitting .385 with a .480 OBP and .654 slugging percentage.

Ernie Price was an all or nothing slugger this year. On the all side, he hit 54 long balls and drove in 146 runs. On the nothing side, his OBP was .315. If Elrod Herndon and Ryne Magruder get on base in front of him, Price has to play it smart and put the ball in play and not just swing for the fences.

Defense: Jerome Duran never gets enough credit for his defense because of his offense, but he may after this series. Duran is injured and Rigo Santiago has to step in and fill some huge shoes. santiago had 3 errors in 14 games at second; Duran had 11 in 140. That defensive drop off (not to mention the offensive loss) may come into play in this series.

Ryne Magruder has a poor season at 3B and may just not have the glove to hang there. Juan Iglesias had some problems with the glove at SS, but he is a solid fielder and gets to some balls other SS wouldn't get to.

Rotation: Albuquerque still has a 5 man rotation setup but may shorten it iff they need to. Bono Green is a veteran who leads the staff and has started 17 postseason games in his career. He is followed by Angel Olivares, Geronimo Flores, Kevin Crawford, and Jumbo Balboa. All 5 starters are solid, but will any of them turn it up a notch for the playoff stretch?

Rookie Robin Drew lived up to all the hype in his first full season, going 19-6. He is the reason they are in the playoffs, and if they win this series, he'll be the reason. Veteran Brian Meng will need to shake off some of his tough luck this year and pitch up to his potential.

Bullpen: 3 pitchers will be key to the Turkey's late inning success. Cole Alexander has not had a lot of save opportunities this season, but this is the time of year where you have to be ready every night as a closer. His career 1.65 postseason WHIP isn't going to cut it this year. Robin Carlyle and Stan Osborne combined to go 13-3 in the regular season, both posting career years. They are not late inning workhorses, but if they come into games they will need to carryover their regular season success to get them to the late innings in good shape.

Closer Brandon Williamson has struggled at times but has been consistent. Veterans Bill Bowie and Julio Mesa will be the key contributors out of the pen in this series. Mesa will be needed to get outs when coming in to face a big slugger with men on base.

Prediction: Both of these teams beat up on mine in the regular season, so I'm hoping they both lose this series. Albuquerque has perhaps the biggest offensive advantage of any team in the first round, even without Jerome Duran. In fact, Albuquerque has the advantage in every area of the game. The key for Albuquerque is Jerome Duran's injury. He will miss this series, so can they replace his bat enough to get by Honolulu? The key for Honolulu is Robin Drew. One pitcher can overcome every other disadvantage, so Drew will need to win 2 games to give Honolulu a chance.

Duran's injury would have me feeling uneasy if I were Albuquerque, but I still think the Turkeys sweep the series.

Overall Playoff Predictions:

I wanted to give you these before the playoffs started to stir up conversation. I've already predicted Minnesota, Boston, Milwaukee, and Albuquerque will win in the first round.

In the division championship series, I see Columbus beating Minnesota and Boston upsetting Nashville in the AL. In the NL, Toledo will take care of Milwaukee and Albuquerque will take out New Orleans.

In the league championships series, Boston will give Columbus all they can handle but I think Columbus has too much. Albuquerque will continue their regular season success against Toledo and advance to the series.

In the World Series, Columbus will prove they are the best team in the BSA and finish off a long and amazing rebuilding project.

Final Power Poll Season 12

2009-06-23T00:05:00.004-04:00

1. Columbus TaRhymes
Led the league in WHIP, second in ERA with another great year from Glenn Painter

2. Nashville Redbirds
Only team with over a thousand runs scored led by Alfonso Cruz

3. Toledo Black Sheep
Led league in ERA, second in WHIP with Cy Young favorite Hugh Bukvich

4. Albuquerque Turkeys
Charles Romero had the longest hitting strak of the season at 26 games in what was the first of what will be many great seasons

5. Milwaukee Butter Girls
Ageless wonder Rube Daniels registers another great season to put himself in position for 200 wins next season

6. Boston Bombers
Resurgent offense led by MVP candidate Stan Stewart

7. New Orleans Swim
Sandy Mullen was a key free agent signing that led this team to a first round bye in the NL playoffs

8. Rochester Rampage
Alfredo Allen had his best season to date in leading Rochester to a wildcard berth

9. Philadelphia Bell Busters
Phillip Buford gets the credit for pushing this team to the wildcard

10. Oakland Hammers
Rob Faulk led the league with 88 steals

11. Minnesota Fighting Minnow
Ross Morris led the league in OPS by a wide margin

12. Honolulu Noka Oi
Robin Drew lived up to expectations in his first full season

13. Sacremento Stars
Fernando Neruda had a season for the ages

14. Las Vegas Spittin' Vermin
Led the league in home runs powered by Jacob Sung

15. Kansas City Monarchs
Eric Christman was the backbone of the offense again

16. San Francisco Cephalopods
Dan Coomer returned to form after as rough season with 16 wins

17. Detroit Night Hawks
Mitch Hardy became the first pitcher in BSA history to top 200 wins

18. Vancouver Vipers
Willie Seanez was a key acquisition at the beginning of the season and put a stamp on his Hall of Fame caliber career with another 30 homerun and 100 RBI season

19. Austin City Limits
Omar Rhodes showed again why Austin fans love him

20. Pittsburgh Pride
Pedro Jacquez and Brandon Sweeney formed a nice rookie tandem in the rotation

21. Washington D.C. Washington Huskies
Ivan Mantalban continues to be one of the BSA's top sluggers

22. Chicago Deep Dish
Rookie Mark Bukvich was a highlight for this squad

23. Los Angeles Freaks
Stretch Parker highlights this teams hard luck season, finishing 4th in ERA but with a losing record

24. Richmond Poes
Teddy Duran proved himself as one of the BSA's top closersa

25. Mexico City Conquistadors
Ricardo Ibarra and his elbow injury were the low point of a hard season, but Ibarra was having a solid sophomore campaign prior to the injury

26. El Paso Border Patrol
Johnnie Bush was a bright spot in a dismal season

27. Charlotte Panthers
Mark Gordon needs some help on offense

28. Indianapolis Mannings
Closer Jerry Thompson was the highlight of the team

29. Syracus Insurers Inc.

Miguel Tejada still hit 32 homers while uppping his average to .329

30. Helena Hellfish
Arthur Hogan had a 20-20 season in a struggling offense

31. St. Louis This Bud's 4 You
Willard Byrnes played well defensively at 2B, tied for the team lead with a .275 average, and stole 46 bases

32. Louisville Colonels
Charles Henley led the team with 37 dingers in spite of having under 400 ABs

If they would have...

2009-05-27T11:58:00.004-04:00

Our 3 HOF Inductees are unique in that they all started their HBD careers in (or past) their prime. But what would they have been if they had started at the age of 25? I don't know what the average start age is in HDB, but I think 25 is a safe assumption (if a player is drafted out of HS and spends one season at each level, they would be 23 when they start in the majors). Wilson Poole would have added 3 season to his carer, Brendan Towers 6 season, and Del Johnson would have gained 7 season. Calculating the averages of their full season, their numbers would have looked like this (I did not adjust averages like BA, OBP, SLG, ERA, or WHIP):

Wilson Poole: 382 HRs, 1509 RBI, 551 2B, 134 3B, 2300 H, 359 SB (.296/.357/.552)

MLB Hall of Famer stats resemble: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lindsfr01.shtml Freddie Lindstrom looks like the best comparison to Poole with the same exact number of hits, but Poole had more power and speed while Lindstrom had a higher average. With project stats, Poole compares well with Orlando Cepeda http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cepedor01.shtml . Projections put them with the same number of homeruns, batting average, and hits, but Poole is better in doubles, triples, and stolen bases. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bottoji01.shtml Jim Bottomley is another possible comparison. Poole had 289 homers and 270 stolen bases and projected to 382 homers and 359 stolen bases. Currently in the MLB Hall of Fame, only 11 players have hit more than 200 homers and stolen 200 bases. Willy Mays is the only player to have 300+ in both categories.

BSA HBD star whose age he started at: Jesus Torrealba starts at 28 and you wipe out 286 career saves!

Brendan Towers - 242 W, 2348 K (3.12 ERA, 1.2 WHIP)

MLB Hall of Famer stats resemble: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/deandi01.shtml Dizzy Dean is a very close resemblance to Towers' actual statistics. Dean had 2 more wins and an ERA that was .1 lower than Towers and they had an identical WHIP. With projected stats, Towers looks like Whitey Ford http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fordwh01.shtml. Ford had a much better ERA, but win totals and WHIP are close and Towers had more Ks.

BSA HBD whose age he started at: Hugh Bukvich If Bukvich can do what Towers did from 31 on, he's going to have some great numbers when he retires. I know hitters age differently, but Ugueth Moya is also 31

Del Johnson - 217 W, 2645K (3.38 ERA, 1.19 WHIP)

MLB Hall of Famer stats resemble: Del Johnson's actual stats do not compare well with any real Hall of Famers, but consider that every HOF starting pitcher threw many more innings than him. With projected stats, his win and strike out totals remind you of Don Drysdale http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/drysddo01.shtml though Drysdale had a better WHIP and ERA.

BSA HBD whose age he started at: Jerome Duran Again I know hitters age differently, but imagine if all we ever knew of Duran was from this season onward.

Season 12 Voting Totals

2009-05-26T20:49:00.003-04:00

24 ballots were cast this season. Initially, the rules stated that a player must be on 805 of ballots. As I observed how owners would vote and how many would vote. That became too restrictive, but I didn’t want to make it too easy to get in. So thanks to a suggestion from trystero, I switched it to a player must get a .08 percent of the total votes. From the 24 owners, there were 169 votes. I did as I said I would initially and I rounded down to 13 votes. So 13 votes was the magic number to get in the Hall this season. It will be different every season pending on the number of votes cast.

Player (Votes)
- Brendan Towers (22)
- Del Johnson (15)
- Wilson Poole (13)
- Sam Huson (12)
- Ricardo Castillo (11)
- Jesus Trajano (11)
- Wascar Sanchez (10)
- Charles Hernandez (9)
- Benito Santayana (8)
- Tori Ojala (7)
- Esteban Lopez (6)
- Matthew Ramirez (5)
- Alex Lim (5)
- Stuart Allen (4)
- Brad Scoroposki (4)
- Vance Waters (3)
- Charlie O’Brien (3)
- Dan Millard (3)
- Al Lunar (3)
- Slim Hutton (2)
- Andy Mosely (2)
- Donovan Houston (2)
- Tony Sadler (2)
- Fausto Nieto (1)
- Victor Walsh (1)
- Jared Serrano (1)
- Ryan Hoffman (1)
- Matty Bennett (1)
- Armando Padilla (1)

Season 12 Hall of Fame Inductees

2009-05-25T22:25:00.003-04:00

Brendan Towers
none
none
Age: 41	B/T: S/R
Born: Bellville, OH
Position(s): P (P)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Del Johnson
none
none
Age: 42	B/T: R/R
Born: Valencia, VE
Position(s): P (P)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Wilson Poole
none
none
Age: 38	B/T: L/L
Born: West Warwick, RI
Position(s): 1B/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Hurm's Hall of Famers

2009-05-17T07:34:00.000-04:00

Charles Hernandez
Dennis Crawford
Donovan Houston
Matty Bennett
Sam Huson- best defensive and offensive catcher for a long stretch.
Del Johnson- ridiculous if he doesn't make it.
Alex Lim- awesome consistency, great LF glove.
Esteban Lopez- voting is a joke if a 1.1 OPS doesn't make it.
Al Lunar
Dan Milliard- one of the best defensive 3B ever and .307 career BA? Easy call.
Charlie Morris
Andy Moseley
Fausto Nieto- imagine him in his prime!
Tori Ojala
Armando Padilla
John Perez- yikes, that's a bigger ERA than I thought, but what a workhorse.
Shawn Peterman
Wilson Poole
Matthew Ramirez- .910 career OPS and an elite defender
Tony Sadler- if only he wasn't 29 when we started...
Wascar Sanchez
Benito Santayana
Brad Scoroposki- incredibly consistent, a no-brainer
Jared Serrano- kinda close, but elite glove gets him over the hump.
Rex Spradlin- elite in his prime
Brendan Towers- Almost a 3-1 win-loss ratio? Stupid Bombers!
Jesus Trajano- Ozzie Smith with POP
Alberto Vega- another start-date victim...great near his prime...
Vance Waters- 32 when the league started and STILL a 3.70 career ERA...amazing.

Season 12 Hall of Fame Ballot

2009-05-16T12:01:00.000-04:00

- Stuart Allen
- Matty Bennett
- Perry Carter
- Ricardo Castillo
- Dennis Crawford
- Bob Fleming
- Mike Hall
- Dale Harris
- Charles Hernandez
- Ryan Hoffman
- Donovan Houston
- Sam Huson
- Slim Hutton
- Dingo Jerchower
- Del Johnson
- Dave Jones
- Albert Lee
- Alex Lim
- Walt Lockwood
- Esteban Lopez
- Al Lunar
- Dan Milliard
- Vic Moreno
- Charlie Morris
- Andy Moseley
- Fausto Nieto
- Charlie O'Brien
- Tori Ojala
- Armando Padilla
- John Perez
- Shawn Peterman
- Wilson Poole
- Matthew Ramirez
- Tony Sadler
- Wascar Sanchez
- Benito Santayana
- Joaquin Sardinha
- Brad Scoroposki
- Jared Serrano
- Rex Spradlin
- Brendan Towers
- Jesus Trajano
- Pat Vanguri
- Alberto Vega
- Victor Walsh
- Vance Waters

BSA Hall of Fame FAQ

2009-05-15T12:12:00.003-04:00

The first annual BSA Hall of Fame ballot will be released tomorrow. Before seeing the ballot, here are the rules, voting privileges, ballot criteria, etc that will govern the BSA Hall of Fame.

Voting Privileges:
Only those who have been in the BSA at least one full season and are also currently in the BSA are eligible to vote. Owners in their first season must return for another year to get voting rights. Owners who have previously been in the BSA and return later on will be given the right to vote. If anyone fails to cast a ballot in a season (without a sitemailed, legitimate excuse), they will lose their privilege to vote. If someone votes for no one and sends a ballot saying "My vote is for no one", that counts as a submitted ballot. But sending nothing revokes all future privileges.

Ballot:
A player must be officially listed as "retired" on their player card to be eligible to appear on the ballot. There is no objective number to how many players can be on the ballot. Players who may obviously not be Hall of Fame material may appear on the ballot (Benito Santiago appeared on the real life Hall of Fame ballot after all). A player will be carried over from one season to the next as long as he gets one vote per season. If a player gets no votes, they will be dropped from the ballot. A player can be on the ballot 5 seasons before being dropped regardless of votes received. I will reserve the right to retain a player on a ballot to increase the ballot size if it is deemed necessary.

Who gets in:
A player must receive a vote on 80 percent of submitted ballots to enter the Hall of Fame. An unsubmitted ballot will not count against him. Percentages will be rounded up to 80 percent in the event that an exact 80 percent rate cannot be obtained (For instance, if all 32 owners are eligible to vote, they would need 25.6 votes. Instead of required them to get 26 votes and be at over 80 percent, they will need 25 votes (which is 78.125 percent) ). There is no limit to the number of players who can be elected; there is also no minimum requirement (meaning someone does not have to be elected each season).

Voting:
Each owner will get to vote for up to 10 players. They do not have to vote for 10, but cannot vote for more than 10. This mimics the real Hall of Fame ballot. In the future, if that number seems to be producing too many Hall of Famers, it will be reduced. Or if the ballot is small, it could also be temporarily reduced.

Veteran's Committee:
This will be a 6 member committee. The initial committee will be made up of sweetsalve, evan43, hwaters397, eblitz24, hurminator, and mlownds. If a member drops out of the committee, they will be replaced by an original BSA HBD owner. This committee will be allowed to nominate one inductee per season starting with season 13. Eligible inductees will be players who have fallen off the ballot but the committee thinks should be included due to their contribution to the game (for instance, we may vote in original players who were great for a season or 2 but aged quickly and we didn't get to see their full careers but none the less are BSA legends). This committee is not restricted to voting in players. They can vote in owner/gms, coaches, or anyone else. However, the committee must come to a consensus on the one individual to be voted in that year. If a consensus is not reached, no one is voted in. Each committee member can nominate one inductee and explain to the other committee members why that individual should be inducted to the HOF. Based on the nominees, each committee member will then submit a ranking of 1 to 6 of the nominees, one being the most worthy, and the inductee with the lowest total will then be considered. All 6 of the committee members must be persuaded and agree that the final nominee should be inducted. A committee member may abstain from voting on that inductee and if the other 5 vote yes for their induction, they will be inducted.

BSA Season 12 Power Poll #2

2009-05-15T00:31:00.002-04:00

1. Columbus TaRhymes (38-13)
Tony Ibanez is leading the best pitching staff in the BSA with 9 wins

2. Toledo Black Sheep (36-15)
Ugueth Moya and his 1.142 OPS have pushed Toledo to a 13 game lead

3. Nashville Redbirds (35-16)
Only team hitting above .300 and a whooping .385 team OBP

4. Milwaukee Buttergirls (33-18)
The ageless wonder Rube Daniels leads the league with a 10-0 record

5. Rochester Rampage (32-19)
The suprise #2 staff in the league has Gabe Murphy at the top

6. Boston Bombers (32-19)
The Bombers' bats are hot with 7 hitters in double digits in home runs already

7. Albuquerque Turkeys (30-21)
Imagine how far they'd be ahead in the West if 2x MVP Jerome Duran was hittign better than .249

8. Oakland Hammers (31-20)
Stephen Maxwell is on pace for his 6th straight 40 homer, 100 RBI season

9. Kansas City Monarchs (30-21)
Joe Mulder has taken advantage of limited at bats with a 1.135 OPS since coming to town

10. Las Vegas Spittin' Vermin (30-21)
113 bombs is tops in the BSA led by Jacob Sung and his 20

11. New Orleans Swim (29-22)
Mariano Soto is riding a 12 game hitting streak

12. Chicago Deep Dish (28-23)
Felix Sexton is looking to break the 30-30 barrier this season and is on his way with 14 dingers and 17 swipes

13. Austin City Limits (26-25)
The only thing loved more than Dennis Black's glasses in Austin is his 2.76 era

14. San Fransisco Cephalophods (26-25)
Octavio Borges and his 23 stolen bases adds to the league leading 74 steals from San Fran

15. Sacremento Stars (25-26)
Fernando Neruda is off to a great start iwht a league leading 1.74 ERA

16. Philadelphia Bell Busters (26-25)
A strong sophomore season from Phillip Buford has this team over .500 nearly a third of the way through the season

17. Mexico City Conquistadors (25-26)
Trevor Padden is key to this resurgent pitching staff

18. Richmond Poes (23-28)
Dennys Meng is forcing his way into the lineup right now

19. Minnesota Fighting Minnow (24-27)
.299 average has them second in the BSA in hitting and in first in the worst division

20. Detroit Night Hawks (24-27)
58 errors and .970 fielding percentage are the worst in baseball

21. Vancouver Vipers (22-29)
Rookie Jamie Ogea and his .300 average and 14 stolen bases have kept the Vipers in the North race

22. Los Angeles Freaks (22-29)
Last in the BSA in average, OBP, and slugging

23. Honolulu Noka Oi (21-30)
Youngsters Robin Drew and Ryne Magruder give the native islanders some hope that this team can turn it around

24. Washington D.C. Washington Huskies (20-31)
Augie Martin and his 15 saves are one of the bright spots in the early season for the capital city

25. Charlotte Panthers (19-32)
Alfonso Cruz has been horrific out of the pen

26. Louisville Colonels (20-31)
Lead BSA in fielding percentage and errors

27. Indianapolis Mannings (20-31)
Tied for last in dingers and next to last in batting average as a team

28. Syracuse Insurers Inc. (19-32)
1-6 Darron Doster has been on of the worst starting pitchers this season

29. Pittsburgh Pride (19-32)
David Hoover has paced a a solid offense with a .359 average

30. Helena Hellfish (19-32)
A horrendous stretch including an 11 game losing streak has moved this team from first to worst in the North

31. St. Louis this buds 4 you! (16-35)
Being last in WHIP and next to last in ERA gets you in this spot

32. El Paso Border Patrol (16-35)
Their hitting and pitching have improved with free agent acquisition Phil Waltman starting out 5-3

Season 12 Power Poll #1

2009-05-05T00:35:00.003-04:00

1. Columbus TaRhymes (18-5)
Riding an 11 game win streak to the top spot
2. Toledo Black Sheep (19-4)
12-1 on the road so far this season
3. Nashville Redbirds (17-6)
12-1 at home
4. Albuquerque Turkeys (15-8)
Ronald Walcutt has been dynamite out of the pen, posting 2 wins, 3 saves, and a 1.46 era
5. Rochester Rampage (16-7)
Alfredo Allen is on fire, hitting .363 with 7 homers
6. Kansas City Monarchs (14-9)
FA signing Cy Forrester has led the way with 9 dingers and 25 RBI
7. Milwaukee Butter Girls (14-9)
Daniel Daily can't possibly keep up his .437/.480/.644 pace
8. Philadelphia Bell Busters (14-9)
Starting off hot at the dish with a team average of .293
9. Oakland Hammers (13-10)
Pablo James has not given up a run in 9 appearances
10. Austin City Limits (13-10)
Yorrick Caruso is taking charge of this lineup with a .355/.444 start to the season
11. Boston Bombers (12-11)
Trever Yeats has recharged this lineup with his 1.061 OPS
12. New Orleans Swim (13-10)
Only 2 stolen bases
13. Las Vegas Spittin' Vermin (12-11)
50 homers lead all teams
14. Helena Hellfish (13-10)
League leading .307 team average
15. Sacremento Stars (13-10)
Fighting through offensive struggles with a .228 team average
16. Chicago Deep Dish (11-12)
Julian Navarro has started 6 for 6 in saves without giving up a run
17. San Fransisco Cephalophods (12-11)
Octavio Borges is riding a 15 game hit streak
18. Minnesota Fighting Minnows (11-12)
Alfredo Marquis leads the AL with a .398 average
19. Los Angeles Freaks (11-12)
Stan Fisher leads the NL with 11 dingers
20. Mexico City Conquistadors (11-12)
Team strikes out nearly once every 4 ABs
21. Washington D. C. Washington Huskies (10-13)
Pitchers have shown good control with only 57 walks thus far
22. Richmond Poes (10-13)
Danys Franco has a 13 game hit streak
23. Pittsburgh Pride (10-13)
Winning games in spite of their 6.06 ERA and .310 OAV
24. Vancouver Vipers (9-14)
Recently acquired Xavier Knight has been stellar with a 2.08 ERA
25. St. Louis this bud's 4 you (9-14)
6.14 team ERA is next to worst in BSA
26. Detroit Night Hawks (8-15)
Hard luck losers with .290 team average
27. Indianapolis Mannings (8-15)
Josh Franco and his .349 average are the lone spark trying to ignite a sputtering offense
28. Syracuse Insurers, Inc (8-15)
Pitching is achille's heel with 5.94 ERA and 1.63 WHIP
29. Charlotte Panthers (7-16)
86 runs scored is next to last in the AL
30. Honolulu Noka Oi (7-16)
Brian Meng has been hammered to the tune of 8.68 ERA
31. Louisville Colonels (7-16)
Matt Foster has had no run support and has managed only 1 win with a stellar 2.67 ERA
32. El Paso Border Patrol (3-20)
Alex Roque is the lone bright spot in what is shaping up to be a very long season in El Paso

BSA Season 12 Preseason Power Poll

2009-04-29T13:53:00.005-04:00

1. Columbus TaRhymes
The odds on favorite to win the World Series this year. With the addition of Derrick Hughes to the bullpen and the eventual callup of Toby Darnell, this team will have few holes and the best rotation in the game.

2. Albuquerque Turkeys
With 103 wins last season, the Turkeys lost very little from a solid squad and should easily repeat as NL west champs. A big bat to help replace the loss of some of their past standouts could help Jerome Duran out and make a real push for the title.

3. Detroit Night Hawks
Losing Livan Jimenez will hurt, but most of the league leading 106 win squad returns. With a midseason addition to the rotation, the Night Hawks should compete for the title.

4. Nashville Red Birds
Columbus and Nashville were once at the bottom of these lists, but the young talent has arrived in both cities. There pitching may still be too young to take the title, but Jack Freel will certainly help and callups of Juan Tavarez and Matthew Bailes could make this the most talented team top to bottom in the BSA.

5. Toledo Black Sheep
Last season's playoffs showed what Toledo would look like with a healthy Aurelio Benitez . With disputably the best starting staff in the NL and Ugueth Moya and Dan Thompson in the lineup, Toledo should safely win their 10th straight NL East title and could make noise in the playoffs again.

6. Las Vegas Spittin' Vermin
While this team is slightly different from the championship team of season 10, Las Vegas still seems to be the cream of the crop in a crowded AL West. On paper they don't look like some of the other teams, but they always seem to get the most out of the talent they do have.

7. Boston Bombers
While the Bombers aren't the dominant force they once were, they are still a part of the BSA's upper echelon. Adding Trever Yeats will surely help their lineup immediately.

8. Milwaukee Butter Girls
Lost Phil waltman but added Livan Jimenez. Rube Daniels has aged significantly but should still have a solid enough nucleus around him to lead this team into the playoffs.

9. Kansas City Monarchs
After adding veterans Yamamoto and Vickers last season, the Monarchs added another big veteran bat in Cy Forrester. Along with the addition of Paxton Crosby, KC should easily grab a wildcard spot and maybe even push Nashville for the division crown.

10. Sacremento Stars
For one of the younger teams in the league, adding 35 year old veteran starter Miguel Castro was a great move. A wildcard spot seems likely, but a smart midseason move could push these youngsters ahead of schedule.

11. Minnesota Fighting Minnow
Though the announced a firesale, the Minnows ended up keeping much of their core team and should challenge for the top spot in a weak division. A swap of an aging veteran starter for bullpen help or a bat off the bench could go a long way.

12. Austin City Limits
This scrappy team seems to be the cream of teh crop in perhaps the BSA's worst division. Yorrick Caruso has to continue his development as the biggest threat at the plate on this squad.

13. Helena Hellfish
After a division title and an ownership change, some question marks linger with this team. They could compete for the division if Alex Martin and Arthur Hogan mature quickly.

14. Oakland Hammers
If Vegas falters, Oakland could swoop in and be the surprise team in the AL. No longer a young squad, defensive minded youngster Virgil Gonzales and power hungry rookie Rudy Walters could be just what the doctor ordered to cure a playoff drought.

15. San Francisco Cephalphods
Claude Herndonwas last season's big addition. The front office is going to need to find another deal like his to move this team back to the top this season.

16. Washington D.C. Washington Huskies
After a mildly upbeat season 11, this team has its sights set towards a playoff run this year. Frank DeHart,
Shane Wathan, and Octavio Franco will need to move from promising to realized for that to happen.

17. Honolulu Noka Oi
The evolution of Robin Drew is the big story in the islands. They'll need that story as a playoff run seems unlikely yet from this bunch.

18. El Paso Border Patrol
One of the storied franchises of the first decade of the BSA missed the playoffs for the 1st time in season 11. Signing Phil Waltman helps the aging squad but won't be enough to start a new playoff streak.

19. Los Angeles Freaks
By trading Yeats, this team was telling season ticket holders they did not have to save up to buy playoff tickets. Expect more trades and a move down this poll throughout the season.

20. Chicago Deep Dish
With promising youngsters like Mark Bukvich and Felix Sexton, this team may make this poll eat their predictions. If Clinton Berry and Tomas Hernandez get promoted, they could really push up this list with the addition of a veteran bat.

21. Rochester Rampage
Looking up at Columbus and Boston has to get discouraging for Rochester fans. The big question is will Gabe Murphy be a part of their midseason firesale.

22. Philadelphia Bell Busters
Juan Amezaga was added to an already young starting rotation. With the rotation's inexperience, their offense will have to play above their heads to mvoe out of last place in a tough division.

23. New Orleans Swim
With the right moves and some luck, New Orleans could win their division - but only because they play in the NL South. Sandy Mullen is a veteran bat that should hit around 25 to 30 homers and drive in 100 RBI if he gets enough ABs, which may be the luck they need to put them into contention.

24. Mexico City Conquistadors
Besides George Harrison (not that George Harrison), this entire squad is 27 and under. Ricardo Ibarra and Trevor Padden will have to pitch beyond their experience to get this club to push .500.

25. Richmond Poes
After being acquired from a division rival, young Joshua Sheehan assumes the #1 starter role this year. Fellow rookies Danys Franco and Eduardo Mota will be enough to lift them from the cellar in the East, but not enough to push .500 yet.

26. Vancouver Vipers
Rondell Kulik and Guillermo Almonte form a dynamic young bullpen. With the acquisition of Willie Seanez and the callup of Ralph Reid, a trade for a nice starter of two could make the Vipers a suprise contender in the North.

27. Pittsburgh Pride
Chance Telford marks the next phase in this rebuilding project. The Pride will need a lot more phases to get out of last place.

28. Syracuse Insurers
Syracuse played well with numerous rookie starters in teh lineup in season 11. The big question around town is will Miguel Tejada stick around to lead these youngsters or will his big bat be sent packing to bring in some younger potential.

29. Indianapolis Mannings
2 rookies in the rotation and a rule 5 rookie at SS doesn't leave room for much hope that this team will do anything but move into 4th place this season.

30. Louisville Colonels
New ownership is left with the remains of trading away the future for veteran help over the last few seasons. Signing Brian Fujiwara and bringing in Rob Yearwood and Placido Beltre in the Whiten deal could hlep move this team out of the bottom of this list and into the lower middle rankings.

31. Charlotte Panthers
Cheaply resigning Blaine Luke after his 35 homers and 102 RBIs was one of this offseasons unsung moves. Luke didn't bring any help with him to move this team forward this year.

32. St. Louis This Bud's 4 You
Bernard Watkins was acquired coming off a down season 11 after 2 consecutive solid seasons in Vancouver. In other big news, Guy Herndon continues his Rollie Fingers impersonation.

Discussion on the choosing of All Decade Team Pitching Staff

2009-01-10T10:18:00.003-05:00

Starting Pitching

I felt like my eyes were going numb switching back and forth between these player cards. The top 12 were pretty aparrent and I thought that the top 6 would be too, but it was very difficult once I got to trying to narrow it down. So I had to build a chart that ranked the 12 in important statistical categories. I ranked all the pitchers using Wins, WHIP, and ERA and then ranked them again with those 3 categories and added strikeouts and walks. I would have used stats liek Quality starts but they were nto available and I thought stats like complete games and shutouts were not important enough but I would have used them in a tie or close race.

Only the final spot was close. It was a tossup between Shane Dean and Chad Johnson. Both are top 5 in wins all time; Johnson has 9 more than Dean. Dean has a better ERA (by .09) and WHIP (by .02). Using these 3 stats, Dean makes the team considering all teh players. But Johnson ahd the second highest K total and 3rd lowest walk total. If we were talking about the best control pitcher of the group (Ks vs. BBs), Johnson wins hands down. If we consider Ks and BBs, Johnson makes the team. The other 5 pitchers made the team using both formulas, so they were on hands down. I looked and looked at their stats, and they were so close. So it came down to one deciding factor: Cy Young. Dean has a Cy Young award on his mantel and Johnson doesn't. They were so close and both deserved to be on the team, but I decided that would be the tie breaker and Dean won out.

The others who were considered were:

Del Johnson started out too old or there's no question he would have been on this team. He'll still go down as one of the greats.

Stuart Allen is not often mentioned with the great pitchers, but he has led that great El Paso team for a long time and has 145 career wins.

Calvin Hernandez was a big part of Detroit's great run through the last decade with 136 career wins. (Not to be confused with Charles Hernandez who was a part of the Boston dynasty but did not quite have enough statistically to make it on this list)

Matt Foster is another underrated pitcher with 143 career wins and top 5 in Ks with 1641.

Bullpen

Honestly, the Bullpen was easy. No one else was really considered. Maybe I missed someone, but these 6 seemed like no brainers. If there is someone you think I missed or should have been considered, write a comment and I'll compare them to the 6 that made it.

Discussion on the selection of the All Decade Position Players

2009-01-06T14:23:00.003-05:00

My Guidelines:

Maybe you wonder what criteria I used when selecting positions and what not. I decided not to hold partial careers against players early on and would prorate stats, but that honestly never really can into play. That's why I decided to do the All Retiree team because so many early greats were already on the down hill slide when we started and with the initial low training budgets it made their descent that much quicker and more drastic. It did make me look at a few younger players slightly differently and upgraded them, btu I don't think it made a difference on who actually amde the team.

As for positions, I used whatever position they have played the most seasons in for their career. I counted whatever position they had played the most in for that season as the 1 position for that season. Ricardo Castillo and Mendy Williams are probably the 2 that have moved around the most of the ones that made the team.

As for statistics, it's hard to determine which ones are most important. I looked alot at the top 5 career leaders and that influenced me some. But take a guy like Hades Springer who has a ton of home runs and is high on that list, but his other numbers just don't matchup. That kind of player made my initial list of possibilities but wasn't ever really pushing to make the team

Easiest Calls:

Ugueth Moya, Dan Thompson, Jerome Duran, and Alex Yamamoto were no brainers. You can pencil those 4 in without looking at much. That's saying alot with Yamamoto because Bum Moeller is a really, really good player and has the all time highest batting average in the BSA. Moeller was the easiest bench player to choose.

Catchers Laker and Ojala weren't all that hard, but they both have some defensive liabilities that made me at least think of going in a different direction.

Seanez and Poole as backups were pretty easy choices too, though both positions had some other viable candidates.

Closest Calls:

Shortstop was the last position to get filled in on the team. And then once I decided on Castillo and Trajano, it took me a while to sort through who should be the starter. Castillo was clearly the better hitter, but 2 things made me decide to go with Trajano. First, defense. Trajano isn't just a good defensive shortstop. He's the best defensive player ever in the BSA. Consider his rank among shortstops: 1st in assists, 1st in double plays, 2nd in fielding percentage (by .001 with almost 3000 more innings, 900 more putouts, and 1500 more assists than the leader), 1st in plus plays, 1st in putouts, 1st and 4th place on single season double plays, 3rd in single season fielding percentage, and 1st and 2nd in single season plus plays. Second, I factored in that Castillo had played so many seasons away from shortstop. While he qualified at SS under my own criteria, this was a factor in putting him on the bench. He would essentially be the utility man on this squad.

Centerfield was probably the second toughest position. But when you really laid out the statistical analysis, it became clear these were the 2 right candidates and that Fujiwara was the starter.

Third base was tough because of the clear lack of candidates. It was hard to come up with players who qualified there and were deserving. On top of that, I just forgot about Mendy Williams Once I saw him and looked at his card, he was the clear cut winner. Luther Aldred is top 5 in doubles, has nearly 1700 career hits, and was the heart of Kansas City during their playoff runs. His inclusion on the team wasn't difficult either, but looking at the 3B compared to other positions show it and shortstop are the 2 positions most lacking in offensive firepower.

Near Misses:

First, we'll talk about those I've been asked about. Trever Yeats has had 7 consecutive seasons of 40 plus home runs, but Willie Seanez started off his career with the same 7 season stretch of 40 plus home runs. While the 2 are close and I expect Yeats to surpass Seanez by the end of their respective careers, Seanez right now outranks him in batting average, obp, hits, doubles, home runs, and RBI. I didn't hold Yeats' one season in Colorado against him, but it didn't help his cause.

Heath Grimsley was asked about at catcher. There are quite a few solid offensive catchers from the BSA, but a guy like Laker is way better than people realize. Laker has the highest career on base percentage in BSA history. Laker has a better career OPS than Dan Thompson and Alex Yamamoto (he's #2 in career OPS to Moya). Thompson and Moya are the only ones with better career slugging percentages. Backup All Decade Catcher Tori Ojala is 5th all time in on base percentage. Ojala has more plate appearances than Grimsley so that helps inflate his career numbers a little. I looked briefly at cathcing numbers (and both are bad defensively), but you have to throw away defensive numbers for catchers in the first decade because passed balls were completely screwed up in seasons 1 and 2 (look at the numbers for a reminder) and for the fact that stolen bases were so out of whack (runners were safe 78 percent of the time against Ojala and Grimsley). Emil Wilkinson was the real challenge to the #2 spot with being #2 all time on the career batting average list and being better defensively than all 3 of the others mentioned (so far).

Here are some other names that at least made it on to the initial list (I may have forgotten some):
Alfredo Marquis 5th all time in career batting average, over .400 career OBP
Alan Vickers .323 career average, over 200 home runs, an has been in the playoffs every season so far in BSA history
Enrique Azocar 3rd all time in hits with over 1800
Brandon Lieber - 3rd in stolen bases with 2 gold gloves
Alfonso Cruz no question he'd be on the team if he had a few more seasons in already
Clay McDonald would have qualified in CF, a relatively shallow position, with his .291 average and over 600 extra base hits
Rex Spradlin would have been one of the greats if he were younger when the world started
Matthew Ramirez was the great shortstop of the early years
Tony Sadler would have been the first name on the team if contract size would have counted (just look at his card if you weren't around or don't remember)
Al Lunar was on the list because not only was he good but he was on my team and my favorite player on my first franchise
Glenn Bowles is the least talked about great hitter in BSA history
Benito Santayana .300 plus average and 220 plus home runs at second base gets you on the list every time
Troy Pavlov a near .300 average and 245 home runs made him the very last player taken off the team in the great shortstop debate

All Decade Team

2009-01-03T21:17:00.002-05:00

This is just the flat out best of the first decade. Let the debates begin!

Big Sky Alumni All Decade Team

C Rusty Laker
1B Ugueth Moya
2B Jerome Duran
3B Mendy Williams
SS Jesus Trajano
LF Dan Thompson
CF Brian Fujiwara
RF Alex Yamamoto

Bench
C Tori Ojala
1B Norm Thomas
2B Willie Seanez
3B Luther Aldred
SS Ricardo Castillo
LF Wilson Poole
CF Sterling Mercker
RF Bum Moeller

Starting Pitching
SP Rube Daniels
SP Shane Dean
SP Mitch Hardy
SP Roy Hardy
SP Brendan Towers
SP Felipe Marin

Bullpen
RP Carlos Guerrero
RP Charles Hall
RP Mandy Plunk
RP Enrique Santana
RP Jesus Torrealba
RP Richie Wright

All First Decade Team - Retirees

2009-01-02T09:44:00.002-05:00

The first installment of all decade teams is those early greats who started old and finished too early. Some were in their prime for most of the decade. Some benefited from the training bug that helped them stay around longer than they would now. But all are retired from the game, save one or two or are trying to find one more year as free agents but rightfully should be retired. Leave comments on some forgotten players who are retired greats.

Big Sky Alumni All Decade Retired Team

C Armando Padilla
1B Andy Moseley
2B Benito Santayana
3B Bob Fleming
SS Matthew Ramirez
OF Al Lunar
OF Matty Bennett
OF Rex Spradlin
Utility Jared Serrano
DH Esteban Lopez

SP Wascar Sanchez
SP Vance Waters
SP John Perez
SP Del Johnson
SP Charles Hernandez
SP Victor Walsh

RP Pat Vanguri
RP Charlie O'Brien
RP Kyle Nixon
RP Brad Scoroposki
RP Joaquin Sardinha
RP Ryan Hoffman

AL Wild Card Preview

2008-12-14T08:17:00.002-05:00

AL Wildcard Preview

#3 Las Vegas v. #6 San Francisco

Las Vegas
Strengths
Team Power- Six Las Vegas regular have hit 30 home runs this year and leads baseball in team home runs. They are middle of the pack in batting average, but 3rd in all of baseball in runs scored because of their powerful and balanced lineup. If Tris Duncan could hit for a .380 OBP he appears capable of in his career instead of this year’s .336 he’d lead the league in runs scored every year with the power behind him.

Team Defense- Led by Billy Rossy and Carl Goldberg’s sparkling defense, this team is tied for 3rd in baseball in fielding percentage. Norberto Izturis and Tris Duncan are both speedsters as well adding another element to the Spittin’ Vermin’s game.

P.T. James- The best pitcher you’ve never heard of P.T. wrapped up his season 10 campaign with a ridiculous 1.98 ERA and a WHIP of 1.04. His transition to a starter made last year paid huge dividends this year. The veteran pitcher has terrible stamina so 5 innings a start is pushing it, but as his 10-2 record shows, when he starts, he gives his team a great chance to win.

Questions
Starters #2, #3, and #4- Beyond James, the rest of the Las Vegas staff’s ERA all resides above 4. James can’t start every game in the playoffs. Can Wakefield, Terrero, and Xavier step up and provide enough quality to win a game or two?

Bullpen depth- Vegas is led by elite close Al Rodriguez and strong setup man Louie Pulido, but two pitchers does not make a bullpen. Can long reliever Rob Dawkins bust out of his season long slump? Does 37-year old Mateo Sivilla have another October run in him?

San Francisco

Strengths
Team Speed- Talk about having a strength, San Francisco leads the league in stolen bases by more than 55 SB. Four teams in baseball didn’t even HAVE 55 SB. Everyone with at least 200 AB had an SB on the team lead by youngsters Octavio Borges and Pedro De La Vega with 74 and 60 respectively.

Experience- San Francisco has two players on their roster younger than 27. San Francisco has been to the playoffs five of the last six years, including a trip to the World Series in season 6 and like a veteran team should, they saved their best baseball for last going 11-6 to finish the season.

Bullpen- The stable of relievers is full in San Francisco. Led by one of the best long reliever in baseball over the last three years, Jim Cuddyer, and crafty veteran Dingo Beech, this bullpen is strong from top to bottom.

Questions
Power Outage- The entire team has hit 125 home runs this year. That’s worse than one every 45 at-bats. Not helping matters is San Francisco’s .261 team batting average which is tied for 4th worst in baseball. Their speed is the only reason they are in the middle of the pack in runs scored.Starters

#3 and #4- Lewis Giles is the team’s ace. Dan “October” Coomer has been a disappointment in the regular season, but the last three postseasons, his ERA has been below three. The only concerns on the staff emanate from veterans Miguel Castro and Alex Pena. Pena is struggling to return to season 9 form and Castro has been mediocre in the postseason.

Prediction
The season series is 5-5 with San Francisco sweeping at Las Vegas near the end of the season. I like the ultra-groundball pitcher Lewis Giles minimizing the Vegas power in Game 1 over exceptional P.T. James and SF’s #2 starter Dan Coomer is a different pitcher in the postseason. I will take the upset and pick San Francisco in 5.

#4 El Paso v. #5 Pawtucket

El Paso
Strengths
3-4-5 Hitters- El Paso is led by the fearsome threesome of 2B Ricky Day, 3B Johnnie Bush, and 1B Glenn Bowles. This big three, sometimes joined by DH Edgardo Cruz form an impressive combination of power and batting average that keeps pitchers ducking.

Playoff Rotation- Arthur York, Jesus Cruz, and Bronson Yoshii are formidable group probably joined by Luis Nunez. Southpaw York hasn’t seen the plus size of a 4 ERA since season 7 and is in his prime. Power pitcher Jesus Cruz seems to have settled in nicely at the #2 spot with a 3.66 ERA. Yoshii Bronson is in the downside of his career, but he brings veteran savvy and a 4.09 ERA this year.

Centerfield- Typically in baseball if you have two centerfielders that platoon, it simply means you don’t have a good one. Not so in El Paso. Neither Deivi Padilla nor Bernie Galarraga alone should start at CF the whole year, but platooning together makes CF a plus position for El Paso. They both play good defense, effectively leadoff and can steal plenty of bases.

Questions
Defense- El Paso had the fewest double plays in baseball this year, largely because of the lack of range at the middle infield positions. The platoon at SS of Armando Santiago and Chris Nelson has been a flop with neither possessing SS range. At least the defense makes the starter’s ERA look that much more impressive.

Late inning relief- El Paso has a ton of long relief options, but closer Matt Kramer struggled most of the season and no setup man pops out as someone you’d have confidence up one run in the eighth inning.

Pawtucket

Strengths
Playoff Rotation- With the average age of 24, the four pitchers in Pawtucket’s playoff rotation should be terrifying. Season 9 Cy Young Winning Glenn Painter, season 9 Rookie of the Year Dwayne Richard, season 10 Rookie of the Year favorite Aurelio Benitez, and my season 11 Rookie of the Year favorite Luis Lopez. Pawtucket’s first ever playoff appearance is not a fluke, it’s the future.

Defense- Pawtucket helps their young pitchers out with exceptional gloves. They lead the league in field percentage led by youngster SS Orland Tejada and veteran centerfielder Dean Mullins, this squad doesn’t have one rock star but everyone has good range and solid gloves.

Late inning relief- Perry Carter and Tony Kim are joined by Charles Shigetoshi to form an elite set of late game stopped. Veteran closer Richie Wright hasn’t been great in the closer spot this year, but his veteran grit is vital in guiding this young team deep into the playoffs.

Questions:

Hitting for Average- Pawtucket is 8th in baseball in scoring runs…but how?! They are tied for 6th worst team batting average and they are middle of the pack in power hitting numbers. There are a lot of young and inexperienced hitters on this club. They must have an incredible batting average with runners on base…

Stolen Bases- Sixteen. I’ll write that again. Sixteen. That is the number of stolen bases the entire Pawtucket team has mustered. How is Pawtucket 8th in runs scored again? Usually a team will either hit for power or small-ball if they are having success. The team isn’t even slow, they just have no base running ability.

Prediction
This series is pretty interesting. El Paso is on a downswing and Pawtucket is a rocket ship on the way up. Will experience or youth win the day? Even without the experience or an explainable offensive success, I have to pick the side with Painter, Richard, Benitez and Lopez. P

SF 'pods preview

2008-11-01T14:32:00.001-04:00

San Francisco Outlook Season 10.
Season 9 results: met expectations in regular season, exceeded them in playoffs.
San Francisco Cephalopods (90-72;; 3rd place AL West; Wild Card #2; 10-4 playoffs; AL Runner-up.)
S10 expectations: challenge for division, playoffs

The San Francisco Cephalopods caught fire late last season to finish second in the 4-way free-for-all for the 2 AL wild card spots. They passed Minnesota and Pawtucket, and finished just behind the even hotter Oakland Hammers. They stormed through the first round 3-0 over AL West Division Champ Las Vegas, came from behind to beat a heavily favored 99-win Pittsburgh team, Then the 1 seeded 106-win Boston Bombers beat them in 6 games on the way to winning the World Series over Detroit in 7. Third place in the division to final 4 in the playoffs. A successful season all-in-all.

This young team is getting older, and the payroll is growing, It's at $70M (with $5M cap space); up from last year's $62M. The 'Pods were looking to spend some FA money to shore up the pen as they did last season with Dingo Beech (and Mandy Plunk who was traded back to Boston for Pedro de La Vega). They freed up cash when Gold Glove SS Kazuhiro Kuo opted out of the final $4.0M of his 2 year $8.4M No Trade deal, and the team bought out Alex Lim's $7.4M for $1.8M, and declined arbitration with once promising RF Kris Turner. But pickings were thin, and the GM wanted good “value,” (i.e. cheap) but ended up with nothing but $5M in cap room. The fans might show up dressed like Ebeneezer Scrooge (or Scrooge McDuck) if the middle relievers struggle.

The team is unhappy with the AL West travel schedule this season. For years the AL west teams had short trips with cheap prices for their fans. Oakland, Las Vegas and Anaheim. They still have the subway ride across the Bay to Oakland, the high-roller discounts to Las Vegas 5-star hotel/casinos. A couple of seasons ago, Anaheim and the SoCal groupies were replaced by Helena. The groupies were a little 'hefty' and the players started getting friendly with the sheep. Now Helena is gone, replaced with divisional games 2,000 miles away in St. Louis. Western Division? Not exactly.

HITTING
For the first time in team history,The Cephalopods start the season without slugging 3B/RF Alex Lim(all-time team leader in H[1624], AB[5738], HR[255], RBI[1143], R[875], and more) in the center of the batting order. Lim was great season last season, but has been up-and-down throughout his career. With his skills declining, the GM couldn't justify his cost.

Consequently this lineup may be the weakest the 'Pods have ever had. They have never been a slugging team, (only six 30 HR seasons; team record is Lim's 37) in large part because AT&T/SBC/Pac Bell park keeps in the home runs. However, SF have often been a top 10 run-scoring team, by getting on base, hitting into the gaps and running well.

Even if the lineup looks weaker than last season's, (which was one of their weaker lineups), it is likely to improve if only because so many players slumped last year-- especially 5-hitter Ross Harvey. Only Jon Leonard, Alex King and the departed Lim met expectations. The bats did wake up in the last 30 games and the team stopped stranding so many runners. The 'Pods charged from .500 to move into a playoff spot the last week of the season, and clinch it the final day. They hit the Vermin well in the 1st round and and just well enough against the Pride in round 2. But in the ALCS they couldn't hang with the Bombers.

The lineup is expected to get at least a small boost at the end of “April” when the team plans to call up AAA speedster Octavio Borges, a contact hitter, with CF range and a LF glove. He'll fill in for any one who starts the season slumping badly, or the young hitters who finally prove they just can't handle ML pitching.

DEFENSE.
This is a very good defense and would be great, except fantastic LF, 3B, 2B and RF have to make up for below average SS and CF. Kaz Kuo is gone. He won the gold glove at SS last season, but his weak bat confined him to LHP, spot duty, and late inning defense. Former Gold glove 3B Ross Harvey starts the season at SS and the Error prone Alex King is at CF because Lefties can't play 2B. (when King sits, 2B Pedro De la Vega takes his awesome skills to CF). The defense will be helped in “May” when they'll callup 23 year old defensive SS Harry Burns to play against righties. (and let Harvey shift to 3B or RF).

PITCHING
The real strength of the team this year, just as it was last year, is the Pitching staff. The Starting rotation comes back intact. Workhorse Ace Lewis Giles (282 IP, 2nd all time to Roy Hardy's 291 in s7 ) is getting older, he's sharp as ever but his K numbers were down from s8 when his 237 were one shy of the F.Neruda/G. Flores record. He carries this team at times especially in late season when he can pitch on 3 days rest (281 IP/season past 3 years career). Dan Coomer , the overall #1 pick in season 1 has been disappointing so far in his career, especially last season when opponents batted .300 and he was moved to the bullpen. Miguel Castro is also a workhorse, but erratic. Left hander Alex Pena (3.76ERA) had a breakout season last year, and the team is hoping for more of the same but with better run support. Daryl Harper (3.58 ERA) pitched much better than expected last season, but a repeat may be hoping for too much.

The Bullpen, is weaker than last season, but is still good. Their 3 main setup men are veterans. Jim Cuddyer has been excellent. Dingo Beech (4.02 ERA) has had a fantastic career, but is aging rapidly. He rarely walks batters but gives up too many extra base hits. Raul Seanez is good but can have rough stretches. Lefty Fernando Delgado has been a quality middle reliever for a team with dependable starters, but he gives up too many big hits. His 4.85 ERA is high for 1.29WHIP and .241 OAV. Someone else may need to step up with unknowns filling out the 'pen. The key is closer Rico Crespo. He has talent (though he hasn't developed as expected). But Crespo blew 8 saves, and other than K's has not been an elite closer. But when he's playing well, he can get 6-out saves and make the bullpen formidable. Without a HR hitting offense, SF depends on winning close games, so if Crespo struggles, everything can fall apart.

STRENGTHS:
Starting pitchers, Bullpen
Speed, Defense
Walks and singles.

WEAK SPOTS:
Power, Slugging, and Power
Stringing together big innings
Bullpen depth
Overall team depth

KEYS TO SEASON 10:
Getting on base
Fewer LOB
Fewer Slumping hitters
Fewer blown saves
Improved Coomer and Crespo
Same Pena and Giles and Harper
Good years from aging setup guys
Limit innings of middle/long relief

Pitching Staff
Lewis Giles (21-8 2.81ERA 1.14WHIP 282IP )
Dan Coomer (5-17 5.21ERA 1.60WHIP 162IP )
Miguel Castro (14-11 4.55ERA 1.40WHIP 213IP )
Alex Pena (L) (13-13 3.76ERA 1.32WHIP 196IP )
Daryl Harper (7-6 3.58ERA 1.32WHIP 140IP )

LRA Fernando Delgado (L) (8-1 4.85 1.29 46G 94IP )
LRB Michael Keller (L) (0-1 8.44 2.20 14G 21IP )
SUB Raul Seanez (5-1 3.38 1.52 4.57 BB/9 )
LHS Juan Ayala (L) (Rookie)
SUA Jim Cuddyer ( 3.66 1.27 64G 91IP )
SUA Dingo Beech (L) ( 4.02 1.28 64G 74IP
CLA Rico Crespo ( 6-8 4.03 1.49 68G 73IP 29/37 SV 8 8.92 K/9)

LINEUP (vs RHP)
AB HR R RBI SB:CS AVG OBP SLG OPS F%
Arthur King (L) CF 587 6 10 52 37:1 .286 .262 .373 .735 .962
Pedro De La Vega 2B 352 1 66 33 39:4 .250 .341 .290 .631 .986
Jon Leonard LF 547 25 86 100 15:13 .305 .389 .517 .907 .987
Ross Harvey (S) SS 591 15 81 78 12:8 .255 .333 .408 .741 .942
Felix Chen (L) 1B 492 27 63 89 0:2 .254 .321 .459 .761 .992
Dave Hernandez(S) C 636 15 74 82 0:2 .274 .352 .409 .761 .990
Milt Witasick DH 260 9 27 32 0:1 .242 .301 .388 .690 NA
Einar Goya 3B 545 15 85 73 19:3 .277 .338 .439 .777 .963
Hideo Ramirez RF/3BAAA 408 18 88 101 14:6 .327 .394 .512 .906 .949(SS)

Stephen McCall C Spot duty/ Defensive
Mike Houston (S) AAA .290BA .361 OBP .765OPS 7HR 88R 75RBI 15:7SB

expected early callups:
Octavio Borges AAA .315BA .393OBP .806OPS 5HR 144R 71RBI 57:1SB
Harry Burns AAA .305BA .379OBP .754OPS 7HR 89R 48RBI 22:9SB

Possile Callups:
Donovan Reed LF, vs LHP Contact, OBP, base running
Mariano Bonilla (S) CF/2B
Ignacio Sanchez (S) DH/C
Pep Hampton (L) RF vs RHP, contact, base running
Octavio Campos RF vs LHP

Possible Callups Pitchers:
Gerald Shibata, LR/SP, Matt Aguilera, LR/SP, Vinny King Mopup
Gordon Sanders SU, Bernard Brock SU

Team Records Through Season 9

2008-10-10T00:41:00.000-04:00

Team	W	L	%	P	D	L	T
NL North
Milwaukee	856	602	.587	8	5	2	1
Detroit	815	643	.559	6	4	2	1
Philadelphia	682	776	.468	0	0	0	0
Chicago	629	829	.431	0	0	0	0
NL East
Toledo	859	599	.589	8	7	1	1
Richmond	748	710	.513	4	1	1	0
Indianapolis	743	715	.510	4	1	2	0
Trenton	562	896	.385	0	0	0	0
NL South
New Orleans	752	706	.516	3	2	0	0
Austin	726	732	.498	5	5	0	0
Jackson	653	805	.448	2	1	0	0
Mexico City	639	819	.438	1	1	0	0
NL West
Albuquerque	858	600	.588	7	7	1	0
Sacramento	736	722	.505	5	2	0	0
Honolulu	705	753	.484	0	0	0	0
Los Angeles	681	777	.467	1	0	0	0
Team	W	L	%	P	D	L	T
AL North
Pittsburgh	870	588	.597	9	7	2	1
Minnesota	803	655	.551	6	2	0	0
Chicago	742	716	.509	1	0	0	0
Vancouver	611	847	.419	0	0	0	0
AL East
Boston	965	493	.662	9	9	5	4
Rochester	668	790	.458	2	0	0	0
Syracuse	654	804	.449	0	0	0	0
Pawtucket	578	880	.396	0	0	0	0
AL South
El Paso	881	577	.604	9	4	0	0
Kansas City	849	609	.582	5	4	1	1
Nashville	605	833	.415	1	1	0	0
Houston	547	911	.375	0	0	0	0
AL West
San Francisco	788	670	.540	6	5	1	0
Oakland	730	728	.501	1	0	0	0
Las Vegas	724	734	.497	2	2	0	0
St Louis	669	789	.459	3	2	0	0

Key: Team is the city the franchise is located in season 10; W is wins; L is losses; % in winning percentage; P is playoff appearances; D is division titles; L is league championships won; T is world series championships won.

Season 9 Power Poll #2

2008-08-02T02:12:00.001-04:00

1. Albuquerque Turkeys (52-21) (2)
Add Geronimo Flores to a potent lineup and you have an instant World Series favorite. Albuquerque distanced themselves from the rest of the pack with the acquisition of Flores, who has gone 4-0 with a .61 EA since the trade. That’s not a typo - .61. And Jerome Duran (25 HR/ 72 RBI) and Brian Fujiwara (24 Hr/ 76 RBI) continue to be in a Mantle – Maris type race.
2. Pittsburgh Pride (50-23) (13)
Pittsburgh has gone 40-14 since the last power poll and distanced themselves from the pack in the AL North. A team batting average of .299 (#2 in the BSA) and a OBP of .372 (#1 in the BSA) is once again led by Dan Thompson, who is hitting .352 with 31 homeruns.
3. Boston Bombers (49-24) (8)
Veteran starters Terrell Coleridge (9-2) and Barney Kirwan (8-3) have led this team back to the top of the AL East. Mariano Soto (.352), Alex Yamamoto (.342), and Trevor Yeats (27 HR) are all leading in all star voting and have added the swagger back to this offense.
4. Detroit Night Hawks (45-28) (3)
Detroit struggled at the dish earlier this season, but they have worked their way back towards the top of the heap by raising their team average to .271. Rusty Laker has helped lead that charge with a 1.036 OPS. Mitch Hardy (8-4) continues to dominate from the mound with a 2.03 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.
5. Milwaukee Butter Girls (44-29) (10)
The #5 team in the power poll does not lead their division; that’s how tough the NL North has become. With 5 favorites for the all-star game, the Butter Girls have had some strong performances this season. But Rube Daniels continues to outshine them all, starting the season 8-5 with a 2.09 ERA and .85 WHIP. A 2nd half pitching like that should get Rube his 2nd consecutive Cy young award.
6. Pawtucket Brewery (43-30) (7)
With a continuous influx of top notch talent, this team continues to get better and better. Glenn Painter (11-1) continues to look like the best pitcher in the BSA with his 1.66 ERA. In what amounts to about a full season of starts between the end of last season and the start of this season, Painter is 20-2 with a 1.98 ERA and a .96 WHIP. Dwayne Richard was called up after the last power poll and has followed in Painter’s footsteps in posting a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts.
7. El Paso Border Patrol (42-31) (5)
After a few easier runs to the AL South title, El Paso is battling old rival KC again. Recent free agent signee Ricky Day has added a spark to the lineup with a 1.76 OPS in his first 18 games.
8. Toledo Black Sheep (43-30) (4)
Ugueth Moya is leading this veteran offense with his 1.075 OPS and 27 home runs. Sophomore Walter Matthews is the leading candidate for the starting spot at 3B for the NL in the all-star game with his 21 homers and 61 RBI.
9. Las Vegas Spittin’ Vermin (11)
After an early deficit to Oakland, Vegas now looks like the favorite in the always competitive AL West. Their team 3.86 era has pushed them into the lead, led by Deivi Romero (7-1) and his 2.60 ERA.
10. Kansas City Monarchs (40-33) (15)
Young sluggers Charlie Coomer (.332) and Eric Christman (.311) have the Monarchs trending upward this season instead of down like the past few. Struggling Luther Aldred (.240) needs to turn it up in the 2nd half of the season like he has the past few seasons.
11. Oakland Hammers (40-33) (1)
After a torrid start of 16-4, Oakland has fallen back to earth by going 24-29 since. With the team average dropping to .260, Oakland needs to add a veteran bat if they want to move ahead again in the AL West. Dean Hammonds is the highlight at the plate in his first full season, hitting for a .920 OPS and a team leading 58 RBI.
12. Minnesota Fighting Minnow (40-33) (14)
With Pittsburgh surging, Minnesota finds itself battling for a wildcard spot again. Jeff Lee has become the power in the middle of the lineup, hitting 20 home runs with 55 RBI thus far.
13. Chicago American Giants (40-33) (16)
The Giants offense has kept them in this race this season while their pitching has been mediocre. CF Domingo Ramirez is having a career year, starting the season hitting .360 with 24 stolen bases.
14. Honolulu Noka Oi (35-38) (17)
Though the Noka Oi have a losing record, they’re Pythagorean expected winning percentage is .542. A team batting average of .280 has them 5th in the BSA in hitting. If they add some bullpen help over the all-star break, they could be the favorites to claim the last wild card spot in the NL.
15. San Francisco Cephalopods (38-35) (9)
With some veteran additions, San Fran looks like they can make a run at an AL wild card spot. Alex Lim is in the middle of a 15 game hitting streak. The veteran is hitting .297 for the season.
16. Los Angeles Freaks (38-35) (26)
After the top 4 teams in the NL, the rest is up for grabs this season. Los Angeles would fall into the final wild card spot if the season ended today, so they are positioning themselves to repeat their playoff appearance from last season. Heath Wagner continues to prove he is not a fluke, starting out hitting .317 with 21 dingers.
17. Philadelphia Bell Busters (33-40) (6)
Playing in the toughest division in the NL, Philly is better than their record indicates. Matt Foster continues to be lights out, starting out the season 8-0 with a 2.57 ERA.
18. New Orleans Swim (37-36) (25)
The 18 spot seems far down the rankings for a division leader, but no team has clearly proven themselves sin the NL South. New Orleans has flashed some potential, but they have to have their veterans play better down the stretch to stay on top. Rookie Matt Field has provided a spark, starting out 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA and .99 WHIP.
19. Austin City Limits (34-39) (12)
Dead last in homers and 30th in slugging percentage, Austin needs to find some more pop in its lumber. RF Alex Satou is their only player with double digit home runs with 11.
20. Mexico City Conquistadors (34-39) (19)
MC has displayed one o the better bullpens in the league with Omar Fernandez (15 saves, .98 ERA), Julio Gomez (.80 WHIP in 20 innings), and Mikey Rolls (3-2, 2.76 ERA in 44 appearances). Promising Manny Ramirez is already improving on his debut last season, up his average to .294 and duplicating his homer total (13) in over 100 fewer ABs.
21. Vancouver Vipers (34-39) (24)
22. Sacramento Stars (33-40) (29)
23. Richmond Poes (31-42) (20)
24. Jackson Juggernauts (32-41) (18)
25. Trenton Turnpikes (32-41) (23)
26. Rochester Rampage (28-45) (27)
27. Baltimore Mad Budgies (31-42) (22)
28. Houston Hurricanes (26-47) (21)
29. Helena Combover Eagles (27-46) (28)
30. Chicago Deep Dish (28-45) (30)
31. Indianapolis Mannings (25-48) (31)
32. Nashville Redbirds (22-51)

BSA Power Rankings - Season 9 #1

2008-07-11T18:41:00.001-04:00

1. Oakland Hammers (16-4)
Oakland has been the talk of the BSA with their absolutely torrid start. But the talk has been about how in the world they are doing it. With Al Vallarta being the only great major leaguer on this roster, a great veteran closer in Charlie Hall, and a couple solid young bats in Dean Hammonds and Stephen Maxwell, Oakland fans expected a better team, but not this much better. It’s early and this run will stop eventually. Don’t expect Oakland to be at the top of this list again by next Friday. If they are, we’ll be searching for more answers. Vallarta looks to have reversed a sophomore slump with his 3-1, 2.56 ERA, .88 WHIP to start the season.

2. Albuquerque Turkeys (13-7)
Perennially the best team in the National League, the Turkeys look to be right back at it this season. Brian Fujiwara is again providing offensive firepower after being acquired via trade last season. He is hitting .338 with 8 homeruns and 24 RBI. Closer Cole Alexander already has 8 saves and has only given up one run in 8 appearances.

3. Detroit Night Hawks (12-7)
Always a contender, the Night Hawks are looking to regain glory after three consecutive disappointing early playoff exits after their World Series championship. They look to be back in top shape to battle for the always tough NL North crown. Their offense has gotten off to a slow start, hitting only .252 through 19 games. But a team ERA of 2.5975 leads the BAS and is keeping them in the winner’s circle, paced again by Mitch Hardy (3-0, 2.16 ERA).

4. Toledo Black Sheep (12-8)
After a quiet offseason, the Toledo faithful questioned whether this team would have enough to get back to the World Series after a disappointing playoff run last season. An early season trade for Willie Seanez added another power bat to the mix and that excited the fans, but some experts wondered if his presence might just muddle up the lineup even more. Ugueth Moya is back to his slugging ways, hitting .405 with a 1.236 OPS.

5. El Paso Border Patrol (12-7)
Another perennial powerhouse finds themselves on top of the AL South once again. But pitching has always been their Achilles’ Heel and is shaping up to be once again. So far, the team has a 4.25 ERA (17th in BSA) and the starters have been unimpressive other than Steve Stephens and his .167 OAV. Edgardo Cruz has an 11 game hit streak going right now, and Jay Butler is chasing him with a 10 game hit streak of his own.

6. Philadelphia Bell Busters (11-9)
After 7 consecutive losing seasons, Philadelphia had their best season ever in season 8 in posting 87 wins. They again “busted” out of the gate this year and have looked like last year may not have been a fluke. SP Matt Foster has been a leader in that move towards winning, continuing to improve off his successful season 8 by starting out 3-0 with a 1.97 ERA and .97 WHIP. Silver Slugger Orlando Lee continues to hit this season with a .979 OPS.

7. Pawtucket Brewery (11-9)
Mark my words: the Pawtucket Brewery will be the first team not named the Boston Bombers to win the AL East. But it won’t be this season. They’re getting close and there is a ton of talent in AAA, so next season they could make a legitimate run at the title with Boston not as strong as they have been during their dynasty. But this team just doesn’t have enough to stay at the top this season, though some mid season call ups could have them in the wild card hunt. Phenom Glenn Painter continues to be the best pitcher in the BSA, amounting a 4-0 record with his 1.03 ERA and .89 WHIP

8. Boston Bombers (10-9)
Boston has been back and forth with Pawtucket for the AL East lead after stumbling for a few games. Some of those struggles have been fueled by the slow start of ace Joel Simmons, who has started 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA. Alex Yamamoto has rebounded from his first batting average below .300 in season 8 to start out this season hitting .356. There is more youth on this team than in the past, so it may take a month into the season to really get the engines running on these Bombers.

9. San Francisco Cephalopods (11-8)
After missing the playoffs last season, San Francisco has been very vocal about regaining the top spot in the AL West this season. A team ERA of 2.79 has them playing well thus far. Veteran relievers Mandy Plunk and Dingo Beech were brought in to shore up the bullpen, but they have both been outshined by the young Rico Crespo, who has given up only 1 run in 11 outings.

10. Milwaukee Butter Girls (11-8)
The reigning champs find themselves in a divisional war early in the season with Detroit and Philadelphia both looking sharp thus far. Rube Daniels is keeping his Cy Young form from last season, starting out 4-1 with a 1.75 ERA and .83 WHIp to go with 2 complete games in 5 starts. Young leftfielder Daniel Daily has played part time, but has been a spark to this offense. He is hitting .475 with a .563 OBP and a .975 slugging percentage.

11. Las Vegas Spittin’ Vermin (11-9)
Vegas finally stepped up and won the west last season, but this year has turned into quite the battle already for the typically hotly contested division. Veteran Mateo Sivilla has led the way on the mound for a staff that has pitched well, registering a 2.28 ERA and .94 WHIP in 5 starts.

12. Austin City Limits (11-9)
After a NLCS loss in season 6, Austin has struggled the last 2 seasons. But they have been the best team in the NL South during this early stretch and are hoping to regain their past success. Rookie hitters Kelvin Norton and Yorrick Caruso are a big part of their plan to jump back into the NL championship mix. Norton has started the season hitting .349 with a 1.036 OPS and Caruso is hitting .344 with 10 stolen bases.

13. Pittsburgh Pride (10-9)
The perennial powerhouse stumbled out of the gate a little this season. A team ERA of 4.39 is to blame, as sluggers Alan Vickers, Sam Huson, Dan Thompson, and Roy Myers have held up their end of the bargain. Vickers, in spite of offseason trade rumors, has come out hot hitting .367 with 8 home runs. Myers, coming off 2 consecutive 40+ home run season, is hitting .342 with 8 homeruns and 24 RBI.

14. Minnesota Fighting Minnow (10-10)
Minnesota has never lived up to the promise and hype surrounding their talent, and they again come out of the gate looking like they are going to play to the level of their competition. Their offense has been their calling car, but they’ve only hit .261 in their first 20 games. Cy Forrester highlights their struggles as he has started out hitting .203 with only 3 homers. But their pitching has been worse, posting a 5.55 team era, ranking them 29th in the BSA.

15. Kansas City Monarchs (10-10)
Pitching used to be the calling card of this team during their years of greatness, but struggles from the mound have brought them to the middle of the pack in the BSA. With a team ERA of 4.89 (24th in the BSA), it won’t surprise you to see that some of their starters, like the talented yet underachieving Jesus Cruz, are not performing. Shawon Parker has been a bright spot, rebounding from an 8-14 campaign in season 8 to start this season 3-0 with a 2.17 ERA.

16. Chicago American Giants (10-10)
Chicago has never won the AL North and appears desperate to change that this season with Pittsburgh and Minnesota underachieving. If they manage to do so, it will be on the strength of their young pitching. The teams ranks 9th in ERA right now, led by youngsters Malcolm Little (2-1, 2.20) and Esteban Cubillan (2-1, 2.61).

17. Honolulu Noka Oi (11-8)
Right now fans are glad the Noka Oi kept Brian Meng when they off loaded pitching talent the past few seasons. Meng is 3-0 this year with a 2.08 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. They are going to need some other pitchers to follow his lead if they want to continue the next leg into competing for a division title.

18. Jackson Juggernauts (10-9)
Jackson continues to go through a makeover while still competing in their division. Norm Thomas was the biggest name in said makeover and is fitting in well with his .361 batting average. Rookie Lenny Huskey got a big money deal with no major league experience due to a front office snafu, but he has been well worth it so far with a 1.88 ERA in 12 appearances.

19. Mexico City Reps (10-9)
After being a bottom of the rung team for many seasons, Mexico City is showing signs of life. With an influx of minor league talent in their system, even the major leaguers are playing better. 25 year old SP Del Seneca is leading that charge, starting the season 3-0 with the talent to keep it going.

20. Richmond Poes (9-10)
Season 8 was a disappointing one in Richmond after they earned a wild card spot in season 7. They have been up and down to start the season, mostly due to their pitching being inconcsitent. Randall Wickman (2-0, 2.25) and John Perez (3-0, 2.11) have been stellar, but Timothy Hewson (1-3, 1.68 WHIP), Howie Westbrook (1-2, 7.03 ERA, 1.68 WHIP), and Bobby Blalock (1-1, 1.62 WHIP) have all struggled at times. Their offense has generated little power. Their 16 home runs ranks next to last in the BSA and last in the National League and they are 24th in slugging percentage.

21. Houston Hurricanes (9-10)
This franchise has never posted a winning record and is making an early season move towards .500 to break that trend. Trade acquisition Earnest O’ Malley is helping that move with a .310 batting average and .419 OBP. Free agent signee Fernando Almanza has led the pitching staff with 2-1 record and 3.34 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.

22. Baltimore Mad Budgies (8-11)
Baltimore has been hitting as well as anyone this season, with their .288 team average ranking them 3rd in the BSA. But a 4.92 team ERA is holding them back and keeping them from moving forward.

23. Trenton Turnpikes (9-10)
New ownership is working to rebuild this franchise which has a lot of young talent in the majors and minors. Veteran 1B Chris Robinson has been leading the way at the plate, hitting .346 and .424 OBP. Quinton Piatt has been solid out of the bullpen, appearing in 9 games and going 3-2 with 1 save.

24. Vancouver Vipers (9-10)
Vancouver has struggled for many seasons and has hovered around the division lead this year. But looking at the numbers, they are going to need to improve to keep near the top. Vladimir Moraga has been a bright spot, hitting .356 and a .413 OBP.

25. New Orleans Swim (8-11)
New Orleans is struggling after 2 straight division titles, but don’t blame that on Mike Jeffries. Jeffries has started out hitting .370 with a .987 OPS. They’re going to need to add a starting pitcher to the rotation if they want to make it 3 straight division titles.

26. Los Angeles Freaks (8-12)
Heath Wagner has been as hot as they come this season. Hitting .341 with a 1.175 OPS and 10 homers, Wagner has been the highlight of the Freaks season so far. Free agent signee Chad Johnson has started out 2-1 with a 3.29 ERA and only 6 walks in over 27 innings.

27. Rochester Rampage (6-14)
A .239 batting average will not get win you a wild card spot as Rochester has the past 2 seasons. Milton Allen has started 2-2, but has pitched very well with a 1.98 ERA and .95 WHIP.

28. Helena Comb Over Eagles (8-11)
In a very tough division, the Eagles are the only team that won’t compete for the crown. Rookie Willard Byrnes is hitting .408 with .506 OBP and is the big story in Helena. The fans there need something positive to focus on.

29. Sacramento Stars(8-11)
While Sacramento is near the bottom now, if they keep performing as they are, watch them rise up this list. Their pitching staff has been solid, led by vet Gil Yamaguchi (2-1, 1.93 ERA). As youngsters like Fernando Neruda improve, the staff will only get better.

30. Chicago Deep Dish (6-14)
Chicago is the only team with an OBP below 300 and is last in batting average (.235). And there doesn’t seem to be much hope on the horizon for this season to improve from there. Ed Sheldon has been solid as a starter (2-1, 3.63 ERA, .94 ERA).

31. Indianapolis Mannings (6-14)
Rebuilding a franchise which started out as one of the top teams in the BSA is difficult. A 6.05 team ERA shows just how much rebuilding this pitching staff needs. Spud O’Donnell is hitting .329 with 1.031 OPS and should find himself a new home at some point this season to help this team rebuild.

32. Nashville Redbirds (5-15)
A 6.90 ERA and only 12 home runs? Hopefully they’re fans are still around when their prospects are ready to move to the majors. Oswaldo Cortez leads the team with a .301 average.

San Fransisco Cephalopods Season 9 Preview

2008-07-05T14:05:00.001-04:00

San Francisco Cephalopods, Season 9 Preview.

Projected Lineups:vs RHP
L Arthur King CF (.341OBP,29SB)
S Dave Hernandez C (.708OPS, 84BB, 4.24C-ERA)
R Jon Leonard(R)
LF (1.062 Career MiLB OPS)
S Alex Lim 1B (.805OPS, 108RBI)
S Ross Harvey 3B (.858OPS, 27HR)
L Felix Chen DH (.752 OPS, 15HR)
R Einar Goya 2B (.754OPS, 93R, 27SB)
R Edgard Cruz RF (.708OPS, .347OBP)
R Kazuhiro Kuo SS (.740OPS, 24HR)

vs. LHP
R Einar Goya 2B
S Dave Hernandez C
R Jon Leonard(R) LF
S Alex Lim 1B
S Ross Harvey CF
R M. Witasick(R) DH (.923OPS, 123RBI)
R Kris Turner RF
R Edgard Cruz 3B
R Kazuhiro Kuo SS

subs:
C S. McCall, RF O. Campos

Pitching Staff
SP1 Lewis Giles (23-7, 1.19WHIP, 2.78ERA)
SP2 Dan Coomer (15-14, 1.35, 4.42)
SP3 Miguel Castro (13-11, 1.45, 5.05)
SP4 Alex Pena (LHP)(1-7, 2.03, 8.45)
SP5/LRA Daryl Harper (9-12, 1.44, 4.39)

LRA Fernando Delgado (LHP) (7-3, 1.37, 4.53, 3 SV)
SuA Dingo Beech (LHP) (4-3, 1.07, 3.41)
SuA Rico Crespo (4-10, 1.47, 4.06, 21 Sv)
SuA Jim Cuddyer (4-9, 1.33, 3.70, 1 Sv)
SuB Raul Seanez (2-1, 1.09, 2.37, 16 Sv)
SuB Gordon Sanders (0-2, 1.71, 8.31)
LHS Bart Lewis (LHP) (2-1, 2.06, 6.94)
Cl Mandy Plunk (3-2, 1.29, 2.96 39Sv)

Season 8
The 'Pods have never been far from the playoffs and last season was no exception. The 'Pods were in it until the last series and finished one game out of the wild-card. The team feels that if some of last season's underperformers step things up just a bit, this team will be in the playoffs, and once there, have the pitching staff to go far (as happened with their season 6 AL championship team).

Starting Pitching.
Lewis Giles(23-7, 2.78 ERA) is a weapon. Not only is this groundball specialist a multiyear Cy Young finalist, he can pitch all season long in a 4-man rotation. The same is true of Miguel Castro's durability. Add in season 1 #1 overall pick Dan Coomer, and this team has the backbone of a wicked 4-man rotation. In season 8, the 'pods used a 4-man rotation all season long, and it kept them in the chase despite some serious off-years for their hitters. The 4th spot is a question mark only because Alex Pena had such a horrific season 8. The cephalopods hope he pitches to his abilities this season, Otherwise he'll have to share the spot with Daryl Harper.

Relief pitching.
Relief pitching should be this team's strength Last season's relief work was good, and this season's should be even better. Along with long relievers Fernando Delgado and Daryl Harper, the 'pods have possibly the best quintet of short relievers in the league. Jim Cuddyer has looked good his whole career and has the stamina to go 2-3 innings. Raul Seanez has a career 2.47 ERA in his 150 IP. Young stud Ricio Crwspo has nasty stuff and is highly rated by the scouts, at 26 years old he should be entering his dominant prime. The 2 big additions were both veteran relievers. Former Boston closer and 5-time all-star Mandy Plunk brings his 215 career saves(5th all time,84% conversion rate), 3.66 ERA and 3 rings to anchor the pen, and 4-time All-Star Dingo Beech returns to the team that made him Rich and famous. Dingo is one of the best Left-handed pitchers in BSA league history with 203 saves (84%) and 3.78 ERA.

Hitting.
The cephalopods hitting can be streaky becuase they lack great homerun power. This team has never had a 40 HR hitter, and only 4 different players have ever topped 30 HRs. The team depends on everyone getting on base so they can string together big innings full of walks, singles and doubles. Some years it has worked brilliantly, putting the'pods in the top 5 in runs scored, sometimes, like last season, the streategy can stall. Last season, everyone but Ross Harvey was a little off. DH/C Gordon Dresden was let go after a career worst season, while other strugglers like King, Goya and C Dave Hernandez get another chance to return to form. RF Kris Turner, 3B Edgard Cruz and DH Felix Chen get one more season to prove they can play in the Majors. The big addition here is Minor league callup Jon Leonard. Leonard is the best prospect the Cephalopds have ever had, so he is expected to contend for the AL Rookie of he year. Ross Harvey and Alex Lim are starting to show their age (especially Lim) but they should continue to anchor the middle of the lineup. AAA DH/1B Milt Witasick should come up after a month or so to Dh against Lefties, and maybe more if he out plays Felix Chen or Kris Turner.DefenseThe 'pods other big Free agent signing was to bring in a defensive SS with a little pop, in the form of former Las Vegas SS Kazuhiro Kuo. Last season's SS Einar Goya, lost a step and will move to 2B where his arm should help turn a few double plays. Last season, Ross Harvey was the best 3B in the league (AL Silver Sluger AND Golden Glove), but this season will be asked to do more at CF and SS. CF Arthur King has good range, but struggled mightily in CF last season with 17 errors (mostly routine drops), so Harvey, with his better glove (but smaller range) could be called on to take over. If the team wants more offense against righties, Kuo may go to the bench, moving Harvey to SS. In any case, Edgard Cruz can take over for Harvey at 3rd base (as can Einar Goya.) With 4 current and former SS's on the team, the 'Pods have some versatility. Super Rookie Jon Leonard will start the season in eft field, but as he improves he is expected to move to 2B, probably not this season, but soon. Former 3B/RF Alex Lim's defensive range shows his age and will force him to 1B, where his glove makes him a gold glove contender.

Overall.
This team will contend for the AL West and the playoffs once again.

Jackson Juggernauts Season 9 Preview

2008-07-05T13:26:00.002-04:00

Jackson Juggernauts - Season 9 Preview

Lineup:

SS – Larry Whiten, 26, 3rd ML season
Whiten is the prototypical leadoff hitter, with a great eye, solid contact skils, and can steal a base or show some pop. In only his first full season he posted a .313/.388/.489 batting line and hit 19 HRs with 51 SBs. He was shuffled around the infield but will find his permanent home at SS this year.

CF – Francis Knoblauch, 24, 1st ML season
Knoblauch was a trade acquisition in season 8, and has since been signed to a long-term deal. He’ll be asked to man CF for this year, with a possible switch to 2B down the line. A speed merchant, Knoblauch will look to run when on base as he has a lifetime 86% SB success rate.

1B – Norm Thomas, 33, 11th ML season
When the FA period started, Thomas was a prime target and Jackson wasted no time in getting him signed to a 2-year deal. While Thomas may be into the tail end of his career, he’s still a dangerous hitter and has a knack for getting on-base. He’ll also add a much needed veteran presence to the clubhouse littered with young players.

C – Jocko Phelps, 24, 2nd ML season.
Entering his second season, Jocko is going to anchor the lineup again after a steller first season. He posted a .312/.397/.570 batting line with 27 HRs and 62 RBIs. Defensively solid, the goal of this season is to provide more RBI opportunities as Jocko continues to improve.

2B – Clay McDonald, 32, 11th ML season
Clay was another early target that was coveted by a few teams and took longer to wrangle into the Jackson organization. After a 1-year hiatus, Clay returns to Jackson, and hopes to return to the form he showed here, when he hit .305/.363/.471. He can play almost anywhere on the field and will be asked to man 2B primarily.

RF – John Hernandez, 28, 6th ML season
Another FA signing, Hernandez will take over in RF to start the season. He brings power to the plate and a solid defensive game. Hernandez is a .250 hitter but could produce 30+ HRs over a full season. While he also has the propensity to strikeout, his speed – power combo is too much to ignore.

LF – Curt Pearson, 26, 2nd ML season
Another of the returning players, Pearson had a fine rookie season, .289/.345/.489 line. He will most likely end up in a platoon with Marshall Downs forming the RH hitting half. Pearson is another player that can swipe a base and show some pop.

3B – Darrell Riggs, 28, 6th ML season
Riggs served as a bench/part-time starter in season 8 and showed the brass enough to get a full time shot this year. While none of his talents will ‘wow’ a scout, he plays the game well with a solid, all-around approach.

Bench

C - Sid Meacham, 26, 3rd season
Sid is the perfect backup backstop. He can play in a pinch, and even start over an extended time if needed. He understands his role on the team and is a great team player.

1B – Juan Gonzalez, 25, 1st season
Juan has been a prime hitter in the minors. Though not the classic power 1stBaseman, Gonzalez is a high average, 20-25 homer hitter. He’ll provide the RH pinch-hitter role off the bench and fill in for Thomas when needed.

SS/UTL – Pedro Sierra, 26, 2nd season

The quintisential utility player, Sierra will be asked to fill in at a variety of postitions as needed. He is a solid defensive SS, and while his bat is average, it’s capable of filling in for extended times if needed.

RF/LF – Marshall Downs, 26, 1st ML season
Marshall will be in a platoon with Curt Pearson in LF to start the season. He is a devestaing hitter vs. LH pitching and in time could become adequate vs. RHs.

Starting Staff

A running theme with the starting 5, they are all new and the Juggernaut coaches hope they can come together and provide innings and keep the opposition in check while the offense provides enough runs to win some high scoring games.

1. Cookie Javier, 34, 10th season
Not your typical #1, Cookie was signed as a FA after Spring Training started. He’ll be asked to provide innings, and nothing much after that. Cookie has average stuff across the board, and is ok vs LH and RH hitting.

2. Mark Little, 29, 8th ML season
The default #2, Little will be asked for much the same as Javier…innings. A solid SP’er, he won’t wow scouts on the radar gun, but he has great movement on his pitches and if he can post a 4.00 ERA will have earned his keep.

3. Ross Perez, 30, 6th ML season
See Little and Javier from above, except think Right-handed.

4. Terry McCall, 35, 11th season
See Little from above…no joke.

5. Ronnie Lowe, 27, 1st ML season
A Rule-5 pick, Ronnie will be given the 5th spot at the start of the season, though a move to the bullpen might be better long term.

Bullpen

LRs – Douglas Martin (28, 2nd ML season) and Omar Gonzalez (26, 2nd ML season) will be ready if any of the starting 5 can’t hack it. Both got time last year in the rotation and could be asked to do so again.

Su – A – Lenny Huskey (25, 1st ML season), is a young RP stud. He could find his way into the closers role in 2 years or settle into a SuA role for many years to come. Regardless, Huskey is a key part of the Juggernaut bullpen

A – Danys Mendez (32, 9th ML season), has the stuff of a quality #3 starter, but his durability hurts his recovery, so he’ll be moved to the bullpen full time with Jackson. Another FA in the offseason, Mendez will look to resurrect his career.

A – Paul Wilkins (32, 7th ML season), is yet another FA. He is a solid Su pitcher and can close if needed.

B – Sammy Roberts (26, 2nd ML season), has a good repertoire for a RP and will be counted on in blowouts and scrap innings. He should play a more significant role in years to come.

Closer – Derek Davis (31, 9th ML season). Davis is yet another FA brought in to Jackson. He’ll serve as the closer and mentor to Huskey. He won’t be a full-time closer due to his low stamina, but he’ll get his shots and should provide a solid backend piece to the staff.

Outlook:The Jackson winter meetings were rife with debates about how to build the team in the coming season, go young, go big in FA, add/subtract as needed….in the end “go Big” was the prevailing theme. By bringing in a host of FA’s, 12 in all 2 of which were Jackson FAs, the team is almost totally new. On offense Norm Thomas, Clay McDonald and John Hernandez were the big signings, and should help bring punch to what became a listless offense in season 8. Provided the young players step up in progression, the offense should be able to hold its own. Now, about the pitching…. 5 new starters (4 FA’s and 1 Rule-5) can make a manager a little nervous. But, if they can pitch to their capabilities and provide a quality outing on most nights, the team will have a shot to win.

New Orleans Swin Season 9 Preview

2008-06-28T20:37:00.002-04:00

New Orleans Swim Season 9

Position Players:

1B - Tony Diaz brings a keen batting eye, and good 1B glove to the lineup having hit .290 with 32 HR in his 2nd full season in the bigs. Brent Chapman is a capable backup at first and will be the #1 bat off the bench.
2B - Benito Sosa is coming off an all-star caliber year and is in his prime at 29yo, having driven in 96 runs and hit .313 last season. Tony Ueno would start for most teams in Big Sky and will see time vs. LHP when Sosa plays in LF as well as providing improved late inning defense.
SS - What should be a very strong R/L platoon will have hard hitting/slick fielding Jerry Stevenson playing against RHP and reliable Fausto Jose vs. LHP.3B - The Swim expect an All-Star year from 27yo slugging
3B Mike Jefferies, who brings a big bat and above average D to the hot corner.
C - Another platoon with veteran defensive specialist Torey Cordero seeing action versus lefties and in the late innings. Rookie slugger Jin-Chi Gang will get the starts vs. RHP providing a BIG power bat, and adequate D.
LF - Powerful lefty swinging Alex Brush will get the bulk of the time, with Sosa moving out from 2B against tough lefties.
CF - After acquiring Stevenson from Oak to cover SS, Harry Canseco has made the transition to CF, and should provide gold-glove D, and continue to hit great vs. RHP. 2nd year man Dustan McNamara had a tough 2nd half after a great start, but will play often vs. LHP.
RF - Former gold glover and 40HR man Delino Nunez was re-signed at a signifigant discount hoping to recapture his season 6 form after 2 injury plagued subpar seasons. Switch hitting AAA RF Joseph Chang has a keen eye, and will get a chance if Nunez can not rebound.Starting

Pitching:

25yo southpaw Don Conway had a bit of a down year last season, but possesses great control and workhorse stamina and should post solid #’s.
Veteran FA Fernando Henriquez was signed from Richmond, and the Swim GM has long been a fan of his stuff, just hoping he can harness it and put together a strong season.
Yet another lefty, vet Geoff Wynn always seems to get solid run support and do just enough to win.
Inning eater Allan Jefferson gets a final shot in the rotation and has been plagued by inconsistency. He is either unhittable or gets rocked, never seems to be much in between.
The last spot will be occupied by either AAA Don Song who was acquired in the Fujiwara deal with ALB and appears to be ready, or former 1st round pick Trent Field, with Song having the slight advantage (due to control) at this point. Field would be soon to follow should Jefferson or Wynn start to falter.

Bullpen:

Long Relief: The Swim have taken an inexpensive flyer on aging former Cy Young winner Wascar Sanchez who hopefully has one more respectable season if used properly. Righties Lonnie Hudson & Philip Nunnari are capable ML long relievers as well.

Setup: Also re-signed at a considerable discount, Lefty Rodney Ryan never quite worked as the closer (despite the ratings skills), but was always a good setup guy. Righty Stan Schmidt had a very nice year last season and also can close if necessary. Corey Hull had a great rookie season in year 7, but struggled last year and hopes to rebound as the LHS.

Closer: Hard throwing righty Robert Hume inherited the job late last season and proved to be a godsend, closing 12 of 13 opportunities and sporting a 2.77ERA with a paltry .209 BAA, and should solidify what has previously been a problem spot in the pen for the Swim. AAA Fireman of the Year Jordan Falk is waiting in the wings and will be the first call-up.

Top Prospects (Not currently on ML roster):

SP Phillip Bailey - AAA Cy winner, and future ace will stay down as long as he continues to show improvement
LF/2B Larry Brunette will bring thunder to the lineup and should eventually be able to handle 2B.
3B Albert Medrano is a hitting machine and should be a good defensive 3b, a rare talent.
C Ray Tyner may never be able to play everyday, but 120 games of those skills has the Swim management drooling.
SP Trent Field ‘s control is a concern, but those splits and pitches should make him a very good ML SP.
RF Rob Jackson is a complete hitter, with incredible RF range.
RP Jordan Falk should be a very good closer in the near future. Excellent everything except velocity.
SP Trever Fowler Solid all-around SP who does everything above average, might end up better than Field.
SP/RP Rafael Servet Not sure whether he’s a starter or a long reliever, but the skill set is impressive.
RP Tim Karl has filthy stuff, the control and durability are a concern, but should develop into nasty setup/closer type.

Other prospects with ML skills include: C Jeromy Brede, C Jesus Tatis, 1B Glenn Wells, 2B/LF Bernie James, SS George George, SS Moises Valdes, CF Rob Finnessey, CF Evan Murphy, RF Burt Ott, RF Joseph Chang, SP Tony Domingo, RP Philip Mays, and RP Geraldo Espinoza.

Summary:

Coming off back to back South division titles, the Swim need to take that next step to compete with ALB and MIL for NL supremacy. The young lineup is solid up and down, and often spectacular defensively. The starting pitching is the key, and the GM has been overheard saying he will not hesitate to call up the well developed studs in AAA if the veterans falter. Even with an improved South division, the Swim still expect to emerge victorious, and hope to enjoy many years of success with one of the strongest minor league systems in Big Sky.

Minnesota Fighting Minnows Season 9 Preview

2008-06-28T19:25:00.002-04:00

Minnesota Fighting Minnow Season 9 Preview

Starters:
#1 Omar Ramirez: The young phenom omade it to the show last year and didn’t disappoint. He quickly moved the staff ace role with his workhorse mentality and solid 3.91 ERA. He pitched 250 innings of high quality baseball between AAA and the majors and I expect much of the same throughout his career. Omar is a pure power pitcher.
#2 Kelly Borkowski: In Minnesota’s most aggressive offseason signing since Vasco Pujols, Borkowski is coming of a strong season with 220 IPs and a 3.77 ERA. Granted, that ERA was off entirely NL quality hitting, but I think a sub-4 ERA isn’t out of the question this year.  Kelly has incredible control and a great splitter.
#3 Hugh Hodges: Slowly but surely, Hodges is developing into a strong MLB pitcher. His 220 IPs last year led the team and he has been a consistent force for our squad. Another 4.25 ERA with a lot of innings is a very likely result this summer. He’s a pure power pitcher with mediocre control.
#4 Victor Amaro: Consistency is becoming a hallmark of Amaro’s career. Although he started out as a wild and crazy spot starter, he’s settled nicely into the middle of the rotation. He’ll pitched just under 200 IP with an ERA around 4.60. Righties are nearly helpless against Amaro. He’s more of a finesse pitcher with below average control.
#5 David James: At only 25, James has already had a rocky career with the Minnow. He had a strong rookie campaign in season 5, struggled and was moved to reliever in season 6, and in season 7 and 8 he’s travelled back and forth from AAA and Minnesota. Management is now committed to giving James and entire year at the #5 spot. He’s one of the most talented pitchers in the division, he just hasn’t pulled it together so far. He’s the staff lefty with 3 plus pitchers and good control

Outlook: This is the kind of staff I’ve been trying to build for a while; a group of workhorses that will keep my bullpen nice and rested. My young rotation has begun to blossom into a strong veteran staff.

Bullpen:
Mopup- Ivan Brock: A free agent acquisition in season 8, he’s been a solid but unspectacular addition to the rotation. With the addition of Borkowski, and the improvement of Ramirez, Brock will move to the bullpen. His age has begun to show but a sub-5 ERA is still reasonable. Brock has 5 solid pitches with some nasty breaking stuff.
Long Relief- Del Johnson: This career ace with a lifetime 3.21 ERA is finally looking his age. At 39 years-old, he can’t pitch as many innings as he used to. Now, he’s simply an elite long reliever who for 2-3 innings can still dominate. He’s tough on righties and although he’s not the flamethrower he once was, he’ll still bore it in there pretty good when he needs to.
Setup- Ramon Suzuki: We are thrilled by this acquisition in the offseason. Signed to a 2-year deal, Ramon has had a 2.60-3.55 ERA the last three years. He’ll be an amazing asset in the pen with his devastating power and breaking stuff.
Setup- Vernon Gwynn: Having spent his entire career with the Fighting Minnow, Vernon has been a rock of consistency…rare for a reliever. Gwynn has pitched between 58 and 64 IP the last 6 years with an ERA never over 4.30. That type of stability is exceptional. Gwynn is a rare bullpen precision pitcher who can spot his breaking stuff every time.
Setup- Tris Downs: If Minnesota can’t sign a lefty specialist, then rookie Tris Downs will be getting a call to come northward. After dominating AA Downs has but merely solid in AAA. Scouts all rave about his talents and his dominant stuff and pinpoint control, but I’d prefer to see results in AAA before I pay for the plane ticket. He’ll have a long career like Gwynn with better stuff and more stamina.
Closer- Enrique Santana: This flamboyant closer has really stepped into his own the last 3 years. Season 7 was his career year with 46 saves and a 1.58 ERA, but he’s been sub-4 the last three years with 107 saves. At age 32, he’s still in his prime and could demand huge dollars when he becomes a free agents after season 10.

Outlook: I would be shocked to find if this isn’t a top three bullpen in baseball. Suzuki was a great addition and every pitcher is a proven performer. Especially with the workhorses in the rotation, they bullpen should be well rested and some of these guys will probably have career years.

Lineup:
CF- Ronald Post(S): An elite fielder and solid leadoff hitter, the 26 year-old Post is a force. With 29 incredible (+) fielding plays and three consecutive All-Star honors and Gold Glove from last year in his trophy case, we’re pleased with his performance. The only downside is his mediocre .358 career OBP (.292 BA) which isn’t great for a leadoff hitter. But, his speed makes his a dynamic choice for the top spot as does his career best 34 SB last season.
RF- Alfredo Marquis(L): The Iowa-native was trade bait for much of his time as a prospect, and fortunately, we could never find a taker. This kid is an incredible hitter with a career .334 BA/ .408 OBP/.528 SLG in four full seasons! When he’s not knocking the snot out of the baseball, he’s struggling on the field. He’s a minus RF with little range and a noodle arm. I just can’t sit his bat!
LF- Ruben Martinez(S): The former Rookie of the Year returned to the spotlight with his second All-Star season last year. He’s the most complete hitter on a great hitting team. His first four seasons have averaged .330 BA/.395 OBP/.585 SLG with just under 30 HRs a season. He’s also a solid hand in the field and had his first couple incredible (+) plays last year.
DH- Jeff Lee(R): One of the elite power hitters in the game, Jeff Lee still hasn’t reached his potential. Rivaled only by Alfonso Cruz and Rusty Laker, Jeff Lee should be in the HR crown hunt each of the next half dozen years. His first three seasons Lee has his .315 BA/.372 OBP/ .606 SLG with 109 HRs. His biggest downside is his lack of stamina, playing in only 115-119 games a year and his terrible field at catcher which forces Alfredo Marquis onto the field in right.
1B- Ross Morris(L): The rookie is a dream candidate to his behind Jeff Lee in the lineup. He is murder on righties and has hit an amazing 50+ HRs each of his last four seasons in the minors. The fourth round pick is a masher that will protect Lee and add a lot of RBIs and production on his own. He’s a poor 1B and only play against righties, handing the job with over to Cy Forrester when facing lefties.
2B Cy Forrester: The veteran presence recovered from a miserable season 7 to a modest season 8. He’s a very good slugger with a career 327 HRs. At 28 years-old, Forrester could set career records if he avoid season like 7 and .542 SLG hitter we’re all accustomed to. Forrester is a solid fielder and will switch to 1B, where he once won a gold glove, against lefties leaving 2B to Victor Austin and eventually Norm Mercedes.
3B- Morris Stull: The second rookie addition to the team, Stull has torn up the minors with a .666 SLG in four seasons. He has incredible gap power and plays a solid 3B. Stull will be taking over for the highly-talented, but disappointing Jamey Booker. Booker suffered hamstring tear in season 7 from which he’s never fully recovered. He could have been an elite fielding 3B, but lost much of his range. Stull is a solid fielder and his bat can no longer be denied access to MLB pitching.
C- Einar Comancho: This excellent backstop was acquired in season 7 for Ozzie Martin and proceeded to tear his ACL and miss much of season 7 and 8. His return jolted the team into a strong run mid-season 8. He’s an above average gamecaller and has a strong arm as he threw out 28% of attempting steal last year. Einar’s also a career .290 hitter with around 15 HRs a season.
SS- Jesus Trajano: In what some consider a very crafty pickup, the Minnow swooped in and signed Trajano a four-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner. Trajano hasn’t won those awards in three years, but he’s still an elite fielder, has a great arm, and is a solid hitter. At 35, he’ll also had veteran leadership on a team with the average age of the lineup around 27.

Outlook: Last season, the Minnow were 2nd every category except run production! They could get runners on, but the hitting with runners on must have been atrocious. This year, they add the slugger Morris, they gap power of Stull and the veteran craftiness of Trajano. This should be the most powerful lineup in Minnow history. Unfortunately, the field will take a hit. Last season, Minnesota was by far the best fielding team in baseball. Replacing Clay McDonald and Jamey Booker with Morris and Stull are big steps back and Trajano’s range is a question.

Bench:
C- Dean Ross: A great gamecaller! The team ERA drops half a run when he calls the game. He’s also a solid fielder. Ross was asked to step in for the injured Camancho and was just fine.
Utility I- Delanor Carlyle: He’s not very happy after the Trajano signing made his lose the starting job he’s held for 5 years, but he’s lot at least 3 steps on his range. He’s still an elite fielder and can play virtually any position when called upon.
Utility I- Victor Austin: A valuable asset who can pinch run and hit. This guy can adequately play almost every position on the field and he is a career .289 hitter to boot. Only CF, SS and maybe 3B are outside his comfort zone. He’s also a blur and is a good pinch runner.
Utility I- Jamey Booker: After three miserable seasons at 3B failing to reach the production his talent should allow, Booker has been moved to the bench. Hopefully he can revive his career in a more limited role.
Utility O- Bryan Colbrunn: After what must have been a frustrating three seasons for Colbrunn, he should be ready for more this season. He’s a career .300 hitter, but with the Minnow’s depth, he can’t win a spot! He’s here for now, but as Minnesota’s next great crop of prospects emerges, he’ll probably be back down in AAA by mid-August.

Outlook: With three guys who could start on many teams in the league, this is a strong bench with a lot some great defensive replacements, a couple nice pinch hitter, but only one pinch runner.

Prospects to Watch:
2B Norm Mercedes- With 215 HRs in four seasons in the minors, Norm has epic power!
RF Lenny Loiselle- Will probably end up a career .315 hitter with a solid glove.
SS Abraham Ross- Can play SS in a pinch but is probably a 3B in the show and hits for average.
P Will Jennings- Sinkerballer had a terrible season 8, but has the talent to start in the Show.
CF Danys Franco- A five-tool player but is probably 2 years off.

Overall: The Minnesota Fighting Minnow have yet to find a way to win the division, always instead taking a Wild Card spot and losing in the first round. Is this the year? Management thinks this is the most talented team Minnesota has had. An above average staff, elite bullpen, a great lineup and solid fielding make a pretty good recipe for success.

Houston Hurricanes Season 9 preview

2008-06-28T19:22:00.000-04:00

After a 70 win season last year, Houston set out to not only clear .500 but finally gain a playoff spot. To do that, Management had to shore up the Starting pitching. They not only found two crafty vets who has been there in Vasco Pujols and Brendan Towers but also signed a legit innings eater in Fernando Almanza. Houston also acquired Ernest O’Malley in a trade and signed McKay Piper.

Projected lineup
1) M Piper
2) V Pride
SS) W Powell/ S Burke
3B) M Gordon
LF) D Jerzembeck
CF) E Ortiz
RF) C Henley
C) G Ratliff
DH) E O’MalleyBench-
OF W Bradshaw
OF/IF B Valentin

Rotation
1) A Melendez
2) F Almanza
3) D Shin
4) V Pujols
5) E Ugueto

Mop) T Ruffin
LR) B Dickinson
Setup A) R Morales
Set Up B) R Howell
Closer B Towers

Quotes:“Wow, this is a world class franchise and deep down I have always wanted to play here. When they backed up the Brinks Truck, I was sold.” said Newly signed Brendan Towers.“Even when I was shutting out this team, I longed to play for this team. When I toured the metabolic labs and the chemical enhancement facility and Former HOF shoo-in Roger Clemens told me what it done to his career, I signed right then!” exclaimed Fernando Almanza.

Clemens could not be reached for comment.

“ I only signed because of the no state tax. The Playboy Bunnies and Cuban cigars never entered the equation” said Vasco Pujols

Rochester Rampage Season 9 Preview

2008-06-28T09:50:00.002-04:00

Rochester Rampage – Season 9 Preview

After a relatively busy off-season, I think we are still poised to make a run for a Wild Card spot (for the 3rd straight year). There is still no hope of catching the Bombers, so 5th place in the AL is the best we can hope for.

Starting Pitchers:
Geronimo Flores finally cashed in BIG after 5 years of ML minimum. He may be the most cursed pitcher in the league as far as run support goes. He may well lead the league in Complete Game losses over the past few seasons. Big things are expected once again.
Rodney Mueller is #2 and at 36 years old can still bring it. Another sub 4.00 ERA season with 12 – 14 wins will be a solid year.
Milton Allen is #3 and hoping for a similar year to Mueller. Another solid veteran pitcher.
Patrick Hackman is #4. He slacked off last season after signing a big contract after his career year in Season 7 (2.82 ERA and 15 wins). He only throws 3 pitches, which might hold him back a bit.
Ben Mecir is #5. Newly signed FA. His sub 4.00 ERA year last year is what it will take again this season.Flores is certainly the ace of the staff. Mueller and Allen hope to keep up with their supplies of prune juice and geritol. Hackman and Mecir at the top of their game could make a huge difference. These guys will have to be good because the Rampage bats were quiet all of last season.
Bullpen:
Kerry Mullen – Long Relief. Career ERA under 4.00. Needs to get back there this season.
David Kelly – Set-up. Good season last year (not great) Hopefully still improving. Will probably see the least action in the pen of any pitcher.
Randall Myers – Set-up. Somewhat of an enigma… his rating are still getting better (at age 34), but his stats keep getting worse. Final year of his contract. Will need to pitch better if he wants to be renewed for next year.
Sun Wang – Closer. An off year last year saw his ERA balloon by over 3.00 from the year before. Will fight with Beck to get more closing opportunities.
Scott Beck – Closer. Converted 35 of 38 save opps last year with a 1.03 WHIP. Not bad for a 36 year old. Last year of his contract.
Felix Curtis – TBD. He will make his major league debut this season. The much sought-after Curtis will get plenty of chances to pitch and will fit in at Closer or Set-Up, depending on where he can get more innings. Lots of promise for the 23 year old.The Bullpen should hold again this year. If Curtis can handle the big time right away, the bullpen might be better than average.

Position Players:
Victor Matos – Catcher. His OPS slipped 80 points last season, but his ratings tell me he should be a very solid hitter. His slip, combined with every other Rampage hitter last year, made for a tough time scoring runs. At 28, he is the future at Catcher as his bat should keep him as the everyday backstop.
Matty Flores – (no relation to Geronimo) – First base. With 36 HRs and 116 RBI last year, he was one of 2 monsters in the line-up in all 162 games. He’ll have to be good again this year, and at age 26 should still get even better.
Oscar Mullen – 2nd Base. Injuries held him back last year, but he still managed 57 stolen bases. He’ll have to pick up his BA and OBP a few points to make a big difference, but he is also only 26 years old, and should still get better.
Alfredo Allen – 3rd Base. The former #1 overall draft pick struggled mightily last year. His defensive abilities allow him to play every position on the field, but he’ll have to pick up his BA and OBP about 50 points each if he wants to sign a long-term deal next year when he is Arb eligible. Age 27.
Mike Wall – SS. All about the defence with him. If he struggles too badly, could be moved before the end of year. A nifty platoon situation sets up well behind him in AAA.
Earl Baker – LF. The other monster at the plate last season. 48HRs and 122 RBI led the team in both departments in only 472 Abs. He’ll get more chances to hit this year. At 28, he still has room to grow.
Louie Mendez – CF. A solid year last season. At only 25 years old, should keep growing into the position very nicely.
Damian Carter – RF. Gold Glove RF last year. The old man in the field for sure. Big contract. Big bat. 25 HRs last year, but was a bit disappointing with his OPS dropping by more that 100 points from the year before. Needs to get his old form back to keep Rochester in the Wild Card chase.R
udy Helms – DH. Just acquired in a trade for Ernest O’Malley. A few years younger and much less expensive, here’s hoping he can put up some decent number after O’Malley’s disastrous Season 8 at DH.The bats will hopefully return to where the ratings say they ought to be. Even ¼ to ½ more runs per game would make a big difference.

Bench:
Mark White – Catcher. Just acquired. Should see lots of action as a late-inning defensive replacement , assuming we are leading a few games in the later innings. Only 25 years old.
Mike Cookson – 3B/RF/LF. Will see some action as a back-up to a few positions and some pinch-hitting duties.
Delino Machado - RF/1B/DH. With his 98 batting eye, should get lots of pinch hit opportunities. Will take over at DH if Helms falters.
Trenidad Chavez – 2B/CF. Will back-up for Mendez and Mullen. Lifetime .310 hitter in the minors. Hoping he can carry some of that with him to the Bigs.

Team Records Through Season 8

2008-06-23T02:49:00.001-04:00

Team	W	L	%	P	D	L	T
NL North
Milwaukee	763	533	.589	7	5	2	1
Detroit	712	584	.549	5	3	1	1
Philadelphia	603	693	.465	0	0	0	0
Chicago	561	735	.433	0	0	0	0
NL East
Toledo	761	535	.587	7	6	1	1
Indianapolis	682	614	.526	4	1	2	0
Richmond	680	616	.525	4	1	1	0
Trenton	488	808	.377	0	0	0	0
NL South
New Orleans	672	624	.519	3	2	0	0
Austin	646	650	.498	4	4	0	0
Jackson	577	719	.445	2	1	0	0
Mexico City	573	723	.442	1	1	0	0
NL West
Albuquerque	752	544	.580	6	6	1	0
Sacramento	653	643	.504	4	2	0	0
Honolulu	631	665	.487	0	0	0	0
Los Angeles	602	694	.465	1	0	0	0
Team	W	L	%	P	D	L	T
AL North
Pittsburgh	771	525	.595	8	6	2	1
Minnesota	713	583	.550	6	2	0	0
Chicago	657	639	.507	1	0	0	0
Vancouver	547	749	.422	0	0	0	0
AL East
Boston	859	437	.663	8	8	4	3
Baltimore	591	705	.456	0	0	0	0
Rochester	588	708	.454	2	0	0	0
Pawtucket	488	808	.377	0	0	0	0
AL South
El Paso	793	503	.612	8	3	0	0
Kansas City	763	533	.589	5	4	1	1
Nashville	550	726	.424	1	1	0	0
Houston	486	810	.375	0	0	0	0
AL West
San Francisco	698	598	.539	5	5	1	0
Oakland	639	657	.493	0	0	0	0
Las Vegas	631	665	.487	1	1	0	0
Helena	606	690	.468	3	2	0	0

Key: Team is the city the franchise is located in season 9; W is wins; L is losses; % in winning percentage; P is playoff appearances; D is division titles; L is league championships won; T is world series championships won.

AL South Season 8 Review and season 9 Preview

2008-06-14T09:39:00.001-04:00

El Paso Border Patrol (99-63) First Round Exit
Off 3rd AL
Def 6th AL
Pit 4th AL
Overview: El Paso came out this season as the favorite and they didn’t disappoint. They led the league in nearly every category and even though age maybe a factor within the next two seasons, they didn’t slow down a bit this season.
Top 3 Offensive players:
Bowles (41 HR, 138 RBI .998 OPS)
Santayana (18 HR, 83 RBI, 924 OPS)
Rolls (34 HR, 90 RBI, .833 OPS)
Even though you could throw in Nelson, Padilla, and Hiljus

Top 3 Pitchers:
Allen (18 Wins 4.39 ERA and 1.32 WHIP)
York (16 Wins 3.41 ERA and 1.28 WHIP)
Pujols (13 Wins 4.66 ERA and 1.38 WHIP)
And Nunez is just as good.

Top 3 Offensive prospects
J Bush
G Adams
L Zimmerman (AA)

Top 3 Pitching Prospects
Acevedo
Barnes (Future Closer)
Stephens

Possible Free Agents:
Pujols
Rogers
Grace

Nashville Redbirds
Off. 8T AL
Def 16 AL
Pitching 16th AL

Overview: The looked promising early in the season but the youth just couldn’t keep up the pace. Now this team looks to the future with a minor league system overflowing with talent. In a couple short years this team should be a contender.
Top 3 Offensive players:
Cruz (61 HRs, 145 RBIs, 1.140 OPS)
Jerchower (75 SB, 78 RBIs)
A. Lugo (26 HRs, 87 RBIs)\

Top 3 Pitchers: Jacobs, Henry, and Mays all had 7 wins and astronomical ERA and WHIP

Top 3 Offensive prospects
Trevino
Thomas
Barkett

Possible Free Agent
Jerchower- CF

Kansas City Monarch- two games from the wildcard
Off 4th AL
Def 2nd AL
Pitch 3rd AL
Overview: After a really slow start and untimely injuries, K.C. showed resolve by ending the season with a .500 record and almost a playoff spot. But like El Paso, they are getting long in the teeth and may soon need a boost to regain its rightful place as king of the south.

Top 3 Offensive players:
Aldred (18 HRs, 113 RBIs .314 Avg)
Christman (38 HRs 126 RBIs .951 OPS)
Castillo (73 RBIs, 22 SB)

Top 3 Pitchers:
Dean (10 Wins, 4.42 ERA, 1.29 WHIP)
Cruz (14 Wins, 3.62 ERA, 1.28 WHIP)
Almanza (15 Wins, 3.68 ERA, 1.24 WHIP)

Top 3 Offensive prospects
Jefferson
Burks (AA)
Borland (AA)
Top 3 Pitching Prospects
Roberts
Doster
Rosado

Possible Free Agent
Almanza

Houston Hurricanes- Underachievers Lives Here..
Off 8T AL
Def 14 AL
Pitch 14 AL

Top Offensive players
Pride (45 SBs)
Ortiz (52 SBs)
Henley (50 HRs 113 RBIs .994 OPS)

Top 3 Pitchers:
Melendez (15 Wins, 201 K’s, 1.29 WHIP)
Shin (10 Wins, 1.34 ERA, and 1.34 WHIP)
Ugueto (10 wins)

Top 3 Offensive prospects
Thomson
J Henley
Gordon

Top 3 Pitching Prospects
B Leach
D Leach (Future closer)
Fick (AA)

Wins

Team ERA

Houston Hurricanes Season 8 recap

2008-05-31T11:03:00.001-04:00

This season was one of the best season in Hurricanes’ short history. Even though we still didn’t make it to .500, we saw a lot of improvement from 2 seasons ago when we could only muster 47 wins. A big part of the recent success is some key free agent pickups, no extended losing streaks and a couple huge trades. Let’s take a look at our players of the Year.

Offensive player of the year: Charles Henley (L)
Vin Pride could have won this award also but Henley in only his second year in the league is putting up incredible number. He literally put this team on his back with 50 homers, 113 RBI’s a .306 average while slugging .638.

Most Outstanding Pitcher: Albert Melendez (R)
When Melendez was acquired at the beginning of the year from Helena, He was asked to be the 1-2 punch with Donald Shin. Unfortunately, Shin showed his age at times this season while Melendez became the franchise’s first real ace. He racked up 15 wins and 203 strikeouts. He also had a 4.07 era and 1.27 whip in a hitters park.

Most Improved: Eduardo Ortiz (R)
Ortiz was one of the teams many question marks at the beginning of the season but he patrolled center field surprisingly well and also became a fixture in the #2 hole by swiping 56 bags.

Most Disappointing: Thomas Little (L)
Little was expected to take over the 5 spot in the rotation but going 4-8 and giving up 20 homers in 17 appearances gave him a free trip to the minors. He will soon be found on the waiver wire.