Thursday, November 17, 2016
More New Owners
downboy
Survivor of the hair metal Era during college as evidenced by my handle...bonus points if you remember the Warrant song. Grew up on Statis-PRO baseball card game where I always had Blue Jay Damaso Garcia as my 2b. Then moved on to roto auction leagues where I always seemed to overpay for Mo Vaughn as my 1b. As a novice of WIS, I probably didn't need a 6th team but in each case I've started with a "dumpster fire" roster to see if i can build it up. Mild progress in some of my other leagues. Looking forward to see if I can win my 55 games a year here for awhile while rebuilding. Wishing everyone a fun season!!
astro123
I'm a 40 year old from New England who runs a group home for teenagers. A long time Tigers fan now being tortured in the middle of Yankee/Red Sox country. I've been with HBD since the beginning but mostly stayed in the same two worlds. Looking forward to a new challenge in Hobbs!
colton_72
I'm 27 years old from Paradise Texas I work at Martin Marietta as a control room operator. Quit playing Hardball Dynasty about a year ago due to having my first child, finally decided to get back into it, and won my first world series, glad to be in a world with a lot of great owners.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Welcome To Our First 2 New Owners
We said goodbye to quite a few old friends and competitors last season, but that of course lets us say hello to new ones. Here are our intros of our first two:
the-wacker
Life long Giants fan, small business owner on west coast, happy to have stumbled on WiS and particularly HBD 3 and a half years ago, spent and spending way too much time on my teams- happily so! Been in good leagues and still learning and hoping to get to WS in 1 of them soon! Play ball!
kenter16I am a 31 year old from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I own my own electrical contracting company. I have won a handful of world series titles as an owner in HBD. I won 4 in 5 years as the Richmond High Rollers in another world. So I went back to that name, see if it brings me luck. I am not sure where those are shown, as they are not in my 'trophy case', under my owner profile. They were a few years ago. I am on a decent drought recently. Need to get back in the winners circle, but it won't be for a few seasons with this team. I have turned 100 loss teams into 100 win teams before. But this franchise will take a few years to turn into a contender.
the-wacker
Life long Giants fan, small business owner on west coast, happy to have stumbled on WiS and particularly HBD 3 and a half years ago, spent and spending way too much time on my teams- happily so! Been in good leagues and still learning and hoping to get to WS in 1 of them soon! Play ball!
kenter16I am a 31 year old from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I own my own electrical contracting company. I have won a handful of world series titles as an owner in HBD. I won 4 in 5 years as the Richmond High Rollers in another world. So I went back to that name, see if it brings me luck. I am not sure where those are shown, as they are not in my 'trophy case', under my owner profile. They were a few years ago. I am on a decent drought recently. Need to get back in the winners circle, but it won't be for a few seasons with this team. I have turned 100 loss teams into 100 win teams before. But this franchise will take a few years to turn into a contender.
Friday, September 30, 2016
First-Half Awards
NL MVP
Tight race that could go any of 4 or 5 ways, but my pick is Tarrik Stockton. 2 seasons ago he was moldering in AAA, and now he's OPSing 1.023, has 17 SB's, and is playing sterling D at 2B for Texas.
Honorable Mention: Austin's Trace Clark - .291/28/81 with 54 walks.
AL MVP
I've always thought Kelvim Hasegawa would have a few MVP-caliber seasons, and this is certainly one so far. .330/21/77 with 34 doubles, 31 SB's (and no caught stealing) and excellent defense at 3B. He's lapping the field in both leagues in both runs created and rc/27. Stat to watch: he's on pace to set a new single-season record for doubles (the record is 58), and with his speed and durability he's exactly the kind of player to up that mark.
Honorable mention: Tony Mullen - .302/35/81. His 1.026 OPS is 2nd in the AL to Hasegawa and he leads both league in HR's.
NL Cy Young
Quentin McGowan of Texas. He's the NL leader on OAV, OBP, Slugging% Against, WHIP and ERA even pitching in a hitter's park.
Honorable Mention: Shannon Rivera (10-1, 2.83 ERA) of Chicago has almost identical numbers to New York's Hannity, but has put those up in a tougher ballpark and has tossed a few more innings.
AL Cy Young
Sam Stock has been more hittable this year than in his first 2, but still leads both leagues in OAV, OBP, and WHIP (and is 2nd to McGowan in Slugging % against).
Honorable Mention: could go to a bunch of guys, but Philadelphia's Alex Quixote has been outstanding - 10-4, 3.06 ERA while throwing 123 innings
NL ROY
Helena's Earle Carraway (9-3, 2.86 in 122 IP) has pitched well enough that he could make the Cy Young ballot.
AL ROY
Thin year for AL Rookies. Best of the lot in the first half has been Philly's Gene Cummings, who leads the AL newbies in OPS with .851 and has played an adequate CF.
Tight race that could go any of 4 or 5 ways, but my pick is Tarrik Stockton. 2 seasons ago he was moldering in AAA, and now he's OPSing 1.023, has 17 SB's, and is playing sterling D at 2B for Texas.
Honorable Mention: Austin's Trace Clark - .291/28/81 with 54 walks.
AL MVP
I've always thought Kelvim Hasegawa would have a few MVP-caliber seasons, and this is certainly one so far. .330/21/77 with 34 doubles, 31 SB's (and no caught stealing) and excellent defense at 3B. He's lapping the field in both leagues in both runs created and rc/27. Stat to watch: he's on pace to set a new single-season record for doubles (the record is 58), and with his speed and durability he's exactly the kind of player to up that mark.
Honorable mention: Tony Mullen - .302/35/81. His 1.026 OPS is 2nd in the AL to Hasegawa and he leads both league in HR's.
NL Cy Young
Quentin McGowan of Texas. He's the NL leader on OAV, OBP, Slugging% Against, WHIP and ERA even pitching in a hitter's park.
Honorable Mention: Shannon Rivera (10-1, 2.83 ERA) of Chicago has almost identical numbers to New York's Hannity, but has put those up in a tougher ballpark and has tossed a few more innings.
AL Cy Young
Sam Stock has been more hittable this year than in his first 2, but still leads both leagues in OAV, OBP, and WHIP (and is 2nd to McGowan in Slugging % against).
Honorable Mention: could go to a bunch of guys, but Philadelphia's Alex Quixote has been outstanding - 10-4, 3.06 ERA while throwing 123 innings
NL ROY
Helena's Earle Carraway (9-3, 2.86 in 122 IP) has pitched well enough that he could make the Cy Young ballot.
AL ROY
Thin year for AL Rookies. Best of the lot in the first half has been Philly's Gene Cummings, who leads the AL newbies in OPS with .851 and has played an adequate CF.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
NL South Preview (Season 32)
Season 31 was memorable in the NL South due to Texas' massive choke job, closing out with an L9 and allowing Charlotte to Steam into the post-season like a runaway train, finishing out on a 9-1 run of their own to reach .500 for the season. The fun stopped rather abruptly, as Charlotte played like their season-long record in getting eliminate 3-0 by Chicago. The former Santa Fe (now Austin) and San Juan kept the overall division tightly packed to 10 games between everyone.
Early returns have San Juan flipping the script, starting out with 3 big wins over last season's division Champs, looking to recapture their very recent successes Seasons 29 & 30. Pretty significant turnover on the ML roster should be expected after a 4th place finish follows two pennants, and the Padres held to that form. Modest FA signings like Omar Gutierrez and Jorge De Aza compliment returning vet Matty Campos and young up and coming stud Branden Clarkson, and should make for a solid line-up, if perhaps lacking in strong gloves outside Orlando Mendoza.
San Juan's starting staff will be led again by steady vets Raymond Patterson and Vladimir Duran with hopes that Harry Bautista can live up to the hype around his "stuff", but their bullpen may hinge on the delicate deployment of some odd fits like potential stud Preston Granderson and Rickey Leary.
The early shine may be coming off their hot start now, but San Juan should avoid the basement this season.
The biggest news in Charlotte this off-season was their gutting of the spirited team that finished the regular season on such a high note. Moving Zoltan Keppinger and Rich Kohn to Nawlins, then George Camilli and Yean Carlos Gonzalez to Indy basically gutted the major league roster, but the Steam will rise again with an embarrassment of riches in their minors.
Focusing on this season, though, the only new ML piece added on the major moves was Matt Hunter from the Test-Icicles (also a former Indianapolis whatever-they're-called-this-year farm hand... you know, just to close the circle). He should anchor a reasonable collection of gloves which may not be enough to carry a patchwork pitching staff, hoping to get the ball to Jim Hinchliffe with a lead.
Late blooming Brett McMahan should more than outpace his 11th round draft pick status, but he may be a lone bright spot in a thin lineup.
While it may be a long Season 32 in Charlotte, the future is hot as a kettle.
The heartbreaker of an ending to last season aside, Choades are making their way back up the standings, after a sustained run under the previous regime. Bob Tucker leads a deep, versatile lineup that should fare well in their hitter friendly home park.
Heavy inning horses Joe Cunningham, Al Servet, and Kennie Bonilla will shoulder much of the load getting the ball to a deep (if unspectacular) 'pen led by Norberto Lecuona. The pitching staff should be helped by a strong defence.
Nobody likes a sweaty Choade, but in Texas this season, the sweat might be starting to pay off. A second consecutive bridesmaid finish should be looked upon favourably if their overall record continues to take steps forward.
Our geography-challenged Road Trip now takes us from Santa Fe to Austin, who look primed to take a big step forward. If the pundits weren't sure, then the big off-season move to bring in John Small to anchor the hot corner and pair with incumbent stud P.T. Feliz was the anvil to the forehead.
Subtler observers might have read the tea leaves earlier with in the arrival of Willie Matos and Torey Izquierdo last season to go with (relative) greybeards Juan Martinez and Willie Tepera, forming a formidable foursome in the starting rotation, with nobody over 25.
Austin look like the team to beat, and the first couple of weeks are looking like the final payoff of a long time in the wilderness for this franchise.
Early returns have San Juan flipping the script, starting out with 3 big wins over last season's division Champs, looking to recapture their very recent successes Seasons 29 & 30. Pretty significant turnover on the ML roster should be expected after a 4th place finish follows two pennants, and the Padres held to that form. Modest FA signings like Omar Gutierrez and Jorge De Aza compliment returning vet Matty Campos and young up and coming stud Branden Clarkson, and should make for a solid line-up, if perhaps lacking in strong gloves outside Orlando Mendoza.
San Juan's starting staff will be led again by steady vets Raymond Patterson and Vladimir Duran with hopes that Harry Bautista can live up to the hype around his "stuff", but their bullpen may hinge on the delicate deployment of some odd fits like potential stud Preston Granderson and Rickey Leary.
The early shine may be coming off their hot start now, but San Juan should avoid the basement this season.
The biggest news in Charlotte this off-season was their gutting of the spirited team that finished the regular season on such a high note. Moving Zoltan Keppinger and Rich Kohn to Nawlins, then George Camilli and Yean Carlos Gonzalez to Indy basically gutted the major league roster, but the Steam will rise again with an embarrassment of riches in their minors.
Focusing on this season, though, the only new ML piece added on the major moves was Matt Hunter from the Test-Icicles (also a former Indianapolis whatever-they're-called-this-year farm hand... you know, just to close the circle). He should anchor a reasonable collection of gloves which may not be enough to carry a patchwork pitching staff, hoping to get the ball to Jim Hinchliffe with a lead.
Late blooming Brett McMahan should more than outpace his 11th round draft pick status, but he may be a lone bright spot in a thin lineup.
While it may be a long Season 32 in Charlotte, the future is hot as a kettle.
The heartbreaker of an ending to last season aside, Choades are making their way back up the standings, after a sustained run under the previous regime. Bob Tucker leads a deep, versatile lineup that should fare well in their hitter friendly home park.
Heavy inning horses Joe Cunningham, Al Servet, and Kennie Bonilla will shoulder much of the load getting the ball to a deep (if unspectacular) 'pen led by Norberto Lecuona. The pitching staff should be helped by a strong defence.
Nobody likes a sweaty Choade, but in Texas this season, the sweat might be starting to pay off. A second consecutive bridesmaid finish should be looked upon favourably if their overall record continues to take steps forward.
Our geography-challenged Road Trip now takes us from Santa Fe to Austin, who look primed to take a big step forward. If the pundits weren't sure, then the big off-season move to bring in John Small to anchor the hot corner and pair with incumbent stud P.T. Feliz was the anvil to the forehead.
Subtler observers might have read the tea leaves earlier with in the arrival of Willie Matos and Torey Izquierdo last season to go with (relative) greybeards Juan Martinez and Willie Tepera, forming a formidable foursome in the starting rotation, with nobody over 25.
Austin look like the team to beat, and the first couple of weeks are looking like the final payoff of a long time in the wilderness for this franchise.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
AL North Preview - Season 32
AL North Preview
Does anyone want to win this division? Only one real contender exists, as three franchises look for their footing. A dynasty has ended, but all should fear the re-build!
Pre-season AL North Awards
MVP - 2B Miguel Ramirez, Kansas City
Cy Young - SP Happy Blue, Philadelphia
Rookie of the Year - CF Edgardo Mercedes, Vancouver
Most Likely to be Traded - 3B Wilkin Guerrero, Kansas City
Highest Trade Value - 2B Miguel Ramirez, Kansas City
Final Standings Prediction
1. Philadelphia 90-72
2. Kansas City 70-92
3. Montreal 68-94
4. Vancouver 65-97
Team Reviews/Previews
Philadelphia Erffdoggs
Season 31 Review Record: 84-78, 1st in the AL North, lost to New Orleans in the ALDS
Rankings
Runs Scored: 9th
Runs Allowed: 24th
Fielding Percentage:13th
Awards
AL Rookie of the Year Yamil Ibanez
All Star Yordano Valdes
Regular season champion for the first time in 10 seasons, wholck overcame below average pitching to win the North. Offense was led by a strong core of position players Ibanez, Stults, Tabaka, and Simon - all under 26 years old. The pitching staff was held together by innings-eaters Cunningham and Bako. Yordano Valdes had a strong year, converting 33 out of 36 saves.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Contending
Player Transactions
Additions - Free Agency:SS Orlando Gil, RF Glenallen Ward, SP Vern Buckley, SP Happy Blue. Promotion: RP Yonder Samuel, RP Che-Hsuan Woo, LF Jeff Flanagan
Subtractions - Free Agency: SS Josias Ozuna, RP Pascual Bennett, CF Fred Porter, SP Joe Cunningham. Released: 3B Harold Parker, SP Enny James
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 10th
Rotation: 9th
Bullpen: 17th
Starting Lineup: 4th
Bench: 13th
Average Age: 10th
Average Salary: 15th
Prediction - The Erffdoggs are strong contenders to repeat. In fact, anything other than 1st place would be a major surprise. wholck has kept the young core together, but has he done enough to advance out of the ALDS? The bullpen appears to be stronger, and Quixote is an upgrade at the top of the rotation. An addition or two, and this team could make some noise in the playoffs.
Kansas City Jayhawks
Season 31 Review Record: 73-89, 2nd in the AL North
Rankings
Runs Scored: 15th
Runs Allowed: 23rd
Fielding Percentage: 21st
Awards
Silver Slugger - DH Hugh Pierre
Gold Glove - 2B Miguel Ramirez, LF Fernando Bonilla
A down year for the 8X defending AL North Champion. Offense was solid - led by Pierre and Ramirez, but they still scored 100 less runs than they did in Season 30. Season 31 appears to be the first year of dakar's rebuild of the next NL North Dynasty.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Rebuilding
Player Transactions
Additions - SP (all "All-Name Future HOF'r" Dickie Wingo, SP Tomas Estrada, Father Time SP Jay Denham. Promoted - RF Julio Rivera. Rule V - CF Quentin Hendrick, SS Paolo Infante
Subtractions - Free Agency - SP Walt Hairston, SP Carlos Tavarez
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 23rd
Rotation: 21st
Bullpen: 12th
Starting Lineup: 19th
Bench: 27th
Average Age: 17th
Average Salary: 32nd
Prediction - dakar is clearly in re-build mode, but he still has some very talented pieces to win games. It is unlikely that they improve drmatically on their Season 31 record, and a 70 win season and 2nd or 3rd place is a likely result. 70-92, 2nd in the NL North, not bad for the lowest payroll in the league.
Vancouver Voodoo
Season 31 Review
Record: 61-101, 3rd in the NL North
Rankings
Runs Scored: 30th
Runs Allowed: 29th
Fielding Percentage: 14th
Awards None
The big budget Voodoo had a disappointing season in Season 31. The pitching staff was led by the now-departed Prieto, while the offense relied heavily on the also departed Evans. With the disappointment of Season 31 in the past, the budget, and expectations, have been lowered in Vancouver.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Rebuilding
Player Transactions
Additions - Free Agency - 1B Peter Brumbaugh, SP Carlos Tavarez, CF Storm Mays,
Subtractions - Free Agency - 1B Doyle Evans, CF Jorge De Aza, C Jung-Lee Wang, SP Footsie Anderson,
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 32nd
Rotation: 29th
Bullpen: 32nd
Starting Lineup: 31st
Bench: 21st
Average Age: 24th
Average Salary: 19th
Prediction - Anything other than 4th place would be a surprise. hatesong is in full re-building mode, but he's added some expensive pieces in Taverez and Mays to remain competitive.
Montreal Shamrocks Season 31 Review
Record: 49-113, 4th in NL North
Rankings
Runs Scored: 26th
Runs Allowed: 32nd
Fielding Percentage: 28th
Awards Silver Slugger - SS Alex Duran
Yours truly takes over after a train wreck of a season in Season 31. Not much good to say about last season, other than it has lowered the expectations for me! Some very good players look to re-bound from an off-year.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Rebuilding
Player Transactions
Additions - Free Agency - RP Rich Sinclair, RP Pete Allen. Rule V - 1B Victor Ramirez, SP Kevin Richards, RP Pedro Rijo. Promoted - 3B Josh Gates
Subtractions -Free Agency - RP Frank Becker, CF and 1st Ballot "All-Name" HOF'r Harry Johnson. Released - RF Lefty Hubbard
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 22nd
Rotation: 22nd
Bullpen: 28th
Starting Lineup: 9th
Bench: 12th
Average Age: 17th
Average Salary: 23rd
Prediction - In a very weak division, 2nd place is a possibility, but unlikely. The bats are there, but the pitching will need quite an improvement over Season 31 to make any noise. Sub .500 is all but certain, and a 2nd place finish is a worthwhile goal.
Does anyone want to win this division? Only one real contender exists, as three franchises look for their footing. A dynasty has ended, but all should fear the re-build!
Pre-season AL North Awards
MVP - 2B Miguel Ramirez, Kansas City
Cy Young - SP Happy Blue, Philadelphia
Rookie of the Year - CF Edgardo Mercedes, Vancouver
Most Likely to be Traded - 3B Wilkin Guerrero, Kansas City
Highest Trade Value - 2B Miguel Ramirez, Kansas City
Final Standings Prediction
1. Philadelphia 90-72
2. Kansas City 70-92
3. Montreal 68-94
4. Vancouver 65-97
Team Reviews/Previews
Philadelphia Erffdoggs
Season 31 Review Record: 84-78, 1st in the AL North, lost to New Orleans in the ALDS
Rankings
Runs Scored: 9th
Runs Allowed: 24th
Fielding Percentage:13th
Awards
AL Rookie of the Year Yamil Ibanez
All Star Yordano Valdes
Regular season champion for the first time in 10 seasons, wholck overcame below average pitching to win the North. Offense was led by a strong core of position players Ibanez, Stults, Tabaka, and Simon - all under 26 years old. The pitching staff was held together by innings-eaters Cunningham and Bako. Yordano Valdes had a strong year, converting 33 out of 36 saves.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Contending
Player Transactions
Additions - Free Agency:SS Orlando Gil, RF Glenallen Ward, SP Vern Buckley, SP Happy Blue. Promotion: RP Yonder Samuel, RP Che-Hsuan Woo, LF Jeff Flanagan
Subtractions - Free Agency: SS Josias Ozuna, RP Pascual Bennett, CF Fred Porter, SP Joe Cunningham. Released: 3B Harold Parker, SP Enny James
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 10th
Rotation: 9th
Bullpen: 17th
Starting Lineup: 4th
Bench: 13th
Average Age: 10th
Average Salary: 15th
Prediction - The Erffdoggs are strong contenders to repeat. In fact, anything other than 1st place would be a major surprise. wholck has kept the young core together, but has he done enough to advance out of the ALDS? The bullpen appears to be stronger, and Quixote is an upgrade at the top of the rotation. An addition or two, and this team could make some noise in the playoffs.
Kansas City Jayhawks
Season 31 Review Record: 73-89, 2nd in the AL North
Rankings
Runs Scored: 15th
Runs Allowed: 23rd
Fielding Percentage: 21st
Awards
Silver Slugger - DH Hugh Pierre
Gold Glove - 2B Miguel Ramirez, LF Fernando Bonilla
A down year for the 8X defending AL North Champion. Offense was solid - led by Pierre and Ramirez, but they still scored 100 less runs than they did in Season 30. Season 31 appears to be the first year of dakar's rebuild of the next NL North Dynasty.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Rebuilding
Player Transactions
Additions - SP (all "All-Name Future HOF'r" Dickie Wingo, SP Tomas Estrada, Father Time SP Jay Denham. Promoted - RF Julio Rivera. Rule V - CF Quentin Hendrick, SS Paolo Infante
Subtractions - Free Agency - SP Walt Hairston, SP Carlos Tavarez
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 23rd
Rotation: 21st
Bullpen: 12th
Starting Lineup: 19th
Bench: 27th
Average Age: 17th
Average Salary: 32nd
Prediction - dakar is clearly in re-build mode, but he still has some very talented pieces to win games. It is unlikely that they improve drmatically on their Season 31 record, and a 70 win season and 2nd or 3rd place is a likely result. 70-92, 2nd in the NL North, not bad for the lowest payroll in the league.
Vancouver Voodoo
Season 31 Review
Record: 61-101, 3rd in the NL North
Rankings
Runs Scored: 30th
Runs Allowed: 29th
Fielding Percentage: 14th
Awards None
The big budget Voodoo had a disappointing season in Season 31. The pitching staff was led by the now-departed Prieto, while the offense relied heavily on the also departed Evans. With the disappointment of Season 31 in the past, the budget, and expectations, have been lowered in Vancouver.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Rebuilding
Player Transactions
Additions - Free Agency - 1B Peter Brumbaugh, SP Carlos Tavarez, CF Storm Mays,
Subtractions - Free Agency - 1B Doyle Evans, CF Jorge De Aza, C Jung-Lee Wang, SP Footsie Anderson,
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 32nd
Rotation: 29th
Bullpen: 32nd
Starting Lineup: 31st
Bench: 21st
Average Age: 24th
Average Salary: 19th
Prediction - Anything other than 4th place would be a surprise. hatesong is in full re-building mode, but he's added some expensive pieces in Taverez and Mays to remain competitive.
Montreal Shamrocks Season 31 Review
Record: 49-113, 4th in NL North
Rankings
Runs Scored: 26th
Runs Allowed: 32nd
Fielding Percentage: 28th
Awards Silver Slugger - SS Alex Duran
Yours truly takes over after a train wreck of a season in Season 31. Not much good to say about last season, other than it has lowered the expectations for me! Some very good players look to re-bound from an off-year.
Season 32 Preview
Mode - Rebuilding
Player Transactions
Additions - Free Agency - RP Rich Sinclair, RP Pete Allen. Rule V - 1B Victor Ramirez, SP Kevin Richards, RP Pedro Rijo. Promoted - 3B Josh Gates
Subtractions -Free Agency - RP Frank Becker, CF and 1st Ballot "All-Name" HOF'r Harry Johnson. Released - RF Lefty Hubbard
Ratings Rankings
Overall: 22nd
Rotation: 22nd
Bullpen: 28th
Starting Lineup: 9th
Bench: 12th
Average Age: 17th
Average Salary: 23rd
Prediction - In a very weak division, 2nd place is a possibility, but unlikely. The bats are there, but the pitching will need quite an improvement over Season 31 to make any noise. Sub .500 is all but certain, and a 2nd place finish is a worthwhile goal.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
AL East Preview (Season 32)
Huntington Fire Blitz
Season 31 in a nutshell: Another great regular season, followed by an improbable playoff collapse. There is no reason to expect anything less than last season's division title, and they are overdue for a trip to the Series. Regardless, they have brought back the cachet of the early years of the franchise.
Who's out? 1B Raymond Lieber, RP Kurt Marte, RF Lewis Gilkey, RP Laynce Nash, RP Sammy Morales, 3B Bobby Michaels.
Who's in? C Jung Lee Wang, 1B Scott Barnes, SP Aramis Romo, RP Alexei Gardel, SP Cristian Remlinger
Season 32: Offensively, losing Gilkey and Michaels is going to hurt. Despite being 38 years old, Gilkey was still terrific and became just the third member of the 3000 hits club. There has been speculation that steelforge may be thinking of trying the C in RF gambit as he has 3 catchers who can hit in Wang, Joaquin Escobar and Aneury Saenz. Michaels was a force with both the glove and the bat., but his best two positions are also played by the best 2 players on the team, 3B Kelvim Hasegawa and 2B B.C. Alfonzo. CF Olmedo Lee is another fine bat, but his play in the field is a little uneven. Swapping him for Alfonzo's extra range might be something to consider. Barnes at 1B and Carlos tatis at DH help round out an excellent offense.
The pitching is not quite the same caliber. Remlinger and Romo join holdovers Vladimir Andujar, Shane Phillips and Lastings Wood in the rotation. All are servicable, but only Phillips stands out as ace material. The pen has a lot of depth, with Gardel joining Mark Martin, Fausto Rodriguez, Boots Snyder and Ismael Zurburan in a bullpen by committee. All in all, an easy pick to repeat.
Durham Dark Monsters
Season 31 in a nutshell: Second place, a game under .500. Are they going up or down? Well, the bullpen added several new faces, and the offense seemed to under perform in general, so I am looking for incremental improvement.
Who's out? No one of note.
Who's in? Relief pitchers Walt Hairston, Jarred Curtis, Yamil Duran and Joey Jones.
Season 32: Four good to very good relievers, with Duran being the best instantly improve the pitching staff. They join John Knight and Devan Lombardozzi in the pen. The rotation consists of two good pitchers in Gorkys Leon and J.T. Webster, and three question marks. tony Duran is a just fair SP, While Bert Brooks has his career off to a nice start, but that 51 vR suggests it is unsustainable. Vic Park.....well....anyone know what the league record for worst ERA is?
Offensively, things look a little brighter. 3B Joshua Monahan, 1B Eddie Harvey and CF Bernard Clifton are studs. Harry Mercado would be an all around good SS if his arm was more accurate. RF Benji Almanzar and DH Vicente Rodriguez are solid. COF Radhames Mendoza looks like fine talent but is possibly being rushed to the majors. There is enough here to score some runs. When all is said and done,look for small improvement. Maybe 3 games over .500 instead of a game under. Of course the greatly improved Indy squad could sabotage things.
Chicago Capones
Season 31 in a nutshell: 78 wins and third place in division. A fairly young veteran team with potential to be better than that record. (Also, a team that made a TON of moves.)
Who's out? RP Bud Bonilla, SP Doug Kaline, RP Enrique Nunez, LF Tex Guerrero, SP John Wheat, Victor Candelaria, RP Quilvio Castro, C Calvin Uribe, SP Kevin Lewis, LF Ajax Williams
Who's in? RP Vasco Gonzalez, 3B Mike Weinhardt, LF Timothy Denham, RP Andy Richmond, SP Charlie Zeile, SP Davey Bolick, Roberto Gonzalez, RP Domingo Hernandez.
Season 32: With all the recent moves, the Capones did get somewhat better, and Nesman does an interesting job of signing players with huge bonuses and low salaries, making players like Weinhardt a real value for the $$. But all the moves didn't net any huge gains. So how does it shake out? You start with the offense with this team, specifically RF Addison Oropesa, 3B Jacob Sheldon and 1B Javier Fernandez. All of them 26 or under and the nucleus of the club. Weinhardt, Denham, 1B Willie Palmeiro and C Vladimir Henriquez are the supporting cast, with Henriquez being the best hitter of the bunch, but questionable defensively. Young SS Charlie Ervin is a great fielder with a little pop.
The pitching doesn't fare quite so well. Eury Galarraga is probably the ace of the rotation, but starts the season on the DL. Bonk Maroth and Roberto Gonzalez, are solid starters, but everyone behind them comes with question marks. Davey Bolick will need a GPS to find home plate he is so wild (712 walks in 852 minor league innings). Charlie Zeile likewise has control issues. Kenshin Masao can't seem to translate his ratings to results and young Manuel Cubillan's weaknes vs righties is likely to get exposed this year. Newcomer Richmond may pulled from the pen sooner rather than later. Speaking of the pen, it starts with closer Pasqual Hernandez, who is quite good. His setup men Albert Guerrero, Vasco Gonzalez, Steve Lohse and Domingo Hernandez don't inspire a lot of confidence. Bottom line; the hitting could pull the team forward or the pitching could hold it back, especially with the low PC rated catchers. Bet on the final results looking a lot like last year, maybe a little worse if Indy goes flying past them.
Indianapolis Mo' Money, Mo' Problems
Who's out? 2B Joe Riggan, RPs Julian Scelfo, Luis Rodriguez, Phil Hughes, Roy Vining and Morgn Davidson, RF Fernando Iglesias, 2B Alfredo Tejeda, C Trevor Banks, SP Willie Perry
Who's in? LF Arthur Wells, SP George Camilli, 1B Yean Carlos Gonzalez, RP Felix Figueroa, C Aaron Delahanty, LF Harry Zorilla
Season 32: It is time for Iain to make his move. With the chaff cleared out, and extra wheat harvested, this will be a team to watch. The big move was the acquisition of young superstar Gonzalez at 1B. He teams with RF Darren Walton for an incredible middle of the order. They will combine with DH Mule Burns, 3B Trenidad Durazo, 2B Edgar Martin C Pablo Rosado and LF Wells for a lot of punch. Other new faces Delahanty and Zorilla add to a deep bench.
Among pitchers, Camilli was the big acquisition to anchor a staff that includes Lariel Vazquez, Phil Newfield and Kenneth Webster. The fifth starter may be an issue as neither Luis Rodriguez, vance Peterson nor Gary Blair look like long term major leaguers. The bullpen is Cory Calixto, Fred Scherzer, Felix Figueroa (closing) and some question marks. RuleV pickup Max Sipp may end up as an important member. So bottom line look for lots of offense (from both teams) when the Mo's play, but more importantly, look for a lot more wins. I foresee that second place in the division may be hard fought, and if one team pulls away from the others it will most likely be Indy.
Huntington Fire Blitz
Season 31 in a nutshell: Another great regular season, followed by an improbable playoff collapse. There is no reason to expect anything less than last season's division title, and they are overdue for a trip to the Series. Regardless, they have brought back the cachet of the early years of the franchise.
Who's out? 1B Raymond Lieber, RP Kurt Marte, RF Lewis Gilkey, RP Laynce Nash, RP Sammy Morales, 3B Bobby Michaels.
Who's in? C Jung Lee Wang, 1B Scott Barnes, SP Aramis Romo, RP Alexei Gardel, SP Cristian Remlinger
Season 32: Offensively, losing Gilkey and Michaels is going to hurt. Despite being 38 years old, Gilkey was still terrific and became just the third member of the 3000 hits club. There has been speculation that steelforge may be thinking of trying the C in RF gambit as he has 3 catchers who can hit in Wang, Joaquin Escobar and Aneury Saenz. Michaels was a force with both the glove and the bat., but his best two positions are also played by the best 2 players on the team, 3B Kelvim Hasegawa and 2B B.C. Alfonzo. CF Olmedo Lee is another fine bat, but his play in the field is a little uneven. Swapping him for Alfonzo's extra range might be something to consider. Barnes at 1B and Carlos tatis at DH help round out an excellent offense.
The pitching is not quite the same caliber. Remlinger and Romo join holdovers Vladimir Andujar, Shane Phillips and Lastings Wood in the rotation. All are servicable, but only Phillips stands out as ace material. The pen has a lot of depth, with Gardel joining Mark Martin, Fausto Rodriguez, Boots Snyder and Ismael Zurburan in a bullpen by committee. All in all, an easy pick to repeat.
Durham Dark Monsters
Season 31 in a nutshell: Second place, a game under .500. Are they going up or down? Well, the bullpen added several new faces, and the offense seemed to under perform in general, so I am looking for incremental improvement.
Who's out? No one of note.
Who's in? Relief pitchers Walt Hairston, Jarred Curtis, Yamil Duran and Joey Jones.
Season 32: Four good to very good relievers, with Duran being the best instantly improve the pitching staff. They join John Knight and Devan Lombardozzi in the pen. The rotation consists of two good pitchers in Gorkys Leon and J.T. Webster, and three question marks. tony Duran is a just fair SP, While Bert Brooks has his career off to a nice start, but that 51 vR suggests it is unsustainable. Vic Park.....well....anyone know what the league record for worst ERA is?
Offensively, things look a little brighter. 3B Joshua Monahan, 1B Eddie Harvey and CF Bernard Clifton are studs. Harry Mercado would be an all around good SS if his arm was more accurate. RF Benji Almanzar and DH Vicente Rodriguez are solid. COF Radhames Mendoza looks like fine talent but is possibly being rushed to the majors. There is enough here to score some runs. When all is said and done,look for small improvement. Maybe 3 games over .500 instead of a game under. Of course the greatly improved Indy squad could sabotage things.
Chicago Capones
Season 31 in a nutshell: 78 wins and third place in division. A fairly young veteran team with potential to be better than that record. (Also, a team that made a TON of moves.)
Who's out? RP Bud Bonilla, SP Doug Kaline, RP Enrique Nunez, LF Tex Guerrero, SP John Wheat, Victor Candelaria, RP Quilvio Castro, C Calvin Uribe, SP Kevin Lewis, LF Ajax Williams
Who's in? RP Vasco Gonzalez, 3B Mike Weinhardt, LF Timothy Denham, RP Andy Richmond, SP Charlie Zeile, SP Davey Bolick, Roberto Gonzalez, RP Domingo Hernandez.
Season 32: With all the recent moves, the Capones did get somewhat better, and Nesman does an interesting job of signing players with huge bonuses and low salaries, making players like Weinhardt a real value for the $$. But all the moves didn't net any huge gains. So how does it shake out? You start with the offense with this team, specifically RF Addison Oropesa, 3B Jacob Sheldon and 1B Javier Fernandez. All of them 26 or under and the nucleus of the club. Weinhardt, Denham, 1B Willie Palmeiro and C Vladimir Henriquez are the supporting cast, with Henriquez being the best hitter of the bunch, but questionable defensively. Young SS Charlie Ervin is a great fielder with a little pop.
The pitching doesn't fare quite so well. Eury Galarraga is probably the ace of the rotation, but starts the season on the DL. Bonk Maroth and Roberto Gonzalez, are solid starters, but everyone behind them comes with question marks. Davey Bolick will need a GPS to find home plate he is so wild (712 walks in 852 minor league innings). Charlie Zeile likewise has control issues. Kenshin Masao can't seem to translate his ratings to results and young Manuel Cubillan's weaknes vs righties is likely to get exposed this year. Newcomer Richmond may pulled from the pen sooner rather than later. Speaking of the pen, it starts with closer Pasqual Hernandez, who is quite good. His setup men Albert Guerrero, Vasco Gonzalez, Steve Lohse and Domingo Hernandez don't inspire a lot of confidence. Bottom line; the hitting could pull the team forward or the pitching could hold it back, especially with the low PC rated catchers. Bet on the final results looking a lot like last year, maybe a little worse if Indy goes flying past them.
Indianapolis Mo' Money, Mo' Problems
Who's out? 2B Joe Riggan, RPs Julian Scelfo, Luis Rodriguez, Phil Hughes, Roy Vining and Morgn Davidson, RF Fernando Iglesias, 2B Alfredo Tejeda, C Trevor Banks, SP Willie Perry
Who's in? LF Arthur Wells, SP George Camilli, 1B Yean Carlos Gonzalez, RP Felix Figueroa, C Aaron Delahanty, LF Harry Zorilla
Season 32: It is time for Iain to make his move. With the chaff cleared out, and extra wheat harvested, this will be a team to watch. The big move was the acquisition of young superstar Gonzalez at 1B. He teams with RF Darren Walton for an incredible middle of the order. They will combine with DH Mule Burns, 3B Trenidad Durazo, 2B Edgar Martin C Pablo Rosado and LF Wells for a lot of punch. Other new faces Delahanty and Zorilla add to a deep bench.
Among pitchers, Camilli was the big acquisition to anchor a staff that includes Lariel Vazquez, Phil Newfield and Kenneth Webster. The fifth starter may be an issue as neither Luis Rodriguez, vance Peterson nor Gary Blair look like long term major leaguers. The bullpen is Cory Calixto, Fred Scherzer, Felix Figueroa (closing) and some question marks. RuleV pickup Max Sipp may end up as an important member. So bottom line look for lots of offense (from both teams) when the Mo's play, but more importantly, look for a lot more wins. I foresee that second place in the division may be hard fought, and if one team pulls away from the others it will most likely be Indy.
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