Burlington vs Las Vegas
As much as I like the new hitters in Burlington, Palacios and Taft. As much as I think Burlington can pitch. As much as I beleive they are formidable. Las Vegas is a really good team. Balance is the definition for this squad. No particular player jumps out at you when looking at the roster or stats. but if you analyze the team stats you become impressed. i like them to win this series in 4 games and move on to face Houston.
Houston vs Boise
95 wins for Boise, 99 for Houston. This one will be tough. The pitching is close to the same, with Boise hoping that DeShields and Park are good enough to shut down the Houston scoring. Houston’s offense is built for speed over comfort. Eaton and Segui will hope to get on base and jump start the offense. The commish wants to pick his own Boise team, but he gives the nod grudgingly to Houston in 5.
Jacksonville vs Trenton
This one looks like a mismatch on paper. We are calling for a win for Trenton in 4. Too much pitching and hitting overall. Jacksonville has to hope Crawford can get two wins just to sneak up and steal this one. If he can’t get it done it will be tough for Jacksonville.
Vancouver vs Salem
Every owner is likely rooting for Vancouver as the owner is active. Salem hasn’t logged in since Jan 4! But he has two great pitchers in Taylor and Middlebrook. But….VC is pretty good and if Clark and Clarke dominate and Osborne pitches well we see no reason VC can’t win this series. We are going to call it for them in 5. Vancouver in an upset.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Playoff Preview
Edits underneath in CAPS!
AL First Round
Tampa Bay vs Burlington
The pitching matches up well in this series. Expect offense to make the difference. Tampa won 7 of 10 off of Burlington during the season and has a stronger offense overall this season. However, the big trade for Taft and Palacios made the Burlington offense better as the second half unfolded. We are calling it Tampa but would not be shocked if an mini upset occured. It does seem odd to call the WC team the favorite but Burlington has not been great at home.
TAMPA LEADS 2-1 LOOKING TO CLOSE OUT
BIG COMEBACK FOR BURLINGTON AS THEY WIN THE LAST 2 TO STEAL THIS ONE.
Boise vs Syracuse
The division rivals face off in this round. Syracuse got hot and closed the season strong. Boise had the freedom to rest some starters and prepare for the playoffs. This is another series where the pitching is pretty well matched. Boise scores a lot of runs and that should tip the scales to the Spuds.
BOISE SWEEPS BEHIND RUSS BORLANDS 4 HOME RUNS IN 3 GAMES!
NL First Round
Tacoma vs Jacksonville
Tough one to call. Both teams score runs about the same. Tacoma is the stronger pithcing team, they led the NL in ERA this season. Jacksonville is a great road team and Tacoma is a great home team. This is a fun matchup and we see it going 5 games. Tacoma and pitching probably wins the day and moves on.
A TOUGH ONE LIKE PREDICTED Jax LEADS 2-1!
ANOTHER BIG SERIES and JACKSONVILLE TAKES GAME 5 TO MOVE ON.
Arizona vs Vancouver
Another good matchup. They both hit well and play excellent defense. Arizona closed the season with a good run and will be tough to beat. Vancouver was steady all year. 18 game winner Harry Osborne will need to be the difference for Vancouver. We pick them to move on to the next round.
VANCOUVER LEADS AS PREDICTED, ARIZONA ISN'T DONE YET THOUGH!
VANCOUVER DOES MOVE ON.
AL First Round
Tampa Bay vs Burlington
The pitching matches up well in this series. Expect offense to make the difference. Tampa won 7 of 10 off of Burlington during the season and has a stronger offense overall this season. However, the big trade for Taft and Palacios made the Burlington offense better as the second half unfolded. We are calling it Tampa but would not be shocked if an mini upset occured. It does seem odd to call the WC team the favorite but Burlington has not been great at home.
TAMPA LEADS 2-1 LOOKING TO CLOSE OUT
BIG COMEBACK FOR BURLINGTON AS THEY WIN THE LAST 2 TO STEAL THIS ONE.
Boise vs Syracuse
The division rivals face off in this round. Syracuse got hot and closed the season strong. Boise had the freedom to rest some starters and prepare for the playoffs. This is another series where the pitching is pretty well matched. Boise scores a lot of runs and that should tip the scales to the Spuds.
BOISE SWEEPS BEHIND RUSS BORLANDS 4 HOME RUNS IN 3 GAMES!
NL First Round
Tacoma vs Jacksonville
Tough one to call. Both teams score runs about the same. Tacoma is the stronger pithcing team, they led the NL in ERA this season. Jacksonville is a great road team and Tacoma is a great home team. This is a fun matchup and we see it going 5 games. Tacoma and pitching probably wins the day and moves on.
A TOUGH ONE LIKE PREDICTED Jax LEADS 2-1!
ANOTHER BIG SERIES and JACKSONVILLE TAKES GAME 5 TO MOVE ON.
Arizona vs Vancouver
Another good matchup. They both hit well and play excellent defense. Arizona closed the season with a good run and will be tough to beat. Vancouver was steady all year. 18 game winner Harry Osborne will need to be the difference for Vancouver. We pick them to move on to the next round.
VANCOUVER LEADS AS PREDICTED, ARIZONA ISN'T DONE YET THOUGH!
VANCOUVER DOES MOVE ON.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
ML Stat Leaders!!!! Playoff Update
ML Stat Leaders and Playoff Chases
I perused and noted some interesting statistical leaders. I hope you enjoy this quick read.
Before we get to that let’s take a quick look at the playoff races. In the AL we have a few teams looking strong to win their respective divisions. Boise, Las Vegas and Houston have 6-7 game leads and that makes them tough to catch with 30 games left. In real terms if Boise played .500 ball they would finish with 98 wins. For Sioux Falls to catch them then they would need to win 22 of the last 30 games. Not impossible, but an uphill climb.
Sioux Falls does look strong for the WC and Seattle and Tampa Bay are hot on the trail for that last spot. St. Louis, Syracuse and Tucson are still in the race too. 6 teams all fighting for two spots.
The AL East has the Burlington, Boston, New York battle underway. Only one team will advance.
In the NL 5 spots are sewed up with 30 games left barring some crazy collapse. Vancouver, Trenton, Jacksonville and Salem will win divisions and Tacoma has the WC. The final WC spot is tight. Madison and Arizona are the favs now but Little rock, Austin and San Jose all have a shot.
All said 21 teams are still holding aspirations for the playoffs. That is a pretty competitive league.
STATS:
Philip Bonds HOU: 153 RBI
Pascual Palacios BUR: 51 HR’s
King Eaton HOU: 100 SB’s and 198 Hits
Theo Campbell PHI: 169 SO. Yikes!
Taylor Wilson MAD: .353 BA
Ray Bowles TRE: 109 BB’s, impressive
Paul Zhou KC: 2 steals, caught 17 times!
Vic Castro CF, TB: 14 Plus plays
Nick Banks CF, SAL: 13 Plus plays
Louie Lee CD, MEM: 22 Minus plays!!
Sun Sakamoto SXF: 205 IP
Blake Crawford JAX:201 IP
Albert Gomez AUST: 6 CG, 3 SHO
Del Taylor SAL: 17-2, 2.06 ERA, 224 K’s, 0.06 WHIP
Lou DeShields BOI: 228 K’s, .185 BAA, 0.93 WHIP
Darrin Stevenson ARI: 149 BB’s allowed
Aubrey Patel SYR: 43 HR’s allowed
Devon Stargell LV Hiram Blair TAC 37 Saves each
Al Martinez HEL: 17 Losses
I perused and noted some interesting statistical leaders. I hope you enjoy this quick read.
Before we get to that let’s take a quick look at the playoff races. In the AL we have a few teams looking strong to win their respective divisions. Boise, Las Vegas and Houston have 6-7 game leads and that makes them tough to catch with 30 games left. In real terms if Boise played .500 ball they would finish with 98 wins. For Sioux Falls to catch them then they would need to win 22 of the last 30 games. Not impossible, but an uphill climb.
Sioux Falls does look strong for the WC and Seattle and Tampa Bay are hot on the trail for that last spot. St. Louis, Syracuse and Tucson are still in the race too. 6 teams all fighting for two spots.
The AL East has the Burlington, Boston, New York battle underway. Only one team will advance.
In the NL 5 spots are sewed up with 30 games left barring some crazy collapse. Vancouver, Trenton, Jacksonville and Salem will win divisions and Tacoma has the WC. The final WC spot is tight. Madison and Arizona are the favs now but Little rock, Austin and San Jose all have a shot.
All said 21 teams are still holding aspirations for the playoffs. That is a pretty competitive league.
STATS:
Philip Bonds HOU: 153 RBI
Pascual Palacios BUR: 51 HR’s
King Eaton HOU: 100 SB’s and 198 Hits
Theo Campbell PHI: 169 SO. Yikes!
Taylor Wilson MAD: .353 BA
Ray Bowles TRE: 109 BB’s, impressive
Paul Zhou KC: 2 steals, caught 17 times!
Vic Castro CF, TB: 14 Plus plays
Nick Banks CF, SAL: 13 Plus plays
Louie Lee CD, MEM: 22 Minus plays!!
Sun Sakamoto SXF: 205 IP
Blake Crawford JAX:201 IP
Albert Gomez AUST: 6 CG, 3 SHO
Del Taylor SAL: 17-2, 2.06 ERA, 224 K’s, 0.06 WHIP
Lou DeShields BOI: 228 K’s, .185 BAA, 0.93 WHIP
Darrin Stevenson ARI: 149 BB’s allowed
Aubrey Patel SYR: 43 HR’s allowed
Devon Stargell LV Hiram Blair TAC 37 Saves each
Al Martinez HEL: 17 Losses
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
NL Power Rankings
NL Power Rankings
1 – Salem (89-40) A staggering 50-18 on the road, and they are on AI since Jan 4!
2 – Trenton (84-45) Murphy and Linden are quite the 1-2 punch in that rotation, a serious WS threat.
3 – Tacoma (77-52) This team feels like it should challenge for the title. And we agree. This will be the first year they won’t win 100 games, but don’t overlook these guys.
4 – Vancouver (75-54) They were picked second but they are running away in the division.
5 – Jacksonville (75-54) They will win and they aren’t afraid to play on the road.
6 – Madison (67-62) They are holding onto the 6 seed now. They have lots of competition! The last 30 games are going to be a battle. As long as Taylor Wilson and his 32 year old Catcher knees hold up they feel good about their chances.
7 – Austin (63-66) Starting to play well and they can mash…is it enough to make a run?
8 – Arizona (65-64) They are used to the playoffs but they have some work to do. Hitting is fine but the pitching has to do better.
9 – San Jose (62-67) Just 5 games out of the WC but slumping of late. On AI all year....
10 – Little Rock (63-66) Hiro is great but he is a one man show until the farm clubs kick in!
11 – Fargo (59-70) A down year for the WS participant.
12 – Milwaukee (58-71) This team is young and building to a big year next year with proper guidance.
13 – New York (56-73) Three owners in three years and on AI…..not good news for this team.
14 – Philadelphia (56-73) Another that could be just a year away.
15 – Scranton (53-76) Returning to glory…These guys are low payroll, ad investing in the future with big prospect signings!
16 – San Juan (27-102) wolf is doing well in setting this team in place for a better future.
1 – Salem (89-40) A staggering 50-18 on the road, and they are on AI since Jan 4!
2 – Trenton (84-45) Murphy and Linden are quite the 1-2 punch in that rotation, a serious WS threat.
3 – Tacoma (77-52) This team feels like it should challenge for the title. And we agree. This will be the first year they won’t win 100 games, but don’t overlook these guys.
4 – Vancouver (75-54) They were picked second but they are running away in the division.
5 – Jacksonville (75-54) They will win and they aren’t afraid to play on the road.
6 – Madison (67-62) They are holding onto the 6 seed now. They have lots of competition! The last 30 games are going to be a battle. As long as Taylor Wilson and his 32 year old Catcher knees hold up they feel good about their chances.
7 – Austin (63-66) Starting to play well and they can mash…is it enough to make a run?
8 – Arizona (65-64) They are used to the playoffs but they have some work to do. Hitting is fine but the pitching has to do better.
9 – San Jose (62-67) Just 5 games out of the WC but slumping of late. On AI all year....
10 – Little Rock (63-66) Hiro is great but he is a one man show until the farm clubs kick in!
11 – Fargo (59-70) A down year for the WS participant.
12 – Milwaukee (58-71) This team is young and building to a big year next year with proper guidance.
13 – New York (56-73) Three owners in three years and on AI…..not good news for this team.
14 – Philadelphia (56-73) Another that could be just a year away.
15 – Scranton (53-76) Returning to glory…These guys are low payroll, ad investing in the future with big prospect signings!
16 – San Juan (27-102) wolf is doing well in setting this team in place for a better future.
Monday, January 26, 2009
AL Power Rankings
AL Power Rankings
1 - Las Vegas – (74-52) The defending champs will be back in the playoffs and looking to defend the title. They are dominating teams at home.
2 – Boise – (81-45) This team defies the odds just a bit. They hammered teams with power, then traded away Palacios and Taft for DeShields. The belief being that pitching wins in the playoffs. We’ll see!
3 – Houston – (75-51) Cruising to the division title just as predicted at the beginning of the year.
4 – Sioux Falls (74-52) This team has been tough. They bounced out bog early, came back to earth and now hope the hitting holds up! They travel well that is for sure.
5 – Tampa Bay (70-56) They have battled Houston all year. Should slide into a WC spot if all goes well.
6 – Syracuse (69-57) The Lions are in 3rd place but would win the East going away! They are in a huge battle with Tampa St. Louis and Seattle for the WC. Can they win some hone games?
7- Seattle (68-58) Seattle is a good team, but they play in a tough division. They are trying to get hot and are on a nice run right now.
8 – St. Louis (68-58) ditto to Seattle, except they wish to be hot!
9 – Tucson (63-63) A team that deservers better! However, they haven’t been anything but vanilla this year.
10- Burlington (63-63) The East leader makes it on the list. There are just 2 games between first and third. This is a battle royale.
11 – New York (62-64) The Mafia need to win some dang home games to win the division. If not it will be tough.
12 – Boston (61-65) The Boston, NY battle is on! If they can get hot……
13 – Kansas City (49-77) The first of the rebuilding teams. The good news is the better players in KC are younger.
14 – Memphis (54-72) Who doesn’t love Glen Stull! But overall they haven’t hit or pitched consistently enough to compete this year.
15 – Helena (46-80) The pitching has struggled…..
16 – Toledo (34-92) The rebuild is underway. They need pitching help
1 - Las Vegas – (74-52) The defending champs will be back in the playoffs and looking to defend the title. They are dominating teams at home.
2 – Boise – (81-45) This team defies the odds just a bit. They hammered teams with power, then traded away Palacios and Taft for DeShields. The belief being that pitching wins in the playoffs. We’ll see!
3 – Houston – (75-51) Cruising to the division title just as predicted at the beginning of the year.
4 – Sioux Falls (74-52) This team has been tough. They bounced out bog early, came back to earth and now hope the hitting holds up! They travel well that is for sure.
5 – Tampa Bay (70-56) They have battled Houston all year. Should slide into a WC spot if all goes well.
6 – Syracuse (69-57) The Lions are in 3rd place but would win the East going away! They are in a huge battle with Tampa St. Louis and Seattle for the WC. Can they win some hone games?
7- Seattle (68-58) Seattle is a good team, but they play in a tough division. They are trying to get hot and are on a nice run right now.
8 – St. Louis (68-58) ditto to Seattle, except they wish to be hot!
9 – Tucson (63-63) A team that deservers better! However, they haven’t been anything but vanilla this year.
10- Burlington (63-63) The East leader makes it on the list. There are just 2 games between first and third. This is a battle royale.
11 – New York (62-64) The Mafia need to win some dang home games to win the division. If not it will be tough.
12 – Boston (61-65) The Boston, NY battle is on! If they can get hot……
13 – Kansas City (49-77) The first of the rebuilding teams. The good news is the better players in KC are younger.
14 – Memphis (54-72) Who doesn’t love Glen Stull! But overall they haven’t hit or pitched consistently enough to compete this year.
15 – Helena (46-80) The pitching has struggled…..
16 – Toledo (34-92) The rebuild is underway. They need pitching help
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Season 3 Musings......
I'm beginning the Commissioner Corner Ramblings:
If you review the rankings of the franchises we have a very parity driven league. There are no super duper teams and very few that are horrible. It should make for an exciting season. As I get a few moments I'll handcicap the division races. I'll start with my own since it the one I know without any study required!
AL North
Lloyd took Syracuse over in Season 2 and took them from a dismal 32 wins all the way to a division title and 98 wins! That is one amazing turnaround. The new Helena team was pretty competitive in season 1 and 2 and looks to drive back to the playoffs. The Sioux Falls team is young and has great potential. Boise went to the playoffs twice and came within 2 wins of the WS last year. They are a little old so it will be tough to stay up in the hunt. This division is up for grabs 100%. Prediction is Syracuse repeats and Boise and Sioux Falls chase.
AL East
Every team in the East has been competitive at one time or another in the first 3 years. The Toledo team was the division winner last year but is off to a RRRocky start this year. They have Matt Sikorski the great SS and young Jorge Sosa who is a flat out stud. But..Toledo also has some over the hill guys that are paid a bit too much at this point. After this year they should be lean and mean. Burlington, New York and Boston seem destined to battle for the division. Burlington has the MVP pitcher Lou DeShields so expect them to be in the hunt. New York is stronger with Jose Mieses as a big FA signing from Seattle where he logs big innings and should help that rotation. Boston has two players at a minimum that are easy to love. Omar Valezquez and Brad Barker. They are young and after a year 1 WC they fell down in year 2. Year 3 has them out of the gate competitive. This should be another strong and interesting race. Prediction is Burlington led by DeShields.
AL South
Tampa Bay is on the rise. A stong nucleus led by Kelvim Phillips along with Rivera, Lee, LaRocca make them the team to beat. Memphis fell back a bit this past year but boasts a well balanced hitting team. If the pitching can hold up they can compete. Staying above 500 is the first goal. Houston had a big year by winning 100 games while getting bounced in the first round. They are back with a vengence and have a really nice pitching staff. If the hitters hit they should be able to put pressure on Tampa. KC was a year 1 division winner and then dropped in year 2. They have a relatively high payroll and are anchored by Person and Rivera in the everyday lineup. Pitching is not really a strong suit so far but if they can compete they could get back in the hunt. We'll update this division as time goes on but we predict Houston hold off Tampa in the end!
AL West
Tucson and Seattle have each won division titles. Las Vegas was the winner of the WS from the WC spot so this division is strong. St. Louis is no slouch either! They won the trade battle for Sherm Romero and they have goot hitting now! So look for them to hit better this year. The pitching rotation is pretty solid, but again this is a tough division. Seattle has fantastic pitching and they play in a pitchers ballpark. Las Vegas is back to defend and they have perhaps the best hitting team int he league, certainly the AL. The pitching is solid as well so they should be right there. Tucson also has strong hitting and play in a hitters park. They should out up big numbers. Parity and strength define this division, Seattle will win 96 plus games and win this division.
National League
NL North
Fargo has dominated this division so far and went all the way to the WS losing 4-2. They won the division two years running and will be trying for a 3rd. They are led by a couple of strong pitchers. 18 game winner Andres Perez returns and is joined by his protege, the young BJ Stoddard. They will try to carry them to another banner but watch out for the depth and strngth that is appearing in the other teams. Milwaukee equals depth in my opinion. Not really any super duper studs other than Jackie Robbins the 23 year old 2B and Juan Duran but overall a good looking team for this division. Vancouver has Ajax and Rich Clark(e) along with what looks like a breakthrough player in Stephen Phillips. The fans in Vancouver are thinking they can win this year. Madison is an interesting looking team. They have incredible youth in Doster, Messmer and Fujiwara. This team is bursting with farm club talent as well and seem to this observer to be built for the long haul. We think Madison may yet challenge for the division title and be there by a nose at the finish.
NL East
Trenton and Scranton has nice years last season and are looking to continue that trend. The Philly ownership seems to have an on the ball GM so it won't be easy to hold them off either. The Mets boast strong Starting Pitching which is always a real plus. Trenton has a couple of players worth noting. 2 time all star Patsy Linden and Vince Murphy are really strong; and the phenom of the league just might be Leon Holden. Plus they have the returning MVP. Anyone would love to have a 23 year old 2B player hitting 51 HR's! Philly's oldest ML player is 29 which is going to bear watching isn't it? Scranton has the leagues favorite mascot and that WC appearance was a sweet one for the Office fans. Castillo and Duran provide the power and Brady Jennings is the pitcher the hope can get them 20 wins. We predict Trenton will once again win this division and the others will try to compete for the WC.
NL South
Atlanta (now Jax franchise) in year 1, Austin in year 2, look for those to to challenge while San Juan and Little Rock continue to build. Little Rock is a bit ahead of schedule and firedock is an owner that knows what he is doing so expect that team to put pressure on the leaders. San Juan has some work to do, but they have some talent and with some draft picks, etc they could be better soon. Jax has the flat out superstar Josh Linden to carry the load and the fans in town are hoping for 100 wins like year one. They are off to a good start this year so it looks promising. Austin has a mature team and they must be thinking the future is now in the executive suite. But, the cupboard is not bare and they are off to a 17-5 start in AAA. We think Austin wins again with Jax in pursuit. Little Rock hopes to challange for a WC and San Juan will be fighting for respect for this year!
NL West
I'm cheating a bit on this one, didn't get to it until now. Tacoma and Arizona have been the top teams but at this point the division is upside down! San Jose's Eddit Taylor and Wiki Manuel are tearing it up. This team is currently on AI so it may all come undone but right now they look good. Salem says watch out for James, Banks, Julio and Middlebrook. They are off to a nice start. The boys in Tacoma are warming up. They have tough pitching and plan to be there at the end. Arizona also has a lot to say still. I'll take the whimpy way out for now. This one is wide open!
If you review the rankings of the franchises we have a very parity driven league. There are no super duper teams and very few that are horrible. It should make for an exciting season. As I get a few moments I'll handcicap the division races. I'll start with my own since it the one I know without any study required!
AL North
Lloyd took Syracuse over in Season 2 and took them from a dismal 32 wins all the way to a division title and 98 wins! That is one amazing turnaround. The new Helena team was pretty competitive in season 1 and 2 and looks to drive back to the playoffs. The Sioux Falls team is young and has great potential. Boise went to the playoffs twice and came within 2 wins of the WS last year. They are a little old so it will be tough to stay up in the hunt. This division is up for grabs 100%. Prediction is Syracuse repeats and Boise and Sioux Falls chase.
AL East
Every team in the East has been competitive at one time or another in the first 3 years. The Toledo team was the division winner last year but is off to a RRRocky start this year. They have Matt Sikorski the great SS and young Jorge Sosa who is a flat out stud. But..Toledo also has some over the hill guys that are paid a bit too much at this point. After this year they should be lean and mean. Burlington, New York and Boston seem destined to battle for the division. Burlington has the MVP pitcher Lou DeShields so expect them to be in the hunt. New York is stronger with Jose Mieses as a big FA signing from Seattle where he logs big innings and should help that rotation. Boston has two players at a minimum that are easy to love. Omar Valezquez and Brad Barker. They are young and after a year 1 WC they fell down in year 2. Year 3 has them out of the gate competitive. This should be another strong and interesting race. Prediction is Burlington led by DeShields.
AL South
Tampa Bay is on the rise. A stong nucleus led by Kelvim Phillips along with Rivera, Lee, LaRocca make them the team to beat. Memphis fell back a bit this past year but boasts a well balanced hitting team. If the pitching can hold up they can compete. Staying above 500 is the first goal. Houston had a big year by winning 100 games while getting bounced in the first round. They are back with a vengence and have a really nice pitching staff. If the hitters hit they should be able to put pressure on Tampa. KC was a year 1 division winner and then dropped in year 2. They have a relatively high payroll and are anchored by Person and Rivera in the everyday lineup. Pitching is not really a strong suit so far but if they can compete they could get back in the hunt. We'll update this division as time goes on but we predict Houston hold off Tampa in the end!
AL West
Tucson and Seattle have each won division titles. Las Vegas was the winner of the WS from the WC spot so this division is strong. St. Louis is no slouch either! They won the trade battle for Sherm Romero and they have goot hitting now! So look for them to hit better this year. The pitching rotation is pretty solid, but again this is a tough division. Seattle has fantastic pitching and they play in a pitchers ballpark. Las Vegas is back to defend and they have perhaps the best hitting team int he league, certainly the AL. The pitching is solid as well so they should be right there. Tucson also has strong hitting and play in a hitters park. They should out up big numbers. Parity and strength define this division, Seattle will win 96 plus games and win this division.
National League
NL North
Fargo has dominated this division so far and went all the way to the WS losing 4-2. They won the division two years running and will be trying for a 3rd. They are led by a couple of strong pitchers. 18 game winner Andres Perez returns and is joined by his protege, the young BJ Stoddard. They will try to carry them to another banner but watch out for the depth and strngth that is appearing in the other teams. Milwaukee equals depth in my opinion. Not really any super duper studs other than Jackie Robbins the 23 year old 2B and Juan Duran but overall a good looking team for this division. Vancouver has Ajax and Rich Clark(e) along with what looks like a breakthrough player in Stephen Phillips. The fans in Vancouver are thinking they can win this year. Madison is an interesting looking team. They have incredible youth in Doster, Messmer and Fujiwara. This team is bursting with farm club talent as well and seem to this observer to be built for the long haul. We think Madison may yet challenge for the division title and be there by a nose at the finish.
NL East
Trenton and Scranton has nice years last season and are looking to continue that trend. The Philly ownership seems to have an on the ball GM so it won't be easy to hold them off either. The Mets boast strong Starting Pitching which is always a real plus. Trenton has a couple of players worth noting. 2 time all star Patsy Linden and Vince Murphy are really strong; and the phenom of the league just might be Leon Holden. Plus they have the returning MVP. Anyone would love to have a 23 year old 2B player hitting 51 HR's! Philly's oldest ML player is 29 which is going to bear watching isn't it? Scranton has the leagues favorite mascot and that WC appearance was a sweet one for the Office fans. Castillo and Duran provide the power and Brady Jennings is the pitcher the hope can get them 20 wins. We predict Trenton will once again win this division and the others will try to compete for the WC.
NL South
Atlanta (now Jax franchise) in year 1, Austin in year 2, look for those to to challenge while San Juan and Little Rock continue to build. Little Rock is a bit ahead of schedule and firedock is an owner that knows what he is doing so expect that team to put pressure on the leaders. San Juan has some work to do, but they have some talent and with some draft picks, etc they could be better soon. Jax has the flat out superstar Josh Linden to carry the load and the fans in town are hoping for 100 wins like year one. They are off to a good start this year so it looks promising. Austin has a mature team and they must be thinking the future is now in the executive suite. But, the cupboard is not bare and they are off to a 17-5 start in AAA. We think Austin wins again with Jax in pursuit. Little Rock hopes to challange for a WC and San Juan will be fighting for respect for this year!
NL West
I'm cheating a bit on this one, didn't get to it until now. Tacoma and Arizona have been the top teams but at this point the division is upside down! San Jose's Eddit Taylor and Wiki Manuel are tearing it up. This team is currently on AI so it may all come undone but right now they look good. Salem says watch out for James, Banks, Julio and Middlebrook. They are off to a nice start. The boys in Tacoma are warming up. They have tough pitching and plan to be there at the end. Arizona also has a lot to say still. I'll take the whimpy way out for now. This one is wide open!
A Little History
We'll get to the season after we recap where we have been.
Season 1
Playoff Teams - Division Winners NL Fargo, St. Louis, Atlanta, San Diego, WC Durham/Arizona
Playoff Teams - Division Winners AL Boise, Charlotte, Santa Fe, Tuscos, WC Boston/Burlington
World Series was won by the #6 seeded Boston over #1 seed Atlanta 4 games to 3.
MVP - NL - Alton Counsell - Atlanta AL - Pascual Palacios - Boise
Cy Young - NL - Kelvin Phillips - Tampa Bay AL - Lou DeShields - Charlotte
ROY - NL - Hiram Blair - Tacoma AL - Glen Stull - Memphis
Fireman - NL Hiram Blair - Tacoma AL - Devon Stargell - Ottawa
Season 2
Playoff Teams - Division Winners NL Fargo, Trenton, Austin, Tacoma, WC Scranton/Arizona
Playoff Teams - Division Winners AL Syracuse, DC, Houston, Seattle, WC Las Vegas/Boise
World Series was won by Wild Card LasVegas 4-2 over Fargo!
MVP - NL - Raymond Bowles - Trenton AL - Phillip Bonds - Houston
Cy Young - NL - Del Taylor - Tacoma AL - Lou DeShields - Florida
ROY - NL - Raymond Bowles - Trenton AL - Predro Ramirez - Houston
Fireman - NL - Rick Young - Salem AL - Shannon Allen - Syracuse
Season 1
Playoff Teams - Division Winners NL Fargo, St. Louis, Atlanta, San Diego, WC Durham/Arizona
Playoff Teams - Division Winners AL Boise, Charlotte, Santa Fe, Tuscos, WC Boston/Burlington
World Series was won by the #6 seeded Boston over #1 seed Atlanta 4 games to 3.
MVP - NL - Alton Counsell - Atlanta AL - Pascual Palacios - Boise
Cy Young - NL - Kelvin Phillips - Tampa Bay AL - Lou DeShields - Charlotte
ROY - NL - Hiram Blair - Tacoma AL - Glen Stull - Memphis
Fireman - NL Hiram Blair - Tacoma AL - Devon Stargell - Ottawa
Season 2
Playoff Teams - Division Winners NL Fargo, Trenton, Austin, Tacoma, WC Scranton/Arizona
Playoff Teams - Division Winners AL Syracuse, DC, Houston, Seattle, WC Las Vegas/Boise
World Series was won by Wild Card LasVegas 4-2 over Fargo!
MVP - NL - Raymond Bowles - Trenton AL - Phillip Bonds - Houston
Cy Young - NL - Del Taylor - Tacoma AL - Lou DeShields - Florida
ROY - NL - Raymond Bowles - Trenton AL - Predro Ramirez - Houston
Fireman - NL - Rick Young - Salem AL - Shannon Allen - Syracuse
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