Only one serious battle has taken place all year in the IFA market. Harry Tatis went for a whopping 29M dollars to the PHILADELPHIA CONTINENTALS. His start in Low A did not go well and he is now in Rookie ball where he is doing fine. Harry has some impressive ratings in stamina, control and splits. The only real question mark being his second pitch. Will the other factors weigh heavy enough to overcome that weakness?
Hector Ozuna went to Trenton Thunder for 14.7M and he looks to be a great contact hitter. He should be Ichiro in a few years as his OBP will be high and his best asset (Speed) setting the table to the Trenton team inther future.
Esteban Machado is the other player pulling in at least 10M or above this year at 13.7M. The Scranton Schrutes were drawn by his blend of speed and power. He is a little weak against right handers and he was moved directly to AAA so his adjustment will be fun to watch. So far the 22 Right Fielder looks to be performing well.
All in all this is a fairly weak IFA class. We'll see if anything decent comes along before the year ends......
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Playoffs - Update from Mexico
AL - Playoffs:
Currently looking like shoe-ins....
New York, Houston, Las Vegas
Leading division with work to do....
Syracuse
Wild Card shoe-in....
Tucson
Teams with a chance still....
Toronto, Rochester
Teams with solid season but not happy with their playoff chances...
Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
Teams that are having sunlight piped to them this year....
Louisville, Memphis, Boise, Boston, San Juan, Hartford
------------------------------------------
NL - Playoffs
Currently looking like shoe-ins....
Chicago, Trenton, Los Angeles
Leading division with work to do....
Florida
Wild Card Battlers and Fighters....
Scranton, Fargo, Arizona, Philadelphia
Teams with a chance still for a division title or outside WC chance....
Jacksonville
Teams with solid season but not happy with their playoff chances...
Vancouver
Teams that are having sunlight piped to them this year....
San Fran, Milwaukee, Tacoma, Atlanta, Charleston, Baltimore
Currently looking like shoe-ins....
New York, Houston, Las Vegas
Leading division with work to do....
Syracuse
Wild Card shoe-in....
Tucson
Teams with a chance still....
Toronto, Rochester
Teams with solid season but not happy with their playoff chances...
Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
Teams that are having sunlight piped to them this year....
Louisville, Memphis, Boise, Boston, San Juan, Hartford
------------------------------------------
NL - Playoffs
Currently looking like shoe-ins....
Chicago, Trenton, Los Angeles
Leading division with work to do....
Florida
Wild Card Battlers and Fighters....
Scranton, Fargo, Arizona, Philadelphia
Teams with a chance still for a division title or outside WC chance....
Jacksonville
Teams with solid season but not happy with their playoff chances...
Vancouver
Teams that are having sunlight piped to them this year....
San Fran, Milwaukee, Tacoma, Atlanta, Charleston, Baltimore
Friday, July 10, 2009
NL Power Rankings
1 Trenton Thunder 52-26 – The defending NL East champ is looking strong yet again.
2 Los Angeles Bombers 52-26 – Defending WS champs are on track to make another strong showing!
3 Chicago Midway 47-31 – A solid balanced team, winning at home and on the road.
4 Scranton Schrutes 44-34 – With big Lou they can make post season noise.
5 Arizona Smokin’ Aces 45-33 – The WC seems likely for this team.
6 Fargo Elks 41-37 – The recent W9 had this team back in the hunt!
7 Philadelphia Continentals 39-39 – They had played better but have swooned a bit. If they can get hot they can challenge for a WC.
8 Florida Hurricanes 41-37 – They lead the division and should be a playoff team.
9 Vancouver Referians 37-41 – A bit more is expected of this team, Ajax Clark needs to do more.
10 Jacksonville Manatees 37-41 – Frustrating for this team to not win more home games
11 San Francisco 33-45 – The rebuild is on schedule
12 Atlanta Sky Hawks 33-45 – Ditto, another good rebuild underway
13 Tacoma 2x4’s 32-46 – The Boise of the NL, they are having a shockingly poor start.
14 Baltimore Navymen 31-47 – Mateo Martin needs some help!
15 Milwaukee BrewCrew 08 30-48 – The Robbins/Fernandez double play combo is one of the best.
16 Charleston Clubbers 29-49 – Steady ownership will help this team greatly.
2 Los Angeles Bombers 52-26 – Defending WS champs are on track to make another strong showing!
3 Chicago Midway 47-31 – A solid balanced team, winning at home and on the road.
4 Scranton Schrutes 44-34 – With big Lou they can make post season noise.
5 Arizona Smokin’ Aces 45-33 – The WC seems likely for this team.
6 Fargo Elks 41-37 – The recent W9 had this team back in the hunt!
7 Philadelphia Continentals 39-39 – They had played better but have swooned a bit. If they can get hot they can challenge for a WC.
8 Florida Hurricanes 41-37 – They lead the division and should be a playoff team.
9 Vancouver Referians 37-41 – A bit more is expected of this team, Ajax Clark needs to do more.
10 Jacksonville Manatees 37-41 – Frustrating for this team to not win more home games
11 San Francisco 33-45 – The rebuild is on schedule
12 Atlanta Sky Hawks 33-45 – Ditto, another good rebuild underway
13 Tacoma 2x4’s 32-46 – The Boise of the NL, they are having a shockingly poor start.
14 Baltimore Navymen 31-47 – Mateo Martin needs some help!
15 Milwaukee BrewCrew 08 30-48 – The Robbins/Fernandez double play combo is one of the best.
16 Charleston Clubbers 29-49 – Steady ownership will help this team greatly.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
AL Power Rankings
1. Las Vegas Runnin Rebels 54-22– An outstanding start for this team, they are dominating at home.
2. Tucson Trolls 52-24- 2nd place in the division and ranked 2nd in the AL. They look strong for the WC.
3. Houston Cabalerros 47-29 – What is up with that road record? Very impressive.
4. New York Mafia 47-29 – That 16 game lead looks unbeatable.
5. Tampa Bay Primetimers 44-32 – They are battling for the division lead and if not are looking strong for the WC.
6. Syracuse Lions 42-34 – Leading the divison, this team has been to the playoff 3 of 4 years and look strong to do so again.
7. Rochester big tunas – 41-35 and right in the hunt.
8. Seattle Rainers 42-34 – Are bouncing back very after their first losing season last year.
9. Toronto BlueJays 39-37 – They are hanging tough, just 3 games out in the AL North.
10. St.Louis Red Birds 37-39 – A nice bounce back season on this rebuild, they are making
progress
11. Louisville
12. Memphis
13. Boston
14. San Juan
15. Boise – A fast fall for this team, losing DeShields exposed the pitching staff.
16. Hartford
2. Tucson Trolls 52-24- 2nd place in the division and ranked 2nd in the AL. They look strong for the WC.
3. Houston Cabalerros 47-29 – What is up with that road record? Very impressive.
4. New York Mafia 47-29 – That 16 game lead looks unbeatable.
5. Tampa Bay Primetimers 44-32 – They are battling for the division lead and if not are looking strong for the WC.
6. Syracuse Lions 42-34 – Leading the divison, this team has been to the playoff 3 of 4 years and look strong to do so again.
7. Rochester big tunas – 41-35 and right in the hunt.
8. Seattle Rainers 42-34 – Are bouncing back very after their first losing season last year.
9. Toronto BlueJays 39-37 – They are hanging tough, just 3 games out in the AL North.
10. St.Louis Red Birds 37-39 – A nice bounce back season on this rebuild, they are making
progress
11. Louisville
12. Memphis
13. Boston
14. San Juan
15. Boise – A fast fall for this team, losing DeShields exposed the pitching staff.
16. Hartford
First Half Numbers of Interest
Hitting Notes:
BA: Rich Clarke of Las Vegas, a career .313 hitter has hit at a .374 clip this year at the age of 33.
Edgardo Manuel has 66 steals while being caught just twice.
Early MVP candidates are Louis Cook (TRE) 33 HR, 94 RBI, .333 BA and Tony Andrews (LV) 27 HR, 85 RBI, .292 BA. Ricky Iorg has great power numbers but is discounted due to a .252 BA.
Damaso Lee (TB) has the longest hitting streak at 28 games.
Notable Rookies: Victor Castro (TUC) hitting .336; Victor Guillen (NY Mafia), 14 HR, 70 RBI, and .330 BA; Robert Carter (HAR) has belted 28 HR.
Pitching Notes:
Sun Sakamoto (ROC) is a workhorse, pitching 126 innings before the halfway point. His ERA is 3.00 and he is 9-3.
Lou DeShields (SWB) is doing what everyone expects of him with 12 wins and a 2.49 ERA. He leads the league in wins.
Strikeouts are led by Graham Burke (LV) 116, followed by DeShields 115 and Sakamoto at 114.
Corey Payton (LV) leads the league with 27 saves.
Gary Jenkins (LV) has an incredible 1.43 ERA this year after 88 IP and a 0.91 WHIP which leads the lague in both categories.
Notable Rookies:
Jeremy Boyd (NY Mafia) with 99 IP, 5-2, 2.45 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP has been stellar. Ned Lane (FAR) has 9 wins so far. Miguel Infante (TRE) has 7 wins and 82 SO. Tom Sellers (FAR) has been outstanding with his 22 saves.
BA: Rich Clarke of Las Vegas, a career .313 hitter has hit at a .374 clip this year at the age of 33.
Edgardo Manuel has 66 steals while being caught just twice.
Early MVP candidates are Louis Cook (TRE) 33 HR, 94 RBI, .333 BA and Tony Andrews (LV) 27 HR, 85 RBI, .292 BA. Ricky Iorg has great power numbers but is discounted due to a .252 BA.
Damaso Lee (TB) has the longest hitting streak at 28 games.
Notable Rookies: Victor Castro (TUC) hitting .336; Victor Guillen (NY Mafia), 14 HR, 70 RBI, and .330 BA; Robert Carter (HAR) has belted 28 HR.
Pitching Notes:
Sun Sakamoto (ROC) is a workhorse, pitching 126 innings before the halfway point. His ERA is 3.00 and he is 9-3.
Lou DeShields (SWB) is doing what everyone expects of him with 12 wins and a 2.49 ERA. He leads the league in wins.
Strikeouts are led by Graham Burke (LV) 116, followed by DeShields 115 and Sakamoto at 114.
Corey Payton (LV) leads the league with 27 saves.
Gary Jenkins (LV) has an incredible 1.43 ERA this year after 88 IP and a 0.91 WHIP which leads the lague in both categories.
Notable Rookies:
Jeremy Boyd (NY Mafia) with 99 IP, 5-2, 2.45 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP has been stellar. Ned Lane (FAR) has 9 wins so far. Miguel Infante (TRE) has 7 wins and 82 SO. Tom Sellers (FAR) has been outstanding with his 22 saves.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
IFA Revview and Update
So, every year these huge bonuses go out to a few select players on the International market. Let's take a look at the progress of these players as they work their way to the bigs.
Year 1
Miguel Infante, Trenton - A 28M signing is now 22 years old and last year went 11-5 with a 3.66 ERA. This guy should be getting better and better. Grade him out as an A, albeit and expensive A.
Cesar Solano, DC - 15M signing is now 25 and has career numbers of a 4.24 ERA a 10-12 record and 25 saves. For that kind of money he gets a B- grade so far.
Year 2
Victor Guillen was a 27M bonus that New York landed. He is just 21 and has numbers last year of 31 HR, 131 RBI and a .307 AVG, that is one stud hitter. A is his grade as one would expect when spending that kind of money.
Juan Guerrero was signed for 19M, he is now 21 and Chicago enjoyed a 10-4 season from him in AA last year. He will be with the big club this year.
Year 3
Fausto Aguilar went for 19M. Seattle has to be pleased with his 12 HR, 73 RBI, .344 AVG in the farm system. He will be with the big club when they break camp this year.
Yoo-Nah Xaio went for 17M,his farm club numbers of 26 HR, 99 RBI and .329 AVG are nice. He will also be in the bigs this year to start the season.
The Year 4 guys are far too new to report on.
Year 1
Miguel Infante, Trenton - A 28M signing is now 22 years old and last year went 11-5 with a 3.66 ERA. This guy should be getting better and better. Grade him out as an A, albeit and expensive A.
Cesar Solano, DC - 15M signing is now 25 and has career numbers of a 4.24 ERA a 10-12 record and 25 saves. For that kind of money he gets a B- grade so far.
Year 2
Victor Guillen was a 27M bonus that New York landed. He is just 21 and has numbers last year of 31 HR, 131 RBI and a .307 AVG, that is one stud hitter. A is his grade as one would expect when spending that kind of money.
Juan Guerrero was signed for 19M, he is now 21 and Chicago enjoyed a 10-4 season from him in AA last year. He will be with the big club this year.
Year 3
Fausto Aguilar went for 19M. Seattle has to be pleased with his 12 HR, 73 RBI, .344 AVG in the farm system. He will be with the big club when they break camp this year.
Yoo-Nah Xaio went for 17M,his farm club numbers of 26 HR, 99 RBI and .329 AVG are nice. He will also be in the bigs this year to start the season.
The Year 4 guys are far too new to report on.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
FA Signing - Lou DeShields
The big signing of Lou DeShields has taken place. $110,000,000.00 over 5 years with a player option at the end. It is not often that a pithcer like this comes along, and becomes available on the open market. At 29 years of age and the all time leader in Strikeouts, Scranton is making a bid to contend. The question that always comes up with signings like Lou comes downto health and longevity. I have insider knowledge that Boise really didn't want to lose him but lacked the budget to get as high as 10M in bonus money. He is 30 and is coming off of 245 innings pitched last year. It is pretty likely that at the end of the contract his salary will be a negative, but enjoy the ride while he is the man! Other than Del Taylor there is no other pitcher like him in this league.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tucson Trolls
The following is a team preview for the Tucson TrollsThe Tucson Trolls are coming off a tough season in which they won 84 games, yet finished 4th in the always competitive AL West. New Manager Felipe Morales is hoping a revamped pitching staff can propel the Trolls into the playoffs. Leading the offense is Silver Slugger and All-Star DH Footsie Lee, coming off a 47 HR, 132 RBI season. OF Tris Erdos is looking to build on a 37 HR rookie year while free agent acquisition and shortstop Bernard Jones is coming off an All-Star season with Memphis. The pitching staff is headlined by veteran closer Tito Tanaka and Season 3 call-up Achilles Rivera, who posted an 8-1 record after his promotion from AAA. The Trolls are counting on rookie Jamie Nixon and free agent Will Perez to improve a staff that finished last season with an abysmal 5.12 team ERA. If Tucson can solidify their pitching and continue their offensive production, they will challenge Las Vegas for the division title.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Syracuse Lions Preview
Coming off back to back playoff seasons, the Syracuse Lions are trying to sustain that high level of play going with four new young stars in the making; SP Doyle Blume, SP Steven Miller, SS Julian Costilla, and CF Alex Dong! The Lions concentration will be to improve their home record from the dismal 37-44 they had in season 3. Improvement in the home record, the infusion of young talent, to go along with stars Doc Carter, Fonzie Hamilton, and Parker Dunn should help the team keep pace with division foe Bosie Spuds. Syracuse has a nice balance of young and old talent, and the team owner is counting on that balance to bring another post season birth. The Amateur Draft this year will be exciting and an important one for the Lions future, they hold 5 picks in the first 39 selections.
Las Vegas Preview!!!!!
Las Vegas Runnin' RebelsWho's In: SP Alexander Gray (4 yrs, $52.5million), RP Mac Lowry (1 yr, $1.9million) re-signed RP Alex Torrealba (1 yr, $4.8million), SP Gary Jenkins (trade with San Juan), SP Greg Riggs (trade with Scottsdale), OF Vic Lee (trade with Scottsdale), P Alton Bartee (trade with San Juan) Who's Out: C Phil Koh (traded to Scottsdale), SS James Sugawara (traded to Scottsdale), 1B/DH Darron Corder (traded to San Juan), RP Devon Stargell (Toronto), RP Norberto Baez (Scottsdale), SP Haywood Lincoln (Madison), 2B Andy Reynolds (Vancouver), SP George Seabol (Tucson)Capsule: The season 4 version of the Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels reloads on the run. After a disappointing defense of their season 2 World Series title that ended in an ALCS 7 game heartbreaker to the Boise Spuds, the Rebels targeted pitching this offseason and they hit the jackpot. Their number 1 target was Alexander Gray and he cost them dearly, to the tune of $52.5 million over 4 years. Also acquired was youngster Greg Riggs and highly paid veteran Gary Jenkins. The pitching staff boasts seven quality starters and hope this gets them back to the Series.The offense returns almost completely intact, losing leadoff man and double machine, Andy Reynolds who left via free agency and young catcher, Phil Koh who was dealt to the Scottsdale Bombers.Outlook: The Rebels own 6 of the first 56 picks due to the departure of some key bullpen parts but hope to continue building up a growing farm system while keeping the big league club competitive. Will these guys be the future of the Rebels or will they be used as trade bait and the trade deadline? Stay tuned, this team should be fun to watch.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
ROUND 2
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.
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.
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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