Season 29 Preview

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL NORTH

Fargo Cats

Milwaukee n/a's - With their third straight division title and getting to their second straight NLCS, falling only one game short of the World Series, most would say it was a successful season in Milwaukee. That was not the feeling you got from within the organization however. Even with slugger Carl Cammack out in the NLCS the expectation was World Series or bust. That rolled over into an off-season with a lot of question marks. Key pitchers Davey Estrada, Jim Allen and Dennis McCartney all were free agents and would have been impossible to bring them all back. McCarteny and Estrada were free to go elsewhere after initial attempts to keep them failed. The n/a's made more of an effort to keep Allen, but their efforts fell short. So in a last ditch effort to keep stability in the rotation, Milwaukee opened the bankbook and brought in former Cy Young winners Paul Gregg and Tuck Haynes. The contracts left many scratching their heads, but will once again put Milwaukee in the discussion of elite teams in Ichiro. Offensively they remain mostly intact. Tsuyoshi Tazawa's great postseason was not enough to secure an extension and he remains a free agent. Louie Alarcon will be asked to fill his shoes. Extension were given to Santo Lopez, Hector Bennett and Yusmeiro Lee. The hope is Lee can bounce back from a disappointing injury-riddled season. Keith Garcia will once again be the ignitor leading things off and Cammack returns as one of the best hitters in Ichiro. Another guy to keep your eye on is Brando Reid, who started slow, but finished strong last season. The bullpen is more of a question mark with the departure of McCartney. Ismael Cerveza continues to be one of the best closers in the league and bounced back nicely after a slow start. Aside from that, it will a fight amongst numerous pitchers. Many of whom have no ML experience. If this teams bullpen holds up and they remain healthy, the new coaching staff has all the pieces of a championship contender. Safe to say World Series or bust once again this season. Prediction: Another division championship and a 95-67 record.

Madison Beavers Predicted Record: 82-80. The Beavers failed to address their biggest need in the offseason - starting pitching. Two trades last season improved the staff but GM Irondawg was unwilling to make big money long-term commitments to some of the more attractive free agents. Making matter worse, division nemesis Milwaukee did. For the Beavers to make a return to the playoffs, they'll need to score early and often and that may not be a problem. Prospects Howard Jenkins and Ismael Bernadina could be ROY canidates. Trade acquision Al Soto also brings his big bat to the lineup that already featured two 40 HR theats in Ed Moustakous and Paul Hoffman. Bench is full of veterans who can hopefully provide some leadership and help off the bench when called upon and the bullpen appears solid. So the pressure in on the starting rotation which looks to be very hittable, especially at the SP4 and SP5 spots. Expectation is to fight for wildcard spot unless a in-season trade or ML ready IFA is added to the rotation

Boise Mountain Hawks Prediction: 96-66 NL Wildcard. Last season's late surge was spurred on by Wunderkind Trenidad Maduro. He vaulted a middle of the road NL offense to the top of the league in his first 100 games. He was the bat Boise was always looking for in each offseason since Letchkins took over. "He has power to all fields whether he bats left handed or right. I can't gush enough how much I love to watch him at batting practice." Boise collapsed in the divisional round of the playoffs with an utter lack of pitching last year. They went out and picked up 9 time Cy Young winner Andres Gomez, (probably the most impressive pitcher to ever take the mound) to help solidify the staff. They also stole longtime rival Felipe Lugo from Madison to help shore up the rotation. Ultimately, Boise's season hinges on the pitching staff coming back into line (I'm looking at you Davis and Chavez) and the offense putting up some monster numbers with Maduro in the middle of the lineup. With a healthy mix of vets and youngsters, Boise will definitely be a team to watch this season and going forward.

NL EAST

New Britain Bombadiers The Bombadiers are now back to their winning ways following a "rebuilding phase" for a few years after a World Series victory in Season 15 and 7 consecutive NL East division championships. It's finally coming together with a deep farm system emerging into the Majors. Allan Michaels (LF) won both ROY and NL MVP at age 21! Domingo Castillo and Javier Rodriguez both finished in the top-5 in ROY voting! Malcolm Burns (SP), Chan Satou (SP), Diego Alomar (SP), and Juan Franco (2B) lead an influx of ML-ready talent over the next 2 years ... so the Bombadiers will continue to grow without investing heavily in the FA market. Russ Gates will provide a talented veteran presence at multiple positions. Wladamir Blasco is the ace the team has searched for and anchors a deep rotation. The bullpen will rely on young talented arms to step up into key roles ... but should be supported by the farm system in the stretch run. 2014 Prediction: 93 wins and NL East Champs

Jacksonville Cubbies

Syracuse Marshals 80 wins

San Juan Pirata

NL SOUTH

Texas Rangers Season outlook: We will be disappointed if we do not win 85+. Last year we lead the division for a good portion of the year, but faltered after the break. By adding Troy Henderson to our under appreciated duo of Nap Golver (should of gotten some consideration for MVP last year) and Joshua Canseco (perennial all star snub), the offense should be able to hold up. Our young pitching staff has been adequate and is led by Asdrubal Park. This is a tough division as always, but we look forward to the challenge.

Charleston Kyoudai Musu Meri-Kurisamasu from the Mighty Moose of Charleston! This team is in a semi-rebuild stage. With 8 out of the first 80 picks in the upcoming amateur draft the team has the opportunity to reload for the future. The team again should have a solid offense led by All-Star Alving Franco and his 71 sb. A comeback from slugger Phil Brown is needed after he missed a good portion of last season with injury. FA pick ups Bucky Thompson (2b) and Roger Holmes (3b) moving Del Romero to LF should help improve an awful defense. FA pick up Tony Martin should off set the loss of Tuck Haynes or whatever his name was. FA Pedro Santiago could be a big help if the team is still in contention when he comes off the DL. FA signings Fernando Alverez and Don Lim help strengthen the bullpen. If this team can score more runs than it gives up, it will have a chance to win some games. But again Saru mo ki kara ochiru! Prediction 79-82 wins.

Austin Powers Prediction for season 29: Decisions had to be made in Austin this offseason. Management decided to go Billy Beane instead of Brain Cashman letting go of high priced free agents in favor of picks compensations and leaving spots open for youngsters. I would be surprised if we finish over .500. I hope I'm wrong. I also hope we have a deep draft class! Good luck to everyone!

Florida Flame After playoff appearances in three out of the last four seasons including a World Series title, the Florida Flame started the rebuilding process with two mid-season trades last season, including trading future Hall of Famer Tony Ueno. The Flame are not expecting to contend in season 29 but are trying to rebuild around 22 yr old Wascar Barrios and pitchers Davey Scutaro and Watty Rossy, while focusing on the amateur draft.

NL WEST

Las Vegas Hangovers Coming off back to back World Series championships the Hangovers will be hoping for a 3-peat with its aging roster. Returning all starters, the offense will again be led by the big 4 of Magnuson, Stratton, Rosado, Vega (combined for132 hr and 408 rbi). The staff will be counting heavily on a trio of 35 yr olds Trammel (the lifer in Vegas), Palmer, Howard along with reigning Cy Young Slick Kubenka (the pup of the staff at 27) Vegas hopes to avoid the injury bug and make a run at the 'ship. Prediction 94 wins.

Tacoma Method The run down on the Method with a line-up and the pitching all in tact from last season, we should be able to compete and hopefully get that last Wild-Card spot. But, this is why we play the games. For nothing is written in stone. Barring any major injuries, it should be an exciting season in Tacoma, and if not, it may be time to dis-mantle and add some depth. With some much needed parts on the cusp, only time will tell and of course the overall record come the All-Star break.

Sacramento Savages Despite an aging roster, I predict my squad surpasses 85 wins for the 12^th season in a row and claims the second wild card spot. They will then get ousted in game 5 of the first round. Eric Hill will some how pitch another year without his arm falling off.

Honolulu Tsunami

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL NORTH

Pittsburgh Pounders

Trenton Hazmats

Philadelphia Trappers

Sioux Falls Scalpers Season preview. Rough, rough year in Sioux Falls last year. Nothing went right with the free agents brought in to help the younger players out. We had a rough year with injuries, including key injuries to Smart and Feliz. This year we are looking for the younger talent to finally take that step froward offensively, led by Baez and nice group of core younger players. We have some talent developing in the minor leagues with some promising young pitching. Our rule 5 selection, Richardson, is expected to shore up a terrible bullpen along with free agent signings Robinson and Salmon to help us be more competitive in the later innings. Sioux Falls should be a better team this year, one more draft away from really producing some depth in the minor league system. All in all 73-89 this year for Sioux.

AL EAST

Tampa Bay Black Dogs

Toledo Berserkers Expectations are low in Toledo. This team is simply looking for an identity. Staying out of last place would be a moral victory.

New York FlyingSquirrels Not sure what to expect from the Flying Squirrels this season. The offense will be led by OF Edgar Bonilla, 3B Tyler Hansen and OF D'Angelo Estrada. Starting pitching will begin with Henry Grace who should improve on the 8-12 record from last season. Ezdra Valentin and Jermaine Gonzales will follow in the rotation. Some bullpen depth was added in free agency but finding the right combination will be a work in progress. Overall it should be a decent season for the Squirrels who will be hoping to be better than a .500 team again this season. Help is also on the way from the minors with OF Dwight Cook and 3B Dale Franco probably only a season away or could possibly make the jump sometime this season.

Cincinnati Stingers The Cincinnati Stingers once again appear to be in the midst of rebuilding. SP Tony Newsome, LF Spud Riggs, and 3B Bob Hart were all signed to long term deals in the off season giving this team a good core to build around. Cincinnati fans are hoping young SP's Al Skinner and Ryan Smart can take that next step in their careers as solid middle of the rotation starters while former Cincy relieving greats Luis Rosa and Cody Jensen were brought back as stop gaps in the bullpen to finish off their careers as Stingers. Offensively they will need 1B Lance Bergman to provide some help to Riggs and Hart and hope veteran DH Vic Saenz has one more good year left in his bat. My prediction: 65-97.

AL SOUTH

Louisville Sluggers This season will see some of our talented prospects make their ML debut. Tim Ojeda (p) will start the season with the big league club. Adding Ojeda will give the team more SP depth. Other prospects on the rise and are expected to see some ML action are Jake Simmons © and Caesar Rivera (DH) and Tony Chirinos (P). Superstar Prospect Flash Shea continues to make improvement strides and is on track. Depending on his development he may make his ML debut next season. Overall we expect to hover around .500 this season. Prediction 82-80.

St. Louis Rovers The St. Louis Rovers are looking to challenge for the top spot in the AL South in season 29 and possibly a World Series run. Reigning AL Rookie of the year Tony Morton, allstars Pasqual Bennett and Felipe Valentin and sluggers Frank Freeman and Tony Ueno lead a potent Rovers offense. The bullpen is anchored by AL fireman of the year Carl Purcell. The big question for the Rovers this season is do they have enough depth in the rotation? Hamill, Maduro and Murphy return, but vets Gomez and Martin are gone via free agency. Jim Allen was acquired thru free agency to take up some of the slack.

Mexico City Borrachos Positive: Team showed in their World Series run last season that when they're hot, they can beat anybody. Negative: An aging team going downhill that likely has missed their chance at winning a title. Prediction: 92 wins, division championship streak is broken but still sneaks into the playoffs.

Kansas City Golden Spikes

AL WEST

Wichita Shockers

Seattle Pilots After a disappointing sub .500 season the Seattle Pilots are in a state of flux. After losing two key bats to free agency from a team that only scored 747 runs last season and replacing them with unproven prospects on top of a rotation with three new starters has left fans with a sense of unease with the direction of the franchise. There are still rumblings of impending trades and the team still has talent at key positions so some optimism is warranted. It's a coin toss as to how the season will go but word is that they could be sellers by all star break if things aren't going well. Prediction 75-87.

San Francisco Begonias Last season, my expectations were to "improve on last season's 89-loss team, and contend in Season 29." I did improve, by 4 games, but we've still got a ways to go to contend. I listed as a positive that I had 5 first-round picks in the upcoming draft. That draft wasn't as successful as I had hoped. I got 2 catchers who may end up at DH, a CF and a SS who have some promise, and a SP who may end up the best of the bunch. Not bad, but not good enough, considering how many picks I had. For Season 29, I have a young team. I picked up a decent RF via free agency, and I have a top catching prospect waiting in AAA. I'll also get the first full ML season from my top SP prospect. And so, my expectations are pretty much the same as last season's: improve on the 85-loss team, and contend in Season 30.

Anaheim Bacteria

IMPRESSIONAH PICKS

NL EAST	NL NORTH	NL SOUTH	NL WEST
Milwaukee 98-64	New Britain 92-70	Texas 85-77	Las Vegas  94-68
Boise* 96-66	San Juan 80-82	Austin 77-85	Sacramento* 91-71
Madison 82-80	Syracuse 79-83	Charleston 77-85	Tacoma 87-75
Fargo 55-107	Jacksonville 63-99	Florida 68-94	Honolulu 51-111

AL EAST	AL NORTH	AL SOUTH	AL WEST
Trenton 91-71	Tampa Bay 100-62	St. Louis 97-65	Anaheim 98-64
Pittsburgh* 89-73	New York 83-79	Mexico City* 95-67	San Francisco 77-85
Philadelphia 73-89	Cincinnati 65-97	Louisville 82-80	Seattle 75-87
Sioux Falls 60-102	Toledo 55-107	Kansas City 77-85	Wichita 64-98

NLCS Milwaukee vs Las Vegas, Milwaukee wins in 7.

ALCS Tampa Bay vs St. Louis, Tampa Bay wins in 7.

World Series Tampa Bay vs Milwaukee, Tampa takes home the title in 7.

SEASON 28 PREVIEW OF ICHIRO

NL North

Fargo Cats - 74-88, though I genuinely have no feel for how this team will do with all the changes.

The positive aspect of the ballclub, for the first time since season 11, we have three or four players who if healthy who could each steal 25 or more bases and the team has more speed than perhaps at any time in its history. Since most of the home run hitters are still here, combined with the speed, the offense could surprise some in total run production.

Side note, the long term future of the club is a growing positive and perhaps that will only strengthen after the draft October 14.

The negative is clearly the starting pitching. Our rotation feels like a gasoline tanker with matches stored and ready to be lit just a few feet away from the tanker, with the plan to start the season featuring a younger pitcher in Murphy and four veterans who could pitch well or blow out at any time, with our inability to get righties a particularly troubling concern, see the move to long relief for guys like Telemaco and Evers.

Milwaukee n/a's - After two consecutive NL North titles, the n/a's are now poised to take the next step. Another aggressive off-season cleared out what was left of a once stacked minor league sytem, but brought in the likes of Yusmeiro Lee and and Santo Lopez. Being young can no longer be used as an excuse as the core of this team is either in or heading into their primes. A deadly lineup will be the strength of this team along with one of the best setup and closer tandems in Dennis McCartney and Ismael Cerveza. A rotation that lacks a true ace, but has five very good pitchers should be ample enough. Depth may be a concern if they find themselves in injury trouble. If they remain healthy, it is World Series or bust in Milwaukee.

Boise Mountain Hawks - Prediciton: 88-74 just out of the playoffs.

Boise continues attempting to improve through Free Agency. After adding solid hitter Virgil Ramirez last season, the solid additions this offseason are Rico Medrano and Carlos Corpas. This team should finally start getting people on base and improve on the league worst offense they've trotted out the past two seasons.

Unfortunately, none of these additions are world class hitters. This will have to be an offense that kills with a thousand cuts. With no big bat there's no one in this lineup that will garner IBBs or scare opposing pitchers.

The pitching staff continues to be decent, with the bullpen being the strong point. The starters are all SP3's there's no Ace in Boise.
Madison Beavers - Madison badly needed some SP upgrade during the winter meetings, but couldn't get an FA other than Brad Young to sign the dotted line. In the end that might doom the Beavers unless the offense can score in bunches and a solid bullpen can get good years out of several players.

Paul Hoffman, Benji Romero and Ed Moustakos form a potent middle of the lineup and AAA slugger Howard Jenkins may force his bat into the lineup by mid-year if the Beavers are struggled to score runs.

Overall it's a slightly above average defensive group, but it's going to take career years out of a few SP to bring Madison back to the playoffs.

Prediction is to finish just a few games out of the wildcard spot.

NL East

New Britain Bombadiers - Team outlook: The Bombadiers have rebuilt the farm system after a World Series victory in Season 15 followed by 7 consecutive NL East division championships. It's finally coming together with a deep farm system after a few down seasons ... now led by prospects Allan Michaels (LF) and Malcolm Burns (SP). This year the Bombadiers look to break over the .500 mark, regain past glory, and compete for the division title yet again.

Prediction: 90 wins and NL East Champs

Positive: The lineup. The Bombadiers should have five 30+ home run hitters surrounded by the 200-hit Blake Riley, .370+ OBP Bud Buckley, and 25+ HR youngster Talmadge Waters.

Negative: Lack an ace. While there is depth to the rotation, the top of the rotation starters won't be ready for the majors for another couple of years.

Jacksonville Cubbies - The word in Jacksonville.....Jacksonville has 6 starters that should hit 20+ homeruns for the season. A player (2B Jordan Norton) that has the potential to steal 60+ bases. Last seasons Rule 5 acquisition Grant Walters may prove to be exciting on the base paths as well. We just need to get him on base and find a way to get him in the lineup. All that will most likely be moot due to their pitching staff is below average. They will be giving up a lot of runs.
The Cubbies front office is asking the fans to be patient. Their losing ways may take a turn for the better in the next couple seasons once their draft picks mature enough to be in the majors.
Only time will tell.
Prediction for the Cubbies this season: 70 to 75 victories.

Syracuse Marshals - 90 wins,positive young team,negative young team

San Juan Pirata -

NL South

Texas Rangers - The Rangers are looking forward to another tough season in a strong division. The pitching looks to be strong, if Glover and Canseco can provide enough offense, than we should contend.

Charleston Kyoudai Musu - Konnichiwa from The Charleston Kyoudai Musu:

The Mighty Moose of Charleston are counting on their offense to carry them to playoff glory this season. They was second in runs scored in the NL last year and led the NL in home runs. Veteran's Phil Brown ( 54hr 115 rbi .315BA), Russ Gates(18hr .324BA) and Vic Osuna(32hr 90rib)
along with one of the better leadoff hitters Alving Franco(129rs 89sb) are being counted on to have big seasons. Pitching...what pitching? The team was dead last in pitching last season and dead last in fielding. Not much improvement in both areas. Counting on Tuck Haynes to bounce back from an off year (7-14) and Ariel Arroyo (9-11). Kevin Hudek is a adequate closer. Veteran Guy Gabriel was signed to add some bull pen depth.
The reality is this team can hit and that is it. 75-77 wins is the prediction for this season. Could see a major fire sale around mid season to build for the future.

Austin Powers - With season 27 Cy Young Winner (Paul Gregg) and NL MVP(Luther Martin) on our team, Austin will have another great season this year. We have enormous depth at many positions with our AAA squad filled with ML ready talent.

This season will see Prospect Trevor Parker as our new starting second baseman with Luther Martin moving to third base and Bill Stafford moving to right field. This should bolster our offense which was already one of the best in the NL. It will also help us defensively adding skill and depth to our ML Squad.

Our pitching will be solid as well with Cy young winner Paul Gregg anchoring the rotation along with young 20 game winner Ray Boesch and control freak Matthew Patterson.

The only aspect of our team that I wouldn't qualify as a strenght would be the bullpen. Damaso Rios, B.J. Knotts and Damian Collins are very skilled but lack experience. We should experience a great battle between Knotts and Collins for the closer spot this season. They should both develop into great ML relievers/closers.

I expect my team to win at least 92 games and claim the division again this season !

Florida Flame - The Florida Flame will be seeking their 3rd playoff appearance in a row and 4th in 5 seasons with a veteran roster-probably too veteran,which could be one of the team's weaknesses.

The Flame's strengths will be hitting and the bullpen.The biggest weakness is starting pitching and that,of course,is a bad area to have a weakness.My prediction is an 84-78 record that will just miss the playoffs. 

NL West

Las Vegas Hangovers - The Hangovers fresh off their championship season will be looking for a repeat. Never an easy task by any means nor is replacing 37 wins by 2 SP. 20 game winner Marc Browne and 17 game winner Todd Hodges have left via FA and enter incoming vets Norm Palmer and Reed Howard to take their spots in the rotation. Offensively the Hangovers seem to have gotten even stronger on paper. Along with the big 4 of Stratton, Magnuson, Rosado, Vega leadoff man Benny Crespo and solid ML LF John Pong have been signed to stretch an already potent lineup. Overall predictions a 99-63 record with high hopes of returning to the world series.

Tacoma Method - The one thing with this team, is that we play in Tacoma - a pitcher friendly park - for 81 games......it is the other 81 games that do us in. With the right move or two, the Method could compete for a playoff spot this season. We have a nice core of fielders/hitters on the ML squad, with a few that are on the brink of making the jump up. Same goes for pitching......Just have to be able to put it all together, and hope for some break-out seasons from the players that should be producing at the plate, and get that batting average up from being at the bottom of the World last season.

As long as we can get on base, that will open up the running/speed game that the Method are trying to produce for the Tacoma fans.....Billy Ball is in the air in Tacoma to hopefully get rid of the stench that has been lingering for so long.

If it falls into place, this team should be around the .600 mark and hopefully make that push for a Wild Card spot. Which hasn't been done in 7 seasons.

Sacramento Savages - Prediction: The Savages will win 90+ games again but will struggle in the playoffs Strength: Pitching depth, team speed Weakness: Power

Honolulu Tsunami -

AL North

Pittsburgh Pounders -

Trenton Hazmats - Prediction 95-67

Postive: pitching remains strong and pickup of Ricky Rogers should keep the offense in the top half of the league.
Negative: age. Team is getting up there and if age catches up with team, we could fall.

Philadelphia Trappers - Prediction: 2nd place in Division

The Trappers narrowly missed the playoffs last season but a deep and maturing group of SPers should have them in the hunt again.

Positive-Strong SP depth. DH Richie Walters

Negative-Bullpen lacks depth

Sioux Falls Scalpers - This season is gonna be another rebuilding year for Sioux Falls. We have a lot to look forward to with the young starting lineup that will be entering their prime within the next two years. Some good players about to see the best part of their careers in Romero, Peters, Lopez, Lansing and a good catching tandem of O'Neil and Owen. Baez leads a young group with his great ability at the plate and hopefully Lindsey brings some veteran leadership at 3rd. This team will struggle in the bullpen with with an average age of about 24. They will have a lot of growing to do this year. Feliz is starting to come into his own and hopefully builds off a solid year he had last year. Mitchell was brought in to help bring some leadership along with Johnson and Durrington. We do have some budding young pitchers both in the pen and rotation that are a few years away. All in all we are probably looking at a 70 win season here in Sioux Falls with an exciting future upcoming.   

AL East

Tampa Black Dogs -

Toledo Berserkers - We will be 70-92 . Our positive is we have good run production. Negative is our pitching is shaky and will need to be spot on for us to be successful.

NY FlyingSquirrels - I think the Squirrels will be an average team this season. On the offensive side we signed a few free agents to help out. One was catcher Chris Pearson who was brought in to help out the young starting staff. Brought in a couple of others with some decent speed to help with the running game. Overall I think the offense will be able to score a few runs but probably not enough often enough. On the pitching side, the starters will be young. Of the first 4 starting pitchers none are over the age of 26. Hopefully they can hold up for the long season. The bullpen is another story. Some aging veterans with large contracts that I will be glad to lose at the end of the season. For the season if this team is right around the .500 mark I would be pleased.

Cincinnati Stingers - It is no secret that the Cincinnati Stingers continue to be in a rebuilding mode this season with season 23's World Championship all but a distant memory. This team will likely struggle to produce runs once again and get average starting pitching at best. On the bright side they have some young talent to build upon with potential All-Stars LF Spud Riggs & 3B Bob Hart and SP Al Skinner & RP Al Smith making their rookie debuts this year. My prediction: 70-92

AL South

Louisville Sluggers - Positive - Young players are continuing to improve and some are getting a chance with the ML team this year. Negative - Team is still too young to see major improvements with the ML team in terms of wins and losses. Prediction - 80 W 82 L

St. Louis Rovers -

Mexico City Borrachos - Prediction - despite the improvement in the AL South (specifically St Louis), the Beers win their 9th straight division title.
Positive - strong team that can knock off any team if they get the right breaks.
Negative - players are getting older and the MC franchise is starting the downhill slide

Kansas City Scouts -

AL West

Wichita Shockers - Our goal for the season is to beat 70 wins and climb the standings. We are learning our roster and you can expect to see a lot of upward movement. We are always open to trades.

Seattle Pilots - The Seattle Pilots return pretty close to the same team as last year. With a mixture of solid veterans and young players with upside they look to match the record of two seasons ago at 89-73. They will once again depend on the front end of their pitching rotation and defense to win them games because scoring runs will be hard to come by this season.

San Francisco Begonias - Positives: I have 8 former first-round draft picks in my minor-league system, and 5 first-round picks in the upcoming draft.

Negatives:I only have maybe one position player who is among the best at his position, along with a couple of SP. The rest of my ML squad is filled with role players.

Expectations for Season 28: we will improve on last season's 89-loss team, and contend in Season 29.

Anaheim Bacteria -

                   PAUL'S PICKS 

NL North                                                    AL North

1. +Milwaukee     (91-71)                           1.  +Trenton          (94-68)

2. Madison           (80-82)                           2. Pittsburgh         (81-81)

3. Boise                (78-84)                           3. Philadelphia      (78-84)

4. Fargo               (68-94)                           4. Sioux Falls         (70-92)

NL East                                                       AL East

1. +San Juan          (88-74)                          1. +Tampa Bay      (98-64)

2. *Syracuse           (84-78)                          2. New York          (83-79)

3. New Britain       (83-79)                          3. Toledo               (70-92)

4. Jacksonville        (72-90)                         4. Cincinnati          (65-87)

NL South                                                    AL South

1. +Austin               (95-67)                         1. +Mexico City       (93-69)

2. Charleston          (82-80)                         2. *St. Louis             (90-72)

3. Florida                (82-80)                         3. Kansas City          (71-91)

4. Texas                   (73-89)                         4. Louisville             (71-91)

NL West                                                       AL West

          

1. +Las Vegas           (92-70)                        1. +Seattle                 (93-69)

2. *Sacramento         (88-74)                        2. *Anaheim              (92-70)

3. Tacoma                 (81-81)                        3. San Francisco       (74-88)

4. Honolulu               (59-103)                      4. Wichita                  (73-89)

+ Division Champions
*  Wild Card

NLCS  Austin defeats Las Vegas (4-3)      ALCS  Tampa Bay defeats Trenton (4-2)

World Series

Austin defeats Tampa Bay (4-3)

Face of the Franchise

Anaheim Bacteria– Karim Puente – SS - 10 years with the team; good hitting SS with quality defense. Had a devastating injury that forced him to 3B but still produces.

Austin Powers – - Ray Boesch - SP - This 24 year old SP, was an All-Star in his two seasons in the league so far. He should be our number 1 starter for years to come. Threw over 200 IP per year. Wins games. Will do better with a better leader behind the plate. Check him out !

Boise Mountain Hawks – Willis Randall - SP - The catchphrase in Boise is still, "Wait Until Next Year". With lots of players still developing in the farm system, the one that sticks out in the ML squad is Randall. Randall has been the best pitcher in the Boise system for the past 4 years and finally got his call up this offseason. There's some concern that his curveball never developed properly and tends to hang against right handed hitters. As long as he can limit his mistakes to righties, he should be our squads #1 pitcher until a true ace can be acquired. 

Burlington Mustains –
Charlotte Kyoudai Musu –

Cincinnati Stingers – Harry Reynolds - DH -  I would have to say future Hall of Famer Harry Reynolds has been the face of my franchise over the past 11 seasons since becoming a Stinger. He is one of Ichiro's all-time greats and probably the greatest shorststop in the history of our league.

Fargo Cats–Pete LeCure - RF

Florida Flame– Tony Ueno - 1b - Switch-hitting 1B is the face of the Florida Flame.This 8-time Silver Slugger,5-time All Star has been a two-time MVP and Rookie of the Year.Still onlt 31 years old,he has compiled career stats of a .314 AVG,.445 OBP,.596 SLG and 412 HR's.This season he led to the Flames to the World Seris title and in the postseason hit .414 with a .567 OBP and .900 SLG along with 10 HR's-a true Hall of Famer with several seasons to go

Honolulu Tsunami–

Jacksonville Cubbies – Jordan Norton - 2b- The face to the Cubbies franchise. He was the #2 overall pick in the season 22 Amateur draft. In his second full season in the majors, he accumulated 200 hits and scored 134 runs. In both of his seasons in the majors he has been voted into the All Star classic at 2B. In his second season, he won the silver slugger award at 2B. He makes numerous charity appearances for no financial gain. Says he wants to stay a Cubbie for his entire career.

Kansas City Scouts –Troy Henderson - DH- Longest everyday player with the team. # 1 draft pick and is among all time team leader in HRs, RBIs, BA.

Las Vegas Hangovers- Cal Trammell – SP – This workhorse has been a lifer with the Vegas franchise. Called up at the ripe age of 19, Trammell is the franchise leader in Wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, games started, snot balls, etc...He has come back strong from a gruesome injury last season to once again anchor the Hangovers.

Louisville Sluggers Flash Shea - 2b - Not often is a 19 yr old the face of a franchise but with a full rebuild this kid represents the future cornerstone of the Sluggers.

Madison Beavers - Paul Hoffman - 2b - The Dan Uggla with a batting average. He’s hit 35 or more homers in each of his first 3 full seasons and driven in 100 or more each season while playing what Madison consider league average 2b defensively.

Mexico city Borrachos – Alexei Rodriguez - 1b - It was a tough choice between him and Cruz but a-rod gets it as he's stronger against righties. A deadly hitter who is still recouping from an injury a couple seasons ago, this guy has a bat that I'll put up against anyone in the league.

Milwaukee n/a's– Keith Garcia - RF - Definitely Keith Garcia. He was the #3 overall pick in the season 17 draft. The first of my tenure as owner of the club. He was a late season call-up in season 21 and was a major contributor for this franchise in its first postseason appearance since season 2. Last season signed a 5-year extension to stay with the ball club with this next crop of players who I have high expectations for.

New Britain Bombadiers - Norberto Blanco - C - 4-time all-star who was a rising star during multiple playoff runs starting in season 18 and now is the face of the franchise as I rebuild and reload for a new playoff run soon! 

Philadelphia Trappers– Richie Walters - C - He has averaged .311/40hr/103rbi over his first 4 years in the majors. Is there a better 75 OVR player out there?

Pittsburgh Pounders Babe Towers - CF. - He was my first No 1 draft pick as owner of the team and last year won rookie of the year honors. He is the centerpiece of a rebuilding project that hope to have Pittsburgh back in the play-offs for the first time in 10 years.

Sacramento Savages- Eric Hill - SP - The savages acquired the struggling SP in season 14 to fill in as a 5th starter. Despite his poor splits, Hill thrived with the Savages, earning numerous All-Star appearances and being a major part of back-to-back championships. At age 37, Hill is still a horse for the Savages, and is continuing to pile on the wins (220 +) and strikeouts (nearly 2,800)

San Francisco Begonias- Ben Corbin -  Rl - Of the current players, the "Face of the Franchise" is probably Ben Corbin. We drafted him in the 2nd round in Season 11, and he has been with us ever since. He is second all-time on our team in Starts, and 4th in Wins and Strikeouts. He is one of only two remaining Begonias to have played on our Season 18 champions.

San Juan Pirata - Darin Banks - 1b -  This was a tougher decision than I thought it would be. My heart wants to say Christopher Pearson because of his length of time with the team, strong defensive play at Catcher, and solid bat. However, my head says it has to be Darin Banks, plays every day and is a threat for 50+ HR's and 140+ RBI's every year. He is the traditional power bat in the middle of San Juans lineup and at just 28 years old he hopefully has many more productive years ahead of him!

Seattle Pilots- Domingo Palmeiro - RL - 29 years old 7 years with club Season 17 ifa, Fireman of the year 3 times, 6 time all-star, Season 20 World Series champion,253 career saves, 2.05 career era

Sioux Falls Scalpers- Michel Baez - 1b - Face of the Scalpers would be Michel Baez. Very simply put he has played his whole career with the franchise, one of the best hitters in the game with a consistent .315 35hr 120rbi stat line. More walks than strikeouts and should be a hall of famer when it is all said and done

St. Louis Rovers–Carl Purcell - (RL)

Syracuse Marshals– Daniel Hansen – C - He never complains.

Tacoma Method - Dale Hogan - CF - At 25 he still has an upside to him to meet some of his projections and with them he is very versatile player for the Method. In that he can play most positions and has a decent enough bat to hold his own and we can only hope he wants to stay in Tacoma for his career.

Tampa Bay Black Dogs

Texas Rangers– Reed Howard - SP

Toledo Berserkers– Chris Benson - SS - He is the player people are coming to the stadium to see. He has been with Toledo since the draft and he is an exciting player. His defensive tools will be on display this season, his first in the bigs. He is a prankster and keeps the locker room loose. He has been seen in the dugout dancing gangnam style and the ladies have been known to go wild for him.

Trenton Hazmats

Wichita Shockers

NEXT

*2 years or less of service time

Anaheim Bacteria –
2B - Harry Trinidad – Boasting a big power bat Trinidad has brought it to the show. In first half of games he has knocked out 17 home runs in his rookie campaign and could be a knock for 30 home runs on a yearly basis.
P - Dave Romero - This hard throwing do it all pitcher for Anaheim has given voteforlou a very serviceable arm to bring in early, late doesn’t matter to Romero because when he is in he has been lights out and looks to be a staple in the staff for the Bacteria for years to come.

Austin Powers -
SP - Ray Boesch – The number 2 pick in season 21 has been buying his time awaiting the call up to Austin young pitching staff and he has the making of a #1 starter. A 3 pitch guy who mixes his nasty curve along with a slider and change can only wait and dominate AAA guys until he reaches the big and joins Gregg, Santiago, De La Rosa, and Patterson to help Austin climb out of the NL East and into the playoffs.
3B -Bill Stafford – Stafford burst onto the scene last year winning Rookie of the Year, hitting 39 home runs while driving 113 runs. His sophomore season has gotten off to a rocky start, hitting only .249 and striking out 67 times. Still high hopes for the 2nd year kid who will look to regain his rookie of the year form and lead the young Austin offense.

Burlington Black Arrows
C -Carl Cammack – The young C will be bringing one heck of a bat once he is called up. His mixture of contact, power and batting eye will certainly give opposing pitchers fits. His defensive will never be mix in the conversation with the gold glovers but his bat should be enough to make a name for himself once he is called up to the show.
RP – Horacio Chavez – Season 21s 9th overall pick will soon be shutting the down for the Black Arrows for years to come. His ability to get both righties and lefties out with his fastball and nasty curve ball on a nightly basis will be a great asset for Burlington.

Charlotte Rae's
3B - Gio Cordero – The international signing back in season 19 has paid off for the powerful Charlotte Rae’s ball club. Cordero in his first full season hit .295, scored 90 runs and stole 42 bases. He is a nuisance on the base paths and plays above average defense on the hot corner.
no pitchers apply

Cincinnati Stingers
LF - Spud Riggs – 21 year old AAA prospect Spud Riggs is on a path to the show to bring some youth to the World Champion Stingers. Riggs mixture of contact and power will be a welcome addition once he is called up.
SP - Tony Newsome – Newsome is having some rookie bumps as expected but this will only help him become the pitcher scouts think he can become. The junk baller will be a productive innings eater, so far has thrown 121 innings in 19 starts with an era at 3.99.

Columbus Railbenders
SP - Jermaine Gonzales – Gonzales got a decent taste of the show last season and has yet to dispel the scouts take the he has “it” and will become a true #1 for Columbus. Through 19 starts he is 6-7 he has had some bumps with an era of 4.85 but once he puts it all together might there be future Cy Youngs in the works? Only time will tell.
CF – Yusmeiro Lee – Lee burst onto the scene last season producing solid numbers across the board; .289ba, 27 hr, 86 rbi and 19 sb. His average has dipped a tad this season as scouting reports are keener to Lee’s talent. But don’t be mistaken Lee’s talent will soon put it all together and give Columbus the franchise offensive player for years to come as long as he stays healthy.

Fargo Cats
2B -Fargo Cats – Rogers came over this season via trade and is contact guy who if given the time to develop can turn into a solid major leaguer for the Fargo Cats. A good base runner with good speed as well Rogers uses it well when one the bases and out on defense.
no pitchers apply

Florida Flame
2B - Damian Hasegawa – Hasegawa is no stranger to opposing NL teams as he is entering his 3rd full season. His play has picked up considerable this season as he already has 12 home runs (15 his is career high) and hitting .319 (up .049 points from last season). His mixture of contact, batting eye and speed Hasegawa could be looking at a potential all-star appearance in his future.
SP - Pablo Mercedes – Mercedes had 30 career starts under his belt going into this season and the young 23 year old has begun this season as one of Florida’s bull dogs. Leading his team in innings pitch while sporting a 3.84 era with 5 wins to show for Mercedes has established himself in the Flame’s rotation and will have a stronghold on it for seasons to come.

Honolulu Tsunami
1B – Tony Lieberthal – The Tsunami called up Lieberthal after 489 at bats in the minors and clearly felt the #9 pick in season 21and he is the 1B of the future for Honolulu with his contact ability and has some nice pop.
no pitchers apply

Jackson Generals
SS - Max Saenz – This 24 has been killing it the past few seasons in AAA and his batting eye is ready for major league and has some pop in his bat which could serve him to be a regular.
RP – Kevin Hudek – Jackson 2nd year man has establish himself as Jackson’s closer after his 27-28 saves during his rookie campaign. His sophomore campaign has had some ups and down 11-16 in save opportunities and so far sporting a 5.40 era.

Jacksonville Cubbies
CF- Jon Daly – The 2nd year man has been doing what scouts predicted him to do be a solid major leaguer. Hitting .311 and having an obp of .355 he has been the spark plug that got him drafted 13th overall.
no pitchers apply

Kansas City Scouts
1B - Gregg West – The next power bat in Kansas City powerful lineup is West. His rookie year produced 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. In his sophomore year has been just about the same with West on pace for another 30-30 season and his average is .250 (.251 last season).
SP - Jorel Bonds – Bonds has had more bumps in the road then success so far early in his career but this potential innings eater has some learning still but could become a useful piece in the Scouts rotation.

Las Vegas Hangovers
C – Jesus Izturis – Last season was Izturis first full season showed why Vegas went out and traded for the young catcher. He has started off better this season playing above average defense and his bat has picked up, hitting .301 with 8 home runs. He looks to be the long term solution for the Hangovers.
SP - Slick Kubenka – An early season call up started slow for the young pitcher the Hangovers have high hopes for. However, he has found his groove and with 14 starts in 15 games an era of 3.81 with 4 wins. His stuff is that of a top of the line starter and Vegas hopes to start seeing his talent produce the numbers they expect.

Los Angeles Lunatics
DH/C – Odalis Mercedes – This once top 10 pick in the season 20 draft will soon be bringing his bat to Los Angeles. His mixture of contact and power and he absolutely crushes left-handed pitching.
P - Buck Judd – Judd got a good taste of the show last season and has helped him to the season. Pitching in relief he has been lights out only allowing 13 runs in 44.1 innings pitched. A move to the rotation in certainly in his future has is stuff will translate into a solid major league starter.

Madison Beavers
2b - Paul Hoffman – Madison’s powerful rookie has burst out of the gate with 29 home runs and an ops of .946. Hoffman has been the catalyst offensively for the Beavers and is living up to the hype that has surrounded the young kid since he was selected 22nd overall in season 20s draft.
Rl – Pedro Vega – The Beavers top relief pitching prospect is in his first season in AAA and he has the look of a kid that could soon be helping solidify the pen for years to come.

Mexico City Borrachos
1B - Alexei Rodriguez – One of prizes in the international market in season 21 showed his worth during his rookie campaign that saw him play in 122 games. He belted 41 home runs, hit .323, drove in 115 runs and posted ops of 1.040 at age 20! This season his batting average is .314 but he still showing off his power, and his astute batting eye and is a major reason why Mexico City is leading the AL in wins.
no pitchers apply

Milwaukee n/a's
3B - Hector Bennett – Bennett got a small sample size last season and showed off his power that made him one of the top prospects in the game. He has showed off some pop and speed in his first full season (15 home runs, 14 stolen bases) but has struggle with making contact hitting only .215. Milwaukee has high hopes for Bennett whose glove has him all over the diamond and will lean on him to lead the offense for years to come.
SP - Jim Allen – The crafty lefty debuted last season with an 8-12 record, tossing 196.2 innings and sporty a 4.35 era. This season Allen has lowered his era a full run and some to 3.12 and has kept Milwaukee in just about every game he has pitched. Allen will certainly be a mainstay in the n/a’s rotation.

New Britain Bombadiers
SS – Ham Cummings – His full rookie season seems so long ago for Cummings as he bounced around Burlington then to New Britain to AA and back to the show. His glove seems a little below par for SS but he makes due and with the full playing time now he is hitting a solid .268 for the Bombadiers.
no pitchers apply

Philadelphia Trappers
DH/C - Richie Walters – Philadelphia have reaped the benefits of Walters bat the instant he appeared in the show. Blasting 37 home runs while driving in 92 during his rookie campaign, Walters has shown no signs of a sophomore slump. Already knocking out 30 bombs and posting 1.017 ops Walters is a pitchers nightmare when he steps in the box and the Trappers enjoy every at bat the young man gives.
SP - Birdie Morehead – Came over via trade last season and he has begun season 24 in Philly’s rotation. Morehead has rewarded them right away with a 9-4 record in his first 19 starts and this future top of the line starter gives the Trappers a young horse to build upon.

Pittsburgh Pounders
RF - Iago Padden – This young all around talent has shown his worth in the early part of the season. He started season 24 in the lineup and major league pitching has not slowed him down at all, hitting .279 with 8 home runs, 34 rbi’s, 68 runs scored, adding 38 stolen bases Padden is what you look for in a ball player.
P – Sammy Zorrilla – A rule 5 draftee that fell happily into Pittsburgh lap, Zorrilla made the leap from AA to the show and working in long relief has given Pittsburgh 77 solid innings with a 4.21 era. The young 22 year old works with a cutter, change and slider with good velocity and control it’s a wonder how he snuck into the rule 5 draft but you won’t find a single complaint from the Pounders who will enjoy Zorrilla for seasons to come.

Sacramento Savages
C – Brad West – West has yet to have a major league at bat but he has been touted as the future back stop for the Savages. A great power bat West could hit in the majors today but they are hoping he can refine his defensive skills a bit before he gets the call to the show.
RL - Kenny Peterson – Drafted 33rd overall in the deep season 20 class, Peterson has lights out stuff that scouts across the league view as closer material. Sacramento has had a long list of establish closers in the past season and Peterson is next in line to take over. At age 22 he will be a force in the late innings for many seasons to come, NL beware.

San Francisco Begonias
1B – Al Soto – The young first baseman bat has carried him through the minors and in the early part of the season he has hit a robust .372 we will see how his bat plays in SF but for Begonias they are quite happy with the production from the 21 year old rookie in his first 164 big league at bats.
RL – Julio Bonilla – It’s been a rough start to Bonilla season as he has had trouble getting outs but the young lefty once he puts it together can be a valuable asset for Begonias in future seasons.

San Juan Pirata
2B - Anthony Jarvis – Jarvis is no stranger to the majors now entering his second full season in the show and he provided sparks for San Juan as rookie producing 29 home runs and stealing 22 bases. This season he has shown no signs of slowing down hitting 18 home runs and stealing 16 bases, could we see 30-30? San Juan is quite happy with the production out of Jarvis and will hope for good health throughout his potentially productive career.
no pitchers apply

Seattle Pilots
3B – Ike Dellucci – A small sample size last season was slow for Dellucci but he has stepped up in 233 at bats this season. The young 3b is hitting .270 with 11 home runs while playing in a pitchers park. Dellucci brings the Pilots a good solid power bat in their line up for years to come.
no pitchers apply

Sioux Falls Scalpers
RL - Chad Carr – Carr has stepped into the pen for the Sioux Falls Scaplers and he has done quite a good job. Posting a 3.49 era through 49 saving 12 games and giving up only 19 runs.
no batters apply

St. Louis Rovers
C - Pasqual Bennett – The Rovers have no lack of young catching but the prize international signing in season 19 is the future. A catcher who receives and calls the game well as well as packing a powerful bat will soon be a mainstay in the Rovers lineup for many seasons to come.
RL – Carl Purcell – The 20 year old hasn’t pitched above AA but if you ask scouts across the league they will rave about Purcell. The number 11 pick in season 22, Purcell is the absolute package for a relief pitcher. He has a hard curve and mixes it with a change and could pitch in the majors today. St. Louis is in no rush to bring up its next great relief arm and Purcell will be a force whenever that time comes.

Syracuse Marshals
SS - Esteban Beltran – The 21 year old in AAA was quite the prize in the international market fetching $23.2 million but it seems that it will money well spent. Beltran possess all the tools to be a major leaguer and while righties will always give him fits that seems to be the only blemish in his game.
SP – Ron Goldschmidt – The big 25 year old has been a welcome addition to Syracuse staff. Through 13 games (11 starts) he is 2-4 with a 3.30 era and is holding opponents to .227 ba. He looks to be a valuable piece in Syracuse staff.

Tacoma Method
SS - Dale Hogan – The 5th overall pick in season 20 is up in the bigs for the resurgent but sporadic playing time to start his career. The talent is there for Hogan who profiles more at the hot corner or 2B than SS, however, his speed and ability to work counts and get hits give Tacoma a young piece to their turn around in the NL West.
no pitchers apply

Tampa Bay Black Dogs
1B - Doug Crawford – The youth movement is in full effect down in Tampa with one of youngest most talent-laiden teams in the world. Crawford was the number 1 pick back season 20 and his bat is one of the top overall in the world. The kid can flat out rake! Last season in 464 at bats saw him blast 40 home runs and drive in 85 runs. So far in this season he already has 27 home runs with 78 rbi’s giving him an ops of .955. Tampa’s offense has a lot of young all-star talent but its Crawford who stands above the rest.
SP – Neftali Martin – While the young offensively talent garners most of the press clippings there are some young arms worthy of talk. Neftali Martin was quite the coo in the international market which Tampa was extremely aggressive in. That aggressiveness has paid off with the lefty Martin who profiles as front line starter will soon be joining the rotation once he is needed.

Texas Rangers
CF - Ramon Martin – This talented CF from Japan has not gotten off to the best of starts in Texas but the powerful lefty who is a rare lefty in the fact he actual hits them better than righties. His glove and range give no doubt that he will be patrolling CF for years to come.
SP - Lonny Patel – Patel is a young lefty with a couple of nasty pitches that get both lefties and righties out. Patel profiles more as a middle of the rotation starter but none the less a very solid SP he can become once he joins the Rangers rotation.

Toledo Berserkers
SS - Vasco Marin – The 2nd youngest on the roster Marin has shown signs of his lack of major league service time (he jumped from highA or the show). Only 129 at bats but hitting only .178 but Marin still profiles as a soild major leaguer. Scouts don’t think he will hold up at SS but a move to 3B, 2B or RF and he quickly becomes a very solid defender.
P – Bruce Fister – The youngest player on Toledo wasted no time in the minors recording only 16 starts in lowA before his jump to the show. The 7th overall selection in last season’s draft, Fister, so far, has held his in 20 innings in relief posting a 4.43 era and striking out 13 batters. It will be interesting to see his progress for Toledo who have shown great faith that Fister could make the jump to the show.

Trenton Hazmats
SS - Pedro Puente – Signed for $29.5 million on the international market Puente proved last season that he is worth it all. Making the all-star in his first full season, he hit 32 home runs, drove in 80 runs, scored 93 runs and stole 20 bases. His average is down from .274 to .262 this season but still showing pop and stealing bases. Puente when he puts it all together is one of the most talented players in Ichrio.
SP - Albert Delgado – One of top international pitchers to come into Ichrio, Delgado needed little time in the minors (9 starts) to get promoted to the show. In his first full season he went 18-5, struck out 175 batters with a 3.51 era. His numbers this season have been good 10-4 with a 3.01 era in 140.2 innings. Trenton has an ace for years to come.

Impressionah's Regular Season Awards

NL MVP

Hardball Dynasty's

Sherry Ingram

Sherry Ingram had a monster season for the top team in the NL, the Sacramento Savages. The 5-tool star showcased all of his skills this year by leading in runs scored (134), knocking in over 120 runs, while stealing 57 bases in a tough park for hitters. Ingram also provided gold glove-caliber defense at a prime position (22 plus plays). With all things considered, Ingram edges out Ueno as the NL MVP.

NL MVP	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	OPS	OTHER
Sherry Ingram- 2b - SAC	.293	25	121	.356	.861	134 runs 57 sb
Tony Ueno - 1B - FLA	.324	43	135	.449	1.057	122 bb
Welington Jams- 1b - MAD	.303	61	157	.394	.992	205 hits

AL MVP

Hardball Dynasty's

Rickey Rogers

Rickey Rodgers is the leader of the offensive juggernaut otherwise known as the Augusta Blue Claws. Rodgers led the league in batting average and OPS while supplying monster HR totals (49) and eye-popping RBI (138) and Run (142) figures. He remains the standard of this world when it comes to hitters, and he should be making room for another trophy in his trophy room.

AL MVP	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	OPS	OTHER
Rickey Rodgers- LF - AUG	.346	49	138	.346	1.094	142 runs
Octavio Camacho - CF - KC	.333	52	129	.412	1.078	36 sb
Virgil Ramirez - LF - KC MAD	.319	24	88	.398	.917	223 hits

NL Cy Young

Hardball Dynasty's

Calvin Montgomery

Calvin Montgomery capped off a very good year in a season which netted no standout Cy Young candidates in the NL. Montgomery posted a solid ERA (3.42) and WHIP (1.19) in a hitter’s ballpark, while racking up a better than 3/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The capper in a VERY close race may be the fact that he ate 245.0 innings in his 33 starts.

NL CY Young	W	L	ERA	WHIP	IP/G	K/9& BB/9
Calvin Montgomery- MIL	18	9	3.42	1.19	245.0/33	8.19 & 2.64
David Maduro - SAC	20	7	3.20	1.20	214.0/33	7.65 & 2.78
Eduardo Arias - TEX	15	6	2.77	1.16	198.1/31	6.77 & 3.09

AL Cy Young

Hardball Dynasty's

Andres Gomez

While the NL lacked in mind blowing pitching performances, the AL had a couple, led by Andres Gomez. Gomez posted a marvelous 2.43 ERA, a dominant 1.01 WHIP, and a ridiculous 4.5/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It appears that the changing of leagues had no bearing on Gomez’s continued success, as he keeps mowing down lineups, now with DHs, and racking up HOF worthy stats.

AL CY Young	W	L	ERA	WHIP	IP/G	K/9& BB/9
Andres Gomez- TRE	19	5	2.43	1.01	204.0/30	9.18 & 2.05
Tony Martin- SEA	17	7	2.84	1.05	234.2/33	8.15 & 1.69
Vic Maradona - AUG	23	8	4.26	1.35	259.2/38	6.64 & 2.85

NL ROY

Hardball Dynasty's

Todd Magnuson

A tight race between 3 future all stars with each of them possessing all around tools. Their numbers across the board are all quite similar what separates them is the fact that Magnuson did it with 100 less at bats!

NL ROY	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	OPS	OTHER
Todd Magnuson- 3b/RF - LV	.277	21	66	.344	.811	22 sb
Jalal Ramirez - LF - COL	.302	21	94	.364	1.057	27 sb
Keith Garcia- RF - MIL	.288	22	91	.354	.826	25 sb

AL ROY

Hardball Dynasty's

Teddy Crosby

The big bat Teddy Crosby led this race mashing his way to a ridiculous 1.038 OPS with 42 bombs while driving in over 100 runs.

AL ROY	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	OPS	OTHER
Teddy Crosby- Dh - PHI	.311	42	110	.422	1.038	.616 slg %
Oswaldo Goya - DH -LAA	.287	42	92	.361	.930	.569 slg %
Jumbo Westmoreland - CF - SEA	.239	21	80	.313	.759	32 sb

Top 3 teams that helped and hurt themselves this offseason

Top 3 teams to help themselves

Cincinnati Stingers (71-91)
Key Additions: SP Larry Coombs (FA), SP Clyde Mays (FA), RL Jaime Campbell (FA), 3B Francisco Espinosa (FA), C Ross Waddell (FA), SS Joe Little (rookie callup)
Key Losses: SP Sam Price, 3b David Belliard, Rl Eric Robinson

After a poor showing last season (71-91), Cinci has revamped their starting pitching by signing season 20 Cy Young winners Larry Coombs and Clyde Mays. It’s not too often a team is able to sign 2 guys of that caliber in 1 off-season, but freshfish was able to pull it off. That 1-2 punch, along with an already potent offense, has Cinci smelling division title and a deep run in the playoffs.

Toledo Berserkers (77-85)
Key additions: SP Chuck Fassero (FA), OF Ken Martin (FA), SP Donald Chang (FA), SP Hayes Grey (FA), 1b Hipolito Rosario (FA), 2b Victor Guerrero (FA), 3b Rickey Black (FA), SP Quinton Wayne (FA)
Key Losses: SP Tony Brown, SS William Clark, SP Mendy Basile, SP Bernard Wohlers, LF John Gray, 2b Wilfredo Beltre, C Pete Rhodes

Coming off a disappointing season at 77-85, albeit a division title winning season, Toldeo was seeking to improve its win total and climb out of mediocrity. This off-season saw Toledo dole out mucho dinero to re-tool and keep up with Cincinnati. Notable players they brought in include big bats Hipolito Rosario, Ken Martin, Victor Guerrero and Rickey Black, along with veteran pitchers Chuck Fassero, Donald Chang and Quinton Wayne.

Trenton Hazmats (97-65)
Key additions: Jeremi Cunningham (call-up), Horacio DeLeon (call-up), SP Andres Gomez (trade)
Key Losses: SS Walt Rose, SP Slick Kubenka (prospect)

How does a team coming off a 97 win season improve? They trade for the reigning NL Cy Young, and 19 game winner, Andres Gomez. The young call-ups, Cunningham and DeLeon, will add more youth to an already young and very potent offense. The addition of Gomez gives this team a clear cut ace that makes Trenton a favorite for a world series title.

Top 3 teams to hurt themselves

Las Vegas Hangovers (100-62)
Key additions: Rl Alex Guerrero (FA), 3b George Carter (trade), SP Mendy Basile (FA), OF Artie Robinson (FA), 3b Todd Magnuson (call up) SP Birdie Morehead (trade-prospect), SP Slick Kubenka (trade prospect)
Key Losses: SP Larry Coombs, SP Andres Gomez, 3b Edge James, Rl Roger Penny, OF Omar Batista

Coming off back-to-back 100 win seasons and 4 playoff appearances, the Hangovers had established themselves as a pitching powerhouse with the 1-2 combo of Coombs and Gomez. That combo is no more with Coombs heading to Cinci for greener pastures, and Gomez shipped out for a future staff ace in Kubenka. Gone are a combined 36 wins, 1.76 era and the past 2 NL Cy Young winners. While this team can still be competitive, expect a drop-off in pitching and in the win column unless the offense can pick up the slack.

San Juan Pirata (81-81)
Key additions: SP Tyson Hamelin, SP Matty Mota,
Key Losses: SP Jose Olivares, RF Jamie Sung, 1b Juan Canseco

Signing SP Tyson Hamelin to a big contract when he has been stuck in AAA for the past 6 years might raise a few eyebrows (granted he should have been in the majors a few seasons ago), but San Juan is banking on his potential to make an immediate contribution to the big league club. San Juan hopes the offensive loss of Sung and Canseco can be lightened by a full season from youngster Derin Banks. Still, losing RF Jamie Sung, who was 20-20 last year, will be hard to replace.

Colorado Ball Crushers (91-71)
Key additions: 3b Xavier Lindsey C/DH Bruce Reed, 2b Charles Sutton, Rl Gus Nakajima, Rl Juan Ayala, Rl Joe Hall, C Wilton Alfonseca, LF Jalal Ramirez (call up)
Key Losses: OF Brad Crawford, 1b Clarence Smart, 3b Eddie Duffy, C Sherm Franklin, 2b Eric Woods, SS Grover Haad, 3b Dave Perry, SS Gabby Graves

Not sure if Colorado will be able to recover from losing 132 of the 177 home runs their team hit last year in Cheyenne, while moving into a big offensive field. The franchise also took a serious starting pitching blow as #3 SP, Yonder Ontiveros, and 5th SP, Davey Mota, are gone along with LR Junior Saez. At least the relievers COL signed are suited for the pitching challenged park. It remains to be seen if the additions of Lindsey and Reed, along with Ramirez’s call up will help add the punch needed to succeed at Coors Field.