Newsline

Welcome to the Season 17 of the USMLB.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

USMLB Weekly

USMLB Weekly

Welcome to the second edition of the USMLB Weekly as there have been a lot of things going on with the league for the last week. Trades are still going strong but they are slowing down, two new owners will be joining the league soon, playoff caliber teams are beginning to pull away from the pack, draft is happening this week so a lot of exciting times ahead for the USMLB.


League Leaders: National League
AVE: NL - Tony Armas (COL) (.396)
HR: NL - Erik West (NB) (34)
RBI: NL - Erik West (NB) (94)
R: NL - Khoury Glass (COL) (69)
H: NL - Khoury Glass (COL) (98)
SB: NL - Rich Blue (JAC) (53)
OBP: NL - Tony Armas (COL) (.497)
SLG: NL - Erik West (NB) (.830)

ERA: NL - Raymond Pavlov (DET) (1.71)
W: NL - William Woo (DUR) & Brandon Ellis (SA) (8)
L: NL - Wilson Fisher (RIC) (8)
SO: NL - Carmine Taft (LV) (83)
IP: NL - William Woo (DUR) (92.1)
WHIP: NL - Raymond Pavlov (DET) (0.91)
SV: NL - Nicholas Fox (TAC) (20)
G: NL - Vladimir Gonzalez (FAR) & Tom Moss (FLA) (33)
League Leaders: American League
AVE: AL – Nick Collins (ATL) (.397)
HR: AL – Al Vazquez (OTT) & Eric Sisk (SFE) (27)
RBI: AL – Eric Sisk (SFE) (79)
R: AL – Emmanuel Carrasco (CHY) (66)
H: AL – Nick Collins (ATL) (93)
SB: AL – Michael Long (TUC) (49)
OBP: AL – Hector Acosta (HOU) (.476)
SLG: AL – Nick Collins (ATL) (.756)

ERA: AL – Charlie Hill (LAA) (2.09)
W: AL - Delino Maduro (LAA) (9)
L: AL - Tito Stone (IA) (9)
SO: AL - Cliff Sheets (HOU) (77)
IP: AL - Tito Ramirez (SJ) (90.1)
WHIP: AL - Charlie Hill (LAA) (0.99)
SV: AL - William Hanson (KC) (17)
G: AL - Denny Pavano (CHY) (33)



Rumors:
The Tornados are looking to give away any player for as little as a bag of peanuts and a hot dog. Report from the try outs that mab444 had very little success as he couldn’t find anyone worth keeping. Mab444 also said to watch out for his team in a couple years as the Triple-A level is pack with good young talent and when there ready we will explode. I couldn’t agree with him any more then that.

The poll question for the week came out with 47% believing that the New Britain Fisher Cats will win the National League North, while 23% believe the Detroit Demolition will win it. 14% of the vote went to the Fargo Woodchippers, while the Milwaukee Melders got 9%. It should be an interesting race till the very end to see who will win the division. Thank you for all who voted.

Vawt BS Ranking
1. Atlanta Brave Vawts
2. Madison Lasers
3. Colorado Sky Sox
4. Detroit Demolition
5. insert your team here because Vawt only named four teams in his top five.


Starting on the 1st of May a big series between as Anaheim Beefpound will visit the Colorado Sky Sox. On May 5th the Colorado Sky Sox will be welcoming the Jackson Blazers to Colorado for another big series. On May 2cd the Blazers will be traveling to Texas to face the Talley Whackers for four games. Also on May 2cd the Detroit Demolition will welcome the Madison Lasers for a three game series.

Trades:

Toledo Tornados traded Benjamin Connelly to the Santa Fe Sidewinders for Willis Howell. This was a good minor league trade for both teams as some day both players should make a major league roster soon. There both will probably be a middle of the pack starting pitchers with maybe Howell being slightly better.

Toledo Tornados traded Tommie Romero, Joaquin Ozuna and Banana Rupe to the Fargo Woodchippers for Eduardo Rivera, Harry Blanco and Chin-Hui Takahashi. The Woodchippers got Tommire Romero mostly because Toledo didn’t want to pay almost 5.0mil that was remaining on his contract. Banana Rupe will probably never get out of the minors for any team. Joaquin Ozuna will become a stud for the Woodchippers in the near future and it makes me wonder why Toledo would trade him. The Tornadoes got two good young arms, with Takahashi I believe won’t get very far in his career. Rivera in a couple years will probably make it to the majors and become a good reliable starter for his team. Harry Blanco is still young but he will be a good starter as well and could become a big part of the pitching staff in the future. This trade I believe was a good trade for the Woodchippers as they got two good hitters to add to there lineup in Romero and Ozuna.

Cheyenne Featherwound traded Charles Petersen to the Tacoma Pioneers for Andrew Bryant. The Featherwound got Bryant is a young pitcher that has some control issues and has been bounced from the major leagues and Triple-A the last two season when he was playing for the Pioneers. The Pioneers got Petersen who is just as young as Bryant but has better control. This was a good minor league trade for both teams with Petersen being slightly a better pitcher and more of a chance of sticking with a major league roster.

Tucson Xpress traded Julio Rincon & Bill Good to the Toledo Tornados for Christopher Newhan & 2.0mil. The Xpress got one of the best closers in the game in Newhan and 2.0mil dollars to come with him. Newhan is still a young pitcher and should be closing games for a couple more years for the Xpress before is options run out. The Tornados got Rincon is going to be a good center-fielder in a couple years as he has good speed and a quick bat at the plate. They also got Good who is a good solid all-around left-fielder but may be the odd man out for this team in a couple years. I would say the Xpress got a good deal out of this as they only had to give away a couple good outfielders for a young closer that has a very good future for him plus they also got 2.0mil to help sign him to a long term contract.

Richmond Wrecking Crew traded Benjamin Gomes to the Ottawa Crawdaddies for Max Wood. The Crawdaddies got an average third baseman will probably be a good back up when he makes it to the majors in about four years. The Wrecking Crew got Max Wood is still trying to recover from his injury from last season but he’s still a good hitter that will have no problems producing some good numbers for the Wrecking Crew. I believe that the Wrecking Crew got a great deal out of this even though there taking on the contract for Wood that still has 22.5mil left on it.

Toledo Tornados traded Charlie Broome to the Tucson Xpress for Whitey Rizzo. The Xpress once again added help to there bullpen when they added Broome to there roster. For Broome this is already the third different team he will be pitching for this season. Rizzo will help the Tornados pitching staff in the minors has he’s a good game caller and he’s a good power hitter when facing left-handers but will struggle a whole lot against right-handers. I believe that the Tornados got the slight advantage in the trade as they got a young catcher that can help there pitching staff in the minors and get them ready for the majors where he might make it as a pinch hitter against left-handers.

Atlanta Brave Vawts traded Ira Walsh and Ramiro Bournigal to the Toledo Tornados for Howard King. The Brave Vawts got a good veteran pitcher in King that will be a good spot starter and long reliever for the Brave Vawts this season but they have to eat his 4.0mil contract for the next two seasons. The Tornados got a didn’t get the greatest hitting catcher in Walsh but when the way he can help a young pitching staff with his pitch calling it may be worth the below average hitting that he has. Bournigal looks to just be filler for the Tornados minor league system as I don’t see him being anything but a pinch hitter against left-handers if he ever makes it the majors. I believe that this trade was an even trade as the Tornados got a good pitch calling catcher, while the Brave Vawts got someone to help add depth to there bullpen and be a decent spot starter.

Santa Fe Sidewinders traded Andrew Hampton, Jeff Shipley and 1.7mil to the Ottawa Crawdaddies for Al Jordan. The Sidewinders got a very young pitcher in Jordan who might have a major league career after spending some time in the minors, as I believe that it’s too early to tell what kind of career he might have. The Crawdaddies got a decent shortstop in Hampton who continues to hit for a great average in his career. The Crawdaddies also got bullpen depth when they added Shipley to the staff. Shipley can save if the team needs him or become a solid setup man. The slight advantage went to the Crawdaddies as they may have given a future top pitcher but there’s still a lot of unknowns about him in Jordan as they got a solid shortstop and bullpen depth but they have to take the two big contracts that both players have with the 1.7mil helping very little.

Will’s Opinion:
The first half the season seems to be going nicely as teams are beginning to show which have legitimate shots of making it to the post season and which might have to start looking to next year. The amateur draft is a very exciting time for any team looking to improve there team for the future and look back at what stupid decisions that you made for the free agents that don’t seem to be working out for you and losing a draft pick. As for me a I find it difficult to decide on what I should focus on more this season pitching or offensive as my team needs both but it’s hard to find that certain type of player that will work for my ballpark as I believe that a lot teams have a hard time figuring that out. There’s so much uncertainty about what kind of player that you will get out of this draft, how quickly can you get your stud first-rounders to the majors without hurting there development. By the end of the week it should be interesting to see what kind of direction that certain teams went and how well they did at filling the holes that the teams might face in the future. I hope that everyone has a good draft as I know that not everyone will be happy with who they drafted but I believe everyone will see a bright future for there team.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

USMLB RELIEVER OF THE WEEK


Jermaine Curtis of the Florida GaToRs is the Reliever of the Week for the week of 4/22/08-4/29/08. Curtis had a 8 saves in 8 chances. He gave up 0 runs in 7 IP for an ERA of 0.00. He also gave up only 1 hit and had 8 strikeouts against 0 walks and a WHIP of 0.14.

USMLB PITCHER OF THE WEEK


Brandon Ellis of the San Antonio Stars is the Pitcher of the Week for the week of 4/22/08-4/29/08. Ellis had a record of 3-0 during the week in 4 games started. He gave up only 2 runs in 27 IP for an ERA of .067. He had 28 strikeouts against only 6 walks and a WHIP of 0.89.

USMLB PLAYER OF THE WEEK


Tony Armas of the Colorado Sky Sox is the USMLB Player of the Week for the week 4/22/08-4/29/08. He had 44 hits in 89 at bats for an average of .494. He also hit 7 homeruns, had 25 RBI's and 24 runs scored. He also had a OBP of .410 and added 4 stolen bases.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Top 25 Players under the age of 25

Honorable Mention:
Brian Kim (1B) (Durham Bulls)
Odalis Montanez (2B) (Colorado Sky Sox)
Juan Amaro (SS) (Anaheim Beefpound)
Brook Diaz (3B) (Tacoma Pioneers)
Alex Lee (RF) (Kansas City Dirt Bags)
Lewis Shouse (CF) (Cheyenne Featherwound)
Jim Little (P) (Fargo Woodchippers)
Shane Haad (P) (San Jose SaberCats)
Buzz Jones (P) (Durham Bulls)
Gary Clark (P) (Louisville Colonels)

25 -


At 24 Newhan has already established himself as one of the top closer in the league. He added the Fireman of the Year award last year for the National League and with a recent trade to the Tucson Xpress he'll bring stability and depth to there bullpen. I figure he will be one of the greatest closer this league will see and if injuries that hit him probably a hall of famer.

24 -
At 23 May will be entering his first full season as the starting as the teams DH. He will probably hit around 25-35 homeruns a year but his biggest strength is hitting the ball all around the field. You can easily see him having a .300 batting average and .400 on-base percentage at the end of his career. Being that he will probably only play DH though out his career, he really won't play more then 140 games a year which will hurt is numbers a little.

23 -
At 25 Ward is back at the major league level after spending all of last year at the Triple-A level. Ward is dominating against left-handers allowing them only to hit .167 against him this year. He is the perfect left-handed specialist as left-handers are going always struggle to hit him. He will probably have a nice long career just facing left-handers as every team needs his kind of pitcher. He can close games as well if needed.

22 -
At 23 Armstrong is entering his third season pitching for Madison. He won the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year his first season but struggled last season winning only 14 games and an ERA almost at 5.00. His struggles last season and early season I believe is just a young pitcher going through some growing pains. He probably won't win another Cy Young award in his career but I see him as a solid pitcher and the ace of the Lasers for some time to come.

21 -
At 25 Turner will be entering his second season for the Bulls. He had a good rookie season that saw him win 12 games and pitch 233 innings but his 1.39 whip will need to improve. So far early in the season Turner as been one of the top pitchers in the league. His early season success is how I see him pitching in the future as well, as he will probably win a Cy Young award sometime during his career and will be the Bulls ace in a couple seasons if not this year.

20 -
At 24 Nitkowski is stuck between being a great closer and being a great starting pitcher for the Brave Vawts. It doesn't matter where he's pitching he's been dominating hitters so far this season and last year. I believe that eventually Nitkowski will settle down as the closer and be one of the best that his league will see at the end of his career. I think that Nitkowski can become a hall of famer as a closer and not as a starting pitching as he won't be able to go deep into the games to get many victories.

19 -
At the age of 20 Hitchcock has made the jump from Hi-A last season to the major this season. He was the second overall pick two years ago for the Pioneers. Hitchcock isn't going to scare many pitchers with his bat but his defense will amaze the fans in a couple seasons. I believe he will have many gold glove awards added to his trophy case and go down as one of the best defensive shortstops in this league.

18 -
At 23 Olivares had a nice rookie season last year hitting around .300. Olivares won't provide a ton of power but hits the ball really well around the diamond. He is close to being the perfect number two hitter in the lineup as he finds way to make contact with the ball and can steal some bases through out the year. Olivares will finish with a nice career as he may not be hall of fame caliber but still a solid player.

17 -
At 23 Surtain made it to the majors last season and had himself a good rookie season, getting over 100 RBI's for the year. This year is power numbers are way up and I believe that Surtain will be around a 40 homerun hitter a year with a ton of 100 RBI season ahead of him. His defensive will improve and be a solid third baseman for his career. I see quite a few all-star appearance for him but will probably fall short of being a hall of famer.

16 -
At 24 Carpenter is already a all-star second basemen for the Blazers. Carpenter will probably be a great lead-off hitter or a solid second hitter in the lineup. He has some pop in his bat and is able to bring runners home if he needs to and steal some bases. Hitting around 20 homeruns, stealing around 30 bases, having about 75 RBI's and 100 runs scored a year isn't out of the question for Carpenter. I see many more all-star appearances for Carpenter and probably on the fringe of being a hall of famer.

15 -
At 25 Mota has already had himself a good start to his career, as he made the all-star team last season and scored over 130 runs. Mota will have no problem putting up good offensive number for the Talley Wackers as the team has one of the deepest lineups in the majors. If he stays in Texas is believe he'll score around 125 runs a year, hit around 25 homeruns and 30 stolen bases. I believe if he stays at Texas for his whole career he will probably be one of the most productive second basemen in all of the offensive categories and that might push him into the hall of fame.

14 -
At the age of 20 Gabriel started the season in Triple-A but was moved up the majors to take advantage of his great hitting abilities. He was the 11th overall pick from last season draft, so making it to the majors already is a great accomplishment for Gabriel. . He has great defensive abilities and can hit the ball very well. Probably his only knock on him is that he has very little pop in his bat and he doesn't have a lot of speed for the position. If he can hit the ball like his expectations say he will, he might just have a great career hitting around .300. Is he a hall of famer I really can't tell right now.

13 -
At 25 Jordan is entering his second full season for the Zone. Jordan has some good pop in his bat and can hit equally against left-handers and right-handers will keep him in the lineup almost every game. He will become a solid defensive shortstop but nothing major. Jordan has a special bat where he will probably finish his career a .300 hitter, with around 20-25 homeruns, 75-90 RBI's and 20 stolen bases a year.

12 -
At 22 Washington is entering his third season as one of the top set-up for the Talley Whackers. Hitters are only hitting .261 against him through out his career so far and I believe that will improve as he gets more control over his pitches. I don't see him as being the future closer for this team as I believe he just doesn't have the makeup to be a closer but he will to go to man in the bullpen for years to come.

11 -
At the age of 24 Chong is entering his second season, his first as the starter for the Bulls. He will be a great centerfield at the end of his career. He can run down any ball hit to centerfield and will probably win a couple gold glove awards through out his career. He will probably be around a .300 hitter for his career.

10 -
At 21 Matheson is already entering his third season playing at the major league level as Texas once again has another great hitter on there hands. Matheson showed what he can do last season hitting 34 homeruns with 119 RBI's. I believe that Matheson will become a hall of famer hitting for Texas has he will probably hit 40-45 homeruns, over 100 RBI's and Runs a season. If he can play till he's 35 and out his current pace he will hit over 500 homeruns for his career.

9 -
At 25 Ball saw his production fall a little after winning the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Silver Slugger award for a third basemen his rookie season. I believe last last season was just a sophomore slump as he will be back to MVP form for many season to come. 50 homeruns a year isn't out of the question for Ball. I believe that when his career is over he will be a hall of famer and one of the greatest players for the Woodchippers.

8 -
At the age of 23 Aguilar has a great future ahead of him. He was the 17th overall pick from last seasons draft but didn't play a game for the Legionaires. Aguilar has some of the greatest speed that this league as seen so far but can you produce that on the field. There's a lot of unknown questions for Aguilar and with so little experience under his belt it's hard to tell at this point what will come out of his career.

7 -
At the age of 23 Barkley will get his chance to be a everyday player for the Demolition. Barkley was the was the third overall pick the first season for the league. With his first season playing full time expect his power numbers to make a nice jump, probably around 35 homeruns this season and probably around 45 a year for his career. With all of Barkley's offensive abilities everyone forgets that he's a great defensive leftfielder as well and might win a gold glove at that position in the future. I believe that Barkley will become a hall of famer, he may not make it his first year up for a hall of fame vote but he will make it soon after that.

6 -
At 24 Sheets is clearly the ace of the Houston staff. The team may have only won 70 games last season but just imagine if Sheets wasn't on that team and his 17 wins went away. Even though is ERA hovered around 5.00 last season, I believe that you will see him improve in that ERA and with him pitching in the American League a 3.50 lifetime ERA will be considered a great success. I believe if Sheets is going to be a hall of famer is team needs to get better around him other wise 17 wins a year might be tough to repeat and a possible great pitcher will suffer for a losing team.

5 -
At 23 Rizzo finds himself being a closer with great abilities but on a team that is struggling to find wins this season. Tuscon didn't show much faith in him win the team traded for Christopher Newhan. Did the Xpress send a message to Rizzo to meet his expatiations or he might find himself on another team real soon.

4 -
At 24 Rooney finds himself as one of the top pure young hitters in the league. A bulging disk in his back cost him a great sophomore season where he was hitting close to .400. Will his back injury hurt him a little this season before he really begins to tear into American League pitching next season, we really don't know yet. If Rooney can stay away from the injury bug he will be a lock for the hall of fame as a career average of 200 hits, 100 runs, 50 stolen bases, a .340 lifetime average is not out of reach for him.

3 -
At 24 Sisk is already the top power hitter in the league. When the historians look back upon the USMLB, Sisk will stand out as he will most likely hold the career homerun record for the USMLB. Vegas has the odds of Sisk hitting 700 homeruns at 2-1 but I think Sisk will approach 800 homeruns if he can stay healthy through out his career. First ballot hall of famer without a doubt.

2 -
At the age of 22 Anderson will begin his rookie campaign this season and big things are expect out of him. Texas is full of young great hitters but Anderson might just be the best of the group. A .300 average, 40 homeruns, 100 RBI's, 200 hits, 100 Runs, 30 stolen bases every season from him is not a pipe dream for the Texas fans. Anderson will without a doubt become a hall of famer when his career is over.

1 -
At 24 Lui probably the best all around hitter in the league with a .300 bat, 25-35 homeruns a year, 100 RBI's, 100 Runs and 70 Stolen bases a year. The chip in Lui's amour is his defense as he would be better suited for second base in my opinion. There are many awards waiting in Lui's future and playing on a good team will help those awards come sooner as he won't have to be the main fixture for his team. Hall of Fame plaque for Lui will be there waiting.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

USMLB Weekly

Welcome to the first edition of the USMLB Weekly as there have been a lot of things going on with the league for the last week. Trades have been coming out of nowhere, owners fighting with each other, two new owner taking over teams and changing there names, but with all these things going on the league is still moving through the season, which could possible be a great race to the finish.

I would like to welcome jasonguru who took over the Richmond Pettifoggers and quickly changed there names to the Wrecking Crew. I think that his team will improve and it helps that there in a weak division and might have a shot at the division title. I will also like to welcome mab444 who took over the Toledo Holy Men and quickly changed there names to the Tornados and this team will need a lot of TLC this season to get the franchise back on track. Good luck to both of you and I hope you enjoy the season here in the USMLB.

Rumors:
The fight between powercats22 and yanksrule11 got personal as they will begin a series on field on the 29th of April that everyone is going to be watching closely to see if any funny business will be happing on the field.

The poll question for the week came out with 52% believing that Toledo can not avoid a one-hundred loss season this year. Thank you for all who voted. Also the Tornados are rumor to be selling the whole team for anyone that can hold a bat and throw a ball no matter how much talent they have. Also the team will be holding tryout camps to fill there roster for anyone in the Toledo area this week, so if you can catch and hit a baseball this might be your chance to play for a big league franchise, contact mab444 for details of the location and fees to tryout.

Game of the Week:
On 4/20AM the Detroit Demolition faced the Colorado Sky Sox in Colorado with the Demolition winning 10 to 8. The Demolition jump out to a early 6-1 lead in the first two innings as starting pitcher Gil Henson for the Sky Sox had trouble with his control walking three batters in the first inning. Heath Fitzgerald crushed a homerun in the second inning. Tony Armas provided the only run in the first couple innings for the Sky Sox with a homerun in the first inning. Nomar Kirby of the Demolition chased Henson from the mound with a RBI single in the fourth. The Sky Sox countered the run with a run of there own with Gus Wilkins smacking a homerun. Khoury Glass got an RBI single in the fifth to cut the lead to four at 7-3. Rex Ross of the Demolition crushed a homerun in the seventh after couple quite innings to extend the lead back to five at 8-3. Glass struck again finally getting Demolition starter Luis Encarnacion out of the game with a two-run homerun making the game 8-5. Demolition hitter Endy Hemingway got his second RBI of the game in the top of the eighth making the game 9-5. The bottom of the eighth Sky Sox hitter Earl Williams crushed a two-run homerun cutting the game within two 9-7. Clem Barkley of the Demolition got is third RBI of the game with a single in the top of ninth to add an insurance run. In the bottom of the ninth the Sky Sox tried to make a come back but feel short only getting one more run.

Detroit Demolition
Player Pos % AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Rex Ross 3B 100 4 2 1 1 1 2 1 .282
Alberto DeSoto 3B 100 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .267
Chris Murphy 2B 100 6 3 6 0 0 0 0 .350
Heath Fitzgerald CF 100 5 2 2 2 1 0 4 .278
Clem Barkley RF 100 6 2 4 3 0 1 1 .378
Cookie Valdes 1B 100 6 1 4 1 0 0 1 .452
Vinny Menechino SS 100 5 0 1 0 1 0 6 .367
Nomar Kirby LF 100 3 0 2 1 1 0 2 .276
Stu Watson LF 100 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .133
Endy Hemingway C 100 5 0 3 2 0 0 3 .244
Roy Lansing C 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .375
Luis Encarnacion P 100 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 .067
Al Wills P 100 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Kordell Schneider P 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Roger Newfield P 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -

Batting
2B: C.Murphy 2 (6), C.Barkley 2 (8)
HR: R.Ross (6), H.Fitzgerald (2)
RBI: R.Ross (12), H.Fitzgerald 2 (19), C.Barkley 3 (25), C.Valdes (15), N.Kirby (14), E.Hemingway 2 (10)
2-Out RBI: C.Barkley, N.Kirby, E.Hemingway 2
Baserunning
SB: C.Murphy (8)
CS: C.Valdes (4)
Fielding
Errors: A.DeSoto (1)

Player % IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
Luis Encarnacion, W (2-1) 100 6.2 10 5 5 0 3 3 92 4.79
Al Wills 100 0.2 2 2 2 1 0 1 11 14.63
Kordell Schneider 100 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 0.00
Roger Newfield, SV (10) 100 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 0 17 1.64

Colorado Sky Sox
Player Pos % AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Khoury Glass CF 100 5 1 2 3 0 1 0 .373
Tony Armas LF 100 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 .316
Ricardo Ramirez C 100 5 1 4 0 0 0 1 .306
Vicente Domingo 3B 100 5 0 2 1 0 1 1 .350
Gus Wilkins SS 100 5 2 2 1 0 0 3 .330
Earl Williams RF 100 4 1 1 2 0 0 1 .324
Benito Pineda 1B 100 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 .390
Odalis Montanez 2B 100 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 .307
Gil Henson P 100 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .150
Rigo Lopez P 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333
Socks Floyd P 100 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Bruce Lewis PH 100 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Wayne Bard P 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Rabbit Alexander P 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000

Batting
3B: V.Domingo (2)
HR: K.Glass (2), T.Armas (4), G.Wilkins (9), E.Williams (13)
RBI: K.Glass 3 (20), T.Armas (25), V.Domingo (31), G.Wilkins (31), E.Williams 2 (29)
2-Out RBI: K.Glass 3, V.Domingo, G.Wilkins
HBP: B.Pineda
SH: R.Lopez

Player % IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
Gil Henson, L (3-3) 100 3.2 12 7 7 3 1 1 89 5.48
Rigo Lopez 60 2.2 3 1 1 1 3 1 43 6.08
Socks Floyd 100 1.2 5 1 1 0 0 0 29 9.39
Wayne Bard 100 0.2 3 1 1 0 1 0 20 4.30
Rabbit Alexander 100 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 7.07

Player of the Game
Chris Murphy collects 6 hits

A big series of games will be happening this week with the Anaheim Beefpound facing the Texas Talley Wackers in 7 games this week with four in Texas and three at Anaheim. Also the Atlanta Brave Vawts are traveling the Anaheim to face the Beefpound is a big three game series. Later in the week the Colorado Sky Sox will travel the Jackson a have a big three game series with the Blazers. The Texas Talley Wackers will have another tough series when they welcome the Cheyenne Featherwound to Texas later in the week.

Trades:

Ottawa Crawdaddies traded Daryl Lawrence & Gil Ventura to the Anaheim Beefpound for Benito Garces. The Crawdaddies got the advantage on this trade as they got a proven arm in there starting rotation that could win between 10-15 games this year for them but if they let him go in the off-season then the advantage will go the Beefpound. Lawrence was quickly traded away after this trade and Ventura is at least a good three to four years away from the major if the Beefpound don’t rush him; he could be a good 2cd or 3rd starter in the rotation.

Anaheim Beefpound traded Erubiel Sanchez and 1.0 mil to the Tucson Xpress for Juan Amaro. Now there was a lot of talk about this trade about how unfair this trade was and how Anaheim took advantage of Tucson stealing his great young prospect but from examing the trade and the players this was an even trade slightly leaning towards Tucson. Amaro is projected to be around a .300 hitter with 20-25 homeruns a year with stellar D put will probably only about 130-140 games a year, while Sanchez will probably hit around .270 with 30-35 homeruns and good D, if he stays at first base.

Anaheim Beefpound traded Tim Uribe & Bernie Castillo and .3mil to the Cleveland Barons for Carson Shaw. Big advantage in this trade went to Anaheim; if Castillo can get his control under control then it will be moved to a slight advantage Anaheim. Shaw is going to be a great a bullpen guy going to hard for right-handers to hit him. Uribe will spend the rest of his career as a fringe player either bouncing from the major to the minors tell his options run out then probably a bench player at best. Castillo will be good as a long reliever/spot starter once he can get his control down.

Anaheim Beefpound traded A.J. West & Daryl Lawrence to the San Diego Friar Power for Herbert Brandt. Advantage in the trade went to the Beefpound as they were able to dump the 3.1m contract of Lawrence onto the Friar Power and get a good young pitcher. Brandt I believe should be in AAA this season to get more experience but he will be a good pitcher probably an ace sometime during his career. Lawrence was a money dump as he shouldn’t be playing in the majors let alone getting paid 3.1mil to do it. West is about to enter his prime and has great power and will hit a good amount of homeruns but struggles to much against lefties that you might have to platoon him.

Santa Fe Sidewinders traded Jim Taylor to the Fargo Woodchippers for Derek Norton. Slight advantage in the trade went to the Sidewinders as they got a powerful hitting DH in the Norton but gave a possible closer in Taylor. Norton really had no place to move for the Woodchippers as he can’t play any D, but can hit the ball over any fence and will make a great use of Santa Fe’s ballpark. Taylor could possible be a closer or a great bullpen guy in a couple years. Both players are a couple years away from playing in the majors.

Anaheim Beefpound traded Bobby Gray to the Richmond Wrecking Crew for Dante Russell. This was an even trade as the Wrecking Crew got a pitcher that could a middle of the rotation pitcher for the team in a couple years and got rid of a DH hitting catcher in Russell. Gray will is projected as the middle of the rotation starter and probably produce 10-12 wins, ERA around 4.25. Russell is a better DH then a catcher but is a power hitting DH but more of a good contact hitter probably hitting around .325, 10-20 homeruns.

Toledo Tornados traded Todd Borkowski, Stan McIntosh & Tuck Erdos and 5.0mil to the Richmond Wrecking Crew for Rusty Sweeney & Chuck Butler. Huge advantage went to the Wrecking Crew as this was a salary dump by the Tornados and I won’t talk about salary dump trades.

Toledo Tornados traded Jayson Mabry and 5.0mil to the Richmond Wrecking Crew for David Patrick. This was a cash deal with to low players that have no chance of coming out of rookie ball.

Anaheim Beefpound traded Benny Julio & Ariel Diaz to the Houston Kings of Kumbia for Lyle Myatt & Alex Franco. Big advantage of this trade went to the Beefpound has they got a what could be there closer of the future in Myatt (if they don’t rush him to fast) and a good young catcher in Franco (if they don’t rush him to the majors to quick as well) that will probably be a great catcher once he enters his prime. The Kings of Kumbia got a SS in Julio who can’t field and can’t hit right-handers, they also got Diaz who’s got great control and a good fastball but struggles with his other pitches.

Will’s Opinion:
Now this is my first time playing this game and I have to say that this is great. The amount of information and strategy that goes into it is amazing. I spent the first three days once I signed up for this going through as much information as I could find. I know I’ve probably made some mistakes during my early time playing this but I’m in it for the long haul and very realistic knowing that my team probably not going to win anything this year or probably next year as well. I know it will take some time to get the players I want to bring into my team and get rid of the players who may be good but don’t fit into the plans that I have, as I will see this plan through and stay in the league for as long as its up. The blog to me is fun as well, as I know probably most people won’t agree with certain things like the power rankings or the players of the week but I’m doing my best and as the season goes on I’ll probably have a better sense of things as those things go. I know I will not make everyone happy especially with the power rankings but you have to remember its early in the season and the power rankings are going to be jumping up and down but once teams have more games under there belts it will be clear where teams belong. I will be adding more things to it that you guys probably won’t care about but like I said when your up at 1 in the morning there isn’t much to do. If there is anything that you don’t like or you think that I can improve please feel free to tell me and I can see what I can do to fix it. I will be adding the Minor League report on Monday, where I’ll be looking into the what’s going in the minor league and I will also be giving your minor league teams there own city and name expect for your rookie league and Low-A where they will just get a city to play in. I have other things going through my head for the blog, I’m just seeing if I can get it done. Thank you for reading this and have a good day.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Reliever of the Week



Nicholas Fox of the Tacoma Pioneers is the Reliever of the Week for the week of 4/16/08-4/22/08. Fox had a 8 saves in 8 chances. He gave up 2 runs in 13 IP for an ERA of 1.38. He also gave up only 9 hits and had 13 strikeouts against 1 walks and a WHIP of 0.77.

Pitcher of the Week


Raymond Pavlov of the Detroit Demolition is the Pitcher of the Week for the week of 4/16/08-4/22/08. Pavlov had a record of 4-0 during the week in 4 games started. He gave up only 4 runs in 31 IP for an ERA of 1.16. He had 23 strikeouts against 8 walks and a WHIP of 0.94.

Player of the Week


Erik West of the New Britain Fisher Cats is the USMLB Player of the Week for the week 4/16/08-4/22/08. He had 40 hits in 80 at bats for an average of .488. He also hit 18 homeruns, had 46 RBI's and 33 runs scored. He also batted a unheard of 1.220 slugging percentage and 1.642 OPS.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Rookie of the Year - Candidates NL

NL North

Detroit - None
Milwaukee - David Trammell, Phillip Burks, Juan Miro
Fargo - A.J. Balfour, Pablo Mesa, Jorel Seo
New Britain - Jackson Cooper


NL East

Louisville - None
St. Louis - David Cota
Richmond - None
Toledo - None


NL South

Jackson - Sven Griffin
Durham - None
San Antonio - None
Florida - None

NL West

Colorado - None
Tacoma - Louis Martin, Vinny May, Archie Hitchcock
Las Vegas - None
San Diego - Art Roskos

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

RELIEVER OF THE WEEK




Phil Nitkowski of the Atlanta Brave Vawts is the Reliever of the Week for the week of 4/8/08-4/15/08. Nitkowski had a 7 saves in 7 chances. He gave up 0 runs in 7 IP for an ERA of 0.00. He also gave up only 3 hits and had 6 strikeouts against 2 walks.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK



Shane Lomasney of the Texas Talley Whackesrs is the Pitcher of the Week for the week of 4/8/08-4/15/08. Lomasney had a record of 3-0 during the week with 2 complete games and a shoutout. He gave up 11 runs in 32 IP for an ERA of 3.09. He had 21 strikeouts against 13 walks.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK



Nicky Duran of the Fargo Woodchippers is the Player of the Week for the week of 4/8/08-4/15/08. He had 28 hits in 69 AB for a .406 AVE. He also had 9 homeruns, 30 RBI's and an OPS of 1.442. He also added in 23 runs scored and a 33.229 runs created during the week.

Monday, April 14, 2008

NL WEST PREVIEW

Colorado Sky Sox (knucklebones)
If most team win there division for the second straight year it would be considered a great success but not for the Sky Sox, as the team had to be disappointed in how last season turned out. Knucklebones then moved the team from Los Angles to Colorado in hope that the move would wake up his team. The team last year where the Arizona Diamondbacks of the USMLB giving up 11 runs then they scored but the weak NL West allowed them to still have a winning record. “In previous years this team was built on defense and pitching but with our offensive growing, I thought Colorado would be a perfect fit for them.” GM knucklebones had to say about his team, he also said, “it will be an interesting year but I still see use three-peating for the divisional title.” The team only lost Bill Abbott (1B) (.184, 3, 9), Philip Dunn (C) (.256, 22, 75) and Lonny Welch (P) (4GS) to free agency. The team only signed Max Ransom (C) (Minors) from the San Antonio Stars for 1yr/327k. The team also acquired Ricardo Ramirez (C) (.273, 21, 77) from the Tacoma Pioneers for two minor leaguers and acquired Odalis Montanez (2B) (.251, 23, 66) from the Las Vegas Zone for three minor leaguers.
Earl Williams (RF) (.240, 33, 117) is the big power bat in the lineup, for he won’t hit for much average, but that should improve in the thin air of Denver, as well as his homeruns. Khoury Glass (CF) (.279, 11, 49) is the prefect lead-off hitter for this lineup, as he will probably once again get over 50 stolen bases. Returning players Vicente Domingo (3B) (.289, 23, 110), Gus Wilkins (SS) (.298, 24, 64), AllStar Tony Armas (LF) (.326, 18, 76), Frank Cooper (C) (.270, 6, 64) and AllStar/Gold Glove 2B Benito Pineda (1B) (.273, 13, 70) needs to provide some offensive for this team. The offensive should be more powerful this year with some newly added additions but the biggest help is the thin air in Denver that will help this offensive the most.
The staff did struggle somewhat in Los Angeles last season and I belief with the move to Colorado that the pitching staff won’t get any better but with the offensive more of the center stage on this team now, the pitching won’t have to as perfect this season. AllStar Gil Henson (13-11, 4.04ERA) is without question the staff ace and mentor to the young arms in the rotation and bullpen as well. David Gao (14-13, 4.79ERA) will be looked upon to provide some big innings and starts for this team. Jolbert Johnson (11-6, 4.69ERA), Josh Kerr (5-12, 5.76ERA) and Rabbit Kennedy (4-2, 3.54ERA) will fill out the rest of the rotation. AllStar Robert Price (39SVS) coming off a great year last year is still the closer this season. With moving from the pitcher friendly ballpark in Los Angeles to Colorado have any kind of effect on the staff at all?
Projected Lineup
Khoury Glass
Gus Wilkins
Tony Armas
Earl Williams
Ricardo Ramirez
Odalis Montanez
Benito Pineda
Vicente Domingo
Rotation
Gil Henson
David Gao
Jolbert Johnson
Josh Kerr
Rabbit Kennedy
Closer
Robert Price
Projected Record – 90-72

Las Vegas Zone (lvrecsports)
The Zone have found themselves with there third different owner and third different that they have played in. They improved one game last season for the year before this team should improve a slight bit like that this season as well. With this team being one of the oldest in the National League, it’s time for there expectations to finally show themselves. The team lost Emil Nunez (P) (3GP) and Duane Werth (1B) (.268, 5, 20) to free agency. The team signed Odell Hudson (2B) (.278, 27, 58) from the Durham Bulls for 2yrs/10.4mil, Ricky Jefferies (P) (1.24WHIP) from the Louisville Colonels for 2yrs/6.6mil and Carmine Taft (P) (10-11, 3.13) from the Toledo Holy Men for 4yrs/37.5mil. The team also traded Ernie Torres (P) (43GP) to the Texas Talley Whackers for a minor leaguer and Odalis Montanez (2B) (.251, 23, 66) to the Colorado Sky Sox for three minor leaguers.
Jim Wilkinson (RF) (.255, 17, 45) saw his playing time diminished after hitting 30 homeruns the previous so he’s looking for one last chance to prove that he can be a great player for this team. AllStar Woody Garcia (3B) (.296, 54, 130) without question is the best player on the team and another 50 homerun’s is not out of the question from this guy. Returning players AllStar Haywood Matthews (CF) (.290, 17, 70) and Nolan Jordan (SS) (.293, 22, 71) will need to mix well with the new players to have the offensive succeed. With the offensive young no one really knows how this team will go.
The pitching staff gave up 5.20 runs per game last season, which in the National League isn’t that great. The rotation and bullpen are pretty much the same as last year, but the young arms have some experience behind them and should be able to improve from last years numbers. Keith Donovan (6-8, 4.26ERA) had a lot of problems with injuries last season and he’s hoping that season will me a fresh start for him. Julian Ingram (9-11, 5.52ERA) needs to show the ability that he truly has this season. Carmine Taft (10-11, 3.13ERA), Travis Messmer (8-4, 3.82ERA) and Marvin Sparks (6-7, 4.59ERA) are filling the remaining spots in the rotation. Alex Bagley (70GP) didn’t have a single save last season but the team in confident in his abilities that he can be a great closer this season and many season to come. Just like the offensive there a lot of talent with the pitching staff, it’s just that for what ever reason the players haven’t been able bring it to the field.
Projected Lineup
Haywood Matthews
Nolan Jordan
Todd Griffin
Antonio Frye
Odell Hudson
Jim Wilkinson
Woody Garcia
Donald Kwon
Rotation
Keith Donovan
Julian Ingram
Carmine Taft
Travis Messmer
Marvin Sparks
Closer
Alex Bagley
Projected Record – 73-89

San Diego Friar Power (sidekicker)
The Friar Power are looking at there third different owner in three years and its third name change as well. After making the playoffs there first year and missed last season and didn’t finish above .500. When you offensive is tied for the worst in the National League things like that will happen but the team didn’t address this issue with the off-season market or make any trades for some offensive fire power. The team only lost Ruben Ortiz (P) (43GP) and Pat Herndon (P) (46GP) to free agency. The team signed Preston Wright (P) (15-12, 5.92ERA) from the Santa Fe Sidewinders for 3yrs/15.0mil plus a 3.2mil bonus, Scott Presley (P) (14-9, 4.04ERA) from the New Britain Fisher Cats for 3yrs/14.7mil plus 1.3mil bonus and Tim Archer (P) (Minors) from the St. Louis Cornerstone 4yrs/14.0mil plus 1.2mil bonus.
If there was a serious weakest that any team could show there opponents, offensive would be the reason for the Friar Power, as the offensive will probably be in last place again this season. Andre Hyzdu (3B) (.273, 29, 74) is trying to become one of the top young hitters in the league this season. Gold Glove LF Joel McMasters (CF) (.238, 43, 97) can hit the ball a mile away but his average is a real concern for the team about McMasters. Returning players Sean Bird (SS) (.266, 9, 56) will try to mix in perfectly with the young talent on this team. With this offensive can they once again become a playoffs team?
The pitching staff pitched well last year, keeping them in game that they shouldn’t have been in last season. The strength of the staff had to be the bullpen, holding done leads and allowing the offensive come back all season long. Juan Matos (11-6, 3.94ERA) didn’t produce the numbers of wins that you expect from an ace but he has the abilities to become that ace this season. Herbert Brandt (Minors) have never pitched in the majors but the team thinks that he’s ready to make to jump. Tim Archer (Minors), Arthur Duffy (5-11, 4.26ERA) and Scott Presley (Minors) should fill out the rest of the rotation. AllStar Jesus Rodriguez (44SVS) impressed a lot of people collecting 44 saves last season after saving 43 the year before and I can bet that he will once again be above 40 saves this season. The starting rotation is young, with the bullpen mostly having veterans but bullpens don’t win you games, starting pitching does and does this team have enough starting pitching to get back to the playoffs?
Projected Lineup
Art Roskos
Enrique Rincon
Sean Bird
Andre Hyzdu
Rafael Pineda
Harry Julio
Joel McMasters
Jay Moss
Rotation
Juan Matos
Herbert Brandt
Arthur Duffy
Tim Archer
Scott Presley
Closer
Jesus Rodriguez
Projected Record – 75-87

Tacoma Pioneers (tomjames)
Read the Tacoma Preview earlier in the blog.

AL WEST PREVIEW

Anaheim Beefpound (beefpac)
The Beefpound has won the AL West the last two years but beefpac has moved the team from Sacramento to Anaheim this year, maybe the change of scenery will allow the team to win the World Series this year. After looking through the team I don’t see any reason why the Beefpound will not win the division again this year. The team only lost Matthew Small (3B) (.271, 19, 72) and Craig Rivers (P) (42GP) to free agency. The team only signed Francisco Manto (SS) (.312, 47, 142) from the Houston Kings of Kumbia for 2yrs/12.7mil and Harold Morton (1B) (.347, 30, 102) from the Texas Talley Whackers for 1yr/4.4mil. The team also acquired Pat Sugawara (3B) (.236, 11, 49) for Nomar Ramirez (1B) (.251, 38, 110) and a minor leaguer.
Zip Wirth (C) (.272, 32, 97) knees may be catching up with him as his playing time was cut a little bit at catcher last year, but with more rest this year he should have no problem producing numbers that the team needs from him once again. Silver Slugger SS Junior Lui (SS) (.291, 29, 102) is the prefect combination of speed and power but I wouldn’t expect over 100 RBI’s this year batting from the leadoff spot. Returning players A.J. West (RF) (.258, 25, 78), Karim Lee (2B) (.269, 27, 80), Keith Winston (1B) (.294, 12, 90) and Bud Jackson (CF) (.281, 5, 65) needs to provide some offensive for this team. With the new additions of Manto, Morton and Sugawara will definitely help the offensive this year.
The staff was one of only three teams in the American League to hold there opponents below 5 runs a game. With the pitching staff intact they should once again be one of the best in the American League. Benito Garces (14-9, 4.02ERA) has been asked to be a big veteran leader and number one starter from the steady performance from last year. Miguel Martinez (11-6, 4.26ERA) is a very young pitcher that pitched very well his rookie year and is looking to improve with Garces teaching him the way. Paulie Yarnall (15-9, 3.93ERA), AllStar Delino Maduro (10-8, 3.64ERA) and Daisuke Lui (14-8, 4.54ERA) will fill out the rest of the rotation. AL Fireman of the Year/AllStar Hank Epstein (46SVS) coming off a great year last year is still the closer this season. With the pitching staff still the same last year, there really isn’t any questions mark as they should improve a little and not take any steps backwards.
Anaheim Beefpound (beefpac)
The Beefpound has won the AL West the last two years but beefpac has moved the team from Sacramento to Anaheim this year, maybe the change of scenery will allow the team to win the World Series this year. After looking through the team I don’t see any reason why the Beefpound will not win the division again this year. The team only lost Matthew Small (3B) (.271, 19, 72) and Craig Rivers (P) (42GP) to free agency. The team only signed Francisco Manto (SS) (.312, 47, 142) from the Houston Kings of Kumbia for 2yrs/12.7mil and Harold Morton (1B) (.347, 30, 102) from the Texas Talley Whackers for 1yr/4.4mil. The team also acquired Pat Sugawara (3B) (.236, 11, 49) for Nomar Ramirez (1B) (.251, 38, 110) and a minor leaguer.
Zip Wirth (C) (.272, 32, 97) knees may be catching up with him as his playing time was cut a little bit at catcher last year, but with more rest this year he should have no problem producing numbers that the team needs from him once again. Silver Slugger SS Junior Lui (SS) (.291, 29, 102) is the prefect combination of speed and power but I wouldn’t expect over 100 RBI’s this year batting from the leadoff spot. Returning players A.J. West (RF) (.258, 25, 78), Karim Lee (2B) (.269, 27, 80), Keith Winston (1B) (.294, 12, 90) and Bud Jackson (CF) (.281, 5, 65) needs to provide some offensive for this team. With the new additions of Manto, Morton and Sugawara will definitely help the offensive this year.
The staff was one of only three teams in the American League to hold there opponents below 5 runs a game. With the pitching staff intact they should once again be one of the best in the American League. Benito Garces (14-9, 4.02ERA) has been asked to be a big veteran leader and number one starter from the steady performance from last year. Miguel Martinez (11-6, 4.26ERA) is a very young pitcher that pitched very well his rookie year and is looking to improve with Garces teaching him the way. Paulie Yarnall (15-9, 3.93ERA), AllStar Delino Maduro (10-8, 3.64ERA) and Daisuke Lui (14-8, 4.54ERA) will fill out the rest of the rotation. AL Fireman of the Year/AllStar Hank Epstein (46SVS) coming off a great year last year is still the closer this season. With the pitching staff still the same last year, there really isn’t any questions mark as they should improve a little and not take any steps backwards.
Projected Lineup
Junior Lui
Pat Sugawara
Francisco Manto
Karim Lee
Keith Winston
Zip Wirth
Harold Morton
Bud Jackson
A.J. West
Rotation
Benito Garces
Miguel Martinez
Paulie Yarnall
Delino Maduro
Daisuke Lui
Closer
Hank Epstein
Projected Record – 98-64

Cheyenne Featherwound (weirdterd456)
The Featherwounds have found themselves there third different owner in three years and with weirdterd456 thinking that there bad luck was in Salem moved the team to Cheyenne to start fresh. A lofty goal for this team is the win it’s first .500 season. The team lost Randall Spiers (P) (13GP) and Hugh Parkers (P) (8GS) to free agency. The team resigned Anthony Jacobs (3B) (.277, 7, 41), Anthony Jacobs (3B) (Minors) and Ben Ward (2B) (.292, 12, 77). The team also signed Cliff Adkinsson (C) (.241, 26, 59) from the New York Highlanders for 2yrs/4.0mil.
AllStar/Gold Glove LF Irv Jensen (LF) (.304, 27, 127) has reach the prime of his career and you should see his power numbers improve this season and reach 100 RBI’s once again. Silver Slugger 2B Adrian Duncan (2B) (.309, 20, 68) is a young hitter that produced well in a limited roll last year and will be needed this in the middle of the order this year. Returning players Ron Frazier (CF) (.289, 5, 60) will need to mix well with the young rookies coming into the lineup this year. The team had no problems scoring runs last year, but that will be a big question mark to put up those same number this year.
The pitching staff for the Featherwounds was the worst in baseball last season, giving up 1061 runs (6.54runs per game) and a lot of that had to do with there young pitching staff. The pitching staff is still young, but the team and fans should see an improvement and maybe an ace will emerge from the ashes that were last season. Toby Jodie (10-13, 6.53ERA) is a young pitcher that got beat up last year, but it might have been a great experience as he should improve his ERA this year from it. Rip Brown (8-17, 5.09ERA) needs to get his walk count done if he’s going to improve his record and ERA from a year ago. Jorge Guzman (9-11, 6.38ERA), Edgar Perez (12-14, 5.68ERA) and Gold Glove P Ben Canseco (10-12, 6.19ERA) are filling the remaining spots in the rotation. Louie Gibson (22SVS) didn’t pitch to badly his first year as a closer, so he should improve his performance from a year ago. The pitching couldn’t get any worse then what they where last season, but the improvement will be small this year as the team still isn’t going to scare anyone with the pitching staff.
Projected Lineup
Emmanuel Carrasco
Carmen Garcia
Irv Jensen
Adrian Duncan
Cliff Adkinsson
Chris Juden
Ron Frazier
Anthony Jacobs
Edgar Seguignol
Rotation
Toby Jodie
Rip Brown
Jorge Guzman
Edgar Perez
Ben Canseco
Closer
Louie Gibson
Projected Record – 70-92

San Jose SaberCats (texanboiler)
The SaberCats have had the same record for the last two years at 80-82, falling just short of the .500 record both years. The offensive had let them down last season only scoring 4.56 runs per game, which was dead, last in the American League. The pitching staff picked up the slack only allowing 4.98 runs per game, which in the American League is a big achievement. The pitching staff should once again be the strength of this team. The team only lost Hersh Garland (P) (51GP) to free agency. The team didn’t sign any one in the free agent market or in a trade during the off-season. Was this a smart move, especially considering that the offensive needed someone to provide a bat that other team might fear.
If there is one offensive that can keep up with the Sidewinders it would be the Talley Whackers. They have a great mix of young and veteran hitters, each one protecting each other in the lineup. Jose Espinoza (3B) (.286, 26, 71) is one of the many young hitters in this lineup and should improve a little this year as he’s about to enter his prime. AllStar Malcolm Lanier (1B) (.296, 33, 88) is another hitter that is entering his prime and with last years performance, he should approach the 100 RBI plateau this season. Returning players Jeremi Jones (SS) (.274, 14, 47), Will Randolph (C) (.297, 16, 62), Edgar Suarez (1B) (.273, 38, 102), Marvin Stark (CF) (.280, 14, 52), Glen Lewis (LF) (.238, 37, 100), Gold Glove C Randy Montgomery (C) (.198, 7, 30) and Michael Watkins (2B) (.263, 36, 83) will try to provide enough runs to give there pitching staff a break once and a while. .500 is within hear shot of this team; will this be the year they finally get over that hump?
The pitching staff pitched well last year, keeping them in game that they shouldn’t have been in last season. The strength of the staff had to be the bullpen, holding done leads and allowing the offensive come back all season long. Tito Ramirez (16-12, 4.03ERA) is the ace, elder statesmen and leader of the pitching staff; he’s almost like a second pitching coach to many of the young pitchers in the organization. Marino Mendez (5-10, 4.54ERA) is a young pitcher that the team is looking for to improve and provide quality innings every game. Carmen McPherson (10-14, 6.48ERA), Ricky Bennett (3-8, 4.20ERA) and Orlando Segui (10-9, 5.57ERA) should fill out the rest of the rotation. Shane Haad (37SVS) saw his first year as the closer a great success and more of the same should be indicated this season as well. With the mix of young and veteran pitchers in the staff can they reproduce the same numbers as last season, or will the power hitting American League final catch up with them?
Projected Lineup
Jeremi Jones
Will Randolph
Jose Espinoza
Malcolm Lanier
Edgar Suarez
Marvin Stark
Wilfredo Aybar
Michael Watkins
Glen Lewis
Rotation
Tito Ramirez
Marino Mendez
Carmen McPherson
Ricky Bennett
Orlando Segui
Closer
Shane Haad
Projected Record – 81-81

Tucson Xpress (powercats22)
The Xpress saw there team fall in the win column last season but move up to third place in the west as well. With the average age of the team at 26.3 years old, you know that this team is once again going to be young; the only question is how good will they be. Will this team fall in the win column again or will they see improvement? The team only lost Damaso Nieves (3B) (.267, 5, 28) and AllStar Ellie Ashley (P) (61GP) to free agency. The team resigned Vasco Amaro (2B) (.301, 2, 59). The also signed Hector Coleman (C) (.143, 0, 0). The team also traded away Tony Maduro (C) (.287, 6, 31) to the Tacoma Pioneers for a minor leaguer.
With the two losing to of the best offensive players during the off season, young players have come up from the minors to try and fill those holes. Michael Long (2B) (.284, 2, 39) is the single season record holder for stolen bases that he set at 77 last season, I believe that he will break the record once again this season. Butch Halter (LF) (.287, 35, 118) is the power in this lineup that is needed for this team. Returning players Willie Garces (SS) (.268, 3, 56), Juan Amaro (SS) (.316, 17, 91), Cy Ryan (SS) (.281, 20, 84), Bob Ulrich (3B) (.285, 7, 62), Donn Bergman (.257, 16, 61), Vasco Amaro (2B) (.301, 2, 59) and Myron Nichols (DH) (.304, 10, 76) has a lot of speed in the lineup but they also need to produce runs. With one true power hitter in the lineup the team will need to play small ball and produce there own runs, which sometimes doesn’t always work out for the best.
The pitching staff is very young, which was evident with the team giving up 6.22 runs per game last season. The staff is still young but should improve a little this season, with the goal of the team probably being to hold there opponents under 6 runs a game this season. Vic Sanchez (5-14, 6.10ERA) will be asked to be the staff ace this season, which will hopefully help him improve his numbers from last year. Don Gilkey (9-11, 5.70) is one of the many young pitchers in the rotation that should once again have some growing pains this season. Esteban Fernandez (7-15, 6.43ERA), Victor Sojo (12-6, 4.67ERA) and Rip Knowles (Minors) fill out the rest of the rotation that is young but should improve. Lonnie Rizzo (2SVS) after losing his closer job a year ago, he will once again get a chance to be the closer for this team. Can the pitching staff duplicate there performance from last year or will teams begin to figure them out.
Projected Lineup
Michael Long
Juan Amaro
Bob Ulrich
Donn Bergman
Butch Halter
Vasco Amaro
Dave Roberts
Hector Coleman
Myron Nichols
Rotation
Vic Sanchez
Don Gilkey
Esteban Fernandez
Victor Sojo
Rip Knowles
Closer
Lonnie Rizzo
Projected Record – 70-92