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Welcome to the Season 17 of the USMLB.

Monday, April 7, 2008

AL NORTH PREVIEW

Chicago Legionaires (mik1303)
After making the playoffs there first year they fell short the second season falling to 79-83 finishing in 2cd place for the 2cd straight year. This is the third different location that the team has played in, Boise being last years location and this will be the team’s third owner as well. The team is hoping that they can make it back to the playoffs this year. The team lost Silver Slugger DH Weldon Erving (C) (.312, 25, 100), Gold Glove SS Wolf Gordon (SS) (.253, 19, 67), Alex Acevedo (1B) (.298, 3, 9) and Charlie Broome (P) (3.74ERA, 1.28WHIP) to free agency. The team resigned Germany Hitchcock (2B) (.292, 20, 71) and Tony Rodriguez (LF) (.284, 17, 66). The team also signed Hideo Uchida (RF) (.235, 37, 82) from the Colorado Sky Sox for 4yrs/16.8mil. The average age of the Legionaires is 26 years old having the third youngest team in the whole league, but that also means they have the second fewest team in major league experience with 1.9 years.
Young Ken Lincoln (SS) (.312, 29, 109) will lead the offensive that will have no problems hitting the ball of the fence. Returning players Hooks Gagne (3B) (.274, 11, 60), Gold Glove RF Miller Young (CF) (.250, 21, 77) and Tim Perry (1B) (.285, 25, 88) look to provide the protection that is needed for Lincoln. Will the offensive be able to keep up with the Madison Lasers with such a young team?
The pitching staff is younger then the offensive so they still might struggle some what like the previous year. Cesar Delgado is trying to become the staff ace by going 14-11, 5.40 ERA but he’s only 24 and will hopefully improve more this year. Sammy Goya 6-19, 5.93 ERA is trying to bounce back from last year. Bartolo Rosado 9-10, 5.12 ERA, Michael Dickey 13-15, 4.89 ERA and Edwin Saipe 12-13, 4.56 ERA will fill out the rest of the rotation. Vernon Cain 4SVS, 4.50ERA looks to be the closer this year. With the pitching staff being so young, will they continue to improve or will they take a step back this year?
Projected Lineup
Germany Hitchcock
Hooks Gagne
Ken Lincoln
Tim Perry
Tony Rodriguez
Reggie Wise
Miller Young
Darrell Young
Hideo Uchida
Rotation
Cesar Delgado
Sammy Goya
Bartolo Rosado
Michael Dickey
Edwin Saipe
Closer
Vernon Cain
Projected Record - 80-82

Scranton Beet Farmer's (aa12on)
This team will be featuring its third different owner as well and the team was moved from Cleveland to Scranton. The team finished 73-89 finishing third for the 2cd straight season. Can this team improve or will they still be stuck in 3rd place once again. The team lost James Stanley (C) (.197, 1, 13), Homer Clayton (P) (1SV), Nicky Duran (1B) (.285, 17, 51), Mitchell Pickett (RF) (.281, 12, 57), J.J. Petrick (P) (27G), Norman Sparks (P) (46SO) and David Torres (P) (8-10) to free agency. The team resigned Eddie Erstad (SS) (.264, 5, 57). The team also signed Byung-Hyun Shibata (SS) (.271, 4, 25) from the Fargo Woodchippers for a 3yr/6.6mil contract and Gene Guerrero (P) (8SVS) from the Detroit Demolition for 2yrs/3.9 mil. The team also added Walt Biggio (SS) (.266, 0, 19) from the Tacoma Pioneers for a minor leaguer.
Angel James (3B) (.286, 27, 100) will be leading the offensive this year as the teams true power hitter. Returning players Dean Clark (C) (.285, 12, 68), Alex Reagan (2B) (.265, 5, 64), Dwight Hennessey (3B) (.324, 17, 73), Marc Rivera (2B) (.272, 6, 57), and Vernon Graves (2B) (.263, 8, 51) will need to provide more runs for the Beet Farmer’s to compete within there division. Can this team provide enough runs to keep up with the Lasers this year or not?
The pitching staff is young in it’s rotation but they do have some veteran leadership in the bullpen to teach the young pitchers this year. Carter Wise (11-13, 3.98ERA) will try to become the staff ace this year and at 27 he’s hitting his prime. Steve McIntyre (10-5, 3.42ERA) pitched well between the rotation and bullpen and is looking for a chance to stay in the rotation this year. Carl Forest (Rule 5 pick up), Alex Vizquel (Rule 5 pick up), Sal Politte (5 wins), Victor Diaz (Rule 5 pick up), Dario Wallace (7 wins), and Paul Hurst (9 wins) are looking to fill up the remaining spots in the rotation. Alan Hunter (16SVS) is looking to become the closer this year for the team. Can some of the young pitchers step up and have a reliable pitching staff or will the young pitchers get crushed from the pressure of playing in the major leagues.
Projected Lineup
Walter Hatcher
Alex Reagan
Angel James
Dwight Hennessey
Dean Clark
Vernon Graves
Marc Rivera
Eddie Erstad
Byung-Hyun Shibata
Rotation
Carter Wise
Steve McIntyre
Paul Hurst
Victor Diaz
Alex Vizquel
Closer
Alan Hunter
Projected Record – 75-87

Ottawa Crawdaddies (davisbrian)
The crawdaddies are looking to pull out of the division cellar for the first time in team history. The new owner has moved the team from Wichita to Ottawa so that maybe a chance in scenery will bring this team some luck. The team finished 68-94 a slight improvement from the previous season. The team lost Tony Goldman (3B) (.254, 10, 55), Max Wood (CF) (.257, 14, 50), Omar Diaz (LF) (.318, 14, 53), Nicholas Lee (P) (5-8, 4.37ERA), Terry Brede (P) (1SV), Otto Hanson (DH) (.258, 13, 65), Ebenezer Canseco (P) (10-13, 4.52ERA), Ray Jones (P) (5wins), Kevin Stewart (P) (9wins) and Albert Guzman (P) (8wins) to free agency. The team resigned Adam Warner (P) (89GP). The team also signed Chris Porter (P) (71GP) from the New Britain Fisher Cats for 3yrs/4.2mil, Pasqual James (LF) (Minors) from the Toledo Holy Men for 4yrs/12.8mil, Travis Patrick (P) (Minors) from the Texas Talley Whackers for 3yrs/5.4mil, Dick McClain (P) (Minors) from the Houston Kings of Kumbia for 3yrs/18.6mil, Mateo Romano (P) (12-10, 4.19ERA) from the Toledo Holy Men for 3yrs/8.4mil, Sammy Beltran (P) (56GP) from the Kansas City Dirt Bags for 3yrs/6.3mil, Weldon Erving (DH) (.312, 25, 100) from the Chicago Legionaires for 2yrs/5.2mil and Alex Ellis (C) (.326, 0, 4) from the Chicago Legionaires for 3yrs/5.7mil. In all the team spent 66.6 mil on 8 free agents this season.
Al Vazquez (SS) (.291, 46, 120) is the leader of the offensive leading the team in homeruns and RBI the previous year. Returning players Al Guillen (SS) (.276, 35, 93), Clay Offerman (SS) (.292, 5, 44), and AllStar Donte Cashman (C) (.299, 29, 82) will have no problems provided offensive for this team. Will this powerful offensive have to win every game 9-8 or will they still be able to win if they only score 5 runs a game.
The pitching staff saw the most changes for this team, revamping the Achilles heel of this team a year ago. Trenidad Hernandez (6-9, 3.91ERA) is the only starter to survive from the previous year and he will be trying to stay in the starting rotation from all the new additions. Ajax Peavy (Minors), Dennis Thompson (Rule 5 Pick up), McClain, and Romano should fill out the rest of the rotation. AllStar Carlos Estrada (35SVS) should be the closer for the team once again. Can all the new arms keep teams from scoring at will against and not put so much pressure on the offensive or will the bullpen have the carry that load?

Projected Lineup
Clay Offerman
Todd Little
Al Vazquez
Weldon Erving
Donte Cashman
Al Guillen
Pasqual James
Jerry O'Neill
Luis Johnson

Rotation
Mateo Romano
Trenidad Hernandez
Ajax Peavy
Dick McClain
Dennis Thompson

Closer
Carlos Estrada

Projected Record – 75-87


Madison Lasers (quantum76)
The Lasers are the top dogs in the AL North, winning the division both years and winning the World Series the first season. With the competition still rebuilding in the North the Lasers should once again cruise to there third straight divisional title. The New York Yankees of the USMLB is spending over 30 million more then the next team, so nothing less then a World Series victory is considered failure for this team. The team lost only Cozy Schneider (LF) (.254, 17, 60) and Theodore Heving (P) (9SVS) to free agency. The team signed Ellie Ashley (P) (31SVS) from the Tucson Xpress for 2yrs/10mil, Chet O'Connor (P) (4.50ERA) from the Santa Fe Sidewinders for 1yr/2mil and Moises Montero (P) (79GP) from the Kansas City Dirt Bags for 2yrs/6mil. The off-season moves seemed to strengthen the team’s bullpen with the cores players already lock up.
AllStar Don Xaio (DH) (.308, 59, 142) leads one of the most powerful offensive in the league. AllStar Darren Higginson (C) (.384, 39, 132), AllStar Ed Houston (SS) (.282, 42, 122), Gold Glove Del Martin (SS) (.275, 21, 82), Desi Hammonds (RF) (.289, 27, 105), Freddie Adcock (2B) (.311, 30, 119) and Karim Baez (LF) (.289, 21, 62) make any pitcher facing this lineup quiver in fear. There doesn’t seem to be anything that can really stop this offensive, so teams better be prepared for some high scoring games to have a chance to win.
With the pitching knowing that they don’t have to be perfect every game because they know that there offensive will back them up, it allows them to go out and pitch with no pressure. Ned Frazier (20-10, 3.88ERA) is the staff ace and the leader of the pitching staff. Artie Holmes (18-4, 4.41ERA), Chad Armstrong (14-9, 4.87ERA), Malcolm Reed (13-11, 6.57ERA) and Rob Stevenson (11-12, 6.07ERA) fills out the rest of the rotation that should once again get a lot of victories for the team. Ashley should be the closer for his new team. Will the new additions to the bullpen be able to learn that it doesn’t matter about the runs they allow but by the number of leads they hold.

Projected Lineup
Del Martin
Freddie Adcock
Don Xaio
Ed Houston
Darren Higginson
Desi Hammonds
Karim Baez
Ricky Hogan
Alfredo Mercedes

Rotation
Ned Frazier
Artie Holmes
Chad Armstrong
Rob Stevenson
Malcolm Reed

Closer
Ellie Ashley

Projected Record – 102-60