Newsline

Welcome to the Season 17 of the USMLB.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

USMLB WEEKLY

Welcome to the third 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 and have actually pick up in pace, a new owner has joined the league, playoff caliber teams are beginning to pull away from the pack, the amateur draft happen and the future of the organizations will be seen.

I would like to welcome jgnjr to the group as he will be taking over the Chicago Legionaires who really need all the help that they can get. Let’s hope he can turn it around and get his team going on the right path. Good luck and welcome to the USMLB.

Draft:
1. Cheyenne Featherwound - Geronimo Rosado (SS) (unsigned) – Hopefully he can be signed by next week other wise because I can’t see his ratings he won’t have an opinion on him when I do the draft review next week. Grade - TBA
2. Iowa City Raiders - Macbeth Coleman (P) (signed in rookie league) – Coleman can throw hard and has a good couple of pitches but his control has a lot to be desired. Unless his control makes a serious jump in the minors he will probably never see the majors. Grade – D
3. Ottawa Crawdaddies - Pep Valdes (2B) (signed in rookie league) – Valdes should become a great hitting second baseman in a by the time he reaches the major. The only thing that I can see about him is that he’s not very fast on the base path. Grade – A
4. Milwaukee Melders - Orber Sierra (CF) (signed in HI-A) – Sierra is going to be a great center fielder in the future that can get on base and swipe bases with his great speed. Grade – A
5. Tacoma Pioneers - Skeeter Washington (P) (signed in rookie league) – Washington is a great control pitcher that has a chance of having three great pitchers. Grade – A
6. Tucson Xpress - Geraldo Rodriguez (RF) (unsigned) – If Rodriguez can be signed he will be a great offensive outfielder with great power and hitting abilities. Xpress really needs to sign him to bring a great future player to there team. Grade – TBA
7. New Britain Fisher Cats - Bono Barr (P) (signed in rookie league) – Barr is another great control pitcher drafted this year and just might be a future ace for the Fisher Cats. Grade – A
8. Houston Kings of Kumbia - Cam Mann (P) (signed) – Mann is going to be a workhorse for his career who should get control over his control in the future to bring him to the majors. Grade – B+
9. Las Vegas Zone - Mark Munson (SS) (unsigned) – Munson should become a good hitting shortstop with a little pop in his bat but he will need to work on his defensive but he should make it to the majors if he ever gets signed. Grade – B
10. Fargo Woodchippers - Sidney Kolb (P) (signed in LOW-A) – Kolb was probably the best control pitcher in the draft and with his velocity high as well he will probably have a very high walk to strikeout ratio. Grade – A

I’m only doing the top ten on here but the rest will be done on the Draft Review next week where give my opinion on every first round draft pick (all 58 of them) and give team grades on there draft. Good luck to those still looking to sign your draft picks hope you get them soon.

Rumors:
With new owner jgnjr taking over Chicago there has been some talk that the team will start having a fire sale on there high priced veterans to restock the minor leagues and get some good prospects within the organization. With the Legionaires already 16 games out this might be the best time to pull this off. Also the team is discussing offering half priced tickets and sections in the ball park where you can hit all the hot dogs you want. Hopefully this will help bring some much needed fans to the ballpark. Let’s hope all things work out for this team.

The poll question for the week came out with 52% believing that Erik West will break the single season homerun record held by Luis Nunez, while 47% believe that you could not. Well only time will see if he can. Thank you to all those who voted and a new poll question will be up this afternoon.

Vawt BS Ranking:
Vawt didn’t give his BS Rankings this week but they would probably go like this.
1. Atlanta Brave Vawts
2. Toledo Tornados
3. Richmond Wrecking Crew
4. Tucson Xpress
5. Iowa City Raiders


On May 12th the third annual USMLB All-Star will happen with the Homerun Derby begin the earlier in the day and the futures game ending it. Also starting on May 9th a big three series will begin between the Texas Talley Whackers and the Anaheim Beefpound in Anaheim. Also on the 9th the Colorado Sky Sox will welcome the Durham Bulls to Colorado for a three game series.

Trades:

Cleveland Barons traded Benjamin Ross, Daryl Graham and Darryl Corey to the Toledo Tornados for Dick Pierre and Chin-Hui Takahashi. The Tornados got Ross who will become a good pitcher with control in the majors where will probably a 2cd or 3rd in the starting rotation. Graham I really don’t see getting beyond triple-A, who might make it to the majors if injuries happen. Corey can throw hard but his control will prevent him from being anything but a career minor leaguer. The Barons got Pierre who can hit the ball pretty well but will struggle defensively with his glove and I don’t think shortstop will be the position for him. Takahaski will be an ok reliever if his control can come up a little and can learn to throw a second pitch to offset his great sinker. I believe the advantage in this trade went to the Tornados who got a good possible great pitcher in Ross.

Cleveland Barons traded Sterling Lowry and 200k to the St. Louis Cornerstone for Jim Wells. The Barons got Wells who they quickly traded away in a couple days. The Cornerstone got Lowry who will help there minor league pitchers with his great pitch calling but has no power and very little shot of making past double-A. No advantage for any team.

Tacoma Pioneers traded Jaret Titan, Tommie Hendricksen and 2.0mil to the Tucson Xpress for Cy Ryan and Lonnie Rizzo. The Xpress got who will become a great defensive shortstop and might hitter better in Tuscon then what he did in Tacoma. Hendrickson is a great control pitcher who is still very young and as soon as he learns a couple more pitches he might make it to the majors sooner. The Pioneers got Ryan who they really need to bring an upgrade to shortstop for the team. Rizzo added much need bullpen depth to the team as he will become a good reliever for the Pioneers. There is no advantage for either team on this trade as the Pioneers got major league ready players but took on the big contract of Ryan who is getting up there in age and gave the Xpress 2.0mil to help the team with the budget troubles, while the Xpress got to young players that might help there team in the future.

Detroit Demolition traded Heath Fitzgerald and Jimmy Teut to the Madison Lasers for Dickie Wells and Curtis Palmer. The Lasers got a good hitting centerfielder in Fitzgerald who has a good amount of speed in his legs. Teut is an average catcher with average pitch calling and hitting abilities and may or may not make it to the majors. The Demolition got Wells who still young but can be a great workhorse that is learning control and use of his other pitches. Palmer might become a good hitting third baseman but he is also still young and learning the position where with his defensive he will need the help. The advantage in the trade I would say went to the Demolition who got a young starting pitcher in Wells and good hitting third basemen in Palmer. Yes the Lasers got Fitzgerald but with this being his last option year he might not be around for long.

Colorado Sky Sox traded Corey Skinner to the Detroit Demolition for Kyle Hampton. The Demolition got Skinner who is a speed demon but struggles at the plate and is really nothing more then a pinch runner for the team. The Sky Sox got Hampton take might become a good hitting catcher but he is still very young so his future is really uncertain. The advantage in this trade I would say went to the Sky Sox as they got a young catcher and got rid of a player that had no offensive abilities off the major league roster.

Detroit Demolition traded Jay Larson to the Anaheim Beefpound for Parker Pittinger. The Beefpound got Larson who will probably see himself as a spot starter and long reliever as the Beefpound added some bullpen help. The Demolition got Pittinger who has good speed and defensive abilities for a centerfielder but will struggle offensively and probably may not see the majors in his career. The advantage went to the Beefpound on this trade as they got Larson who will help there bullpen and make a start if needed even if this is his last option year.

Ottawa Crawdaddies traded Sammy Beltran, Evan Carson and Ernie Garcia to the Scranton Beet Farmer's for Alan Hunter and 1.1mil. The Beet Farmer’s got Beltran who is a good reliever and will had some bullpen depth to the team. Carson who was a rule-5 pick can start but his control problems make him a better spot starter or long reliever for this team. Garcia should become a good starter in the future as he’s still only 24 and should make it to the majors latter this season. The Crawdaddies got Hunter who will add much needed bullpen depth to this team and can close if they need him to. The advantage went slightly to the Crawdaddies on this as they traded away players that really won’t turn out to be anything expects maybe Garcia and they got 1.1 mil and Hunter that will help this team contend for the playoffs this season.

Tucson Xpress traded Brendan Norton to the Cleveland Barons for Chance Brown and Jim Wells. The Barons got Norton average hitting catcher in Norton who might be a better back-up catcher then an everyday catcher. The Xpress got reliever pitcher in Brown who has great stuff but can really only face a couple hitters at a time. Wells is going to be a good maybe great reliever who might have the option of closing in the future. The Xpress got a big advantage on the trade getting two young relievers who will help the team next season for a mediocre catcher that struggles somewhat with is pitch calling.

Will’s Opinion:
Where getting closer to the All-Star break and it as become clear that the Texas Talley Whackers are the elite in this league so far with the Colorado Sky Sox following close behind. The second tier of teams Anaheim Beefpound, Durham Bulls, Atlanta Brave Vawts, Fargo Woodchippers, Jackson BlaZers, Detroit Demolition, New York Highlanders, New Britain Fisher Cats and Ottawa Crawdaddies should be battling with each other the rest of the season. The third tier of teams Louisville Colonels, Santa Fe Sidewinders, Madison Lasers, Tacoma Pioneers, Milwaukee Melders, Kansas City Dirt Bags, San Jose SaberCats, Florida GaToRs, St. Louis Cornerstone, San Antonio Stars
Las Vegas Zone, Cheyenne Featherwound, Cleveland Barons and Scranton Beet Farmer's are hoping that maybe a good run will bring them into the second tier and a better chance of making the playoffs or a division title. Houston Kings of Kumbia, Tucson Xpress, San Diego Friar Power, Richmond Wrecking Crew, Iowa City Raiders, Chicago Legionaires and Toledo Tornados really need to start making moves or looking for next season as I don’t think that they have a chance of making the playoffs or moving up to the third tier teams. There’s still a lot of uncertainty left in the season but with teams beginning to break away the playoff of picture is beginning to form and which teams are becoming desperate to make the playoffs are beginning to show themselves.