The Plumpy Times!!!!!!111

Season 13, Y.O.P. Review (Season 20, In their prime)

2011-06-07T14:22:00.009-04:00

Some time has passed since my last review of this outstanding pitching class, specifically the 10 pitchers selected in the first 11 picks. As we enter season 20, all of these guys have now had 7 seasons to mature and have enterred their prime, or in the case of the collegiate seniors like Glenn Breat are approaching the ripe age of 30 and the other side of the rainbow.

Several seasons back I made some predictions on the futre of this class, so lets see how I did:

GlennBrett, taking at the top of the draft by Tampa has continued to reward that franchise well. The reigning Cy Young award winner is 74 up to 38 down at he enters his age 29 season with a 1.20 WHIP and 3.08 ERA.

My original projections were: 86-86-80-95-86-79-80-68-64-24-65
In his prime: 85-80-75-94-84-76-76-66-58-27-61

Looks like my back of the napkin projections were pretty accurate, considering he lost a few points here and there a couple of seasons back due to injury. Glenn has established himself as the Ace everyone knew him to be when drafted. Now the key question with a good 6-10 seasons left, can he cross over the 200 win threshold and gain access to the Hall? He'd need to average 16 wins a season over the next 8 years to get there, something that seems highly likely baring a couple of major injuries.

Sam Bowie was once drafted b/w Olajuwon and Jordan in 1984. Season 13's draft had WalterPote. A draft setting mix up, led to Montreal taking Pote b/w two certain aces, not to mention before all the other top level arms in this draft. However, unlike Bowe's Pote's suckiness may have been well over states as a trade to Chicago has turned Pote into a very solid middle of the rotation pitcher, and occasional ace over stretches. Pote made the all star game in season 18, briefly was mention amongst the Cy Young nominees that same season before falling off the nominatin list, and has quietly put together 2+ solid seasons in the show. Over those 2+ seasons, he's 27-13 with a 1.38 WHIP and 4.06 era. Toss out his season 17 season spent mostly in the pen with less than ideal results, and his numbers look even better as a starter.

My original projections were: 65-63-54-46-36-36-71-67-56-57-40
In his prime: 74-81-63-56-39-39-77-72-67-62-44

An early career injury made this one a bit tougher to project, outside of his initial draft scouting projections. Needless to say, he's exceeded most everyone's projections, outside of Chicago who was smart enough to acquire Pote and his outstanding set of pitches.

With the 3rd pick, $11 mil bonus baby, CraigWinston was selected by the bad logos. Now 25 and nearly 3 full season in the who, Winston has lived up to expectations. Two all star selections and a rookie of the year, Winston has been nominated for the Cy Young each of the last two seasons, coming up short in both votes. Having won 19 games each of the last 2 seasons, Craig hopes to push that total over 20 this year in hopes of claiming the so far elusive Cy Young award. Totals to date include a 55-22 win/loss mark, a 1.08 WHIP and a 2.58 era.

My original projections were: 72-88-89-91-30-99-95-86-75-76-0
In his prime: 71-79-81-86-28-96-90-82-67-63-0

A mid season injury last year knocked off a point here and there, but perhaps there's time to recover a bit. None the less, he's going to end up a shade shy of my original projections, but certainly on the level of staff ace. With at least 10+ good season in the tank, he'll need to average 14.5 wins over the next 10 years to top the 200 win mark by the age of 35 and perhaps a good luck at joining the short list of 250+ game winners in this world.

With the 5th pick, Fresno (formerly Arizona) selected LyleHines. Lyle has established himself as a solid front line starter over his two seasons. Despite a sub .500 career record (25-29), Lyle's rate stats would suggest he's due for an all star appearance or 4 down the line. An era around 3.4, and a career WHIP of 1.27 suggests someone that should shot north of .500 on his career record by season's end.

My original projections were: 79-94-61-73-82-83-79-80-52-42-0
In his prime: 71-94-62-74-80-79-80-81-50-38-0

Lyle's outstanding 99 makeup have allowed him to exceed my initials projections in several areas. Lyle has proven his worth above the traditional 5th slot in the draft, and highlights the depth of the pitching class in this draft as he may be only the 4th or 5th best starter drafted in the top 10.

At 6, Boston draft high school lefty BoomerConroy. Now 25, and in his 4th full season in the show, Boomer has been one of the lone bright spots during Boston's recent downturn. Now that the Boston franchise looks to be turning the corner, the brass is expecting Boomer to lead the charge from the front of their rotation. At first glance, Boomer's career 4.94 era looks rather unimpressive, however after examing the team around him, and noticing as his defenders have gotten better, his rate stats have increased each season, it doesn't take long to realize Boomer's still on track for an all star appearance or two in the next decade.

My original projections were: 97-79-65-61-34-70-78-73-52-44-0
In his prime: 95-84-69-66-34-68-86-76-55-46-0

Similar to Lyle Hines, Boomer's outstanding 99 makeup has allowed him to exceed my initial projections in several areas. Both his control and quality of pitches are significantly higher than my initial projections. Boomer will neer be a strike out artist, but its easy to see that he blongs at the top of most rotations and will help Boston back to the top of their division in due time.

Memphis (formerly Texas) selected ChadPride with the 7th selection. Despite being the 6th pitcher taken in this draft, Chad has arguably been the most productive. In his first 3 seasons, Chad has won a gold glove, two all star selections and a Cy Young award in season 18 for the dominate Memphis franchise. 42 career wins to 17 losses, a career 1.11 WHIP and holding opponents to a sub .250 average, its hard to find anything not to like about Pride's start.

My original projections were: 74-86-76-86-99-80-78-71-60-16-0
In his Prime: 68-86-74-86-95-75-77-69-61-16-0

Seems like my projections fell right in line, unfortunately a little short in his less than ideal stamina, but who's going to complain about 6-7 dominate innings every 5th night?

At 8, Minnesota (formerly Portland) irock pulled out HS righty VicPena. It was thought by this scribe that Pena could challenge anyone else in this class as the top arm at the end of the day. Pena started out like a ball of fire, claiming the rookie of the year award during season 16. However, irock's dedication to our country, and lack of full attention to his team helped in the setback's that were Pena's season 17 & 18. A season 19 labrum tear set him back even further and finally, in season 20, he's begining to live up to the expectations he headed upon himself during his rookie of the year campaign 4 seasons ago. A career 4.82 era, 1.40 WHIP and 35-34 record are far worse than were initially expected, however expect a bounce back over the next couple of seasons and a solid #2 type starer.

My original projections were: 87-83-59-78-35-80-84-79-69-32-0
In his Prime: 84-83-59-81-34-83-82-78-69-30-0

I originally wrote that I thought his lack of development by the owner running things while irock was in basic would set my intial projections a little shy of where his peak actually was. throw in the labrum tear, and I think that holds true, but despite it all, he ended up remarkably close to what I originally thought he'd be.

The 8th starter, BootsGonzales was selected by Cleveland with the 9th pick in season 13. Similar to the Browns, Boots was eventually traded to Balitmore to find more fertile soil. Boots has bounced back and forth b/w AAA and the majors the last couple of seasons, before finally settling for good in the show last year with a 3.09 era over 28 starts. To date, Boots is 14-17 with a 1.21 WHIP and 3.23 era while holding opponents to a stellar .231 average.

My original projections were: 70-87-61-66-91-69-82-63-43-37-0
In his prime: 69-87-67-71-88-67-83-62-42-33-0

Boots has exceeded my orginally less than ideal splits to end up with splits more acceptable to go with his outstanding velocity & changeup. Baltimore is starting to show signs of life, and Boots is at the forefront. Could another all star be added to this class?

Boots was the last of my projection projects, and have proven to be fairly accurate, though definently not perfect. However, beyond those 8 starters drafted in the top 10, there have several other pitchers of note in this class, who are providing value to their current teams:

HaroldAspromonte has won the firerman of the year award once, as well as 2 all star selctions.
JeffAusmus has been stellar for Omaha (now Syracuse) made the all star team in season 17 while continually posting stellar starts for the former #14 selection.
DennyYoshii, the 17th pick, made the all star team in Pittsburgh last year, as well as help Pittsburgh to the World Seriers and an NL pennant.

And that doesn't even include a handful of stellar bats from this draft. The pitching class of season 13 has certainly lived up to its billing. Time will tell how many of these starters will eventually land in the hall of fame. Looks like 3-4 strong possibilities, and perhaps some time for a couple more to jump into the conversation.

Season 13 draft, Y.O.P. review #????

2011-01-18T09:16:00.006-05:00

W/ the all star break having come and gone, and watching several pitchers in this class leave their mark on the game, its time to catch up w/ what this elite draft class is up to.

Glen_Brett was selected at the top of the draft, and as a college senior, Brett was made the biggest mark to date in the show. Already in his 4th season and in his prime at 27, Brett has racked up 55 wins with a 1.25 WHIP.

The selection of Walter_Pote was widely lauded in these circles. Following an injury plagued season 14, Pote was quitely shipped off the Chicago in a deal meet by many shrugs. However, despite a rocky debut in the majors last season, it would appear that Chicago may be getting the last laugh as Pote was announced to the all star team following an 11-1 start, a 3.07 era, 1.23 WHIP and a near 2:1 K:BB ratio. As others wait for him to fall back to earth, Pote's gathering steam for a Cy Young nomination.

With the 3rd selection, Atlanta grabbed the to HS arm, $11 mil bonus baby Craig_Winston. Season 17 saw Winston walk away with Rookie of the Year honors, gathering 15 wins vs 6 losses, a sporty Omaha Stylee era, a 1.10 WHIP and 2.4 strikeouts for every 1 walk. So far in season 18, Winston has been even more dominate with 11 wins vs 3 losses, a sub 1.00 WHIP, sub 2.00 ERA and nearly 3 Ks for every walk leading to his first all star game appearance (a rather forgetable 1st inning on short rest). At this pace, the #2 pick and #3 pick from season 13 may be going head to head for the Cy Young award.

At #4, KC took the lone non-pitcher of the top 10, second baseman Zeke_Evans. Zeke displays great range at 2nd, though the glove is shaky at times. However, for the 4th pick KC passed on a lot of solid arms for a guy that does nothing spectacular at the plate. Though he's solid on the base paths, he's OPS'd to the tune of .750 over roughly 3 major league seasons. At 27, Zeke isn't likely to see much improvement, and poor makeup means he'll start his decline in another season or two.

Arizona (now Fresno) got us back on the pitching track w/ Lyle_Hines at #5. At the age of 23, Lyle made his major league debut this season, later than the rest, but he's thrown gems from the get go. Despite the 5-13 record, Lyle sports a 3.05 era, 1.17 WHIP, and a near 3:1 k:bb ratio. Once Fresno acquires some talent around him, expect Lyle's win rate to improve, as his slash rates lead him to multiple all star appearances.

At #6, Boston selected HS lefty Boomer_Conroy. Boomer has struggle do date as opponents have been driving balls into and over the Green Monster at an alarming rate. In 2 seasons, Boomer is 14 up, and 31 down, with a 1.5 WHIP & near 5.00 era. Boston's director of player personal still believes that Boomer will eventually put things together and projects as a middle rotation starter in the bigs. Hopefully Boomer realizes that potential in Boston, rather than his next stop.

With the 7th pick, Texas selected HS fireballer Chad_Pride. When the franchise relocated to Memphis, Pride quickly became the problem for AL hitters. Pride had a shakey start to the bigs, lossing 11 times to 5 wins, with a 4.35 era. However, his 1.31 WHIP last year indicated that there was some greatness lurking behind his losses. Season 18 has seen Pride develop into the face of the organization, his first all star bid, and a challenge for the Cy Young. 16-6, 0.98 WHIP, 1.98 era, 143Ks to 38 BBs. Memphis may fall short of the playoffs this season, but expect them to be a contender for a long time w/ Pride leading the charge.

Portland early jumped to the podium to take HS righty Vic_Pena at 8. Working in the glow of the Rookie of the year award in season 16, Pena has struggled the last 2 years. This season, Pena has dropped 10 decision to 7 victories, but more alarming is his 1.82 WHIP & 7.00+ ERA. The "B" word is starting to creep into conversation of Pena, despite scouts suggesting he has 3 top level pitches. Phone calls to Victor Zambrano remain unreturned as Portland attempts to fix the demons in his head and realize the promise that Pena once displayed.

Cleveland choose Boots_Gonzales with the 9th pick. Despite solid middle of the rotation stuff, Boots has already been the center piece of 2 seperate trades, finding his way to Baltimore in season 17. A successful cup of coffee last year left Baltimore fans with great hope this year, however an early season injury set him back several months. Boots has bounced back from his injuries and thru 11 starts he has a 0.80 era, sub 2.5 era, 5 wins, 2 losses and an amazing 52k:12bb ratio. At 23, Boots has a chance to further recover some of his skills that were lost to injury, expect a long solid career in Baltimore.

Harold_Aspromonte, the premier closer of the draft was choosen at #10 by Trenton (Balitmore). However, fears of injury lead Baltimore to trade Aspromonte to Portland in season 16. The fear of injury has yet to rear its ugly head, and Portland has reaped the rewards, watching Aspromonte 69 wins in 2+ seasons. His career 2.53 era should hold up strong as long as he remains healthy, and at 25, he has many seasons left to contender for the Rolaids Fireman award.

Tacoma put an end to the run on pitchers, using the 11th pick to take Rene_Richardon. Rene was later traded to jacksonville, before finding his way to Seattle half way thru season 17. Rene finally made his debut w/ Seattle this year, thought the sledding has been rougher than expected. A 1.52 WHIP & 5.22 era have led to a 5-7 mark on the hill. Scouts tell us that Rene still displays his dominate fastball and pinpoint control, believing he'll remain a fixture in the Seattle rotation as the team is built around him.

And so it is written, 5 years after their draft this amazing class has all reached the show. Hard to believe the college seniors are nearing the middle of their careers already. Pote has easily been the most suprising (in a good way), while Pena's the most suprising in a bad way. Brett, Winston & Pride all remain on track for the HoF careers several predicted. Hines & Gonzalez have been nothing short of spectacular in their short careers, while Boomer & Rene leave a little to be desired, though clearly on the rebuilding teams. Aspromonte will remain filthy in the 9th, as long as his elbow holds up, and fans in KC will always wonder what could have been. Until the next update, this class remains one of the better classes on paper. There are several more later in the draft who could be highlighted as well, but the Season 13 - 10 will always have time seperating their names from each other in the annuals of plumpyville!!!!1111

STRIKING FEAR INTO THE SOUTHPAW HEART

2010-07-18T22:05:00.003-04:00

Who are the batters Plumpy southpaws most hate to face?

Largely the same players the righties fear -- the Todd Fords, the Ron Puffers, the Damaso Delgados. But there are some hitters who specialize in feasting on the wrong-handed, and some whose overall stats are so ordinary, so pedestrian, that without further analysis one may not even notice that they kill left-handed pitchers.

Following are the top ten guys at hitting for average against lefties:

Steve Myatt Chicago Bulls .373 / .420 / .714
Lonny Griffin Montgomery Burns .366 / .410 / .559
Ralph Lewis Norfolk Needlefish .365 / .459 / .529
Frank Bako SF Steroid Sluggers .364 / .442 / .581
Todd Ford Montgomery Burns .361 / .413 / .775
Red O'Donnell Monterrey Jacks .360 / .429 / .540
Esteban Vincente Toledo Black Bears .358 / .408 / .492
Rich King Hartford Submarines .352 / .429 / .593
Vance Sierra Norfolk Needlefish .352 / .404 / .648
Rick Harrison AZ Armadillos .347 / .386 / .442

This is a pretty good batch of contact hitters. Seven of them -- Myatt, Griffin, Lewis, Ford, O’Donnell, King, and Harrison -- bat in excess of .300. But the other three -- Bako, Vincente, and Sierra -- are actually liabilities when facing right-handed pitchers.

Based on the players’ skill ratings, one might expect Bako to perform significantly better against lefties, and he does. A right-handed batter who sports splits of 91 & 60, Bako’s .364 / .442 / .581 rate stats against lefties stand in stark contrast to what he does against right-handed pitchers: .224 / .283 / .316.

Sierra’s splits are about equal (76 & 78), but he’s still a useless hunk of useless against righties: .207 / .266 / .299.

The real outlier in the batch is Esteban Vincente. His splits are actually more favorable against righties (55 & 61), and he’s a left-handed hitter, so while he ain’t no badass slugging machine, one would expect him to hold his own against right-handed pitchers. But this is not the case as demonstrated by this sorry-assed stat line against righties: .207 / .266 / .299.

Following are the top five (with a tie for fifth) performers at slugging against lefties (as measured by at bats per home run):

Todd Ford Montgomery Burns 8.45
Grady Diggins Atlanta Shockers 8.73
Omar Alvarez Philadelphia Regulators 9.00
Damaso Delgado Portland Killer Whales 9.54
Steve Myatt Chicago Bulls 10.73
Ron Puffer Jacksonville Alcoholics 10.73

The biggest right vs. left disparities here come with Diggins (one home run every 23.25 at bats against righties) and aging slugger Puffer (one dinger per 27.63 at bats vs. righties).

When it comes to teams lefties try to avoid, in the A.L., the top batting averages against southpaws belong to:

Arizona Fighting Armadillos .284 / .331 / .451
Atlanta Shockers .283 / .355 / .456
San Juan Elephant Seals .279 / .345 / .488
Norfolk Needlefish .278 / .350 / .456
Boston Stranglers .275 / .337 / .422

In the N.L., team leaders are:

Montgomery Burns .299 / .359 / .463
Chicago Bulls .278 / .334 / .457
Scranton Boll Weevils .274 / .335 / .398
Hartford Submarines .270 / .330 / .469
Vancouver Mounties .265 / .320 / .414

Obviously, many of these teams (like the Burns) are offensive powerhouses who have the guns to hit whatever pitcher is throwing against them. But others have lineups that sizzle against lefties, but fizzle against righties.

Most notable in this regard are the Armadillos, Shockers, and Mounties. For basis of comparison, the following shows these teams rate stats against lefties, followed by same stats against righties.

Arizona Fighting Armadillos .284 / .331 / .451 -----> .248 / .297 / .386
Atlanta Shockers .283 / .355 / .456 -----> .254 / .320 / .370
Vancouver Mounties .265 / .320 / .414 -----> .242 / .302 / .383

The worst discrepancy in the NL (the Mounties) comes despite Vancouver having three lefty batters in their regular lineup.

Plumpy Rules!!!!111 All-Time Franchise Standings

2010-07-13T01:46:00.003-04:00

I compiled the numbers for each franchise through 15 seasons of Plumpy Rules!!!!111. They are listed below, with teams separated by league and ranked by regular season winning percentage.

Here's a key for the abbreviations used5

W% = Winning Percentage
D = Division Titles
P = Playoff Appearances
L = LCS Appearances
W = World Series Appearances
$ = Championships

AL Teams	W	L	%	D	P	LCS	WSA	$
Toledo	1444	986	0.594	10	12	6	4	2
St. Louis	1412	1018	0.581	10	10	6	4	3
Atlanta	1294	1136	0.533	5	8	4	2	2
Monterrey	1282	1148	0.528	6	8	1	1	0
Chicago	1280	1150	0.527	1	6	1	0	0
San Juan	1259	1171	0.518	2	5	3	1	0
Arizona	1223	1207	0.503	6	9	2	0	0
Portland	1221	1209	0.502	2	5	1	0	0
Boston	1204	1226	0.495	0	2	0	0	0
Oakland	1202	1228	0.495	7	7	2	1	1
Memphis	1192	1238	0.491	2	2	0	0	0
Norfolk	1182	1248	0.486	4	5	2	1	1
Seattle	1108	1322	0.456	3	4	1	0	0
Las Vegas	1082	1348	0.445	1	4	1	1	1
Burlington	1071	1359	0.441	0	1	0	0	0
Omaha	988	1442	0.407	1	2	0	0	0

NL Teams	W	L	%	D	P	LCSA	WSA	$
Montgomery	1511	919	0.622	10	13	7	3	2
San Fran	1405	1225	0.534	9	12	2	0	0
Vancouver	1327	1103	0.546	3	6	1	0	0
Detroit	1299	1131	0.535	5	6	3	2	0
Scranton	1282	1148	0.528	6	9	2	1	1
Pittsburg	1245	1185	0.512	5	8	2	1	0
Jax	1218	1212	0.501	2	5	1	0	0
Baltimore	1212	1218	0.499	7	7	2	1	0
OKC	1209	1221	0.498	2	5	2	1	0
Tampa	1204	1226	0.495	2	5	4	3	1
Chicago	1192	1238	0.491	1	2	0	0	0
Richmond	1150	1280	0.473	1	3	0	0	0
Tacoma	1150	1280	0.473	1	2	2	1	0
Hartford	1018	1412	0.419	0	0	0	0	0
Philly	1005	1375	0.422	5	6	2	2	1
KC	959	1471	0.395	1	1	0	0	0

Playoff Apperences		Division Titles
Montgomery	13	Montgomery	10
San Fran	12	St. Louis	10
Toledo	12	Toledo	10
St. Louis	10	San Fran	9
Arizone	9	Baltimore	7
Scranton	9	Oakland	7
Pittsburg	8	Arizona	6
Atlanta	8	Monterrey	6
Monterrey	8	Scranton	6
Oakland	7
Baltimore	7

League Championships		World Championships
Toledo	4	St. Louis	3
St. Louis	4	Atlanta	2
Montgomery	3	Montgomery	2
Tampa	3	Toledo	2
Atlanta	2	Las Vegas	1
Detroit	2	Norfolk	1
Philadelphia	2	Oakland	1
		Philadelphia	1
		Scranton	1
		Tampa	1

Corey Hart

2010-07-02T03:36:00.000-04:00

Corey Hart
none
none
Age: 21	B/T: S/R
Born: Riner, VA
Position(s): 2B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

He's wearing his sunglasses at night.

Future Look : Portland Killer Whales

2010-05-26T04:56:00.000-04:00

In this series we will take a look at some of the teams in Plumpy and analyze their future. Including projected starting lineup, rotation, bench and what pieces they may need to acquire.

First up in the series will be the Portland Killer Whales.

Portland Killer Whales (AL)
indiansrck27
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Killer Whales biased or non biased may very well have the best minor league system of all teams in Plumpy. stacked with top of th erotation SP, back end SP who can become top guys inside Portlands home park, and great position players. So lets start it off with Portlands future starting lineup.

ETA: Season 18 is when the Killer Whales lineup could come full circle.

Lineup

C - J.B. Scott - Scott projects to have only average contact and power but that came be over came by his superior eye and ability to hit the ball versus both R and L pitchers. He will hit for a high averag ebut mostly singles are in his future. If Scott even sniffs the stats he piled up in S15 on the way to a dominanting MVP season this comp pick will make everyone who skippe dhim cringe.

Current Level AA
ETA : Season 17

1B - Bruce Kohlmeier - Kohlmeier is one of the few players that remained with the organization since Irck has taken over a GM some 7 seasons ago. Kohlmeier is a speed contact hitting 1B who gets rave reviews from GM Irck and thats why he has stuck. He is an all around great player and good thigns are expected.

Current Level : ML

2B - Wascar Nunez - Wascar was the big IFA signing in season 14 by the Killer Whales. Nunez projects to be a good contact hitter with a great eye. Like JB Scott Wascar had a monster year in AA last year and look sto buil don his success. If eh can stay healthy Nunez will be a staple in Portland for years to come.

Current Level : AA
ETA : Season 17

SS - Tomas Calvo - Tomas Calvo was the big IFA signing of season 15. Calvo projects to be a stud defensive SS with speed to swipe 40 SB a year. Versus lefties Calvo will become a great hitter, but the knock on him is the inability to hit righties. It remains to be seen if he can have any success versus them. GM Irck loves Calvo though, and was not deterred by his VS R.

Current Level : High A
ETA : Season 18

3B - TBD The Killer Whales currently do not have their future 3B. GM Irck has stated that he hopes to bring in a college 3B to be the future, or possibly an IFA who is not far off from the majors.

LF - Randy Raines - One of the biggest steals in season 13s draft Randy Raines fell to pick 46 in the comp round where the Killer Whales were estatic about the kid. 3 seasons later Portland couldnt be happier wit the development. Raines projects t have great contact, solid power and solid versus lefties and righties. He is no superstar but he will be a good every day COF. Add some speed and a good eye and Raines will have a great career.

Current Level : AAA
ETA : Season 17

CF - Pete Beckham - Beckham moves from 2B to CF for the Killer Whales where his high contact and speed are being raved about inside the Whales clubhouse. Beckham doesnt have your prototypical CF glove but it hasnt hurt him so far.

Current Level : ML

RF - Trevor Winn - Winn like Beckham has high contact and speed and like beckham will be looked upon to start the offense and score runs. If the Whales dismal offense ever wants to be a factor Winn needs to hit for a high average like he can.

Current Level : ML

DH - Damaso Delgado - Already going into his second seasons Damaso delgado is one of the best hitters in baseball. Last seasons ROTY look sto build on his massive year. If he can play in more games than he has previously he is a perrenial MVP candidate even in the extreme pitching park of Portland.

Current Level : ML

Pitching

SP - Del Moya - 1 of 3 big IFA signings of season 13 by the Killer Whales. Moya projects to be a #1 or #2 depending on Vic Pena. Moya projects to have great control, can pitch versus L and R, high velocity, and keeps the ball out of the air. The only knock is that MOya only has 2 quality pitches, although they are ++ projected it remains to be seen if MLers any mor eluck than the MiLers.

Current Level: AAA
ETA : Season 16 (after 21 games) - Season 17

SP - Vic Pena - The 6th pitcher taken in the S13 draft but arguablly one of the top 3 if not #1 so far. Pena projects to have top not contorl, dominating versus R and great versus L. Pena keeps th eball out of the air and projects to have 3 +++ pitches. Moya and Pena will be fighting for the coveted #1 SP position.

Current Level: AAA
ETA : Season 16 (after 21 games) - Season 17

SP - Lloyd Brock - Brock was the most recent addition to the stockpile and I mean stockpile of Killer Whale pitching prospects. Like MOya and Pena Brock projects to a #1 or #2 SP. He projects to have high control, great splits dominant versus R, throws hard and keeps it out of the air. PLus he has 2 ++ pitches, and 2 potential + pitches.

Current Level: High A
ETA : Season 18

SP - Miguel Maranon - Miguel Maranon has been with the Whales for a few seasons now and has impressed. Maranon is great versus R and is still developing versus L. Maranon throws hard but has trouble forcing GB. He has 1 ++ pitch, 1 + and 1 potential + pitch.

Current Level: ML

SP - Alving Alou - Alving alou in his 2 ML years has had a wild career. His rookie season he only went 9-6 with a 2.83 ERA. Then last seaosn he went 8-18 with a 5.02 ERA including 13 straight losses. Alou is great versus L but only average against R. The way Alou will overcome his Vs R defeciancies is with his 2++ pitches and 3 + pitches, and the ability to keep the ball on the ground.

Current Level: ML

LR - Mike Dobson - The 18th pick in last seasons draft Dobson could probably be a SP on 80% of the teams in Plumpy but not with the Killer Whales. Dobson projects to have excellent control and is good versus lefties and righties. Dobson throws hard, keeps it down and projects to have 1 ++ and 2 + pitches. Dobson could eventually vie for a spot in the rotation but if the current projected 5 stay on course it is doubtful. Dobson is the first of 4 very good LR the Killer Whales look to have.

Current Level: Low A
ETA: Season 18

LR - Norman Boyd - Norman Boyd is currently in the Whales rotation but only until the rest of the guys are ready. Boyd posted 12 wins and a 3.90 ERA last season so its not his fault he wil be pumped its the level of talent around him. Boyd has great control, and great versus lefties. Like Alou he lacks versus righties. BOyd ha s1 ++ pitch and 2 +. a fine LR BOyd will make. If he stays with the team. BOyd is being shopped.

Current Level: ML

LR - Miguel Urbina - The lesser known of the 3 IFA signed during season 3. Urbina projects to have just average control, but good splits, 1 ++ pitch, 2 + pitches, throws hard and of course keeps the ball out of the air.

Current Level: AA
ETA: Season 17

LR - Ricardo Pineiro - The very first draft pick made by GM Irock was Piniero. Piniero did not come close to what he was projected at coming out of the draft. But he has been a great piece so far. Winning Season 14s ROTY. Piniero is a workhorse with grat control, but only average splits. His ability to keep the ball out of the air and havign 1 ++ pitch and 2+ pitches helps him over come his defeciancy. Piniero ha sa career 3.64 ERA in 2 seasons and will remain in th erotation until Pena and Moya get the call.

Current Level: ML

SU - Aurelio Santana - The current ML closer Aurelio Santana has excelletn control, but only slightly above average splits which holds him back form becoming an elite closer. He throws hard but has trouble forcing ground balls. He also features one of the single best pitchesin all of Plumpy his fast ball, and then a + pitch in his slider.

Current Level: ML

SU - Vince Richardson is better control away from beign an elite closer. He has excellent splits, throws hard, keeps it down, and has 1 ++ pitches, and 2 + pitches. Richardson has been a staple in the back end of the Killer Whales pen for the last 5 seasons yet he has not shown the productivity expected due to his wild and erratic pitching.

Current Level: ML

SU - Alfonso Villano - Villano has good control, and good but not great splits. He has a ++ pitch, and a + pitch and like the majority of Whale pitchers great GBFB ratios. Villano is the type of pitcher who could become great in the killer Whales home park.

Current Level : AAA
ETA : Season 17

CL - Joshua James - Joshua James features great control, and good splits. like any good closer he throws hard and keeps it down. He features 1 ++ pitch, and 1 + pitch. It remains to be seen if James can hold onto his CL of the future roll.

Current Level : AAA
ETA : Season 16 - 17

There is alot of young talent in the majors and minors for the Killer Whales and if they can all come together sooner rather than later this team will be a formidable opponent for everyone in Plumpy. This concludes the look into the future of the Portland Killer Whales.

Season 16 - Rumors

2010-05-24T22:30:00.004-04:00

Chicago Fatties

Miguel Lopez, coming off a solid offensive year, is available for trade. Lopez is hitting his first arbitration hearing and the Fatties are reportedly looking for any prospects, but are hoping to get offers involving starting pitchers or shortstops.

Aubrey Rupe and his expiring contract are being shopped. Rupe has 149 career saves at age 29, including 43 just last season (out of 46 attempts).

Memphis Problems

Phillip Spiers, entering his second arbitration hearing, has a .301 avg, .368 OBP, and .879 OPS for his ML career…and he’s available.

Josh Mills and Sal Wilkerson are also available. Memphis is looking to get a bit younger as the team is not quite ready to compete this year.

Montgomery Burns

Winners of 10 of 15 division titles, and playoff participants 13 of those 15, Monty is facing stiff competition in the NL South. A good GM recognizes this and when reached for comment says “I am seriously shopping everyone.” Most other GMs want to know, “does that include Todd Ford?” The short answer is “yes, but” as it will have to be a major deal. Monty has some very nice Starters available, a few stud relievers, and some great everyday players. Monty is looking for elite prospects in return.

Bottom line for anyone who has watched the Burns franchise over the “years,” you know management will make all the right moves (even if it isn’t making a move). Although not a fire sale, this is a good opportunity to take a look at the talent Monty has available.

Oklahoma City Cyclones

Moises Bravo is available (ok, so maybe this isn’t new news). He is in his final year of his contract, the OKC management is willing to pay some of his contract off. Possible destinations could be NL teams looking for depth or an AL team looking to take a flier on a one year solution at DH. Bravo has been hoping his opposite field stroke will land him in Boston, but it is unclear whether Boston management is as enamored with him.

Philadelphia Regulators

Another team in transition similar to Montgomery. The Regulators are looking to replace Che Ong in Right Field and are looking for a power bat to play in that spot. They have young starting pitching to offer, but if they can't fill that need look for Geoffrey McNamara and Dan Percival to be available for prospects.

San Juan Elephant Seals

MVP candidate Ivan Rivas is available for the right price. He’s reportedly seeking 7 million in arbitration or a 4y/5.6m contract extension.

LRP Dan Regan (4.0 arb) and setup guy Ed Nunnari (1.3 arb) are available. All-Star Gary Ducey is also available. He is reportedly seeking 4.4 in his second arbitration hearing.

San Juan is also listening to offers for prospects like: OF Santiago Amaral, 1B BC Romero, and SP Julius Flair. In exchange SJU will be looking for a stud CF or a dominant Starting Pitcher (or even two).

Scranton Boll Weevils

The Boll Weevils likely will have a quiet offseason, but they are rumored to be after a strong utility infielder. Word is the Boll Weevils management will place a call or two to Atlanta (likely targets include Lee and Aguilera) to fill this need.

Tacoma Chicken Dance

No one interesting is on the block at the moment, but sources inside the organization insist there may be a major name shopped later.

Tacoma is looking to fill the bench. Management is looking to target players who may be a salary dump or possibly a non-tender.

Tampa Bay Pirates

Word around Tampa is Tony Carrasco is available. Now blessed with a rich farm system, Pirates management may also be willing to part with prospects who below the AAA level in order to make a big splash for the right player. By all indications the ideal target for Tampa Bay is a young shortstop.

Season 13, Y.O.P. Review (season 15)

2010-05-03T10:29:00.004-04:00

With the minor leagues about to enter their phase of the world series, and their major league equivalents having moved on to round 2 already, I thought this was a good time to review the past season from season 13's draft class and how they stack up going forward.

Glen_Brett cracked Tampa's rotation out of spring training and put together a very solid rookie campaign in the majors. In 32 starts, Glen posted 12 wins to 8 losses, w/ a tidy 3.61 ERA and a very solid 184/68 strikeout to walk ratio. Brett lived up to his workhorse reputation by throwing 200+ innings for the second straight season with no signs of levelling off.

After an injury marred season 14, Walter_Pote bounced back w/ a respectable season in AA. Despite a lossing record (9-11), the surprise 2nd pick of the draft sported a sub 4.00 ERA w/ a solid 1.35 WHIP and a near 3:1 K to BB ratio. An early season trade to the Chicago organization highlighted Pote's resurection season as he aims to get back on track and prove he was not the reach so many scouts proclaimed him to be when his name went off the board, and thus far, Chicago's scouts claim to feel comfortable with his development and will remain patient to reap the full rewards of their trade.

Craig_Winston began the season laying the hammer to High A competition before a mid-season promotion to AA. Once in AA he took his game to another level besting his H-A numbers across the board. In 17 AA starts, Winston went 13-1 w/ a 2.63 ERA, and near 1.00 WHIP. While his K/9 & BB/9 numbers fell off a bit in the move from H-A to AA, he still put together a solid 2-1 K:BB ratio, recording over 8 strikeouts per 9 innings in AA. Scouts continue to rave about his development, which now includes (2) ++ pitches, and (2) above average to + pitches. While many feel he's ready for the show next year, the Bad Logos plan to give him 1 year of seasoning in AAA before a mid-may promotion in season 17.

When their draft spot came up, KC put a blind eye to all the pitching talent that season and pulled Zeke_Evans name out of the hat. With several top level pitchers drafted in season's past, KC had a big need at 2b and planned to let Evans fill that role. Despite a less than aspiring cup of coffee in the bigs, Zeke shined in AAA in season 15. Zeke's gap power started to display the home run power predicted of him when drafted with 32 long balls and 96 rbi. Though some question if Zeke will ever have the contact rate or batting eye to be a true leadoff hitter, once on base, he makes the best of it. His 20 stolen bases in 24 attempts in AAA this season is in line w/ his 82% success rate thus far in his minor league career. W/ exception range and a developing glove, expect to see Zeke turn more than his share of web gems as he looks ready to stick in the majors.

Arizona continues to take it 1 step at a time w/ season 13, 5th overall pick Lyle_Hines and Lyle has rewared them by improving his production at each step (Season 13 in rookie ball, 14 in low A, and 15 in High A). All Lyle did this year was post a 19-4 record in H-A along w/ a 2.39 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Scouts continue to be pleased w/ this development. Expect Lyle to compete for the AA Cy-young next year, the AAA Cy-Young in season 17 and a spot in the major league all star game in season 18 at this pace.

After a 9 start stretch in AA as a 19 year old to end last season, Boomer_Conroy spent all season in AA and vastly improved his stat lines across the board, while continuing to improve his skill set. In 27 starts, Boomer went 12-7 w/ a 2.76 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 3 to 1 K:BB ratio. Consider Boomer ready for AAA along with much of Season 13's pitching class next year and a season 17 major league debut if not a cup of coffee next season.

Chad_Pride continues to throw dominating stuff in short stints as originally predicted by him in his post draft review. Despite averaging just 5.2 innings per his 29 starts, Chad was able to pickup 12 wins to just 8 losses with a 3.31 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a sominating 8.6 Ks per 9 innings. In season 14, Chad managed 140 innings in 29 starts, this year he threw 160 innings in 29 starts; if he continues on the same pace, throwing 180 innings in AAA next year, he'll be ready for a 200 inning work load in the majors in season 13. While he may rarely pick up a complete game, his 6-7 innings a night should be filthy.

Despite being the 6th high school arm in season 13's draft, Vic_Pena was the 1st of the top level of starters to reach AAA and almost forced Portland to bring him up for the playoff push late in the year. In 17 AAA starts, Vic threw 100+ innings of 12 win, 4 loss ball. Top that with a miniscul 2.23 ERA and 1.13 Whip as well as a near 3:1 K to BB ratio and its easy to see why some think Pena might have the most stuff in this draft class.

Boots_Gonzales made a mid-season move from Cleveland to San Fran in season 14 and while his slash lines in his repeat peformance in AA leveled off to slightly worsening, Boots still put up numbers that continue to impress. 14-5 overall, w/ a 3.21 ERA and 1.14 WHIP show that Boots is ready for the jump to AAA and should debute in the majors in season 17 like most of his other fellow HS draftees of that season.

Season 13s premier closer Harold_Aspromonte has a season he'd like to forget. After his promotion from H-A to AA, Harold gave up a 1.62 WHIP and .300+ OAV. However, Scouts we've talked to insist that Harold's stuff remains nasty as ever and continues to improve and once he's contending for fireman of the year awards, we'll all forget his season 15 just as quickly as he'd like us to. The future remains bright for the back of Baltimore's bullpen.

Tacoma has taken the same approach with their top draft pick from season 13 Rene_Richardon moving him up 1 level a season w/ great results to back up their development approach. Rene went 13-2 w/ a sub 3.00 era and 1.17 WHIP in High A ball this season. Rene still struggles to recover between starts, but when he's on the mound he's dominating.

Overall, I'd say the cream of season 13's crop took a significant step up in production in season 15 almost across the board. Even going a bit deeper in the draft there we're many others worthy of mentioning and keeping track of. Expect season 17 & 18 to be a bumper crop of young talent enfusion into the majors.

Season 13, year of the pitcher poll #2

2010-03-05T11:18:00.003-05:00

Shortly after the draft, we had the original poll, with a pretty good turnout. Please read the previous blog post to get up to date and take a vote at which of the 10 pitchers you'd most like to have in your system.

The original results showed:
Glen Brett (12 votes)
Craig Winston (8)
Chad Pride (2)
Lyle Hines (1)
Vic Pena (1)
Harold Aspromonte (1)
Pitcher drafted later (1) (never did get a name of who the vote was thinking of so that I could add them to the notes/poll)

Season 13, year of the pitcher, Review #2

2010-02-23T11:30:00.007-05:00

With a full season + under each kid's belt, lets see if we can't nail down these prospects future skill level a little more and take stock of where they as they begin to reach the upper levels of the minors and crack big league rotations.

The initial review can be found here: http://theplumpytimes.blogspot.com/2009/09/season-13-year-of-pitcher_25.html

Season 13's #1 overall pick, college righty Glenn_Brett is projected to headline Tampa's rotation at the tender age of 24. Despite just a season and a half of minor league conditioning, Glenn has displayed no hints of future major league dissapointment, striking out nearly a batter an inning while compiling 27 wins b/w AA & AAA.

Glenn's initial skill set at the draft looked like this: 82-71-62-77-75-68-72-63-48-24-54
Glenn's final skill projections are: 86-86-80-95-86-79-80-68-64-24-65

So perahaps his pitches won't be individually filthy, but given his exceptional vsR and more than solid vsL, along w/ great velocity and sink, its hard to imagin Glenn will be anything but a true #1. Projected to have 31 durability and 82 health, he should also last deep into games and challenge for the league title in complete games during his prime.

@ #2, Walter_Pote remains a true head scratcher even after the documents on the former Montreal owner began to leak onto the intranets. A near season long trip to the DL last year has left Pote's projections hard to evaluate. To date, he's managed just 80 professional innings in the lower minors, making 14 starts and posting an ERA around the price of a combo meal at your local drive thru.

At the time of the draft, Pote's skill set looked like: 56-66-53-45-34-36-70-65-54-56-38
Today, Pote's skills set looks like this: 65-63-54-46-36-36-71-67-56-57-40

If he can recover from his injury and close to his initial projections, he'll still make a decent back of the rotation inning eater, but there is as much of a chance of that as him becoming a AAAA lifer.

The #3 pick came with a record $11 mil price tage, but to date the results have been worth it. From the start of spring training, all the way thru the low A world series, Craig_Winston managed to avoid lossing a single game. This season, Craig will take his skill set to High A, and eventually AA where the advanced opposition should be more in line w/ his current skill set.

Initial skill set: 57-52-53-55-26-78-79-67-43-39-0
Projected: 72-88-89-91-30-99-95-86-75-76-0

The sole issue w/ Winston is that he may tire attempting to go deep into games, but a projected upper 30s durability should allow him to recovery fully by his next start. Pair him w/ a solid setup man and closer, and Winstong should lead the league in wins more than once.

KC took the lone non pitcher in the top 11, Zeke_Evans, who still looks like a decent prospect, but outside of the focus of this study.

@#5, Arizona took Lyle_Hines who has been on the same time table as Winston to date, and shown similar domination of rookie ball and low A ball. Lyle starts the season out in High A, but looks ready to take off to the upper tier of the minors soon enough.

Initial skill set: 54-69-46-53-67-68-64-65-37-27-0
Projections: 79-94-61-73-82-83-79-80-52-42-0

Not the best of splits, barely acceptable for a middle rotation starter, but more than made up for w/ control, zip and sink on 2 + pitchers, and 2 average pitches. May get roughed up on occasion by deeper lineups, but should be well above average once he reaches the majors and has the ability to eat up a bunch of innings.

@#6, Boston took crafty lefty Boomer_Conroy who starts out this season in AA after a solid 9 start stint in AA at the end of last season. Outside of a rough 14 inning patch in Rookie ball to begin his carrer, Boomer has sported an ERA in the mid 3.00s every other step of the way.

Initial Skill set: 71-54-44-45-29-58-70-62-36-28-0
Projections: 97-79-65-61-34-70-78-73-52-44-0

Seems like a poor man's version of Lyle Hines, solid if not spectacular, Boomer should eat up plenty of innings and hold down a spot at the back side of Boston's rotation. Splits suggest he may struggle a bit as he reaches the majors.

Houston's selection of Chad_Pride w/ the 7th pick, is now Memphis' property to enjoy. Chad has flashed Ace like potential thru the first 2 steps of the minors, and now gets to take his game to High A ball like so many of his fellow high school draftees out of this class.

Initial Skill set: 48-53-46-53-74-66-63-56-38-11-0
Projections: 74-86-76-86-99-80-78-71-60-16-0

Chad lacks the stamina and durability to last deep into many games, but give him the bump for 6 or 7 innings and watch him shine.

While irock has been off training to fight the good fight, Vic_Pena has been progressing to give him a nice smile upon his return later this week. The 8th pick in the draft, Pena will challenge any of these pitches for top prospect, and thru 2 seasons of minor league ball has posted 22 wins to just 3 losses, including a dazzling 12-0 record in High A ball last year.

Initial skill set: (Didn't have enough info at the time of the initial writing, and he wasn't signed until late in his rookie year)
Projections: 87-83-59-78-35-80-84-79-69-32-0

Seems like his early time off last year (fill in coach didn't play him for a good chunk to start last year) may have set him back a bit. I'm thinking my projections are a bit short, otherwise his vsL will sneak up and make him just average rather than special.

With the 9th pick, Cleveland selected Boots_Gonzalez but has since traded him to San Fran. At the time of the draft, I said Boots was the definition of average, by which he'll do nothing to blow you away, but nothing that can be considerred a weakness and will be one of the kids that just puts up results year after year w/o the fan fair of some of his other draftees.

Initial skill set: 55-55-41-46-72-60-70-53-28-22
Projections: 70-87-61-66-91-69-82-63-43-37-0

less than ideal splits, but great zip and control w/ 1+ pitch. Solid, but not spectacular.

W/ the 10th pick, the first reliever was taken: Harold_Aspromonte Harold has lived up to the billing to date, successfully closing out 25 of his 30 save opportunities. His health remains a concern, but he's managed to stay away from the training table thus far.

I'll end the review there for now. There are several other solid pitchers highlighted in this draft in the previous review, but I mostly wanted to use this section to test my projection theory found in the forums and how it will hold up over time.

Plumpy Rules HOF Candidates

2010-01-19T16:27:00.003-05:00

My top five candidates for the HOF in Plumpy when our first voting happens in the next few weeks are:

1- Raymond Lofton, SP:

166 career wins
75% winning percentage
3 Cy Young Awards
6 All Star Appearances
Career WHIP: 1.15
Career ERA: 2.99

2- Daniel Ruffin

202 career wins
69% winning percentage
7 All Star Appearances
2076 strikeouts
1.21 WHIP/3.22 ERA

3- Nate Maduro

247 career wins
69% winning percentage
9 all star appearances
5 Cy Young Awards
212 strikeouts
1.29 WHIP/3.72 ERA

4- Jeff Wood

9 All Star Games/3 Silver Sluggers/1 Gold Glove
2894 Hits
1691 Runs
.337 BAVG
.418 OBP

5- Travis Garcia

7 All Star Games/5 Silver Sluggers
459 HRs
1367 RBI
1457 Runs
.301 BAVG
1.041 OPS

6- Ivan Ortiz

2 MVP/4 All Star Games/5 Silver Sluggers/ROY
575 HRs
1697 RBI
1929 Hits
.950 OPS

7- David Espinosa

3 All Star Games/2 Silver Sluggers
575 HRs
1642 RBI
1826 Hits
.935 OPS

8- Vicente Jose

6 All Star Games/4 Silver Sluggers
.921 OPS
.418 OBP
.301 Average
1797 Hits

9- Sammy Seguignol

8 All Star Games/5 Fireman of Year Awards
417 Saves
1.37 WHIP/4.33 ERA

Season 13, year of the pitcher Review #1

2009-12-16T15:42:00.008-05:00

W/ a fresh batch of draft prospects released to Plumpyville today, its time to take a quick look book at last season's stellar class and see how they're coming along one year later. Most of this kids are still several seasons away from the show, but most are begining to show why they were so thought of so highly heading into last season's draft.

Glen_Brett last season's #1 pick was thought to be MLB ready upon signing his contract, however Tampa Bay has decided to take things just a little slower than, making sure Glen received proper polishing before hitting the show. Glen started 16 games last season in AA before moving up to AAA this season. He's struggled a bit with his consitancy verse the tougher AAA hitters, however its appearances like his 8 inning, 12 strikeout performance over the AAA alcholics that keeps scouts drooling.

For his career: 14-6, 174 innings, 60Ks, 15 BBs, 1.19 WHIP, 3.67 ERA

Walter_Pote The Montreal franchise was shamed into a change in ownership after the rumors of Pote's scandelous pictures of previous owner Bulls7210 began to surface. It was those very pictures that lead to the overdraft of Pote with the 2nd pick. However, all was to be forgiven if Pote could prove to be anything more than AAAA fodder. There were also rumors of Walter's continued neck stiffness coming out of spring training, bringing back the amatuer draft scout's question marks on Pote's long term healthyness. Those fears reared their ugly head early this season as Pote's season 2 has been ravished by a herniated disk in his neck and will keep on the sidelines until next spring training. Walter split time b/w rookie ball and Low A last year, with 7 games in High A this season before the injury.

Thru limited time: 2-5, 3 SVs, 80 Innings, 68 Ks, 27 BBs, 1.72 WHIP, 4.50 ERA

Craig_Winston After holding out for a record $11.4 Mil signing bonus, Winston finally got around to showing his wares for the Shockers. Coming out of high school, many scouts insisted that Winston had the biggest upside in the draft, however his contract demands scared off many potential bidders. Atlanta took a gamble and was able to bring Winston into the fold. Winston spent a brief stint in Rookie ball, before ending last year in low A. He returned to Low A this season, with an expected mid-season call up to High A in the near future. So far, this bonus baby has lived up the billing, and looks to head the Atltanta rotation in a few more seasons.

23 Starts, 13-2, 118 Innings, 110 Ks, 34 BBs, 1.06 WHIP, 2.59 ERA

Lyle_Hines Another top flight HS phenom, Arizona selected Hines with the 5th pick overall. Durability, and conistancy are the keys to Hines success, however he lacks the top end durability one would like to see out of an ace, as well as a strong 3rd pitch. Lyle made a stellar debut in rookie ball last season, and though he's been touched up a bit by the more advanced Low A hitters this season, his slash lines all look solid.

23 starts, 11-3, 115 innings, 113 Ks/28 BBs, 1.34 WHIP, 3.37 ERA

Boomer_Conoroy The top HS lefty in last season's class, Boomer is on the fast track, having skipped over High A ball and started in AA in just his age 19 season. Boomer has everything you'd like in a pitching prospect, great stamina, solid control, a dominate fastball with solid complimentary pitches, and limited questions of health. After getting beat up in a brief stint in rookie ball last year, Conroy has improved his stat line at every level. At this rate, he may make an appearance in the show as early as next season.

23 games, 22 starts, 6-9, 108.2 innings, 101Ks/47 BBs, 1.56 WHIP, 4.22 ERA

Chad_Pride The 2nd Kansas pitcher taken in this draft, Pride is a flame throwing righty with superior control, 2 great pitches an average 3rd pitch and the occasional cutter that needs development. His only drawback is his limited stamina; Chad tends to tire out before getting out of the 6th. However what he doesn't provide in innings, he more than makes up for in quality. Chad was recently promoted to High A where thru 2 starts, he's thrown 9 shutout innings, while giving up just 7 hits.

22 Starts, 3-3, 93 innings, 96 Ks/20 BBs, 1.02 WHIP, 1.74 ERA

Vic_Pena Vic was a highly sought after righty from the Pittsburgh area who began to develop a social anxiety disorder and kept him away from the mound for the first part of the season. However, Vic has seemingly overcome his demons, and is back to terrorizing oppossing hitters on the Low A mound. Vic had the best combination of pitches, control, and stamina of last season's batch of HS pitchers, however his lower durability and struggle vs lefties helped him slid down the draft board a bit. None the less, with oppimum time b/w starts, Vic should frontline Portland's rotation in short order.

19 Starts, 10-2, 104.1 innings, 101 Ks/30 BBs, 1.25 WHIP, 2.76 ERA

Boots_Gonzales Boots is another HS right hander, this time out of California. Boots should eat up a ton of innings, while sliding nicely into the middle of Cleveland's future rotation in a few years. What Boots lacks in dominate skills, he makes up for with no glaring weaknesses. Just one of those guys that every team wished they had as their #2 or #3. After an up & down start in Low A last year, Gonzales has followed up his stellar spring with glowing reviews in AA ball this season.

22 Starts, 5-4, 101.0 innings, 97 Ks/35 BBs, 1.35 WHIP, 4.46 ERA

Harold_Aspromarte The top closer in last year's draft, and only reliever amongst the top 10 draft pitchers, Harold is absolutely filthy when on the mound. Questions still linger about his long term health, given his violent delivery, but to date, Harold has shown no wear while mowing down oppossing batters.

38 games, 2-3, 21/28 saves, 53 Ks/7 BBs, 0.93 WHIP, 2.40 ERA

Rene_Richardson The last of the super 10 pitchers, Rene is another HS righty w/ superior control and solid stuff. While many scouts project Rene to be a starter in the majors, Rene has begun his career almost exclusively out of the pen.

38 Games, 8-3, 6/7 saves, 71 Ks/18 BBS, 1.41 WHIP, 4.38 ERA

National League Rumors

2009-11-17T17:11:00.005-05:00

Jacksonville

News out of Jacksonville that Antonio Whang and Jaime Rogers are going to be let go is not surprising.

Coming off a 3 year deal, the 32 year old Whang will be an intriguing option for those looking for corner outfield help. Whang, a lifetime .289 hitter with 329 home runs, could provide a spark for some offense in the league.

After peaking with a 40 homerun campaign in season 11, Rogers decline was already evident until he suffered a ligament strain in his foot toward the end of the season. He should still garner interest from some American League team as a DH, as his potential to return to form is pretty good.

In a move forced by the play of Zues Thurman, Rolando Guerrero is now being actively shopped during the offseason. Guerrero’s appeal is simple as he is a power bat who can more than field his position. Furthermore, Guerrero is entering the last two years of his deal as he is due a shade under 16.5 million over the next two years (8.7 this season, 7.7 in the final year).

Montgomery

As Montgomery management has indicated in this and other venues, they are willing to trade one of the following minor leaguers (Chris Sinclair, Tike Burks, and Richie Washington) for ML help at SS and/or CF. Sinclair was once one of the bright spots from Philly, Burks was the crown jewel of the Portland system at one time, and Washington turned some heads in Montgomery’s rookie ball team last season.

Power hitter Francisco Alvarez will be a free agent and will likely garner some interest. The 33 year old last signed a deal that was in the range of 6 million annually. Alvarez is beginning to show signs of decline but is a very good hitter. He is a type B free agent.

Vancouver

Jalal Priest, second all time in saves, is going to test the FA market. Often inquired about Cody Young may become available if the right offer is made, as the Mounties try to make room for some of their younger arms in their rotation and bullpen.

Tacoma

The Deivis, Deivi Flores and Deivi Sanchez, are potentially available...potentially not (depends on the price and who within the Tacoma front office you talk to). Tacoma is also willing to move one of the following: Red Miller (327k obligation, not the $3mil that appears), Victor Donovan , or Ivan Rivas. Desi Nunez informed the team that he hates Tacoma's weather, but Tacoma might explore trade and sign possibilities. Word is they expect type B level compensation for him.

Among pitchers, solid reliever Roberto Parra (sub 3.00 ERA 3 years in a row) is available.

For everyone, looking for prospects of all types. Somewhat looking for a legit CF prospect 1st and SP 2nd, but open to all.

Trenton

Dennis Barkley informed the team he was going to test the market. The 32 year old second baseman hit .294, hit 22 home runs, stole 27 bases and scored 96 runs. Trenton wants to bring Barkley back and move him to the outfield, but it is unknown how much they will spend to keep him. Trenton is known to be keen on letting Bruce Mercedes be the everyday second baseman, but he has tough shoes to fill taking over for Barkley.

Entering the final year of a monster contract, Carlos Rivera is on the block. Trenton is willing to pay a significant portion of the contract, but they are rumored to be looking for starting pitching prospects in return. If Rivera moves at all, it will likely be mid-way through the season and for a lot less than the ideal package.

Rafael Baerga, fed up with being at AA “too long,” has forced the franchise’s hand. He demanded to be traded, and Trenton has sent out signals they might honor his request. They are thought to be looking for a pitching prospect commensurate with Baerga’s skill level.

With a few young bullpen arms on the horizon, word is out of Trenton that a year after demoting Lonny Aguilar to the set up role, he will indeed enter free agency without an offer from the Titans. Aguilar has 283 lifetime saves, and was locked into a 5 year 25 million dollar deal last time he was a free agent. He should expect to get at least the same sort of deal annually, the question will be over how many years.

American League Rumors

2009-11-14T22:56:00.007-05:00

Atlanta Shockers

There are serious doubts around the league that any deal will get done involving Zapata, Koloff, or Morales. Zapata only registered 11 home runs coupled with a .258 average (Zapata’s career average is .286), but is moving into the last year of a contract which will see Zapata earn 5.8 million. If Atlanta wants to move him, it remains to be seen whether Atlanta will continue to cut his checks even if he plays elsewhere. Morales may be even harder to move. Although cheap, Morales registered 16 homers last year on the heels of a season in which he only registered 18. He did improve his average, but the RBI count, among other categories is way down. Koloff’s move to Atlanta from Saint Louis didn’t go so well. Koloff’s home runs, rbi, average, and ops all plunged at a time where he’ll be entering his second time around in arbitration.

Jose Lee is a prime candidate for a bounce back year. With little protection in the Atlanta lineup, he struggled to get 16 home runs last year. In some scouting circles, there is high interest for a young first baseman like Lee…for the right price.

Andres James could garner a lot of attention. James has largely played second in Atlanta, but opposing General Managers can’t help but wonder if there is untapped potential in Center Field from the 25 year old. James is also appealing because he signed to a contract which sees the yearly commitment decrease over the length of the contract. Furthermore, when the current contract expires, James will be 27 years old. How many teams are able to lock up a young centerfield talent for almost the entire length of his prime years?

Looking for a guy who has averaged 31 starts per year? James Rollin might be your guy. The 32 year old righty is 91-75 and due 5.4 million this season and next. If he moves, look for him to be a great back end of the rotation starter on a contender.Kris Post is available. He will likely remain available.

Boston Stranglers

Coach Albert DeSalvo was very disappointed at the way the season ended. "We were leading the battle for the Wildcard spot and completely fell apart. We went 2-8 in our last 10 games, we lost our last 6 games. I questioned everyone on this team's manhood, they played worse than a bunch of Nancy-Boys." 81-81 is not how we wanted to finish.

General Manager Bill Buckner had this to say. "Overall we will be keeping a majority of the Nancy-Boys and try to make men out of them. Hall of Famer Shayne Judd is a free agent and will not be back with the team next season. We need pitching and better defense. Oswaldo Escobar & Ricardo Gonzalez were good pickups for us.We also traded for Felipe Crespo late in the season, he did not perform as we anticipated, but we are sure he will pitch much better next season. Pitching Coach Bill Lee stated, "We found out Crispy was going to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast & lunch, apparently there are no donuts in Cleveland, he just went nuts. He has dropped 15 lbs. since we changed his diet, his pitches have more "pop" and his change up is devastating.

"We are a playoff caliber team and hope to BE a playoff team next season. The AL East is the toughest division in the AL, making the playoffs will not be easy, it is our top priority, stated GM Buckner. "Just about everyone on this team can and will be traded if it improves our club."
Omaha SettlersThe Settlers, resigned to the fact that their second base by committee wasn’t going to work well will let Darrell Joseph, Brandon Glass, Orel Rivers, and Jim Ventura go. Joseph leads the class departing from Omaha as the lefty hit .285 with 19 home runs going into a contract year.Omaha is looking to be an active player in the trade market this offseason looking for a starting catcher and middle relief help. The rumors that RF Donn Neal of 2B/OF prospect Juan Sosa are available appear to be true.

Norfolk Needlefish

The Needlefish were waffling on whether to sign Ralph Lewis to a long-term extension, but ultimately decided on allowing Lewis to file for free agency without much of an offer.

Surprisingly, Norfolk may be dangling some top prospects in an effort to make a preseason deal to bring in a top catcher. After the post season collapse of the bullpen, relief may be a priority for the Needlefish.

Saint Louis Slumpbusters

There wasn’t much time to talk with new GM davecallahan, in between phone calls we got confirmation that they are in win now mode. Give him a call…er…trade chat if you think you got a deal for him.

Awarding the awards...

2009-10-22T16:16:00.003-04:00

AL MVP:

Favorite: Rolando_DeJesus The man of Jesus was tabbed by the computer as the frontrunner for AL MVP and really what's not to like 100 runs, 128 rbi, 50 homers for the playoff bound Kahunas.

My Pick: Marino_Astacio not only approached DeJesus' homer and rbi total by hammering out 46 homers and driving in 124 rbis himself, but Marino crossed home plate 20 more times in 15 less games while racking up 33 thefts on the basepaths. Astacio was the driving force behind Norfolk's 104 wins and 2nd seed in the playoffs.

NL MVP:

Favorite: Jeff_Hackman posted an eye popping 1.156 OPS while leading Chicago to their 4th straight East Division title. Jeff's steady approach lead to a .355 batting average w/ 45 homers and 124 rbi.

My Pick: Todd_Ford Seriously, what's not to love about 71 homers and 171 rbi? Perhaps the computer has just grown tired of putting the 5 time MVP's name at the top of the list. Will the voters give the man his due?

AL Cy Young:

Favorite: Einer_Pena If the 21 wins and 2.35 ERA are not enough to convince you, perhaps the sub 1.00 WHIP will tell you why Pena is set to win this award for the 4th straight season

My Pick: There really isn't a close 2nd to the season Pena put up for the AL's #1 seed. Just 3 more seasons before Pena strickes a max deal in free agency. Here's to counting your pennies until then.

NL Cy Young:

Favorite: Sandy_Menskie Sandy put up his best season since his season 10 Cy Young season posting 18 wins with a sub 3.00 ERA

My Pick: There were several canidates just a shade behind Sandy, but none that quite dominated on the mound to the same effect. Sandy is my pick.

AL predictions revisited

2009-09-25T23:42:00.002-04:00

Here is the predictions (pro-rated for 90 games) vs. reality for the AL teams I made predictions for in August. The upside: I had the right division leader in each division. while

Biggest surprise? Honolulu--Honolulu is a full ten games better than I predicted, is 20 games over 500, and currently has a sizable lead in the wild card race, while giving Oakland a reason to watch their rearview mirror.

Biggest disappointment? Chicago--The fatties made the playoffs last season, but are 4 games under 500 as we approach the all star break and are currently last in their division.

Biggest variance? Minnesota--The twin city squad has not been the team I thought they'd be (though they tend to turn it on the 2nd half, and are still up four games in their division). They are a full 13 games under where I thought they'd be through 90 games.

Here are the standings, with predictions followed by actual records:

Minnesota 62-38 49-41

NY 40-50 45-45

Portland 37-53 35-55

Montreal 34-56 33-57

Norfolk 61-29 55-35

Chicago 50-40 43-47

DC 47-43 47-43

Boston 45-45 48-42

Monterrey 50-40 49-41

Texas 41-49 38-52

San Juan 40-50 41-49

Atlanta 32-48 36-54

Oakland 56-34 59-31

Honolulu 45-45 55-35

Omaha 43-47 41-49

Arizona 35-55 41-49

Season 13, year of the pitcher

2009-09-25T16:25:00.001-04:00

If 1983 is the year of greatest NFL quarteback draft class, season 13 might just go down as the year of the greatest influx of pitching talent brought in thru the amatuer draft. In a world where a pitcher has been drafted 1st or 2nd overall in every season except 1, and where a pitcher has been drafted #1 overall over half the time, never has such an influx of pitching talent embarked on their Plumpyville!!!!!111 career as we've witnessed in the season 13 amatuer draft.

10 of the first 11 selections in the most recent draft were pitching prospects, not to mention a few more solid talents drafted just a shade later. In fact, with so much premium pitching talent drafted early on, one has to question the mental state of urbanwarrior, passing up all this talent with the #4 pick to take the only non pitcher at the top of the draft. Sure Zeke_Evans is a fine prospect in his own right, perhaps a regular all-star 2nd baseman, if not hall of famer, but will the esteemed Mr Urban Warrior be kicking himself in 3 seasons when he's looking to add 1 more piece to his starting rotation? Only time will tell.

So without further ado, we'll use this space to evaluate, track, adulate, and mock each of the first 10 pitchers over their careers in plumpville. Should any have their arms fall off while attempting a tribal warrior dance, thier owner will be suredly mocked, while if any should sign a Todd Ford, well below market value extension before testing the free agent waters contract, their owners will be strung from the festivus pole by their skivies and forced to beg for mercy.

With the #1 overall selection, Tampa Bay picked Glen_Brett a dominating righty on the fast track to the majors. Brett earned top draft pick status by displaying pinpoint control of his mid 90's sinker and 4 seam fastball, plus a major league level slider and curve, with the potential to turn them into + pitches on the major league level. Glen has started his career in AA with an initial pitching skill set of 82-71-62-77-75-68-72-63-48-24-54

Verdict: time to purchase that investment property on clearwater beach, with his combination of makeup and patience, Brett could be headlining the Tampa rotation into his late 30s or even early 40s.

Using the internet to gain access of Montreal's owner in comprimsing positions, Texas high school phenom Walter_Pote was able to strong arm his way from the bottom of the 1st round up into the #2 slot. Montreal owner bulls7210 claims this selection was based primarly on signability, rumors have already circulated about that night in South Padre Island. Pote projects as the classic "crafy lefthander" for while he has below average stuff, he has a vast arsenal of above average pitches to keep opponents off balance. While Pote's ceiling isn't quite as high as the other top pitchers, his combination of near perfect makeup and patience means he'll settle into Montreal rotation as a solid #3 or #4 pitcher and remain there for a long time. In a perfect world, this Jamie Moyer clone will continue to throw league average innings well into his 40's. While he's only 18, Pote high makeup have caught the eye of the daughter of the head basketball coach with an over-inflated ego at one particular haughty-taughty university in the mid west.

Verdict: Pote takes his initial skill set of 56-66-53-45-34-36-70-65-54-56-38 to rookie ball where he's still working out the kinks. While Montreal missed out on some of the top end talent, should Pote avoid arm injuries he'll be a solid fixture in the Montreal rotation for a good 15 seasons.

With the #3 pick, the Bad Logos selected Scott Boras client Craig_Winston arguable the top high school arm in the draft, concerns of his prima donna attitude were well founded when reports of his record $11+ millon signing bonus first surfaced. While never a threat to break a window with his fastball, Winston uses an overwhelming combination of sinkers, sliders and curves with near perfect control and great health. He'll never be a threat to lead the league in strikeouts, but with a solid defense behind him should project to something greater than Bronson Arroyo, dipsy-dooling his way thru the lineup, keeping opponents off balance from both sides of the plate while hopefully never missing a scheduled start due to injury.

Verdict: While the price tag is high, the projections certainly look to be worth the price tag. Winston will need about 4 seasons of grooming in the minors, but should be ready to dominate plumpyville in his early 20s. His starting skill set is: 57-52-53-55-26-78-79-67-43-39-0

At #5, Arizona selected Lyle_Hines another great pitching prospect with outstanding makeup and patience potentiall making him a fixuture on the Chase Field bump for 15+ seasons. Hines is a true "pitcher's pitcher" when he takes the mound, going all out with termendous velocity on two ++ pitches, an above average slider, and a workable changeup. While Lyle has a perfect history of health, he leaves nothing out on the mound, often tiring by the 7th inning and turning things over to the bull pen. Lyle has started his rookie league campaign in near perfect style sporting a skill set of: 54-69-46-53-67-68-64-65-37-27-0

Verdict: A great selection for Arizona, Lyle should dominate the first 7 innings each time out and could be a fixture in their rotation from age 22 thru his late 30s.

At #6, Boomer_Conroy was the 5th pitcher was selected by Boston skipper bobsquad. This highschool superstar out of Jersey is the son of former Maryland ace Mr Conroy, and was named after his father's one time college roommate. Another crafty lefty, Boomer uses pinpoint control with an array of 4 average to plus pitches to burn thru the competition. He has great sink on his fastball, and has the ability to take his team deep into games. Boomer's initial skill set at the time of draft was: 71-54-44-45-29-58-70-62-36-28-0

Verdict: While Boomer should be a solid contributer in the majors for a long time, bobsquad's lower HS and college scouting buget likely caused him to miss out on several higher end arms draft a few slots behind Boomer. Boomer should settle into a solid #2/#3 that can save the bullpen some innings by regularly going deep into games.

With the 7th selection, Texas takes the pride of Pittsburgh (Kansas that is) Chad_Pride While Pride lacks the ideal stamina of a true #1, his stuff screams rotation ace. Pride commands both sides of the plate with a screaming sinker, often topping out in triple digits, a plus slider and a devestating changeup. Chad also sports the occasional cut fastball, though rumors are the Texas coaching staff is trying to get Chad to ditch the 4th pitch and concentrate on his 3 main weapons. Chad initial pitching set is: 48-53-46-53-74-66-63-56-38-11-0

Verdict: Chad may have the most dominating stuff in the draft, however his lower stamina and low level of patience means he'll be hitting the free agent market well before his career is over. Texas went above slot bring Chad into the fold, but he'll no doubt be a solid centerpiece as zhawks rebuilds his new franchise

At #8, Portland adds high school sensation Vic_Pena out of Ft Washington, Pa. Pena's lower makeup and patience helped him slide to Portland at #8, but you won't find coach IRock complaining any time soon. Pena is a dominating righty, sporting a ++ spliter and slider combo along with a + curveball and below average changeup. Drafted into a club with a pitcher extreme park, Pena's sink should more than makeup for his lack of velocity. If Portland can put a solid defense behind him, he should challenge for 10 complete games a season.

Verdict: Another solid HS arm that's tough to knock. Perhaps the ideal draft pick for Portland's park, should reach the majors in 4-5 seasons and would be the #1 in most rotations.

With the 9th overall selection, pitcher #8 comes off the board to Cleveland. jjboogie drafts high school righty Boots_Gonzalez out of Cali. Boots perhaps defines the term major league average more than any other pitcher in the top 10. Aside from his great control and + changeup, Boots displays an ideal average stamina, splits, sink and stuff on his pitches. However, this is a good thing, as Boots also contains no weaknesses in his game either. With great patience and above average makeup, Boots should prove a solid #2 pitcher for Cleveland for a long time.

Verdict: With initial draft skills of 55-55-41-46-72-60-70-53-28-22, Boots likely won't be the guy you think of when facing a must win game 7, however, he's the guy you'll want on the mound in games 2 & 6 to give you a great shot at winning a postseason series. A great pick at #9, would have gone higher in most drafts.

At 10, Harold_Aspromonte was selected by New Jersey. I'm not sure I know what a Harry Aspromonte looks like, but I know this kid has the distinction of being both the first Juco and the first reliever selected in season 13. A dominating right hander with questionable health, Harry shuts down right handers w/ a mix of a devestating changeup and knee buckling slider. If Harry can spend more time on the bump than on the training table, he'll be a strong commoditiy for the Generals.

Verdict: If some consider it a sin to draft a reliever in the top 10, what would they consider a guy w/ big time health concerns? With solid stamina for a closer, and great durability, perhaps New Jersey can keep him from getting over-extended and thus keep him out of the infimary. His level of success will be largely determined by how much time he spends off the disablied list, because his skill set screams all-star closer. At the time of the draft, Harold's pitching skill set is: 26-64-55-68-80-74-78-65-0-0-0

Finally, with the 11th pick and 10th pitcher overall, Tacoma selects Rene_Richardson Similar to Boots Gonzalez, drafted ahead of him, Rene features mostly average stuff w/ great control and better stamina. However, Rene sports less than ideal durability, meaning he may need to slide into a 6 man rotation or limit his innings each start. He may struggle a bit verse lefties, but w/ super high makeup ratings, he's likely to reach most of his projections if given enough time to develop. Rene's initial skill line is: 66-58-37-45-75-63-56-52-28-37-0

Verdict: As mentioned before in the Boots review, Rene shouldn't hurt you on the mound, may even make the occasional all-star game, especially in Tacoma's pitcher friendly park, however he's not the guy you want to call upon in a must win game. Should settle into a solid middle of the rotation starter, may need to skip a start or two to ensure that he keeps fresh.

Others 1st round picks worth watching:
Jeff_Ausmus 14th overall; could have easily made the top 10 if he had just slightly better stuff
Denny_Yoshi 17 th overall; should fill in the middle of Washington's rotation in a few seasons.
Lucas_Peterson 20th pick, and Texas' 2nd pitcher this draft; Should fill in nicely behind Chad Pride, however like Pride he lacks ideal stamina, so zhawks better be on a long reliever hunt.
Esmalyin_Alveraz 27th overall, may be the best closer in the draft, but probably won't sign.
Wayne_Callaway 32 overall, dominat left handed closer, who may struggle a bit vs righties.

Since its probably a bit to early to do a true ranking of these kids until they get a minor league season or two under their belts, I'll summon my inner Smokey Robinson and provide a "Tiers of a Clown":
Polish up the bronze plaque, Cooperstown is calling:
Glen Brett
Craig Winston
Lyle Hines

Mario Soto: Gonna dominate for a period of time, but will be forgotten when hall of fame eligibility comes up:
Chad Pride
Vic Pena

No fluff, just stuff, mr reliable:
Boots Gonzalez
Rene (don't call me Russo) Richardson

Just give me a shot, to hell with the Doc:
Harold Aspertame

Not terrible, but leave something to be desired:
Walter Pote
Boomer Conroy

Please vote in the new poll, and we'll keep track, hopefully taking an annual vote thru their first several seasons in the majors as we track how these kids develop.

Plumpy Rules 1st Rd Draft Recap!!!!!111 Part 1

2009-09-22T22:53:00.003-04:00

1. Tampa Bay Pirates - Glen Brett - SP
The best pitcher available, Glen Brett, could pitch now in on majority of ML staffs. His approach is top notch with plenty of upside and very good control. The USC senior should be able to handle a pro workload as he is well known for going deep into games and showed what he could do on 3 days rest in the Super Regionals and CWS. Right now his pitches need the most work as none of them are flashy.
Perfect World Projection: #1 starter with 230+ IP
Glass-Half Empty: Right now he is a #2-3 starter on most any team.

2. Montreal Expositions - Walter Pote - SP
Montreal upset pundits by going with a signability pick at #2 in HS SP Walter Pote. Pote's best quality aside from his willingness to sign for slot is his healthy array of pitches where 3 project to be plus-pitches. He doesn't throw hard which leads to his pitch to contact-style and has tendency to be a bit homer prone. His arm trouble for someone his age is a red flag and we can trust Montreal to closely monitor his workload early on.
Perfect World Projection: 3-4 starter
Glass-Half Empty: His arm falls off and is left to toil in the minors

3. Atlanta Bad Logos - Craig Winston - SP
The best HS pitcher available and Winston knew it, forcing Atlanta to cough up a record bonus in order to get him to sign. He doesn't have a poor pitch in his repertoire, sets up hitters well, and has great control. When does give up a hit, its usually on the ground, and rarely gives up a homer. He is quite durable for an 18 year old and with his work ethic, should move up the ATL system quickly. The Shockers paid the price for him, but it was a real coup for him to fall to them at #3.
Perfect World Projection: #1 SP and one of the top 5 pitchers in the world
Glass-Half Empty: Quality SP

4. Kansas City Warriors- Zeke Evans - CF
KC grabbed the only bat of the top 10 with NMSU senior Zeke Evans. Evans profiles as a defensive whiz who take great routes on balls and doesn't rely on his speed to make plays. His bat is the shakiest part of his game where he doesn't excel at anything he isn't terrible at anything either. He isn't picky at the plate and can make a decent amount of contact. The most exciting part of his offensive game is his speed and basestealing ability where he could break 60+ steals. There are questions about his desire to play the game which could impede his development.
Perfect World Projection: GG caliber CF with a .750+ OPS
Glass Half-Empty: His glove doesn't justify him being an everyday player

5. Arizona Armadillos- Lyle Hines - SP
Hines is an 18 year old RHP with good durability and an excellent work ethic. He has two excellent pitches, a low 90's 2-seamer and mid 80's slider combo that he spots well. His approach is advanced for his age but doesn't figure to have much upside but his pinpoint control and groundball tendencies should help in case he doesn't miss enough bats.
Perfect World Projection: #3-4 SP on a contender
Glass-Half Empty: Closer/Setup A with his two power pitches

6. Boston Stranglers- Boomer Conroy - SP
Boston grabbed soft-tossing HS SP Boomer Conroy who has shown the ability to go deep into games, use his plus-plus 4-seamer to set up his above average secondary offerings. He is control projects to be outstanding control but he isn't a flamethrower and despite his advanced approach to hitter at his age, he isn't going to get a ton better at missing bats. He wowed Boston scouts with his attitude during his injury-marred junior year and his work ethic is unquestioned.
Perfect World Projection: #2-3 SP
Glass-Half Empty- Back of the rotation innings eater

7. Texas Black Lightning - Chad Pride - SP
Another quality HS arm, Pride is a paradox in that he can pitch every 3 days but has trouble going longer than 5 innings. He is a 4 pitch pitcher who mixes his 2-seamer (that has been clocked at 97-99), slider, and change-up well and a cutter that he would be better off forgetting. Scouts feel his approach to hitters is his best upside and should make up for his lack of an ML level out pitch.
Perfect World Projection- Front of the rotation SP
Glass-Half Empty- With his stamina-durable he could be a dominant reliever

8. Portland Killer Whales- Vic Pena - SP
Pena is arguably the top HS pitcher in the draft as he has no glaring holes in his game. He misses plenty of bats despite below average velocity with his excellent array of pitches, which features his plus-plus splitter and slider and an above average curve. All this with great control and the ability to finish a game. The only knock to his game is that he might have trouble going every four days, but with a controlled pitch count he should be fine.
Perfect World Projection: Frontline 1-2 Starter
Glass-Half Empty: He is a long way from his prime, but still should be a solid rotation piece.

9. Cleveland Kosars- Boots Gonzales - SP
Gonzales projects to have top notch control with his excellent plus-plus changeup with no discernible platoon split. He is a hard thrower but his fastball is straight and flat and his sinker is just a slower version of that. He has a long way to go before he becomes an ML pitcher so there is some question about whether he can reach his upside. His medical history shows no red flags and avoiding any bumps in the road Gonzales should be a very good pitcher. Gonzales will go as far as his approach will take him.
Perfect World Projection- #2-3 starter
Glass Half-Empty- Back of the rotation innings eater

10. Trenton Titans- Harold Aspromonte - RP
The first non-starting pitcher taken is the shutdown closer from Mineral Area College. Aspromonte is nearly ML ready now, as he projects to be nearly unhittable by RH batters and capable enough against LH to be a competent closer. His change is a plus-plus pitch and his slider is no slouch either. He doesn't walk many people and keep the ball in the park. There were some questions about his elbow, but nothing that can't be managed by keeping a careful eye on his workload.
Perfect World Projection: Shutdown closer with 40+ save potential
Glass Half-Empty: A 70+ inning Setup up man

11. Tacoma ChickenDance- Rene Richardson - SP
Richardson is the first pitcher taken that actually has some flaws in his game. Don't get me wrong, Richardson has excellent velocity and great command of his stuff, but he lacks a true out pitch and his secondary stuff is pretty average. He can get knocked around by lefties and has some fatigue issues, but overall he is a solid pitcher and has the potential to be a successful starter especially if he stick around to pitch in Tacoma.
Perfect World Projection: Mid-rotation starter
Glass Half-Empty: Pitches don't develop and he is just a reliever

12. Pittsburgh Wannabes- Anthony Jordan - 1B
Due to the plethora of pitching available, perhaps the top bat in the draft fell all the way out of the top 10. Jordan has quick hands, solid plate discipline, and generates good raw power for his body type. He absolutely destroys LHP and will likely do fine against RHP. Pittsburgh has no lack of COF/1B types but Jordan was the top impact bat and likely too good to pass up. He isn't athletic enough to play the outfield but his bat is good enough to be an NL firstbasemen.
Perfect World Projection: .900+ OPS and occasional all-star
Glass Half-Empty: He is going to hit, but his glove belongs at DH

13. New York Godfathers- Curt Ramirez - 2B
Ramirez is a switch hitting HS prospect who does slightly better from the left side. He has an excellent swing, with little motion and quick hands which allows him to make a lot of contact. He needs to work on pitch recognition. While he played 2B in high school he will likely have to make a move to the outfield with LF as his likely destination where his bat isn't as impressive. He tendency of being injury-prone and a lackadaisical attitude make for a troubling combination, but the gamble could pay off.
Perfect World Projection: High OBP, 25-30 HR LF
Glass Half Empty: Injuries and women limit him to being a 4th outfielder

14. Omaha Settlers- Jeff Ausmus - SP
Ausmus measures up well with the best of the draft class but he just doesn't have the raw stuff that really fools batters. His fastball is pretty average as an out pitch and none of his other pitches look to be more than average. What he lacks in command of his pitches he makes up for with smooth mechanics with little stress in his delivery. That coupled with his excellent conditioning mean a large volume of innings he can provide. The thing going for Ausmus is that he really knows how to pitch and is quite advanced for his age.
Perfect World Projection: a quality 250+ innings starter
Glass Half-Empty- He is stuff doesn't evolve and he is just a back of the rotation innings eater

15. Hartford Submarines - Jeremi Rivera - 2B
Its a wonder how Rivera lasted this long but Hartford has to be pleased that he dropped so far. He has a great approach at the plate and good pitch recognition. His swing is compact and allows him to hit for decent power while not sacrificing his strike zone discipline. On D he gets to a lot of groundballs but has a lot of work to do on his glove work. Some think he is good enough to stick in CF where he would be ideal since he lacks the arm strength to really be a great 2B.
Perfect World Projection: All-star caliber CF/2B
Glass Half-Empty: He fails to develop a position and requires a move to LF where his bat doesn't play as well.

Team x Team Draft Review : Tampa Bay Pirates

2009-09-18T10:38:00.004-04:00

Part 1 of 32 series reviewing the entire season 14 amatuer draft.

Tampa Bay Pirates (NL)
presidentdan
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Picks:

Rd1P1 - Glen Brett
Rd2P59 - Hugh Moran
Rd3P93 - Pep Nomo
Rd4P126 - Don Young
Rd5P158 - Bill Reilly
Rd6P190 - Welington Gomez
Rd7P222 - Davey Scott
Rd8P254 - Luis Mendoza
Rd9P286 -
Rd10P318 - Wil Sutton
Rd11P350 - Phillip Henderson
Rd12P382
Rd13P414 - Stevie Hill
Rd14P446
Rd15P478 - Darrell Stynes
Rd16P510 - Darwin Reid
Rd17P541 - Hector Cortez
Rd18P574
Rd19P606
Rd20P638
Rd21P670
Rd22P702 - Miguel Rios
Rd23P734
Rd24P766
Rd25P798

Best Tools:

Best Contact Hitter - Don Young
Best Power Hitter - Bill reilly
Best Plate Discipline (EYE) - Wellington Gomez
Best Vs L - Don Young
Best Vs R - Bill Reilly
Best Base Stealer - Luis Mendoza
Best Defender - Hugh Moran

Best Control - Glen Brett
Workhorse - Glen Brett
Best Vs L - Glen Brett
Vest Vs R - Glen Brett
Throws Hardest - Glen Brett
Best GBFB - Glen Brett
Best Pitch - Glen Brett
Best Pitches - Glen Brett

Does that guy have a visa?

2009-09-18T10:24:00.003-04:00

This addition of "Does that guy have a visa?" Will be a quick overview of just a few signings.

Alving Lee
Omaha
Settlers
Age: 20	B/T: R/R
Born: Las Matas Cotui, DO
Position(s): P (SP3)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The highly sought after 19 year old SP Alving Lee out of Las Matas Cotui, Dominican Republic signed for a whopping 23.7 milllion dollars by the Omaha Settlers. Lee projects to be a stud with excellent contorl, and splits, often dominating the right hander hitters. Lee throws very hard and is slightly a ground ball pitcher. Lee features 1 plus pitch and 3 good pitchers. Look for Lee to be in the majors in 3-4 seasons.

Verdict: Good signing

Pedro Ontiveros
Vancouver
Mounties
Age: 22	B/T: R/R
Born: Chorrera, PA
Position(s): P (SuA)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Pedro Ontiveros a 22 year old closer signed for 15 million dollars out of Chorrea, Panama. Ontiveros came to the Vancouver Mounties veyr ML ready and instanly took over one of the top SU roles. Ontiveros projects to have excellent control, and spklits. Like Lee he often dominates righties. He throws wicked hard, and induces ground balls regularly. In his pitching arsenal is 1 plus plus pitch and 1 plus pitch. Look for Ontiveros to take over the closers role by as early as next season.

Verdict : Good Signing

Does that guy have a Visa?

2009-08-26T17:13:00.003-04:00

Thats right folks, its the International Free Agent Update which will now be a regular component of The Plumpy Times!!!!!!111

Top recent Intl FA:

Ramon Nakano
Pittsburgh
Wannabes
Age: 18	B/T: R/R
Born: Inchon, KR
Position(s): LF/1B/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

1. Ramon Nakano an 18 year old LF signed out of Inchon, Korea by thePittsburgh Wannabes for a WHOPPING 15 million dollars is the top Intl signed so far. Nakano projects to be an excellent hitter. With very good contact and power plus strengths versus both left and right handed pitchers Nakano looks to hit for a high average with 30+ HRs. Nakano also moderate speed, with slightly above average baserunning abilities you can exect anywhere form 10-25 SB a season.

Verdict : Good Signing

Carlos DeLeon
Texas
Black Lightning
Age: 19	B/T: L/L
Born: Laguna Verde, DO
Position(s): RF/1B/LF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

2. Carlos DeLeon is a 19 year old RF signed out of Laguna Verde in the Dominican Republic by the Texas Black Lightning for 7 million dollars. DeLeon projectes to be one of the best contact hitters in the game with very little power. One huge knock on DeLeon is the fact that he struggles to see the ball out of either right or left handed pitchers glove resulting in sporadic results. Once the ball is out of the glove though, your going to have an extremely tough time striking him out as he projects to having one of the best eyes in the game. DeLeon also has 60+ SB potential in him as he has great speed and is a phenominal base runner.

Verdict : Good Signing (If he can overcome his weakness vs L and R handed pitchers)

Slight Chance Of ML Impact:

The Atlanta Shockers signed 19 year old pitcher Gill Tamura for 1.9 million out of Japan. Tamura projects to be an average pitcher across the board. Very similar to Tamura is the Kansas City Monarchs signing of 18 year old pitcher Pedro Rincon of the Dominican Republic who projects to be average across the board. Rincon signed for 600K.

Verdict : Okay Signings (More than likely both are roster fillers for a AAA team, neither have a real chance at the bigs)

NL South Preview

2009-08-24T16:11:00.007-04:00

The long overdue preview of the NL SOuth if finally here!!

OFFSEASON

The Jacksonville Alcoholics have had a very quite offseason this year. Besides a few minor league signings GM frankum felt his returning squad was more than adequate to go for back to back division championships. Jacksonville did arbitrate with several players including: Zeus Thurman, Dan Clayton, George Reuschel, and Glenn Carlyle all being signed to one year deals.

The Montgomery Burns had quite a busy offseason making several huge trades and even a few FA signings. GM tjack stated that "a one season break from pure division dominance was way too long, and that it was once again time to take the team back to its rightful place atop the division." joing the Burns as FA are: 4 Time All Star Henry Ulrich, Tony Ward who had a recent power surge leading some to speculate he is juicing, and finally Herbert Widger who retuns to the Burns after a less than impressive season 12. Coming to the Burns in trades include: 7 time All Star stud catcher Lonny Griffin coming over from Trenton, Jose Martin a 3 Time All Star and once a Gold Glove winner coming over from Boston, slick fielding CF a 7 time Gold Glove winner and a threat every season Oswaldo Escobar coming back to Montgomery byway of Chicago, Elvis Ramirez who has been primarily as a reliever over his career but now in the Burns rotation coming from Philadelphia, 40 HR threat Francisco Alvarez coming in from Cleveland, relievers Clayton Philips and C.J. Riggs coming into to vastly improve the bull pen by way of Texas, and last but not least top SS prospect Tike Burks in from Portland.

The Richmond Tyrants like the Alchies were relatively quiet this offseason. The Tyrants did make a several FA signings including: Enrique Ozuna, recent first time All Star Victor Lopez, 40 HR, 100 RBI threat Blake May, William Kyung, Rick Neill, Mark Coleman, Tony Mendoza and a few mor epieces to the puzzle. GM bwb has almost rebuilt the entire pitching staff completly looking to take the next step and over take either Jax or the Burns.

The Tampa Bay Pirates made a couple of trades netting a few minor leaguers who may or may not make appearances in the ML. Those minor leaguers include Thom Karl and Julian Amaro who both could see ML time this year depending on injuries. Amaro is a future defensive stud, while Karl seems ot be nothing more than a stop gap. The Pirates also made a few FA signings this offseason including: Tommy Paulson, Todd Thomas who could make a very servicable SU man, and Rico Cairo who is a great defensive SS and will contend for the Gold Glove. Also joining the Pirates form AAA include once highly touted prospect but now a journeyman Steven Hiljus and Jorge Herrera.

PROJECTED STANDINGS/LINEUPS

1. Montgomery Burns

The Montgomery Burns feature not just one of the best lineups in all of Plumpy, but best teams. Expect the Burns to reclaim 1st place from the Alcoholics this season and a 1st round bye in the playoffs.

C - Lonny Griffin a perrenial .300+, 20 HR threat every season at catcher and is arguably the best catcher.

1B - Todd Ford is a 5 time MVP and one of if not the best players in all of Plumpy.

2B - Sid Nelson is a high batting average 2B perfect for the leadoff who will steal upwards of 50 SB per season. Just the player the Burns need to get the offense going every game.

SS - Ariel Sosa Although Sosa is not the ideal player for the SS position, his combination of contact, power, and speed make him a 5 tool player who any team would gladly have at SS.

3B - Tony Ward Is a good bat to have at the end of the lineup. Has no problem batting against lefties or righties, but with some power and lacking real contact abilities Ward could have either a great season or a bad season. Only time will tell.

LF - Francisco Alvarez Another big power bat int he Burns lineup, Alvarez looks to provide some big RBIs this season. Alvarez is a sleeper for not just the team but league MVP.

CF - Oswaldo Escobar a slick fielding CF who is not the best hitter, but his fielding will mor ethan makeup for that. Gold glove potential winner.

RF - Walter Newfield is the young buck in this lineuyp as he is several years younger than the rest of his counterparts. Newfield has tons of speed and is very good contact hitter.

Rotation - The Burns rotation features ace Sandy Mieske along with 4 other high control pitchers with good splits. Mieske,Jose Martin, and Elvis Ramirez are al Cy Young threats while the others are no slocuhes either.

Bull Pen - On the backs of Martin Ramirez, C.J. Riggs, and Clayton Philips the Burns feature a formidable pen.

2. Jacksonville Alcoholics

Like their division rivals, the Alcoholics feature one of the better lineups in Plumpy. Although I expect Jax to finish just behind Montgomery, the Alcoholics will win one of the wild cards spots for the playoffs.

C - Warren Davenport An average hitter, but Davenport knows how to call a game pretty well. He will help the pitching staff out alot this season.

1B - Jamie Rodgers an above average hitting 1B who will hit anywhere from 25 to 40+ HRs and drive in around 100 Rbis. Not bad at all.

2B - Dan Clayton One of the better hitting 2B in the entire league. This guy will go for .330+ and hit at least 30 HRs a season.

SS - Zeus Thurman He may not be the ideal SS, but what he lacks in the field he will make up with his bat. A .300 hitter with 20 HRs to boot not too bad out of your SS.

3B - Rolando Guerrero The theme of very good hitters in this lineup continues as we get to arguably the best on the team. With 30+ HR power, and batting well over .300 this is a guy you want batting in the 1st inning.

LF - Ron Puffer If you want a clean up hitter, this is your man. Puffer is a guy who can hit 50+ HR and carry your team through the playoffs. Look out for Puffer to be a MVP candidate this season.

CF - Virgil Belliard A solid fielding CF who isnt going to wow you with the stick, but will provide a good bat at the end of the lineup.

RF - Antonio Whang Continues the long line of good Alcoholic hitters. Whang has very good power, and a very good eye. He wont K much and will draw a bunch of BB.

Rotation - The Alchies throw a SP at you every game who can shut down completely every game. Led by aces George Reuschel and Howard Fasano. If your loking for a weak spot in this rotation, keep looking.

Bull Pen - Eugene Hynes is a dominant closer as any in this league. the Alchies also feature Jason Lo Duca and Gene Costello to set it up for Hynes. Dont expect many BSV out of this pen.

3. Richmond Tyrants

Were a very good team last season and benefitted from the down Montgomery year, but the ressurgence of the Burns expect the Tyrants to drop back to 3rd place. By no means expect them to stink, they may even challenege for a wild card spot this season. Ultimately they will fall short of the playoffs losing out to one of the NL west teams for a WC spot.

C - Virgil Sheldon Has some good power but not a very good pictch calling catcher. The book is still open on Sheldon/

1B - David Rojas A very good hitter with good contact and power, with a great eye to boot. you could get anywhere form 25 to 40 Hr and a .300 BA out of Rojas.

2B - Enrique Ozuna is an average hitter witha great eye and speed. He is one of the guys who could do bad, or really good.

SS - Yorvit Torrealba Is a below average fielding SS, and besides his good power Torrealba looks to bat for a low average. Needless to say there are better options at SS. Although Torreable playing SS is not set in stone.

3B - Peter Chong Is young and has great power, good contact, and can hit against lefties or righties. Chong also has great speed and could be a 20-30+ SB threat.

LF - Felipe Cedeno The most powerful hitter in the lineup, Cedeno is a big tyime HR threat, who is posied for a big time season as his ability to hit both L and R is good.

CF - Lorenzo Garza A very good fielding CF in Garza. Would be best used ina platoon role vs R. Garza can hit for power, and has a great eye.

RF - Blake May Another power hitter in the lineup who looks to provide 35+ HR and 100+ RBI. A very good FA signing by the Tyrants thi syear.

Rotation - Led by ace Philip Reed the Tyrants have a solid pitching staff. Dion Forrest and Rick Neill look to have big years if they can provied 6 innings a game.

Bull Pen - The bull pen is solid but with a two guys with low stamina it could be tough to keep the SU and Cl rested when needed all the time.

4. Tampa Bay Pirates

Tampa Bay has struggled over the years to compeet in this tough division. And their dtruggles willonly continue this season. The pitching staff leaves alot to be desired. While the lineup has few bright spots.

C - Cesar Barrios One of the best young pitch calling catchers in the game. Barrios also hits for contact very well and very good vs righties.

1B - Chuck Robertson The man can hit for power plain and simple. He crushes lefties, and is good versus righties. A good year would include 35+ HRs and a .290+ BA

2B - Carlos Rios A below average hitter, not expected to carry a high average or hit many HRs. If small ball is oyur game, then Rios is your man. he can bunt like no toher, and has very good speed and BR abilities.

SS - Kimera Pressley Although having great range, and arm, Pressely has a slightly below average glove which could hurt a bit. Pressely does not hit many Hrs and is a below average contact hitter, but is another very good bunter in the lineup.

3B - Desi Nunez A good contact hitter, and very good versus righties. Nunez does have some pop but not much, and is also a decent hitter versus lefties.

LF - Kiki Campos is by far the best power hitter in the lineup. He could easily go for 50-60 HRs. Holding Campos back his is his lack of discipline. In the end he is a liability to the lineup regardless of his immense power.

CF - Steven Hiljus A below average center fielder defensively, who has below average contact, but slightly above average power. Hiljus does have good ability to hit Vs L and R handed pitchers and a decent eye.

RF - Sean Parris Like Hiljus, Parris has good discipline versus lefties and righties with a good eye also. Parris does hit for contact and power decent so you can expect a .280+ BA and 15-25 HRs

Rotation - TB has possibly the worst rotation in the league. Staff ace Edgar Pascual is a decent pitcher but he wont be winning any cy Youngs. Tony Rijo has potential to have a good year, but his ability to get leftie sout hurts those chance alot. After the first two pitchers the Pirates take a HUGE drop in quality. William Wang, P.J. Bush, and Dee Mathews round the rotation out. None of the three can get lefties or righties out. Bush and Matthews belong in HiA, yet they are starting in the ML. Which has the fans BEGGING management to call up minor leaguers Avila, Hasagewa, Parish, Presely, and Sierra. The 5 would drastically improve this team.

Bull Pen - The bright spot int he pitchers include closer Willie Winn and SU man Rafael Ortiz who look to get alot of work this yera in relief.

THATS ALL FOLKS

A Brown Bear by any other name...

2009-08-23T20:22:00.002-04:00

... is now a Needlefish.

After scouting Louisville's squad and seeing the non-renewal of highly productive (but defensively unversatile) left fielder Juan Uribe's contract, Needlefish management shuffled its roster and signed Uribe for the season at a bargain basement price of $1.3 million.

While happy to latch on with a new team, Uribe is reportedly dissapointed that the Brown Bears are nowhere to be find on Norfolk's schedule. In his introductory press conference, Uribe was seen weeping and muttering, "I want smash bradleydog en la cabeza con mi Louisville Slugger muy, muy hard, the son of a pig!"

Louisville officials could not be reached for comment.

EAT THE WRATH OF URIBE, SUCKAS!

Juan Uribe
Norfolk
Needlefish
Age: 32	B/T: R/R
Born: San Pedro de Macoris, DO
Position(s): LF/CIF/RF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 13 Preview: Louisville Brown Bears

2009-08-23T18:51:00.002-04:00

Goldilocks scampered through the forest, weary and bored, eager to encounter some new woodland friends. Bears had provided her with such joy in the past, and oh how she loved their tasty porridge (when the hairy beasts didn't prepare it scalding hot or freezing cold)! However, she took a wrong turn and became hopelessly lost. It seems she had accidentally dropped her compass earlier in the day while being chased by some angry wolverines whose den she had squatted in. Wolverines, much like Jacksonville gm frankum, were such assholes when angered!

Wandering along the shoulder of northbound I-65, she skipped and pranced along, singing a happy little song, "TRA LA LA LA!" as drunken hillbillies passed by in pickup trucks, shouting obscenities and pelting her with empty whisky bottles. Finally she happened upon a large domed edifice large enough to house several hundred bear dens! A large sign hung over the entryway. "Snzorg, slinkum doojabbizam," she mouthed as she eyed the sign for Louisville Slugger Stadium. She, like most Kentuckians, was illiterate. But she did see a drawing of a large brown bear wearing a baseball cap and knew that she must investigate.

Furtively darting under the turnstile, she eluded a geriatric security guard and made her way into the heart of the stadium, pilfering a king-sized corn dog and Cherry Coke along the way.

Then she saw the most wondrous sight! Facing a 3-2 count with two on, Brown Bears first baseman Marvin Goldstein reared back and whacked the payoff pitch deep into the centerfield stands to send Louisville ahead by one. She was impressed with Goldstein's power, and would be moreso had she known that the previous season he had paced the Brown Bears with 52 homers, outslugging rightfielder Steve Myatt (41), third baseman Pedro Tarraga (23), and outfielders Juan Uribe (23) and Robin Lamb (22). Surely Goldstein was the heart and soul of the Brown Bears offensive attack, Goldi would have thought were she not too busy picking her nose and rifling through the belongings of an elderly baseball fan who had unwisely left her purse unattended.

Goldi was unaware that the Brown Bears attack was just north of average at best and would be discernibly subpar if not for Goldstein's presence. Sure, Myatt, Lamb, and Tarraga provided good support, but offensively inept performances by Jacque Brock at second base and Nick Hudson at shortstop kept Louisville's offense from firing on all eight cylinders. And who would fill the gaping hole in the lineup created by Juan Uribe bolting Kentucky when they inexplicably refused to sign him to a new contract? .325/.405/.550 hitters don't grow on trees, right? Even morally bankrupt, thieving little scamps know that.

"These sure aren't like any bears I've ever seen, they are a peculiar lot!" Goldilocks mused as she indiscriminately hacked loogies on the unsuspecting heads of lower deck patrons.

But actually, she was wrong. These Brown Bears were very much like every squad of Brown Bears that came before them. They were distinctly average. With offensive production slightly above the league mean, pitching output slightly below the league mean, and fielding statistics right at the league average, the pride of Louisville were surely cruising for yet another season of hovering right around .500 ball, a position they had found themselves in for several straight seasons. Bad enough to consistently miss the playoffs, but good enough to draft in a position where the impact players had already been selected, the Brown Bears had stagnated.

Things weren't all doom and gloom on Louisville's mound though. Starters Floyd Charlton and season 12 acquisition Heywood Lloyd (obtained from Montreal at the cost of some nice prospects) were certainly above average. But most of the rest of the staff was comprised of a conglomeration of marginal major leaguers drawing outsized contracts (not individually ridiculous, but collectively cumbersome.)

Goldilocks innately sensed that this team was destined to finish in the middle of the NL East pack and quickly grew bored with this silly game the poseur bears were playing. And when Goldilocks grows bored, bad things happen. She slowly drew her fully loaded, semi-automatic Glock 9 from the cape-obscured holster at her side...

Season 13 Preview: Chicago Cubs

2009-08-23T04:37:00.001-04:00

In a city rich in sports tradition and achievement, are the much beleaguered Cubbies prepared to break through and add another trophy to Chitown's considerable collection?

Perhaps. They do stand in the upper tier of NL teams, but if they do, they're doing it with offense and pitching be damned!

Greenpeace flips its eco-terrorist bird in Chicago's general direction, as several large forests were raized to stock all the wood in the Cubbies lumberyard. Kenter returns all 8 starting position players from a squad whose offense stood head and shoulders above the rest of the league. Power is the name of the game in Chitown, and so it shall remain unless returning MVP is decapitated in a freak shaving accident. In addition to Hackman's 70 dingers, starting 2B Mark Spehr smashed 52, C Alejandro Romano 42, LF Bruce Richardson 33, and CF Dee Perez 32. Along with the rest of the starters (only one -- lightweight pansy-boy shortstop David Gomez -- hit less than 20) the season 12 Cubs led the league with 306 homers and also topped the charts in batting average and on-base percentage.

Injuries could prove problematic for this team, as beyond speedster reserve Paul Kerr, the bench is about seven shades of suck. Kenter did call up suckish Gerald Martin and Captain Suckwad, Groucho "Suck Suck" Price, from the happily sucking AAA squad to replace a couple other scrubs from last year (who sucked). But if the injury bug hits (Hackman is notoriously fragile), this organization will be scrambling to find competent bodies to fill the gaps.

The flip side to this glorious collection of finely tuned run producers is the less than stellar pitching staff. When trying to pen a nickname for the Cubs staff, the best Chris Berman could come up with was "Aaron Hinske and the rest of those guys". And that's pretty much what comprises the staff, Cy Young winner Aaron Hinske and 11 other no-names and has-beens possessing varying levels of mediocrity.

Kenter returns the newly-inked Hinske (who agreed to a sweet $6.3 million/3 year contract) along with starters Chipper Anderson and Oscar Christman. Gone are starters Ivan Tavarez and starter/long reliever Carlos Urbina. Gone is heavily-used reliever Alfredo Greer. Retired is aged bullpen fixture Einar Eusebio. In their place? Pretty much more of the same, but at a hefty price.

Chicago dipped into the free agent market in an effort to bring their staff up to snuff, but ended up overpaying for marginal talent. Type B free agent Pedro Diaz will join the starting staff this year, and the Cubs faithful had best hope he finds better mojo than that which saw him relinquish a .306 batting average to compliment his 1.66 WHIP and 5.75 ERA from last season. He will cost the Cubs $5.9 million for three years.

Payroll is a concern as the Cubs are already committed for a hefty $93.9 million this season. On the plus side, payroll-wise, they do have most of their key pieces (excepting Danny Neal) locked up beyond this season.

Another free agent bust in the making is venerable starting pitcher, Benito Javier. Despite 36 years on this earth, a less-than-impressive performance last season, and a muy rapido decline in skills, kenter agreed to pay him $6.5 million for his services this season. By way of comparison, he'll be banking over a half mill more than 22 game winner Hinske. There are worse things one could blow $6.5 million on, but it would take an awful lot of trysts with transvestite hookers to rack up that kind of bill (at least according to lead alcoholic, frankum).

One nice free agent pickup for the Cubs was short relief man Bill Clifton. He is at his athletic peak and boasts a career 1.37 WHIP and 3.89 ERA.

Barring multiple injuries to key contributers, the Cubs should easily win the East for the fourth year running, and score an awful lot of runs in the process. But the question remains: Do they have the hurlers to contain other comparably potent offenses in a playoff situation? Unless if they hire a mad scientist to clone a few more Aaron Hinskes, the likely answer is: No.

Playoff Predictions AL season 13

2009-08-21T00:07:00.002-04:00

#3 Oakland over #6 DC: 3-1

#5 Chicago over #4 Monterrey 3-2

#1 Minnesota over #5 Chicago 4-2

#2 Norfolk over #3 Oakland 4-3

#2 Norfolk over #1 Minnesota 4-3

AL Predictions

2009-08-21T00:03:00.002-04:00

First, the division predictions:

AL North

Minnesota 113-49

NY 72-90

Portland 68-94

Montreal 62-100

AL East

Norfolk 111-51

Chicago 92-70

DC 85-77

Boston 82-80

AL South

Monterrey 92-70

Texas 75-87

San Juan 70-92

Atlanta 59-103

AL West

Oakland 102-60

Honolulu 80-82

Omaha 77-85

Arizona 64-98

Montreal Expositions

2009-08-20T22:29:00.003-04:00

For thirty-five glorious years, the Expos called Montreal home, but the fans stopped coming, and the team traded away their best players over and over and over again, from Gary Carter to Andre Dawson to Vladimir Guerrero to Pedro Martinez. So the Expos packed their bags and headed to DC, where the team has been on top of the world ever since. But into the void came the Montreal Expositions of the Plumpy league. It is a rebuilding job, to be sure, but the hockey fans of Montreal are nothing if not patient when it comes to their baseball, so there is real hope for this franchise.

The franchise's minor leagues are stocked with talent like James Rooney, Wally Rollins, Roger Robinson, and Zephyr Evans. The major leagues are a bit thinner, but the pitching staff is headed by one of the best young arms in the league: Keith Campbell. Lawrence Brooks , Miguel Tapias, and Pascual Alfonseca are all decent ML starters as well, as is Adam Ford. The bullpen is not as strong, with Dave Beam and Mike Mitchell the best Montreal has to offer. Unless there are changes, the bullpen will cost the starters more than a few wins this season.

Offensively, the team was anemic at best last season. The best power threat, Rafael Mendez, has trouble making consistent contact. David Pichardo and Julio Moreno are decent hitters, but nothing to worry opposing pitchers. The team lacks the offense to truly strike fear into opposing pitchers. Don't expect too much improvement in Montreal this season, unless they decide to promote a few of their promising young hitters. Absent that, the battle in Montreal will once again be against the threat of another 100 loss season.

Atlanta Shockers

2009-08-20T15:29:00.003-04:00

In 1984, "The Jacksons," fronted by beloved Michael, teamed up with Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger to record the #3 hit single "State of Shock." Now a quarter of a century later, the King of Pop is dead, Mick Jagger is inexplicably still rolling along, and the team that has embraced the sentiment of the Jacksons? Plumpy Rules own "Atlanta Shockers."

The Shockers are a once proud franchise, as they were the first to win multiple World Series crowns and to be repeat champions. The franchise has made the playoffs in 8 of its last 12 seasons, including its first under their current ownership. Last season was a big disappointment, however, with the team managing just 64 wins and finishing last for the second time in three years in their division. The fans have been shocked by the dismal failure of the already brief taz21 regime.

But from the looks of it, the fan base will continue to be shocked this coming year. The team's best players form the corp of an extremely talented farm system, but farm systems take time to develop. Will the Atlanta faithful have the patience for taz's rebuilding plan to develop, or will they try to shock the ownership into action more quickly? Only time will tell (ASIA tune).

For season 13, the offense will be built around 1B slugger Jose Lee, who hit for 36/140 last season, with an OPS over 1.000!!! Juan Zapata is a steady hitting RF, Vic Morales provides nice hitting skills from the DH position, and Rule 5 pick-up Kent Nicholson should contribute right away. Still, most of the team's best offensive weapons are a year or two away.

Pitching wise, James Rollins, Gregory Crow, Hunter Windell, and Vic Duran head a durable but mediocre pitching staff. Turner Christiansen and Larry Brown head up an equally average bullpen. Simply put, this is a below average team, who are most likely to shock the league with below average play in season 13.

Arizona Fighting Armadillos

2009-08-19T21:45:00.002-04:00

After making the playoffs during the team's first six seasons as division champs, and then after a two year hiatus, returning for three straight wildcard births, including a trip to the League Championship Series in season 11, 1OldDawg's Armadillo's had their worst season ever last season, finishing below 2nd in their division for the first time in league history. 1OldDawg is not used to being a cellar-dwelling operation, but blames a lot of his woes on the animal rights movement in sports, which has been buttressed by the successful prosecution of Michael Vick.

"Back in the day, a fighting gamecock or a fighting armadillo was all in good fun. Staging armadillo fights at home games during the seventh inning stretch was all part of the shtick."

Armadillo fights are part of the schtick no more, but the ownerships fight against animal rights activists has taken the bite out of the Fighting Armadillo franchise. The "Save the Armadillo" movement in the greater Phoenix area was one factor that saw home attendance drop by 69% last season. "Until they change their mascot name, this franchise will never recover" said onetime announcer and Arizona insider Joe Garagiola.

Still, opening day is looming in Arizona, and the team must try to play on. The staff is paced by veteran Damon Adkins, who is joined by Danny Priddy, Ivan Christensen, and Steven Rothschild. The staff is decent, but below league average. The bullpen has several decent arms, but nothing that strikes fear into any hitter. The pitching staff does not stack up as one set to turn things around in season 13.

Offensively, the story is only a bit different. Lonny Sosa is a legitimate power hitter who has hit at least 30 HRs for three straight seasons. John Purcell, Felipe Escobar, Wayne Jones, and Cesar Polanco are all solid offensive contributors as well. But frankly, the lineup won't cause too many opposing bleachers much fear. The only chance in striking fear in their opponents in season 13 will be unleashing on opponents those fighting armadillos that used to entertain during 7th inning stretches, and they probably couldn't weather the backlash. It looks like another rough season at hand in Arizona, as the full rebuild begins in earnest.

Boston Stranglers

2009-08-19T10:46:00.004-04:00

In 1990, George Steinbrenner was suspended for a season for spending $40,000 to a private investigator to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield. Well, the Plumpy league fathers had to take a similar Tennessee Mountain Landis hardline approach to bob squad, when according to news reports he payed assailants to intentionally tear the labrum of Durham Bulls franchise icon Randy Edwards in season 9 for allegedly "not leading the team to the playoffs" and "in order to collect a large Lloyds of London insurance claim." Bob Squad was quickly banned from Plumpy for multiple seasons, but has re-emerged, ready to put the Bob Knight squeeze to any potential future Neil Ried type slackers as he takes over the eerily named Boston Stranglers.

As indicated by his checkered past, bob squad is not one to take a passive or patient approach to rebuilding a franchise. Boston was more active than any team on the free agent market, picking up pitchers Barney McMillan and J.D. Yeats, while inking slugging RF Rondell Gardner, the man who stirred the drink in Montgomery during her championship years. A key trade also garnered top-flight CF Andrew Henderson to accompany slugger Shane Judd and OBP machine Zeus Strickland in what should be a potent offense.

On the pitching ledger, starters include the aforementioned McMillan, J.P. Pena, Pat Hernandez, and Ricardo Gonzalez, who form a solid major league rotation. Yeats leads a strong bullpen as the go-to long reliever, and is joined by closer Tori Spahn and strong set up men Sherman Borders and Al Unamuno, a Rule 5 pick-up.

With a revamped offense and a slew of strong defensive players, as well as a decent staff, Boston should edge close to 500 this year, with a shot at a wild card run. If they don't newly acquired McMillan is the consensus choice of the Boston media to be the first player throttled by bob squad in an attempt to "motivate" the squad.

AN OPEN LETTER TO TTJACKSON

2009-08-18T19:48:00.004-04:00

To: ttjackson c/o The Plumpy Times
From: Chuck U. Farley, "Mermaids on Parade" acting coordinator

Dear Mr. Jackson,

It has come to my attention that in a recent sports-related column you deemed fit to make several gratuitously insulting remarks about our all-star gala "Mermaids on Parade" event. As a major component of the thriving Norfolk arts and culture scene (rated Norfolk's 39th most popular event of 2009) and as a celebraton of the mythical creature (or is it?) beloved by seafaring folk all around the globe, I think I can speak for the entirety of Norfolk's population, and, yea, even the world, when I respond: What is your major malfunction, numbnuts?

The world (excepting one grumbling stick-in-the-mud) is enamored with these lovely sirens of the sea -- marveling at their underwater prowess, admiring their lithe grace and ascetic splendor, gawking at their big, bouncy, aquatic funbags. This well-conceived and timely endeavor filled a void within this community, spread joy throughout Virginia, and certainly does not merit the derision and vitriol of a sneering hatemonkey such as yourself.

In the words of our youth: Mermaids are fly, dawg.

And did I mention that they possess big, bouncy, aquatic funbags that are usually perky and swinging free, and, when clad, are merely covered with coral brassieres or small, gooey strands of seaweed? Because that is certainly relevant to any serious discussion of mermaid folklore.

Nevertheless, in response to the drivel of mouth-breathing cretins such as yourself we have opted to retool the "Mermaids on Parade" extravaganza and gear it more toward the athletic-minded with M.O.P. Mach II: Needlefish on Parade, though, for the life of me, I can't figure why anyone would want a Needlefish delivered directly to his door. Especially since they (with the exception of leftfielder Marino Astacio) are utterly lacking in big, bouncy, aquatic funbags.

Norfolk has, indeed, became Needlefish Nation and this baseball club has captured the hearts of virtually all Norfolkers.

And regarding your baseball analysis, I would like to point out that since your commentary was scribbled (likely with crayon), Needlefish GM, the deity-like and devilishly handsome sordie, has addressed one of the team's shortcomings you highlighted. The teams's Achilles heel, its bullpen, has been girded by the signing of free agent reliever, Shane Prince (a highly rated but underachieving hurler who finally found his groove last year with the perennial powerhouse Oakland franchise). Sordie has also announced that after just a short span of minor league seasoning, the Latin Dynamic Duo of Tony Mercedes and Pedro Crespo shall be promoted to the big league roster.

Sordie also noted that minor league sensation, Josh Mills, may soon be called up to further bolster the already impressive Needlefish rotation.

Now, rather than dwelling on your racist, sexist, misogynistic, and otherwise socially reprehensible display of mermaid prejudice, I would like to end on a positive note and commend you for your insightful and thoroughly enjoyable series of team previews in "The Plumpy Times".

With semi-fond wishes and the semi-sincere hope that your head isn't crushed like a melon encased in the heaving bosom of a top-heavy mermaid,
Chuck U. Farley

Portland Killer Whales

2009-08-18T15:39:00.003-04:00

We live in a world defined by violence: wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, continued skirmishes in Israel and Palestine, Grand Theft Auto I, II, & III, and the occasional handgun at a health care town hall meeting. But nobody wants to see violence celebrated by their pro sports nicknames or mascots. No, we are much more amenable to the actual athletes committing the acts of violence. So it is not surprising that the same forces that turned the Washington Bullets into the Wizards (even before there was a Harry Potter) are protesting relentlessly to see the Portland franchise change its nickname. So far, the Portland Killer Whales have not budged.

On the field, however, change has been in the air the past few seasons, with new ownership showing a willingness to wheel and deal, scramble pennies at the last minute to keep a franchise one more year, and even launch a blog with an average readership per article of 7! And the team has totally retooled the pitching staff, bringing in several free agent arms and adding a nice young starter named Miguel Maranon. Add him to veteran Rey Ven Hekken (who is on the trade block), Manny Paquette, and Ed Cannon, and the Whales have a solid rotation. The bullpen is on the thin side however, without a dominant closer but with Chavez, Gonzalez, and Santana each able to contribute.

Offensively, the team is less developed. The lineup is laced with good hitters without a great deal of power to drive the ball, including Trot Hughes (also rumored to be on the trade block), Rock Ellenwood, Andres Rivera, and Ricardo Pineda. Only Rivera and Julio Figureoa of all the hitters managed to slug over .425 last season. Some promising offensive players are in the minors, but they can't get to the big show too soon if Portland is going to outlast her non-violent critics and make a real run in the AL.

New York Godfathers

2009-08-18T14:35:00.002-04:00

When word came out that academy award winning director Martin Scorsese was bankrolling a franchise in Plumpy Rules, the name just flowed naturally. Unable to turn his back on the mobster genre behind such hits as Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed, the name New York Godfathers caught on early, with no deference to Francis Ford Coppola.

After five great seasons as a franchise, the past seven have seen the team sport a losing record. Fans are impatient, and nobody gets impatient like the Godfather. So the team shook things up this offseason, particularly in the pitching department, in what looks like a complete overhaul. Among the new additions are free agent signees Rob Pote and Tony Mori as well as Darren Mack, acquired through trade. These are all solid if not remarkable starters who should solidify the team in their pursuit of a winning record in season 13.

Steven Munoz anchors a fairly pedestrian bullpen, though the team has some nice long relief options in Matty Nieves and Ryan Truman, who could also serve as a starting pitcher. The pitching should be improved, but is probably not quite league average.

Offensively the team has more depth and talent, including last year's rookie of the year candidate Ronald LeCroy, Tony Swann, Peter Tanaka, and Harry Guzman. The team has potential this season to do better, but reaching .500 still seems a remote possibility at best. But the team has demonstrated a willingness to roll the dice in the offseason, and maybe some more moves will further their upward swing. Joe Pesci certainly hopes so.

Omaha Settlers

2009-08-18T10:29:00.002-04:00

Back before there was Crocodile Hunter or a Brian Fellows on SNL, the go-to animal series was Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Mutual of Omaha has tried to embody its old slogan: Mutual of Omaha is people you can count on when the going's rough.

Well, there has been a lot of rough going for the Omaha franchise over the past few seasons. One of the few franchises in Plumpy never to make the playoffs, Omaha does seem to be headed in the right direction, and it all flows from a very nice collection of young talent. At the top of the list is season 7 #3 overall pick CF Barry Bowman, who has MVP-type potential. Bowman has had an OPS over 900 the past two seasons, his power is developing nicely, and in season 12 he achieved a rare 30/30 season. 3B Lew Leonard is also an emerging superstar who makes great contact and can drive the ball against LHers and RHers. Recently promoted RF Donn Neal should be another key bat joining sluggers Woody Kennedy and Garrett Wright in a very nice lineup.

The starting staff is paced by legitimate #1 starter Richie Herzer, who is joined by Mark Yoshii, Benny Iglesias, and Peter Kelly, though Kelly and Iglesias lack the necessary splits to be more than #4 or #5 starters. Derrick Van Pelt and AL Duran pace an adequate but thin bullpen.

Omaha is headed for greener pastures due to a great young offense, but they need to find help for Herzer in the rotation to be ready to reach and surpass the 500 mark. With the right moves, they could be a solid playoff contender in season 14, as the Wild Kingdom Offense emerges in the Great Plains.

Washington DC Monuments

2009-08-17T22:24:00.002-04:00

Since Change in Health Care Reform seems to have drowned inside the beltway, maybe change we can believe in is still possible on the ball diamond, as we review the Washington DC Monuments!

In the offseason, "change" for DC came in the form of several new middle infielders, via trade, free agency, and the Rule 5 draft. The team has also promoted power hitting young catching prospect Bert Koch who should add some pop to the Monuments right away.

Vicente Melendez, Grover Mills, Marv Garcia, Pedro Alvarez, and Nerio Mays lead a balanced and impressive offensive attack. While none of these players eclipsed the 30 HR mark last year, part of that is due to playing in a park that is not homer friendly, unless we are talking Homer Bailey of course, who would like the dimensions.

Pitching wise, the team has five legitimate big league starters, including Shawn Foxx, Chad Sanders, the ageless Tony Meng, Rico Fernandez, and Andres Mercedes. Edgar Gonzalez and Gabe Matthews headline a nice bullpen as well.

Yes, Change is coming to Washington in Season 13, with or without town hall meetings, Glen Beck, Barack Obama, and "death panels." And that change will be a DC team competing for a wild card spot, hoping to recapture the magic of the franchise's legacy of 3 World Titles.

San Juan Elephant Seals

2009-08-16T23:46:00.003-04:00

The Seals finished 8th in the AL last season, three games away from a wildcard slot. Since the move to the city by the sea, the elephant seals have been mediocre. Former team owner bob squad was so offended by the move from Durham, NC to the where, Puerto Rico? that he rejoined the league to seek vengeance on the Seals, but only after he finds out where on God's Green Earth San Juan is. We all pray for Bob's sanity as we don't want to see any Plumpy owner imprisoned for killing an endangered species like the elephant seal.

The biggest question in San Juan going into this season is when will superstar prospect SS Pedro Campos make his debut. Will he spend the year in AAA or make an impact in season 13? The team also has an excellent pitching prospect, Roger Jameson, who is still a year or two away.

The team's offense is solid enough without Campos, but would get a big shot in the arm with him. Marvin West led the Seals with 34 HRs, while Matthew Sweeney added over 180 hits. Overall, the team lacks power, but does a decent job getting on base. Another power bat or two would really help this offense.

Pitching is solid, but not spectacular, in San Juan. Diaz, Pederson, Mendoza, and Jason Reed give solid innings but the bullpen led by Sivilla and Fernandez kept the Seals in a lot of ballgames.

Frankly, this is a rather mediocre team heading into season 13, but they have a few of the finest prospects in the league who should be up in the big leagues before bob squad discovers where in Carmen Sandiego San Juan is.

Texas Black Lightening

2009-08-16T21:07:00.003-04:00

The St. Louis Crazy Horses miss the playoffs by 2 lousy games, and the team is sold and the franchise moves down to Texas! Add this move to the sell off of Budwieser to Belgium InBev and the makers of Stella Artois, and the St. Louis faithful are shouting "Stella" with more anger and bravado than Marlon Brando could ever muster (streetcar named desire reference for those confused).

So what remains of the 83 win team from a year ago? Well, aside from jettisoning a few nice bullpen arms to Montgomery for nice prospects, Texas has stood pat, with a nice array of offensive talent as a foundation, including Ray Meyers, Phil Spiers, Max Jacquez, Matt Koloff, Ed Walker, and Tris Tatum. These bats should "warm up" with the move from pitching friendly Busch Stadium to slugging friendly Arlington ballpark, and the power numbers should go up significantly.

The pitching staff features several serviceable starters, including Juilo Arias, Marvin Belinda, and Stump Baker. The bullpen is paced by Lonny Arroyo and Yuniesky Lopez. The pitching staff on the ML level is thin right now, but there is time during spring training to deepen the bullpen.

This Texas team looks to rebound offensively but take some knocks in the pitching department. A 500 winning percentage this year would be a major accomplishment unless some pitching reinforcements are brought in. Rumor has it Jerry Jones has controlling interest in this new club in Texas, so anything is possible to boost ticket sales. Did I hear T.O. may be the next big black lightening free agent signing?

Honolulu Kohunas

2009-08-16T18:09:00.003-04:00

Many assumed that after the epic Brady Bunch episode set in the Hawaiian Islands, it would all be down hill for the union's 49th state. But if possible, the Plumpy Rules squad has restored some "Brady Magic" to this sleepy and all but forgotten set of Pacific Islands.

Last season, the Kahunas made the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, entering as a wild card in the tough AL. The biggest temptation in season 13 will be to hold off recalling one of the best catching prospects in Plumpy Rules history: Bob Clark. Clark could write his name in the middle of the lineup card on opening day if the club feels he's ready, but a year of seasoning at AAA may be in the cards, at least until the super-2 designation runs out.

Offensively the team is paced by Rolando DeJesus's 46 HRs, while T.J. Haynes contributed over 100 SBs (almost as many as his 121 K's) while clubbing 22 HRs.Alan Sisco had an off year offensively, but should be able to rebound this season. In free agency, the Kahunas added power ihitting CF Rico Rosa, who should add a bit more pop to the middle of the lineup.

The starting staff is solid if unspectacular. Charles Knoblauch, Johnnie Murphy, Carlos Alvarez, and Moises Nieves are all solid contributors. There is no legit #1 starter, however. The bullpen is paced by workhorse D'Angelo Eusebio to work with Roy Christiansen and Kevin Greer. The bullpen will keep the Kahunas in a lot of games this year, and they should compete for a wildcard spot yet again. While the upcoming season of Honolulu baseball won't make anyone forget the cave adventures of the Brady Bunch trip to Hawaii, the future looks bright in these forgotten islands, as soon as Bob Clark arrives on the scene.

Chicago Fatties

2009-08-16T11:22:00.004-04:00

The city of broad shoulders has let its weight shift to its midsection over the past several years, probably part of the grieving over losing Coach Ditka, MJ, and Harry Carey. But the Fatties have embraced this physiological change and built their team persona around it, seeking to make "Super Size Me" catchy yet again.

Chicago made the playoffs for their third consecutive year in season 12, but Norfolk's pitching prowess may make it difficult for Chicago to recapture the division crown they garnered in season 11. In the offseason, Chicago made only a few moves, dealing CF Escobar to Montgomery for a relief project while adding two serviceable major league arms via free agency.

The rotation is filled with workhorses who are higher on stamina than talent, although Amos Phillips and Benito Camacho are both very solid contributors. Theo Craddock anchors the bullpen which has many high stamina contributors. The Fatties rotation is built for the 162 game marathon, but lacks the spark necessary for a short playoff burst. Another front line starter would help significantly.

Offensively, the Fatties are promising to promote a slew of young and talented players in season 13. Wagner, Davenport, and Pulido provide excellent bats that will help right away. One wonders if Pulido is ready for SS, but as a 3B, he has the glove and arm to be passable right away. These players will supplement an offense paced by Philip Gardner, Enrique Uribe, and the Dave Kingman-esque power of Daniel Scanlan (51 HRs/OBP under .300 last season).

The reinforcements will help Chicago compete for a fourth consecutive playoff birth. One wonders if their pitchers will be able to take them any further than that. But at least the XXL waist is now celebrated in the Windy City, thanks to the Chicago Fatties!

Monterrey Jacks

2009-08-15T22:47:00.003-04:00

Who knew Monterrey could ever add a jewel to its crown that surpasses a wonderful aquarium, a legacy dripping with the life and writings of John Steinbeck, an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean, and being a hop, skip and a jump from Pebble Beach. But when Monterrey welcomed its first Plumpy Rules franchise, the seaside town felt like it had finally arrived!

Monterrey has won its division three straight years, and reached the second round before falling to Rails last season. The team did little in the offseason to reload, as the offseason has been fairly uneventful in Monterrey, save the addition of the two Willies to the pitching staff via FA: Jose and Martinez. Believe it or not, one is from Cuba and the other from West Virginia!

The team has several nice starting pitchers in Vic Herrera, Frank Kuo, Chris McDill, and ERnie Woods. Even Rick "Superfreak" James adds another nice arm to the staff. The pen is also solid with Benito Olivo, the newly acquired Willie Martinez (the one from Cuba) and Tom Reed.

The team also boasts a load of power from Jerry Torres, Julius Moreno, Red O'Donnall, and the ageless Andrew Jones. Jimmie Richardson provides a great bat at the top of the lineup. Bottom line? Monterrey can win the division again for the fourth straight year, but this team does not stack up against the top three teams in terms of talent. Unfortunately, Monterrey will probably continue to be best know for Cannery Row and a great cheese and not for a nice Plumpy Rules squad (And any attempt to tell me this team is from Monterrey, Mexico will be met by a simple resopnse, "No Comprende!!!")

Norfolk Needlefish

2009-08-15T20:42:00.002-04:00

The Needlefish franchise reached the playoffs for only the second time in league history in season 12, and brought Norfolk more excitement than they have seen since they discovered they would host the world's largest naval port. Thankfully the Needlefish run took the town's attention away from their ill-conceived "Mermaids on Parade" campaign, which offers you the opportunity to have a mermaid sent to your home or office!?! They were upset in round one last year, but look primed to make another run in season 13.

In the offseason, the Needlefish lost Rick Neil to free agency and traded away SS Clayton and CF Sosa. In their place, they picked up SP Cormier and 2B Placido Gutierrez, a fairly even swap. Their pitching staff is paced by Juan Seguingnol who won the rookie of the year last season. Austin Morgan provides another very nice young starting pitcher, and Gary Shields is incredible as well. The Needlefish have the most impressive young corp of starting pitching this league has perhaps ever seen!

The bullpen is paced by Larry Strange and Pineiro, and is frankly not on par with the starting rotation. The lineup is filled with power hitters like Marino Asacio, Fernando Sosa, Clinton Blank, Cleatus Rekar (that first name is not a misprint), and Andrew Tate. These guys can flat out mash. Norfolk has every chance of repeating as division champs and moving well past the first round this year with a pitching staff that looks like the Atlanta Braves circa 1993. Hopefully they will have more postseason success than the Braves.

Oakland Hammers

2009-08-15T18:05:00.003-04:00

The Season 11 Champions were knocked out by Rails in the AL championships last season, but still are loaded with talent. Not since Charlie O. Finley ran the Athletics in the early 70s or since Al Davis was only partially insane has this type of talent resided in Oakland.

The Catfish Hunter of this A's squad is Einar Pena, who has garnered three consecutive Cy Young awards. He is the Jeff Hackman of the mound, with four 20-win seasons and 99 wins in just four major league campaigns. Given Pena's health, durability, and makeup, we could be looking at the standard bearer by which all future Plumpy pitchers are measured. He could easily top both the 300 win plateau and 3000 strikeouts by the age of 35!

With the loss of Atkinsson to the rival Minnesota squad, the starting rotation is still solid, but only Pena and to a lesser degree Sefcik have the stamina one looks for in a starter. Ruffin, Byrd, and Simmons will provide five or so good innings, but the bullpen will be used and abused in Oakland if they don't find an innings eater to take some pressure off. Of course Manny Chang is one of the elite closers in the game, and should anchor a very solid bullpen along with Allen Bryant.

Offensively Oakland remains solid, with power hitters Norm Hunter, Damaso Ramirez, Tony Ball, Ivan Ortiz, and SS phenom Mateo Bennett setting the pace. Jefferson and Musial also offer some solid offensive contributions.

If Oakland can fine one more horse starting pitcher to slot behind Pena and replace their loss of Atkinsson, they can once again compete for another World Series title in season 13. Just no crazy mustaches this time, fellas!

Minnesota Runnin Rails

2009-08-15T16:35:00.003-04:00

The reigning AL Champs are eager to make season 13 a magical season, when they finally capture that elusive 3rd World Series championship. And they quadrupled the Minnesota state debt load in a touch economy to make it happen, allocating a staggering $151 million toward player payroll. For that amount, they are hoping state heroes Prince and Bob Dylan will be able to play the National Anthem before every game as well (that would be an interesting duet, by the way!)

And if you are looking for a sign of their commitment, look no further than the signing of all-everything FA pitcher Adrain Adkinsson. The 38 year old Atkinsson was signed to a staggering 3 year, $70 million offer. Of course the three time Cy Young Award winner with over 200 career victories is showing no signs of slowing down, and adding him while taking his arm away from Oakland may keep Minnesota at the top of the heap in the AL yet again. The rest of the starting staff is strong while Orlando Campos and Brady Murphy anchor a strong bullpen.

Last season the Rails team was often mistaken for the Big Red Machine, with runs scored at a staggering pace. The names are familiar to opposing pitchers: Espinosa, Jung, Baez, Thompson, Rodriguez, Garcia. Add to that OBP giant Jeff Wood and there is no reason to believe that Minnesota won't challenge yet again for the AL championship and the World Series title.

Montgomery Burns Rant on Coach Hiring

2009-08-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

TO WIS Powers that be:

I know the coach hiring process is one that is extremely hard to figure out, and the what if team has put a lot of effort toward improving it. That said, I would like to share what recently happened to me in the Plumply Rules league in my pursuit of a fielding instructor. Like always, I tried to lock up coaches early and avoid financial battles over elite coaches, settling for very good coaches. I value fielding, so my target was given a $1,500,000 plus offer. And I waited for him to sign. I went to bed last night assuming he was signing, as there were precious few coaches left. At the 11 PM cycle he told me he got a better offer. I'm coming off back surgery earlier this week, and have been crashing about nine or nine thirty due to meds, etc. I woke up this morning and find he has signed elsewhere at the 3 AM cycle. No chance to counter. No chance to try to get back in the game on the guy I'd led on almost the entire time. Okay, happened before. But what was left? The BEST fielding rating left among all the coaches at all levels was in the mid 50s! So I have a horrible fielding instructor, because there is absolutely no safety net for somebody poaching a coach at the last minute, and the sim does not generate an adequate number os 70 + rated fielding instructors to insure somebody doesn't get slammed. My concern is fairly minimal, except that I would not be surprised to see the penalty for this late night singing of my targeted fielding instructor will probably include: substandard fielding improvement from minor leaguers and young major leaguers, and more rapid decline of fielding ratings from my older veterans. I think this is way too big a penalty for someone who was on top of things, not blowing the coach hiring process off, and who invests time and money in this sim. Please work on fixing this so this type of thing doesn't happen to other players in the future. It simply isn't a fair or just aspect of the SIM.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

2009-08-14T01:59:00.000-04:00

Award Winners for the Worst Five Contracts of Season 11 Revisited

#1 CARLOS RIVERA

Carlos Rivera, the $19.6 million man (an updated version of Lee Majors' 'Six Million Dollar Man' after hyperinflation and without the bionic powers) remains a mainstay in the Trenton Titans lineup and there he shall likely remain until his astronomical contract expires after season 14.

Easily the best, most productive player this ignomious dishonor was bestowed upon, Rivera was an MVP contender in Season 11 and has averaged 32 homers and 121 RBIs over the last two seasons. He provides a more than adequate 1B bat, and virtually any Plumpyville team without cleanup batters named Todd Ford or Jeff Hackman would be glad to plug him into their respective lineups. But the fact remains, garnering his services requires showering him with big, giant barrelfulls of cold, hard cash. Cash in a volume copious enough to cripple a team from properly addressing other on the field needs.

Solid as he is, Rivera remains the albotross around the Titan's neck and when not planted on the first base bag can be most easily located by visiting your local trading block.

#2 O.T. TITAN

Titan, the beneficiary of a $7.6 two-year deal well after he should have been shipped off to the glue farm, rewarded Submariner GM Bill Howell with a 6.53 ERA/1.82 WHIP season 11 before having his option declined for season 12 (perhaps the contract wasn't as onerous as perceived at first glance) and can currently be found shuffleboarding at the Sunnydale Old Folks Home for Retired Meatballers.

#3 DARREN MACK

Mack, an $8.8mil/season southpaw starter, ended up bouncing back and having a pretty nice Season 11 for the once-mighty Montgomery Burns. But he followed up his 12-6, 1.30 WHIP, 3.54 ERA season 11 with a much less impressive 8-10, 1.63 WHIP, 5.65 ERA season 12 which happened to coincide with Montgomery's only losing season in franchise history.

Two days ago, long-time Burns' GM ttjax was able to unload Mack to the pitching-starved New York Godfathers for Lorenzo Rojas and Fausto Rincon, a pair of ML/AAA tweeners who may offer little help on the field but certainly offer big help on the balance sheet.

#4 HARRY GUERRERO

Guerrero, nlmiller's most notable charity case, received a long-term $18.5 million contract in season 7. When a dollar value is assigned per ML victory accrued, the mathematician calculating the figure has a close encounter of the infinity kind. Guerrero never won a major league ball game, though he did end his big league career with a whopping 15.88 ERA to go with a 3.00 WHIP and a handful of losses.

Guerrero's big contact eventually expired, and he is currently toiling where in AA for minimum wage.

#5 JOSIAS FERNANDEZ

Fernandez, a once-effective major league utility infielder, cashed in his chips after one last bloated contract. He ended his career hacking at meatballs in Oakland's minor league system, a shell of his former self, after collecting $11.2 million dollars from the Richmond Tyrants in return for a grand total of 70 ML at bats and a.186/.293/.357 big league output.

Montgomery Burns Special Report

2009-08-08T15:44:00.002-04:00

Late word out of Montgomery is that the Burns and slugger Todd Ford are on the verge of signing a four year contract extension. Ford is entering the final year of his contract in Plumpy season 13. While the final agreement has not yet been signed, insiders are saying that the total deal is expected to be in the four year/$35 million range.

Late last year, a team executive told this reporter that Montgomery, coming off their first losing season in team history, would decide whether to rebuild or reload in season 13 based on the team's ability to sign the much-coveted Ford. Based on this news, look for Burns to lock up former Cy Young winner Sandy Mieske to a long-term contract, and expect Montgomery to be buyers on the trade market for starting and relief pitching to try to push the young and intimidating Jacksonville Alcoholics club.

Upon hearing of the possible long-term deal with Ford, catcher Steve Cannon said, "Time to declare prohibition in the NL South!" Stay tuned for more details.

World Series Facts

2009-08-05T13:34:00.002-04:00

So there was some degree of surprise at Philadelphia's world series win in Season 12, so I went back quickly to consider some fast facts from Plumpy Rules World Series past.

If not an upset, Philadelphia's win at least classifies as going against the grain in Plumpy for the following reasons:

Philly is an NL team, only the third NL franchise to win the Plumpy World Series (Oklahoma City in season 1, Montgomery in seasons 7 & 9 are the others). The AL leads 8-4.

Philly is the first team under 100 wins to capture the crown since Oklahoma City won in season 1! They are the first team with under 90 wins to capture a world series crown.

Amazingly, ten straight seasons saw a 100 win team capture the world series, and many of the World Series included 2 100 win teams.

The are the lowest seed to win a World Series since season 1, when Oklahoma City won as a 5 seed.

NL Rumor Mill

2009-08-04T02:15:00.004-04:00

Pittsburgh Wannabes

In Pittsburgh, Brett Stewart and Jolbert Veras are on the trade block. Stewart, who had suitors even after the non-waiver trade deadline, hit .332/51/152. He plays a position where it is easy to find talent, but he does play it very well. He’s got two years left on his contract at a rate of 5.4 million per season. Veras has 120 career homeruns, with 40 coming just from season 12. He also wound up hitting .318 and driving in 94 runs. His contract runs until Season 15 and escalates each season (he’s due 4.9, 5, and 5.5 million over the next 3 seasons), but is still club friendly for an offensive catcher.

Pat Hernandez and Rob Pote will likely both be available on the free agent market. Hernandez, Pittsburgh’s lefty ace this past season, sports a lifetime 129-112 record with a 4.04 ERA. Hernandez has thrown 200+ innings 9 times while going on the disabled list only once early in his career largely as a preventative measure. He may draw interest from many teams simply as an innings eater. Pote, another lefty, sports a lifetime 119-92 record. However, he has had a little worse luck with the injury bug. He’s spending the offseason recovering from elbow surgery but expects to be back at some point early in the regular season. Question is will a team sign him? There are strong indications out of the Wannabes’ front office that his option will be declined, and many teams are not eager to grab an injury prone older pitcher. He will have to take a bargain rate to catch on somewhere.

Philadelphia Regulators

Philly is looking for pitching, specifically another starter (1 or 2 type) and bullpen help. Also on the wish, is an upgrade in LF. J.P. Hernandez, Vicente Lee, Bronson Bell, Cesar Polanco, Dwight Johnson, and Eduardo Renteria are names coming up in conversations across the league. There is a good chance all are available for the right price, but Lee, Bell, and Hernandez have some of the most easily moveable contracts right now. Rumor has it that top prospect Santiago Perez, Felipe Moreno, and Benji Vasquez and many other position players at the AAA level are also available.

Jacksonville Alcoholics

Rolando Guerrero, Jamie Rodgers, Zeus Thurman, Antonio Whang, and Jamie Rodgers are all position players available at the Major League level. Tomas Martinez and Adrian Nixon are available pitchers from the ML roster as is John Li at (HiA). It is no secret that Jacksonville is targeting starting pitching or a leadoff CF. Late in the season, Jacksonville scouts could be seen regularly at Montreal games scouting their Major League pitchers. Jacksonville also took looks at Chicago’s Oswaldo Escobar and Tacoma’s Sid Nelson.

Montgomery Burns

Norman Boyd, the 21 year old LoA Cy Young Award winner is on the block. Boyd, a tall lefty out of Highland Community College in Kansas has 3 pitches (a 4 seam, change, and forkball) that scouts salivate over. It also appears that hitters have had a hard time with Boyd as evidenced by the 198 Ks as compared with a paltry 41 walks this past season alone.

Kevin Chang will be allowed to walk on into free agency, as will Barney McMillan. As for the rest of the roster? Monty Burns is sticking to their “no one is expendable policy…except Todd Ford” policy. Rival GMs hope Todd Ford will realize one day soon just how sweet the open market can be. “Should he decide to test the market, Burns will undoubtedly have to move him. Normally, with a good player, the [compensation] picks are enough. Not Ford though.”

Burns has signaled an interest in dealing Andruw Henderson, Ariel Sosa, and Orval Throneberry. Rival GMs say that they’ve heard Sandy Mieskie’s name out there, but doubt he’ll move unless Burns’ demands are met exactly.

Tampa Bay Pirates

The Tampa Bay front office might be awfully quiet this offseason. Most of their resources will go towards tracking their younger guys in the winter leagues. If Tampa Bay does any buying, it will be for a Left handed bat to go in the middle of the order or a leadoff hitter.

Sources indicate that management would listen to offers on any of these players: Jed Hennessey, Carlos Rios, Steven Hiljus, Desi Nunez, Kiki Campos, Ivan Rivas, and Ellie Anderson.

Tampa Bay loves the defense Kimera Pressley provides, but don’t be surprised if he gets traded for a younger shortstop.

Catcher Mike Ball (S) is blocked in AAA and Tampa Bay is willing to move him. The switch hitting catcher has not hit lower than .310 at any stop in the minor league system. In addition to Ball, any AAA position player not named Crash Cloud is available.

Tacoma Chicken Dance

Hearing that Sid Nelson isn’t likely to give Tacoma a home town discount and will test the market. His current contract is 5.8 million and he will be 31 in season 13 (just like Oswaldo Escobar). Nelson, like Escobar, sports a lifetime .340+ on base percentage (Escobar .341, Nelson .348), is left handed, and has great defense (nod goes to Escobar). Nelson has great speed, as he has amassed over 40 steals the last 5 seasons (3 seasons with over 60). The difference? Nelson is on the free agent market now and Escobar has to be traded for.

GM moustache, when we talked to him, said “Kyle Adkins is available for free. That isn’t off the record, write that down. No, don’t just write it down…underline it, bold it, and italicize it!” Adkins has 19.5 million due to him over the next four years. The lefty had a rough first year in Tacoma, but another year in that park (or another pitcher friendly park) may do him a lot of good. Potential landing spots: staying in Tacoma, Portland, Omaha. Longshots: Oakland, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, New York (Godfathers).

Ronn Gagne, on the other hand, was a terrific story in Season 12. Asked to start consistently for the first time in his 5 year major league career, Gagne rose to the challenge. He started 23 games and held opponents to a .224 opponent average and a 3.88 ERA. He is signed through Season 14 at a very team friendly deal of 2.8 million per season.

Vince Sewell is available. The AAA second baseman is good defensively and has put up high averages at every stop in the minor league ranks. Also hearing that Alex Lockwood is another prospect that isn’t as untouchable as other GMs once thought. However, that doesn’t mean he will come at a bargain price either. Derrick Velandia and Bernie Cruz will hit the market. Both are good defenders at their positions, SS and 3B respectively, but lack solid offensive production.

Trenton Titans

Unnamed sources in Trenton confirm that the Titans managements would be listening to offers for Dennis Barkley and Lonny Griffin. Barkley, who is due 8.75 million next season, finished season 12 hitting .299/31/66. Barkley has clubbed 213 home runs in his career, but never really quite got adjusted to Trenton after the move from Baltimore. He is a good candidate to be moved to a contender wiling to put him middle to lower part of the order down if the price is right. Griffin, also due 8.75 million next season, hit .310/22/82. Most scouts say Griffin will likely stay in the AL, if dealt at all.

AL Rumor Mill

2009-08-04T01:36:00.005-04:00

Montreal Expositions

With a slew of slick fielding shortstops waiting in the wings, Rick Larkin has become expendable in Montreal. Larkin is coming off a season 12 campaign in which he hit .256/14/65 while stealing 37 bases. While he did not get on base quite as much as his first season in Montreal, he did still manage to score 82 runs. Bill Clifton was just what Montreal needed in season 11, but he got rocked in season 12. Odds are Montreal will let the 229 save reliever walk unless they hear of a trade and sign type opportunity.

Oakland Hammers

Adrian Adkinsson and Rey Maxwell aren't going to be resigned and will be heading to free agency. Adkinsson can simply be described as the next bidding war, even at age 38. Maxwell also knows how to earn his paycheck. This Right Fielder has hit 217 home runs while hitting .289 lifetime.

Chicago Fatties

A hot name right now in the rumor mill is Centerfielder Oswaldo Escobar. The soon to be 31 year old Escobar has racked up 7 of the last 9 Gold Gloves, including Season 12. He makes a lot of sense for a lot of teams simply for his defense, but Escobar also provides the presence of a lefty bat with a friendly contract. Escobar will be entering the final year of a four year contract that has paid him $5.8 million annually.

New York Godfathers

Trenidad Espinosa rebounded amiably after being let go by Louisville in Season 11. Espinosa finished season 12 by hitting .285 15/43 out in Right Field. Staff ace Johnny Pride is available. Pride is coming off an 11-15 season. Sam Witt saw action last year as a back end of the rotation guy for the Godfathers. The lifetime 28-53 pitcher may have a hard time finding work above the AAA level. Johnny Pride is a soon to be 29 year old lefty who offered the Godfathers 200+ innings last year, a feat he has accomplished 4 times in his career. Pride will be looking to catch on wherever someone will pay him. More than likely he will try to get New York to resign him, but realizes his best bet is with a rebuilding club to warm a spot until other prospects are ready to take over.

Portland Killer Whales

“No one will be resigned” is apparently the mantra of the Killer Whales these days. All potential free agents include Patrick Rigby, Pedro Diaz, Stephen McDowell, and Reagan Robinson . Fernando Garces is the highest profile Killer Whale to go to the market. Garces is not willing to resign with Portland and the front office could not be happier. “Even if he would want to resign him, we wouldn’t” stated one source with knowledge of the situation. “The youth movement in Portland will go on.” Portland has been signaling interest in trading Trot Hughes, Francisco Fernandez, and Rey Van Hekken.

Norfolk Needlefish

When asked for rumors, most GMs smile and lawyer up on you. That isn’t GM Sordie’s style. “Runner-up for Fireman of the Year, Chris Sauveur , is going to retire from baseball, get a sex change operation, change his name to Christina, and dance in a French cabaret review.” Scouts in some circles had said they thought he had already done that at the deadline in Season 10 when Saveuer was slotted as the Philadelphia closer and proceeded to have a 2.39 WHIP and an ERA just under 8 . Sordie is also telling anyone that will listen that Gary Clayton and Juan Sosa are looking to be dealt. Rick Neill just had a great season but he’s stated that he’s looking for one last good deal, so he’ll explore Free Agency.

San Juan Elephant Seals

Signed through 15 at a rate of 5.4 million a year, Ricardo Johnson is rumored to be available. Johnson isn't too sexy of a player in the eyes of most GMs, but some see his value. Johnson offers little power, but does offer great speed and a great eye. Last season, his on base percentage was low by his standards at .355 in comparison to his lifetime mark of .371. Also, don't be surprised if the San Juan front office fields offers for anyone over the age of 25.

#5 Vancouver vs. #4 Philadelphia

2009-07-24T10:24:00.002-04:00

Vancouver is led offensively by young CF richard Truman, who hit over .330 for the year, scored over 100 runs, while clubbing 19 HRs. 3B Joseph Gonzalez is the only real power threat having clubbed 36 HRs and 101 RBI while hitting .275. 2B Rafael Espinosa leads the team in runs scored with 117. The team is not any threat on the basepaths, with 9 SBs from Espinosa accounting for 100 % of the team's SB total! Vancouver's offense is pedestrian at best.

Pitching wise, Cody Young has been the rock of the staff over the past decade, and continues to provide a very reliable pitcher who will have to step up over the next few weeks if Vancouver is going to make a run. Louis Bailey and Billy Sanders are also solid, and Vancouver boasted five double digit winners on their starting staff this year.

The strength of the team is their bullpen, led by Jalel Priest, Jumbo Abercrombie, and Sam Allen. Priest's numbers are worthy of Cy Young consideration this season, with 7 wins and 33 saves to go along with a 1.18 WHIP and an ERA barely over 2. These pitchers will have to step up and perform if Vancouver is going to succeed.

Meanwhile, Philadelpia's offense is very impressive, led by 1B and MVP candidate Omar Alvarez, who hit 55 HRs and 140 RBI and an OPS of 1.102. And he is not alone. 3B Dan Percival contributed 44 HRs and 109 RBI, 2B Vicente Lee hit 34 HRs with 100 RBI, as well as 30 HRs and 84 RBI from Bronson Bell. The Philadelphia offense is extremely strong and will pose a bit challenge for Vancouver.

Bret Dawkins paces the starting staff in Phlly, with 15 wins, a whip of 1.02, and an ERA under 3.00. Geoffery McNamara is also a phenomenal SP who will anchor the playoff staff. Santos and Ma are also solid contributors. The only advantage for Vancouver will be the bullpen, where Philly has a real piecemeal effort.

Prediction: Philadelphia 3-1

Playoff Preview: Chicago v. Salt Lake

2009-07-23T23:35:00.002-04:00

#3 Seed Chicago (91-71) vs. #6 Seed Salt Lake City

Chicago has the premier offense in the National League, and led all of Plumpy in HRs this season. The are paced by probable NL MVP Jeff Hackman, who clubbed 70 HRs, knocked in 175, and logged an OPS of 1.225. 2B Mark Spehr added 52 HRs, C Alejandro Romano clubbed over 40, while OFs Richardson & Perez both topped the 30 plateau. For those keeping score at home, the cubs lineup boasts 6 starters out of 8 who hit over 30 HRs, while Neal and O'Malley, the other two starters, each hit over 20, with Neal adding over 100 RBI.

The Cubs pitching is paced by 22 game winner and Cy Young candidate Aaron Hinske. Chipper Anderson and Oscar Christman provide three solid starters who should be very effective in the playoffs. The biggest weakness and probable achilles heal for the Cubbies is their bullpen by committee, which is filled with decent arms, but lacks shut down arms who will slam the door in close games. The Cubs will need their powerful bats and top three starters to give their bullpen large leads which they can hold.

Salt Lake City made a surprise run to the World Series last season. They hit a full 120 HRs less than the Cubs this season, and lack the dominate offense they will face in Chicago. Ewell Coles and Moises Bravo provide the power for Salt Lake, with each hitting over 30 HRs and 100 RBI.

But pitching wise, the top starters for Salt Lake are simply dominate: Tom Booker and Anthony Stanley and Carlos Olivo. All have outstanding ratings, ERAs, and ratios and are a stronger trio than Chicago will be able to bring to the pitching rubber. Salt Lake also has a legitimate front line closer in Doug Caruso, who as a 23 year old posted 40 saves.

In the end, the home field advantage and the superior offense will win this battle for the Cubs, 3-1.

NL South Preview!!!!11111

2009-06-01T13:13:00.002-04:00

Montgomery Burns

Last year, the Burns looked like a coiled spring ready to blast through the NL playoffs after turning in their sixth straight 100 win season. With a lineup already featuring Todd Ford and Jamie Jung was coupled with the mid season acquisitions of Che Ong, Andruw Henderson, Ariel Sosa. But it was for naught as the Burns fell to the cinderella Salt in the NLCS. The season the lineup is as potent as ever even with loss of Jung to free agency. GM Ttjack cashed in the trade chips of Lonny Aguilar, Tom Booker, and Ed Cannon to restock the prospects last season's trades had depleted.

Overall, the moves mitigated the off season losses, but one has to wonder if the Montgomery pitching staff will be strong enough to ensure another 100 win season and NL South title. The staff is lead by Sandy Mieske but after him there is a considerable drop off in talent and the bullpen has no real "go-to guy." With the organization's top pitching prospects likely at least a year away, there doesn't seem to be any in house reinforcements riding to the rescue should injury or ineffectiveness strike. However, as we all know, GM TTjack is not afraid to go out and fill any holes mid season.

Prediction: 98-64, 1st place NL South

Jacksonville Alcoholics

Last season Jax finished with a higher expected winning percentage than the Burn yet finished 10 games back in the standings. They did however earn the franchise's first playoff berth in team history which inspired enough confidence in GM Frankum to stand pat this off season. While the 'Holics were a bit unlucky in one-run and extra inning games, its a bit puzzling why no moves were made to shore up the long relief, catching, or add bench depth. The entire rotation is very young and strong with the trio of George Reuschel, Glenn Carlyle, and Howard Fasano and the backend of the bullpen is solid. If the #4-5 starters don't regress too much, the pitching staff should be formidable again.

Offensively, Ron Puffer should rebound slightly from his down year, but at age 30 one has to wonder if the 50 HR seasons are behind him. Rolando Guerrero continues to be the definition of consistency with the bat which should make up his age slowly draining his first step on defense. Dan Clayton and Zeus Thurman are nearing the cusp of their prime and need to continues their offensive progression. The most glaring weakness for the Alcoholics seems to be their bench with no LH pinch hitting option and little more than defensive value. All in all, Jax is a solid team and should be in playoff contention

Predicition: 95-67, 2nd place NL South, NL Wildcard

Tampa Bay Pirates

GM presidentdan went into full blown rebuild mode by dumping high priced veterans like Andruw Henderson, Ariel Sosa, Gabe Matthews, and Vicente Lee. While their returns were solid but lacked any players with real impact upside. They should provide a solid base to build upon, but only a few are ready to help out now. Steven Hiljus and Desi Nunez are on the 25-man roster and Rule V pickup Carlos Rios should slot into the starting CF job, but right now Chuck Robertson is the lone offensive force. The good news is that Pirates have one positional player over age 30 and should stay nice and cheap while progressing.

The pitching staff will be the major concern as Edgar Pascual and Bernard Frederick appear to be the only two that are capable of replacement level production. Giving innings to Brian Brea, William Wang, and P.J. Bush should give Tampa sports writers plenty to talk about.

Prediction: 60-102, 4th place NL South

Richmond Tyrants

Richmond's inexplicable free fall caused some uproar last season as GM bwb53 turned in his worst season ever by 16 games. Every pitcher not named Philip Reed struggled to miss bats while only two players with over 200 PAs had OPB better than .340. So distraught over his performance, Dion Forrest restructured his contract to give Richmond future financial flexibility. In order to right the ship, Richmond signed FAs Kirt Strong, Jaret Hall, Benny Rodriguez, and Daniel Ruffin. Richmond sports a solid rotation backed by a shaky but improved bullpen, but the staff was hit by the recent injury to Eugene Hartman.

The Tyrants abysmal OPB led to being the 4th worst in runs scored and a poor 15-26 record in one run games. The bright spot for the offense this season should be newly promoted prospect, Peter Chong. The #11 pick in season 8 should bring some much needed power and on-base skills and could partner with potential mid season call up Ivan Silva to form a young and potent 1-2 punch in the middle of the Tyrants' lineup. Until then the offense is going to have to rely on Chong and David Rojas to shoulder the load. Richmond has a potential contending level pitching staff, but until they provide the offense to back it up they will end up with more losses than wins.

Prediction: 72-90, 3rd place NL South

NL WEST PREVIEW!!!!1111

2009-05-27T17:48:00.001-04:00

Salt Lake City The Salt
The most redundant team name appears to be quite apt after the experience gained during last years impressive playoff run. Taking over after the previous went GM AWOL, rds_lsu righted the ship and turned in the franchises' first 100 win season. Not to rest on his laurels and coast his previous success acquired 28 year old ace Tom Booker. Booker will be the centerpiece of a well rounded rotation that features Anthony Stanley and Carlos Oliva with no starters over the age of 30. Their bullpen offers quality depth in case of injury with Doug Caruso at the backend as the anchor. Injuries seem to be a concern for rds_lsu as the Salt are inexplicably carrying 14 pitchers on the roster.

The Salt's positional players offer the most concern. While Moises Bravo and Ewell Coles have plenty of pop and phenom Craig James is a potential all-star, they lack depth both bench-wise and organizationally. With no real advanced prospects, an injury or two could spell disaster for the Salt. Having traded uber-prospect Damon Hampton to get Tom Booker might have to rely on in house options or waiver wire scraps to fill any potential gaps.

97-65, NL West Champs

San Fransico Steriod Sluggers
The Steriod Sluggers finished one win behind the Salt and because of it faced a tougher road in the playoffs and ended up watching their division rivals win the NL Pennant. GM Grecianfox's offseason was met with firestorm of criticism from the SF area sportswriters after trading for Midre DeJesus and his albatross contract and allowing FA 3B Alan Sisco to sign for a mere 4.4 million over two years with Honolulu rather than being resigned. Sisco's departure leaves a big hole at the hot corner and in the middle of the lineup. Grecianfox used the money saved by signing perennial Gold Glove CF Shannon Lemon to patrol the vast AT&T outfield and is a considerable offensive upgrade to the position. He adds to a young offensive core of Freddie Gray, Dee Riley, and Luis Santiago. Their defense looks to be top notch with DeJesus moving to LF, Lemon, and SS Phillip Benson.

The staff is anchored by Randy Edwards who continues to nearly unhittable. The rotation behind is solid if unspectacular and their bullpen doesn't really have a weak link. The Sluggers' pitching and defense were the big reason they outperformed their pythag by nearly .040 points, the question will be whether they can score enough runs this season to catch the Salt.

Prediction: 94-68, 2nd place NL West, NL Wildcard

Vancouver Mounties
The NL West's 3rd 90 win team found themselves on the outside looking in as they missed the last wild card spot by 3 wins. With Tony Soriano and Wilson Krause leaving for free agency, GM Jerico picked up Matty Tatis via trade and promoted young prospect Julio Gil fill their spots. They don't expect to be much of an upgrade, but they should fill their respective voids. Last season Thurman Liverman proved his rookie campaign was no fluke and Richard Truman will look to do the same this year. The Mounties offense is fairly young and could improve upon their 846 runs scored last year.

The Mounties pitching staff will be their main concern. With Soriano's departure, they lack any solid RH starting pitching. With Jalal Priest and Jumbo Abercrombie swapping jobs in the bullpen, expect Abercrombie and Sam Allen to be asked to come in and shut down right-handed batters in the middle innings. The Mounties lack of quality backend starters is going to hurt their playoff chase and really seperates them from San Fran and Salt Lake City. Vancouver might need to make a mid season move to improve the rotation or else they may be watching the playoffs on tv from home once again.

Prediction: 85-77, 3rd Place NL West

Tacoma Chicken Dance
Last season GM Moustachee cut payroll and saw his wins drop below 80 for the first time. Through a flurry of moves, some savvy, other questionable, Moustachee is looking to get the Chicken Dance back into contention in the NL West. Allowing Patrick Rigby, Alvin McKay, and CF Shannon Lemon to leave and cutting P Benji Dykhoff cleared the way to trade for CFs Andrew Fox and Sid Nelson and signed upgrades Kyle Adkins, Jesse Garcia, Ronn Gagne, and RF Dean Walsh. Adkins, Gagne, and Garcia all look to be good compliments to Ben Duncan and Rey Van Hekken which is important because Tacoma is relying on their pitching staff to give up as little as possible since their offense has the second worst OPS in the NL last season.

Part of the problem for the offense was Tacoma's spacious Cheney Stadium, the other part was their dreadful production from COF (Mariano Mercedes - OPS .786 and Lonny Martin - OPS .678) and with two of their top OPS producers in Lemon and Francisco Alvarez gone, look for the Chicken Dance to continue to struggle to score runs and win ball games.

Prediction: 71-91, 4th place NL West

AL South Predictions

2009-05-26T23:39:00.002-04:00

1st place: Monterey Jacks. Their incredible power hitting lineup coupled with solid starting pitching and a nice bullpen makes the Jacks the team to beat.

2nd place: St. Louis Crazy Horses look to go from 4th to 2nd and perhaps compete for a wild card spot in season 12. An improved young lineup, great young relievers, and a solid corp of starting pitchers will put Monterey on notice. They are one elite SP away from really making a run at the division.

3rd place: Atlanta Shockers, a team with a very solid lineup, lacks the pitching to truly compete this season.

4th place: San Jose Elephant Seals, has a great young bullpen, but needs to rebuild significantly and should start dealing vets to restock and reload for seasons 13 and beyond.

Monterrey Jacks

2009-05-26T21:36:00.004-04:00

The Jacks have made the playoffs 5 times and have won the division two consecutive years. The Jacks play in a slight hitters park.

The Jacks are loaded with solid sluggers, including former first round pick and left handed slgger Julius Moreno, who has elite power, a great eye, nice splits, and makes good contact. In 3 and a half MLB seasons, Moreno has collected 139 HRs, including 40+ the past two seasons. Batting average has not been a strong suite, particularly last year, when he hit only .256. Moreno should be good for 40 HRs most every year, and will likely have a 50 HR campaign at some point.

3B Andrew Jones is the veteran slugger for the Jacks. The five time all star has collected 285 HRs and over 1000 RBI in a ten year big league career. Only 32, Jones could join the 500 HR club if health permits. Jones should be good for 25 HRs and 80 RBI this season, while playing a solid 3B. Meanwhile, LF Jimmie Richardson brings great range and a nice glove to the defensive end, while offensively he is an incredible lead-off hitter, with great splits, an awesome eye, and a great contact rate. Richardson should be able to improve on his average and OBP in years to come, which have been a disappointing .274/.349. Richardson has the skill set to win a batting title some day.

2B Enrique Ozuna is a good fielding solid all-around hitter, with an excellent eye and decent power. Over the past four seasons in the majors, Ozuna has 90 HRs and has hit .272. 2B Frank Mauer should also garner some playing time. Despite poor plate discipline, Mauer makes excellent contact and is particularly dangerous against LHP. A rookie in season 12, Mauer is lightening fast, with over 400 minor league SBs. SS Quinton Cust has a great arm with accuracy, but his range and glove are a bit underwhelming for a SS. Cust is an above average offensive player for a SS, but has no one special skill at the plate.

Jerry Torres has elite power and passable hitting skills across the board. Over 7 seasons, Torres has averaged almost 50 HRs per year, and has 800 career RBI, with a .259 BAVG. He should continue to hit for 40 or more HRs with regular playing time. Melvin Lilly is another great power hitter on the Jacks, with nearly 170 HRs in just four full-time big league seasons.

1B Red O'Donnell has elite power and crushes LHP while holding his own against righties. He also makes good contact and has a good eye. O'Donnell hit 41 HR and had a batting average over .270 during last season's rookie campaign, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors. O'Donnell figures to be a core of the Jacks lineup for years to come.

Rigo Osuna is a very nice defensive SS who has decent power. He is a solid defensive replacement, spot starter, and pinch hitter against RHers. Even though he is a switch hitter, he has a lot of trouble vs. LHP.

Benny Iglesias was a nice pickup as a free agent CFer. An excellent defender who is injury prone, Iglesias has very good contact skills and splits, but no power. A career .310 hitter, Iglesias will be a nice contributor if he can stay healthy.

C Donnie Leskanic struggles with pitch calling, but is an excellent hitter, with awesome splits and solid skills as a hitter. He should improve his offensive numbers in the coming years.

Staff ace Ernie Wood provides great control, nice splits, and four good pitches, including an excellent slider. In three plus ML seasons, Wood has a 48-31 record, with over 500 K's and an ERA just over 4.00. Season 11 was probably his best season, as Wood sported a 16-8 record and made the all star team. Wood's broken arm in season 8 stunted his growth and prevented Wood from being the Cy Young quality pitcher many had projected, but Wood is still a serviceable #1 or #2 starter.

Young RHP Chris McDill is a very solid #2 SP, with great control, is tough on RHers, and has two good pitches. His lack of a dominant pitch holds him back, but he will still be a solid contributor for many seasons. In two big league seasons, McDill has a 28-18 record, and an ERA under 4. He should be good for 12-15 wins again this season. Meanwhile, Carlos Guardado offers great durability, stamina, and controlto go with three plus pitches, but has weak splits. The lefty has particular problems with RHers. He struggled last season during his rookie campaign, with an ERA well over 5, to go along with 17 losses. Still Guardado projects to be a very nice SP for years to come.

#4 SP Frank Kuo has a nice four seam FB and decent skills across the board, suitable for a back end of the rotation guy. Nothing special here, but he is serviceable.

Rick "Superfreak" James is a decent 5th starter/long reliever, with good control, decent splits, and two ML pitches. Johnnie Bennett is another long reliever with excellent control but sub-standard splits. Bennett does have a great 4-seamer and is an extreme ground ball pitcher, making up for his deficiencies somewhat. Bret Ross is yet another long reliever, with decent control, a great sinker, and the ability to keep the ball on the ground. His splits are decent bit not great.

Benito Olivo, in addition to having a cool sounding name, is a very nice short reliever, with good control, very good splits, and two nice pitches. Steve Duran is a RH set up man, with great control, good splits, and a lights out 4-Seam FB. Buck is a passable short reliever with average control & mediocre splits, but with a great 4-Seam FB, great velocity, and the ability to keep the ball on the ground. William Stockton is another nice reliever in a talented Jacks bullpen, with good control, splits, and quality pitches.

Tom Reed is the closer, sporting excellent control, solid splits, and two good pitches. The HR ball might be a problem, but he anchors a very good bullpen with lots of good arms.

Monterrey has a nice lineup, some good pitching, and a very good bullpen. They should be in the mix for the division.