All names are "clickable" to their player profile page.
Single Season Pitching Records
Eswalin Sierra is the new single season strikeout holder with 268. Jack Daley checks in at #4 with 240.
Single Season Hitting Records
Enrique Sojo now holds the #2 slot in the hitting streak category by hitting safely in 33 games last season.
Single Season Fielding
Marty Wayne and Carlos Gonzales now hold the #4/5 slots by notching 624 assists each last season.
Matthew Davis takes his place in the record books with 34 good plays in one season to tie the overall record.
Corky Buckley is now 4th on the record list for catcher ERA bringing in a 3.05 catcher ERA in season 13.
Career Pitching Records
No new leaders, but all numbers have been updated.
Career Hitting Records
Michael Seay is the new RBI's career leader and will make a run at surpassing Thompson for HR's as well this season.
Career Fielding Records
Braden Sager is the new all time assists leader with 4,624.
Matthew Davis is now tied for the all time good plays record with 182.
Bill Forster is the new leader at Catcher ERA with a 3.34 career Catcher ERA.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Season 13 First Round Amateur Draft Review
As a reminder, I used my ADV Scouting so your projections will differ from mine. Also, all players names are "clickable" to their profiles.
1. Iowa City Hawkeyes - Justin Crosby - One of the top hitting prospects on the draft. Its too bad he doesn't throw right handed or he may have developed into a good enough defender to play third base which would have made this a no brainer. With his combination of hitting ratings and speed, he should be a top performer for the Hawkeyes for many seasons.
tbone66's take: With the first overall pick my scouts said that Justin Crosby was the best player so I trusted in that. I hope he develops quickly because he is needed in the ML fast.
2. Jackson Rebels - Lyle Daly - Right now is playing third base, but I doubt his glove rating will develop enough to play there in the bigs. However, he also combines fantastic hitting ratings and speed and should be a perennial All Star.
3. Oakland Golden Bears - Philip Rigby - It is tough to find quality hitters who can also play a legit 3B so this is a solid pick.
z0601's take: Oakland is very pleased with picking Philip Rigby with the #3 Overall pick in this seasons draft. Pick so high in the draft, it is hard to make a bad pick and we believe that Rigby will help us in numerous ways in rise of this organization. Philip is most likely going to be groomed to be a defensive rock for the Golden Bears at 3B with his great ability to flash the leather at the corner. While Rigby should great improve our defense, he will bring a much need pop to our offense as well with both his power and ability to just get a hit. We are very excited to see Rigby finally choosing to play baseball instead of going to college and get his education.
4. Seattle Huskies - Patrick Pettibone - Signed for big money and deserves it as the top SP prospect in the draft. With his excellent split and 4 above average pitch projection, he will be a top of the rotation ace for the Huskies.
5. Boise Broncos - Lew Whitaker - Hmmmm, not sure about this selection. Everything looks great for Whitaker except for his vL rating which is important. Not as important as vR, but still very important. It will be very interesting to see how he develops and performs with excellent projections except for a below average split.
6. Jackson Rebels (from not signing Santo Borges last season) - Dee Thompson - Thompson looks like the leadoff hitter of the future for the Rebels. With the two hitters the Rebels have picked up in this draft, the future looks bright in Jackson!
7. Chicago Blue Demons - Dickie McDill - I really like this pick. Typically, we have to choose between an good hit, average fielder at SS or a no hit, great defender. McDill brings great power and great defensive ratings. These players are pretty rare.
arte's take: Dickie McDill is a rare true SS with power and a decent bat. May strike out more than average but if he reaches his potential will fill a huge gap in the Blue Demon's lineup.
8. Louisville Cardinals - Travis Jackson - Great selection by the new owner in Louisville. I bet gerald was surprised that Jackson slipped to #8. I wish his control was just a bit higher, but still is a legitimate ace prospect and a steal in the latter half of the top 10.
9. Columbus Buckeyes - Brad Holt - I like this pick except for the health rating. However, if he can avoid the injury bug, then Holt projects to be a fantastic leadoff hitter. With that righty split and eye, he can definitely post multiple seasons over .400 OBP.
10. Memphis Tigers (from not signing Torey James last season) - Welington Velez - I really like this pick as well to round out the top 10. As long as the Tigers can live with average catching skills, then Velez will be one of the top hitting catchers in the world.
mh17's take: Despite dropping a few points after signing, Velez remains a pretty good hitter and should produce at the plate. His pitch calling however will need a lot of work if he is to continue his career behind the plate.
11. Memphis Tigers - John O'Brien - Our first reliever is off the board and he is a doozy. My scouts project him to 100 in both vL and vR and p1 which is unreal. He won't hit that, but will still be a lights out closer. Great pick.
mh17's take: The Tigers got a great future closer in O’Brien. If he lives up to his potential, he could be the greatest pitcher to wear a Tiger uniform. The Tigers are happy about the future of their bullpen.
12. Charleston Cougars - Thumper Russell - Another solid selection as the Cougars find their catcher of the future in Russel. Thumper is a fitting first name and he should develop into a very nice hitter. Catching skills could be better, but still adequate to get the job done with those hitting ratings.
13. Dover Fightin Blue Hens - Graham Lyon - Love this pick. Very similar to Chicago's selection. When you can grab a good hitter who can play a legit SS then you grab him. These prospects are very rare and to see two in one draft is very interesting.
My first round draft pick was Graham Lyon . At first glance, a player with an 82 ovr from the 13th slot does not seem too bad, but the Fighting Hens feel he may be a little overrated, with the minimum defensive skills to play ss and an average ML hitter. He will have a decent blend of power and speed, so we are hoping for a 20-20 guy that brings some intangibles.
14. Little Rock Razorbacks - Nicky Phelps - Hasn't signed yet
15. Buffalo Bulls - Emmett Stevenson - Hasn't signed yet
16. Kansas City Wildcats - Bing Charles - Nice relief prospect. Health rating is a bit worrisome. I've seen mixed results of relievers with 4 pitches so will be interesting to see how Charles performs. With his splits, he does have closer potential.
17. Helena Grizzlies - Danny Sheffield - Should hit for high average and high OBP, but not a ton of power and teams typically try to get some power out of the 1B position.
drichar138's take: 1b was not at the top of my position priority list going into the draft, but I felt like Danny Sheffield was the safest pick of the draft and I am pleased to land him at #17.
18. Minnesota Golden Gophers - Quinton Brooks - Solid pick here. We're at the point where you can't draft for need as much as you should just got for best player on the board. Brooks should develop into a really solid ML hitter.
19. Portland Ducks (from losing type A FA Otis Damon) - Hunter Keough - Not in love with this pick. He doesn't look to hit the ball very well and his glove rating will be too low to be an everyday SS at the ML level. Could be a solid utility player.
sirius07's take: Hunter is a good SS player defensivly, but won't be in the top of the ML lineup. If he reach his projection, he will an average player.
20. New Orleans Bayou Bengals - Greg Lush - Would like this pick better if his vR was higher. Should be a decent hitter, but his vR will hold him back.
21. Arizona Sun Devils - Ismael Martinez - Really like this pick and a bit surprised he lasted this long. With his splits and decent pitch projections, he should be a nice middle of the rotation pitcher. With his DUR/STA combo, he will easily pitch 200 IP and could get closer to 250.
lpa2a's take: I picked up Ismael Martinez with the 21st pick overall. I don't care much about overall rating but he dropped 5 points from draft projection (10 budget) to advanced projection (15 bugdet). Still I think he can start in the middle of the rotation in the majors some day. I was bummed to see that my estimation of his velocity was way off. On the upside he is quite the workhorse with 31 durability and 97 stamina (projected.)
22. Louisville Cardinals (from losing type A FA Davy Woods) - Takashi Yamakazi - The Card's continue to shore up their SP prospects by selecting Yamakazi. His vR will hold him back, but he does have a lights out first pitch. I've also seen mixed results of 3 pitch starting pitchers.
23. Portland Ducks - Heathcliff Guerrero - LOVE this pick. Best value so far. I am shocked he lasted this long. The Ducks make up for their questionable at #19 by getting a steal at #23.
sirius07's take: This is a very nice pitcher. He won't give us many innings, but it will be quality. He has one very good pitch and two average pitches. His control and splits are very good too. An ML pitcher for sure, starter or long reliever.
24. Little Rock Razorbacks (from losing type A FA Clay Lavarnway) - JJ Sikorski - Hasn't signed yet
25. Detroit Wolverines - Al Trammell - Decent closer prospect, but will have to limit him to 15 pitches per outing so he better get the guys he faces out. Fantastic control and pitches with good splits.
tk21775's take: Not much with the 25th pick, got a closer who projects to have great control and nice splits but his stamina was a lot lower than what we were expecting.
26. Nashville Commodores - Perry Stevens - Should be a solid MLer one day and that is pretty much all you can look for this late in the first round. Not sure he has the tools to even play RF though.
27. Philadelphia Owls - Brutus Scott - Hasn't signed yet
28. Richmond Spiders (from not signing Bailey Hunt last season) - Henry Casey - Another solid closer prospect, but with his DUR/STA combo, he will be extremely limited in the number of innings he can pitch.
29. New York Red Storm - Geoff Snyder - If Snyder's glove rating was higher than this pick could be categorized as a steal. He is still a nice CF prospect that should give you equal number of + plays and errors. Another position where its tough to find decent hitting which Snyder does bring.
30. Richmond Spiders - Junior Huskey - I like this pick more than their pick at #28. Huskey is a good power hitting prospect and can definitely contribute everyday on the ML level.
31. Syracuse Orange - Bobby LaPorta - Great value here. his DUR will limit him, but when he does take the rubber, he should be a solid SP. Above average splits with 4 good to great pitches.
32. Fargo Bison - Bum James - Another good value this late in the first round. His splits aren't great, but combined with above average control and pitches, Fargo should be able to find a place in the starting rotation for him.
33. Texas Horned Frogs - Maverick Hemphill - I think the new owner in Texas will be able to find a place in the starting rotation for Hemphill because of his DUR rating although his STA isn't typical. Even if he is relegated to middle relief, he will help out eventually. Texas just has to figure out how to maximize Hemphill's innings.
34. Salem Beavers - Bob Evans - Not much to see here as his contact and vR ratings are below average for a starting 1B. He could be used as a pinch hitter/platoon against lefties.
35. Charlotte Tar Heels - Darrell Haywood - The Heel's rolled the dice on a decent SP prospect although he only has 3 pitches. Hopefully his splits and velocity can make up for it.
1. Iowa City Hawkeyes - Justin Crosby - One of the top hitting prospects on the draft. Its too bad he doesn't throw right handed or he may have developed into a good enough defender to play third base which would have made this a no brainer. With his combination of hitting ratings and speed, he should be a top performer for the Hawkeyes for many seasons.
tbone66's take: With the first overall pick my scouts said that Justin Crosby was the best player so I trusted in that. I hope he develops quickly because he is needed in the ML fast.
2. Jackson Rebels - Lyle Daly - Right now is playing third base, but I doubt his glove rating will develop enough to play there in the bigs. However, he also combines fantastic hitting ratings and speed and should be a perennial All Star.
3. Oakland Golden Bears - Philip Rigby - It is tough to find quality hitters who can also play a legit 3B so this is a solid pick.
z0601's take: Oakland is very pleased with picking Philip Rigby with the #3 Overall pick in this seasons draft. Pick so high in the draft, it is hard to make a bad pick and we believe that Rigby will help us in numerous ways in rise of this organization. Philip is most likely going to be groomed to be a defensive rock for the Golden Bears at 3B with his great ability to flash the leather at the corner. While Rigby should great improve our defense, he will bring a much need pop to our offense as well with both his power and ability to just get a hit. We are very excited to see Rigby finally choosing to play baseball instead of going to college and get his education.
4. Seattle Huskies - Patrick Pettibone - Signed for big money and deserves it as the top SP prospect in the draft. With his excellent split and 4 above average pitch projection, he will be a top of the rotation ace for the Huskies.
5. Boise Broncos - Lew Whitaker - Hmmmm, not sure about this selection. Everything looks great for Whitaker except for his vL rating which is important. Not as important as vR, but still very important. It will be very interesting to see how he develops and performs with excellent projections except for a below average split.
6. Jackson Rebels (from not signing Santo Borges last season) - Dee Thompson - Thompson looks like the leadoff hitter of the future for the Rebels. With the two hitters the Rebels have picked up in this draft, the future looks bright in Jackson!
7. Chicago Blue Demons - Dickie McDill - I really like this pick. Typically, we have to choose between an good hit, average fielder at SS or a no hit, great defender. McDill brings great power and great defensive ratings. These players are pretty rare.
arte's take: Dickie McDill is a rare true SS with power and a decent bat. May strike out more than average but if he reaches his potential will fill a huge gap in the Blue Demon's lineup.
8. Louisville Cardinals - Travis Jackson - Great selection by the new owner in Louisville. I bet gerald was surprised that Jackson slipped to #8. I wish his control was just a bit higher, but still is a legitimate ace prospect and a steal in the latter half of the top 10.
9. Columbus Buckeyes - Brad Holt - I like this pick except for the health rating. However, if he can avoid the injury bug, then Holt projects to be a fantastic leadoff hitter. With that righty split and eye, he can definitely post multiple seasons over .400 OBP.
10. Memphis Tigers (from not signing Torey James last season) - Welington Velez - I really like this pick as well to round out the top 10. As long as the Tigers can live with average catching skills, then Velez will be one of the top hitting catchers in the world.
mh17's take: Despite dropping a few points after signing, Velez remains a pretty good hitter and should produce at the plate. His pitch calling however will need a lot of work if he is to continue his career behind the plate.
11. Memphis Tigers - John O'Brien - Our first reliever is off the board and he is a doozy. My scouts project him to 100 in both vL and vR and p1 which is unreal. He won't hit that, but will still be a lights out closer. Great pick.
mh17's take: The Tigers got a great future closer in O’Brien. If he lives up to his potential, he could be the greatest pitcher to wear a Tiger uniform. The Tigers are happy about the future of their bullpen.
12. Charleston Cougars - Thumper Russell - Another solid selection as the Cougars find their catcher of the future in Russel. Thumper is a fitting first name and he should develop into a very nice hitter. Catching skills could be better, but still adequate to get the job done with those hitting ratings.
13. Dover Fightin Blue Hens - Graham Lyon - Love this pick. Very similar to Chicago's selection. When you can grab a good hitter who can play a legit SS then you grab him. These prospects are very rare and to see two in one draft is very interesting.
My first round draft pick was Graham Lyon . At first glance, a player with an 82 ovr from the 13th slot does not seem too bad, but the Fighting Hens feel he may be a little overrated, with the minimum defensive skills to play ss and an average ML hitter. He will have a decent blend of power and speed, so we are hoping for a 20-20 guy that brings some intangibles.
14. Little Rock Razorbacks - Nicky Phelps - Hasn't signed yet
15. Buffalo Bulls - Emmett Stevenson - Hasn't signed yet
16. Kansas City Wildcats - Bing Charles - Nice relief prospect. Health rating is a bit worrisome. I've seen mixed results of relievers with 4 pitches so will be interesting to see how Charles performs. With his splits, he does have closer potential.
17. Helena Grizzlies - Danny Sheffield - Should hit for high average and high OBP, but not a ton of power and teams typically try to get some power out of the 1B position.
drichar138's take: 1b was not at the top of my position priority list going into the draft, but I felt like Danny Sheffield was the safest pick of the draft and I am pleased to land him at #17.
18. Minnesota Golden Gophers - Quinton Brooks - Solid pick here. We're at the point where you can't draft for need as much as you should just got for best player on the board. Brooks should develop into a really solid ML hitter.
19. Portland Ducks (from losing type A FA Otis Damon) - Hunter Keough - Not in love with this pick. He doesn't look to hit the ball very well and his glove rating will be too low to be an everyday SS at the ML level. Could be a solid utility player.
sirius07's take: Hunter is a good SS player defensivly, but won't be in the top of the ML lineup. If he reach his projection, he will an average player.
20. New Orleans Bayou Bengals - Greg Lush - Would like this pick better if his vR was higher. Should be a decent hitter, but his vR will hold him back.
21. Arizona Sun Devils - Ismael Martinez - Really like this pick and a bit surprised he lasted this long. With his splits and decent pitch projections, he should be a nice middle of the rotation pitcher. With his DUR/STA combo, he will easily pitch 200 IP and could get closer to 250.
lpa2a's take: I picked up Ismael Martinez with the 21st pick overall. I don't care much about overall rating but he dropped 5 points from draft projection (10 budget) to advanced projection (15 bugdet). Still I think he can start in the middle of the rotation in the majors some day. I was bummed to see that my estimation of his velocity was way off. On the upside he is quite the workhorse with 31 durability and 97 stamina (projected.)
22. Louisville Cardinals (from losing type A FA Davy Woods) - Takashi Yamakazi - The Card's continue to shore up their SP prospects by selecting Yamakazi. His vR will hold him back, but he does have a lights out first pitch. I've also seen mixed results of 3 pitch starting pitchers.
23. Portland Ducks - Heathcliff Guerrero - LOVE this pick. Best value so far. I am shocked he lasted this long. The Ducks make up for their questionable at #19 by getting a steal at #23.
sirius07's take: This is a very nice pitcher. He won't give us many innings, but it will be quality. He has one very good pitch and two average pitches. His control and splits are very good too. An ML pitcher for sure, starter or long reliever.
24. Little Rock Razorbacks (from losing type A FA Clay Lavarnway) - JJ Sikorski - Hasn't signed yet
25. Detroit Wolverines - Al Trammell - Decent closer prospect, but will have to limit him to 15 pitches per outing so he better get the guys he faces out. Fantastic control and pitches with good splits.
tk21775's take: Not much with the 25th pick, got a closer who projects to have great control and nice splits but his stamina was a lot lower than what we were expecting.
26. Nashville Commodores - Perry Stevens - Should be a solid MLer one day and that is pretty much all you can look for this late in the first round. Not sure he has the tools to even play RF though.
27. Philadelphia Owls - Brutus Scott - Hasn't signed yet
28. Richmond Spiders (from not signing Bailey Hunt last season) - Henry Casey - Another solid closer prospect, but with his DUR/STA combo, he will be extremely limited in the number of innings he can pitch.
29. New York Red Storm - Geoff Snyder - If Snyder's glove rating was higher than this pick could be categorized as a steal. He is still a nice CF prospect that should give you equal number of + plays and errors. Another position where its tough to find decent hitting which Snyder does bring.
30. Richmond Spiders - Junior Huskey - I like this pick more than their pick at #28. Huskey is a good power hitting prospect and can definitely contribute everyday on the ML level.
31. Syracuse Orange - Bobby LaPorta - Great value here. his DUR will limit him, but when he does take the rubber, he should be a solid SP. Above average splits with 4 good to great pitches.
32. Fargo Bison - Bum James - Another good value this late in the first round. His splits aren't great, but combined with above average control and pitches, Fargo should be able to find a place in the starting rotation for him.
33. Texas Horned Frogs - Maverick Hemphill - I think the new owner in Texas will be able to find a place in the starting rotation for Hemphill because of his DUR rating although his STA isn't typical. Even if he is relegated to middle relief, he will help out eventually. Texas just has to figure out how to maximize Hemphill's innings.
34. Salem Beavers - Bob Evans - Not much to see here as his contact and vR ratings are below average for a starting 1B. He could be used as a pinch hitter/platoon against lefties.
35. Charlotte Tar Heels - Darrell Haywood - The Heel's rolled the dice on a decent SP prospect although he only has 3 pitches. Hopefully his splits and velocity can make up for it.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Detroit Preview
Detroit Wolverines
Last season: 89-73, NL North Champs, Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs to Richmond
Management came out yesterday with a bold statement declaring the Detroit Wolverines
S13 champs. We’ve always had a solid club but feel like the moves this off-season
will give us a legitimate chance at going deep into the playoffs and getting that trophy
out of Charlotte.
Key Losses: Setup Pitcher Ronald Berger, 3B Buster Wiggins, SP Julio Johnson, and 1B
Eddie Sanford
Key Additions: 1B Michael Maddux, 2B Julian Cortes, CF Bernie Ortiz, Cl Bernard
Townsend
Big trades were made this offseason, giving up 61 HR and 164 RBI of production from
a team that was barely above average last season in batting, along with a SP who is
1 game shy from totaling up 100 wins. So why does management feel so strongly?
Even though booze flows freely in the offices of Detroit, we managed to add 113 HR
and 337 RBI to our lineup while also giving us flexibility at positions defensively.
We now can put out a lineup that features 4 players hitting 30+ HR with another
2 hitting 20+. Our pitching has always been good (4th last season in ERA in the
majors) so giving up one SP shouldn’t hurt us as we should be greatly improved on
the offensive side. We also managed to talk S12 save leader Bernard Townsend away
from a 4 year deal, which we would have let him walk if he insisted, instead inking
him to a one year deal to close out games again. We did trade away some young
players in an effort to make a strong push for the next few seasons but we feel this is
one of the best teams Detroit has put together.
Last season: 89-73, NL North Champs, Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs to Richmond
Management came out yesterday with a bold statement declaring the Detroit Wolverines
S13 champs. We’ve always had a solid club but feel like the moves this off-season
will give us a legitimate chance at going deep into the playoffs and getting that trophy
out of Charlotte.
Key Losses: Setup Pitcher Ronald Berger, 3B Buster Wiggins, SP Julio Johnson, and 1B
Eddie Sanford
Key Additions: 1B Michael Maddux, 2B Julian Cortes, CF Bernie Ortiz, Cl Bernard
Townsend
Big trades were made this offseason, giving up 61 HR and 164 RBI of production from
a team that was barely above average last season in batting, along with a SP who is
1 game shy from totaling up 100 wins. So why does management feel so strongly?
Even though booze flows freely in the offices of Detroit, we managed to add 113 HR
and 337 RBI to our lineup while also giving us flexibility at positions defensively.
We now can put out a lineup that features 4 players hitting 30+ HR with another
2 hitting 20+. Our pitching has always been good (4th last season in ERA in the
majors) so giving up one SP shouldn’t hurt us as we should be greatly improved on
the offensive side. We also managed to talk S12 save leader Bernard Townsend away
from a 4 year deal, which we would have let him walk if he insisted, instead inking
him to a one year deal to close out games again. We did trade away some young
players in an effort to make a strong push for the next few seasons but we feel this is
one of the best teams Detroit has put together.
Iowa City Preview
Key players added SP Mel Reed, Closer PT Lind, and Setup Justin Ward
Key Players Lost None
Rookies Orel Raines
Preview With management and ownership in question due to too many loses last season Iowa needs to put a halt on losing. Hitting wasn;t a problem last season but holding leads was so we went out and got a new closer in PT Lind and a new setup man in Justin Ward giving us depth at the setup position a new starter in Mel Reed and hopefully this will add up to more wins less loses and an ownership that doesn't get kicked out of the league LOL
Key Players Lost None
Rookies Orel Raines
Preview With management and ownership in question due to too many loses last season Iowa needs to put a halt on losing. Hitting wasn;t a problem last season but holding leads was so we went out and got a new closer in PT Lind and a new setup man in Justin Ward giving us depth at the setup position a new starter in Mel Reed and hopefully this will add up to more wins less loses and an ownership that doesn't get kicked out of the league LOL
Syracuse Preview
Syracuse Orange
Key Players Lost: Former Cy Young Winner: Charles Carlyle. He was key a few years ago, but not last season.
Key Players Added: None.
The Syracuse Orange is, one again, the Syracuse Orange you know and love. I’ve had so many high salaries and not many draft good draft picks lately. So we’ve been pretty much tied into the guys we’ve had. We have a decent bullpen and more coming. So the biggest change this year is moving Roosevelt Loux back into the rotation. He’s got 143 wins and 168 saves. He’s only at most a 6 inning starter, but we’ll give it a shot. If he does well, the rotation should be nice. We need a bounce back season from Jose Barrios (9-11 4.00). And WIS has a way of doing that it seems.
We won’t beat Charlotte in the race unless something weird happens. We think we have a strong chance at the wild card,from there we’ll see.
If we completely suck, I might be ready to begin making some moves so stay close people!
Key Players Lost: Former Cy Young Winner: Charles Carlyle. He was key a few years ago, but not last season.
Key Players Added: None.
The Syracuse Orange is, one again, the Syracuse Orange you know and love. I’ve had so many high salaries and not many draft good draft picks lately. So we’ve been pretty much tied into the guys we’ve had. We have a decent bullpen and more coming. So the biggest change this year is moving Roosevelt Loux back into the rotation. He’s got 143 wins and 168 saves. He’s only at most a 6 inning starter, but we’ll give it a shot. If he does well, the rotation should be nice. We need a bounce back season from Jose Barrios (9-11 4.00). And WIS has a way of doing that it seems.
We won’t beat Charlotte in the race unless something weird happens. We think we have a strong chance at the wild card,from there we’ll see.
If we completely suck, I might be ready to begin making some moves so stay close people!
Portland Preview
Portland Ducks
Key Player Added: Ajax Brown has been signed to replace the lost of Damon on the FA market.
Key Player Lost: Otis Damon and Einar Arias
Key Transaction: None
Rookies: We may see Harold Santangelo or Ricardo Mota playing at 1B in the bigs. Also, Earl Levrault could be promote to the ML at the start of the season. If the Ducks need some replacement in his pitching rotation, Gary Frey could be the man. Frey will start the season in the AAA, but who knows.
Outlook: The heart of the team is almost the same, but we could see some young guys making their debuts in the ML this season. The Ducks are in need of a 1B, but no decision has been taken at the moment. Does a young guy will be called up or a free agent will be signed?
The Ducks had to replace Otis Damon because he wanted to try the free agent market. The Ducks decided to not bid on him thinking that it would be a bidding war, but it seems that few teams were interested. Ajax Brown has been signed to take a spot in the rotation.
The Ducks’s rotation should be something like this: Vic Keefe (16-9, 3.08), Alvin Barnes (14-8, 3.72), Ajax Brown (7-5, 4.64), Joe Creek (12-11, 3.96) and Pat Gibbons (9-12, 4.43). Therefore, Clayton Brunette (4-5, 3.23) may be use as starter if someone doesn’t satisfied the team’s owner.
Richard Vanguri will still be the designate closer for the Ducks, unless things are going bad for him.
The Ducks are still looking for a division title, but making the playoffs will be the ultimate goal this season.
Key Player Added: Ajax Brown has been signed to replace the lost of Damon on the FA market.
Key Player Lost: Otis Damon and Einar Arias
Key Transaction: None
Rookies: We may see Harold Santangelo or Ricardo Mota playing at 1B in the bigs. Also, Earl Levrault could be promote to the ML at the start of the season. If the Ducks need some replacement in his pitching rotation, Gary Frey could be the man. Frey will start the season in the AAA, but who knows.
Outlook: The heart of the team is almost the same, but we could see some young guys making their debuts in the ML this season. The Ducks are in need of a 1B, but no decision has been taken at the moment. Does a young guy will be called up or a free agent will be signed?
The Ducks had to replace Otis Damon because he wanted to try the free agent market. The Ducks decided to not bid on him thinking that it would be a bidding war, but it seems that few teams were interested. Ajax Brown has been signed to take a spot in the rotation.
The Ducks’s rotation should be something like this: Vic Keefe (16-9, 3.08), Alvin Barnes (14-8, 3.72), Ajax Brown (7-5, 4.64), Joe Creek (12-11, 3.96) and Pat Gibbons (9-12, 4.43). Therefore, Clayton Brunette (4-5, 3.23) may be use as starter if someone doesn’t satisfied the team’s owner.
Richard Vanguri will still be the designate closer for the Ducks, unless things are going bad for him.
The Ducks are still looking for a division title, but making the playoffs will be the ultimate goal this season.
Huntington Preview
Huntington Thundering Herd
After finishing last season with an 87-75 record which was good for 3rd in the South, Huntington’s management once again did not rest on their laurels. 5.0 games out of a playoff spot will do that to a person. The offense was 4th in the NL in runs scored, and the defense was tied for 1st…but it came down to pitching which finished 10th in the NL in ERA.
Key Losses:
3B Bernie Ortiz, 1B Michael Maddux, RF Marc Everhart, 2B Julian Cortes, C Matty Johnson, SPs Artie Hinch, Frank Tamura, Mel Reed, Terry Simmons, RPs Pinky Matheson, David Cox, Allen Guerrero
Key Additions:
RF Clay Lavarnway, C Ron Montgomery, SS Anthony Myers, 2B Rich Perry, LF Eddie Sandford, 3B Buster Wiggins, SPs Julio Johnson, Don Martin, Don Holt, Daniel Mullens, RPs Hector Uribe, Austin Byrne, Ronald Berger, Bartolo Lugo
Outlook:
Enough is enough and management made a huge investment in improving the team pitching this season. 4 pitchers return from last season, while 4 position players return as well. It isn’t often that a team loses 166 HRs from their offense, but actually feels better about their team going into the season. This is due to the fact that the pitching staff went from a collection of #3 and #4 pitchers, to a true staff, with an ace and a group of #2’s. While the team may not be as strong defensively this season, offensively we should not suffer too terribly much. The excitement is building for phenom Jeremy Livingstone’s debut as the full-time closer. For the first time in a long time Huntington presents a true ace in Julio Johnson. This team is still built for power as 10 players topped double-digits in HRs while 9 players knocked in 50+ runs. This is a do-or-die season for this team as only 6 players are signed past this season.
After finishing last season with an 87-75 record which was good for 3rd in the South, Huntington’s management once again did not rest on their laurels. 5.0 games out of a playoff spot will do that to a person. The offense was 4th in the NL in runs scored, and the defense was tied for 1st…but it came down to pitching which finished 10th in the NL in ERA.
Key Losses:
3B Bernie Ortiz, 1B Michael Maddux, RF Marc Everhart, 2B Julian Cortes, C Matty Johnson, SPs Artie Hinch, Frank Tamura, Mel Reed, Terry Simmons, RPs Pinky Matheson, David Cox, Allen Guerrero
Key Additions:
RF Clay Lavarnway, C Ron Montgomery, SS Anthony Myers, 2B Rich Perry, LF Eddie Sandford, 3B Buster Wiggins, SPs Julio Johnson, Don Martin, Don Holt, Daniel Mullens, RPs Hector Uribe, Austin Byrne, Ronald Berger, Bartolo Lugo
Outlook:
Enough is enough and management made a huge investment in improving the team pitching this season. 4 pitchers return from last season, while 4 position players return as well. It isn’t often that a team loses 166 HRs from their offense, but actually feels better about their team going into the season. This is due to the fact that the pitching staff went from a collection of #3 and #4 pitchers, to a true staff, with an ace and a group of #2’s. While the team may not be as strong defensively this season, offensively we should not suffer too terribly much. The excitement is building for phenom Jeremy Livingstone’s debut as the full-time closer. For the first time in a long time Huntington presents a true ace in Julio Johnson. This team is still built for power as 10 players topped double-digits in HRs while 9 players knocked in 50+ runs. This is a do-or-die season for this team as only 6 players are signed past this season.
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