Tuesday, December 29, 2009

The WEEK in WRIGLEYVILLE S-9 #2

TRADES

TAMPA BAY STARS Traded Bryan James to HELENA BARKING MOONBATS for Jacob Kwon and Derrin Price.
Helena picks up future Bullpen help and Tampa Bay nets another big time slugger. At the time i wrote this he has hit 3 homers and is batting .389 in 4 games. But with this being the last year of Mr.James's contract. He will look for a big raise next year. Will Tampa have enough green to resign him? Could be a blue chip Free agent next year.

NEW ORLEANS HIP WADERS Traded Walt Barfield to TACOMA TOYOTAS for Benjamin Hunter .
New Orleans picks up a two time All-Star Mid reliever and Tacoma continues to purge their ML talent for Prospects.Tacoma picked up a Decent SP with LH splits as his only weakness. Classic swap of younger for the older player .Watch out for Tacoma in a few seasons.

MAJOR INJURIES

Napoleon Stokes
No suprise here. With a health rating at 40 ,I'm suprised this SP hasn't been injured more. Still this pitcher has been O.K. the last two years for Cincinatti.

Pablo Rosa
OUCH!!! In just his second season, Wild Thing Rosa goes down with a ligament tear.It's suprising, seeing how he has a 99 Health and Stamina rating. With his terrible control number he probably uncorked one in the stands and nailed a WIS employee. They returned the Favor!!

Jamey Richardson
Poor Jamey strained his Elbow. Listen Richardson with your below average record you need to suck it up and start earning your keep. Mdymond may drop your Wussy Ass!!

Heathcliff Bailes
DAMN IT!! Thanks I feel better now. I gave this kid a shot and I hoped he could make it in the ML's. He suprised me with his low WHIP and ERA ,but now what to do with him after this Injury???

Carlos Maduro
I don't even know why I included this injury. A Broken toe is not Major. Not a big deal for The MOOSE!!!

Nicky Romero
Big blow to this young prospect. I hope he can bounce back.Look for Lagzilla to bring him along slowly.

INTERNATIONAL SIGNINGS
Victor Volquez
Jackson
Justice
Age: 20B/T: R/R
Born: Mao, DO
Position(s): C
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Atprasad Signed this 20 year old catcher from the Dominican Republic for a 8.5 mil signing bonus. This kid will smash the ball but his low glove and accuracy will probably make him a great DH.With his GREAT health and stamina ratings he should reach his projections.Just what Jackson needs another BIG BAT!!!

Emmanuel Escobar
Syracuse
Moose
Age: 18B/T: R/R
Born: Edo Lara, DO
Position(s): P (SP5)
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Rugby signed this good looking 18 year old out of the Dominican Republic for a 10.1 Mil signing bonus.This kid has great Control and velocity with two pitches in the mid eighties. Even though his splits are a little low He could be a solid ML starter. What concerns me is his average health rating but as long as rugby keeps his pitch count down there should be no problem. What is interesting is his defensive ratings.Might see him in LF sometimes, Kind of cool!! That will make him a GG Pitcher no doubt.

Hee Lo
Toledo
Christian Beavers
Age: 18B/T: R/R
Born: Manila, PH
Position(s): LF
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Bkevin signed this 18 year old LF from the Phillipines for a 1.1 mil signing bonus.This kid has numbers like so many 1b in this league .But for 1.1 the price is right.Low power numbers will hamper his promotion to the Bigs!!

Santiago Rodriguez
New Orleans
Hip Waders
Age: 19B/T: R/R
Born: Valverde, DO
Position(s): SS
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Yet another Dominican has signed.Lagzilla signed this 19 year old SS with a 14.1 Mil Signing bonus.As i look at his defensive projections this kid will be better suited at 3B or RF.But he will be a ML player with his hitting skills.Low power rating will keep him from hitting a lot of Taters.But he will hit around .300 with a lot of doubles. Nice pick-up Lagzilla

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Week In WRIGLEYVILLE S-9 #1

TRADES
TACOMA traded J.T. Nichols and Apollo West to TAMPA BAY for Jung Kim and Luis Rodriguez , Frank Vanguri
This was just the begining of a big week of Trades!!

TACOMA traded Charlie Christensen to CHICAGO for Ronn Carpenter , Livan Bonilla and John Hubbard
Tacoma continued to shed Ml talent for juicy prospects.Tacoma is building for future seasons and shedding payroll .Nice

SAN FRANSISCO traded Lloyd Terrell to BOSTON for Trenidad Walls
This trade was very even.Looks like Boston needed Middle infield help and S F added a big bat. Good trade!!

SAN FRANSISCO TRADES Willie Gonzales and Juan Parra to TACOMA for Jung Kim
Now the trade with Boston makes more sense .San Fran now had an extra Big Bat at 1B and used their surplus to aquire a nice young Pitcher in Kim.Tacoma picks up an extra prospect .I wonder if the Boston trade had not been made. Would S F make this one???

CINCINATTI TRADED Don Collins to PORTLAND for Miguel Perez
Portland needed some firepower and Cincinatti got a younger player with power.

SAN FRANSISCO TRADED Miguel Piedra to TRENTON for Fernando Park
San Fransisco gets defensive bench help and Trenton picks up a very nice future Closer. Nice pickup Trenton!!

MAJOR INJURIES

Jesse Webber

Lawrence Simon

Bobby Bush

Ryan Leiter

Wiki Arias

The big injury was to Arias. But ask the owners of the other guys and they will say ouch also!!

INTERNATIONAL SIGNINGS

Santos Alfonzo
This Dominican 18 year old 1st baseman has an uphill battle to make a ML squad.He has great defensive numbers but with so many hard hitting 1B .He may lack the pop for the Bigs.
Rico Trevino
This 20 year old is from AW(Where The Hell IS THAT?).This 1B will be a SS and will hit a lot of Homers .If He can stay away from injury.With his low defensive and health numbers he may be suited to DHing on a NL team.Where he doesn't have to play as much.
Karim Posada
This 18 year old from Venezuala has a low overall number. But as most of us old timers know,That don't mean shit. He has great control.RH split and a high 80's pitch.Definatly worth the chance.
Jung Ming
This Japanese 20 year old has such low glove numbers he will have to play 1st Base.His High Contact numbers and speed are nice but that RH split will kill him.Odds are against a long ML career.
Miguel Melo
This 21 year old from PA will get his shot in the majors soon.But with his best pitch in the mid 60's he will be a mop up or an innings eater.
Cesar Morales
This 18 year old from Dominica is every thing I like in a SS.Great Range ,Glove and Speed.He will also hit for average .His low contact numbers will probably keep him from leading off but now I'm nitpickin.
Antonio Martin
This player from Kabul is just happy to be in a country with Trees. His low range and glove make him a 1st baseman .but really hes a longshot to make the Majors.
Willie Martinez
Man I can't believe i got this guy.Its the Blind Squirrel thing.Willie is only a season away from becoming my everyday CF .And with outstanding Range and glove he will be a GG .He has great contact ,Speed and Baserunning .So I will probably have him as a leadoff hitter.

THE CONTEST

Every year i recieve a Fruit Cake from my dear old Aunt Mattie. Seeing how i have plenty of paper weights,door stoppers and book ends, I have no use for this delicious Fruit Cake. So i would like to donate Aunt Matties Masterpiece as a prize. For whomever can correctly pick all the Division Winners and the wildcard teams. As I'm sure to get another useless presant like Sea Monkeys or a Chia Pet I will sweeten the pot.If any of you would like to contribute,Feel free .You can sitemail me your predictions by 12-29-09 12;00 noon.Here is my prediction.

MADMULDOON
NL NORTH-Millwaukee
NL EAST-Syracuse
NL SOUTH-Tampa Bay
NL WEST-San Fransisco
NL W/C-San Juan
NL W/C-Anehiem
AL NORTH-St Louis
AL EAST-Hartford
AL SOUTH-Jackson
AL WEST-Helena
AL W/C-Chicago
AL W/C-Albuquerque

Monday, December 21, 2009

N. L. PREVIEW SEASON 9

I would like to thank rbedwell, rugby1 , bkevin ,lagzilla ,wylie and snowedin for their contributions to this piece.

N.L. NORTH


Sandberg won his 5th division championship last season then traded or released his entire team. I guess not winning in the playoffs pissed him off.So I caught up to Sandberg at his yoga class on University of Washington Campus.He was posed in the Knelling Camel position when I asked him . What the hell???? Sandberg Shot back. "Listen I'm trying to get a hold of my anger issues by alternative methods.I won 5 division crowns and not once did I make it to the World Series. So I got rid of everyone and picked up a bunch of scrubs on the Free agent market. I also picked up some draft picks and some young prospects .I'm going to build a Winner!!!" I excused myself while he contorted into another pose. Then looked into all those moves.

OUT; Pete Potvin ,Ivan Olivo ,Wallace Matthews ,Seth Rando ,J.J. Melhuse ,Apollo West ,J.T. Nichols ,Charlie Christensen

IN or PROMOTED; Steve Cortes ,Flash Alexander ,Bip Downs ,Bill Lowe ,Tex Walters ,Stephen Perry ,Ricardo Moreno ,Warren Glover ,Valerio Alvarez ,Steve Fordham ,Oscar Wanatabe ,Luis Rodriguez ,

SUMMARY; Holy Crap!!! Talk about a Fire Sale .Gone are Nichols,West ,Rando and many others .This team will not win their division and a wild card is out of the question.


New York
New York Highlanders (NL)
thejnice
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thejnice plays in another tough division and Finished third. The crazy thing is he was only 2 games out.Needless to say Thejnice has a good team and with a little more luck he could have won it.So I caught up to him at Mamma Carpuchies house of Charms and Spells. He was looking at a display of good luck charms in the back of the store and i asked him what was going on. He said "Well Muldoon I have tried everything Dream catchers, Priests ,Imams ,rabbits feet and magic beans. But nothing seems to give me any luck down the stretch. So I'm looking in to this Eastern Europe witchcraft thing and this could be the key to my Division crown." Hmmm...kinda spooky .So i bolted out of there before I picked up a H1n1 Curse or something.I then looked into the Highlanders transactions and this is what I found.

OUT;Raymond Punto ,Will Watson ,Carl Wells ,Julius Douglas ,

IN or PROMOTED;Heinie Ramsey ,Will Watson ,Victor Cedeno ,Mule Bates

SUMMARY;Jnice resigned Cedano and Watson to keep his infield stout and brought up a young pitcher who should help out a decent pitching staff. This team didn't need a lot of changes and they should contend for the division .They will be helped by the Toyotas trading Spree.The Highlanders are my pick to win the Division.



Pat007ohmss had a great season except for the end.They missed the division crown by 1 game.I don't know how Pat feels about losing the close games and races.But it Frickin Kills me!! With that said I found Pat at the Milwaukee Institute for Mental Health.He was there for a little "ME TIME" wink,wink.He was sitting in the garden Weaving a basket so i sat down next to him and in a whisper i asked .How are you feeling?? He just stared strait ahead and in a soft voice stated. "Man we were so close........Umm....I think I'm better now................I want to go back to work .I want to kick the living shit out of them bastards that cheated me!!! It was MINE!!!! MINE I SAY!!!! MY PRECIOUS!!!!" just then two orderlies arrived and and shoved two Prozac down Pats throat and escorted him back to the hospital.With that I checked on the off season moves Pat made from his Padded Room.

OUT; Victor Sanchez ,Hector Abreu ,Frank May ,Tom Buckley ,Milton Oliver ,Harpo Westbrook

IN or PROMOTED;Ken Hardtke ,Wes Richardson ,Vic Romero ,R.J. Hutton ,Sean Haynes

SUMMARY; All kidding aside Pat and I are in a few leagues together and he is always on top of his game. But that close loss probably lit a fire under him. He made a trade for a good SS and let go Abreau and May to Free Agency.Picked up some draft picks to reload his farm system.and plugged the holes with F/A's and a R5 pick. I don't think he's a strong as last season but he will compete for the Division.


Madison
Madison Dairy Heirs (NL)
zmoty9
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Zmoty is back for his Third season and is still in a rebuild .As I look at his farm system he has some very tasty Prospects.I went to the team head quarters in Balmy Madison Wisconsin and asked Zee. whats Up??? "Zee smiled and replied. " Boy I have three dudes in AAA almost ready for the Bigs and a couple in AA that are season or two out.Give this team two maybe three years and i will make this a four team fight for the division." After that uplifting speech I looked at the transactions.

OUT;Cesar Hernandez ,Brent Ryan ,Jeremi Hill ,Max Offerman ,Lyle Loewer ,Gerald Cheng

IN or PROMOTED;Junior Machado ,Eric Tucker ,Alberto Fuentes ,Gabby Flanagan ,Tarrik Francis ,Diego Gandarillas ,Lloyd Perry

Summary; Zmoty has Signed a big time Free agent in Francis and is poised to start bring up some of that young talent.Right now he has filled the holes with Free agents. And resigned Tucker, Fuentes and Flanagan to short contracts so they won't be in the way of his future stars.This season the Dairy heirs will be a .500 club but lookout next year and beyond. They will be solid nice job Z.

N.L. EAST

San Juan
San Juan Santurce Crabbers (NL)
rbedwell
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I know you've heard me say this before but I'm gonna say it again.Ralph can build a team better than most owners and I kind of mimicked his philosophy(but without the same results).He is now in his 5th season of a Rebuild and any season now the Crabbers will make their move.I caught up to Ralph at The Rancho de Gordita in downtown San Juan. And he had this to say:
"Even in this steroid-free era, the Crabbers will knock a ton of balls out of the park, especially at home in Hiram Bithorn Stadium, aka La Plataforma de Lanzamiento (The Launching Pad). Built for power, the team will roll out bangers like Willie Mercado, Pablo Samuel, Glen Hughes, Vince Tipton, Steven Tartabull, Erubiel Espinosa, and Henry Dodd. The team should also be excellent defensively, but will only go as far as its young pitching takes it. San Juan will rely on a pair of rookies, Che Cho and Hi Shea (so those names a dozen times, really fast! ;-), to lead an otherwise weak staff. Last year's star IFA, Enrique Pimentel, may get a mid-season call-up if the team is still in contention and needs bullpen help. In the long run, the Crabbers have a lot of young talent and should be a contender for a long time, but will that happen in season 9, or will it need to wait another season or two?"

Summary; This young team will improve that is certain.But will they grow by leaps and bounds? That my fellow Wrigleyittes is the 64,000 Dollar question.My guess is no. But i believe this team is one year away from breaking out and into the playoffs.They may read this and use it as motivation then Ralph will owe me a bottle of Bourbon.


Rugby1 after winning his first World Series Brought in the moving vans and moved his team to Beautiful Syracuse.I caught up to Rugby while he was moving into his new Digs.Rugby,I said. What do you think of your team this year and can they repeat. He replied. "After receiving outrageous demands of increases to the stadium rental, lower concession revenue and no parking money from the Burlington chamber of commerce the Moose boarded the Midnight Express and headed west to Syracuse.We were able to save money on uniforms by keeping the Moose name so only the Logo on the hats had to change.We return all the key players from last season's championship team and with several players from our AAA team from last year we feel the offense and defense will be improved.The key newcomer is 20 year old Polin Pineiro (RF) who played his way into the starting lineup with a great spring training. Piniero, Tsuyoshi Hujimoto, Vic Chavez and Carlos Maduro form a potent offensive nucleus.The pitching staff led by Timo Mahoney and Dan Evers should continue to be strong. The Moose should be favored to win their division. If we can come close to last season's playoff run another championship is not out of the question." I left and started to look at his off-season moves.

OUT;Billy Watson ,Patrick Newfield ,Ryne Lake ,Glen Marte ,Rafael Lira

IN or Promoted;Bill Murphy ,Polin Pineiro

Summary;The Moose are pretty much the same team and it will be interesting to see if the new stadium helps or hurts.One thing for sure with the neutral stadium in Syracuse.The moose will improve their offensive numbers.They still are the favorites to win this Division.


Boehnerm always fields a good team, but despite their above average records.The Tripods have come up short in the Division and W/C races.I caught up to boehnerm at Bubbles House of Bounce in South Trenton.I found him bellied up to the Center Trampoline while a under dressed Babe bounced up and down.I sat down next to him,and asked him. What is it going to take to get these Tripods in the Playoffs?? He Replied "I pretty much have the same team but with another year of experience." Just then a second cutie bounced her way onto the Trampoline.Boehnerm continued. "I did trade a Pitcher and a Catcher to Tampa for some youngsters. But I'm a patient man and this is our year .I guarantee it." He then let out a whoop and jumped up on the Tramp with the lovelies and i left him their bouncing and bouncing with Glee. Here are the moves boehnerm made.

OUT;Adam Smith ,Tomas Ibarra ,Alfredo Blanco ,Sean Pellow ,Edgar Ordonez

IN or PROMOTED; NONE

The Tripods will try again this year to make the playoffs.They are weaker than the Moose but with some luck or bad luck for others they may make it.my guess is they are a couple players from Contending.

Toledo
Toledo Christian Beavers (NL)
bkevin
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Bkevin has taken over a team that desperately needs a long time owner.And bkevin has a good track record in that respect.We know what its like taking over a team that has endured many different philosophies.Bkevin was busy at hiring a new coaching staff so he released this statement.
"i think the CBs will surprise a few people this season. several new high profile acquisitions including Sammy Estrada Rich Ward and Nigel Hasegawa will give the fans some offense to watch.the pitching may be a bit suspect but if we can outscore everyone, who cares? this wont be the 50 win team from last season. probably wont be a playoff team either, but tolodeodeans are patient."

OUT;Wally Lawrence ,J.T. Mlicki ,Norm Torre ,Armando Ortega ,Harry Saberhagen ,Tommy Nixon

IN or PROMOTED;Rich Ward ,Cody Sherman ,Nigel Hasegawa ,Sammy Estrada ,Rafael Lira ,Woody Piersoll ,Ronnie Jones ,Albert Renteria

SUMMARY;bkevin is being modest.He cleaned house and brought in a ton of talent.If they mesh we could have one of the biggest surprises in Wrigleyville.I think they will be shouting Hallelujah!!!!in Toledo.


N.L. SOUTH


Jmas410 won his 6th division crown in Wrigleyville.That was the good news ,the bad news is he won it with a record of 77-85.OUCH!! This is the weakest division and probably will be again this year(So I thought). I caught up to Jmas at the Salty Dog Saloon in beautiful Tampa. he was downing some shots of Sauza and I asked him about his team?? He replied "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.The constelations were aligned just right and we found ourselves as division Champs!!" With that he licked the salt off his hand and downed a Tequilla. He Continued "We were involved in a couple of huge trades and the stars are poised to break the .500 mark this year.We don't want to press our luck." with that jmas started dancing on the bar and I left before his clothing left his body.Here are the stars off Season moves.

OUT;Billy Quantrill ,Josh Sefcik ,Kevin Suzuki ,Luis Rodriguez

IN or Promoted; Mark Liniak ,Neil Pierce ,Clyde Little ,Luke Harris ,Marty Evans ,J.T. Nichols ,Apollo West ,Gill Kline ,Gerald Cheng ,Edgar Ordonez ,Sean Pellow ,Joseph Hyun ,Clyde Ratliff

Summary; Can you say GO FOR IT!!! Jmas emptied his farm system and picked up some of the Biggest names in Wrigleyville. Holy Crap talk about trades, he was invoved in the biggest ones.There are way to many to list in this small space and i could go on for hours .This team will be a juggernaught if they play like thier ratings.No longer will this division be the weakest.A huge power shift Indeed!!



The fans in Jacksonville are restless. Thats right, Rubber Manatee sales have plumeted with yet another losing season. So Sandleaguer has hired the PR firm Of Dewey ,Cheatum and Howe to bring the fans back to the ballpark. They will bring back the Rubber Manatee Races that were popular the last couple of years. And They also will start Mammal Mammary Mondays. The Manatees will post a picture of a Mammal's Mammary in the Local Newspapaer. If you can guess The Mammal Mammary you will get two free tickets to any Monday home game. I recieved this press release from Sand. " I am in year 5 of my rebuild. And if the great fans of Jacksonville will be patient. We will deliver a winning Manatee Team." Here are the moves he made this off season.

OUT;Javier Lopez ,Willie Baez ,Benito Gardel ,Gerald Truman ,Geronimo Perez ,Mark Yamaguchi ,Erubiel Espinosa

IN or Promoted;Kirk Davidson ,Malcolm Hernandez ,Quinton Sauer ,Evan Swann ,Jacque Martin ,Ramon Lo ,Stu Stewart ,Stan Fassero

SUMMARY; Boy Sand sure improved his Pitching staff and Added some pop to the offense. But Sand can still use a big time SS that can hit and a CF with better range may help the pitching staff out. With that said the manatees are a young and dangerous team.If they can sneak into the playoffs they could go on a Moose like run.My guess is they will be above .500 just shy of a W/C.


New Orleans
New Orleans Hip Waders (NL)
lagzilla
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You'll be happy to know that Lagzilla has moved out of his FEMA Trailer and purchased a Double wide and 40 acres.Now that he's "moving on up" to a DEEELUX trailer.He hopes his team will move up in the standings.I found lagzilla at the winter meetings and i asked him what he thinks about the upcoming season? He replied.
"Slight upswing for the -Waders. Better Bullpen, uptick in power and stronger SP wil add about 10 more wins. Ummm...That's hovering around .500. This will not be released in the Press package."

OUT;Solly Gwynn ,Mark Vining ,Rigo Jimenez ,Wilton Martin

IN or PROMOTED;J.J. Melhuse ,Rick Rose ,Aramis Flores ,Derek Francona ,Alexander Duckworth ,Matt Myers

Summary; All kidding aside New orleans may vie for a Wild Card this season.I think they are a couple players short of being a division Champ.


Wylie wrote a great preview and i'm not going to mess it up .So heres Wylie!!!

The Chimps moved the franchise from Wichita to Charlotte in the hopes that the move from the extreme pitcher friendly park to the more neutral park would help the offense, while not hurting the pitching too much. The team is built around pitching and defense, with hopefully enough offense to get the job done.

Position players

C - Nicholas Meluskey: Melusky came over in a midseason trade last year. he solidified the catching position, with .295/.330/.429 numbers, while establishing a comfortable working relationship with the pitching staff.

1B - Pablo Vega: Vega had s serious power drop last season, even though his average stayed basically the same. He came to spring training in great shape this year, and has his sights set on comeback player of the year.

2B - Hughie Leon: Leon moved from CF to 2B at the end of last season. His D was somewhat shaky at 2nd, but after working in winter league on his 2B fundamentals, he should be very sound on D while producing decent nu8mbers with the stick.

3B - Placido Cruz - In another move made to improve the defense, Cruz moved from short to 3rd towards the end of last season. His offense keeps improving, and he should win at least 1 GG at 3rd before he's done.

SS - Luis Mota and Pete Torres: Mato and Torres should split time at short. Mato is a wizard with the leather, but has a very weak bat. Torres has a much more productive bat, and while he's not quite as adept as Mato deensively, he can more than hold his own.

LF - Andrew Woodward: A late free agent signing, the Chimps look for Woodward to be at least average if not better both on d and at the plate

CF - Geronimo Candelaria: Candelaria has been a consistent .280/.350/.450 producer at bat and is abopve avaerage defensively

RF - Albert Brito - Brito is only 23, yet his bat is already dangerous nad his D is improving.

Pitching Staff: The Chimps boast a solid, if not spectacular staff.
The top 3 starters, Evan Thomson, Charles Fox and Ricardo Hernandez have all been consistently good and have all had moments of greatness. The Chimps are hoping for a minimum of 50 wins from the 3 of them. The fourth and fifth spot are probably goiing to be filled by young Dwight Webster, who pitched respectably after a late season callup last year, and Dan Dalrymple. Dalrymple has been rumored to be on the trade block evvery year for the last few seasons, yet by the end of the year he's in the starting rotation and pitching well.
The bullpen should be solid. It is led by Gene Eaton, Daniel Forbes and Duke Krivda. All 3 can and have closed games and have over 500 ML saves between them.

Summary;Wylie's quest for his second playoff appearance is well on its way.He definatly has a game plan.Looking at his preview i agree moving his team to a neutral park is the best way to guage your team.I cannot stand the extreme parks.You never know what your gonna get when you bring in a new player.Look for wylie to contend for the division crown and if he falls short he could wrest a w/c from the South.

N.L. West


Snowedin has been a force in the league for the last three seasons.Having to settle for wild card berths hasn't set well with him.But playing in the Division of Death you have to take what you can get.The Ectoplasm were bounced out of the playoffs by the Kickapoos for the second consecutive year. I caught up with Snowedin at his beautiful new digs in sunny Tuscon and he had this to say.
"We are very excited about the move to Tuscon. After evaluating many cities,we decided to choose a town with a ballpark that plays to our team's strength...BIG BATS! Tuscon Electric Stadium should allow us to put up some big numbers this year with the power of Tyrone Beck, Vic Velazquez, Dale Gordon,Carlos Santos, and Mark Phillips. Our pitching is just ok. Although we have a few solid starters and decent relief, in this ballpark, the Groundball/Flyball ratios are a little low. We are banking on our offense winning a lot of games for us!!"

Summary; I look for Tuscon to be a wild card team again.And with their potent bats they will have impressive offensive numbers at their new Stadium.But in the playoffs its my humble opinion that Pitching Wins.So how they get past the Kickapoos formidable rotation is the big question.But hey if the Moose can do it why not The Ghost's?


My team took a step back last season in the Division of Death. This year i'm in a Rebuild mode. My team is aging as we speak and the farm system is weak.I look to shore up both those concerns by sacraficing a winning season and restock my minors.These are my off season moves.

OUT;Walt Hill ,Marino Merced ,Richie Howell ,David Rigdon ,

IN or PROMOTED;Dennis Burke ,

SUMMARY; My team will finish below .500 and pick up a decent draft pick next year.



Sonneboy made his first Playoff appearence last season then lost in the first round.But hey at least they made it.Playing in the DD doesn't help his seeding. And they look to improve on last years success.I caught up to sonneboy at team headquarters and asked him about his team? he said " I have to find a way to beat them Kickapoos. I let some high priced Free agents go. And look to bring up some youngsters to take their place.But someone needs to break up them Kickapoos. I wonder if the Monopoly laws apply? " I shook his hand and went to check on his moves.

OUT;Daniel Forbes ,David Otanez ,Bip Downs

IN or PROMOTED;Brendan Bonilla ,Jimmie Guerrero ,

SUMMARY; Sonne let a Couple of Blue Chip Free Agents go hoping to pick up some 1st round picks.But alls he got were two 2nd rounders and two 1st round comps.Bad luck i know how he feels.But all is not lost he did bring up young fireballer Jimmie Guerrero and he will help fill the loss.Anahiem will battle for the last wild card berth.


San Francisco
San Francisco Kickapoos (NL)
mark3313
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Heres a shock!!! The Kickapoos missed the World Series. Yup they were defeated in the NLCS by the World Camp Moose.Mark Will come back strong this season , you can be sure.I caught up to the Commish at the Wrigleyville League Headquarters in Chicago. And i asked him .What now??? He replied . " My Kickapoos are favored every year and this year is no different. I just need a little luck in the playoffs .I did bring in Seth Rando who is one of the best hitting pitchers in the league." Just then the phone rang. It was sandberg with another trade offer. With that I went on my way and looked at the S.F. Transactions.

OUT;Luis Rodriguez ,Pete Torres ,Louie Mendoza ,Diego Gandarillas ,Mark Liniak ,Steve Fordham ,Oscar Wanatabe ,Kirk Davidson ,Lloyd Perry ,Willie Gonzales ,Juan Parra

IN or Promoted; Seth Rando ,Trenidad Walls

SUMMARY;The Kickapoos get stronger every year thanks to Marks trading savy.So again they will win the Division of Death. But can they win it all Hmmm....... The playoffs are unpredictable but they are the favorites.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

A.L PREVIEW SEASON 9

Thanks to all the owners who contributed to this piece .They are Shynet,aaronwayne,pbsilver,mikesons973, atprasad,sordie


A.L. WEST
St. Louis
St. Louis SilverHawks (AL)
shynent
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Theres a New sherriff in town and his name is Shynet.After taking over for jdbkaput(See earlier post)he has cleaned house.This is not last years team,not by a long shot. 15 players left via Free agency, Ramon Lo and Bud Shelley are the most notable.Then shy released 6 players , Alex Torres,Sean Simmsand Dennis Langston are among them.After he was done gutting this team ,he went a Shopping!! He signed 10 Free agents ,here are a few, Wiki Arias, Macbeth Lofton, Wallace Oliver. I contacted shynet at the new Silverhawk headquarters and i asked him what he thought of his team? And what direction is he taking?? Shynet replied.
"The previous owner of my team didn't leave me much choice but to throw money around now or try to tear down right away.And since Lo and a couple others refused to resign with me, I knew I would end up with at least some draft picks once it was all said and done, so... Type A's and B's, welcome to St. Louis!"
He just echoed what I already knew.This team is tailored to shynets philosophy,and I like that. Even tho he gave up some draft picks signing his Free Agents, he also picked up some.we will know by the All-Star break weather this team will vie for the Division Championship.Right now its a toss up.



Aaronwayne is taking over this team after the departure of Rocket(See Article).This team needed a new direction and a change at the top makes sense.Aaronwayne Is new to the sport and he is still finding his way.So i'm sure the rest of you old timers will help him out a little.I caught up to Aaron at the Bun n Gun restaurant in beautiful Fargo Nodak.I asked him what he thought about his Prairie Dogs? He replied. "The everyday lineup was pretty much gutted.Only Wayne Shea , Mike McCormick , Sid Walsh , and Kenny Tucker remain as vital cogs. Tucker, Shea, and Walsh have a lot a potential, and hopefully that comes through sooner rather than later.Craig Savage was signed to provide some pop and play CF, and versatile SS's Vicente Rodriguez and Phil Dunwoody were signed to provide stability and defense for the Dogs.With not much to lose, Prairie Dog management has been aggressive claiming various players off the WW and picking up Rule 5 prospect Willie Morlan . Since this will be a year in which 70 wins may be hard to reach,the stockpiling of young talent remains critical. Watch out for kids like Walt Nation , Art Stewart , and Desi Bonilla , as these prospects hope to impress enough to get a shot at the ML level.Well, Fargo had next to nothing for established "stars", but they do have some intriguing young talent with lots of potential. Don't let the W/L record fool you, Micah Jones had an outstanding taste of the bigs last season. So much so, that he's been a popular trade target already.The Prairie Dog pitching staff will be built around young Mr. Jones. Ugueth Jimenez after pitching out of the pen will get a shot at the rotation along with newly acquired Zephyr Branson and young Chili Zheng .Veteran all-star Vic Bellhorn was signed for his leadership and ability.Bellhorn hopes to show the young kids, all 24-26, how to pitch and act at the ML's. The bullpen will be a work in progress, especially after trading closer Joseph Hyun for prospect Cesar James ."
OUT;Sid Brooks ,Mac Lee ,Chuck Gross ,Joseph Hyun ,Stuffy Knorr ,Hootie Mahaffey

IN or Promoted;Rob Smith ,Zephyr Branson ,Ben Towers ,Vicente Rodriguez ,Phil Dunwoody ,Vic Bellhorn ,Craig Savage

Summary;Even though Aaron is new to the game he has learned quickly.He jettisoned a bunch of marginal players and spent a shitload of money on some tasty Free agents.I look for this team to be vastly improved this year.And could be a surprise wild card team.Nice start Aaron!!


Pbsilver is in his fourth year at the helm of the Pandemonium,and they keep improving every year.I talked to pbsilver by phone, while on a family vacation in Tupelo, Mississippi.He only allowed me one question .Because his family had matinee tickets to Reptile Roundup Show, and they were already behind.So i asked."Are your pandemonium ready to make a run at the playoffs .or are you another year or two out in your rebuild?" "We're getting there."Pbsilver replied. "I might be one or two good pitchers from being a contender, but I think this team will show some good improvement this year."

OUT;Javier Ortiz,Craig Schofield,Bobby Guthrie

IN;Bill Rivers ,Bey Robinson and R5 pickup Benjamin Taylor.

SUMMARY;Pbsilver keeps making progress in his rebuild and soon he will compete for the division.But right now he's a longshot to grab a Wild card berth.


Kumbia is just coming off his second division Championship. But losing in the first round to the eventual WS champ left a bitter taste in his mouth.So i went to Chi-Town and caught up to Kumbia at the Noche Caliente Night Club.I asked him about the future of his team? and he had this to say; "Como Sta Muldoon.I love the Aztecs,they have really come around.And the rest of the league better watch out,Where coming for you baby." just then a fine Sinorita jumped in his lap and planted a big juicy one on his cheek.She then started dragging him to the dance floor and he yelled this to me as he was enveloped by the Crowd. " This year we go all the way Muldoon." i then went and did some research on his club.

OUT;Rickey Strange ,Paul Ryan ,Davey Solano ,Rob Smith ,Omar Piedra ,Vernon Acquilino

IN or PROMOTED;Rafael Ferrer ,Glen Cuyler ,Pete Potvin ,Javier Ortiz ,Stuffy Knorr

Summary;Kumbia didn't make a lot of changes but he did resign Cuyler and upgraded his Catching Corps.Then he solidified his CF situation and this will help out his rotation immensely.The Aztecs are the favorite to win the division again and now maybe with a little luck can go deep in the playoffs.

A.L. EAST

Indianapolis
Indianapolis Indians (AL)
ardthomp
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Ardthomp just completed his first year in Wrigleyville and his Indians finished 4th in the division.so I chased him down at the Brickyard cafe in balmy Indianapolis.And he waved me over to his table and he had this to say;
"I was just happy my Type A got signed...and one of my Type Bs too."He paused while downing a half-dozen sliders then continued. "My PR firm of Robb,Steele and Blynde has really brought in the fans with thier great promo's.My favorite is the Sitting Bull Contest.If you can knock our mascot, Chief Bongwater on his Keester. He will sit next to you for the rest of the game."With that I left the restraunt and started looking into the Indians offseason moves.

OUT;Stu Stewart ,Wes Richardson ,Wayne Myers ,Santiago Ramirez ,

IN or PROMOTED;Dan Torre ,Hector Abreu ,Glen Marte ,Tyler Carey ,Travis Duffy ,J.P. James ,Billy Ray Bryant

Summary;It seems that ardthomp is bringing this franchise along nicely.He has cut out a lot of the old players and is replacing them with talented F/A's and a quad of R5 players.IT looks like he is trying to free up some salary to go after some juicy prospects. And his high training budget suggests he is willing to develop them. It's nice to have a owner in the league who's in it for the long haul.With his 4 first round picks he will have a great crop of prospects.Seeing how he is in a rebuild. Don't look for the indians in the playoffs this season, but soon they will be.


ARomano always fields a strong team and last year the Crushers smashed thier way to 101 wins.Even though they had a great year by winning thier Division .They fell to thier nemisis the Moonbats,in the playoffs.I caught up to ARomano at the Whale Tail Club on the outskirts of Hartford and he had this to say. "You know I'm getting tired of my club getting the crap beat out of them by those pesky Moonbats." He paused to slip a Fin in the G-String of a dancer then continued. "Ah where was I ....Oh ya , I got rid of some old players and promoted a couple of good young prospects and this year we will drain the blood out of them thar Moonbats." With that two of the scantily clad cuties dragged ARomano to one of the private Booths in a dark corner of the club.I then left and looked at the off-season moves of the Hartford Club.

OUT;Dennis Burke ,Aramis Flores ,Neil Pierce ,Keith Simas ,

IN or PROMOTED;Frank Wan ,Deivi Tavarez

SUMMARY;the Crushers will win thier division again.And maybe with a little luck they will win a world series in Wrigleyville.I think It's just a matter of time!!


The Howlers had a cinderella season sneaking in as a Wild card team.Then making it all the way to the World Series and lost 2 games to 4 .Can jmuhtoff repeat his playoff sucess? That is the question I posed to him at the Three Rivers Sports Bar.and he had this to say; "I made three big trades and picked up some key free agents .This shored up my Pitching Staff and my Outfield.I also picked up a very nice SS to help my defensive numbers." He paused and poured another beer from a large frothy pitcher.then continued. " I think we have plugged in the right players to win it all this year. And i'm willing to make a deal anytime anywhere." with that I left the bar while jmuhtoff was working on a basket of chicken wings.Here are the moves he made.

OUT;Rabbit Busby ,Albert Cox ,Jude Cunningham ,Sean Haynes ,Julian Tavarez ,Albert Brito

IN or PROMOTED; Charles Suzuki ,Jason Beltran ,Harpo Westbrook ,Keith Simas ,Dion Haynes ,Frank May

SUMMARY;Jmuhtoff has brought in some pitching talent and made a few key trades.If they mesh with the rest of the team he might have something here.With that said he still has to get by the Crushers and i don't feel he is quite strong enough.But I do see another wild card berth for this team and he could get on another roll.


It's nice to see mikesons back for his second season in Wrigleyville. This team has had so many owners it's great to see some stability there.I contacted mikeson at his palacial estate on the shores of Chesapeake Bay.And I asked him? "Now that youv'e gotten your feet wet .What do you think of your squad?"He replied. "The Blue Sox will be better. We are still in the rebuild process. Not much in the cupboard left by the previous owner,but things are looking up. we will definitely be more fun to watch in Fenway this season. Some young pitchers who will probably start off in the minors but should make debuts this season in the bigs. We still really need a C and a SS."
With his statement in my notebook we said or goodbyes and i started digging in the Bluesox's offseason moves.Here is what I found.

OUT; Raymond Clapp ,Zephyr Branson ,Jim Sierra ,Alexander Duckworth and a few others.

In or promoted;Tim Towers and Mark Young

Summary;I agree with Mike .He had a weak team handed to him and he is doing a great job of making them competative.We in Wrigleyville are lucky to have him as an Owner.

A.L. SOUTH


Tchagnon is in his fifth year of his rebuild project and the blues are starting to look Happy.:) Even though they finished third in thier division they were competative.I caught up to TC at the T-bone Walker festival in Linden, Texas.He had this to say about his club. " We made only a couple of moves.First we released a couple of pitchers and let some low level infielder go to free agency.then we made a trade with Toledo and picked up some prospects for a pretty good Catcher.and last we signed some veteran pitchers to keep us competative till the youngsters mature." just then the song "Just call it Stormy Monday" started and that was my que to leave.Here are the moves TC talked about.

OUT;Ben Towers ,Ronnie Jones ,Woody Piersoll

IN or PROMOTED;Aramis Herrera ,Benito Lopez

SUMMARY;Look for this team to keep improving but i don,t see them in the playoffs this season .But next year look out,We may be singing the blues!!


Atprasad is starting his second year and unlike Mikesons he inherited a Juggernaught.He won this Division last year and he has made some great moves in the offseason.But before we look at that lets hear what Atprasad had to say about his team."Jackson thinks it will take a step back in reg. season wins,but still expects to compete for a WS title... big youth movement, while still remaining in contention is a tough thing to do, but I think we've done it... Rich Rando, Vic Bellhorn, Jake Womack all big names that departed via trade or FA..." Well said !! Now lets dig a little and see who's in, who's out.

Out:Mike Malloy ,Terrence Buckley ,Vic Bellhorn ,Albert Renteria ,York Phillips ,Rich Rando ,Jake Womack ,Jason Beltran

IN:Tom Henley ,Walt Hill ,Jim Sierra ,Harry Vargas ,Paul Ryan ,Santiago Ramirez

Summary; This team has indeed remained competative and with a youth movement in the works.Atprasad will be a force for years to come.



Illicit has always been a 2nd place team and missed the playoffs the last three years .Last season he missed them by a tie breaker and I know his frustration is mounting.So I went to the Posse headquarters in historic downtown Nashville.And I asked. After last seasons near miss what have you done to get over the hump?? He said. "Nice to see you doon,I'm g so glad you asked.I spent a shitload of money on Free agents and in doing so i upgraded my Catching and Out field.Also I picked up some bullpen help, so that my Posse will be looking for vengence this season.And I feel we finally have a team that will go all the way". With that statement in my pocket I headed out to research the Posse's off season moves.here is what i found.

OUT;Don Ishii ,Horacio Picasso ,Glenn May ,Tony Polanco ,Eric Kydd

IN or PROMOTED;Billy Quantrill ,Raymond Clapp ,Jeff Garland ,Davey Solano

SUMMARY;I think Illicit has indeed improved his team. But will the high priced F/A's play like they got Paid? Sometimes you can't tell till you play'em so by the All-Star break we will know. my guess is this season they will be a wild card contender.Jackson is just to strong.

Charleston
Charleston Tobacco Farmers (AL)
nwsheehy007
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nwsheehy007 has always hovered around .500 in the standings.And that is just not going to get it done in this tough division.I caught up to him at the Farmers Co-Op on old highway 27 outside Charleston.Nwsheehy was bidding on some lots of Tobacco and agreed to answer one question.So i carefully worded my one question.What are you going to do to make this team competative? he replied. "We are a competative team .We are always a smidge out of the wild card race.Listen sonny ,why don't you relax and light up a smoke." he paused and offered me a Cigar.I politely declined then he continued. "We let some dead wood go by way of free agency then we traded for a hard hitting catcher.we signed a good looking SS in free agency and captured a nice pitcher in the R5.I think that will be enough to win more games." With that I was jostled from my seat by a couple of hired goons and summarily tossed out on my Arss. well i looked at nwsheehy's moves and this is what I found.
OUT;Dennis Giles ,Howard Crespo ,Vicente Rodriguez ,Homer Williams ,Harold Palmer ,Charles Suzuki

IN or PROMOTED;Jesus Mendoza ,Douglas Saunders ,Julian Tavarez

Summary;After my Butt and pride healed i Can say for certainty that the Charleston team has their own way of feilding a team and i don;t think they are stout enough to contend with Nashville or Jackson.

A.L.WEST


This is Purple's first season in Wrigleyville and if he runs this team like his Buffalo franchise.They will be a tough bunch of ball players.That said ,Purple takes over a historic franchise that owned the South for 6 years. But under jying98's tuteledge they slipped a little and were a wild card team.So Purples task is to make them division champs again and I know he can do it.So i ventured to the New City Center Casino on the strip and found Purple playing black jack.I slid into a seat next to him and he smiled and gave me some chips.While the dealer dealt our hands i asked Purple what he thought of his brand new team?? and he said. "We lost Willie and alls we got in return were a #43 and a #80 pick.That was disapointing but I did clean out all the dead wood in the minors. And I also improved my defense and Hitting with some Free agent pickups.I also pulled off a trade with Toledo and picked up another fine SS." With that he yelled" hit me", and busted.I left the table after a hearty hand shake, and researched the Las Vegas off season moves. This is what i found

OUT;Eugene Gibbons ,Willie Hamilton ,Vic Lombardi ,Nigel Hasegawa ,Sammy Estrada

IN or PROMOTED;Tommy Nixon ,Pablo Duran ,Bud Shelley ,Tom Buckley ,Albert Guerrero

Summary;It looks like after the bad luck of losing a stud pitcher Purple went to work.And I think with added defense and a little more firepower they may make-up for his loss.Purple will contend for the division and if he falls short.He will be right in the middle of the Wild card race.

Helena
Helena Barking Moonbats (AL)
sordie
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Sordie is a force in Wrigleyville. And last season it looked like the Moonbats were going to win Back to Back World Series.But they were Were spooked out of thier caveby the Cincinatti Howlers.Makes sense huh!! Moon and Howlers!!Anyways sordie released this press statement.
"Moonbats preseason assessment: We got older, but more offensively potent. Defense is taking a back seat this season,we want to outscore opponents. Our pitching staff is a notch above average, but look for an early Jeff Burnett callup to bolster the starting staff. All in all, this squad should be in a position to contend for a division title and deep playoff run."

OUT;Wallace Oliver ,Jesus Mendoza ,Wiki Arias ,Dan Torre ,

IN or PROMOTED;Victor Demaree ,Brett Woodson ,Rickey Strange ,Lorenzo Torres

SUMMARY; After losing in the ALCS sordie made a few changes but not a lot.So I think they will win thier Division and be trouble in the playoffs.Moonbat Fever..... Catch IT!!!


Jaredparventi takes over a team in turmoil. This team made the playoffs two years ago but last year they finished at .500.I caught up to jared at the Bugs Bunny Museum in downtown Albuquerque.He motioned me over while viewing the Yosimitee Sam exhibit and said he had just enough time for one quick question.so i asked him what he thought of his new team? He replied. "I Cleaned house thats what i did.I let most of the F/a's go and I replaced them with a bunch of old guys who just want a chance to play one more season.I also promoted a couple of prospects and picked up a R5 player.I think if I stock enough Geritol they may make a game of it." with that he moved on to the Wylie E Coyote exhibit, and i went to check on his transactions.this is what I found.

OUT;Malachi Christopher ,Phil Dunwoody ,Jimmie Watson ,Craig Savage ,Pablo Duran ,Marty Evans ,Spud Canseco ,Rich Ward ,Cody Sherman

IN or PROMOTED;Hootie Mahaffey ,York Phillips ,Adam Wright ,Josh Sefcik ,David Otanez ,R.J. Torres ,Tim Surhoff ,King Evans

Summary;I like what jared has done.So listen up all you Newbies.He's picked up all those free agents that were once studs but now are way past their prime.If he can squeeze one more good season out of them, he might have a winner here.I for one will be following his progress closely.I don't think the Geritol Gang will have anything for the Vegas or Cincinatti Clubs. And maybe a shot at the last W/C is within their reach.

San Diego
San Diego Salmonbellies (AL)
mdymond
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Mdymond takes over a team that needs a lot of help.And from what I see mdymond has done with his other club.This could be something good.I caught up to him at the teams headquarters in sunny San Diego.I asked him what his plans are for turning this franchise around? He said. " Boy this team is a Mess!! I let go a bunch of dudes and brought up 4 prospects .Then plugged the holes wit a couple of Old Free Agents.I hope we can keep it a float but i think we will be rebuilding this squad for a while." with that i excused myself and this is what I found

OUT;Rod Slocumb ,Aramis Herrera ,Jeromy Hampton ,Clyde Ratliff

IN or PROMOTED;Sammy Miranda ,Rey Chen ,Sammy Miranda ,Jamey Richardson ,Josh Skinner ,Frank Dwyer ,Russell Corbin

SUMMARY;Can You say Rebuild?? This team is under construction and if you need some help mdymond.Just ask anyone in Wrigleyville we always have some extra players to send your way.Good to have you aboard.