A L EAST PREVIEW SEASON 22

Pittsburgh Pirates (AL) ardthomp View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:83-79

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Ardthomp busted off the barnacles last year and got his Pirates sailing in the right direction. They broadsided the AL East and won the division by edging out the Wingdings with 85 wins. In the post-season Pittsburgh slipped by the Salmonbellies, then lost to the scurvey P-Dogs in the DCS. Last year the Pirates had very good pitching (3.92 team ERA-6th) and below average hitting (.256 team BA-25th) and defense (109 errors-23rd).The Pirates pitching got some help with the addition of Padilla, Christiansen and Rodriguez. If they pitch to their potential, the Pirates may celebrate another division champion-ship. And Pirates love ships!!PREDICTION: 88-74


OUT: Benny Norton , Hector Padilla , Edinson Trinidad , Wily Mo Miller , Clark Bierbrodt , Esmerling Suarez , Peter Griffin , Kevin Sheffield

IN: Max Polanco , Harry Lucano , Junior Tavarez , Geovany Aguilar , Dorian Smith , Anthony Rupe , Domingo Lira

ARDTHOMP's PREVIEW:  Have you heard the term, "Crap Sandwich"? Well, that's what this year's Pirates team closely resembles, with the emphasis on CRAP with the pitching staff. The owner bluffed at raising the budget this season after he grew fond of swimming in his vault of gold like Scrooge McDuck.The lineup is pretty much still intact from last season, but the pitching staff is being held together by a few hundred rolls of duct tape.I don't expect much out of this team after Louisville and Washington DC made some pretty bold moves. The city of Pittsburgh should be happy with two playoff appearances in a row, because there will probably be a few in a row without a winning record.


PREVIEW: The Pirates took a step back with only 83 wins, but it still was enough to win the division. The Love Ship sailed into the playoffs as the #4 seed, but was sunk in the first round by the Cobras. Last year Pittsburgh had a good defensive team (85 errors, .986 FPct-9th) but the average pitching (4.89 team ERA-22nd) and hitting (.271 team BA-16th) kept them from getting deeper in the playoffs. In the off-season, Ardthomp re-signed Karim Paniagua , Jake Alston , Luis Rodriguez , Oscar Li and Julian Stern .Then he let Norton, Padilla, Trinidad and Mo Miller go to free agency and released Bierbrodt, Suarez, Griffin and Sheffield. Ardthomp signed free agent Polanco then promoted Lucano, Tavarez, Aguilar. He then snatched Smith, Rupe and Lira in the R-5. This team improved with the promotions and some R-5 players. Young Tavarez will shore up the defense and Lucano and Aguilar have bright futures on the mound. The Pirates should win at least 90 games. Whether its enough to win the division is up to the other three teams.PREDICTION:91-71

Louisville Howlers (AL) jmuhtoff View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:81-81

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Looks like it may take a little more cooking time for the new Howlers. Louisville won only 68 games last year with average hitting (.267 team ERA-15th).bad pitching (4.99 team ERA-28th) and below average defense (108 errors-24th). Last year I predicted the Howlers would be the most improved team....That didn't turnout to be true. Pitching and Defense were the downfall of last years team. Weston and Morales should help, But I will wait and see if this collection of talented players, play like they should. PREDICTION:80-82

OUT: Don Hyzdu , Stu Elder , Robin Cirillo , Lyle Ruffin , Felix Ramirez , Randy White , Renyel Maranon , Felix Gao

IN: Ezdra Canseco , Pat Stargell , Tony Pena , Philip Schultz , Jackson Reed , Peter Griffin , Pablo Lee

JMUHTOFF's PREVIEW: The Howlers were very bust on the trade market late last season.After several weeks of negotiations with Washington, future potential Cy Young contender Walt Henry was brought aboard. Then in a what the heck departing free agent swap with Trenton,Rheal Scott decided he'd like to wear the reds rather than hit the open market. With the shocking preseason signing of Gene Weston, the early season trade with Boston for Albert Sierra and the resigning of 10 year Howler Harry Ontiverosthis is the best rotation in franchise history. Pablo Lee gets the call up and will complete for the closer role and Peter Griffin and Tony Pena will spend some time tending the tomatoes in the bullpen.Season 21 lineup newbies Bob Neugebauer, Bob Weathers and Glen Swann combined for 91 HR and 255 RBI pushing the Howlers above 900 runs scored for the first time since the season 8 ALCS Champs.This season brings in starting 2B Pat Stargell a battle between Jackson Reed and Ezdra Canseco for the 3B spot and in a third times the charm Philip Schultz will split time backing up at 1B and LF.

PREVIEW: I predicted this team would finish about .500 and thats exactly where they finished. Jmuhtoffs Howlers just about won the division with a good hitting (.278 team BA-9th) and average defense (88 errors, .985 FPct). The pitching let the Howlers down with a team ERA of 5.20 ,that ranks 29th overall. In the off-season Jmuhtoff re-signed Harry Ontiveros and let Hydzu, Elder, Cirillo, Ruffin, Ramirez, White, Maranon and Gao go to free agency. Jmuhtoff claimed Canseco off the wire and signed free agents Stargell, Pena, Schultz, Reed and Griffin. Finally he promoted Lee and still has one roster spot open. The Howlers added some nice old free agents and the promotion of Lee should help out in the pen.Jmuhtoff may give the Pirates a run for the division crown. PREDICTION:88-76

Washington D.C. Wingdings (AL) goldenbaer88 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:74-88

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Wingdings did not win the division as I predicted, sorry for the Jinx Goldenbaer. They did however win 83 games and finished the year strong by winning 8 out of the final 10 games. Last year Washington was the #2 offense in Wrigleyville hitting .281 as a team. The pitching (5.00 team ERA-29th) was bad and the defense (105 errors-21st) was below average.Looks like Goldenbaer diagnosed last years weakness and brought in some arms. The three pitchers should get the Wing Dings out of the basement in overall pitching ERA. Thats why they will battle for the division title and have a good shot at the post-season.PREDICTION:90-72

OUT: Julio Johnson , Enrique Alfonseca , Kenny Byrne , Odalis Suarez , Alfredo Baker , Dewey Sabel

IN: Don Dixon , Dustin Wood , Stubby King , Joaquin Pena , Jesus James , Magglio Rodriguez , Scott Cookson , Hector Ruth

GOLDENBAER's PREVIEW: Last year was an overall disappointment for the Wingdings,with a revamped rotation and bullpen, the Wingdings expected a playoff run with a potential WS title to end the season. However, the Wingdings failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year due to a lackluster offense,requiring a mini firesale at the end of this season. This year goldenbaer88 looks to right the ship by upgrading some key offensive pieces in the outfield and 3B.Last season's acquisition of Sam Price has solidified the hot corner for years to come. The Wingdings added some power in the outfield by trading for Hector Ruth and a high average outfielder in Scott Cookson .The Wingdings also improved their rotation by trading for Magglio Rodriguez and Jesus James . The back end of the bullpen was solidified by picking up Stubby King as a late reliever.Prediction: 85 wins and a wild card spot. Key Contributors: Jesus James , Hector Ruth , and Aurelio Amaral Does that work?

PREVIEW: I wrongly thought the Wingdings were go for the division last year.  Goldenbaer thought so too when he made several trades before the All-Star break. heres the Link ( THE WEEK IN WRIGLEYVILLE S-21 #4 ). But it didn't help, towards the end he shipped off some players for prospects. Last season Washington D C had good hitting (.275 team BA-12th), average pitching (4.38 team ERA-15th) . But the Ding in the Wings was the defense. They were dead last with 147 errors and a FPct of .976. In the off-season Goldenbaer traded away Johnson, Alfonseca and Byrne.Then he waived Suarez, Baker and Sabel and they were claimed by other teams. To fill the gaps ,Goldenbaer signed free agent Dixon and promoted Wood. All the earlier trades brought in King, Pena, James, Rodriguez, Cookson and Ruth. After a busy off-season trade binge, Goldenbaer has made the Wing Dings a better club. Can they win the division the way they sit right now. It's possible. But you and I know that Goldenbaer will be a trading players all season. If he comes up with the right bunch at the end, he may do damage in the post season.It's a three team race in th A L East.PREDICTION:87-75

Boston Knights (AL) avantrael View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:62-100

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Knights won 70 games last year, 5 games below my prediction. Boston had the worst pitching team last year with a team ERA of 5.47 . The hitting (.264 team BA-18th) and defense (97 errors-16th) was about average.I took a longer look at this team because...well...I didn't see much change in the offseason. I noticed the pitchers weren't really as bad as their 5.47 ERA. They also are getting no help with Mule Bennett and Petey Lieber at Centerfield. I found some other things I might change, but a really Rangy CF would help the pitchers out immensely. The Knights will not be riding into the post-season with this roster.PREDICTION:72-90


OUT: Shawn Terry , Cesar Morales , Tim Towers , Fritz Gruber

IN: Dean Hayes , Vicente Prieto

PREVIEW: The Knights had another rough year with only 62 wins. And even though I predicted 72 wins, I wasn't suprised that my prediction was overly optimistic. Last year Avantrael's Knights had terrible defense (128 errors, .979 FPct-31st) and the the worst pitching staff (6.15 team ERA-32nd). The hitting was average (.271 team BA-17th) so all is not lost. In the off-season Avantrael re-signed Royce Jennings and let Terry, Morales, Towers and Gruber go to free agency. with just a few empty roster spots, Avantrael signed free agents Hayes and Prieto. There still is one more slot open on the M L roster and Avantrael has options at AAA.  The Knights still have a poor defensive team (CF) and can't over come it with a average offense. Looks like another average year in Boston.PREDICTION:67-95

N L EAST PREVIEW SEASON 22

Burlington Coat Factory (NL) ehull11 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:116-46 (World Series Champ)

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: My appologies Ehull I threw the jinx on your Coat Factories when I picked them to win the World Series. But at least one of your division mates won it! Last year the Burlington won 95 games and were the #5 seed in the playoffs and made it to the second round where they lost to the tough Kickapoos. This team suffered a power outage with the 28th ranked hitting team last year(.253 team BA). They did however continued thier pitching dominance with the #2 ranked pitching staff (3.31 team ERA) and the defense was very good also (76 errors-6th).Even though the Coat Factories failed to bring me World Series Prediction Glory(It's all about Me LOL). I still like thier fit and they will give the Red Light Districts all that they can handle.Ehulls Burlington team will make the playoffs and be a tough foe in the post-season.PREDICTION:97-65


OUT: Polin Pineiro , Don Nunnally

IN: Marty Allen

PREVIEW: Congrats again Ehull on your Championship. In my opinion it was long overdue. The Coat Factories had the best record in the regular season and they parlayed that into a World Series Ring. Last year the Coat Factories had the #1 pitching team (2.85 team ERA-1st) , in fact they left the rest of us in the dust. The closest to their 2.85 ERA was the Red light Districts 3.28 ERA. They also had the #1 defense, commiting only 62 errors with a FPct of .990. The hitting was above average (.271 team BA-13th) but you don't have to score alot of runs with great pitching and defense. Burlington was tested in the NLCS when they won game seven against the Kickapoos. And the AL Champ Somtimes took them to game 6 ,but in the end, no one had an answer for the World Champion Coat Factories. In the off-season Ehull re-signed Juan Guerrero , Fonzie Bittle and Ricardo Amaral and let Pinero and Nunnally go to free agency. The loss of Pineros 20 million salary helped re-sign several good players. And Ehull replaced Pineros bat with free agent Allen at half the cost. So looks like Ehull's Coat Factories have to be the favorites win the Series.No jinx this time.PREDICTION: 102-60

Cincinnati Red Light District (NL) jeff2106 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:94-68

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Over the top went the Red Light Districts all the way to the World Series Championship. I never predicted the post season success but Jeff did pull off several key trades to put his guys in good position to win it all. Like picking up Luther Rapp , Danys Mota , Horacio Mesa and Alex Cornelius early in the season, were key pieces in the playoff run. Last season Cincinatti won 99 games with the #1 pitching team (3.30 team ERA-1st) in Wrigleyville. The Red Light Districts also had average hitting (.264 team BA-17th) and above average defense (85 errors-11th).This team got better and that is scary, so they are going to be in the playoffs and should be a favorite to repeat.PREDICTION:98-64


OUT: Garry Olsen , Joseph Hyun , Horacio Mesa , Shep Hunt , Luther Rapp , Ryan Olshan , Andres Ferrer , Deivi Gabriel

IN: Tomas Herrera , Rafael Pimentel , Dion O'Donnell , Jae Yamaguchi , Pablo Samuel , Alex Outman , Junior Okajima

JEFF2106's PREVIEW: The Red Lights went into last year thinking they were better than the season before. Even after adding some guys that should have been better than their replacements they weren't. We still can't seem to hit like how they should be hitting.The SP seemed to dip a little even though we he the 2nd best pitching staff. So just like last year we were looking to get better at hitting. We also had some decisions to make with the bullpen as 3 of the 4 wold not be resigned.So out the door went Joseph Hyun , Horacio Mesa , Shep Hunt and Garry Olsen who I tried to resign but wanted to test FA and ended up losing his services.Lots of relay good bullpen pieces left and all have a WS ring. On the other side I decided to not resign Ryan Olshan and Luther Rapp .We did pick up 6 extra draft picks but they will all be useless as I don't have any money to scout for the draft. So on to the remake of the bull pen we moved Wayne Zerbe there, signed Dion O'Donnell ,Rafael Pimentel and Jae Yamaguchi to fill out the rotation. 1 or 2 guys will be brought up to finish the pitchers. Should be just as good as the last 2 seasons when we finished with the top staffs.I signed Tomas Herrera to take over the catching duties, signed Pablo Samuel to be a 4th OF. Of course it's not really an offseason with me taking someone or 3 or 5.I traded for Junior Okajima to take over in RF. after that I didn't need Deivi Gabriel or his 7mil price tag. All in all I think I have made this team better than the year before.I'm hoping we can hit like they should and the pitching continues its form. I think we can win 94-100 this year so ill go in the middle. 97-65 and hopefully good enough for 1st place but more than likely 2nd with another wild card spot.

PREVIEW: The Red Light Districts Had a very good year but play in the tough NL EAST. This division is a beast and has produced the last 3 World Series Winners. And the defending champs made a great showing with 94 wins and grabbed a wild card berth. Last year this teams batting was below average (.261 team BA- 23rd) and the defense was pedestrian (103 errors, .983 FPct-20th).The Star was the 2nd ranked pitching (3.28 team ERA) and that kept them competative. In the playoffs Cincy lost in the first round to the Tampa Bay Stars. In the off-season Jeff let Olsen, Hyun, Mesa, Hunt, Rapp and Olshan go to free agency. He traded away Gabriel to Chicago and lost Ferrer on the waiver wire. With some holes to fill, Jeff signed free agents Herrera, Pimentel, O'Donnell, Yamaguchi and Samuel and promoted Outman. He added Okajima with the earlier trade. There are a few holes in this team but the Red Light Districts can still play with the best of them. With San Juan re-building and Syracuse just coming out of one this team could make it to the post season.PREDICTION:90-72

San Juan Santurce Crabbers (NL) rbedwell View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:80-82

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Even tho Ralphs Island Guys finished 11 games below my prediction, they still made the playoffs as the #6 seed. San Juan met up with the eventual champs in the second round and lost a tough game 5. Last year the Santurce Crabbers Had average hitting (.268 team BA-14th), and good pitching (4.08 team ERA-10th) and defense (86 errors-10th).While this was not a firesale so to speak, Ralph has started a re-build of his team. He lowered his overall salaries by 20+ million and picked up many comp draft picks. Look for the Santurce Crabbers to ride out the season and pick up juicy prospects.PREDICTION:70-92


OUT: Darren Holmes , Bernie MacDougal , Terrence Munoz , Fausto Fernandez , Duke Krivda , Chad Krause , Willie Mercado , Pablo Samuel , Damaso Gonzalez , Junior Okajima

IN: Duane Belinda , Tyrone Handworth , Nicholas Bevil , Tuck Simmons , Al Fernandez

PREVIEW: The Crabs are re-building but still won a respectable 80 games. Ralph had 5 first round picks and brought in a ton of young talent like  Esmil Sosa , Enos Crespo , Vance Kulik. Last year San Juan had good defense (86 errors, .986 FPct-10th), good hitting (.276 team BA-10th) and good pitching (4.31 team ERA-10th). Not bad for a rebuild Ralph. In the off-season Ralph re-signed Ernest Truman , Orlando Lee and let Holmes, MacDougal, Munoz, Fernandez, Krivada, Krause, Mercado and Samuel go to free agency. Then he traded away Gonzalez and Okajima. With many , many holes to fill, Ralph claimed Belinda and Handworth off the wire. Then he signed free agent Bevil and  traded for Simmons and Fernandez. You know your team was good when most the players you let go to free agency, get picked up by other teams.And Ralph is in a rebuild so he replaced them with waiver wire pickups and other so-so players. This team still has 3 roster spots open, they may get filled with waiver specials or bargain players. Regardless the Crabbers could still win about 70 games. PREDICTION: 70-92

Syracuse Moose (NL) rugby1 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:62-100

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Bad news...The Moose had a real bad year. The Good news... You can't hang me twice. I didn't think the Rugbys bunch would reach .500, but I never thought they would win only 56 games.Looks like a rebuild to me.One thing that struck me was that none of the players on the OUT list were not picked up by any other team. They were NOT good , and we knew it.Syracuse has one of the lowest overall payroll at 28.7 million. They have a ton of money for IFA's if Rugby chooses to go that route. Look for The moose to pick up some prospects and finish near the bottom again.PREDICTION:65-97

OUT: Juan Pena , Francis Belitz , Jose Sanchez , Jair Arias , Tyrone Handworth

IN: Ronald Carter , Andy Shannon , Hipolito Silva , Gerald O'Neil , Miguel Santiago

RUGBY's PREVIEW: The addition of a couple of young Bull Moose from AAA, Ronald Carter and Andy Shannon along with the return of Justin Brantley from a season long stint on the DL and returning power hitter Davy Gomez should see the Moose migrating back to the top of the standings this year. Midre Duran has the potential to put up Mike Trout numbers from the leadoff spot. If the offense produces like we hope then there will be less pressure on the pitching staff and young guns Hipolito Silva, Quilvio Carrasquel and Jair Olmeda at the top of a revamped rotation. Aside from perennial gold glove candidate Khiry Allen behind the plate the defense will be challenged, especially Carter at first whose range resembles the Texas two step. We tried to deal him to an AL team last season as he best position would be DH, so now we will see if the best deals are those never made. The team will be young and exciting and if the bats produce like we think than the Moose will be HERD from!

PREVIEW: The Moose Finished close to predictions. Last year Syracuse won only 62 games but thats an improvment on season 20. Rugbys guys had terrible hitting (.248 team BA-31st), average pitching (4.37 team ERA-14th) and bad defense (123 errors, .980 FPct-27th). These stats are about what to expect for a re-build. In the off-season Rugby released Pena, Belitz, Sanchez, Arias and Handworth. With a few roster spots open, Rugby promoted Carter, Shannon, Silva and O'Neil and grabbed Santiago in the R-5 draft. Holy Crap Rugby. Nice call-ups! The Moose are on there way back folks. The youngsters that were promoted will improve this team immensely.They still have a little ways to go but this team will be my pick for most improved.PREDICTION:82-80

A L SOUTH PREVIEW SEASON 22

Charlotte Sometimes (AL) hatton98 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:86-76

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Like I said in last years preview. This team will be good in a few years just not yet. The Sometimes are still cooking them prospects and perhaps they will be ready to serve soon. The Sometimes won 13 more games than last season with 4th best defense (75 team errors) and average hitting (.262 team BA). Hattons Hurlers were the 7th worst pitching team(4.83 team ERA) and that is probably why they finished below .500.Looks like Hatton is making a move with a combination of the free agents and promotions. One thing is apparent , The Sometimes are a better team talentwise. Now can they play like it?? This division is weak and they could take it. PREDICTION:85-77


OUT: Albert Mendoza , Taylor Riggs , Miguel Lind , Pasqual Ontiveros , Duane Belinda

IN: Garry Olsen , Luther Rapp , Kirk Tomko

PREVIEW: The Sometimes played up to their talent and won the division.It took Hatton eight long seasons ,but finally he's a division champ. Charlotte won 86 games with the 4th best hitting team (.283 team BA) and good defense (85 errors, .980 FPct). The pitching needs some work though, 4.86 team ERA ranked 21st in Wrigleyville. In the post season Charlotte went on a run beating the 97 win Prairie Dogs, 101 win New Britain and 102 win Salem. Hatton found himself in the World Series but couldn't get past the 116 win Burlington. Still...a A L Championship Trophy will look good in the Trophy Case. In the off-season Hatton let Mendoza, Riggs and Lind go to free agency. He released Ontiveros and waived Belinda. With just a few spots open he signed free agents Olsen and Rapp and traded for Tomko. Hatton dished out big signing bonuses for Olsen and Rapp. Hope they play like it. Even if they don't this team is favored to win the division and could make it back to the Series. PREDICTION:90-72

Little Rock Posse (AL) illicit View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:76-86

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Posse finished pretty close to last years prediction. And It gives me no comfort for I love Posse and I want them to succeed. With Wrigleyvilles worst defense (.987 FPct-32nd and 136 team errors-32nd) It's easy to diagnose what went wrong last year.All the free agents were good defensive players and the promotions of talented pitchers should improve this team. Can they win the division....yes. It depends on how the youngsters play. PREDICTION:84-78


OUT: Vicente Azocar , Julio Fuentes , Don Coleman , Nolan Glauber

IN: Vladimir Gonzales , Wilfredo Brogna , Jimmie Sosa , Grant Ventura

PREVIEW: The Posse rode hard but in the end they came up short. The 76 wins was Little Rocks best showing since season 14.....Giddy-up! Last year Illicits team had very good hitting (.280 team ERA-7th), poor pitching (5.12 team ERA-27th) and defense (125 errors, .979 FPct-28th). In the off-season Illicit re-signed George Cordova and let Azocar, Fuentes, Coleman and Glauber go to free agency. He then claimed Gonzales off the wire and signed free agents Brogan and Sosa. He promoted Ventura to finish his ML roster. Illicit went out and added some very nice pitchers thru free agency and promotions. This should help the pitching numbers but he still needs some defensive help. PREDICTION:81-81

Charleston Tobacco Farmers (AL) nwsheehy007 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:58-109

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Tabaky Farmers were a sub .500 division winner. But hey! Thats worth a $4.00 credit. Then Nwsheehy went into the playoffs and were swept by the Cobras. Charleston is a good hitting team with a team average of .271(11th). But the team ERA of 5.19(31st)  and the123 team errors(28th) let them down.The addition of Martis will help the defense alot and The Tabaky Farmers still have 10 million left in the cap budget. They will be around .500 or better so they may still win the division. But the other teams have improved also and it will take more than a .500 record to win this division. PREDICTION:85-77


OUT: Damaso Martin , Wes Burks , Chris Taylor , Bob Murphy , Sean Beckett

IN: Mike Tewksbury , Chad Krause , Shep Hunt , Horacio Mesa , Wandy Matos , Tim Oliver , Douglas Logan , Brutus Sheffield

NWSHEEHY's PREVIEW: Last season took me back to my 4th and 5th season in this league (and in WIS). The Farmers, last year, well...underperformed. The truth is that our pitching staff was just too old and too tired.Without help in the minors, I decided to buy a ninety win team in Free Agency. That did not work out as well as I hoped. I lost on the bidding war with Polin Pineiro and Eddie Metcalfe .I do wish Wes Burks would have stayed. I did manage to spend a lot of money on 3 pitchers to help with the general void in pitching and think this team could surprise many owners.

PREVIEW: Uh.....well.......My prediction of 85 wins was.......terrible. Musta been smokin that Wacky Tabacky. Charleston only won 58 games and will get the 2nd pick in this years draft. Nwsheehy's boys had good defense (84 errors, .986 FPct-12th) ,average hitting (.265 team BA-19th) and terrible pitching (5.91 team ERA-31st). In the off-season Nwsheehy re-signed Andre Scanlan and let Martin, Burks and Taylor go to free agency. Then Charleston released Murphy and Beckett outright. With several open roster spots, Nwsheehy signed free agents Tewksbury, Krause, Hunt, Mesa, Matos and Oliver. The Tabaky Farmers picked up Logan and Sheffield in the R-5 to fill out this years roster. Olivers a stud pitcher and Matos will help get the pitching staff out of the cellar. But this team still needs some help with their smoking problem. Put down the Pipe!!! PREDICTION: 75-87

Santa Fe Blues (AL) tchagnon View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:53-109

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: What happened to the Blues??? I have no Clue??  TC's team suffered a power outage (only 155 Homers-26th) with the 4th worst hitting team (.249 team BA-29th) in Wrigleyville.The Blues lowered their overall payroll by 20 million so it looks like a rebuild . While I believe this started last year with a couple trades it's still to early to say wheather this is a complete overhaul. Right now this team will finish about the same as last year.PREDICTION:74-88

OUT: Rico Trevino , Andres Romo , Vicente Prieto , Jorge Blanco , Delanor Meacham , Sidney Tresh , Sammy Oropesa , Luis Gil , Fred Lee , Pedro DeLeon , Albert Baez , Buddy Day , Oscar Driskill , Tony Guillon , Ivan Gimenez , Chad Bolden , Tito Brea , Stubby King

IN: Odalis Suarez , Dewey Sabel , Juan Corpas , Jose Ethier , Tuck Damon , Del Chang , Rod Riggs , Andres Ferrer , Vic Martin , Placido Sanchez , Rico Mateo , Jim Caufield , Darron Flier , Juan Fernandez , Carlos Reyes , Dioner Palacios , Mark Davis , Angel Vizcaino , Apollo West

TCHAGNON's PREVIEW:  Apollo West will be my closer and will hopefully get to 500 saves quickly.

PREVIEW: Santa Fe wins the draft pick derby with 109 losses. It was expected Tchagnons guys would mail it in, seeing how its another re-build season.The blues did pick up Shawn Barfield in last years draft .So it wasn't a completely unproductive season. In the off-season Tchagnon re-signed Junior Maeda and let 12 other players go to free agency. Then he released 5 others and traded away King. After the bulldozzers left and the embers cooled, Tchagnon had to re-fill what was left of his team. He first claimed 8 players off the wire and signed free agent Martin, Sanchez, Mateo and Caufield. Then he picked up 6 players in the R-5 draft and traded for West.Holy crap!! talk about blowing a team up! Tchagnon left no doubt that this is a re-build. Gonna be alot of crying Blues Fans.PREDICTION:60-102

N L SOUTH PREVIEW SEASON 22

Tampa Bay Stars (NL) neilg View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:83-79

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Stars finished below my prediction and maybe I was a little optimistic that the pitching could overcome the hitting and defense. Last year the pitching fell off to a team ERA of 4.27,which was ranked 14th overall. And the hitting (.246 team BA-30th) was again near the bottom, but the defense did improve to 16th overall with a FPct of .984 with 96 errors.It's a step in the right direction and this team should improve. This team could win this division now that Durham has sold off some talent. PREDICTION: 84-78


OUT: Rafael Pimentel , Gail Phillips , Jae Yamaguchi , Carson Tobin

IN: Harry Suarez , Juan Pena , Matty Guerrero , Javier Veras

PREVIEW: Neligs Stars are the division champs, and it took 6 seasons to get this team back atop the division. I know this is a weak division but this team is improving every season. They won 83 games with great pitching (3.70 team ERA-4th) and average defense (88 errors, .986 FPct-14th). The hitting wasn't very good (.257 team BA-27th) and may need some help next year. In the post-season Tampa Bay upset last years Champs in the first round, but fell to this years Champs in the DCS. In the off-season, Nelig let Pimentel, Phillips and Yamaguchi go to free agency and released Tobin. He signed free agents Suarez, Pena, Guerrero and Veras to fill the holes. Nelig lost some pitching to free agency but went out and signed some good replacements like Suarez. Nothing was done about the lack of offense but the pitching may overcome that deficiency.PREDICTION:85-77

Jackson Black Bears (NL) olemiss33 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:71-91

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Blackbears finished pretty close to last years prediction with 77 wins. Jackson is excited about the direction the team took last year and so is Olemiss. Last year the Blackbears improved their hitting (.256 team BA-24th), while the pitching (4.42 team ERA-19th) and defense (.981 FPct-25th) remained the same.This is a tough preview because of the unknowns. Olemiss signed a bunch of low level ML guys in free agency. And he has a ton of talent in AAA ready for the callup. I think the free agents are just a temporary fix until after the 20 games have been played. Then Olemiss can call up the prospects and save a year on thier Major League clock. Thats just my guess?? PREDICTION: 85-77 if he calls up prospects.


OUT: Lucas Myers , Edgar Guzman , Ricardo Jacquez , Kelvin George , Victor Guerrero

IN: Jacob Takahashi , Hayes Reimold , Cristian Satou , Carlos Castilla , Ricky Sonnanstine

PREVIEW: Haven't looked yet wheather Olemiss called up his prospects. Regardless, the Blackbears never made it to my 85 win prediction. Jackson won 71 games with Cub like hitting (..249 team BA-30th) and defense (113 errors, .981 FPct-25th). The pitching was about average (4.46 team ERA-17th),so all isn't lost. In the off-season Da Black Bears lost Myers to free agency and released Guzman, Jaquez, George and Guerrero. And now here comes the youngsters. Olemiss promoted Takahashi, Reimold, Satou, Castilla and Sonnanstine. Ahhh the Black Bears have awoken from a long hibernation. With the call-up of some very good prospects this team will improve . The future looks bright for Olemiss and the Black Bears. They are my Darkhorse pick this year. They may win this division.PREDICTION:90-72

Austin City Limits (NL) wylie715 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:61-101

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: It looked bleak last season so Wylie raised the white flag and pulled the plug on his faltering team mid-season. While it wasn't a fire sale he did ship off several players for prospects. This means that last years stats are pretty much useless in gauging this team. But Wylie will get this team right soon with some luck.Looks like Wylie will try and get the City Limits going again with free agents, a prospect and 2 R-5 guys. Can he win this division?? It's possible in the weaker N L South . But the odds are long and Wylie may get another anvil on the head.I hope I'm wrong.PREDICTION:75-87

OUT: Shaggy Castillo , Koyie Schoeneweis , Omar Hartman , Hector Ruth , Rod Riggs

IN: Stan Knight , Al Zerbe , Luis Gil , Jair Arias , Dante Swindell , Ahmad Mills , Kenny Byrne

PREVIEW: INCOMING!! another Anvil just hit Wylie on the skull. Like I said last year ,I hope this team plays well. But the City Limits could only win 61 games. Last season Austin had below average hitting (.258 team BA-25th) , terrible pitching (5.16 team ERA-28th) and terrible defense (129 errors, .979 FPct). In the off-season Wylie let Castillo go to free agency, then he released Schoeneweis and Hartman. He traded Ruth to Washington and lost Riggs on the Waiver Wire. With several gaps in the roster ,Wylie signed free agent Knight, Zerbe, Gil and Arias and promoted Swindell. He grabbed Mills in the R-5 and added Byrne in the Washington trade. Wylie improved his middle defense with Knight and Mills will be good in LF, but Arias's weak glove in CF will be a problem.The bat of Byrne will help score more runs but he's a DH playing on a NL team. On the upside , the pitching will be better. PREDICTION:68-94

Durham BullShippers (NL) wishlist3677 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:59-103

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Bullshippers finished below my prediction but still won the division with 88 wins. Durham took the tough Coat Factories to a 5th game in the first round of the playoffs, but lost. Wishlist's guys had a good year with good pitching (4.05 team ERA-8th) and average defense (94 team errors-14th). The hitting was average also with a team BA of .267 ranking 16th in Wrigleyville.The trades brought in Nathan, Stults, Lima, Reyes, Sanchez, Tapies and West. This was a major overhaul thru trades and Durham got younger and lowered their overall salaries by 40+ million. It will be nice if it works. Right now I think some more prospects need to cook to make the playoffs.PREDICTION:81-81


OUT: Bobby Garland , Shane Ryal , Jose Bonilla , Herm Harris , Rico Mateo , Eswalin Ordonez , James Lee

IN: Wiki Ordonez , Rick Reagan , Terrence Munoz , Gary Stern

PREVIEW: The Bullshippers lost the race for the worst record and the first pick in the draft. But picking 3rd is pretty good. Last year Wishlists guys had below average pitching (4.91 team ERA-23rd) . Durham also had terrible hitting (.249 team BA-29th) and defense (118 errors, .980 FPct). In the off-season, Wishlist let Garland, Ryal, Bonilla, Harris, Mateo and E Ordonez go to free agency and released Lee. Wishlist claimed  W Ordonez off the wire and signed free agents Reagan and Munoz. He traded for Stern to round out the roster.Durham has alot of talent at the ML level. They will not be in the basement if they play up to there ability. Look for this team to make a great turn around this year.PREDICTION:75-87

N L WEST PREVIEW SEASON 22

San Francisco Kickapoos (NL) mark3313 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:101-61

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Mark and his Kickapoos continue to own this division. They won an N L best 103 games last year and went into the playoffs with the #1 seed. San Francisco lost in 7 to the eventual champs, no shame in that. The Kickapoos always has great pitching (3.65 Team ERA) and last year was no different. But the Kickapoos also had the #1 defense last year commiting a league low 68 errors.The Kickapoos still have a core of very good players but Sosa will be missed and it's hard to replace that kind of talent. But Mark lowered his overall salary by 25 million and put some cash into scouting. Perhaps he will pick up some talent for the Sosa comp picks. The Kickapoos are still the favorite to take the division, but the gap is narrowing. PREDICTION:95-67


OUT: Marty Allen , Russ Dietz , Tony Pena , Quinton Sauer , Rodrigo Merced , Don Dixon , Miguel Bocachica , Tuck Simmons , Ezdra Canseco , Preston Rogers

IN: Cesar Morales , R.J. Lima , Joseph Hyun , Edinson Trinidad ,Edgar Guzman , Willie Canseco , D.J. White , Robb Holder , Damaso Gonzalez

PREVIEW: I keep waiting for Marks Kickapoos to rebuild, But that wasn't last year for sure. San Francisco won 101 games and took the division crown for the 18th consecutive season. Aaarrgh! They were powered by their great pitching ( 3.50 team ERA-3rd)and good defense (82 errors, .982 FPct-7th). The only glint of decline was the hitting (.269 team BA-18th). In the playoffs, Marks team had a first round bye, cruised by the Utes in the DCS. Then lost game 7 in the NLCS to the eventual World Champs. In the off-season Mark re-signed Jeffrey Blackley , Joaquin Morlan and Jim Sheldon and let Allen, Dietz, Pena, Sauer, Merced and Dixon go to free agency. He then released Bocachica , traded away Simmons and waived E. Canseco and Rogers. To fill the holes Mark signed free agents Morales ,Lima, Hyun, Trinidad and Guzman. Picked up W. Canseco and White in the R-5 draft and traded for Holder and Gonzalez. Sure Mark has lost some talent to free agency but he went out and filled the roster spots with good solid players. Right now Marks Kickapoos are the team to beat in the N L West. I think he's shooting for 19-20 consecutive division wins. PREDICTION:93-69

Salt Lake City Utes (NL) hoopcoach07 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:85-77

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: What no more Fart Jokes??? No more Witchita Wind .....Here is the new Salt Lake City Utes. Ah..more Injun puns a coming. Hoopcoach is still getting his team to his liking and the new digs in SLC is the latest chnge to this team. The Utes A.K.A. the Wind are still a work in progress and they only won 64 games last year. The culprit was the worst hitting team(.235 team BA) in Wrigleyville last season...enough said.Let me say ..WOW! look at the talent that Hoopcoach promoted. They are a talented bunch, and if the youths (Joe Pecci speak) play like projections... They may make trouble for Mark and Myself. It's looking good Hoopcoach, thats why your my pick for most improved team this year and also my dark horse pick. PREDICTION: 88-74

OUT: Al Mujica , Freddy McCall

IN: Alex Sakamoto , Francisco Alvarado

PREVIEW: Yep, The Utes are for real folks. Hoopcoach's guys won 21 more games than last season and made the post-season for only the second time, Ever. They did it with pitching (3.97 team ERA-6th) . But the hitting (.261 team BA-23rd) and defense (111 errors, .982 FPct-24th) could use some work.In the playoffs Salt Lake City took out a good Madison team in the first round. But were swept by the experiencd Kickapoos in the DCS. In the off-season Hoopcoach released Mujica and McCall. Then he promoted Sakamoto and grabbed Alvarado in the R-5.This is the same team with a better catcher and more experience. The youngsters really played well last year and if anyone has a chance to beat Mark for the division crown. It's Hoopcoach and his Utes. This team should make the post season .PREDICTION:91-71

Vancouver Totems (NL) madmuldoon View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:80-82

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: First I must appoligize to the fans of the Totems. And I understand why the angry mob rammed the Totem Pole up my ass. I will be fine after the stitches heal and on the upside, my breath is Cedar fresh. But I may change the team name to the much smaller Vancouver Dashboard Jesus's. That would be way less painful if my team sucks next year.My offense was again offensive ,ranked 27th with a BA of .255. Maybe time to shake things up at the plate.My pitching (4.06 team ERA-9th) was decent and my defense (92 errors-13th)was average. Late last season during the playoffs I traded for Asdrubal Morales knowing my hitting needed help.I hope Torres and Morales will help my struggling offense . The Rotation is weak and my bullpen got stronger with the additions of Jeffries and Mann. I still think this team is good and if they don't produce I may have to try something drastic. And nobody wants a drastic madman!!PREDICTION:90-72


OUT Tomas Herrera , Bob Daley , Anthony Rupe , Vladimir Gonzales

IN: Raul Castillo

PREVIEW: I'm shuttered in my survival bunker, waiting for the unruly Totem fans to disperse. I promised a 90 win season last year and we finished below .500. My problem is obvious ..Lack of timely hitting (.262 team BA-21st). I  brought in some bats but none have panned out. Last year the Totems had average defense (90 errors, .985 FPct-16th) with good pitching (4.31 team ERA-11th). Shhhh, *whisper* The barbarians are at the gates*. In the off-season I re-signed Jarrod Mann and Sam Gray and let Herrera and Daley go to free agency. I then waived Rupe and Gonzales. With one holes to fill, I signed free agent Castillo. I have a just a couple more years with my core group of players under contract. I hope they start to play well. 500 just isn't gonna get it and the natives are restless. It may be time to reinforce the gates or dig an escape tunnel. PREDICTION:81-81

Colorado Springs Bandits (NL) ressda View Hardball Dynasty Profile

LAST YEARS RECORD:75-87

LAST YEARS PREVIEW: The Bandits took a little step back with only 71 wins last year. It's not a bad record for a team in a mini-rebuild. The pitching (4.30 team ERA-15th) hitting (.261 team BA-20th) and fielding (.980 FPct-27th) Ranked about the same as last year.The Bandits still have 25 million in cap space they can transfer to the prospect budget if a good one shows up. With only a 5 million IFA scouting budget he may have to pick up some high priced players during someone elses fire sale,or get stuck with unspent cash. Either way the Bandits will get better in the farm system or at the big league level. It's a good position to be in. PREDICTION:81-81


OUT: Jim Caufield , Ken Andrews , Jose Ethier , Gary Stern

IN: Art Stewart , David Pineda , Pat Clark , Justin Peterman , Ryan Olshan , Darrell Fryman , Felix Ramirez

PREVIEW: Last year the bandits won 4 more games than the year before. So this team is heading in the right direction. They added Carlos Alomar from the IFA market and drafted well with the addition of Tori Miller and Ross Steele . Last year the Pitching was good (4.35 team ERA-13th) with average defense (99 errors, .984 FPct) and below average offense (.265 team BA-20th). In the off-season Ressda let Caufield and Andrews go to free agency and released Ethier and traded away Stern.  Then he signed free agents Stewart, Pineda, Clark, Peterman, Olshan, Fryman and Ramirez. By signing several good free agents, the Bandits are making there move. This division just got a little tougher and we may have 4 teams above 500. PREDICTION:83-79