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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
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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
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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
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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
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