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LAST YEARS RECORD:96-66
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: I was happy where my team finished even though I wanted to win the division. I rested my Big fellas down the stretch when I clinched a wild-card spot and my odds of catching the Utes were low. My guys won 92 games and a wild-card spot with great hitting (3rd in the NL) and good pitching (5th in the NL)and defense (4th in the NL). We were the #6 seed in the playoffs but that didn't matter to my guys. We beat the #3 seeded Red Light Districts in 4 ,then got by the #2 seeded Muskellunges in 4. But in the National League Championships we met the #1 seeded Black Bears and it proved to big a hill to climb. My Schizoids lost in 6 games and I went on a 6 day drinking binge. In the off-season I re-signed Santo Prieto and Chad Krause and I released Reese when he wanted too much money in Arbitration. I replaced him with a R-5 pick-up that may or may not be with the team by the All-Star break. Same exact team as last year hopefully We will make the Series this year.PREDICTION:93-69(Wild-Card)
OUT: Santo Prieto
IN: Pascual Cabrera
PREVIEW: My boys surprised me in the regular season and won the division. It was a miracle with my 2 best set-up guys on the 60 day DL. We went into the playoffs as the #3 seed and lost game 5 at home to the Juggernauts. I sure could have used Mariano Rivera and Steven Daniels in my bullpen for the post-season. In the off-season I re-signed Chad Krause and let Prieto go to free agency and promoted Cabrera. This is the same team as last year. Late last year I brought up Daryl Schmidt and I hope he gives my rotation some wins. I promoted Cabrera this year because he hit over 400 in S/T and has been hitting .300+ in AAA and deserves a shot at the bigs. Gonna try and win the division but my goal is getting back to the playoffs with my bullpen intact.PREDICTION:96-66 (Division Winner)
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LAST YEARS RECORD:92-70
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Last year I called a division win for the Utes with my head, but my heart wish's it wasn't so. Hoop has a young team coming into their prime and they did their Pappa proud. Pappa Hoop's team won the division with great pitching (3rd in the NL) and good defense (7th in the NL), coupled with timely hitting (8th in the NL) . They went into the playoffs as the #4 seed and lost to the up and coming Moose. With both the Utes and Moose coming of age...Pappa Hoop may get another crack at them soon.In the off-season Rodriguez went to free agency and Hoop released Williams and McBride after they were caught playing tiddly-winks in the team hot-tub after hours. With only two open spots on this year M L roster, Hoop promoted Clark and Limon. This is the same good team as last year and the 2 newbies didn't weaken them at all. It's going to be hard for any of us to beat him for the division. I think this team will go farther in the post-season this year.PREDICTION:100-62(Division Winner)
OUT: Manuel Jose , Willie Alonso , Terry Jordan , Pedro Owen
IN: Ken Flair , Angel Hernandez
HOOPCOACH'S PREVIEW: The Utes are coming into a year where they are looking for the young pieces they collected during their losing seasons to step up and produce like I dreamed of on a nightly basis when they were youngins. We didn't do must in free agency, we only acquired one player, and that was Ken Flair, who looks to help our late inning bullpen: a weakness last year. We lost Terry Jordan, an MVP candidate and one of my favorite Utes of all time. We groomed him since he was a pup, but he asked for more than we could afford, plus he broke off his engagement to my sister, so he had to leave. We, also, said good bye to Willie Alonso, who hit some big home runs for us since we traded for him. Also, let go of Pedro Owen who never lived up to his hype and was asking for Lebron James money in arbitration.
Offensively, we looking for young guns, Sandy Millwood and Jon Coleman, to add some pop to the lineup. Chris Burke who has been great, is looking for an MVP type season. Alex Black, Hector Limon and the other looks who take the offense to championship levels.
Jeff Boyd leads our pitching again, but he's coming off his worst season as a Ute. Not that a 16-10 3.04 era is a bad year. Eduardo Villa is looking to have another Cy Young contending season. Outside of Boyd and Villa, Brandon Foxx, Jose Martinez, and Phil Koh look to be more consistent and healthy. Foxx has all the potential in the world, but health and inconsistency issues have him always on the trading block. We're looking for Bobby Ray Vance to take the next step in his 2nd full ML season. If we can get 2-3 of those guys to perform to their potential then this rotation could be deadly. The bullpen is carry but the quite Harry Megias, who continues to get the job done as closer. The rest of the pen knows the hot arm will pitch, but this franchise ends a couple arms to step up and prove they ar top setup men if we're going contend with the big boys.
The talent is there, we just need to take the next step. Just making the playoffs is no longer acceptable. We need to contend to division, league and world championships. If my Utes don't get off to a good start, look for some of the names above to be in different cities, as we will be looking for guys who can get the job done now.
PREVIEW: Hoop was in the division race all season long and never let me rest my guys. He did come up a little short on the division race but did grab a wild-card spot.In the playoffs his team was bested in the first round by the Moose in 4. In the off-season Hoop let Jose, Alonso , Jordan go to free agency and released Owen. He signed free agent Flair and picked up Hernandez in the R-5. The N L West is getting tougher with the Mariners showing signs of improving. It's going to be tough but the Utes should at least get a wild-card.PREDICTION:94-68(Wild Card)
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LAST YEARS RECORD:82-80
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: It's a sad day in Wrigleyville . Mark3313 our long time commish and one of the best people in HBD, retired. Word has it he got a position in San Juan testing the effects of Rum on scantily clad women. I'd leave Wrigleyville for that!! Now that a legend is gone ,BBwinksdaddy is the new owner and moved the team to Seattle. I've been told he plans on freeing Willy so look out ladies!! Come to Daddy ,,,Wink...Wink!With many open roster spots, BBwinks signed free agents Wall, Rapp, Flores, Anaral, Maxwell and Nathan and promoted Hernandez. Hernandez will be a monster closer and will probably win a few FOY's in the future . With last years promotion of Reid Merritt and Brad Slocumb the Mariners are on there way to respectability. They should get near .500 this year but Bbwinks still has many blue-chip prospects in the pipeline. When they get the call-up in 1-2 years. Lookout. PREDICTION:75-87
OUT: Steve Teahen , Billy Brock , Bernard Wilson , Kevin Sheffield , William Resop , Danny Jones
IN: Andrew Halter , Vernon Nickle , Vic Espinoza , Harry Ordonez , Gaby Ramirez
PREVIEW: BBwinks had his Mariners playing good baseball all season long. And with a 47-44 record at the break they were making Hoop and myself nervous nellies. Seattle's draft didn't go well when his 1st round pick (#3 overall) didn't sign, but he will get this years #5 pick overall as compensation. And to rub salt in the wound ,they lost out on the IFA bidding. No real significant IFA's were signed.Ouch! In the off-season Bbwinks re-signed Rex Maxwell and Shawn Terry .He let Teahen, Brock, Wilson , Sheffield go to free agency and released Resop and Jones. He signed free agents Halter, Nickle and Espinoza. Finally he promoted Ordonez and picked up Ramirez in the R-5. Seattle is a good young team and when BBwinks promotes Don Hamilton and Jeanmar Estrella from AAA they will be even better. Whats scares me more is he has even better talent in AA. It's just a matter of time before they win this division .They will battle for a wild-card and could get one.PREDICTION:86-76
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LAST YEARS RECORD:76-86
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Ressda's Bandits are another young team (avg age 27.8) and they finally broke the .500 mark. They won 83 games with the #4 hitting team in the NL. The fielding (11th in the NL) and pitching (14th in the NL) let them down but like I said, they are young! In the off-season Mrs O'Leary and her Cow, Rios, Walter, Molina and Maduro went to free agency. Ressda signed free agents Cruz, Hartman, Molina and Battle. At the time of this writing the Bandits still had a roster spot open. Ressda's signed a couple good pitchers and a couple good hitters. If he starts Hartman in CF my guys will be aiming to hit it there. So far in S/T he has played in RF.... he doesn't have the range for RF but it might not kill the defense. If Patsy stays outa CF and the free agent pitchers pitch like they should. Colorado Springs will give me a run for the wild-card.PREDICTION:87-75
OUT: Juan Marmol ,
IN: Taylor Towers , Don Collins , Justin Lowry
PREVIEW: I thought Ressda's Bandits would take the next step after surpassing the 500 mark in season 25. But they slid back to a sub-500 team. Ressda did load up on the prospects when he grabbed Art Ashley , Keenyn Yearwood , Matthew Green and Houston Price in the draft. In the off-season Ressda re-signed Patsy Hartman and let Mamol go to free agency. He signed free agent Towers and promoted Collins and picked up Lowery in the R-5. Collins has arrived to be the ace of the Bandit staff and the Colorado Springs Bandits will try to make another push to get above .500 and beyond.Can they do it? Anything is possible but this division is tough. PREDICTION:82-80
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