Griffey World-Gazette

Possible Rule Change

2011-10-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Our rules have been updated (but not changed) under the Private World Rules tab, but I am inclined to add a new one. We haven't voted anyone out yet for posting 200 losses, despite having a referendum every season since the rule went into effect. That actually doesn't bother me too much, because I think that reflects our relaxed, friendly attitude here.

But I am strongly inclined to automatically boot owners if they reach 200 losses over two consecutive two-season periods. (Does that make sense? What I mean is, you post 200 losses over, say, seasons 1 and 2, and then 200 losses over seasons 2 and 3. I guess it could more easily be expressed as losing 300 games over three seasons.)

I've heard from some of you during our referendums (referenda?) who say that it takes time to turn around a bad franchise, and I can understand that. But having rebuilt several teams across several leagues, I don't believe that it's necessary to lose 100 games or more over consecutive seasons to rebuild a franchise. I don't want to be a hardass here, but I feel like we need the no-questions rule for the third season so our relaxed, friendly attitude isn't abused. I'll wait to change anything until budget day is over (at least) to gauge reactions, but that seems like a reasonable rule to encourage competition. More than reasonable, actually.

Know All Men By These Presents

2010-07-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

We the Owners, in order to form a more perfect Griffey World, have hearby adopted through a democratic vote these Rules and Regulations by which to Govern ourselves.

We shall each be subject to a referendum should our franchise lose 200 or more games in any consecutive, two-season period. Thus, should you lose 100 games in a season and 100 the next, the other owners will be asked to decide whether you shall retain your team for a third season. The same rule applies if you should lose 110 in one season and 90 the next, or 115 and 85, etc. The referendum shall be conducted during the playoffs of the season in which the 200th loss is attained.

We shall each be subject to a referendum if our minors are consistently or purposefully neglected. The commissioner shall be the ultimate arbiter of this standard, but the determination shall be based upon persistent complaints from other owners if minor league pitchers are exhausted or if players are played grievously out of position (e.g., C playing SS) or if minor league games cannot be simulated because rosters aren't complete.

I'm not quite comfortable with formalizing a rule based on 1/3 support for a prohibition against cash in trades exceeding the salaries of included players. Basically, we have one more vote than it would take to earn a veto. I think some further discussion is needed on that one, so this portion will be updated. Scratch that, amended.

We should also determine whether to allow someone who's been voted out to return after a one-season hiatus, but I suspect that won't really be an issue here. But a rule would be good. If you have any other questions or concerns, or want a rule clarified further, please let me know.

Binding Vote: Minimum Standards

2010-06-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Please vote for the minimum standards you'd like to see enforced or suggest amendments in the comments below. We got a pretty clear picture of what the owners last season wanted to see, but those results were not binding and we've got a couple of new owners now. In the event of a tie, I will cast the tiebreaking vote.

Addendum: These are simple majority votes.

Vote: Minimum Standards

2010-04-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

I've set up a poll to gauge interest in establishing some minimum standards of competition, and to see which ideas discussed so far are most popular. The results of this particular poll will not be binding, and you may vote for each choice that matches your current position. If none of the choices appeal to you please let me know either in a blog comment or a trade chat.

I really want everyone to feel like they've had a say in this, since some of us have been competing in Griffey world for nearly four actual years, and many others for nearly as long. That's really something, and I don't want to wreck a good thing. Any rule changes are intended to proactively deal with problems we may encounter down the road and to improve competition going forward. In other words, I hope to strengthen an already great world.

Please vote by Sunday, April 25, and keep your suggestions coming!

Discussion: League Rules

2010-04-11T04:58:00.000-07:00

We've always operated without stated rules, which has worked for us thus far, but after WiS revised its policy regarding private worlds and removing problem owners, it might not be a bad idea to determine our expectations for fair play. I don't really want to change anything, unless there's a real groundswell from you guys to do so, but I'd like to have something to put into writing in the event that a problem owner joins and refuses to leave. Hopefully we'll never need these rules!

Add your ideas to the comments below.

S12 Power Rankings -- All Star Break Edition

2009-07-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

1. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (65-26, Run Differential: +273)
The author regrets perceived assholery associated with putting his team first, but Cheyenne has scored the most runs, allowed the least, and has the best record at the ASB by 7 wins. Cheyenne’s run differential is greater than any two other teams on this list combined. If that’s not enough, the Duck Snorts are currently on a 19-1 run. Can you guess the opposing pitcher that snapped what could have been a ridiculous 20-game win streak?

2. Pittsburgh Ponies (55-36, RD: +135)
Correct – that pitcher was Griffey’s poster boy, the Mustachioed Minnesotan Matt Ross, who dominated Cheyenne in a 3-2 Pony victory. Ross, while “in decline,” has already garnered his requisite Pitcher of the Week, etc. But what needs to be appreciated is that the historically pitching-heavy Ponies feature Griffey’s second-best offense, based on runs scored (531) and team SLG (.841).

3. Chicago Cubs (58-33, RD: +119)
As in other recent seasons, the NL’s top-ranked team has the NL’s second-ranked team, Fargo, nipping at their heels, as documented by cjl9652’s recent “Hiya, erff!” Waveland Avenue ball hawks have again been treated to a barrage of souvenirs generated by the home team, as the Cubs lead the NL in HR by a wide margin (180 vs. Fargo’s 147). Gabby Young came into the All-Star break with 47 dingers, leading all players.

4. Charleston Chew-baccas (58-33, RD: +123)
Griffey World’s favorite Wookiees/Candy, known historically an offense-heavy team, have featured a balanced approach in S12 ranking 2nd in AL team ERA and 3rd in AL team runs scored. Of particular note, Rookie DH David Lima has treated opposing pitchers how Charleston’s name sake treats Stormtroopers/fillings. Lima has posted a 1.152 OPS and 26 HR in only 64 games this season. AL South opposition will have difficulty wresting control of the AL South from Charleston without sticking Lima on a Kessel-bound spice freighter/in the freezer.

5. Fargo Fuzznuts (57-34, RD: +78)
The defending Griffey Champs have overcome a 5-9 start to climb within striking distance of Chicago, and will get their chance to take the lead as their second half opens with a four-game set against their chief rivals. As in years past, the Fuzznuts feature a strong offense (ranked 2nd in NL OPS, .834). Three Fargo players rank in the Top 10 in NL batting average – Alan Green, Fred Serra, and Benito Feliz.

6. Atlanta Ripettoes (53-38, RD: +77)
The Ripettoes are running away with an otherwise weak division, boasting a 13 game lead over their nearest rival, the New York Knights. However, Atlanta fans are still tuning in as one of Griffey World’s all-time greats, Michael Snow, approaches 600 HR. With 19 HR accounted for already on the season and 13 still needed to reach the milestone, Snow is on pace to pass 600 HR sometime around Game 153. Should be fun to watch.

7. Washington Foo Fighters (51-40, RD: +83)
Despite inconsistent play, Washington currently leads Boston in the AL East – the only AL division where the top dog has less than a double-digit lead. The Foo Fighters have been burdened by an uncharacteristically low team OPS of .767 and an unremarkable team WHIP of 1.40. In the second half, and home that Clint Ramirez (24 HR, 76 RBI) and SP Scott Terry (8-3, 1.27 WHIP) can provide the stimulus package needed to stabilize their volatile season.

8. Richmond Rednecks (50-41, RD: +74)
Newcomer nesman has served well at the helm of the Richmond’s Ford F350 dually. With a two-game lead over Little Rock, the Yosemite Sam “Back-Off!” mudflaps are clearly on display. Maintaining the lead would go a long way in restablishing the moribund former-Florida franchise as something other than “the team that traded Matt Ross.”

9. Seattle Mariners (55-36, RD: +69)
The Mariners find themselves in firm control of one of the AL’s two Wild Card slots and seem likely to snap the franchise’s eight-season playoff drought. A strong bullpen, featuring three pitchers with sub-1.25 WHIPs. has kept Seattle in close games. GM the_oat may do well to find a middle-of-the-order bat to strengthen a middling offense.

10. Jackson Shoes (48-43, RD: +70)
Like the Richmond and Seattle, train finds himself leading an impressive retreading of a formerly malodorous franchise. The Shoes have not been in the playoffs since S2, but anchored by a strong pitching staff (ranked T-3 in AL WHIP with 1.34), find themselves in strong position to tread on that trend. Like Seattle, a trade for a big bat might help their chances (ranked 10th in AL OPS).

S11 Power Rankings ~ 60 games

2009-03-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

1. Chicago Cubs (42-18, Run Differential: +122)
Chicks dig the long ball, and the Lincoln Park Trixies love their Cubbies who lead Griffey World with an astonishing 156 HRs (2.6 per game) despite playing in the NL. The offense has been led by Gabby Young(32 HR, 65 RBI) and 2B Sammy Marquez (26 HR, 76 RBI). Should make for an interesting series this weekend when the Cubbies face….

2. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (42-18, RD: +116)
…the Cheyenne Duck Snorts, who lead the AL in team HR (129) and OPS (.897) playing in pitcher friendly Conte Yard. Wyoming residents have been treated to 1.000+ OPS performances to-date from 1B Pete Casian (1.022), newly acquired free-agent OF/1B Al Javier (1.010), and RF Lou Young (1.003). Lackluster bullpen performances from Vic Venafro (34 IP, 1.82 WHIP) and Tarrik Moore (40.1 IP. 1.66 WHIP) have let AL opposition back into games late.

3. Fargo Fuzznuts (38-22, RD: +90)
The defending NL Champs feature the NL’s second best offense, which is exactly good enough for the second-best record in the NL…and in their own division. Griffey legend David Murata (not to be confused with the other David Murata) has swatted 41 extra-base hits on the season for a 1.205 OPS. However, Murata’s potency has been offset by SS Sherman Atchley’s slow start (.224 AVG).

4. Pittsburgh Ponies (36-23, RD: +79)
The Ponies may miss Dean Bukvich more than expected. While the perennial AL powerhouse would still be the least desirable draw in the AL bracket come playoff time, they are no longer shoo-ins for a first-round bye as Charleston and Washington feature comparable records. The loss of Bukvich on the mound has been compensated thus far by the unexpected performance of catcher Alejandro Johnson (.307 AVG, 47 RBI).

5. Washington Foo Fighters (34-26, RD: +51)
Clint Ramirez may be the AL’s offensive equivalent of Matt Ross. The slugger, who leads the AL in HR (26) and RBIs (77), also ranks 4th in batting average, making him a legitimate triple crown threat…and he’s also stolen 10 bases.

6. Cincinnati centipedes (35-25, RD: +62)
Cincinnati has the distinct displeasure of sharing a division with the two other NL teams discussed in the Power Rankings so far. The team’s middle of the road offense has been offset by a superior pitching performance to-date (1.30 WHIP, ranked 2nd NL) – seven centipedes have posted WHIPs of 1.20 or less on the season. As a result, no team has allowed fewer runs than Cincinnati.

7. Charleston Chewbaccas (36-23, RD: +36)
The defending Griffey champs have been getting it done in S11 with an enviable blend of pitching and hitting. SP Kyle Fisher has been 7-2 on the season with a 1.09 WHIP, while four Chewbaccas boast 40 or more RBI on the season ( Frank Lee, Jeremy Stern, Justin Franco, and Vic Polanco).

8. Atlanta Ripettoes (31-18, RD: +49)
Like Charleston, the Ripettoes -- current leaders in the NL South -- have also featured a balanced attack. Atlanta’s pitching staff boasts the lowest team WHIP on the season, and Dennis Duran (30 HR, 75 RBI) may be the only NL player who can give Gabby Young a run for the NL MVP.

9. Honolulu Beach Bums (34-25, RD: +20)
In contrast to the last two entries, the Beach Bums live and die with their moundsmen. Honolulu features three SP (Rico Andujar, Sandy Conway, and Joe Faulkner) with sub-1.20 WHIPs. A trade may be in order to obtain a slugger to drive in table-setters Sam Stewart (.393 OBP) and Nolan Cashman (.417 OBP).

10. Monterrey Rancheros (30-30, RD: +38)
A pedestrian record belies the fact that the Rancheros round out the top quarter of Griffey World teams in team run differential. A strong rotation bolstered by rookie Gus Marte (WHIP: 1.12; 3.8 to 1 K:BB ratio) should keep the Rancheros in the hunt.

Griffey All-Decade Team

2009-02-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

To mark 10 great seasons of Griffey world, we're going to compile an all-decade team using our sadly neglected blog. We will pick one player and possibly an alternate for each position, but maybe we'll put together a full rotation and bullpen of some sort if the response is strong enough.

So what can you do to help, you might ask? Send me a site mail detailing the candidacy of as many players as you care to nominate. Please include some qualifications -- including statistics, awards or postseason prowess -- to help save me and bajoraa some research and make the strongest case for each player. Anyone may submit a player, no matter how long you've been part of the league, and you can nominate any player you think is worthy. Maybe we'll even put together a list of players with the most dubious achievements (most frequently traded or waived, worst-ever contract, etc.) if you can think of any.

Once we get some nominees, I'll put up a poll for each position, including a list of each nominee's qualifications. You can use the comments for each post to lobby for your favorites, since I'm pretty sure votes can be changed on a Blogger poll. If you have any ideas for improving this endeavor, list them in the comments below.

S9 AL Wild Card Standings @ 150 Games

2008-10-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

With 12 games remaining in the season, three AL division winners have essentially been decided, including Pittsburgh and Cheyenne who have clinched their divisions, and the New York Cyclones who find themselves with a cushy six game lead over Clint Ramirez and the Washington Foo Fighters. However, including a tie atop the AL South (Charleston and Tampa Bay), six other AL teams find themselves legitimately in the AL playoff hunt. A brief discussion of the playoff hopefuls are presented below.

Charleston / Tampa Bay (Record: 82-68, tied for AL South lead, tied for Wild Card lead)
Perennial AL South heavyweight finds its run of six consecutive division championships in jeopardy as the upstart Lazer Beams look to hoist their first ever divisional flag. However, Tampa Bay will have to overcome a tougher remaining schedule to keep pace with the Chew-Baccas. Specifically, of the 12 remaining games, Tampa Bay plays nine games against contenders, whereas Charleston plays only five games against such teams. Ultimately, this could come down to the last three games of the season where the two teams will face off in Charleston.

Montreal (79-71, 3 GB Wild Card #1, Games Rem vs. Contenders: 9)
Given that the Valiants consider themselves in full rebuild mode, manager gophilsgo likely considers this season a success to find a Wild Card berth a real possibility. However, like Tampa Bay, Montreal finds itself with 9 of 12 against Wild Card contenders or divisional leaders, including two against Charleston, four against TB, and three against Pittsburgh. As discussed above, Charleston and Tampa Bay have a lot on the line, but Montreal may catch a break facing Pittsburgh, who could be resting up for the playoffs.

Washington (78-72, GB WC#1: 4, Rem vs. Cont.: 6)
The Foo Fighters look to bring playoff excitement to the Beltway for the first time in franchise history. Relative to the Valiants, Washington has an easier path to Wild Card glory as they face contenders three fewer times. Of these, three games are against the Cyclones, who have been battling fatigue and may be looking to rest up for a first-round matchup.

Salt Lake City (78-72, GB WC#1: 4, Rem vs. Cont.: 5)
If the Salt Lake City can pull out the last wild card slot, second year manager Caracarn may buckle to media scrutiny and finally answer two of Griffey’s more lingering questions: “What the hell is an Aiel Warrior?” and “Do they taste as good as waffles?” Whatever they are, the Aiel Warriors have five remaining games against contenders: two vs. Cheyenne and three vs. Pittsburgh. While facing off with the Junior Circuit’s heavyweights would seem a daunting task, both teams are likely to be playing at reduced strength as both have a first-round playoff “bye” practically in-hand.

Philadelphia – (77-73, GB WC#1: 5, Rem vs. Cont.: 5)
The Revolution have been relatively hot over the past ten games, posting a 7-3 record over that span. With three teams to hurdle for the last playoff spot, they’ll have to continue their solid play. While Philadelphia has only five remaining games against contenders, those include two against TB and three vs. Washington, who should be fighting to the last out of the season in Griffey.

Predictions:
To have this many solid contenders left in the season speaks strongly of the improved management seen in Griffey over the past few seasons. Given the tightness of the race, strength of the remaining schedule could be the most prevalent factor in weeding out the “coulda-beens.” As such, the favorites are as follows:

AL South Champ: Charleston Chew-Baccas
AL Wild Card (5th seed): Tampa Bay Lazer Beams
AL Wild Card (6th Seed): Salt Lake City Aiel Warriors.

S9 Power Rankings - 133 Games

2008-10-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

1. San Antonio fighters (88-45, Run Differential: +278, Prev Rnk: 1)
San Antonio has scored the most runs of any non-Coors based team in Griffey. Not surprisingly, four fighters lead their positional races for the Silver Slugger award – C Alex Langston, 3B Dwight Meyers, SS David Murata, and LF Darren Charlton. Having held the top slot in the Power Rankings all season, the fighters look to be the World Series favorite in S9.

2. Pittsburgh Ponies (84-49, RD: +181, PR: 4)
The Ponies have been running neck-and-neck all season with the Duck Snorts, jockeying for the AL’s best record. Coming into the stretch, Pittsburgh trails Cheyenne by one game, but the Ponies dealt the defending AL Champs a three-game beatdown since the time of the last Power Rankings. Matt Ross bla bla bla, and not to be remiss, Dean Bukvich, bla bla bla – you’ve heard it before: these guys are more than a handful for any team facing them in a shortened playoff rotation.

3. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (85-48, RD: +234, PR: 3)
A trio of rookie standouts has helped Cheyenne maintain the AL’s best record. Lefty Norm Rapp ranks in the top ten for AL hurlers in the major rate categories (opponent AVG, OBP, and SLG as well as WHIP and ERA). With a .351 batting average, first baseman Pete Casian boasts Griffey’s longest hitting streak on the season. Victor Javier has belted 33 HR while swiping 22 bases.

4. Monterrey Rancheros (87-46, RD: +161, PR: 2)
The Rancheros, who previously held the second slot in the last Power Rankings, were dealt a severe blow in losing Chris McCarthy from their rotation. The young portsider had posted a miniscule 1.17 WHIP across 172 IP prior to the injury.

5. Fargo Fuzznuts (85-48, RD: +93, PR: 6)
A 27-13 record in one-run games coupled with a third-tier run differential suggests a strong team with a touch of “smoke and mirrors.” A tie for the third best record in Griffey, an eight-game lead in Griffey’s toughest division, and back-to-back NL Pennants says, “I got your smoke and mirrors right here, b%$#@.” Go figure.

6. New York Cyclones (77-56, RD: +141, PR: 7)
The Cyclones, boasting a dominating rotation featuring Terry Torres, Philip Black, and Miguel Perez, have limited AL opposition to the third lowest runs allowed. This fearsome rotation is balanced by the offensive feats of MVP candidate Richie Miller. Miller has thrashed AL pitching for a career best 1.033 OPS, while swiping 82 bases – an individual total which surpasses that amassed by 10 full teams in Griffey. As has been typical of past seasons, the Cyclones appear to be battling fatigue coming down the stretch.

7. Atlanta Ripettoes (79-63, RD: +117, PR: 5)
Perennial NL East frontrunner Atlanta has featured a top-shelf rotation, but has to be considered a second-tier contender in the NL due to a near league-average offense. Still, the division is theirs (the Ripettoes boast a 25 game lead in the division), and the Ripettoes will have more than a puncher’s chance of claiming NL glory.

8. Cincinnati Centipedes (77-56, RD: +123, PR: 8)
The centipedes have gone through a few rough patches since the last Power Rankings, including a seven game losing streak followed by a separate 4-9 stretch. While locking down a divisional title seems a stretch at this point, an offense featuring the likes of Pat Funaki (OPS: 1.057) and Pep Zentmeyer (OPS: .981) should be formidable from a Wild Card slot.

9. Chicago Cubs (73-60, RD: +147, PR: 9)
The Cubs boast the NL’s top two individual OPSs to date: Gabby Young (1.084) and Davey Hernandez (1.060). The Cubs have the misfortune of playing in the same division as Cincinnati and Fargo. Despite their strength, the Cubbies may be on the outside looking in as one Wild Card Slot will likely go to Monterrey.

10. Tampa Bay Lazer Beams (74-59, RD: +29, PR: 10)
The Lazer Beams still maintain a three game lead in the NL South over Charleston, but the Chew-baccas are a strong team and could pounce of Tampa slips. Tampa has been paced by AL Cy Young candidate Emmanuel Nieves, who has posted a 1.24 WHIP over almost 200 innings.

31. Colorado Springs Jack Rabbits (51-84, RD: -182, PR: ???)
The Jack Rabbits, Griffey's loveable nomads, may wander from city to city in the off season, but always manage to fight their way back to the AL West cellar. Contrary to form, however, Colorado Springs had been flirting with .500 for much of the season before Fate, neglecting her duty previously, set the Jack Rabbits on a 12-38 skid. In troubled times when $700 billion can be thrown around with nary a thought, such consistency anchors our reality and expectations. On that note, the "Seattle Anchors" seems to be a viable S10 choice...

Fully Operational

2008-10-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Our fearless league namesake takes on the Death Star....or stretches at the Trop.

Still Getting It Done

2008-10-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Nice throw, Junior.

Power Rankings @ 105 games

2008-09-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

1. San Antonio fighters (73-32, Run Differential: +196, Prev Rnk: 1)
The fighters were the top dog in the last power rankings, and San Antonio has spent the last 50 games cementing their status. Darren Charlton (41 HR) and Alex Langston (32 HR) have powered the fighters to a team total of 225 HR, good for second –highest team total in Griffey. Opponents have also had difficulty scoring against the fighters – San Antonio has relinquished only 412 runs, the lowest total in the NL.

2. Monterrey Rancheros (69-36, RD: +118, PR: NR)
The Rancheros acquired SP Ed Miller from Montreal, and Miller has responded with a 2.70 ERA in 56 innings in Ranchero green. As a result, the previously unranked Rancheros have vaulted to the #2 spot in the power rankings and Griffey’s second best record thanks to NL’s top ranked pitching staff (WHIP: 1.25).

3. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (67-37, RD: +159, PR: 5)
Cheyenne’s heavy hitting and improved pitching have propelled the Duck Snorts to the top ranking in the AL. Led by Lou Young (1.011 OPS, 29 HR) the Duck Snorts boast the AL’s highest home run total (218) and rookie Norm Rapp (10-5 record, 1.13 WHIP) has bolstered a flagging rotation. Cheyenne recently lost starter Orlando Romero from the rotation for the season due to a strained groin, so it remains to be seen whether they can maintain pace.

4. Pittsburgh Ponies (64-40, RD: +131, PR: 2)
Like the Duck Snorts, the Ponies have also battled injuries to their vaunted rotation, losing Marlon Cummings for the season. Still the Ponies have maintained what is undoubtedly Griffey’s best rotation – Pony stalwarts Matt Ross and Dean Bukvich have already claimed Pitcher of the Week hardware in S9. Thus far, Pittsburgh’s success has been tempered by a middling offense, which has posted a .799 OPS to date.

5. Atlanta Ripettoes (64-41, RD: +100, PR: 6)
The Ripettoes' second-year SP Max Guillen has impressed thus far in S9, posting a 13-4 record, 2.83 and garnering Pitcher of the Week honors. The Ripettoes certainly consider themselves capable of cutting down the fighters, but a trade to strengthen the offense, which ranks in the middle of the pack of most categories, may be necessary. Look for Atlanta to be players in a big trade before the transaction deadline.

6. Fargo Fuzznuts (68-37, Run Differential: +59, PR: 7)

7. New York Cyclones (62-43, RD: +109, PR: NR)

8. Cincinnati centipedes (59-45, RD: +89, PR: 3)

9. Chicago Cubs (55-50, RD: +91, PR: 8)

10. Tampa Bay Lazer Beams (59-46, RD: +32, NR)

S9 Power Rankings - 50 Games

2008-09-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

1. San Antonio fighters (31-18, Run Differential: +75)
The NL champs from S6 are off to a bold start in challenging the reigning NL Champs Fargo. The fighters boast a Griffey-best run differential of 75 runs and a 4.5 game lead in the NL South over the upstart Monterrey Rancheros. San Antonio is again paced on offense by Darren Charlton and Dwight Meyers (21 HR and 17 HR, respectively), but Harry Pena (3.89 ERA) has made his much-anticipated ML debut, providing the fighters with a dominant mound presence as well.

2. Pittsburgh Ponies (33-16, RD: +67)
The Ponies, featuring Griffey’s best team WHIP (1.20) also boast Griffey’s best record. True-to-form from past seasons, Griffey’s first two Pitchers of the Week have both been Ponies (Matt Ross and Dean Bukvich). However, due to a middling offense, the Ponies have had mixed results in asserting themselves head-to-head against other AL frontrunners. The Ponies swept a three Chew-baccas early in the season, but have since dropped series against Tampa Bay and Cheyenne.

3. Cincinnati centipedes (28-21, RD: +70)
Despite being only second-place in their own division, the centipedes superior run differential and relative health have earned them an early-season seeding higher than division-leading Fargo. Further, the centipedes already shocked Griffey’s reigning champs with an early season sweep. Cincinnati also features the NL-best team batting average (.289).

4. Charleston Chew-baccas (29-20, RD: +69)
Under new management, Charleston has made a departure from the slow starts of seasons past and currently cling to a one-game lead in the tightly contested AL South. Despite playing in a hitter’s park, the Chew-baccas are second in the AL in team ERA and WHIP. While Frank Lee has battered opposing pitching for 20 HR and a 1.078 OPS, the offseason loss of All-World catcher Javier Marquez has slowed the offense somewhat, relegating the team to the middle-of-the pack in most offensive categories.

5. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (30-18, RD: +63)
The reigning AL-champs have scored the most runs of any team on this list, thanks in part to rookie Victor Javier and 2nd-year player Lou Young. Javier, an S7 IFA, has slugged .645 and stolen 8 bases in 24 games; Young has swatted 17 HR, driving in 45. In past seasons, Cheyenne has been paced by a strong pitching staff; however, in S9, Duck Snort pitching has posted a pedestrian 1.50 team WHIP.

6. Atlanta Ripettoes (30-18, RD: +43)
The stark contrast to the Duck Snorts, the Ripettoes have mowed down opposing hitters as evidenced by a skimpy 1.30 team WHIP; however, excluding Raul Trajano who has only 11 at-bats, only four Ripettoes have an OPS above .800. But, when that small company includes Michael Snow and Jerrod Grudzielanek, you can still do pretty well.

7. Fargo Fuzznuts (31-18, RD: +20)
The reigning champs still lead their division and have a sparkling record; however, a pre-season injury to SP Butch Logan and a recent injury to SP Zachrey Spradlin have left the Fuzznuts scrounging for answers for their rotation. Don’t sell the champs short, though – Fargo has a few chips to deal to patch holes, and Spradlin should be back for the stretch run.

8. Chicago Cubs (26-22, RD: +55)
Lead by CF Davey Hernandez (.330/.420/.741) and early ROY frontrunner Gabby Young (.284/.396/.628), the Cubs top the NL in team OBP and SLG. However, the Cubs have suffered bad luck in one-run games (2-8 record thus far), dragging their record down. If the Cubs are looking to unseat the Fuzznuts and pass the centipedes to claim NL North glory, manager erffdogg will need to find a way to overcome this shortcoming.

9. Anaheim Jack A$$es (29-20, RD: +33)
The Jack A$$es have parlayed a solid team WHIP (1.38), into an equally solid record despite mid-tier offense. Mateo Escobar has anchored the rotation with his 3.56 ERA, despite a disappointing 2-5 record.

10. Tampa Bay Lazer Beams (28-21, RD: +25)
The Lazer Beams, under new management, have been a surprise team in the AL South. Tampa Bay has featured a strong bullpen, including Darin Simas (1.05 WHIP), Chris Weaver (1.18 WHIP), and Neifi Small (1.21 WHIP). Veteran Lariel Santana has been revitalized since coming over from Kansas City, posting a 1.197 OPS over 27 games.

S9 Pitching Leaders, Quarter Pole

2008-09-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Wins
Vin Rosario, SA, 7-0
Matt Ross, Pitt, 7-2
Howard Bell, Atl/Kirt Thompson, LAA, 6-1
Terry Torres, NYC, 6-2

ERA
Matt Ross, Pitt, 1.23
Kirt Thompson, LAA, 1.93
Robert Wainhouse, Oak, 2.29
Ed Miller, Mon, 2.47
Armando Benitez, CSp, 2.54

Strikeouts
Matt Ross, Pit, 65
Dean Bukvich, Pit, 61
Chris McCarthy, Mnt, 60
Bryan Leonard, KC, 53
Kyle Fisher, Chr/Ned Truby, Mon, 52

WHIP
Matt Ross, Pitt, 0.78
Chris McCarthy, Mnt, 1.01
Robert Wainhouse, Oak/Eugene Brooks, Chr, 1.02
Zachrey Spradlin, Far, 1.08
Tom Jennings, Chi, 1.04

Saves
Angel Cedeno, Atl, 15/16
Mike Miles, Pit/Brendan Singleton, Syr, 12/12
Douglas Gagne, Mem, 12/13
Ivan Jones, Hon, 12/14

S9 Hitting Leaders, Quarter Pole

2008-09-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Batting Average
Royce Minor, Col, .416
Art Sauerbeck, SA, .379
Wilfredo Brito, Hou, .375
Javier Marquez, Ari, .373
Alex Santana, Mon/Nash McGee, Bos/Joey Lane, Col, .362

Home Runs
Kevin Swift, Syr, 20
Javier Marquez, Ari/Frank Lee, Chr, 19
Del Polanco, Ari/Gabby Young, Chi/Don Niekro, NYC/Darren Charlton, SA, 18

RBI
Don Niekro, NYC, 50
Royce Bagley, Col, 48
Kevin Swift, Syr, 47
Javier Marquez, Ari, 46
Keith Ledesma, Chi/Frank Lee, Chr/Curtis Bland, NYC, 46

Stolen Bases
Brook Wilson, Oak, 48/48
Rigo Castillo, CSp, 25/26
Tomas Estrada, LA, 25/28
Richie Miller, NYC, 24/27
Darren Charlton, SA, 16/16

Hitting Streak
Juan Fernandez, Bos/Don Niekro, NYC (still active), 21
Royce Bagley, Col, 19
Nash McGee, Bos/Cy Nelson, Col/Royce Minor, Col, 18

Commish Hobnobs With League Namesake

2008-06-16T07:33:00.001-07:00

Among my many responsibilities as commissioner, I must on occasion represent Griffey League at various community functions. For example, I helped promote league namesake Ken Griffey Jr.'s charity vintage yesterday at a wine tasting after the Reds loss to the Red Sox.* We discussed the amazingly tight division races in both the AL and NL West and Kevin Knott's case for MVP, among other league business.

*Actually, my wife got me tickets to the game for Father's Day and I scored an invite to the wine-tasting through work. I did not, in fact, discuss anything baseball-related – real, fake or otherwise – with Junior. We just chatted briefly about our kids, which was pretty cool.

600

2008-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ken Griffey Jr., a natural-born ballplayer and one of the greatest of all time.

Power Rankings @ ~49 games

2008-06-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

1. Cheyenne Duck Snorts [36-13, Run Differential (RD): +107]
Its classically bad form for the author to rank his team #1, but the defending champs sport Griffey’s best record, boast the fewest runs allowed, 2nd best run differential, and recently topped Matt Ross and the Ponies in a three game set. It’s a long season, and given the choice, most AL playoff opponents would probably pick facing Cheyenne over Pittsburgh, but based strictly on S8 performance, there is no strong argument for another #1. However, it should be noted that Cheyenne has enjoyed a 12-4 record in one-run games. Even the best teams hover typically around .500 in this category, and Cheyenne may not be able to expect such a performance for the remainder of the season.

2. Cincinnati centipedes (35-13, RD: +82)
For fans of Griffey World, the centipedes success does not come as much of a surprise. The NL upstarts were a non-factor for the first 2/3 of S7, but kicked their performance up a few notches for the stretch run, narrowly missing a playoff berth. Thanks to a 1.000+ OPS from rookie Pep Zentmeyer, the ‘pedes haven’t looked back in S8 and lead Griffey’s toughest division as a result. While clearly a top team in the NL, their 3rd ranked run differential and a large gap between actual (.729) and expected (.659) winning percentage suggest they may not be as good as their record indicates. Don’t get the wrong idea – Cincinnati should have major input in shaping the NL this season, but given the above plus the strength of their division, they have a way to go before locking up that first round bye.

3. San Antonio fighters (31-17, RD: +110)
The S6 NL Champs are looking strong again in S8, led by LF Art Sauerbeck who, with a 1.071 OPS, is on pace for a career best total…and of course, there is always Dwight Meyers, who is currently on a 21-game hitting streak. A strong bullpen performances from Vin Rosario, Alex Lee, and Danny Mullins have shortened games considerably for fighters’ opponents.

4. Fargo Fuzznuts (34-14, RD: +87)
Where most teams would love to have a cleanup man with a 1.000+ OPS, the defending NL Champs feature four such sluggers in their lineup, including recently acquired Alan Green. That the Fuzznuts are ranked here in the Power Rankings, but are currently 11th in the NL in runs allowed, speaks to the dominance of their top-ranked offense.

5. Pittsburgh Ponies (31-17, RD: +80)
Few would expect to see the four-time champs ranked down this far, but that’s more a tribute to the success of the NL teams above than any sort of decline in Pony Prowess. While Matt Ross has already claimed Pitcher of the Week honors and leads all major individual pitching categories, travisg’s boys are more than one-trick Ponies – Juan Tejada is tied for 8th in the AL in RBIs (45) to pace the offense.

6. Atlanta Ripettoes (30-19, RD: +71)
The Ripettoes represent the last of the 30-win teams in Griffey to date, but are currently the class of the NL East, which is a perennial dogfight. With the Yank-mes already conceding the division, Atlanta’s true S8 rivals are the other divisional leaders. As in seasons past, jabronidan has turned to all-World talent Michael Snow –Griffey’s RBI leader with 69 – to pace the offense. However, the Ripettoes boast a balanced attack, as Denny Yamamoto has already garnered Week 2 Pitcher of the Week honors.

7. Montreal Valiants (27-22, RD: +45)
The Valiants are the last of the Griffey’s “sure things” for the playoffs. Montreal again finds itself in the top tier of AL pitching, ranking 3rd in WHIP behind AL frontrunners Cheyenne and Pittsburgh. The offense has lagged somewhat as S7 rookie phenom Russell Brow languished on the DL. Brow is back, so look for the Valiants to put some distance between themselves and other AL contenders here in the next few games.

8. New York Yank-mes (27-21, RD: +64)
The Yank-mes are ranked here largely on the strength of their performance to-date, but it is difficult to tell what that means going forward. New York is openly in firesale mode, but gerald007 has wisely done so maybe a season too early than a season too late. As a result, the Yank-mes have already acquired a bounty of quality ML-ready talent in their trades. They may yet compete for the last NL Wild Card spot, but given the strength of hungry NL contenders, the future is unclear.

9. Philadelphia Revolution (29-19, RD: +39)
The Revolution are out to a solid lead in the AL East; however, recall Philly came back to the pack in S7, which resulted in a dramatic end-of-the-year battle with the Cyclones. Matt Waters and Kiki Astacio, both in the AL’s top 10 for RBIs, pace the offense.

10. Chicago Cubs (29-20, RD: +37)
The Cubs boast a much better record than would be expected based on their run differential, but their success appears consistent with the talent on paper. Unfortunately for Wrigleyville’s heroes, they share a division with 2 other top NL teams. Nonetheless, longtime Griffey observers saw the Cubs’ success coming, as the franchise is finally reaping the fruits of many seasons of high draft picks.

Bubble Teams: Washington DC Foo Fighters, Anaheim Jack A$$es

Lets Get Ready to Rank Players

2008-06-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Draft Matters!

Its that time of the season again. We look at the top of the draft board to see who we think we can get with our pick. We analyze our organization and decide do we pick for a need or do we take the best available prospect available at our slot. Things get dicey after this. I know I frequently try to decide how many prospects am I going to look at and rank. My system seems to change every season and I'm sure this is true for many of us. Some seasons there is time to look at 150 prospects, some seasons more others less. After about 50 the eyes are bleary and I begin to wonder if I'm ranking players in an accurate way. It was my love for this part of the Hard Ball Dynasty game that led me to look at all of the franchises Draft history and see if the draft matters and I believe know that it certainly does. First, lets look at the top 6 organizations in terms of draft picks playing in the ML.

Big Six

Fargo Fuzznuts-15 drafted palyers in the ML.

Its easy to see why Fargo has been one of the dominant organizations in this world. They have won 5 staight division titles. They have had 96 or more wins every season that cjl9652 has been the owner and have made it to 1 World Series. This organization has used the draft to maintain the high level of succes. With 16 1st round picks thus far, 7 are currently in the ML. Fargo also is tied with the Arizona Buckeyes (who just missed making this list and the next list, Sorry!) with 5 current MLers from the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Suprising however to see that of the 15 ML players drafted by Fargo only 3 are still on Fargo. cjl9652 has used his picks as chips to piece together an amazing organization. More on Fargo in the next section.

Pittsburgh Ponies-15 drafted players in the ML.

Pittsburgh has been the dominant franchise of Griffey World. 7 straight playoff appearances, including 6 division titles. 4 World Series championships and at least 92 wins in every season point to this being an amazing franchise. While travisg didn't draft Matt Ross, he has drafted all the support staff Ross has needed to maintain play at the highest level. Pittsburgh has used 21 1st round picks to produce 12 current major league players. 7 of these 12 1st rounders in the ML are still on the Ponies. Travisg has used the draft to get good players. 8 of these palyers are on other franchises but travis has done a good job of trading to keep the pieces in place to remain on top.

Kansas City Twisters-11 drafted players in the ML.

The Twisters have made the playoffs every season in this world. They have won the division 5 times and got the wild card twice. They have never won fewer than 85 games and have a World Series appearance to their credit. disaacs has used 14 1st round picks to produce 7 current ML players.The Twisters still have 8 of the 11 ML players on their roster. disaacs has built through the draft, getting and holding on to high quality players that have helped his franchise be a playoff fixture.

Philadelphia Revolution-11 players drafted in the ML.

With 5 seasons under his belt with the Revolution, its clear that timgod99 has used the draft to maintain the Revolution annual spot in the playoffs. In his 5 seasons the Revolution have won 3 division titiles and a wild card berth. They have won at least 85 games in each of those 5 seasons. The Revolution has used 14 1st round picks to produce 8 current big league players. Of the 11 current major league players that the franchise has drafted only 3 are still on the Revolution. Much like Fargo, it appears that timgod99 takes the approach of taking the best player available and using those chips to build his franchise to his liking through trades.

Cheyenne Duck Snorts-10 players drafted in the ML.

The Duck Snorts are fresh off the season 7 World Series title and an excellent exmple of a team that has built itself up through the draft. 10 players drafted between seasons 1 and 4 are now on Major League rosters. Bajoraa is seeing the fruits of quality drafts as is evidenced by 2 straight division titles and one of the best records in the league this season. 4 of Cheyenne's 11 1st round picks are currently in the Bigs. Cheyenne has also been one of the most successful organizations at finding good players in lower rounds with 2 8th rounders and a 15 th rounder currently playing in the Majors. Of the 10 players in the majors, 4 are on the Duck Snorts. The Duck Snorts have used the draft to get high quality players and have shaped their organization from there.

New York Cyclones-10 players drafted in the ML.

The Cyclones enterd this season coming off the franchises first playoff appearance, a 91 win wild card season. Of the 10 players drafted playing in the majors, 6 are still on the Cyclones. It appears that Veneer is building his franchise through the draft. The Cyclones big league team features one of the youngest ML'ers in Griffey, 20 year old pitcher Miguel Perez the season 6 1st round pick. It will be interesting to watch Perez's development in coming seasons as the franchise trys to surround him with a good, young base of players.

Franchises that just missed the Big 6:

Arizona and Salem have both drafted 9 current Major Leaguers and Cincinnati, New Orleans, Oakland and Rochester have drafted 8.

Big Six part 2

In this section we will look at the franchises with the most drafted players on their roster. The first list featured some of the biggest playoff fixtures in Griffey. Those teams have managed to use the draft to maintain a high level of success, but not always by hanging on to their draft picks. The teams on this list appear to be more of the up and comers of the world, with a couple of exceptions.

Oakland Dragons-14 drafted palyers on their ML roster.

The Dragons have won three division titles in their history, one under current owner bobby1978. The ML team features 15 players 27 or younger. They have held onto 4 of their 8 drafted players in the ML and have aquired the other 10 along the way. The organization appears in good shape. They have 5 straight AAA playoff berth with a World Series championship at that level, 3 AA playoff appearances in the last 5 seasons, and the Hi A, Lo A and Rookie teams have all been in the playoffs 4 straight seasons. Based on the fact that these young players have come up through a successful organization I would bet we'll see success soon in Oakland.

Washington DC Foo Fighters-12 drafted players on their ML roster.

At the Big League level this franchise has struggled. They have finished 3rd or 4th in their division every season and have never had more than 73 wins. As of this article the team in 2 games over .500 and looking at their roster, success may not be too far off. They have hung on to 5 of the 7 current Major Leaguers they have drafted and have aquired the other 7. The franchise will have some choices to make soon as they have more palyers older than 27 than younger, but another strong draft may help make those decisions easier. Recent success in the minors also points to this franchise being close to turning the corner. They were in the AAA world series last season and the Hi A and Lo A teams have had success recently. It appears with a couple of good moves this is a team that could compete sooner rather than later.

Salt Lake City Aiel Warriors-11 drafted palyers on their ML roster.

This has been a consistent team over 7 seasons. Winning between 75 and 88 games every season but one. This consistency has brought this team only 3rd and 4th place finishes. To compete in their competitive division the Warriors need sttong players. The AAA team has been to the playoffs three straight seasons, so some of the younger players have seen success at this level. Now they need to find a way to take this collection of talented players and make them successful in a tough division. Salt Lake City faces some of the same issues as Washington, they have more players over 27 than under. Management will need to find a way to get better and younger at the same time.

Chicago Cubs-11 drafted players on their ML roster.

Season 7 brought the first winning season for this franchise since season 2. This team has come out of the gate very strong and when you look at the roster you see that this team should be a force in the World for a long time. Only three players on the ML roster are over 27 years of age. This young group has enjoyed great success at the minor league level. 6 staight playoff berths at AAA. 6 straight playoff berths at AA with 2 World Series titles. 6 straight playoffs at Hi A with 4 World Series titles and 7 straight playoff berths at Lo A with 1 World Series title. It is scary to think about how good this team should be going forward. They have hung on to 6 of the 7 ML'ers they have drafted anf aquired 5 others. This team has built it self into a future power through successful drafting.

Fargo Fuzznuts-10 drafted players on their ML roster.

We have already talked about Fargo's success at the big league level above. They have been great. Equally great has been their minor leagues. AAA, AA, and Hi A have seen 4 playoff appearances each with a AA World Series titile. The LoA team has 5 playoff appearances. We talked in the earlier post about Fargo's use of its draft picks to obtain the pieces to succeed at the ML level. Though they have only kept 3 of their 15 drafted ML'ers, they have used the players they have drafted to aquire very talented players from other franchises that fit their needs. It appears that Fargo will continue to be successful based on their history with the draft and their ability to get the best players into their organization.

Kansas City Twisters-10 drafted players on their ML roster.

Just like Frago, this team has been a playoff standard. Well guess what, the minor leagues have produced success as well. 3 straight AAA berths, 3 of the last 4 seasons at the AA level and 2 of the last 3 at the Hi A level. Kansas City has kept 8 of 11 ML players from their own drafts and have aquired a couple of other ML players other teams have drafted. They have proven that they know how to draft and I would expect that they will continue to draft well and continue to be successful at the Major League level.

Franchises that just missed the second big 6:

The New York Cyclones, Montreal, Charlotte and Cheyenne all have 9 drafted palyers on their big league roster. Pitsburgh, New Orleans, Arizona and Atlanta have 8.

Here's hoping we all find that stud at the top of the draft and a couple of hidden gems later. Good Luck!

More Rookies - S8

2008-05-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Atlanta - Al Melendez - RF

Al Melendez
Atlanta
Ripettoes
Age: 21	B/T: L/L
Born: Villa Mella, DO
Position(s): RF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Melendez is a corner outfielder who does a bit of everything well, but nothing spectacularly. The 21-year old Dominican should be capable of driving plenty of balls to the gap particularly against righties. Currently penciled in as the Ripettoes leadoff hitter vs. righties, Melendez should be able to take advantage of his blend of power and baserunning ability to get himself into scoring position for Michael Snow and friends.

Chicago - Davey Hernandez - CF

Davey Hernandez
Chicago
Cubs
Age: 21	B/T: S/R
Born: Preston, CU
Position(s): CF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Chicago, who acquired this Cuban import as an IFA in Season 5, will turn to Hernandez to patrol CF in S8. Hernandez has above-average range, but has been known to occasionally turn a routine flyball into high adventure. Hernandez will more than cover these missteps with his bat, which should produce more like that of a quality first baseman’s than a centerfielder’s.

Oakland - York Cornelius - RF

York Cornelius
Oakland
Dragons
Age: 25	B/T: R/R
Born: Camarillo, CA
Position(s): RF/1B/LF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Cornelius garnered Season 7’s AAA MVP honors and has nothing left to prove in the minors and should make an appearance with the Dragons in Season 8. The RFer thrives against left-handed pitching, but could be neutralized somewhat by ML-level right-handers. Regardless of the handedness of the pitcher, Cornelius has a discerning eye and should hammer mistakes into the stands.

Fargo – Sherman Atchley - SS

Sherman Atchley
Fargo
Fuzznuts
Age: 21	B/T: R/R
Born: Tarpon Springs, FL
Position(s): SS
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Dealt to the NL Champs in S7 from surplus SS talent in Tacoma’s farm system (now Chicago), Atchley is another player who sacrifices a modicum of defense for a wealth of offense. The youngster from Tarpon Springs FL is capable of prodigious power displays and makes contact with most of what he swings at. Power like that would be valuable at a corner spot, but will provide a substantial advantage coming from the SS position.

San Antonio - Harry Pena – SP

Harry Pena
San Antonio
fighters
Age: 22	B/T: S/L
Born: Los Llanos, DO
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

San Antonio GM niss has been silent regarding whether this pitching prodigy will make an appearance with the big club in S8, but there is little doubt that Harry Pena is ready now. Pena features a four-pitch repertoire, including an excellent sinker/slider combo offset by and average change-up and a show-me curve. Hitters have difficulty punishing Pena’s rare mistakes, as the 6-1 lefty keeps the ball down in the zone. If promoted, Pena could be a legitimate Cy Young candidate.

Honolulu - Rico Andujar – SP

Rico Andujar
Honolulu
Beach Bums
Age: 20	B/T: R/R
Born: Rio San Juan, DO
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Arguably the prize of the S6 IFA class, Andujar dominated the minors in S7, posting a 1.02 WHIP across two levels. Andujar is in AAA now; some might contend that a full year in AAA would be prudent for his development, but it would be almost impossible for management to keep the talented righty in the minors if the Beach Bums find themselves in the pennant chase.

Rookie Watch - Season 8

2008-05-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Below are 10 rookies in the majors now or soon-to-be called up that should make immediate impacts in Season 8 (presented in no particular order).

Salem Warlocks – Wayne Morris – LF

Wayne Morris
Salem
Warlocks
Age: 21	B/T: S/R
Born: East Weymouth, MA
Position(s): LF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Morris, the Warlocks’ first-round draft pick from S7, sniffed the big leagues at the end of the season last year and has locked down a starting job in S8. The left fielder, who features an impressive throwback-era mustache reminiscent of a Pringles can, hits lefties and righties equally well and could be a 50+ SB man this season. A little better range and glove would allow Salem to play him at 2B, but Morris features enough pop in his bat to pass expectations for a left-fielder.

Washington Foo Fighters - 1B Clint Ramirez

Clint Ramirez
Washington D.C.
Foo Fighters
Age: 23	B/T: L/L
Born: Atascadero, CA
Position(s): 1B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Clint Ramirez, the first pick of the S6 draft, will be defending the Beltway from Foo this season. The first baseman has 50-HR power with patience to match -- and still has room to improve at the plate.

Cheyenne Duck Snorts – Lou Young - RF

Lou Young
Cheyenne
Duck Snorts
Age: 22	B/T: R/R
Born: Portola Valley, CA
Position(s): RF/2B/LF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

“When GMs come calling, this is the guy I get asked about more than anyone,” stated bajoraa, the Duck Snorts’ GM, in reference to this five-tool slugger. Young, who has deceptive speed for a 220-pounder, should be capable of launching moonshots and maintaining a .300+ batting average from the middle of the champs’ lineup this season. Detractors note that Young has mediocre durability and sometimes lacks the accuracy necessary to harness his bazooka throwing arm.

New York Cyclones – Miguel Perez – SP

Miguel Perez
New York
Cyclones
Age: 20	B/T: S/R
Born: Luverne, MN
Position(s): P (SP3)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Griffey World owners drooled over Perez’s potential in the S6 draft, but the stocky right-hander gave indication that baseball may not be his future. Consequently, this talented hurler fell to the Cyclones at #13, where veener provided 6.5 million reasons to come to New York. Perez is only 20 years old, and still has not developed an ML-caliber 3rd pitch, and his 2nd pitch is currently only passable. However, the Cyclones have a fantastic talent on their hands, and assuming continued growth, Perez should contend for the AL Cy Young by S10.

Pittsburgh – Dennis Martin – C

Dennis Martin
Pittsburgh
Ponies
Age: 23	B/T: R/R
Born: Tokyo, JP
Position(s): C
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Martin was an S4 IFA developed slowly by perennial favorite Pittsburgh. More than strictly a catch-and-throw receiver, this Japanese import has impressed scouts with his plate discipline and gap power, especially against portsiders. That said, the man can throw, too – a near imperative skill as stolen bases escalate in Griffey. Look for Martin to receive 250-300 plate appearances as part of the Ponies’ catching platoon.

Anaheim Jack A$$es – Vince Andrews – SS

Vince Andrews
Anaheim
Jack A$$es
Age: 22	B/T: L/R
Born: Sacramento, CA
Position(s): SS
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Another prospect who came on to the scene in S4 is ready for the majors in S8. Poor player development practices by previous owners may leave whiffs of unrealized promise where Andrews’ defense is concerned; however, the 22 year-old should be an extra-base hit machine. A move to RF or 3B may be in Andrews’ future, but he should have the bat to stick in the big leagues for a while.

Rochester Regal Beagles -- 2B Dusty Farrell

Dusty Farrell
Rochester
Regal Beagles
Age: 22	B/T: R/R
Born: Stuart, VA
Position(s): 2B/IF/OF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Farrell is a future Gold Glove winner at 2B, with a bat that NL pitchers will have to respect. The tall (6-4) keystone sacker punishes left-handed pitching and can more than hold his own against righties. Farrell is no slow-poke, but lacks the basestealing prowess one might like to see in a middle infielder. Look for Farrell to belt 30-HR from a key defensive position.

Florida Tropic - Elvis Bailes – 3b

Elvis Bailes
Florida
Tropic
Age: 25	B/T: R/R
Born: Pekin, IL
Position(s): 3B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Elvis Bailes projects to have a shortstop’s glove at 3B, and has plus-gap power to boot now. The durable 3B continues to develop defensively, and should provide a solid anchor at the hot corner, helping a listless Tropic franchise right the ship.

Chicago Cubs – Kirt Jensen RP

Kirt Jensen
Chicago
Cubs
Age: 26	B/T: L/L
Born: West Branch, MI
Position(s): P (ClA)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Cubs took their time promoting this burly southpaw under chejay, but erffdogg has finally promoted Jensen to the Northsiders’ bullpen. Jensen features a five pitch repertoire, including a cut fastball, which is a borderline plus-plus offering. In addition, Jensen has the durability to toss 150 IP, handling both lefties and righties with aplomb.

Cincinnati centipedes - Pep Zentmeyer OF(?)

Pep Zentmeyer
Cincinnati
centipedes
Age: 23	B/T: R/R
Born: Wills Point, TX
Position(s): 2B/3B/SS/OF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Another player with a great bat, but who is a defensive tweener, Zentmeyer owned AAA pitching the last two seasons. Like Vince Andrews, Zentmeyer’s value would be increased if he can stick defensively in the infield, but the right-hander’s future may be patrolling a corner outfield spot at the GABP. Zentmeyer, who has posted an OPS in the minors no worse than 1.012 in any of the last three seasons, looks to guide the centipedes one last step toward the post-season.

S7 Recap -- AL West

2008-04-29T10:28:00.001-07:00

Cheyenne Duck Snorts
What Went Right: The Ducksnorts won a franchise-record 100 games by shaving 95 runs from the runs-allowed column. They rode a balanced attack past Matt Ross and the Ponies to an AL title, before defeating Fargo in seven for a World Series championship. 3B Julio Sanchez, CF Tim Broome and DH Johnny Harvey paced a dynamic offense with OPS above .900, and 2B Aramis Santiago made up for a dismal season at the plate by picking up his second consecutive Gold Glove.

What Went Wrong: Cheyenne managed to wring some solid performances from a merely above-average pitching staff and overcame nine blown saves from closer Tony Nomo.

S8 Outlook: Most of the team's best players remain under contract, and a slew of young players appears ready to contribute at the ML level. Cheyenne looks ready to become Griffey world's next repeat champion.

Colorado Mile High Rapids
What Went Right: Colorado led Griffey in runs scored for the fourth consecutive year, the seventh straight season the franchise has scored at least 1,000 runs. Closer Don Little joined C Royce Minor, 2B Raymond Owen, SS Cy Nelson, LF Rickey Kelton and RF Brady Cortes in the All-Star Game.

What Went Wrong: Unfortunately, the Mile High Rapids allowed more than 1,000 runs for the fifth consecutive season since moving from Boise. Little converted 25 of 29 saves, despite a 1.68 WHIP and 6.16 ERA. The team posted its first non-winning season in franchise history with an 81-81 record.

S8 Outlook: This could be the last go-'round for this explosive but aging club. With several key players poised to hit FA after the season, longtime owner Stewart_UK must find a way for this franchise to win its first postseason series. Limiting opponents to fewer runs is the key, but no easy solution has been found.

Albuquerque Ranchers
What Went Right: The Ranchers allowed 1,066 runs, the club's best mark since S4. SP Enrique Gonzalez posted his best ERA (4.59) since the team's S3 move to Albuquerque, and closer Joe Taylor was selected to his first All-Star game. 3B Willie James was arguably the league's best, posting a .323/.383/.564 line with 35 HR and 141 RBI.

What Went Wrong: Entropy has set in for this once-proud franchise, winners of 94-plus games for the league's first four seasons, including division titles in S3 and S4, but four seasons removed from their last above-.500 record. The Ranchers scored a franchise-worst 971 runs, the only time the club scored fewer than 1,000 runs in a season.

S8 Outlook: This team could use a change of scenery, a facelift or both. Aging stars like Gonzalez, Curt Bates and Emil Blanco offer some valuable trade chips to rebuild a thin farm system. Establishing a better ratio between runs scored and runs allowed is a must for this team's new owner.

Salem Warlocks
What Went Right: Armando Benitez set a franchise record for strikeouts and WHIP, with 155 and 1.41, respectively. 1B O.T. Jamison turned in another splendid season, posting a .308/.385/.516 line.

What Went Wrong: Everything else. While this franchise has seen worse seasons, the sting of a second consecutive heartbreak hurts more because better days had been in sight not so long ago.

S8 Outlook: Despite skidmark's yearly calls for a fire sale, no buyers can be found. The ghosts of previous absentee owners still haunt this franchise, which lacks even a single quality arm, and a system-wide power outage has handcuffed the offense. Given the dearth of desirable talent, the Warlocks might be best served by boosting payroll to sign quality FA or take on bad contracts in exchange for prospects.

S7 Recap -- NL West

2008-04-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Mojo
What Went Right: The franchise improved its offense in its brief sojourn to Los Angeles, keyed by young stars like C Chuck Simmons and 2B Kevin Park. Staff ace Sandy Conway turned in a sparkling performance, posting a career-best 1.13 WHIP in 240.1 innings and making his first All-Star team, and veteran SP Mitch Gant won 17 games.

What Went Wrong: The Mojo's lack of a HR threat cost them in the playoffs, where Fargo outpowered them to advance to the NLCS.

S8 Outlook: New ownership will take over a team that stands at a crossroads. A solid young core of position players like Simmons, Park and 3B Kordell Russell remains in place, but some big decisions loom in FA. Longtime closer Rickey Young and CF Wiki Mota both seek lucrative extensions, and the Great Stars might not be able to afford both.

Anaheim Jack A$$es
What Went Right: New owner hurdle52 eked out only the second winning season in franchise history thanks to a blistering start by veteran RF Ron Barber. The 35-year-old punched in a 1.087 OPS through 40 games, but the hits stopped coming as NL pitchers adjusted to him, and the Jack A$$es fell back to earth. Chad Matthews earned his second consecutive All-Star berth and finished with an impressive .325/.376/.589 line, and veteran ace Dwight Watkins posted a 7-3 record and 1.11 WHIP after coming over from Syracuse in a midseason trade.

What Went Wrong: Barber cooled off to finish with a merely mortal .258/.316/.521 OPS, and the pitching staff lacked the horses to finish the race.

S8 Outlook: Matthew is the brightest star in a dazzling infield constellation, including SS Vince Andrews and 3B John Podsednik. With Barber turning 36 and entering FA, the outfield consists of Esteban Rodriguez and not much else. The bullpen could use a reliable closer, as well. Anaheim will need an aggressive offseason to build on a refreshing turnaround.

Honolulu Beach Bums (Seattle Sensation)
What Went Right: One of Griffey's original franchises slid back to .500 and a third-place finish, two seasons after earning its only postseason berth with a S5 division title. The club greatly improved its S6 pitching, when the Beach Bums gave up 854 runs, by holding opponents to just 770 runs. Veteran right-hander Ivan Jones turned in another solid season, posting a 1.20 WHIP and 3.30 ERA, and lefty Max Ibanez allowed only 1.27 baserunners per inning and 3.95 earned runs per nine.

What Went Wrong: By scoring a paltry 710 runs, the Beach Bums tagged Jones with an unimpressive 6-10 record, although Ibanez finished with 12 wins for the second straight season. The offense was hampered by leadoff man LF Rico Melendez, whose OBP plunged from .386 to .311, leaving only table scraps for 1B Vic Marquez (37 HR, 76 RBI).

S8 Outlook: A move to spacious Safeco Field bodes even more trouble for an offense that struggles to put men on base and runs on the board, but spells relief for a pitching staff that could see a number of FA defections. C Buzz Lewis remains one of the league's best, and he leads a cast of upstarts that includes 3B Nolan Cashman and SS Matty McGee. With little payroll committed to this season, Seattle could opt to make a big FA splash or plow the funds into scouting and player development.

Oakland Dragons
What Went Right: Not much went right for the Dragons in their first season in Oaktown. The team underperformed by nearly six wins off its expected rate, as the pitching staff allowed the league's third-most runs. SS Ernie Person continued to post terrific numbers, and undervalued CF Augie McMillan won his first Gold Glove. A great season by lefty reliever Luis De La Vega was marred by a stress fracture in his elbow.

What Went Wrong: No starter distinguished himself, and both Person and McMillan suffered from the move to spacious Network Associates Coliseum. The offense lacked a big bopper who can reach the fences at home and cap rallies on the road.

S8 Outlook: The team's best players should be back for another season, but so will the rest of a mostly underwhelming roster. Most scouts believe ace-in-waiting Robert Wainhouse could already be a Cy Young candidate, but Dragons management has him assigned to Triple-A after repeating (and dominating) the previous level as a 22-year-old. But even if he starts the Opening Day game, Oakland has to find at least two or three more quality starters to fill out the rotation and a cleanup hitter to drive the offense. Unless an aggressive approach is taken, Oakland fans could be forced to wait another season to see a contender.

S7 Recap - NL South

2008-04-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

San Antonio fighters

What Went Right: The fighters presented NL opponents with a formidable, balanced approach, finishing third in the league in both runs scored and runs allowed…Three fighters launched 40+ HR and Dwight Meyers fell one short of the benchmark with 39…Derek Stark was lights-out in the closer’s role, notching 41 saves in 43 opportunities. Stark limited opposing hitters to a .517 OPS.

What Went Wrong: The fighters never quite recovered from pitcher Clarence Ogea’s debilitating elbow injury. Once in the post season, the defending NL Champs swept a flailing KC team only to get swept themselves by the Yank-mes.

S8 Outlook: The fighters have no shortage of power in their lineup, and should be able to continue their punishment of NL hurlers in S8. Stud SP Harry Pena looms in the minors and could be the elite pitcher San Antonio needs to lead their return to the World Series in S8.

Kansas City Twisters

What Went Right: The Twisters hung on by the narrowest of margins to claim the 2nd NL wild card slot. As a result, KC maintained their perfect record in making the playoffs each of Griffey’s 7 seasons….Edwin O’Malley garnered RF Silver Slugger honors thanks to his .997 OPS…Lariel Santana provided the power belting 36 HRs while joining O’Malley on the All-Star Team.

What Went Wrong: KC finished in the middle of the pack in both runs scored and runs allowed, and nearly blew a substantial lead in the Wild Card race. Limping in to the playoffs, the Twisters were swept by San Antonio as the bullpen collapsed.

S8 Outlook: The Twisters appear to be a team at the crossroads. Solid pieces are present in the lineup in O’Malley and Santana, and Bryan Leonard should continue to anchor the rotation. However, KC will need more offensive and pitching firepower to catch San Antonio or stave off hungry Wild Card contenders Cincinnati, Chicago, and others. Reinforcements do not appear to be available at AAA, so if the Twisters are to make a 8th consecutive playoff experience, they may have to make a big play in free-agency.

Montgomery Miracles (S8 -New Orleans Domination)

What Went Right: Kevin Knott slugged 41 HR, and Paulie Thompson was a bright spot in the bullpen posting a solid 1.24 WHIP…With the first pick in the draft, Montgomery selected Alfonso Prieto, who has a fantastic ceiling… Other than that, not much went right for Montgomery, except that they shared a division with Florida, which kept them from the cellar.

What Went Wrong: The Miracles’ offense could have used a Miracle itself, having scored only 685 runs – barely 4 runs a game, and 2nd worst in the NL. The pitching wasn’t any better, allowing 910 runs, also 2nd worst in the NL.

S8 Outlook: New manager jhorsley has numerous holes to fill. The Domination have speed to burn offensively, but could sorely use another slugger in the lineup to drive the fleet featherweights in; however, those power sources are lacking in the New Orleans system. Solid pitching prospects are in the low minors, but are a few seasons away from contributing at the ML level. Given that previous managers saddled him with some long-term dead weight contracts, including $11M for pitcher James Wang, it will interesting to watch jhorsley's approach.

Florida Tropic

What Went Right: Jimmy Carter posted an OBP-heavy .931 OPS… Florida garnered Griffey’s Miss Congeniality honors, posting a full 22 wins fewer than any other team in either league.

What Went Wrong: Both UN troops and Bono were sent to Miami too late to prevent atrocities afflicted upon the pitching staff, many of whom were forced to pitch under subhuman conditions.

S8 Outlook: There are legitimate players on the ML squad and four 70+ OVR players in AAA. If the team is managed in a manner necessary to reasonably maximize wins at the ML level, given the payroll flexibility, this can be a 70+ win team in S8 without saddling the team with burdensome free-agent contracts. A .500+, Wild Card-contending season may even be possible if free-agency is hit strategically. Another 34-win season should be deemed unacceptable by Tropic fans.

S7 Recap - AL South

2008-04-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Charleston Cobras
What Went Right: The AL South Champion’s flag flew over Charleston for the 5th consecutive season, as the incumbents held off challenges from feisty up-and-comers Houston and Little Rock…All-World talent Javier Marquez finally received some protection in the lineup in the form of rookie 1B Frank Lee. The duo bashed a combined 107 HR and drove in 243 runs…RF Justin Franco claimed Gold Glove honors while contributing 96 RBI to the attack.

What Went Wrong: The Cobras defeated Montreal in the first round of the playoffs to set up a rematch of the S6 ALCS against Pittsburgh. Despite hanging 4 earned runs on Matt Ross in Game 1, the Ponies’ pitching proved to be too much as for the Cobras, who were swept in three games.

S8 Outlook: Charleston enters the seasons with concerns about who will play centerfield, as longtime CF fixture Lee Barker appears to have lost a step or two. That’s largely nit-picking – Charleston enters Season 8 the prohibitive divisional favorite.

Houston Bombers
What Went Right: Given that they were outscored by nearly 62 runs on the season, Houston did well to post a winning record. Their win total got a boost by the Bombers’ impressive 11-2 record in extra innings…Big things were expected from OF Wilfredo Brito in S7, and the 24-year old delivered. Brito posted a .901 OPS and made the AL All-Star team….Brito was supported in the lineup by John O’Halloran who, taking advantage of the short porches in Houston, notched 42 HR…Albert Stieb reliably logged another Albert Stieb year—a 1.133 OPS to go along with Silver Slugger honors.

What Went Wrong: The Bombers allowed 1050 runs – 5th worst in the league….SP Vic Prieto may have been the most disappointing Bomber. The LHP was expected to lead the staff, but allowed opposing hitters an astounding .915 OPS.

S8 Outlook: Given the negative run differential, it would be unwise for manager Jeff2106 to assume he will meet with similar success in Season 8 without addressing the proverbial elephant in the room -- the Bombers have serious pitching concerns that were masked somewhat by the winning record. However, Houston will have to look outside the organization for help in that department as reinforcements are unavailable in the minors.

Little Rock Razorbacks (S8—LR Lightning)
What Went Right: The Razorbacks bolted out of the gate in Season 7 and stood atop the division for much of the first half of the season… Little Rock allowed the 4th fewest runs in the AL…Doc Gross posted a 1.28 WHIP across 153 innings and represented Little Rock in the All-Star game.

What Went Wrong: The Razorbacks were on top of the division during the end of the less important half of the season and third at the end of the more important half. In part that was due to the Cobras finally righting the ship, but it was also due to an anemic offense dragging the ‘Backs back to the pack. Little Rock tallied only 735 runs, which was 55 runs less than the next closest team, and an almost impossibly low total in a DH league.

S8 Outlook: A skillful manager should be able to guide this team to a winning record in Season 8. The pitching is already here, and aging, but cheap, power-laden bats are freely available in Griffey. Plugging one or two such guys into the DH slot and 1B could work wonders.

Texas Dusters
What Went Right: The Dusters boasted a strong draft class which landed LHP Ernest Omlansky in the first round of the amateur draft. The slender portsider should figure into the big club’s plans sooner rather than later...The Dusters avoided any run-ins with the law and were regarded as upstanding members of their community. It is widely believed that they will be the only team in Griffey where all members of the ML team will remember their moms on Mothers’ Day (REMINDER: That’s May 11th, people!!!).

What Went Wrong: The Dusters allowed the most runs and scored the second fewest in the AL -- hence the struggles writing the above.

S8 Outlook: It’s difficult to project anything but more of the same in S8. The solid draft class in S7 gives hope, and the Dusters will have high draft picks again in S8. There’s hope for the future here, but it’s at least two seasons off.

S7 Recap - NL East

2008-04-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

New York Yank-Mes
What Went Right: Outstanding defense and pitching limited opposing offenses to a mere 624 runs, or less than 4 per game – an S7 best in Griffey. As a result, the Yank-mes claimed their 3rd consecutive NL East crown…the offensive duo of Alan Green and Jeremy Brooks belted a combined 82 HR while driving in 240 to power the offense…SP Terry Torres posted a career best 2.11 ERA, garnering the NL Cy Young Award. Torres was one of three Yank-me pitchers on the NL All-Star squad, appearing alongside teammates Juan Cordero and Douglas Gagne.

What Went Wrong: Perennial MVP candidate Jeremy Brooks posted strong numbers relative to almost any other SS in Griffey, but took a sizeable step backwards relative to his own past season totals…the Yank-mes were hard luck losers in a memorable extra-inning Game 7 NLCS battle with the Fargo Fuzznuts.

S8 Outlook: Brooks is still a valuable fixture at SS with both the bat and glove, but has started to show his age. His HR totals have declined each of the past two seasons, and his S7 total (35) fell 14 short of his previous low (49 in S6). Look for the Yank-mes to turn to farmhand Maximo Rodgers, or possibly Julian Henry to stem the power loss. The Yank-mes should still have another run in them in S8, but could show a steep decline going forward in the “post-steroid” era if manager gerald007 is unable to infuse some youth into a rapidly aging roster.

Atlanta Ripettoes
What Went Right: After Season 7, Michael Snow surely ran out of space on his mantle for any new awards. The second baseman won his 6th consecutive Silver Slugger and won his 3rd NL MVP (but somehow missed the All-Star team)…Atlanta made its 6th consecutive playoff appearance, with the last 3 coming as a Wild Card. During this run, Atlanta has won no fewer than 91 games in a season… Griffey legend Greg Perez left via free agency, which allowed the Ripettoes to pick 3 times in the first round of the amateur draft, stocking an already rich farm system further.

What Went Wrong: The Ripettoes got off to a slow start in S7, but, sharing a division with the Yank-mes, had no room for error. Despite this, Atlanta was on top of their game heading into the playoffs, before falling to a weaker Los Angeles Mojo team in the first round of the playoffs.

S8 Outlook: Atlanta manager jabronidan has been aggressively pursuing a top flight starting pitcher for the past few seasons. The Ripettoes have a deep enough farm system to make it worth a trading partner’s while, if only they could find the right seller. Such a trade could return Atlanta to the top of the division in Season 8.

Pawtucket G-Maniacs (S8 – Louisville Lumberjacks)
What Went Right: Pawtucket obtained Lou Mills from Little Rock, and the 1B/LF ripped 33 HR and 126 RBI--the veteran’s sixth consecutive 30+ HR campaign…rookie Don Donovan, acquired from Cheyenne in S6 for veteran SP Orlando Romero, got a mid-season cup of coffee and made the most of it ripping 40 extra-base hits in only 253 at-bats.

What Went Wrong: SPs Josh Bere and Benny Campbell appear to have the makeup to be effective in the rotation, but again posted disappointing seasons. As a result, the G-Maniacs allowed more runs than all but four teams – two of which were in complete rebuilding mode.

S8 Outlook: With Mills and Donovan, the Lumberjacks have some big bats to build around. Key defensive pieces are present, as well, including 2B Bernard Alston and SS Wes Coles. However, the Lumberjacks desperately need to improve their run prevention if they wish to compete in S8. Few pitching options appear available in the minors, but Louisville may have the payroll flexibility to address the problem via free-agency.

Rochester Regal Beagles
What Went Right: Young CF Clint Loaiza drove in 108 Beagles, which accounted for 13.6 percent of all Rochester runs…All-or-nothing slugger Ernest Cyr counterbalanced 120 Ks with 32 HR…Rochester drafted Vic Venafro with the 8th pick in the draft. Venafro doesn’t appear to have the stamina to be a starting pitcher, but may end up having the filthiest stuff of any pitcher in the Season 7 draft.

What Went Wrong: Read “What Went Wrong” for the G-Maniacs above – The Regal Beagles were one of those four teams.

S8 Outlook: Defensive whiz, 2B prospect Ricky Latham, should be ready for a starting job at the ML level. Regal Beagle pitchers should benefit from his glove, and his bat should be more than passable. AAA slugging prospect Willis Cota could be an effective right-handed platoon partner with Ernest Cyr. However even with those promotions, it is difficult to see a competitive Beagle squad in Season 8. Given a low payroll, look for Rochester to be active in the International market.

S7 Recap - AL East

2008-04-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Revolution
What Went Right: Outlasted New York in a duel that came down to the last head-to-head series between the rivals to claim the division throne… Brandon Governale locked down the AL Fireman hardware by posting 47 saves in 50 opportunities and limiting would-be late game heroes to a .527 OPS…AL pitchers were simply unable to get DH R.A. Flier out in S7. Flier led the Philadelphia attack with a mind-boggling 1.173 OPS, including 45 HR and 120 RBI.

What Went Wrong: Philly won the regular season battle, but the Cyclones bested the Revolution when it mattered most – in the post-season. Philly lost in four games to their division rivals during the first round of playoff action.

S8 Outlook: Philadelphia is always in the hunt, and again turned in a strong performance. The Revolution should improve simply as a matter of allowing young Harry Cabrera to mature. Cabrera, with an enviable combination of speed, bat control and plate discipline, is a viable candidate for a batting title possibly as soon as this season. The Revolution cannot become complacent however, as the proper tinkering by the Cyclones and Wolves could land Philadelphia in 3rd place.

New York Cyclones
What Went Right: Signing free-agent Philip Black proved to be money well-spent, as the right-hander posted a 3.18 ERA over 206.2 IP, leading the Cyclones to the franchise’s first playoff appearance ever…Cyclones advanced past Philly in the first round before eventually falling to the eventual Griffey champion, Cheyenne….Richie Miller was a legit MVP candidate and vital cog in the Cyclone offense--the 2B got on base at a .401 clip, stole 85 bases and scored 125 runs.

What Went Wrong: The Cyclones burned a lot of gas getting to the playoffs, and key players –including stud 2B Richie Miller - were showing considerable fatigue once they got there… Another SP would look nice in Cyclone blue – the rotation looked sketchy once playoff teams got past Black.

S8 Outlook: Stud hitter? Richie Miller, check. Stud pitcher? Philip Black, check. The Cyclones obviously have a strong core, and figure to make another legitimate drive toward the playoffs in S8, particularly if they can add bench depth to stem fatigue. Alternately, an additional bat in the lineup might also give manager veener the comfort to bench Miller for a few games as well.

Charlotte Wolves
What Went Right: Where the AL MVP chase was concerned, the AL East was home to a lot of contenders; however, only the Wolves had the real deal – RF David Murata – who belted 65 HR, 155 RBI and scored 147 runs. Wow.

1B Abdul Moreno played a competent second fiddle in the Wolves lineup logging a .908 OPS, 23 HR, and 74 RBI in only 384 ABs….Closer Blake Lara locked down 35 saves in 40 opportunities, which was good for his second consecutive All-Star appearance.

What Went Wrong: While Charlotte boasted one of the league’s top offenses, they lacked the pitching to make the runs stand up….the 1B coach should have shackled David Vanguri to 1st base – the CFer snagged 17 SB but got caught 21 times.

S8 Outlook: LHP Cesar Lee appears ready to join the ML rotation and should be tough on lefties. Likewise 3B/OF prospect Ricardo Mendoza, who has 40-HR+ potential, could provide some additional thrills in the lineup batting beside Murata. If Charlotte can snag a free-agent SP to bolster a suspect rotation (see: Season 7 NY Cyclones), they will have the offensive firepower to make a charge toward divisional supremacy. Charlotte could have the money to spend in free-agency if the right name is available.

St. Louis Jayhawks (S8 – Washington Foo Fighters)
What Went Right: Farmhand Alex Viriato joined the big club for the final third of the season and provided considerable offensive production as a DH, including 22 HR and 44 RBI in only 212 at-bats…Yamid Martin belted 41 HR and 115 RBI…newcomer Flip Lofton was respectable behind the plate and logged a .361 OBP….Landed SP Scott Terry in the 1st round of the amateur draft, who could be a top flight pitcher by Season 10.

What Went Wrong: Poor pitching was supported by third-tier production from the lineup. Nuff said.

S8 Outlook: The Foo Fighters’ “Big Me” in the minors is Clint Ramirez who is ready now. Ramirez could post Murata-like numbers in S8, giving each AL East club a possible MVP candidate. Batting alongside Viriato, and franchise fixtures Yamid Martin and Rod Harper should give Washington some fantastic bats in the 3 through 6 slots. The problem is that somebody still has to pitch. The net result is that there should be plenty of souvenirs at Foo Fighters games – I’m legitimately excited to follow this team in S8.

S7 Recap - NL North

2008-04-20T13:03:00.001-07:00

Fargo Fuzznuts
What went right: Fargo took the top seed in the NL playoffs with a 107-55 record and ran with it all the way to the World Series. The Fuzznuts provided a lot of excitement during their run, taking each series to the full allotment of games, including an extra-inning thriller vs. New York in the NLCS…Much ballyhooed 2B prospect Ignacio Gandarillas made his debut and torched opposing pitching in the postseason with a .338/.417/.581 line.

What went Wrong: SP Zachary Spradlin was ridden hard during the regular season and had little left in the tank when the playoffs rolled around. As a result of frustration stemming from Spradlin's post-season blunders (including a 2.03 WHIP and 8.03 ERA), the 29-year old right hander has exchanged a series of barbs with management in anticipation of his upcoming arbitration hearing.

Season 8 Outlook: A full season of Gandarillas alongside other Fuzznut offensive stalwarts Yamid Morales and Al Javier should provide continued plenty of firepower in support of strong starting pitching. Gandarillas and friends will have to perform, as Cincinnati and Tacoma look to build upon their S7 success and challenge for divisional superiority.

Cincinnati Centipedes
What went right: Pat Funaki’s breakout season led an exciting late-season playoff run and netted the Centipede backstop the NL Silver Slugger… Young right-hander Rolando Cordero showed his impressive Season 6 debut was no fluke, following up in Season 7 with a 1.20 WHIP and limiting opposing hitters to a paltry .394 SLG…SS Jack McInerney strongly anchored the infield defense while holding his own at the plate posting a .364 OBP.

What went Wrong: Cincinnati’s surge surfaced too late in the season, and the ‘Pedes were unable to catch the faltering Twisters for the last NL Wild Card slot.

Season 8 Outlook: 3B/RF Vince Stevens appears ready to join the big club in Season 8 and could be an exciting addition in the lineup alongside Funaki…Dislodging the Fuzznuts from the division’s top perch seems like a longshot, but Centipedes fans have to be excited about their playoff prospects nonetheless.

Tacoma Appleseed (S8- Chicago Cubs)
What Went Right: Tacoma was finally able to parlay their strong farm system into success at the big league level, posting an 83-79 mark – the franchise’s best in 5 seasons…Rookie Tomas Rincon socked 58 extra base hits, including 30 HRs and was nominated to NL All-Star Team. Rincon was also named Rookie of the Year…Tacoma was in the mix until the end of the season for a Wild Card berth.

What Went Wrong: The Appleseed failed to sign their first round draft pick Will Milner…Tentative handling of the farm system by the previous manager got Tacoma’s late season surge started too late in the season to claim a Wild Card spot.

Season 8 Outlook: Seasoned manager erffdogg moved the team to Chicago and renamed them the Cubs. These Griffey Cubs have a deeper farm system than their MLB counterparts – three Appleseed pitchers made the AAA All Star team. Of these Juan Santos and Bernard Titan look ready to contribute in Cubbie blue in Season 8. With added support in the rotation, fans in Wrigleyville can look forward to 85+ wins, but it’s not clear if that will be adequate to pass a rejuvenated Cincinnati team.

Syracuse Swingers
What Went Right: A bold trade with Montgomery to land Sam Stewart and Kevin Swift yielded immediate dividends, as Stewart posted a monster hitting streak and a .388 OBP, and Swift belted 48 HRs…Brendan Singleton posted a solid season as the team’s closer, notching 33 saves.

What Went Wrong: The acquisitions of Stewart and Swift were not enough to keep the Swingers from the divisional cellar. As a result, the Swingers were forced to deal fan favorite SP Dwight Watkins for a trio of prospects.

Season 8 Outlook: The Watkins trade landed Syracuse a few decent prospects to replenish an aging squad. Carlos Posada is an on-base machine who can man an outfield corner slot; Dweezil Incaviglia is a solid, inexpensive back-of-the rotation pitcher – both appear ready to contribute in Season 8. However, whether they can off-set the loss of a perennial Cy Young candidate is questionable, especially given the strides made by the other three teams in the division. More importantly, the Incaviglia acquisition could allow Syracuse to feature a dual Dweezil attack this season (Dweezils Henson and Incaviglia).

S7 Recap - AL North

2008-04-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh Ponies
What went right: Pittsburgh ran away with the AL East – the AL’s best division -- and the top seed in the Junior Circuit playoffs…Matt Ross set unassailable pitching records, including a Griffey best 26 wins, 0.58 WHIP and 0.71 ERA… Juan Tejada provided the fireworks offensively, posting a .351/.428/.641, which was good enough for a 3rd place finish in the AL MVP voting….Rookie Trenidad Perez added an additional facet to Pittsburgh’s offense at 2B/LF…Pittsburgh captured four of seven Pitcher of the Week honors.

What went wrong: Ross picked a bad time to allow his season-worst 5 ER in a game – Game 4 of the ALCS – which opened the door for Cheyenne to advance to the World Series. Those 5 ER were almost 22 percent of his ENTIRE SEASON total.

Season 8 Prognosis: At one point, vade96, manager of the Los Angeles Mojo, made reference to a bus—a very special, magical bus that might run over Matt Ross. That bus never made its appearance in Season 7, and unless it does in Season 8, Pittsburgh is the team to beat in the AL, despite not being defending AL champs. It should be noted that Season 8 is the last in Ross’s ridiculously undervalued contract – how much will he demand in Season 9 and will travisg be willing to pay it?

Montreal Valiants
What Went Right: Montreal posted that AL’s 3rd best record…Twin rookie sluggers Tike Hayes and Russell Brow provided a one-two offensive counterbalance to the pitching of perennial Cy Young candidates Ed Miller and Ned Truby…Tike Hayes was a waiver wire salvage that netted Montreal 56 HR in Season 7.

What Went Wrong: Montreal’s strong regular season didn’t carry over to the post season, where they fell meekly to Season 6 AL runners-up Charleston in four games…A lot of ABs went to sub-.800 OPS hitters which hampered the offense

Season 8 Prognosis: 2B/3B Ben Stewart looks ready to join the big club in Season 8, and should be a factor in the competition for the AL batting crown. Stewart might be a better fit in the outfield, but if Montreal can stomach below-average defense at one of the infield positions, the offense could make a leap to among the league’s best.

Trenton Cage Rattlers
What Went Right: Trenton was exciting on the base paths, falling one short of the AL lead in steals with 321…Matthew Ball continued to lead the offense with 130 RBI, extending his career franchise record to 926…Trenton boasted four players with more than 40 SB.

What Went Wrong: Pitchers Tuck Wilson and Lenny Sears were relegated to the 60-day DL early in the season, leaving a gap on the mound…an AL 11th best .780 OPS was not good enough to competitively support league average pitching.

Season 8 Prognosis: Trenton is an aging team saddled with the AL’s highest salaries ($121 M in Season 7). With little room to make improvements via free agency and the inevitable decline in skills for returning veterans makes a 4th place finish a very real possibility in Season 8. However, the Cage Rattlers boast an OBP-happy cast of youngsters in AAA which could buoy an otherwise aging cast.

Cleveland Rockers
What Went Right: As further evidence of the AL East being the top division in the Junior Circuit, Cleveland was best of the AL’s 4th place teams…Cleveland has a few blue-chippers to rebuild around including Benny Armas (who may benefit from a move to the outfield) and SS Luis Trajano…30-year old Gene Hampton posted a 1.18 WHIP and 79 Ks through 96.2 IP, emerging as a valuable weapon on the mound.

What Went Wrong: The Rockers should be renamed the Cleveland Colanders if their defense can’t be fixed. However, to be perfectly fair, in first-year manager rounder31’s defense, he wasn’t left with much on the roster where fielding was concerned.

Season 8 Prognosis: SS Luis Trajano underperformed offensively in Season 7, and should rebound in Season 8. If the fielding can be improved via free agency or trades, the pitching talent is there to keep opposing offenses in check. A .500 record should be an achievable goal with some well-focused dumpster diving.

S7 League Leaders (Pitching)

2008-04-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Wins
Matt Ross, Pitt, 26-4 (AL Leader)*
Terry Torres, NYY, 24-3 (NL Leader)
Dean Bukvich, Pit, 23-5
Denny Yamamoto, Atl, 20-10
Juan Cordero, NYY, 19-4
* Previous record: Dwight Watkins, 24, S2 Syracuse

ERA
Matt Ross, Pitt, 0.71 (AL)*
Terry Torres, NYY, 2.11 (NL)
Juan Cordero, NYY, 2.39
Eduardo Osuna, Tac, 2.50
Wilt Voyles, SA, 2.97
*Previous record: Ross, 1.78, S6 Pittsburgh

Strikeouts
Matt Ross, Pit, 334 (AL)*
Dean Bukvich, Pit, 237
Terry Torres, NYY, 230 (NL)
Hootie Houston, Pit, 212
Benny Halter, Atl, 210
*Previous record: Ross, 266, S6 Pittsburgh

WHIP
Matt Ross, Pitt, 0.58 (AL)*
Juan Cordero, NYY, 0.99 (NL)
Terry Torres, NYY, 1.02
Zachrey Spradlin, Far, 1.08
Sandy Conway, LA, 1.13
*Previous record: Ross, 0.85, S6 Pittsburgh

Saves
Brandon Governale, Phi, 47/50 (AL)*
Rickey Young, LA, 44/53 (NL)
Derek Stark, SA, 41/43
Curtis Peterman, Mnt, 40/47
Che-Bang Ramirez, Ana, 38/44
*Previous record: Phil Sasaki, 44, S2 Pittsburgh; Brendan Singleton, 44, S5 Syracuse

S7 League Leaders (Hitting)

2008-04-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Batting Average
Royce Minor, Col, .356 (AL Batting Champ)
Pat Funaki, Cin, .355 (NL Batting Champ)
Juan Tejada, Pit, .351
Curt Bates, Alb, .350
R.A. Flier, Phi, .349

Home Runs
David Murata, Cha, 65 (AL Leader)
Michael Snow, Atl, 61 (NL Leader)
Bob Leary, Ana, 60
Tike Hayes, Mon, 56
Royce Bagley, Col, 55

RBI
David Murata, Cha, 155 (AL)
Michael Snow, Atl, 148 (NL)
Curtis Bland, NYC, 147
Royce Bagley, Col, 144
Matt Waters, Phi, 144

Stolen Bases
Jimmy Vargas, NYC, 94/110 (AL Leader)
Bobby Joe Bonham, Col, 87/89
Richie Miller, NYC, 85/100
Matthew Ball, Tre, 79/87
Mark Russell, Pit, 79/92
Sammy Romero, Fla, 76/83 (NL Leader)
* Previous record: Walker Purcell, 77, S1 Boston

Hitting Streak
Sam Stewart, Syr, 31 (NL)
Rafael Pineda, Cha, 24 (still active) (AL)
Alan Green, NYY, 24
Sam Wheeler, Phi, 21
Terry Finley, StL, 21

Power Rankings @ 149 Games

2008-03-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

With 16 games remaining, the playoff teams have all made themselves known, with the exception of the final NL Wild Card Spot. Consequently, this last, regular season posting of the power rankings will cover the 11 playoff "locks" and this last race.

1. Pittsburgh Ponies [102-47, Run Differential (RD): +292, Prev. Ranking (PR): 2]

Ponies get the top spot due to their Griffey-best 102 wins, coupled with the facte that any playoff opponent would likely face the untouchable Matt Ross three times in a seven game series. It would be tough to quantify Ross's dominance succinctly, but here's a try: The Pittsburgh ace has more complete games on the season (25) than earned runs allowed (23). The Ponies' bullpen is solid, but can be beaten, provided opponents can even get to it.

2. New York Yank-mes (97-52, RD: +220, PR: 3)

The Yank-mes appear to be the top team in the NL, having posted solid records against the primary NL Contenders. Specifically, New York has gone 7-3 against San Antonio, 3-3 vs. Fuzznuts, and 7-3 against Atlanta. A pitching staff featuring a 1-2 punch of twin aces Juan Cordero and Terry Torres should lead New York far into the post season.

3. Fargo Fuzznuts (99-50, RD +331, PR: 1)
The Fuzznuts lost some of their swagger since the time of the last Power Rankings, having dropped key series against top NL contenders Atlanta and San Antonio (twice). The Fuzznuts do not appear to match up well against either team, having posted a 2-8 record against San Antonio and 4-6 against Atlanta; Fargo is 3-3 against New York, another team that figures prominently in the NL picture.

4. Cheyenne Duck Snorts(93-56, RD: +212, PR: 10)
Unquestionably, the Duck Snorts have been the AL's hottest team since the time of the last Power Rankings, having posted a gleaming 30-7 mark over the past 37 games. This impressive run included 23 games against the full gamut of Junior Circuit contenders [Pittsburgh (6 games), NY (7 games), Charleston (3 games), Montreal (3 games), and Philadelphia (4 games)], against whom Cheyenne posted a 16-7 record. Cheyenne is a deep team, well-built for the regular season, but the Duck Snorts lack the true pitching ace to make them a threat to contend for the AL Crown.

5. Atlanta Ripettoes (92-57, RD: +115, PR: NR)

Atlanta was quite vocal after feeling slighted during the last power rankings, but rather than sulk about it, the Ripettoes got it done on the field in tallying impressive series wins over top NL opponents New York, Fargo and San Antonio. Like Cheyenne, Atlanta features a deep pitching staff, but also lacks the top-shelf starting pitcher to go toe-to-(Rippet)toe with New York or maybe even Fargo in a short playoff series.

6. San Antonio fighters (92-57, RD:+198, PR 4)
The fighters have been enigmatic in the 2nd half, at times looking sharp and at times looking very beatable. The defending NL Champs will have to regain their stride here in the last week if they want to make a title run.

7. Montreal Valiants (85-64, RD: +143, PR: 6)
It's difficult to tell whether this record is a true indicator of Montreal's talent, as they could have put the season in cruise control 30 games ago. The Valiants have been lead offensively by rookies Russell Brow (.391 OBP)and Tike Hayes (55 HR, 138 RBI)

8. Los Angeles Mojo (86-63, RD: +107, PR: 9)
The Mojo are another team who can put it on auto pilot for the remainder of the season. NL MVP hopeful Chuck Simmons has found the Mojo's new digs much to his liking here in Season 7 having belted 45 HR in a renowned pitchers park. Simmons will have to maintain pace if the Mojo want to contend with the NL heavyweights.

9. Charleston Cobras (83-66, RD: +108, PR: 5)

The champagne is on ice in Charleston, as a repeat divsion title looks readily in hand. Javier Marquez claimed another Player of the Week Honor this week, so the Cobras appear to be in top form heading into the playoffs. Last season, the Cobras gave the Ponies all they could handle in the ALCS, and hope to improve on that performance once the playoffs start.

t-10. Philadelphia Revolution (85-62, RD: +85, PR: NR)

Philadelphia finally overcame a disappointing start to make the AL East Race interesting. The Revolution feature a flight to the top of the division standings has been lead by the powerful bat of DH R.A. Flier, who boasts the AL's top OPS (1.188). Philly still has an outside chance of catching Cheyenne to claim the second first-round bye, but given the short schedule remaining, the stars would really have to align for the Revolution.

t-10. New York Cyclones (85-64, RD: +73, PR: 9)

New York has struggled desperately to fend off the Revolution, but fatigue has set in for the Cyclones. Key bats, including MVP hopeful Richie Miller desperately need some time off if the Cyclones want to make the most of their inevitable playoff berth. With rested bats, New York could make some noise, since opponents could see more of Philip Black with a shortened rotation.

12. 2nd NL Wild Card????

Who knows what will happen with this race, but this is probably the story of the year in Griffey. Four teams (KC, Cincinnati, Tacoma, Pawtucket) are within a game of the final berth. The wild card has been KC's to lose all year, but the Twisters have floundered badly in the 2nd half. The Centipedes boast a +156 run differential, which compares favorably with many others on this list. Tacoma, on the other hand has been outscored on the year, so their presence in the race has been something of a surprise; however, a change in management has clearly helped. Pawtucket will face Atlanta and New York in their final series, which would seem to be a strike against the G-Maniacs' chances; however, those teams may be resting up for the playoffs at that time, which may give Pawtucket a puncher's chance.

Power Rankings @ 112 Games

2008-03-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

1. Fargo Fuzznuts [76-36, Run Differential (RD): +265 , Prev Rank (PR): 1]
Fargo continues to play excellent ball, and the All-Star Break did not appear to slow them at all, as they ripped off a 12-2 stretch during a torrid 22-7 stretch. However, Fargo took the short end of a hard-fought three game series against defending NL Champ San Antonio, dropping 2 of 3.

2. Pittsburgh Ponies (77-35, RD: +217, PR: 2 )
Since getting swept by Fargo on February 27, the Ponies have been consistently dominant, losing only one series since that time. However, while the Fuzznuts have peers in the NL, the Ponies are without equal in the AL -- the AL's second best record, New York, trails Pittsburgh by a full 12 games.

3. New-York Yank-mes (75-37, RD: +149, PR: 4)
The Yank-mes had their division lead cut to one game following an awful 4-10 stretch, but reminded the Ripettoes who the leader was, shellacking Atlanta 7-4, 16-7, and 9-3 for the sweep. Significant tests await the Yank-mes during the last third of the season, including 22 games against top-10 teams in the schedule, plus three more games against Atlanta who will be out for blood. While the Yank-mes would be considered a pitching-heavy team, it should be noted that Alan Green is the league leader in OPS (1.173) by a significant margin (2nd place is KC's Edwin O'Malley at 1.021).

4. San Antonio fighters (69-43, RD: +152, PR: 3 )
Not to be outdone, the fighters showed a little vulnerability themselves, posting 3-11 mark around the All-Star Break, including a sweep by Syracuse. Offense continues to be the San Antonio's strength, however, as four fighters rank in the league's top 20 for OPS.

5. Charleston Cobras (64-48, RD: +102, PR: 6)
Charleston has dropped their last two series (a three-game set against Cheyenne, and a four-game series against Trenton), but has otherwise been solid since the All-Star Break. Torrid hitting from Home Run Derby champ Frank Lee has helped shoulder the burden left by a solid, but second-tier pitching staff. Lee has combined with perennial All-Star Javier Marquez for 78 HR already, and the duo should have 200 RBI between them within the next few games.

6. Montreal Valiants (65-47, RD: +105, PR: 7)
Montreal boasts the second-best run differential in the AL, and should be able to improve their record as a relatively soft schedule remains -- the Valiants have only 10 games left in the schedule against teams currently ranked in the top-10. If Montreal maintains pace, they will spend the home stretch watching who will claim the 4th seed in the AL -- their most likely opponent in the playoffs.

7. Kansas City Twisters (64-48, RD: +77, PR: t-8 )

Since the All-Star break, the Twisters have taken three of four from San Antonio and split a four-game set in Fargo, which shows the Twisters can hang with the big boys. As noted earlier, Edwin O'Malley and his league-leading batting average (.341) continue to lead the offense; however, the right fielder is not without help -- Braden Duncan has slugged 32 HR and 101 RBI, and Lariel Santana leads the league in runs with 96.

8. New York Cyclones (65-47, RD: +69, PR: 9)
New York has caught fire, posting a blistering 21-11 mark since the time of the last power rankings. This sustained success may have buried the Wolves chances for division glory, as they lag the Cyclones by nine games. However, the Revolution are still in the hunt at four games back. Considering New York's sub-.500 finish in Season 6, Philip Black (second in the AL in WHIP with 1.10) is easily the off-season's most important free-agent signing. MVP candidate Richie Miller has buoyed the offense with a league-leading 68 SBs to go along with an impressive .963 OPS.

9. Los Angeles Mojo (66-46, RD: +89, PR: 10)
The Mojo crept into the top-10 last time around, and justified the acknowledgement by winning a full two-thirds of their games, going 22-11 over the duration. However, it must be noted that the Mojo played only one game against a top-10 team during that stretch -- the tail-end of a three game sweep by Fargo. The Mojo must continue to fatten up on the league's weak sisters, as a ten game stretch against the Yank-mes and fighters awaits them during the stretch run.

10. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (63-49, RD: +83, PR: 5)
The Duck Snorts' continued bouts of inconsistency move them down 5 spots in the Power Rankings. At one point over the past stretch, Cheyenne maintained an 8 game lead in the AL West, but failed to bolster their lead in dropping series against bottomfeeders Texas and Salem. With a mere 3 game lead in front of surging Colorado, the Duck Snorts' grasp of the division lead appears tenuous.

NL Standings, S7 All-Star Break

2008-03-10T04:10:00.001-07:00

AL Standings, S7 All-Star Break

2008-03-10T04:07:00.001-07:00

Ducksnorts Outlast Ross, Ponies 5-4

2008-03-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

PITTSBURGH -- Matt Ross and Alfredo Nieves pitched one for the ages, as the Cheyenne Ducksnorts outlasted the Pittsburgh Ponies 5-4 in 14 innings.

The pitchers hurled dueling, four-hit shutouts through eight innings, until Pascual Tarraga faced the Ponies to start the ninth.

Tarraga matched the Pittsburgh ace goose egg for goose egg until he handed the ball to Eddie Buckley in the 10th, and Javy Andujar finally relieved Ross to start the 11th inning.

Buckley tossed three shutout innings until yielding to Jesse Mitchell in the 13th, and he promptly retired the Ponies' third and fourth batters and catcher Jose Mieses nabbed Matty Hernandez stealing second to end the inning.

Cheyenne 1B Arthur Grace crushed a solo homer to start the 14th, and Andujar gave up a Mieses single and a two-run Tim Broome homer before getting the collar.

Kordell Blair entered the game, forced a Blade Becker ground out, walked Aramis Santiago and Sean Jordan, and struck out Julio Sanchez before the floodgates opened.

Henry Sutton blooped an RBI single, scoring Santiago, and a Julius Ramsey throwing error allowed Harvey Sutton to arrive safely at first and drive in Jordan, the former Ponies backup.

Grace, who opened the scoring and the inning, flied out to right field.

The Ponies did not go quietly, as Bob Laker walked and pinch-hitter Ewell Ausmus dropped a ground-rule double into right-centerfield.

The crowd, now on its feet, groaned as Alejandro Johnson struck out, and Sammy Vicente entered the game and promptly walked Daryl Sears to load the bases.

Juan Benitez flied out weakly to left-centerfield, but leadoff man Mark Russell swung from his heels and knocked a mammoth grand slam into the right-centerfield bleachers.

The Pittsburgh crowd, grown so accustomed to wins, sensed that they were on the verge of witnessing perhaps the greatest Ponies comeback in history as the team's best hitter, Juan Tejada, strode to the plate.

However, the blow of defeat was more crushing than the hit he mustered, as the slugging 1B grounded meekly to second base to snuff out a summertime classic.

NL East Draft Review

2008-03-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

New York Yank-Mes

The Yank-Mes had never drafted any significant players under previous owner Makshim, but replacement gerald007 hoped to turn that around.

Carson Moss, RP- Moss will be a reliable setup man for 60-100 innings a season. At age 22, he only needs two seasons in the minors before he is ML ready. His fastball-curveball combo dominate hitters and sometimes he mixes in a slider.

Ivan Trout, RF- Your average ML bench player. Personally I see trout as a journeyman who plays for a variety of franchises, most of whom will not be successful.

Roger Redman, SP- This second round pick has the potential to be a #5 starter or an effective long reliever. He's 21, so he may not develop as much as the Yank-Mes hope, but he could possibly be a decent, though obviously not comparable, replacement for Juan Cordero.

Grade- C+. New York did not have a bad draft, but it wasn't that good either. The team did draft 32nd overall, so certainly leeway is given.

Should Have Taken- Cesar Campos instead of Ivan Trout. Why take an average bench player when you could have a very good future starting right fielder.

Atlanta Ripettoes

The departure of Greg Perez resulted in the Ripettoes having the 22nd, 25th, and 36th picks in the draft giving them a strong chance at stacking an already young and potent franchise (hey I can pimp my guys a bit.)

Melvin Dixon, 1B- Your typical slugging first basemen. While Dixon won't hit .330 and hit 50 home runs, .290 and 35-40 shots may be appropriate. GM jabronidan clearly will have no use for Dixon due to the presence of Joshua Ford, which gives the Ripettoes a strong bargaining piece in future seasons.

Mitchell Finley, RP- Finley was the best pitcher left on the board at this point and Atlanta did a great job of snagging him. Lefties tend to have success against him, but good control and two strong pitches that are tough against righties will net him success in the big leagues. However, his inability to throw more than 70 pitches a game may make him a better choice in the bullpen than in the starting rotation.

Marvin Palmer, RP- Palmer is 21 so he will only need 2 or 3 seasons to get ready for the show. If his listens to his coaches, expect 65-80 innings of great relief work. Righties have always had tremendous difficulty picking up this guy's delivery.

Domingo Tejada, RP- This 22 year old moved to Mexico, NY from Mexico City, Mexico when he was 8, and while there are reports that he may an illegal immigrant, his signing bonus should more than cover for an attorney. He's not very durable, but the 1 inning he gives you is usually run free.

Grade- A. Atlanta did exactly what they needed by getting the best hitter left in Dixon and 3 relievers to add to the already young Atlanta bullpen.

Should Have Taken- They could not have done better (for their needs) unless other teams had passed on players such as Geraldo Rosado, or one of the big starting pitchers.

Pawtucket G-Maniacs

New owner geltzjg was fortunate enough to have the #7, 24, and 34 selections, respectively. A good draft would help get this team on the right track to trumping the Ripettoes and Yank-Mes.

Jermaine Mueller- Future frontline starter. This guy gets it done against everyone due to some good control and four effective pitches (plus a cut fastball that he only throws to pitchers as any every day player would smash it.) Mueller doesn't tend to pitch complete games, but 6-7 innings of 1 or 2 run baseball is a usual day's work for him.

Josias Acosta- Potential to be an All-Star and Gold Glove center fielder but with one major question mark- Can he stay healthy? Acosta has gone through 2 re-constructive knee surgeries, Tommy John (he used to be a pitcher), and hip replacement before the age of 19! Expect him to be on the DL more than once in his career, it's just a matter of keeping it to 15 days as opposed to 60.

Pat Lynch- He's no Mueller but he gets the job done. Lynch doesn't care where you play him, SP, LRA, RP, Mopup, it's all good, as long as he can help the team win. Pawtucket better have a good defense behind him though as he gets a ton of ground balls.

Bubba Nichols- He will certainly make the majors, though he is best suited for garbage time. His fastball, curveball, and changeup are all effective, but he should learn to listen to his catchers and stop trying that screwball which gets hammered every time.

Boomer Kaline- THIS GUY IS FAST! He hits the ball everytime, and though it doesn't always go very far, his speed nets him a ton of infield singles. Should be good off the bench.

Grade- A-. Mueller will be a 15-20 game winner, but Acosta's health makes it an A- as opposed to an A.

Should Have Taken- Acosta is a huge liability but it was a good gamble late in the first round as geltzjg did not pass up on any great players.

Rochester Regal Beagles

Rochester's high payroll has prevented them from stock piling prospects in the past and may be a problem in this draft.

Vic Venafro- Fanstastic 98mph fastball blows hitters away. He is best suited in the bullpen, preferably in the closer role. Vic is 21 so he will only need around two seasons in the minors before being ML ready. Expect 30-40 saves a season with an era under 4.

Dave Pilette- Won't blow you away and tends to be inconsistent as he'll strike out the side one night and then walk the first two batters on 8 pitches the next. Should be effective as a secondary setup man.

Grade- F. Harsh but Rochester took a relief pitcher with the 9th overall pick who is by no means the next Mariano Rivera.

Should Have Taken- Geraldo Rosado, Malachi Widger, or Melvin Dixon are 3 very good hitters who would have made more of an impact than a relief pitcher.

Halfway-Mark Leaders (Pitching)

2008-03-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

Wins
Matt Ross, Pitt, 13-3
Terry Torres, NYY, 12-1
Dean Bukvich, Pit, 11-3
Mitch Gant, LA, 10-3
Malcolm Morris, Tac, 10-3

ERA
Matt Ross, Pitt, 0.84
Fritz Branson, Pit, 2.13
Terry Torres, NYY, 2.21
Juan Cordero, NYY, 2.26
Eduardo Osuna, Tac, 2.32

Strikeouts
Matt Ross, Pitt, 174
Benny Halter, Atl, 118
Fritz Branson, Pit, 117
Terry Torres, NYY, 117
Dean Bukvich, Pit, 115

WHIP
Matt Ross, Pitt, 0.60
Terry Torres, NYY, 0.94
Juan Cordero, NYY, 0.97
Rick Corey, LR, 1.00
Max Guillen, Atl, 1.03

Saves
Rickey Young, LA, 24/27
Che-Bang Ramirez, Ana, 21/23
Don Little, Col, 20/21
Joe Taylor, ALB, 19/22
Curtis Peterman, Mnt, 19/21

Halfway-Mark Leaders (Hitting)

2008-03-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

Batting Average
Royce Minor, Col, .389
Albert Stieb, Hou, .367
Raymond Owen, Col, .355
Rickey Kelton, Col, .351
Juan Tejada, Pit, .344

Home Runs
David Murata, Cha, 36
Javier Marquez, Chr, 32
Darren Charlton, SA, 32
Bob Leary, Ana, 31
Frank Lee, Chr, 30

RBI
Rickey Kelton, Col, 85
David Murata, Cha, 82
Willie James, Alb, 81
Brady Cortes, Col, 77
Royce Bagley, Col, 77

Stolen Bases
Tomas Estrada, LA, 52/54
Richie Miller, NYC, 50/55
Sammy Romero, Fla, 43/46
Jimmy Vargas, NYC, 43/53
Brady Cortes, Col, 39/41

Hitting Streak
Terry Finley, StL, 21
Russel Brow, Mon, 20
Will Mills, Alb, 19
Houston Jenkins, NYY, 18
Four tied with 17

80-Game Power Rankings: A New Sheriff in Town

2008-03-04T05:47:00.001-08:00

1. Fargo Fuzznuts [53-26, +200 Run Differential (RD), Prev Rank(PR): 3]
The Ponies were the Fuzznuts' ownees during a much-anticipated interleague matchup, as Fargo swept previously top-seeded Pittsburgh. Couple that with a Griffey-best +200 run differential, and you have yourself a new top seed...

2. Pittsburgh Ponies (55-20, RD:+164, PR: #1)
...that said, it's way too early to send the Ponies to the glue factory. The defending champs still have the best pitching staff in the AL -- Matt Ross, Fritz Branson, and Dean Bukvich are 1-2-3 in strikeouts in the AL. That's a rotation that looks even stronger in a short series playoff scenario. Pony apologists would also be quick to point out that the Fuzznuts did not have to face Ross and Bukvich during interleague play.

3. San Antonio fighters (50-30, RD: +134, PR: #2)
The defending NL-champs suffered a brutal injury to pitcher Clarence Ogea, but have not broken stride. Left fielder Darren Charlton has been an offensive force in Season 7, and is well on pace to be a 50-50 man. While the fighters look like a lock for an NL-playoff spot, they have had difficulty delivering a knockout blow to the pesky Twisters in the NL South race.

4. New York Yank-mes (53-26, RD: +99, PR: #4)
Catcher Alan Green boasts the NL' s top OPS, ripping NL-pitching for a .298/.414/.651 line, and NY continues to be arguably the NL's top team in the field and on the mound. The Yank-mes need to make a strong statement to move up the rankings, but given their already solid position in the NL playoff race, don't figure to be strong buyers or sellers.

5. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (48-32, RD: +87, PR: #7)
Cheyenne has posted a blistering 20-9 mark since the time of the last Power Rankings to shore up their share of the AL West. The Duck Snorts have been led by little-ballyhooed 1B/DH Arthur Grace who has battered right-handed pitching to the tune of a .313/.373/.713 line. Also, 3B Julio Sanchez may be a legitimate 30-30 threat from the leadoff spot if he can stay healthy. The Duck Snorts faltered in the second half last year, and still share the division with Colorado and Albuquerque who have been dangerous for long stretches over the season already.

6. Charleston Cobras (45-34, RD:+67, PR:#10)
The Cobras have more than vindicated their controversial ranking at #10 during the last Power Rankings, having vaulted from 3rd place and one game out to a comfortable five-game perch atop the AL South over the course of the past 30 games. Charleston has to maintain focus, however, as first-year manager jeff2106 has done an admirable job keeping the Houston Bombers in contention, and mjdato has amassed a formidable pitching staff in Little Rock. An aggressive move or two from Little Rock or Houston could shift the AL South balance, but as it stands, Charleston is the team to beat. I told you so.

7. Montreal Valiants (47-33, +63, #9)
The Valiants are kind of the Keith Richards of the AL North -- they have to play second fiddle to to the Ponies' Mick Jagger, who gets all of the girls, but being the second-most popular Rolling Stone is still pretty cool. It sure beats the hell out of being 5th Beatle Pete Best, anyway. The Valiants have the 4th best WHIP in the AL, but the pitching has been supported by middling offense. Montreal is still an odds-on favorite to lock up a Wild Card spot, but adding a solid bat would help.

8 (tie). KC Twisters (43-36, RD: +34, #5), Atlanta Ripettoes (47-33, RD: +27, NR)
Unfortunately for the Twisters, they share a division with San Antonio, and may have to make a move if they want to catch the fighters. Similarly, Atlanta has been hot over the past 30 games to claim the 5th-seed in the NL, but still trail the Yank-mes by a considerable margin. On the other hand, rumblings from Anaheim indicate that the Jack A$$es may be ready to start the firesale despite trailing the Mojo by three games in their division, and the Twisters by two games for the 6th seed in the NL. There do not appear to be any other strong contenders other than Atlanta, KC, and Anaheim for the NL wild card spots, so if Anaheim waves the white flag, the Twisters and Ripettoes would seem well poised to raise another kind of flag themselves.

9. New York Cyclones (44-36, RD: +35, #8)
The Cyclones have matched pace with the Wolves in the AL East, maintaining their 2.5 game lead over the Wolves since the time of the last Power Rankings, as both teams have posted .500 marks over that stretch. However, .500 baseball doesn't keep you in the top-10 for real long, though. New York shares the division with strong Philadelphia and Charlotte teams, and could probably stand to add a bat or two if they want to maintain their lead. The Cyclones currently maintain a number 9 ranking only by virtue of leading the AL East wire-to-wire thus far. Barring a trade to bolster their lagging hitting, they may be supplanted by one of these two by the time of the next power rankings.

10. Los Angeles Mojo (44-35, RD: +34, NR)
Mr. Mojo Risin'...all the way up to #10. This may be the team to watch in a wide-open NL West, but LA will clearly need to make a trade or two to solidify their position. The Mojo are are in the middle of the NL pack offensively and only slightly better than that in terms of team WHIP. Look for the Mojo to be strong buyers in the 2nd half.

Value of Defense in Griffey

2008-02-29T06:34:00.000-08:00

Witnessing a great defensive play is certainly one of the true joys of watching a real baseball game; in HBD, we have to settle for a little "++" next to a line in a box score. It's tough to get excited about a "++" because it has none of the aesthetic value of a Jim Edmonds diving into the right-centerfield gap to turn a sure triple into an out, or Torii Hunter scaling the wall to rob another home run. In order to attach a little more meaning to "good plays" and "bad plays," an attempt to quantify the value of good (or bad) defense is presented below.

One nice thing about the "++" versus a real-life defensive gem is that, in HBD, there's no annoying Joe Buck to tell you how a "play like that doesn't show up in the box score" -- in this case, it actually does. Because they are tallied, taking a team's total "good plays" and subtracting out "poor plays" and passed balls is a crude way of evaluating a team's defensive prowess. Translating that into runs and wins is a bit trickier.

In starting with passed balls, two things are important to note: (1) a passed ball only occurs with guys on base and (2) the incremental number of runs allowed due to a passed ball would never be more than one, even accounting for guys moving up a base into scoring postion. With respect to (1), an easy (but almost certainly inaccurate) way of evaluating the effect of a passed ball is to assume that it occurs with equal frequency with lead runners at first, second or third. Assuming that is the case, a passed ball would cost a team, on average, around 0.33 runs. For example, when a runner on 3rd with two outs who scores due to a passed ball, that run is directly attributable to the passed ball if the man at the plate makes an out. However, if that batter gets a hit, the run would have scored anyway; therefore the passed ball is effectively inconsequential. This 0.33 is biased high since a greater percentage of runners reach 1B than 2B or 3B.

Item (2) pertains more to a situation where multiple runners are on base. For example, if the situation was first and third when the passed ball occurred, obviously a run scores and the other runner moves up to 2nd. If the next guy singles and the runner scores from second, that run would be attributable to the passed ball; however, the guy who actually scored when the passed ball occurred would have scored regardless. Consequently, only one of those runs is ever attributable to the passed ball. Taking all of this into account, the value of a passed ball is probably on the order of 0.25 runs.

Regarding a "good play," if we assume that each such event results in adding one out to the situation while leaving all runners in place as they were, we can lean heavily on the statistical work of others to quantify its value. Specifically, clicking here takes you to a run expectancy matrix which shows how many runs might be expected following any given combination of outs and base runners in MLB. Assuming that each situation occurs with equal frequency, that gives a "good play" a value of about 0.5 runs. That may be biased low because the average team OPS in HBD is much higher than in MLB, but you could also argue it is biased high because situations with fewer guys on base occur more frequently than with the sacks packed.

A "poor play" is more difficult to quantify because it is not clear whether it would only result in a one-base shift in runners or if an "out" can effectively be converted into double, etc. In any event, it seems likely that a "poor" play is likely of slightly greater detriment than the benefit received from a "good play."

Taking all of this into account, about 2/3 of a run per event feels about right for each "good play" and "poor play"

So, we are still not where we would like to be with this necessarily, but cutting the shuck-and-jive, expected net wins due to defense over 162 games are presented below. (If anyone has any additional insight here, let me know. This is fairly "back of the envelope.")

Expected Net Wins due to Defense over 162 Games by Franchise

Pittsburgh Ponies: +1.84
Cheyenne Duck Snorts: +1.71
Little Rock Razorbacks: +0.82

Pawtucket G-Maniacs: +0.74
Trenton Cage Rattlers: +0.74
Fargo Fuzznuts: +0.53
New York Yank-Mes: +0.44
Colorado Mile High Rapids: +0.37
Charlotte Wolves: +0.33
Oakland Dragons: +0.31
San Antonio fighters: +0.31
Montgomery Miracles: +0.02
Charleston Cobras: -0.06
Los Angeles Mojo: -0.13
Atlanta Ripettoes: -0.23
Albuquerque Ranchers: -0.27
Rochester Regal Beagles: -0.35
Texas Dusters: -0.38
Philadelphia Revolution: -0.44
New York Cyclones: -0.45
Cincinnati centipedes: -0.48
St. Louis Jayhawks: -0.64
Kansas City Twisters: -0.68
Salem Warlocks: -0.71
Montreal Valiants: -0.82
Syracuse Swingers: -0.89
Cleveland Rockers: -1.13
Florida Tropic: -1.13
Honolulu Beach Bums: -1.26
Anaheim Jack A$$es: -1.27
Tacoma Appleseed: -1.35
Houston Bombers: -1.57

AL Draft Review

2008-02-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

AL North

Cleveland chose live-armed starter Frank Hyun with the 15th selection. He flashes good stuff and baffles left-handed batters, but control is a serious issue and is being scouted to play pro hockey. If he signs, he projects as a quality back-of-the-rotation pitcher. Right-hander Thomas Selby should accumulate tons of strikeouts, but hitters will hit him hard if they can make contact. He'll likely top out in AAA. Third-rounder Art Peterson and fourth-rounder Junior Peron draw similar scouting reports as Selby, but both are left-handed. Grade: C-

Montreal picked collegiate left-hander Tyler Bailey, who could be plugged into the middle of a rotation as soon as next season, with the 28th selection overall. He won't win any awards, but he projects as an above-average starter despite average control. Sandwich pick Herbert Alexander projects as a fine leadoff man and average defender at 2B, and provides terrific value at pick 44. Pitcher Matt Blair is a signing risk at pick 72, and starters Dale Lewis, Mac McFeely and Wade Meyers are marginal prospects, at best. Grade: B

Pittsburgh whiffed with their first-rounder, selecting high school SS Pedro Franco at 31. His range and arm are both below-average to go along with his unremarkable hitting skills, and some scouts believe better players were selected later. Juco lefty Matt McConnell is a solid second-round pick and projects as a quality setup man, and catchers Jacque Stone and Dan George add to the Ponies' minor-league glut of quality backstops. Fifth-rounder Craig Crede could one day provide some pop from a ML bench. Grade: C+

Free-agent signings stripped Trenton of their first two draft picks, and the team's first selection, left-hander Chris Bird, projects as a journeyman reliever. Right-hander Jack Ramirez is an intriguing SP prospect, but he'll need to show dramatic improvement to stick in the majors. Speedy LF Stuart Carmona could become a valuable role player, but he lacks the bat speed to earn steady playing time. Grade: C-

AL East

Charlotte's first pick, left-hander Ernest Brock, should rocket through their system and lock down the closer's job for a decade. Some have questioned his dedication to the game, but the talent is real and quite advanced for an 18-year-old. He's an incredible value at pick 23. Second-rounder Antone Ryan doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but he does everything well. He projects as a below-average defensive 2B or above-average LF. Late-blooming left- hander Dave Benson is a a step below Brock, but he could eventually close for another team or set up his fellow draftee, and represents another high-value pick at selection 99. Fourth-round LF Trent Whitehead is another solid prospect who'll be good enough to win a ML job but not quite good enough to lock one down long-term. Right-hander Nate Wagner projects as an average ML long reliever. Sixth-rounder Cameron Lewis has the defensive skills to ride an ML bench, and C/DH Rob Chase is a fantastic value in the seventh round. Grade: A+

New York selected promising closer prospect Vernon Mora with the 10th selection, but he decided to forgo his signing bonus and accepted a college scholarship. Third rounder Johnnie Richardson has not yet signed, either, but even his electric stuff can't overcome woeful control. Starters Theodore Cochran and Wayne Forsch will likely top out at AAA. Seventh-rounder Ken Lofton has Gold Glove potential at 2B or CF, but his bat is just barely good enough to qualify for a starting job. Too many risky picks and not enough reward. Grade: D+

Philadelphia chose on-base machine Geraldo Rosado with selection #20. The RF lacks the high-end speed and baserunning skills to become an elite leadoff man, but he'll likely contend for the batting title from the first or second spot in the order. After that outstanding selection, three signing risks were chosen in SS Keith O'Brien, LF Weldon Black and RF Jack Crawford. Black's speed and baserunning skills could earn him a starting job and Crawford displays impressive bat speed, but none of the three has signed yet. 2B Norm Bettancourt might eventually log some ML service time and seventh-round 3B Mule Peters could provide some solid platoon value. Grade: B-

St. Louis rolled the dice on a pair of signing risks with their first two selections. Scott Terry uses an incredibly deceptive delivery to baffle lefties and righties alike, but some scouts question whether he's got the stuff to be effective as a starter. However, the fourth pick overall has not yet signed, presenting a possibly sickening scenario, but his agent has indicated he might be willing to skip college for the right price. C Luke Blair represents another solid pick, if he decides to accept the team's offer, and undersized lefty SP Trace Hutton is a steal in the third round. Slugging 1B Stu Banks is a solid value in the fourth stanza and fifth-rounder Vic Cruz should stick in the majors as a LF or 1B. Sixth-rounder Domingo Garces flashes exceptional leather, but his bat will keep him on the bench if he makes the ML. Grade: B

AL South

Charleston gave up its first-round selection in free agency, but the team fumbled its second-round choice by selecting hittable SP Alex Hasegawa. The rubber-armed lefty possesses decent control, but many scouts feel he tips his pitches and lacks an out pitch and will likely top out in AAA. College lefty Alan Damon, who projects as a ML back-end SP, provides solid value in the third round, but he was available there because he's also considered a solid NBA prospect. Lefty SP Vernon McCormick is similar to Damon, but only 18 years old and already pitching in rookie ball. Another 18-year-old lefty, Nerio Sweeney, is unlikely to reach the ML. Fifth-rounder Stevie Snow possesses phenomenal power and a keen eye, and he'll likely smack 40 HR more than once. Grade: C

Houston pulled up a chair to the buffet, selecting an gluttonous six times between picks 11 and 66. Scouts are mixed on right-hander Herbert Kotsay's ceiling, projecting him as high as a ML #2, but some scouts believe he's more of a #5. But all agree he'll make the show. Right-handed closer Tony Summers can be hit by left-handers, but his excellent stuff and high stamina will make him an elite setup man. Lefty SP Willis Beimel needs to show dramatic improvement to be effective in the ML, and is a bit of a reach at pick 39. All three second-rounders, including pitcher Deivi Reyes and RF Julian Bennett, remain unsigned, and right-hander Bill York is not a prospect and a poor selection at pick 54. Third-round CF Kelly Ingram should become a fine defensive backup and possible platoon starter. Fourth-round 2B Rob Brown remains unsigned and Alberto Calderon lacks enough tools to be anything more than a 25th man, if that. Grade: C

Little Rock picked up one of the draft's top pitching prospects, right-hander Alex Pulido, with the fourth selection overall. He has true top-of-the-rotation potential, and the collegian is already highly developed and should be ready to pitch at the ML level within two seasons. With their sandwich pick, #40, the club snagged outstanding defensive 2B Lorenzo Montero, who projects as a possible two-hole hitter. Third-rounder Tomas Javier fields like a 3B and hits like a backup SS, and fourth-rounder David Aparicio lacks true ML hitting skills. LF Pedro Gonzalez has the speed and baserunning ability to become a useful role player. Sixth-round RF Dutch Mench and seventh-round 1B Moises Olivo are an intriguing pair of contact hitters who could hit .300 in the right situation. Grade: B+

Texas turned in a solid choice, left-handed SP Ernest Omlansky, with the second selection overall. He lacks the sort of arsenal you expect in an ace, but most scouts agree he could become a quality #2 starter for many years. Sandwich pick Gus Knott is an outstanding defensive CF with a ML-quality bat, but some scouts think he could be most effective as part of a platoon. Second-round 3B Stevie Hogan exhibits the kind of power you can't teach, but his average batting eye will likely keep him from batting fourth. Gregory Levis, another second-rounder, shows Gold Glove potential, and he can get on base and cause trouble once he's there. Third-rounder Malcolm Baldwin is one of the draft's most intriguing prospects, as a rubber-armed long reliever who some scouts say could potentially start. Right-handed reliever Al Rivera doesn't do anything especially well, but he has no glaring flaws and is a good value at pick 110. Fifth rounder Gerald Lush could peak as a decent fourth OF. Grade: A-

AL West

Albuquerque selected SS Bart Pride, who lacks the range to put his gorgeous arm and glovework to full use, with the 17th pick. His bat won't make up for that glaring deficiency, but Pride should be an effective MLer nonetheless. Left-hander David Otanez appears unlikely to sign, but third-round RF Lyle Millwood can do nearly everything but take walks consistently. 3B Chris Miller, a fourth-rounder, could stick in the ML as a backup and fifth-round RP Les Bradley will have to learn to fool hitters to be an effective in the ML. Seventh-round 3B Cody Douglas could find a bench role and 1B Martin Hall could become a middle-of-the-order slugger. Grade: C-

Cheyenne snagged righty Harvey Carr with the 26th selection, and most scouts believe he projects as a #2 or #3 starter. Second-round pitcher Donald Lim remains unsigned, but third-round righty Bonk Stevenson shows plenty of skills but lacks the durability to take the ball every day. Fourth-round 3B Joseph Kuo should develop into a solid starter and represents an outstanding value. 1B Octavio Navarro could blossom into a quality #5 hitter, a fine value for a fifth rounder. Grade: B+

Colorado made a risky selection at #21 with pitcher Billy Haynes, who remains unsigned, and second-round right-hander Lonny Sele projects as a fifth starter at best. Third-rounder Stan Jackson could stick as a fourth OF, but fourth-round SP Ryan Fordyce lacks the skills to break into the ML. Cam Tucker is a fine defensive C, but his bat should keep him in the minors. Sixth-round righty Howard Darwin could hold down the back of a ML rotation one day. Grade: C-

Salem spent the fifth pick in the draft on mustachioed LF Wayne Morris, who's already tearing up AA. He should fill a spot in the middle of the lineup as soon as next season. Righty Brendan Cashman struggles with control, but his pitching skills should still make him an effective ML SP. 3B Austin Riske is a solid value in the third stanza, and fourth-round RF Milt Baker could become a solid cleanup hitter and an outstanding value if he fully develops. Fifth-rounder Trevor Leonard could develop, at best, into a solid back-end starter and, at worst, into a good long reliever. Seventh-rounder Doc Davis lacks the bat to go along with his fine defensive skills, but he could find a spot on a ML bench anyway. Grade: A-

NL North Draft Review

2008-02-26T17:19:00.000-08:00

Fargo Fuzznuts

With the 30th pick in the draft, Fargo was not looking to fill any immediate hole as their team is already stacked. Instead, a role player such as another reliever for an already fantastic bullpen, or a prospect for the future would be perfect.

C Al Riggs- Very solid pickup at the end of the first round for the Fuzznuts. Riggs will be a future catcher, though in all likelihood in a platoon situation due to his lack of durability.

1B Dave Larry- Larry's definitely got some pop in his bat, but he promised his mother that he would finish college and thus it is very unlikely that he will sign.

Grade- C+. Riggs was a good pick so late in the first round, but Larry was a waste of a 2nd round pick. In addition, Fargo did not take anyone with any potential ML value in rounds 3-25. If Larry signs though, grade goes up to a B.

Should Have Taken- A better second round pick. Who? Anyone that would sign.

Tacoma Appleseed

Tacoma has been following in the footsteps of San Antonio by having a high draft pick year after year resulting in a rich minor league system.

But Tacoma will not be given a grade since I can't see any of his prospects and the owner hasn't checked in since February 15th. I give him an F just for that.

Syracuse Swingers

'Cuse is two seasons removed from a world series appearance but has struggled in Season 7 due to the second worst offense in the league (based on runs scores.)

Ricardo Martin- Martin was taken with the 8th overall pick and will be very successful in the majors once he's ready. He can throw all 4 of his pitches with success, with a nasty slider as an out pitch. Martin has always needed 5 days of rest in the past, so unless Syracuse lowers his pitch count, they will need to use Martin in a 6 man staff.

Taylor Russ- Russ will be a future starter or long reliever, and will be around a 4.5 ERA pitcher. He's the type of guy who could give you 6 innings of 4 run baseball, but will probably be more useful in the bullpen pitching 2 innings a night.

Sammy Sanchez- Very nice 3rd round pick here. Sanchez could be a stud if he improves his 2nd and 3rd pitches, but he will still be a worthy setup man who can give 80-100 solid innings a year.

Ed Ramirez- Getting a value pick in the 4th round is not always easy to do. Ramirez will surely be a major leaguer as a 5th or 6th starter, long reliever, or mopup man. Similar to Martin, Syracuse will have to lower his pitch count or give him ample rest to keep him healthy. Maybe he could work perfect as that 6th starter once Martin hits the big?

Todd Daniels- A platoon guy against righties who can steal some bases. What more can you ask for in the 5th round?

Grade- A-. Syracuse did his homework before the draft and it paid off.

Should Have Taken- Geraldo Rosado may have been a perfect fit here at the 8 spot, especially to a team that has problems scoring runs.

Cincinnati Centipedes

This franchise has never made the playoffs so a solid draft is key in getting over the hump.

RP Ray Stevenson- Potential stud closer, but will he sign? It's been a roller coaster all year long as Stevenson changes his mind every day, but hey you would too if you had to pick between $2.5mil and all the girls you want in the University of Miami. But even if he signs, many scouts say he is difficult to coach.

Earl Faulk- A good hitting catcher- though he is much more effective against lefties than righties. But there's always something new with this guy, either he's tired from catching the night before, or his ankle hurts, either way, he loves sitting on the bench every other night. Expect him to bat exclusively against lefties.

Raymond Rain- Good pickup in the 3rd round. Raymond has a great fastball and a very good 12-6 curveball but unless he listens to his coaches, he might never reach his potential.

Grade- C. Stevenson is a potential great closer (even with his problems), but taking a relief pitcher with the 12th overall pick when you have Johnnie Becker is not a particularly wise decision.

Should Have Taken- Geraldo Rosado, Malachi Widger, or Melvin Dixon. Any of these three sluggers would be the best hitting prospect in the Centipedes organization.

Power Rankings @ 50 Games

2008-02-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

1. Pittsburgh Ponies (33-18, +91 Run Differential)
Last year's World Series Champions are again the cream of the AL and seem undeterred by rumors placing pitcher Matt Ross at a pool party with trainer Brian McNamee. A superior pitching rotation, including Ross (1.03 ERA) and Fritz Branson (2.21 ERA), may make the Ponies unbeatable. With most key players back, there's no reason to rank Pittsburgh anywhere but at the top.

2. San Antonio Fighters (31-20, +92)
Last year's World Series runners-up lead the NL in WHIP and OPS in Season 7. While the Fighters are still the team to beat in the NL, they face serious competition from Fargo and New York and KC.

3. Fargo Fuzznuts (31-20, +112)

The NL, as a whole, appears to be a four-team league, but Fargo is clearly one of those teams. The Fuzznuts have thrashed their competition by an average of almost 2.2 runs per game so far in Season 7. Fargo is again led by 2B Yamid Morales (.297/.399/.589)

4. New York Yank-Mes (36-15, +54)

The Yank-Mes feature Griffey's best overall record and were the preseason favorite among many to capture the Season 7 NL crown. Still an inner-circle contender, but a +54 run differential suggests New York has not been as dominant as their record indicates.

5. KC Twisters (29-22, +54)
Kansas City's impressive hitting tandem of Edwin O'Malley (.376/.455/.630) and Miguel Silva (.361/.447/.514) have helped KC lead the NL in team batting average so far this season. KC will need to sustain the offensive attack and find some additional pitching support if they hope to keep up with San Antonio.

6. Charlotte Wolves (27-24, +41)

The Wolves recently carried 8 of 9 before losing one game to top-AL seed Pittsburgh and two to a hot Albuquerque team. Charlotte, lead by perennial MVP candidate David Murata, boasts AL's top team OPS (.910).

7. Cheyenne Duck Snorts (28-23, +45)

Cheyenne is well off the pace to match last year's 98-win mark, but currently maintain a slim lead in one of Griffey's more balanced divisions top-to-bottom. The Duck Snorts have been plagued by inconsistent hitting, but seem to have found their stride following the promotion of rookie catcher Jose Mieses (.369/.406/.508).

8. NY Cyclones (29-22, +40)
The Cyclones have been the surprise of the AL thus far this season, thanks in large part to a torrid 9-1 start. Whether New York, who has posted middle-of-the pack team OPS and WHIP on the season, can remain atop the AL East seems questionable.

9. Montreal Valiants (30-21, +37)
Montreal boasts the AL's second best record, but will have to improve to make that record stand up, as indicated by a +37 run differential. Maintaining that record is particularly important for the Valiants, who will likely have to fight for a Wild Card spot as they share the AL North with the Ponies. Also like the Ponies, Montreal is bolstered by a strong pitching staff (4th in AL in WHIP, 3rd in ERA).

10. Charleston Cobras (26-25, +37)
This may be the most controversial ranking, as the Cobras currently place only 3rd in their division. However, Charleston is the only team in their division who has not been outscored on the year. Let's not forget, Charleston was also the AL runner up last season.

Gaggle of Goose Eggs Gone for Duck Snort

2008-02-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

CHEYENNE, WY -- Duck Snort pitcher Orlando Romero's consecutive inning scoreless streak was halted at 25 by the first batter in last evening's game when Alex Santana of the Montreal Valiants drilled a 2-1 curveball into the left field stands.

"Big O left that curve up in the zone a little bit, and you can't do that to a professional hitter like Santana," stated rookie Duck Snort catcher Jose Mieses. "Alex is a little guy, but he got all of that one."

During the scoreless streak, Romero posted a miniscule 0.56 WHIP, a 20:4 K:BB ratio, and tossed two complete game shutouts. The streaky Romero boasts a 2.25 ERA over his past six starts.

Living The Dream

2008-02-20T05:53:00.000-08:00

Former Reds GM and Broncos founder Bob Howsam, who died yesterday at 89, actually did all the stuff we pay $25 to pretend to do. That's pretty awesome.

Denny Yamamoto Signed to 4 Year Extension

2008-02-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

Hardball Dynasty's

Denny Yamamoto

Denny Yamamoto, 2nd behind Matt Ross with 104 career victories, has been signed to a 4 year contract extension, with a mutual option for the last year.

"We've been in negotiations all season, and it has been difficult due to Denny's age," said gm jabronidan. "We were finally able to settle on a mutual option for the last season, which will give each side leverage in season 11."

The signing was somewhat of a risk, given Yamamoto's age, but management in Atlanta is confident that the Japanese pitcher will be continue being effective into his mid to late 30's.

Jabronidan further clarified that the meaning of "Ripettoes" is in fact a typo of the surname, "Rippetoe" which is of course of the famous body builder and personal trainer Mark Rippetoe. The type was accidental, but since the team had success, jabronidan refused to change the team's name in case it would jynx everything.

Quarterpole League Leaders (Hitting)

2008-02-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

Batting Average
Sam Wheeler, Phi, .393
Rickey Kelton, Col, .390
James Hampton, Tex, .385
Kris Pavlik, NYC, .385
Edwin O'Malley, KC, .370

Home Runs
David Murata, Cha, 22
Darren Charlton, SA, 20
R.A. Flier, Phi, 19
Ron Barber, Ana, 18
Javier Marquez, Chr, 17
Tike Hayes, Mon, 17

RBI
Curtis Bland, NYC, 47
Rickey Kelton, Col, 47
R.A. Flier, Phi, 46
David Murata, Cha, 45
Darren Charlton, SA, 42

Stolen Bases
Sammy Romero, Fla, 25/26
Richie Miller, NYC, 24/26
Rigo Castillo, Roc, 24/25
Brady Cortes, Col, 22/23
Tomas Estrada, LA, 21/21

Hitting Streak
Terry Finley, StL, 21
Russel Brow, Mon, 20
Will Mills, Alb, 19
Three tied with 17

Quarterpole League Leaders (Pitching)

2008-02-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

Wins
Terry Torres, NYY, 9-0
Matt Ross, Pitt, 7-2
David Rojas, NYY, 6-0
18 tied with 5 wins

ERA
Matt Ross, Pitt, 0.81
Ed Miller, Mon, 1.65
Juan Cordero, NYY, 1.84
Angel Hines, StL, 2.00
Wilt Voyles, SA, 2.12

Strikeouts
Matt Ross, Pitt, 88
Terry Torres, NYY, 80
Benny Halter, Atl, 63
Zachrey Spradlin, Far, 59
Enrique Gonzalez, Alb, 58

WHIP
Matt Ross, Pitt, 0.58
Sandy Conway, LA, 0.89
Ed Miller, Mon, 0.92
Juan Cordero, NYY, 0.97
D'Angelo Blasco, SA, 0.97

Saves
Curtis Peterman, Mnt, 13/13
Che-Bang Ramirez, Ana, 12/14
Joe Taylor, ALB, 11/12
Five tied with 10 saves

Lady Luck Smiling on Jack A$$es, Frowning on Philly

2008-02-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

Commonly held baseball wisdom dictates that a team wins 50 games and loses 50 games each year--it's what is done with the other 62 games that counts. If that's the case, the Anaheim Jack A$$es are making the most of their "62," whereas the coaching staff of the Philadelphia Revolution may be looking for new employment next season.

Based on WHIP and OPS posted through Game 40, the Jack A$$es would be expected to have won only 20 games, but have tallied 25 victories thus far over NL opposition. The hard-luck Revolution have fallen four games short of expected wins thus far, posting a breakeven 20-20 record, where a 24-16 record would be expected. Jack A$$ manager, hurdles52, noted "there are fewer distractions here in Southern California," referring to the team's move from their Season 6 home in Las Vegas.

Philly pitcher Davey Nunez, having posted a 9.58 ERA on the season, blamed the installation of the QuesTec umpire evaluation system at Citizen's Bank Ballpark this season. "This camera thing is [bad news], man," griped Nunez. "Pitches that were strikes last season, are being called balls this year. I'm getting squeezed."

Most teams in Griffey have posted win totals within a game or two of projections, with the exception of the following:

Wins Exceeding Projections:
Anaheim: +5
Cleveland: +4
Houston: +4
NY Cyclones: +3
NY Yank-Mes: +3
Pawtucket: +3

Wins Below Projections:
Philadelphia: -4
Tacoma: -3
Rochester: -3

Spotlight: Ron Barber

2008-02-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

Hardball Dynasty's

Ron Barber

Veteran RF Ron Barber's torrid start has helped key Anaheim's race to the top of the NL West standings, and no one is more surprised than owner hudles52. "We signed Ron with the intent on adding a veteran RF to fill a big void in the outfield, (but) his production this year has far exceeded our expectations," said the first-year owner. The35-year-old Barber is on pace to shatter his career highs in most categories, with a .322/.376/.711 line through 40 games, including 18 HR and 39 RBI, but his contributions extend outside the lines. "He had been great in the clubhouse and has already been instrumental in the development of some of our younger players," hurdles52 said. His leadership and acumen have lifted the Jack A$$es above also-ran status to a 25-14 record, good enough for a five-game NL West lead over Honolulu and the NL's second-best record so far.

Fighters pound Swingers 11-3

2008-02-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The Fighters bruised Syracuse 11-3 to maintain a first-place tie with the now-slightly less "Miraculous" Montgomery.

Max Camacho helped break open a 3-3 tie in an 8-run seventh, walking once and scoring on a Dwight Meyers single and knocking in two on a bloop single to right.

"I thought (Sam) Stewart had it, but the ball must have had some spin on it that threw him off or something," Camacho said.

Pat Sinclair (1-4) took the loss, his third in four previous starts, and Dweezil Henson committed two errors.

The third baseman booted a routine grounder with two outs in the seventh, allowing one run to score and opening the door for three more to follow.

Pedro Tejera (3-0) picked up the win by recording two outs to end the seventh.

In other NL South action, Kansas City topped Anaheim 8-3 to pull within one game of San Antonio and Montgomery.

Spotlight: Ricky Kelton

2008-02-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hardball Dynasty's

Rickey Kelton

Colorado LF Rickey Kelton holds one of Griffey World's most unassailable records, hitting safely in 35 consecutive games during S5. The three-time All-Star turned in an impressive .370/.426/.611/1.037 line that season, with 30 HR and 147 RBI. The two-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner stands second on the career list for batting average, behind only teammate Royce Minor, and boasts a .359/.421/.619/1.040 career line, including 193 HR and 907 RBI. With two years remaining on a contract extension signed during S6, the 34-year-old Kelton appears likely to retire with the Mile High Rapids.

Dusters brush off Ross, Ponies

2008-02-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas turned the tables 1-0 on the suddenly hapless Matt Ross (5-2), dealing the dominant righty his second straight loss.

Jay Carlyle (3-4) outdueled Cy Young winner, allowing just two hits and no walks across eight innings, and Tony Fujiwara pitched a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the shutout and record his third save.

"Obviously, he pitched a great game, too, so I feel lucky that our offense came through and theirs didn't," Carlyle said.

The Dusters did their damage early, loading up the bases in the second inning on a Bernie Sosa infield single, a Charles Russell single to center and a two-out Mario Coppinger walk.

Ross dealt Bubba McClellan a free pass to send home Sosa for the game's only run.

The '85 Club'

2008-02-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

SP Matt Ross -- Pittsburgh, 34, 99/99
2B Michael Snow -- Atlanta, 30, 95/95
SS Jeremy Brooks -- New York (NL), 32, 94/94
SP Dean Bukvich -- Pittsburgh, 30, 93/93
SP Ned Truby -- Montreal, 26, 91/97
RF David Murata -- Charlotte, 25, 90/92
SP Terry Torres -- New York (NL), 35, 89/89
2B Chad Matthews -- Anaheim, 23, 88/95
LR Chad Douglas -- Honolulu, 32, 88/88
3B Tomas Rincon -- Tacoma, 24, 87/96
SS Karim Nunez -- Montreal, 26, 87/95
3B Dwight Meyers -- San Antonio, 25, 87/91
RF Houston Jenkins -- New York (NL), 31, 87/87
SS David Murata -- San Antonio, 22, 86/91
C Alex Langston -- San Antonio, 26, 86/89
C Royce Minor -- Colorado, 31, 86/86
SP Virgil Lima -- Anaheim, 29, 86/86
SS Ernie Person -- Oakland, 28, 86/86
SP David Rojas -- New York (NL), 27, 86/86
SuA Pedro Tejera -- San Antonio, 24, 85/89
SP Zachrey Spradlin -- Fargo, 28, 85/85

There are 21 players currently rated 85 OVR or better. Two teams have four players, three teams have two players, seven teams have one player, and 20 teams have none. Eight of them are at least 30 years old and 13 of them are younger than 30. Nine of them are pitchers, two of them are catchers, eight of them are infielders, two of them are outfielders and two are named David Murata.