The Race for 125 -- Update!

With 69 games on the books in season three, several teams have already won 125+ games for seasons two and three combined. They have immunity and cannot be voted off the Double Mendoza Ranch. Eleven other teams need less than 25 wins and are vitual locks to reach the magic mark. That leaves five teams on the "less-than-a-sure-thing" bubble. Two teams -- Cincinnati and Richmond -- need to post significantly higher winning percentages the rest of the way than they have so far this season (note that I included Charlotte in the table for reference, but because they are now owned by Animal7 they are not on the bubble):

Payton's Historic Day

Minnesota Antichrist LF Matthew Payton's major league career is only 19 games old, but already he has earned a distinction that few hitters achieve. In a 4-0 win over the Jackson Magnolias, Payton came to the plate 4 times: triple, double, single, home run. The cycle.

The game itself didn't have the feel of one in which a cycle was in the making. Minnesota SP Damaso Carrasco and Jackson SP Storm McCallum were dueling to a scoreless tie through the 5th inning. Each had given up just 5 hits. But already, Payton was on pace.

Batting 3rd, he ripped an opposite field triple deep into the right field corner in the 1st inning. But with 2 outs already, 1B Rob Springer couldn't get him home. Payton did not get a chance to hit again until the 4th, when he recorded another extra base hit. This time it was a 1-out double, and despite RF Alex Gonzalez' single later in the inning, McCallum still preserved the shutout.

When the 6th inning rolled around, Payton had to lead off. His approach at the plate was selfless, as he inside-outted a ball through the hole for a single instead of swining for the fences. His hitting would finally be rewarded, as the Antichrists loaded the bases 2 batters later. After McCallum struck out the next two batters and looked like he might get out of it, C Kevin Nichols got Minnesota on the board with a 2 RBI single.

His teammates were buzzing between innings about what he was on the verge of accomplishing, but he still had to hit one out of the park--something he had not done all season. RP Jody Allen was on the mound for the Magnolias when Payton got ready to take his 7th inning cuts. Allen knew what Payton needed to complete the cycle, and was determined not to give him anything on the inner half, where he likes it. But on a 1-1 count, Allen tried to bury a curveball, only to have it hang up on him. Payton's eyes lit up as he turned the pitch around in a hurry. As he finished his follow through, he put both hands in the air, pumped them a couple of times, and started his jog to first base with a huge smile on his face.

Payton has a long, bright career ahead of him. But he may be hard-pressed to generate a baseball memory he'll be more fond of than the night he hit for the cycle in front of the Minnesota crowd.

Team Profile: Arizona Flip-Floppers

Between the Oklahoma City Kingfishers being the defending National League West Champs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers making the most noise in Free Agency, many people overlooked the Arizona Flip-Floppers this preseason. But those in the know have seen a steadily-increasing team since the Double Mendoza League's inception that is ready to take the next step. A quiet, but impressive offseason has Arizona ready to challenge in the NL West, and their 11-5 start means they are well on their way.

Their highest profile offseason move was acquiring SP John Burroughs from the Nashville Sounds in a 3-player trade. Burroughs is a young, developing ace, who has pitched for both the Atanta Crackers and the Sounds in the past. A year ago he went 13-12 with a 3.32 ERA--very solid numbers for a 24-year-old. Since heading west, he's started this season 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA, and has been the workhorse Arizona wanted and needed. They sent some promising young talent to the Sounds, but this move was meant to signal Arizona's desire to contend at the big leauge level, and it has panned out well for them so far.


Of course, you can't talk about the Flip-Floppers without mentioning 1B Joe Thompson, who bagged not only National League Rookie of the Year honors last season, but also National League Most Valuable Player. Sometimes it can be hard on a player once his expectations are lofted to such heights, but not Thompson. He's started April off on fire, hitting .373 with 7 home runs and 13 RBIs in 16 games. His OBPS is a stratospheric 1.237. He'll be anchoring this Arizona lineup for years to come, but his supporting staff is pretty impressive too. Across the diamond, 3B Jose Pujols has 6 long balls of his own, and LF Sherm Ledesma, a long-time Flip-Flopper, is mashing balls out of parks as frequently as ever.

Losing SP Hooks Perisho in Spring Training was quite a disappointment, but this young squad looks prepared to fight for the NL West title without him. It may be early, but seeing their names perched atop the leaderboard has to be pretty good motivation for a team used to lounging in the cellar. The dogfight between Los Angeles and Arizona is going to be tight throughout the campaign, and is one worth keeping an eye on as the season continues.

Rule 5 Roundup

The Rule 5 Draft is behind us and Spring Training is underway, but a lot of important transactions often go down in the annual transfer of talent that kicks off the season. Though there were some nice selections throughout the draft, here is a quick roundup of all of the 1st Round selections:

1st Pick: SS Ed Parnell, Cincinnati Boomers
Former Franchise: New Orleans Pelicans
Comments: Won't fool anyone as a shortstop, he is a poor defender. Talented when he puts the ball in play but might be overwhelmed by major league pitching. Has a high ceiling.

2nd Pick: SP Damon Cosby, Oakland Oaks
Former Franchise: New Orleans Pelicans
Comments: Won't blow away hitters with his stuff, but very cerebral on the mound. He'll find a way to get his outs. Should easily develop into a nice back-of-the-rotation starter.

3rd Pick: SP Ruben Pineda, Jackson Magnolias
Former Franchise: Cincinnati Boomers
Comments: Vulnerable against right-handed hitters, but some of the best raw stuff in this draft. He has impeccable health and work ethic, so even at 24, he's got some developing left to do.

4th Pick: SP/RP Josh Thome, Syracuse Stars
Former Franchise: Charlotte Knights
Comments: Has had trouble staying on the field in his career, and is probably going to top out as a long reliever instead of a starter. Can eat innings, relying mostly on a masterful 4-seamer to get hitters out.

5th Pick: CF Hipolito Feliz, Richmond Spider Monkey
Former Franchise: Atlanta Crackers
Comments: Really nice do-it-all player for the Spider Monkey. Very capable in center field, can get around the basepaths when he wants to, can play every day, and isn't a total slouch with a bat in his hands. Gives lots of versatility and flexibility to Richmond.

6th Pick: 1B/DH Jamie Kim, Helena Caribou Barbies
Former Franchise: Memphis Blues
Comments: Probably better suited to DH than man first, until his skills develop. Lots of power, especially against right-handers. Could make a nice platoon option for Helena, a solid hitter all-around.

9th Pick: 2B Connie Johnson, Texas Longhorns
Former Franchise: New Orleans Pelicans
Comments: I'm sensing a theme with all these ex-Pelican selections. Not going to make it as a second baseman unless he works very hard at it. Not a good baserunner for a player of his position. Very effective at the plate, though. Highest value appears to be pinch-hitting.

10th Pick: RP Vince Monahan, Atlanta Crackers
Former Franchise: Cincinnati Boomers
Comments: Has a rubber arm. Middle and long relief appear to be his calling. Not a player you write home about, but there are certainly worse options to eat innings when a starter has a rough day. At 23-years-old, he should still improve over time.

11th Pick: RP Bob Bellinger, Kansas City Masterpiece
Former Franchise: New Orleans Pelicans
Comments: He throws hard (and a bit wild at times), but it takes him a long time to recover after he makes an appearance. He could actually make a good starter if not for his poor recovery times. The Masterpiece are hoping to use him in brief relief stints so that his arm does not wear down a lot all at once. Risky pick from this position, there were more reliable relievers, though perhaps none quite as talented.

13th Pick: SP/RP Luis Perez, Buffalo Bulldozers
Former Franchise: Syracuse Stars
Comments: Very young at just 22, he has lots of room to get better. And he already makes a decent option both to pitch long relief and spot start. Throws hard and with lots of accuracy, but opposing hitters have always been able to pick up his breaking pitches and spray them all over the park. Intriguing selection.

16th Pick: SP James Hull, New Orleans Pelicans
Former Franchise: Hartford Hartattacks
Comments: The Pelicans finally got to replenish some of the talent they lost with this pick. Hull is a boneified starter, and will fit in quite nicely at the back end of rotations throughout his career. Especially for mid-first round, this is a nice pick.

17th Pick: SP Damaso Carasco, Minnesota Antichrists
Former Franchise: Texas Longhorns
Comments: Another lefty starter who really has a tough time getting right-handers out. Carasco can certainly fill a spot in the rotation, though his penchant to ask for an extra day off is somewhat distressing. If he hits his ceiling, he'll do just fine in the bigs someday.

20th Pick: CF Zeus Houston, Norfolk Tides
Former Franchise: Anaheim Angels
Comments: Sort of similar to Richmond's pick. Covers a lot of ground in center field, making him an excellent defensive option. Also, not a bad bat to have off the bench. Sort of makes you wonder why Anaheim let this guy slip off their 40-man.

21st Pick: SP/RP Jamie Chang, New York Monarchs
Former Franchise: Cincinnati Boomers
Comments: The defending AL East Champs add some depth to their starting rotation. Likely to pitch in long relief this season, Chang has a tendency to lose control of his pitches from time to time. If he can work on fixing that, he could be a 5th starter some day.

22nd Pick: SP Ray Fontenot, Vancouver Renegades
Former Franchise: Kansas City Masterpiece
Comments: Not wild about this pick. There were better starting options still on the board, and Fontenot appears to be little more than an innings-eater, a job scouts think he'll have a tough time doing in the bigs at this point in his development. None of his pitches have much life, either.

23rd Pick: RP Watty Collins, Ottawa Filibusters
Former Franchise: Jackson Magnolias
Comments: Though he was selected more on potential than prowess at the moment, Collins will still be a wise choice if the Filibusters can find playing time for the 20-year-old. Scouts think he could be a wonderful long reliever some day, but this selection now puts his career at a crossroads. Can he handle the bigs and keep getting better?

25th Pick: RP Benj Evans, Oklahoma City Kingfishers
Former Franchise: Chicago Gangsta' Chimps
Comments: Though he can get a bit wild, Evans has a very tough Curveball and Slider, throws both of them hard, and keeps the ball in the ballpark. If he can limit his walks, he'll be a very effective reliever for the Kingfishers, especially in their ballpark.

26th Pick: RP Murray McGee, Los Angeles Dodgers
Former Franchise: Tucson Pilots
Comments: Not a flashy reliever, but he can certainly hold his own in a big league roster spot. Talent started to thin out at this point in the draft, so this is a reasonable selection from this line.

29th Pick: SP/RP Ray Elarton, Tucson Pilots
Former Franchise: Hartford Hartattacks
Comments: The Pilots grabbed a lot of players from the Hartattacks over the course of the entire draft. As for Elarton, he will pitch some long relief for the Pilots, but considering the hitters' park they play in, it may be a struggle for him in that role. Seems more like a mopup pitcher.

30th Pick: SP Weldon Forrest, Memphis Blues
Former Franchise: Kansas City Masterpiece
Comments: He remains unassigned, which is probably where he should stay. Forrest is a very fine minor league pitcher, but major league hitters would chew him up and spit him out in a heartbeat.

31st Pick: RP Eugene Buckley, Montgomery Biscuits
Former Franchise: Minnesota Antichrists
Comments: He won't be a total disaster if he pitches a few innings for the defending champions this year, but the Biscuits are probably hoping he turns into the player scouts thought he could be out of college. If so, he could easily pitch long relief in the bigs.

Free Agency Recap

Open Free Agency has come and gone yet again, and quite a few bank accounts shed some 0's in the wake. As always, there was a fair share of bargains to be had, banks to be broken, and heads to be scratched. Here's a closer look of a few of the high-profile deals signed over the winter.

SP Jack Torres, Atlanta Crackers, 31-years-old
5 years, $54.0 million
Though he is a fine pitcher in his own right, Torres is far from a legitimate starter. Though he was able to take the mound 32 times for the Fargo Fightin' Sioux a year ago, he only ate 164.0 innings. His numbers were good, but not overpowering. He went 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Then, the Crackers, who are trying to re-tool in a hurry and contend in the NL South again, dropped wheelbarrows of money on his front porch step. Not only will Torres make 8 digits every year of this contract, but there is no option in this deal, so he'll be in Hotlanta until he's 35-years-old. And he definitely won't be able to start regularly at that age.
Rating: Headscratcher

SP Gerald Stanley, Los Angeles Dodgers, 29-years-old
2 years, $9.8 million
The Dodgers were collecting Type A Free Agents this offseason like they were Easter Eggs, and while almost all of them were good moves, this one was an absolute steal. Stanley is likely to have a great season as he transfers both from the American League to the National League, and from Fenway to Dodgers Stadium. He was already 14-12 with a 3.98 a year ago. He's 29-years-old and was a very economical signing for LA. This deal has so much bang for the buck, especially for a Type A, that Stanley really ought to consider firing his agent. Especially for a team that wasn't worried about surrendering draft picks, this move made a world of sense.
Rating: Bargain Basement

SP Brendan Norton, Cincinnati Boomers, 35-years-old
1 year, $11.0 million ($8.0 million mutual option)
Norton is a great pitcher on the downslope of his career, but he still has plenty of fire in his arm and will be the Boomers' ace. For the most part, this is a pretty good signing when you look at the numerics and the value Norton is likely to bring to the franchise. My biggest qualm with it, though, is the timing. Cincinnati has been a downtrodden franchise, and they still don't look quite ready to contend. So why give up a draft pick (granted, the 59th pick) for a good starter who will be gone just as quickly as he arrived? If Norton declines his option, maybe he becomes Type A/B again next year, so there's always that, I suppose. Regardless, Norton will bring some energy to a franchise that needs it, so it's hard to harp on this signing too much.
Rating: Right Place, Wrong Time

SP Delino Mendoza, Anaheim Angels, 32-years-old
5 years, $86.0 million
This deal procured the most talk around the water cooler, as it was the richest deal of the offseason. Mendoza, who seems to have found the fountain of youth at 32-years-old, actually was not a full-time starter last season. The Nashville Sounds used him in relief and to spot start, and he threw 163.0 innings in that role with a 3.64 ERA. He has to make sure he keeps the ball in the park, but when he does, he's as tough to hit as anyone in the league. Of course, with a contract this large, the Angels have to pray that he continues his intense strength regimen and will be able to throw lots of innings, even when he's 36-years-old: that's how old he will be in the final year of this deal.
Rating: Under the Microscope

RP Russ Edwards, Charlotte Knights, 33-years-old
2 years, $11.2 million
The Knights were looking to improve their bullpen this offseason, and the biggest acquisition they made in that regard was inking the Huntington Guyandottes' former closer, Edwards. Edwards converted 66 of 83 save opportunities for a 79.5% success rate in 2 years in West Virginia. It seems low, but his ERA was a respectable 3.58 over that span. When you consider the tightrope walk Eble Park can be for pitchers, Edwards is likely to be a notch better in Charlotte. For a closer, the deal was not too pricey, and only cost the Knights the 65th pick. He's not too old yet, either.
Rating: Just Made Sense

3B Dweezil Jefferson, Atlanta Crackers, 33-years-old
2 years, $15.0 million
While Jefferson won't produce a lot of power out of one of the corner infield spots, he should hit for a high average. However, he never quite found his groove while on the Jackson Magnolias. There's plenty more to like about Jefferson beyond his stick, so if he hovers around a .270 average as he has done in the past, he won't be a total wash. He's a great defender at third, rarely requests a day off, and can even snag a base here and there if the Crackers ask him to. All in all, a nice calculated risk here by the Crackers, especially since they only had to surrender the 100th pick.
Rating: Low Risk, High Reward

2B Tito McKinley, Atlanta Crackers, 30-years-old
2 years, $17.0 million ($10.0 million player option)
McKinley had a couple of very nice seasons setting the table for the Charlotte Knights, and the Atlanta Crackers grabbed him in yet another large signing. Their player payroll is $92.5 million this year, which actually is not much lower than a year ago. However, a lot of money came off the books for them, allowing all these big signings. McKinley completes an absolutely fearsome infield for the Crackers, and should be able to get on base at a good clip in front of some of the heavy hitters down in the order. He's going to be cashing a lot of big checks for 2-3 years, and the Crackers are hoping he can stabilize the top of their lineup over that span.
Rating: Overpaid, Barely

C Alex Forest, Los Angeles Dodgers, 30-years-old
4 years, $18 million
Because the Dodgers were not afraid to surrender draft picks this offseason, they made a number of intelligent signings, and Forest is another example of that. Forest was underutilized by the Memphis Blues, which is surprising considering they could have used him at catcher or designated hiter. Over 2 seasons he had only 671 at-bats but hit .335 with 21 HRs and 98 RBIs. He's an offensive-oriented catcher, to be sure, but is not a dunce behind the plate, either. At $4.5 million per year, this contract is one knucklebones can smile about for a while.
Rating: Genius

2B Mandy Greisinger, Chicago Gangsta' Chimps, 32-years-old
4 years, $25.2 million
While the pitching talent on the northside of Chicago is still thin, they bolstered their stockpile of hitters this offseason by signing Greisinger away from the Vancouver Renegades. Greisinger is a patient hitter who loves to get on base any way he can. In 2 seasons with Vancouver, his OBP was .384, making him an excellent choice near the top of any lineup. Scouts say he's not going to get to as many balls as he used to if he plays second, and as he'll be in Chicago until he's 35, they may have to find new spots for him to play over the course of the deal. But when you can't pitch, you might as well hit, so I still like this signing, especially in exchange for the 72nd pick only.
Rating: Why Not?