The Line on Mendoza

Memphis GM Sully712 On The Martin Signing

2010-12-11T15:16:00.002-05:00

Memphis was apparently a major competitor for the services of James Martin; GM sully712 had some choice comments on Martin's decision to take a lesser offer from Charleston:

"We offered a 5-year deal for 92 million with a 10 million dollar bonus. Plus, I offered a no trade clause.

'The franchise was quite disappointed that Martin decided to take a lesser offer to play with a less talented team. With Martin we felt we were locks to reach the World Series. Someone else will have to step up."

TLoM wonders if Charleston GM mnnorthstars has anything to say in response...???

Colberts Sign Martin

2010-12-11T10:25:00.003-05:00

The Charleston Colberts nabbed the biggest price in this year's free agent class, James Martin, with a 5-year, $94 million contract.

Martin was AL Rookie of the Year in Season 2 and has 2 MVP's (Seasons 6 and 7), 6 All-Star appearances and 5 Silver Sluggers. He's a lifetime .307 hitter with 308 homers and 314 stolen bases. Martin was a 2B with the Gangsta' Chimps but is expected to shift to LF with the Colberts.

The bidding was undoubtedly brisk on Martin, with at least 1 team (Memphis) claiming to have topped Charleston's bid.

In other A/B Free Agent news:

Scranton picked up tough reliever Jerome Ross (255 career saves) for a 1-year, $3.95 million deal.

Iowa City added a good lefty bench bat and versatile utility man in Jorel Benosn (1 year, $3.8 million).

Shane Leius joins the Detroit Dome Drivers for 2 years, $5.6 million. He can play 1B, 3B and COF and is expected to get the full compliment of AB's against lefties.

Toledo may have a real sleeper in Mark Austin (3 years, $3.945 per year). He seems to be one of those rare players who gets the job done without having good ratings.

Kansas City gets a nice 3B for a good price in Magglio De La Vega (2 years, $7.1 million).

Atlanta corrals Pedro Beltre, he of the still-electric and always-wild arm, for 2 years, $5.6 million.

SP Rob Spencer inks with the Chicago Gangsta' Chimps for a mere $1.2 million a year for 2 years. Spencer has gotten better as he got older and his ratings are intact; could be quite a bargain.

1-On-1 With vandydave

2010-12-10T13:58:00.003-05:00

Who is vandydave in real life?

I am a shepherd in the Kansas City area. Went to Duke for grad school, thus why I chose Durham for my HBD team.

Is there some reason you hate pitching?

Heh, in actuality I hate fielding. I like pitching, just nowhere near as much as hitting. More specifically, I like slugging.

Do you develop "man-crushes" on your HBD players?

The only HBD players I've ever really developed man-crushes on are the ones who eventually spurn me for free-agency despite my desire to re-sign them, especially in the Shtickless world, Eugene Weston and Wiki Armas. I want to be wanted.

What's the most under-appreciated player rating and why?

I'm not much into nuances, contributes to my general mediocrity in HBD. I do wish they'd depreciate how much health and stamina inflate overall ratings.

Favorite moment of your HBD career?

My one and only championship, in Aaron World. I'm good at getting to the playoffs, bad at winning once I'm there, normally due to a lack of ace starting pitchers.

F, Marry or Kill:
a) Angelina Joile, Jennifer Connelly, Marissa Miller
b) Sarah Palin, Nancy Pelosi, Oprah
c) cbriese, mbriese, robusk

A) I like everyone but Jolie
B) no use for any of these people
C) If I had a life raft with three extra spots I'd probably let mbriese have one spot then I'd stretch out and take a nap. Or maybe I'd let cbriese have a spot, then veto that decision and kick him out anyway.

If you could change one thing about HBD, what would it be and why?

HBD is the best of WIS games, that said the maddening inconsistency of players from season to season should be reigned in a bit. I appreciate that HBD needs variability, but there should be some generally identifiable causation when players really suck or excel for no apparent reason.

1-on-1 With Robusk

2010-12-09T17:14:00.000-05:00

The Line on Mendoza recently sat down with the WS Champ Iowa Amiable Apartheid's owner robusk for a brisk back-and-forth on all things HBD.

Who is robusk in real life?

29 year old continuous improvement project manager for a transportation company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Lived all over the world the last 10 years, but originally grew up in New York and Florida (summer/winter) and went to college in Hawaii.

What was the key to your championship run last season, and how do you rate your chances to repeat?

Well, my team started slowly (losing record at the break)as I didn't really have a lot of offense. I made a lineup swap and two massive trades at the All Star break, giving my team the best record in the world after the All Star break. I built the team around a couple of good young pitchers and a scrappy offense. I cut my post-season IP down to a couple of guys mostly and relied on clutch plays by the offense. I got lucky in the WS because on paper I was pretty outmatched. Repeating will be tricky. I believe I will have the best defensive team outside of Montgomery, and hopefully the strength of my bats will be enough to put me over him. My team is still young and the pitching is great. I would say 55% chance of making the LCS, 18% chance of repeating as WS champs.

Do you develop "man-crushes" on your HBD players?

I consider Woodie Jacobs on my Harold Reynolds team the best pure hitter in HBD. In my other worlds I have had a number of guys I always seem to bring back and have success with that no one else wants... and I do feel a sense of fondness for them. However, with the exception of Jacobs in HR, every player in every world is available for trade.

What's the most under-appreciated player rating and why?

r0b0t would say that I add like 20% to every rating if the hitter is a switch hitter... but that is probably an exaggeration. More than underrated, I think that Contact and Stamina are the two most overrated things for hitters and pitchers respectively. Things like velocity and patience and stuff suck too, but everyone knows that. I also don't care a lot about baserunning/speed.

Favorite moment of your HBD career?

World Series Championship in Shtickless world. I won over a team that tanked (and thus didn't deserve to win) and there are some of the sharpest minds (except for moy) in the game in that world. Also, in my championship in both that world and Harold Reynolds, everyone said my teams sucked, which made it better.

If you could change one thing about HBD, what would it be and why?

If I could change anything about HBD, it would be getting rid of the obsession to make the game more like real life and less like a game. Also, the simpler they make things, the easier it is for crappy owners to win. The game should be tricky, about exploiting things other people don't think of, and about effort.

Snooze Free Agency Lull Hits

2010-12-09T15:39:00.003-05:00

Only 1 A/B free agent signed in the last few cycles. I'm not sure how many are left but we know one J. Martin is still out there sorting through megabucks offers. I think The Line on Mendoza needs to send a few reporters out to dig up a few clues as to the identity of Mr. Martin's next employer.

Menawhile, D'Angelo Owen has signed with Tucson for 5 years, $27MM (team option on the 5th year). A career-long member of the Montreal-now-Detroit organization, Owen has 101 wins and a 4.47 ERA over his 9 ML seasons. He sports a trio of pretty fair pitches to go with good control, sinking action on everything, and a tough delivery for righties to pick up. When he's not on, lefties give him fits. He has a long contract, but his health and makeup are good, and his ratings should hold up for the duration

2 More Pitchers Sign

2010-12-08T23:07:00.003-05:00

Two more top pitchers have signed new free agent contracts.

Darrell Ingram has inked with Vancouver for 3 years, $5.6MM per. It appears that there was no competition for what many believed was the best pitcher, much less the best reliever, available this year. His ratings - 80's control and splits, with 2 devastating pitches - are certainly the envy of many. He's got 2 FOY's and 6 All-Star Games on the resume. This is a great pickup for the Renegades.

Columbus added RP Livan Olivares for 2 years, $7.8MM. Olivares has pinpoint control - only once has he walked more than 20 in a season. He's absolutely murder on lefties, good enough against righties, and his ratings have held up better than any 36-yo I've seen. His only real weakness is a tendency to miss high and give up homers, but it's not severe. Nice addition at a good price for the Discoverers.

Breakdown of the Iowa City-Helena and Honolulu-Columbus trades

2010-12-08T20:29:00.000-05:00

Iowa City gets IF J.P. Ontiveros (Season 5 IFA - $18MM bonus)
Helena gets IF William Chong (Season 9 #28), 2B/CF Alberto Quinnones (Season 8 IFA - $10.9MM bonus), and 2B/OF Hal Stairs (Season 9 #40).
Analysis: Another puzzler from Helena. The argument is not what you have with Ontiveros - he established his bona fides with a .296/29/104 last year. Chong and Stairs are hard to project; Quinnones will hit a Range-Glove of about 82-78 and contact-power-vL-vR/eye of about 51-67-60-66-68. Low-end major-leaguer. But even if Chong and Stairs are better than that, I wonder why Helena makes this deal. This team has "win now" written all over it and they trade a young, star SS for 3 prospects who might be major-leaguers 2-3 years from now? We can say with certainty that the deal helps the Champs now - Ontiveros is the odds-on favorite to be the Silver Slugger at 2B, and the NL 2B Gold Glove has moved to right field for him.

Columbus gets SP Daisuke Miyakazi (Season 4 IFA - $31.3MM Bonus)
Honolulu gets IF Gabby Owens (Season 5 #2)
Analysis: The Kahunas had cap issues and figured it made more sense to trade one of their aces and get max value than move other vets and try to cobble together a lineup with the dregs of free agency. Team officials confirm that 12 teams submitted offers, and characterized "5 or 7 as serious". It came down to Columbus' offer of Owens vs. Arizona's offer of younger prospects, and the bonus of getting immediate help won out. Owens brings excellent defense and and power bat to the Kahunas; his .291/42/103 was good for the NL ROY. He'll line up in RF for Honolulu this season but is the heir apparent at either 2B or 3B. Miyakazi has 52 wins and a 3.29 ERA in 4 seasons. He moves in as the #1 starter for Columbus, which had a 3.72 team ERA last year but just missed the playoffs. The Discoverers now begin a game of musical chairs to replace Owens' production. Vance Winn moves from 2nd to 3rd, Orlando Martinez moves from 1st to 2nd, and somebody new - probably promising rookie Wally Richmond - moves in at first.

Kahunas Set To Threaten Least Bases Stolen Mark

2010-12-08T19:28:00.002-05:00

This season's Honolulu Brawling Kahunas could become known as the slowest team in the history of Double Mendoza.

They're just not going to get there very quickly.

This team could well surpass the single-season record for the fewest stolen bases - 2, by the Season 2 Richmond Spider Monkeys (this era's Columbus Discoverers). They were trying to do much better - they had 8 caught stealing's to go with their pair of thefts. Incidentally, the immortal Andrew Beaulac had both those steals. With no worlds left to conquer, he retired after that penultimate season with a .226 lifetime batting average and 16 home runs.

The Kahunas moved into elite turtledom status in Season 9 with 9 SB's (7 CS), and nearly hit single figures with 11 last year (5 CS). But their only thief, Ray Kozlowski, went to Iowa City in a deadline trade. No player on the current ML roster had a stolen base last year.

Some team officials had lobbied to use one of the team's last 2 utility jobs on a speedy pinch-runner. The first one has gone to Travis Costello, who did steal few bags in his younger days but whose only jobs now will be to hit lefties and wheeze around left filed in a wheelchair for a few innings.

BREAKING NEWS: Honolulu has signed vet OF Anthony Winn to their last position spot, imperiling their shot at the record. Winn has 209 career steals, and swiped 14 with Philly last year. While his speed has dropped even more and his playing time this season will be minimal, it seems likely he'll manage more than a couple.

Off-Season Trade Activity Brisk

2010-12-08T13:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a pretty steady pace of trades leading up to Season 10, with some fairly big names changing teams. The rundown:

Durham gets rookie C Andres Julio, Season 6's #12 overall pick.
Salt Lake City gets 2-year vet SP Heinie McNally, Season 2's #10 overall pick.
Analysis: Intersting swap of former high first-rounders. McNally has 24 wins and a solid (especially in Durham) 3.94 ERA. He has a pretty nice array of pitches to go with good control; he does have his struggles with righty hitters, but will likely thrive in the decidedly more pitcher-friendly Franklin Covey Field. Julio should put up some nice hitting numbers (1.004 minor-league OPS) and calls a good game. His accuracy to second is a little suspect, but he's a good, well-rounded C. It did raise a few eyebrows when Durham, which has hitting and needs pitching, traded a nice young SP for more hitting. But the object is to score more runs than the other team; vandydave just focuses more on the "score more runs" than the "than the other team" part.

Philadelphia gets SP Len Keats (Sea 3 #18) and RP Walt Sandberg (Sea 7 #31)
Kansas City gets RP Tomas Lee (Sea 8 IFA)
Analysis: Keats has been biding time at KC's AAA team for 4 years, a good prospect but not good enough to crack the tough Masterpiece rotation. He gets his shot in Philly, and KC gets a prospect in Lee who has a chance to be a very good reliever in a couple of years.

Montgomery gets SS Gus Harper (Sea 3's #2)
Helena gets gets RP Pablo Plata (Sea 4's #37)
Analysis: Bit of a puzzler for Helena. Harper's a solid SS who's neither old, overpaid, brittle, nor lacking endurance. Sure, his glove is a little clanky for a SS, but he also hits 30 dings a year. The team can use relief help, but is Plata it? He has good control, is pretty tough on lefties, and has a great first pitch (sinker). But he's always going to have trouble with righties...lots of trouble. His 4.01 ERA last year was pretty good considering the .761 OPS-against. Alright, he could be better in the more-neutral ballpark in Helena. But the in't no place for erffdogs could've done much better.

Kansas City gets 2B Josh Bolden (a league-startup AAA prospect with the Biscuits)
Detroit gets OF Leon Durrington (a league-startup LoA prospect with the Houston organization)
Analysis: Bolden has been a backup his whole career, albeit a pretty effective one with a career OPS of .788. Durrington was a long-time minor-leaguer who finally came up in Season 7 and got more than his 15 minutes with an All-Star, Silver Slugger Season 7 (.313/26/100). Bolden appears to be penclied in as Juan Olmedo's defensive replacement; Durrington might see full-time DH duty.

FLASH...Batista Signs With Arizona

2010-12-08T12:55:00.002-05:00

Season 1 NL Cy Young winner and 4-time All-Star Julio Batista has signed with Arizona, getting $16.6 million over 2 years (the contract has a mutual option for Season 11). Batista has been a stalwart SP for Montgomery teams since the league's inception, getting double-digit wins every year and posting a career 3.42 ERA. His ratings have held up remarkably well over the years (excepting major injuries early in his career), even posting gains up to age 32. The only question here is how fast or slow those ratings will start to slip (Arizona's training budget is a slightly-below-average 14; Montgomery's has never wavered from 20).

FIrst Free Agents Sign

2010-12-08T09:44:00.002-05:00

New Britain, Detroit, Montgomery and Arizona broke the ice on free agency, signing the first A and B players.

The Spitfires inked reliever Rudy Cole, who had spent all 9 years of his career in Vancouver. Cole has a "Nuke Laloosh reputation" (million-dollar arm, or in this case $12.5MM over 2 years, and a 5 cent head). sneekes is betting his as-yet-unnamed new pitching coach can restore him to his Season 4 Fireman Of The Year glory.

Detroit front-loaded a 3-year deal to get infielder Greg Evers, a 9-year vet looking to bounce back from a bad year. Evers is an excellent defender with a Grade A arm and thunder in his bat (228 homers). GM rockindock has assembled one of the league's better defensive infields with Evers at 2B, Alberto Owen at SS and Ismael Mercado at 3B.

Montgomery grabbed a potential bargain in IF Alex Gonzalez, who's coming off a monster 200-hit, .333/27/92 campaign. GM cbriese is marvelling at the Biscuits' good fortune this off-season, having added SS Gus Harper and 3B Gonzalez for the price of $6.1MM a year (Gonzalez), and a run-of-the-mill reliever.

Arizona ponied up $32MM and change to nab George Carter, an excellent reliever with absolutely amazing recovery abilities. Carter has never started a game in the majors, yet has thrown as many as 189 innings in a season. He's coming off a pair of relatively poor seasons - let's see if the change of venue puts him back on track.

While there are quite a few solid players available this year, all await the decision of the 1 marquis name: James Martin, former ROY and 2-time MVP who bolted on the Gansta' Chimps after 8 hugely productive seasons. Oddsmakers are saying it's 50-50 on whether he'll land a max contract.

Ordonez Eclipses Power Marks; Young Sets New Wins Record

2010-11-04T11:00:00.005-04:00

A pair of AL stars have bested Double Mendoza single-season records in major stat categories.

Helena's slugging first baseman, Pascual Ordonez, has set new single-season records for both home runs and runs batted in. Ordonez smacked 78 homers and knocked in 192 runs this season.

The previous record for homers was 75, set by Syracuse's Ivan DeSoto in Season 5 (the last "steroid-era" season). Chad Bieser (then with the Biscuits) set the old RBI mark of 179 way back in Season 1.

Ordonez was a highly sought-after ($25.7MM bonus) IFA in Season 4. He debuted in Season 6 with a sold .281/30/80 season, and foreshadowed this year's monster performance with 51 and 57 homers in Season 7 and 8. He made the All-Star Team in Season 7 and picked up 2 Player Of The Week Awards this year.

On the pitching side, Honolulu's Bret Young topped the old wins record (25 by Memphis' Robert Knight in Season 6) with 27. Young was an original minor-leaguer of the Honolulu franchise, and won a Cy Young award in Season 5.

2010-08-25T11:03:00.002-04:00

Welcome To Season 9

Welcome back to all our owners, and a special shout out to our new Double Mendoza owners:

sneekes (new Britain)
amerith (Texas)
indiansrck27 (Albuquerque)
bret2775 (Helena)
moy23 (Chicago NL)
mnnorthstars (Charleston)
antonsirius (Tacoma)

With free agency about to begin, questions abound. Will KC become the 3rd repeat WS winner? What teams will surprise? Which new owners will shine? Stay tuned for another scintillating season of Double Mendoza action!

ML Debut

2010-07-28T12:22:00.001-04:00

Due to injuries, the Memphis Maulers were forced to call up and start Juan Belliard in the middle of a penant chase. Belliard responded with a 4 hit complete game shutout in his major league debut. He walked two and struck out four.

AL Playoff Race

2010-07-28T12:18:00.002-04:00

With 4 games remaining there are some tight playoff races going on. In the American League, the Chicago Gansta' Chimps have clinched the North Division title as well as the #2 seed and bye for the playoffs. The AL East is still up for grabs as the Durham Blue Devils lead Pittsburgh by 2 games. The AL South is also up for grabs as the Maulers lead the Tides by one game. In the AL West, the Brawling Kahunas have clinched the division and the #1 seed. The Oakland Oaks have clinched a wild card berth. The Richmond Tides lead the race for the second wild card spot by 2 games.

Power Rankings at Game 50

2010-06-19T14:58:00.003-04:00

Almost a third into the season, so trends have been taking shape for awhile. Here are the top teams ranked by W-L first, and run differential second (in parens):

1. Honolulu Brawling Kahunas 41-9: getting crazy-good pitching and remarkable seasons from oldies Sammy Sierra (.403 BA) and Butch Collins (.363).

2. Kansas City Masterpiece 35-15: Neil Parker and Felipe Espinoza both over 1.000 OPS; Art Drew off to a 7-0 start.

3. Chicago Gangsta' Chimps 34-16 (+140): on pace to score nearly 1300 runs; 3rd straight MVP for James Martin (.335/21/75)?

4. Richmond Tides 36-14 (+63): Balance - 5th in runs scored, 4th in Team ERA. Gerald Kirby (5-1, 1.91 ERA) and Thomas Moya (.298/17/34) leading the way.

5. Durham Blue Devils 33-17: Almost as prolific as the Chimps. Tyrone Dawkins' (.388/16/55) FA contract looks like a bargain now, and Tripp Snow (.341/16/57) is having his usual great season.

6. Oakland Oaks 30-20 (+69): Just keep adding good young players. Pascual Ordonez (.280/24/53) is on a 78-HR pace; Tony Tarasco is 8-2, 2.39.

7. Philadelphia Clarkerrs 30-20 (+60): Surprise contender is getting great pitching (3.47 ERA) and a power attack (71 homers). Armando Romo (.347/19/50) is making an MVP bid; Cecil Flores (4-2, 2.51 ERA) leads the staff.

8. Toronto Tornfingers 28-22 (+42): Best NL team OPS. Gary Munson (.272/9/26), Danny Brunette (.324/10/33), Matthew Payton (.321/9/24) and Steve Wilson (.279/17/54) lead the balanced attack.

9. Arizona Flip-Floppers 28-22 (-22) Somehow playing .560 ball while socring 22 fewer runs than they've allowed (.455 expected %). It helps when your closer is 20-for-20 with a 0.46 ERA (Hooks Perisho). Also helps to have Joe Thompson (.372/19/52).

10. Memphis Maulers 27-23 (+56): Pitching rules in the big ballpark: Robert Knight (5-2, 2.70 ERA) and Coco Casey 4-1, 3.19 ERA) have Maulers runnign second in NL South.

Breaking Down The Ottawa-Florida Blockbuster

2010-06-17T15:37:00.005-04:00

Ottawa and Florida have just pulled off the biggest trade in recent Double Mendoza memory. Here's how it breaks down:

Ottawa gets:
OF Randy Christman - might be a bit overpaid, but you won't find a more reliable on-base threat
SS Clem Powell - 7th pick of the Season 3 draft could be his way to the first of many Gold Gloves
SP Kevin Kida - Season 7 IFA projects to a solid #2 with very good control and splits, better-than-average velocity and sinking action. His #1 pitch (sinker) will undoubtedly be ML quality; the only question mark on this guy is how well his #2-#4 pitches develop.

Florida gets:
3B Pablo Johnson - the prize of the Season 5 IFA class ($18.6MM bonus), he makes excellent contact, has plus power, and could draw 85+ walks a year. He can already be an average-to-good defender at 3B, and still has some developing to do. There are a bunch of All-Star Games and numerous other awards in the future for this kid.
SS Michael Swann - The Pends are getting back an adequate SS here. His glove is a little less than you want at SS, and his range doesn't quite make up for it. He has a very strong throwing arm and good accuracy. Thanks to his proficiency against lefties, he's a better hitter than your average SS.
SP Stew Roundtree - Season 7 1st-rounder (#30) has a long way to go, but if his pitches all develop, he could overcome shaky splits and be a ML contributor.

Analysis
Looks to me like Florida got the absolute max possible for Johnson - a very nice SP prospect, arguably the best defensive SS in Double Mendoza (young, to boot), plus a nice ML OF. Not that Johnson isn't worth it. He has it all...he'll be a .300+ hitter with power and a great walk totals, he'll be a plus defender at 3B, and he'll steal bases if needed. The only flaw is a low DUR rating (67), but given the rest of the package that's pretty easily overlooked. Swan and Roundtree are the 5th and 6th-best pieces in the trade. Who has improved their team more? Assuming they promote Johnson immediately, Florida. Long-term (when Kida reaches the bigs), I think Ottawa gets a little edge, but I can easily see this being a great trade for both teams.

Who's Hot?

2010-06-07T18:57:00.004-04:00

National League
Joe Thompson is off to a pretty good start...ya think? Leads the league in homers with 10, 2nd in RBI with 24, second in batting average at a measly .405, embarrassing the rest of the NL's hitters with a 1.267 OPS.

Minnesota's Michael Price has started 3 games so far, and so far so good: 2-0, 1 earned run in 17 innings (0.53 ERA).

Arizona closer Hooks Perisho has been dang near pefect so far - 5 for 5 in save opportunities with 0 runs allowed. Minnesota's Julio Nunez has been almost as good - 6-for-6 with a 1.13 ERA.

American League
No dominant sluggers emerging in the AL: Memphis' Christopher Goldberg leads in average with .404; Cleveland's William Smoak, Memphis' Tim Barnes, Oakland's Pascual Ordonez, and Richmond's Jose Pujols lead the AL with 8 homers apiece; Honolulu's Ray Kozlowski tops in RBI's with 25, and Goldberg is tops in OPS with 1.235.

Syracuse's Chief King (2-0, 0.95 ERA) and Florida's Chase Diggins (1-0, 0.52 ERA) lead AL startes in ERA.

Syracuse's Diego Barcelo is 8 for 8 in save opportunities with a 0 ERA.

Quick Peek At the First 10 Games

2010-06-04T13:02:00.009-04:00

You can't tell much this early, but let's say there are the barest "whiffs of trends" discernible. Around the world at 10 games:

American League
The Chicago hitters set a blistering early pace that saw the Chimps jump out to an 8-2 start. James Martin picked up right where he left off last year (MVP) with 13 RBI and an 1.190 OPS; Jerome Palmer (1.009 OPS) and Rick Vander Wal (1.146) also started red-hot for the Chimps.

In the East, Pittsburgh relied on its league-leading pitching (2.30 ERA) to post a 6-4 start. 4 relievers had ERA's of 0 through 10 games, and none of the starters was over 2.77. Syracuse hung with the Phils thanks to 12 innings each of 1.50 ERA by starters Marcus Swann and Chief King, plus 10 RBI from Pat Krausse and 4 homers by Ivan DeSoto.

Memphis paces the South at 7-3. Pitching rules for the Maulers...Coco Casey is off to a 2-0, 1.84 start. Richmond stands a game back despite scoring only 32 runs...they got 2 dominant starts each from Anthony Cradle (2-0, 1.13) and Gerald Kirby (2-0, 1.64).

Honolulu (9-1) carried over its pitching dominance from last year's playoffs: .98 team WHIP and complete-game wins from Chin-Hui Martin and Brent Young. The rehabbed Virgil Torres lead the offense with a 1.208 OPS and 9 RBI.

National League
In the North, Minnesota opened 7-3 by plating a world-leading 73 runs and holding opponents to 29. Edgardo Lima was the hitting star, lapping the field with 18 RBI. Price (1-0, 0.0 ERA), Fassero (2-0, 0.82), and Pearson (2-0, 1.50) were golden in 2 starts each. Toronto (7-3) stayed with the Hoodrats by being even stingier, giving up just 27 runs - Rafael Montanez (1-0, 0.60) and Marv Christian (1-0, 1.93) lead the way.

In the East, Toledo (6-4) opened a 1-game lead on the field. The Hens must've gotten a lot of timely hits: despite being 13th in OBP and 12th in Slugging %, they pushed across 54 runs (3rd).

Iowa City and Montgomery head up the South at 6-4, thanks largely to both winning 3 1-run games. On the stats front, George Hutton had 12 RBI for the Apartheid; Russ Nelson (1-0, 1.64) and Julio Batista (1-0, 1.98) were outstanding for the Biscuits.

Portland (7-3) was the surprise leader out West after 10. Catcher Carson Russ (.400/3/9) was on fire, 5 RP's were uner 3.00 ERA, and SP Jocko Newhouser went 2-0, 2.84 for the Finnegan.

Power Rankings, Week 2

2009-09-07T16:00:00.008-04:00

Week 2 of the Power Rankings sees a lot of shuffling, as expected. We have a new #1 and 5 teams making their debut in the rankings.

1. Vancouver Renegades (24-7)
Previous: 6 Change: +5 Last Week: 18-4
It's been an amazing week for the Renegades. After a somewhat slow start, they enjoyed an 8-game win streak and have an active 6-game win streak.

2. Montgomery Biscuits (21-9)
Previous: 1 Change: -1 Last Week: 14-7
Dethroned mainly because of Vancouver's surge, the Biscuits can still enjoy a position of power. The top of the rotation has been very impressive with SP Julio Batista and SP Russ Nelson both off to 5-1 starts.

3. Tucson Pilots (20-10)
Previous: 2 Change: -1 Last Week: 14-7
Though the AL West looks tougher than it's ever been, the Pilots remain the early pacers. Their 205 runs scored is tops in all of baseball, and SP Colby Cunningham (5-0) and SP Sam Swann (4-0) are loving the run support.

4. Baltimore Wild Rumpus (19-11)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 14-7
Their stingy pitching staff has allowed a paltry 88 runs in 30 games, which is 26 better than any other team. If it weren't for SP Rex Price, who is 0-3 with a 6.55 ERA, that number could be even lower--which is just scary.

5. Helena Caribou Barbies (18-12)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 13-7
Kudos to SP Bret Young, who threw 8 innings of a no-hitter against the New York Monarchs. Young is by far the early favorite for AL Cy Young, as he is 6-0 with 2 CG shutouts, a 0.73 WHIP and a 0.49 ERA. Those are not typos.

6. Minnesota Antichrists (19-12)
Previous: 3 Change: -3 Last Week: 12-9
Even with SP Dale Howe not quite his usual self (3-3, 4.06), the Antichrists have been able to stay afloat atop the NL North. Last year's Rookie of the Year, LF Matthew Payton, has not suffered any sort of sophomore slump, with numbers nearly identical to what he had a year ago.

7. Huntington Guyandottes (19-12)
Previous: 4 Change: -3 Last Week: 13-8
1B Ivan DeSoto is trying to end the AL MVP race as fast as possible. He's hitting .379 with 16 HRs and 46 RBI. It's early, but those kind of numbers have started some Triple Crown buzz about the slugger.

8. Ottawa Filibusters (18-12)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 13-8
The offense is nothing flashy, but the pitching has been strong enough to bring the Filibusters within a half game of the Antichrists. RP Bill Witte has pitched 20.1 brilliant innings resulting in a 0.87 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP.

9. Buffalo Bulldozers (16-14)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 12-9
With a team ERA of 5.09, it's anybody's guess as to how they sustained a winning record over the last week. Perhaps the secret is LF Esteban Merced, who is hitting .350 and has driven in 24 this season.

10. Chicago Gangsta' Chimps (16-15)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 13-8
The Gangsta' Chimps seem to have recovered from a rocky start, and their trademark offense is in full swing. They've scored 202 runs, which is just 3 behind Tucson. LF Clarence Pratt (.374, 11 HR, 36 RBI) and 2B James Martin (.397, 11 HR, 34 RBI) are the reasons for the offensive success.

New Faces Around The League

2009-09-03T15:44:00.010-04:00

A flurry of potentially key roster moves have been made within the past 24 hours, and in case you missed them, the Double Mendoza Blog is here to fill you in.

Helena Promotes A Trio
With 20 games in the books, the Helena Caribou Barbies promoted 3 prospects to their ML squad now that arbitration will be delayed for them. The headlining player now ready to make his ML debut is SP Chin-Hui Martin. Martin is a 20-year-old phenom who received a $27.4M signing bonus as an International Free Agent, the most expensive bonus ever at the time the deal was inked. But he is a worldbeater, to say the least. One AL GM said, "He could win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young both this season. But even if he doesn't, the future is bright for this kid." For a team 0.5 games back in the AL West, this is a significant move.

But the reinforcements don't stop there. The 2nd overall pick from the Season 2 draft, SP Trey Marshall has also received the call. Young himself at 21, Marshall may not be suited to start games yet. "He'll get his outs, but I don't think he's built the arm strength to go deep into ballgames," said one scout. This problem is likely to be exacerbated by Helena's attempts to run a 4-man rotation, at least temporarily. But when that rotation already features Pitcher of the Week, SP Bret Young, it is certain to become more fearsome with these two rookies joining it.

Lastly, SS Marty Crane is also on the cusp of making his ML debut after getting called up. Crane is a defensive specialist and should solidify the infield defense for the Caribou Barbies.

Crackers Collect Casey
SP/RP Christian Casey is returning to the senior circuit via waivers. The Atlanta Crackers won the claim for the former Cy Young pitcher, and hope that his arrival will stabilize a starting rotation in need of a shot in the arm. Casey will take SP Arthur Kielty's spot in the rotation, who was 1-2 with a 4.79 ERA in 4 starts. Lots of Atlanta starters have trudged out of the gate, but critics say Casey is not the answer. With SP/RP Ray Waters already in the rotation (who has averaged 4.0 IP in 3 starts), the Crackers now have two starters who seem more suited to long relief. The Crackers are hoping to reproduce their success of a year ago, when they were the top NL Wild Card and won their opening playoff matchup against the Cincinnati Boomers, but have started just 9-11, 2.5 games back of the NL South leading Montgomery Biscuits.

B.C. Dransfeldt Finds 5th Team
LF B.C. Dransfeldt has played for one team, and one team only, every year of his major league career. Thanks to the Oklahoma City Kingfishers signing him to a new $495K, 1-year deal, that will remain true for at least another year. Dransfeldt's world tour has the NL West as its epicenter, but he has played for the Vancouver Mammoths, Toronto Talons, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Richmond Wild Rumpus in the past. He is a .283 career hitter, and the Kingfishers plan to use him as a pinch-hitting weapon off the bench, and also as a utility outfielder.

Casey Designated For Assignment

2009-09-02T20:16:00.005-04:00

It's not every day a former Cy Young winner gets exposed to the Waiver Wire, but that is the news off the presses from Colorado Springs. RP Christian Casey, who was voted the National League's best pitcher from Season 2, has been designated for minor league assignment and is ripe for the taking.

Casey spent 3 years pitching for the Montreal Expos. During the first 2, he was as dominant as any starter in the National League. He posted an ERA under 3 and ate up more than 230 innings each year. But at the age of 34, his fastball lost some life, and his arm wore out earlier each outing. In Season 3, we went just 13-9 with a 4.40 ERA and pitched only 182 innings despite making 37 starts.

The Expos past on resigning their aging ace, but Casey found a home with the Anaheim Angels. He took the ball every 5 days, but posted a career-worst 7 wins against 10 losses. His prime obviously behind him, the new management in town (which also moved the team to Colorado Springs and renamed it the Millennium) hoped he could find a way to get his outs out of the bullpen this season. But in 3 outings, he has an unheard of WHIP of 3.55, and an ERA of 19.64. Thus the designation to the minors, to give him a chance to find his stuff either in AAA or for another team.

The Millennium will have to eat the majority of the $5.2M Casey is owed this season, but it is his last under contract. Casey himself offered the following perspective, "I'll find another home this season and I'm going to throw some effective innings. I still have an arm, and I think a lot of teams know that. All I want to do is prove to myself I can still do this."

Is the move premature on the part of Colorado Springs? 3.2 innings of work is a small sample size, and Casey could come back to hurt them if he lands in the wrong hands. But the NL West race is off to a competitive start, and management didn't have time to idle by while an aging pitcher worked out his mechanical issues.

The Week Ahead

2009-08-30T22:16:00.006-04:00

Included below are all the Top 10 Matchups, as determined by the Power Rankings, over the next week of play. The date and cycle listed are the first game of the series.

Sept. 1 PM - #5 Cincinnati Boomers @ #3 Minnesota Antichrists, 4 games
Sept. 2 AM - #7 New York Monarchs @ #2 Tucson Pilots, 3 games
Sept. 2 PM2 - #5 Cincinnati Boomers @ #1 Montgomery Biscuits, 3 games
Sept. 2 PM2 - #9 Los Angeles Dodgers @ #3 Minnesota Antichrists, 3 games
Sept. 3 PM2 - #1 Montgomery Biscuits @ #9 Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games
Sept. 3 PM2 - #8 Memphis Blues @ #2 Tucson Pilots, 4 games
Sept. 5 AM - #9 Los Angeles Dodgers @ #5 Cincinnati Boomers, 3 games
Sept. 6 AM - #5 Cincinnati Boomers @ #6 Vancouver Renegades, 4 games
Sept. 6 PM - #8 Memphis Blues @ #10 Colorado Springs Millenium, 3 games

Toughest Schedule: #5 Cincinnati Boomers
Easiest Schedule: #4 Huntington Guyandottes

Power Rankings, Week 1

2009-08-30T20:28:00.017-04:00

Every Sunday we will try and release a new issue of the Power Rankings: an assemblage of the Top 10 teams in the Double Mendoza Baseball League based purely on performance on the field. Though the season has just begun and Opening Week often features a lot of unique storylines, there is often no better barometer of how the division standings will shake out than to look at teams against their division-mates. As 2 such series are in the books for all teams, we can draw some early conclusions about this year's races.

1. Montgomery Biscuits (7-2)
The early pacesetter of the Double Mendoza Baseball League in terms of trophies, the Biscuits look poised to infiltrate the nightmares of NL also-rans yet again this season. Rookie CF Lonny Radmanovich has announced his arrival to the big leagues with authority, hitting .407 with 6 HRs and 11 RBIs through the first 9 games. The Biscuits starting staff is as staunch as ever; they are a combined 7-0 thus far.

2. Tucson Pilots (6-3)
Yes they've only played 2 games at home to this point, but the Pilots team ERA of 2.74 is still turning heads. They have allowed the fewest runs of any AL team, and a lot of the thanks goes to SP Colby Cunningham who has jumped to a 2-0 start with a 1.29 ERA. The far-feared offense looks in tact still, as 8 different players have already gone deep. Their schedule may have been a bit soft out of the gate, but you can only beat who you play, and the Pilots have taken care of business in that regard.

3. Minnesota Antichrists (7-3)
The Antichrists have been lurking quietly in the NL North for a few seasons, and now they may have finally turned the corner. 2B Alex Gonzalez, who has already solidified himself as a star in this league, is tied for the most RBIs in all of baseball with Huntington's Ivan DeSoto at 17. A player to keep an eye on on this team is SP Dale Howe. In an effort to reward the acclaimed pitcher with a Cy Young award, GM DodgerBlue13 is getting him as many reps as he can: so far that's resulted in 3 starts and 17.2 innings of work.

4. Huntington Guyandottes (6-4)
Rewarded this spot mainly for their 3-to-1 series win over the always gritty Hartford Hartattacks, Huntington is hoping the series win is a launching pad towards dethroning the Hartattacks from their 4-year hold on the AL East crown. DeSoto's fast start has already been mentioned, but the pitching has been a little suspect. Their team ERA is 4.96, which is managable in the AL if their offense can keep up with it. So far, so good as 3 players are hitting better than .400, including newcomer 2B Danny Brunette, formerly of the Nashville Sounds.

5. Cincinnati Boomers (7-3)
The alternating of NL and AL teams here in the Rankings continues at 5, where the Boomers check in. SP Junior Posada has been a pleasant surprise, as he of the 4.50 career ERA has spun 2 gems, including a complete game shutout of the Toledo Mud Hens. Offensively, 10+ RBI contributions from RF Ben Mohler, 1B Sherman Seo, and LF Ed Parnell have led the way. After tasting the playoffs despite a losing record a year ago, these Boomers are experienced and hungry.

6. Vancouver Renegades (6-3)
A couple of lopsided losses are the only blemishes so far for the NL's 2nd best team from a year ago. The offense has yet to start churning at full speed, but when it catches up to the efforts the Renegades are getting from reigning Cy Young SP Jerome Guerrero and rookie RP Blaine Fife, watch out. Guerrero has a WHIP of just 1.00 and Fife has started his major league career with 8.1 scoreless innings thanks to an 8-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Impressive stuff from the 24-year-old.

7. New York Monarchs (5-4)
The record probably isn't where GM themojoking wants it, but the Monarchs are 2 games up on last year's division winner, Chicago, so not all is bad in the Bronx. 1B Rafael Canseco is the lone standout thus far, hitting .400 with 3 HRs and 11 RBIs, all 3 of which lead the team. LF Armando Romo and DH Charlie Freeman can't stay cold forever, as both are boneified sluggers.

8. Memphis Blues (5-4)
It's been very tough to handicap the AL South thus far, as the teams have been cannibalizing each other into mediocre records. Memphis still looks like the frontrunner though, despite the offseason noise from the Nashville Sounds and the respectable starts from the New Orleans Pelicans and Little Rock Lobsters. Memphis has yet to lose a series, and that's with 2-time Cy Young SP Rico Parra off to a 1-2 start, and an ERA near 5.

9. Los Angeles Dodgers (5-4)
The defending World Champions didn't make it easy on themselves a year ago, winning from the 6-seed. And so far this season, they aren't making it easy on themselves either. The offense has been anemic, scoring just 37 runs, good for 15th in the National League. SP Charles Martin and SP Wil Sele are carrying the team though, as they are responsible for all 5 Dodger wins. Sele's 0.95 WHIP has been most impressive, and the 26-year-old's ERA is an equally noteworthy 1.98.

10. Colorado Springs Millenium (6-4)
They've allowed more runs than any other team in the American League, but when a team takes 2 of 3 from both Tucson and Huntington, they deserve some acknowledgment. Their bullpen has been the true culprit in terms of the Millenium allowing 6.9 runs per game. But with veteran and former Cy Young winner RP Christian Casey in the fold, management is hoping things get better. SP Oswaldo Guerrero has forced the flimsy bullpen into a lot of action--in 2 starts, he's never lasted more than 2.2 innings.

Where Are They Now?

2009-08-28T13:55:00.003-04:00

The #1 overall pick every year in the Amateur Draft has a lot to live up to. If the right player comes along, an entire city's fortune can shift. When drafting at #1, it is critical to select a "can't-miss" type player. In addition to the skills that make scouts salivate, GMs also like to see good work ethic and healthy living habits, to ensure those skills will survive for many years to come. So, let's find out how that has worked out for top picks overall of seasons' past.

Season 1 - SS Lawrence Shelley, drafted by the Boston Beaneaters
The Beaneaters, who have since moved and become the Durham Blue Devils, took Shelley ahead of a trio of impressive SPs due to his impressive discipline at the plate. Though he's still learning the ins and outs of the SS position, he hit .349 in his first full campaign to ensure his playing time. He actually cracked the majors as early as Season 2, in September call-up fashion. Shelley has already proven worthy of the 1st overall pick, but those selected behind him, SP Brady Reed of the New York Monarchs and SP Nomar Johnson of the Ottawa Filibusters, are making their debut this year. So true judgment on his value against the rest of his class can now begin in earnest.

Season 2 - SP Houston Clark, drafted by the Cincinnati Boomers
Clark has not yet reached the Major League, but at just 21, that's no surprise. He is an impenetrable prospect: it is impossible to nitpick any flaw in Clark's golden arm. Beginning this season in AAA, it is rather likely he'll toss some innings for the big club by the time 162 games have gone by. Though SP Trey Marshall of the Helena Caribou Barbies at pick #2 and RF Rick Vander Wal of the Chicago Gangsta' Chimps at #3 were equally impressive, there's no faulting the Boomers' choice in Season 2.

Season 3 - 1B Sherman Seo, drafted by the Cincinnati Boomers
Cincinnati was back for more a year later and got another gem in Seo. Seo provides a powerful bat from the right side of the plate, and even has some speed on the basepaths, though he has never quite gotten the hang of getting good enough jumps to steal bases. Seo is actually 2 years older than Clark, and is on the Opening Day roster for the Boomers this season. Though it's early, Seo has 3 jacks in 4 games, and has his average at .357. Obviously a pace this torrid is unsustainable, but Seo has MVP potential, so atmospheric numbers will not be unfamiliar territory for Seo as his Major League career unfolds. And it's always saying something when a 1B goes before 2 SS's, as did Seo in front of SS Gus Harper of the Oakland Oaks and SS Geronimo Pena of the Jackson Ardillas de Muerte

Season 4 - SP Derrick Mitchell, drafted by the Charlotte Knights
Last year's draft was pretty bizarre. The Richmond Wild Rumpus (who have since moved to Baltimore) actually had the top overall pick, but thought the top of the class was rather lacking in star power. As such, they selected P Alton Estes, who they knew was unsignable, in order to get a compensation pick the following year. So SP Derrick Mitchell became the highest draft pick to sign, and he is currently at the AA level. Mitchell is a finesse pitcher, relying on control and movement rather than gas. Though he can put pitches where he wants to, his offspeed pitches don't appear to have as much bite as scouts would like. After Mitchell, the strange draft continued, as two RP went back to back in RP Vic Chase to the Texas Longhorns and RP Omar Cruz to the Cincinnati Boomers. The thin-at-the-top Season 4 draft class will have a lot to prove as they move forward.

The Toledo Mud Hens will make the historic first selection in this year's upcoming Amateur Draft, and they will be followed by the Baltimore Wild Rumpus and Charlotte Knights. Only time will tell if the Season 5 draft will go down as one that changed the entire landscape of the Double Mendoza Baseball League, or if Season 4 will repeat itself.

Caveat Emptor

2009-08-27T23:07:00.003-04:00

Baseball teams are always looking to strike gold by sending scouts overseas. But, like gold, these prospects are not cheap. A couple of signings have already made a splash at this early junction of Double Mendoza's 5th season. The Line on Mendoza is here to pass judgment on both.

18-year-old SP/RP Victor Jose
acquired by the Toledo Mud Hens for $8.7M
This right-handed hurler commanded a hefty sum, and a lot of GMs we surveyed are wondering why the Mud hens forked it over. Scouts think Jose will have a difficult time eating enough innings to become a starter in the bigs someday. He relies on his control, but batters put a lot of balls in play off of him. His sinker will induce some groundballs, but he also has a habit of leaving it too high in the zone, which is always bad news. He'll likely earn a roster spot some day, but there are far better ways to spend $8.7M

18-year-old C Ignacio Lee
acquired by the Chicago Gangsta' Chimps for $9.0M
Speaking of better ways to spend almost $9.0M, we have Ignacio Lee. For an extra $300K compared to Jose, most scouts tout Lee as a potential all-star slugger some day. He is defensively sound enough to play C, but if he remains in the AL, is a perfectly good option to DH. He's a patient hitter already who victimizes left-handed pitching rather routinely. He'll need to hit the weight room if he hopes to be an everyday player someday, but Chicago's coaching staff will see to that, I'm sure.

So, buyer beware on the international market. It's very easy to overspend on unproven talent, so make sure the bang is really there when you part from your buck.

Memphis looking for season V

2009-08-26T23:56:00.001-04:00

The Blues start their first season in Double Mendoza with a team record of 111 wins. Since that, their wins total is decreasing.
The last season was their worst season, with 94 wins, but they manage to win their division title.

The fifth season is starting soon, and the Blues will be on the run to win another division title, but the improvements of Nashville may give them hard time.

The Blues GM made some interesting moves. He decides to trade the second baseman Felipe Gonzalez, and catcher Hideo Suzuki for starting pitcher Timothy Lanning.
Gonzalez is a future ML infielder, and Suzuki may reach the same level soon.
Memphis has improved their pitching staff with Lanning, but this one may start the season in AAA. Therefore, there's a big chance to see him in the ML rotation somewhere in the season.

Also, the Blues recently trade Del Marquez for Will Koehlert and D'Angelo Castro. The trade is in the process to be approuve by the other owners of Double Mendoza.

On the free agent market, Memphis gave a two years contract to third baseman Nigel Kelly for a total value of 10.8 millions. A recent addition was Louie Villano who may help the ML bullpen as a setup man or closer.

Rico Parra, Roosevelt Gant and Christy Gold will be the top 3 starting pitchers for the Blues. The remaining spot are still not decided. Napoleon Tapani will start as the official closer of the team. Tapani got more than 40 saves in his last three seasons.

The Blues got some power at bat with Donte Kirwan, Andres Vizcaino, D.T. James and Pablo Suarez. Three of them hit more than 40 home runs, and Kirwan was near to reach that stage with 38.
Rafael Montanez and Nigel Kelly may produce a lot of RBI. With his new contract of 22 millions for three years, Von Byrne will have a more important role this year.

Bryan Guerrero and Victor Bonds may split time in the left field and also as leadoff hitter.

With all this being said, the Blues are looking positively at the fifth season of Double Mendoza. There will be a race with Nashville for the division title.
We may also see New Orleans and Little Rock involve in that race. In any case, it will be interesting.

New faces in Nashville.

2009-08-18T15:43:00.011-04:00

Lots of changes in Nashville this winter, they trade one of the best hitter in both leagues, Danny Brunette, in order to improve their rotation.
They gave a lot? But, they hope they get a lot in return too.

Let's take a look.

Brunette, Ray Randolph, Steve Withem, Sal Saunders, Glenn Sisler and Taylor Black are all gone.

But Coco Casey, Benji Reyes, Robert Knight, Marino Berroa and Bonk Lieber are coming.

Of course, Brunette, a 2 times All-Star, a 1 time MVP and in the top 5 in hits, runs and RBI's, will be hard to replace but the Sounds GM, thinks that Christopher Goldberg, Adam Huff, Dernell Carpenter and Cy Crawford should lead the offence, with help coming from rookie power hitting catcher Tim Barnes and newly acquire Reyes and Berroa.

The rotation should be much better with the acquisition of Casey and Knight who will join Ron Moran in one of the best top three SP in both leagues.

The Sounds also lost Bartolo Ortega to free agency, but they hope Lieber will be able to replace him effectively.

After 4 seasons finishing second to Memphis in the AL South, the Sounds hope this year they will finish first and that they will play late in the playoffs.

The Race for 125 -- Update!

2009-03-21T16:06:00.009-04:00

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

2009-03-03T18:30:00.005-05:00

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

2009-03-02T16:27:00.006-05:00

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

2009-02-17T16:46:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-16T23:08:00.012-05:00

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?

Wind of change in Nashville!

2009-02-16T11:46:00.004-05:00

Spring training is here and it's time to take a look at the changes the Nashville Sounds made during winter, to try to play a little bit longer in playoffs. Even if The Sounds did very well the last two seasons with 91 and 99 wins, Sounds GM, jeanpaul22, feels that it was not enough.

Since the beginning of season one, the Sounds want to get a great defensive CF. They get him in Cy Crawford, along with RF Todd Alexander and a minor league starter Orlando Santiago from the Kansas City Masterpiece against Jorel Benson.
After that, the Nashville GM try to fill a hole that the first 2 seasons showed, a lack of power behind Danny Brunette and Adam Huff . Last season, Benson was their fifth hitter but he was not the solution.
The second trade of the winter will bring Christopher Goldberg in the line up to fill that hole but it cost a lot in John Burroughs. In return Nashville get another minor league starter in Sal Saunders from Arizona Flip-Floppers.

Last minute trade: SP Harry Ford from Kansas City Masterpiece against RP Louie Guerrero.

With these changes, Mr 22 thinks his team will be better equipped for the playoffs.

Season 3.

On the mound, with Jimmie Cannon , Hugh Douglas, John Suzuki, Harry Ford and Tony Crespo the rotation should be solid and with Sonny Bell to close, and Bartolo Ortega, the bullpen should be OK.

The defense, 7th last season, should be very strong with the addition of Crawford in centerfield.

Offensively, the Sounds should score many runs with MVP second baseman Danny Brunette, third bagger Adam Huff and first baseman Chistopher Goldberg in the middle of the line-up.

The line up should look like this:

Benji Reyes, LF
Cy Crawford, CF
Danny Brunette, 2B
Adam Huff, 3B
Christopher Goldberg, 1B
Omar Balboa, Matt Taylor, Dernell Carpenter or Dion Thompson, DH
Larry Hurst, SS
Todd Alexander, RF
Ted Lomasney, C

Of course it is too soon to predict anything but it should be another very fun season for the fans.

Los Angeles Dodger Preview

2009-02-15T05:35:00.015-05:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers come into season 3 hoping to do something to put them over the top with some major names leaving and some others on the way in.

The Dodgers have fought hard and have done well in the playoffs until the enevitable meeting with Montgomery. Montgomery has ended their season two years running. What can be done to match the stingy pitching of the Biscuits? GM KB thinks more offense and a move to youth in the rotation is in order. The Dodgers expect to return to the playoffs as a wildcard or the division winner and hopefully thier moves will take them to the WS. Anything short of that is running in place or worse, a failure.

Here are your season 3 Los Angeles Dodgers:

C- Alex Forest will start with Ariel Cruz waiting in the wings. This is a switch from the Dodgers philosphy of having a defensive guy back there. The Dodgers will start Forest and expect a .300 average and about 100 walks.

1b- B.C. Dransfeldt was first thought of as a pinch hitter and backup 1b/lf, but the Dodgers like the way he drives the ball and will give him a chance to lose the job with power guy Russ Chapman doing the backup role at 1b/lf. The Dodgers hope that Dransfeldt will produce a near .300 avg with 30 double and 20 hrs. If he fails, Chapman is sure to provide power and lots of walks.

2b- Louis Bevil will be playing his first full season as a Dodger. Management expects him to frequent the All Star game many times in the forseeable future. Great all around player and one of the best 2bs in the league.

3b- Yonder Martis will be the starter at 3b. Martis was a last minute aquistion and the Dodgers are hoping he'll provide some offense and stability at 3b. He has a chance to put up all star numbers with the stick anyway. Hes an average fielder. Julio Ozuna a rookie, will backup 3b/rf and provide some pop and youth to the lineup.

SS- Jay Bailey was at 3b last season and moves to SS with Martis taking over at 3b. Bailey should provide power and speed at the position although his glove is well below average. The Dodgers have many options and interchangeable players so SS/3b/of positions will be contantly changing no doubt. Other SSs include Curt Murphy & Ernest Looper. Both of these guys should see time at CF and wherever needed. Provide great insurance and nice bats off the bench.

lf- Mandy Chace Chace will be back in lf and hopes to make another run at the MVP. Great hitter.

cf- Vern Hamelin will man cf again. Hes a consumate pro with an excellent glove. He'll hit some line drives, steal a base here and there and not screw anything up. A company soldier.

rf- Donald Fujiwara is a budding superstar. He has all the tools to be the best offensive player on the team and in the league. Might have an MVP or two in his future. Lot of pressure for a kid, but hes handled it well so far. A rookie at 20, hes now starting to come into his own in his 3rd ML season. Look for big things out of Fujiwara.

sps- Andre Hubbard
Wil Sele
Joel Wheeler
Gerald Stanley
Paul Norton

Starting pitching was overhauled and is now a lot younger if slightly less talented. The Dodgers expect them to be very good and get better as the year wears on.

rps- Gus Garvin
Will Weston
Jerome Ross
Polin Rodriguez
Juan Camacho

The Bullpen is is solid and youthful with FA signee Ross anchoring the pen. This is the stronger end of the staff which is different from years past. The team expects the pitching as a whole to end up with nearly the same stats as seasons 1 and 2. They wont be the top pitching in the league, but they'll be very good.

Overall the Dodgers look to be contenders again is spite of the flurry of trades and signings. We'd really like to proclaim ourselves the team to beat, but theres Hartford & Montgomery in the way and no doubt just as good or better than they have been. Obviously anything less than the playoffs is failure, and from there its a crapshoot.

Hot Stove Report #4

2009-02-13T16:56:00.007-05:00

We'll take a peek at how the free agent frenzy is going tomorrow, but one more trade of note was reported today when the Los Angeles Dodgers said goodbye to the old and hello to the new. The Dodgers sent SP Victor Saez to the Huntington Guyandottes in exchange for minor league SP Ernest Ward. Saez could not be reached by phone, but his agent issued a statement regarding the deal in which he said, "Saez would like to thank the Dodgers for the opportunity to play in L.A. these past two seasons, and looks forward to joining another playoff-caliber team in Huntington."

Saez had two 11-7 seasons in Los Angeles for a composite record of 22-14. Though he never reached the 200-innings in a season plateau, he was always effective in the innings he was able to eat up. Over 2 years he posted a 3.52 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. The Dodgers had just inked him to a new 3-year contract worth $15.6 million, but moved him nonetheless to provide themselves some breathing room under their budget.

The stickiest part of this deal is Saez' age. At 34 and under contract for 3 more seasons, he is going to be pitching until he is 36 for the Guyandottes. At $5.2 million a year, Huntington needs to hope he puts some of that money towards a personal trainer to stave off the effects of old age that plague us all. He has always been known for his work ethic though, and, at the time of his 3-year signing with the Dodgers, was quoted as saying, "I have little doubt I can perform at my best for the duration of this contract." Still, as a pitcher who is not an innings-eater to begin with, you wonder how much he'll have left in the tank at 36 years of age.

After winning 92 games last year, the Guyandottes may not be too worried about Season 5 at the moment. Instead, by trying to bolster their current roster to make another playoff run, they hope to win now. Even after moving SS Charles Tanaka earlier this offseason, they still look ready to be a contender again. In that sense, this move is perfect for Huntington.

To replace Saez, the Dodgers bring in a similarly thought-of player in Ward, of the Guyandottes AA affiliate. When asked, one scout said, "The only difference between Saez and Ward is 14 years and $5 million dollars." And he's not joking as much as it may seem: they even feature the same 4 pitches! So it's not at all difficult to see why the Dodgers were pleased to move an aging contract off their books in exchange for an unproven talent when that talent is virtually a mirror image of Saez.

Hot Stove Report #3

2009-02-12T15:20:00.004-05:00

Devoid of much minor league talent and feeling like their brief window of opportunity closed during the offseason, the Kingfishers made the tough decision to export one of their rising stars for a top-rated pitching prospect. 1B Charlie Freeman, who joined OKC midseason a year ago as part of a trade that sent SP Ron Moran to the Louisville Sluggers, is moving on to his 3rd team in 3 years, the New York Monarchs.

Freeman had a monstrous year in what was his first full season in the majors. Between Louisville and Oklahoma City he combined to hit .287 with 56 HRs and 133 RBIs. There is probably no one happier that this deal went down than Monarchs' 1B Armando Romo. Romo, who may move to the outfield to make room for Freeman, was the lone offensive standout on the Monarchs' squad of a year ago. Especially once they made the playoffs, he could not carry the team by himself, and they were consequently swept out of their opening series against the Nashville Sounds.

In return the Kingfishers got SP Bernard Griffiths. Big Bernard was the 13th pick in the Amateur Draft a season ago, and his first year as a pro was pretty solid. The Rice University graduate is fully expected do develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter, relying mostly on a tough Sinker but featuring 5 pitches. "We're still going to be competitive on the field without 'Free', and though you obviously can't replace a talent like that, we felt this move was better for our long-term health," said GM Sour Surfer after the news of the trade broke. Freeman reportedly garnered interest from as many as 6 teams.

Hot Stove Report #2

2009-02-11T15:43:00.003-05:00

Amidst a plethora of ripples in the trading market, the Huntington Guyandottes and Atlanta Crackers created the biggest splash. The Guyandottes were able to clear $11 million off their books in preparation for the upcoming Free Agency frenzy by dealing SS Charles Tanaka. Tanaka's deal has 3 years and $34 million remaining on it, and the Guyandottes never felt Tanaka played up to his enormous contract while in West Virginia.

The Crackers had a disappointing season a year ago, falling 21 wins off of their Season 1 pace, when they were the National League's 5-seed. Tanaka, hopes Atlanta, will help solidify a lineup that ranked 31st in the majors in run production a year ago. Scouts say Tanaka is a solid hitter with a little pop, but in 2 seasons with Huntington he hit just .292 with only 147 RBIs. Respectable numbers, but not when you're bringing in 8 digits a year.

The Guyandottes focused on bolstering their farm system with this deal, as they acquired RF T.J. Coco and SS Enos Murphy, both of Atlanta's High A team. Scouts like Murphy's power, but do not think he projects to a major league SS. He's more likely to find an eventual home at 3B or even somewhere in the outfield. Regardless of where he plays defensively, he will be a run-producer when his big league career arrives. Coco is not a terrific player in terms of talent, but he brings a lot of intangibles, such as his ability to stay on the field, day in and day out. He's a tough hitter to strike out, which means he could make a nifty 2-hole hitter some day.

The Crackers look like they're going to be serious players this year if their budget and this deal are any indication. The Crackers have $91 million to spend, and even after the Tanaka trade is finalized, they will have about $24 million in hand to take to free agency. It was a gutsy move by GM tjconnatser to import a big contract with subpar numbers, but the money was there and the Atlanta offense lacks star power, so why not pull the trigger?

Hot Stove Report #1

2009-02-10T16:02:00.012-05:00

The hot stove is warming up already as a few trades have begun to trickle in. Here at the Double Mendoza Blog, we're going to do our best to keep up with all the action so you can stay informed on where all the big names are heading this offseason. Keep your eyes peeled for more Hot Stove Reports as trades and free agent acquistions are made.

Los Angeles Dodgers acquire:
23-year-old 3B Trent Carr

Minnesota Antichrists acquire:
32-year-old C Kevin Nichols

Snapshot Analysis: While nothing earth-shattering, this is a sound trade for both sides that focuses on defense. Nichols is a consummate pro when it comes to dealing with a pitching staff and as a backup catcher, he is a very solid option. Similarly, Carr brings good defense and a respectable bat off the bench for the Dodgers. Despite the Antichrists desire to go young this season, it's the Dodgers acquiring the youth in this swap.

Oklahoma City Kingfishers acquire:
26-year-old CF Rafael Espinoza

Minnesota Antichrists acquire:
25-year-old SP Vasco Megias
28-year-old RP Glenn Floyd
21-year-old RP Greg Riley

Snapshot Analysis: The Kingfishers appear to be building an offensive squad this season by adding Espinoza to their fold. In exchange for giving up one of their most talented hitters, the Antichrists get a trio of young pitchers. Megias has 2 ML years under his belt as a starter and is a nice option at the back of any rotation. Floyd performed admirably after a late call-up last season as the Kingfishers' closer, and Riley has impressed scouts throughout his minor league career. This is an interesting trade because it brings up the debate of which is better to have: quality or quantity? Espinoza is probably the most talented player in the swap, but the Antichrists now have a lot of pitching depth.

Tucson Pilots acquire:
32-year-old SP Colby Cunningham

Los Angeles Dodgers acquire:
23-year-old SP Roberto Tarraga
23-year-old RP Pablo Eusebio
25-year-old 1B Alejandro Concepcion

Snapshot Analysis: He didn't come cheap, but the ALCS runners-up acquire a pretty big fish in Cunningham, who has been the anchor of the Dodgers' rotation the past 2 seasons. Cunningham will be a great #2 behind SP Oswaldo Mendez. In Tarraga, the Dodgers "replace" Cunningham with another starter, but scouts say his movement pitches leave something to be desired. Eusebio could be a decent option in middle relief down the road, but he won't blow hitters away either. The crown jewel of this deal for the Dodgers is Concepcion, who should be a perennial .300+ hitter for them, and is ready for the majors right now. Plus, he has no prior service time, which is always a plus.

* All trades are pending league approval

World Series Preview: Montgomery vs. Hartford

2009-01-31T22:40:00.003-05:00

Preview: Welcome to the top of the mountain, boys. These two teams must have enjoyed the view from the top an awful lot a year ago, because they both overcame another long baseball season to meet here again. It's a classic matchup of American League vs. National League. The offense-loving junior circuit sends the best offense in all of the majors, while the senior circuit offers up the best pitching staff in all of the majors. Though it is said defense wins championships, a year ago it was Hartford hoisting the hardware overhead, as they defeated Montgomery 4-2. Will something change this year and allow the Biscuits their fair share of baseball's greatest prize?

Best Storyline: It's all about the repeat. Can Hartford pull it off? After some early season setbacks, they are knocking on the door of history. Maybe bringing the whole house down is more apt, considering their shocking comeback from 3-0 down in the ALCS to the Tucson Pilots. A lot of things have to go a team's way in order to repeat as world champions, and it just feels like all the breaks have been Hartford's up to this point. If they pull the repeat off, they will set an early gold standard for the Double Mendoza League.

Pay Attention To: Game 1. I apologize if that's an obvious statement, as everyone acknowledges Game 1's importance in a series. But this particular Game 1 will be even more intriguing due to the possible fatigue factor for Hartford, coming off that draining 7-game series with Tucson. Montgomery only had to go 5 against the Fargo Fightin' Sioux, so they have enjoyed a few off days and should have their starting rotation primed and ready. I think the best shot Montgomery has in this series is to jump out to a 2-0 lead before heading home, otherwise they could be toast.

ALCS Aftermath: It's an understatement to say it stings to lose a series when you're up 3-0, but for the Tucson Pilots, the cut might be a little deeper than usual. Owner threester announced prior to this season that this would be his last go at GM of the Pilots. So when new ownership comes in, it may not be a given that this well-constructed team will be able to return to the heights they achieved this season. So even though they had a great run and probably feel like they should still be playing, a lot of turbulent times loom in the distance for the boys from the desert.

Prediction: I buy into the mantra that pitching wins in October, but it's not as though Hartford's pitching is that bad. In fact, it's pretty solid. And while Montgomery's staff might be the best around, I think their offense is that bad. So unless they can win a lot of 3-2 decisions, they're going to struggle to win more than 2 games as they did a year ago. For me, Hartford's offense is just too good to be kept down for long, especially over a full 7-game set, as they demonstrated in the ALCS. With my perfect postseason prediction record on the line, I'm putting my faith in the Hartford Hartattacks to repeat as champs.

Hartford Hartattacks in 6

Year End Awards

2009-01-29T19:01:00.010-05:00

While the season is over for all but 4 teams, there are some competitions left unresolved. Several impressive players are hoping to pick up a piece of hardware thanks to the prestigious season-end awards. It's not always obvious who will walk away with these trophies, as the decision rests on the votes of the GMs and not on pure numbers (which are subjective anyway). But, your fearless blog is ready to call each race.

AL Rookie of the Year: This one is really a 2-horse race between the Chicago Gangsta' Chimps' 2B James Martin and the Memphis Blues' CF Pablo Suarez. The case for Martin seems pretty strong until fielding percentage is brought into the equation. While both play premiere defensive spots on the field, Martin's .965 fielding percentage is an unsightly blemish on an otherwise fantastic campaign. But, even so, there's no denying the impact and consistency Martin brought to the Chimps' lineup, and his gaudy numbers, including a 1.032 OPS, should bring in the votes.

NL Rookie of the Year: Unlike the American League, the National League Rookie of the Year race features some pitchers in the conversation. Montgomery Biscuits SP Brian Nickle won 17 games and kept his ERA equally impressive at 3.28. With the exception of wins and ERA, though, Fargo Fightin' Sioux SP Clem Doyle had even better numbers across the board. But it is impossible to pass over Arizona Flip-Floppers' 1B Joe Thompson's thunderous bat. He turned around opposing pitchers 56 times and drove in 143 runs. This 22-year-old will be a menace at the plate for years to come, and will likely earn best rookie distinction in the National League this year.

AL Cy Young: I've never been a fan of giving the Cy Young to a closer, unless they have 50+ saves and never blew a save opportunity. So while CP Albert Benitez, of the Hartford Hartattacks, might draw some votes, I don't think he'll be able to best the impressive class of starters in the running for the AL Cy Young. Huntington Guyandottes SP Coco Casey chewed up more innings per start than any of his fellow nominees, and to make his case stronger he went 23-9 with a 2.96 in an offense-happy American League. At $343K, he's also great bang for the buck, though that obviously doesn't factor into the voting. He is the clear frontrunner and should breeze by his competition to win this award.

NL Cy Young: With only one 20-win pitcher in the field, the competition for the NL Cy Young is a little tighter. But if you're looking for an upset pick, you still won't find it here. Montreal Expos SP Christian Casey won 80% of his decisions, nearly kept his WHIP below 1 at 1.01, and even has the best strikeout ratio of the nominees. There's no doubt in my mind that a Casey is going to win the Cy Young in both leagues this year, making Papa Casey one proud father.

AL Most Valuable Player: With 3 Tucson Pilots in the running, one of them has to win it, right? This is a talented field, but again the clea choice is obvious. It's not Huntington Guyandottes' 1B Ivan DeSoto, who led all of the majors in home runs with 67. It's not Nashville Sounds' 2B Danny Brunette, a "total package" player who hit .328 with 46 home runs and 46 stolen bases. So which Pilot is it? It's RF Felipe Espinoza. He led the majors in batting average by a full 17 points at .360. He was also the majors' leader in OPS at 1.163. He hit 51 home runs and drove in 140 Pilots. He stole 24 bases. He performed CPR on a baby dying of heat exhaustion in the Tucson area. The scary thing for AL pitchers? Only one of those things is false...

NL Most Valuable Player: I really hate giving one player two awards, but how do you not in this case? Previously mentioned 1B Joe Thompson of the Arizona Flip-Floppers is the obvious choice for Most Valuable Player, much as he is for Rookie of the Year. No disrespect to Los Angeles Dodgers' LF Mandy Chace, who resurrected his career this season after being ripped up by Los Angeles media a year ago for a disappointing season, but his numbers weren't good enough. And even though Joe Thompson doesn't play a premiere defensive position, of the nominees, only Louisville Sluggers' CF Daryl Van Hekken does. And with a bat in his hand, he just cannot match worldbeater Thompson. Sure he didn't play on a playoff team, but he had Arizona in contention in a difficult NL West after they were an also-ran a year ago. Joe Thompson, you are our big winner, taking home both National League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

NLCS Preview: Montgomery vs. Fargo

2009-01-27T22:13:00.002-05:00

National League Rankings:

1st - Offense - 4th
1st - Pitching - 7th
1st - Defense - 2nd

Season Series: Montgomery Biscuits, 8-2

Preview: While the casual fan might be pulling for the "upset" pick here, in order to avoid a repeat World Series, true baseball fans are likely pulling for Montgomery to take care of business in this NLCS. If Hartford and Montgomery reunite, the two best teams will once again be meeting in the Fall Classic. Montgomery won the first 8 (!) meetings against Fargo this season before finally dropping 2.

But, don't tell anyone from small market Fargo, North Dakota that. The city is in a fever pitch after the Fightin' Sioux earned some redemption this season by surging past the inexperienced Kingfishers in the NLDS, a step they were unable to take a year ago. So, this season, will the National League's final chapter have a different ending? Or will Goliath squash yet another David en route to a rendezvous with Hartford?

What We Know: Fargo won't be relying on the long ball to move on. In their NLDS against Oklahoma City, they hit only 2 home runs in 4 games. Their best run producer was 2B Allen Morton with 7 RBI. We also know how Montgomery's 4th starter will fare if he has to pitch. SP Rey Fleming lost Game 4 against the Dodgers and only lasted 4.2 innings. But their other 3 starters were good as gold, and no one ever lost an NLCS with 3 tough starters.

What We Don't Know: We don't know who Montgomery can rely on in the clutch. 1B Chad Bieser has been the best performer in the playoffs, but none of the regular starters hit consistently. If ever they find themselves down 3-2 in the 9th, who is going to step up and start a rally? We also don't know if Montgomery getting pushed to 5 games against Los Angeles will effect the first few games. If fatigue is an issue, and Fargo is gifted an early game, the Fightin' Sioux Game 2 and 3 starters, SP Billy Tracy and SP Jack Torres, might have what it takes to extend that lead.

Prediction: Los Angeles was a tough team, but Montgomery's shaky performance in the NLDS makes them more of a question mark in this series than they should be. Still, while Fargo might have the pitching to push this series into its later games, I don't think they have the offense to get the job done. This will be your typical NL slugfest, with low scores and bullpens being put under the microscope. Expect a number of 1-run games, but also expect the "Back-to-Back NLCS Champs" t-shirts to be printed for Montgomery.

Montgomery Biscuits in 5

ALCS Preview: Hartford vs. Tucson

2009-01-25T02:26:00.008-05:00

American League Rankings:

1st - Offense - 2nd
2nd - Pitching - 4th
15th - Defense - 4th

Season Series: Tied, 5-5

Preview: On the precipice of returning to the promised land one year after they won it all, the Hartford Hartattacks will face a very different opponent this time around in the ALCS. This time, to earn top honors on the junior circuit, the Hartattacks will have to eliminate a team after their own heart. For the second straight year, Hartford and Tucson finished 1 and 2 in American League offense. Both teams play in hitters' parks and are like two powderkegs waiting to go off.

At the risk of inserting my opinion into the column, I love this time of year when the series become best-of-7. There's more strategy involved, especially when it comes to starting rotations and bullpen workload. As the teams dig deeper into their rotation, we could easily see the likes of Hartford SP Wayne Egan (17-6, 4.31) or Tucson SP Rob Spencer (18-6, 4.33). Especially since these pitchers tend to have to throw late in the series, it's not inconceivable that one of them could play a big role in determining the outcome.

What We Know: Tucson DH Felipe Espinoza would do it all for the Pilots if he had to. In the postseason he is hitting for a .433 avg with 6 HRs and 17 RBIs. The supporting cast is doing a good job as well, but Tucson's offensive output dipped a bit in the ALDS as compared to the ALPS. Considering they overcame a double dose of Memphis SP Rico Parra, though, that may not be their primary concern. For Hartford, their bullpen was outstanding against Nashville, but it didn't matter after Game 1. The offense exploded to score 6, 21, and 8 runs in their 3 wins, meaning a tight bullpen wasn't as important. SP/RP Hideo Abe had a save, a 0.00 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP. If he steps out of the 'pen in this series, the Pilots hitters might smell blood.

What We Don't Know: We don't know who Tucson's ace is. Sure, SP Oswaldo Mendez will start Game 1, but he has given up 11 runs in 4 starts. If expected to nail down a Game 5-7 win, we don't know if he can do it. We also don't know where Hartford's run production will come from--but that's a good thing. After playing just 4 games this postseason, 8 different hitters have driven in at least 3 runs. 3B Dicky Williams and SS Carmen Jackson lead the way with 6 apiece.

Prediction: Offense reigns in the American League, and exhibits A and B stand before you as ALCS opponents. Tucson may have been bounced from the playoffs early a year ago, but those are distant memories now. With 4 more victories, they can step onto baseball's grandest stage. But, standing in their way is the only team who has never lost in the postseason. Believe it or not, this series comes down to pitching over offense, as they so often do. SP Gerald Suzuki and SP Terrence Walters, who could combine for as many as 4 starts in this series, will be key in this series. If they, and Hartford's bullpen, pitch up to their billing, then this season's AL Champion will feel pretty familiar.

Hartford Hartattacks in 6

ALDS Preview: Memphis vs. Tucson

2009-01-25T00:26:00.003-05:00

American League Rankings:

6th - Offense - 2nd
1st - Pitching - 4th
12th - Defense - 4th

Season Series: Tucson Pilots, 7-3

Preview: Both of these teams suffered early exits a year ago, but this year one of them will claim passage to the ALCS. The Tucson Pilots got pushed to the brink by a formidable Huntington Guyandottes team in the ALPS, so how much do they really have left in the tank? I suspect plenty. In fact, now that an interesting Huntington squad is out of the picture, Tucson may be the likeliest team remaining who could potentially beat Hartford.

So how can Memphis tame this beast in a series they are "supposed" to win? The burden lies squarely on the shoulders of their pitching staff, and one man in particular will need to be the Blues' trump card. SP Rico Parra is the best arm available to either team, and is going to have to play the role of difference maker to push Memphis into the ALCS.

Offensive Analysis: The Pilots scored 41 runs in 5 games against the Guyandottes, which made them the top offense during the PS'. We expected them to light up the scoreboard, and that shouldn't change in this round. So, the Blues, who had 5 players drive in more than 90 runs in the regular season, will need contributions up and down their lineup. Anchoring it for them will be 2B Pablo Suarez (.286, 31, 120) and CF Rafael Montanez (.302, 36, 98). They also have a very nice spark plug in LF Bryan Guerrero (.339, 5, 56) whose .424 OBP and 66 stolen bases make him a nice top of the order weapon.

Pitching Analysis: As mentioned earlier, the Blues need SP Rico Parra (21-6, 2.63) to pitch as advertised in this series in order to move on. If they can't rely on him in his starts, it becomes really hard to plan out a way for Memphis to get the necessary 3 wins. If Tucson's offense keeps clicking and they get deep into the Memphis bullpen, only RP Julio Mercado (10-1, 2.62) appears to be much of a threat to keep the big hitters down.

Prediction: Memphis was very impressive this year in gunning down a Nashville team for the AL South, after the Sounds led for the majority of the season. And though they managed to wrestle away the 2-seed from both Nashville and these Tucson Pilots, they look, on paper, like a team built for the regular season instead of the postseason. Despite the impact Parra could have on this series, I think it's too much to ask of one player to carry an entire team. For the second straight year, Blues fans appear to be headed toward DS disappointment.

Tucson Pilots in 4

NLDS Preview: Montgomery vs. Los Angeles

2009-01-24T12:53:00.004-05:00

National League Rankings:

1st - Offense - 6th
1st - Pitching - 3rd
1st - Defense - 12th

Season Series: Montgomery Biscuits, 8-2

Preview: This series is a rematch of the NLCS from a year ago, which the Montgomery Biscuits won 4-2. It will be interesting to see if playing a best-of-5, instead of a best-of-7, will produce different results this year. The Dodgers got pushed to 5 games by an upstart Louisville team, and may be feeling a little fatigued as a result. But this is not unfamiliar ground for them, as a year ago they upset the 2-seeded Fargo Fightin' Sioux in the NLDS after the 6-seeded Vancouver Mammoths took them to 5 in the NLPS.

This Montgomery Biscuits team appears to be even better than the one that went to the World Series a year ago. They eclipsed the Louisville Sluggers at the end of the season to become the top-ranked offense in the National League, and as you can see above, they are simply the best at all aspects of the game on the senior circuit. This Dodger team might be under-seeded, but they'll have to play flawless baseball to advance any further, especially considering the dominance by the Biscuits in the season series between the two.

Offensive Analysis: The Dodgers rode the bats of their corner outfielders to a win over the Louisville Sluggers, including a 2 home run, 6 RBI day from RF Donald Fujiwara in Game 5. LA will likely need to find a 3rd bat, though, to keep pace with the likes of 1B Chad Bieser (.308, 45, 150), RF Wilton Nixon (.273, 43, 136), and LF Flip Beck (.269, 35, 100). There aren't many holes in the Montgomery lineup, as you might expect. So even though the Dodgers' pitchers are plus-material, they could be dealing with a lot of high stress innings, which can only wear down a staff as a series goes on.

Pitching Analysis: The Biscuits have plenty of starting pitching depth. In fact, they probably have a surplus of boneified postseason-level starters, so in this short series, they won't have to worry about rotation shuffling or any other tricks. Instead they can just toss out SP Russ Nelson (13-6, 2.81) and the eldest of the Casey trio, SP Arthur Casey (12-11, 2.91) and waltz through a 5-game series. If Casey's 12-11 record doesn't impress you, maybe his 0.93 WHIP will. SP Brain Nickle (17-9, 3.28), who was tremendous in his first full years in the majors, could forseeably start or pitch long relief in this series.

Prediction: Of the 6 teams that made the National League playoffs, the Dodgers appear to be the team most suited to upsetting the Biscuits. And the Biscuits have to feel even more weary about that considering they only have 5 games to flex their muscles instead of 7. With less room for error, an early win by LA could spell danger. To crack the hard shell of this Montgomery pitching staff, the Dodgers will need a role player to step up and aid the offense. Without one, the Biscuits will turn what appears to be a tough draw into a light warmup for the bigger prize they're aiming for.

Montgomery Biscuits in 4

ALDS Preview: Hartford vs. Nashville

2009-01-23T17:23:00.005-05:00

American League Rankings:

1st - Offense - 3rd
2nd - Pitching - 4th
15th - Defense - 5th

Season Series: Hartford Hartattacks, 6-4

Preview: Nashville successfully earned vindication by knocking off the AL North Champions in 3 quick games. A year ago, as the same seed and against a different AL North Champion, the Cleveland Lake Mistakes, they were sent home. So playing deeper into the schedule is always more exciting, but to draw the team favored to win it all in the ALDS is a bit of a buzzkill.

The Hartford Hartattacks look like the most invincible of the playoff teams. Their offense is the best in the majors, they certainly know how to pitch, and to top it off, they're the defending World Champions. People often forget that when 1B George LaRocca came off the disabled list, RF/LF Keith Osbourne, the man they brought in to be a stop gap, remained an important piece of this lineup. So all in all, this lineup is l-o-a-d-e-d. It's tough to repeat, but Hartford should make a serious run at it.

Offensive Analysis: As Nashville's hitters were discussed previously in our ALPS Preview, we'll focus on Hartford's today. They are a home run-driven team, featuring an astounding 10 players with more than 20 long balls. Their biggest two names (and realize neither of these guys are named LaRocca or Osbourne), are 3B Dicky Williams (.305, 52, 123) and LF Anthony Winn (.293, 53, 122). The balls can fly out of Welch Park in a hurry, and every Hartattack can get a hold of one.

Pitching Analysis: SP Gerald Suzuki (17-2, 3.27) had the most impressive year for the Hartford staff, especially considering the ballpark they play in. Obviously with just 2 losses over 32 starts, he's tough to beat. Nashville will likely get a double dose of him (if the series is an extended one), which will make their lives miserable. The Hartattacks also have ample talent in the bullpen, none better than CP Albert Benitez (2-2, 2.18) and his 51 saves.

Prediction: As 5 seeds go, Nashville has a lot of life in them, and is an unreasonably tough first matchup for the top-seeded Hartattacks. However, Hartford earned the distinction of being the best overall seed by sustaining their success over the adversity of the regular season. That said, don't expect the Sounds to roll over and die in this series, and I have an inkling that it could go the distance. Despite a valiant effort, the Sounds will fail to shock the world by bouncing the defending champions prematurely, and the Hartattacks will survive to see the ALCS.

Hartford Hartattacks in 5

ALPS Preview: New York vs. Nashville

2009-01-21T22:00:00.003-05:00

American League Rankings:

14th - Offense - 3rd
8th - Pitching - 4th
1st- Defense - 5th

Preview: It's a tough world when you can win 99 games and not even sniff your division title. To make things worse for the Nashville Sounds, their opponent is a division winner despite winning only 85 games. Are the Sounds a little bitter that they don't have homefield advantage for this series? If they do, they're not showing it. The Sounds are all chomping at the bit to take on a Monarchs side that doesn't have much going for it.

The weakest playoff team on paper, the Monarchs are hoping the excitement of playing in front of their home fans to open the series can help them steal some early victories. It's tough being a home underdog and losing either of the first two, as it swings home field to the other team and is a virtual death sentence. But, hey, once you're in, you've got a shot, so New York should block out the doubters and just play some ball.

Offensive Analysis: Nashville features a pair of Silver Sluggers in 3B Adam Huff (.303, 48, 149) and 2B Danny Brunette (.328, 46, 143), who is an all-world talent. The Sounds have a lot of role players as well. Seven Sounds cracked 20 home runs this year and LF Dernell Carpenter (.256, 30, 70) stole 42 bases. That number is dwarfed by Monarchs' CF Richard Feng (.238, 4, 38) who took 129 extra bags this year. Easily the biggest threat in the bigs on the basepaths, he could prove valuable to a Monarchs offense that will need a spark. Only 1B Armando Romo (.292, 32, 112) stands out otherwise.

Pitching Analysis: The Monarchs rely on SP Robert Zimmer (16-5, 3.00) to win them most of their ball games, because only one other starter has a winning record. If the Monarchs can get a lead, though, CP Darrell Ingram (0-2, 1.49) is a virtual lock to protect it. He held opposing hitters to a .155 average and converted 38 of 41 save tries. The Sounds have a tremendous fireman of their own in CP Sonny Bell (0-1, 1.29) who hauled in 55 saves on the year. Trying to get the ball in his hands will be SP Jimmie Cannon (15-9, 2.84) and any of the interchagable #2 and #3 starters that Nashville possesses.

Prediction: The Monarchs best strategy might be to get Feng on any way possible and have him attempt to steal home. And considering the unlikely odds of that working on a regular basis, this series should be the Sounds' to lose. One last issue that might flare up, however, is the fatigue of the Nashville players, a lot of whom worked overtime during the regular season trying to bring home an AL South title that wasn't meant to be.

Nashville Sounds in 3

NLPS Preview: Louisville vs. Los Angeles

2009-01-21T21:35:00.003-05:00

National League Rankings:

2nd - Offense - 6th
11th - Pitching - 3rd
8th - Defense - 12th

Preview: The Los Angeles Dodgers had the NL West Division (and a home playoff series) in hand until the Oklahoma City Kingfishers stole it away on the season's final day. But they mustn't keep their heads down long, because a spunky Louisville Sluggers team is ready to square off with them.

Because the Sluggers won their division with a paltry 84 wins, a lot of analsysts have discredited the job of GM bdixon this year, who really overcame an inordinate amount of injuries to lead his team to a division crown. But can an 84-win team make an impact in the postseason? To do so, their talented offense will have to get the best of a Dodgers' pitching staff that is rock solid. If momentum means anything, these Dodgers will have to find some in a hurry after a late-season collapse.

Offensive Analysis: There isn't really any one player that can beat you by himself in the Slugger lineup except for LF Daryl Van Hekken (.302, 39, 130). On the other hand, there aren't very many easy outs, either. The entire lineup is versatile and pesky. Looking at their hitters it's pretty easy to miss the fact that they were 2nd in the National League in runs scored. The Dogers are anchored by their own LF Mandy Chace (.343, 40, 125), who shook off a down season a year ago and is now an NL MVP frontrunner. The other corner outfielder for the Dodgers, RF Donald Fujiwara (.290, 22, 84) is a solid hitter as well. It's immediately clear, though, that both teams were born and bred in the National League, where pitching is king.

Pitching Analysis: And when it comes to pitching, few do it better than the Los Angeles Dodgers. SP Colby Cunningham (18-7, 3.46) took the ball more than any other Dodger starter this season, but SP Andre Hubbard (12-5, 2.40) put up better numbers. The bullpen situation in LA has been a bit hectic, but they are solid at the back with CP Juan Camacho (1-0, 3.03) who converted 23 of his 27 save opportunities. The Louisville Sluggers are hoping they can survive deep into the playoffs, as SP Hamish Harvey could return from early season elbow surgery to pitch. Without him, though, the Sluggers' starting five is a bit of an adventure. SP Julian Roskos (13-9, 3.22) and SP Ron Moran (6-10, 4.65) were both imported midseason to add depth, but the Sluggers still lack an ace. Louisville also has no defined closer, so their bullpen is a roller coaster ride as well.

Prediction: Good pitching is the name of the game in the postseason, and without Harvey, the Sluggers are going to be hard-pressed to outpitch the Dodgers. To stand any chance, the Sluggers must hit for a high average with runners in scoring position and be sure to close the door if ever they get a lead. Still, LA is the superior team, and likely rolls through to the NLDS with ease.

Los Angeles Dodgers in 4

ALPS Preview: Tucson vs. Huntington

2009-01-21T21:03:00.002-05:00

American League Rankings:
2nd - Offense - 7th
4th - Pitching - 6th
4th - Defense - 14th

Preview: The Tucson Pilots cruised into the American League West title, but hasn't played any meaningful baseball in a while. Now, after falling a game short of the 2-seed and a bye week, they'll welcome the Huntington Guyandottes to Tucson Electric Park. TEP is a nightmare for teams unprepared for the offensive slugfests it encourages, but both of these teams play in hitters' parks, and, as a result, are accustomed to doing so.

Anyone who loves watching opposing pitchers duel each other to 1-0 decisions in the cold October air will want to take a pass on this one. Expect a ton of offense from both sides. The winner of this series will be the team that can manage RISP situations the best--both on the mound and at the plate.

Offensive Analysis: The offensive numbers for Tucson are unreal. They have 2 full-time players hitting over .340. Those are DH Felipe Espinoza (.360, 51, 140) and 2B Butch Collins (.343, 49, 123). But neither of those brilliant hitters matched the RBI production of 1B Julio Tejera (.305, 64, 159), the best run-producer in all of the bigs. If Huntington can't at least contain these 3, it's going to be a short series. For their part, though, the Guyandottes counter with the HR King, 1B Ivan DeSoto (.326, 67, 142). DH Mendy Corino (.268, 53, 121) provides some pop as well, but most of the Guyandottes hitters don't hit for average like the Pilots' do.

Pitching Analysis: Tucson will need big time performances from SP Oswaldo Mendez (18-5, 2.63), who has been their workhorse all year long. The rest of Tucson's starting rotation is a little suspect, but we all know they're not trying to win any 3-2 ball games. The Tucson bullpen lacks identity, as it has been a closer by committee most of the year. Huntington, meanwhile, has a starting staff built for a 5-game series. SP Coco Casey (23-9, 2.96) has been dominant for them, but likely Game 2 starter SP Yamil Aguilar (15-4, 2.83) has been even better at times. Mix in SP Tom Klein (16-8, 3.33) and it becomes pretty easy to overlook the Guyandottes' bullpen holes. If Huntington's starters go deep in this series, an upset would not be a surprise.

Prediction: There's going to be so much offense in this series that you'll probably wonder if the players are using aluminum bats. Even though Hungtingon has a very tough 1-2 starting punch, I don't think they'll be able to handle the murderer's row of hitters that Tucson features.

Tucson Pilots in 4

NLPS Preview: Oklahoma City vs. Ottawa

2009-01-21T20:21:00.007-05:00

National League Rankings:
9th - Offense - 3rd
2nd - Pitching - 12th
7th - Defense - 9th

Preview: A wild reshuffling of seedings on the season's final day gave us some unexpected National League Play-in Series matchups. The big winners were the Oklahoma City Kingfishers, who claimed the National League West title with an extra-innings win over the Arizona Flip-Floppers while the Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Vancouver Renegades. Meanwhile the Ottawa Filibusters took their finale over the Fargo Fightin' Sioux to keep the Renegades at home in October.

But now that the grind of the regular season is behind us, the details of the game are subject to going under the microscope in the postseason. So when examining each of these two teams, one thing is immediately clear: they are polar opposites. The Filibusters get offensive production from their entire lineup, while the Kingfishers rely on an arsenal of arms to win their games. Something has to give in this NLPS, though.

Offensive Analysis: The Filibusters had 5 guys drive in 90 runs this year, led by 1B Brian Taylor's (.311, 35, 123) terrific campaign. LF Braeden Duchscherer (.309, 30, 92) is also an intimdating hitter while part-time C Curt Williams (.361, 23, 90) had eye-popping numbers in just 432 at-bats. For the Kingfishers, the meat of their order does most of the work. Young star 3B Magglio De La Vega (.312, 29, 124) protects a couple of other big bats in LF Sal Knight (.294, 39, 112) and 1B Charlie Freeman (.287, 56, 133). With the Kingfishers having home-field advantage, though, 3 of the games will be played in AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, a pitcher's paradise. The Filibusters will have to be able to manufacture runs in the road games.

Pitching Analysis: The Kingfishers have the edge in this category, but the gap isn't as wide as you might think. For OKC, SP Peter James (14-9, 2.85) is their go-to man, but their bigger strength is a talented and deep bullpen. But, despite the plethora of live arms just a phone call away for the Kingfishers, they also blew 19 team saves this year, a stat worth keeping an eye on in the postseason. The Filibusters are likely to have SP Malik Dunston (16-7, 3.65) toe the rubber in Game 1. All of Ottawa's starters are good but not great, while the bullpen only has a few standout names as well. CP Zoltan Schultz (6-7, 5.74) did convert 37 of 41 save opportunities this year, but his ERA was nightmarish for a 9th inning man.

Prediction: Oklahoma City must take care of business at home in this series where the Ottawa hitters will be choked off from the long ball. Neither team jumps off the page as the obvious pick, but I think the bullpens are going to play a huge role in this set, and the nod goes to the Kingfishers if they do.

Oklahoma City Kingfishers in 5

The battle of Tennessee.

2009-01-20T12:27:00.006-05:00

What a nice rivalry between the Memphis Blues and the Nashville Sounds for the second season in Double Mendoza. Last season Memphis won the division title by 20 games but this season, Nashville had a very strong start to lead during almost all the season.
Unfortunately for the Sounds, the Blues came back very strong winning 15 of their last 20 games to take the lead. With 4 games to play in the season, Memphis has a 4 games lead.
For Memphis, Rico Parra, who's leading his team with 20 wins, won the pitcher of the week award during that final stretch. Pablo Suarez, who's in the running for ROY award, Jerry Piazza, Bryan Guerrero and Rafael Montanez lead the offense.
For Nashville, the dynamic duo of Danny Brunette and Adam Huff are among leaders for HRs and RBI's, but the lost of Benji Reyes for the final month of the season ruined their chances for the title. On the mound, Sonny Bell did a fantastic job, saving 53 games in 56 attemps while the newcomer John Burroughs was 5-1 in his last 7 starts but it was not enough for the Sounds.
If those 2 teams met during the playoffs, it will be very interesting to see who's the champion of Tennessee.

Instant Classic: Vancouver Outlasts Ottawa

2009-01-19T18:19:00.003-05:00

The closest playoff races remaining are in the National League, including the all-Canadian battle for the final Wild Card spot between Ottawa and Vancouver, who are in the midst of a 4-game series. After splitting the first two games, Vancouver won a war of attrition in 17 innings. This instant classic had it all, and the Renegades never held a lead until C Carl Ramirez hit a bases loaded single that plated P Ralph Cornelius and LF Mike Freeman due to a poor relay throw from the Filibusters' 2B Vic Larson.

The Renegades rallied to tie (or win the game) during 3 must-rally occassions. Once in the 9th on a 2-out single from SS Russell Gibbs, once in the 15th on a leadoff home run from 1B Jason Arnold, and finally once more on Ramirez's walk-off. Forty-four players entered the game, 16 of which were pitchers. The game featured 42 hits, and the Renegades produced 7 extra base hits. Vancouver RF Esteban Segui collected 5 hits in 8 at-bats, while Ramirez reached base 7 times in 10 plate appearances.

The win keeps the Renegades very much alive, but it came at a cost. GM Rodneyhuff reports he has only two available bullpen arms for the next game, and his next-day starter, Cornelius, threw the final 4 innings of this one. But don't fault the Renegades if they wind up falling short of the second season. They proved they have a world of fight in them during this 10-9 slugfest. It may not be much consolation if it does not propel them to the playoffs, but it is a game these players can hang their hats on for the rest of their careers.

Predicting Playoff Seeds

2009-01-12T17:12:00.006-05:00

With only 27 games remaining in what has been an exciting regular season, the playoff picture has some of its pieces coming into focus. The Montgomery Biscuits, for example, are already on the precipice of locking up the NL South and possibly the #1 seed yet again. But not every race features such clarity. The AL South has a couple of heavyweights vying for the division crown, the Nashville Sounds and the Memphis Blues. Each has upwards of 80 wins on the year already, but neither has been able to pull away from the other. With all of that in mind, here are some predictions for the playoff brackets this year.

American League
#1: Hartford Hartattacks (Currently: 89-46)
- They're healthy now that LaRocca is back and poised to defend their championship of a year ago. They already gunned down a team that once looked uncatchable in Nashville and don't figure to let off the gas any time soon.

#2: Memphis Blues (Currently: 84-51)
- Call it a hunch, but after a disappointing playoff exit last year, I think the Blues still have some bite in them. And even though that Nashville offense is fearsome, I think both teams are running out of steam a bit, which tilts the scales back toward the more defensive-oriented Blues.

#3 Tucson Pilots (Currently: 81-54)
- A very solid team with a litany of hitters and a hitter's park to boot. They're a virtual lock for this slot in the bracket, but they're going to have to shake off their playoff flop of a year ago from the same line. Right now the Huntington Guyandottes seem their likeliest opponent, and though Tucson fans might not want to hear it, the Huntington pitchers look better to me in a 5-game set.

#4 New York Monarchs (Currently: 71-64)
- Bravo to the Monarchs for being well on their way to a first ever AL North title after Cleveland's collapse left this division up for grabs. I expect them to fend off a very game Chicago Gangsta' Chimps club that has too many holes in the rotation to erase a 6-game lead this late in the year.

#5 Nashville Sounds (Currently: 87-48)
- Whichever team lands here, Memphis or Nashville, is going to have to be very worried about fatigue in the playoffs. Due to the intense battle for the divisional crown, a lot of players on both squads have carried heavy workloads this season. And whichever is forced to play a play-in series will be at a serious disadvantage compared with the other.

#6 Huntington Guyandottes (Currently: 77-58)
- After finally running away from New Orleans for good it seems, these Guyandottes are an interesting upset special team to be aware of. We know they'll play good defense during the playoff pressure cooker moments, and they can pitch pretty well for a 6-seed. Keep an eye on these guys.

National League
#1 Montgomery Biscuits (Currently: 87-48)
- Clearly the National League's best team and pitching staff, the Biscuits would have to collapse in a hurry to fall out of this line. Someone in the NL is going to have to find a way to score on these guys, or Montgomery fans can rest easy knowing that this 1-seed should translate to a 2nd straight World Series appearance.

#2 Fargo Fightin' Sioux (Currently: 79-56)
- At one point it wasn't clear whether the Fightin' Sioux would be able to defend their AL North crown, but now with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a freefall it appears they will even get a first-round bye, giving us an identical set of Top 3 seeds in the NL from a year ago. They'll rely on just 3 starters once they make the postseason, but a team who can stretch a 7-game series against them will have the upperhand.

#3 Los Angeles Dodgers (Currently: 79-56)
- A very good NL West is quickly getting bigger in the Dodgers' rearview mirror, but LA's pitching is too strong to let them fall any further than the 3-seed. Other than a 4-game set against Montgomery, no non-divisional matchups really seem much of a threat for this squad.

#4 Louisville Sluggers (Currently: 69-66)
- While still not as healthy as they'd like to be at this point, the Sluggers finally seem to have seized the reigns of the AL East after a drawn out battle with the Kansas City Masterpiece. They are actually the NL's highest-scoring offense, so with the right playoff matchups they could be a dangerous team despite their record.

#5 Oklahoma City Kingfishers (Currently: 76-59)
- The NL Wild Cards are the fuzziest berths left, and could really fall any number of ways. Of the 4 primary contenders, however, the Kingfishers seem the most balanced on offense and defense, and have routinely won series against some of the NL's best.

#6 Vancouver Renegades (Currently: 75-60)
- The 6-seed may actually be preferable in the NL this season because Louisville could spring up and bite any team while the Dodgers will have to snap out of a funk by playoff time to survive their first series. Ottawa is a great story and is playing great baseball right now but still has series left against Oklahoma City and Vancouver, and a losing record over those 8 games would likely doom their odds of sneaking in. Vancouver swept Ottawa in a 3-game series recently, making the Renegades look like the better choice.

The Tragic Side of the Game

2008-12-14T23:00:00.003-05:00

Coaches often like to start assessment of their club's potential with the phrase, "If we can stay healthy..." And it's no wonder, considering the impact injuries can have on a franchise, in both the short- and long-term. Losing a star for 2 months can be enough of a setback to completely derail a playoff contender. So, here's a look at some of the high-profile injuries that have made headlines thus far in Season 2.

SS George LaRocca, Hartford Hartattacks
Bulging disk in back, 44 days until healthy
- One of the premiere hitters in the league and a key piece of Hartford's title run one year ago, LaRocca went down in the 1st inning of a 7-6 loss to the New York Monarchs. The loss of LaRocca from the Hartattacks' offensive attack was deemed significant enough by GM hartjh14 that he chased down a replacement on the trade market. It took 3 prospects, but Hartford landed RF Keith Osbourne from the Cincinnati Boomers. Osbourne has performed very admirably for his new team, hitting .324 with 9 HRs and 18 RBIs in 18 games. Once LaRocca returns, the Hartattacks should have all kinds of offensive flexibility, making them a scary team in that hitters' park of theirs. Of course, defending world champions with a 5-game lead on their division are always scary.

SP Hamish Harvey, Louisville Sluggers
Elbow surgery, 127 days until healthy

- One of the biggest pitching free agents of the offseason is already done for the year after signing a 5-year deal worth $34.6 million with the Louisville Sluggers. Harvey spent Season 1 in Charlotte, where he put up very solid numbers for the Knights. The world was his oyster upon hitting the open market, and he cashed in only to flame out after 4 starts. Granted, he looked absolutely dominant in his 4 starts, going 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA and an even lower WHIP. The Sluggers currently lead their division without him, so no one is throwing them a pity party, but injuries still sting. If nothing else, they can take solace in the fact that they've got Harvey locked up for 4 more seasons, and if he comes anywhere close to his pre-injury numbers, he will still prove a good investment.

RP Quentin Conroy, Buffalo Bulldozers

Elbow surgery, 63 days until healthy

- Returning to the AL East, we find the story of Quentin Conroy which has more peaks and valleys than a roller coaster. On the day of the Rule 5 Draft, Conroy got the notification that he had been selected 19th overall by the Buffalo Bulldozers. For young prospects, there are not many greater thrills than being a Rule 5 selection, as it gives players the opportunity to play in the bigs all season if things go well. Unfortunately for 22-year-old Conroy, leaping to the major leagues from the Texas Longhorns' High A team got to him. He made 4 relief appearances and posted an 18.90 ERA over 3.1 innings before deciding he'd serve his team better by going under the knife than toeing the rubber. Conroy has some great stuff and will likely become a useful setup man someday, but this simply was not his year.

Journalist Strains Neck Following Moran Rumors

2008-12-11T20:38:00.008-05:00

If you tried to follow every lead generated since the Oklahoma City Kingfishers announced SP Ron Moran was on the trading block, you likely got dizzy. Though the offers trickled in at first, GM Sour Surfer now claims, "We have received interest from 8 or 9 teams. Varying levels of interest of course, but interest nonetheless. In terms of formal offers, 6 different teams submitted something."

Why so much interest? It's rare an SP of Moran's quality and youth is made available, and teams don't want to miss the opportunity. In Season 1, Moran was 20-11 with a 2.89 ERA, the boneified ace of the OKC staff. He was a Cy Young award nominee, though he did not win the honor.

"We didn't make him available out of desperation, just practically," said Sour Surfer, whose team is 3rd in the competitive NL West with a 26-23 record. "We're 3rd league-wide in ERA and 31st in AVG. We lack balance, so that's why it makes sense for us." The Kingfishers play in a pitchers' park which probably has something to do with the lack of production from their lineup, but it is also not hard to spot the easy outs in their lineup.

Our sources indicate only 3 teams remain frontrunners in getting a deal done. The Line on Mendoza will have all the juicy details if and when a trade is finalized.

Sluggers, Kingfishers finalize deal: After a slow and deliberate process, the Kingfishers finally found a package they liked for SP Ron Moran. It ended up being a much larger deal than the Kingfishers antcipated going in, but both sides seemed pleased.

The Kingfishers packaged SP Ron Moran, SS Earl Cust, and minor-league SS Vic Fernandez to get 1B Charlie Freeman, SP Vasco Megias, and minor-league SS Iago Randa. Freeman was the centerpiece of the deal for the Kingfishers, as the 23-year-old completes a fearsome heart of the order for them with LF Sal Knight and 3B Magglio De La Vega already in place. Megias and Randa were mostly brought in to replace departing pieces from the trade.

The Sluggers were able to snag Moran, a pitcher who garnished a large chunk of interest on the market, but they also got an everyday SS in Cust. After they lost their starting SS, Jose Maduro, to forearm nerve irritation for 3-4 months, GM bdixon felt importing a new one during this deal just made sense.

Fernandez and Randa are both major league potential, with Fernandez being an offensive player and Randa flashing his glove whenever possible. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact these two footnotes of this blockbuster will have someday.

Memphis Stories

2008-12-11T20:20:00.004-05:00

It comes to my mind that it would be a nice timing to write something about the Blues since the team is doing very well right now. There current records of 32-16 is putting the team to the second place of their division, behind the Nashville Sounds. It seems that there will be an horse race here.

The current success of the Blues is due to some players. The most important player is Rico "Cy Young" Parra. He had a good start, but he lost two of of his last five games. He is a good pitcher, and he should be able to come back to the winning road.

Another pitcher that is showing that he is a big league player is Sammy Alvarado. He is having an ERA of 2.03 in ten played games, and a records of 3-2. For now, he is playing as a started of the Blues, but he may be use as long reliever later in the season.

Some veterans of the Blues are also showing some good stuff on the mount. I'm talking here about Roosevelt Gant(5-2, 4.08), Pedro Crespo(3-2, 4.87) and Alex Beltre(2-2, 4.34).

P.T. Dodson join the team as a free agent in the offseason. He is doing very well right now. He has three wins and an ERA of 3.38 in 26.2 innings. This guy could become a starter before the end of the season.

Since Christy Gold was brought back from the Triple-A, he is having a perfect records in three starts, with an ERA of 0.86. He finish the last season in the minor, and it seems that this demotion help him a lot. Now, he may have a starter role until the end unless he start losing.

Pitching is not the only thing that makes the success of the Blues. The offensive staff is also doing his part.

Bryan Guerrero is still making contact with the ball with an AVG of .398 and also 27 stolen bases. Nigel Kelly is the power hitter of the team with ten HR and 46 RBI.

There is two players leading the Blues with 14 HR, Rafael Montanez(.318) and Jerry Piazza(.260). The Blues still needs some more power at bat.

The amateur draft is coming. So, we will see which talent the Blues will get.

Important Imports

2008-12-10T15:35:00.009-05:00

Four international players have accepted contracts to play with Double Mendoza League teams this year with accompanying signing bonuses of upwards of $5 million. We examine each of them to see how much impact these guys might have some day on the major league game.

2B Felipe Gonzalez, Memphis Blues, $5.0 mil
19-years-old, Boca Chica, DO, Low A
Gonzalez is an all-around adequate player, which is probably reflected by his adequate signing bonus. He won't make all the plays at 2B and his impatience at the plate will make him a streaky hitter, but his game is so well-rounded that it's tough to get too down on him. When he makes contact, he always seems to find a way to get on base. He could mature into a nice role player some day.

RP Victor Jacquez, Cincinnati Boomers, $5.8 mil
18-years-old, San Fransisco De Macoris, DO, Low A
This 18-year-old reliver has a rubber arm and good enough stuff to earn him a ticket to the show someday. He's more of a finesse style pitcher, with neither his Sinker or Change Up overwhelming hitters, but enough command and velocity to record outs. If he had a 3rd pitch he'd be a nightmare, but he should nevertheless prove valuable for his ability to eat innings whenever necessary.

SS Tomas Duran, Chicago Gangsta' Chimps, $6.7 mil
18-years-old, Sabana Grande De Boya, DO, Low A
Known mostly for his glove, Duran is a versatile role player who should wiggle his way onto many different 25-man rosters over the years. His work at the plate could be better, but lacks any true weakness, which only enhances his utility. Some general managers have a hard time justifying $6.7 million towards a role player, but Duran may prove to be a very sound investment at that price given the roster flexibility he will someday afford his club.

2B Vladimir Arias, Cincinnati Boomers, $7.6 mil
20-years-old, Boca Chica, DO, High A
Already a pretty mature player for his age, the Boomers are hoping Arias will mimic fine wines and get better with age. Much like Gonzalez, he probably won't make any highlight reels in the field, but he is a very patient player at the plate who knows what to do with his pitch once he gets it. Though scouts wish he could handle right-handers a little better, his occasional flashes of power compensate for that deficiency. A more major knock on him, though, is his shoddy baserunning. Gifted with speed, his inability to make the most of it means he won't snag many extra bags.

It's worth nothing that each player listed here was born and bred in the Dominican Republic, and a majority of the other international free agents signed thus far played there as well.

Who's on the Hot Seat?

2008-12-09T22:52:00.005-05:00

It's never too early to start putting an ear to the rumor mill when it comes to GMs in danger of losing their jobs. Our sources indicate that there are a couple of seats beginning to boil, one in each league.

In the American League, plessburglar is probably starting to feel a little toasty. The Chicago Gangsta' Chimps won just 61 games in Season 1 and are on pace to get a game worse, with 60 wins this year.

But it's not for a lack of guts in the case of plessburglar, who really tried to shake this team up during the offseason. He imported SS Rudy Park from the world of free agency, who was a major contributor to the world championship Hartford Hartattacks team of a year ago. Unfortunately, playing in a bigger market has caused Park's numbers to take a nose dive, which doesn't help translate into wins for the struggling Chimps.

Also new to the big league squad this year is 22-year-old wunderkind 2B James Martin. Acquired in a high-profile trade from the Oklahoma City Kingfishers, Martin spent last season at AAA. One of the bright spots of the team, Martin has had no problem transitioning to major league pitching, posting a .404 avg with 12 HRs and 35 RBIs through 43 games.

The elephant in the room, though, is the pitching staff. With no true ace, the Chimps have posted a major league worst 6.43 team ERA. Even SP Jesus Furcal, another free agent addition to this year's squad, has failed to flourish on the north side. Furcal inked a $4.2 million deal with the Chimps in the offseason, only to post a 5.84 ERA to this point.

Over in the senior circuit, jjirish70's Richmond Spider Monkey club is just treading water. After winning 62 games last season, they are projected to win 64 this year. While this club has a few ballplayers on it, it lacks any of the star power necessary to post consistent wins. SS Greg Evers does the heavy lifting in terms of run production, but is a farcry from being an all-star type player.

The Spider Monkey seem to be a more balanced team than the Gangsta' Chimps, but unfortunately they are mired in mediocrity. SP Will Gragg is pitching out of his mind this year, but even his 5-1 record hasn't propelled this club beyond the realm of average. He is the only noteworthy arm in an otherwise underwhelming pitching staff.

Of course, the season is young and both GMs have time to improve their squads over the duration of this season. But as it stands, something must be done to rejuvenate both of these ballclubs, or these two general managers might be taking out classified ads in the near future.

Nice season start

2008-09-06T10:14:00.003-04:00

The first season of their history is running well for the Blues. With their impressive 26-9 records, they are leading all the major league.

This success comes from the strong pitching rotation of Memphis. The young, Rico Parra, is hot. He has won his lasts seven games and his ERA is only 2.72.

Roosevelt Gant is also having a nice season start, with four wins and only one lost. With the return of Alex Beltre from the disable list, the Blues's rotation is stronger.

Wes Aumont, who is the official closer of the team, is doing the job, with 11 saves in 12 opportunities.

As we thought, Bryan Guerrero is leading the major league with 31 stolen bases. Guerrero is also hitting for .354 and has accumulate 39 runs.

Rafael Montanez is leading the team with 13 homeruns and a average of .338. Nigel Kelly and Alex Forest are also hitting over .300.

If there is a two horses race in the NL West, there is also one in the AL South. The Nashville Sounds are very talented, and are following the Blues in the division title race. There so many matches to play until the end, so everything can happends.

The bad and the good

2008-08-27T22:15:00.002-04:00

Let's start with the good news.

The Blues are proud to annonce a major international signing. Desi Rincon, 18 years old, has accept a minor league contract with a signing bonus of 6 millions. Rincon has the talent of an average SS, but he should ends at third base or corner outfielder. He is now playing at Low A level as the starting shortstop.

Another 18 years old international prospect, Desi Samuel, has joined the Blues in the High A level. This addition to the team was made to replace two injured pitchers, but Samuel may keep his job if he is doing well.

The bad news is that the Blues have lost their #1 starting pitcher, Alex Beltre. Beltre has been put on the 15 days disable list, and should be out of action for the next 25 days. It's a big lost for the team, but Christy Gold will take his spot in the rotation.

The Blues have also lost two other pitchers in the minors leagues. Craig Greenwood and Taylor Powell at the Low A level have been put on disable list. Greenwood is on the 7 days list and should be back in about 4 days, but Powell will be out for 138 days and has been sent on the 60 days list.

Opening Day at a Glance

2008-08-23T22:57:00.005-04:00

by Max Winters

Spring Training has run its course, and now the RBIs and groundouts and foul tips all mean something. The action kicks off with a slate of eight games tomorrow afternoon, and we have got a preview of each one for you. Let's take a look at how the opening games might play out, including probable starters.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Augusta Lobstermen @ Montreal Expos
Dale Howe vs. Cristian Casey
- Augusta may be short on arms in their starting rotation, but they are very strong at the top with Dale Howe. Even so, the Expos will toss a $9-million man on the mound that should outduel the Lobstermen's finest. Cristian Casey can go deep into ballgames and has a better offense supporting him. And never underestimate home field on opening day.
Prediction: Montreal 5, Augusta 1
Actual: Montreal 4, Augusta 0

Kansas City Masterpiece @ Cincinnati Boomers
Darrell Bennett vs. Greg Ross
- Cincinnati has not selected an opening day starter yet, and Kansas City's is subject to change. But assuming these two toe the rubber head-to-head, it will be an interesting battle of "bend, don't break". Unless Bennett's nerves get to him, he should do just enough to deliver a win to the Masterpiece.
Prediction: Kansas City 6, Cincinnati 4
Actual: Kansas City 10, Cincinnati 2

Atlanta Crackers @ Charlotte Knights
John Burroughs vs. Hamish Harvey
- This NL South showdown figures to be a dandy. Two legitimate aces should keep this a low-scoring nailbiter. If it gets to the closers, Atlanta has the edge, but Charlotte should position itself out in front and hold on, barely.
Prediction: Charlotte 3, Atlanta 2
Actual: Charlotte 5, Atlanta 4

Arizona Flip-Floppers @ Oklahoma City Kingfishers
Hooks Perisho vs. Ron Moran
- It is hard to find a hole in Perisho's game, and it may be difficult for the Kingfishers to do so as well. On the other side, Ron Moran is a threat to throw a complete game shutout every time he takes the ball. In a pitcher's park, expect a defensive war. The Kingfishers have more bats, so they get the edge.
Prediction: Oklahoma City 2, Arizona 0
Actual: Arizona 5, Oklahoma City 2

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Chicago Gangsta' Chimps @ Cleveland Lake Mistakes
Tommy Martin vs. Edgar Leon
- Neither starter is a boneified ace, but Leon is a slight notch above Martin. Neither lineup jumps off the page at you either. The Jacobs Field faithful should leave happy, though, if only because they outlast the Chimps.
Prediction: Cleveland 7, Chicago 5
Actual: Chicago 6, Cleveland 0

Huntington Guyandottes @ Hartford Hartattacks
Coco Casey vs. Terry Bordick
- Probably the most intriguing matchup of opening day given that both teams are expected to be big players in the AL this season. Bordick is 10 years older than his counterpart, and his wily finesse style should pace his team to a win. But this one is really up for grabs.
Prediction: Hartford 4, Huntington 3
Actual: Hartford 2, Huntington 1

Nashville Sounds @ Texas Longhorns
John Suzuki vs. Danny Harville
- The Longhorns are going to rely on their offense to help them contend this year. But Danny Harville will intimidate no one, and this matchup could easily turn into the highest-scoring affair on day one. If the Sounds' offense shows up, they'll win this one going away.
Prediction: Nashville 9, Texas 5
Actual: Nashville 8, Texas 0

Colorado Damage @ Anaheim Angels
Ugueth Melendez vs. Brendan Norton
- This is another matchup where the starters have not been confirmed, but the pitchers listed here represent the best option for each franchise. Anaheim fields a superior team and Melendez has a tendency to implode due to control issues. Colorado would need a lot of help to win this one.
Prediction: Anaheim 6, Colorado 2
Actual: Colorado 3, Anaheim 0

Of course, the excitement of the regular season beginning is that the unpredictable game we all know and love will run its course, and frequently produces wild results. So buckle your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen, because the boys of summer have arrived.

Ready, Set, Go !!!

2008-08-23T21:59:00.003-04:00

Since the spring training camp is over, the Blues are looking for their first season of their history. Many young players have shown their potential so far, but only few of them have made the big league.

The Blues's big league roster is now complete, and they are ready to start the season. Alex Beltre will start the first match for the Blues. The other pitchers of the rotation are Roosevelt Gant, Rico Parra, Pedro Crespo and Christy Gold.

Finally, the closer role has been given to Wes Aumont. He has two great pitchs and a high control.

The rest of the pitching staff is Terry Forster, Sammy Alvarado, Antone Redmond, Roosevelt Hines, Del Guzman and Julio Mercado.

The Blues have bigs hopes for all those players, and they think that they can be in the fight for the division title.

Bryan Guerrero will be the leadoff player in the impressive lineup of the Blues. Hades Mullin and Rafael Montanez will follow as #2 and #3. The cleanup spot will be hold by the all-star third baseman, Nigel Kelly.

The catcher Alex Forest will hit at the fifth rank, followed by Von Byrne and Brent Gross. Those three players can hit the ball and produce many points.

At the end of the lineup, we have Len Torrealba and Jerry Piazza. Torrealba has a decent bat, but his defensives qualities will be very useful for the Blues.

The Blues have a backup catcher in Roosevelt Hunter, two backup players that can play almost everywhere on the field in Cookie Meulens and Yoo-Nah Vanguri. The last backup player is right fielder Rico Tabaka. His high speed may be use as pitch runner to get an extra base when needed.

The Memphis fans will see a lot of action around the field. The Blues have speed and power on the players side, and control on the pitchers side. This is the most important ingredients for the success of a team.

See you on the field.

Young talents in training camp.

2008-08-20T15:07:00.019-04:00

Before the training camp, the GM of the Nashville Sounds jeanpaul22 told me that there was some young talents in this team and since the camp has begun, I can only agree with him, this team has some young guys that will be in the Major Leagues soon.

Let's start with Mark Blackwell a fantastic young SS, at only 20 years old, he could play in the majors right now. He hits for contact, power and see no difference between lefties and righties. Of course a little time in the minors will help his development but he's not far from the bigs.

Adam Huff will be a rookie this year for the Sounds but make no mistake, this young guy will play a very important role with the team. At 24, Huff, a third baseman, will hit in the clean-up spot, he has everything he needs to be successful in that spot, power, contact, and he's not afraid of lefties or righties.

Hulk Bryne and Luis Mendoza, both 21, also play SS but with Blackwell in front of them they could end up anywhere in the field as they are very good defensively and offensively.
Note that Mendoza has more power then Bryne.

Another position that seem very strong in the farm system is catcher.

Albert Osuna, 23, will be a very good defensive catcher, while Hideo Matsui, 20, will probably play DH.
The one that combines offensive and defensive abilities is the 19 years old Tim Barnes. He is good at calling the game and has a very good arm. At the plate, he brings power and he is tough to get out especially against righties.
Another catcher to mention is the 20 years old Fergie Lowell.

One of the best prospect in camp is a pitcher, Tony Crespo, 22, an amazing young starter that should be here very soon, maybe this season. With a great control, a suberb fastball, he can pitch many innings each outing.

Other guy to watch: Ed Parnell(3B), Matt Rivera(RP) and Yank Phelps(SP).

Well that's it for today, next time, we will take a look at the Sounds debut.

Memphis Blues - Season I Preview

2008-08-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

Since the spring training camp has started, the Memphis Blues are doing great. With a solid pitching rotation, involving Pedro Crespo, Roosevelt Gant, Rico Parra, Christy Gold and Alex Beltre, the Blues are looking for a great season.

There is no designed closer for now, so Julio Mercado and Wes Aumont may split closing opportunity.

There is still some free spots in the ML pitching staff for the upcoming season. Maybe we will see some young players having there chance.

There is only few pitching prospects in the minors, so the Blues hope to avoid major injuries in the ML.

For the positions players, the ML staff is almost complete. The offensive success of the Blues depends on Rafael Montanez(CF), Nigel Kelly(3B), Von Byrne(2B) and Alex Forest(C). The defensive of the Blues may be a problem, but we will see.

The leadoff hitter will probably be Bryan Guerrero(LF). If he reach the bases, he may be in the top for stolen bases.

The Blues were not very active on signing free agents. This first season will be use to evaluate some players, and some changes will be done if need.

Does the Blues have the perfect staff for WS? We will have to wait before anwsering this question.

We are waiting for the real season to start.

Pride of the Dodgers

2008-08-15T23:39:00.003-04:00

Its that time of year again. We're all in first and the future is bright. Los Angeles is buzzing now that longtime fan and resident knucklebones will GM the team. A certain amount of pride is always at stake when running this team.

I can remember the 77 series or 78 when Jackson hit those 3 hrs against us. I actually cried. lol. The dreaded Yankees are the enemy of not only my beloved Dodgers, but my home team the Red Sox. Back in 81 they finally beat the Yanks. For some reason who was on that team is vague. Oh it was the 80's and I was 16. I had other stuff on my mind. haha. The 88 series I'll never forget. Hershiser was amazing. A bulldog he was. Now that was a team that won without a bat in the lineup. Gibson won the mvp with what 25 88 290. or something? Scioscia was the catcher. Ah .. wasn't Fernando on the team in 81? or was it 83? That guy screwed up my windup the rest of my life. He was definately my favorite player at the time. As a younger kid Garvey was my idol and role model. I was really traumatized later on when I found out what a tool he really was and the good guy thing was all an act.

You may wonder why a guy from Boston would be a Dodger fan all his life. I owe it all to the book boys of summer. My actual favorite team doesn't really exist anymore and I never saw them play. I could name a bunch of those 50s Dodger guys, but why bore anyone? Let me just say that when you got Camperneris, Robinson, Koufax, Roe, Labine, Cox, Snider, Furillo, Reese, et all. You should win a lot. They were ahead of their time with that bashing lineup and ebbetts field. What a great team. I've always had a liking for teams that could smash the ball. The entire 1930s season. The 34 Cardinals 46 Red Sox, Too many yankme teams to mention, The 50s whiz kids from Philly. The A's during the 70s. My favorite all time offensive team had to be the 82 Brewers though. I could probably name the whole lineup. Dont ask me who pitched. haha. Pete Vuckovich and Pat Travers? Anyways, since I was rambling in chat, I thought I'd throw something up. I dont get a good feel for the team until I've played a couple spring training games and get the kinks out. I will say that when I run my Dodgers its definately going to be my best effort. The losses will be painful and the wins just expected. Theres something magic about these guys and I believe we're going to have a remarkable season. Dodger Pride is a stake. I wish you all the best of luck with your teams and I will do my best to ensure you all dont return in two seasons with your miserable records. Let the games begin! Dodger Blue baby! :)

New Baseball Team Seeks Identity

2008-08-13T15:04:00.008-04:00

by Max Winters

Oklahoma City -- The Oklahoma City area has been abuzz ever since the Seattle Supersonics relocated this offseason. And while the Ford Center prepares to launch its first full season as the home arena for an NBA franchise, another new OKC team is preparing to grind through a baseball season. It is ironic, then, that the unnamed NBA franchise has more of a name for itself among locals than the Oklahoma City Kingfishers, a member of the new Double Mendoza Baseball League.

The Kingfishers have had an active offseason in preparation for their inaugural year of competition. A pair of blockbuster trades have helped them fill the holes in their roster and should give the fans more than a few reasons to visit AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Among the players recently acquired through trade or free agency include SP Tony Milliard, who helps solidify a starting rotation that was very short on talent. Also coming over in the same deal was young 3B Magglio De La Vega. The switch-hitter should feature prominently in the Kingfishers' offense for years to come.

Worth keeping an eye on throughout the year is whether or not the Kingfishers have enough bullpen arms for the long season. While they have some talent that will attempt to protect late leads, no one particular player stands out. The closer role may be a closer-by-committee, at least to start the season, and that is always a slippery slope to tread.

However, assuming they do not develop an inferiority complex due to the higher profile NBA franchise also preparing for its season, these Kingfishers should give the rest of the NL West a run for their money.

Nashville Sounds

2008-08-13T12:59:00.001-04:00

Hi, I'm Rodger Brulotte, and it is my first paper about the Nashville Sounds.There is a lot of trade in both league since the beginning of season 1, but not for the Sounds. According the Sounds GM, jeanpaul22, it is because the team is almost ready for the season.Starting with the pitchers, with John Suzuki and Hal Wilkinson the rotation should be solid and with Sonny Bell to close, the bullpen should be OK.The defense should be very strong with CF Russell Kelly, Larry Hurst at short and Ted Lomasney behind the plate.The team should score many runs with futur all-star second baseman Danny Brunette and rookie third bagger Adam Huff in the middle of the line-up.Of course it is too soon to predict anything but it should be a very fun season for the fans.I'll be back for the training camp.

Welcome Double Mendozanites!!

2008-08-10T17:08:00.002-04:00

Hope you all become active members of the blog, and based on the spirited forum banter we have had, I see a ton of activity forthcoming. This blog is a work in progress, as I experiment with fonts, graphics, etc... Throw me any suggestions or ideas to make our blog better.

The Line on Mendoza

Memphis GM Sully712 On The Martin Signing

Colberts Sign Martin

1-On-1 With vandydave

1-on-1 With Robusk

**Snooze** Free Agency Lull Hits

2 More Pitchers Sign

Breakdown of the Iowa City-Helena and Honolulu-Columbus trades

Kahunas Set To Threaten Least Bases Stolen Mark

Off-Season Trade Activity Brisk

FLASH...Batista Signs With Arizona

FIrst Free Agents Sign

Ordonez Eclipses Power Marks; Young Sets New Wins Record

ML Debut

AL Playoff Race

Power Rankings at Game 50

Breaking Down The Ottawa-Florida Blockbuster

Who's Hot?

Quick Peek At the First 10 Games

Power Rankings, Week 2

New Faces Around The League

Casey Designated For Assignment

The Week Ahead

Power Rankings, Week 1

Where Are They Now?

Caveat Emptor

Memphis looking for season V

New faces in Nashville.

The Race for 125 -- Update!

Payton's Historic Day

Team Profile: Arizona Flip-Floppers

Rule 5 Roundup

Free Agency Recap

Wind of change in Nashville!

Los Angeles Dodger Preview

Hot Stove Report #4

Hot Stove Report #3

Hot Stove Report #2

Hot Stove Report #1

World Series Preview: Montgomery vs. Hartford

Year End Awards

NLCS Preview: Montgomery vs. Fargo

ALCS Preview: Hartford vs. Tucson

ALDS Preview: Memphis vs. Tucson

NLDS Preview: Montgomery vs. Los Angeles

ALDS Preview: Hartford vs. Nashville

ALPS Preview: New York vs. Nashville

NLPS Preview: Louisville vs. Los Angeles

ALPS Preview: Tucson vs. Huntington

NLPS Preview: Oklahoma City vs. Ottawa

The battle of Tennessee.

Instant Classic: Vancouver Outlasts Ottawa

Predicting Playoff Seeds

The Tragic Side of the Game

Journalist Strains Neck Following Moran Rumors

Memphis Stories

Important Imports

Who's on the Hot Seat?

Nice season start

The bad and the good

Opening Day at a Glance

Ready, Set, Go !!!

Young talents in training camp.

Memphis Blues - Season I Preview

Pride of the Dodgers

New Baseball Team Seeks Identity

Nashville Sounds

Welcome Double Mendozanites!!

Snooze Free Agency Lull Hits