Billy Beane World

Team Previews

2011-11-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

Here are the team previews I have as of 11/22/11.

Las Vegas Bookies

S6: 96-66 Won NL West (Anaheim finished with same record); Lost 3-2 in 2nd RD of playoffs

Lost: Glen Theriot (26 HR, 93 RBI)
Bobby Ray Mercedes

Add: Jeremy May (30+ HR and 100+ RBI last 2 seasons)
Willie Oliva

Last season was a fight until the end with the Bookies losing out on the 2nd seed by 1 game. We did win the division even though divison mate Anaheim finished with the same record. We will miss both RF Theriot and 1B Mercedes production although Mercedes was always coming off the pine. To offset the production lost we brought in Jeremy May to LF and will slide Enrique Ordonez to RF. Also brought in will be #1 SP Willie Oliva who should give us a dominate ace to help distance ourselves from Anaheim and hopefully push us past Charleston. He was given a 4yr. extension which helped since we gave up some nice prospects for him. Our numbers were down last season and we hope that some of our bats come alive again this season. Management expects to win the NL West again and make a stronger push into the playoffs.

Cincinnati Battlin’ Redlegs

We won a franchise-high 104 games last season, which of course was followed by a prompt exit from the playoffs. So while the season was a success, the ending was a huge disappointment. Most of the team remains intact, though there were a few major changes that should improve the overall team.

Season 6 team leader in HRs/RBIs Wandy Park was shipped to Cleveland along with setup guy Esmerling Granados and a prospect for C Morris Evans. It was our top priority to attain a great-hitting C, and Evans is someone we targeted right away. He’ll provide a big boost to the lineup. Losing Park hurts, but with Al Mondesi seasoned and ready to go in AAA, we probably get better at the position anyway.

Other moves were more minor in nature. John Tomlinson was signed to be the 5th starter, which in our rotation is a part-time role. Yonder Velez was signed to replace Granados in the bullpen. Jerry Fischer was signed to provide depth at the corner OF positions and 1B. Rookie Angel James will provide depth at several positions. Beyond that, the rest of the team pretty much returns from last season.

Projected Lineup
C Evans with Juan Vazquez spelling him a lot vs LH pitching
1B Pete Malone returns
2B Fausto James returns
SS The platoon of Stan King/Jose Alicea returns to provide solid defense
3B Piper Cambridge returns
LF Damaso Ontiveros returns
CF Alan Abernathy returns
RF Al Mondesi will settle in here for the next 10+ seasons

SP rotation
The 1-2-3 punch of now 2-time Cy Young winner Valerio Nunez, Julian Tejada, and Yadier Zurburan returns. These guys combined for 740 innings last season and will be counted on again to anchor the rotation. Tony Suzuki returns as the 4th starter. The previously mentioned veteran FA Tomlinson will spot start in the 5th spot as needed.

Bullpen
Arthur Swift and Vin Tresh return to setup closer Dario Keefe in a strong back end of the bullpen. The rest of the pen pretty much returns in tact as well.

We expect another strong season, and hopefully a little more luck in the playoffs.

Charleston River Dogs:

Key Players Acquired via FA: Paulie Williams, Dwight Westmoreland, Kevin Kohlmeier, Mike Carey.

We brought back Kohlmeier and Carey. Kohlmeier is a solid end of the rotation, long reliever type that helps solidify the pitching staff. I love Carey as a backup C and thought I got him at a decent price. Williams and Westmoreland were brought in as roleplayers to replace the guys I lost who where either more expensive or I was able to get draft picks for them.

Key Players Lost via FA: Hooks Dank (Type B), Alex Burke, Einer Lopez, Brendan Roling, Brady Lester (type B).

I would have brought any of those guys back at the right price. However, I'm happy to take the comp picks for Dank and Lester as they were role players for me. I would have liked to bring back Lopez, but again, just as a role player and he was too expensive.

Key Players Acquired via Trade: Dave Cross

Very small trade to report in picking up Cross. I needed one more arm in the bullpen and the Steamboats were looking for a CFer so it was a good match. Not expecting much out of him.

Key Players Lost via Trade: N/A

Rookies Called up: Felipe Benitez will be brought up around game 23 to enter to the starting rotation. Also brought up Hipolito Almanza as a defensiv replacement and he doesn't have an awful bat.

Prognosis: The River Dogs are looking to continue their success after winning the world series in Season 6. Our first goal is to win the division and hopefully earn a bye. Past that, the playoffs are such a crapshoot, but we're always shooting for the best!

Louisville Steamboats:

Added: C Rolando Frias, 2B Curt Barden (5), 2B Davey Tucker, 3B Brady Lester, 3B Philip Chase, SS Rico Carrasquel, OF Albert Garces, OF Ron Stocker, CF Jack McDill (5), OF Kevin Zhang, SP Kenshin Ogawa, SP Shouta Tanaka, SP Rich Lawrence, SP Cy Lanning, RP Aurelio Mesa, RP Curtis Newson, RP Jimmy Lieberthal, RP Pedro Castillo (5), RP Joaquin Tejeda

After finishing 121-203 in the past 2 seasons, the Steamboats are tasked with winning 70 games this season. A team that finished last in the NL in runs scored, HRs, and OPS had to make some improvements in our offense. By adding perennial MVP candidate Philip Chase to take over 3B this should provide a big bat to protect returning 1B Acosta. Davey Tucker was brought in to take over 2B and free up Gio Jacquez to return to his natural SS position. In the OF, Albert Garces, Ron Stocker, and Kevin Zhang will split the corner spots, with rookie rule-5 pick Jack McDill manning CF. Brady Lester, Davey Tucker, and Rico Carrasquel provide some depth in the IF. C Rolando Frias mans the dish and we should see an offensive improvement from him, although his durability is a concern.

Pitching-wise Louisville had the 15^th ranked team ERA in the NL and had to do something about that. We return ace Trace Sanford (8-10, 3.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 230.2 IP). We are hoping for bounceback seasons from relievers Stubby Mayer (30 G, 73.2 IP, 6.23 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) and Gary Everett (30 G, 65.2 IP, 5.07 ERA, 1.68 WHIP). We’ve added some significant upgrades to the pitching staff by overpaying for Kenshin Ogawa and bringing in Rich Lawrence, Shouta Tanaka, and Cy Lanning for the rotation. We picked up relievers Jimmy Lieberthal, Curtis Newson, Aurelio Mesa, and rule-5 draftees Joaquin Tejeda and Pedro Castillo. The staff is better, but is it good enough?

We went all-in this season to get to 70 wins so we don’t get the boot. I feel like not only do we have a shot at 70 wins, we have a shot to win the division.

Anaheim Knights

Anaheim went for broke last season and lost out in the LCS. Budget necessites resulted in trades of 5 key players from last year's team. Getting prospects in return for the starters means a rebuilding season is in order. Pitching remains solid; but offense and defense will be off. A .500 season would be a surprise.

Chicago Black Sox

realistically, i think we are an avg team hoping for a better year than the last. i bolstered the bullpen a bit and hope for a couple of players to rebound from subpar seasons

Columbus Aeros

I don't know what to think after last season figuring I was going to be aweful and ended up almost at .500. My bullpen is a wreck and I lost out on a couple of free agents to help back there but I am bringing up the Moose this season so that should help the offense as well as Sandoval for D at SS and Yorman Ortiz at 2b. I may bring up either Higgins or Ryan for a CO position we will see but I just dont have a good feel for what will happen with this team.

Jackson Mallards

Fingers crossed... Hoping Scott Charleston can make a solid contribution & that Enrique Vazquez (& everybody else) can stay healthy...

Jacksonville Gators

Here is some info for my team preview. Last season we had our first winning season and just missed the playoffs with a 88-74 record. Most of that success was contributed to a solid pitching staff. The clear objective this offseason was to upgrade on the offensive side. With that we acquired 4 new hitters via trade. Ed Kelly , Ismael Lopez , Miguel Santiago and most importantly Glen Monroe . With Monroe and the others inserted into the line up along with franchise 3B Marino Bautista , we are hoping to take the next step from and break into the playoffs.

Little Rock Swampfire

The three year plan that took five years finally bore fruit in season six as Little Rock finished in a first place tie with a team record 91 wins. With only one member of the 25-man roster older than 30, the Swampfire hope their youngsters continue to improve as they gain experience. Rookie All-Star closer Bill Bradford saved 37 games in 39 opportunities insuring SP win totals for Roque-16, Rios-15, Garcia-15 and Blowers-13. Rookie Cristobal Gallardo hopes to stop the revolving door that has been CF in the first six seasons.

Los Angeles Tiger Sharks

This will be a transitional year, as we try to stay competitive through our always strong pitching while focusing our budget on adding positional players throughout the system

New York Highlanders

Sure Hurricane, with he Highlanders we're still trying to build a team that can compete for the division title. While we think we'l be competitive this year, we're still a year or two away from where I want the team to be.Our rotation does not have the overall depth or a legitimate ace. Our bullpen is pretty good and should continue to improve as Howard and Stanley continue to grow into their roles as closer and setup man. On the positive side of things we're very good defensively and have very good team speed. Our future is bright as we have a number of great young players that should be on the ML roster next year. These include Gilkey in CF, Kreuter in the infield, Leonard in the starting rotation and Ogawa in the Pen.

New Orleans Zydeco

The Zydeco have won five division titles in a row. That streak will likely end this season, mostly because of the old man smell emanating from the locker room.

Philadelphia Freedom

Philadelphia isn’t coming off of a great season record wise. Many of last years acquisitions went to getting Rickey Burgess and Willie Hernandez in trades. Added Rex Wheat who I Have high hopes for with the splits. We sent bocachica away in hopes to deepen our line up which we did. I’m expecting to be in the race till the end, but not a spectacular season.

Richmond Rebels

High hopes for this season. We made it to the WS last year and should be improved this season. Adding Houston Simmons via trade and Art Maddox via call up to the top of the rotation should greatly improve the starting pitching. I did move Philip Chase who was likely my best all around hitter, but I brought back a good OBP type along with a really good C prospect. While we expect to contend again this year, I'm always keeping an eye on the future and this deal represents such a move. Hopefully the rest of the offense and improved pitching can pick up the slack.

Rochester Redbirds:

The Redbirds return all the important parts of their vaunted offense, and even added yet another power bat this offseason. They are hoping to mash teams into submission. On the Pitching side they have added a new #2 starter in the hopes of shoring up what was an awful pitching situation last year, Redbirds also added what should be a dominant setup man to bridge the gap to their closer. Redbirds are predicting another division title, and to reclaim the Championship which they won only 2 seasons ago.

Syracuse Orange

I have no All-Star players but have pretty good depth, so we'll see where that takes me. I acquired some good talent in the offseason hoping to challenge for the division, hopefully it will be more interesting than waiting for next year's draft. This is the season I finally try to start winning and stop planning for the future. I don't have a ton of talent in the pipeline but I feel like I have enough to break .500 and make a run at the playoffs. A lot will depend on how my pitching bounces back from a terrible year, especially guys like Todd Schmidt and Kris Cosby.

Cheyenne Gunslingers

The time is now for the Gunslingers. It's a coming of age season for what may be one of the strongest rotations in Billy Beane. Led by Shep Blanks, Trenidad Tejada, and Les Gunderson (threw a 2-hit shutout in his first start), this rotation can go 6 deep with quality starters. The bullpen is also dominant, with closer Clem Cameron anchoring a balanced staff.

Offense has been the enigma for the Gunslingers since the inaugural season. Mays and Chong are back to split catcher duties, Jumbo Kennedy and Geraldo Olivares provide the pop. With a only a few roster losses to replace, a year of development and the probable callups of 1B Ron Martin or Pedro Johnson should finally make the Gunslingers competitive.

I expect to finish 1st or 2nd in the division and finally make the playoffs.

Billy Beane Top 10 - S7

2011-11-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

DH Manny Raben (NB)
1B Pete Malone (CIN)
1B Milton Kramer (CHR)
P Robb Stahoviak (LV)
LF Livan Bocachica (LAA)
P Igancio Maranon (TEX)
P Alex Vizcaino (SEA)
CF Jaime Pierre (ROC)
CF Clarence Canseco (LV)
C Walt Burke (HON)

Top RP

2011-11-21T05:39:00.003-08:00

1. Robb Stahoviak (LV)
Dominant against LHB, very good against RHB. Great velocity. Doesn’t allow a lot of flyballs. 3 pitches (A-:B:C). Solid durability/stamina combination.

2. Ignacio Maranon (TEX)
Lacks ideal durability/stamina. Great control. Solid at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Great velocity. 3 pitches (A+:B+:C). Above average at forcing GBs.

3. Alfredo Miranda (SEA)
Another reliever who lacks ideal stamina/durability, Miranda has the talent to dominate. Great control. Dominates RHB. Solid against LHB. Great velocity. 4 pitches (A+:B+:D-:D-). Average at GBs.

4. Caleb Duran (JAX)

5. Dario Keefe (CIN)

6. Skip Hatteberg (JAX)

7. Clem Cameron (CHY)

8. Abdul Helton (SYR)

9. Kendry Lee (PHI)

10. Felipe Valentin (TOR)

Top SP

2011-11-21T05:39:00.001-08:00

1. Alex Vizcaino (SEA)
Does a tremendous job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Good control. Solid stamina. Gets some groundballs. 5 pitches (B:B:D-:C-:F).

2. Alex Estalella (CLB)
Great stamina/durability combination. Great control. Does a solid job of generating GBs. Solid at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. 4 pitches (A-:B+:B-:F).

3. Julian Tejeda (CIN)
Solid stamina/durability combination. Great control. Gets a lot of groundballs. Does a good job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. 5 pitches (B+:B:C:C:C).

4. Shep Blanks (CHY)

5. Alex Rios (LR)

6. Trenidad Tejada (CHY)

7. Sid Richard (LA)

8. Erick Stone (JAX)

9. Willia Oliva (LV)

10. Danys Miranda (JAC)

Top RF

2011-11-21T05:38:00.001-08:00

1. Matty Bailey (LR)
One of the better defensive RF in the world, Bailey hits for a high average with some power. Drives the ball well. Has a good eye. Solid speed, but poor baserunner.

2. Jim Carroll (TOR)
Makes good contact with good power. Better against LHP than RHP. Good eye. Solid range, below average glove. Solid arm.

3. Brian Malloy (ARI)
Dominates RHP, while more than holding his own against LHP. Solid eye. Good contact, decent power. Poor glove. Good speed/baserunner.

4. Pedro Seguignol (JAC)

5. Willie Hernandez (PHI)

6. Bruce Cambridge (CH2)

7. Jose Owen (FLA)

8. Javier Lucano (NO)

9. Domingo Soto (ROC)

10. Andrew Miller (HON)

Top CF

2011-11-16T13:26:00.001-08:00

1. Jaime Pierre (ROC)
Although he lacks ideal range, Pierre has an elite glove. He hits for a lot of power, with solid contact ability. Has a great eye. Good speed/baserunner. Drives the ball well.

2. Clarence Canseco (LV)
Makes good contact with solid power. Does a good job driving the ball. Good speed/baserunner. Good eye. Good range, great glove.

3. Enrique Vazquez (JAC)
Solid range and glove. Can run well and knows how to run the bases. Solid eye, decent contact, solid power. Drives the ball well against LHP while doing well against RHP.

4. Hector Milligan (NO)

5. Ed Kelly (JAX)

6. B.C. Osterbrock (ELP)

7. Emmanuel Pavlov (HON)

8. Alan Abernathy (CIN)

9. Shawn Shields (ARI)

10. Francisco Wilfredo (PHI)

Top LF

2011-11-16T13:25:00.003-08:00

1. Livan Bocachica (LAA)
Although a poor defender, Bocachica makes up for that offensively. He hits for average and power. Drives the ball really well and knows how to work the count.

2. Dusty McDonald (ATL)
Although he’s above average at making contact, he has elite power. Better against LHP than RHP. Has a great eye. One of the better defensive LF in the world.

3. Damaso Ontiveros (CIN)
Dominates RHP, while being only average against LHP. Good eye. Makes solid contact with good power. Average defensively.

4. Louie Guiel (RIC)

5. Alfredo Candelaria (RIC)

6. Jeremy May (LV)

7. Stephen Risley (CHR)

8. Wilson Barnes (JAC)

9. Kirt Kent (ARI)

10. Paulie Williams (CHR)

Top SS

2011-11-16T13:25:00.001-08:00

Top Shortstops

1. Rickie Burgess (PHI)
Will hit for a good average, but not much power. Solid against LHP, better against RHP. Above average eye. Good speed. Great range. Great arm.

2. Corey Byrd (ROC)
Dominant against LHP, he really struggles against RHP. Makes contact very well with good power. Can really work the count. Very good defender across the board.

3. Eddie Lloyd (CH2)
What he lacks defensively (range/glove) he makes up for by being one of the overall best offensive SS in the game. He hits for a solid average with some power. Can drive the ball well. Has a solid eye.

4. Clay Swisher (ARI)

5. Carlos Jimenez (NB)

6. Jorge Marichal (NO)

7. Lou Coleman (TEX)

8. Craig Tracy (PIT)

9. Brett Jackson (ELP)

10. Tyrone Neal (ARI)

Top 3B

2011-11-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

1. Marino Bautista (JAX)
One of the most solid players I’ve ever seen, Bautista is good at everything has. Could be a Silver Slugger and Gold Glover in the same season. He’s only 26 years old.

2. Kory Sterns (RIC)
Has a great eye and is very good against LHP. He is above average at making contact and against RHP. Good power. Very solid defensively.

3. Philip Chase (LOU)
The “old man” of the top 10, Chase offers the ability to hit for an elite average, with some power. He drives the ball well. Struggles with strike zone knowledge. Lacks ideal range, but makes the plays he gets to.

4. Andres Santos (TEX)

5. Eddie Black (CHR)

6. Scott Charleston (JAC)

7. Piper Cambridge (CIN)

8. Derrick Polcovich (LV)

9. Matt McKnight (NO)

10. Steven Griffin (CSP)

Top 2B

2011-11-15T11:21:00.001-08:00

1. Brian Ma (LV)
One of the better hitters in the world, Ma might be better served as a COF instead of a MIF. Lacks ideal arm strength. Makes up for that by consistently hitting for a high average with a lot of power. Can work the count. Has some speed and baserunning ability.

2. Glen Monroe (JAX)
Does a good job of making contact with solid power. Dominates LHP while doing well against RHP. Has a very good eye. Has solid range defensively, but doesn’t have a good arm.

3. Clarence Downs (NY2)
Dominates LHP. Drives the ball well against RHP. Above average at making contact with above average power. Very good eye. Average defensively.

4. Pasqual Blanco (HON)

5. Benito Cedeno (CH2)

6. Heath Harris (CHR)

7. Mark Rando (ELP)

8. Fausto James (CIN)

9. Davey Tucker (LOU)

10. Charlie James (NO)

Top 1B/DH*

2011-11-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

1. Manny Raben (NB)*

Hits for a lot of power with a solid average. Dominates LHP while being average against RHP. Knows the strike zone well.

2. Pete Malone (CIN)
Hits for average with some power. Absolutely crushes LHP, but is merely average against RHP. Has a great eye. Decent defensively.

3. Milton Kramer (CHR)
Hits for power and average, drives the ball well. Walks a lot. Decent defensively.

4. William Randall (PHI)*

5. Harry Darwin (ELP)*

6. Jeff Owens (NB)

7. Bret Maas (CSP)*

8. Geraldo Olivares (CHY)

9. Doug Robinson (CH2)*

10. Hal Thompson (SEA)

Top Catchers

2011-11-15T08:23:00.001-08:00

1. Walt Burke (HON)
Burke hits for power and average while dominating RHP. He knows the strike zone and works it very well. He’s got a great arm, but is a mediocre game caller.

2. Malachi Wakefield (HON)
Wakefield hits for power and average. He does a good job driving the ball. Has a good eye. Has an accurate solid arm, and can call a game with the best of the best.

3. Frank Starr (ELP)
Drives the ball very well and knows the strike zone well. Makes decent contact and has solid power. Not an ideal defender, but can hold his own calling a game.

4. Enrique Canseco (CHR)

5. Mel Mays (CHY)

6. Jean Leonard (ROC)

7. Morris Evans (CIN)

8. Peter Chong (CHY)

9. Rolando Frias (LOU)

10. Dan Mercedes (OTT)

Free Agency Recap

2011-11-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

1. RHP Abdul Helton
Signed w/SYR (1 yr/$4.8M)
A very good signing, one year minimizes the risk involved and comes cheaply.
Grade: A

2. RHP Vic Francisco
Signed w/CLE (4 yr/$18.0M; mutual option; no-trade clause)
A solid signing as Francisco immediately strengthens any bullpen that he belongs to.
Grade: B

3. 1B Bobby Ray Mercedes
Signed w/ATL (5 yr/$32.2M)
Best hitter in free agency, this contract should expire before he begins to decline.
Grade: A

4. RHP Kenshin Ogawa
Signed w/LOU (5 yr/$40.0M; player option)
The most controversial contract of the offseason, Ogawa is in decline already and Louisville locked him up for 5 more years.
Grade: D-

5. 1B Pedro Navarre
Signed w/SYR (1 yr/$3.3M)
A solid hitter, Navarre will anchor an already strong Syracuse offense.
Grade: A

6. DH Yamid Javier
Signed w/SYR (1 yr/$1.0M)
Solid hitter, although hurt now, this was an excellent depth signing.
Grade: A

7. DH Torey Acosta
Signed w/LOU (1 yr/$2.2M)
Good signing to help boost an offense that struggled last season.
Grade: A

8. RHP Raul Saez
Signed w/ROC (1 yr/$700k)
Has the ability to really strengthen a bullpen that blew 12 saves last season.
Grade: A

9. RHP Jim Phillips
Signed w/SYR (2 yr/$12.6M)
After blowing 15 saves last season, Syracuse is really focusing on strengthening the bullpen and Phillips should be key.
Grade: B

10. LF Louie Gil
Signed w/RIC (2 yr/$8.1M; mutual option)
Already a strong offense, Richmond improves by adding Gil.
Grade: A

11. RHP Lawrence Schultz
Unsigned

12. 1B Einar Lopez
Signed w/ELP (2 yr/$4.5M)
A solid hitter, should help to improve El Paso’s offense.
Grade: A

13. C Rolando Frias
Signed w/LOU (1 yr/$3.2M)
The best FA C really addresses a Louisville weakness as he can both call games and hit.
Grade: A

14. RHP Vinny Iwamura
Signed w/NB (2 yr/$2.8M)
Solid signing, not much risk here.
Grade: A

15. RHP Howard Lyon
Signed w/SEA (1 yr/$4.0M)
Very good signing as he should help solidify the Seattle bullpen.
Grade: A

16. RHP Edgard Santana
Signed w/ARI (3 yr/$16.2M)
Another good signing, should provide plenty of quality innings and is still young.
Grade: B

17. RHP Willie Cela
Signed w/MNT (2 yr/$3.2M)
An “old” pro, Cela’s signing does provide experience at a good price.
Grade: B

18. 3B Scott Charleston
Signed w/JAC (3 yr/$20.8M; mutual option)
Although rated as a SS, he can hit well enough to be a factor at 3B.
Grade: B

19. RHP Ruben Morales
Signed w/CLE (2 yr/$5.2M)
A very good value signing.
Grade: B

20. LHP Rex Wheat
Signed w/PHI (5 yr/$44.0M; team option)
Did Philadelphia overpay for a wild pitcher with some talent?
Grade: C

Top FA By Position

2011-11-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

Top FA C

1. Rolando Frias (RIC)
Hits for contact with some power. Drives the ball with some authority. Has a good eye. Strong arm, decent accuracy. Decent game-caller.

2. Larry Montague (MNT)
Average at making contact, with some power. Struggles with his consistency. Decent eye. Strong arm, average accuracy. Great at calling a game.

3. Stan Seneca (LV)

Dominate LHP with some power. Decent at avoiding the strikeout. Average consistency against RHP. Good eye. Fast for a catcher. Solid arm. Average game-caller.

Top FA 1B/DH

1. 1B Bobby Ray Mercedes (LV)
Dominant against RHP, solid against LHP. Good eye. Doesn’t strike out much and will hit some home runs. Average defensively.

2. 1B Pedro Navarra (PHI)
Makes solid contact while hitting for some power. Good against LHP, solid against RHP. Good eye. Average defensively.

3. DH Yamid Javier (SEA)
Makes good contact. Dominates LHP, ok against RHP. Average power. Solid eye. Defensive liability if he sees the field.

Top FA 2B

1. Robb Fordham (MNT)
Consistently drives the ball well. Average power, average contact. Solid eye. Sub-par defensively. Good speed.

2. Sal Latham (PHI)
Makes good contact. Average at driving the ball. Lacks power. Great eye. Solid baserunner with decent speed. Below average defensively.

3. Chipper Easley (SYR)
Great contact. Next to no power. Average at driving the ball. Decent eye. Great range, but not much else going for him defensively.

Top FA 3B

1. Tony Davis (CIN)
Drives the ball well on a consistent basis. Average power, average contact. Decent eye. Lacks ideal range, but is solid with the glove. Probably better off at 2B or COF.

2. Brady Lester (CHR)
Makes solid contact. Average consistency at driving the ball. Solid eye. Lacks power. Solid defensively. Good baserunner with good speed.

3. Hugh Thurman (ATL)
Solid power, solid contact. Average consistency. Decent eye. Solid baserunner with average speed. Good glove, good arm. Average range.

Top FA SS

1. Scott Charleston (LR)
Not a true SS, he’d be better off at 3B where he would make a solid defender. He’s good at making contact with solid power. Solid consistency at driving the ball. Good eye. Not much of a baserunner.

2. Bernie Mendoza (CLB)
Strikes out a lot. Decent power. Struggles against LHP. Solid against RHP. Good eye. Good baserunner with decent speed. Lacks ideal range or arm strength, but makes up for that with good glove and accuracy.

3. Louis Punto (NB)
Makes good contact with lots of power. Struggles to consistently square the bat to the ball. Below average eye. Solid baserunner with good speed. Good range with solid glove…very good arm.

Top FA LF

1. Louie Guiel (TOR)
Makes good contact with decent power. Hits the ball well against LHP & RHP. Good eye. Very poor speed. Not a good defender.

2. Paulie Williams (LOU)
Makes good contact. Lacks ideal power. Solid at driving the ball. Great eye. Not an ideal defender. Great baserunner.

3. Jerry Fischer (LA)
Good power and contact. Consistent at driving the ball. Good eye. Solid baserunner, decent speed. Not a good defender.

Top FA CF

1. Patrick Brown (LR)
A defensive specialist. Great speed. Great eye. Poor offensive player.

2. Victor Randolph (LA)
Lacks ideal range, but decent glove. Decent speed. Makes solid contact with a little power. Better against RHP. Solid eye. Decent baserunner.

3. Santo Valdivia (MNT)
Makes good contact. Does not drive the ball consistently. Decent eye. Very good baserunner with great speed. Good range, not a great glove.

Top FA RF

1. Glen Theriot (LV)
Solid at making contact. Decent power. Above average at driving the ball. Decent eye. Solid defensively.

2. Alvin Petkovsek (CLB)
Average power and contact. Dominates LHP. Solid against RHP. Good eye. Good range/glove, poor arm.

3. Phil Simms (CIN)
Better against LHP than RHP. Solid power to go along with average contact. Decent eye. Good range and arm strength.

Top FA SP

1. Kenshin Ogawa (PHI)
One of the best pitchers in the world, Ogawa dominates RHB while doing solid jobs against LHB. Lacks velocity, but does get a lot of groundballs. Solid control. Won’t go really deep into games anymore. Still has 4 good to very good pitches.

2. Rex Wheat (LR)
Lacks good control. Does a great job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Allows a lot of fly balls. Has 4 good to very good pitches. His stamina and control will not allow him to go deep into games.

3. Manuel Lira (MNT)
Great control, although he struggles some with keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Great velocity, 1 great and 1 good pitch. Great job at keeping the ball on the ground. Not the best stamina.

Top FA RP

1. Abdul Helton (LOU)
Great control. Dominates RHB and is good against LHB. Good velocity. Good groundball pitcher. Great pitch, good pitch, average pitch. Lacks an ideal stamina/durability combination to be as effective as he once was.

2. Vic Francisco (SEA)
Does a good job avoiding bats. Keeps the ball in the strike zone. Lacks the velocity one looks for from the back-end of the bullpen. Has 3 pitches that range from average to very good. Allows a lot of fly balls. Has a good stamina/durability combination.

3. Raul Saez (PHI)
Lacks ideal stamina/durability combination. Does well against RHB, but struggles a little more against LHB. Lacks ideal velocity. Has 5 pitches ranging from above average to below average. Forces more GBs than normal.

Free Agent Analysis

2011-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

Biggest Surprise:

Philadelphia signing #12 FA LHP Norberto Dotel…you have a team that finished top 3 in the AL in most pitching categories, yet was middle of the pack offensively, and you expect them to hit the offensive FA list hard…they grab a top-notch pitcher instead.

Biggest Gamble:

Jackson signing LHP Fonzie Becker. If Becker can stave off his decline, this move will look like a genius move in 4 years. The addition of a $17.0M, mutual option (5^th year) was a brilliant move, unfortunately Jackson runs the risk of being on the hook for that $17.0M in year 5 when Becker could be a long reliever by then. The decline of Becker would worry me beyond belief.

Best Value:
RHP Gill Bechler. Richmond played this right, giving the #9 overall FA 3 years at $7.6M ($2.5M/year). To obtain a reliever with a career 3.39 ERA and 1.14 WHIP for that price is unheard of…especially after watching the money paid to some of the relievers on the market.

Worst Value:

RHP Abdul Helton. Louisville panicked here when they saw the #4 FA still on the market. They could’ve gotten him cheaper and $5.2M is a lot of money to pay for 40-50 IP.

Team that added the most talent:
Louisville. The Steamboats signed a league-leading 5 top 50 free agents. After losing 93 games last season, were these additions enough to stem the tide or should they have been more active in FA.

Team that lost the most talent:
Philadelphia – The Freedom lost a total of 7 top 50 free agents. They managed to grab one of them back in RHP Chris Moeller, but in the grand scheme of things, they lost a ton of talent (14 FA overall).

Top 50 Free Agents

2011-08-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

RHP Alfredo Miranda (SEA; 4/$24.0M)
A good deal on a RP who is going to be dominant when he makes appearances and although his DUR is low, his STA will allow him to pitch multiple innings when he does pitch.
LHP Nick Offerman (HON; 5/$78.2M)
Paid an awful lot of money for Offerman, but he’s a RP who can dominate batters for 90+ games and 140+ innings. He’s only 31, so he should have plenty of dominant seasons left.
RHP Spud Clarke (ARI; 2/$23.0M)
Clarke is going to give you some innings and some very good innings at that, but is he worth $11.5M/year?
RHP Abdul Helton (LOU; 1/$5.2M)
Helton is a great addition to any bullpen, but his DUR/STA combination is going to hold him back some from fulfilling his true potential. LOU overpaid to get him in their BP.
RHP Steve Hudek (CH2; 2/$13.6M)
Although Hudek has low STA, his DUR will allow him to make multiple appearances. This is a very good signing.
LHP Sal Baker (ARI; 2/$13.2M)
Although Sal projects as a LR, he’s a very good LR. He’ll give you innings and be a shutdown RP to bridge the gap from the starter to the CL.
LHP Mark Bang (unsigned)
RHP Logan Putnam (ATL; 2/$10.1M)
Putnam’s splits aren’t as good as one would like, but his other talents more than make up for that and he should really help out Atlanta.
RHP Gill Bechler (RIC; 3/$7.6M)
To be able to get away with paying Bechler an average of ~$2.5M/year is highway robbery. Even though he’s not as dominant as others on the listed, he’s still very good.
RHP Lawrence Schultz (CLE; 1/$3.2M)
RP are a fickle bunch, one season they are dominant and the next they stink…This signing protects CLE from having this happen to them.
RF Javier Lucano (NO; 4/$19.2M)
The best position player in FA, Lucano has a strong arm, hits for contact and has a good eye. His deficiency is LHP. Actually paid less for a better (IMO) RF.
LHP Norberto Dotel (PHI; 5/$57.5M)
This is a good deal as Dotel still has some years left to contribute and shouldn’t start a decline for a while. If he does decline, he’ll be hard to move.
RF Bruce Cambridge (CH2; 3/$21.0M)
A little more power, and better against LHP than #11 Lucano, Cambridge gives way to him based on an eye that is not quite as sharp.
RHP Joseph Lee (ATL; 2/$9.9M)
Lee is older, and isn’t as dominant as he could be, but he’s still good and has 2 good pitches that help him to offset his splits.
1B Torey Acosta (LOU; 1/$1.1M)
To get the #1 1B at $1.4M below his asking price is a pretty good deal. He doesn’t hit for the prototypical power, but he should make lots of contact and reach base a lot.
LHP Milt Benton (unsigned)
RHP Brian Zhou (unsigned)
LHP Mark Tomko (unsigned)
LHP Michael Fischer (unsigned)
RHP Howard Lyon (LA; 1/$4.2M)
Has the stamina and durability combination to be able to survive as a SP, but would likely provide more impact out of the bullpen. Still a very good pitcher at a reasonable price.
RHP Pablo Cruz (CLB; 1/$1.9M)
A solid pitcher who has two very good pitches and superior control. Lacks great stamina. The price was right here though.
1B Morgan Johnson (MNT; 5/$23.5M)
Doesn’t have the prototypical power that you look for at 1B, nor great contact to offset that, but he drives the ball well and can work the count.
LHP Johnny Burks (ARI; 1/$2.8M)
He’d be higher if he had better pitches, but his splits should still help make him close to dominant.
LHP Fonzie Becker (JAC; 5/$81.0M)
The #2 SP on the market, Becker got paid. The question is when and how bad his decline will be. It’s really a 4-year deal with an unlikely to be exercised mutual option.
RHP Bill Washington (OTT; 1/$4.0M)
A good pitcher, who would likely be a better starter than reliever, he is versatile.
1B Bud Sobolewski (LOU; 1/$1.6M)
Lacks the power you look for in a 1B, but has the range to spend some time in LF should the need arise.
RHP Bobby Davis (unsigned)
LF Paulie Williams (LOU; 1/$3.2M)
Makes great contact, although the power is a little low for a COF. He has a great eye, but won’t be a great defender.
LHP John Tomlinson (unsigned)
3B Steven Griffin (CSP; 4/$38.0M)
A solid signing as Griffin can field what he gets to and will drive the ball well and hit for some power.
RHP Carlos Melendez (CLE; 2/$8.0M)
Doesn’t have tremendous control, but is solid across the board.
LHP Glen Pierce (unsigned)
SS Karim Mendoza (TEX; 3/$17.4M)
The top SS on the market, Mendoza won’t embarrass himself at the plate and immediately solidifies an important position.
DH Souta Park (CLE; 3/$17.4M)
Again lacking ideal power, Park will make lots of contact, drive the ball, and reach base…he has the speed to beat out some infield hits too.
RHP Mark Hara (unsigned)
SS Robin Scott (JAC; 2/$9.6M)
A good defender, Scott has a little bit of power to go along with his defense.
SS Charlie Duffy (LA; 2/$4.1M)
Lacks the range to play SS, but should be an exceptional 2B/3B and has some hitting ability to help out too.
RHP Cliff Torres (unsigned)
RHP Chris Moeller (PHI; 2/$4.0M)
Won’t walk many, but won’t face many either, Moeller can make an impact when used properly.
RHP Charles Perez (unsigned)
LHP Pasquel Romero (unsigned)
LHP D.J. Quinn (CSP; 1/$3.3M)
Great control, does a good job against LHB, his weakness has to be his second pitch.
SS Cla Jennings (CLE; 2/$7.6M)
Not really a SS, but more of a 2B/3B, he makes some contact and can drive the ball decently.
LHP Denny Belle (MNT; 5/$34.0M)
One of the top 5 starting pitchers really got paid. His splits are worrisome as he doesn’t seem to have the pitches to overcome them.
LHP Andres Alonso (unsigned)
SS Jared Gran (LA; 1/$4.0M)
He makes good contact and is alright at driving the ball, but he doesn’t have the overall defensive talent to cut it at SS.
SS Mark Ishii (unsigned)
1B Hunter Sizemore* (unsigned)
1B George Borbon (unsigned)
CF Chipper Easley (LOU; 1/$2.9M)
Tremendous range to go along with good contact, solid ability to drive the ball, and a good eye. Major downgrade here for the atrocious glove.

Season 5 Draft Recap

2011-06-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

1. Arizona – SS Arthur Davenport
Makes solid contact, with good power. Hits both RHP and LHP well. Above average eye. Decent speed. Great glove. Great arm accuracy. Below average range and arm strength.
hurricane384’s take:
Although he doesn’t project as a SS, he is definitely going to hit for average and have some power to go along with it. Definitely could provide above average production out of the 2B slot.

2. Louisville – 1B Terry West
Great power. Dominates LHP and is good against RHP. Has a great eye. He makes good contact. Is definitely a 1B.
hurricane384 on West:
I feel like I got the best hitter in the draft. He could make his ML appearance this season and not embarrass himself, although obviously I hope he doesn’t make his appearance for a few more seasons. His power and eye fit perfectly with my offensive philosophy.

3. Atlanta – LF Dario Rath
Makes great contact. Solid power. Above average at driving the ball. Decent eye. Great speed and baserunning ability. Good range. Poor glove. Not too durable.
hurricane384’s take:
This is a solid pick as Rath could jump into the majors tomorrow and not struggle too much. As it stands now, he could develop into a premier lead-off hitter. The range is there, but the glove worries me out in LF.

4. Little Rock – RF Britt Rowan – has not signed

5. Colorado Springs – SS Rich Eaton
Great at making contact. Good power. Dominant against LHP and very good against RHP. Average eye. Below average range and glove. Great arm. Lacks accuracy. Not too durable. Good speed.
hurricane384 says:
Definitely not a SS, but has the potential to be a Silver Slugger and Gold Glover at 2B or 3B. Could play CF depending on team need. He’s going to hit and hit a lot with proper development.

6. Montana – CF Darrin Rossy
Below average range. Great glove. Makes great contact. Better against RHP than LHP. Very good power. Average eye. Very good speed. Lacks ideal durability.
hurricane384 says:
He might produce enough offense to off-set his woeful range in CF, but he could be a Gold Glove winning LF, who leads off and hits 30+ HRs.

7. El Paso – P Guy Gipson
Great control. Does not let batters get good wood on the ball. Solid pitches. Great velocity. Groundball stuff.
hurricane384 says:
He’s a bit of a tweener, not enough stamina to be a #1 starter, but definitely has the stuff. He could be a super-setup man or even a 2-3 inning closer who dominates. Look for 100+ IP from this guy.

8. Florida – 2B Todd Liefer
Great power. Average at making contact. He’s better against RHP than LHP. Great eye. Good speed. Durable. Doesn’t have top-notch defensive skills.
hurricane384 says:
This is a good pick. He could hit 50-60 HRs and play passable 2B defense or high quality COF defense without sacrificing any offense. He can even get by at 3B if needed.

9. Jacksonville – P Rich Brown
Good stamina/great durability. Very good control. Dominates LHB. Good against RHB. Good velocity. 3 plus pitches…not a groundball pitcher.
hurricane384 says:
His stuff doesn’t project to be an ace, but he definitely will provide some bang for his buck when it comes to the #9 pick. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, Brown has decided to go back to school.

10. Syracuse – LF Willie Sivilla
Makes good contact. Hits for great power. Struggles at driving the ball consistently. Good eye. Solid defensive ratings. Durable, healthy, and fast.
hurricane384 says:
Although I would like to see those splits be higher, his other ratings are high enough to intrigue me. When was the last time that you had a guy who could legitimately be a 40/40 guy who produces .300/.400/.500. Sounds like a helluva leadoff hitter.

11. Pittsburgh – CF Chase Brow
Great range. Below average glove. Durable, healthy, and fast. Makes decent contact and has decent power. Will struggle against RHP. Great eye.
hurricane384 says:
He’s got the range, but will make some errors and his offense isn’t good enough to offset this. Seems to me like it is a bit of a reach at #11…but it is doubtful that he would’ve been around with PIT’s 2^nd rd pick.

12. Las Vegas – P Chief Creek
Durability/Stamina combination is good. Better against RHB than LHB. Great velocity. Good pitches. Groundball pitcher. Great control.
tk21775 on Creek:
With our first pick in the draft we selected closer Chief Creek. We expect him to handle the 8th and 9th inning for us someday at the majors and he has high durabilty/stamina combo. He looks to have great control and solid splits, along with a nice groundball rating and great 1st pitch. Happy that we found our future closer.
hurricane384 says:
Creek is going to be a good closer someday. With proper development he could be a 2-inning pitcher who will miss more bats than he hits.

13. Cheyenne – P Trenidad Gonzales
Great durability/Good stamina. Great control. Average velocity & groundball. Solid pitch combination. Better against LHB than RHB.
hurricane384 says:
The best overall pitcher taken thus far, Gonzales might not strike out many, but he will give you 32+ starts and 190+ IP.

14. Jackson – 3B Wilt Ford
Average defensively. Average contact and power combination. Good eye. Above average speed. Drives the ball consistently. Solid durability.
hurricane384 says:
Ford’s splits ought to make up for his average contact/power, and his eye should put him on base often enough to be a very good asset for the Mallards.

15. Toronto – CF Daniel Uribe
Great range and glove. Durable. Average contact and below average power. Good eye. Very good against RHP and average against LHP. Solid speed.
mtorabdaddy on Uribe:
projects to be a solid defensive CF with a strong split vs Righties. Should arrive in 3-4 seasons.
hurricane384 says:
This is a good pick considering the draft…will play great defense, while not being terrible offensively. Could be ready in a couple seasons.

16. Rochester – 2B Taylor Hutton
Solid at making contact. Decent power. Better against LHP than RHP. Good eye. Average range, good glove, weak arm. Decent speed.
bonk36 on Hutton:
We think Taylor will be a solid contributor for us at 2b in the future, his well balanced offensive game should translate well to the Majors.
hurricane384 says:
This is a solid pick, who, even if he doesn’t end up at 2B, should contribute for quite a while at one of the COF slots.

17. New York (NL) – P Damion Wang
Much better against LHB than RHB. Good control. Solid stamina. Average durability. Average velocity. True GB pitcher. 2 good pitches, but repertoire drops off after that.
hurricane384 says:
Any time you can get a #2/#3 pitcher this late in the draft, you have to consider yourself fortunate.

18. Texas – P Bob Tulowitzki
Great stamina. Average durability. Dominates RHB. Average against LHB. Great velocity. Good GB pitcher. Solid pitches. Lacks ideal control.
hurricane384 says:
His lack of control will hurt him to a degree, but his peripheral ratings should more than make up for that.

19. Los Angeles – P Allan Seaver
Average durability. Below average stamina. Great control. Dominates LHB and is average against RHB. Great velocity. Great GB. 2 Great pitches, an average pitch and a terrible pitch.

crb2 on Seaver:

I was very surprised to see Allan Seaver land at 19 for me. We’re very high on him. The rest of the draft, eh, not so much. It would be nice if one of these seasons I could draft a position player that had a prayer of making it to the major leagues. Besides a catcher.
hurricane384 says:
He is a quality pitcher, but could struggle to make an impact as a starter with the low stamina.

20. Syracuse – SS Wil Sefcik
Below average eye. Solid power. Great splits. Good durability. Lacks ideal range for a SS (has been switched to 3B). Great glove. Good arm.
hurricane384 says:

Could be a solid 3B for the Orange.

21. Las Vegas – 2B Nigel Waner

Good power. Solid contact. Average splits. Good eye. Good range. Lacks ideal glove and arm for 2B. Great durability. Good speed. Healthy.
tk21775 on Waner:
With our 2nd 1st Round Pick we selected Nigel Waner. We'll keep an eye on his defense to see if he'll be able to handle 2B for us, which if he could we really like this pick. If not he still has a solid bat that putting him in LF or 1B won't bother us. Great speed with nice power makes him a solid pick where we got him at.
hurricane384 says:
This was a very nice pick. I’m jealous. He can definitely hold his own at any of 4 positions if need be.

22. Cleveland – 2B Brent Drabek
Makes good contact. Good splits. Good eye. Average power. Solid defensively. Great speed. Durable.
hurricane384 says: This is a nice pick this late in the draft. He can solidify 2B/3B/COF/1B…he’s a jack-of-all positions, who can be an all-star at any position. His speed will help a lot.

23. Chicago (AL) – P T.J. James
Below average control. Solid stamina. Average durability. Very good against LHB and average against RHB. Great velocity. 3 solid pitches.
hurricane384 says:
Tough to assess. His lack of control might relegate him to a bullpen role, but that is one which he could excel at. Might walk too many people to be a starter.

24. Richmond – LF Alfredo Keisler
Great contact. Good power. Good splits. Decent eye. Slow. Lacks ideal range. Has moved to RF. Lacks ideal durability.
hurricane384 says:
He’s going to hit, the question is what position to play him at. Does not have the range to play COF, and would be a GG 1B.

25. Anaheim – SS Vic Giles
Great range and glove. Lacks arm strength, but is accurate. Durable. Fast. Can’t hit. When he makes contact against LHP, he does a good job at driving the ball. He’s knowledgeable about the strike zone.
hurricane384 says:
He’s likely destined for a utility role in the bigs, if he makes it at all. He doesn’t have the arm strength to justify putting him at SS full-time, and doesn’t hit well enough to put at any other position.

26. Toronto – SS Stuart Hearn
Projects to be a Gold Glover. Dominant defensive SS. He has decent speed and is durable. He makes contact and has some power. Does struggle at squaring the ball. Terrible against LHP. Decent eye.
mtorabdaddy on Hearn:
For all of his offensive deficiencies, he makes up for this with a projected spectacular glove in the mold of Paul Janish. Projects to be a solid defensive replacement.
hurricane384 says:

If you can afford to give up an out more often than not, Hearn could be somebody’s answer at SS. Will play spectacular defense and won’t strike out too much.

27. Ottawa – SS Russell Romero
Great defensively. Makes great contact. Lacks much power. Struggles against LHP. Above average against RHP. Decent eye. Average speed. Above average durability.
mlhutch on Romero:
Terrible overall draft but Romero will at least be functional at the ML level as a defensive SS/platoon guy. Given the circumstances, that is a win in my book.
hurricane384 says:
This is a steal. He’s not going to embarrass himself offensively while providing top-notch defense night after night. Could be a platoon player to limit his vulnerability against LHP.

28. Honolulu – P Victor Alomar
Great durability. Great stamina. Great control. Good at keeping the ball out of the hitting zones. Great velocity. 1 excellent, 1 above average, and 1 average pitch. Struggles at keeping the ball on the ground.
hurricane384 says:
Alomar has good talent, it is just a matter of him getting into a park that takes advantage of his deficiencies. Honolulu might help.

29. New Britain – CF Rolando Seneca
Great range. Poor glove. Decent durability. Great speed. Decent contact. Average at driving the ball upon contact. Good power. Above average eye.
hurricane384 says:
Seneca can get to the ball when it is hit, but whether he can catch it is another story. Solid late pick, who may very well be a good role player for a team.

30. Columbus – SS Ricardo Bocachica
Average range. Great glove. Average arm. Durable. Fast. Doesn’t strike out often. Won’t work many walks. Struggles against RHP. Above average against LHP.
hurricane384 says:
Solid role player. Can be a defensive replacement or vsL platoon SS. Would be perfect to match up with #27, Russell Romero.

31. New Orleans – P William Lorraine
Lacks ideal stamina. Average durability. Great control. Average against LHP. Slightly worse against RHP. Does not get groundballs. Decent velocity. 2 great pitches, 1 good, and 1 average.

balance71 on Lorraine:
William Lorraine doesn't have particularly good stuff. We hope he'll make up for it by playing the Zydeco way: dirty.

hurricane384 says:
Not sure what to make of this guy as his low vsR is likely to prevent him from the majors.

32. Seattle – CF Paulie Jacobsen
Strikes out a lot. Lacks ideal knowledge of strike zone. Very little power. When he does make contact, he makes solid contact. Great defensively as a 2B/CF. Very fast.
hurricane384 says:
A pure role player. He could serve as a PR/DR who spots starts here and there. Isn’t going to contribute offensively.

World Series 4 Recap

2011-05-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

#2 Seattle Pilots (99-63) vs #1 Cincinnati Battlin' Redlegs (102-60)

Seattle 2 @ Cincinnati 5
WP - Julian Tejeda (3-0) 9.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
LP - Alex Vizcaino (1-2) 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
POG - CIN C Juan Vazquez (2-3, R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR)
Cincinnati leads, 1-0.
Seattle 6 @ Cincinnati 3
WP - Jason Minor (1-1) 1.0 IP, H, ER, 2 BB
LP - Valerio Nunez (0-2) 7.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, BB, 5 K
SV - Nap O'Connor (5) 2.1 IP, H, K
POG - SEA CF Dummy Merrick (3-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, 2 HR, BB)
Series tied, 1-1.
Cincinnati 3 @ Seattle 5
WP - Alvin Fleming (1-0) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 5 K
LP - Tony Suzuki (0-1) 5.0 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, BB, 2 K
SV - Nap O'Connor (6) 1.1 IP, H
POG - SEA 3B Reid Brooks (1-3, 3 RBI, K)
Seattle leads series, 2-1.
Cincinnati 0 @ Seattle 1
WP - Rudy DeRosa (1-0) 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R
LP - Joseph Lee (0-2) 0.1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB
POG - SEA 3B Reid Brooks (3-5, RBI, K)
Seattle leads series, 3-1.
Cincinnati 12 @ Seattle 4
WP - York Overbay (2-0) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K
LP - Victor Castillo (2-1) 2.1 IP, 10 H, 10 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
SV - Livian Moreno (1) 3.0 IP, 2 H, ER
POG - CIN CF Alan Abernathy (4-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B)
Seattle leads series, 3-2.
Seattle 1 @ Cincinnati 6
WP - Valerio Nunez (1-2) 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K
LP - Alvin Fleming (1-1) 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
POG - CIN 1B Pete Malone (2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, HR)
Series tied, 3-3.
Seattle 1 @ Cincinnati 5
WP - Julian Tejeda (4-0) 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
LP - Alex Vizcaino (1-3) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
POG - CIN SP Julian Tejeda
CINCINNATI WINS SERIES, 4-3.

WORLD SERIES MVP: CIN SP JULIAN TEJEDA (17.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 1.06 ERA)

CONGRATULATIONS TO cmthieme ON A CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON!!!

Draft Quotes

2011-04-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Predictions

2011-02-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

Top RP

2011-02-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Alfredo Miranda
While Miranda doesn't have the ideal stamina/durability combination, he has averaged 104IP/season. He dominates RHB and is solid against LHB. He throws fire. He has great control. He has a great pitch, a good pitch, and 2 below average pitches.
Spud Clarke
Again, he lacks ideal stamina/durability, but he still manages to pitch a lot. He's slightly better when facing RHB than he is when he faces LHB. He throws hard and keeps the ball on the ground. He has good control. He has a great pitch and 4 average to above average pitches.
Ignacio Maranon
This rookie could be the next great thing out of the bullpen. He has great control. He's good against LHB and RHB. He throws hard. He does an alright job of keeping the ball on the ground. He really shines when you get to his pitches. He has a great pitch, a very good pitch and an above average pitch. If he comes close to his projections, he's going to be dominant for a long, long time.

Top SP

2011-02-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Alex Vizcaino
2-time AS saw his S3 end when he tore his labrum for the second straight season. He's got great durability that combines with good stamina. He's a dominant pitcher when it comes to keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. He doesn't have great velocity and is only above average at forcing GBs. He's got 2 very good pitches and 3 average or worse pitches. He has good control.
Kenshin Ogawa
A 3-time AS, Ogawa is absolutely dominating against RHB, while he is merely good against LHB. He's got good durability and good stamina for a starter. He does a good job at keeping the ball on the ground. He has 2 very good pitches, 2 above average pitches, and one average pitch. He has very good control too.
Willie Oliva
2-time Cy Young award winner, Oliva has 3 good pitches, and 2 average pitches. He's got good control. He's dominant against LHB while being very good against RHB. He's got great durability and good stamina. He is a pure flyball, strikeout flamethrower.

Top RF

2011-02-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

Brian Malloy
Malloy has decent range, but a poor glove. He's durable. He's fast. He makes good contact. Has good power. Solid against LHP. Dominant against RHP. Good eye.
Matty Bailey
Bailey is a tremendous defensive RF. He's got good durability. He makes great contact. Has great speed. Good power. He's better against RHP than LHP. He's got a great eye.
Javier Lucano
A mediocre defender, he is very durable with decent speed. Makes good contact with good power. He's dominant against RHP, but will struggle with LHP. Has a tremdous eye. A very strong armed RF.

Top CF

2011-02-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

Clarence Canseco
A great defensive CF, Canseco has the range to cover the area and the glove to catch nearly everything he gets to. He's durable and speedy. He makes good contact, with good power. He's slightly better against RHP than LHP. He's got a good eye.
Jaime Pierre
He's got average range, but a great glove. He's durable and fast. He hits for power, while not striking out too much. He is better against LHP than RHP. He's got a great eye.
Dummy Merrick
The prized FA this season, Merrick has good range, but a slightly below average glove. He hits for power, but is mediocre at making contact. He dominates RHP while he's average against LHP. He's got a good eye to go along with his good speed. He's durable.

Top LF

2011-02-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

Livan Bocachica
Not much of a defender, Livan possesses good power that combines with the ability to make consistent contact. He fares better against LHP than he does RHP, but that difference is from dominating to good. He's got a very good eye. Good speed too. He would probably be better off as a first baseman.
Bud Sobolewski
Bud is an aging superstar, but he does still possess some talent. He's got a great ability to make contact and drive the ball. He's got some power to go along with that ability. He's got a very good eye. He's as slow as you would expect from a LF, although he does play solid defense.
Jamey Petkovsek
Jamey has a good eye. He's pretty good against RHP while being above average against LHP. He makes solid contact and has good power. He's got great range, but struggles with the glove. He's got a stronger arm than one would expect from LF. Good durability and average speed.

Top SS

2011-02-17T05:08:00.000-08:00

Corey Byrd
Byrd is a very good defensive SS with good range, a good glove, and a strong, accurate arm. He's durable and young. He makes good contact with good power. He dominates LHP while he really really struggles against RHP. He's got a good eye that helps him out a lot.
Jorge Marichal
A below average defender, Marichal doesn't have the range or glove that one looks for in a true SS, but he has an exceptionally strong arm. He's durable. He makes good contact with some power. He drives the ball well against RHP while not too bad against LHP. He's got a great eye and decent speed.
Eddie Lloyd
A below average defensive SS at this point in his career, there is still a slight chance he could become an average SS. He does an average job at making contact, but does possess good power. He's better against LHP than RHP, although he's no slouch against RHP. He's got an above average eye and really good speed.

Top 3B

2011-02-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

Philip Chase
Chase is consistently going to be at the top of the league in batting average and has good power as well. He's good against LHP and RHP. His eye is below average. He's very durable. He's got good range, a great glove, and a great arm. He's got decent speed.
Glen Theriot
Theriot has average range to go along with a good glove. His arm is adequate, but the accuracy is what sets him apart. He's good at putting the ball in play and has above average power. He's above average when it comes to driving the ball. He's got an above average eye. Decent speed.
Steven Griffin
A good glove combines with a ridiculous arm to make up for his average range. He's not great at putting the ball in play but makes up for that a little bit with decent power. He's good against LHP and above average against RHP. He's got an average eye. Good speed. Good durability.

Top 2B

2011-02-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Brian Ma
Blessed with an excellent bat and a lot of power, Ma is a true star at his position. He's dominant against RHP while doing well enough against LHP to avoid a platoon situation. He's got a good eye. He's durable and has good speed. He's got decent range that is paired with a decent glove. His arm is below average.
Glen Monroe
Monroe has a great eye to go along with the ability to just dominate LHP. He's got good power, and is good at making contact. He's not bad against RHP. He's got decent speed and is durable. He's got good range and a good glove, but is lacking in the arm category.
Heath Harris
He'll hit for a high average while putting a few balls into the seats. He's dominant against RHP and above average against LHP. He has a good eye. His arm is weak, but somewhat accurate. He's got decent range. Decent glove. Great speed. Good durability.

Top 1B

2011-02-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

William Randall
The defending Silver Slugger, Randall has tremendous power and doesn't strike out much. He drives the ball really well. He can work the count and reach base more than most. He's got decent speed. He's a DH first, but can definitely get by at 1B. Lacks the durability to be a consistent MVP threat.
Manny Raben
A true slugger, Raben spends most of his time at DH. He makes good contact with great power. He dominates LHP. He's good against RHP. He's got a great eye. He lacks ideal durability. He's got the arm to play C, although he needs his hand held to call the game.
Harry Darwin
He can hit for power and average, while working the count and reaching base a lot. He's better against LHP than RHP, but is no slouch against either. He's decently durable. He plays solid D at 1B. He's slow.

Top C

2011-02-14T05:21:00.000-08:00

Malachi Wakefield
From a pure talent standpoint, Wakefield has it all. He can hit for power and average, reach base, and really sees the ball well when he's at bat. He can throw runners out as he has a good arm. He knows the ins and outs of calling a game. His biggest weakness is his extreme lack of durability.
Rafael Guerrero
Guerrero really hangs his hat on his defense. He's got a great arm, and really knows both his pitchers and the batters in the league. He has some good power and is above average at making contact. He is dominant against LHP while also doing well against RHP. He's got an above average eye.
Mel Mays
Just a horrible defensive C, he's got a weak arm and is only above average at calling a game. He's durable. He makes above average contact to go with great power. It doesn't matter who's on the mound, he can really drive the ball well. He's got a good eye as well.

Winners/Losers

2011-02-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

BIGGEST LOSERS (TALENT-WISE)

Florida - Hard to not be the one to lose the most when you lose the top 2 Free Agents. Lost a total 8 players, including the #1 SP, Eduardo Bonilla, the #1 CF Dummy Merrick, and the #1 LF Bud Sobolewski.
Louisville - Lost 7 players to free agency including the top C, Ryan Laxton, and 2 of the top 5 SP in Kevin Kohlmeier and Clay Beamon (since re-signed).
Seattle - Said goodbye to 6 free agents, including the #2 LF Ross Anderson and the #2 C Stretch Lloyd. Also lost #2 RP Geraldo Morales and #3 1B/DH Keith Sparks.
Richmond - Lost 5 FA, including #2 1B/DH Hunter Sizemore, #4 2B Earl Donatello, and #4 LF Arthur Boyd.
Montgomery - Lost #2 SP Dave Bellhorn as well as #6 RP Kevin Li. Lost a total of 5 players.

BIGGEST WINNERS (TALENT-WISE)

Louisville - Added 7 players, including the #1 SP Eduardo Bonilla, #3 C Alex Machado, and #3 RP Joseph Lee.
Los Angeles - Added 6 players, including #2 3B Ben Walcutt. Didn't add anybody else in the top 3 of their position group.
Charleston - Charleston went to town, signing 5 FAs, including #2 1B Hunter Sizemore, #3 CF Albert Martinez, #3 SP Kevin Kohlmeier, and #3 LF Wendell Matusz.
Cleveland - Signed 4 players, including #1 LF Bud Sobolewski, #1 RF Mitch Harris, and #2 CF Quentin Metcalfe.
Montgomery - The Mavericks made 4 signings, including #2 LF Ross Anderson. They didn't anybody else within the top 3 of their positional group.

BIGGEST NET WINNERS

Jackson (+192)
Los Angeles (+129)
Arizona (+117)
Cleveland (+81)
Ottawa (+74)

BIGGEST NET LOSERS

Florida (-547)
Jacksonville (-255)
Colorado Springs (-205)
Richmond (-195)
New Britain (-191)

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Louisville signed the most players by signing 7.
1B/DH Keith Smart (#3 1B/#6 OVR) is the top-rated FA available.
Other notable available FAs are SS Desi Puente, CF Ron Hafner, and SS Jerry Reichert.
CF Dummy Merrick was the #1 FA available.
Florida lost the #1 CF, LF, and SP.
Seattle signed the most #1 players with 2.
Charleston signed the most top 3 players with 4.

Top FA RP

2011-02-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

Willie Cela (signed w/Richmond; 2 years/$9.0M)
A very quality reliever, Cela is durable and has decent stamina that will allow him to rack up the innings. He's not going to walk many guys, but he also won't strike out many either. He sometimes struggles with keeping the ball out of the hitting zone, but should induce a lot of grounders to help him out. He's got a great pitch to go along with 2 above average pitches and should perform very well.
Geraldo Morales (signed w/Los Angeles; 1 year/$4.2M)
His stamina isn't quite strong enough to be a starter, but he is good enough to be a major part of a championship bullpen. He has great control that'll prevent walks, but lacks the velocity to be a strikeout machine. His splits are above average, but he is definitely a groundball machine. He has a great pitch, 2 above average pitches, a below average pitch, and a horrible pitch, but that should work coming out of the 'pen. His health is a bit of a concern.
Joseph Lee (signed w/Louisville; 1 year/$6.0M)
While he only has 2 pitches, one is great and the other is good, and they should combine with his good velocity to produce a lot of strikeouts. He does a good enough job at keeping the batters guessing. He is adept at inducing groundballs for those rare times where he walks a man. His durability and stamina complement each other really well.

Top FA SP

2011-02-08T14:34:00.000-08:00

Eduardo Bonilla (signed w/Louisville; 4 years/$21.2M)
Despite his inability to go deep into games, Bonilla is #1 based on his effectiveness while in the game, as he can retire RHB and LHB with equal ability. Most seasons, he would not crack the top 10 FA, but this is a unique class. He is alright with inducing groundballs and is medicore with his velocity. He's got a great pitch, 2 good pitches, an average pitch, and one below average pitch. His health is a concern.
Dave Bellhorn
He can go deep into games and won't walk many. He's got great velocity that'll get him about 150-170 Ks a season. He's not a GB pitcher by any stretch of the imagination. He has 2 good pitches, 1 above average pitch, 1 average pitch, and 1 below average pitch. The main concerns with him is he doesn't always do a good job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
Kevin Kohlmeier (signed w/Charleston; 3 years/$16.8M)
The main concern here is his control, as he is merely average. He is above average at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone, while he doesn't induce many groundballs. His velocity isn't top notch, but his pitches sure are as he boasts 2 great pitches, an above average pitch, and an average pitch. He's got decent stamina, but he isn't going to get deep into games on a consistent basis.

Top FA RF

2011-02-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

Mitch Harris
Not much to look at here, Harris is going to strike out a lot. He struggles against LHP while being downright lethal against RHP. He's got a great eye. He doesn't have the power to justify his inability to make contact, although he might just hit enough out to justify playing against RHP. He's below average defensively.
Yusmeiro Olivares
Olivares doesn't excel at anything, but is pretty solid across the board. He's got some power, he hits RHP better than LHP. He makes decent contact while also doing a decent job of working the count. He's got good speed, and will steal a few bases. He's terrible defensively.
Moises Canseco (signed w/New York; 2 years/$12.0M)
Canseco is solid enough defensively that it wouldn't be a stretch for him to find his way to the infield. He makes decent contact with above average power. He's not fooled by any pitcher. He's got a decent eye. He's very durable. He's very slow too. Canseco would rank #2 at 3B.

**Ed. Note - During the 4 seasons that Billy Beane has been around, this is the first time that I have thought of completely scrapping my calculations for a position. I feel that Canseco is the better player of these 3, but since RF is primarily an offensive position, I decided not to redo the rankings or scrap my calculations to rank them. I felt that would set a bad precedent and wanted to avoid that. That said, Canseco is more useful than the 2 players ranked above him.**

Top FA CF

2011-02-08T04:01:00.000-08:00

Dummy Merrick (signed w/Seattle; 4 years/$47.0M)
The crown jewel of a very weak free agent class, Merrick is a very good player. He hits for power but will strike out some. He crushes RHP while not doing so hot against LHP. He knows the strike zone and will reach base quite a bit via walk. His defense is good, with his above average range canceling out his slightly below average glove. He's durable, and he's fast.
Quentin Metcalfe (signed w/Cleveland; 3 years/$15.6M)
Although he is a tremendous dropoff from Merrick, he isn't a bad player by any stretch of the imagination. He's going to strike out quite a bit while not hitting for much power. He will hit RHP and struggle with LHP. He doesn't have the greatest eye in the world. He can run like a deer and should steal a lot of bases. He's got good range and a slightly below average glove. He's durable.
Albert Martinez (signed w/Charleston; 1 year/$3.8M)
Martinez is not going to strike out a lot, which, when given enough at-bats and combined with his speed, will result in a lot of infield hits. He hits LHP decently, but will really struggle with RHP. He's also going to struggle with his command and understanding of the strike zone. His best attribute is his defense, which is above average and if given the chance will allow him to compete for a gold glove.

Top FA LF

2011-02-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Bud Sobolewski (signed w/Cleveland; 3 years/$15.0M)
While clearly being in the twilight of his career, Bud sure can play. He's going to put the ball in play consistently while hitting it hard. He's got some power. He's got a great eye. He's slow and not the greatest defender, but it is easy to forgive that weakness when he puts up .304/.394/.472. He's going to be a tremendous signing for whoever gets him.
Ross Anderson (signed w/Montgomery; 3 years/$15.6M)
He sees the ball really well against both LHP and RHP, while not striking out much either. He's got some power. He's got a great eye and he's an excellent baserunner. His defense is definitely below average. He's slow, but durable. He's a good hitter, putting up .325/.397/.524 for his career.
Wendell Matusz (signed w/Charleston; 1 year/$1.6M)
Absolutely horrendous on defense, he's lucky he plays LF. He is definitely not going to strike out much. He's got some power, to go along with a decent eye. He hits RHP better than LHP, although not that much better. He' s got above average speed. He's not all that durable, so he will need some rest.

Top FA SS

2011-02-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

Eric Carp
A good defensive SS, Carp would make any defense instantly better. He's not great with the bat, but he's not a black hole on offense. Anybody who consistently produces .270/.328/.407 at the bottom of the lineup is a pretty solid thing to have. He struggles to hit RHP and struggles with the strike zone. He has decent power and is good against LHP. He's not going to strike out a lot.
Marty Little
Another player who immediately improves the defense, Little has no idea of the strike zone. He's durable, and he can hit LHP pretty well. He's got below average power, and above average contact ability. He is average against righties. He can hold down the fort for a team and shouldn't have any problems performing at a decent level.
Charley Coleridge (signed w/New York Highlanders; 4 years/$20.8M)
This guy is a true black hole on offense. He's an excellent defender who has plus range, glove, and a plus plus arm. He should definitely be in contention for the GG award every season. He's got good durability and good speed. He has below average power, a innate inability to consistently put the bat to the ball, and he struggles against even mediocre pitching. He does have an above average eye.

Top FA 3B

2011-02-07T05:17:00.000-08:00

Otto Sorrento
Sorrento has horrible range at the "hot corner", but he makes the plays on the balls he can get to. Slow as molasses, he's not going to beat out many IF hits. He's got solid power (79 career HR) and a solid ability to make contact (.272 career hitter). He's got an average eye. Where he really shines is the ability to drive the ball well as evidenced by 149 extra-base hits in 3 seasons.
Ben Walcutt
Another guy with horrible range, he isn't nearly as good defensively as Sorrento. Walcutt really should be in a COF spot. He's slow. Decent durability. He does a solid job of making contact, while he doesn't have much power. He's got a good eye, and does see the ball well.
Eric Castillo (Signed w/Arizona; 2 years, $10.4M)
By far the best defender of the group, Castillo has solid range, glove, and arm strength to combine with great accuracy. He's durable. His knowledge and recognition of the strike zone leaves a lot to be desired, while he does a solid job of making contact and hitting with some power. He's better against LHP than RHP. He's got average speed. He's a career .284 hitter with 92 2B, 7 3B, and 45 HR in his career.

Top FA 2B

2011-02-07T05:08:00.000-08:00

Louis Taylor
Taylor is a very good defender, averaging 14 good plays the past 2 seasons, and should have been right up near the top in terms of gold glove finalists. He's no slouch with the bat either, having hit 94 home runs in his career. He's got good power to go along with the ability to avoid a lot of strikeouts. He's dominant against LHP while holding his own against RHP. His weakness is his relatively weak eye, which prevents him from really being great. He was an all-star in season 1 and won a WS Ring last season.
Pablo Encarnacion
He's got a good glove, below average range, and a weak arm. He's a very durable player. He's going to avoid the strikeout while hitting for a little bit of power. He's better against LHP than he is RHP, but not by much. He's got average speed, to go along with an average eye. Nothing too great here, but he could hold down 2B for a season or 2.
Scott Phillips
Averaging nearly 20 HRs a season, Phillips has a decent bat. Has above average power, a good eye. He does an above average job of making contact. He sees the ball equally well against RHP and LHP. He's got a little bit of speed. He's not really a 2B though, as his defense is atrocious. He's got horrible range, and a very weak arm. He'd be better off as a LF.

Top FA 1B/DH

2011-02-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

Torey Acosta
Not the big banger you expect from a 1B, Acosta is still a solid hitter nonetheless. His lack of durability is always going to keep from being the hitter that he can be. He's a .272 career hitter who is going to knock some balls out of the park and hit for a good average. He is good at seeing the ball no matter who is on the mound. He's got a great eye as evidenced by his .389 career OBP. If he could hold up and get 500+ ABs, he'd be a force...for now he's a DH/1B player who is going to need lots of rest.
Hunter Sizemore (Signed w/Charleston; 1 year/$3.0M)
In a free agent class lacking that prototypical 1B, Sizemore is as close as they come. A .287/.367/.518 career slash line is hurt by the fact that even though he crushes LHP while being average against RHP. He's got a good eye, and isn't going to strike out much at all. He doesn't have the greatest durability, but can give you 450+ ABs. Might be better off as a platoon player and the top PH off the bench.
Keith Sparks
A career .429 OBP, tells you everything you need to know about this guy. He knows the strike zone and works it to his full advantage. He doesn't have a lot of power, but will regularly get to double-digit HRs. He's got average speed, and he sees the ball well enough to be able to consistently drive it on pitchers. Isn't the greatest at making contact, but definitely will make it more often than not.

Top FA Catchers

2011-02-06T07:12:00.000-08:00

Ryan Laxton (signed w/Seattle; 3 years/$23.2M)
Laxton is a very good offensive-minded catcher. He's got great power, dominates lefties, and can work the count. He struggles with RHP, but his power helps to offset that some. He's not going to hit .320+, but .280 is to be expected. He's mediocre defensively, and isn't all that durable, but still has the talent to really help a team out. He hit 40 HRs in just 451 ABs last season (1HR every 11.28 ABs) so he still has the power.
Stretch Lloyd (signed w/Rochester; 3 years/$9.6M)
Is power not your style, then look no further than here. Lloyd is a gold glover with a ring. He isn't going to strike out much, has a good eye. He sees the ball consistently against LHP and RHP. He doesn't have a lot of power (27 career HRs), and he lacks the durability to put up 500+ ABs. He's a good defender who knows how to call a game. He is a career .320 hitter.
Alex Machado
The best of the rest, Machado is a mediocre offensive player who really shines against LHP. He's purely average at everything else...given enough ABs he's got the power to hit 20 HRs, and generate a .275/.325/.425 line. Would be a very good platoon player when allowed to take advantage of his ability against LHP. He lacks the durability to be a full-time starter. He's above average defensively, but isn't outstanding in any aspect of the game.

Getting to know...TheJester74

2011-02-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

Who is TheJester74?
Todd - Network Engineer that is married with two kids near Cincinnati.

How did you get into HBD?
Started with simleagues, but got tired of playing against teams with pitchers nobody had heard of from 1894 that had pitched 308 IPs with a 2.14 ERA. Got into some college dynasty games, and again thought WifS built games that were essentially "try to figure out what the developers think is the ideal way to build a team, closest ones wins." HBD is the game I think is the game they have done the best with about having options to build a successful team in many different ways, and the trading aspect gives owners a legit reason to interact with each other.

Interests and Hobbies?
Travel, sports and Family life. I also like really good food, wine, Bourbon and Scotch and find it's best to leave the creation of all of these to real experts.

Favorite team(s)?
Reds and Bengals.

Suggestion/tip for HBD?
My "Neo in the matrix" moment came when I realized that once you ignore the potential part of player ratings and just concentrate on current rating development the game becomes clear. Watching how fast a player progresses in his first full season, you can tell where a player is going to end up.

Important individual rating for performance?
For both batters and pitchers I always start with vR. But other than that I usually use opposite ways to evaluate position players and pitchers. For batters I look for what, even it's a single area, that they excel in. For pitchers I look for weaknesses.

Best move you’ve ever made in HBD?
I was able to grab a reclamation project of team that had been stripped of talent at all levels and turn them into a championship team in 3 seasons. The championship was a bit of luck, but I learned you can at least make a team competitive in 3 seasons.

Worst move you’ve ever made in HBD?
A couple of times I've let a FA go and for some reason expected that the Type A compensation would in some way makeup for the talent loss and have virtually always been disappointed. Yet somehow when I give up a draft pick to get a player the other guy always drafts some future all-star.

Favorite HBD player?
Vitas Sobkowiak, as one of the rare HBD 300 game winners. Rusty Jones was my favorite position player, career .356 hitter that was my only player to hit over .400 in a season.

Billy Beane prospect that you are most excited to call up?
The prospect that lands me a solid ML'er is my favorite.

Rules Update - From Commissioner hopkinsheel

2011-01-31T06:40:00.000-08:00

World Rules Announcement

1. We are going to keep the prospect payroll for now. There was enough pushback from owners who really like the cap that it didn’t make sense to change right now. We’re going to continue monitoring the situation and see what happens in the future.

2. I’m changing the language of the FA rule from this: “If a team signs a "Type A" or "Type B" player than that player can NOT be traded until after the amateur draft.” to this, “If a team signs a free agent from another team during free agency, that player can NOT be traded until after the amateur draft.” I’ve noticed in another world that some players that are short on prospects have tried getting around this rule by signing decent players that are not Type A’s, B’s and immediately shopping them around. This never happens in real life so we’re going to make that small change.

Award Winners

2011-01-31T04:51:00.000-08:00

AL MVP
Douglas Hobbes (17) - 1st MVP

NL MVP
Philip Chase (23) - 1st MVP

AL Cy Young
Willie Oliva (24) - 2nd Cy Young

NL Cy Young
Sid Richard (10) - 1st Cy Young

AL Rookie of the Year
Vinny Kendrick (17)

NL Rookie of the Year
Alex Estalella (24)

AL Fireman of the Year
Jim Phillips - 2nd Fireman of the Year

NL Fireman of the Year
Randy Murray - 1st Fireman of the Year

World Series Recap

2011-01-31T04:17:00.000-08:00

Game 1
New Orleans 7
Philadelphia 5
New Orleans fought off a late rally by the Freedom with 2-runs in the 10th to take home this game. Player of the Game 2B Matt McKnight (3-5, 2B, HR, 2R, 2RBI) knocked in the winning runs on a homer to left in the 10th. Mark Bang blew the save in the 9th, and retired the first 2 batters in the 10th before giving up a single and being relieved by Doyle Gipson who picked up the save.

Game 2
New Orleans 5
Philadelphia 0
Philadelphia was held to 4 hits byJesus Diaz as he went 8.0 innings to get the win. 3B Clark Davis went deep and knocked in 2 and 2B Matt McKnight knocked in 2 runs, while CF Aurelio Lorenzo knocked in 1. Philadelphia didn't threaten until the 8th when they put men at the corners with 2 outs and left them stranded.

Game 3
Philadelphia 8
New Orleans 3
With neither team able to hold serve so far at home, Philadelphia comes out on top here. 3B Otto Sorrento (2-4, HR, 2R, 3RBI) was the player of the game. 1B William Randall homered and knocked in 2, while C Rafael Guerrero knocked in 2 as well. New Orleans' 2B Matt Mcknight knocked in all 3 runs for the Zydeco.

Game 4
Philadelphia 3
New Orleans 4
The home team finally came through with a win in this nail-biter. Philadelphia's Kenshin Ogawa (7.0IP, 10H, 2ER, BB, 4K) pitched masterfully while his counterpart Wayne Roosevelt (5.0IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 3K) pitched admirably. New Orleans' bullpen was the difference (4IP, 4H, 1ER, 5K) as they held the Freedom in check after a short outing by Roosevelt. Zydeco 2B Matt McKnight knocked in 2 again, while 1B Albert Lucano (3-5, RBI) was the player of the game, knocking in the game-winning run. 3B Otto Sorrento (2-5, HR, 2R, RBI), C Rafael Guerrero (1-3, RBI, BB), and 1B William Randall (2-4, RBI) provided the offense for the Freedom who saw Luis Bennett and D.J. Quinn combine to give this game away.

Game 5
Philadelphia 7
New Orleans 1
With a chance to put the WS Ring on their hand and celebrate at home, the Zydeco buckled under pressure. LF Paulie Williams homered in the 4th for the only New Orleans' run as Philadelphia's Howard Lyon (7.0IP, 2H, ER, 3BB, 4K) pitched exceptionally. LF Livan Bocachica (4-5, 2B, 2HR, 3R, 3RBI) was dominant while Randall, Guerrero, Taylor and Mendoza all contributed as well.

Game 6
New Orleans 6
Philadelphia 7
A slugfest that still saw 13 runs, 31 hits, 9 walks, and 10 innings, this was a classic. The starters pitched well, with New Orleans' Boots Coleman (4.0IP, 3H, 0ER, BB, 2K) and Philadelphia's Danys Miranda (6.0IP, 8H, 3ER, BB, 5K) doing their parts...the bullpens let them down though. Freedom 1B William Randall (2-5, R, RBI, BB) knocked in the winning run in the 10th, while CF Francisco Wilfredo (3-6, 2B, 2RBI) and LF Livan Bocachica (2-5, HR, 2R, 2RBI) knocked in 2 each, and 2B Louis Taylor and C Rafael Guerrero knocked in one each. 2B Matt McKnight (4-5, 3 2B, R, RBI) excelled in the loss, while RF Jorge Marichal and 1B Albert Lucano both homered and knocked in 2.

Game 7
New Orleans 2
Philadelphia 5
The Freedom had won 2 straight coming into this game, and were determined to take home the ring. The Zydeco had other ideas as 3B Clark Davis (2-4, 2HR, 2R, 2RBI) homered in the 2nd. Unfortunately, New Orleans' Ray Sisk (5.0IP, 5H, 5R, 4ER, 5BB, 4K) had other ideas and couldn't hold the lead. 3B Otto Sorrento tripled and knocked in 2, while 1B Victor Vargas homered and knocked in 2. Philadelphia's Kenshin Ogawa (7.0IP, 6H, ER, 4BB, 4K) was masterful in victory. CONGRATULATIONS PHILADELPHIA!!

World Series Preview

2011-01-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

AL#1 Philadelphia Freedom (103-59)
vs.
NL#3 New Orleans Zydeco (91-71)

This match-up of the NL South Champion Zydeco and AL East Champion Freedom is sure to excite many. While not the Philadelphia-Columbus that the chalk would've generated, there is still plenty to like about this matchup.

PHILADELPHIA
Offense
The Freedom are a force to be reckoned with having hit 283 HRs this season. 11 players hit 10+ home runs, while 4 starters boasted better than a .318 batting average. 9 players scored 50+ runs while 6 knocked in 60+. In a statistical anomaly, they didn't steal a base all season, getting caught on both attempts.

Pitching
The Freedom had 5 pitchers account for every start this past season and not a single one threw in fewer than 160 innings. There was not a single pitcher on this staff that finished with an ERA higher than 4.57, while no pitcher even walked 100. All 5 starters recorded 124+ strikeouts. Gave up 97 fewer home runs than they hit this season. The highest WHIP for the team was 1.56.

Defense
No player had more than 20 errors, and that was the SS, who recorded 20 plus plays. Overall the team made 86 total errors, while turning 473 double plays, and making 71 good plays. Their catchers threw out 25% of would-be base-stealers on the season.

NEW ORLEANS
Offense
The Zydeco had 4 players steal 10+ bases this season, while having 8 hitters knock 10+ HRs out of the park. 5 players accounted for 20+ doubles, while 7 players scored 50+ runs and knocked in 50+. They stole 94 bases while getting caught 32 times.

Pitching
A 3.83 team ERA sets this up to be a potential pitcher's duel. 5 pitchers made all of New Orleans' starts this season, and no one pitched less than 157.1 innings. There were a couple pitchers with 5.00+ ERAs, but no one else had over a 4.50. WHIPs ranged from 0.80 to 1.57. No starter struck out fewer than 115 batters, while nobody walked more than 70 batters throughout the season.

Defense
Solid defensively, no player made more than 10 errors this season. This team was solid, but not spectacular, recording only 42 good plays. They did turn 427 double plays. They were horrendous at throwing out baserunners, catching only 15% of would-be base-stealers.

WHAT DO I THINK?
If Philadelphia stole bases, I think they would be able to win easily by using New Orleans' weakness against them. That being said, Philly does not steal bases, they rely on their awesome power to carry the day, while New Orleans ekes out wins using pitching. Common sense says that Philadelphia is better pitching, hitting, and fielding team than New Orleans, so they should win. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that New Orleans will win. Their scrappy ways have paid off all season and got them into the World Series. It'll serve them well here where they will have to scratch and claw for every run they can.
NEW ORLEANS in 7.