Apparently Lars has quit, so I'll do one of these things. Moral: Never trust a Canadian to do an American's job.
Around the League this week:
- The gap between the have's and have-not's widens this season, as just 6 teams (ATL, HAL, BAL, PHI, LON and TAI) have winning records. 6 of the 8 World League teams are under .500.
- SLB's "luckiest" team is at it again; Taipei, who had the greatest positive discrepancy vs. their pythagorean record in 2018, is 15 games over .500 despite a run differential of just +24. The least lucky team? Kyoto, who is 9 games under despite having a +4 run diff.
- A lot of Kyoto's failures have come in one-run games, where they are a league worst 3-10. "We feared this would happen," said pitching coach Kazuhiro Sasaki. "We have a very young bullpen, and they just haven't stepped up in the close games." Atlanta is the league's best team in close games, posting a 10-2 record in one-run affairs.
- Taipei's Scott Kazmir had a perfect game through 6 innings this week, but after throwing just 70 pitches, was pulled. Kazmir, who was just acquired by the Tai Fong in a deal with Bedford, refused to bad mouth his new team. "Coach said he thought the game was well in hand and wanted me to rest up for my next start," said a visibly irritated Kazmir. "I've got to do what I'm told." The bullpen finished out a combined no-hitter and Kazmir won his first decision of the season (after an 0-5 start).
- Matt Porter, a rookie starter who headed to Bedford in the Kazmir deal, pitched 7 innings of 2-hit, shutout ball in his Bedford debut.
- For the first time in forever, we have a heated race for RPOY. The early front-runners for the award include Rene Delmas (ATL, 4-1, 2.98), Anthony Rodriguez (SJ, 3-1, 3.38) and Chico Salazar (SAV, 1-2, 2.88).
- Front-runners for RHOY include Morton Henrikksen (ATL, .350, 9, 28), Mike Wells (BAL, .343, 4, 20), Stan Ford (KYO, .267, 9, 22), and Ben Parker (.282, 14, 31).
- SAV's Miguel Cabrera has extended his league record career hit total past 2700 and doubles total to 834. TAI's Jose Reyes is 45 runs shy of 1500.
- Jerome Williams is the third pitcher in league history to top 200 wins. The Paris hurler stands at 206, with CC Sabathia at 209 and Mark Prior at 229. Prior is just 9 K's short of joining the 3000 strikeout club; he would join Josh Beckett (3094) and Sabathia (3074).
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Power Rankings - April 29th, 2019
1st - London Knights (15-11) – James McNulty .352 / 1.088 – 4th year player. McNulty is having a career year, leading the Knights in Home Runs. Once again, I am not sure why he bats so far down. Rank 1st.
2nd - Atlanta Flyers (18-7) – Justin Morneau .200 / .599 John Twain .286 / .962 - $200,000 veteran and a 4th year player respectively. Morneau’s early struggles have given Twain another shot. If Twain struggles, could we see a midseason call-up, Harnisch maybe? Rank 8th.
3rd - San Juan Senadores (16-10) – JR Lederle .211 / .623 – Rookie. With the injury to Larkin, San Juan shifted the Miller’s around giving Lederle playing time. This could cost them in the long run. RFank 15th.
4th - Taipei Tai Fong (18-8) – Dan Posedel .330 / .892 – Brand new 3 year / $13.5 million contract. Not a huge HR hitter, but can get you that extra base hit when needed. Rank 5th.
5th - Halifax Sailors (16-11) – Allan Mertes (vs. R) .288 / .765 Johnathan Zizzo (vs. L) .192 / .526 – 3rd and 4th year players respectively. Halifax has never been a big spender at 1B, instead relying on the natural depth that exists in the league. The platoon trial is about to come to a screeching halt, as Mertes clearly deserves the playing time ahead of Zizzo. Rank 10th.
6th - Paris Pimpernels (12-15) – Hee Seop Choi .315 / .983 – Perhaps one of the best 1B values at 3.25 million per year, Choi has found a great home in Paris. Still, at age 39, one wonders how many more years (months) Choi actually has. Rank 3rd.
7th - Scotland Rebels (14-14) – Henry Sanchez .186 / .614 – 4th year player. The once pride of the Kyoto farm system has never lived up to potential. Sosa or Gladden should get significant playing time soon. Rank 16th.
8th - Chiang Mai Kwaan (11-15) – Daniel Callahan .317 / .746 - 6th season. Callahan is not having the year he needs to grab that big contract in the off-season. Having zero Home Runs from a 1B position is not what any team is looking for. Rank 11th.
9th - Cleveland Dawgs (14-13) – Matthew Hamman .288 / .813 – Rookie. Considering the lack of depth on this team, Hamman is a nice find. Too bad he is struggling so bad against lefties. Cleveland is trying different combinations to make up for that.
10th - Osaka Ronin (11-16) – Prince Fielder .260 / .766 – To pay a slugger like Fielder $6 million a year, have him travel to Osaka, and then hit worse than normal is just a large insult to management. Rank 9th.
11th - Savannah Sabers (12-13) – Charlie Splittorff .339 / 1.016 – 3rd year player. After a terrible rookie performance, Splittorff has been on fire. Not sure why he’s not batting higher in the line-up. Rank 4th.
12th - Ireland Invaders (12-16) – Nicholas Weglarz .310 / .859 – 3rd year player. Just the opposite of Kyoto, Weglarz is having a career year. Although Nicholas has always had some pop, he has never had a great stroke at the plate. Rank 6th.
13th - Baltimore Panthers (14-10) – John Atwood .341 / 1.048 - 3rd year player. Atwood is picking up the slack for all of the offensive retirements suffered by the Panthers. Throw in a couple of stolen bases as well. If Baltimore is going to rebuild, Atwood could be a corner stone or, frankly, might have great trade value in the SLB this year with so many 1B’s struggling. Rank 2nd.
14th -Philadelphia Fever (11-13) – Ken Ryu (vs. L) .214 / .660 Gregory Golson (vs. R) .185 / .571 – Two veterans are platooning for the Fever. Neither can hit a right-handed pitcher. Maybe we can add their stats together… Rank 14th.
15th - Kyoto Bushido (9-17) – Mark Hamilton .212 / .676 – 4th year player. Kyoto can’t catch a break, as Mark Hamilton is having his worse by far. Someone who has a career .900 OP’s does not normally hit 300 points below. There must be an injury Kyoto is keeping secret. Rank 13th.
16th - Bedford Crunch (6-20) – Basil Elton-John .240 / .722 - 5th year player. Basil has always had a Home Run swing. 1 out of every 5 hits leaves the ballpark. Not quite having the season Bedford was hoping for. Rank 12th.
2nd - Atlanta Flyers (18-7) – Justin Morneau .200 / .599 John Twain .286 / .962 - $200,000 veteran and a 4th year player respectively. Morneau’s early struggles have given Twain another shot. If Twain struggles, could we see a midseason call-up, Harnisch maybe? Rank 8th.
3rd - San Juan Senadores (16-10) – JR Lederle .211 / .623 – Rookie. With the injury to Larkin, San Juan shifted the Miller’s around giving Lederle playing time. This could cost them in the long run. RFank 15th.
4th - Taipei Tai Fong (18-8) – Dan Posedel .330 / .892 – Brand new 3 year / $13.5 million contract. Not a huge HR hitter, but can get you that extra base hit when needed. Rank 5th.
5th - Halifax Sailors (16-11) – Allan Mertes (vs. R) .288 / .765 Johnathan Zizzo (vs. L) .192 / .526 – 3rd and 4th year players respectively. Halifax has never been a big spender at 1B, instead relying on the natural depth that exists in the league. The platoon trial is about to come to a screeching halt, as Mertes clearly deserves the playing time ahead of Zizzo. Rank 10th.
6th - Paris Pimpernels (12-15) – Hee Seop Choi .315 / .983 – Perhaps one of the best 1B values at 3.25 million per year, Choi has found a great home in Paris. Still, at age 39, one wonders how many more years (months) Choi actually has. Rank 3rd.
7th - Scotland Rebels (14-14) – Henry Sanchez .186 / .614 – 4th year player. The once pride of the Kyoto farm system has never lived up to potential. Sosa or Gladden should get significant playing time soon. Rank 16th.
8th - Chiang Mai Kwaan (11-15) – Daniel Callahan .317 / .746 - 6th season. Callahan is not having the year he needs to grab that big contract in the off-season. Having zero Home Runs from a 1B position is not what any team is looking for. Rank 11th.
9th - Cleveland Dawgs (14-13) – Matthew Hamman .288 / .813 – Rookie. Considering the lack of depth on this team, Hamman is a nice find. Too bad he is struggling so bad against lefties. Cleveland is trying different combinations to make up for that.
10th - Osaka Ronin (11-16) – Prince Fielder .260 / .766 – To pay a slugger like Fielder $6 million a year, have him travel to Osaka, and then hit worse than normal is just a large insult to management. Rank 9th.
11th - Savannah Sabers (12-13) – Charlie Splittorff .339 / 1.016 – 3rd year player. After a terrible rookie performance, Splittorff has been on fire. Not sure why he’s not batting higher in the line-up. Rank 4th.
12th - Ireland Invaders (12-16) – Nicholas Weglarz .310 / .859 – 3rd year player. Just the opposite of Kyoto, Weglarz is having a career year. Although Nicholas has always had some pop, he has never had a great stroke at the plate. Rank 6th.
13th - Baltimore Panthers (14-10) – John Atwood .341 / 1.048 - 3rd year player. Atwood is picking up the slack for all of the offensive retirements suffered by the Panthers. Throw in a couple of stolen bases as well. If Baltimore is going to rebuild, Atwood could be a corner stone or, frankly, might have great trade value in the SLB this year with so many 1B’s struggling. Rank 2nd.
14th -Philadelphia Fever (11-13) – Ken Ryu (vs. L) .214 / .660 Gregory Golson (vs. R) .185 / .571 – Two veterans are platooning for the Fever. Neither can hit a right-handed pitcher. Maybe we can add their stats together… Rank 14th.
15th - Kyoto Bushido (9-17) – Mark Hamilton .212 / .676 – 4th year player. Kyoto can’t catch a break, as Mark Hamilton is having his worse by far. Someone who has a career .900 OP’s does not normally hit 300 points below. There must be an injury Kyoto is keeping secret. Rank 13th.
16th - Bedford Crunch (6-20) – Basil Elton-John .240 / .722 - 5th year player. Basil has always had a Home Run swing. 1 out of every 5 hits leaves the ballpark. Not quite having the season Bedford was hoping for. Rank 12th.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Hot Stove Heater: American League South (Dylan)
What happened last year: While Halifax and London won their divisions by double digits, and Taipei won the Far East's battle of attrition, Atlanta and San Juan actually had a competitive, well-played fight to the finish.
In the end, Atlanta finished on top, going 98-62, four games ahead of San Juan's 94-66 mark.
Baltimore? Need you even ask? The Panthers finished 77-83. Savannah ended in last, with a 73-87 record.
The Flyers and the Senadores fought tooth and nail till the final day of the regular season — and then fought some more in the first round of the playoffs. Atlanta knocked out SJ four games to one before bowing out to Halifax in the ALCS.
For the Flyers in the regular season, it was more of the same. Darren Lemming continued his assault on the record books, Curt Smaza (34 home runs) and Justin Morneau (32) cranked out over 30 bombs, the Flyers scored 1004 runs (not a typo), and, oh yeah, Homer Bailey and Carlos Zambrano combined for a 36-13 record.
For the negatives ... Ryan Tucker and Al Krieger, long assumed to be the heirs to the Bailey/Zambrano throne, struggled a bit. Tucker finished with a 4.26 ERA and Krieger went 10-16 with a 5.83 mark. God bless run support, Tucker went 17-5.
San Juan's offense was quite as high-powered as the Flyers' (the Senadores crossed the plate 876 times, good for sixth in SLB) but they scored enough to tide over a pretty fierce staff (4.61 ERA, good for fifth in the league).
Shortstop Floyd Larkin pulled a Diego Clemente and hit 39 home runs with 140 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. And he didn't even lead the team in OPS. Left fielder Matt Musser hit .345 with 25 homers and 27 triples, good for an OPS of 1.001. As if that weren't enough, he stole 62 bases, too.
Jeff Niemann finally lived up to his potential, going 17-6 with a 3.67 ERA and 223 strikeouts and Kevin Thompson, acquired in a trade from Taipei (who acquired him in a trade from CHNG), finished 11-10 but posted a 3.48 ERA.
Oh Baltimore. It has to be hard being the Panthers. They got years out of Frank Vanderwal (.348 average!!!!??), Albert Pujols, Dallas McPherson and John Atwood that the fans had been clamoring for. Dennis Tankersly, Zach Putnam and Ben Cepeda pitched very well, the bullpen was, at worst, average, and yet the Panthers had to wake up every day in the same division with Atlanta and San Juan.
Same for Savannah. They had the same ERA as San Juan (and 0.01 better than Atlanta, too), but scored 108 fewer runs than the Senadores. What does that get you? See: last place.
The Sabres' offense hit just 195 homers, fewer than every team except Taipei (182) and Halifax (187). Ironically, both those teams went to the postseason. Their offense was "led" by Miguel Cabrera (who underperformed) and the two-headed monster of Zach Tobin and Brandon Leahy. Not exactly fearsome.
Phillip Humber (15-7, 3.36 ERA, 199 Ks) was one of the better pitchers in the entire league and Dontrelle Willis made 22 starts and posted a 2.90 ERA.
What happened in the offseason: Not a whole hell of a lot, honestly. Despite a run made by Osaka at Darren Lemming (would he have hit 100 homers for the Ronin?), Atlanta matched an unprecedented $20 million deal. Atlanta also matched on K-Rod, while San Juan matched on Jeff Niemann and watched late-season pick up Kevin Thompson go. Savannah signed John Mayberry, the only move of note that the Sabers (and Baltimore, for that matter) made.
What will happen in 2019: Atlanta will get better pitching from Tucker and Krieger and will again hold off San Juan by just a few games, while Baltimore and Savannah will finish well below the two standard bearers. Lemming will continue his assault on the record books and will finish the season with over 450 home runs.
Top 5 pitchers:
Homer Bailey, Atlanta
Zach Putnam, Baltimore
Phillip Humber, Savannah
Carlos Zambrano, Atlanta
Jeff Niemann, San Juan
Top 5 hitters:
Darren Lemming, Atlanta
Floyd Larkin, San Juan
Matt Musser, San Juan
D2J, San Juan
Miguel Cabrera, Savannah
Top 5 prospects
Josh Rodriguez, Atlanta
Morton Henrikksen, Atlanta
Anthony Rodriguez, San Juan
Charlie Proly, San Juan
Virgil Johnson, Baltimore
Predicted order of finish
Atlanta, San Juan, Savannah, Baltimore
In the end, Atlanta finished on top, going 98-62, four games ahead of San Juan's 94-66 mark.
Baltimore? Need you even ask? The Panthers finished 77-83. Savannah ended in last, with a 73-87 record.
The Flyers and the Senadores fought tooth and nail till the final day of the regular season — and then fought some more in the first round of the playoffs. Atlanta knocked out SJ four games to one before bowing out to Halifax in the ALCS.
For the Flyers in the regular season, it was more of the same. Darren Lemming continued his assault on the record books, Curt Smaza (34 home runs) and Justin Morneau (32) cranked out over 30 bombs, the Flyers scored 1004 runs (not a typo), and, oh yeah, Homer Bailey and Carlos Zambrano combined for a 36-13 record.
For the negatives ... Ryan Tucker and Al Krieger, long assumed to be the heirs to the Bailey/Zambrano throne, struggled a bit. Tucker finished with a 4.26 ERA and Krieger went 10-16 with a 5.83 mark. God bless run support, Tucker went 17-5.
San Juan's offense was quite as high-powered as the Flyers' (the Senadores crossed the plate 876 times, good for sixth in SLB) but they scored enough to tide over a pretty fierce staff (4.61 ERA, good for fifth in the league).
Shortstop Floyd Larkin pulled a Diego Clemente and hit 39 home runs with 140 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. And he didn't even lead the team in OPS. Left fielder Matt Musser hit .345 with 25 homers and 27 triples, good for an OPS of 1.001. As if that weren't enough, he stole 62 bases, too.
Jeff Niemann finally lived up to his potential, going 17-6 with a 3.67 ERA and 223 strikeouts and Kevin Thompson, acquired in a trade from Taipei (who acquired him in a trade from CHNG), finished 11-10 but posted a 3.48 ERA.
Oh Baltimore. It has to be hard being the Panthers. They got years out of Frank Vanderwal (.348 average!!!!??), Albert Pujols, Dallas McPherson and John Atwood that the fans had been clamoring for. Dennis Tankersly, Zach Putnam and Ben Cepeda pitched very well, the bullpen was, at worst, average, and yet the Panthers had to wake up every day in the same division with Atlanta and San Juan.
Same for Savannah. They had the same ERA as San Juan (and 0.01 better than Atlanta, too), but scored 108 fewer runs than the Senadores. What does that get you? See: last place.
The Sabres' offense hit just 195 homers, fewer than every team except Taipei (182) and Halifax (187). Ironically, both those teams went to the postseason. Their offense was "led" by Miguel Cabrera (who underperformed) and the two-headed monster of Zach Tobin and Brandon Leahy. Not exactly fearsome.
Phillip Humber (15-7, 3.36 ERA, 199 Ks) was one of the better pitchers in the entire league and Dontrelle Willis made 22 starts and posted a 2.90 ERA.
What happened in the offseason: Not a whole hell of a lot, honestly. Despite a run made by Osaka at Darren Lemming (would he have hit 100 homers for the Ronin?), Atlanta matched an unprecedented $20 million deal. Atlanta also matched on K-Rod, while San Juan matched on Jeff Niemann and watched late-season pick up Kevin Thompson go. Savannah signed John Mayberry, the only move of note that the Sabers (and Baltimore, for that matter) made.
What will happen in 2019: Atlanta will get better pitching from Tucker and Krieger and will again hold off San Juan by just a few games, while Baltimore and Savannah will finish well below the two standard bearers. Lemming will continue his assault on the record books and will finish the season with over 450 home runs.
Top 5 pitchers:
Homer Bailey, Atlanta
Zach Putnam, Baltimore
Phillip Humber, Savannah
Carlos Zambrano, Atlanta
Jeff Niemann, San Juan
Top 5 hitters:
Darren Lemming, Atlanta
Floyd Larkin, San Juan
Matt Musser, San Juan
D2J, San Juan
Miguel Cabrera, Savannah
Top 5 prospects
Josh Rodriguez, Atlanta
Morton Henrikksen, Atlanta
Anthony Rodriguez, San Juan
Charlie Proly, San Juan
Virgil Johnson, Baltimore
Predicted order of finish
Atlanta, San Juan, Savannah, Baltimore
Hot Stove Heater: American League South (Darin)
What happened last year: San Juan and Atlanta battled in the most hotly contested division race in the league, with the Flyers hanging on in the end and the Senadores snatching the wildcard. Neither won the pennant. Baltimore showed some improvement, posting a winning record on the road (and vs. the WL) but they failed to finish with a winning record for the 13th straight year. Savannah brought up the rear after a down year from several key players. Atlanta superstar Darren Lemming won his 4th MVP award and the league's first ever Triple Crown with his ludicrous .381, 54, 145 line. Homer Bailey had another Cy Young caliber season (17 wins, 251 K's) while Zambrano won 19. Baltimore saw three veterans hang it up after the season; Pujols, Guerrero and McPherson all called it a day, with the latter making the Hall of Fame. Surprisingly good starting pitching on the Panthers kept them respectable. San Juan's young offense clicked all year, with Larkin putting up legit MVP numbers. Five San Juan pitchers eclipsed 10 wins. Savannah's offense was anemic, finishing last in the AL in runs and homers. Phillip Humber was dominating as usual, and reliever Wade Townsand managed to collect 16 decisions in just 80 IP.
What happened in the offseason: The South saw some pitching head overseas. Baltimore veteran Dennis Tankersly signed with Paris, while San Juan hurler Kevin Thompson inked a deal in Ireland. The Panthers signed Jed Lowrie, who put up great numbers in the spring and will replace McPherson. After leaving him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, Atlanta sent a draft pick to Ireland to reacquire Rene Delmas, who is penciled into their rotation despite getting roughed up this spring. San Juan continued to shop Dennis Dennis around, but has had no takers.
What will happen this year: Looks like more of the same, though San Juan looks the best on paper. Their offense is hitting their prime and the starting pitching is the best top to bottom. Atlanta will have a terrific offense, but the back end of the rotation and bullpen are looking like danger spots. Seeing Guerrero and McPherson retire is probably a blessing in disguise for the Panthers, who have failed to fully commit to a youth movement. We'll see if their young and talented rotation can finally get the team a winning record. Savannah needs a lot of help and will continue to struggle; expect them to be active on the trade market.
Division's 5 best pitchers: 1. Homer Bailey (ATL), 2. Zach Putnam (BAL), 3. Phillip Humber (SAV), 4. Carlos Zambrano (ATL), 5. Alvin Dailey (SJ)
Division's 5 best batters: 1. CF Darren Lemming (ATL), 2. SS Floyd Larkin (SJ), 3. RF Dennis Dennis Jr. (SJ), 4.CF Buzz Bliss (SJ), 5. 2B Curt Smaza (ATL)
Division's 5 best prospects: 1. 3B Josh Rodriguez (ATL), 2. SP Anthony Rodriguez (SJ), 3. SP Chico Salazar (SAV), 4. RF Charlie Proly (SJ), 5. SP Peanuts Plantier (ATL)
Order of Finish: 1. SJ, 2. ATL, 3. BAL, 4. SAV
What happened in the offseason: The South saw some pitching head overseas. Baltimore veteran Dennis Tankersly signed with Paris, while San Juan hurler Kevin Thompson inked a deal in Ireland. The Panthers signed Jed Lowrie, who put up great numbers in the spring and will replace McPherson. After leaving him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, Atlanta sent a draft pick to Ireland to reacquire Rene Delmas, who is penciled into their rotation despite getting roughed up this spring. San Juan continued to shop Dennis Dennis around, but has had no takers.
What will happen this year: Looks like more of the same, though San Juan looks the best on paper. Their offense is hitting their prime and the starting pitching is the best top to bottom. Atlanta will have a terrific offense, but the back end of the rotation and bullpen are looking like danger spots. Seeing Guerrero and McPherson retire is probably a blessing in disguise for the Panthers, who have failed to fully commit to a youth movement. We'll see if their young and talented rotation can finally get the team a winning record. Savannah needs a lot of help and will continue to struggle; expect them to be active on the trade market.
Division's 5 best pitchers: 1. Homer Bailey (ATL), 2. Zach Putnam (BAL), 3. Phillip Humber (SAV), 4. Carlos Zambrano (ATL), 5. Alvin Dailey (SJ)
Division's 5 best batters: 1. CF Darren Lemming (ATL), 2. SS Floyd Larkin (SJ), 3. RF Dennis Dennis Jr. (SJ), 4.CF Buzz Bliss (SJ), 5. 2B Curt Smaza (ATL)
Division's 5 best prospects: 1. 3B Josh Rodriguez (ATL), 2. SP Anthony Rodriguez (SJ), 3. SP Chico Salazar (SAV), 4. RF Charlie Proly (SJ), 5. SP Peanuts Plantier (ATL)
Order of Finish: 1. SJ, 2. ATL, 3. BAL, 4. SAV
Hot Stove Heater: American League North (Dylan)
Dylan
What happened in 2018: Halifax ran away with the division, winning 98 games - second most in SLB - and eventually taking the World Series four games to three over Paris. The Sailors swung a masterful deal in June, dealing, well, not much of anything to Chiang for Mark Prior. The big righty had struggled in the Far East, but righted his ship once he made the move and helped Halifax to its first championship since 2012. The Sailors got strong seasons from basically their entire offense and received fantastic years from Prior (13-10, 3.77 ERA), Cy Young winnerJohan Santana (20-1, 3.34) and El Ron Ubardo (13-8, 3.35).
Bedford and Philly finished with identical 77-83 records and missed the playoffs. The Fever put on an offensive show, Andy Hunter (53 home runs, 143 RBIs, 112 runs) supplied most of the power while Jay Bruce (.349 average, 144 runs, 44 doubles, 30 triples, 36 home runs, 105 RBIs and 36 stolen bases) turned in one of the most complete seasons in SLB history and won the division's MVP award. Where did it go wrong? No pitcher had an ERA under 4.52. When your best ERA is turned in by a guy named Phil Coughty, you know you're in trouble. Rich Harden disappointed with a 5.32 ERA - his worst since 2005. The pitching staff erased any chance of a Fever postseason.
For Bedford, its problems appropriately mirrored Philly's. The offense was solid - though not as spectacular as the Fever's - but the pitching staff fell apart. Luke Hochevar (9-7, 3.32) was great and Ted Striker was solid (12-9, 4.06) but the Crunch failed to get meaningful innings out of any other pitcher until Connors Graham tossed 18.2 innings of 1.93 ERA ball late in the season.
Todric Johnson (.326/.371/.610) mashed and Basil Elton-John smoked 35 home runs in just 477 at bats, but the hitting couldn't overcome the meager pitching.
Where to start for Cleveland? They won just 69 games, worst in the American League. Their offense was middle of the road. Their pitching? In a word, it was miserable. Only Osaka (6.64) had a worse ERA than the Dawgs' 5.72 mark. Mike Miller was the "headliner" with his 13-11, 4.54 performance. Someone named Chas Keohane was allowed to log 110 innings of 7.28 ERA, a number that would make even Osaka wince. More embarrassing than even that woeful mark was the 72.1 innings of 10.58 (TEN FIFTY EIGHT) ERA that Maurice Rodriguez threw up (literally). This staff's performance better have cost someone a job, that's all I can say.
The offense fared much better. Tex Austin (.313/.374/.625, 48-126) had a fantastic season, Alex Hildebrand stole 34 bases and hit .331/.372/.591 with 32 home runs and when healthy, catcher Neil Walker (.342/.405/.578) mashed.
On the flipside, Juan Pierre hit .205 but was somehow allowed to steal 293 at bats. Overall, it was just a disaster for Cleveland.
What happened in the offseason: Halifax, riding high off its championship season, re-signed Justin Upton, grabbed reliever Tim Gudex out of Kyoto and signed Josh Barfield. They did let Ubardo go out east to Taipei, but pitching was not their problem last year and Gudex will help shore up their bullpen.
Philly re-signed third baseman Evan Longoria, whose talent has never matched his production, and in an appropriate move, signed Doug Waechter from Bedford. The Crunch tossed deals at mediocre pitching, apparently hoping to steal the San Juan playbook of "hit a lot and get pitching performances from nobodies" while Cleveland grabbed reliever Reed Rothchild to strengthen the pen and got a potential steal in signing the always-disappointing but apparently renewed Matt Bush for under $2 million a season.
What will happen in 2019: Halifax will again run away with the division. That's it in a nutshell. They won 21 more games than anyone else in the North last year and they should do it again this year. I wouldn't say that they got appreciably better from last season to this season, but they didn't get worse and that should get it done considering that no one else in the division got better, either. Philly and Bedford still can't pitch and neither can Cleveland. Someone tell Sailors' GM Larsen Cain to set his alarm for when the playoffs start. He can nap until then.
Predicted order of finish:
Halifax, Philly, Bedford, Cleveland.
Top 5 pitchers
Mark Prior - Halifax
Johan Santana - Halifax
Luke Hochevar - Bedford
Justin Verlander - Halifax
Rich Harden - Philly
Top 5 Hitters
1. Jay Bruce - Philly
2. Tex Austin - Cleveland
3. Andy Hunter - Philly
4. Justin Upton - Halifax
5. Alex Hildebrand - Cleveland
Top 5 prospects
1. Jason Wilber - Philly
2. Samuel Archibald - Halifax
3. Hunter Johnson - Bedord
4. Dante Bichette Jr. - Cleveland
5. Greg Moore - Halifax
What happened in 2018: Halifax ran away with the division, winning 98 games - second most in SLB - and eventually taking the World Series four games to three over Paris. The Sailors swung a masterful deal in June, dealing, well, not much of anything to Chiang for Mark Prior. The big righty had struggled in the Far East, but righted his ship once he made the move and helped Halifax to its first championship since 2012. The Sailors got strong seasons from basically their entire offense and received fantastic years from Prior (13-10, 3.77 ERA), Cy Young winnerJohan Santana (20-1, 3.34) and El Ron Ubardo (13-8, 3.35).
Bedford and Philly finished with identical 77-83 records and missed the playoffs. The Fever put on an offensive show, Andy Hunter (53 home runs, 143 RBIs, 112 runs) supplied most of the power while Jay Bruce (.349 average, 144 runs, 44 doubles, 30 triples, 36 home runs, 105 RBIs and 36 stolen bases) turned in one of the most complete seasons in SLB history and won the division's MVP award. Where did it go wrong? No pitcher had an ERA under 4.52. When your best ERA is turned in by a guy named Phil Coughty, you know you're in trouble. Rich Harden disappointed with a 5.32 ERA - his worst since 2005. The pitching staff erased any chance of a Fever postseason.
For Bedford, its problems appropriately mirrored Philly's. The offense was solid - though not as spectacular as the Fever's - but the pitching staff fell apart. Luke Hochevar (9-7, 3.32) was great and Ted Striker was solid (12-9, 4.06) but the Crunch failed to get meaningful innings out of any other pitcher until Connors Graham tossed 18.2 innings of 1.93 ERA ball late in the season.
Todric Johnson (.326/.371/.610) mashed and Basil Elton-John smoked 35 home runs in just 477 at bats, but the hitting couldn't overcome the meager pitching.
Where to start for Cleveland? They won just 69 games, worst in the American League. Their offense was middle of the road. Their pitching? In a word, it was miserable. Only Osaka (6.64) had a worse ERA than the Dawgs' 5.72 mark. Mike Miller was the "headliner" with his 13-11, 4.54 performance. Someone named Chas Keohane was allowed to log 110 innings of 7.28 ERA, a number that would make even Osaka wince. More embarrassing than even that woeful mark was the 72.1 innings of 10.58 (TEN FIFTY EIGHT) ERA that Maurice Rodriguez threw up (literally). This staff's performance better have cost someone a job, that's all I can say.
The offense fared much better. Tex Austin (.313/.374/.625, 48-126) had a fantastic season, Alex Hildebrand stole 34 bases and hit .331/.372/.591 with 32 home runs and when healthy, catcher Neil Walker (.342/.405/.578) mashed.
On the flipside, Juan Pierre hit .205 but was somehow allowed to steal 293 at bats. Overall, it was just a disaster for Cleveland.
What happened in the offseason: Halifax, riding high off its championship season, re-signed Justin Upton, grabbed reliever Tim Gudex out of Kyoto and signed Josh Barfield. They did let Ubardo go out east to Taipei, but pitching was not their problem last year and Gudex will help shore up their bullpen.
Philly re-signed third baseman Evan Longoria, whose talent has never matched his production, and in an appropriate move, signed Doug Waechter from Bedford. The Crunch tossed deals at mediocre pitching, apparently hoping to steal the San Juan playbook of "hit a lot and get pitching performances from nobodies" while Cleveland grabbed reliever Reed Rothchild to strengthen the pen and got a potential steal in signing the always-disappointing but apparently renewed Matt Bush for under $2 million a season.
What will happen in 2019: Halifax will again run away with the division. That's it in a nutshell. They won 21 more games than anyone else in the North last year and they should do it again this year. I wouldn't say that they got appreciably better from last season to this season, but they didn't get worse and that should get it done considering that no one else in the division got better, either. Philly and Bedford still can't pitch and neither can Cleveland. Someone tell Sailors' GM Larsen Cain to set his alarm for when the playoffs start. He can nap until then.
Predicted order of finish:
Halifax, Philly, Bedford, Cleveland.
Top 5 pitchers
Mark Prior - Halifax
Johan Santana - Halifax
Luke Hochevar - Bedford
Justin Verlander - Halifax
Rich Harden - Philly
Top 5 Hitters
1. Jay Bruce - Philly
2. Tex Austin - Cleveland
3. Andy Hunter - Philly
4. Justin Upton - Halifax
5. Alex Hildebrand - Cleveland
Top 5 prospects
1. Jason Wilber - Philly
2. Samuel Archibald - Halifax
3. Hunter Johnson - Bedord
4. Dante Bichette Jr. - Cleveland
5. Greg Moore - Halifax
Hot Stove Heater: American League North (Darin)
Darin
What happened last year: It was a one horse race for most of the season, with World Champion Halifax clearly a cut above the rest. By season's end, the Sailors were
the only team with a winning record (their 98 wins tied with Atlanta for most in the American League) and they lead the division in both runs and team ERA. Halifax's offense was all about spreading the wealth (damn socialists!!!), with no hitter breaking 100 RBI, but five collecting 80+. The story of the pitching staff was Johan Santana, who won the Cy Young and almost went undefeated for the year. The rest of the rotation all won 11 or more games, while the bullpen managed to bend but not break in close games. Notable performances from other North Division players included Cleveland's explosive young right fielder Tex Austin (48 HR, 126 RBI) and the entire Philly outfield; Hunting, Bruce and Hunter combined for 373 runs, 110 HR and 360 RBI. Amazing. Bedford had good team speed as five different hitters had 20 or more steals.
What happened in the offseason: Not a lot of player movement in the North this offseason. Halifax lost El Ron Ubardo to Taipei, but signed lefty Tim Gudex to a rich contract. Cleveland beefed up it's woeful bullpen with the additions of William Buckner, Brandon Durden and Reed Rothchild, while Philly added Doug Waechter and Bedford rolled the dice on some vets.
What will happen this year: On paper, it looks like Halifax's division to lose again. A full year with Prior, Santana and Verlander in the rotation pegs them as easy favorites, and if they can get some good bullpen performances out of their stockpile of young arms, 90 wins should be easy. Cleveland is going to have a tremendous offense, but will their pitching keep them in games? Young guys like Voorhees and Rule 5 pickup Joe Archer need to step it up in a big way. Philly is due for a rebound after a down year. The offense is great, and if the pitching rotation can skew back to their career averages, the Fever could compete for the wildcard (or, with a trade or two, push Halifax for the division). Bedford....what to say about them? It's the team that under performs every single year. What is it about Brooklyn that sucks the life out of almost every player?
Five Best Pitchers:
1 - Mark Prior (HAL)
2 - Johan Santana (HAL)
3 - Luke Hochevar (BED)
4 - Rich Harden (PHI)
5 - Justin Verlander (HAL)
Five Best Hitters:
1 - Jay Bruce (PHI)
2 - Tex Austin (CLE)
3 - Andy Hunter (PHI)
4 - Will Hunting (PHI)
5 - Alex Hildenbrand (CLE)
Five Best Prospects:
1 - Jason Wilber (3B-PHI)
2 - Samuel Archibald (OF-HAL)
3 - Dante Bichette, Jr. (OF-CLE)
4 - Hunter Johnson (SP-BED)
5 - Ernie Fitzgerald (RP-PHI)
Predicted order of finish:
1 - Halifax
2 - Philly
3 - Cleveland
4 - Bedford
What happened last year: It was a one horse race for most of the season, with World Champion Halifax clearly a cut above the rest. By season's end, the Sailors were
the only team with a winning record (their 98 wins tied with Atlanta for most in the American League) and they lead the division in both runs and team ERA. Halifax's offense was all about spreading the wealth (damn socialists!!!), with no hitter breaking 100 RBI, but five collecting 80+. The story of the pitching staff was Johan Santana, who won the Cy Young and almost went undefeated for the year. The rest of the rotation all won 11 or more games, while the bullpen managed to bend but not break in close games. Notable performances from other North Division players included Cleveland's explosive young right fielder Tex Austin (48 HR, 126 RBI) and the entire Philly outfield; Hunting, Bruce and Hunter combined for 373 runs, 110 HR and 360 RBI. Amazing. Bedford had good team speed as five different hitters had 20 or more steals.
What happened in the offseason: Not a lot of player movement in the North this offseason. Halifax lost El Ron Ubardo to Taipei, but signed lefty Tim Gudex to a rich contract. Cleveland beefed up it's woeful bullpen with the additions of William Buckner, Brandon Durden and Reed Rothchild, while Philly added Doug Waechter and Bedford rolled the dice on some vets.
What will happen this year: On paper, it looks like Halifax's division to lose again. A full year with Prior, Santana and Verlander in the rotation pegs them as easy favorites, and if they can get some good bullpen performances out of their stockpile of young arms, 90 wins should be easy. Cleveland is going to have a tremendous offense, but will their pitching keep them in games? Young guys like Voorhees and Rule 5 pickup Joe Archer need to step it up in a big way. Philly is due for a rebound after a down year. The offense is great, and if the pitching rotation can skew back to their career averages, the Fever could compete for the wildcard (or, with a trade or two, push Halifax for the division). Bedford....what to say about them? It's the team that under performs every single year. What is it about Brooklyn that sucks the life out of almost every player?
Five Best Pitchers:
1 - Mark Prior (HAL)
2 - Johan Santana (HAL)
3 - Luke Hochevar (BED)
4 - Rich Harden (PHI)
5 - Justin Verlander (HAL)
Five Best Hitters:
1 - Jay Bruce (PHI)
2 - Tex Austin (CLE)
3 - Andy Hunter (PHI)
4 - Will Hunting (PHI)
5 - Alex Hildenbrand (CLE)
Five Best Prospects:
1 - Jason Wilber (3B-PHI)
2 - Samuel Archibald (OF-HAL)
3 - Dante Bichette, Jr. (OF-CLE)
4 - Hunter Johnson (SP-BED)
5 - Ernie Fitzgerald (RP-PHI)
Predicted order of finish:
1 - Halifax
2 - Philly
3 - Cleveland
4 - Bedford
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