Season Preview: Chiang-Mai Kwaan

2017 Record: 76-84, 1st in Far East
Key Additions: 3B David Wright, SS Adrian Cardenas, SP E Krueger
Key Losses: SP Michael Pelfrey, 1B Ken Ryu, SP Mark Prior, LF Walt Coon
2018 Prediction: 75-86

Blech. After finishing 12 games under .500, the lucky Kwaan team managed to backdoor their way into a playoff appearance and put some more money in their coffers. They should have refused that cash infusion from the league just on principle. How embarrassing. The Kwaan finished 14th in the league in runs scored despite a "where have you been?" performance from 2B Cap Jackson, who hit .311 with 110 steals. Outfielder Walt Coon is taking his power to division rival Taipei, leaving just power-hitting catcher Thurman Murman and RF Joe Belinda from a short list of last seasons contributors.
The Kwaan didn't score much last year and the pitching staff delivered just a 10th best ERA ranking (4.71). Gone from last year's staff is Mark Prior to Scotland, and Michael Pelfrey to Philly, leaving a rotation that is suspect with the retirement of Dan Haren.
With Taipei in his division, GM Ben Royer is obviously unconcerned with finishing last and taking the cap hit. It appears he's attempting to stay competitive while adding some picks and prospects for a serious run at a title down the road. Pelfrey went as a rental to Philly for a nice bounty, SS A Cardenas, who will be groomed in the minors for a season or two. It isn't necessarily a bad plan, with no Far East team making you say, "wow!" So if things go right and luck is on his side, Royer could repeat last year's playoff appearance. Or he could finish third, resign Jackson after the season, and hope that CF T Bayne, 2B C Jackson, RF J Belinda and Cardenas are his foundation for the future.

Batting Order
2B C Jackson
SS B Willemburg
RF J Belinda
C T Murman
3B D Wright
1B D Callahan
LF N Swisher
pitcher
CF T Bayne

Yeah, it looks like Royer wants to get tricky and bat his pitcher 8th. We'll see how that goes. Can David Wright show anything for the 4M per Royer's paying him? 1B Callahan had a serious case of "teh suck" last season and you can't ever have first base being a black hole in your lineup. Chiang-Mai has never been shy about making a move so we'll be patient.
Bench spots go to C J Egan, who has some pop but can't seem to see the ball, LF O Lord, 3B H Sloat, LF B Swope (who must have Egan as his hitting coach) and hey, a Rocco Baldelli sighting!

Pitching: Eddie Krueger, Eddie Degerman, Mark Rogers, Dan Brauer, Curt Wilson.
Closer: Cole St. Clair.

Kwaan fans won't see a lot of sock from their guys, but when the other team bats - lookout! Degerman had an ERA over 4 while in pitcher's mecca Scotland, Dan Brauer was just under 6 in Scotland and Rogers is mediocre. That leaves the unproven Wilson (4 appearances last season) and Krueger to hopefully lead the way. I can't see a dominating arm in the bunch just yet but they are young. The underwhelming Cole St. Clair will attempt to be the shutdown guy in the 9th, he'll need a ton of luck to be and average closer.
I can't see this team making the playoffs this season and if they do, Osaka and Kyoto should do serious jail time. There isn't enough power or depth, and the pitching staff is short on experience. The Kwaan are tough to play against, pinning their ears back and scampering around the bases, but unless Nick Swisher and David Wright go off, Chiang-Mai will be coming up short more often then not.

News and Notes: Friday, June 9, 2017

Around SLB this week:

- The 2017 Amateur Draft should be coming up in the next couple of days. Get your lists ready. Three rounds of 16 - the sooner your lists are in, the quicker games can resume.
- OSA fell a little closer to the pack in the Far East, dropping all 3 games to SJ. The Senadores scored 39 runs and gave up 18. Fourteen HR were hit by SJ and GM Bill Gluvna is now lobbying ownership and the league to consider moving the franchise to Japan.
- Just curious: After having their AAA team in Mexico City in 2004-05, HAL was asked to move their AAA franchise because supposedly, the high average (.324 in 2004) and high HR totals (243 in 2005) skewed stats and damaged the integrity of the league. 1B P Fielder of Mexico still holds the minor league record with 43 bombs. Yet the team record for SLB homeruns has been set by OSA (374 in 2014), the individual record by an OSA player (72 in 2014) and the Ronin have led the league in homeruns by 47 (2016), 61 (2015), 142 (2014), and 77 (2013). They are the only team to hit over 300 HR in a season and have done so 4 seasons in a row. The individual HR leader has been from OSA the past 4 seasons as well. Where is the outrage now?
- There are two teams with remarkably low slugging percentages: TAI is at .380, KYO at .393. The Tai Fong's leader in slugging is LF E Dalton (and former Bushido) at .521. LF A Mule of KYO leads his team with his .533 mark.
- KYO took 2 of 3 from ATL , another blow to the Flyers season. ATL is 3.5 games back of third place BAL in the South. "We really spanked Zambrano in the second game," said Manager Bobby Valentine. "I thought we came out a little flat in game three, the guys knew they had the series won and relaxed against Zito. You just can't do that. Savannah comes here next and even though its only June, every game is important."
- Despite getting shutout in 10 innings in Game 1 v LON, BAL took the next two games and are 7-3 in their last 10. The Knights had RHP J Weaver on the mound for Game 2 and saw his typical performance: 7 innings, 13 hits, 2 walks and 7 ER. Weaver has given up 15 HR in 13 starts (68 IP).
- CHNG took 2 of 3 from PHI, the two wins both taking place in extra innings and decided by one run. The Kwaan lost the fina game 9-7 but are just 4 back of OSA. The Fever's loser in both extra inning games was LHP M Buehrle, totalling 2 IP, 5 hits and 2 ER. Buehrle's corpse is now 0-6, 8.62.
- Despite SCO taking 2 of 3 from HAL, PAR is on the verge of running away and hiding with their 7-game winning streak. The Pimpernels swept BED behind CF R Robinson's 8-12, 4 HR, 2 doubles and a stolen base.

News and Notes: Friday, May 26, 2017

Around SLB this week:

- PAR is the hottest team in SLB right now (8-2 in their last 10) with 5 wins in a row. They moved to 2 games up on SCO in the Euro with 2 wins each over TAI and KYO, allowing just 5 runs in the four games. 3B S Dinkman went 9-18 with 2 doubles and a triple and is now hitting .352 on the season.
- Moving in the opposite direction is the former Far East leading KYO. The Bushido have fallen to third place and are now closer to last than first. The Bushido have the 4th lowest ERA (4.03) but can't hit - .230 is the lowest team batting average in SLB by 16 points.
- OSA has crushed its way to a 10 game lead and gets LF R Brown back in under a month. Brown hit 50 HR last season but had just 3 AB's in 2017. Despite being a hitters mecca, 7 teams have a worse ERA than OSA (4.64).
- CHNG 2B Cap Jackson rehabbed successfully from a broken neck and is playing the best baseball of his career. Jackson is at .281 (career .254) with 27 SB. But the Kwaan continue to struggle with LF J Belinda 58 points under his career average and only 4 HR and the 4th worst ERA in SLB (4.88).
- Is ATL finally making their move? The Flyers have played .500 their past 10 and are now just a half game back of third place BAL. "If you're going to play lousy baseball it's better to do it now then in September," said hitting coach Dennis Dennis Sr. "San Juan hasn't been able to run away and hide yet. We'll be there at the end of the year, mark my words."
- SJ's RP Edwin Jackson is up to his old tricks. He's once again the league leader in saves (12) with a 2.35 ERA. "Our guys think he's back to doctoring the ball," said ATL hitting coach Dennis Dennis Sr. "We just faced him on Tuesday and he's pitching like he was last year - not like he was doing earlier in the year. We'll catch him, don't worry. He'll get his comeuppance, if you will."
- CLE split a 2-game series with PHI and then followed HAL's lead by mistreating BAL. The Dawgs are a surprising 29-20 and just 2.5 out of first in the North. CF D Stubbs has been a total bust in Cleveland and has been sent to work on his game and mindset in AAA. "We knew he was a .300 hitter," said Manager Joe Torre. "We just didn't think it would be in Triple-A."

News and Notes: Monday, May 1, 2017

Around SLB this week:

- Picked in the preseason to be, at a minimum, a Series contender, ATL has given GM Jim Masters fits this spring. The Flyers sit at 8-18 and in the South cellar. The team is 100% healthy and with excuses being offered up by players, management and media alike, rumors of fingerpointing and clubhouse dissension abound. Has Manager Tony LaRussa lost his players? Who's responsible for 1B John Twain's inability to recognize a pitch at the plate? Twain is hitting .161 with 1 HR after hitting.294 with 25 bombs last year. Is SP Carlos Zambrano being shopped around? The 13M he's making doesn't match up too well with his 1-4, 5.19 line so far. A division rival scout, wishing to remain anonymous says, "His fastball has really straightened out the past couple of seasons. And I'd want to check his birth certificate. There's no way he's only 34."
- Taking the high road since being ripped in the papers by ATL GM Jim Masters, BAL GM Jose Gutierrez sees his team on top of the South. Since busting out of the gate, the Panthers are 5-5 in their last 10 and have pitching coach Joe Nathan giving extra time to RP Erasmo Ramirez (8.58 ERA), SP Oliver Perez (5.72) and SP El Ron Ubardo (4.89). "We need all of those guys to turn it around or pick it up a notch", said Nathan. "We've got a shot at this thing if they perform."
- CHNG SP Mark Prior is just 2-2 this season but those wins have him 1st among active and retired pitchers. Prior's record is 201-96, IRE's CC Sabathia is second at 183 wins.
- SAV 1B Hee Seop Choi is on pace for just 19 HR this season but his 3 HR have put him over the 400 career HR mark.
- More distressing to GM Rich Vohs (Choi is hitting .355) is the performance of ace RH Phillip Humber. Humber is just 2-2, 4.50 and also in the last year of his contract. Humber currently makes 10.25M per season.
- Nine active players currently have over 1000 RBI's (PAR's LF A Dunn just joining the club). Four of them have reached 1000 RBI's with under 400 HR - BAL's D McPherson and V Guerrero, KYO's J Hamilton and BED's J Barfield.

- Did anyone pick BED's Doug Waechter for this seasons Cy Young award? No? The 35 year-old RH picked up his 4th win of the season, going 7.1 IP with 1 hit and 7 K v KYO and is now 4-0, 2.34.

News and Notes: Monday, April 24, 2017

Around SLB this week:

- SCO pasted BAL in a 3 game series putting up 31 runs in the Panther Dome. 2B K Bristow hit his 7th HR already - his career high is 14 (HAL 2014). Bristow also leads SLB in runs scored. The sweep of the Panthers puts SCO up 1 game in the Euro and diminishes BAL's lead to just a half game in the South.
- CF Rocco Baldelli continues to work out in Arizona and practice with ASU while his agent desperately works the phones. Baldelli, a former Goat of the Year (LON 2005), hit just .228 in spot duty for TAI last season. "I may be 34 but I'm in the best shape of my life", said Baldelli. "I'm not looking for a multi-year deal, just an opportunity somewhere. I can't even get a job in Triple A right now? Come on."
- BED has scored the 5th most runs in SLB so far (110). Leadoff hitter and CF T Johnson has as many HR (5) as SB.
- After making 5 deals and revamping his roster, GM B Royer now sees his CHNG team in 3rd place, just one game up on TAI. The Kwaan have the second worst ERA (5.53) despite SP M Prior's 1.90 in 38 IP. Will Royer be able to turn this team around again? His head is on the chopping block according to league sources, with ownership upset that last year's 101-win team was remade instead of tinkered with.
- CLE LHP C Y'Barra (1-1, 7.18) outdueled CHNG RHP M Prior in the rubbermatch of their series to give the Dawgs 3rd place in the North. The game gave Prior his first loss and Dawg Closer M Towaki his 3rd save.
- IRE rookie CF J Ferrera might want to reconsider buying new plasma Hi-Def big screens and the new Apple - that Rookie of the Year bonus money might not be in his future. The Invader CF is hitting (using that term loosely, I know) .198 with 2 HR while batting 2nd in the lineup.
- KYO LF A Mule went 0-8 with 3K in the first two games v SJ (both losses) before rebounding in game three - 4-4 with 2 HR. The young Bushido outfielder is playing hurt but is being counted on to carry the team with both 1B M Hamilton and CF J Hamilton out 4-6 weeks.
- Will KYO's injury issues allow the other Far East teams to shrink the Bushido's 3.5 game lead? KYO doesn't play a Far East opponent for 9 more series.

- What is going on with LON SP Jered Weaver? After going 17-4, 3.80 in 213 IP in 2016, Weaver has been rocked in all 4 starts for the Knights in 2017. Zero quality starts, an ERA of 23.14 and 34 baserunners in 9.1 IP. (Not a typo: 4 GS totalling 9.1 IP). One theory coming out of the Euro division is that Weaver is spending too much time being "mentored" by such upstanding citizens as Knight's hitting coach Darryl Strawberry and pitching coach Dwight Gooden.

HSH: Chiang-Mai

Key additions: JJ Putz (match), Zach Day.

Key losses: Scott Kazmir, Vernon Wells, probably some other guys.

Projected Record: 91-69

Last year, the Kwaan became the first team since the 2012-2013 Atlanta Flyers to win 100 games two years in a row. Chiang-Mai won 100 games in 2015 and then added a single win to that total in 2016, going a league-best 101-59. This year, they’re looking to break the 100 win barrier for the third year in a row, a feat only accomplished by Paris (2007-2009).

That win total is the good news. Unfortunately for Kwaan fans, the bad news is that neither lofty regular season win total has translated into a Championship. A third season of 100 wins will look nice in the record books – a few years down the road. But right now, it’s title or bust.

Since expansion in 2013, no Far East team has won an SLB title. Chiang-Mai got close in 2015, falling to Savannah four games to two. Could this be the year a Far East team finally gets over the hump?

After lighting the SLB world on fire offensively in 2015, the Kwaan took a step back on offense last year, though it’s hard to complain about their overall production. Still, it was a young team that hit haughty heights and was expected to continue to ascend. It didn’t, and the Kwaan didn’t win a title. End result: An upset fan base that expected more.

Chiang-Mai hopes to satisfy that desire this year, and the brunt of those expectations will fall on the shoulders of outfielder Dennis Dennis Jr. D2J, as he is affectionately referred to, is in the final year of the 3-year, $30.75 million dollar contract he originally signed. After an astounding 2015 for the Kwaan, a year that had dreams of championships and multiple MVPs dancing in the dreams of General Manager Ben Royer, Dennis was one of multiple hitters that took a step back last season. His home runs were up (from 12 in 2015 to 18 last year), but his average, on-base plus slugging percentage and RBIs were all down. His doubles total fell from 71 to 48.

He wasn’t the only one, either. Outfielders Trevor Bayne and Joe Belinda burst into world prominence in 2015, but neither enjoyed the kind of success last season that they did in the one previous.

But still, the win total rose, and it was on the backs of Chiang-Mai’s starting pitching that it did so. All five starters, led by Michael Pelfrey with 17, won over 10 games. Danny Haren led the team with a 2.94 ERA, while Pelfrey (201 Ks) and Zito (216) led the team in strikeouts. The Kwaan’s 3.75 team ERA was easily the league’s best, a full quarter of a run better than the next closest competitor (Kyoto’s staff was second with a 4.04 ERA).

Which brings us to 2017, the quest for another 100-win season and an SLB title. Chiang-Mai, with the majority of its payroll tied up in players that will spend 2017 in the final years of their respective contracts, played it quiet in the offseason, matching a 3-year, $3 million dollar offer to reliever JJ Putz and signing Zach Day, cut by Taipei in the offseason, to a 3-year deal worth just over $1 million per season.

While the offseason gains, outside of whatever growth the young offensive players go through, was minimal, the loss of starting pitcher Scott Kazmir will certainly be felt. Kazmir won 16 games with a 3.30 ERA in 2016, a year strong enough that Bedford, who is building a nice rotation itself, wooed him away. Going into the spring, it looked like the competition for the departed spot in the rotation would be between Mark Rogers, Jim Bauers, Derek Thompson or even Zach Day. However, 25-year old Charlie Gipson has had a strong showing so far, and might earn the spot. If it’s not him, it looks like Bauers and Thompson are the favorites.

With the turnaround complete in Chiang-Mai, from a 66-win team in 2014 to a potential third consecutive season as a title contender in 2017, this could be the year that a Far East team breaks through and wins that elusive first title.

Royer and the excitable Chiang-Mai fans just hope that it’s the Kwaan that does it.

Projected lineup

CF Bayne, T.

3B Zalusky, L.

RF Dennis Jr., D.

C Murman, T.

LF Belinda, J.

1B Callahan, D.

SS Willemburg, B.

2B Jackson, C.

Projected Rotation

L Zito, B.

R Haren, D.

R Thompson, K.

R Pelfry, M.

R Bauers, J.

Closer

Putz, JJ