Season Preview: London Knights

2017 Record: 86-74, 2nd in Euro
Key Losses: SP Daisuke Matsuzaka, SS Jose Reyes
Key Additions: 3B Alex Gordon
2018 Prediction: 84-76

Thanks to the woeful Far East last season, GM Sean O'Hallaran saw his Knights make it to the playoff round. But rather than patting himself on the back, the Knights GM has to be worried about what went wrong after finishing with 11 fewer victories than in 2016. This team, infused with great young talent and draft day steals, was supposed to be the next big thing. What happened? Well, the pitching didn't cut it at all. Despite the effort of Daisuke Matsuzaka, London finished with a whopping 4.86 ERA, better only than Baltimore and Osaka. Yikes. Jered Weaver got 32 starts and rewarded Manager Davey Johnson with a 5.41 ERA. And after Dice-K's 3.23, the next lowest ERA on the team was closer Craig Hansen at 4.26. Even the awesome Knight offense couldn't make up for this mess.

So the exciting offense, with a wicked combination of speed and power and players in their prime, remains intact save for Jose Reyes signing with Taipei. (Who's his agent? Sheesh.) Alex Gordon, formerly of Cleveland, will take his spot in the lineup. O'Hallaran resigned 2B T Mackey, who is as solid a #7 hitter you'll find. There are three 30/30 players for opponents to deal with, in McFadden, Clemente and Russell. So did the Knights improve their pitching this offseason? Did they replace the dearly departed Dice-K? Negative. It looks like London will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with this pitching staff. Oh, they resigned RP Michael Zagurski. Good job, you can't replace a 6.72 ERA easily. And he signed left-hander Sean Burnett for the 5th spot. Burnett posted a 6.71 ERA last year, and that miniscule advantage in suckiness means he's a starter while Zagurski is a middle reliever, I guess. Paris is going to clobber this pitching staff, no?

Batting Order v RHP
CF Warren McFadden
3B Alex Gordon
SS Diego Clemente
LF Delmon Young
RF Jim Russell
1B Jimmy McNulty
2B TJ Mackey
C Billy Wilson

Platoons - shmatoons. What you see is what you get and why not? The 8-hitter, entering his third season, hit .301 with 22 bombs and 15 steals. This lineup will hurt you.

Pitching Rotation: William Bray, Jered Weaver, Christopher Volstad, Tosekawa Mahara, Sean Burnett
Closer: Craig Hansen

Can the closer Hansen get over 20 saves? And if that rotation underwhelms you, hold your nose when you check out the 'pen. A lot of pressure on Weaver to have a great season - he's due isn't he? Good thing London fans are familiar with blitzes and heading for cover, they can show it off when the opposing team comes to bat.

The Paris strategy of great offense/pitching- that-will-hold-you-in-there only works, you know, if you actually have pitching that will hold you in there. The Knights will be fighting tooth-and-nail for the Wildcard spot this year.

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: Monday, May 15, 2017

Around SLB this week:

- BAL was 18-7 early this season. That seems so long ago, as the Panthers dropped 15 straight before winning their final game v PAR Sunday night. BAL has scored the 7th most runs but have the 5th worst ERA (4.94), in which most of the embarrassing performances are coming from the bullpen. Among the starters though, LHP Oliver Perez has just 2 QS in 8 opportunities.
- TAI continued their strategy of "Winning? Not interested, thanks" after dealing RP F Rodney (3.27 ERA)to ATL in a multi-player swap. After the trade was announced, SP R Mexico went ballistic in the dressing room. "Let's face it, we're a farm team. We'll draft guys and when they develop, trade them to a real team. I know I'll be out of here too - if they don't trade me I'll walk at the end of the year. We should change our team colors to all-white 'cause from management on down, we just @#*%ing surrender."
- The Nick Swisher experiment has ended in BED. After going 2-7 with a double and HR in three games v CHNG, GM Rich Gin traded their big free-agent signing to SCO for AAA 3B R Zimmerman. Zimmerman was hitting .312 in Stockholm while Swisher was hitting .250 with 5 HR for the Crunch.
- At 15-25, ATL is 12.5 back of red hot SJ. SJ is 17-2 in their last 19 buy GM J Masters of the Flyers isn't backing down. Sources inside the Flyers head office say Masters is going ahead with plans to print tickets for not just the playoffs but the World Series as well. "We think it's premature but he's confident in his team. He's dug himself a hole ... but with Zambrano getting his ERA down (4.11 ed) he thinks we're a lock. If we disagree with him in private or in public, he sacks us."
- In HAL's 2 game sweep of ATL before sweeping doormat TAI, the Sailors lost 2B (and RHOY favourite) for 4-6 months. Reporters couldn't get GM Lars Cain to comment but did hear constant sobbing coming from the GM's office.
- KYO's 2 big free agent signings aren't faring too well. RF J Reed (8M per) is hitting just .234 with a .649 OPS on a team that needs him desperately to provide offense. And 35 year-old SP J Peavy has a 5.80 ERA with 74 baserunners in 50 IP.
- Preseason favourite LON was the latest victim of SJ and has now lost 5 straight. After winning 97 games last year and adding RF D Young, the Knights are now last in the Euro, 6 games back of SCO.

News and Notes: Friday, May 5, 2017

Around SLB this week:

- Although LON's SS J Reyes was struggling to start the season, the Knights certainly didn't want to be without him for any length of time. But in Wednesday's win against PAR, Reyes fractured his hip sliding safely into second base (his 3rd double of the game). Reyes, a career .302 hitter with 496 SB's, is out for 2-3 months. "Not what the team needed right now," said Reyes. "And I'm a free agent after this season and really wanted to put up some numbers to help the team win." Look for Knights GM Sean O'Hallaran to explore the trade market rather than go with 24 year-old T Hernandez, a career .218 hitter with a .267 slugging percentage.
- TAI has the second worst team ERA (5.49) due to horrible, and not entirely unexpected, showings by pitchers T Unger, T Redding, J Palm, P Tsamis, J Davis and T Johnson, all of whom have ERA's 5.40 or greater. "That makes it tough to win ballgames," said Manager Billy Heywood. "But when you get shutout twice in the last four games, that doesn't help either." The Tai Fong scored a total of 6 runs in their past 4 games.
- TAI has hit 25 HR as a team. OSA's C Rockwell and T Montana have hit a combined 24. The Ronin, 6-4 in their last 10, are just a half game back of KYO in the Far East.
- As expected, KYO's LF A Mule is raking for the Bushido (.328, 8 HR) but he can't make up for the miserable performances by SS B BooYa (.234), 3B E See (.225) and RF J Reed (.246). The bench players aren't providing any help either, and KYO is 14th in runs scored.
- BAL's slide (6 straight losses) has coincided with SJ's hot streak (8-2 in their last 10). SJ is now a game up in the South. The Senadores have a huge lead in the SB department, with 69. CHNG and LON are tied for 2nd with 39 apiece.
- Despite a whopping 5.82 ERA, PAR is tied for 1st in the Euro. The Pimpernels have scored the most runs in SLB (188) and are second to OSA in HR with 51.
- Last in runs scored so far is .... ATL (111)? The 9-21 Flyers (last in the South) are getting a monster season out of CF D Lemming (1.137 OPS) who may still be a candidate for MVP even if the Flyers continue to flounder.
- BED continues to mash (46 HR and 4th in RS)and now has a 1.5 game lead in the North. CF T Johnson is the only player to appear on both the HR leader list (T-3rd) and SB leader list (T-7th). In fact, the only categories where Johnson doesn't appear are: doubles, RBI's, walks and strikeouts.

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.

News and Notes: Friday, April 14, 2017

Around SLB this week:

- BAL flew out of the gate this season with a 7-3 mark. That matches KYO for the best record in the league. 26 year-old 3B T Gammell is hitting .400 with 5 HR. "That's up there in Rockwell territory," said Gammell. "I plan on doing this all year long."
- Last year's champion PAR has limped out to just a 6-5 record so far, dropping their last 3. Pimpernel pitchers have been grooving pitches at an alarming rate; B Kim has given up 4 HR in 9.2 IP, H Kuo 4 HR in 8 IP, and D Arizmendi 4 HR in 6 IP.
- CLE waived LHP T Lare in order to send the 29 year-old to Hawaii. Manager Joe Torre, bundled up in his winter parka, was misty-eyed after informing Lare of the decision. "It's not that I feel bad for the kid," said Torre. "I just wish I could go with him. Instead I have to stay here, freezing, and watch Towaki pitch. You know what that does to me?" RHP M Towaki, the highest paid Dawg at 3/18M, has a 6.75 ERA so far.
- SCO CF Darin Ford is providing some pop in the Rebel lineup. Ford has a 1.061 OPS with 5 HR in 11 games with the Rebels in front of LON, PAR and IRE. How long Manager Rollie Fingers continues to give RHP E Degerman chances is anyone's guess - Degerman has a 7.62 ERA with 5 HR in his 2 starts.
- OSA lost RP C Sadler (2-4 weeks) and LF R Brown (6-8 weeks) in the first game of the season. And on Tuesday, 2B P Matthew left the game early with a strained back and is out 4-6 weeks. Manager Sadaharu Oh, known for his tough practice schedule, refuses to lighten the workload despite the constant injuries to his players. "They are not in shape and show no discipline. When they accept my methods the team will perform better. I will show no mercy to weak players."
- BED LF N Swisher is struggling with his new team - not that it has hurt the Crunch so far - batting just .214 with 0 HR and a league-worst 15 K's. LHP S Kazmir has shown an affinity for pitching in Bedford, however, with a 2.25 ERA and 10 K in 12 IP.
- SJ's bullpen has been putting gas on the fire early this season. Last year's surprise of a reliever, Edwin Jackson, has a 6.75 ERA (4.74 career). Setup man J Colome has a 7.50 ERA with 11 baserunners in 6 IP.
- LON is behind SCO by a game and has lost LF J Russell for up to 2 weeks. The Knights won't be getting much help from their AAA affiliate in Queens, as they can't even compete at that level. Queens is 0-11, hitting 6 HR so far as a team and allowing 15.
- IRE is 3-8 and last in the Euro, which isn't surprising. What is surprising are the weak performances by pitchers C Sabathia (1-2, 4.12), J Beckett (0-1, 7.71) and FA signee T Kawabata (0-1, 5.25). Look for pitching coach Roger Clemens to be shown the door if this continues.
- New KYO SS B BooYa (acquired from PHI) leads SLB in batting avg (.441) and had a 1.031 OPS with 5 SB. "Right now, he's making up for Jeremy Reed," says Manager Bobby Valentine, trying to bite his tongue. "Reed has .... has not .... lived up to expectations, frankly. My sister can hit better." RF J Reed is at .189 so far while making 8M per season. Says one rival GM, still bitter over the Oswalt/Mule trade to the Bushido, "Maybe they can send Reed to their Triple-A team - that's Taipei, right?"

HSH: London Knights

London Knights Have Eye on the Prize



2016 Record: 97-63 (1st in Euro, Lost 4-1 in the first round)
2017 Projected Record: 95-65 (1st in Euro)
Key Pickups: Delmon Young (trade), Craig Hansen (free agent)
Key Losses: Jeremy Reed (free agent)

London enters 2017 riding the wave of three Euro Division titles in four years. Last season's squad won 97 games, the most in franchise history, thanks to a trio of amazing rookies and a solid pitching rotation. With another year under their belts (plus some key off season additions), the Knights look like the team to beat not only in the Euro Division, but in the entire World League.


The '16 Knights scored 819 runs, good for 4th best in SLB,
and have added super slugger Delmon Young. Young gives them a fifth hitter who had a .500+ SLG last year, so 900+ runs is easy to imagine this year. Overall, the team ranked 3rd in OBP and 2nd in SLG in 2016. The weakest hitter is Joe Mauer (batting 8th). Scary. Despite a rather underwhelming college career, Diego Clemente lit up the SLB, winning RHOY and living up to his "The Next A-Rod" hype. Strong hitting up the middle and plenty of team speed makes this the best lineup in the division. While Clemente got a lot of the attention, Jim Russell was even better, out OPSing his rookie teammate.

On the pitching side of things, the Knights were about league average, but with a Top 3 offense, that should be plenty good for another 90+ wins in 2017. While the team lacks a true "ace", the top three of Dice-K, Weaver and Bray were all good for mid 3.00 ERA's and double digit wins. Bray had an extremely impressive 166:17 K/B ratio and Weaver managed a respectable 3.80 ERA despite giving up 40 homers. Mahara was a disaster, surrendering 260 hits (43 of them long balls) in 205 innings. The bullpen was a mixed bag, but the addition of Hansen really strengthens the late innings.

Despite sharing the division with the defending WS Champs, London projects to win the Euro again. The team lacks depth and has exactly $0 to work with under the cap, but a healthy offense should run over just about everyone in their paths.

PROJECTED LINEUP:

SS Jose Reyes
CF Warren McFadden
3B Diego Clemente
RF Delmon Young
LF Jim Russell
1B James McNulty
2B TJ Mackey
C Joe Mauer

SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
SP Jered Weaver
SP William Bray
SP Christopher Volstad
SP Jon Switzer

CL Craig Hansen

London Loading Up

Knights GM Sean O'Halloran sees an opportunity for his franchise to win the World Series this season and continued to strengthen his team this offseason by adding RF Delmon Young. London has won the Euro division the past two seasons but has failed to bring home the big prize and with RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2B TJ Mackey and SS Jose Reyes all into their last season under contract, O'Halloran agreed to give up some of his teams future in order to win now.
Young, who has spent his whole career in Halifax, is looking forward to his change of address. "The competition will be great over there I'm sure. I was looking for something different as a free agent this winter and its strange how things worked out. And hey, I'm still in the Dominion, right?"
Halifax GM Lars Cain had been shopping Young to the World League teams after matching offers in free agency. "We had been looking to go in a different direction," said Cain. "We wish Young all the best and we're sure he'll do some damage against those powerhouses over there. He'll get to face those teams a lot more often now and won't be the most underrated player in SLB anymore."
Heading to Halifax in the swap are 22 year-old 2B Craig Scott, 22 year-old pitcher Kid Valenzuela and London's 1st round pick in this seasons amateur draft.
The Knights scored 819 runs last season, 5th most in SLB. London's probable starting lineup now is: C J Mauer, 1B J McNulty, 2B T Mackey, 3B D Clemente, SS J Reyes, CF W McFadden, LF J Russell and RF D Young.