Owner Hall of Fame Candidates

qtip32
Record (931-851)
World Series Championships (0)
League Championships (1)
LCS Appearances (1)
Division Titles (4)
Best Record (106-56)

qtip32 entered Pine Tar back in season 11 with the Trenton Thunders, a team that was going through a transition period. The franchise had never won the division, but in seasons 6 and 7 had back to back 90 win seasons and post season appearances. After that things went down hill and that was when qtip32 stepped in and took over. The first 5 seasons were rough as the franchise was rebuilding, but things were looking up and the fifth season saw the team post a winning record for the first time in 8 seasons. Season 16 was the franchises first of 4 division titles in the next 5 seasons. In season 17 qtip32 took them to their first World Series, but they came up short of winning the title. On top of the division titles recently, they've also taken 2 wild card berths and made the post season for the past 6 seasons.


bobbyj7
Record (845-613)
World Series Championships (2)
League Championships (2)
LCS Appearances (2)
Division Titles (6)
Best Record (112-50)

bobbyj7 entered Pine Tar back in season 13 and didn't take long to get a struggling franchise up and challenging for the top spot in the league. The first 2 seasons were solid considering that the franchise was coming off of 165 wins in the previous 3 seasons. The third season bobbyj7 got the team to their second post season appearance and a franchise record 97 victories. They took a step back in season 16, but they've been a force since then. With a new franchise record 102 victories in season 17 they started what is now a run of 5 straight division titles. In season 18 bobbyj7 upped the franchise vicotry record to 112 and won their first of back to back World Series titles. In season 20 they lost in the NLCS and missed a chance at a three peat. The franchise has now been in the post season in 6 of the 9 seasons that bobbyj7 has run the franchise.



jbburner
Record (1728-1674)
World Series Championships (0)
League Championships (0)
LCS Appearances (1)
Division Titles (2)
Best Record (93-69)

This nomination is based on championships, but rather longevity and consistency. jbburner is one of the founding members of Pine Tar having been around since season 1. While the franchise hasn't quite won the titles they are always among the most competitive teams in the league. With 6 seasons of 90+ victories, it is surprising that they haven't won more division titles or shown up in the LCS more. The also have 13 seasons of 80+ victories. Which is why I say that jbburner is a model of consistency. The team is always a tough team even in seasons that they don't make the playoffs. All things considered, there's something to be said for 21 seasons of consistency.



Phillies26
Record (1770-1632)
World Series Championships (0)
League Championships (0)
LCS Appearances (0)
Division Titles (4)
Best Record (94-68)

Almost the same exact thing can be said of Phillies26 that was said of jbburner. They both play in the same division and have both been extremely consistent. Phillies 26 holds the edge in overall record and division titles though. With 4 90+ win seasons and 16 80+ win seasons it's hard to argue that Phillies26 has been a contender every season. With only 7 playoff appearances it is hard to find out why. The only real answer is that Phillies26 shares the same division with Hall of Fame owner greygoose123. 

tk21775
Record (510-462)
World Series Championships (0)
League Championships (1)
LCS Appearances (1)
Division Titles (2)
Best Record (100-62)

OK, while one might say this addition is a stretch due to the lack of time in the world, I must disagree. The qualification is 5 seasons and tk21775 has been around for 6. What makes me add this owner to the list is what was done with so little in such a short time. When tk21775 took over this franchise they were coming off of a 39 win season and the previous owner hadn't signed a high draft pick in the past 3 seasons, signed any IFA's and also traded away the only talent the had in the entire organization. Enter tk21775. In the first season after taking over, the franchise won 64 games, a marked improvement. They went on to win 68 the next season and were continuing up. The next season tk21775 won the division title and took them to the post season for the first time ever in season 18. They missed the post season in season 19 with 91 wins. Then in season 20 they went to the World Series. They didn't win it, but considering the franchise was in shambles just 5 seasons earlier, it was a remarkable turnaround. In season 21 the franchise said a record for wins in a season with 100. 

Owner Hall of Fame Rules

We are going to do another vote for owner hall of fame. All 32 owners in the league are eligible to vote, and I will outline the rules as originally posted by prez with a few changes. The votes of current Hall members toe64, Starbuckdc, greygoose123, bnags and rxw1, along with the league commissioner(myself) will be used to break a tie. This will be done before every even numbered season to make it a more exclusive club of owners. The max number of owners to be voted on will be 5 as selected by the league commissioner based on the rules listed below. Along with the poll there will be a blog post describing each owners accomplishments and reasons for being selected as potential inductee's.

As per the original rules post:

"...in order to qualify, an owner must have had his team for at least 5 years (unless no suitable candidates exist with 5 years' experience to round out the 5 nominees). Length of time with the league and amount of success are both factors for nomination-- owners who have taken their team to the playoffs many times, and those who have had success while in the playoffs, will be preferred, although exceptions may be made for owners who have only been to the playoffs a few times but have reached or won the World Series multiple times. Also, an owner must still be with his team at the time of the vote in order to qualify for nomination; bpdelia, for example, is not eligible for nomination even though he brought home 2 championships because he is no longer an active owner in the league."

There will still be an option for "blank ballot." If that option ends up winning, there will be no inductee into the Owner Hall of Fame that year (so as to not force owners to vote someone in if they feel no one is deserving).

Season 21 NL South Preview

Jackson Juggernauts

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.277	1		Fielding %	.983	10		ERA	3.15	2
Home Runs	235	2		Double Plays	439	1		Opp. Avg.	.237	3
Ops.	.778	1		+ Plays	72	4		Strike Outs	1228	1
Runs	901	1		- Plays	16	2		Saves	45	6
Steals	213	2		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.444	1		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 record- 104-58(AL South Champs; NLCS runner up)
Last 5 seasons- 501-309

Jackson put up another impressive regular season wrapping up the #1 overall seed in season 20. Unfortunately for them, a three peat wasn't meant to happen as they lost in the NLCS. They stayed fairly quiet in the off season and chose to stick with what they have to try to make another deep run this season. That's not a bad idea since they had the best offense in the NL last season. This lineup features, Alex Velez,
season 20 MVP Scott Harvey, 6 time all star Jeff Moore, 4 time all star Jared Glynn, and Max Morales. It's a well blended lineup of speed, hitting and power. This offense will likely lead the NL again this season. The defense had a down year, but they are still pretty good. Rule V draftee, Adam McCorley has the tools to be a great shortstop. Not only is Scott Harvey a great hitter, but he's a phenomenal centerfielder as well. The even have good depth on the bench with gloves. Even though the fielding percentage didn't show it last season, this team has one of the best defenses in the league. It just keeps getting better for this team. The pitching staff is pretty well stocked as well. Raymond DeWitt, was signed to a contract extension and for good reason, he's a great starter. The rotation is rounded out by Rube Clark, Dusty Lindsey, and Bobby Ray Ingram who are all top of the line starters. The bullpen also has some pretty solid arms to add to the depth of this staff. The pitching should rank up near the top of the league again. This team is set to make a World Series run again this season. They are the favorite to take this division again and will be tough to knock off.


Texas Outlaws

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.270	6		Fielding %	.983	10		ERA	4.46	11
Home Runs	183	12		Double Plays	384	11		Opp. Avg.	.266	10
Ops.	.751	8		+ Plays	130	1		Strike Outs	1058	12
Runs	794	5		- Plays	7	1		Saves	56	3
Steals	91	8		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.413	8		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 record- 91-71(Wild Card)
Last 5 seasons- 430-380

Texas was a huge surprise to me last season. I didn't see them coming. They improved by 21 games from the previous season and took a wild card spot. They made a few nice off season signings to bolster the team even more. The additions of Cam Stubbs, Carlos Nieto and Aramis Aybar will be good for them. The offense was above average last season, but they didn't hit for much power. 4 time all star and a HR Derby Champ Carl Esposito should be expected to provide more power than he did last season. Hipolito Matos hit a career high 38 homers last season and should hit close to that again. Rex Billingsly doesn't hit for a high average, but he regularly hits 30+ homers a season. Vic Diaz is a great hitter that will get on base for those guys to knock home. Jimmy Booker hit a career high .304 last season, but I doubt he can repeat that. The offense is pretty solid and the addition of Stubbs adds to that. I put them in the above average crowd. The defense was pretty strong when it came to range last season, but the fielding percentage was down. Aybar is the best glove on the team and he won't play much due to his bat. They do have some range, but this team is below average defensively when Aybar is not in the lineup. The pitching was below average last season. The addition of Nieto gives them a real good ace. The depth of the rotation isn't very good though. The bullpen is about the same. Jimmy Griffiths became a top closer in his rookie season and won fireman of the year. He had an amazing season, and should continue to do the same. Besides him the depth just isn't there for them. I really like this teams offense, but the defense and pitching still need some help. They made the post season last season with less though and I obviously am not qualified to predict this teams abilities. I just don't think they can make the post season again.


Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.262	8		Fielding %	.987	4		ERA	3.65	5
Home Runs	178	13		Double Plays	418	3		Opp. Avg.	.241	4
Ops.	.718	12		+ Plays	77	2		Strike Outs	1163	3
Runs	718	12		- Plays	19	3		Saves	51	4
Steals	112	6		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.399	13		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20- 89-73
Last 5 seasons- 376-434

This team just missed out on making it back to back post season appearances last season. They made a strong push, but fell just short. Over the past couple seasons, this franchise has made steps forward like they never have before. Always a mediocre team for 18 seasons the franchise is coming off the best back to back seasons in their history. They stayed clear of any big free agent signings this season, but did lose a big reliever in Benji Contreras. Resigning Yorvit Diaz was a pretty good move though. They also made a trade to bring in a very good centerfield glove in Horacio Blanco. The offense last season was below average and that's surprising for playing in Louisville. The top hitter Zeke Decker(.306 average) had a solid season. Al Gomez had a good season hitting .295, but even more for his stealing 75 bases and only being caught 3 times. Charley Roosevelt led the team in RBI with 90 and hit a .284. I feel like Andres Andujar didn't perform up to his potential and should have a better season. I like the pop of Ernest Miller, but his durability doesn't allow him to play enough to take full advantage of his bat. The offense is not as bad as they looked last season. At worst they look average to me, but that's only because they lack power. The average should rise this season. They finished near the top of the league defensively last season. I think the best option at shortstop is Victor Ramsay, but he won't start much due to his bat. I'm not a big fan of Polanco at short, but he has a great arm. Blanco is a really good centerfielder and Daryl Bonham can play a great third. With Ramsay in this defense is among the best in the league, but without him I only think they are above average. The pitching was also among the best in the league last season. The addition of youngster Clay Vernon for a full season should add to the rotation. Ariel Mateo is a true ace of this staff. Bret O'Leary is a pretty good starter as well. Al Manto is another really good starter on this staff that could be an ace on other staffs. Roland Sweeney is the highest paid starter on this team and he is the fifth best they have. None of the five starters may be the best in the league, but all five rank among the best in the league. The bullpen is pretty solid as well. This could be the best staff top to bottom in the NL. This team has everything needed to be a top team. This pitching staff is great and the lineup isn't great, but good enough to make them a legitimate threat in the division. If they miss the playoffs this season I'll be shocked.


Charlotte Bad News

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.263	7		Fielding %	.985	5		ERA	3.90	6
Home Runs	221	4		Double Plays	406	4		Opp. Avg.	.250	6
Ops.	.758	6		+ Plays	67	6		Strike Outs	1112	7
Runs	809	3		- Plays	31	9		Saves	40	12
Steals	187	3		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.439	4		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 record- 86-76
Last 5 seasons- 450-360

In a very tough division Charlotte ended up in last place in season 20. 86 wins rarely will get a team last place in the division, but it happened. To make matters worse, they lost a couple key players this off season in Valerio Duran, and Storm Mahoney. The signing of Henry Siddall will help the offense, and Lonny Sojo is still a quality bullpen arm. Max Mateo will help ease the loss of Duran, but won't quite make up for it. Last season this team put up some good offensive numbers. The lineup is pretty stacked with season 20 rookie of the year Elijah Martin as the biggest overall threat. Omar Cornejo puts up power numbers, on base skills and will steal some bases. Yovani Guerrero is a good hitting catcher. Alan Wilson can smash the ball. When you add Siddall to this group then you have a pretty good lineup that ranks up there with the best in the league. The defense was also among the best in the NL. The shortstop situation is very good, but PT Rosa is a very good thirdbaseman. The centerfield position is also a bit of a weakness. This team put up good defensive numbers last season, but I think they rank below average. The pitching staff was above average last season. Oscar Osterbrock is a real good starter and Lee Coveleski give them a nice top 2. Orber Torres is a very good middle of the rotation pitcher. The bullpen is pretty good and the addition of Sojo should give them the ability to lock down close games. This team overall is pretty good and the record last season wasn't bad. They are just in a real tough division. Regardless of that though, I could see them ending up in the post season and even challenging for the division title.


Predictions
This is a real tough division. Really, the NL is really tough. Jackson is that good though that they should win the division and possibly take the #1 seed again as they challenge for another shot at the World Series. Texas over achieved last season in a really tough division, which tells me that I'm missing something. This team is better than I realize. Louisville looks really tough this season and if they had a better offense then I would say they would be challenging for a World Series shot along with Jackson. Right now though, I think they end up just short of the division title, but take a wild card spot. Charlotte is a really good team and possibly as well rounded as Jackson. They should challenge all season long, but I think they end up challenging and possibly taking another wild card spot.

1. Jackson
2. Louisville
3. Charlotte
4. Texas

Season 21 AL West Preview

Anaheim Annihilation

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.259	14		Fielding %	.981	14		ERA	14.62	7
Home Runs	190	12		Double Plays	393	11		Opp. Avg.	.258	3
Ops.	.724	14		+ Plays	65	4		Strike Outs	1018	11
Runs	720	15		- Plays	53	13		Saves	45	7
Steals	120	10		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.401	13		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 record- 80-82(AL West Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 401-409

Anaheim may have won the division last season, but it was no season to be proud of. The franchise has been hovering around the .500 mark for the past 7 seasons. Last season looked like the season they would win 90 games, but the team shockingly started trading away players that helped them get a big division lead. By the end of the season that division lead was shrunk to only 3 games and they barely made the playoffs. I can understand rebuilding, but not in the middle of a pennant run. Offensively this team wasn't very good last season. Jim Christman, rule v pick Andrew Adams, and Stretch Wilkinson are solid hitters, but the team doesn't have any real threats in the lineup. They do have some speed if those players can get on base enough to use it. The fielding wasn't very good last season either. Pedro Berroa is a good shortstop, but they lack a good centerfielder. They do have solid gloves at other positions though. The defense shouldn't be that bad and look closer to average than where they finished last season. The pitching was average last season. Diego Benitez could be a really good pitcher if he had better durability, but his 120 innings a season just don't cut it.
Lazy Sweeney has been a pretty good pitcher for this team. They could use some pitching help though. The pitching staff looks below average to me. This team is average at best and will struggle to make an impact in the AL this season. They could win the division again, but I don't think the record will improve by much, if at all.


St Louis Arch Angels

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.246	16		Fielding %	.987	1		ERA	4.01	2
Home Runs	209	10		Double Plays	373	14		Opp. Avg.	.249	2
Ops.	.728	12		+ Plays	79	2		Strike Outs	1055	8
Runs	746	13		- Plays	13	1		Saves	45	6
Steals	178	3		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.409	12		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 record- 77-85
Last 5 seasons- 401-409

What a disappointing season it was for this franchise. After 3 straight division titles, they fell off to 77 wins and missed out on post season play. They made some good off season moves, but I really like the promotion of Miller Hunter to help out the offense. I still think they lost more than they gained though. Offensively this team struggled last season, and I don't see much hope of changing that. Lou Jefferies is the best hitter on this team and while he is good, he's not the guy most teams would like to count on to drive the offense. The rest of the lineup is average or below and that means it will be a tough season for this lineup. The defense was number 1 last season. They had range and gloves. Well, sort of. Most of the plus plays came from 1B Neil Roberts who would have been better served using his range at another position. Other than that they were average to below at the key positions. The gloves were still pretty good regadless though and they should be just fine this season. I just think that they are closer to average than they are as the top team. The pitching for this team is great though. The rotation is led by Rock Randall, Jim Kelly, and season 20 rookie of the year Sean Shipley. The bullpen is pretty solid too and the free agent signing of Chico Guerrero bolsters that. The rotation alone should make this team an above 80 win team, but that offense really needs some help. If they even had an above average offense this team would be challenging for the AL title each season.

Vancouver Canucks

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.265	11		Fielding %	.982	11		ERA	6.25	16
Home Runs	232	7		Double Plays	376	13		Opp. Avg.	.290	16
Ops.	.763	11		+ Plays	18	16		Strike Outs	958	15
Runs	782	10		- Plays	76	15		Saves	31	15
Steals	112	11		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.436	10		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 record- 59-103
Last 5 seasons- 303-507

Now here's a team that has been in full rebuild mode for a while now. Last season was the franchise's fourth straight 100 loss season. They are now starting to get some of the good young players up to the majors and should start making some strides forward. Offensively this team was just below average last season. The promotion of Jo-jo Frandsen should help and he should make a rookie of the year push. Veteran Charles Torres adds good power to the lineup. The have a solid lineup throughout, but they aren't quite above average yet. Defensively the team was bad last season. The free agent addition of Oswaldo Estrada to play shortstop will help a lot. Daryl McEnerney won't cover a lot of ground, but he rarely makes errors in centerfield. The defense looks above average to me, but not great. The pitching for Vancouver was really bad last season. Edgar Santana is a step up for this team at the top of the rotation. Brad Porter is a solid mid rotation pitcher. Season 19, number 2 overall pick Phil Linton makes his major league debut this season and should be a solid reliever with room to grow. The pitching staff looks improved, but they are still a bit below average. The team is more well rounded than the previous 2 teams in this division preview, but they don't have an area of the team that is dominant. This team will likely improve to around 70 wins this season.

Los Angeles Regulators

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.262	12		Fielding %	.983	9		ERA	5.48	15
Home Runs	166	14		Double Plays	368	15		Opp. Avg.	.278	12
Ops.	.719	15		+ Plays	50	9		Strike Outs	930	16
Runs	748	12		- Plays	50	11		Saves	24	16
Steals	221	2		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.390	15		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 record- 58-104
Last 5 seasons- 348-462

Here's a team that has been rebuilding for the past 4 seasons now. At least that's how many seasons in a row they've missed the post season. They have seen their record decline in all but one season in the past 5 seasons and that one season was an exact same record in seasons 18 and 19 of 65 wins. With the third pick in the draft this season they should be able to add another quality young piece for the future. They must be getting close to finishing though as they promoted some young players this season and have a fairly young team mixed with some low priced over the hill veterans. Offensively the team wasn't very good last season, ranking in the bottom of the league in all but steals. Andrew Overbay can still hit and should add a good average to this lineup. Youngster Edwin Reese has real good speed, but lacks the on base ability of a leadoff guy. Yusmeiro Veras, was acquired in a trade last season and should hit better than he has up to this point in his career. Bret Richardson should end up as the best overall hitter on this team. His .430 on base and .309 average last season were great for a rookie as he brought home the silver slugger award for catcher. Bip Rodgers is a rookie that should help the offense and he also has the most power on the team, which isn't saying much. Defensively this team was pretty average last season. They lack a real shortstop and centerfielder, but are solid at other positions. This team looks a bit below average on defense. The pitching was really bad last season. The rotation isn't very good at all. Steven Hernandez is solid, but they don't have much else. The bullpen is good though. Courtney Cashman, and Bernard Hoffman are pretty good. I don't think the bullpen is deep enough to bail out the starting pitching for a full season so this pitching staff is below average. It will likely be another long season for LA, but they aren't too far off from challenging in this division again.

Predictions
Anaheim is solid and they are the defending division champs. The division just isn't very good as a whole and Anaheim looks like the team that has the least amount of holes. I'm going to stick with them to take the division this season. St Louis has the pitching and defense, but that offense is just not good. They should challenge for the division title and could even pull it out. Right now I pick them number 2 though. Vancouver is making steps forward, but they just aren't there yet. This season should see an improvement for them, but not enough to win this division or get a wild card spot. LA is still rebuilding, but they aren't too far off as they've brought up some prospects and should soon start making a push in the division.

1. Anaheim
2. St Louis
3. Vancouver
4. Los Angeles

Season 21 NL West Preview

Seattle Strikers

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.255	13		Fielding %	.988	3		ERA	3.22	3
Home Runs	155	14		Double Plays	335	16		Opp. Avg.	.288	1
Ops.	.699	15		+ Plays	60	8		Strike Outs	1139	5
Runs	706	10		- Plays	23	5		Saves	45	8
Steals	137	4		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.376	15		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 93-69
Last 5 Seasons: 435-375 (NL West Champs)

The Seattle Strikers continued there dominance of the NL West in season 20. Silver Slugger Winner, Benny Navarro continues to be a centerpiece of the offense and a great player with the glove.  Management made some big moves last year picking up Corky Whitehead and Henry Siddall. Siddall had a great season for the Strikers but left during free agency. Ghutton added Catcher Felipe Reynoso in the off season to help ease the lose of Siddall. One of the strengths of this team is their defense. Asdrubal Alcantara claimed his fifth Gold Glove at shortstop last season and continues to be a premier defensive player in the league. This team has an above average defense with little room for improvement. Seattle has excellent pitching. Ratings wise this is the best rotation in the NL and maybe all of Pine Tar. Management made a huge trade with San Juan to acquired SP Diego Valbuena and Darren Banks. These are two top of the rotation type of players who are likely Seattle's 3 and 4 starters. John Rucker had as close to a perfect year as I've ever seen. Rucker went 22-3, and had an ERA of 1.79. Not to mention he won his second Cy Young. Alex Guerrero had a solid season finishing 13-9. He is finally performing how he should be but has room for improvement. Rookie Willie Ciaro has been a nice surprise for the Strikers. Cairo is the 5 starter and tossed a no-hitter last year, yeah this rotation is that good. Ghutton is all in for season 21 and will win this division once again. I think anything under 100+ wins or a NL title is a disappointment for this team.


Colorado Springs Night Watchmen

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.258	12		Fielding %	.983	1		ERA	4.82	13
Home Runs	229	3		Double Plays	435	4		Opp. Avg.	.280	13
Ops.	.753	7		+ Plays	32	15		Strike Outs	1029	15
Runs	812	2		- Plays	39	11		Saves	40	13
Steals	68	11		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.427	5		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 72-90
Last 5 Seasons: 352-458

Season 20 was a productive season for the Nights Watchmen. This team is in rebuild mode but managed to stay competitive winning 72 games. Offensively Colorado Springs was a good club. Rafael Chavez had a great season batting .281 with 21 homers and 86 RBIs. The loss of Juan Perez to injury was a big blow to the future of this club. It'll be interesting to see how he performs in season 21. Management added several good young players this off season. King Ashburn is a great player who should be a ROY contender. Arlie Leon is another solid player who will make an impact. The big weakness for this team last season was pitching. They ranked toward the bottom in every category. The addition of Patrick Wilson will be a big help but I don't think he's enough to push this club over the top. Other then Wilson this team doesn't have much in the rotation. The bullpen does have some good arms. Alberto Blasco and Willis Phillips are two young players who are nice pieces to build around in the future. The biggest bright spot for the Night Watchmen is their defense. This team was ranked first in fielding percentage last year and it looks like they might be in the top five again in season 21. Rafael Chavez has a great glove and will continue to be a key to this defense.
Colorado Springs will continue to rebuild this season but i wouldn't sleep on them. This team has a lot of young talent and might make some noise if they can pick up some pitching.


Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.253	14		Fielding %	.979	15		ERA	4.15	8
Home Runs	128	16		Double Plays	403	5		Opp. Avg.	.280	13
Ops.	.677	16		+ Plays	33	14		Strike Outs	1054	13
Runs	636	15		- Plays	52	13		Saves	44	10
Steals	73	10		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.363	16		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 69-93
Last 5 Seasons: 353-457

This team continued to struggle last year finishing with a 69-93 record. Three out of the last four have been under 70 wins for the Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs. The offense has been below average for OKC for the last few seasons but they might be finally rounding the corner. Third overall pick back in season 18, Carlos Zorrilla has been added the major league roster. Zorrilla is a good player with solid defense and a solid bat, plus he can steal some bags. I would expect him to hit around a .280 to .290. Vic Rijos continues to be a force in this line up by batting .297, 34 homers and 115 RBI's. The pitching for the Prairie Dogs was decent in season 20. Juan Ramirez had a solid rookie season. He tossed 93 innings and had a ERA of 4.15. Rick Owens continues to be a mystery to me and has been under achieving every season since joining the majors. Owens consistently posts good ERA's but doesn't win very many games. This team had a below average defense last season also. Cecil Pratt is a great middle infielder who can also swing the bat. He had an impressive rookie season. Billy Kashmir is a solid veteran who will continue to play good defense. Overall Oklahoma City is a average team but should improve this season. This team has added a few good players and I expect this team to win over 70 games.


Albuquerque Komodo Dragons

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.260	10		Fielding %	.981	10		ERA	5.05	14
Home Runs	185	10		Double Plays	389	13		Opp. Avg.	.283	14
Ops.	.733	11		+ Plays	71	5		Strike Outs	1062	10
Runs	675	13		- Plays	54	14		Saves	35	14
Steals	63	13		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.401	11		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 
Last 5 Seasons:

Season 20 was a rough one for the Komodo Dragons. They finished last in the division with 67 wins. Its going to be hard to guess why they did so bad since overall they had solid pitching, offense and defense. Lets start with the offense.  This team didn't really have any one great offensive player but they made some good ones. Glen Fedroff had a good season batting .287. Jorge Renteria had a good year hitting .285 with 79 RBI's. Management didn't add much in the form of offense but they did improve the defense. Kennie McCraken is a former supplemental pick that has been brought to the Majors. McCraken is a great fielder who will be a nice addition. Ernie Borders and Daryl Robertson are both solid players with good gloves. This defense is improved but they still have some weakness to fix in the future. The off season wasn't good for the Komodo Dragons when it comes to pitching. They lost starter Patsy Ainsworth and Ace Raymond Simmons. The lose of Simmons is a significant blow to this clubs rotation that is going to be a lot to over come. Marvin Bere had a rough rookie season as the closer posting a 4.55 ERA. If Bere can perform close to his ratings he will be a good closer for this team. Overall the Albuquerque Komodo Dragons are in for a long season of rebuilding and don't look like there going to get out of the basement in this division.


Predictions
One of the more predictable divisions in Pine Tar. This looks like Seattle's division to lose. Seattle has won 9 of the last 12 division titles and it looks like that will continue this season. Anything under 100 wins or a NL title for the Strikers will be disappointing  Colorado Springs is an improved team but they will miss the playoffs once again unless they pick up some pitching. They have the offense and defense to be a contender but they need pitching to be a championship team. Oklahoma city and Albuquerque should continue the rebuilding process and i don't expect much out of either team in season 21.

1. Seattle Strikers
2. Colorado Springs Night Watchmen
3. Albuquerque Komodo Dragons
4. Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs