AL NORTH
Dover won this division for the seventh straight time last season. Also marking their 11th straight winning season. All of them have been under the management of tmfran. New York had a good season, but came up short from making the playoffs for the 11th straight season. Milwaukee showed signs of improvement this season, but also missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season. And Kansas City rounded out the bottom, missing the playoffs for the 7th straight season. It looks like you either win the division or go home.
Dover Dinklebergs
Owner: tmfran(12th Season)
Last Season- 88-74 (1st Place)
Last 5 seasons- 472-338(.583)
Payroll-$98.2m
Draft Pick-21st
Great defense. Maybe the tops in the American League. Team really is was one of the weakest as far as speed and baserunning goes. Hitting is below average with not much power. And their pitching staff is one of the weakest in the American League. I anticipate a large dropoff in Dover this season.
New York Damage Controllers
Owner-Skuff730(10th Season)
Last Season-83-79(2nd Place)
Last 5 seasons-391-419(.483)
Payroll-$91.1m
Draft Pick-16th
Defense is slightly under average. Probably one of the best teams for speed and baserunning. Their offense looks very very strong. Yes, I used to very's. Might be the tops in the American Leauge. They also have very good power. Only one very this time, but certainly not to be overlooked. And then we get to their pitching and it seems about an average pitching staff. In fact, last season New York was dead last in Quality Starts with only a total of 10 for the season. Should be a good season overall in New York.
Milwaukee Magnitude
Owner-Horvie78(4th Season)
Last Season-72-90(3rd Place)
Last 5 seasons-367-443(.453)
Payroll-$57.5m
Draft Pick-9th
Defense is about average. Good speed and base running. Their offense is really lacking, and don't have very much power to go with it. They have vastly improved their pitching staff this season. One of the strongest in the American League. I'm guessing they come up just shy of the .500 mark.
Kansas City Yardbirds
Owner-Holleybard(3rd Season)
Last Season-71-91(4th Place)
Last 5 seasons-326-484(.402)
Payroll-$66.3m
Draft Pick-8th
Defense is the weakest in the American League.. Below average speed and base running. One of the weakest hitting teams in the AL, with no power at all. Last season finished at the bottom in OBP SLG, and HR. Pitching is below average. Another long season in Kansas City.
Interviews
Tmfran is obviously one of the best coaches in this game. As shown by his 11 straight winning seasons. But his talent level seems to be slipping. I asked tmfran, "You don't look as strong as previous season. Are you taking a step back?" He responded, "maybe, but I'm not ready to turn over the division just yet."
Milwaukee Press release: I think we will be a .500 ballclub. There are a lot of average players, but no real all-stars. I believe that my relief pitching and my fielding are at least average. My starting pitching is probably a bit below average, and my hitting is definitely below average. Osoria, Shelby, and Martin have good speed. I really wanted to sign CF King Ashburn but was beaten out by Philly. The top newcomers are Lee Coveleski (free agent SP) and rookie John Martin (LF - trade from Iowa). RP Ben Boyer has the best shot at being an all-star selection.
Kasnas City Press release: The good stuff: I like that I've started to build the foundation for my kind of team. Hugh Paterson is a terrific talent who does a little bit of everything well. I always think of the old KC Royals (George Brett, Hal McRae, Willie Wilson, etc.) being that way, and that's sort of the model I have for the Yardbirds. When your team is a total renovation job like the one I inherited, the mission is simple: acquire as much talent as you can without sabotaging the farm. I had ZERO pitching, so I was determined to get my man Sticky in FA. He's just one good pitcher, so he can't come close to solving all our problems. But he does give me an anchor,and it's up to me to find at least 2 more reliable starters that will keep me competitive. I paid a ton for Sticky, but the only tax, so to speak, was money: I still retain my draft pick, number 8, which should bring me another pillar-type player. I also took a big chance with Olmedo Johnson in FA. He's banged up and will miss my first round of divisional games, but I liked his price...and I feel with max training and medical, he'll return to approximate the player he was at his peak. We'll see. When you've got a talent deficit like us, you have to take some calculated risks. Bottom line? I need pitching. Lots of it. I think I can hang around for a while and make things interesting. Ultimately, I don't have enough to mix it up in the playoffs. I'm totally enjoying the journey, though. And when I do have success in this world, it would mean something because I have so much respect for the way business is handled here.
Predictions
Tmfran is really going to have to make some magic to win this division again. I think this is finally going to be New York's season to take the division. Milwaukee improved pitching staff might be enough to take the second spot, it will close with Dover. And sadly I think Kansas City is missing too much across the board.
1. New York
2. Milwaukee
3. Dover
4. Kansas City
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