Season 33 Preview AL West

AL West

Season 32 Standings
Salem Volcanoes 112-50
Anaheim Skywalkers 91-71(Wild Card)
St Louis Arch Angels 77-85
Omaha Oracles 67-95


Once again this was Salems division last season. It was their fifth straight 100+ win season and division title. That is now the longest streak in franchise history. It was also the 13th division title for them. Anaheim continued a playoff streak for this franchise having made 4 in a row now and 9 of the past 11 seasons. Unfortunately, only 3 of those have been division titles. The franchise in St Louis, has now moved to Boise and they missed the post season for the fourth straight time. It's hard to believe, but it has now been 10 seasons since they won the World Series. Omaha finished in last for the second consecutive season. It has now been 17 seasons since they last won the division title.


Salem Volcanoes
owner-jkenned(11th season)
Last 5 seasons- 555-255

Goals
107 wins

My take
We are now well into the season so this isn't really a preview. Salem is looking like they are well on their way to 107 wins. This team has a solid offense, great pitching and phenomenal defense. All of the makings of another 100+ win season.


OFFENSE- B
DEFENSE- C
PITCHING- A


Anaheim Skywalkers
owner-mysticrain(2nd season)
Last 5 seasons- 446-364


My take
Offensively this team is average or just below average. They have players that will get on base, but outside of Willie Tarasco they don't have much of a power threat. I really like the rotation and the bullpen. This team won't give up a lot of runs this season which will help keep them in games. The defense is going to hurt them though. I really don't like the defense and I think it will hurt the great pitching they have.


OFFENSE- C
DEFENSE- D
PITCHING- A


Boise Coursers
owner-godao(1st season)
Last 5 seasons- 403-407

Goals
1-Play at least close to .500 ball
2-Make the most out of my 1st round picks(#18, #24 and a top 50 comp pick so far) despite the budget limitations of the 1st season
3-Finding a useful IFA or two

My take
1-At the time of this writing they are playing close to 500 ball. They look like a really average team and will likely stay close to that this season. They lack depth and an injury could hurt those chances.
2-I hate the 1st season budget limits. Especially with the changes they've made to the game. This is unrealistic and should be changed. Actually, you should be able to set your budget however you want every season. I've still seen teams make good picks with the limitations, but I've also seen teams get screwed over by it.
3-This ties in with the budget problems. Especially with the changes. The wide range of ratings we are now seeing is going to really hurt teams in IFA signings. Maybe people won't overspend knowing that they aren't likely seeing the player correctly. Doubt it.


What to look for
1-How much the change from a pitchers park to a hitters park will affect the team's power-hitter and how far can they carry the team.
2-Can the bullpen overcome the loss of closer Phil Linton
3-Can the rotation at least keep the team in games

My take
1-This team does have some solid power. While Boise is a hitters park, it's not a big time hitters park. I think the team is more geared toward this kind of park and should excel with it.
2-Losing Linton is big. The bullpen doesn't have much else. While it's not a bad bullpen, it's also not one of the better pens in the league. This is a big loss.
3-The rotation really lacks an ace and they are below average at best. I think this is a weakness.

Differences from last season
1-The owner and the ballpark
2-The main losses are closer Phil Linton, CF Enny Tejera and LF Miller Hunter
3-The main additions are Tomas Osoria, Eugene Harvey and 2B Victor Callaspo

My take
1-A new owner will give this franchise a fresh start. The previous owner was a good one, but I don't think he had the patience to wait for the team to make it back to the top.
2-These are some big losses, but the team wasn't a threat with them, so they won't miss them too much.
3-These aren't huge additions but I do like Harvey. He's some nice offense for them.

OFFENSE- B
DEFENSE- B-
PITCHING- C-


Omaha Oracles
owner-npbed(2nd season)
Last 5 seasons- 404-406

My take
Offensively this team has a little bit of power and some players that can get on base. They aren't great hitters though and could use more contact. The starting rotation isn't very good and is going to hurt them this season. The bullpen is better and they have a really good reliever in Dillon Abbott. The bullpen is a strength for them. The defense is solid with decent depth. They could use more range, but the gloves will keep them from giving up extra runs.


OFFENSE- C+
DEFENSE- B
PITCHING- C-


Predictions
Salem is the clear favorite. I don't see a way they are beat out in this division. They are a possible favorite for the AL title as well. Anaheim has the pitching, but not much else. In a division that will be tight from 2-4 their weaknesses may hurt them. Boise looks like the best of the bottom 3. They are an above average team that doesn't excel at anything. They do have a weakness in pitching though. The same could be said about Omaha.

1. Salem
2. Boise
3. Anaheim
4. Omaha

Season 33 AL North Preview

AL North

Season 32 Standings
Milwaukee Magnitude 102-60
Kansas City Yardbirds 71-91
Dover Dinklebergs 70-92
New York Damage Controllers 68-94


The Magnitude won their 4th straight division title last season, which was also just the 4th title in franchise history. In each of the past 5 seasons they have increased their win total as well. The Yardbirds finished in a distant second place and have now missed the playoffs for the past 10 seasons. Dover finished third and improved by 9 games from the previous season while missing the playoffs for the 4th time in a row. That comes after winning the division 7 straight seasons. New York finished last and they have now gone 15 seasons without a post season berth. They have gone the longest of any team in this division since their last division title all the way back in season 10.



Milwaukee Magnitude
owner-horvie78(8th season)
Last 5 seasons- 441-369

Goals
95+ wins
Winning another division title
Getting hot in the post season

My take
95 wins are within reach for this team. They have the hitting and pitching to get that done. Winning the division should be a possibility with that many wins since all of the other teams were well behind them last season. A big part of the getting hot in the post season has to do with having a few dominant starting pitchers. This team has 3 pitchers that can start and be dominant, but all 3 of them lack really good stamina. That means the bullpen has to be really good. The team has a really solid bullpen so I don't think that will be a problem.


What to look for
Lack of range in the infield being a problem
Players that had outstanding seasons not being able to repeat those outputs

My take
Pellow has the glove and arm to play shortstop, but his range is not very good. The have the same problem with Zip Sullivan at 2B. I like a lot more range at 2B than what he has to offer. That will allow a lot of balls to get through that otherwise wouldn't. This could really hurt them this season.

The player that sticks out as having an over achieving season was Buddy Berry. I just don't see how it's possible for him to repeat his output from last season.


Differences from last season
Josh Kirkland replaces Tomas Osoria in CF
Ignacio Torres and Darren Banks replace Bucky Simpson and Jed Carter on the pitching staff


My take
Kirkland adds more defense over Osoria but he's not going to hit as well. I prefer defense in centerfield so this is an upgrade.

Torres is a solid starter and Banks is good but lacks stamina. The big problem here is that Jed Carter was a great bullpen arm and neither of those pitchers will replace what he gave the team.


OFFENSE- B
DEFENSE- B-
PITCHING- B+



Kansas City Yardbirds
owner-holleybard(7th season)
Last 5 seasons- 366-444


My take
This team is close to competing. They have the defense and offense to get it done. On offense they have a nice mix of power and getting on base. The defense is solid all around. The pitching staff is rough though. The bullpen has a couple decent arms, but the rotation is not very good. The only thing bringing them up to a D+ is that the pitching staff is loaded with pitchers that have good control. Less walks will be a plus for this staff.


OFFENSE- B
DEFENSE- A
PITCHING- D+



Dover Dinklebergs
owner-tmfran(16th season)
Last 5 seasons- 350-460


My take
Dover is a bit below average offensively. Joakim Valbuena is a great hitter, but this team doesn't have a whole lot of talent. On defense they have a gold glove caliber shortstop in Cam House. The team is really loaded with the gloves. The pitching staff isn't very strong. The rotation lacks top end starters, but they do have quite a few mid to back end talent. The bullpen isn't very good. The staff control is also something to be concerned with.


OFFENSE- C-
DEFENSE- A
PITCHING- D+



New York Damage Controllers
owner-skuff730(14th season)
Last 5 seasons- 377-433


My take
This team is going to struggle this season. They have very little talent in all 3 areas of the game. The good thing for this team is that they have some solid prospects in the minors and could be competing again in the near future. It just doesn't look like that will be this season. I think they might be a favorite to get the first pick in next seasons draft.


OFFENSE- C-
DEFENSE- D
PITCHING- C-


Predictions
I think this will be Milwaukee's division to lose again this season. None of the other teams are comparable in talent. Kansas City might give them a run and make things interesting, but in the end they won't have enough pitching to even make the playoffs. Dover looks like they might be even farther back from the top than KC. I'm not sure they can win 70 games this season. New York is a team rebuilding and are looking like they will be pretty bad this season.

1. Milwaukee

2. Kansas City

3. Dover

4. New York

Season 33 NL North Previews

NL North

Season 32 Standings
Scranton Red Barons 97-65
Iowa City Hawkeyes 80-82
New York Highlanders 77-85
Wichita Tornadoes 49-113

The Red Barons took this division title for the 5th season in a row. Before reggie988 took over, the franchise had only won 4 division titles ever. That's a nice turnaround for them. Iowa City finished second and missed the playoffs for the third straight season. Things are looking up for them after they improved by 8 wins last season. New York left for St Louis after another season missing the playoffs. It was their 7th straight season without a post season berth. They are one season from matching the longest run in franchise history without making the playoffs. Wichita finished at the bottom of the division for the third consecutive season and missed the playoff for the 5th straight season. There is nowhere to go but up for them.


Scranton Red Barons
owner-reggie988(11th season)
Last 5 seasons- 479-331


My take
This team has a great offense. 2 time and reigning MVP Eugenio Canseco is the man that the offense centers around. He's as good as they get when it comes to power, getting on base and hitting for average. The team has a great mix of power, batting eye, and just all around hitters. They will be tough to stop. The starting rotation is solid, but not great. The bullpen will be pretty good and the addition of Todd Blair will help. The defense is solid, but the lack a true shortstop. That brings the grade down a little. This team should end up battling it out for another division title this season or at least a wild card spot.


OFFENSE- A+
DEFENSE- B
PITCHING- B-


Iowa City Hawkeyes
owner-tk21775(18th season)
Last 5 seasons- 372-438


What to look for
Free agent signings added depth to the bench

My take
I think Frandsen is more than just bench depth. The guy can still hit among the best in the league. Chisenhall has a great glove and can fill in just about anywhere on the field. Everth Benitez will add some nice depth to the bullpen though.

Differences from last season
Added Nate Bush to the rotation

My take
The addition of Bush to the rotation adds a solid arm, but he's not a difference maker. At 22 years old, he still has room to improve and should become a solid pitcher in the future.

OFFENSE- C-
DEFENSE- B+
PITCHING- B+


St Louis Miracles
owner-ranscott64(4th season)
Last 5 seasons- 388-422

Goals
81 wins
Year 3 of 5 seasons rebuild

My take
Looking at this team, I'm struggling to see how they can win 81 games. It's a nice goal, but it may be out of reach. The team is admittedly in rebuild mode and it looks that way. My guess would be 65 wins this season based on what they have on the ML squad right now. The depth just isn't very deep.


What to look for
Rookies starting at 3B(Melky Ramirez) and 2B(Mathew Clontz)
Rookies on the pitching staff(Cy Upton, Tomas Pena and Jesus Nieves)

My take
Defensively, Ramirez will fill in nicely. Offensively, he's just not that good. He's just below average. Clontz is not ideal at 2B as he lacks great range and solid glove abilities. He looks more like a rightfielder to me. He does have good power, but he won't hit for average and will not get on base at a high enough clip to validate playing inferior defense at that position. The rookie pitchers aren't difference makers. Pena is the best of the group and I think he's solid.


OFFENSE- D
DEFENSE- B-
PITCHING- C+



Wichita Tornadoes
owner-pinetaar(7th season)
Last 5 seasons- 337-473


What to look for
Bullpen returns intact and should be strength of the team
Rookie and 2nd year players performance on offense

My take
The bullpen is solid on this team. Graham Hausmann was a really nice Rule 5 selection and may end up being the best of the bunch though. Felix Nomo got promoted to the majors and I really like him as a setup man.

The offense is a bit below average, but there are a few young players I like. Dee Dee Kelly has really nice potential with his decent pop and great batting eye. Maikel Martinez won't hit for a high average but he will get on base. That is one thing I really like about this team, they have good batting eyes and will draw some walks.


Differences from last season
Upgraded starting pitching
Defensive upgrades in the outfield
Offensive upgrades at C & LF

My take
The starting pitching is upgraded. Bucky Simpson was a nice signing for them. He's not an ace, but he should be average. Cutter Garcia is a good pitcher, but his lower stamina keeps him from being really good. Mike Keefe is solid as well. All 3 are upgrades over what this team had.

Ed Darnell really is an upgrade in centerfield. He's got good range, but a below average glove. That is still better than what they had. That is the only defensive upgrade I see though.

As I said before, Dee Dee Kelly is a good hitter and he's the upgrade at catcher for this team. Donaldo Ortiz is a solid hitter in leftfield as well. The team really did make some solid upgrades at these positions.


OFFENSE- C
DEFENSE- C
PITCHING- C


Predictions

Scranton is looking tough again this season. I think it's going to be tough for any of these teams to knock them from the top of the division. They could even make  a nice run in the post season. Iowa City is solid and should have a winning record this season. I just don't think they have enough fire power on offense to be a serious threat. St Louis is in the midst of a rebuild and don't look like they are likely to win enough games to even be in the wild card discussion. I think it'll be tough for them this season. Wichita is a much improved team, but they are still a ways off from competing for a playoff spot.

1. Scranton
2. Iowa City
3. Wichita
4. St.Louis

Season 33 NL East Preview

NL East

Season 32 Standings
San Juan Dw'Arfy Mojados 106-56(NL Champ)
Jacksonville Juice 84-78
Cincinnati Firestorm 69-93
Philadelphia Moneymakers 66-96


It was finally time for a breakthrough in San Juan. Not only did they win the division for the 3rd time in the past 4 seasons, but this time they went on to win the National League title. They fell short of the ultimate goal, but it was a season of success as it was the first NL title for the franchise. The division title was also only the fourth for this franchise. Jacksonville finished second in the division and missed the post season for the sixth straight season. It has been a tough road for a franchise that had been to the playoffs 19 times and all of those were in the first 26 seasons. They did end a run of five straight seasons with a losing record. Cincinnati missed the playoffs for the second straight season and finished in third. Philadelphia finished in last place for just the fourth time in team history. The 66 wins were the second fewest ever for them.



San Juan Dw'Arfy Mojados
owner-jibe(10th season;11th season overall)
Last 5 seasons- 426-384


Goals
1. Win the division
2. To make it back to the World Series

My take
1. San Juan should be tough again this season. Winning the division will only be a problem if another team made significant enough improvement to challenge them.
2. Making it back to the World Series should be a goal for San Juan. They have a great offense and a bunch of really good pitchers. I'd be surprised if they flop in the post season.


What to look for
Homeruns galore
1-4 tandem rotation
Strong bullpen

My take
This team should put up some really good power numbers this season. They have 5 players with elite power in Willie Guerrero, Rickie Halama, Eli Cruz, Tony Caballero, and Humberto Ortiz. Any of those guys are a homerun threat every at bat. The power doesn't end there either. They still have plenty of pop at other spots in the lineup as well.

The tandem rotation is something I've never been a fan of. This team seems to pull it off nicely though. They have the perfect pitching staff to do it also. They have really good pitchers with long relief/ starter stamina. San Juan should have one of the better pitching staffs in the NL this season.

The bullpen is also pretty strong. Juan Sierra is one of the best closers this league has had. Brendan Taylor should be a future Hall of Famer as he has been dominant for a long time and he's not a usual reliever. He puts up a lot of innings and can do it game in and game out.


Differences from last season
Traded away a gold glove type shortstop

My take
They traded away  Rafael Santana, who is a really good shortstop. The team still has Sam Halter that can play the position. It doesn't seem that they value defense over offense though as he won't be the starter.

OFFENSE- A+
DEFENSE- C-
PITCHING- A


Jacksonville Juice
owner-greygoose123(33rd season)
Last 5 seasons- 342-468


Goals
90+ Wins
Playoffs

My take
The Juice have the look of a team that can put together a pretty good season. 90 wins is not a stretch for them, but it will take some things going right to get there. They don't have much room for error or injuries though. Most of this teams talent is on the top end and the bench has little talent. The NL has quite a few good teams this season. Making the playoffs will be a real battle and Jacksonville will be one of those teams in the mix.


What to look for
Additions Gus Justice and Alex Espinoza
The young players

My take
I really like these additions the club made this season. They added an MVP candidate in Gus Justice to anchor the offense and then added an innings eater that will help keep the bullpen fresh. On offense, Justice can hit for power, and average while also stealing some bases. Throw him into a lineup with youngsters Raul Quintero, Tanyon Graves, Marcell Escobar and Doug Mitchell, and then this team has a really good offense. Each of the players mentioned are young and will continue to get better. I think Jacksonville has a really nice future outlook offensively.

Differences from last season


My take


OFFENSE- B
DEFENSE- B-
PITCHING- B



Cincinnati Firestorm
owner-jbburner(33rd season)
Last 5 seasons- 378-432


Goals
At least a .500 season


My take
This is a fairly average team. Getting to .500 might still be a stretch for them though. With a tough NL this season this team may end up closer to 75 wins than 81. The good news is that they will be competitive and then anything can happen.


What to look for
Can the catchers improve the pitching
How this team is built for the ballpark

My take
I'll start with the first thing. The catchers can make the pitchers better. I'm not sure by how much though. The pitching staff isn't bad, but in Cincinnati a good pitching staff could look bad. That brings me to the next point. I just don't see enough pitchers that can force groundballs. They aren't loaded with flyball pitchers, but they only have a couple of pitchers that can routinely get groundballs. The only thing that can offset that in a hitters park is velocity and pitches. Cincinnati has some pitchers with really good pitches, but the velocity numbers just aren't very high. I feel like this will end up being an average pitching staff at best. The offense is built a little more for the park with some power hitters, but the 3 big hitters they have are not very good at making contact, hitting for average or taking bad pitches. That will negate their power abilities. They do have plenty of solid power hitters that could hit 20+ homers. I see a team that can hit plenty of homers, but they won't have many guys on in front of them to drive home. Another thing about hitters parks that I like to see is good gloves on defense. This team is average with the gloves. They have some players with really good range, which is nice for second base and shortstop but not a necessity in the outfield.


Differences from last season
Tried to improve the hitting and defense.

My take
They have done both of these with the acquisitions of Nolan Bourn and Jorge Santana. Travis Fiore will be a good defensive addition and Pedro Reyes can still hit. The team should see a slight improvement in both of these areas of play.

OFFENSE- C+
DEFENSE- B-
PITCHING- C



Philadelphia Moneymakers
owner-Phillies26(33rd season)
Last 5 seasons- 353-457


My take
Offensively this team is pretty solid this season. They don't have much power, but they do have guys that can hit for average and steal some bases. The defense is looking decent as well, but they lack depth. What this team really needs is some better starting pitching. They added Miguel Zumaya, who can eat innings, but he's not very good. The rest of the rotation isn't as good as he is. The bullpen is better than the rotation, but even they aren't great. Yannick Truby is a really good reliever. They have a few other above average relievers, but if the rotation isn't good then these guys are going to be gassed early and often.


OFFENSE- B-
DEFENSE- C+
PITCHING- C-


Predictions

I'm not sure any team in the division can give San Juan a real run for the title this season. They are a team that should make a run at a World title again. Jacksonville is a good team and should battle for a wild card spot, but they aren't going to give San Juan a good enough battle for the division title. Cincinnati is an average team, but average isn't good in this league. I don't think they have much of a shot at the post season. Philadelphia is not a bad offensive or defensive team, but the rotation keeps them from having any shot at a winning record.

1. San Juan
2. Jacksonville
3. Cincinnati
4. Philadelphia

Season 33 NL South Preview

NL South

Season 32 Standings
Texas Galveston Wave 98-64
Houston Roghnecks 95-67(Wild Card)
Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's 79-83
Jackson Juggernauts 76-86

For the second season in a row, Texas took this division title. It was the 8th division title in franchise history. They've also now made the playoffs in 4 of the past 6 seasons. Last seasons run ended in the NLCS against San Juan. Houston finished in second and took the first Wild Card spot. It was their first trip to the post season since season 25, which was also the last time they won the division title. Louisville finished third and missed the playoffs in back to back seasons. That was the first time they've missed consecutive playoff appearances since the drought they had from seasons 9 through 18. It was their first losing record since season 27. Jackson finished in last place for the third straight season. They've missed the playoffs for the past 9 seasons now. That matches the worst streak in franchise history that was last done between seasons 6 and 14.



Texas Galveston Wave
owner-erichanville(14th season)
Last 5 seasons- 461-349

Goals
Making it back to the playoffs.

My take
Texas has the look of a playoff team. They have good power on offense, some solid hitting and even some speed. The defense is really good and have a couple of shortstop options. The starting rotation is suspect, but they have a really good bullpen. I think they should at least make a run at the post season.


What to look for
The issue with the team is starting pitching.

My take
This is a big issue for them. The rotation looks really weak and they don't even have a pitcher I'd consider a 1 or 2 starter.

Differences from last season
Lost some good players in the bullpen but added some good talent.

My take
Nash Casanova is a really nice addition. He's underperformed the past couple seasons, but he should bounce back. Jed Carter has been a really good setup man the past couple of seasons and should also be a really good reliever for Texas this season.

OFFENSE- B
DEFENSE- A-
PITCHING- B-


Houston Roughnecks
owner-bagwellbuff(12th season)
Last 5 seasons- 395-415

Goals
To win 90-plus games and push farther in the playoffs.

My take
This team has a solid offense a really good defense and some great pitching. If they don't win 90+ games this season then I don't know what a good team is. I think they have a real shot at 100 wins. They also should make a post season push. The top of the rotation is looking really good this season and everyone knows that you only need 3 great starters to advance in the playoffs.

What to look for
The addition of Samuel Johnston should strengthen the defense.

My take
Their plan is to put Johnston in centerfield and move Mark Millwood to second base. The only thing I don't like about this is that I like more range out of second base. Realistically though, both players have good gloves for the positions and the team will get good defense from this move.

Differences from last season




OFFENSE- B-
DEFENSE- A-
PITCHING- A



Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's
owner-Arfy(18th season)
Last 5 seasons- 415-395

Goals
Rebuilding, but still putting a competitive team on the field. A successful season would be the .500 mark.

My take
The team is looking solid. Nothing great, but reaching the .500 mark should be doable. They have some real good young players already in the majors. Brooks Larish(24) is a pretty good shortstop, Louie Sanez(23) is going to kill the ball and he's a solid catcher,  and Domingo Aguilar(23) is a pretty good starter with some room to get better. The rebuild is already showing some signs of success with those guys.

What to look for
Will the starting pitching be able to go deep enough in games to keep from overusing a bullpen that isn't very durable.

My take
An often overlooked asset for a pitcher to get deep into games in control. A lot of people look at stamina only and pay little attention to the fact that high control keeps pitch counts low. I like Aguilar for this reason. He's a guy that can pitch 7 to 8 innings with good control and stamina. He's good enough that he should throw some complete games as well. I feel the same about Ralph Young. I think the other starters might tire out the pen but at least when those two pitch the pen will get some rest.

Differences from last season
Lost backup catcher Bartolo Duran, 1B Russell Powell and a couple pitchers who had poor seasons. Added 1B Hipolito Arrendondo from Salem, 2B Rafael Avila from Seattle, RP Ringo Thomas from San Juan, SP Dany's Talemaco from Omaha, and SP Ralph Young from Jackson.

My take
Russell Powell is a huge loss. Offense like that is rare. Arredondo is good offensively and will help fill the void, but he's no comparison to Powell. Thomas is a solid reliever and Young and Telemaco are solid starters. The team is rebuilding so not much is expected. I still think they will be an average team though.

OFFENSE- C+
DEFENSE- A
PITCHING- C+



Jackson Juggernauts
owner-bobbyj7(21st season)
Last 5 seasons- 358-452

Goals
Better pitching from the starters and better power in the middle of the order.

My take
I'll start with the offense. Joe Montgomery should put up better numbers this season. He has 40+ homer potential even with his low stamina. Vic Romero should hit plenty of homers again. That's about all of the power this team has. I'm not sure that equates to better power in the middle of the order for them though. As for the rotation. It isn't a particularly strong rotation. They lack a true ace. Truly, all of the starters appear to be just average and fit better as mid rotation guys.


What to look for


My take


Differences from last season
Not much is changed.

My take
They really didn't change much. I do see the addition of Stretch Rivera through the Rule V draft. That could end up being a nice addition as a long reliever. His control and splits are a little below average, but his velocity and pitches are pretty good.

OFFENSE- B-
DEFENSE- C-
PITCHING- C


Predictions

This division is a two team race. Houston and Texas will battle it out for the top spot. It's possible that one of them could end up in the World Series. I'm going with pitching and defense in this decision and taking Houston. With that said, Texas should easily take a Wild Card spot. Louisville should be at least competitive this season while they rebuild. I can't see them winning less that 75 games unless they start to unload players. Jackson still has a ways to go to return to the top of the division, but they aren't a bad team. 70 wins is realistic for them.

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

Season 33 NL West Preview

NL West

Season 32 Standings
Albuquerque Komodo Dragons 85-77
Seattle Strikers 85-77(Wild Card)
Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs 83-79
Colorado Springs Sky Sox 70-92

Albuquerque won the division for the first time since season 17. They have now made the post season in 3 straight seasons. That is the first time in franchise history that they have accomplished that feat. Seattle ended a run of 4 straight division titles, but still took a wild card spot. It was just the third time that the team has earned a wild card compared with 16 division titles. Oklahoma City missed the playoffs after making it a season ago. They still finished with a winning record. Colorado Springs missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season while finishing last in the West.



Albuquerque Komodo Dragons
owner-csudak(14th season)
Last 5 seasons- 415-395

Goals
1. Don't get off to a slow start like last season
2. Win division again
3. Try to not give up the most runs in the NL

My take
1. Albuquerque is in a division that isn't as tough as it was a few seasons ago. I believe a fast start is in the cards for this team.
2. I think it's going to be another close race this season in the West. This time it will be a battle between Oklahoma City and Albuquerque though. The division title is within reach for them.
3. This team does not have awful pitching, but they play in a hitters park. That will leave them in the bottom half of the league at least. The only way to avoid that would be to load up on great pitching, which is not something they have.


What to look for
1. How is Terry Holmes seemingly getting better the last 3 years when he should be on the downside and will it continue.
2. Will Ed Paul actually put a season together that matches his ratings.

My take
1. At age 33, Terry Holmes, is on the back 9 of his career, but I don't think he's quite done yet. He has the ratings to continue to hit and playing half of his games in Albuquerque will allow him to put up similar numbers to last season. He may drop off a bit, but not much.
2. Ed Paul has some really good ratings, but he's weak against right handers. There are more hitters batting from that side of the plate than the left side. His velocity and first pitch should make up for his weakness though. My guess is that his very low rated 4th and 5th pitch get used too often thanks in part to throwing to a catcher with low pitch calling. That can kill a pitcher that has a couple bad pitches.


Differences from last season
1. Offensively nothing changed.
2. Let go of some high priced pitchers that never met expectations.
3. Invested in a few bullpen arms including a new closer.
4. Trying to lower starting pitcher pitch counts. Using higher stamina relievers.

My take
1. Why change anything on offense? They scored the second most runs in the NL last season. I wouldn't either.
2. This team really needed to make changes in pitching. They ranked near the bottom of the league last season.
3. Phil Linton was a really nice addition for this team. He should upgrade the bullpen.
4. This team has a lot of pitchers with good stamina. This will work for them, but only if the pitchers are good enough to take advantage of it. I still see some lower control pitchers that will run up their pitch counts.

OFFENSE- A
DEFENSE- C
PITCHING- C+



Seattle Strikers
owner-ghutton9(27th season)
Last 5 seasons- 495-315

Goals
1. Stay close to .500 ball this season.
2. Sign an IFA or two that can help in the near future.
3. Get back to what helped me sustain success for so long(defense, and speed).

My take
1. I should be able to keep this team close to .500. The speed and contact hitting the team has should help score enough runs to do that. The pitching is nowhere close to last season, but is solid enough to stay competitive. I got rid of the power hitters and brought in more contact and speed.
2. This remains to be seen. I've found some solid cheap additions in the past through IFA's, but the way the game has changed makes it all about luck. We will see how this goes.
3. There is a lot more speed on the team this season. The question will be if those guys get on base enough to take advantage of it. The defense looks pretty good, but without a true shortstop we'll have to cross our fingers and hope it is where we want it to be.

What to look for
1. Is Bert Anderson a long term answer at 1B and batting leadoff.
2. Can the rotation hold up without a true ace.
3. Will the bullpen struggle?

My take
1. He got the chance last season and did quite well. The batting average isn't great but his OBP and stealing ability make him a nice leadoff hitter. Most teams prefer power at 1B, but playing in a pitchers park changes that.
2. Gerald Foster is quite good, but not a true ace. He makes a really good #2 starter. Putting him as an ace means that other starters are moved up in the rotation as well. The rotation is going to be rough this season.
3. The bullpen is solid. I really like the pen, but with a weaker rotation it's going to put a lot of stress on them.

Differences from last season
1. Everything.

My take
1. This team has been overhauled. It started last season and we still made the playoffs. There are  a lot of solid young players mixed with some good veterans. I think we can still be competitive, but no way we can win the division. This is the start of a rebuild.

OFFENSE- C-
DEFENSE- B-
PITCHING- B-



Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs
owner-brentcnb(21st season)
Last 5 seasons- 402-408

Outlook
My guess would be that this team has the goal of making the post season. They were close last season, but fell short. I really like the offense and pitching this season for them. They made some solid signings in Free Agency and the promotion of prospect starting pitcher Hugh Perez will push this team near the top of the division. They should battle it out with Albuquerque for the title this season.

OFFENSE- B
DEFENSE- D+
PITCHING- B-



Colorado Springs Sky Sox
owner-Fantasy Frea(3rd season, 12th overall)
Last 5 seasons- 391-419

Outlook
This is a team in rebuild mode for the past 4 seasons. They must feel they are close to competing this season. They made some nice Free Agent signings to help boost their win totals. The addition of JA Stanley adds some much needed power. I like the signing of Jim Hawpe as well. The pitching staff got an upgrade with the signings of Jamie Saito, and Pat Chen. The promotion of young starter Ellie Coleman is a decent addition for them in the rotation. This team may finish close to .500 this season and out of the basement.

OFFENSE- C-
DEFENSE- B-
PITCHING- C-



Predictions

Albuquerque has a great offense and solid pitching with decent enough defense. This team is the favorite to win the division again, but it won't be easy for them. Oklahoma City should make things tough. I really like what they have on offense and the pitching is pretty decent too. The defense is going to struggle though. That is the one thing that holds me back from picking them to win the division. Seattle is a team in rebuild mode and will probably make more moves to further that this season. I don't figure them to be in the race for a playoff spot. Colorado Springs must feel like they are closer after some free agent signings this season. I'll be interested to see if they can make some moves to make a push this season. Right now I think Albuquerque and Oklahoma City should make the post season or at least be in the race for the wild card spot.

1. Albuquerque
2. Oklahoma City
3. Colorado Springs
4. Seattle

OWNER HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS

tmfran(Dover Dinklebergs)
Pine Tar Record/ 1323-1107(15 seasons)
9 Division Titles/ 2 Wild Cards
2 AL Championships

This is the third time tmfran has been on the ballot. When tmfran came into Pine Tar the Dover franchise took off. They went to the post season in 10 straight seasons and twice went to the World Series. They were one of the toughest teams in the AL during that stretch. The franchise has taken a different turn over the past 4 seasons though and they have been rebuilding for what they are hoping will be another long stretch of success.


kjmulli(Boston Pilgrims)
Pine Tar Record/ 1578-1338(18 seasons)
7 Division Titles/ 2 Wild Cards
1 AL Championships
1 World Championship

kjmulli took over a team that had very little success in this league. Things started slow for this owner as they had just one winning season in kjmulli's first 7 seasons as owner. Then things turned around. They won 100+ games in 6 of the next 8 seasons and won a World Series in that time. They also went to 9 playoffs in 10 seasons.


jkenned(Salem Volcanoes)
Pine Tar Record/ 873-585(11 seasons)
5 Division Titles/ 0 Wild Cards
3 AL Championships
2 World Championship

jkenned took over a franchise that had toiled in mediocrity for quite some time. When jkenned came in the team struggled for a few seasons with 4 last place finishes in the division in 5 seasons. Two of those last place finishes were with winning records. Since then, the team has reeled off 5 straight 100+ win seasons with a high of 124. They've also been to the past 5 AL championships and 3 out of the past 5 World Series while winning 2 of them.


bagwellbuff(Houston Roughnecks)
Pine Tar Record/ 950-832(11 seasons)
4 Division Titles/ 1 Wild Cards
2 NL Championships
1 World Championship

bagwellbuff put up quite an impressive run when he came into the league. He took over a franchise that had been decent for the previous 4 seasons, and turned them into a threat to win it all. After winning 101 games in his first year they missed out on the NLCS. They came back the next season and not only made it to the NLCS, but won it and went to the World Series. The third season for this owner seen them make it back to the World Series and win it all. The following season bagwellbuff led the team to the most victories in franchise history with 106 wins, but they fell short in the playoffs. That is when they started a rebuild. During the rebuild the franchise has remained competitive and their worst finish was with 68 victories. Last season the team turned things around and started their winning ways again with 95 wins.


Arfy(Houston Roughnecks)
Pine Tar Record/ 1439-1315(17 seasons)
4 Division Titles/ 4 Wild Cards
0 NL Championships
0 World Championship

Arfy may be a surprise on this list based on the lack of post season success, but he's actually the owner that was nominated the most. Arfy started his career in Pine Tar with 3 bad seasons, but then turned things around impressively with a 94 win season and a wild card berth. That started a string of 8 seasons in which they won between 85 games and 95 games. Then after a 73 win season the team put together a run of 95, 95 and 96 wins. Only once has the team even made the NLCS though. This is one of the hardest luck owners in Pine Tar when it comes to the post season. They've had some impressive teams that ended up one and done. Besides all of that though, this owner deserves to be in the Hall of Fame especially due to what he does for the league. His work on the blog is one of the things that helps make it so much fun here. From helping out with the season previews, or doing the Arfy's Ramblings, it's always going to be something worth reading. Besides that, he's always a good sport when others are having fun on the world chat at his expense.

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 prezuiwf with a few changes. The votes of current and active Hall of Fame members tk21775, greygoose123, bobbyj7 and rxw1, along with the league commissioner(myself) will be used to break a tie. 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).

NEWS OF IMPORTANCE

As most of you know, our league has very few Private World Rules. As I found out last season, some owners were not aware of our rules. Please, everybody take a look at the rules and try your best to follow them. These are not very hard to follow rules. We have only lost 1 owner since they were posted back on 1/21/13. I would prefer to keep all of our current owner since it makes my job easier, but if the rules are broken and the other owners of the world feel it's best, then I will have an owner removed for breaking them. As everyone has seen, this is a fairly easy world to fill. One of the reasons that it is easy to fill is due to our rules, and the awesome group of owners here. I should not have much of a problem replacing someone if I have to.

Last season was the third time that the win minimum was not met. The first time, the owner willingly left. The second time, it was barely missed and the owner was given another season to turn it around and they did without issue. This time it was missed by quite a bit and after discussions with other owners in the league and the owner that missed the win requirement, a probation was handed out. Like I said, I hate to lose a current owner and it seems that many of the other league owners feel the same way. The majority asked to give another season to the offending owner with the requirement being to reach the win total that would give them the minimum win requirement, which would be 71 wins. I myself have had a team in another world that failed to reach a minimum win requirement, so I have a bit of an understanding for this. I also know from that experience that this is a game that involves luck, both bad and good. Even putting a team together that can win 71 games will take some luck to reach that. I also would rather see a returning owner that is invested in the team and has a budget set up for it to be given a chance if every effort is made to achieve 71 wins. That is why I have given a couple extra stipulations as part of the probation. If the team has a player salary over $60 million this season, then I am allowing them 66 wins, and if the team has a player salary over $80 million I will allow 61 wins. At the same time, anything under 71 wins is still to be discussed among league owners to make sure that the salaries were not just bad contracts and that an effort was made to reach 71 wins. I feel like this probation is best for the owner involved and the league as a whole. If anyone disagrees with the latter part of that then feel free to trade chat me and I can go into it further.

Another thing I want to address that ties into this is possibly revising our rules and adding a couple of rules. I don't want a long list of rules, but a few owners have made suggestions about current rules and I've had some suggest adding rules. If anyone has any rules they would like us to vote on then send them to me. Even if it is something minor, I still want to hear them. I think we should always look at ways to make the league better. With the way things are all around HBD and the trouble commissioners are having at filling worlds, I think we really need to do what we can to protect our status as one of the best leagues. This will be covered more in the coming days. I want people to send in suggestions over the next few days and then I'll post them and how I feel about each early next week. Then we will vote on them.

On a brighter note, welcome to season 33 of Pine Tar. We have one new owner(godao), and one former owner returning(joekendall). Thanks to those two for filling our openings and making it quick and painless for me. I also want to thank the 29 other owners for returning and also for what each of you have done to help make this an enjoyable league for each other and myself. I want to give a special thanks to Arfy and horvie, for what each of you have done to help with the blog. It really helps set this world apart from the others and the both of you have added great articles over the seasosns and I hope you guys continue to do so for quite some time. Best of luck to everyone on continuing your goals with your team this season.