Season 45 All-Star Blog

Season 45 Midseason Classic

Seven seasons have passed since I posted the what used to be the annual Pine Tar All-Star blog.  The all-star blog highlights all-stars by team and division, first time all-stars, youngest all-stars, veteran all-stars, highest paid all-stars, and "diamond in the rough" all-stars.  I didn't have much time for analysis, so I made some points below.

-The National League jumped on the AL early and never looked back, as they won by the score of 10-2.  Click here to view the box score.
-Seattle Strikers' 2B Juan Carlos Guzman was awarded the Most Valuable Player award in his first all-star appearance. The 25-year old Guzman hit a 3-run bomb in the 3rd inning to break the game open.
-The Homerun Derby champ was also making his first all-star appearance.  Syracuse Nationals 1B Henderson Rolls, who only has a power rating of 79, scored an upset win over Durham's Cleatus Wallace in the finals.
-The Durham Doormats and Seattle Strikers led Pine Tar with 6 all-star selections apiece.  These two clubs also lead their respective leagues in wins.
-The AL East and NL South tied for the most all-stars by division.  These divisions would earn both wildcard berths for their respective leagues if the season ended at the all-star break (Syracuse and Boston for the AL East, Louisville and Little Rock for the NL South).
-Over 50 percent (31 out of 60) of the all-star rosters were made up of first-time all-stars.  The last time that this blog was posted, in Season 38, only 35% of the rosters were making their first appearance.  It is nice to see young talent flourishing!
-El Paso Walkers' veteran reliever Alex James made his 12th all-star appearance.  The 36-year old James has 519 career saves and 6 Fireman-of-the-Year awards.
-Jackson Juggernauts pitcher Benny Caminiti is trying to prove that Diamond-in-the-Rough players aren't exactly worthless.  Caminiti made his 3rd all-star appearance and pitched two innings of shutout ball for the National League.

Teams with the most All-Star selections:

Durham Doormats - 6
Seattle Strikers - 6
El Paso Walkers - 4
Honolulu Kamehamehas - 4
Iowa City Hawkeyes - 4
Little Rock Riddlers - 4
Houston Hot Dogs - 4
Syracuse Nationals - 3

All-Stars by Division
AL East - 11
NL South - 11
NL West - 10
AL South - 8
AL West - 8
NL North - 7
AL North - 3
NL East - 2

First Time All-Stars – American League

P - Francisco Tavarez (Doormats)
P - David Hudson (Nationals)
P - Max Almanza (Walkers)
P - Dave Weiss (Kamehamehas)
P - Gabriel Moreno (Screaming Babies)
P - Stan Smith (Walkers)
P - Kenshin Martin (Magnitude)
C - Theodore Sheldon (Rogues)
C - J.O. Valenzuela (Volcanoes)
1B - Dillon Osbourne (Doormats)
1B - Henderson Rolls (Nationals)
2B - Alex Valentin (Volcanoes)
SS - Vic Torcato (Nationals)
SS - Torey Flores (Waiver Claims)
CF - Robert Payton (Oracles)
RF - Tom Burch (Oracles)
DH - Mark Payton (Kamehamehas)

First Time All-Stars – National League

P - Macbeth Raines (Hot Dogs)
P - Rusney Alvarez (Riddlers)
P - Rob Taylor (Strikers)
P - Miguel Ibarra (Phillies)
P - Rondell Maday (Hot Dogs)
P - Arismendy Rijo (Sound Puget)
P - Danny Brede (Hot Dogs)
P - Tony Lecuona (Strikers)
P - Don Cheung (Tornadoes)
C - Danry Polanco (Hawkeyes)
1B - Nick Simmons (Hawkeyes)
2B - Juan Carlos Guzman (Strikers)
2B - Reymond Aparicio (Sound Puget)
SS - Al Javier (Komodo Dragons)

All-Stars Making Their 5th Appearance or Greater
P - Alex James (Walkers) - 12th Appearance
P - Dillon Abbott (Strikers) - 9th Appearance
RF - Roy Wilson (Juice) - 9th Appearance
3B - Jairo Cedeno (Hawkeyes) - 8th Appearance
2B - Naoki Martin (Corduroy) - 7th Appearance
C - Nash Cone (Tornadoes) - 7th Appearance
P - Omar Mercedes (Strikers) - 6th Appearance
3B - Julian Santana (Riddlers) - 6th Appearance
RF - John Rivera (Riddlers) - 6th Appearance
P - Bert Jordan (Thunder) - 5th Appearance
CF - Del Doyle (Kamehamehas) - 5th Appearance
LF - Abraham Logan (Nice for What) - 5th Appearance

All-Stars Who Are 24 Years Old or Younger
RF - Tom Burch (Oracles) - 21 Years Old
2B - Alex Valentin (Volcanoes) - 22
P - Arismendy Rijo (Sounds Puget) - 22
P - Kenshin Martin (Magnitude) - 23
SS - Torey Flores (Waiver Claims) - 23
P - Macbeth Raines (Hot Dogs) - 23
P - Rondell Maday (Hot Dogs) - 23
2B - Reymond Aparicio (Sounds Puget) - 23
P - Max Almanza (Walkers) - 24
P - Don Cheung (Tornadoes) - 24
C - Danry Polanco (Hawkeyes) - 24

Highest Paid All-Stars
3B - Jairo Cedeno (Hawkeyes) - $30,000,000
P - Gabriel Moreno (Screaming Babies) - $22,250,000
P - Omar Mercedes (Strikers) - $20,000,000
P - Greg Lamb (Hawkeyes) - $15,800,000
RF - Roy Wilson (Juice) - $15,500,000
P - Cleatus Lundquist (Blizzard) - $10,750,000

"Diamond in the Rough" All-Stars
P - Benny Caminiti (Jaggernauts) - 3rd Appearance
P - David Hudson (Nationals)
P - Dave Weiss (Kamehamehas)

S38 DS Playoff Capsules

#1 Kansas City Yardbirds (93-69) vs. #4 Florida Freaks (84-78)
Season Series: Kansas City Won 6-4

Kansas City		Florida
Owner: holleybard		Owner: flyairbourne
Recent Playoff Appearances		Recent Playoff Appearances
S37: no appearance		S37: lost in AL Play-In (as Nashville)
S36: lost in World Series		S36: lost in ALCS (as Nashville)
AL Team Rankings		AL Team Rankings
Runs Scored: 813 (5th)		Runs Scored: 850 (4th)
Team ERA: 4.45 (9th)		Team ERA: 4.28 (5th)
Fielding %: .985 (9th)		Fielding %: .981 (15th)
Award Nominees & All-Stars		Award Nominees & All-Stars
LF - Felipe Osoria: MVP Finalist, Silver Slugger, All-Star		P - Alex James: FOY Nominee, All-Star
P - Marcus Ledee: All-Star		SS - Cristobal Izquierdo: Silver Slugger
P - Noel Lima: All-Star		CF - Sidney Zagone: Silver Slugger
1B - Rickie Halama: All-Star		LF - Daryle Swann: Gold Glove, ROY Finalist
3B - Hugh Patterson: All-Star		RF - Eduardo Aguilar: ROY Finalist

#2 Omaha Oracles (90-72) vs. #6 Milwaukee Magnitude (87-75)
Season Series: Tied 5-5

Omaha		Milwaukee
Owner: npbed		Owner: horvie78
Recent Playoff Appearances		Recent Playoff Appearances
S37: no appearance		S37: lost in ALCS
S36: no appearance		S36: lost in ALDS
AL Team Rankings		AL Team Rankings
Runs Scored: 732 (12th)		Runs Scored: 781 (10th)
Team ERA: 3.59 (1st)		Team ERA: 4.07 (3rd)
Fielding %: .987 (3rd)		Fielding %: .986 (8th)
Award Nominees & All-Stars		Award Nominees & All-Stars
P - Rondell Collins: All-Star		P - Yoshinori Zhou: Cy Young Finalist, All-Star
P - Dillon Abbott: All-Star, FOY Finalist		DH - Vince Tollberg: Silver Slugger
P - Renyel Gonzalez: All-Star		LF - Cookie Tapia: Impact Player
P - Joely Hiller: ROY Finalist		RF - Michael Chong: Impact Player
1B - Francisco Cervantes: Impact Player		P - Alex Espinosa: Impact Player

#1 Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's (102-60) vs. #4 Albuquerque Komodo Dragons (75-87)
Season Series: Louisville Won 6-4

Louisville		Albuquerque
Owner: Arfy		Owner: csudak
Recent Playoff Appearances		Recent Playoff Appearances
S37: lost in NLDS		S37: lost in NLDS
S36: no appearance		S36: lost in NLCS
NL Team Rankings		NL Team Rankings
Runs Scored: 769 (1st)		Runs Scored: 675 (8th)
Team ERA: 3.33 (3rd)		Team ERA: 3.97 (10th)
Fielding %: .989 (1st)		Fielding %: .986 (8th)
Award Nominees & All-Stars		Award Nominees & All-Stars
P - Randall Hundley: All-Star		RF - Harry Pizzaro: All-Star
P - Edgmer Bournigal: All-Star, ROY Finalist		P - Rey Prior: Impact Player
C - Louie Seanez: All-Star, Silver Slugger		P - Wilt Sizemore: Impact Player
2B - Jairo Cedeno: All-Star		SS - Andres Oliva: Impact Player
P - Pasqual Feliz: ROY Finalist		LF - Vicente Palmeiro: Impact Player

#2 Cincinnati Firestorm (99-63) vs. #3 Iowa City Hawkeyes (96-66)
Season Series: Iowa City Won 6-4

Cincinnati		Iowa City
Owner: jbburner		Owner: tk21775
Recent Playoff Appearances		Recent Playoff Appearances
S37: lost in NL Play-In		S37: no appearance
S36: lost in NL Play-In		S36: no appearance
NL Team Rankings		NL Team Rankings
Runs Scored: 763 (2nd)		Runs Scored: 657 (10th)
Team ERA: 3.65 (5th)		Team ERA: 3.02 (1st)
Fielding %: .983 (13th)		Fielding %: .988 (2nd)
Award Nominees & All-Stars		Award Nominees & All-Stars
3B - Sherm Springer: All-Star, Gold Glove		3B - Santo Herrera: MVP Finalist
C - Tomas Urena: All-Star		P - Travis Morris: Cy Young Finalist, All-Star, SS
P - Rickey Percival: Impact Player		1B - Billy Long: ROY Finalist
P - Charles Punto: Impact Player		LF - Stan Stroud: All-Star
1B - Harley Rose: Impact Player		P - Omar Mercedes: Impact Player

Season 38 All-Star Blog

Season 38 Midseason Classic
The Pine-Tar Season 38 All-Star Game took place a few weeks ago, where the American League was victorious over the National League by a score of 6-2.  23 year-old Ralph Rekar (Boston) earned the MVP honors thanks to his 2-run homer in the 2nd inning, which helped to give Boise pitcher Eddie Plant the win.  In other All-Star weekend festivities, Atlanta youngster Roy Wilson defeated Cincinnati's Sherm Springer in the finals of the Home Run Derby, and last season's highest paid International Free Agent Albert Ayala (San Francisco) was MVP of the Futures Game.

There was plenty of talent on show from the Midwest, as Kansas City and St. Louis tied for producing the most all-stars at 5 apiece.  The lists below highlight first time all-stars, youngest all-stars, veteran all-stars, highest paid all-stars, and the four "diamond in the rough" all-stars.

Teams with the most All-Star selections:

Kansas City Yardbirds - 5
St. Louis Miracles - 5
Syracuse Orange - 4
New York Sultans of Swat - 4
Philadelphia Moneymakers - 4
Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's - 4
Dover Dinklebergs - 3
Boston Screaming Babies - 3
Omaha Oracles - 3
Pawtucket Patriots - 3
Atlanta Apaches - 3

Teams with zero All-Star selections:

Chicago Black Sox
Tampa Bay Thunder
El Paso Walkers
Wichita Tornadoes
Houston Hot Dogs
Seattle Strikers

All-Stars by Division
AL East - 12
NL North - 10
NL East - 10
AL North - 9
AL West - 7
NL South - 6
NL West - 4
AL South - 2

*Links are posted - click on an individual player's name to open their HBD profile
First Time All-Stars – American League

P - Noel Lima (Yardbirds)
P - Michel Lopez (Sultans of Swat)
P - Tim Darnell (Sultans of Swat)
P - Renyel Gonzalez (Oracles)
C - Xander Merced (Orange)
C - Dee Dee Kelly (Iron Horseman)
1B - Joe Montgomery (Dinklebergs)
3B - Bartolo James (Screaming Babies)
SS - Sam Bryant (Blues)
CF - Julio Fuentes (Dinklebergs)
RF - Andy Matzek (Doormats)
DH - Phillip Braun (Orange)

First Time All-Stars – National League

P - Cole Hudson (Miracles)
P - Ji-Man Saitou (Apaches)
P - Eric Bradley (Patriots)
P - Edgmer Bournigal (ARF ARF ARF ARF's)
P - Andrew Allen (Flying Squirrels)
P - Darron Stewart (Prairie Dogs)
C - Tomas Urena (Firestorm)
LF - Stan Stroud (Hawkeyes)
CF - Ewell Tenbrink (Miracles)

All-Stars Making Their 5th Appearance or Greater
RF - Eugenio Canseco (Screaming Babies) - 10th Appearance
P - Yoshinori Zhou (Magnitude) - 9th
3B - Bartolo Ortiz (Journey) - 9th
P - Alex James (Freaks) - 8th
LF - Roger Byrne (Sultans of Swat) - 8th
SS - Lefty Twitchell (Volcanoes) - 7th
P - Moises Olmedo (Apaches) - 7th
CF - Fernando Espinosa (Orange) - 6th
P - Richard Huang (Sultans of Swat) - 5th
P - Benny Villano (Dinklebergs) - 5th
3B - Hugh Patterson (Yardbirds) - 5th
RF - Harry Pizzaro (Komodo Dragons) - 5th

All-Stars Who Are 24 Years Old or Younger
P - Noel Lima (Yardbirds) - 23
P - Renyel Gonzalez (Oracles) - 22
P - Ralph Wood (Moneymakers) - 22
P - Edgmer Bournigal (ARF ARF ARF ARF's) - 24
P - Andrew Allen (Flying Squirrels) - 23
1B - Victor Cortes (Moneymakers) - 24
2B - Ralph Rekar (Screaming Babies) - 23
2B - John Rivera (Orange) - 24
2B - Jairo Cedeno (ARF ARF ARF ARF's) - 23
3B - Bartolo James (Screaming Babies) - 22
LF - Roy Wilson (Apaches) - 24

Highest Paid All-Stars
RF - Eugenio Canseco (Screaming Babies) - $30,000,000
P - Yoshinori Zhou (Magnitude) - $20,000,000
P - Rondell Collins (Oracles) - $20,000,000
1B - Joe Montgomery (Dinklebergs) - $20,000,000
P - Randall Hundley (ARF ARF ARF ARF's) - $15,000,000
CF - Julio Fuentes (Dinklebergs) - $14,000,000
2B - Ricardo Sosa (Moneymakers) - $12,000,000
LF - Felipe Osoria (Yardbirds) - $10,000,000

"Diamond in the Rough" All-Stars
P - Tim Darnell (Sultans of Swat)
P - Stewart Cradle (Miracles)
C - Xander Merced (Orange)
C - Tomas Urena (Firestorm)

American League All-Youth Team - Season 37

Below is my top team of 30 American League players currently on MLB rosters who are 25 years-old or younger.  These are based on my opinion.  Some positions were more competitive than others.  I tried to put players in the position where they played the most games last season, but did move a few players around.  Although statistics are listed, ratings were a major factor in determining the team.  If you think somebody got snubbed, feel free to discuss on the message board.

It's always fun to look back...below are links to previous All-Youth teams:

Season 32 - American League

Season 32 - National League

Season 29 - American League

Season 29 - National League

Season 37 American League All-Youth Team

Captains:

William Nakano (3B): This 25 year-old Chicago third baseman has a unique combination of speed and power, as he hit 34 homeruns and swiped 50 bases last season.  His outstanding performance during the past seasons earned him two All-Star selections and three Silver Slugger awards.  In the field, Nakano’s 91 glove rating makes it extremely difficult for groundballs to get past him.  He was acquired as an international free agent for the bargain price of $13 million by owner skuff730 during season 31.

Cookie Tapia (LF/1B): At 25 years-old, Tapia has become the top offensive weapon in the Milwaukee lineup.  His exceptional blend of hitting and power have allowed him to bat .300 with at-least 40 homeruns and 110 RBIs in each of the past two seasons.  Tapia’s performance helped lead Milwaukee to an AL North division title and first-round bye last season.  He was originally signed as an IFA by Wichita for $14.7 million in season 33 and dealt to Milwaukee for Ben Boyer and a prospect during the following season.

Richard Huang (Closer): This 24 year-old New York closer has already established himself as one of the best in the league.  His 138 saves over three seasons have earned him three All-Star appearances, two Fireman of the Year awards, and a share of the Pine Tar single season saves record (54).  Huang’s velocity, control, and great splits helped him dominate opposing hitters last season, as he allowed them to bat only .169 while he registered a 0.84 WHIP.  He has helped lead New York and owner bluenoser44 to three consecutive AL East division titles.  Huang was also acquired as a season 31 IFA for the price of $21.1 million.

The Team: 

(Click on a player’s name to view their HBD profile)

C:

Yunel Brito (Omaha): .333 OBP, 14 HR, 45 RBI, 39% CS%

Diego Tocci (Colorado Springs): .286 OBP, 17 HR, 57 RBI, 80+ Arm & PC

C/DH- Akinori Kawakami (New York): .376 OBP, 17 HR, 62 RBI, 4.27 cERA

1B:

Alen Moore (Colorado Springs): .326 OBP, 35 HR, 117 RBI

Juan Caminero (Salem): .378 OBP, 15 HR, 58 RBI

2B:

Victor Lee (Omaha): .374 OBP, 13 HR, 88 RBI, 28 SB, .982 FP

Tyler Hood (Charlotte): .331 OBP, 24 HR, 73 RBI, .977 FP

SS:

Dustan Fletcher (El Paso): .296 OBP, 20 HR, 73 RBI, 21 Plus Plays, .976 FP

Karim Quintana (Milwaukee): .340 OBP, 12 HR, 73 RBI, .972 FP

3B:

*William Nakano (Chicago): .347 OBP, 34 HR, 96 RBI, 50 SB, 91 Glove

Ralph Rekar (Boston): .373 OBP, 11 HR, 54 RBI, 9 Plus Plays

CF:

Naoki Martin (Tampa Bay): Rookie - 95 Range, 90 Speed, 79 Contact, 71 Eye

Norman Sanford (Boston): .320 OBP, 22 HR, 70 RBI

LF:

*Cookie Tapia (Milwaukee): .380 OBP, 44 HR, 120 RBI

John Rivera (Syracuse): .337 OBP, 7 HR, 15 RBI, 18 SB (in 40 Games)

Rafael Valdes (Tampa Bay): Rookie – 79 Contact, 88 vR, 79 Eye, 92 Speed

RF:

Nolan Thompson (El Paso): .362 OBP, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 13 Plus Plays

Benny Reyes (Boise): .348 OBP, 38 HR, 103 RBI

DH:

Miguel Uribe (Chicago): .354 OBP, 45 HR, 116 RBI

Michael Seung (Tampa Bay): .407 OBP, 17 HR, 54 RBI, S36 ROY

Starting Pitchers:

Dale Gaudin (Dover): 13-13, 3.48 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, .312 oOBP, 3 CG

Hub Winkler (Boston): 12-8, 3.51 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, .324 oOBP, 99 GB/FB

Esmerling Crespo (El Paso): 10-15, 3.27 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .296 oOBP, 3 CG

Barry Rivers (Omaha): 7-8, 3.52 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, .299 oOBP

B.C. Nunez (Charlotte): Rookie – 87 Stamina, 84 vR, 75 GB/FB, 77 P1/P2

Omar Franco (Kansas City): 10-7, 4.25 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, .340 oOBP, S35 ROY

Jerry Corino (New York): 7-10, 4.42 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .314 oOBP

Relief Pitchers:

*Richard Huang (New York): 44 Saves, 2.75 ERA, .234 oOBP, 0.84 WHIP

Tomas Cora (Omaha): 73 Appearances, 6-3, 2.89 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .274 oOBP

John Carter (Milwaukee): 43 Appearances, 3.96 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, .326 oOBP

* = captain

Honorable Mention:

C Adrian Grace (Salem), C Deven Beltre (Syracuse), 1B Ramon Inouoe (New York), 2B Wilking Peralta (Colorado Springs), 3B Daniel Mulholland (Milwaukee), 3B Leury Amador (Tampa Bay), SS Daniel Ratliff (Chicago), DH Rob Thomas (Durham), P Chone Waltman (Colorado Springs)

The rich history of Pinetar - Season 37

One of the best parts of Pinetar has been it's long time owners.  Entering season 37, we still have 4 owners that have been around since season 1.   And three of those owners are all in the same division-The NL EAST.  So let's look at the history of the NL EAST and how many DIV titles and WS titles each team has:


Team                                                                      DIV             WS
Jacksonville Juice(Greygoose123)                            18                 1
Cincinnati Firestorm(jbburner)                                    5                 0
Philadelphia Moneymakers(phillies26)                        5                  0
Other franchise(currently Atlanta/6 coaches)              8                  1

Coaches with most tenure
greygoose123       36
jbburner              36
Phillies26              36
rxw1                     36
ghutton9                30
alogman1               27
bobbyj7                 24
brentcnb                 24
tk21775                21
Arfy                       21
tmfran                     19
skplayer07              18
csudak                    17
skuff730                 17
jkenned                  14
erichanville             12
horvie78                11
Pinetaar                10
holleybard             10

Over 36 seasons, Pinetar has had 25 different coaches win World Series titles.   Only 2 coaches, Jkenned and prezuiwf have won 3 titles.  9 coaches have won 2 titles.    Only one team in the history of Pinetar has ever won back to back WS titles.  You have to go way back to season 16 and 17 when the Syracuse Snow Pirates(prezuiwf) accomplished that feat.  In fact, that is the last time the AL has won back to back titles as well.  The National League leads in World Series titles 19-17, against AL teams.

Season 36 All-Star Blog

Midseason Classic
The Pine-Tar Season 36 All-Star Game took place last week, where the American League edged out a 5-4 victory over the National League.  Boise LF Willie Tarasco was awarded the Most Valuable Player after his 2-run double in the 8th inning put the AL ahead for good, giving 23 year-old P Richard Huang (Sultans of Swat) the win.  Durham closer Juan Guerrero struck-out two in the 9th inning to earn the save.  Jacksonville 3B Julian Santana (2-run double) and Cincinnati 2B Greg Borland (homerun) put forth a strong effort for the NL in their first career all-star appearance.  In other All-Star weekend festivities, Seattle's Keith Williamson defeated Wichita's Zach Wathan in the finals of the Home Run Derby, and Season 33's #2 draft pick Jamey Mullaney (Tampa Bay) was MVP of the Futures Game.

The All-Star pitching staffs for both leagues were filled with plenty of new faces, as 74% of all pitchers were making their 1st or 2nd career appearance.  Also, the number of All-Star selections per team and per division were not as spread out as in years past.  The NL East division generated the most All-Star selections with 11 (they had 15 last season).  Oklahoma City and Omaha were atop the list of individual teams with the most All-Star selections, even though neither has been to the playoffs in the past 4 seasons.  More information on this season's All-Star rosters is below:

Teams with the most All-Star selections:

Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs - 5

Omaha Oracles - 4

Atlanta Apaches - 4

Jacksonville Juice - 4

Kansas City Yardbirds - 3

New York Sultans of Swat - 3

Syracuse Orange - 3

Nashville Merchants - 3

Salem Volcanoes - 3

Teams with zero All-Star selections:

Dover Dinklebergs

New Orleans Jazz

Colorado Springs Iron Horses

Texas Galveston Wave

San Francisco Journey

All-Stars by Division
NL East - 11

AL East - 9

AL West - 9

NL North - 8

NL West - 8

AL North - 7

AL South - 5

NL South - 3

*Links are posted - click on an individual player's name to open their HBD profile
First Time All-Stars – American League

P - Esteban Mujica (Sultans of Swat)

P - Juan Guerrero (Doormats)

P - David Chantres (Orange)

P - Jumbo Brito (Oracles)

P - Augie Kim (Magnitude)

C - Wallace Duffy (Coursers)

1B - Jose Lopez (Walkers)

3B - Bunny Barber (Orange)

RF - Masao Saitou (Screaming Babies)

DH - Miguel Uribe (Black Sox)

First Time All-Stars – National League

P - Clayton Webster (Juice)

P - Felix Nomo (Tornadoes)

P - Piper Webster (Prairie Dogs)

P - Malcolm Olshan (Juggernauts)

P - Kevin Leonard (Hawkeyes)

P - Doug Castillo (Miracles)

P - Erik Zaun (Prairie Dogs)

P - Yannick Truby (Moneymakers)

2B - Greg Borland (Firestorm)

3B - Julian Santana (Juice)

SS - Brooks Larish (Heaters)

SS - Mark DaVanon (Miracles)

LF - Pat Bryant (Prairie Dogs)

RF - Russell Rucker (Prairie Dogs)

All-Stars Making Their 5th Appearance or Greater
2B - Eugenio Canseco (Patriots) - 8th Appearance
P - Alex James (Merchants) - 7th
P - Yoshinori Zhou (Magnitude) - 7th
SS - Wendell Werth (Merchants) - 7th
P - Wilt Sizemore (Komodo Dragons) - 7th
3B - Keith Williamson (Strikers) - 7th
LF - Vicente Palmeiro (Komodo Dragons) - 7th
RF - Bartolo Ortiz (Apaches) - 7th
SS - Lefty Twitchell (Volcanoes) - 6th
P - Moises Olmedo (Apaches) - 6th
C - Dion Pagnozzi (Thunder) - 5th
2B - Rubby Prieto (Volcanoes) - 5th

All-Stars Who Are 25 Years Old or Younger
P - Richard Huang (Sultans of Swat) - 23
1B - William Nakano (Black Sox) - 24
DH - Miguel Uribe (Black Sox) - 22
P - Felix Nomo (Tornadoes) - 24
P - Malcolm Olshan (Juggernauts) - 23
P - Doug Castillo (Miracles) - 23
C - Zack Wathan (Tornadoes) - 23
3B - Julian Santana (Juice) - 25
SS - Mark DaVanon (Miracles) - 25
CF - Jack Westbrook (ARF ARF ARF ARFs) - 25

Highest Paid All-Stars
P - Yoshinori Zhou (Magnitude) - $20,000,000
P - Rondell Collins (Oracles) - $20,000,000
P - Wilt Sizemore (Komodo Dragons) - $20,000,000
LF - Willie Tarasco (Coursers) - $17,000,000
3B - Keith Williamson (Strikers) - $15,000,000
P - Kevin Leonard (Hawkeyes) - $14,250,000

AL North Season 36 Preview

AL North
Kansas City Yardbirds(Owner holleybard-10th season)
Season 35/ 99-63(Division Champ, ALCS runner up)

Owners thoughts-My prediction is that I'll be fighting once again with Milwaukee for the AL North title. I think my team is better than last season's, although that doesn't necessarily mean 99 wins again. It's at least a 90 win squad though. We'll hit well. I traded for Boyer because I didn't have a dominant number one. I added 2 bullpen arms that should help too. My hope is that I can win the division again. After that, wow, it's going to take something special to stop jkenned. I ran the numbers and he's averaging 109 wins per in the last 8 seasons. He's won 4 of the last 6 pennants. So my goal is the same as any contender in the AL, try to wrestle the pennant away from him.

ghutton9's take-The Yardbirds feature an above average offense. They have some good hitters with good batting eyes and have some power. Eric Miller is a great 3 or 4 hitter to build a lineup around. They also have some speed, but I don't expect a lot of stealing to be going on with them. The defense is average and that's only because they lack a real shortstop. Louie Nieto can play the position but his lack of range will allow too many balls to get through that would otherwise be outs. Besides that, the defense is pretty solid at most positions on the field. The rotation is about average. Boyer is an ace type pitcher but his stamina isn't very good. The rest of the staff is made up of mid rotation type starters with a couple of guys pitching at the back end of the rotation that fit perfectly. Sean Shipley and Ricardo Johnson are the best pitchers in an otherwise below average bullpen. They'll bring this teams pen closer to average than they would be. I think this team is a contender for the division title, but I think the bullpen and lack of a shortstop with range will hurt them. I could see them around 90 wins and maybe upper 80's.


Milwaukee Magnitude(Owner horvie78-11th season)
Season 35/ 90-72(Wild Card)

Owners thoughts-We are going for it all this season. Yoshinori Zhou on a playoff rotation is enough to give us a decent chance. Also have some cap room to make a move mid season. I think we will win around 95 games. We improved the bullpen by adding Coleman and Blair. I'm hoping that our starting pitching stays strong. Three of them are above 35 years old, which worries me. Was hoping to add a stud bat in free agency, but was excited to settle for Gus Justice, who will be added to a lineup with Michael Chong, Vince Tollberg and Cookie Tapia. Our defense could struggle as SS Quintana is average at best and the corner outfielders lack range.

ghutton9's take-The Milwaukee offense is looking pretty strong this season. They have some really good hitters that can hit for average and draw some walks. They have some good power as well as some good speed. This is looking like a top 5 offense in the AL. The defense looks good to me. I think the shortstop position is average, but they have great to solid gloves at other positions. They definitely rank in the upper half of the league. The rotation looks pretty good as well. They have a couple pitchers that could be an ace on most teams. Then they have mid rotation guys filling out the other spots. The bullpen is looking above average. If anything the team might have some control issues, but the pitching staff is pretty good overall. I think Milwaukee looks like the favorite in this division and should win 95 to 100 games. I think they could challenge for the AL title this season.


Dover Dinklebergs(Owner tmfran-19th season)
Season 35/ 74-88

ghutton9's take-The Dover offense isn't looking very good this season. They won't hit for a good average and their batting eyes aren't very good either. The team has some power, but without guys on base it won't help much. They could rank near the bottom of the AL. The defense though is really good. They have multiple options at shortstop and they have good gloves to fill almost every position. This could be one of the best defenses in the AL this season. The rotation looks like they are going to struggle. They have serious control issues and the rotation is made up of back end type starters. The bullpen has the same issues. The defense could help out the pitching, but not enough to keep them from ranking near the bottom of the AL. I think Dover will drop down below 70 wins this season.


Chicago Black Sox(Owner skuff730-17th season)
Season 35/ 64-98

ghutton9's take-The offense in Chicago is looking about average. They have decent hitting and some solid contact and power. The batting eyes are a little low though and that could hurt. They have some really good gloves on defense though and even have a few options at shortstop. This could be one of the better defensive teams in the AL this season. The rotation is below average. They lack a top end starter. The staff is made up of middle tier starters and a couple back end guys. The bullpen is below average as well. The team will likely end up closer to average than it looks thanks to the defense. I think Chicago will move up in win total this season and I'd be surprised if they finished below 70 wins again.


Prediction
Milwaukee
Kansas City
Chicago
Dover

AL South Season 36 Preview

AL South
Nashville Merchants(Owner editor21-2nd season)
Season 35/ 99-63(Division Champ)

Owners thoughts-The Merchants have been the league's top offense for the past 4 years. During that span the Merchants have averaged 108 wins per season. That offense has generated an average of more than 6 runs a game which covers the 4 runs a game the pitching staff allows. They had 11 players put up double digit homeruns last season led by Wendell Worths 41. All of those players return so the lineup should continue to lead the way. This team went with a 6 man rotation in season 35. That took pressure off the aces and reduced the innings needed from the bullpen. The key to success this season could well be the performance of the bullpen. AAA stars Danny Smolinski and Kraig Webster could fill two of the vacancies in the pen. The team likely needs to add another reliever or two to hope to equal last seasons 99 wins. Prediction:If the offense doesn't sputter the Merchants should be able to churn out 90 plus wins and be in contention for their 8th straight AL South division title. The questionable status of the bullpen could be the dampener that keeps the team from winning over 100 games.

ghutton9's take-I can't say this is the best offense I've ever seen, but it surely is a good offense. The have some good hitters and guys that have good batting eyes. They also have a little speed. This team may hit a lot of homers, but they don't have that one guy that can hit enough to be a true threat. Werth is pretty close though and he's a guy that really makes this offense great. The defense is below average. Mainly because they lack a true shortstop or centerfielder. They do have solid gloves at other positions and that's what keeps them from being at the bottom of the league. The rotation is decent. They don't really have a true ace on the staff, but they have plenty of mid rotation type starters. The bullpen looks solid with Alex James as the best arm. He's one of the better relievers in the league. This team is looking like a contender again this season. They should be tough to knock out of the top spot of the division, but even then they should still get a wild card spot. This is a 90+ win team


Tampa Bay Thunder(Owner rxw1-36th season)
Season 35/ 84-78

Owners thoughts-The young Thunder team continues to grow. Despite missing the playoffs, they still won 84 games behind a starting rotation that includes #1 pick Bert Jordan. Ownership will view anything short of 90+ wins and a playoff berth as a disappointment. The off season was fairly quiet as this roster only has 6 players over 30. The key will be whether the bullpen can hold the lead. The talent is there- the lack of execution was the main reason they missed the playoffs.

ghutton9's take-The Thunder offense is looking pretty good this season. The have a lineup that should hit for a good average and get on base a lot. They have decent power up and down the lineup. I think they could be a top 5 offense this season. The defense is average. Jesus Esposito is a solid shortstop, but they don't have anyone else that can play it decently enough. Max Liriano is a great centerfielder. The problem they have is depth and good gloves at other positions. I think they are average but they could be above average depending on the rest of the AL. This team has a really good rotation. It ranks among the best in the league as there is no real weak spot. The bullpen might be even better. I think this may be the best pitching staff in the AL. I'm really thinking Tampa Bay might be ready to take back the top spot in this division for the first time in nine seasons. They may even challenge for the AL title.


El Paso Walkers(Owner sudburry1111-3rd season)
Season 35/ 74-88

Owners thoughts-As the Walkers continue to turn over their pitching staff there are no indications that there will be a significant change from last year's above average hitting team with below average pitching and fielding. Hopefully the addition of Vasquez to Rios and Fletcher in the infield combined with the promotion of a couple of pitching upgrades to the big league squad will net a few more wins. My prediction is 78 wins.

ghutton9's take-This team has an average offense and maybe a little below average. They have some solid hitters, but they lack good power and guys that can get on base through walks. They do have some solid speed. On defense I like shortstop Dustan Fletchers range and arm, but his glove is a bit below average. The team has quite a few solid gloves at other spots, but they lack a true centerfielder. I think they are average. The rotation is not looking very good. They have filled it with mid to back end type starters. The bullpen looks better as it is built around Mitch Mota, a great reliever, and Louis Post who is pretty good as well. I think the pitching staff is just below average. This team is very average at best. I think they will end up close to last seasons win total.


New Orleans Jazz(Owner adlpest-3rd season)
Season 35/ 47-115

ghutton9's take-This has by far been the worst team in the league the past 2 seasons. That needs to change this season. The offense still doesn't look very good. They have a couple decent bats but for the most part the aren't close to average. The defense looks good though. Sam Bryant is a really good shortstop with a great glove and arm, but his range isn't the best. They also have some solid gloves at other positions. I think they are above average. The rotation is made up of minor league talent. This is by far the worst staff in the league. I can find better pitchers in free agency right now. A team that is on probation due to not reach the league win minimum should've been spending in free agency for some better pitching. I understand a rebuild, but I've put together 70 win teams with cheap free agents. Please try to fix this team so I don't have to kick you out after this season.


Prediction
1. Tampa Bay
2. Nashville
3. El Paso

4. New Orleans