NL Silliness

The NL playoff picture must have been taken with one of those cameras like Fred Flintstone used because it is BLURRY. Three of four divisions are currently within 3 games. Seven teams are within 3 games of a wild card spot. And there are only 27 games remaining.

In order of probability, you're contendors.

LOCKS
1. Burlington leads the NL East by 13 games and couldn't miss the playoffs if they tried. This will be a 7th straight division title for the defending WS champs. Burlington has the 3rd best pitching/D in the league and the 5th best offense.

2. San Juan has just a 3 game lead over Mexico City in the NL South, they're 7 ahead losing the wildcard. An arm injury has taken out staff ace Billy Hoffman causing a recent slide. Still, their 31-16 record in 1-run games makes them a dangerous, gritty team.

Looking Good
1. Mexico City leads the wild card race and trails San Juan by just 3 games. They've won 8 of 10 and have 10 games remaining against non-playoff contenders.

Leaders at the top of the Stretch
1. Sioux Falls holds just a 3 game lead in the division, and would be 1 up on the 2nd wild card spot. The recent loss of Mac Stevens raises a specter of doubt about a 13-th consecutive division title. The Dakota host Helena in a huge 3-game series starting 9/22.

2. Cheyenne leads the NL West by 2 games over arch rival Las Vegas. They've lost 10 of 14 extra inning games, but are the stingiest staff around. The Seminoles face perennial doormat Pawtucket for the next 7. They must travel to Sin City 3 starting 9/22 however.

3. Nashville is chasing its 4th wild card birth (they've never won the division), but face a brutal 17-game road trip that includes stops in San Juan (80-55), Toledo (65-70), Arizona (66-69), and Mexico City (77-58). They own the worst run differential of teams currently set to reach the playoffs (+53).

The Chase Group
1. Memphis has the poor luck of playing in the deepest division in Second City. They sit just 1 game out of the wild card. Creative management has started 11 different pitchers. The schedule is not kind as they face just 1 sub-.500 team the rest of the way.

2. Las Vegas has been to the playoffs 10 times in 12 seasons, but an impossibly bad 12-22 record in 1-run games reveals a team that hasn't come through in the clutch. They face potential rivals Cheyenne and Sioux Falls at home so a hot finish could find them with an 11th birth.

3. Helena is 3 out of the division and 2 out of the wild card. Three-time defending Cy Young Rafael Aguilera has struggled (by his standards). Helena plays their last 10 and 13 of their last 17 on the road. Of the contenders, only San Juan and Cheyenne have scored fewer runs.

4. Augusta faces a tall order. Of all the teams in the race, they're the only 1 without any shot at a division title. Augusta would have to make up 3 games and leap 4 teams to earn a wild card berth. They have 16 road games remaining, but they're strangely 15 games over .500 on the road and 10 under at home.

The Pretenders
1. Toledo is 9 games out of the North and 8 games out of the wild card. Not looking good.

2. Arizona is 7 games out in the West and 7 games out of the wild card. They face only 1 team under .500 the rest of the way so, no matter what, they will impact this race.

Pennant Race update

A quick update on the pennant races. All but 2 participants are decided. In the AL, Ottawa leads Kansas City by 2 games and Tacoma by 4 with 4 to play. That puts their magic # at 3.

In the NL, a crazy wild card race is shaping up. Las Vegas and Cheyenne are tied atop with West with the runner up likely to earn the top wild card (3 up with 4 to play). The 2nd wild card spot is a free-for-all with Arizona (won 6 of 10), Toledo (won 7 of 10), and Helena (lost 7 of 10) all tied at 86-72. San Juan trails them all by 2 games with 4 to play. Only 1 of those 4 teams will make the playoffs.

Season Preview Part One - AL North

Welcome to the first in a series of division previews. This year we start with the AL North, because, well they're on the top of the standings page. For each division I'll give you predictions, strengths and weaknesses, and a little bit of history including the reason for each team's name. If you're wondering how I know why they were named, well, I don't. In most cases I'll be completely inventing that for your enjoyment. Hopefully I don't offend anyone in the process. If I do, hopefully you're not one of the handful of owners that knows where I live :-)

Rochester Rockets
History - Rochester, NY is actually the southern most home of this storied franchise. The franchise was founded by welsh5 in Toronto. They briefly played in Fargo as the Fargin' Idiots under evancan. Unfortunately a legal battle related to franchise succession caused the team to be put up for sale. ewd won the team at auction for a fraction of its true value. Since acquiring the team, ewd has won the North every season, 3 times winning 114 or more games and culminating in a trip to the World Series last year.

The Rockets were named for ewd's favorite college football team, the Toledo Rockets. Why is Toledo his favorite team? He won $20 on the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl when the Rockets edged Nevada 40-37.

Strengths - There may be no team in Second City with the offensive firepower of the Rockets. Ventura (68 HRs), Mateo (64), Padilla (44), Greer (39), and Lee (33) all return and have the ability to hit it out of the yard. They aren't afraid to run either, Jenkins (63 of 67), Lewis (53 of 62), and Fischer (34 of 35) steal bases like kmueller eats kabobs. They will scores runs in bunches so you better be ready to hit back.

Weaknesses - They're not great with the gloves. Jenkins made 28 errors @ SS last year, but that's just nit-picking. The real concern is the staff. Nobody in that rotation scares you, but they're plenty good with that offense behind them.

Odds - 1:2 to win the division, 3:1 to win the pennant - the odds on favorites to win both the division and the league, they will continue to club their way through the AL.


Vancouver Jets
History Vancouver is an original franchise, having played in Vancouver from the very start. The franchise hit its low-point in Season 7, going 62-100. While they've never reached the playoffs, the Jets are aiming for a turnaround.

The Jets are named for the hockey team that played in Winnipeg. Owner hcohenmb, a known Canadian sympathizer, was so shocked when he heard the Jets were leaving Winnipeg to head west, he only assumed they'd be headed to Vancouver, making it hockey's first 2-team market in the Canada. Alas, the Jets went to Phoenix (now the Coyotes). This franchise makes his dream come true.

Strengths - 1B Miguel Machado, 3B Nolan Sweeney and C/DH Allen Villone are all quality hitters that carry an average offense. The pitching staff is full of quality veterans but lacks a true leader.

Weaknesses - This team lacks star power. While 14 players make $1M or more, no player makes over $6.8M and it shows. Help may be on the way though; future ace Winston Silvestri reached AAA last season and is almost ready to contribute. Fellow season 6 1st rounder Graham Reynolds is hot on his tail. The two should form the core of a solid rotation in season 9. Wilfredo Moraga is the big position prospect, but he's a couple years away.

Odds - 15:1 to win division, 150:1 to win the pennant - the young pitchers aren't quite ready to carry this team.

Cincinnati Great Americans
History - Cincyredlegs is the 7th owner in 8 seasons of this franchise. The team has never made the playoffs but has finished 2nd three times. The franchise seems to gravitate toward Ohio with 3 different owners choosing to make Cincy their home and a fourth locating the team in Cleveland.

While the Reds play in Great American ballpark, the franchise is actually named for a long-lost relative of Cincy, Captain William S. Tough. Read his story here: http://members.tripod.com/~Penningtons/redlegs.htm
Despite the reputation - cincy considers Cpt. Tough to be a GREAT AMERICAN

Strengths - This squad is full of above average hitters including future stars, 22-year old Manny Corey and 23-year old Roosevelt Gilkey. A cadre of young middle infielders drafted over the past 3 years promise to improve both the lineup and the defense in the near future.

Weaknesses - Grover Little and Alex Bautista lead an ok staff that's been punished by a porous defense and hitter-friendly ballpark.

Odds - 4:1 to win the division, 25:1 to win the pennant - young hitting and defense will start to pick up the pitching.

Montreal Clouseaus
History - After winning division titles in seasons 1-3 playing out of Detroit, a furious sportsnut threatened to move the franchise following 2nd place, wild card finish in Season 4. After being convinced to stay by city authorities, sportsnut missed the playoffs and left Second City forever.
The Clouseaus are named, as you might presume, for Inspector Clouseau, of the Pink Panther series. The Inspector is of course French, as is the culture in Montreal. This is all very creative, but what you don't know is that Clouseauss owner Jackster89's 2nd cousin Leonard Rossiter actually played Superintendent Quinlan in The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976).

Strengths - Slugging C Brad Banks (58 HRs) leads the offense along with Mitchell Hammonds. Moose Gates and JR Milton head the rotation and stopper Carl Brooks (222 career saves) anchors the pen.

Weaknesses - Depth and defense are issues. There's only one true SS on the roster and he can't hit. Five Rule V selections (3 from the Sioux Falls Dakota) are an attempt to address the issue but the minor league system requires similar additions. Most of the top picks the past 3 seasons have been high schoolers, so while there's talent, it's not all that close to helping the big league squad.

Odds - 10:1 to win division, 100:1 to win the pennant. Consistent ownership could turn this club around fairly quickly.