Monday, April 28, 2008

This Week in Second City Podcast #5

Hey guys,
I ran around the league with the latest DL report, standings, game highlights, league leaders, and interesting stories of the season at this point.
The podcast is about 16 minutes long.



-Darren

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Owner Q & A #2 Responses

Hey guys,
Great job again on the responses. I read the answers on the podcast and now they are posted here.
Here were the questions again.

1. How do you construct your pitching staff?
-4,5, or 6 man rotation
-one closer or closer by comittee
-LH,RH specialists or standard setup a,b guys

2. How valuable is a catcher's playcalling rating to a pitcher's performance and team ERA?

3. How "hands-on" are you with managing your minors or do you let the auto-manager run the show?

One last fun one called "Who Would Win?"
Would you rather have a CF with a Contact/Power of:
a. 50/50
b. 70/30
c. 30/70

*all other ratings considered as league average

camaro31st - Scranton Nittany Lions

I like to go with the standard rotation of 5 starting pitchers, 1 mopup, 2 long relievers, 2 or 3 set up guys a mop up pitcher and a closer. This year I do not have many pitchers with high stamina so I am doing a 8 man tandem with 2-3 set up pitchers and a closer.

The catchers play calling does have an effect on the team ERA but if you can find a catcher that can flat out hit I will overlook his play calling because his bat will more than make up for it most of the time.

I like to be hands on with my minor league system but since I am running 5 teams at the moment I pretty much let the computer handle the rosters. I do check from time to time to make sure all my pitchers and position players are fresh and not a zero.

If I had my whole line up already set and I was just signing a CF I would more than likley go with the 50/50. This is a tough question to answer without more info. If he had some speed I would go with the guy with better contact. If he had no speed and a great glove I may go for the guy with more power.

---
reigny - Santa Fe Firehawks

I used to play a 6 man rotation but I found that my pitchers weren't effective because of the long period between starts. I think that 4 man works the best, but you need great durability to do it.
One closer
Setup A/B
Long Relief A/B
Mopup
Closer

Catcher's playcalling hasn't been a big influence.

I used to let the sim run the minors, but now I try to be hands on. It seems that you have less retirements if you are hands on and moving players.

70/30 for the CF.
---

dspahlinger - Honolulu Dolphins

1. I go with a 5 man rotation early in the season, shift to 4 man if chances of making playoffs look good. If I shift to 4 man rotation, I check fatigue levels frequently and adjust starts as necessary. I use one closer and standard set up guys.

2. I think catchers pitchcalling is fairly importanat to a teams ERA but I'm not willing to use a poor hitter eeven with an outstanding PC rating.

3. I manage AAA and AA actively to be sure the players I want are getting playing time. I let the AI manage the lower minors.

4. I would take 50/50-like a balance of power and hitting. Dislike the sluggers who have OBP less than .340

----
jwendt - Sioux Falls Dakota

1 - 5 man rotation in the big leagues, in the low minors, rookie and low A, I'll go with the 4-man tandem
I almost always have 1 closer, but in 6 of 8 seasons that individual has changed during the year, mostly because I don't like paying for closers.
I never use specialist because they never pitch

2 - Pitchcalling seems to have the biggest impact on pitchers with really bad pitches (under 35). If they've got a teen for a 4th pitch, PC seems to help those guys the most. Otherwise, I'm satisfied with 50+

3 - I set the lineups and re-visit every week or two, especially later in the year with fatigue. I like to go with as many platoons as possible to spread ABs around. I check the minor league pitching staffs every 3 days or so to avoid the 0's.

Bonus - I'll take B, but it would really depend on the lineup needs. A 70 30 might be able to hit 1 or 2 if his other #'s support it whereas a 30 70 is probably a 6 or 7 guys at best as is the 50-50.

---
kmueller - Monterrey Conquistadors

1. How do you construct your pitching staff?
-4,5, or 6 man rotation
I use a "3 man tandem" rotation. I decline to say why I use it, but I do feel that I am getting better results than expected (see the relative poor quality of my starters and compare that to the resulting stats.)

-one closer or closer by comittee
Depends on who is on the team during a given year.

-LH,RH specialists or standard setup a,b guys
No specialists - the game logic is not savvy enough yet for it.


2. How valuable is a catcher's playcalling rating to a pitcher's performance and team ERA?

I have not seen enough compelling data yet. I believe it's something you cannot be negligent of (PC below 50 may hurt), but I'm not convinced that a super high PC helps that much either.


3. How "hands-on" are you with managing your minors or do you let the auto-manager run the show?

Auto-manager doesn't play the right people in the lineup... so I'm having to manage. That said, I let it do rookie once it starts.

One last fun one called "Who Would Win?"
Would you rather have a CF with a Contact/Power of:
a. 50/50
b. 70/30
c. 30/70

*all other ratings considered as league average

All else being equal - it would depend on the makeup of my team and what the needs were.

---
sriram12078 - Pawtucket Quahog Crush
1. Have experimented, currently trying tandems out ... i use one closer, and try not to specialize

2. I have not studied too much here

3. I let the auto manager do it mostly

4. 70/30, but it depends on my team construction

---
dberube7 - Helena Hound Dogs

1. How do you construct your pitching staff?
-4,5, or 6 man rotation
-one closer or closer by comittee
-LH,RH specialists or standard setup a,b guys

I go with the 5-man rotation, with a set closer, and 2-3 setup guys. I like using the LH/RH if I have one of those 80 L/ 40 R split guys, but they aren’t too common. It also seems like the specialists don’t get used much.


2. How valuable is a catcher's playcalling rating to a pitcher's performance and team ERA?

In my mind, it is very important (although I think I may overate them). I have always gone with good defensive catchers with 75+ pitch-calling, even at the expense of great offensive numbers. I will get the offense somewhere else if I have to. I feel this especially helps the bullpen, cause a lot set up guys have a drastic drop off from their first pitch to second (maybe 85 to 60, for example). I don’t want a catcher with a 40-pitch calling rating out there in the 8th inning with that guy on the mound.

3. How "hands-on" are you with managing your minors or do you let the auto-manager run the show?

I check the minor league pitchers and rest guys at least once a day, if not more. Lineups get adjusted every week or so if guys are tiring. I manage the DL.

One last fun one called "Who Would Win?"
Would you rather have a CF with a Contact/Power of:
a. 50/50
b. 70/30
c. 30/70

C- If we are say he has 50 L/R and batting eye, I want the power. If he had higher splits and good speed, then the 70 contact guy could be a really good too. I’ve just seen power guys with poor splits (in the 40’s) go for 40+ homeruns. I just that with 30 power & average splits, the 70 contact guy will just be hitting a lot of singles.

Steve Scheffer on my Helena team is the closest I have to the 30/70 example. A part time player, his best season he hit .271 with 15 HR, 51 RBI in 370 AB’s. Solid for a backup. I could deal with that from a good defensive CF.

Dan

---
mike1184 - Burlington Bulldogs
1. I try to go as much with a 4 man pitching staff as possible, but I don't adjust the pitch counts for those pitchers so I have to throw in a fifth starter every third time through the rotation or so. I usuaully have five decent starters, but I like to go with my four best anyways, and put the fifth in a long relief role until he is needed again.

I always go with one closer, and I usually lengthen their pitch counts to start in the 8th inning, with a max pitch count of 30, as they are usually my best reliever and I want to give them as many innings as possible.

I don't use LH and RH specialists as they don't get enough innings throughout the year to be valuable, so I mainly just use the Setup and Long Relief functions.

2. I believe that a catcher's pitch calling rating to a pitcher's performance and team ERA is extremely valuable. At the beginning of my HBD career I ignored this stat, and I was plagued with bloated ERAs and many pitchers not living up to their stats. As I became more knowledgeable about pitch calling I would put a defensive and an offensive catcher in a platoon, and I found that some years there was as much as a one run difference between the two catchers. Even though I have not done any kind of study to back up my views, I will always go with a high pitch call rating catcher from here on out.

3. In the minors pitcher fatigue is a big issue, so I try to stock each team with 10 position players and 15 pitchers, and I keep a very close eye on my injury situation. I make all of the decisions regarding my minor leagues, as I do not feel that the SIM does a good job with this and the minors are an important part of any organization. The only thing I let the SIM set for my minors is I set my line-ups according to recommendations, but with only one position player on the bench this is not as risky a move as it otherwise would be as the SIM doesn't do a great job of this either.

c. 30/70, power rules in this game.


---
hcohenmb - Vancouver Jets
1. Rotation depends on stamina and quality of starters...would prefer 4 or 5 man rotation; would prefer 2 good long relievers and quality setup a, setup b and closer. Find LH and RH specialists face too many of the opposite hitter to be relied upon for more than a few batters.
2. Prefer catchers who call pitches well. Have no idea if ratings work out or not i.e. with CERA
3. Moderate hands on in minors
4. CF prefer contact and defense 50/50 would be contact/power choice

---
Thanks again.
Darren

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Top 5 3B Prospects

The talent pool for third basemen in the minors in quite shallow, with only a few teams having a prospect that can be considered a long-term solution. Larry Price with the Sioux Fall Dakota is the number #1 prospect thanks to a combination of solid defense and great power. Las Vegas’s Vic Arrojo, who is top rated defensive prospect at third base, follows Price.

Larry Price
Sioux Falls
Dakota
Age: 22B/T: R/R
Born: Highland Park, IL
Position(s): 3B/1B/COF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


#1 – Larry Price
Sioux Falls – AA
Age - 22
Drafted – Season 6, Round 1, Pick 26
Prospect Score – 27

#2 – Vic Arrojo
Las Vegas – AA
Age - 22
International Signing – Season 4 for $7.8M by Las Vegas
Prospect Score – 26

#3 – Willie Cruz
Toledo – AA
Age – 20
International Signing – Season 6 for $10M by Toledo
Prospect Score – 24

#4 – Terry Simmons
Honolulu – AAA
Age - 21
Drafted – Season 5, Round 2, Pick 65
Prospect Score – 21

#5 – Gary Hartman
Colorado – Low A
Age – 23
Drafted – Season 7, Round 4, Pick 110
Prospect Score - 20

Friday, April 25, 2008

This Week in Second City Podcast #4

Hey guys,
Here is the next podcast with all of the responses from the Owner Q&A #2 emails that we sent out. Thanks for all of the responses. The text of all of the responses will be posted on the blog soon as well.
-Darren

Season Preview Part Five – AL South

Two storied AL franchises in Houston and Monterrey are heavily favored to continue their winning ways in the best hitting division in the AL. Texas and more recently Sante Fe have been concentrating on youth and promise to make strides this year. Still, the youth of Sante Fe and the shoddy defense of Texas will keep them outside the hunt again this season.

Houston Heavy Hitters
History – The franchise has missed the playoffs just once, in season 2 which prompted rudedog to buy the team from pokesfan and move it from Arlington to Houston. A World Series trip in season 4 raised expectations, but 3 straight early exits have fans wanting more.

There aren’t many simpler names in the league, and they live up to it. Every player on the big league roster is over 180 lbs. and almost half the roster is 200 lbs. Have I mentioned that they hit?


Strengths – Banjo White won ROY honors in Season 3, made the All-Star team in Season 4, and has won three straight MVPs since with remarkably consistent performances (.316-72-181, .311-70-184, .308-74-187). At just 6’0 tall and 227 lbs, he’s the heaviest of hitters.


Weaknesses Defense has never been their calling card, but 2-time gold-glover Pablo Guerrero was brought in to play SS. Manny Neugebaeur leads the staff. He was signed as a minor-league free agent to a $43.5M contract (5 years) prior to season 4, but he’s never topped 165 IP or 10 wins in a season. The rest of the rotation is a collection of aging starters and solid if underwhelming younger pitchers.

Odds
- 7:2 to win the division, 12:1 to win the pennant – They’ll score and the defense should be solid, but will this pitching staff be able to contribute more than fireworks?

Monterrey Conquistadors
History Monterrey is an original franchise that has never missed the playoffs. Four division titles, three wild cards, and zero seasons with fewer than 92 wins make them one of the premier franchises in Second City. A season 6 trip to the World Series remains the team’s top achievement.

The ‘Quistas are named for Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortez, who is most famous for conquering the Aztecs. The key blow in that battle was Cortez and his army killing Aztec emperor Montezuma. Many visitors to Monterrey still experience Montezuma’s revenge.


Strengths – ‘Quista pitching coach Rigo Valdez is the league’s firmest believer in the controversial 3-man tandem rotation. The tactic gets top pitchers like Lee Rivera 40-50 appearances per year as opposed to the 32-34 a 5-man starter gets. His innings per game are limited, so the IP totals of 225 or so are in-line with the rest of the league. The staff is deep with no 1 standout. Carson Sherman is the top hitter on a club excellent at reaching base, while Roberto Servet’s 87 steals led the jackrabbits on the bases.

Weaknesses – There aren’t a ton of bombers in the lineup so the team must generate runs with multiple hits and moving guys along. The defense, just like the rest of the team is deep, with quality everywhere but few standouts.


Odds - 3:2 to win division, 7:1 to win the pennant. No franchise is more about the team with the tandem rotation, a division-winning club that didn’t have an All-Star, and a lineup that’s as dangerous at 8-9 as it is at 1-2. The only question is whether such a squad can compete in the playoffs.

Sante Fe Fire Hawks
History –After a false start in Charlotte, imaginary internet mogul texas_ron took over the franchise in season 2. Ron proceeded to pour money into the franchise, drastically increasing payroll from $105 million in season 1 to as much as $151 million in season 4. The results were just as distressing, with the El Paso Longhorns posting a worse record than the previous season in each the next 4 years. Tjconnatser attempted to resurrect the franchise gone wrong with a move to Tampa Bay, where officials promised a new stadium that didn’t suck. When that fell through, HBD turnaround artist reigny took over, moving the squad to Sante Fe and drastically cutting payroll, back to $82 million this season. A farm system corrupted by foolish spending habits of an internet mogul is slowly on its way to recovery.

The Fire Hawks are named for a chapter of Space Marines in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. The Fire Hawks chapter is also known the Legion of the Dammed. Reigny made his fortune looting spacecraft with his marines.


Strengths The staff will throw strikes with veterans Steven Serra (39, former All Star), Jim Johnson (37, former All Star), and Bruce Maloney (38, 2-time All Star) present to lead a staff full of young arms

Weaknesses Two 19-years olds, Chris Boswell and Courtney Rhodes, both drafted last year, join season 6 first round pick, Nolan Smith on the big league roster. A total of 10 big leaguers are under the age of 25. That’s not a good thing. This squad has talent, but little of it is truly ready for the big leagues. Texas_ron’s mismanagement continues to hamper this squad.


Odds -
500:1 to win the division, 100,000:1 to win the pennant – The pitching and hitting is either too old or too young. There’s young talent here, but it shouldn’t be in Sante Fe yet.

Texas Riders
History – Single, unsuccessful seasons in Atlanta and Tampa led the franchise to Arlington, TX. Following an 82-80 finish, sean365 sold the team to local beer merchant, jying98. jying founded a successful liquor store in Arlington that made its mark providing kegs for frat parties on the UT campus. He immediately set out doing to the Riders what he did to Austin, pouring money (or beer) into the youth. The results are starting to show as the minor league system has quietly become one of the league’s best, and the major league team continues to make strides.

Despite the common misconception that the team is named for the cowboys of old that would later become known as the Rangers, the Texas franchise is actually named in honor of former college slam-dunk champion, JR Rider of UNLV. Rider briefly met jying at Allen County Community College in Iola, KS, where Rider gave him the idea to sell beer to undergrads.


Strengths – RF Kevlim Roa with 329 career homers and 199 career stolen bases remains one of the top dual-threats in the league 1b Tim Aven, LF Jacob Serrano, and 22-year old C Robinson Frazier all have the ability to hit 40 HRs, so the long ball will be there. AAA 1B Antonio Chapman, a season 6 1st round pick, is pounding on the door and will join the HR fest soon. Watch out for starter Vernon Mota, the 24-year old is a capable of much better than the 12-15, 6.07 performance of last season indicates.

Weaknesses – This is one of the worst defensive teams in the league, with no player sporting a range greater than 73 and only one with a glove over 72. The rotation relies on two pitchers, Greg Glover and Charles Lilly that could walk 100+ batters this year.


Odds -
20:1 to win the division, 60:1 to win the pennant – The hitters already here and those in the high minors will make the offense as good as any team’s. However, the small park, wild pitching, and swiss-cheese defense mean plenty more football scores to come.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Season Preview: NL West

A season ago, the Las Vegas Double Downs won the NL West for the seventh consecutive year. No team has had such a singular hold of a division in the NL, but once again, a world title did not emanate from it. Las Vegas had to ward off an unusually tough challenge from the Los Angeles Outlaws, who won a Wild Card berth. Las Vegas, riding its pitching continues to be the favorite, though the Outlaws are expected to be serious contenders.

Las Vegas Double Downs:
History: The Double Downs are one of the Second City's charter franchises. Cegt98 moved to Las Vegas from Fair Play, South Carolina chasing the blackjack revival spawned by the film 21. While boiling peanuts was not a natural him growing up, mastering the games of chance was -- and soon he amassed a fortune and became one of the foremost blackjack authorities in the United States. He then turned his eye towards investing and development, and eventually grew the now-illustrious Ryno-Jacket Casino and Ballroom. ( just opening a second location outside of Joliet, Illinois)

The Double Downs have won the NL West every year in Second City's history, though none of the division titles have transformed into an NL Pennant. Manager Patty "Purple" Haze, the with cegt98 since inception, has provided stability and consistency for the franchise, but the pressure on the franchise is greater than ever.

Strengths: Pitching, pitching, pitching. The Double Downs led the NL in team ERA a year ago, and they are led by Delino Fischer, one of the winningest pitchers in Second City (96 career wins). Also, a key contributor is Bryan Washington, who put up 14 wins and a 2.75 ERA a year ago at the age of 35.

Weaknesses: The 92 wins in Season 7 mark the Double Downs' lowest win total since Season 3. With offensive talent below the league average (although improved somewhat by strong plate discipline), as well as a below average baserunning makes scoring runs a chore at times -- especially against good teams.

Odds: 3 to 1 to win division. 10-1 to win pennant.

Los Angeles Outlaws:
History: Los Angeles is one of the charter franchises of Second City. Last season, the Outlaws finished 87-75, winning a Wild Card bid though losing a tough division race to perennial hoss Las Vegas.

This year is a bit less certain with the sale of the franchise. Former owner bcucalum decided to become a movie financier and thus divested himself from the team which resulted in piratefan113's record $665 milion bid for the franchise. With the Double Down gorilla in tow, the battle is crystal clear.

Strengths: Los Angeles is all about balance. They execute all phases of the game pretty well. Among position players, they sport one of the league's finest young players in precocious 25 year old Al Rios, whose Season 7 (.263, 19 HRs) hints at his vast vast potential. On the mound, they are led by Bartolo Gonzalez (18-8, 2.54 ERA and a staggering 244 IP).

Weaknesses: Los Angeles does not do anything particularly well, which is the only quibble one can have. With the pitching Las Vegas sports, not sure if "pretty good" is enough praise. The team has a lot of interesting talent with potential to keep going, but it is not time yet.

Odds: 15-1 to win division, 35-1 to win pennant

Cheyenne Seminoles
History: The Cheyenne Seminoles are one of Second City's flagship franchises. The owner, jrooster35, made his fortune as founder of the ubiquituous "Rooster Rodeo" franchise, as well as his recent purchase of the famous Asian "Rooster Sauce". "I say, uh, I say, I got a good franchise", jrooster beams.

The Seminoles have been one of the sport's most consistent teams. Aside from a 72-90 blip in season 3, the Seminoles have been above .500 every season. While Las Vegas has dominated the division, the Seminoles still have an LCS appearance and 3 postseason bids.

Strengths: The Seminoles are built very smartly. It's biggest virtue is the relative age of its roster. The present is solid, but the future continues to be solid also. The pitching staff is led by its prodigy 22 year old phenom Al Moreno, who went 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA a year ago. The offense is led by Cleatus Davis (28 HRs) and Ichiro Kuo (37 HRs), together forming one of the Second City's best outfields.

Weaknesses: With the powerful outfield they sport, it stands to reason that Cheyenne's outfield range is not especially good. This seems to be a consistent trend with the ballclub as the defense is below average in most areas, although the throwing accuracy is quite good. They are solidly in contention for the playoffs.

Odds: 7-1 to win division, 15 to 1 to win pennant.

Saint Louis Hell Hogs
History: The Hell Hogs in its current form were acquired by jets12 for Season 7. Jets12 rode in from Sturgess, South Dakota, lettin his hair flap in the breeze and watchin bugs hit the windshield of his Harley. The franchise's revolutionary leather and studded batting practice caps are one of Second City's very best sellers. "After all of that stuffy red and white, this town needed something more black" though Jets. On the field, the substance has yet to match with a 67-95 season.

Strengths: This franchise is building. There are some good players, but right now it is toiling. It has a couple of cornerstone pieces, most notably 2B David Williamson coming off of a 16 HR season. He has the goods to be a future star. Another star is their lefty ace Felipe Espinoza. Still only 27, Espinoza brings with him a deceptive record of 13-13 from a year ago as his 3.54 ERA surely deserved better. In addition, Rodrigo Velasquez with his 59 thefts, is one of the most entertaining players in the league.

Weaknesses: The pitching staff overall is still rebuilding. Also, for a team rebuilding, there is still quite a bit of age to purge out. Jets12 has the franchise headed in the right direction, but the fruit will not be there in Season 8.

Odds: 30 to 1 to win division, 75 to 1 to win pennant

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Expected Win Percent Rankings

Hey guys,
I decided to go to the Advanced Standings and use the Expected Win Percentage (Pythagorean Win Pct) as a way to rank all of the teams together regardless of league or division. Since every team will most likely have a different runs scored and runs allowed total we can do a true rank and not just the win-loss records. This is sort of like our own "Power Rankings" that you see from time to time.
Hope you like it. Also I decided to highlight the best totals (most runs scored, least runs allowed in green) and the worst totals (least runs scored, most runs allowed in red). Sorry to point out anyone on the bottom...don't worry I'm there too.

-Darren

Monday, April 21, 2008

This Week in Second City Podcast #3

Hey guys,
Here is the next podcast with musings on Similarity Scores, DL, Manager Settings, Roster Moves, and Opening Week Game Highlights.

-Darren

Top 5 SS Prospects

Here are the Top 5 SS prospects, lead by Scranton’s Alan Pall, who projects to be 92 rated player, and Harold Gray, who has a great chance at multiple gold gloves during his career.

Alan Pall
Scranton
Nittany Lions
Age: 21B/T: L/R
Born: Nashville, TN
Position(s): SS/IF/OF
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


#1 – Alan Pall
Scranton – AAA
Age 21
Drafted Season 5, Round 1, Pick 7
Prospect Rating Score - 33

#2 – Harold Gray
Monterrey – AA
Age – 24
Drafted – Season 3, Round 1, Pick 19 by Pawtucket
Traded to Monterrey in Season 5
Prospect Rating Score - 32

#3 – Juan Macias
St. Louis – Rookie
Age – 23
Drafted Season 7, Round 1, Pick 6
Prospect Rating Score - 31

#4 – Wil Cutis
San Juan – Low A
Age – 21
Drafted Season 7, Round 1, Pick 31
Prospect Rating Score - 30

#5 – Benny Andrews
Texas – AA
Age 19
Drafted Season 7, Round 2, Pick 45
Prospect Rating Score - 29

Similarity Scores of HBD to MLB

Hey guys, Just playing around but I took the Bill James Similarity Score System of comparing two players to another and applied it to HBD to MLB. Basically, we can take any HBD player's stats from last year (season 7) and compare them to his matching pool of MLB position players from last season to see who is the best match or most similar. The formula and examples are below. Simply put, you take 1000 points and start subtracting the differences you see in the categories below. The results are the top most similar offensive stat players for that position.
When I ran it for my starting catcher Cliff Wagner he compares most similar to Victor Martinez and my backup catcher Chance Sparks compares to Doug Mirabelli.

If you guys like this send me the names of one or two of your HBD position players
you want me to run the numbers on just to give you that added perspective of how good or bad they are with the MLB as a reference.
-Darren

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Season Preview Part Four - NL East

The Burlington Bulldogs shocked the Second City World, knocking off both heavy favorites San Juan and Mexico City in the playoffs. Even an NLCS loss to eventual champion Sioux Falls did not dim the spirits in Burlington where rookie-of-the-year Miguel Guitierrez and young ace Pedro DeRojas are the favorites to repeat.

Burlington Bulldogs
History - Franchise founder shultz11 declared bankruptcy following an 82-80 Season 1. The bank moved the team to Syracuse while a buyer for the team's assets was sought. mike came along in season 3 and purchased the team, returning it to Burlington Vermont. Since taking over the team, mike has brought it back, rising from 59-103 years in seasons 3-4 to division winning 91-71 finish last year. The squad topped it off with a stunning pair of upsets, knocking down both NL South powers San Juan and Mexico City in the playoffs, roughly the equivalent of the European representative to the Little League World Series knocking off both the Asian and Caribbean entrants in consecutive games.

The new owner made his fortune in maple syrup, farming some of Vermont's best in the forest around Burlington. Forests being unsecure though, the product had to be protected while the trees were tapped. A pack of bulldogs, recruited for their furosity and lack of interest in moving too far away from the syrup, guarded the goods overnight, and gave the Bulldogs their nickname.

Strengths - 22-year old Pedro DeRojas won 16 games as a 20-year old. He's on his way to becoming one of the true aces of 2nd city. Rookie of the year Miguel Gutierrez speed, power, and great strike zone judgment. He'll be patrolling LF for many years. A few other young players offer glimpses of what could be a team to be reckoned with for many years.

Weaknesses - 39-year old Fred Bagley won double digit games (16-10) and threw 200 innings for the the first time in 4 seasons last year. He's being counted on as the #2 starter. Starters 4 & 5 are talented but young, always risky.

Odds
- 3:2 to win the division, 13:1 to win the pennant - can they recapture the post-season magic of Season 7 now that they can't sneak up on anyone?

Augusta Storm
History - After 5 seasons of increasing payroll and decreasing wins, hartel moved the franchise out of New York and choose Augusta, hoping the Storm would be as successful after leaving New York as the Dodgers have been. A division title was encouraging, but the squad is re-grouping after a 3rd place finish last year. But fiscal sanity has been brought to the team, and the kids are the future.

The Storm, Maine's only imaginary sports franchise, is named for the Perfect Storm. While the story was told on the big screen, it affected ownership deeply. Hartel had just landed a moderate-sized catch when George Clooney headed for the Flemish Cap. A giant Japanese tour group was headed to Maine and looking to eat fish. When Clooney sank, hartel made a fortune in little known Maine Cod Bubble. Shortly thereafter, he invested in the a struggling baseball franchise and the rest is history.

Strengths - Since leaving the big city, the Storm have invested in pitching and defense. The team can really pick it, but the staff is still rounding into shape. There's quality there, including Pedro DeRejoas' older brother Del down in the pen.

Weaknesses - The lineup lacks a power bat. In fact, this might be the least powerful lineup in the league. The financial scars of New York still show and the team may need another year or two for the pitching and hitting to match the defense

Odds - 4:1 to win division, 30:1 to win the pennant

Washington DC Honor and Courage
History - The franchise has spent time in Hartford, Norfolk, and Charlotte, with the high point coming in a Season 3 trip to the World Series. The price was high however as the team spent heavily in the free agent market, including signing Dick Caruso to a league maximum contract. Some other big deals financially hamstrung the franchise and they're just now recovering as new owner and media mogul, darrenmaybee has made several big deals, shedding some payroll and trying to get younger.

The Honor and Courage are named for the Airborne Warriors, members of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, a highly decorated unit from Vietnam. Their stories were chronicalled in an online book, published under darrenmaybee's pseudonym. The book launched maybee's career which now includes a media empire including an intricate statistical publication entitled maybee you should look at the numbers, oft quoted on this blog, and his own radio station, Easy-Dee's listing, smooth jazz, which also broadcasts on the Honor & Courage games.

Strengths - Former porn-star and Hawaiian-born left fielder Rob Henderson leads the offense and his career .303 BA and substantial power make him a force to be reckoned with. Young 1B Jarrod Overbay (24) promises to reach base frequently. If his power develops, he could become a top 1B.

Weaknesses - The rotation needs a lot of help. When your Opening Day starter went 10-13 last year, there's a good chance that you'll need to score a lot to win. Shortstop Vin Torres averaged an error every three games the last time he was a regular at the position. His below-average defensive skills do not promise to help a rotation that sorely needs it.

Odds -
30:1 to win the division, 250:1 to win the pennant - bad pitching and defense needs some heavy hitting - this lineup isn't heavy enough for this staff.

Pawtucket Quahog Crush
History - The Crush are an original franchise and have remained remarably consistent, winning between 80 and 88 games in each of the first 6 seasons. Financial pressures, an aging staff, and a sharp downturn in beer sales by franchise owner sriram12078's brewery caused the team falter last season, winning just 72. Three previous playoff appearances did not yield a trip to the NLCS.

The Quahog Crush continue to feud with the Augusta franchise for territorial rights. Pawtucket plays 4 games a year in Quahog, Maine, hometown of their Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, Brian Griffin. They claim this gives them exclusive territorial rights throughout Maine. However, commissioner Wendt has disagreed, allowing the Storm to operate in Maine.

Strengths - Shortstop Alex Kelly is a Crush legend, with a 132 HR's and 172 SB in his 7-year career. However, his glove has not fared well on Pawtuckett's legendarily bumpy infield. The team has some thumpers, with 23-year old RF Paxton Ward appearing to be a future star in a group of power hitters that boasts Ross Baker, .340, 51 HR's and a runner-up finish in the MVP voting after being acquired from Las Vegas a year ago.

Weaknesses - Crush pitching coach Stan Griffen (Brian's uncle) jumped from AA to the majors and has caused quite a stir with his use of the 3-man tandem rotation. The strategy maximizes the appearances by top pitchers without over-taxing them on innings. But, you still need quality pitchers, with 6 guys pitching every three days and this staff isn't there yet.

Odds -
8:1 to win the division, 40-1 to win the pennant, young hitting will be dangerous but too many runs allowed will keep this team in the 2nd division.

Top 10 Pitching Prospects

Lots of quality starters are making their way up through the minors, so I decided to do a top 10 list for pitching prospects. Many of these guys are in AAA so I'm sure we'll be seeing them soon.

Rafael Aguilera
Helena
Hound Dogs
Age: 20B/T: S/R
Born: Ingenio Quisqueya, DO
Position(s): P (SP1)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


#1 - Rafael Aguilera
Helena (NL) – AA
Age - 20
International Signing by Helena
Season 6 - $16.4M bonus

#2 - Winston Silvestri
Vancouver (AL) – AAA
Age – 24
Drafted – Season 6, Round 1, Pick 9

#3 – Chico Molina
Richmond (AL) – AA
Age 19
International Signing – Season 7

#4 - Willie Velazquez
Mexico City (NL) – AAA
Age – 24
International Signing by the Blue Jays (now Rochester)
Season 2 - $9.5M bonus
Traded to Mexico City Season 3

#5 - Pablo Saez
Wichita (AL) – AAA
Age – 21
Drafted Season 5, Round 1, Pick 11

#6 – Rudy Robinson
Atlanta (NL) – Low A
Age 23
Drafted Season 7, Round 1, Pick 3

#7 – Morgan Bean
Sioux Falls (NL) – AAA
Age - 25
Drafted – Season 3, Round 1, Pick 35

#8 - Matt Martin
Helena (NL)– Low A
Age – 23
Drafted Season 7, Round 1, Pick 8

#9 – Rolando Cordero
Cheyenne (NL) – AA
Age – 24
Drafted Season 6, Round 1, Pick 40

#10 – Rob Andrews
Toledo – AAA
Age – 24
Drafted Season 5, Round 1, Pick 25 by Nashville
Traded to Mexico City in Season 6
Traded to Toledo in Season 7

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Owner Q&A #1 Responses

Hey guys,
Here are the responses everyone gave to the first list of HBD-related questions we sent out. These emails were also read in the podcast #2. Thanks for all who contributed.

1. How do you construct your batting order? Traditional (leadoff, onbase guy, best hitter, best power, then decreasing power) or Nontraditional (your own unique method)?
2. Overall would you say HBD leans more towards batting-heavy or pitching-heavy or is completely balanced?
3. How significant is the effect of coaches on prospect development or game strategy?
4. Lastly, what MLB team is your favorite and favorite player?

Scranton Nittany Lions --camaro31st
1 For the most part I go with a traditional lineup with a little twist. I like to have speed and OBP guys in the top 2 spots. I put my best two hitters 3rd and 4th. I then try to start over with another speed OBP guy and work down to another power hitter in the 8 or 9 spot.

2. HBD is somewhat balanced but does lean a little toward the offensive side. There are way to many players with 30+ home runs each year. There is also some flaws in base running and the stolen base logic but beyond that the game is quite realistic.

3. Coaches have an effect on both prospect development and game stratagy. To what effect I am not sure yet but I am in several different leagues and I do notice a few points of difference here and there between my good and bad coaching staffs.

4. My Favorite team is and always will be the Brewers. Thank god that Bud Selig is gone and now my Brew Crew has a chance to win some games. My favorite current player is Prince Fielder and my Favorite of all time is Nolan Ryan.

Wichita Shockers --bigking0505
The way that I put my line up togeather I would say would be more traditional. I like having my high OBP guys near the top and then load up with power through the middle. If possible I try and have some speed and a decent OBP near the bottom of the line up as well, but havent had the right type of players to do that every season. I would say that I believe that the most important position in the line up is the #2 spot because that is where I believe is the difference between big innings or not. You need to have a guy with a good eye that can lay down a bunt, but also has the ability to drive the ball as well. I used to try and keep Felix Hogan there when I had him because I think he is the type of hitter that works well there.


I think that success in HBD is based mostly on solid pitching. It seems that a .280 hitter that can hit 30+ HR's are everywhere, so in order to be succesful you need to have top notch pitching. You can see this by my records in the past, most of my best teams were led by great pitching.

I think that coaching has a huge impact on the game, and I employee the stratagey that the longer a coach is with an organization the better he will be. I believe that as long as you don't change what type of owner you want to be, the coaches that stay with you from year to year, will help run you system the way you want it. I might be wrong but that is the way I feel about it.

My fav team is the Oakland A's and my fav player is Ken Griffey Jr.

Toledo Boonse Farmers --hockey_brian
question 1. I try to have speed at the top then my best hitters and then speed again at the bottom
#2 it is probly = the key is to build to your ball park
3 not real sure on the coaches I try to stay in the upper middle of the pack as far as talent of coaches at each position
4 Detroit Tigers favorite player Placido Polanco but fav all time Gibby


San Juan Crownrificos --wang35
1. High obp guys up top and big boppers in the middle

2. Depends on the ballpark. Burlington has a bigtime pitchers park so he is more pitcher dependent. My ballpark is a hitters ballpark so it's a must to have the big sticks.

3. I think it's significant if you have bad coaches. They can really hurt development. Guys can go backwards with a terrible coach. Other factors in development are age, playing time and how well the individual and team are doing.

4. White Sox. Frank Thomas

Colorado Mountain Oysters --buck18
1) like speed and contact in the top 2 spots. preferably a guy who can bunt as well in the 2 hole. 3,4,5 I like average and on base percentage, I don't worry much about power being in coors all my guys hit home runs but if I have a good power hitter he would go in the 4 or 5 hole. the rest of the lineup is dictated by the type of players on the team, dont really have a strategy for 6,7,8 I do like to have another speed guy in the 9 hole though. If I don't have one then I put my worst hitter in the 9 spot.

2) I'm going to have to go with balanced. it seems like second city is more hitter friendly (my view may be scewed as I am in coors) but the other league I am in seems more pitching oriented.

3)I think there important for both. I like to run a lot and i have noticed that if I have good baserunning coaches at 1st and 3rd my guys steal more bases and are thrown out less. Also I like to draft high school kids and I believe that in order to get them up to there potential you need to surround them with good coaches. I have noticed that on the teams where I didn't have good coaches the prospects didn't improve as much as when I had better coaching.

4)why the RED SOX of course, and living in wisconsin most of my life I do have a soft spot for the brewers. But if they were playing each other I would go for the Sox every time. My fovorite player has always ben and will always be Dweight Evans. I don't relly have a favorite current player, but the guys I like to watch on the pitching side would be maddux, santana, and probably dice K, as far as hitters i would say Manny, Puljos, And Im interested to see just how good prince fielder can be.


Las Vegas Double Downs --gtce98
1. More traditional, but actively monitor and adjust to go with hot hands.
2. Can't say I try to base my team mainly on good pitching and has had success in regular season but not so much in the playoffs. Always felt like I was beat by teams with better bats.
3. Dunno, I know I just hate the coach hiring period.
4. Chicago Cubs, no real fav on current roster but Fukudome is warming up (just love the name) all-time fav is Ryno.


Monterrey Conquistadors --kmueller
1. How do you construct your batting order? Traditional (leadoff, onbase guy, best hitter, best power, then decreasing power) or Nontraditional (your own unique method)?
Pretty traditional... but I will also put guys in if they are hitting well that year, as opposed to just looking at the ratings.

2. Overall would you say HBD leans more towards batting-heavy or pitching-heavy or is completely balanced?
Our league is batting heavy... but I find other leagues to be the opposite.

3. How significant is the effect of coaches on prospect development or game strategy?
Less significant than I'd hoped... that said, the hiring process needs work.

4. Lastly, what MLB team is your favorite and favorite player?
Indians - Grady Sizemore!

Mexico City Bandejos --dyuen
1) fairly traditional. though i believe in an on base guy at the top and i dont care if hes fast or not. i think having a guy like juan pierre lead off just cause hes fast is moronic.

2) i think there is too much offense in HBD. the hitting is out of hand.

3) coaches are very important in player development. i dont care about them for strategy

4) white sox, buehrle now. when i was a kid the reds and johnny bench and george foster


Burlington Bulldogs --mike1184
1. I usually assemble my batting order on the basis of OBP, with some consideration for SLG pct. as well. Basically if my best OBP also has my best SLG, he has the three spot. If I put him in the one spot he would get the most at bats on the team, but he will have more runners on if he bats third, while also still getting a ton of at bats so that is what I do.

If two players have relatively the same OBP, I will look at SLG to see who hits where. OPS is a statistic that is also looked at, but for the top of the order OBP is the key to my batting order.

2. As a whole, HBD is slanted more to the hitting side than the pitching side, and this is through no fault of the developers, but of the mindset of the owners. My view is that pitching wins you games, and you have great pitching and poor hitting, you will still win some games, and would win more games than if you had great hitting and poor pitching.

Many owners are allured by the 50 HR, 150 SO guy, and while this is all fine and dandy for them, if his OBP is .310 and his SLG barely reaches .500, I am sure I can find someone better for that spot who is a much more balanced hitter.

Also, the effect that parks such as Colorado and Santa Fe have on hitting are disproportionate, especially when considered to the extreme pitcher's parks such as Burlington and Portland. A guy who would hit 25 HR in Portland would hit 50 HR in Colorado, and this is too wide a gap in my opinion, and also supports the hitter's mentality that is predominant in the change, but has been moving more towards pitching as of late.

3. Favorite team: Toronto Blue Jays

Sioux Falls Dakota --jwendt
a few of my thoughts

2 - The real question here is about value. The value of any particular attribute is determined by how your competitors see it. For example, if everyone's drafting power early, spending FA $ on power, then it gets relatively expensive whereas another trait might be undervalued. I'm not of the opinion that the game has a particular bias, but you do see way more scoring overall in HBD and Second City than in real life. I believe that is largely due to teams undervaluing defense and the handful of teams that are or have been mis-managed leaving them with bad or tired pitchers getting a lot of innings.

3 - Coaches have a big impact on player development. They have a minimal impact on strategy, but at the big league level can impact performance. Aside from the rare occasions where you get tossed, you can dictate the strategy with all your settings.

4 - I'm a Chicago White Sox fan (you'll see a few of these in the league). I can't say I have a particular favorite player right now but my wife loves Joe Crede's mullet so I'll go with him.

Helena Hound Dogs --dberube7
1. How do you construct your batting order?
Traditional (leadoff, onbase guy, best hitter,
best power, then decreasing power) or
Nontraditional (your own unique method)?

Ideally, I want speed leading off. My best 2 hitters
are in the 2-3 spots, I want them to get the most AB's possible. It's a big plus if the
2 guy has speed too. 4-5 is the power guys. After that, in decreasing order of power,
although if I am in the AL and I have another .300 hitter with speed, I like him in the 9 hole.

2. Overall would you say HBD leans more towards batting-heavy or pitching-heavy or is completely balanced?

The game can be a little offensive heavy, which is why stud pitching is so important. The big bats can get you
to the playoffs, but an ace can shut them down for 1 game in the playoffs and will be the difference. I also like to make sure all my
guys make the defense req. for their positions. With Helena I don't have the best offense so I have to do everything possible to
keep the score down.

3. How significant is the effect of coaches on prospect development or game strategy?
I have always spent 16-17 on coaching for my team, so I don't know if bad coaching can hurt you or your prospects,
but I'm not going to chance it. I have always treated coaching as very important and am willing to pay for the best
coaches I can get.


4. Lastly, what MLB team is your favorite and favorite player?
Just so I will know who to kid :)

Boston Red Sox - Tim Wakefield

That's it for the responses and thanks again.
-Darren

Friday, April 18, 2008

Top 5 Right Field Prospects

Top 5 Right Field Prospects.

Here is my list of the Right Field prospects. There are quite a few 80+ players out there. Most of the prospects seem to be bunched up on a few teams. This could be an area where we see some trade movement, because several teams have 2-3 studs, while many other teams don't have a viable player in their farm systems.

Pete Richard
Mexico City
Bandejos
Age: 22B/T: R/R
Born: Clinton, IN
Position(s): RF/3B
View Hardball Dynasty Profile



#1 -Pete Richard
Mexico City – AAA
Age 22
Drafted – Season 4, Round 1, Pick 25
Prospect Rating Score – 37

#2 – Ivy Fassero
Mexico City – Low A
Age 19
Drafted Season 7, Round 2, Pick 70
Prospect Rating Score – 36

#3 – Justin Blake
Montreal – Rookie
Age 23
Drafted Season 7, Round 1, Pick 11
Prospect Rating Score – 33

#4 – Matty Nerdua
Pittsburgh – AAA
Age 21
International Signing by Boise (now Pittsburgh)
Season 5 - $14.9M bonus w/ 4-year ML deal
Prospect Rating Score – 32

#5 – Felipe Gomez
Monterrey – High A
Age 21
International Signing by Monterrey
Season 5 - $9.5M bonus
Prospect Rating Score - 31

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

This Week in Second City #2 Podcast

Hey guys,
Here is the second podcast. A couple notes.. It opens up with "Centerfield" by John Fogarity but I had the volume down too low so the first 1:15 may sound too soft or like nothing is there. Also I read all of the owner responses to the questions and it ran a little long...35 minutes!! I promise for all future podcasts to keep them short no more than 15 minutes at most. It took forever to upload it. Hope you like it and feel free to listen to it in two parts. I can't listen to myself for 35 minutes. But it does end with the rest of "Centerfield" where the volume is better.
-Darren

Division Preview Part 3 - AL East

The AL East could be one of the most competitive divisions in the league this year. Richmond is the favorite, but a young Scranton team is knocking on the door, just waiting to break out. The real story here is the depth of the division. There are no doormats here with four teams that have a shot to take the East if the chips fall right for them.

Wichita Shockers
History - The Shockers were founded by bigking in Season 1 as an original franchise. In 7 seasons the team has won 3 division titles and 2 wild card berths, with the high point being a trip to the World Series in Season 2. The team finished under .500 only once, in season 4.

If you're not familiar with Wichita St., they're called the Shockers because, well, this is a family-friendly blog, let's just say their cheerleaders like THIS. (hey I didn't say the links in the blog were family friendly.

Strengths - Veteran SS Rich Clark is the face of the franchise. He's never hit fewer than 38 HRs and has 327 for his career, including back-to-back 50+ dinger years. He's a steady if unspectacular SS out of Washington, DC that turned down a football scholarship to the University of Illinois. Matty Ordoz (acquired from August last year) and 24-year old superstar Vin (El) Guapo provide the rest of thunder in an impressive lineup, that plays better defense than most.

Weaknesses - There's nothing wrong with the rotation, but there's nothing special about it either. Veterans Wally Driskill (12-10, 4.99) and Dick Patterson (11-9, 4.58) are expected to tutor long-awaited future ace Rico Lecuona (37-37, 4.97 career), a 24-year old who debuted in the big leagues at age 20.

Odds
- 6:1 to win the division, 25:1 to win the pennant

New York Hellraisers
History B. Dorsey is the third owner of the New York AL franchise. Once a dominant force in the AL, the Clippers fell on hard times, forcing owner nickam to sell the team to New York style pizza magnate, Dorsey. Dorsey named the team after the foster parents that raised him in New York's Hell's Kitchen.

Strengths - Few catchers can match the 3 consecutive 50-HR seasons of Santos Julio who combines with Yorvit Arias to form a deadly C/DH combo. Face of the franchise (999 games played in NY) Garret Spehr sets the table from his 2B spot with a .338 career average. Young 1B Tomas Guzman is an early favorite for the rookie of the year. Manager Rudy Edmonds won 103 games or more in each of his first 5 seasons at the helm of 3 different squads. The Hellraisers will be his team in 3 seasons, and the New York media is expecting much of him.

Weaknesses - The pitching staff relies on 37-year old Woody Foster to anchor the staff. 23-year old Felipe Zorilla, an $8.5M international free agent in Season 3 that's spent 3 years in the New York pen is expected to make a move to the rotation. He's got the stuff to be a star but has yet to start a game in the majors.

Odds - 9:1 to win division, 30:1 to win the pennant

Richmond Confederates
History - szasza purchased the Confederates prior to season 3 and they promptly went the way of the Whalers, leaving Hartford for greener pastures in Richmond, VA. After 5 consecutive 3rd place division finishes, the Feds broke out in season 6 with a division winning 91 wins, advancing to the LCS. They repeated that feat last year following the first 100 win season in franchise history.

The Confederates are the only team that wears the "road" greys both at home and on the road. The team's flying of the Confederate battle flag has been challenged 5 times, with the last fight going all the way to the Supreme Court. The little known back story is that szasza uses the logo in tribute to the University of Mississippi. No cities in the state of Mississippi were economically viable however, so he moved the team to Richmond where he knew history would keep the flag flying.

Strengths - This team can hit. Three time MVP, 7-time All Star, Dick Caruso leads the hit parade. Caruso was acquired from the DC Honor & Courage prior to last season and didn't disappoint, hitting .339 with 55 HR's and 145 RBIs. Caruso has never been on the DL and has an outside shot at reaching 500 career HRs this season (he's at 431). Julio Nunez (.323-51-105) and Jorge Torres (.270-46-119) join Caruso to form a killer middle of the order. The staff is deep, led by Marty Brantley, Vin Sheets, and Oswaldo Owen.

Weaknesses - Veteran free agent signings P.T. Sierra and Brent McGee are being counted on to shore up the pen. Both are talented, but will their age catch up with them.

Odds -
2:1 to win the division, 7:1 to win the pennant - scouts say 20-year old Angel Mercedes could end up being the best defensive shortstop in a generation, but is he too young for a pennant contender to be playing?

Scranton Nittany Lions
History - Camaro took over as bad a team as Second City had seen in seasons 1-3. A season in Atlanta sandwiched between 2 in Boston had yielded 4 third-place finishes. The Season 3 squad won just 12 games. Camaro committed to the youth and the fruits of his labors are starting to show. 89 and 88-win seasons the past two years signal this a team on the rise.

The Nittany Lions are actually named in honor of Joe Paterno, camaro's great-great-great-great grandfather. In four generations, or 327 years in Paterno time, camaro is expected to take over the football program in Happy Valley.

Strengths - Third baseman Bret Davis, the #1 overall pick in Season 4, struggled in his big-league debut, but scouts rave about his 5-tool skills. Davis leads the young talent, with Ivan Barrios, Zach Sosa, and Manny Randolph, all 24 or younger and expected to play big roles this season. SS Alan Pall is likely to join the group in the bigs this season.

Weaknesses
- While the young talent is obvious, they aren't superstars yet. The pitching staff is good but not great. This team's peak is still a year or two away.

Odds -
7:2 to win division, 20:1 to win the pennant. Patience is paying off and this team will be great soon.

Season Preview Part Two - NL South

The Chicanos vs the Boriquas. Oscar de la Hoya vs Felix Trinidad. Julio Cesar Chavez vs Hector Camacho. The Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry has been alive and well for years, and second city is no exception. With a combined 5 of 7 NL Pennants and a combined 7 of 7 NL South division titles, the arms race between the Mexico City Bandejos and San Juan Crownrificos has defined the NL gameboard. The question is whether anybody else in the NL South can infiltrate this exclusive two team society and make any noise at all. As usual, all histories are completely fabricated.

Mexico City Bandejos

History - What can you say? Mexico City was one of Second City's Original 32 franchises, put the best record in the league together in Season 7, and is the former Season 4, 5, and 6 champion. Since Season 4, the Bandejos have been one of Second City's true role model franchises.

DYuen, the noted Mexican refried-bean tycoon, before discovering the business that would make him a billionaire grew up on the streets of the toughest section of Mexico City. A lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan, once he made his fortune, Yuen vowed for years to bring big time baseball to his hometown. The first three seasons, Mexico City floundered, as Yuen went through general managers and insisted on active participation in player-personnel. However, after the uninspired 77-85 Season 3 campaign, in what was seen at the time as a scandalously daring move, Yuen elevated Director of Player Development Vicente Tostada to the full time GM position. Needless to say, the move has paid off.

Strengths: Offense, offense, offense. Behind the twin powers of Del Gill (73 HRs, 1.094 OPS) and Alex Shibata (54 HRs, 1.021 OPS) in addition to quality professional bats such as Edgar Quevedo (105 runs scored, 21 HRs), Mexico City offers offensive firepower all over the map. In addition, the pitching staff, led by 20 game winner Ozzie Myers continues to be solid. This is a team that is good at everything

Weaknesses: Not much, despite the disasterous ending of last season. This is a truly great team, and one cannot let one of the greatest upsets in Second City history obscure that fact.

Odds for Division: EVEN
Odds for Pennant: 3-2

San Juan Crownrificos

History - The Crownrificos, named after the Spanish word for "tidal wave caused by enormous man jumping into tiny pool", are the Hatfields to the Bandejos McCoys. The Crownrificos have been an imposing force from Second City's beginning, winning the NL South in each of the first 6 seasons, and winning the World Title in seasons 1 and 2. This has led San Juan to become the league's first dominant brand, along with their preseason tours of South Korea in Season 4 and their partnership with the AC Milan soccer team in Italy. "You can see the Enormous Man Doing a Cannonball logo on kids' caps in Taiwan, I swear" marveled owner Wang35.

However, now with 5 seasons out of the winner's circle, and the heartbreaking division loss to the hated Bandejos, Wang35 has discussed significant organizational changes if the ship is not righted:

"I got a call from Felix Trinidad asking me what the deal was with last season. We cannot rest on our laurels. When those Chicano swine are ahead of us in the standings it makes me sick. I thought we were supposed to be the professional outfit." Long time manager Pepe "Chili" Relleno, has grown used to the bluster "We have the resources, the tradition. It is funny how 116 wins becomes a disappointing season so quickly. I know we have to turn it around. Our fans around the world expect no less."

Strengths: Where Mexico City has succeeded with the long ball and solid pitching, the Crownrificos have succeeded with sublime pitching with a solid offense. The formula continues to work its magic this season. Lenny Ohman, 32 years old, is arguably Second City's greatest pitcher, and his Season 7, aside from a few missed starts, rate as possibly his very best (18-4, 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP). Ohman will provide veteran leadership to a starting staff that is young but growing, with 24 year old Billy Hoffman (17-7, 4.14 ERA) and 27 year old Ronn Thomas (13-8, 3.44 ERA).

Weaknesses: Age. Lenny Ohman is 32. Star SS Dan Garcia is 33. Most of the 25 man roster is over 30. The Crownrificos have built a machine, but with age and a $99 million payroll, the window of opportunity might be closing. While the spuriousness of playoff series should not distort things -- the 5 year drought is overrated by fans -- there absolutely IS some room for concern for the Crownrifico Continent.

Odds for Division: 3-2
Odds for Pennant: 4-1

Nashville Harmonies

History:
The Nasvhille Harmonies were one of the original 32 Second City franchises. The owner, Drennantom, rose to prominence with the sudden success of his groundbreaking country music label, Scrapple Recordings, which as everyone knows by now, is the label behind such household names as Loo-Ann Emma Jane McGee and Billy Joe Jimmy Roy Matheson. As owner, his team has had a considerably harder time finding the formula for consistent success. Nashville was the solid second best team in the NL South during the early years of Second City, but like the rest of the league, were swamped by the San Juan express. Since Mexico City has broken through, Nashville has slipped to third.

"We are at a crossroads" says general manager Lance "Big Lance" Lancelot. "Those two dang teams have turned into a right dang -- it was like that Cold War years ago with them Soviets and us. Our folks, they expect us to rise up. Dang it boy, I expect no less."

Strengths:
The Harmonies, are actually a fairly balanced team. They do not bowl you over with any one category but do nothing particularly poorly. Aaron Nelson (35 HRs, .882 OPS) leads the thumpers, while Timothy James leads a talented but unproven pitching staff.

Weaknesses:
The pitching has to get better. There is some interesting talent, with James, Chad Rollins, Paul Hamilton and Rafael Rosado, all under 30. However, in this division, the kids need to grow up quickly. That said, with the ceiling that the Crownrificos and Bandejos represent, and the floor of the Infuego, the Harmonies will have to do something extraordinary to be anything BUT 3rd place.

Odds for Division:
75-1
Odds for Pennant:
150-1

Atlanta INFUEGO

History:
The Atlanta INFUEGO are one of the Original 32 franchises of Second City, and in its earliest years, one of the most troubled. Originally owned by by DHuffman1, the INFUEGO, started with a 66-96 season. However, after the season the franchise was put into auction after an Atlanta Journal Constitution report revealed that the bonds used to fund the building of their stadium were actually gift certificates to Fogo de Chao. BKimme, executive with Spike TV, Second City's then-television partner, agreed to bail out the INFUEGO. After a stripped down organizatiion went through a 65-97 season in Season 2, BKimme sold the team to local owner, Marietta, Georgia Sun Drop distributor Soneinlaw, who has since stabilized the franchise situation.

Matters on the field have been less certain for the INFUEGO. Their best season has was in Season 3 with a 76-86 record. New General Manager Sonny Peachtree has been brought in to try to shepherd a massive rebuilding project.

Strengths: Youth. With only one player at age 30 or older (and he is just 30), the INFUEGO are about playing the kids. After the last few seasons, the hope is that the youngsters can develop, as the franchise has invested heavily in its coaching and its actual teaching function. Sparky Dessens and Phil Powell offer solid potential.

Weaknesses: Pitching. While promise in the positional talent is solid, the pitching is a bit slower in coming. The INFUEGO are counting on Johnny Fonda, who had a rough first season (2-13) to emerge as a solid force this seasoon. The INFUEGO are asking a lot. However, as Nashville is finding out, to keep up with the very imposing Joneses, there might not be another way.

Odds to Win Division: 75000 to 1
Odds to Win Pennant: Call your bookmaker


Top 5 2B Prospects

Here my list of the top five 2B prospects in the league. As with the centerfield list, Honolulu came away with the top ranked player. Also of note is the 2B depth of the Cheyenne organization, which placed a player on the list, and had two others, Bert Houston and Sherman Price, narrowly miss the top 5.



Top 5 Second Base Prospects



#1 - Kevin Canseco
Honolulu – AAA
Age 20
Drafted Season 6, Round 1, Pick 1
Prospect Rating Score - 39

#2 – Damain Simpson
Salem – AAA
Age 21
Drafted Season 5, Round 1, Pick 13
Traded to Salem in Season 7
Prospect Rating Score - 37

#3 – Dewey Rivera
Cheyenne – High A
Age 19
Drafted Season 7, Round 1, Pick 19
Prospect Rating Score - 35

#4 – Chris Benes
Washington – AA
Age 23
Drafted Season 6, Round 1, Pick 10
Prospect Rating Score - 35

#5 – Aaron Pratt
Mexico City – AAA
Age 22
Drafted Season 4, Round 1, Pick 37
Prospect Rating Score - 32

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Monarchs land Panamanian Aquino

Rafael Aquino
Kansas City
Monarchs
Age: 19B/T: R/R
Born: Almirante, PA
Position(s): P (none)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile


Congratulations to hodgenice and the Kansas City Monarchs on making the season's first international signing. Rafael Aquino of Almirante, Panama signed a $730,000 minor league deal to join the Monarchs. The 6'5 19-year old weighs just 185 lbs. but the Monarchs expect him to fill out.

"He's got a frame that can fill out and a nice loose arm action. He's a projection but we've got him at 92 on the gun already with the chance to add another 2-3 mph to that," said Monarchs International Scouting Director Manny Noriega.

Owner hodgenice was confused by the "loose arm action" reference as Noriega had previously made the same assertion about hodgenice's high school girlfriend.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Top 5 Centerfield Prospects

One my favorite parts of Hardball is that we get develop our players in the minors, and hopefully see them prosper in the majors. A key point of interest is how good my prospects are compared to those of other teams, so I have worked on a rating system and am going to try and rate the top prospects at several different positions.

Here are the Top 5 centerfield prospects in Second City, according to my ratings, which try to balance the offensive and defensive skills of the players in question. If you feel I missed anyone, please let me know.


Top Centerfield Prospects



#1 – Guy Montague
Honolulu – High A
Age 20
Drafted Season 7, Round 1, Pick 12
Prospect Rating Score – 29

#2 – Torey Lee
Helena – High A
Age 20
Drafted Season 6, Round 1, Pick 16
Prospect Rating Score – 28

#3 – Felix Root
Sioux Falls – Low A
Age 19
Drafted Season 7, Round 2, Pick 69
Prospect Rating Score – 21

#4 – Jose Suarez
Mexico City – AAA
Age 24
Drafted Season 2, Round 2, Pick 62 by Hartford
Traded to Mexico City in Season 7
Prospect Rating Score – 21

#5 – Andruw Leach
Montreal – Rookie
Age 20
Drafted Season 6, Round 2, Pick 57
Prospect Rating Score –19

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.