NKotb Part Six: Honolulu Headhunters

The final installment in our New Kids on the Block series features the Honolulu Headhunters.

History:
After four tumultuous years in Portland, the franchise was taken to Kansas City by BBQ legend, hodgenice. The KC rebuilding program was eerily similar to the Royal program, often turning to youth, but rarely producing more than a mediocre season. While the franchise has never finished in last, it's also never been to the playoffs.

The move to Honolulu has already been chronicled HERE, but it's worth re-visiting. The governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle, incensed that the Dolphins decided to flee her fine state, blockaded the team's moving vans. Only after Commissioner jwendt promised a replacement franchise were the Dolphins allowed to relocate to San Francisco.

Outlook:
Fifty HR hitters Yamil Abreu and Livan Suarez return to an offense that can score. However, the staff ace (Edgar Romo) is 4 games below .500 for his career. Defense was a problem in the past, and the Headhunters have handed the starting SS job to a Rule V choice, Winston Peters. He brings a slick glove, but little bat. The failure to sign last season's 1st round pick, Pedro Escobar, and previous trades of three first round draft choices hamstring the farm system, but budget cuts make building the farm a priority.

Name:
The headhunter's actually has a dual meaning. As widely reported in the popular press, team owner mesco12 did make his fortune in outsourcing, placing C-level executives in many of the firms that caused the Savings and Loan scandal of the 1980's. However, the name actual springs from mesco's role as an extra in an episode of Hawaii Five-O that originally aired on October 17, 1968, during 5-0's first season. In that episode, entitled, "Samurai", mesco and Ricardo Montalban guest starred with Montalban playing an underwold mobster being investigated by Dan-O and the boys. Mesco, in a uncredited role, played a hitman (or headhunter) attempting to knock of the Montalban character in the episode. To this day, mesco blames show creator Leonard Freeman for not crediting him, thus giving rise to Montalban's acting career. Montalban would go on to star in Fantasy Island and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Mesco continues to purchase vehicles only with cloth seats in protest of the famous Chrysler Cordoba featuring "Corintian Leather" commercials which starred Montalban and which Mesco believes should have been "his gig".

Dolphins swim to 'Frisco

Much like the Colts fleeing Baltimore by cover of darkness, the Dolphins fled Honolulu for San Francisco. In a scene eerily reminiscent of the Colt affair, rumors of the move caused a near panic across the state of Hawaii. In fact, the state legislature was in the process of passing a law allowing the state to seize the team by eminent domain if they tried to relocate off the islands.

Dolphin owner dsphalinger, being a sharp cookie and aware of the past, turned to a proven resources. When the Colts fled Baltimore, they contracted Mayflower moving company and accomplished the move by dark of night, thus avoiding similar eminent domain legislation in Maryland before it could take effect. So, when the Dolphins got wind of a similar plan in Hawaii, they called in Mayflower. "Hey, the Mayflower is a proven ship, even if it has been around for 500 years. I mean, if it's good enough for the pilgrims, why not for the Dolphins?" said the enigmatic team owner.

Unfortunately for dspalinger, Mayflower is a truck moving company. They expeditiously packed up the team offices and stadium and had everything on trucks the same day. Unfortunately, trucks don't float. When the Mayflower caravan was lined up at the dock, the state threatened to re-posses the team. That's when Second City Commissioner jwendt stepped in. The state agreed to allow the Dolphins to leave as long as another team took over their lease. mesco12, the new owner was looking to escape Kansas City for well, pretty much anywhere. The commish promised the team to Honolulu, and all lived happily ever after ... so far anyways

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

Hardball Dynasty's

Kevin Canseco

#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

#1 Picks of the Past

With the Season 7 draft just around the corner we look back at #1 overall picks of the past.

Season 1 - Francis Bird (P), Las Vegas Double Downs - After becoming the first ever Second City draft pick Bird went 40-21 with a 2.70 ERA in 4 minor league seasons. He made 7 starts in a cup of coffee trip to the bigs in Season 4. Then he took home the NL Rookie of the Year award in Season 5, going 13-6 with a 3.12 ERA in 196 IP. Bird remains the ace of the 6 time division champion Double Downs.

Season 2 - Billy Hoffman (P), Chicago Hog Butchers - Huffman landed with Hog Butchers (now the Toledo Boones Farmers). He was dealt in Season 3 by then-owner texasviking of the short-lived Minnestoa Mighty Bats. The recipient was wang35 and the San Juan Crownrificos. In return the 'rificos sent Lucas Laxton (career .270 hitter for Toledo), Omar Sosa (currently unemployed, never played in bigs), and Jarret Graves (currently at AA for Atlanta, never saw the bigs) to the Bats. Huffman, a high school pick, went 64-15 in 5 minor league seasons (2.88 ERA). Since making his big league debut in season 5, Huffman is 13-1 with a 2.70 ERA for the Crownrificos. Season 7 looks to be his first year spent entirely in the bigs as a 23 year-old.

Season 3 - Tom Davidson (2b), Colorado Mountain Oysters - Davidson, the first college junior to be drafted #1 overall, shot through the minors and made his ML debut late in season 3, hitting .364 in 77 ABs. He's never returned to the minors, hitting .347 with 103 career homers. Last year was his finest season, posting a .376 average with 29 HRs and 136 RBIs. After making 39 errors as a rookie, Davidson has become a solid in unspectacular fielder in Colorado. He signed a 5-year, $39.5M contract extension this past off-season.

Season 4 - Brett Davis (SS), Scranton Nittany Lions - The Lions have treated Davis with kid-gloves, slowly bringing along the high school pick that just turned 21. Scouts consider him a can't-miss prospect with the chance to consistently hit 50+ HR's a season. Davis has hit .329 with 94 career minor league dingers. Some scouts feel that Davis will eventually end up at 3b after a 62 error season at AA in year 5. He settled down last year making just 19 errors at AAA and is expected to make his big league debut later this season as a SS.

Season 5 - Vernon Mota (P), Texas Riders - Mota blew through the minors making the RL all-star team in Season 5 and arriving in the bigs late in Season 6 following a 10-1, 3.29 performance at AA. The Riders are counting on him as a key part of their rotation going forward, though the 23 year-old continues to struggle in a hitter-friendly park, posting a 6-4 record and 5.52 ERA so far this season.

Season 6 - Kevin Canseco (2B), Honolulu Dolphins - The high school legend from tiny Woodbury, MN made a big splash winning the rookie league silver slugger in his first professional year. The Dolphins haven't been shy, starting the precocious youngster at AA where he hit .347 in 46 games this year before a promotion to AAA. He's just 9 games in at AAA but scouts expect big things from Canseco going forward though he's probably 2-3 years from making a meaningful contribution in the bigs.

Season 7 - ????