JUDGEMENT DAY

Well, it's here. For the first time in Second City History (I think - too lazy to look), all 4 wild-card series are headed to game 5. A brief re-cap of how we got there.

Baltimore jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the road, bombing 2 Fightin Friar starters including Chico Molina (gm 1 8-3, gm 2 18-1). By the Friars came back on the road behind 8 innings of one-hit ball from Dude Wheeler in Game 3 and a 4-HR attack in Game 4. The road team in 4-0 in this series, which returns to SF for it's thrilling conclusion.

Scranton got 3 in the 9th on a Joe Clarke HR and stranded the potential tie run at 3B in Game 1 against Monterrey. 3 of the first 4 hitters homered in the 2nd as Monterrey cruised to a game 2 win over Neil Henderson. Game 3 dragged on for a grueling 13 innings with only 3 extra inning base runners until Jorge Torres got his first hit of the night, a 2-run, walk-off HR allowed by the creatively named Brad Bradley. Game 4 saw Monterrey escape elimination in a thrilling come-from-behind win with PR Andrew Boyd just beating a throw home to score the go-ahead run on PH Tito Kwon's double. Kudos to manager Brandon Taylor for those two substitutions.

In the NL, San Juan peppered Cheyenne with 19 hits to win gm 1 8-4. Then backup C Willard Hitchcock homered 3 times to secure 7-5 victory in game 2. But, Cheyenne battled back at home winning game 3 8-7 with the despite the potential tie run reaching first with nobody out in the 9th. Game 4 was a Seminole game all the way with Gergie Regan and Adam Henry combing to allow just 1 run on 8 hits.

Perhaps the wildest series has been between Helena and Sioux Falls. The exhausted Dakota sent 36-year old Bartolo Gonzalez to the mind in Game 1 and he rewarded them with shut out innings in a 5-0 win over 3-time Cy Young Rafael Aguilera. The Dakota took a 4-3 lead to the bottom of the 9th in Helena in game 2 before D'Angelo Castillo's 2-run, walkoff HR. Sioux Falls trailed 5-1 in game 3 before a furious comeback, topped off by a 4-run 8th to win 5-4. CF Alex Bennett made consecutive errors in the 9th to bring the tie run to the plate before Victor Chavez redeemed himself by escaping the jam (he had blown game 2). Game 4 once again saw Aguilera on the hill, but he left with the Dakota leading 4-3. However, back-to-back HR's in the 8th and a 3-run 9th salted away the win for the Hound Dogs. Sioux Falls ace, Paul Rhodes takes the hill for the first time in a win-or-go-home game 5 in Helena.

Playoff Preview Season 13

Well, an exciting finish to the regular season saw Mexico City sweep San Juan amidst calls for better insurance to secure a bye and the #2 seed in the NL. Meanwhile, Las Vegas, Helena, Sioux Falls, and Cheyenne all won must-win 162nd games. This completed 6 game streaks to finish the season for both Cheyenne and Sioux Falls. The upshot was that Las Vegas was eliminated on a tie-breaker yielding these first round matchups.

Odds are to win league pennant, all rankings are within league unless otherwise noted.

American League
#6 Scranton Nittany Lions 10-1
Record: 95-67 (AL 2nd wild card)
Offense: 8th: 962 R, .265 Ave (2nd fewest SB)
Defense: 8th: 868 R, 4.89 ERA (244 HR allowed worst of AL playoff teams)
History: 5th consecutive and 6th overall appearance, best finish: WS loser in Season 11
vs.
#3 Monterrey Conquistadors 12-1
Record: 97-65 (winner AL South)
Offense: 7th: 963 R, .295 Ave (.364 OBP trails only KC)
Defense: 6th: 841 R, 4.77 ERA (tandem rotation rocks conventional wisdom)
History: 12th appearance, 9th division title, best finish, WS loser in Season 6

Outlook: Monterrey's tandem rotation meets surprising entrant, with 8th ranked O & D. WCM PICK: Monterrey
-----------
bye
#2 Kansas City Blues 5-2
Record: 102-60 (winner AL North)
Offense: 2nd: 1056 R, .305 Ave (207 HR fewest of playoff teams)
Defense: 3rd: 800 R, 4.56 ERA (.422 Slg allowed & 1123 K's best in AL)
History: 2nd consecutive division title (5 overall), 6 total appearances, best finish: lost ALCS season 11
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#5 Baltimore Dead Homies 8-1
Record: 99-63 (AL 1st wild card)
Offense: 6th: 986 R, .282 BA (219 SB 2nd in AL)
Defense: 4th: 820 R, 4.59 ERA (20 Blown Saves worst among AL playoff teams)
History: 5th consecutive wild card, 10th overall appearance, best finish: WS loser, seasons 2 and 12
vs.
#4 San Francisco Fightin Friars 3-1
Record: 94-68 (winner AL West)
Offense: 5th: 991 R, .293 Ave (hardest AL team to K - 904)
Defense: 1st: 771 R, 4.40 ERA (fewest HR all)
History: 2nd consecutive division title, 2nd appearance, best finish, lost in ALCS Season 12

Outlook: San Fran's excellent pitching and defense meet the speed of Baltimore WCM Pick - Baltimore
----------
bye
#1 Richmond Confederates 3-1
Record: 107-55 (winner AL East)
Offense: 3rd, 1050 R, 2.83 Ave (337 HR lead league)
Defense: 2nd, 774 R, 4.44 ERA (53-64 SV, tops in AL)
History: 5th division title, 8th consecutive appearance (8 overall), best finish: WS Champs season 9
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National League
#6 Sioux Falls Dakota (15-1)
Record: 89-73 NL 2nd wild card by virtue of tie-breaker over Las Vegas
Offense: 3rd: 831 R, .263 Ave (129 SB 2nd among NL playoff teams)
Defense: 11th: 751 R, 4.30 ERA (219 HR allowed 3rd worst in NL)
History: 1st wild card after 12 consecutive division titles, best finish: WS Champs in Season 7 and 10
vs.
#3 Helena Hound Dogs 9-1
Record: 90-72 Winner NL North
Offense: 11th: 735 R, .265 Ave (193 HRs last among playoff teams, and better only than Pittsburgh)
Defense: 5th: 673 R, 3.73 ERA (172 HR allowed, best in NL)
History: 1st division title, 4th playoff appearance, best finish: never won a division series

Outlook: Exhausted Dakota rotation takes on best pitcher in the game in Aguilera. WCM PICK - Helena
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Bye
#2 Mexico City Bandejos 2-1
Record: 95-67 Winner NL South
Offense: 1st: 869 R, .275 Ave (255 HRs 18 better than any other in NL)
Defense: 2nd: 654 R, 3.68 ERA (.240 OAV tops in NL)
History: 7th straight division title, 10th straight appearance, 10 overall appearances, best finish: WS Champs seasons 4, 5, 6, and 11
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#5 San Juan Crownrificos 5-1
Record: 94-68 1st NL Wild Card
Offense: 12th: 714 R, .257 Ave (25 SB half the next worst team in NL)
Defense: 3rd: 657 R, 3.69 ERA (1184 K's led NL)
History: 11th appearance (6 division titles, 5 wild cards), best finish: WS Champs SEason 1, 2, and 8
vs.
#4 Cheyenne Seminoles 5-1
Record: 90-72 Winner NL West
Offense: 10th: 750 R, .259 Ave (202 SB, 2nd in NL and tops in playoffs)
Defense: 1st: 638 R, 3.63 ERA (172 HR, 452 BB, .383 SLG all led NL)
History: 5th consecutive division title, 6th straight appearance (9 overall), best finish: Lost NLCS seasons 1 and 9

outlook: battle of bad hitting/great pitching teams comes down to the little things, injuries undermine experienced Crownrificos WCM PICK - Cheyenne
----------
Bye
#1 Burlington Bulldogs 3-1
Record: 98-64 Winner NL East (first non-NL South team with #1 seed in NL)
Offense: 8th: 776 R, .250 Ave (only Pawtucket had worse BA)
Defense: 4th: 666 R, 3.73 ERA (56 SV led NL)
History: 7th straight division title, 7 overall appearances, best finish: WS Champs Season 12

Showdown Series Wrap Up

Four huge series with pennant implication wrapped up this AM. Here's what went down.

Las Vegas swept the Cheyenne Seminoles bringing them to within a game of the NW West Lead. Moose Gates was stellar for 5 innings in Game 1 before allowing a crucial 3-run shot in the 6th to Livan Suarez. Game two saw the Double Downs overcome a 4-2 deficit to win 7-4. A 5-run 4th inning propelled the DD's to the sweep in Game 3.

Mexico City took 2 of 3 from Memphis propelled by 8 shutout inning by Brian Jung in the middle game.

The floundering San Juan Crownrificos righted the ship taking 2 of 3 from Nashville including a thrilling 4-run 9th to force extra innings in Game 1. The 'Rificos won on a bloop single in the 11th by Wil Curtis. Willard Hitchcock powered them to a win in the rubber game with a 3-run homer.

Finally, the Helena Hound Dogs swept the lifeless Sioux Falls Dakota. The Dakota could not find a clutch hit leaving 5 in scoring position in 3-0 loss to Matt Martin in game. Despite getting to ace Rafael Aguilera for 4 runs in game 2, the Dakota staff couldn't hold and 4 more were left in scoring position. Game 4 was more of the same as 5 hit day from D'Angelo Castillo paced a 17-hit attack that propelled the Hound Dogs to the sweep.

The race looks like this right now (1 game later):
NL North - Helena leads Sioux Falls by 2 games
NL East - Burlington has clinched and will get a bye (still fighting for #1 seed)
NL South winner will get the other bye. San Juan leads Mexico City by 1 with Nashville 7 back and Memphis 10 back with 13 to play.
The NL West lead is back to 2 for Cheyenne after Vegas couldn't build on the sweep.

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.

Sosa bids for Perfect Game

Hector Sosa Burlington Bulldogs Age: 22 B/T: S/R Born: Tacubaya, MX Position(s): P (SP2) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Burlington pitcher Hector Sosa tossed a gem last night against the Sioux Falls Dakota. Sosa struck out 13 in a dominating performance. The drama grew all night, and even the Sioux Falls fans were on their feet to start the 9th. Sosa had retired the first 24 in order. He stuck out Alex Bennett and Geronimo Guerrero to open the 9th, leaving him 1 out away from a perfect game. That left only pinch hitter and Hall of Famer, Rich Clarke. The 22-year old Sosa was pushing 115 pitches when he lost Clarke to a sinker in the dirt on a 3-2 count, losing his perfect game with a walk.

That flipped the order to leadoff man Derrick Quinn. Quinn jumped on the first pitch, ripping a double off the left-field wall, scoring Clarke, breaking up the no-hitter, perfect game, and shutout at the same time. Sosa finished off the complete game by striking out Haywood Lidle for the 4th time.

Link to Box score

Dandy Dozen - Rich Clarke

Rich Clarke Sioux Falls Dakota Age: 36 B/T: R/R Born: Washington, DC Position(s): 3B/1B/COF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Resume: Rick Clarke has been in the league since it's inception. In those 12 seasons, he's never failed to hit 30 HRs or drive in 100 runs. His career line includes a .300 batting average, 503 HR's, 1383 runs scored, and 1643 RBIs. He's a 6-time SS silver slugger, a 2-time gold glove 3B, and a 7-time All-star (including an All-Star MVP in season 11). Only 5 players have made more all-star teams; only 4 have won more Silver Sluggers; and only 3 have won more Gold Gloves.

He holds Baltimore Dead Homies (formerly WIC) franchise records for career: GP, AB, H, 2B, and RBI. League-wide, he's 3rd all-time in career RBI, and holds career records for games played, hits, and at bats.

His teams have made the playoffs in 10 of his 12 seasons (1, 2, 3, 5, 7 with Wichita, 8-9 with Mexico City, and 10-12 with Richmond). He recently signed with Sioux Falls hoping to raise this number. For his career, he's hit .283 with 29 HR's, 70 runs scored, and 80 RBI's in the playoffs (427 ABs). Interestingly, he's 5-5 on playoff SB attempts despite just a 61-137 career regular season stealing history.

In his 10 playoff trips, his teams have gone 12-10 in playoff series. In season 7, his Shocker squad lost a wild-card round game. He forced a trade to Mexico City during season 8. After losing the World Series to Richmond as a Bandejo in season 9, Clarke left via free agency and joined Richmond. The 'Feds reached the World Series (the 3rd of Clarke's career) only to lose Sioux Falls. Two season later, again a free agent, the ultra-competitive Clarke has joined the Dakota in a last-ditch attempt to add a World Series ring to his achievements.

The Rest of the Story: Clarke's up-bringing and identity have always been shrouded in mystery. He lists Washington, D.C. as his home-town but no local high school claims him as an alumnus. The Wichita Shocker scout that discovered and signed him, mysteriously disappeared mid-way through season 2. He was later found dead along the Mexican border though the Bandejo organization acknowledges no involvement.

Various internet reports have speculated that Richard A. Clarke is his father. Clarke himself has never called himself a Jr., but does insist that his middle name is Anonymous. The elder Clarke is a long-time government official, whose past roles include chief-counter-terroism adviser on the National Security Council under Bill Clinton.

When WCM reporter Scoop Raisin approached the younger Clarke about his lineage, he woke up two days later. The following day, he quit as his job as a WCM columnist "to pursue other interests." He never did explain the lump on his forehead.

First Round Series Fun Facts

Fun Facts from the first 2 games of the playoffs.

1 - For the first time ever, all 4 series are 2-0.
2 - The winning team in all 4 NL games scored exactly 6 runs.
3 - Wild Card teams are 2-6, with only 100 win Baltimore winning.
4 - Jeromy Cooper and two relievers combined to shut out Richmond in game 1.
5 - After allowing a single to the 2nd hitter of the game, Moose Gates allowed only a walk and a hit batter in the following 6 innings, finishing with 7 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, and 10 K's for Cheyenne in game 1. Fergie Reagan finished the shutout.
6 - Paul Rhodes was perfect through 7.2 before tiring in a complete game 6-2 victory in game one for Sioux Falls.
7 - AL Representatives include the top 4 in the league in ERA, 4 of the top 5 in runs scored, and the top 4 in fielding %. Only Scranton and Richmond are in all 3 categories.
8 - In the NL, only 1 of the top 4 scoring teams reached the post-season (Mexico City). Meanwhile, the top 3 and 6 of the top 8 pitching teams (ERA) made the post-season.

ELIMINATION CHALLENGE

Well, the first round series are coming down to the wire. Ottawa knocked off Baltimore. Fellow AL East juggernaught Richmond is one of two teams facing elimination today.

Helena ousted a pesky Cheyenne team 2 games to 1 and managed to rest ace Rafael Aguilera who's likely to start game one against NL powerhouse Mexico City Bandejos (111-51) in the quarterfinals.



In the other AL series, Salem and Richmond have traded blows alternating wins. The deciding game is in Salem. The two last met in the Season 9 ALCS, with Richmond prevailing 4 games to 2 on it's way to a world championship. Juan Velazquez (17-8, 4.62 ERA) is expected to get the start for Salem. He allowed 6 runs in 5 innings in his first start. Salem is expected to counter with ace Marty Brantley (17-7, 3.65 ERA). The winning team has scored at least 6 runs in every game of this series so expect some hitting as usual in the AL.

In the NL showdown, long-time rivals Las Vegas and Sioux Falls are set to square off in Game 5. The Double Downs took Games 1 and 2 behind strong pitching performances before allowing 10 and 6 runs in Games 3 and 4. The Double Downs have a fully rested Delino Fischer (10-11, 2.90) coming off 6 shutout innings in game one. The Dakota will counter with veteran Curtis Towers (9-4, 3.63) who got blasted in Game 2 allowing 7 runs in just 2 and 2/3 innings. Manager Esteban Valentin has been criticized by the Sioux Falls sportswriters for not giving the start to rookie Morgan Bevil, but Valentin has never failed to win 90 games in 11 seasons managing 3 teams and is not likely to be moved by the reporters criticism.

DAKOTA WIN TITLE - CITY PLANS CELBRATION!

The Sioux Falls Dakota won the Season 10 Championship over the Richmond Confederates tonight. Paul Rhodes threw 7 shutout innings completing a post-season that saw him throw 45 innings while allowing just 31 hits and 10 earned runs (2.00 ERA) while striking out 44 and walking just 9. The Dakota were powered to the 8-3 victory with a 3-run shot off the bat of Larry Price in the bottom of the first. Joaquin Medrano put an exclamation point on the series with a grand slam in the 7th.

As the city of Sioux Falls and state of South Dakota rejoiced, plans for a championship celebration were made. The parade to honor the champs will begin 77 miles west of Sioux Falls at the Mitchell Corn Palace (pictured right). Rarely has Sioux Falls seen a celebration like the one planned. Liquor stores for 150 miles are sold out of Tullamore Dew and Branca Mentha, key ingredients in the naughty girl scout, the official drink of the World Champion Dakota. Dakota manager Esteban Valentin declined to comment due to his drunkeness.

Absinthe doesn't spray - Dakota don't care

The Sioux Falls Dakota learned that even when you shake it up, Absinthe isn't great for spraying on your teammates like Champagne. But, nobody cared in the locker room after Sioux Falls won the NLCS behind 7 shutout innings by ace Paul Rhodes.

Clubhouse prankster Paul Byrne secretly replaced the traditional clubhouse champagne with a spread of Czech Abisnthe (pictured right). Byrne did this in response to widespread reporting of team owner jwendt's obsession with green fairy. Manager Esteban Valentin was widely criticized for his decision to start Bartolo Gonzalez coming off an elbow injury. But all that talk is water under the bridge. The big question know is how is the clubhouse manager gonna get all that green stuff out of the carpet in the Sioux Falls home clubhouse?

Playoff Preview (Sioux Falls)

Sioux Falls Dakota (NL North Champions)

Hitting:
Only Joaquin Medrano knocked in 100 runs for the Dakota but #2 hitter Winston Powell makes the offense go with his .440 OBP. Three other hitters finished with 90+ RBIs so the middle of the order is dangerous at times.

Team BA: .266
Team HR: 228
Team SB: 88

Pitching:
Ace Bartolo Gonzalez strained his elbow with about 40 games to go and the Dakota staff hasn't been the same since. Paul Rhodes is still a star and the pen seems improved over past years.

Team ERA: 3.72
Team SV: 46-63
Team HR Allow: 163

Home Sweet ... WTF?

Home field advantage isn't in the NL. In both first round series, the wild card teams went on the road and took 2 games from the division champs. Both Nashville and San Juan returned home needing to win just once to close out Sioux Falls and Burlington respectively. Neither did. That makes the home teams 0-8 in the first round of the NL this year.

Game 5 takes place this cycle with Rosario Rosado starting for Nashville in Sioux Falls against Sean Moore.

Rafael Rosado Nashville Harmonies Age: 25 B/T: R/R Born: Colon, PA Position(s): P (SP2) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Sean Moore Sioux Falls Dakota Age: 28 B/T: R/R Born: Ennis, MT Position(s): P (SP2) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

In San Juan, Burlington will send ace Pedro DeRojas against Crownrifico ace Ronn Thomas.

Pedro DeRojas Burlington Bulldogs Age: 24 B/T: S/L Born: Chinandega, NI Position(s): P (SP5) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Ronn Thomas San Juan Crownrificos Age: 29 B/T: S/R Born: Tustin, CA Position(s): P (SP1) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Playoff Preivew (NL)

1- Mexico City (119-43) - The Bandejos hit 36 more HR's than any other NL team and allowed 79 fewer runs than any other NL squad. That's how you win 119 games.
Key Player: The murderer's row of Alex Shibata, Jalal Rivera, and Del Gil each hit 50 HR's (exactly) this season.
Weakness: Only San Juan, Pittsburgh, and Memphis had fewer + plays in the NL. Ok, I'm stretching, they won 119 games, what should I say?
History: In the last 6 years, the Bandejos have won 3 division titles and 3 World Series. Oddly, the two have never occured in the same season. Will this be the year the division title jinx fails?

4- Burlington (74-88) - Only Sioux Falls had fewer - plays than the Bulldogs but finishing 4th from the bottom in runs scored and with the worst record ever to make the playoffs tags them as a longshot.
Key Player: The Bulldogs might start sub .500 pitchers in the first two games of the series, so slugger Miguel Gutierrez better come through against the Crownrificos.
Weakness: Closer Mateo Mairena was a stellar 32-36 in save opportunities, but the rest of the pen managed to blow 16 leads late in games.
History: This is a 3rd straight division title for the Bulldogs, but a first round matchup with defending champ San Juan followed by a potential date with the powerful Bandejos makes them the longest of longshots.

5- San Juan (103-59) - The Crownrificos are back to defend their WS title (their 3rd in 8 years). They've scored more runs than any NL team, but do so without running. If fact, no team stole fewer bases the San Juan's 63.
Key Player: A balanced offense saw 11 players hit double digit HRs, but Lenny Ohman will be counted on to make key starts after Cy Young candidate Phil Martin.
Weakness: This team plays awful defense. It's not that they make errors, it's that they just don't get to balls. They finshed ahead of only Memphis is + plus and - plays. Perhaps nowhere is the lack of range more apparent than in CF where Felix Turner lumbers around.
History: They've never missed the playoffs and have won 3 WS titles. Interestingly, they either win the WS or fail to get out of the Division Series, so there fate may decided early, particularly in a looming 2nd round matchup with arch-rival Mexico City.

2- Sioux Falls (99-63) - The Dakota are arguably the best fielding team in the playoffs and they can pitch too with Bartolo Gonzalez and Paul Rhodes forming a dominating 1-2 punch. However, the lineup doesn't exactly strike fear into opponents, finishing a middling 7th in the NL in runs scored. Only San Juan stole fewer bases.
Key Player: 3b Jesus Astacio had a breakout year. He must be a run producer in the playoffs for the Dakota to succeed.
Weakness: They just don't hit enough, primarily because the top of the order has lacked consistency and performance throughout the season.
History: The Dakota have won their division every year, but are just 1 for 4 in trips to the league championship series. In the past, the bullpen has failed in the post-season, will this year's acquisitions help break that trend?

3- Cheyenne (95-67) - The Seminoles hit just 176 HRs but managed to finish 4th in the NL in runs scored because they led the league in batting average and stole the 2nd most bases in the NL.
Key Player: C Bart Carlyle can dominate a game, especially if speed merchants Ichiro Kuo and Sherman Prince manage to reach base.
Weakness: The bullpen is a mess. "Closer" Adam Edwards boasts a 6.63 ERA and the team blew 23 saves this year.
History: Cheyenne is in the playoffs for the 3rd time in 4 years but they've yet to make an LCS. However, this is the first time they'll avoid the NL South powerhouses in rounds 1 and 2.

6- Helena (93-69) - Nobody topped the 96 quality starts of the Helena rotation. Will their 5th in the NL scoring offense be enough?
Key Player: Curtis James and Carl Prince, Helena's two young starters must keep the team in the game until their balanced but unintimidating offense can give them a chance.
Weakness: They don't like to walk and the team's .339 OBP is far and away the worst in the playoffs.
History: The Hound Dogs finally return to the playoffs after a 7-year abscense. Can they scratch the itch?

Fearless predictions: Burlington get's swept after almost deciding to forfeit their opening round series when more tickets are sold to Crownrifico hooligans than locan Burlingtonites for the home games. Cheyenne and Helena play a knock-down, drag-out series that turns on Cheyenne's ability to run on Helena's battery. The Seminoles sneak through on experience. Mexico City overcomes the division title jinx by eliminating San Juan but is stunned by Cheyenne in LCS.

Season 8 Team Defense rankings

Well, I've been meaning to post this for awhile now. We hear all about the individual accomplishments of hitters and pitchers, but rarely do we recognize the contributions of team defense. A quick, and very unscientific study of team defense follows. Three categories are ranked:

Balls in Play: A rough measure of a team's ability to turn hits (no walks or K's) that don't leave the yard into outs. This is an approximate measure, but roughly in line with the Moneyball theory.

Fielding Percentage: assists plus putouts all divided by total chances (assists + putouts + errors)

DP Rank: A rough approximation of a teams ability to turn a double play given a double play opportunity. It's not really a percentage, but I've reporting it that way.

Below you'll find each team's rank from Season 8 in each category and a weighted average for determining an overall score. These metrics may favor NL teams a bit as the AL doesn't get to face the pitcher who is known to hit tappers on the infield.

Franchise	Owner	BIPA	Fpct	DP%	BIPA rnk	Fct Rnk	DP Rnk	Average
Sioux Falls Dakota	jwendt	0.311	0.988	22.0%	2	3	16	4.45
Las Vegas Double Downs	gtce98	0.318	0.993	22.8%	4	1	14	4.45
Mexico City Bandejos	dyuen	0.324	0.988	27.7%	8	4	1	5.55
Los Angeles Outlaws	PirateFan13	0.318	0.987	23.9%	3	9	8	5.85
Helena Hound Dogs	dberube7	0.320	0.987	23.7%	5	11	9	7.70
Burlington Bulldogs	mike1184	0.311	0.986	21.0%	1	13	20	8.05
Augusta Storm	hartel	0.333	0.990	21.2%	12	2	19	9.55
Cheyenne Seminoles	jrooster35	0.320	0.986	22.9%	6	17	12	10.75
Wichita Shockers	bigking0505	0.339	0.987	24.1%	14	8	7	10.85
Pawtucket Quahog Crush	sriram12078	0.342	0.988	23.3%	16	5	10	11.25
Toledo Boonse Farmers	hockey_brian	0.326	0.985	24.7%	9	18	5	11.55
Monterrey Conquistadors	kmueller	0.347	0.988	25.2%	18	6	3	11.55
San Juan Crownrificos	wang35	0.322	0.986	20.4%	7	14	24	12.00
Cincinnati Great Americans	cincyredlegs	0.329	0.984	26.2%	11	23	2	13.85
Pittsburgh Poon Fingers	goblkngld	0.328	0.986	19.8%	10	15	28	14.45
Nashville Harmonies	drennantom	0.333	0.985	22.9%	13	19	13	15.10
Richmond Confederates	szavsza23	0.344	0.987	20.0%	17	10	25	15.75
Rochester Rockets	ewd330	0.355	0.986	23.3%	19	16	11	16.75
St. Louis Hell Hogs	jets12	0.359	0.987	20.5%	23	7	23	17.40
Scranton Nittany Lions	camaro31st	0.358	0.986	19.9%	21	12	27	18.75
Texas Riders	jying98	0.340	0.983	19.3%	15	24	30	20.40
Houston Heavy Hitters	rudedogg44	0.370	0.984	25.0%	26	20	4	20.60
Salem Grand Salamies	bossmao	0.365	0.984	24.5%	25	22	6	21.10
Vancouver Jets	hcohenmb	0.356	0.981	22.5%	20	27	15	21.70
Honolulu Dolphins	dspahlinger	0.359	0.982	21.2%	22	25	18	22.45
Washington D.C. Honor and Courage	darrenmaybee	0.362	0.982	21.3%	24	26	17	23.65
Kansas City Monarchs	hodgenice	0.373	0.984	20.7%	27	21	22	24.15
Montreal Clouseaus	jackster89	0.388	0.979	19.9%	28	29	26	28.05
Colorado Mountain Oysters	buck18	0.405	0.979	20.8%	30	30	21	28.65
New York Hellraisers	madmuldoon	0.398	0.981	17.1%	29	28	31	28.95
Santa Fe Fire Hawks	reigny	0.416	0.979	19.5%	31	31	29	30.70
Atlanta INFUEGO	sonenlaw	0.433	0.969	10.3%	32	32	32	32.00

Sioux Falls and Las Vegas tied for the best overall ranking. Vegas had the best fielding percentage in the league and was #4 in BIPA. Mexico City comes in third as the best double play turning team in the league. The top 3 teams all won their divisions. The top AL team, Wichita, narrowly missed the wild card, while the next 4 AL teams (Monterrey, Cincinnati, Richmond, and Rochester) all made the playoffs.

Also, the long lost sonenlaw's Atlanta INFUEGO managed to finish dead last in every single category, but a fairly substantial margin.

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Dynasties collide

The Championship series, edition 8 get underway soon, and four of Second City's powerhouses collide. Between them these four squad hold 29 (of a possible 32) division championships, 7 league championships, and four of the seven World Series titles.

In the AL, Salem, 8-time division champ, 3-time pennant winner, and World Series Champ in Season 3 (only time the AL won) takes on Rochester, 5-time consecutive winner of the AL East and last year's AL pennant winner. In the past 5 seasons, these two squads have met only once in post-season play. Salem won an ALCS matchup in Season 5. In the regular season, Rochester took 6 of 10 meetings, 5 of 6 in Salem.

In the NL, San Juan, 6-time division champ, 8-time playoff participant, winner of the first two World Series crowns, takes on defending champ Sioux falls, an 8-time division champ, hoping to even its NLCS record at 2-2 with a series win. Amazingly, in 8 years in the same half of the bracket, San Juan and Sioux Falls met only once, in Season 2, with San Juan winning 3 consecutive elimination games to take the series in 7 games. This year, the Dakota won 8 of 10 regular season meetings (3-1 road, 5-1 home).

1st round matchups

Richmond (92-70) vs Cincinnati (94-68, WC) - Richmond makes it's 4th consecutive trip to the playoffs following a division win while Cincy is playing in imaginary October for the 1st time ever. The Confederates really bang the ball, hitting 321 HR's, good for 2nd in the league. The Great Americans made a name on their pitching staff, leading the AL in ERA. They also outscored the 'Feds by 26 runs on the season due to their furious legs, stealing a league-high 309 bases.

Questions to answer: Can jack rabbits Manny Corey, Travis Mota, and crew be held in check by Fed catcher Eric Richardson who napped just over 30% of those attempting to run on him this year?

Can Great Americans starters Grover Little and Max Molina hold the down the Fed bats?
Monterrey (93-69) vs Texas (93-69, WC) - Monterrey won a tie-breaker to gain home field advantage over division rival Texas. The 'Quistas are making their 8th consecutive trip to the post season, still in search of their first world title. They bring a .302 team average and the best defense in the AL to the party. Meanwhile, the Riders are making their post season debut behind a balanced squad that finished above average in most categories.

Questions to answer: Can strong-armed Jaime Anderson slow record-setting running by 'Quista leadoff man Roberto Servet (129 SB)?

Will Monterrey Pitching Coach Rigo Valdez' unortodox e-man rotation excel or fold in the post-season?


Burlington (90-72) vs San Juan (97-65, WC) - Burlington shocked 2nd city powerhouses San Juan and Mexico City in last season's playoffs. They hold the home-field advantage, but San Juan was 7 games better and is out for blood. The Bulldogs hit just .259 as a team and finished 9th in the NL in runs scored while the Crownrificos led the league in runs scored and finished 2nd in HRs. The 'Rificos also have a big advantage in the pen where the Bulldogs converted just 49 or 74 save opportunities.

Questions to answer: Can Burlington repeat last year's exciting run by improving upon their 23-28 record in one-run games?

Is a Crownrifico team made up largely of 30+ year-olds up for a long playoff run?

Sioux Falls (103-59) vs Cheyenne (96-66, WC) - Sioux Falls is the reigning WS champ and they recently added ace pitcher Bartolo Gonzalez to one of the top rotations in the game, but a faltering bullpen caused a late-season skid. Cheyenne makes its 4th career post season trip, but they haven't been past round 1 since Season 1. They're the worst fielding team in the post season, but can score runs in bunches.

Questions to answer: Will Cheyenne be able to hit top starters Bartolo Gonzalez and Paul Rhodes, whom they might face in 4 of the 5 games?

Can a struggling Sioux Falls bullpen close out playoff games after blowing 24 save opportunities?

Undisclosed Batting Eye Injury puts Sioux Falls, Moriarity at Odds

Rumors have swirled for weeks concerning the health of Monterrey Conquistador 1B/DH, Chance Moriarity - mostly due to his paltry performace at the plate after Sioux Falls traded him to Monterrey. Rumor became fact on Tuesday as Moriarity finally came clean about Sioux Falls not disclosing his injury before the trade.

"It's true," stated Moriarity, "I have a gambling problem." Apprently, Moriarity was afflicted with, what is described as, a lingering eye strain injury caused by spending all his free time seeing flops at the Native American Casinos around Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls manager "The J" refused to comment, further indicating foul play was indeed intended with the injury management "error". One Dakota player refusing to give his name, stated: " Coach said: 'We've won one championship... to have staying power we need to model ourselves after other consistent winners, like the Patriots.' "

Monterrey Assistant General Manager for Personnel, Vasco de Gama, would not speak at length, but said: "If they want to act like the Patriots, treat them as such - take away a draft pick. We lost pitcher Dave Clark last year to playing too much Wii tennis, but you didn't see us hide the injury."

The rumors began several weeks ago and leading them were Moriarity's WELL below average statistics in Season 8, particularly after his trade from Sioux Falls to Monterrey. The 'Quistas relatively small park is well known for being hitter friendly, unlike the Dakota's pitching friendly park. Most press assumed Moriarity was in for an excellent second half to his season as a result. Moriarity averaged .290 at the plate and an OPS of .870 before coming into season 8. Since the trade with Monterrey, Chance's Average dropped to a putrid .247 with an OPS of .782

The Commish (also "The J") had a statement prepared (he had it ready the second this story came to light): "We have looked into the Moriarity trade scenario. Given the situation in Atlanta right now (near fan riot), we cannot take any action."

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.

Sioux Falls announces Game 3 Entertainment

With the World Series making it's first appearance in the great state of South Dakota, the franchise is sparing no expense with the entertainment.

Myron Floren, best known as the accoridanist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1982, will play the National Anthem prior to Game 3 in Sioux Falls. Floren headlined the Strawberry Festival in Plant City and PolkaFest at the Welk Resort in fabulous Branson, MO. Floren was inducted into the International Polka Hall of Fame in 1990.

Vegas players threaten forfeit

After sweeping the Los Angeles Banditos in round 1, the Las Vegas Double Downs are threatening to boycott the first two games of the NLDS against the Sioux Falls Dakota. Vegas and Dakota have battled numerous times in recent years, both for playoff position and in the playoffs.

This time, it's personal. After personally pledging to stay in Las Vegas throughout the series, Dakota owner jwendt issued a challenge to gtc, the Double Down owner. But gtc's player's had a different thought on their minds. After spending most of the week high in LA, the team is not happy to be traveling to the heartland. In fact, several veterans, led by Haywood Hunt, are threatening to sit out the game unless demands for out-of-town hookers, legalized gambling not run by Native Americans, and all-night eateries. Because all 3 are illegal in the state of South Dakota, the Double Downs may decide to sit out the series.