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Domestic League Preview:
Ale:
1. Pawtucket Patriots - The Patriots have won consecutive 100+ games for the first time since '92-'93 and are good enough to make it three seasons in a row. The team remains nearly intact with the only major departure being 1B Jon Montalbo who left in free-agency for New York. Over his recent three year stint in Pawtucket the 34-year-old averaged 33 HRs and 104 RBI. His replacement is 26-year-old Pat Howell who in three Triple-A seasons averaged 29 HRs and 108 RBI (per 162). The pitching staff will be lead by 2011 DL Pale Ale Johnny “Beast of Burden” Talley and 2011 DL Refreshing New Brew Johnny "Tank" McDade who went 11-3 with a 2.02 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Scouts around the league actually have the 25 and 24-year-olds with room to still improve. Good luck DL.
2. Maine Guides - Last years Cinderella story fell just short of yet another Brewmaster’s in 2011, losing to Carolina in an epic series. So what do they do in the off-season? Completely remake their bullpen and add a HOF hitter of course! While the Guides elite rotation remains intact the bullpen will feature Tony “Vulture” Perez in the ever rotating closer role and journeyman Maxence Claveu in the set-up role. The lineup will now be anchored by Sonny Marshburn who despite hitting .275 with a .404 OBP and .924 OPS in arguably the hardest park to hit in (New York) went unsigned until February. This Guides team will again be lead by their rotation and defense but they made improvements to the bullpen and lineup turning them into a legit contender once again.
3. Pittsburgh Millers – After fielding one of the best teams in the BLB for two straight years the Millers had to sneak into the playoffs last year with an 83-win team. This group is still known for their lineup, featuring sluggers Ethan Bradford and Liam Ingle but also their dominant one-two punch in the bullpen with TJ Mileski and Jamie Raymer which is expected to be improved by adding former Seattle closer [b]Ian Strachan[b] in FA. The rotation returns it’s top heavy group lead by [b]Jamie “Fudd” Thomas, Heriberto Rocha and AJ Hightower[b]. The pressure will fall the youngsters this year. Second-year pros JD Robillard and Oscar Angulo, who combined for a 16-19 record in 2011, will be counted on in the #4 and #5 spots in the rotation. While in the lineup, rookie outfielders Jimmy Peller and Dave Shook will need to produce fast if this team wants to keep pace in the Ale.
4. Hartford Whalers – Thumper used to say, “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all,” but this is a the BLB preview and every team must be covered. The head scratching moves continue in Hartford in an off-season that saw them ship ace [b]Dave “Pizza” Lippert[b] and veterans Willie Castellanos and Ruben Mendoza out of town in exchange for an impressive package of picks and prospects. While the haul should vastly improve the teams farm, many GMs around the league questioned the logic to ship out their second young ace after the Gil Brummett deal just three years back looks regrettable. The Whalers also took back oft-injured Dave “Tug” Crudge and his $23M due the next two years in exchange for draft picks. The team has been on a steady decline year by year since 2007 where they won 103 games to 2011 in which they won just 63. This team should compete for the franchise record in losses, when they went 47-115 in 2004…and that’s a good thing. This group will have to bottom out before they can compete again in such a competitive division. Expect them to find the best offers they can for veterans Ron Wessel, Agustin Perales and Tyler Quinn and go on a Pawtucket like tank. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” I don’t think Thumper said that.
Lager:
1. Los Angeles Dinos – Did you know the Dinos have gone to five straight post-seasons? Did you know they haven’t had a losing season since 2002? If you know that, then you probably know their continued success is by making very smart roster decisions that at the time leave some GMs scratching their heads. The star of 2011 was former longtime Mohawk Pat St. Thomas who in 121 games hit at a .905 OPS with 19 steals and a 5.1 WAR. When acquired in 2010, he was hitting just .179 with a .641 OPS. This years major trade was sending long-time Dino outfielder Hector Gonzalez to Death Valley in exchange for the fragile and soon-to-be designated hitter Dave Perkins. The trade makes the team younger in the tradition of continued success in Los Angeles. The rotation will feature a second year pro in Sachi Ito and rookie [b]William Juenger[b] behind the familiar faces of Pat Yahn and David Palomares. Expect the winning ways to continue, again with new blood.
2. Toronto Canadians – While the Dinos have had continued success, the Canadians have struggled the past decade. Without a winning season since 2001, the Canadians again made off-season acquisitions in hope to break that streak. The rotation additions of Castellanos and Mendoza from Hartford combined with free-agent signings of IL imports [b]Ian Borland, Johnny Ingle and Victor Alvarez[b] should improve a otherwise top heavy unit. This group continues to be lead by ace Zack Reeves and slugger TJ Dunn. Expect a major improvement in the win column this year but how much? They won just 69 games last year and averaged 68 wins the previous five seasons.
3. New Orleans Dukes – "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" is a philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality. I don’t know how many people will believe it but 36-year-old Fujiya Yamamoto hit .325 with a .950 OPS last year, including 50 doubles, 40 HRs, 218 hits, 105 runs and 128 RBI in route to the DL Stout Slugger Award. All that on a team that won just 69 games. However, that was an improvement of 17 games, one of the best improvements in the entire BLB. Expect this group to continue to improve with the addition of former Denver slugging “catcher” Jamie McInturf. The Dukes also boast one of the best young middle infield duos in Troy McCarley and Xavier Milledge. Waiting down on the farm are two of the best pitching prospects in Ed “Dropkick” Carroll and DJ “The Brick” Engstrom. They are just 18 and 20, respectively, so the Duke’s must remember that “Good things come to those who wait.”
4. New York Knights – The Knights made headlines in the off-season by signing Brendan Gleason, Ian Barbour and bringing back Ian Reynolds who had elected to test Free-Agency. Each player is capable of hitting 25 HRs if given enough at bats. That is a very tough task in a park like the Knights play but it might be necessary if this team wants to finish .500 or better for the first time since 2006. If not, expect the Knights to continue their rebuild by shopping soon to be 31-year-old ace Ron Burton at the deadline.
Pilsner:
1. Denver Baseball Club – Despite arguably it’s best three year run in franchise history (2008-2010) the former Bulls spent much of 2011 and this off-season completely changing their team philosophy. Gone are the sluggers who can’t field and in their place are players who can actually defend in the outfield and behind the plate. Questions remain however, mainly on the other side of the ball. Who will be the teams closer? How much does pitcher Travis Neal have left in his 35-year-old, now $20M richer arm? It probably doesn’t matter too much as the team boasts arguably the best two sluggers any team has in Pat Verba and Jamie McPherson along with arguably the best two middle infield defenders in CJ Wilkinson and William Eckstein. If those four can stay healthy, they can compete with anyone.
2. Indianapolis Clowns Remember when the Clowns used to be considered one of the DL threats every year? There is a chance those days have returned after a five year run as one of the leagues worst. The Clowns made headlines in the off-season trading for Robby “Coma” English and RJ “Basher” Manning while signing Tom Estes, BJ Leary and JJ Anastasiadis. This a year after making headlines by bringing in JJ Caplan and Ed Armstrong for a combined $29M annually. This team has made a complete overhaul and is expected to win now with it’s $100M payroll. Lucky for them the division is up for grabs. The bad news, all four teams are trying to compete for the Pilsner.
3. Syracuse Slammers – From 2001-2008 the Slammers went to seven post-seasons and won 87-98 games every year. The franchise bottomed out in 2010 losing 100+ games for the first time in their history. However, the Slammers appear to be on the rise after improving by nine games and making headlines in the off-season. Mexican import centerfielder Roman Chutz is expected to make the club after hitting .286 with a 1.016 OPS in 26 Spring Training games. The 24-year-old won’t be counted on to lead the team but adding him to the young nucleas of hitters in Ethan Stuart, Zachary Oldham and Xavier Garnett gives the Slammer fans more hope than they have had in recent years. The question for 2012 is whether or not fan favorite and future HOF closer Koichi “Gargoyle” Nakashima will return to his closer role. The team appears ready to hand the role over to Manny Ochoa despite the 39-year-old’s contract which promises him the closer role.
4. Dallas Snappers – Gone is Chris Sullivan, former Snappers GM. In is a new GM still learning the ropes and the English language. The new blood did receive applause from the masses after unloading the oft-injured Fred Schubert to Baltimore, where injury prone players go to die. The Snappers were arguably the best regular season team in baseball last year but have a completely different look this year after being over-budget and letting familiar faces walk. Gone are Tom Estes, Jamie Wentworth, Dave Duvall, Schubert, and others I can’t think of. The group will still be competitive as it boasts a solid staff, arguably the best closer in baseball and four bats in Pat Vonada, Jimmy Rosema, Alex Villaroel, RJ Kemp who should anchor the lineup. The pressure falls on a rookie GM who was left without a lot of wiggle room the remake the team.
Pale Ale Pitcher – 1. John Talley (PAW), 2. Johnny McDade (PAW), 3. Pat Yahn (LAD),
Talley won this last year. McDade arguably had the better season. Yahn is the hardest throwing pitching the BLB has ever seen and probably won’t even come close to 2nd place.
Stout Slugger – 1. Jamie McPherson (DEN), 2. Ethan Bafford (PIT), 3. TJ Dunn (TOR)
Don’t expect Yamamoto to have a repeat year, but do expect familiar faces to be at the top again. McPherson could see a rise in production after moving out of CF. Bafford just signed a $62M deal and the Millers expect him to play like it. Dunn might set a league record for HRs again and still not win.
Last Call Relief – 1. RJ Manning (IND, 2. ), Reynaldo “Stinger” Jimenez (DAL), 3. Diego “Red” Lovera (PAW)
These three are arguably the best closers in all of baseball, not just the DL. Manning comes in with a lot of pressure but if he wants to be paid as the top closer in baseball, making a dominant transition to the DL is a must.
Refreshing New Brew: 1. Roman Chutz (SYR), 2. Dave Toste (MAI), 3. Dave Shook (PIT) – Chutz is a switch-hitter, who plays great CF defense and could steal 25+ bases. He’s getting paid $16M this year and the pressure is on for him to produce immediately. Toste will fill the #6 role in the Guide rotation that is arguably the best we have ever seen. Expect him to get bailed out of a lot of jams by phenomenal defense and a bullpen that should be regularly rested. Shook is a power bat in a lineup that should lead the entire BLB in runs. If the “fragile” Shook can stay healthy, don’t be surprised if he hits 40 doubles and 20 homers.
GM of the Year (DL) – Ryan (IND) – He made some major bold moves the past two years and I think it pays off with a post-season appearance.
Predictions:
Wild Card – Maine over Indy.
DLDS – Pawtucket over Maine. Denver over Los Angeles.
DLCS – Pawtucket over Denver.
Ale:
1. Pawtucket Patriots - The Patriots have won consecutive 100+ games for the first time since '92-'93 and are good enough to make it three seasons in a row. The team remains nearly intact with the only major departure being 1B Jon Montalbo who left in free-agency for New York. Over his recent three year stint in Pawtucket the 34-year-old averaged 33 HRs and 104 RBI. His replacement is 26-year-old Pat Howell who in three Triple-A seasons averaged 29 HRs and 108 RBI (per 162). The pitching staff will be lead by 2011 DL Pale Ale Johnny “Beast of Burden” Talley and 2011 DL Refreshing New Brew Johnny "Tank" McDade who went 11-3 with a 2.02 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Scouts around the league actually have the 25 and 24-year-olds with room to still improve. Good luck DL.
2. Maine Guides - Last years Cinderella story fell just short of yet another Brewmaster’s in 2011, losing to Carolina in an epic series. So what do they do in the off-season? Completely remake their bullpen and add a HOF hitter of course! While the Guides elite rotation remains intact the bullpen will feature Tony “Vulture” Perez in the ever rotating closer role and journeyman Maxence Claveu in the set-up role. The lineup will now be anchored by Sonny Marshburn who despite hitting .275 with a .404 OBP and .924 OPS in arguably the hardest park to hit in (New York) went unsigned until February. This Guides team will again be lead by their rotation and defense but they made improvements to the bullpen and lineup turning them into a legit contender once again.
3. Pittsburgh Millers – After fielding one of the best teams in the BLB for two straight years the Millers had to sneak into the playoffs last year with an 83-win team. This group is still known for their lineup, featuring sluggers Ethan Bradford and Liam Ingle but also their dominant one-two punch in the bullpen with TJ Mileski and Jamie Raymer which is expected to be improved by adding former Seattle closer [b]Ian Strachan[b] in FA. The rotation returns it’s top heavy group lead by [b]Jamie “Fudd” Thomas, Heriberto Rocha and AJ Hightower[b]. The pressure will fall the youngsters this year. Second-year pros JD Robillard and Oscar Angulo, who combined for a 16-19 record in 2011, will be counted on in the #4 and #5 spots in the rotation. While in the lineup, rookie outfielders Jimmy Peller and Dave Shook will need to produce fast if this team wants to keep pace in the Ale.
4. Hartford Whalers – Thumper used to say, “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all,” but this is a the BLB preview and every team must be covered. The head scratching moves continue in Hartford in an off-season that saw them ship ace [b]Dave “Pizza” Lippert[b] and veterans Willie Castellanos and Ruben Mendoza out of town in exchange for an impressive package of picks and prospects. While the haul should vastly improve the teams farm, many GMs around the league questioned the logic to ship out their second young ace after the Gil Brummett deal just three years back looks regrettable. The Whalers also took back oft-injured Dave “Tug” Crudge and his $23M due the next two years in exchange for draft picks. The team has been on a steady decline year by year since 2007 where they won 103 games to 2011 in which they won just 63. This team should compete for the franchise record in losses, when they went 47-115 in 2004…and that’s a good thing. This group will have to bottom out before they can compete again in such a competitive division. Expect them to find the best offers they can for veterans Ron Wessel, Agustin Perales and Tyler Quinn and go on a Pawtucket like tank. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” I don’t think Thumper said that.
Lager:
1. Los Angeles Dinos – Did you know the Dinos have gone to five straight post-seasons? Did you know they haven’t had a losing season since 2002? If you know that, then you probably know their continued success is by making very smart roster decisions that at the time leave some GMs scratching their heads. The star of 2011 was former longtime Mohawk Pat St. Thomas who in 121 games hit at a .905 OPS with 19 steals and a 5.1 WAR. When acquired in 2010, he was hitting just .179 with a .641 OPS. This years major trade was sending long-time Dino outfielder Hector Gonzalez to Death Valley in exchange for the fragile and soon-to-be designated hitter Dave Perkins. The trade makes the team younger in the tradition of continued success in Los Angeles. The rotation will feature a second year pro in Sachi Ito and rookie [b]William Juenger[b] behind the familiar faces of Pat Yahn and David Palomares. Expect the winning ways to continue, again with new blood.
2. Toronto Canadians – While the Dinos have had continued success, the Canadians have struggled the past decade. Without a winning season since 2001, the Canadians again made off-season acquisitions in hope to break that streak. The rotation additions of Castellanos and Mendoza from Hartford combined with free-agent signings of IL imports [b]Ian Borland, Johnny Ingle and Victor Alvarez[b] should improve a otherwise top heavy unit. This group continues to be lead by ace Zack Reeves and slugger TJ Dunn. Expect a major improvement in the win column this year but how much? They won just 69 games last year and averaged 68 wins the previous five seasons.
3. New Orleans Dukes – "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" is a philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality. I don’t know how many people will believe it but 36-year-old Fujiya Yamamoto hit .325 with a .950 OPS last year, including 50 doubles, 40 HRs, 218 hits, 105 runs and 128 RBI in route to the DL Stout Slugger Award. All that on a team that won just 69 games. However, that was an improvement of 17 games, one of the best improvements in the entire BLB. Expect this group to continue to improve with the addition of former Denver slugging “catcher” Jamie McInturf. The Dukes also boast one of the best young middle infield duos in Troy McCarley and Xavier Milledge. Waiting down on the farm are two of the best pitching prospects in Ed “Dropkick” Carroll and DJ “The Brick” Engstrom. They are just 18 and 20, respectively, so the Duke’s must remember that “Good things come to those who wait.”
4. New York Knights – The Knights made headlines in the off-season by signing Brendan Gleason, Ian Barbour and bringing back Ian Reynolds who had elected to test Free-Agency. Each player is capable of hitting 25 HRs if given enough at bats. That is a very tough task in a park like the Knights play but it might be necessary if this team wants to finish .500 or better for the first time since 2006. If not, expect the Knights to continue their rebuild by shopping soon to be 31-year-old ace Ron Burton at the deadline.
Pilsner:
1. Denver Baseball Club – Despite arguably it’s best three year run in franchise history (2008-2010) the former Bulls spent much of 2011 and this off-season completely changing their team philosophy. Gone are the sluggers who can’t field and in their place are players who can actually defend in the outfield and behind the plate. Questions remain however, mainly on the other side of the ball. Who will be the teams closer? How much does pitcher Travis Neal have left in his 35-year-old, now $20M richer arm? It probably doesn’t matter too much as the team boasts arguably the best two sluggers any team has in Pat Verba and Jamie McPherson along with arguably the best two middle infield defenders in CJ Wilkinson and William Eckstein. If those four can stay healthy, they can compete with anyone.
2. Indianapolis Clowns Remember when the Clowns used to be considered one of the DL threats every year? There is a chance those days have returned after a five year run as one of the leagues worst. The Clowns made headlines in the off-season trading for Robby “Coma” English and RJ “Basher” Manning while signing Tom Estes, BJ Leary and JJ Anastasiadis. This a year after making headlines by bringing in JJ Caplan and Ed Armstrong for a combined $29M annually. This team has made a complete overhaul and is expected to win now with it’s $100M payroll. Lucky for them the division is up for grabs. The bad news, all four teams are trying to compete for the Pilsner.
3. Syracuse Slammers – From 2001-2008 the Slammers went to seven post-seasons and won 87-98 games every year. The franchise bottomed out in 2010 losing 100+ games for the first time in their history. However, the Slammers appear to be on the rise after improving by nine games and making headlines in the off-season. Mexican import centerfielder Roman Chutz is expected to make the club after hitting .286 with a 1.016 OPS in 26 Spring Training games. The 24-year-old won’t be counted on to lead the team but adding him to the young nucleas of hitters in Ethan Stuart, Zachary Oldham and Xavier Garnett gives the Slammer fans more hope than they have had in recent years. The question for 2012 is whether or not fan favorite and future HOF closer Koichi “Gargoyle” Nakashima will return to his closer role. The team appears ready to hand the role over to Manny Ochoa despite the 39-year-old’s contract which promises him the closer role.
4. Dallas Snappers – Gone is Chris Sullivan, former Snappers GM. In is a new GM still learning the ropes and the English language. The new blood did receive applause from the masses after unloading the oft-injured Fred Schubert to Baltimore, where injury prone players go to die. The Snappers were arguably the best regular season team in baseball last year but have a completely different look this year after being over-budget and letting familiar faces walk. Gone are Tom Estes, Jamie Wentworth, Dave Duvall, Schubert, and others I can’t think of. The group will still be competitive as it boasts a solid staff, arguably the best closer in baseball and four bats in Pat Vonada, Jimmy Rosema, Alex Villaroel, RJ Kemp who should anchor the lineup. The pressure falls on a rookie GM who was left without a lot of wiggle room the remake the team.
Pale Ale Pitcher – 1. John Talley (PAW), 2. Johnny McDade (PAW), 3. Pat Yahn (LAD),
Talley won this last year. McDade arguably had the better season. Yahn is the hardest throwing pitching the BLB has ever seen and probably won’t even come close to 2nd place.
Stout Slugger – 1. Jamie McPherson (DEN), 2. Ethan Bafford (PIT), 3. TJ Dunn (TOR)
Don’t expect Yamamoto to have a repeat year, but do expect familiar faces to be at the top again. McPherson could see a rise in production after moving out of CF. Bafford just signed a $62M deal and the Millers expect him to play like it. Dunn might set a league record for HRs again and still not win.
Last Call Relief – 1. RJ Manning (IND, 2. ), Reynaldo “Stinger” Jimenez (DAL), 3. Diego “Red” Lovera (PAW)
These three are arguably the best closers in all of baseball, not just the DL. Manning comes in with a lot of pressure but if he wants to be paid as the top closer in baseball, making a dominant transition to the DL is a must.
Refreshing New Brew: 1. Roman Chutz (SYR), 2. Dave Toste (MAI), 3. Dave Shook (PIT) – Chutz is a switch-hitter, who plays great CF defense and could steal 25+ bases. He’s getting paid $16M this year and the pressure is on for him to produce immediately. Toste will fill the #6 role in the Guide rotation that is arguably the best we have ever seen. Expect him to get bailed out of a lot of jams by phenomenal defense and a bullpen that should be regularly rested. Shook is a power bat in a lineup that should lead the entire BLB in runs. If the “fragile” Shook can stay healthy, don’t be surprised if he hits 40 doubles and 20 homers.
GM of the Year (DL) – Ryan (IND) – He made some major bold moves the past two years and I think it pays off with a post-season appearance.
Predictions:
Wild Card – Maine over Indy.
DLDS – Pawtucket over Maine. Denver over Los Angeles.
DLCS – Pawtucket over Denver.
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