1983 Expectations

[mahoney2]

Thread attempt #3.

Pawtucket Patriots:
85-77, 2nd place in the division.

All Stars:
C: Malachi Stiver
1B: Pedro Eires
SP: Jimmy O'Loughlin

Pedro Eires 3 peats as HR champ.

[Pat]

Why don't we just use this as the 1983 Expectation thread? Each team can state their expectations...

[liquidcrash]

I expect my team to finish around .500. Our pitching staff still looks solid, both the starting rotation and in the bullpen. We should be one of the better pitching teams in the league. Unfortunately, I'm not sure we can hit the ball well enough to make it count. Losing Latham will really hurt my offense, as Nino is the only consistent hitter I have in the lineup. Unless a couple guys really step up, we'll struggle to do anything offensively. So that makes us an average, .500 team that will probably finish well out of playoff contention. Hope I'm wrong.

Player expectations:
All-Stars: Parongao, Cabezas and Nino. Nino should finish near the top of most IL offensive categories. I'm hoping for a bounce back year from Joe Ponte as well.

[Sully]

We're definitely not as good as we were last year. Not much depth, so we need to avoid injuries. We'll be starting Zauola at 1B, and moving Campoveroe back to the OF. An IF spot is still up for grabs, and it'll come down to who performs better in ST between Maris, Bargenquast, Caines, Handley, and Berose.

The pitching staff should be good, with the pen once again being arguably the best in the BLB.

[Pat]

I have pretty high expectations for my team this year. This is easily the most talented team that I have ever had. I am talented at every position, and I also have a lot of depth. I lost the division last year to Wilmington because I wasn't scoring enough. This year, with the development of 2B R.A. Grounds, the addition of LF Steve Bing, and having 3B Tacito Rogado on the team for a full season (added at the All-Star break) should be enough to boost my offense near the top. My pitching was the best in the entire BLB in 1982, and I expect it to be just as strong this year. I do have some older guys, so injuries could be a concern, but I have a lot of depth on the big league club, and plenty of guys at AAA ready to step in when needed.

Record expection: 103-59, 1st in the Stout

All-Star expectation: 1B Joe Sierra, INF Jorge Taracena, LF Steve Bing, C Keita Uchiyama, SP Joe Chavarraga, SP Romano Gonzalez, CL Raimundo Carrazana

Division expectations: I think this could be one of the best years in the Stout. Wilmington had an amazing season in 1982, but has had to let some of his talent go. Philadelphia is one of the better young up and coming teams in the entire league. Baltimore has great pitching, and added two big name FAs to bolster an aging lineup. And Virginia....well....they have nowhere to go but up. This is going to be easily the deepest division in the entire BLB. Plus, I think it is kind of a down year in the Bock division, so the Stout should beat up on them.

1. Washington - 103 - 59
2. Wilmington - 100 - 62
3. Baltimore - 85-77
4. Philadelphia - 81-81
5. Virginia - 67-95

[Guest]

I'll be lucky to win 75 games.

[Riverman]

I'm looking to improve slightly over last year, say, 72 wins. With the way the talent is continuing to migrate out of the Bock Division, that might be good enough for the division title.

I don't know if I'll have any All Stars but Mark Steward and Ryan O'Conner could be rookie of the year candidates though the latter will probably open the season at AAA.

[Andrew]

One of the big strengths of my team last year was the bullpen and I think it's going to be a lot weaker this year. We lost our best reliever in Rugumas to FA and Cleary and Kelly also took a slight hit to their ratings. They'll still be solid but not sure they'll be as dominant as in the past.

The Guides seem to be on a downswing but I still think we have enough talent to take the division. I called up 19 year old catching phenom Kyoden Kubota, who will hopefully provide a spark to our lineup.

[Clay]

Well, this is certainly a different Colonials team that ended 1982. The off-season has been fruitful in acquisition of BLB level bats.

Projected Starters:
C - Jerry Fortin - The transition from DL to IL is always something to watch in the BLB. Fortin, a career .245 hitter in the "hitter's league" will likely struggle at the plate against the high quality pitching in the IL (specifically in the Stout). His defense will be a welcome addition to the Colonials.

1B - Bill "Sabertooth" Johnson - B.J.'s is really getting long in the sabertooth as he'll turn 38 the same week as Opening Day. In 82, he made the move to first base after collecting his own blooper reel during the first half of the season boasting an embarrassing 28 errors in under 80 games split between 2B and 3B. His bat did earn him a spot on the All-Star bench and his ability to find the deep caps at Colonial Park, should help him earn at least a fraction of his fat $16.0 contract.

2B - Wilton Harcourt - The Colonials major free agent get brings Wilton back to his first BLB home. In his first go round in VA, Harcout hit a miserable .215, but managed to yolk 25 dingers back in Virginia's "Colonial National Park" days when they boasted the deepest fences in the BLB. Now, with the fences moved in considerably and playing especially friendly to left-handed power hitters, Harcourt brings a big bat and a big name back to Virginia.

SS - Dale O'Hegarty - The only rookie position player that the Colonials will count on this year, O'Hegarty, who was acquired in the Sargentini deal with Los Lunas, should beat out Antonio O'Neill and Eddie Cheatem for the everyday SS spot. The 22 year old gives us a speedy leadoff man who should love hitting to the power alleys in VA.

3B - Nicolas Arce - The 1981 Stout Slugger in the IL made a last minute, pre-Spring Training move to the Colonials, raising hopes and opinions of the Colonials lineup across the BLB. Arce, who lead the BLB in both doubles and extra base hits in '82, should have a field day hitting at Colonial Park. While his glove has never been his strong suit, having an everyday player at the hot corner is a first for Virginia. President/General Manager/Former Chipendale Dancer, Clay T. Shaver, will make it priority #1 to lock up "the Dinosaur" longterm.

OF - Herbert Dunlop (LF)/Danny Nelson (CF)/Eddie Just (RF) - Nelson, the 79 Refreshing New Brew, will anchor this group hoping to stay healthy for the first time since his virgin season. Nelson, who's power numbers have declined, has worked hard at becoming a more patient hitter, cutting down his K's and raising his OBP. Just, who had his 82 rookie season cut short by injury, will look to rebound and improve in year two. Dunlop, the Colonials other FA get, is most likely in for a one year visit, but should provide some left-handed pop in the lineup and the rock solid D that he has always flashed.

***

Pitching

Projected Rotation:
Delmar Oyos
Rich Mathes
Simone Bertetto
Fraco Archuleta
Bill Lewry
Toby Miskin (Spot)

Where the Colonials lineup has improved with experienced BLB talent, the pitching will be a complete youth movement with as many as three rookies potentially taking the ball every 5th day. Oyos, who will not return from injury till late April, will be the ACE of the staff and can hopefully provide some spark to this young group.

Pen:
The Colonials have some talent in their bullpen. Some. Little. OK, kind of. Martin Carlton will play closer once again, but the rest of the guys could definately blow more than they save, as was the case last year. Joe Solozano has all the tools to be a top flight set-up man, but his mental toughness was suspect last year and he blew a lot of close games. Errol Blue, the #1 pick in the Rule 5 draft, could prove to be a steal and will be counted on for a lot of appearences in his rookie campaign.

***

Final Word

There is no doubt that the Colonials are a better team that they were last year. But, they still have absolutely no legit arms at the BLB level. A healthy Virginia team should fare well against the depleted BOCK, but will still struggle against the STOUT. They should win more games, but I wouldn't be shocked to see them at the bottom of the division again. We'll set the win total at 70. Best case scenario... everything clicks.... I still couldn't see better than a 3rd place finish in the Stout.

[Spectre]

Projected Starters for the Storm:

C Lucero Iaizarry - One of the more underrated catchers in the game, he was a solid .280/.350 for most of the year and is a guy I think most guys in this league would love to have behind the dish.

1B Blanco Gruz- Not sure how this will play out. He had a decent year but Tim Monk was gangbusters until he got hurt and has been out the last 10 months. Monk comes back in May and depending on how Gruz does, he may reclaim the starting job or at least get a platoon position. Gruz was solid last year but we'll see how he does.

2B Wayne Deel- My "youth" movement continues. This is basically a mercenary deal, since he wasn't getting jack from most other teams. He'll be a solid hitter and will fit in nicely at the top of the lineup, assuming he doesn't age quickly like Kellum :). He'll be the #2 hitter and I think will fit in nicely there.

3B Jose Gailian- He drove in runs last year, leading the team in RBI. His OBP left a lot to be desired and Matt Bender is on the bench pushing him if he gets off to a poor start.

SS Ed Munce- He was terrible for two months and got relegated to platoon duty but finished red-hot in the last four months of last year and I think he may have gotten the magic that he had when he hit .303 at Pawtucket. He did well leading off last year but he might not stay there dependent on ST.

LF Benigno Ramos- He was the best rookie in the DL last year and is going to be my #3 hitter. He's just a pure hitter with not a great deal of pop, but he will get on base. I'm excited about him.

CF Bartolome Noa- He underperformed last year and I think the best is yet to come from him. He's a walk machine and has solid power. He'll win this job handily, as he is a plus defender as well.

RF Dave Balloun- He did admirably last year after being brought up to the bigs. He's one of the few lefties in my lineup and I hope he develops even further. Last year between AAA and the BLB he had 28 jacks.

DH Chaim Lamberts- He and Deel are old as dirt, but they can still hit. He gets on base regularly but I'm moving him down in the lineup in all likelihood. He had a rough 2nd half last year but is still one of the better hitters in the league.

Rotation and Pen
#1- Ed Colville
#2- Archie Murray
#3- Ricardo Mojera
#4- Mark Cashan
#5- Bill Shoffner/Bill Primm/Ed McBrien

Aside from Colville, this rotation is filled with question marks. Shoffner was atrocious last year and needs a good spring to win the spot. Murray will get me innings as will Cashan. Mojera was great after I claimed him off waivers, but we'll see if it continues.

The pen is improved this season, after I picked up Ramon Velasquez from Philly and Jim Botting from Maine in FA. Sanabria should continue to develop and hopefully Fuentes can iron out his inconsistencies. Dave Beard pitched one inning last year before tearing a tendon in his arm and he'll be relied on in middle relief. Zander Tillman, my 2nd round pick last year, might see some time in the bigs later this year.

Bottom Line
I think the Storm overachieved last year. The offense will be OK but the pitching is too unreliable and I have nothing in terms of prospects right now. Like last year, I just hope to be competitive. I predict 65 wins for the Storm but the team is headed in the right direction.

[Andrew]

For you guys (Clay, Spectre) that are posting big previews of your teams. You could very easily paste that into the news section for a front page article and get a little bonus money for it. Hint, hint.

[Spectre]

For you guys (Clay, Spectre) that are posting big previews of your teams. You could very easily paste that into the news section for a front page article and get a little bonus money for it. Hint, hint.

Good idea, I have some better content for the front page in mind though :)

[Ryan]

For you guys (Clay, Spectre) that are posting big previews of your teams. You could very easily paste that into the news section for a front page article and get a little bonus money for it. Hint, hint.

Hey, thats a good idea. It would be nice if we could all do something like that at the beginning of each season.

[Guest]

Hey, thats a good idea. It would be nice if we could all do something like that at the beginning of each season.

I'm working on mine as I type this.

[mahoney2]

I'm revising my expectations, my new expectations are very low.