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A little late to the show but I wrote this pre-season and it didn't make the presses until now. Maybe next year we can have an entire league writeup. Enjoy!
Los Angeles
1996: 84-78
Key Additions:C Hector Gonzales
Key Losses: SP Jayson McQueen
Pitching: This team can hold court with anyone when it comes to starters with Alex Torres (14-5, 2.58 ERA), Jonathan Robinson (11-9, 3.44 ERA), Curt Warren, Manny Ocampo, Jeremiah Wallace, and Pete Webster. Only Robinson and Wallace played the entire season with LA last year as Torres, Warren, and Ocampo were acquired via trade and Webster was a late season call-up. All though the bullpen isn't nearly as strong, closer Ivan Gallo (another trade) finished off the year with a 2.72 ERA after being added from Pawtuckett.
Hitting: Catcher Hector Gonzales was signed in free agency and hopes to rebound from last years dismal .218 batting average. He has worked hard this off-season and a .270/.400/.530 year with 25 HR's isn't out of the question. Joining his hopeful revival is OF Kel Brown who's exceptional gifts finally paid off with his fourth team in several years when he hit .269 with 30 HR's and 106 RBI's. If 25 year old OF Jonathan Morris (.370, 9 HR, 60 RBI) can stay healthy and 24 year old SS Dusty Simmons (.252, 11 HR, 69 RBI) continues to get better this lineup will produce some numbers.
Opposing Scout: An amazing starting pitching staff that if healthy could easily win the division for the Dinos several times over the next 5+ years. On offense they really need Gonzales to rebound to add some pop to this lineup, as they only hit 106 HR's in '96 which ranked them 20th overall. Even if they play small ball we still think 85+ wins and the division is possible.
Los Lunas
1996: 89-73
Key Additions: C Tyrone Abbott, 3B Clarence Wetton
Key Losses: 1B Jud Cobb
Pitching: All three All-Stars from the Javelinas came from the pitching side of the club last year and they can only hope for repeat performances. SP Willie Harrison (17-7, 3.18 ERA) will be the prominent starter, MR Abayghur Tulun (6-2, 1.92 ERA) will be the middle man, while JJ Black (9-2, 32 saves, 1.38 ERA) will be the dominant finisher.
Hitting: FA pickup Tyrone Abbott and Clarence Wetton should start from day one at catcher and short stop respectively. The rest of the offense will be provided by the outfield trio of Ramao Cavadas, Donnie Small, and Willie Maddox. Last season they combined for 42 HR's and 181 RBI's, and that number should increase dramatically since Small only played in 36 games due to a broken elbow.
Opposing Scout: A solid starting pitching staff that relies on control followed by several dominant relievers who can strike out anyone in the league. Adding Abbott and Wetton were solid moves which upgrade those positions, and getting Small back will provide the pop that should see them win the division again.
Mississippi
1996: 84-78
Key Additions:LF Mel Woodbury, SP Raul Guzman,
Key Losses: None
Pitching: SP Norm Sutton (15-10, 3.19 ERA) is as close to a #1 as they have but adding SP Raul Guzman should take some of the pressure off of him. The MR's feature three good players in Nate Cox, Zach Murphy, and Juan Jose Gonzalez. Thirty one year old Pancho Lozano 5-5, 34 saves, 3.21 ERA) continues to age but coaches are hoping he get's back closer to his 1.93 ERA of 1995.
Hitting: 'Doorbell' has come to Mississippi and the entire state has gone wild. It's not often the most dominant hitter in the league chooses to end his career with another team but that's what happened when the Storm signed him to a 3 year/$56 million dollar contract this off-season. His days of fielding are over but combined with 1B Joe Rojas (.276, 30 HR, 120 RBI) and RF Gene Dixon (.314, 14 HR, 98 RBI) they will provide a deadly 3-4-5.
Opposing Scout: With some of the other pitching staffs in the division they need to find a way to score more and anytime you can add a Woodbury you do it, but they already have a DH in Francois St-Laurent. Woodbury shouldn't be in the field and one way or the other there are going to be some hurt feelings in the clubhouse.
New Orleans
1996: 75-87
Key Additions:3B Cristian Negron, 2B Tad Jackson
Key Losses: SP Mac Avery
Pitching: RJ Curtis (18-8, 2.57 ERA) was the Pale Ale winner last season and is one of the top five young pitchers in the game. If youngster Alex Martinez develops his control he might be just as good, which is a scary though to an opposing team. Unfortunately after those two starters the Dukes don't have a lot to throw at you. The bullpen is young and has a ton of potential though. MR's Ismail Ramirez and Glen Harrington are already top flight, and if Geoff Jenkins, Scot Everhart, Brit Estes, and Wayne Vondracek get better they won't squander many leads down the road.
Hitting: Cather Von Haynes was an All-Star last season and finished '96 by hitting .318 with 25 HR's and 91 RBI's. Since starting full time in 1989 he's hit under .300 only one year, when he hit .290 in '93. He's not the only power hitter though as 1B Dewitt Dunlap, RF Gene Crews, and LF Brad Flynn combined to hit 69 HR's and drive in 263 runs. With a young Lonnie Johnston learning the ropes in CF from Crews and Flynn the Dukes fans have a lot to look forward to in the outfield.
Opposing Scout: If SP Jin-soo Baik didn't have control issues the 1-2-3 of him, Curtis, and Martinez down the road could really cause problems. As of now though they really need a decent #3 and #4 to compete. On offense they were 6th in the league in HR's, but 7th in strike outs. With a shaky pitching staff the all or nothing approach probably won't get them 75 wins.
Los Angeles
1996: 84-78
Key Additions:C Hector Gonzales
Key Losses: SP Jayson McQueen
Pitching: This team can hold court with anyone when it comes to starters with Alex Torres (14-5, 2.58 ERA), Jonathan Robinson (11-9, 3.44 ERA), Curt Warren, Manny Ocampo, Jeremiah Wallace, and Pete Webster. Only Robinson and Wallace played the entire season with LA last year as Torres, Warren, and Ocampo were acquired via trade and Webster was a late season call-up. All though the bullpen isn't nearly as strong, closer Ivan Gallo (another trade) finished off the year with a 2.72 ERA after being added from Pawtuckett.
Hitting: Catcher Hector Gonzales was signed in free agency and hopes to rebound from last years dismal .218 batting average. He has worked hard this off-season and a .270/.400/.530 year with 25 HR's isn't out of the question. Joining his hopeful revival is OF Kel Brown who's exceptional gifts finally paid off with his fourth team in several years when he hit .269 with 30 HR's and 106 RBI's. If 25 year old OF Jonathan Morris (.370, 9 HR, 60 RBI) can stay healthy and 24 year old SS Dusty Simmons (.252, 11 HR, 69 RBI) continues to get better this lineup will produce some numbers.
Opposing Scout: An amazing starting pitching staff that if healthy could easily win the division for the Dinos several times over the next 5+ years. On offense they really need Gonzales to rebound to add some pop to this lineup, as they only hit 106 HR's in '96 which ranked them 20th overall. Even if they play small ball we still think 85+ wins and the division is possible.
Los Lunas
1996: 89-73
Key Additions: C Tyrone Abbott, 3B Clarence Wetton
Key Losses: 1B Jud Cobb
Pitching: All three All-Stars from the Javelinas came from the pitching side of the club last year and they can only hope for repeat performances. SP Willie Harrison (17-7, 3.18 ERA) will be the prominent starter, MR Abayghur Tulun (6-2, 1.92 ERA) will be the middle man, while JJ Black (9-2, 32 saves, 1.38 ERA) will be the dominant finisher.
Hitting: FA pickup Tyrone Abbott and Clarence Wetton should start from day one at catcher and short stop respectively. The rest of the offense will be provided by the outfield trio of Ramao Cavadas, Donnie Small, and Willie Maddox. Last season they combined for 42 HR's and 181 RBI's, and that number should increase dramatically since Small only played in 36 games due to a broken elbow.
Opposing Scout: A solid starting pitching staff that relies on control followed by several dominant relievers who can strike out anyone in the league. Adding Abbott and Wetton were solid moves which upgrade those positions, and getting Small back will provide the pop that should see them win the division again.
Mississippi
1996: 84-78
Key Additions:LF Mel Woodbury, SP Raul Guzman,
Key Losses: None
Pitching: SP Norm Sutton (15-10, 3.19 ERA) is as close to a #1 as they have but adding SP Raul Guzman should take some of the pressure off of him. The MR's feature three good players in Nate Cox, Zach Murphy, and Juan Jose Gonzalez. Thirty one year old Pancho Lozano 5-5, 34 saves, 3.21 ERA) continues to age but coaches are hoping he get's back closer to his 1.93 ERA of 1995.
Hitting: 'Doorbell' has come to Mississippi and the entire state has gone wild. It's not often the most dominant hitter in the league chooses to end his career with another team but that's what happened when the Storm signed him to a 3 year/$56 million dollar contract this off-season. His days of fielding are over but combined with 1B Joe Rojas (.276, 30 HR, 120 RBI) and RF Gene Dixon (.314, 14 HR, 98 RBI) they will provide a deadly 3-4-5.
Opposing Scout: With some of the other pitching staffs in the division they need to find a way to score more and anytime you can add a Woodbury you do it, but they already have a DH in Francois St-Laurent. Woodbury shouldn't be in the field and one way or the other there are going to be some hurt feelings in the clubhouse.
New Orleans
1996: 75-87
Key Additions:3B Cristian Negron, 2B Tad Jackson
Key Losses: SP Mac Avery
Pitching: RJ Curtis (18-8, 2.57 ERA) was the Pale Ale winner last season and is one of the top five young pitchers in the game. If youngster Alex Martinez develops his control he might be just as good, which is a scary though to an opposing team. Unfortunately after those two starters the Dukes don't have a lot to throw at you. The bullpen is young and has a ton of potential though. MR's Ismail Ramirez and Glen Harrington are already top flight, and if Geoff Jenkins, Scot Everhart, Brit Estes, and Wayne Vondracek get better they won't squander many leads down the road.
Hitting: Cather Von Haynes was an All-Star last season and finished '96 by hitting .318 with 25 HR's and 91 RBI's. Since starting full time in 1989 he's hit under .300 only one year, when he hit .290 in '93. He's not the only power hitter though as 1B Dewitt Dunlap, RF Gene Crews, and LF Brad Flynn combined to hit 69 HR's and drive in 263 runs. With a young Lonnie Johnston learning the ropes in CF from Crews and Flynn the Dukes fans have a lot to look forward to in the outfield.
Opposing Scout: If SP Jin-soo Baik didn't have control issues the 1-2-3 of him, Curtis, and Martinez down the road could really cause problems. As of now though they really need a decent #3 and #4 to compete. On offense they were 6th in the league in HR's, but 7th in strike outs. With a shaky pitching staff the all or nothing approach probably won't get them 75 wins.
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