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Polling a group of GMs, we have pieced together some of the top questions for the coming BLB season.
1) Will New Orleans repeat this year?
There has not been a repeat winner in the BLB since Pawtucket turned the trick in 2013 and 2014. Since then the league has entered into an era of unparalleled parody and balance. New Orleans is looking to break that streak. The return, easily the game's best two-way player in Colby Hullinger (0.289, 46 HR, 111, and 51 steals). Is there anyone in the league that doesn't think a 50/50 season is possible. They also boast three of the top 5 starters in the league in Hoffman (17-6), McKelvey (17-6), and Foley (17-5). To make them even tougher they had a great offseason that saw them completely rebuild their infield with the additions of Gil Mandell, Roman Hatcher, and Joseph Garneau. The only potential weak spot may be a bullpen that doesn't stack up with some of the other elite BLB teams.
2) Will JD Rice haunt Baltimore fans and it's front office?
The game's premier slugger left Baltimore for New York this offseason. If reports are to be believed the main sticking point was Rice wanting GM DelPrez's parking spot. In a show of power, the long time, respected GM, showed Rice the door. JD Rice (50 HR, 114 RBI) has moved on to New York and is now looking to singlehandedly vault the Knights past the Bulldogs for the final Wild Card spot. In a lineup with some of the game's best young players, Rice's leadership and bat may still be the difference between Baltimore making the playoffs, or standing on the outside looking in.
3) Does Phoenix have one last run in them?
Since taking over Phoenix GM, GoRopn, has done a masterful job of building a yearly contender out in the desert. This looks like what may be the last stand for this group of RoadRunners though. Although they feature two of the game's best starters in Derek Bell (12-9, 212 strikeouts) and Cade Hogan (14-8, 204 strikeouts), a solid lineup and a budding young superstar in CF Rory Levin, the financial realities of going for it may finally be settling in. With the loss of some of their most popular and productive playes, Tom Kastner and Need Benarrivo on the trade block, and a projected deficit of $20M, this certainly feels like a swan song. If things crater out by the All-Star some big names including Bell might be on the move out of the desert.
4) Can anyone in the IL stop Washington?
Since missing the playoffs in 2043 all Washington has done since is go to Back to Back Brew finals. Once again they feature a loaded roster of young talent in both the field and on the mound. Their pitching staff has three aces in Reid Rothstein (16-4), Ryan Anderson (4-1 as a rookie), and Jeremy Stokes (12-15 with a 2.58 ERA) and a loaded bullpen. The offence you ask? The game's premier FA acquisition in 3B Karson Blair was added to a lineup that was already one of the most well rounded in the league. It would seem to this write that 110 wins are not out of the question for a group that is not your father's plucky young underachievers.
5) Will Syracuse bounce back?
In one of the greater shocks of last season, Syracuse missed the playoffs. Any pitching staff featuring Christian Vines (12-7, 288 Ks) and closer Tony Ramos (1.59 ERA and 31 saves) should be a lock for the playoffs. Somehow the wheels fell off early, and the Snappers could never recover in what is turning out to be a very brutal DL. With the exception of Dominique Graham (0.297, 42 HR, and 107 RBI) the entire offence seemed to struggle at once. Without making any major offseason moves, it seems like it will be on the veteran bats like 2B Santoro, RF Brooks Collins, to return to form to carry an offence that has to carry the load in the 130 or times that Vines doesn't take the bump.
6) Will Vandehey justify the bounty California paid to bring him over?
0-14... What does that mean, you ask? That is the current streak that California is on against Washington in the playoffs, dating back to the blown 3-0 series lead when California looked to be on the cusp of potentially repeating as Brew Championns. So, with the sting of this year's sweep at the hands of the Bats still fresh, easily overheated GM, PaulECee unloaded the pitching sink to finally bring in the RH bat the lineup has been missing since the early Alex Lezama days. Going against Kodiak policy, James Vandehey (0.271, 22 HR, 69 RBI) may be taking a frying pan out to left field with him. The front office is hoping that being in a winning culture (hard to believe that we can write that!) and surrounded by veteran bats in Robertson, Guaba, and the up and coming Kaleb Clinkingbeard, will lead to 35 home runs for Vandehey and perhaps a career resurgence for media whipping boy Joey Robertson.
7) Is this the year that curse is finally broken?
The following is a list of the top 5 GMs in terms of seasons running their respective franchise(s) without winning a title: Carlos 64 years, Brad 57 years, Jim 49 years, Mike 28 years, and Nemesis 24 years. Why do we bring this up? Because we believe that this is the year that one of those GMs (Hint: It's Brad) finally breaks through. A league stalwart and incredible co-commissioner, BradZ has everything to build in 57 years as a GM. This may be his best job yet. Dallas has an incredible rotation fronted by a player, Dawson Lamb (16-7 with 194 Ks), that if rumours are to be believed was once injured during an attempted cloning! Deals at the end of last year to bring in Reid Cole (30 HR), and a very underrated move to bring in potential New Brew Speedster in Brad Stewart (8 SBs in ST) to lengthen and deepen an already dangerous lineup just might make them the team to beat!
1) Will New Orleans repeat this year?
There has not been a repeat winner in the BLB since Pawtucket turned the trick in 2013 and 2014. Since then the league has entered into an era of unparalleled parody and balance. New Orleans is looking to break that streak. The return, easily the game's best two-way player in Colby Hullinger (0.289, 46 HR, 111, and 51 steals). Is there anyone in the league that doesn't think a 50/50 season is possible. They also boast three of the top 5 starters in the league in Hoffman (17-6), McKelvey (17-6), and Foley (17-5). To make them even tougher they had a great offseason that saw them completely rebuild their infield with the additions of Gil Mandell, Roman Hatcher, and Joseph Garneau. The only potential weak spot may be a bullpen that doesn't stack up with some of the other elite BLB teams.
2) Will JD Rice haunt Baltimore fans and it's front office?
The game's premier slugger left Baltimore for New York this offseason. If reports are to be believed the main sticking point was Rice wanting GM DelPrez's parking spot. In a show of power, the long time, respected GM, showed Rice the door. JD Rice (50 HR, 114 RBI) has moved on to New York and is now looking to singlehandedly vault the Knights past the Bulldogs for the final Wild Card spot. In a lineup with some of the game's best young players, Rice's leadership and bat may still be the difference between Baltimore making the playoffs, or standing on the outside looking in.
3) Does Phoenix have one last run in them?
Since taking over Phoenix GM, GoRopn, has done a masterful job of building a yearly contender out in the desert. This looks like what may be the last stand for this group of RoadRunners though. Although they feature two of the game's best starters in Derek Bell (12-9, 212 strikeouts) and Cade Hogan (14-8, 204 strikeouts), a solid lineup and a budding young superstar in CF Rory Levin, the financial realities of going for it may finally be settling in. With the loss of some of their most popular and productive playes, Tom Kastner and Need Benarrivo on the trade block, and a projected deficit of $20M, this certainly feels like a swan song. If things crater out by the All-Star some big names including Bell might be on the move out of the desert.
4) Can anyone in the IL stop Washington?
Since missing the playoffs in 2043 all Washington has done since is go to Back to Back Brew finals. Once again they feature a loaded roster of young talent in both the field and on the mound. Their pitching staff has three aces in Reid Rothstein (16-4), Ryan Anderson (4-1 as a rookie), and Jeremy Stokes (12-15 with a 2.58 ERA) and a loaded bullpen. The offence you ask? The game's premier FA acquisition in 3B Karson Blair was added to a lineup that was already one of the most well rounded in the league. It would seem to this write that 110 wins are not out of the question for a group that is not your father's plucky young underachievers.
5) Will Syracuse bounce back?
In one of the greater shocks of last season, Syracuse missed the playoffs. Any pitching staff featuring Christian Vines (12-7, 288 Ks) and closer Tony Ramos (1.59 ERA and 31 saves) should be a lock for the playoffs. Somehow the wheels fell off early, and the Snappers could never recover in what is turning out to be a very brutal DL. With the exception of Dominique Graham (0.297, 42 HR, and 107 RBI) the entire offence seemed to struggle at once. Without making any major offseason moves, it seems like it will be on the veteran bats like 2B Santoro, RF Brooks Collins, to return to form to carry an offence that has to carry the load in the 130 or times that Vines doesn't take the bump.
6) Will Vandehey justify the bounty California paid to bring him over?
0-14... What does that mean, you ask? That is the current streak that California is on against Washington in the playoffs, dating back to the blown 3-0 series lead when California looked to be on the cusp of potentially repeating as Brew Championns. So, with the sting of this year's sweep at the hands of the Bats still fresh, easily overheated GM, PaulECee unloaded the pitching sink to finally bring in the RH bat the lineup has been missing since the early Alex Lezama days. Going against Kodiak policy, James Vandehey (0.271, 22 HR, 69 RBI) may be taking a frying pan out to left field with him. The front office is hoping that being in a winning culture (hard to believe that we can write that!) and surrounded by veteran bats in Robertson, Guaba, and the up and coming Kaleb Clinkingbeard, will lead to 35 home runs for Vandehey and perhaps a career resurgence for media whipping boy Joey Robertson.
7) Is this the year that curse is finally broken?
The following is a list of the top 5 GMs in terms of seasons running their respective franchise(s) without winning a title: Carlos 64 years, Brad 57 years, Jim 49 years, Mike 28 years, and Nemesis 24 years. Why do we bring this up? Because we believe that this is the year that one of those GMs (Hint: It's Brad) finally breaks through. A league stalwart and incredible co-commissioner, BradZ has everything to build in 57 years as a GM. This may be his best job yet. Dallas has an incredible rotation fronted by a player, Dawson Lamb (16-7 with 194 Ks), that if rumours are to be believed was once injured during an attempted cloning! Deals at the end of last year to bring in Reid Cole (30 HR), and a very underrated move to bring in potential New Brew Speedster in Brad Stewart (8 SBs in ST) to lengthen and deepen an already dangerous lineup just might make them the team to beat!
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