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jamus23 · 01-10-2008, 06:42 PM

2083 Season Preview: AL Central Division:

(Note: I'm going to save Denver's preview for a seperate post/s so I can be more descriptive.)

Grand Rapids Tigers:
2082 Record: 81-81
Record over the last five seasons: 380-430
Payroll: $63,445,029
Payroll Rank: 11th
Minor League Rank: 11th

Fifteen years ago, the Tigers survived one of the most exciting division races ever, reached the World Series, and then lost one of the most thrilling World Series in history. The 2068 Tigers finished tied atop the Central Division with Memphis, both teams having won 93 games, 2 games ahead of Kansas City, and 7 games ahead of Tucson. Grand Rapids was awarded the division title, while Memphis grabbed the second playoff spot. The Tigers defeated Atlanta in the division round, while the Grizzlies stunningly swept Miami. Grand Rapids then defeated Memphis in six games to reach the World Series to face the defending champs, the San Jose Sharks. The Tigers won a nail-biter in Game One, as Raimundo Carbajal(now pitching with Atlanta) prevailed in a 4-3 victory. San Jose came back with a 5-4, 11 inning triumph in Game Two. In the third game, disastrous fielding by Grand Rapids allowed San Jose to rally from a 6-2 deficit. The Tigers committed three errors leading to four unearned runs, and the Sharks scored 8 total runs in the 7th and 8th innings to pull out a 10-6 victory. Carbajal stepped up again in Game Four, and Grand Rapids evened the series with a 4-2 victory. The Sharks took a 3 games to 2 lead by scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth of Game Five, erasing a 2-0 Tigers' lead. In Game Six, the Sharks couldn't quite pull of another rally. San Jose trailed 8-2 at the start of the ninth inning, but scored three runs before finally giving up the ghost in an 8-5 loss. Game Seven pitted two great pitchers in their prime against each other. On the mound for San Jose was Oswaldo Banos, an ultimately tragic figure whose career would be derailed by multiple injuries in his early 30's. In '68, however, the 30 year old Banos was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game, having gone 21-6 with a 2.46 ERA. Raimundo Carbajal, on the other hand, was a fresh-faced 23 year old who had just posted a magnificent, Cy Young-winning season: 22-7, 2.88 ERA. Big names on both sides took the field that day: Shortstop Thomas Fuentes for the Tigers, and catcher Alvaro Domenech, shortstop Keith Johnson, and rightfielder Cedric Brugal for the Sharks. But when the game began, it was Banos and Carbajal who stole the show. Banos surrendered just 4 hits in 7 2/3 innings and didn't allow a run. Carbajal held the Sharks at bay for seven innings of his own, but after getting one out in the eighth inning, he weakened, and the Sharks plated a pair of runs, though only one of which was credited to Carbajal. San Jose secured the victory with one run in the ninth inning, and the Sharks had their second straight championship. It was Carbajal's only defeat during the Tigers playoff run.

Unfortunately for Grand Rapids, the ensuing years have not been as successful. The Tigers followed their World Series defeat with three consecutive winning seasons, but reached the postseason only once, bowing out in the ALCS to Knoxville. They followed up those winning seasons by losing 92 or more games in each of the next three seasons. A brief revival saw the Tigers manage winning seasons in '75 and '76, earning a playoff spot in the '76 season. They lost in the divisional round to Miami. Since then, Grand Rapids has been mediocre, at best, with three seasons around .500, but also a couple seasons with over 90 losses.

This year's squad appears to have enough talent to be a dangerous opponent, but not likely enough to be a serious contender. Tigers' fans will pay close attention to the return of first-baseman Sabas Laureano. Two years ago, Laureano ripped 40 doubles and 21 homeruns, and had a .386 OBP. Last year, he had a torrid month of April, batting .409/.509/.716 with 7 homeruns. But on April 29th, he was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken wrist, knocking him out for the rest of the season. Laureano is just 24 years old, so having him return to full strength could be a huge boon for Tigers' teams for years to come. Eddie Lauzon remains one of the more productive second sackers in the game, even at age 34. Lauzon delivered an .829 OPS and 28 homeruns last year. For his career, he has 342 homeruns. Manning the hot corner is one of the most patient hitters in the game, Andres Garcia. The 32 year old Garcia has posted four consecutive seasons with 100 or more walks. Last year, he also produced a .902 OPS and 31 longballs.

33 year old Aaron Williams is the ace of the staff, but he has sometimes struggled with consistency. After posting a 3.31 ERA in '78, he had back to back seasons with an ERA over 4.00. Then in '81, he managed a 3.63 ERA. But last year, his ERA jumped back over 4.00(4.54) and his 1.38 WHIP was his worst since 2076. On the other hand, he did manage his third 200 strikeout season, whiffing a career high 216 batters. The Tigers will gamble on veteran left-hander Vicente Caruso to be their number two pitcher. Caruso had been an extremely consistent pitcher throughout the '70s and into the '80s, always keeping his ERA under 5.00, though rarely getting it under 4.00. But last year, Caruso had a career year, posting a sparkling 2.96 ERA for Phoenix. Grand Rapids gave him a hefty contract this offseason, though it is only for two seasons, which is probably a wise decision, given that Caruso is 37 years old. After that, there is a severe dropoff in the Tigers' rotation. Somewhat making up for that is the Tigers' bullpen, which includes 33 year old closer Samuel Olmeda. Olmeda had a 2.58 ERA last year and notched 31 saves. Jonathan Troutman and Joseph Grand add an additional solid presence to the relief corps. Troutman, 33, had a 3.58 ERA in 44 games last year, while Grand, 29, had a 3.45 mark in 60 appearances.

In addition to Laureano's attempt at returning from injury, two other players bear mention as potential make or break factors for the Tigers. 24 year old outfielder Bruce Reed has impressive power, and in 306 career at bats, he has slugged .480 with 15 homeruns. A breakout year for him would make him a very dangerous addition to the Tigers' lineup. Meanwhile, 26 year old outfielder Oswaldo Torres has slowly been consolidating his impressive tools. He played regularly in 2080, but managed a less than exciting .622 OPS. Few failed to take notice, however, of his 96 walks. In 2081, he appeared to break out, putting up an .876 OPS with 20 homeruns. Last year, however, his OPS dipped to .785. The power is there. The plate discipline is there. Now it's just a matter of Torres putting it altogether consistently. If he does....there will be few pitchers enthused about facing the Tigers' lineup.

Predicted finish: 4th

Green Bay Packers:
2082 Record: 67-95
Record over the last five seasons: 291-519
Payroll: $32,874,729
Payroll Rank: 23rd
Minor League Rank: 6th

The early 70's seem like a distant memory for Green Bay fans. From 2070 to 2072, the Packers won 86, 95, and 89 games, and reached the postseason twice. They haven't had a winning season since then, and have lost 100 games three times, including two disastrous 115 loss campaigns in the last five seasons. This year doesn't figure to be much better, as Green Bay simply lacks any established talent, and there are major holes all over the roster.

There is, however, some small cause for hope among the Packer faithful. By virtue of their annual haplessness, the Packers have built one of the more highly touted farm systems and there are a number of younger players who could be on the verge of breaking out. Shortstop Arthur Stice enters his fourth season hoping to finally find consistency. The 25 year old had a tremendous half-season as a rookie in 2080, batting .305 with a .904 OPS and 18 homeruns in just 262 at bats. He struggled badly in 2081, batting just .217 and mustering only a .606 OPS. He seemed to recover last year, putting up an .801 OPS while slamming 31 homeruns. If he can avoid slumping again, he could be one of the better shortstops in the league. Next, there is left-fielder Ralph Ferrari. Also 25, Ferrari has put up a respectable .779 OPS in 767 career at bats, while hitting 28 homeruns. He doesn't project to be a star, but he could still be a very solid player if he continues to improve. Green Bay hopes that center-fielder Ernie Willis will be a late-bloomer. This top 10 draft pick from 2077 has largely been mishandled by the Packers, having been kept on the major league roster almost since the day he was drafted, only to play very rarely. Now 29, it appears he will finally get a chance to play everyday. Last year, he set a career high with 287 at bats, and showed why scouts rave about his raw power. Though he only had 65 hits for a pathetic .226 batting average, 32 of those hits went for extra bases, giving him a slugging percentage of .446.

The hope for the pitching staff rests on the arm of 24 year old Joseph Oliver. After an impressive performance at AA last season-a 2.38 ERA in 19 starts- Oliver skipped AAA and pitched in the majors to close out last season. He finished with a 4.56 ERA in 12 appearances, including 7 starts. He maintained a very capable strikeout rate, whiffing 50 batters in 53 1/3 innings. Oliver has the ability to be an elite ace in this league, and he definitely gives Packers' fans something to watch this season. Thirty year old Brandon Haugen may give Green Bay another solid starting pitcher. Last year, Haugen had a more than capable 4.65 ERA in 30 starts, and managed to go 14-9 for the Packers. Probably the only other player of interest among the rotation is 36 year old Michael Grear. Grear was a dominant pitcher from the late 60's until as recently as 2080. He won 20 or more games seven times, and posted an ERA under 3.00 in 10 seasons. Grear was a key component of those few successful Packers' teams in the early 70's, but he left as a free agent following the 2073 season, and signed with Los Angeles. He won the Cy Young Award in 2076 for the Dodgers. After the 2080 season, in which he won 19 games, he seemed almost a lock to win 300 games. He was 34 years old and had 258 wins at the time. Having not shown any signs of decline, 300 didn't really seem to be in doubt. But in 2081, he finally showed his age. An ERA that hadn't been higher than 3.61 since his rookie season of 2068(5.05) ballooned to 5.30. His strikeout total, which hadn't been under 200 since his rookie season(141) dipped to 178. Finally, he failed to win at least 14 games for the first time in his career, mustering only 9 wins for the Dodgers. Grear returned to the Packers last year in a deadline trade, but he wound having the most miserable season of his career, going just 5-22 with a 5.67 ERA. Now, as the 2083 season is about to begin, Grear sits at 272 wins, 18 away from joining that most elite of groups. Given his current ability, and the team he plays for, he has almost no shot at reaching 300 this season. But if he could somehow come up with, say, 15 wins, and then join a better team next season, it might be possible for him to scrounge up another 13 to reach that magical milestone.

Now for the weaknesses, of which there are many. 33 year old catcher Arthur Anderson is among the best defensive catchers in the game. Unfortunately, his bat, which was once solid, has seemingly vanished. The last two seasons he has been unable to produce even a .700 OPS. Last year's .663 was downright pitiful. First base will be a platoon of AAAA scrubs. 29 year old Gregorio Vega has just a .696 OPS in 157 at bats, while 32 year old Peter Winston has managed just a .673 OPS in 681 carer at bats. Second base will be handled by 29 year old Nelson Stewart, who has an uninspring .685 OPS in 952 career at bats. 33 year old third-baseman Robert Quirk might have been considered a respectable player, but after his .646 OPS last season, which included a .290 OBP, it is unclear what to expect from a player who has a .725 career OPS. Left-hander Vini Shoyo might be the Packers third best starting pitcher, depending on how well Grear performs. Unfortunately, when your third best pitcher is a 30 year old with a 5.89 career ERA who is coming off of a season in which he posted a 7.27 mark, you are probably in trouble. Big trouble.

Predicted finsh: 6th

Kansas City Royals:
2082 Record: 65-97
Record over the last five seasons: 348-462
Payroll: $55,420,371
Payroll Rank: 15th
Minor League Rank: 1st

In 2081, the Royals posted their first winning season in 14 years, squeaking out 83 wins. Last year, Kansas City returned to the depths that it has occupied in recent history, losing 90+ games for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. For an organization that has generally been solid, if sporadic, the current drought has been extremely frustrating. Hopefully, that number one rated minor league system will lead to a brighter future for the Royals.

Currently, the team has only minimal talent. Ron Chien is a capable backstop. The 30 year old catcher is a three time Gold Glove Award winner with an .821 career OPS. His 28 homeruns last year pushed him over 200 for his career, at 202. 25 year old first-baseman Paul Shealy was expected to provide a potent bat for Kansas City last year after they picked him up from Phoenix in a trade, but his OPS dropped from .862 in 2081 to just .723 last year. A rebound from Shealy would be critical for the Royals to have any chance at respectability. Long-time Hartford second-baseman Lucas Bustamante was acquired in a trade this offseason. The 32 year old is a slick fielder at second, and has generally been a productive bat. Bustamante has an .824 career OPS, driven mostly by his .325 career batting average. If there's one player that brings out the fans in Kansas City, it's right-fielder Jack Ector. The 32 year old Ector has a powerful swing and extraordinary patience. Last year, he posted his first 1.000 OPS season, batting .321/.425/.579 with 38 homeruns and an incredible 103/27 BB/K ratio. For his career, Ector has an .889 OPS and 283 homeruns. If the Royals' pitchers can keep a game close, a guy like Ector will always give the Royals a chance to win.

Speaking of the pitching staff, Kansas City's rotation is led by veteran left-hander Ross Otis. The 36 year old southpaw has won 179 games with a 3.60 career ERA. He was one of the main reasons the Royals were able to manage their 83 wins two years ago, has he had a record of 22-7 with a 2.98 ERA. Last year, he was 14-10 with a 3.72 ERA. If Kosami Masaru could ever fulfill his potential, the Royals would have the makings of a respectable rotation. The 27 year old Masaru has tremendous ability, but in his three seasons, he has had to deal with the pressures of being the number one overall draft pick, a serious injury, control problems, and inconsistency. The number one draft pick in 2080, he leaped right into the majors, lost 19 games, and had an ERA comfortably over 6.00, while also walking 108 batters. In 2081, he had a 4.83 ERA through 16 starts when he was lost for the season with a torn tricep muscle. He was healthy last year, and managed a respectable 4.44 ERA in 35 starts, but still walked over 100 batters. Kansas City might want to avoid overworking him, however. In 84 career starts, Masaru has tossed 24 complete games, including 11 last year.

That is, by and large, the extent of the Royals talent. The lineup includes several other players who could be respectable, or they could be black holes. The rotation after Otis and Masaru is a trainwreck, and will likely thwart any efforts by the offense to make the Royals competitive. The bullpen isn't great, but it's probably not the worst in the league. Closer Willie Vallery is only 21 years old, but he has tremendous ability, if he can only harness it. In 78 career games, he has an ugly 7.01 ERA. Last year, he managed to lose 9 games. The talent is there, though. 38 year old right-hander David Lesher might still have something left in the tank. The former closer for both the Royals and the Denver Broncos has 321 career saves and a 4.44 ERA. Last year, he put up a respectable 4.03 ERA in 52 games.

Predicted finish: 5th

Memphis Grizzlies:
2082 Record: 82-80
Record over the last five seasons: 461-349
Payroll: $85,793,157
Payroll Rank: 2nd
Minor League Rank: 3rd

Over the last 26 years, few teams have been as consistently successful as the Memphis Grizzlies. In those 26 years, Memphis has had just four losing seasons. The Grizzlies have reached the postseason 16 times, while winning 9 division titles. They have also reached four World Series and won three of them. The last three years, however, have been somewhat up and down. In 2080, Memphis was coming off of back to back division titles, but limped its way to a 77-85, fourth place finish. The Grizzlies were a bit of an unlucky team that year, finishing 5 games under their Pythagorean record, and they struggled in both 1-run games(13-20) and extra-inning games(3-7). In 2081, the team was incredibly strong, but they came up short in a three-way battle in the Central Division. Despite winning 95 games, Memphis finished behind Denver(98) and Tucson(97). Last year, the usually strong Memphis offense slumped to 21st in the league in runs scored, and even a good pitching staff couldn't lift the Grizzlies beyond a mediocre 82 wins. Now the Grizzlies enter the 2083 season with the second highest payroll in baseball, hoping that they have a balanced enough team to contend, and beat out, the Denver and Tucson juggernaughts.

Larry Seishisai isn't known for his defense behind the plate, but when you've got a bat like he does, who cares? The 33 year old catcher has an .844 career OPS and 337 homeruns. His last two seasons haven't been his best(OPS's of .795 and .805) but don't count him out. His bat remains powerful(29 homeruns last year) and few pitchers can fool him into swinging at bad pitches(70 walks against 25 strikeouts last year). 29 year old Eric Phillips is a superb blend of hitting and fielding at second base. He ripped 24 homeruns last year and drew 80 walks, while providing his usual excellent defense. Eric Jameson provides power from the hot corner. The 34 year old third sacker has had two straight 40 homerun campaigns, and enters this season with 331 for his career. There are some concerns, however, about the rest of his hitting abilities. Throughout the mid and late-70's, Jameson showed excellent plate discipline, regularly drawing 70 or 80 walks. He even drew 93 walks in 2076. The last three seasons, though, his walk totals have gone dramatically down. Last year, in nearly 700 plate appearances, he managed only 51 walks. Combined with a sudden drop in his batting average(.279 to .238), he mustered a pathetic .295 OBP. A continued decline by him would hurt the Grizzlies' offense significantly. Speaking of free-swinging sluggers.... 30 year old shortstop Roy Chouinard hasn't met a pitch that he didn't want to send to the moon. Chouinard has 258 homeruns and a .521 career slugging percentage. He also has an uninspiring .304 career on base percentage. Last year, he managed only a .293 OBP. Grizzlies' fans will also get to watch left-fielder Britt Reid's quest for 500 homeruns this year. Reid begins the season with 486 career round-trippers, just 14 away from 500. The 38 year old managed only 15 last season, though he missed almost a month with a fractured hand.

The Grizzlies enjoy one of the stronger rotations in the league, starting with Roy Kelemen. The 32 year old workhorse went 14-7 last year with a 2.58 ERA. Despite missing six weeks with an injury, and being limited to 24 starts, he still tossed 13 complete games. In the last seven years, he has failed to reach 10 complete games in a season only once; he threw 9 in 2080 when injuries limited him to 29 starts. Edgar Molina is another pitcher who sucks up productive innings. The 34 year old Molina has reached 280 innings pitched in two straight seasons, while throwing 23 complete games. He won the Cy Young Award in 2081, going 25-6 with a 3.37 ERA. Last year, he was 16-15 with a 3.47 ERA, and tossed 6 shutouts. 29 year old Jonathan Zinn could be a make or break factor for the Grizzlies. Five years ago, Zinn won the Cy Young Award, going 24-5 with a 3.72 ERA for the Grizzlies, and he went 4-0 in the playoffs for them as they reached, and lost, the World Series. Since that season, he has posted ERA's of 4.43, 4.96, 5.44, and 4.55. Zinn has excellent ability, but has struggled to put it all together. If he can do that, Memphis would have three top notch starting pitchers, and would be a very dangerous team indeed. One more starting pitcher deserves mention, and that is 23 year old Claudio DeHerrera. DeHerrera won the Rookie of the Year Award last year, going 12-9 with a 3.97 ERA in 31 starts. He could potentially give Memphis a fourth quality starter, something only a handful of teams in the league have.

Jonah Alvarado provides the Grizzlies with a fine closer. The 26 year old saved 35 games last year, and posted a 3.69 ERA in 62 games. If he can improve his numbers against right-handed hitters(they slugged .474 with 10 homeruns against him last year) he could be one of the best closers in the game. 28 year old Constantino Garza provides that all-important #2 reliever for Memphis. Garza has a 3.58 ERA in 159 career games. Last year, he had a 3.53 ERA in 47 games, and posted a 56/9 K/BB ratio.

As far as weaknesses go, Memphis doesn't really have any truly glaring holes. Rather, they have several players who are likely to be average, or a bit below average. These include: 35 year old first-baseman Melvin Nakamura, who had an .743 OPS last season; 27 year old center-fielder Anthony Benz, who had a .742 OPS last year; 30 year old right-fielder John Stutes, who had a .775 OPS last season; and 32 year old DH Tristan Straub, who had a .681 OPS last season.

Predicted finish: 2nd

Tucson Diamondbacks:
2082 Record: 96-66
Record over the last five seasons: 546-360
Payroll: $72,259,016
Payroll Rank: 9th
Minor League Rank: 10th

Once you get past the traditional powerhouses- Pittsburgh, Miami since the early 40's, and San Jose since the mid-50's- there are still a handful of teams that have had very consistent, very successful histories. Sacramento and Memphis are two great examples. A third great example has been the Tucson Diamondbacks. From the very beginning of this league, when Tucson won four consecutive division titles and reached two straight World Series(losing both), to the modern day team, which has won 99,97, and 95 games the last three seasons, reaching the playoffs each time, the Diamondbacks have been a model organization. Yes, they've had their down periods, but rarely will a decade go by without Tucson making an appearance in at least one World Series. The Diamondbacks reached in 2005 and 2006, and then had their longest drought, not reaching again until 2033. But after the '33 World Series, Tucson has reached in 2038, 2040, 2052, 2064, 2072, and 2080. The only area where Tucson has lacked success has been...well, actually winning those World Series. Though they have reached nine World Series, the Diamondbacks have come up victorious only one time: in 2038 against Pittsburgh. But if you are a Tucson fan, you can't be unhappy with a team that is nearly always relevant, nearly always a contender, and nearly always a threat to win it all(even if history has shown that they probably won't). This year is no exception, although the Diamondbacks were hit hard by some key free agent losses.

Thomas Stallman remains the team's best hitter. The 29 year old first-baseman has a .923 career OPS and has 210 career homeruns. Stallman has also patiently drawn over 100 walks in three straight seasons, leading the league each time. Last year, he also led the league with a .428 OBP. Elmer Giancola returns as the Diamondbacks' second-baseman at the age of 38. Despite his age, Giancola remains a more than capable hitter and fielder, having put up an .884 OPS last season with 23 homeruns. Giancola has 419 career homeruns to his name, and an .888 career OPS. 26 year old Robin Vega is a potent bat at third base. He hit 35 homeruns in both 2080 and 2081, but injuries limited him to just 19 homeruns last year. Richard Billips was a very solid free agent addition to play right field. The 31 year old Billips has nice pop(42 doubles and 16 homeruns last year), a good batting eye(63 walks and a .364 OBP), is a threat on the basepaths(31 stolen bases), and an excellent fielder with a strong arm.

Tucson's rotation lost some key members as free agents(Cleveland Lauria and Scott Council), so it'll be up to guys like Paul Reyes, William Bergan, and Peter Boughner to pick up the slack. The 25 year old Reyes is very talented, but has yet to take that big step forward. With nearly 1,000 innings pitched under his belt, he has just a 5.51 career ERA. He was solid last year with a 4.35 ERA and 207 strikeouts, so he does seem to be getting there, if perhaps not as quickly as Tucson would like. 30 year old William Bergan is just happy he's been able to stick with one team for more than a year. Originally drafted by Denver in 2076, he was traded two years later to Nashville, where he made his major league debut. After making 35 starts for the Predators over the '78 and '79 seasons, he was traded to Kansas City just before the start of the 2080 season. After a solid first half that put him into the All Star game, he was dealt to Portland. About a week later, however, the Royals reacquired Bergan, only to then trade him again at the trade deadline to Tucson. He has been with the Diamondbacks ever since, struggling through the 2081 season before bouncing back nicely last year, winning 16 games with a 4.56 ERA. Meanwhile, the crafty Boughner enjoyed another fine season. After going 22-3 with a 3.01 ERA in 2081, Boughner was 17-7 with a 3.85 ERA last year. Boughner won't overpower hitters, but he has done an excellent job at preventing runs from being scored.

The Diamondbacks' pitching strength doesn't stop with the rotation. 33 year old closer Oren Yother has 80 saves the last two seasons, and in 592 career games, a respectable 4.33 ERA. Veteran reliever Pablo-not to be confused with Paul- Reyes, has a 3.66 ERA in 579 career games, and the 35 year old managed a brilliant 0.47 ERA last year, though he was limited to 20 games due to an injury. 24 year old William Winningham had an impressive debut last season, posting a sparkling 0.73 ERA in 12 appearances. If Winningham wasn't a fluke, Tucson will have itself a very tough bullpen.

Tucson has one significant make or break factor, and that is 21 year old catcher Joseph Osborn. Osborn has tremendous talent, but despite destroying AAA pitching the last two seasons, he has yet to make a real impact at the big league level. In 128 career at bats, he has just a .725 OPS. He is expected to be Tucson's starting catcher this year, so he will definitely be somebody to watch as the season progresses.

Predicted finish: 3rd

01-10-2008, 06:42 PM	#248 (permalink)
jamus23 All Star Reserve Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 897 Thanks: 2 Thanked 4x in 4 posts	2083 Season Preview: AL Central Division: (Note: I'm going to save Denver's preview for a seperate post/s so I can be more descriptive.) Grand Rapids Tigers: 2082 Record: 81-81 Record over the last five seasons: 380-430 Payroll: $63,445,029 Payroll Rank: 11th Minor League Rank: 11th Fifteen years ago, the Tigers survived one of the most exciting division races ever, reached the World Series, and then lost one of the most thrilling World Series in history. The 2068 Tigers finished tied atop the Central Division with Memphis, both teams having won 93 games, 2 games ahead of Kansas City, and 7 games ahead of Tucson. Grand Rapids was awarded the division title, while Memphis grabbed the second playoff spot. The Tigers defeated Atlanta in the division round, while the Grizzlies stunningly swept Miami. Grand Rapids then defeated Memphis in six games to reach the World Series to face the defending champs, the San Jose Sharks. The Tigers won a nail-biter in Game One, as Raimundo Carbajal(now pitching with Atlanta) prevailed in a 4-3 victory. San Jose came back with a 5-4, 11 inning triumph in Game Two. In the third game, disastrous fielding by Grand Rapids allowed San Jose to rally from a 6-2 deficit. The Tigers committed three errors leading to four unearned runs, and the Sharks scored 8 total runs in the 7th and 8th innings to pull out a 10-6 victory. Carbajal stepped up again in Game Four, and Grand Rapids evened the series with a 4-2 victory. The Sharks took a 3 games to 2 lead by scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth of Game Five, erasing a 2-0 Tigers' lead. In Game Six, the Sharks couldn't quite pull of another rally. San Jose trailed 8-2 at the start of the ninth inning, but scored three runs before finally giving up the ghost in an 8-5 loss. Game Seven pitted two great pitchers in their prime against each other. On the mound for San Jose was Oswaldo Banos, an ultimately tragic figure whose career would be derailed by multiple injuries in his early 30's. In '68, however, the 30 year old Banos was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game, having gone 21-6 with a 2.46 ERA. Raimundo Carbajal, on the other hand, was a fresh-faced 23 year old who had just posted a magnificent, Cy Young-winning season: 22-7, 2.88 ERA. Big names on both sides took the field that day: Shortstop Thomas Fuentes for the Tigers, and catcher Alvaro Domenech, shortstop Keith Johnson, and rightfielder Cedric Brugal for the Sharks. But when the game began, it was Banos and Carbajal who stole the show. Banos surrendered just 4 hits in 7 2/3 innings and didn't allow a run. Carbajal held the Sharks at bay for seven innings of his own, but after getting one out in the eighth inning, he weakened, and the Sharks plated a pair of runs, though only one of which was credited to Carbajal. San Jose secured the victory with one run in the ninth inning, and the Sharks had their second straight championship. It was Carbajal's only defeat during the Tigers playoff run. Unfortunately for Grand Rapids, the ensuing years have not been as successful. The Tigers followed their World Series defeat with three consecutive winning seasons, but reached the postseason only once, bowing out in the ALCS to Knoxville. They followed up those winning seasons by losing 92 or more games in each of the next three seasons. A brief revival saw the Tigers manage winning seasons in '75 and '76, earning a playoff spot in the '76 season. They lost in the divisional round to Miami. Since then, Grand Rapids has been mediocre, at best, with three seasons around .500, but also a couple seasons with over 90 losses. This year's squad appears to have enough talent to be a dangerous opponent, but not likely enough to be a serious contender. Tigers' fans will pay close attention to the return of first-baseman Sabas Laureano. Two years ago, Laureano ripped 40 doubles and 21 homeruns, and had a .386 OBP. Last year, he had a torrid month of April, batting .409/.509/.716 with 7 homeruns. But on April 29th, he was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken wrist, knocking him out for the rest of the season. Laureano is just 24 years old, so having him return to full strength could be a huge boon for Tigers' teams for years to come. Eddie Lauzon remains one of the more productive second sackers in the game, even at age 34. Lauzon delivered an .829 OPS and 28 homeruns last year. For his career, he has 342 homeruns. Manning the hot corner is one of the most patient hitters in the game, Andres Garcia. The 32 year old Garcia has posted four consecutive seasons with 100 or more walks. Last year, he also produced a .902 OPS and 31 longballs. 33 year old Aaron Williams is the ace of the staff, but he has sometimes struggled with consistency. After posting a 3.31 ERA in '78, he had back to back seasons with an ERA over 4.00. Then in '81, he managed a 3.63 ERA. But last year, his ERA jumped back over 4.00(4.54) and his 1.38 WHIP was his worst since 2076. On the other hand, he did manage his third 200 strikeout season, whiffing a career high 216 batters. The Tigers will gamble on veteran left-hander Vicente Caruso to be their number two pitcher. Caruso had been an extremely consistent pitcher throughout the '70s and into the '80s, always keeping his ERA under 5.00, though rarely getting it under 4.00. But last year, Caruso had a career year, posting a sparkling 2.96 ERA for Phoenix. Grand Rapids gave him a hefty contract this offseason, though it is only for two seasons, which is probably a wise decision, given that Caruso is 37 years old. After that, there is a severe dropoff in the Tigers' rotation. Somewhat making up for that is the Tigers' bullpen, which includes 33 year old closer Samuel Olmeda. Olmeda had a 2.58 ERA last year and notched 31 saves. Jonathan Troutman and Joseph Grand add an additional solid presence to the relief corps. Troutman, 33, had a 3.58 ERA in 44 games last year, while Grand, 29, had a 3.45 mark in 60 appearances. In addition to Laureano's attempt at returning from injury, two other players bear mention as potential make or break factors for the Tigers. 24 year old outfielder Bruce Reed has impressive power, and in 306 career at bats, he has slugged .480 with 15 homeruns. A breakout year for him would make him a very dangerous addition to the Tigers' lineup. Meanwhile, 26 year old outfielder Oswaldo Torres has slowly been consolidating his impressive tools. He played regularly in 2080, but managed a less than exciting .622 OPS. Few failed to take notice, however, of his 96 walks. In 2081, he appeared to break out, putting up an .876 OPS with 20 homeruns. Last year, however, his OPS dipped to .785. The power is there. The plate discipline is there. Now it's just a matter of Torres putting it altogether consistently. If he does....there will be few pitchers enthused about facing the Tigers' lineup. Predicted finish: 4th Green Bay Packers: 2082 Record: 67-95 Record over the last five seasons: 291-519 Payroll: $32,874,729 Payroll Rank: 23rd Minor League Rank: 6th The early 70's seem like a distant memory for Green Bay fans. From 2070 to 2072, the Packers won 86, 95, and 89 games, and reached the postseason twice. They haven't had a winning season since then, and have lost 100 games three times, including two disastrous 115 loss campaigns in the last five seasons. This year doesn't figure to be much better, as Green Bay simply lacks any established talent, and there are major holes all over the roster. There is, however, some small cause for hope among the Packer faithful. By virtue of their annual haplessness, the Packers have built one of the more highly touted farm systems and there are a number of younger players who could be on the verge of breaking out. Shortstop Arthur Stice enters his fourth season hoping to finally find consistency. The 25 year old had a tremendous half-season as a rookie in 2080, batting .305 with a .904 OPS and 18 homeruns in just 262 at bats. He struggled badly in 2081, batting just .217 and mustering only a .606 OPS. He seemed to recover last year, putting up an .801 OPS while slamming 31 homeruns. If he can avoid slumping again, he could be one of the better shortstops in the league. Next, there is left-fielder Ralph Ferrari. Also 25, Ferrari has put up a respectable .779 OPS in 767 career at bats, while hitting 28 homeruns. He doesn't project to be a star, but he could still be a very solid player if he continues to improve. Green Bay hopes that center-fielder Ernie Willis will be a late-bloomer. This top 10 draft pick from 2077 has largely been mishandled by the Packers, having been kept on the major league roster almost since the day he was drafted, only to play very rarely. Now 29, it appears he will finally get a chance to play everyday. Last year, he set a career high with 287 at bats, and showed why scouts rave about his raw power. Though he only had 65 hits for a pathetic .226 batting average, 32 of those hits went for extra bases, giving him a slugging percentage of .446. The hope for the pitching staff rests on the arm of 24 year old Joseph Oliver. After an impressive performance at AA last season-a 2.38 ERA in 19 starts- Oliver skipped AAA and pitched in the majors to close out last season. He finished with a 4.56 ERA in 12 appearances, including 7 starts. He maintained a very capable strikeout rate, whiffing 50 batters in 53 1/3 innings. Oliver has the ability to be an elite ace in this league, and he definitely gives Packers' fans something to watch this season. Thirty year old Brandon Haugen may give Green Bay another solid starting pitcher. Last year, Haugen had a more than capable 4.65 ERA in 30 starts, and managed to go 14-9 for the Packers. Probably the only other player of interest among the rotation is 36 year old Michael Grear. Grear was a dominant pitcher from the late 60's until as recently as 2080. He won 20 or more games seven times, and posted an ERA under 3.00 in 10 seasons. Grear was a key component of those few successful Packers' teams in the early 70's, but he left as a free agent following the 2073 season, and signed with Los Angeles. He won the Cy Young Award in 2076 for the Dodgers. After the 2080 season, in which he won 19 games, he seemed almost a lock to win 300 games. He was 34 years old and had 258 wins at the time. Having not shown any signs of decline, 300 didn't really seem to be in doubt. But in 2081, he finally showed his age. An ERA that hadn't been higher than 3.61 since his rookie season of 2068(5.05) ballooned to 5.30. His strikeout total, which hadn't been under 200 since his rookie season(141) dipped to 178. Finally, he failed to win at least 14 games for the first time in his career, mustering only 9 wins for the Dodgers. Grear returned to the Packers last year in a deadline trade, but he wound having the most miserable season of his career, going just 5-22 with a 5.67 ERA. Now, as the 2083 season is about to begin, Grear sits at 272 wins, 18 away from joining that most elite of groups. Given his current ability, and the team he plays for, he has almost no shot at reaching 300 this season. But if he could somehow come up with, say, 15 wins, and then join a better team next season, it might be possible for him to scrounge up another 13 to reach that magical milestone. Now for the weaknesses, of which there are many. 33 year old catcher Arthur Anderson is among the best defensive catchers in the game. Unfortunately, his bat, which was once solid, has seemingly vanished. The last two seasons he has been unable to produce even a .700 OPS. Last year's .663 was downright pitiful. First base will be a platoon of AAAA scrubs. 29 year old Gregorio Vega has just a .696 OPS in 157 at bats, while 32 year old Peter Winston has managed just a .673 OPS in 681 carer at bats. Second base will be handled by 29 year old Nelson Stewart, who has an uninspring .685 OPS in 952 career at bats. 33 year old third-baseman Robert Quirk might have been considered a respectable player, but after his .646 OPS last season, which included a .290 OBP, it is unclear what to expect from a player who has a .725 career OPS. Left-hander Vini Shoyo might be the Packers third best starting pitcher, depending on how well Grear performs. Unfortunately, when your third best pitcher is a 30 year old with a 5.89 career ERA who is coming off of a season in which he posted a 7.27 mark, you are probably in trouble. Big trouble. Predicted finsh: 6th Kansas City Royals: 2082 Record: 65-97 Record over the last five seasons: 348-462 Payroll: $55,420,371 Payroll Rank: 15th Minor League Rank: 1st In 2081, the Royals posted their first winning season in 14 years, squeaking out 83 wins. Last year, Kansas City returned to the depths that it has occupied in recent history, losing 90+ games for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. For an organization that has generally been solid, if sporadic, the current drought has been extremely frustrating. Hopefully, that number one rated minor league system will lead to a brighter future for the Royals. Currently, the team has only minimal talent. Ron Chien is a capable backstop. The 30 year old catcher is a three time Gold Glove Award winner with an .821 career OPS. His 28 homeruns last year pushed him over 200 for his career, at 202. 25 year old first-baseman Paul Shealy was expected to provide a potent bat for Kansas City last year after they picked him up from Phoenix in a trade, but his OPS dropped from .862 in 2081 to just .723 last year. A rebound from Shealy would be critical for the Royals to have any chance at respectability. Long-time Hartford second-baseman Lucas Bustamante was acquired in a trade this offseason. The 32 year old is a slick fielder at second, and has generally been a productive bat. Bustamante has an .824 career OPS, driven mostly by his .325 career batting average. If there's one player that brings out the fans in Kansas City, it's right-fielder Jack Ector. The 32 year old Ector has a powerful swing and extraordinary patience. Last year, he posted his first 1.000 OPS season, batting .321/.425/.579 with 38 homeruns and an incredible 103/27 BB/K ratio. For his career, Ector has an .889 OPS and 283 homeruns. If the Royals' pitchers can keep a game close, a guy like Ector will always give the Royals a chance to win. Speaking of the pitching staff, Kansas City's rotation is led by veteran left-hander Ross Otis. The 36 year old southpaw has won 179 games with a 3.60 career ERA. He was one of the main reasons the Royals were able to manage their 83 wins two years ago, has he had a record of 22-7 with a 2.98 ERA. Last year, he was 14-10 with a 3.72 ERA. If Kosami Masaru could ever fulfill his potential, the Royals would have the makings of a respectable rotation. The 27 year old Masaru has tremendous ability, but in his three seasons, he has had to deal with the pressures of being the number one overall draft pick, a serious injury, control problems, and inconsistency. The number one draft pick in 2080, he leaped right into the majors, lost 19 games, and had an ERA comfortably over 6.00, while also walking 108 batters. In 2081, he had a 4.83 ERA through 16 starts when he was lost for the season with a torn tricep muscle. He was healthy last year, and managed a respectable 4.44 ERA in 35 starts, but still walked over 100 batters. Kansas City might want to avoid overworking him, however. In 84 career starts, Masaru has tossed 24 complete games, including 11 last year. That is, by and large, the extent of the Royals talent. The lineup includes several other players who could be respectable, or they could be black holes. The rotation after Otis and Masaru is a trainwreck, and will likely thwart any efforts by the offense to make the Royals competitive. The bullpen isn't great, but it's probably not the worst in the league. Closer Willie Vallery is only 21 years old, but he has tremendous ability, if he can only harness it. In 78 career games, he has an ugly 7.01 ERA. Last year, he managed to lose 9 games. The talent is there, though. 38 year old right-hander David Lesher might still have something left in the tank. The former closer for both the Royals and the Denver Broncos has 321 career saves and a 4.44 ERA. Last year, he put up a respectable 4.03 ERA in 52 games. Predicted finish: 5th Memphis Grizzlies: 2082 Record: 82-80 Record over the last five seasons: 461-349 Payroll: $85,793,157 Payroll Rank: 2nd Minor League Rank: 3rd Over the last 26 years, few teams have been as consistently successful as the Memphis Grizzlies. In those 26 years, Memphis has had just four losing seasons. The Grizzlies have reached the postseason 16 times, while winning 9 division titles. They have also reached four World Series and won three of them. The last three years, however, have been somewhat up and down. In 2080, Memphis was coming off of back to back division titles, but limped its way to a 77-85, fourth place finish. The Grizzlies were a bit of an unlucky team that year, finishing 5 games under their Pythagorean record, and they struggled in both 1-run games(13-20) and extra-inning games(3-7). In 2081, the team was incredibly strong, but they came up short in a three-way battle in the Central Division. Despite winning 95 games, Memphis finished behind Denver(98) and Tucson(97). Last year, the usually strong Memphis offense slumped to 21st in the league in runs scored, and even a good pitching staff couldn't lift the Grizzlies beyond a mediocre 82 wins. Now the Grizzlies enter the 2083 season with the second highest payroll in baseball, hoping that they have a balanced enough team to contend, and beat out, the Denver and Tucson juggernaughts. Larry Seishisai isn't known for his defense behind the plate, but when you've got a bat like he does, who cares? The 33 year old catcher has an .844 career OPS and 337 homeruns. His last two seasons haven't been his best(OPS's of .795 and .805) but don't count him out. His bat remains powerful(29 homeruns last year) and few pitchers can fool him into swinging at bad pitches(70 walks against 25 strikeouts last year). 29 year old Eric Phillips is a superb blend of hitting and fielding at second base. He ripped 24 homeruns last year and drew 80 walks, while providing his usual excellent defense. Eric Jameson provides power from the hot corner. The 34 year old third sacker has had two straight 40 homerun campaigns, and enters this season with 331 for his career. There are some concerns, however, about the rest of his hitting abilities. Throughout the mid and late-70's, Jameson showed excellent plate discipline, regularly drawing 70 or 80 walks. He even drew 93 walks in 2076. The last three seasons, though, his walk totals have gone dramatically down. Last year, in nearly 700 plate appearances, he managed only 51 walks. Combined with a sudden drop in his batting average(.279 to .238), he mustered a pathetic .295 OBP. A continued decline by him would hurt the Grizzlies' offense significantly. Speaking of free-swinging sluggers.... 30 year old shortstop Roy Chouinard hasn't met a pitch that he didn't want to send to the moon. Chouinard has 258 homeruns and a .521 career slugging percentage. He also has an uninspiring .304 career on base percentage. Last year, he managed only a .293 OBP. Grizzlies' fans will also get to watch left-fielder Britt Reid's quest for 500 homeruns this year. Reid begins the season with 486 career round-trippers, just 14 away from 500. The 38 year old managed only 15 last season, though he missed almost a month with a fractured hand. The Grizzlies enjoy one of the stronger rotations in the league, starting with Roy Kelemen. The 32 year old workhorse went 14-7 last year with a 2.58 ERA. Despite missing six weeks with an injury, and being limited to 24 starts, he still tossed 13 complete games. In the last seven years, he has failed to reach 10 complete games in a season only once; he threw 9 in 2080 when injuries limited him to 29 starts. Edgar Molina is another pitcher who sucks up productive innings. The 34 year old Molina has reached 280 innings pitched in two straight seasons, while throwing 23 complete games. He won the Cy Young Award in 2081, going 25-6 with a 3.37 ERA. Last year, he was 16-15 with a 3.47 ERA, and tossed 6 shutouts. 29 year old Jonathan Zinn could be a make or break factor for the Grizzlies. Five years ago, Zinn won the Cy Young Award, going 24-5 with a 3.72 ERA for the Grizzlies, and he went 4-0 in the playoffs for them as they reached, and lost, the World Series. Since that season, he has posted ERA's of 4.43, 4.96, 5.44, and 4.55. Zinn has excellent ability, but has struggled to put it all together. If he can do that, Memphis would have three top notch starting pitchers, and would be a very dangerous team indeed. One more starting pitcher deserves mention, and that is 23 year old Claudio DeHerrera. DeHerrera won the Rookie of the Year Award last year, going 12-9 with a 3.97 ERA in 31 starts. He could potentially give Memphis a fourth quality starter, something only a handful of teams in the league have. Jonah Alvarado provides the Grizzlies with a fine closer. The 26 year old saved 35 games last year, and posted a 3.69 ERA in 62 games. If he can improve his numbers against right-handed hitters(they slugged .474 with 10 homeruns against him last year) he could be one of the best closers in the game. 28 year old Constantino Garza provides that all-important #2 reliever for Memphis. Garza has a 3.58 ERA in 159 career games. Last year, he had a 3.53 ERA in 47 games, and posted a 56/9 K/BB ratio. As far as weaknesses go, Memphis doesn't really have any truly glaring holes. Rather, they have several players who are likely to be average, or a bit below average. These include: 35 year old first-baseman Melvin Nakamura, who had an .743 OPS last season; 27 year old center-fielder Anthony Benz, who had a .742 OPS last year; 30 year old right-fielder John Stutes, who had a .775 OPS last season; and 32 year old DH Tristan Straub, who had a .681 OPS last season. Predicted finish: 2nd Tucson Diamondbacks: 2082 Record: 96-66 Record over the last five seasons: 546-360 Payroll: $72,259,016 Payroll Rank: 9th Minor League Rank: 10th Once you get past the traditional powerhouses- Pittsburgh, Miami since the early 40's, and San Jose since the mid-50's- there are still a handful of teams that have had very consistent, very successful histories. Sacramento and Memphis are two great examples. A third great example has been the Tucson Diamondbacks. From the very beginning of this league, when Tucson won four consecutive division titles and reached two straight World Series(losing both), to the modern day team, which has won 99,97, and 95 games the last three seasons, reaching the playoffs each time, the Diamondbacks have been a model organization. Yes, they've had their down periods, but rarely will a decade go by without Tucson making an appearance in at least one World Series. The Diamondbacks reached in 2005 and 2006, and then had their longest drought, not reaching again until 2033. But after the '33 World Series, Tucson has reached in 2038, 2040, 2052, 2064, 2072, and 2080. The only area where Tucson has lacked success has been...well, actually winning those World Series. Though they have reached nine World Series, the Diamondbacks have come up victorious only one time: in 2038 against Pittsburgh. But if you are a Tucson fan, you can't be unhappy with a team that is nearly always relevant, nearly always a contender, and nearly always a threat to win it all(even if history has shown that they probably won't). This year is no exception, although the Diamondbacks were hit hard by some key free agent losses. Thomas Stallman remains the team's best hitter. The 29 year old first-baseman has a .923 career OPS and has 210 career homeruns. Stallman has also patiently drawn over 100 walks in three straight seasons, leading the league each time. Last year, he also led the league with a .428 OBP. Elmer Giancola returns as the Diamondbacks' second-baseman at the age of 38. Despite his age, Giancola remains a more than capable hitter and fielder, having put up an .884 OPS last season with 23 homeruns. Giancola has 419 career homeruns to his name, and an .888 career OPS. 26 year old Robin Vega is a potent bat at third base. He hit 35 homeruns in both 2080 and 2081, but injuries limited him to just 19 homeruns last year. Richard Billips was a very solid free agent addition to play right field. The 31 year old Billips has nice pop(42 doubles and 16 homeruns last year), a good batting eye(63 walks and a .364 OBP), is a threat on the basepaths(31 stolen bases), and an excellent fielder with a strong arm. Tucson's rotation lost some key members as free agents(Cleveland Lauria and Scott Council), so it'll be up to guys like Paul Reyes, William Bergan, and Peter Boughner to pick up the slack. The 25 year old Reyes is very talented, but has yet to take that big step forward. With nearly 1,000 innings pitched under his belt, he has just a 5.51 career ERA. He was solid last year with a 4.35 ERA and 207 strikeouts, so he does seem to be getting there, if perhaps not as quickly as Tucson would like. 30 year old William Bergan is just happy he's been able to stick with one team for more than a year. Originally drafted by Denver in 2076, he was traded two years later to Nashville, where he made his major league debut. After making 35 starts for the Predators over the '78 and '79 seasons, he was traded to Kansas City just before the start of the 2080 season. After a solid first half that put him into the All Star game, he was dealt to Portland. About a week later, however, the Royals reacquired Bergan, only to then trade him again at the trade deadline to Tucson. He has been with the Diamondbacks ever since, struggling through the 2081 season before bouncing back nicely last year, winning 16 games with a 4.56 ERA. Meanwhile, the crafty Boughner enjoyed another fine season. After going 22-3 with a 3.01 ERA in 2081, Boughner was 17-7 with a 3.85 ERA last year. Boughner won't overpower hitters, but he has done an excellent job at preventing runs from being scored. The Diamondbacks' pitching strength doesn't stop with the rotation. 33 year old closer Oren Yother has 80 saves the last two seasons, and in 592 career games, a respectable 4.33 ERA. Veteran reliever Pablo-not to be confused with Paul- Reyes, has a 3.66 ERA in 579 career games, and the 35 year old managed a brilliant 0.47 ERA last year, though he was limited to 20 games due to an injury. 24 year old William Winningham had an impressive debut last season, posting a sparkling 0.73 ERA in 12 appearances. If Winningham wasn't a fluke, Tucson will have itself a very tough bullpen. Tucson has one significant make or break factor, and that is 21 year old catcher Joseph Osborn. Osborn has tremendous talent, but despite destroying AAA pitching the last two seasons, he has yet to make a real impact at the big league level. In 128 career at bats, he has just a .725 OPS. He is expected to be Tucson's starting catcher this year, so he will definitely be somebody to watch as the season progresses. Predicted finish: 3rd __________________ 2081: Desperation in Denver