College Baseball

[batted balls]

UCLA Bruins
Manager: Art Reichle
Starting Rotation: Matt Young, Jim Parque, Glenn Mickens, Dave Schmidt, Bill Bonham
Closer: Jim York
Probable Lineup: Ron Roenicke, Rich Amaral, Jackie Robinson, Troy Glaus, Gail Hopkins, Todd Zeile, Shane Mack, Eric Byrnes, Mike Gallego
Top Prospects: Dave Roberts, Chris Chambliss
Did You Know? Jackie Robinson was All-American in football, led the conference in scoring in basketball and was also a track star. Baseball was considered his "worst" sport.

[cknox0723]

Nice stuff, bb. Glad to see you back in the forums, I miss your White Sox dynasty and Max Mercy very much. Liking the write-ups and I am looking forward to seeing this unique idea play out.

[batted balls]

Thanks, ckknox. I'm excited about this dynasty thread. Max Mercy, Jr. just may be a part of it. As for the White Sox dynasty, I'm still playing it but when the forum crashed I lost my desire to write about it. Maybe someday it will return. As for now, this college baseball thread will have to suffice.

[batted balls]

Folks, Mad Max is back! Those of you who read (or heard) about my demise were misinformed. I, Max Mercy, Jr., am back. And like James Bond, I'm better than ever. True, I no longer work in Chicago for that ragged tabloid on the South Side. Some say it was the column I wrote desecrating the names of Ditka, Jordan, Oprah and Wrigley Field. Others say Wild Bill Veeck had something to do with it. But, the truth of the matter is that I, Max Mercy, Jr., am too big to be read in just one city in America. That's why I'm going national with this new-fangled thing called the Internet. Some of you may have heard Al Gore put in his claim for inventing it. Well, let's just say a certain sportswriter who is well-known in the celebrity circles may have to dispute that . . .

Anywho, I'm assigning myself to this here All-America Baseball League that is setting out to let the top U.S. institutions of higher learning battle it out on the baseball diamond. Max has always had a keen interest in these universities (especially after seeing those sweater-clad gals from the University of Southern California on the gridiron sideline!). So, if you readers out there want to keep up on the latest of this 20-school, two-division league then look for my column. I'll keep you updated and educated.

This is Max Mercy, Jr. signing off . . .

P.S. Look for my predictions in my next column. You may want to visit Vegas after reading it!

[seth70liz76]

I was a huge fan of your White Sox dynasty; really looking forward to see how this one plays out!

[batted balls]

Max Mercy, Jr. here again, folks . . .

It's time for my fearless predictions for the brand-spanking new All-America Baseball League (and we all know ole Max doesn't fear anyone or anything despite what my doctors may say).

First off, the West is so much stronger than the East it reminds me of when my daddy took on that one-year wonder Roy Hobbs so many years ago . . . anyway, I digress. Here are Max Mercy, Jr.'s predictions for the 2006 season:

EAST
1. Ivy--The league mentors set this one up. After all, you've got to have at least one strong team in the East so why not combine all eight of the Ivy League schools into one team? Bart Giamanti will run the front office. Bob Siddon, the Ivy League's all-time winningest coach, will manage the club. The boys in the Big Apple and Bristol will love this one. This team has two Hall of Famers in Lou Gehrig and Eddie Collins. Its pitching staff is decent and its defense will be adequate.
2. Miami--"Here I Am Rock Me Like a Hurricane" Who says ole Max can't get his groove on? Ron Fraser's boys will combine sea, sun and sluggers to finish second. Danny Graves will provide them with a solid stopper.
3. Illinois--That Illini chief so many people are upset about will get his chance to dance on the mound. Tom Dedin's club has Fred Beebe and Carl Lundgren as its top two pitchers. Scott Spiezio and Lou Boudreau will lead the offensive warpath.
4. LSU--Skip Bertram may have the team of the future. Youngsters Paul Byrd and Albert Belle will hone their crafts in the minors while Todd Walker, Warren Morris and Joe Adcock hold down the big league fort.
5. Notre Dame--Pat Murphy has the perfect Irish name to lead this merry bunch. Cap Anson and Carl Yastrzemski will pound the horsehide. Ole Max and the jury are out on this pitching staff.
6. Michigan State--John Kobs may need some help from Sparty, the team mascot. Kirk Gibson, Steve Garvey and Robin Roberts are solid; Don Gross, Rob Ellis and Dick Billings aren't.
7. Mississippi State--Can you spell this team's home state? Well, let ole Max remind you that spell rhymes with smell. Sure, Ron Polk has Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro is his lineup. The question is, who are the rest of these bums?
8. Minnesota--Dick Siebert will be looking for a gopher hole to hide in once the season breaks. Dave Winfield may be an MVP candidate but don't expect much else.
9. Florida State--Certain gentlemen's publications ole Max receives in the post tell him Tallahassee is the nation's top party school. Let's hope Mike Martin is able to partake of a libation or two because his team will struggle.
10. Michigan--On the surface Don Lund's crew looks solid: Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Leon Roberts, George Sisler, Fleet Walker . . . ole Max says, "Hail to the Victims."

WEST
1. USC--Rod Dedeaux and ole Max go way back. This team is loaded. Look at its starting rotation: Prior, Seaver, Zito, Busby and Barr. Heck, lefty Bill Lee didn't even break camp with the big club. Look at the lineup: Buford, Berardino, Lynn, McGwire, Kemp, Kingman, Brideweser, Fairly, Moeller. This team's bullpen could start for some clubs in this league; its bench and minor league teams could supply front-line players for others. Take it from Max, these Trojans won't burst.
2. Arizona State--Bobby Winkles must wonder why he ever left Tempe for the bright lights of big city baseball. The Sun Devils possess three top-flight pitchers in Craig Swan, Gary Gentry and Floyd Bannister. Pat Listach and Mike Devereaux will set the table for boppers Bob Horner and Reggie Jackson. Too bad this team is in the same division as USC.
3. Texas--Cliff Gustafson's Longhorns would give Ivy U a run for its money in the East. But in the West, third is where this team will wind up. The starters are a strong bunch (Clemens, Ruffin, Schiraldi, Cook and Hughson). The lineup, however, lacks the potent power of USC and Arizona State. Team defense is also a concern.
4. Arizona--The second best team in the state is fourth best in the division. Jerry Kindall's Wildcats have Trevor Hoffman as their closer. With anchors Kenny Lofton and prospect Brian Anderson in the outfield and J.T. Snow at first, Arizona is strong defensively.
5. UCLA--Jackie Robinson may be the most exciting player in the league. Troy Glaus and Todd Zeile will hit the ball far and hard. But the pitching staff? Matt Young? Bill Bonham? Glenn Mickens? Dave Schmidt? Jim Parque? Parque? That reminds Max of the floor at the old Boston Garden. These five starters are no match for those fabulous Celtics starting five. Poor Art Reichle. He might not be able to spell UCLA by season's end.
6. Cal--Ole Max has been to Berkeley. Manager Clint Evans might want to check to see what's in the air when he sends this team onto the diamond. The pitching staff is thinner than a tie-dyed shirt. The offense may have Jeff Kent but it also has Geoff Blum. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
7. Oklahoma State--On paper Gary Ward's team should be higher in the standings. The Cowboys have Allie "Super Chief" Reynolds, Joe Horlen, Pete Incaviglia, Mickey Tettleton and Robin Ventura. Yet, trust Max on this one; these cowboys will be ridin' a lot of losing streaks.
8. San Diego State--So Tony Gwynn is going to be the league's lone player-manager?! The good news is that he can pencil himself into the lineup alongside Mark Grace and Travis Lee. The bad news is he can't pitch and neither can his teammates.
9. Cal State Fullerton--Augie Garrido has also coached at Illinois and Texas. Yet, he made his name here. Too bad he couldn't bring more talent with him. Jeff Robinson is the Titans' No. 1 pitcher? Mike Lamb is slated to bat in the No. 3 slot? By season's end, it will be the Cal State Fullerton Titanics.
10. Stanford--Yeah, Max knows Mark Marquess won back-to-back national titles. Yeah, Max knows Mike Mussina, Jim Lonborg and Jack McDowell have pretty good arms. But look at this lineup: Stanicek, Sprague, Hovley, Buechele, Bob Boone, Aldrete, Essegian, Amaro, Duffy. Marquess does have football Hall of Famer Ernie Nevers on his roster. That's great news: Somebody knows how to punt.

National Championship Series: USC over Ivy in five. You heard it here first!


This is Max Mercy, Jr. signing off . . . see you at the ballyard.

[batted balls]

All-American Baseball League Schedule
Michigan State at Minnesota
Michigan at Miami
Illinois at Florida State
LSU at Ivy
San Diego State at Oklahoma State
Mississippi State at Notre Dame
Cal State Fullerton at Cal
Arizona State at Arizona
USC at Stanford
Texas at UCLA

[seth70liz76]

Hail to the Orange, Hail to the Blue!

Go Illini!

[batted balls]

Opening Day of the college baseball season is in the books:

Illinois 3, Florida State 1
Fred Beebe throws five-hit ball over 8.2 innings as Hoot Evers goes 3-for-4 with a home run to pace the Illini.

Notre Dame 2, Mississippi State 0
Ed Reulbach scatters eight hits over 8.1 innings for the Irish. Billy Reed and Carl Yastrzemski knock in the Notre Dame runs.

Ivy 4, LSU 2
Pete Broberg earns the victory with eight innings of five-hit, 10-strikeout work. Lou Gehrig goes 2-for-4 and Brad Ausmus hits a solo homer for the Eagles.

Michigan State 5, Minnesota 3 (13 innings)
Steve Garvey collected 4 hits in 7 at-bats and won this extra-inning thriller with a two-run double in the 13th inning.

Miami 9, Michigan 2
John Fulgham picked up the win as Greg Vaughan has two hits and three RBIs.

Arizona State 9, Arizona 0
Craig Swan cruised to the easy victory as Bump Wills drove home five runs on two hits. Bob Horner and Rick Monday were each 3-for-4. Horner and Duffy Dyer hit home runs.

Cal 2, Cal State Fullerton 1
Cal starter Orval Overall left the game in the first inning with a sore shoulder. Tyler Walker ended up earning the victory as Rod Booker tripled in the winning run in the eighth for the Golden Bears. Aaron Harang pitched seven solid innings for the Titans. Reliever Mike Schooler took the loss.

Texas 8, UCLA 2
Roger Clemens tossed five-hit ball over 7.2 innings while Dave Chalk, Ron Gardenhire and Brooks Kieschnick all had three hits as the Longhorns rolled. Rich Amaral led the Bruins with three hits.

Oklahoma State 6, San Diego State 5
Oklahoma State rallied from a 5-2 deficit by scoring three runs in the eighth and the game-winner in ninth on a Gary Green single. Chris Richards went 3-for-3 with a home run. Pete Incaviglia also homered for the Cowboys.

USC 9, Stanford 2
The Trojans backed starter Mark Prior with a strong offensive showing. Fred Lynn (4-for-5), Steve Kemp (3-for-4), John Berardino (3-for-6) and Chad Moeller all homered. Prior allowed just four hits and struck out nine in 7.1 innings.

[batted balls]

Warren Morris of LSU and Bob Horner of Arizona State were named Players of the Week by the All-American Baseball League.

Morris (shown below) was the East selection. Morris batted .474 with one home run and six RBIs for the season's first week. The Tigers' second baseman slugged .947, including a five-hit against the Ivy Eagles.

"It's great to be honored by the league, but there's a long way to go this season," Morris said.

Meanwhile, Horner was selected at the West's Player of the Week. He batted .438 with an Opening Day home run. Horner drove home four runs in week one.

"There are a number of players who could have been picked," Horner said. "The important thing right now is that we've winning."

Horner and the Sun Devils are tied for first place in the West with Oklahoma State and Texas. All three teams are 4-0.

Illinois and Ivy are tied for the East lead with 3-1 records.

[batted balls]

Mark McGwire of USC has gone on a home run tear as the All-American Baseball League enters the middle of April. The 6-foot-5 first baseman has hit a league-leading eight home runs in just 10 games to earn East Player of the Week honors.

"I've been in a groove that's for sure," McGwire said. "The ball has been flying off my bat."

McGwire, in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak, also leads the AABL in runs (11) and RBIs (13). He is hitting .391.

USC, however, is just 5-5. The Trojans are sixth in the 10-team West division. Arizona State and Stanford, 7-3, are tied for the lead.

Rube Novotney of Illinois was named the East Player of the Week. He hit .440 with eight RBIs as the Illini continued to top the division with a 7-3 record. Hoot Evers, Novotney's teammate, is second to Notre Dame's Cap Anson (.514) with a .475 average.

"We've gotten solid pitching and timely hitting," said Tom Dedin, the Illinois manager. "Rube has been a pleasant surprise."

Diamond Notes: Mark Prior of USC (shown below) leads the league with 27 strikeouts in 19 innings . . . Mark Grace of San Diego State leads the West with a .474 average and owns an eight-game hitting streak . . . Miami's Orlando Palmeiro has hit in all 10 Hurricane games this season. He has 11 RBIs as well . . . Stanford's Steve Chitren's five saves top the league leaders . . . LSU's Keith Osik was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed groin muscle. Albert Belle was brought up from the minors.

Stat of the Week: USC's Mark Prior is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA. The rest of the Trojan pitching staff is 2-5 with a 5.34 ERA.

Standings
East
Illinois 7-3
Florida State 6-4
Michigan State 6-4
Mississippi State 6-4
Ivy 5-5
Miami 5-5
Michigan 5-5
Notre Dame 4-6
LSU 3-7
Minnesota 3-7
West
Arizona State 7-3
Stanford 7-3
Cal State Fullerton 6-4
Oklahoma State 6-4
Texas 6-4
USC 5-5
Cal 4-6
San Diego State 4-6
Arizona 3-7
UCLA 2-8

[batted balls]

April 22, 2006

TEMPE, Ariz.--Stabilized by strong starting pitching, Arizona State continues to lead the West Divison of the All-American Baseball League.

The Sun Devils, 12-4, lead second-place Texas by one game. Arizona State, winners of four straight games, sport the league's best team ERA (2.51).

"Our starters, particularly our top three, have done a wonderful job so far," Sun Devil manager Bobby Winkles said.

Right-handers Craig Swan (2-0, 3.55 ERA) and Gary Gentry (1-1, 3.27 ERA), along with lefty Floyd Bannister (3-0, 1.26 ERA) have led the way.

"Banny (shown below) has been virtually unhittable in his last two outings," Winkles said. "His fastball has been outstanding."

Texas, 11-5, has also enjoyed the benefit of strong pitching. The Longhorns are an incredible 7-3 in road games. Starters Tex Hughson, Calvin Schiraldi and Bruce Ruffin are all 2-0. Closer Huston Street is 5-for-6 in save opportunities.

Meanwhile, USC has won five straight games to climb its way into third place. The Trojans are 10-6. USC took two of three games in a series with Arizona State. Starter Mark Prior is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA. The hard-throwing right-hander has struck out 34 batters in 26.1 innings. First baseman Mark McGwire continues to tear up league pitching. McGwire is batting .373 with a league-leading 12 homers and 22 RBIs.

Diamond Notes: McGwire was named West Player of the Week for the second straight time. He already has five two-home run games this season . . . Mark Grace of San Diego State leads the league in hitting with a .407 average . . . Jackie Robinson of UCLA has struggled in the early going. Splitting time between first base and designated hitter, Robinson is batting a paltry .258 with no home runs and just one stolen base.

Stat of the Week: McGwire has outhomered 11 teams in the All-American Baseball League.

Standings
West
Arizona State 12-4
Texas 11-5
Southern Cal 10-6
Cal State Fullerton 9-7
Oklahoma State 8-8
Stanford 8-8
Cal 7-9
San Diego State 6-10
UCLA 5-11
Arizona 4-12

[batted balls]

April 22, 2006

Starkville, Miss.--Led by the torrid hitting of first baseman Will Clark, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have forged their way into a first-place tie in the East division of the All-American Baseball League.

Mississippi State has won three straight games to improve its record to 11-5, tying the Bulldogs with Illinois for first place.

"We've hit the ball pretty hard lately," said Mississippi State manager Ron Polk (shown below). "Will Clark has been a leader on and off the field for us."

Clark has raised his average to .339. The left-handed slugger has three home runs and 14 RBIs. The Bulldogs own the league's second-best team average (.288).

Illinois, meanwhile, continues to get solid play out of catcher Rube Novotney, outfielder Hoot Evers and short stop Lou Boudreau. Novotney, last week's East Player of the Week, is batting .321 with 10 RBIs. Evers is hitting at a .361 clip while Boudreau leads the Illini with 13 RBIs. The trio each has three home runs.

Miami holds down third place. The Hurricanes have been led offensively by Orlando Palmeiro. The outfielder has hit in all 16 games this season. Palmeiro is batting .369. Right-hander John Fulgham is 4-0 with a 2.56 ERA.


Diamond Notes: Joe Adcock of LSU was the East Player of the Week. The first baseman hit .462 and drove in nine runs during that span . . . Florida State catcher Terry Kennedy has taken over the batting race at .396; Notre Dame's Cap Anson is second at .385 . . . Ivy and Michigan are both in the midst of three-game losing streaks.

Stat of the Week: LSU's Joe Adcock enjoyed a 4-for-5 night in a 10-9 win over Mississippi State. Adcock homered twice and drove in eight runs.

Standings
East
Illinois 11-5
Mississippi State 11-5
Miami 10-6
Florida State 8-8
Ivy 8-8
Michigan 8-8
Michigan State 8-8
Notre Dame 6-10
LSU 5-11
Minnesota 5-11

[seth70liz76]

I'm a bit surprised by the Illini's showing in this. The Orange and Blue really haven't had much of a baseball history outside The Good Kid and Darrin Fletcher.

[batted balls]

Seth,

I'm also surprised by Illinois. Their pitching has been good. Another factor has been the success of a player like Rube Novotney. Normally in any league I run a player like Novotney (only appeared in something like 41 career games) would not be on a roster. Since I wanted as many players on a roster as I could get for each school, I needed to make allowances. Also, the beauty of Out of the Park is the "What If?" factor. Hope you continue he to enjoy following the league.

[jeheinz72]

C'mon Stanford and also Mississippi State (Because of Will the Thrill)

[ifspuds]

I'm going to have to root for one of the non-Pac 10 teams in the west, since my Oregon State Beavers don't have nearly enough major league alumni to be a part of the league and I can't possibly root for their rivals.

This is a fun idea, and I'm enjoying following even if I don't have a specific team to root for.

[Green Caesar]

Being a Spartan Alum ... I was wondering why no Mulder on your pitching staff?

Looking forward to keeping an eye on this dynasty ... good stuff.

[batted balls]

Green Caesar,

Mark Mulder is in the Michigan State farm system (determined by the computer). He may be a call-up later this season. Keep following the Spartans!

[batted balls]

May 1, 2006

Riding the crest of a six-game winning streak, the Ivy Eagles have flown into a first-place tie with Miami at the top of the East standings.

"We've finally put things all together," said third baseman Red Rolfe. "We're getting our hitting, pitching, defense and baserunning all going at the same time."

Ivy, winners of nine of its last 10, holds a 17-10 record. Miami, also 17-10, has lost three straight after a seven-game winning string that saw the Hurricanes alone in first place for two days.

"We've hit a bit of a skid, but we're still in a great position," said Miami manager Ron Fraser.

Illinois, 16-11, is third. The Fighting Illini are one game behind Ivy and Miami.

East Standings
Ivy 17-10 --
Miami 17-10 --
Illinois 16-11 1
Michigan 15-12 2
Florida State 14-13 3
Mississippi State 14-13 3
Notre Dame 14-13 3
Michigan State 12-15 5
Louisiana State 8-19 9
Minnesota 8-19 9

Player of the Week: Lary Sorensen, Michigan (shown below)
Player of the Month: Will Clark, Mississippi State
Pitcher of the Month: Carl Lundgren, Illinois
Stat of the Week: Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark of Mississippi State are a combined 20-for-their-last-40.

Team-by-Team April Review
Ivy: The Eagles' offense has awoken. First baseman Lou Gehrig has raised his average to .347 to go along with four home runs and 24 RBIs. Gehrig even surprisingly leads the league with four stolen bases. Catcher Brad Ausmus is batting .299 with five homers and 14 RBIs. Third baseman Red Rolfe has 19 RBIs. Pete Broberg (4-1) and Jim Beattie (3-1) lead the pitching staff.
Miami: Starters John Fulgham (5-1) and Neal Heaton (3-0) anchor a solid group of pitchers. Orlando Palmeiro (.367-2-19) continues to spark the offense. Catcher Jorge Fabergas (.367-3-15) is also a Hurricane force.
Illinois: Pitcher-of-the-Month Carl Lundgren (4-1, 1.85 ERA) has dominated the East. Right-hander Jeff Innis is the East leader with 37 strikeouts. Short stop Lou Boudreau (.308-3-17) and outfielder Don Lenhardt (.299-4-10) have provided the offense. Right fielder George Halas, in the midst of a 1-for-17 slump, is batting just .190. Catcher Rube Novotney also appears to be cooling off. His average has dropped from .321 to .295 in the past week.
Michigan: Lary Sorensen (3-1) has developed into the most reliable starter while short stop Barry Larkin (.336-3-13) is the leader of the Wolverine offense. Catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker (.313-2-17) suffered a season-ending knee injury. Mike Matheny and Bill Freehan will share the catching duties. Reliever Steve Howe leads the East with eight saves.
Florida State: Craig Skok (six saves, 1.64 ERA) has replaced Mac Scarce (one save, 1.64 ERA) as the Seminoles' stopper. Catcher Terry Kennedy is second in East hitting at .379. Jody Reed (.295-3-12) adds further pop to the offense.
Mississippi State: Rafael Palmeiro (.330-2-20) and Will Clark (.357-5-22) have been the mainstays of the Bulldog offense. Manager Ron Polk has moved closer Ken Tatum to a starting role in attempt to shore up the Mississippi State staff. Minor-league call-up Bobby Thigpen (two saves, 1.93 ERA) has taken over as stopper.
Notre Dame: Cap Anson leads the East with a sizzling .408 average. Outfielder Carl Yastrzemski (.302-3-16) adds to the Irish attack. Starter Norwood Gibson (4-1, 2.12 ERA) is the ace of the staff. Notre Dame's defense has the lowest fielding percentage (.968) and has committed the most errors (36).
Michigan State: Steve Garvey (.330-1-12) and Rick Miller (.306-3-17) have been strong offensively; Kirk Gibson (.160-0-3) has been disappointing. Closer Dick Radatz (six saves, 1.93 ERA) has struck out 12 batters in just nine innings of work. Mark Mulder has been brought up from the minors. After two bullpen appearances, the promising left-hander is scheduled to move into the starting rotation.
Louisiana State: Manager Skip Bertram has replaced disappointing starters Eric Hetzel (0-6, 6.68 ERA) and Mike Sirotka (0-4, 4.36 ERA) with Paul Byrd and Ben McDonald in hopes of kick-starting the slumping Tigers. Joe Adcock (.320-3-15) remains the offense's most consistent performer. After a hot start, second baseman Warren Morris has seen his average dip to .237 with four home runs and 16 RBIs.
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers are hitting just .237 as a team. Brent Gates is the only starter (.291) near a .300 average. Dave Winfield (.268-4-15) and Paul Molitor (.265-1-10) need to ignite for Minnesota to rise in the standings.