2081: Desperation in Denver

[jamus23]

2083 Offseason Preview: Free Agents, Part Five: Pitchers
Al Vincent
Staff Writer


Starting Pitchers:

A pair of former Tucson pitchers lead the field this offseason. Scott Council enjoyed a breakout season last year, going 21-8 with a 3.29 ERA, 188 strikeouts, and a 1.18 WHIP. The 30 year old Council has basically no weaknesses to his game.

Meanwhile, 34 year old Cleveland Lauria is coming off of a bit of down season. Lauria was 19-15 with a 4.16 ERA, 213 strikeouts, and 1.02 WHIP. His career ERA and WHIP are 3.99 and 1.01, respectively. Lauria is two wins away from 200 for his career.

What kind of deal Vicente Caruso gets should be interesting. On the one hand, the former Phoenix pitcher is 37 years old, an injury risk, and has an okay, but hardly exceptional career ERA of 4.28. On the other hand, he is coming off of the best season of his career. It was a season that saw him win 17 games with a 2.96 ERA, 202 strikeouts, and 0.99 WHIP. Will teams view last season as somewhat of a fluke and shy away from giving him a big contract? Or will a team close to a championship roll the dice, give him a bunch of money, and hope that he can repeat those numbers and lead them to glory?

There are a few other mildly interesting names among the starting pitchers. George Lasseter seems to have the raw talent to be a good starter, but his career ERA of 5.66 doesn't show that. Last year, while with San Diego and Hartford, the 31 year old pitcher posted a 5.17 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP while striking out 193 batters.

Former Sacramento pitcher George Molina has 205 career wins, a respectable 4.07 career ERA, and a solid 1.28 career WHIP. At 37 years of age, though, one has to wonder how much he has left. Last season, he posted an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.51. Was that the beginning of the end for him?

28 year old Benjamin Guertin has struggled to keep a spot in the rotation, despite putting up decent numbers. For his career, Guertin has an ERA of 4.67 and a WHIP of 1.48. Last year, however, Portland used him exclusively out of the bullpen. He made 25 appearances, all in relief, and had an ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.76. A team looking for a cheap option at the back of the rotation might be pleasantly surprised.


In truth, the Broncos won't be looking at starting pitchers this offseason. With Ray Lockridge, Kenny Pillsbury, Robert McNett, Christopher Kirk, and George Buentello, plus James Myatt down at AAA, John Mounts feels that he has put together a rotation that rivals any team in the league in terms of both quality and depth. Additionally, this group of pitchers is relatively young, so it should be a few years before Mounts has to think about replacing any of them.

Relievers:

There aren't many exceptional relievers on the market this offseason, but 33 year old Mitchell Larson might be one of the better ones. Larson, formerly of Charlotte, made 54 appearances last season, saved 29 games(for a team that only won 65), posted an ERA of 3.30, and had a 1.13 WHIP.

Former Green Bay reliever Michael Leto is somewhat erratic- see his 4.45 ERA last season- but the 30 year old still saved 30 games and had a respectable 1.25 WHIP.

Victor Jones is death to left-handed hitters, and generally keeps the ball in the park. However, the 29 year old, ex-Harrisburg reliever does struggle against right-handed hitters. He posted a 4.36 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP in 64 games last year.

33 year old Todd Carpenter managed a 4.81 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP in 64 games last year for New Jersey and Portland.

And surprisingly, former Bronco Steven Andrade might be one of the more attractive relievers available this offseason, even at the age of 37. Andrade had a 5.62 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP in 30 games last year for Denver.

Given the scarcity of quality relievers in free agency, it is highly unlikely that Mounts commits any of his resources to any of these pitchers. Instead, if the Broncos are looking for relief pitchers, it is likely that they turn to internal options such as Larry Waltz and Omar Lopez.

And that completes the free agency preview. Things are about get very exciting for Denver as they attempt to fill several openings this offseason: backup catcher, 2B, 3B, DH, and maybe middle relief. Will they sign any free agents? Make some trades? Gamble with internal options? Stay tuned!

[jamus23]

Recapping Free Agency
March 1, 2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Broncos fans may be wondering just what exactly general manager John Mounts has in mind. Despite having openings at second base, third base, designated hitter, and backup catcher, Denver seemingly addressed only one of those needs during the free agent signing period. Veteran catcher Greg Lauritsen was signed to a one year deal that will pay him $800,000 in 2083. The 34 year old Lauristen, who has played for Pittsburgh, Rochester, San Jose, Grand Rapids, and Sacramento in his career, is a lifetime .221/.280/.341/.621 hitter, with 16 career homeruns in 643 at bats. He is considered an average defensive catcher.

Although Mounts said that he had been in contact with former Broncos' second-baseman Tomas Sato, the two sides were unable to come to an agreement, and Sato signed a four year deal with Buffalo worth $1.8 million per season. It is not believed that Mounts and former third-baseman Joseph Swayze had any communications. Swayze signed a four year deal with Sacramento for a surprisingly low $881,400.

Besides Lauritsen, the only other free agents that the Broncos acquired were signed to minor league contracts. Centerfielder Jorge Gonzalez and shortstop Efrain Ashlock were with the Broncos last season and aren't expected to contribute much beyond perhaps token September cups of coffee. Second-baseman German Leal, however, may be another story. If the Broncos decide to make Jack Rumfelt the starting second-baseman, and all indications are leaning in that direction, then the 30 year old Leal may get an opportunity to platoon with the left-handed hitting Rumfelt. Leal has 533 career at bats and has batted a respectable .266/.299/.424/.723 with 17 homeruns. Leal has a bit of pop, decent contact skills, and is a smart baserunner(22 steals in 30 attempts at the big league level). He is not very good defensively, however.

Despite the acquisitions of Lauritsen and Leal, there remains doubt about what the Broncos intend to do about third base and designated hitter. Michael Phillips may get a shot at third, but there is simply no one in the organization available to play DH. At this point, as the team prepares for the draft and the beginning of spring training, a trade is almost inevitable. The question is, who might the Broncos trade for, and who will they give up?

To switch gears a bit, Tomas Sato and Joseph Swayze were not the only ex-Broncos to sign with new teams this offseason. Former deisgnated hitter Mark Bakke, who considered retirement, wound up signing a one year deal with Green Bay for $421,400. Former utility man Patrick Chason signed with Kansas City for two years. The deal is worth $402,500 per year. Outfielder Michael Stennis signed a one year deal worth $410,400 with Charlotte. Veteran relief pitcher Steven Andrade signed with Hartford on a two year deal worth $799,200 per year. Former catchers Michael Grace and Gary Kibby both signed minor league deals with Los Angeles.

And now, it is time to hand out grades to each team for their free agency performances:

A+

Only the Hartford Whalers earned the highest possible grade. Hartford acquired perhaps the best hitter on the market, shortstop Ralph Jennings, and locked him up for seven years at more than $8.6 million per. For an in-his-prime star, that's an excellent deal. But the Whalers didn't stop there. They snagged probably the two best relievers on the market in Mitchell Larson and Michael Leto, and bolstered team depth with some very solid signings in 3B Don Guan, 2B Marion Hotchkiss, 3B Daniel Briese, and RF Larry Romanowski. But they didn't stop with those players, either. Veteran second-baseman Lucas Bustamante was dealt to Kansas City for 28 year old starting pitcher Edward Chambliss and a pitching prospect, and the newly acquired Guan was immediately flipped to Portland for 27 year old starting pitcher Bill Leatherman. In one offseason, the Whalers added a major young star, improved their position player depth, acquired two relatively young starting pitchers, and bolstered their bullpen. For a team that missed the playoffs by two games last year, this offseason could put them over the top.


A

Of course, the team that just beat out Hartford for a playoff spot last year might have something to say about that. The Buffalo Bills had themselves a nice offseason as well. The Bills signed first-baseman Carter Vanderhoof to a four year deal worth more than $4.8 million per year. They also added second-basemen Antonio Cortines, Tomas Sato, and Ciro Joubert. At first glance, adding three players at the same position seems odd, but it's really not as strange as it looks. Joubert fits better as a supersub, and a pretty good one. Cortines is coming back from an injury, so it's unclear how he'll perform. A Sato/Cortines platoon would work very well, and Sato can be moved around a bit, too, if need be.

Both Hartford and Buffalo will likely be looking up at Pittsburgh in the Northeast this year. Despite plenty of resources, the Pirates have tended to eschew free agency in favor of developing through the draft and astute trading. But when ace starting pitcher Scott Council unexpectedly drew little interest from teams, the Pirates swooped in and signed him to a very reasonable deal of $7 million per year for four years. The addition of Council makes an already formidable rotation a very scary one.

It seems that the Northeast Division as a whole had a very strong offseason. Rochester joins its division partners by getting a good grade, as well. The Rhinos jumped on the young slugger, RF Gustavo Manrique, and signed him to a four year deal worth over $5 million per year. They also added starting pitcher George Lasseter for four years and more than $3 million per year, and left-fielder John Schenk.

The Washington Senators get the final "A". Washington shelled out over $10 million per year to sign SP Cleveland Lauria to a four year deal. The Senators also added catcher Man Merino, signing him to three year deal worth over $3 million per year.


B+

Atlanta gets the only B+. The Braves signed RF Flavio Trujillo to a six year deal worth more than $9.6 milion per year. That was good. But they also signed 3B Andrew Francis to a four year deal worth more than $3 million per year. The amount there wasn't excessively bad, though it wasn't great, but four years seems rather ridiculous for the 35 year old Francis- especially when the Braves already have Raymond Stair to play third base. Definitely a questionable signing. Another dubious decision was to give RF Carl Gray a four year deal. Gray has been a servicable player the last few years with San Diego, but four years seems absurd.

B

Grand Rapids had two nice signings. First, starting pitcher Vicente Caruso signed a two year deal worth more than $7.3 million per year. Given his age and potential for injury, a two year deal isn't too bad for the 37 year old left-hander. Second, the Tigers signed catcher Ramon Martinez to a four year deal worth more than $3 million per year. This one is somewhat surprising, as the Tigers already have the talented 22 year old, Lucien Lum, to play catcher, but Lum is a bit injury prone, so this should provide Grand Rapids with some strong depth and insurance. If the Tigers can fit both into the lineup, that would be good, too.

Nashville had one big signing, adding catcher Daniel Lane. Lane received a 6 year deal worth more than $8.3 million per year. The only thing keeping the Predators from a higher grade is that they also inexplicably gave the 36 year old 2B Cristian Zarzuela a three year deal. Additionally, not making an attempt to bolster their rotation could come back to haunt them. Mose Urick carried Nashville into the playoffs last year, just barely. Can he do it again?

It seems odd to give New Jersey a high grade, but despite the Devils' awful record last season, their only truly gaping holes were at shortstop and in the bullpen. Their remaining positions either had solid players or young players that the Devils were getting a look at. New Jersey went out and addressed the shortstop need, signing Brian Hall to a four year deal worth $2.2 million per year. They didn't do much besides that, but it's not easy to be a player in free agency when you were the worst team in baseball the previous season.

Portland's offseason was interesting. The Trailblazers made only one big money signing, and it may have been one of the worst contracts doled out. For some unknown reason, Portland handed 32 year old starting pitcher Norman Dale a three year deal worth more than $4.1 million per year. That's the Norman Dale of the 7.38 career ERA. That's the Norman Dale who was 6-20 with an 8.55 ERA two years ago while playing for Grand Rapids. Aside from that baffling contract, Portland made a number of astute, solid, small money signings: 3B Fred Elliott, C Howard Bevers, 2B Aaron Palacios, 3B Aaron Buchanon, SP Jose Padula, C Andrea Burkley, LF Bryan Carley. They also picked up 3B Don Guan in the trade with Hartford.

Sacramento nabbed first-baseman Nestor Adrover, signing him to a three year deal worth more than $6.1 million per year. The Kings also added 3B Joseph Swaye for a pretty reasonable amount.

C+

Knoxville wasn't particularly active, but they did bring back shortstop Joseph Bailey, who has played the last three seasons with the 79ers, on a 3 year deal worth about $6.6 million per year.

On the one hand, Tucson brought back 2B Elmer Giancola on a one year deal worth about $4.5 million, added RF Richard Billips on a three year deal worth $5.3 million per year, and made some potentially solid signings of guys like SP George Molina, SP Benjamin Guertin, and 3B Charles Troutt. They even engaged in a multi-player trade with Charlotte, picking up outfielders Danny Guzman and Jonathan Constantino in exchange for infielders John McQuillen and Randall Bowen. On the other hand, the Diamondbacks lost two premiere starting pitchers in Cleveland Lauria and Scott Council, and did not adequately replace them. No, giving Pedro Pedilla of the 5.25 career ERA $1.4 million over four years doesn't count as "adequately replacing" anybody. Lauria and Council were two key components that kept Tucson near the top of the Central Division. With them gone, can the Diamondbacks remain competitive?

C

Assigning Denver a grade is a bit difficult, but a "C" seems reasonable. The Broncos did address their backup catcher need, but have done little else. They might be able to get by with what they already have to fill second base and third base, but that question mark at designated hitter lingers.

Kansas City didn't do much this offseason, but the Royals did pick up a couple of solid bench options in 3B Patrick Chason and LF Ronald Coughlan.

Memphis acquired CF Tristan Straub and 1B Mark Soderlund. Solid, if unspectacular, moves.

C-

Charlotte didn't do much in free agency, adding outfielders Michael Stennis and Derek Moos, but the Panthers did make that trade with Tucson. McQuillen and Bowen do bolster a weak infield, and dumping Danny Guzman's contract wasn't a bad move for a team in Charlotte's financial position. But one wonders why they also gave up the 26 year old Constantino, who is a talented young player seemingly on the verge of breaking out.

The Green Bay Packers are a mess of an organizations, which obviously makes it difficult to improve much in free agency, but still. The Packers signed a 38 year old Mark Bakke, and that's about it. Could things be more unexciting in Green Bay?

The same question can be asked about Phoenix, whose only signing of any note was of SP John Marcil, he of the 6.12 career ERA. And on a tangent, a better question to ask might be: Why have the 2064 expansion teams been so awful? All four(Phoenix, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Green Bay) lost at least 90 games last year, and none have really seen any sustained success at any point. Almost 20 years after coming into being, it seems that they should at least be competitive occasionally.


D

Harrisburg's offseason might have been even more dull than the previous teams. The Capitals' only signings were a bunch of middling players on minor league contracts. I suppose the bright side is that now Harrisburg has some decent relief pitching depth.

While the Capitals cornered the market on mediocre relief pitchers, Los Angeles was doing the same thing for middling catchers, grabbing the likes of Michael Grace and Gary Kibby, as well as a few others. At least in the Dodgers' case, they have a pretty talented team, so people can dismiss this as a silly obsession while the Dodgers likely finish with a winning record.

F

There is only one "F" awarded, and it may come as a surprise. Or maybe not, since they are the only team left. Do the defending West Division champions, the San Jose Sharks, deserve an "F"? Well, the Sharks' starting rotation has gradually been devolving into mediocrity, and in this free agent period, there were three premiere starting pitchers on the market. San Jose always has plenty of money to spend, so it seems inexplicable that no attempt was made at any of Lauria, Council, or Caruso. So they get an F for having the ability and the opportunity to address an obvious need and seemingly ignoring it.


Incomplete

San Diego and Miami both receive grades of "incomplete". Amazingly enough, the two defending league champions did not make any free agent signings whatsoever. Is that hubris?

[jamus23]

Alex Castilleja:

When one sims a league for many seasons, and at times, speeds through those seasons fairly rapidly, only concentrating on whatever team(or teams) one happens to control, it is very easy to miss things that are going on in the league as a whole. Sometimes you miss how good a particular player on another team really is. You might not notice when another team has an impressive run of success, or failure, over several years. A period of increased offense might not get noticed, and likewise, an era of depressed offense. Only when taking a closer look at the history of the league does one begin to notice these interesting little details. In particular, these Hall of Fame bios have forced me to that. They have forced me to examine almost every team in the league and what they were doing during various periods. They have forced me to notice a number of players that I hadn't really paid much attention to- and I'm not referring just to the Hall of Famers, either. To be honest, they have taught me quite a bit about my own league. The reason I bring this up is that I was recently examining the remainder of the "Group Four" Hall of Famers, and I noticed something interesting. This particular group of players happens to have a significant number of pitchers in it, compared to the previous group and, especially, the next group, in which there are no pitchers at all. If you recall, this group began with Manuel Reno, and I recently talked about Hector Soriano. The remainder of the group contains four more pitchers, starting with Alex Castilleja.

The history of the Rochester Rhinos can best be described as "frustrating." Rochester has consistently been at least decent, and sometimes quite good, throughout the history of this league, and yet they have long been second fiddle to Pittsburgh within the NL Northeast Division. In the early '30, however, there arose a player who the Rhinos hoped would lead them in an overthrow of the ruling Pirates. In the 2032 amateur draft, Rochester selected Alex Castilleja number eight overall. The promising 20 year old was assigned to AA to begin his career, and he quickly impressed, posting a 3.76 ERA in 21 starts, while whiffing 163 batters in 153 1/3 innings pitched. He was occasionally wild, as he walked 82 batters, but clearly, his stuff was electric. In late June, Castilleja was promoted to the big leagues. He made a pair of starts in July, but got knocked around for 7 runs in 12 innings. He also walked 10 batters. In mid-July, Rochester acquired another young pitcher with electric stuff, Vo-Gan Namboku, and Castilleja was sent back to AA. When veteran starter Leo Fronteras was lost for the season with an injury at the end of August, Castilleja would get another chance in the bigs. He made one start in August, and was effective, pitching 7 1/3 innings with one, unearned, run allowed. Down the stretch, however, he made 5 appearance, including 3 starts, and got absolutely lit up. He got torched for 28 runs, 25 of them earned, in just 18 1/3 innings, and he walked 22 batters. Rochester, meanwhile, were victims of the division-winners-only playoff format. Despite winning 93 games, the Rhinos finished a distant second to Pittsburgh, and then had to watch a 79-win Sacramento team squeak out a division win in the West.

The '33 season began with the Rhinos appearing to not know what to do with Castilleja. He was jerked around from AA to AAA and the majors several times over the first month or so. He made one strong start at AA, one ineffective start at AAA, and 21 dreadful relief appearances in April and May. In June, the Rhinos moved him into the rotation, and he responded with five solid starts, posting a 3.13 ERA. Control was still an issue, however, as he walked 19 batters in 31 2/3 innings. He then struggled badly throughout July and August before managing a somewhat respectable September. Rochester again had a winning season, going 88-74, but, once again, were well back of Pittsburgh in the division.

2034 was a strange year in the National League. Three teams(Hartford, Sacramento, and Portland) lost over 100 games, and four teams(Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Los Angeles, and Rochester) spent the year beating up on them, winning 90+ games each. For Castilleja, the season represented a major improvement. He continued to struggle with control, walking 126 batters, but his stuff was so good that it really didn't matter that much. He topped the league with 227 strikeouts and was practically unhittable at times. He posted a 4.00 ERA and was named to his first All Star team.

He had a major breakthrough in 2035, going 24-7 with a 2.26 ERA and 294 strikeouts. The wins and strikeouts both led the league, and the ERA was second. He was honored with his first Cy Young Award for his accomplishments. For the second time in four seasons, however, Rochester posted a winning record but had to watch a losing team make the playoffs. The Rhinos managed 88 wins, finishing in second place again, while Los Angeles captured the West Division with only 80 wins.

2036 was another good season for Castilleja, as he won 17 games and made his third All Star team, but Rochester slumped to just 70 wins because its offense was one of the worst in baseball. In 2037, that "one of the worst" became "the worst," as the Rhinos finished dead last in runs scored. But for one of the best pitching staffs in baseball(fifth in runs allowed), they likely would have had the worst record in baseball. As it was, Rochester finished with 94 losses. Castilleja was his usual self, winning 16 games with a 3.42 ERA and 281 strikeouts, but it wasn't enough.

Surprisingly, Castilleja had one of the worst ERAs in his career in the expansion year of 2038. Though, when 3.87 is one of your worst, you're pretty good. Castilleja also enjoyed his first 300 strikeout season. Rochester returned to being above .500, finishing with a record of 82-80. In '39, Castilleja posted the second 20 win season of his career and reached 300 strikeouts for the second year in a row, while helping Rochester to an 88 win season. Alas, 88 wins was only good enough for a very distant second place because Pittsburgh put forth one of the greatest records of all time, winning a stunning 125 games.

In 2040, Castilleja was simply brilliant. He went 27-4 with a 1.89 ERA and whiffed 363 batters. That strikeout mark set a Major League single season record that still stands today. The previous record had been 360 by the great Robert Jordan for Harrisburg in 2018. The 27 wins tied the National League record set by Jeremy Poss in 2029 for Sacramento. Naturally, Castilleja took home the Cy Young Award. Rochester, meanwhile, came its closest to finishing in first place since 2016(when the Rhinos finished five games out of first), coming up 11 games short of Pittsburgh.

Castilleja was essentially all the Rhinos had in 2041. Despite a strong season from him, Rochester allowed the fourth most runs in all of baseball and slumped to a 75-87 record. In '42, Castilleja reached 300 strikeouts for the fifth consecutive season, and Rochester bounced back somewhat to win 82 games. In 2043, however, the Rhinos completely imploded. Despite an outstanding season from Castilleja, one that included 17 wins, a 2.82 ERA, 288 strikeouts, and a no-hitter, Rochester plunged to a 64-98 record- its worst record since losing 100 games in 2005. The Rhinos tied for last place with Harrisburg.

The team wasn't much better in 2044, losing 91 games. Castilleja was excellent, but missed almost two months with an injury. 2045 was another tough season. Despite the efforts of Castilleja, Rochester finished in last place, losing 96 games. It was more of the same in 2046, as Rochester and Harrisburg tied for the bottom of the division, each losing 93 games.

In 2047, the team experienced a bit of a resurgance. Despite having little offensive help from a lineup that generated the sixth fewest runs scored, Castilleja went 23-7 with a 2.87 ERA, numbers good enough for his third Cy Young Award. Riding Castilleja's arm, the Rhinos managed an 83-79 record. The team remained solid in 2048, winning 84 games, and it was mostly due to Castilleja's arm once more. Castilleja went 21-9 with a 3.13 ERA, winning his fourth Cy Young Award.

Castilleja's last effective season came in 2049 at the age of 38. He was no longer the great strikeout pitcher he once was, managing only 154 in 229 2/3 innings, but he still posted a 3.45 ERA for the Rhinos. Rochester managed 85 wins that year. In 2050, he got off to a rough start, posting an ERA of 6.59 in the month of April. May wasn't any better, as he posted an ERA of 7.49. In early June, the Rhinos cut ties with Castilleja, ending a relationship that had begun in 2032. Towards the end of July, Castilleja was signed by Pittsburgh and made a handful of starts in AAA. He was added to the major league roster in September, and made a few appearances, mostly out of the bullpen, for the Pirates. Would Castilleja finally get a chance to play in the postseason? After all, Pittsburgh had not failed to win the division since 2016, and the Pirates might be willing to fit such a legendary player onto the postseason roster as a reliever. It was not to be. The Pirates were sluggish down the stretch, going just 5-5 in their final 10 games. Meanwhile, Hartford, a team often in the same position as Rochester(good, but not quite good enough), won 9 of its final 10 games. In doing so, the Whalers knocked the Pirates from their throne, winning the division by a single game.

Castilleja retired following that season. He finished his career ranking 12th all time in ERA, tied for fourth all time in wins with George Vives, second all time in strikeouts(behind only Robert Jordan), and tied for 10th all time in shutouts. Today, Castilleja ranks tied for 8th all time in wins, and second all time in strikeouts. And as I said, he is the holder of the single season strikeout record, with 363 in 2040.


Castilleja's stats:

Year    G  GS   W   L SV  ERA     IP   HA    R   ER   BB    K CG SHO Teams 
2032    8   6   1   1  0 7.65   37.2   41   36   32   35   25  0   0 ROC 
2033   43  22  13   7  1 5.65  165.2  168  109  104  100   96  1   0 ROC 
2034   36  35  13  13  0 4.00  225.0  186  109  100  126  227  1   1 ROC,NL 
2035   36  36  24   7  0 2.26  258.1  162   71   65  125  294  5   4 ROC,NL 
2036   31  31  17   8  0 3.29  202.1  157   84   74  111  227  1   0 ROC,NL 
2037   36  36  16  13  0 3.42  247.1  192  102   94  133  281  0   0 ROC 
2038   35  35  15  12  0 3.87  230.1  194  107   99  119  315  2   1 ROC 
2039   37  37  20  12  0 3.70  243.0  184  107  100  155  333  3   1 ROC,NL 
2040   37  37  27   4  0 1.89  271.2  169   64   57  118  363  7   4 ROC,NL 
2041   35  34  12   8  1 3.62  238.2  168  105   96  128  312  2   2 ROC 
2042   34  34  16   9  0 3.02  220.2  161   79   74  111  305  2   1 ROC,NL 
2043   34  34  17   8  0 2.82  233.1  173   88   73  120  288  1   1 ROC,NL 
2044   26  26   8   8  0 3.62  171.2  119   83   69   91  214  2   1 ROC 
2045   34  34  14   7  0 3.10  229.0  163   87   79  117  286  3   2 ROC 
2046   34  34  15   7  0 3.30  245.1  175   93   90   94  254  6   2 ROC 
2047   36  36  23   7  0 2.87  267.0  184  105   85   98  227  6   2 ROC,NL 
2048   36  36  21   9  0 3.13  259.0  209   99   90   75  157  6   2 ROC,NL 
2049   35  35  10  16  0 3.45  229.2  195  103   88   92  154  3   2 ROC 
2050   17  12   3   7  0 6.72   76.1   95   58   57   48   49  0   0 ROC PIT 
Total 620 590 285 163  2 3.39 4052.0 3095 1689 1526 1996 4407 51  26   
 
Career Minor League Pitching Stats
 
 
Year       G GS  W L SV  ERA    IP  HA  R ER BB   K CG SHO 
2032,  AA 21 21 11 7  0 3.76 153.1 133 70 64 82 163  3   1 
2033,  AA  1  1  0 1  0 1.59   5.2   5  1  1  6   8  0   0 
2033, AAA  1  1  0 1  0 5.40   8.1   8  5  5  3   4  0   0 
2050, AAA  6  6  3 1  0 3.12  40.1  43 14 14 13  55  0   0 
 
 
Career Batting Stats 
 
 
Year    G   AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
2032    8   15   0  0  0  0   0  1  3   5  0  0 .000 .167 .000 .167 ROC 
2033   43   58   7  3  0  0   0  3  2  24  0  0 .121 .150 .172 .322 ROC 
2034   36   82   9  2  0  1   5  4  1  22  0  0 .110 .120 .171 .291 ROC,NL 
2035   36   86   8  4  0  1   4  7  2  39  1  0 .093 .114 .174 .288 ROC,NL 
2036   31   66   1  0  0  0   2  2  1  28  0  0 .015 .030 .015 .045 ROC,NL 
2037   36   83   5  1  0  0   2  6  5  33  0  0 .060 .114 .072 .186 ROC 
2038   35   77   7  2  1  1   2  5  2  35  0  0 .091 .114 .182 .296 ROC 
2039   37   88   3  1  0  0   3  5  2  39  0  0 .034 .056 .045 .101 ROC,NL 
2040   37   97  10  3  0  0   6  7  4  35  0  0 .103 .139 .134 .273 ROC,NL 
2041   35   74  11  4  0  0   4  6  2  30  0  0 .149 .171 .203 .374 ROC 
2042   34   68   5  1  0  0   4  3  3  27  0  0 .074 .113 .088 .201 ROC,NL 
2043   34   73   6  3  0  0   4  6  6  29  0  0 .082 .152 .123 .275 ROC,NL 
2044   26   53   7  2  2  0   1  3  1  19  0  0 .132 .148 .245 .393 ROC 
2045   34   74   6  2  1  0   0  1  5  30  1  0 .081 .139 .135 .274 ROC 
2046   34   83   6  2  0  0   3  1  2  29  0  0 .072 .094 .096 .191 ROC 
2047   36   90  13  6  1  0   2  7  3  34  0  0 .144 .172 .233 .405 ROC,NL 
2048   36   92   6  1  0  1   2  6  3  38  0  0 .065 .095 .109 .203 ROC,NL 
2049   35   72   5  0  0  0   2  4  4  28  0  0 .069 .118 .069 .188 ROC 
2050   17   26   2  1  0  0   3  1  2  13  0  0 .077 .143 .115 .258 ROC PIT 
Total 620 1357 117 38  5  4  49 78 53 537  2  0 .086 .121 .130 .251   
 
 
Player History
 
 
Drafted in 1st round, 8th overall pick, by Rochester in 2032...
Earned first career win on 8/31/2032...
Had first career hit (double) on 4/29/2033, off Pedro Cruz (HFD)...
Hit first career homerun on 4/26/2034, off Randy Pohlman (PIT)...
Was selected to the 2034 Allstar game...
Won Pitcher of the Month award on 6/1/2035, going 4-1, 1.80...
Was selected to the 2035 Allstar game...
Won Pitcher of the Month award on 9/1/2035, going 5-1, 1.22...
Injured on 10/2/2035 with a Torn Tricep Muscle, out for full season...
Won Cy Young Award in 2035, going 24-7, 2.26 ERA...
Was selected to the 2036 Allstar game...
Struck out 15 batters against San Jose on 4/1/2039...
Won Pitcher of the Month award on 5/1/2039, going 5-0, 3.24...
Was selected to the 2039 Allstar game...
Struck out 17 batters against Harrisburg on 8/13/2039...
Won Pitcher of the Month award on 5/1/2040, going 4-0, 1.85...
Won Pitcher of the Month award on 7/1/2040, going 6-0, 0.95...
Was selected to the 2040 Allstar game...
Struck out 15 batters against Hartford on 8/5/2040...
Struck out 16 batters against Hartford on 9/3/2040...
Set a new season NL-Record for Strikeouts with 360 on 10/2/2040 ...
Won Cy Young Award in 2040, going 27-4, 1.89 ERA...
Injured on 4/15/2042 with a Strained Back Muscle, out for one week...
Was selected to the 2042 Allstar game...
Pitched NO-HITTER against San Jose on 6/1/2043, striking out 14...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/2/2043, winning 2 games with a 1.06 ERA...
Was selected to the 2043 Allstar game...
Injured on 8/7/2043 with a Hyper Extended Elbow, out for one week...
Injured on 7/29/2044 with a Bone Chips Shoulder, out for 7 weeks...
Struck out 15 batters against Hartford on 5/19/2046...
Injured on 6/5/2046 with a Tight Elbow, out for one week...
Was selected to the 2047 Allstar game...
Won Cy Young Award in 2047, going 23-7, 2.87 ERA...
Was selected to the 2048 Allstar game...
Won Cy Young Award in 2048, going 21-9, 3.13 ERA...
Released by Rochester on 6/2/2050, refused assignment to minors...
Signed as a free agent by Pittsburgh on 7/28/2050 to a 1-year deal worth $340,000 per year...
Retired and inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2051.
 
 
Pitching Leader Boards Appearances 
 
ERA
2034 - 4.00 - 8th
2035 - 2.26 - 2nd
2036 - 3.29 - 5th
2037 - 3.42 - 8th
2040 - 1.89 - 1st
2041 - 3.62 - 10th
2042 - 3.02 - 3rd
2043 - 2.82 - 2nd
2044 - 3.62 - 10th
2045 - 3.10 - 4th
2046 - 3.30 - 5th
2047 - 2.87 - 3rd
2048 - 3.13 - 2nd
2049 - 3.45 - 6th
 
WHIP
2035 - 1.11 - 5th
2040 - 1.06 - 6th
2046 - 1.10 - 6th
2047 - 1.06 - 3rd
2048 - 1.10 - 5th
 
Wins
2035 - 24 - 1st
2036 - 17 - 9th
2037 - 16 - 8th
2039 - 20 - 6th
2040 - 27 - 1st
2042 - 16 - 10th
2043 - 17 - 5th
2047 - 23 - 1st
2048 - 21 - 1st
 
Losses
2049 - 16 - 4th
 
IP
2034 - 225.0 - 10th
2035 - 258.1 - 2nd
2037 - 247.1 - 5th
2039 - 243.0 - 6th
2040 - 271.2 - 2nd
2043 - 233.1 - 9th
2046 - 245.1 - 8th
2047 - 267.0 - 3rd
2048 - 259.0 - 2nd
 
K's
2034 - 227 - 1st
2035 - 294 - 1st
2036 - 227 - 3rd
2037 - 281 - 1st
2038 - 315 - 3rd
2039 - 333 - 2nd
2040 - 363 - 1st
2041 - 312 - 1st
2042 - 305 - 1st
2043 - 288 - 3rd
2044 - 214 - 7th
2045 - 286 - 1st
2046 - 254 - 4th
2047 - 227 - 2nd
 
BB
2034 - 126 - 1st
2035 - 125 - 2nd
2036 - 111 - 7th
2037 - 133 - 4th
2038 - 119 - 6th
2039 - 155 - 2nd
2040 - 118 - 6th
2041 - 128 - 5th
2042 - 111 - 7th
2043 - 120 - 6th
2045 - 117 - 7th
2049 -  92 - 8th
 
CG
2035 - 5 - 8th
2040 - 7 - 7th
2047 - 6 - 9th
 
SHO
2035 - 4 - 1st
2040 - 4 - 3rd
2041 - 2 - 7th
2045 - 2 - 4th
2046 - 2 - 10th
2047 - 2 - 5th
2048 - 2 - 5th
2049 - 2 - 6th

[jamus23]

Busy Day For Broncos; Ex-Bronco Returns To Denver
3/2/2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

It was a busy day for the Broncos and general manager John Mounts, and not just because of yesterday's amateur draft. In addition to a new influx of young prospects, Mounts pulled off a pair of trades that may offer some clues as to how the Broncos' designated hitter position will be filled this season.

The first trade was a three team transaction with the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves. The Padres sent centerfielder Robert Turner, starting pitching prospect Martin Morales, and relief pitching prospect Roy Tuggle to the Braves in exchange for 37 year old infielder Ruben Diaz. The Padres then turned around and dealt Diaz and minor league outfielder Arthur Elbert to the Broncos. In return, the Broncos sent veteran relief pitcher Leo Salguero and 25 year old outfield prospect David Blackburn to the Padres.

Ruben Diaz returns to Denver, where he played from 2070 to 2072. His 379 at bats in 2071 with the Broncos remain the most he's ever gotten in one season. Diaz can play every infield position, albeit not very well, and has a solid bat. For his career, he has hit .268/.328/.430/.757, and he had a .772 OPS last season in 210 at bats. The Broncos likely intend for Diaz to become the DH, though he has never been a true everyday player before. Diaz said that he was excited to return to Denver, and happy to be playing for a winning team again(Atlanta has finished below .500 in each of the last three seasons). With Mark Bakke having left as a free agent, Ellis Bolling is the only current Bronco who played with Diaz. Bolling was in his second season when Diaz was traded away in 2072.

Arthur Elbert is a versatile 26 year old who put up excellent numbers in AAA last season despite missing two months with an ACL injury. For the Padres AAA team, Elbert batted .295/.341/.546 with 28 homeruns. Elbert isn't considered a potential starter, but could make a very capable reserve. A switch-hitter, he has a little pop, and is a smart, if not particularly fast, baserunner. He has a good glove in left field, and isn't terrible in center or right. He also has a strong arm. In addition to playing the outfield, he has some experience playing both first base and third base.

The trade allowed the Broncos to get rid of Salguero's $2.5 million contract which covered this year and next. For the Padres, the acquisition of the 33 year old Salguero is an attempt to address their biggest weakness- a shaky bullpen. The 25 year old Blackburn is an interesting prospect, but not one who was expected to be much of an impact player. At AA last year, he batted .286 with a .742 OPS. He also hit 51 doubles.

Atlanta, coming off of its third straight losing season, was looking to add both depth and potential to the organization. The 27 year old Turner was caught in a log-jam in San Diego, and has spent most of the last couple seasons in AAA. Last year at AAA, he batted .305 with an .800 OPS, hit 12 homeruns, and stole 33 bases. In 65 major league at bats, Turner has hit .338 with a .961 OPS. Atlanta will likely be able to fit him onto its major league roster, and maybe even the starting lineup. Morales is a 25 year old who spent last season at AA. Though his 4.29 ERA wasn't impressive, he showed pretty good stuff with 190 strikeouts in 168 innings pitched. Tuggle, also 25, split last season between AA and AAA. In 39 games at AA, he had a 2.89 ERA, and in 12 AAA appearances, he posted a 5.94 ERA.

The second trade that John Mounts made was with Pittsburgh. The Broncos acquired infielder Adrian Mingo in exchange for starting pitching prospect Isaias Villalon. The 30 year old Mingo is a left-handed hitter who can play 2B, 3B, SS, and CF. He is fast and an excellent base stealer. He also has very good plate discipline. He lacks power, and often struggles to hit for average. In 556 major league at bats as a utility infielder, Mingo has hit .218/.311/.317/.627, with 10 triples and 65 stolen bases. He struggled for most of last season, hitting just .195 for the Pirates. He did steal 21 bases. Mingo was well-regarded in Pittsburgh's clubhouse, and seemed surprised at being traded. He was the Pirates' second round draft pick back in 2071 and spent many years toiling in their minor league system before reaching the big leagues in 2077.

Villalon was the Broncos third round draft pick in 2078. The 23 year old right-hander throws hard, but has struggled to get control of all of his pitches. At AA last year, he posted a 5.89 ERA in 24 starts. He did manage 142 strikeouts in 133 innings. Mounts said that he hated to part with the young pitcher, but with Jack Rumfelt likely moving into the starting lineup, it was necessary to add a left-handed hitter to the bench. "To get something you want, sometimes you have to give up something that you like," he said.

With these two trades occupying the focus of Broncos' fans, the amateur draft almost slipped by without much notice. In the first round, the Broncos selected a 23 year old first-baseman: Henry Lewis, Jr. Lewis is the son of the former big league starting pitcher of the same name. The elder Lewis was 89-111 with a 5.56 ERA, and pitched for Atlanta, Nashville, and Washington. Lewis doesn't appear to have a high ceiling, but he is considered very well polished with little or no actual weaknesses.

Mounts went in the other direction in the second round, taking a tall and skinny 18 year old centerfielder, Charles Curran. Curran is considered very raw, but is fast, covers a lot of ground in the outfield, has a strong arm, and hits the ball with authority. Still, he'll need to fill out his 6'0, 155 lb frame a lot more if he wants to be a true power hitter.

In the third round, Denver selected a hard throwing relief pitcher, Harry Newbold. Newbold is just 19, and can hit the strike-zone pretty consistantly.

The fourth round draft pick went to a 19 year old catcher named Thomas Edmunds. Edmunds has good footwork behind the plate, but lacks a strong arm. His bat is also considered questionable.

With their final draft pick, the Broncos took a 19 year old third-baseman named Pedro Mejias. Mejias isn't very big, but has a commanding presence and is well-liked by everyone who has met and spoken with him. Unfortunately, neither his bat nor his glove are considered anything special. It'll take him a lot of work to move up the minor league ladder.

[jamus23]

2083 Season Preview: NL West Division



Los Angeles Dodgers:
2082 Record: 82-80
Record over the last five seasons: 387-423
Payroll: 47,738,242
Payroll Rank: 19th (of 24 teams)
Minor League Rank: 2nd (of 24)

Last year, the Dodgers caught fire in the middle of the season and unexpectedly contended for a playoff spot, ultimately finishing three games behind San Diego for second place in the West. It would have been the Dodgers' first postseason appearance since 2076. This year, Los Angeles will hope for the continued development of a pair of young starting pitchers: Robert Jones(25), who has gone 40-15 the last two seasons with ERAs of 3.14 and 3.02, and Francisco Savala(24), who was 12-5 last year with a 2.86 ERA and 205 strikeouts.

The Dodgers don't have a strong lineup, but they do have a few hitters that can do some damage. First baseman Timothy Wegener belted 29 homeruns last year. Veteran third baseman Oscar Elkins is the owner of 323 career homeruns, 27 of which came in 2082. Centerfielder Urbano Belmonte had a career year last season at the age of 36. His .356./.404/.541/.944 batting line included career highs in all of those categories. Leland Pye, the rightfielder, doesn't get a lot of mention, but he's a consistent hitter who has poked out between 19-29 homeruns in each of the last five seasons.

Los Angeles' biggest weakness could be the catching position. They will open the season with three catchers on the 25 man roster, however all have question marks. The expected starter will be 25 year old Daniel Moise. Moise has a respectable .725 career OPS, but he has just 159 career at bats. Can he hold up as a regular? Sharing the backup duties will be a pair of veterans: Richard Franco(33) and Michael Grace(37). Franco has just a .685 OPS in over 1500 at bats, while Grace has a .758 OPS in more than 2200 career at bats. Franco doesn't appear to be any good, and Grace might be at the end of his career so it's unclear how useful he will be.

There are two players who could really make or break the Dodgers' season. In 2081, shortstop Jose Valle was having a breakout season. Over the first three months of the season, he was batting .346/.440/.549. But near the end of June, he was lost for the season with an MCL injury. Last year, he batted just a middling .262/.334/.397. Now 22 years old, this former number one overall draft pick would be a huge boost to Los Angeles' lineup if he could get back to where he was two years ago.

The second player who could be a huge factor for the Dodgers is 23 year old starting pitcher Edward Tiano. Tiano is considered to be the second best prospect in all of baseball and obviously has tremendous talent, but has proven to be a significant injury risk. Last year, he missed about 8 months with injuries to his elbow and tricep. If he can stay healthy and begin to harness his potential, the Dodgers could have the makings of an impressive rotation; not many teams have three frontline starters to throw at teams.

Predicted finish: 4th




Phoenix Cardinals:
2082 Record: 72-90
Record over the last five seasons: 355-455
Payroll: 34,590,357
Payroll Rank: 22nd
Minor League Rank: 19th

The Cardinals enter their 20th season still searching for their first winning record. Since entering the league in 2064, the most wins that Phoenix has managed is 75. Many have wondered why a team was ever put into Phoenix in the first place. The nearby Tucson Diamondbacks have been consistently competitive throughout their history and are one of the most popular teams in baseball. It's unlikely that there are enough fans in the area to support two teams, especially if one team is simply not any good. Not surprisingly, the fan support in Phoenix is the worst in baseball; they have finished last in attendance for two straight seasons.

That being said, there is a bit of talent on the Cardinals' roster. Gary Hunter looks to be a rising star at catcher. The 22 year old batted .281/.359/.439 last year in 342 at bats. The first baseman, Eli Cuestas, has 359 career homeruns, and ripped 28 last season. 24 year old third baseman Anthony Nicklas has a .323 AVG and a .947 OPS in 558 career at bats. Shortstop Mike Morales(24) hit .330 with a 1.008 OPS and 34 homeruns last year. 26 year old center fielder Eduardo Braza batted .298 with 42 stolen bases in 2082. On the mound, veteran starter Edward Carbonell posted a 3.50 ERA and made the All Star team last year(although, much of his success came while with Portland; he struggled quite a bit after coming to Phoenix). Control artist Jason Bradford(25) has posted respectable ERAs of 4.79 and 4.57 the last two seasons.

Despite this, however, the Cardinals have a huge weakness in their outfield. Braza has some talent, but the remaining outfielders are little more than decent fourth outfielder types. Phoenix will be starting too many guys out there that simply shouldn't be starting. As well, the pitching staff after Carbonell and Bradford is very weak, especially in the bullpen.

Predicted finish: 6th




Portland Trailblazers:
2082 Record: 77-85
Record over the last five seasons: 347-463
Payroll: 41,562,286
Payroll Rank: 20th
Minor League Rank: 21

It's been over 10 years since Portland was relevant. The Trailblazers last had a winning season in 2072, and their last playoff appearance was 2070. This year, there just isn't a lot to get excited about in Portland. Jaime Alemany(30) and Robert Penney(36) give them two competent starting pitchers: Alemany has a 4.46 career ERA and a pair of 200 strikeout seasons, while Penney has had consecutive seasons with an ERA under 4.00. He also has 2 200 strikeout seasons in the last 4 years. Closer William Griffin(27) is solid; he managed a 4.13 ERA and 24 saves in 60 appearances last year. Bill Bruch is an extremely talented 20 year old first baseman who has managed a .777 OPS in 280 at bats. At the moment, however, he is blocked by veteran Edward Schuh, who hit 24 homeruns last year.

Portland has very good depth, as it acquired a number of players in free agency who are very capable reserves. The problem is, despite the good depth, there simply isn't enough impact talent on Portland's roster to allow the Trailblazers to do any damage. They might be one of the most boring teams in baseball. Losing young slugger Gustavo Manrique to free agency was a devastating blow for a franchise that's been searching for an identity for a long time.

Predicted finish: 5th



Sacramento Kings:
2082 Record: 79-83
Record over the last five seasons: 453-357
Payroll: 69,601,828
Payroll Rank: 10th
Minor League Rank: 12th

From 2066 to 2080, the Kings had just one losing season, and only two seasons that they didn't finish over .500. However, in 2081 and 2082, they have posted consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2064/2065. The Kings haven't had losing records in three straight seasons since 2055-57.

It would be surprising if Sacramento did have a losing record for a third year in a row. The Kings have plenty of talent, starting with veteran catcher William Stokley. The 36 year old Stokley is a .345 career hitter with a .949 OPS. Last year, he batted .353 with a 1.007 OPS, so it doesn't look like he is slowing down anytime soon. The Kings also added a pair of slugging corner infielders in free agency: 24 year old first baseman Nestor Adrover, who has posted a SLG of at least .530 in three consecutive seasons, and 34 year old third baseman Joseph Swayze, who pounded 37 homeruns for Denver last year. Shortstop Alberto O'Campo slugged .600 last year and had a .983 OPS. Ramon Montalvo is a dangerous slugger in left field; he has 341 career homeruns, while Matthew Milewski is one of the best young right fielders around. The 25 year old had 28 homeruns and a .929 OPS last year.

Carl Strothers is an interesting question mark at the top of the Kings' rotation. In 2079 and 2080, he had a combined record of 46-15, posted ERAs of 2.31 and 3.21, and whiffed a total of 510 batters. In 2081, he got off to a good start, but began struggling in May and June. After righting the ship in July, Sacramento traded him to a very bad Green Bay team. He proceeded to go 0-8 in the final two months of the season, though he pitched well in September. He finished with a 10-18 record, a 4.09 ERA, and, for him, a somewhat low 189 strikeouts. He returned to Sacramento as a free agent last season, but had his season disrupted by two lengthy injuries. He finished 9-10 with a 3.49 ERA. If Strothers can stay healthy and return to where he was a couple of years ago, Sacramento's rotation immediately becomes a force to be reckoned with. Strothers is as talented a number one as any in the National League.

Pedro Godinez gives the Kings a possible number two starter. The 29 year old had a 3.93 ERA last year. Effective relief pitching can be hard to come by, so the Kings are happy to have Carlos Fleitas anchoring their bullpen. The 30 year old has a 3.76 ERA in 297 career games. Last year, he posted a 2.68 ERA in 63 games.

Sacramento doesn't have a lot of glaring weaknesses, but one position to watch might be centerfield, where the Kings are preparing to employ two guys who have been around for a very long time. Harold Willems is a fascinating story. Seventeen years ago, Willems was the American League Rookie of the Year as a member of the Denver Broncos. Seven years after that, he won a World Series with the San Diego Padres. The following year, 2074, he batted a pathetic .195 with a .714 OPS, and his days as a regular seemed numbered. His glove and his power, however, kept him around long enough to enjoy what has been a late career blossoming. Willems, now 38 years old, has posted OPS's of .860, .834, and .910 in the last three seasons. A year ago, he smashed 49 doubles and 38 homeruns. Despite just a .235 career batting average, Willems has clubbed 449 homeruns and has a career .807 OPS.

In free agency, the Kings added another 38 year old, Ulises Menendez. To put into perspective just how long Menendez has been around.... well, Menendez played in the major leagues before the second expansion. Menendez was the number one overall pick by Harrisburg way back in 2063- one year before Phoenix, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Green Bay entered the league- and he collected 171 at bats for the Capitals. Now, twenty years later, Menendez has compiled 3,119 hits and 471 homeruns. While Willems was enjoying one of his best seasons at an advanced age last year, Menendez showed his age considerably last season. Despite managing 18 homeruns for Miami last year, Menendez had just a .655 OPS. He did, however, win his fourth career Gold Glove in center field.

Although Willems has held up well as he's aged, it seems overly optimistic to expect him to keep it up, and Menendez seems unreliable as a backup. Look for the Kings to try and fill this position more adequately as the season progresses, especially if they have a shot at the postseason.

Predicted finish: 3rd




San Diego Padres:
2082 Record: 85-77
Record over the last five years: 382-428
Payroll: 57,022,171
Payroll Rank: 14th
Minor League Rank: 8th

The last 10 years or so have been a wild roller-coaster ride for the Padres. In 2072, the team lost 100 games for the first time in 24 years, finishing with a major league worst 107 losses. The following year, San Diego shelled out almost $45 million in free agent contracts. The free-spending paid off in a big way, as the Padres won 96 games and won their first World Series in 43 years. For two more years, the team remained competitive, winning 198 games combined in '74 and '75 and making the postseason both years. And then the piper came for his pay. San Diego lost 304 games over the next three seasons, and finished in last place in 2078. After an almost complete overhaul, San Diego returned to the playoffs in 2081 and hung tough against the eventual World Series winners, Pittsburgh, ultimately falling in seven games in the Divisional Round. Last year, it was the Padres who prevailed in seven games over the Pirates in the Divisionals, and then San Diego reached the World Series after handling San Jose with surprising ease in only five games. The Padres played well, but were overcome in six games by Miami in the World Series. Now San Diego looks to take it one more step.

Andrew Burdick, Gregorio Ruiz, Gaby Matos, and George Canales form the backbone of one of the league's most intimidating lineups. The 35 year old second baseman Burdick is closing in on 3,000 hits- he needs just 80 more- and after last season's Silver Slugger-winning campaign, he looks like he could play until he's 40. Ruiz, the 32 year old left fielder, batted .350 with 31 homeruns last year; he has 308 career roundtrippers. 22 year old center fielder Matos broke out last year and led the league with 48 homeruns. Almost forgotten sometimes is the first baseman, Canales(26), who enjoyed an .860 OPS and 31 homers last year.

Despite the powerful lineup, it is San Diego's pitching that will determine how good the Padres can be. 28 year old Casey Greene has established himself as a consistant, top of the rotation starter, with a career record of 43-21, a career ERA of 3.38, and a career WHIP of 1.19. However, it is 27 year old Carlos Lozoya who has the pure talent to be a dominating ace. Lozoya was 11-9 last year with a 3.77 ERA and 198 strikeouts. San Diego will need him to take another step forward if it hopes to win a World Series. Delbert Spicher gives the Padres a reliable, if unspectacular, third starter. Spicher won 14 games last year with a 3.86 ERA.

The bullpen is the area where the Padres have especially struggled. Closer Lamont Ruvalcaba may have saved 33 games, but his ERA was an unimpressive 4.56, and nobody is afraid of a guy with an 18/24 strikeout to walk ratio. Meanwhile, Ruvalcaba and Juan Donato were the only relievers in the bullpen at the end of the year who had ERAs under 5.00(left-hander Hernan Neyra had a 1.35 ERA in 19 appearances, but was lost for the season in early June with a torn back muscle and veteran right-hander Benji Padilla had a 4.26 ERA in 44 games before going down for the season in late August with a back injury, as well). The Padres like the talent of right-hander Dario Pena, but for him to be successful, he'll have to cut down on the walks: 60 in 73 1/3 innings simply won't cut it. San Diego made an attempt to address the bullpen weakness by acquiring Leo Salguero from the Denver Broncos. The veteran Salguero struggled last season, posting a 5.87 ERA, but the Padres hope that he will improve from that by coming to a more favorable home park and a non-DH league.

As far as other weaknesses, right field appears to be a question mark. San Diego expects to platoon 25 year old Chet Prime and 29 year old Michael Saldana to fill that spot. The left-handed Prime posted a .577 OPS in 231 at bats in his first extended taste of the big leagues, while Saldana batted .331 with an .832 OPS in 163 at bats. Those numbers, however, are a far cry from his .262 career batting average and .703 career OPS.


Predicted finish: 1st




San Jose Sharks:
2082 Record: 96-66
Record over the last five years: 488-322
Payroll: 61,040,000
Payroll Rank: 12th
Minor League Rank: 23rd

After winning three World Series titles in five years from 2064 to 2068, it has been much more difficult for San Jose. The Sharks' last championship came in 2072, and they lost in the World Series in both '76 and '79. Now they face challenges from a revived San Diego team and potentially competitive Sacramento and Los Angeles teams. San Jose hasn't missed the playoffs since 2074, but that is a possibility that wouldn't shock many.

On offense, the Sharks remain formidable. First baseman Ugo Momoru(32) is one of the most feared sluggers in baseball, and for good reason. He has a .945 career OPS and has clubbed 421 career homeruns. Catcher Charles Seaver is coming off of a slight down season for him- his .818 OPS was far below his career .896 OPS- but he is still one of the best hitting catchers, even at age 34. He needs 4 homeruns to reach 300 for his career. Shortstop Orlando Escobedo(28) does only one thing, but he does it pretty well: hit homeruns. He ripped 35 last year and has a .506 career slugging percentage. Left fielder William Natali might be 38 years old, but there are few who match his ability to steal bases. He batted .336 last year and was second in the league with 65 stolen bases. He has 437 in his career.

San Jose's pitching staff includes probably the best bullpen in the game. Relief ace Bill Frisch has some of the nastiest stuff in the league, and the Sharks lean on him heavily. Last year, he tossed 94 1/3 innings and whiffed 118 batters while posting a 2.86 ERA. For his career, he has a 2.93 ERA in 407 games. 37 year old Anselmo Ortiz is a hard-throwing left-hander who is pretty much unhittable against anyone, no matter which side of the plate they hit from. Left-handed hitters last year were an embarassing 5 for 54 with 18 strikeouts against Ortiz last year, but righties weren't much better, mustering just a .203 batting average. The rising star of the bullpen is 25 year old Clinton Blanton, who has a 2.75 ERA in 97 career games. Blanton doesn't throw fireballs like Frisch and Ortiz, but he throws practically every pitch in the book(and a few that aren't!), sending hitters into fits as they futilely attempt to make solid contact.

While the bullpen is dominant, the biggest weakness of the Sharks is the rotation. Their best starter last year was 35 year old Roger Salazar, who won 15 games with a 3.38 ERA. Salazar has good control, but when he gets careless, he can get taken downtown; he served up 41 homeruns last year. Barry Gowen was once the most effective starter on the team, but his 4.63 ERA last year was his first above 4.00 since 2071. His 1.58 WHIP was the worst of his career. At 38, it is doubtful that he will be able to bounce back and remain a capable starter. 34 year old Benito Ortiz was one of the most consistant strikeout pitchers in the National League for many years, but injuries in recent years have begun to take their toll on the 34 year old. His 4.64 ERA last season was the second worst of his career. His 1.52 WHIP was the worst of his career. He failed to reach 200 strikeouts for the first time since his rookie season of 2071(not including an injury-plagued 2078 that limited him to 16 starts). 34 year old Justo Rubino has good enough stuff to miss some bats- he struck out 185 batters last year- but he has managed only one season with an ERA under 5.00 in the last four years. An old rotation that is largely in decline is not a good recipe for success, so for the Sharks to remain a dominant team, they are going to have to hope that their lineup can keep them in games long enough for the bullpen to take over and secure the victory.

Predicted finish: 2nd

[jamus23]

2083 Season Preview: NL Northeast Division




Buffalo Bills:
2082 Record: 87-75
Record over the last five seasons: 378-432
Payroll: 52,453,087
Payroll Rank: 16th
Minor League Rank: 7th


The Bills are coming off of just their second winning season in the last twelve years. Buffalo had been consistently competitive in the late '50s and, after a slight downturn, the late '60s as well. But after winning 92 games and reaching the postseason in 2070, it got very dreary in Buffalo. The Bills lost 92 or more games in every season from 2071 to 2076, including three consecutive 100 loss seasons in '72, '73, and '74. 84 wins in 2077 stopped the bleeding momentarily, but the next three seasons were ugly. Buffalo bounced back to .500 in 2081, and last year earned a playoff berth with 87 wins. Now the Bills hope to make the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.

Buffalo's lineup has a nice foundation, starting with catcher Danial Knudsen(35). Knudsen has hit 327 career homeruns, including 36 last season. First baseman Carter Vanderhoof was allowed to test free agency, but he wound up returning to the Bills. The 28 year old
Vanderhoof had an .889 OPS last season with 28 homeruns. Right fielder John Kling(26) made many a pitcher nervous last year, belting 40 doubles and 36 homeruns while putting up an OPS of .966. But the guy to really watch may be 27 year old left fielder Terrell Carillo. This guy can really do it all, as he ripped 36 doubles, 9 triples, and 15 homeruns, drew 84 walks, and stole 23 bases, all while also winning a Gold Glove Award. Interestingly, the Bills' coaches feel that he could still improve his homerun totals without losing much from his overall game.

The Bills also have some quality pitchers. Christopher Cooper(33) has a solid 4.34 career ERA and has notched 200 strikeouts in five of the last seven seasons. Left-hander Paul Hilson is a nice, young complement to the right-handed Cooper. The 24 year old won 17 games last year with a 3.67 ERA. Veteran closer Asdrubal Rodrigues(36) has 223 saves and a 2.99 ERA in 776 career appearances. He saved 35 games last year with only
3 blown saves. 29 year old Glenn Johnson has posted two straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00, pitching a total of 151 games in the process.

There a few areas of concern for the Bills this season. Third baseman Thomas Herbert(30) was very solid last season, batting .303 with 11 homeruns in only 271 at bats. However, he is generally considered to be an average, at best, player, and his .721 career OPS in 788 at bats seems to agree with that opinion. If he performs closer to his career norms, the Bills may be in the hunt for a new third baseman.

Center field is another potential trouble spot. Alfonso Lugo(26) is a good fielder, but his bat is very weak. He has just a .705 career OPS and a pathetic .309 OBP. Last year, he had one of the worst OBP by any regular in baseball- an embarassing .286. His glove should keep him a starter only for so long. If he keeps hitting poorly, look for the Bills to acquire an alternative....which brings up another Buffalo weakness. Carillo and Kling are excellent starters, while Lugo is not. After that, the Bills have almost no outfield depth whatsoever. An injury to either Carillo or Kling could be devastating, as there is no one in-house to replace them adequately.

Another area that could make or break the Bills are a pair of young starting pitchers. Bartolo Furtado is 22 years old and absolutely dripping with talent. He struggled last year, posting an ERA of 5.32 in 15 starts, but he has the ability to be a top ace in this league. Twenty-five year old Bryan Tatro doesn't have quite as much talent, but it's pretty close. Tatro has made 40 major league starts and has a 5.77 ERA. If either or both can begin to harness their immense ability, the Bills have the potential for one of the best rotations in the National League.

Predicted finish: 2nd





Harrisburg Capitals:
2082 Record: 74-88
Record over the last five seasons: 371-439
Payroll: 48,488,843
Payroll Rank: 18th
Minor League Rank: 9th


The Harrisburg Capitals may have the most miserable history of any of the original 16 franchises of this league. They have reached the postseason once, way back in 2016. They have had one winning season in the last 17 years, and just two in the last 27 years. In the last 44 years, they have had three winning seasons. One can make the argument that they have been at a disadvantage, playing in a Pittsburgh dominated Northeast, but that doesn't excuse the lack of competitiveness. Hartford and Rochester played with the same disadvantage for the same length of time, and have always been able to stay competitive in most years. Even Buffalo, who joined the division in 2038, has had frequent success. Heck, even New Jersey, who entered in 2064 and has had very little overall success, has managed multiple winning seasons more recently than Harrisburg has.

The Capitals do have a few quality players. There are a lot of good catchers in the league right now, especially in the NL, so Errol McCullough doesn't get noticed much. That doesn't mean that he shouldn't, however. The 33 year old put up a .940 OPS last season, and smacked 46 doubles and 26 homeruns, while drawing 86 walks. Shortstop Coy Drews(26) has hit between 26 and 30 homeruns in each of the last four seaons, and has a career OPS of .856. He also drew 102 walks last year. Right fielder Bill Orsini, 28 years old, is a classic "three true outcomes" player. He batted just .236 last year, but belted 36 homeruns, drew 106 walks, and whiffed 98 times.

Edward Lovejoy is an excellent closer. The 36 year old reliever has 162 saves and a 3.42 ERA in 776 career games; he had 29 saves and a 2.13 ERA in 62 games last year. Ben Albacete(33) was a capable reliever from 2077 to 2081, posting ERA's between 2.61 and 3.78 in those years, but last year he struggled to the tune of a 6.03 ERA. If he can't bounce back, it could get very interesting as the Capitals try to protect their few leads, as the rest of the bullpen is pretty much a mess.

Speaking of messes, Harrisburg's biggest weakness is the rotation. Thirty-two year old Samuel Orellana is decent- he posted a 4.11 ERA last year- but has a tendency to throw meatballs, evidenced by his 48 homeruns allowed last year. Of course, he has nothing on 36 year old Josue Gorman. Gorman is one of the hardest throwers in all of baseball, but at this point in his career, he's pretty much slinging the ball wherever he feels like it. That tends to be either out of the strikezone entirely(128 walks last year) or right down the middle(53 homeruns allowed last year). Gorman has a tendency to wear out his welcome wherever he is, so don't be surprised if the Capitals try an unload his hefty contract, which pays him almost $7.7 million per year. Don't be surprised, either, when nobody is interested- the contract doesn't expire until 2085.

The rotation isn't the only weakness. First baseman Jerry Benson(27) is a useful player, but probably not a starting caliber first baseman. He has only a .774 career OPS. Second base could be issue as well. Del Shigemori is one of the greatest homerun hitters ever, with 616 to his name, but at 38 years of age, his bat simply isn't what it was. He remains an excellent fielder, but that likely won't be enough to keep him in the lineup. The Capitals also have Antonio Ornelas, who has a respectable .796 OPS in 340 career at bats. However, the 29 year old switch-hitter is a terrible fielder and an injury risk.

Predicted finish: 6th




Hartford Whalers:
2082 Record: 85-77
Record over the last five seasons: 389-421
Payroll: 75,522,928
Payroll Rank: 7th
Minor League Rank: 14th

Hartford posted winning records every year from 2070 to 2079, and hadn't lost 90 games in a season since 2063. Thus, back to back 93 loss seasons in 2080 and 2081 were shocking to a fanbase that had come to expect a winning team. Even after returning to their winning ways last year, there were a lot of disgruntled fans complaining about the lack of aggressive moves to bolster the team. Of course, losing their final 5 games and missing the playoffs by 2 games probably had a lot to do with the complaining. Well, the fans can't complain about a lack of action this year. Hartford was one of the most active teams in free agency, signing some very significant talent.

The biggest acquisition, of course, was shortstop Ralph Jennings. The 28 year old has an .896 career OPS and 209 homeruns. He had a .989 OPS last year and 41 roundtrippers. He'll join with the left-handed first baseman, John Rachal, to form a very formidable middle of the order. [b]Rachal[b], 30 years old, has a .961 career OPS and 270 homeruns. He has crushed 40 or more homeruns in three of the last four seasons. Second baseman, and all time RBI leader, Ricky Vega may still have a little bit left in the tank at 41 years of age. Last year, he hit .299 with 18 homeruns. Those numbers might be a bit optimistic for this season, but .270 and 15, plus his still excellent defense might be within reach. Left fielder John Gans(33) is a hit machine, with a .344 career AVG and five 200 hit seasons in the last seven years. He's also swiped 329 career bases.

Hartford's rotation is a collection of solid, but flawed pitchers. Unlike many teams, all five of the Whalers' starting pitchers definitely belong in the major leagues; however, none are good enough to be called an ace, nor are any good enough to even be an All-Star on a regular basis. Edward Chambliss(28) was picked up in a trade this offseason from Kansas City. His career ERA of 5.07 is somewhat inflated by a disastrous rookie campaign that saw him post an ERA of 8.95 in a little over 100 innings. In truth, he hasn't had an ERA above 5.00 since then, and his career ERA without that season is a much more respectable 4.71. Chambliss' main weakness is walks; he's walked over 100 batters every year except his rookie season, in which he walked 84 batters. Veteran Edward Headrick has a career ERA of 6.74, but the 34 year old has managed to post ERA's under 5.00 in each of the last two seasons. Headrick is a workhorse- he completed 19 games in 2081- but he tends to walk a lot of batters(5 seasons over 100) and give up a lot of homeruns(58 last year). Bill Leatherman was also picked up in a trade this offseason, as the Whalers acquired him from Portland. Leatherman(27) has a 5.94 ERA in 438 career innings pitched, but he was an acceptable 4.89 last year. Like the first two pitchers mentioned, Leatherman also suffers from control problems. He has walked over 100 batters in each of his two full seasons in the big leagues. Matthew Anderson(31) is yet another walk-prone pitcher, having walked 100 batters in every year of his career except an injury-plagued 2080 that limited him to only 12 starts. Anderson has a 5.29 career ERA. Youngster Raul Mattos is the only member of the Whalers' rotation that knows how to hit the strikezone consistently. The 24 year old walked just 34 batters in 218 innings last year en route to compiling 15 wins and a 4.67 ERA as a rookie.

As it is, Hartford's rotation has enough ability to keep the Whalers competitive and allow the offense to win games. At the same time, however, there are enough flaws to keep Hartford as a middle of the pack team as they hope to outslug opponents game in and game out. The lack of a true ace may be enough to keep the Whalers out of the playoffs.

One way to counter a potentially shaky rotation, as the San Jose Sharks have found out in recent seasons, is to have a dominant bullpen. Hartford may have the makings of such a bullpen. Closer Mitchell Larson(33) was added in the offseason as a free agent. He had 29 saves and a 3.38 ERA last year. Hartford also has the emerging Reginald Waters. Waters, 28, made 85 appearances last year and had a 2.56 ERA. If the Whalers can come up with a third effective reliever, it might mitigate the shakiness of the rotation.

One big weakness for Hartford on offense is likely to be center fielder Donald Thurlow. The 35 year old has been the starter for the Whalers since 2075, but in the last five seasons, he has managed only one season with an OPS greater than .700.


Predicted finish: 3rd





New Jersey Devils:
2082 Record: 58-104
Record over the last five years: 358-452
Payroll: 36,130,143
Payroll Rank: 21st
Minor League Rank: 5th

After doing very little in the first eleven years of their existence, the Devils had a reached a level of occasional respectability, posting four winning seasons from 2075 to 2080, though never winning more than 84 games in a season. But things have gone south in a hurry, and last year, they finished with the worst record in the majors. Much of that had to do with an extensive rebuilding process that gutted the team of virtually all of its veteran players and gave plenty of playing time to players with little to no experience.

As the start of the 2083 season draws near, the Devils feel as though they have some potential long-term answers in place at several positions. Catcher Norman Adrover(27) batted .323 with an .834 OPS and 14 homeruns in his first shot at regular playing time. In any other year, first baseman Amaury Lucia would have been a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year. The 25 year old batted .320 last year with a .996 OPS, while hammering 35 doubles and 37 homeruns, and winning the Gold Glove award. Alas, the emergence of Pittsburgh's Andreas Fajardo kept Lucia from the ROTY. Boyce Wimbush may not be a true long-term answer at second base, but the 32 year old batted .315 with 13 homeruns in 292 at bats last season. At the very least, he gives the Devils a stop-gap for a year or so. New Jersey ventured into free agency and picked up the slick-fielding Brian Hall to play shortstop. The 28 year old isn't all glove, however, as he managed an .811 OPS last season for Portland. Third base belongs to 28 year old Alfredo Escalera(28), who hit .302 last year and stole 56 bases. In right field, Zankuro Maresuke(30) put up an .873 OPS with 13 homeruns in 222 at bats.

On the mound, 30 year old Kenneth Chancey posted a 3.74 ERA. He gives the Devils the kind of number one starter that many teams that are better than New Jersey would love to have. 32 year old Armando Diaz pounds the strike-zone better than almost any pitcher in the league. However, his overall performances have been inconsistent, and he has missed a lot of time in recent seasons because of injury. The left-hander has made a total of just 42 starts in the last two seasons combined. He did have a solid, 4.70 ERA last season. New Jersey also made a quiet little pickup that might turn out very well for them. The Devils acquired 33 year old Kevin Phipps from Miami this offseason. Phipps had gotten lost in the shuffle in the crowded Miami rotation the last couple of seasons despite having pitched very solidly for the Dolphins. In 123 career games(111 starts) he has a 4.28 ERA. He had ERA's under 4.00 in both 2079 and 2080, and authored a no-hitter against Green Bay in 2079.

As far as weaknesses, the Devils primarily lack big-time talent. They have a number of good players, but nobody who is capable of carrying a team. As well, they have several players who could be good, but who could also just as easily stink up the joint. This is especially true in the bullpen, where pitchers like Pete West and Abel Mota have talent but have produced very little thus far.

Predicted finish: 5th



Pittsburgh Pirates:
2082 Record: 100-62
Record over the last five seasons: 508-302
Payroll: 49,940,000
Payroll Rank: 17th
Minor League Rank: 15th

The Pirates are a shining example of how to run a baseball team. Even in a time of transition, when long-time stars have aged, declined, and retired, the team has remained dominant. Still, many wonder how long they can keep it up. Buffalo looks good, Hartford looks good, and Rochester is always a threat. At some point, some of those teams are going to overtake Pittsburgh. It happened in 2077, when the Pirates missed the postseason despite 92 wins. It came close to happening the following year, when the Pirates managed only 86 wins- their lowest total in more than a decade- but squeaked into the playoffs as a second place team. It looked like they were on the verge of toppling permanently. It didn't happen. The Pirates ripped off four consecutive 100 win seasons and captured World Series titles in 2080 and 2081. But this team is a lot older. The youngest regular position player is 27 year old 1B/OF James Sequeira. Only two others are under the age of 30. The youngest reliever is 30 years old. Only one starting pitcher is under the age of 30: 27 year old Andreas Fajardo. So again, the question is, how long can they keep it up?

Catcher Aaron Quijada(35) has a .421 career OBP, a .919 OPS, and 206 homeruns. 29 year old third baseman Javier Rael has an .858 OPS and has belted 37 and 38 homeruns the last two seasons. Jerry Harmer, Jr. is an on base and doubles machine in left field. He has a .431 career OBP and has ripped 66 and 67 doubles the last two seasons. Augustine Oatman is still a terrific defensive center fielder, even at the age of 36. He has four Gold Gloves to his name, including each of the last two seasons. He also has an .831 career OPS and 243 homeruns.

The ace of the rotation is Andreas Fajardo, who captured both the Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award last season. In 39 career games, Fajardo is 24-4 with a 2.16 ERA and 4 shutouts. He's also 6-0 with a 3.04 ERA in 7 career postseason starts. Pittsburgh wasn't really looking to add anybody in free agency, but when 30 year old Scott Council inexplicably drew little interest from teams, the Pirates swooped in and signed him. Council enjoyed a breakout year last year with Tucson, going 21-8 with a 3.29 ERA and 188 strikeouts. These two pitchers give Pittsburgh a dominating 1-2 punch that will likely keep them in the postseason discussion for a while longer. Douglas Malone(32) provides a solid third starter with his 4.35 career ERA. Geronimo Otero, once one of the greatest pitchers in the game, will be considered the fourth starter as his career winds down. The 39 year old right-hander has 217 career wins, a 3.08 ERA, and a 1.10 WHIP. Last year, his 14 losses and 4.60 ERA were the worst of his career. The only question now for him is whether his career is deemed worthy of the Hall of Fame. Many people remember his two year stretch from 2073 to 2074, in which he was a brilliant 42-9 with a 1.67 ERA and a 437/22 K/BB ratio. They'll also remember his postseason numbers: 18-9, 2.67 ERA.

The anchor of the bullpen is 34 year old Joe O'Donoghue. O'Donoghue has a 2.59 ERA in 670 career appearances. In the last two seasons, he has gone 24-10, with 28 saves, a 2.34 ERA, and 219 strikeouts in 238 2/3 innings pitched. The rest of the bullpen is also strong, but all but one reliever is age 33 or older, with one, left-hander Bradley Hinerman, probably in his last season at age 38.

The main weakness for the Pirates is the 1B/RF situation. With Richard Billips having left as a free agent, Pittsburgh plans to move James Sequeira, who platooned at first base last season, into right field. The expected starting first baseman, then, will be long-time supersub Jose Arruza. The 36 year old Arruza has a career .832 OPS, but last season was the worst season of his career, as he mustered just a .734 OPS. Also, in two of the last three seasons, Arruza has failed to slug over .400. The team could also decide to keep Sequeira at first, and attempt some right field three ring circus of reserve outfielders Tony Francois, Matias Santos, and Ralph Triado. However, Francois has just a .711 OPS in 317 career at bats, Santos has a .715 OPS in 69 at bats, and Triado has a .989 OPS in 33 at bats. Not a lot of experience among that group, and not a lot of production. One other possibility that has been hinted at by unnamed sources within the organization would be to move Rael across the diamond to play first, and install minor league third baseman Michael Robinson as the starting third baseman. Robinson is a better fielder at third than Rael, and the 25 year old put up an .805 OPS with 60 extra base hits at AAA last year. One thing is for sure: the Pirates will be looking to get Robinson into the lineup somewhere before this season is complete.


Predicted finish: 1st






Rochester Rhinos:
2082 Record: 77-85
Record over the last five years: 444-366
Payroll: 82,708,142
Payroll Rank: 3rd
Minor League Rank: 18th

Last seasons' 77-85 record came as a stunning shock to a team that hadn't had a losing record since 2068. Also coming to an end was the Rhinos' consecutive playoff streak, which had stood at five years. Now Rochester is faced with trying to recover in a division that looks very competitive all of a sudden.

The Rhinos have one of the more dangerous lineups in baseball. Behind the plate is 29 year old Paul Bibbs. Bibbs had an .895 OPS last season and ripped 32 homeruns. First base belongs to veteran Rick Ahn. The 35 year old has a .901 career OPS and 306 homeruns. Injuries limited him to just 104 games last year, however. Sergio Salo is a patient hitter with some pop at second base. The 26 year old has a .391 career OBP and is good for about 18-25 homeruns per year. Third baseman Leo Guerriero is one of the best all around players in the game, and he's only 28 years old. He has a .961 career OPS and has slugged over .600 in three of the last four seasons. He's also an excellent fielder. The Rhinos made one big acquisition this offseason, and that was 26 year old slugging right fielder Gustavo Manrique. The 26 year old Manrique has crushed 37 and 36 homeruns the past two seasons.

At the top of the rotation is, of course, Segundo Narbaiza. Narbaiza comes into this season with 306 career wins, a 2.41 ERA, 3368 strikeouts, and a 0.93 WHIP. He also comes in at the age of 38, and following a season in which injuries limited him to a career low 20 starts. Narbaiza has spent his entire career in Rochester, bringing Rhinos' fans that long-awaited glory: a World Series title in 2078. Now, though, it could be the end of the line. He's still one of the best pitchers in the league, but another injury-riddled season would probably change that. And for Rochester, injuries to Narbaiza would be devastating, because after him, there just isn't much to like about the Rhinos' rotation. 32 year old George Lasseter has always had decent talent, but his 5.66 career ERA points to how much he's underachieved over the years. He should not be considered a reliable number two pitcher. Dennis Philson is even worse, with a 5.75 career ERA. Hector Rao and Evan Caserez have only 33 starts between them, and the results have not been pretty at all. To be blunt, if Narbaiza goes down like he did last season, then Rochester this year will be much like Rochester last year. Without Narbaiza, the Rhinos have very little chance of contending. With him... well that changes the equation somewhat. Pittsburgh has an okay offense and superb pitching. Hartford has a decent offense, but a mediocre, if reasonably deep, rotation. Buffalo has both a solid offense and a solid rotation. Rochester has the potential for an excellent offense. The question is, will the offense be good enough to allow the one man show rotation to overcome the more balanced teams in the division?

Like Hartford, Rochester will be hoping that a solid bullpen can offset some of the deficiencies of the rotation. Closer Nathaniel Owen(36) has made 617 career appearances, notching 146 saves, and while posting a 3.97 ERA. Last year, he had a 2.99 ERA. Lenard Luna is an emerging talent at age 25. He made 80 appearances last season, and picked up 10 wins, while posting a 3.89 ERA in 111 innings pitched.


Predicted finish: 4th

[jamus23]

2083 Season Preview: AL Southeast Division:




Atlanta Braves:
2082 Record: 71-91
Record over the last five seasons: 385-425
Payroll: $91,242,372
Payroll Rank: 1st
Minor League Rank: 13th

The Atlanta Braves have been a pretty good example of "mediocrity" for quite a long time. In the last 42 years, the Braves have made only two postseason appearances, with just one division title(2069). In that same time period, however, they have just six last place finishes, with only two coming in the last 18 years. They have also managed to avoid losing 100 games in a season since last doing it in 2029. Never great, never terrible- that's the Atlanta Braves. This year, they hope to change that. The Braves enter the 2083 season with the highest payroll in baseball. They may want to remember how last season played out, however. Washington, Atlanta, and Knoxville had the three highest payrolls in baseball last year, and all three missed the playoffs, while Nashville squeezed past all of them for the second place playoff spot in the Southeast with the 14th ranked payroll...

The scariest part of the Braves is clearly their lineup. Joseph Ishmael provides an unlikely combination of power and speed at first base. The 29 year old slammed 33 homers last season, but also swiped 20 bases. Veteran second-baseman Wayne Koeller is 35, but just keeps on truckin'. The owner of 413 career homeruns and a .962 OPS, Koeller ripped 27 homeruns last year and had an .820 OPS. Roger Attaway(28) may be the best shortstop in the game, period. He has a .925 career OPS and 330 homeruns, and is also the owner of three Gold Glove Awards. Last year, he delivered 33 homers and a .971 OPS. Left-fielder Joey Campos(31) has deadly power, having belted 34 longballs last year. Campos has a .962 career OPS and 257 homeruns. New addition Flavio Trujillo(33) adds a much-needed left-handed power hitter, while also dramatically improving the right-field production(the aged Antoine Macias managed just a .733 OPS last year for the Braves).

Despite the powerful lineup, the Braves' success may depend on 27 year old right-handed starting pitcher Thomas Sanchez. Sanchez has tremendous ability, but so far that ability has not manifested itself. He has just a 5.93 career ERA in over 600 innings pitched, and he has walked over 100 batters in each of his three full seasons as a member of the rotation. There is some reason for optimism, however, as he managed to post a respectable 4.60 ERA last year. If he can begin to harness his control, the Braves may have themselves a frontline starter. They're going to need it, too. 28 year old Tony Testa is an acceptable middle of the rotation starter who has managed to post sub-5.00 ERAs in two of the last three seasons, but like Sanchez, he suffers from control problems. Andrew Barnes was a solid pitcher from 2076 to 2080 who got away with shaky control because he had nasty enough stuff to punch out 200+ batters per year. Now 34, however, his stuff isn't that good anymore, and he has posted consecutive seasons with an ERA comfortably above 6.00. Jack Patrick was an excellent pitcher for about a decade, having only three seasons between 2069 and 2079 with an ERA above 4.00. But the 36 year old has struggled mightily the last three seasons, and isn't much more than a back of the rotation guy at this point. And if you want to talk about how the mighty have fallen, look no further than Raimundo Carbajal, who completes the Atlanta rotation. Carbajal has been one of the greatest pitchers of the last twenty years, and wouldn't be out of place in a discussion of the all time greats. Four Cy Young Awards. Seven 20-win seasons. 291 career wins. Eight seasons with an ERA under 3.00. Over 3,000 strikeouts. But the Carbajal who put up those numbers isn't the Carbajal who is pitching today. He'll turn 38 in just a few days, and is coming off of the worst season of his career. He's no longer a strikeout pitcher. His control isn't what it once was. He got tagged for 55 homeruns last year. At this point, Carbajal is just hoping he can hang on long enough to get to 300 wins, at which point, he'll probably call it a career.

While the rotation has a few question marks, the Atlanta bullpen has some nice potential. Closer Abel Vivar(31) had 27 saves and a 2.82 ERA last year. Veteran Dennis Rank was acquired from San Jose in a trade. The 34 year old flame-throwing right-hander has a 2.96 ERA in 307 career games and had a 1.86 ERA in 44 games last year for the Sharks. 35 year old Roman Torre had the best year of his career last season, posting a 2.57 ERA in 49 games.

The Braves' biggest weakness is likely to be in center-field. 21 year old Elmer Claflin has an unexciting .719 OPS in 284 career at bats, and despite his age, isn't really expected to be an impact talent without significant improvement. 27 year old Robert Turner is one alternative, but Turner, acquired from San Diego in a trade this offseason, probably isn't much more than a platoon player anyways.

Predicted finish: 5th




Charlotte Panthers:
2082 Record: 65-97
Record over the last five seasons: 338-472
Payroll: $30,193,428
Payroll Rank: 24th
Minor League Rank: 4th

It is perhaps fitting that the team with the largest payroll in baseball is followed by the team with the smallest payroll. The Charlotte Panthers had almost immediate success after entering the league, winning 99 games in only their third season. The problem was, however, that those 99 wins were only good enough for third place, as both Knoxville and Miami won 100+ games in 2066. After that early success, the Panthers first faded into mediocrity, losing between 81 and 90 games in each of the following five seasons. It then got even worse, as the Panthers lost over 100 games in four of the next six seasons. Charlotte has managed to avoid losing 100 in a season since 2077, but not by much. Looking at the Panthers current roster, it may be a stretch for them avoid 100 losses, as there isn't a whole lot of talent.

The Panthers have two huge prospects at first base who may or may not be ready to play in the major leagues. 21 year old Steven Hart already has 246 career at bats, but has managed just a .653 OPS so far, while 19 year old David Mays is preparing to leap straight into the majors after being the second overall pick in this year's amateur draft. Rushing Mays may not be the wisest course of action, especially if he's going to struggle to get playing time. Left-fielder Juan Ibarra is one of the few established veteran players in the lineup who has been a starting player for many years. The 36 year old Ibarra is mostly a one-dimensional power hitter, with an .811 career OPS and 262 homeruns. He led the team last year with 32. The Panthers also have a pair of breakout candidates to fill out the rest of the outfield. 23 year old Keith O'Berry is a toolsy center-fielder who put up a .748 OPS last year in his first full season. If he continues to improve, the Panthers may have themselves a very well-rounded player. In right field, James Wysocki possesses a very patient bat(.373 OBP last year) with some power potential, as well. The 23 year old had an .823 OPS last year with 14 homeruns. Like with O'Berry, if Wysocki can continue to develop his skills, Charlotte will have a potential cornerstone player.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, their lackluster offense is compounded by a less than stellar pitching staff. Ostensibly, Burl Nease is the "ace" of the staff. Certainly, he has talent. However, Nease has been a chronic underachiever, who has a 5.54 career ERA in well over 300 starts. He has just two seasons with an ERA under 5.00. Jacob Barros provides a little more respectability. The 34 year old left-hander has had an ERA under 4.00 in four of the last five seasons; last year, he managed a 3.50 ERA. The rotation goes from mediocre to downright awful. Veteran Kenneth Olivera is pretty much a disaster- the 37 year old has a 6.33 career ERA. 31 year old Franklin Erb has an ERA comfortably above 8.00 in nearly 600 career innings pitched, while 28 year old Jake Elson doesn't even have 30 innings pitched to his name. Steven Jackson, Jr. is a lone bright spot in the bullpen. The 34 year old right-hander has a 3.33 career ERA in 565 appearances.

Predicted finish: 6th




Knoxville 79ers:
2082 Record: 80-82
Record over the last five seasons: 362-448
Payroll: $76,939,814
Payroll Rank: 5th
Minor League Rank: 16th

Knoxville has generally been excellent throughout the expanded playoffs era. From 2064 to 2077, the 79ers won four division titles, reached five World Series, and won three. They reached the postseason nine times, and had a winning record in all but two seasons. In the late '70s, however, the team imploded, and Knoxville posted three consecutive seasons with over 90 losses. The 79ers hadn't posted that many consecutive losing seasons since the dark years in the '40s, when they had nine straight following a World Series defeat in 2041. Those three years are the only time in Knoxville's history that the 79ers have lost over 90 games in three straight seasons. Knoxville has been somewhat more competitive the last two seasons, winning 83 and 80 games, but even that is a level far below what 79ers fans have been accustomed to.

The 79ers appear to have constructed their starting position players in the classic fashion: power at the corners and defense up the middle. 32 year old Arthur Taylor is a towering hulk of a first-baseman, standing 6 feet, 8 inches tall. He's a pitcher's nightmare, with the patience to draw 100 walks in five of the last seven seasons, and plenty of power. He has 275 career homeruns, and has also ripped 40 or more doubles in seven of the last nine seasons. He provided 40 doubles and 35 homeruns last year. At the hot corner, 29 year old Donald Noles has an .890 career OPS and 217 homeruns. He smacked 42 doubles and 33 homers last year. In left-field, Joshua Kier may have the most raw power of anyone in the game. He has a .906 OPS and 184 career homeruns at the age of 29. Last year, he delivered 52 doubles and 37 homeruns. Completing this powerful gang of four is right-fielder Burl Wyatt. Many wonder if the 79ers could have squeezed into the playoffs last year if the 28 year old Wyatt hadn't missed about half of the season with a broken wrist. Wyatt returns this season as the owner of a .900 career OPS and 187 homeruns. He had 15 homeruns last year in 258 at bats before getting injured.

The fielding part of the 79ers lineup includes 31 year old catcher James Jackson, who owns a strong arm and a middling .725 career OPS. At second base is a guy who could provide both a great glove and a significant bat. Jack Forrester is only 23 years old, but he is already a wizard in the field, having won last year's Gold Glove award. He has shown some offensive potential, as well, putting up a .742 OPS in nearly 700 career at bats, and poking out 27 homeruns. He could turn into a major star if his bat keeps developing. Knoxville made only notable free agent acquisition, and that was to bring back slick-fielding shortstop Joseph Bailey. The 33 year old Bailey isn't all glove, though, as he has put up OPS's of .822 and .790 the last two seasons. The 79ers appear to be taking a big risk with their expected center-fielder. Levi Twigg is considered a superb defensive player, with great range, great instincts, great hands, and a rocket arm, but this 35 year old outfielder has never had a bat deemed good enough for significant major league action. Despite his age, Twigg has fewer than 700 career at bats, and his .202 career batting average and .579 OPS are great clues to explain why that might be. It's an interesting gamble for a team hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

Knoxville's pitching staff can best be described as "adequate." Marcos Rocha(33) isn't an ideal ace, as he frequently suffers from a lack of control, but despite that, he has managed a solid 4.86 ERA in his career. After three awful seasons with an ERA above 6.00, 28 year old Pablo Esparza emerged last season with a respectable 4.43 ERA last year. 31 year old John Pannell has managed sub-5.00 ERAs in three of the last four years. 25 year old Bruce Congdon has posted four consecutive seasons with an ERA under 5.00, but he remains a homerun machine, having served up 42 last year. Closer Jordan Odle has emerged has one of the best in the game after last season's 27 save, 1.29 ERA season. For his career, he has 285 saves and a 3.47 ERA. 30 year old Bill Schwindt gives the 79ers something many teams don't have, which is a reliable second reliever. Schwindt has a 3.36 career ERA in 368 games.

Aside from the obvious weakness of Levi Twigg in center, it is likely that catcher will also be a weakness. Although the aforementioned James Jackson has a career OPS of .725, he hasn't actually posted an OPS above .700 since 2079. Jackson's backup, 28 year old Francisco Lamela, has just a .660 OPS in 202 career at bats. The possibility of getting so little offensive production from two positions isn't really an encouraging one for the 79ers chances.

Predicted finish: 3rd




Miami Dolphins:
2082 Record: 97-65
Record over the last five seasons: 517-293
Payroll: $75,132,142
Payroll Rank: 8th
Minor League Rank: 20th


For the last forty years, the American League's answer to the Pittsburgh Pirates has been the Miami Dolphins. Miami joined the league in 2038, and within five seasons, the Dolphins were champions, capturing their first World Series in 2042. For the next twenty years, the Dolphins met the Pirates in epic battle after epic battle to decide who would be baseball's best. From 2045 to 2063, the two teams met in the World Series nine times, and Miami won six of those contests. Both teams went into World Series droughts following Pittsburgh's four game defeat at the hands of Miami in 2063. The Pirates wouldn't reach the World Series again until 2074, while the Dolphins reached only one Series again until 2073(a win in 2065). In 2074, the two wrote another chapter in their history, with the Pirates defeating the Dolphins in six games. In 2081, they met yet again, with Pittsburgh winning its second straight World Series, defeating the Dolphins in six games. Miami, however, returned to the World Series last season, and defeated San Diego. In a testament to the dominance of the Pirates and Dolphins, the last four four World Series winners have been either the Dolphins or the Pirates(Miami in 2079 and 2082, and Pittsburgh in 2080 and 2081).

Though the driving force behind the recent Dolphins' teams has been pitching, that doesn't mean Miami's lineup can be ignored. Veteran left-handed hitting catcher Jake Foss has an .888 career OPS and has hit 237 homeruns. Even in a slight off-year last year, the 34 year old Foss put up an .848 OPS with 20 homeruns. Aaron Shorts isn't the prototypical slugging first-baseman, but his combination of doubles power, plate discipline, and fielding make him a very valuable player. Despite missing time to injuries last year, he still ripped 48 doubles, drew 80 walks, and posted a .410 OBP. Bill Tovar isn't the greatest defensive shortstop out there, but after the departure of longtime Dolphins' SS Berny Morales last offseason, Tovar stepped into an everyday role and excelled. The 31 year old batted .318 with an .866 OPS, while smacking 37 doubles and 16 homeruns. Left-fielder Roy Springs is the star hitter in the Dolphins lineup. The 2080 Silver Slugger winner has 337 career homeruns and an .885 OPS. Last year, he tied for the American League lead in homeruns with 44, and had a .915 OPS. Springs will be moving over to center field this season to replace the departed Ulises Menendez. Veteran outfielder Dennis Fernandez is expected to receive the majority of the playing time in left field. The 34 year old Fernandez had a .768 OPS and 11 homeruns in 286 at bats last season as a part-time player.

The ace of the best rotation in baseball is 28 year old Christian Hokusai. In the last two seasons, Hokusai is 40-12 and has posted ERAs of 2.66 and 2.87. In addition to his 19-7 record last season, Hokusai had a 0.84 WHIP and 205 strikeouts. 36 year old Joseph Brashears won't overpower many hitters, instead relying on trickery and guile. Whatever he's doing, it clearly works. He has 184 career wins and a 3.68 ERA. Last year, he won 17 games with a 3.27 ERA. Jose Caceres(35) has a tendency to lose control of his stuff, and so he walks plenty of batters. That's about his only weakness, as he can be absolutely unhittable at times. He has 166 career wins and a 3.29 ERA. Last year, he managed 14 wins and a 3.47 ERA. Left-hander Jim Miller is one of the oldest players in baseball, and like Brashears, he gets by on his wits more than anything else. Even so, he was second on the Dolphins in strikeouts last season with 170. The 41 year old has 162 career wins and a 3.90 ERA. Last year he won 12 games with a 3.81 ERA. The wild card of the rotation is 29 year old Mark Prior. In 2080, Prior was named the Rookie of the Year after a season in which he won 18 games, struck out 205 batters, posted an ERA of 3.53, and tossed four shutouts. In 2081, an elbow injury limited him to 25 starts, and he posted an ERA of 3.79. Last year, another elbow injury limited him to just 21 starts, and his ERA jumped to 4.09. Prior probably has more pure talent than any of the Dolphins starters other than Hokusai, but after two injury-plagued seasons, his future has some question marks. With the overall age of the rotation, the Dolphins really need the younger Prior to get back to where he was.

For many years, Christopher Lain has been the Dolphins intimidating, flame-throwing closer. One of the hardest throwers in all of baseball, the 37 year old Lain has racked up 336 saves with a 2.79 ERA in 616 games. But Lain has always been a guy who flirted with disaster. His control is shaky, and he has a tendency to groove his heat-seeking missiles down the middle of the plate- a homerun on a silver platter for most hitters. For most of his career, this wasn't a problem, but last year, his ERA ballooned to 4.88, and the Dolphins' manager began to lose trust in him. Though he picked up 15 saves, that number was less than half of Miami's total team saves(36), and he wasn't even the only pitcher on the team to pick up at least 10 saves. George Carolan is actually older than Lain at 38, but he has aged a little bit better. Carolan has a 2.90 career ERA in 604 games. Last year, he led the Dolphins with 52 appearances, posted a 3.92 ERA, and picked up 11 saves.

Perhaps the biggest mystery surrounding the Dolphins is what has happened to third-baseman Thomas Fuentes, Jr. The son of the Hall of Fame shortstop, he had been emerging as a pretty good player in his own right. He exploded in 2080, batting .319/.392/.575/.966 with 34 homeruns. But he labored through much of the 2081 season, and despite hitting 29 homeruns, he managed just a .249 average and a .759 OPS. Last year was even worse, as his power simply vanished. He finished the 2082 season with a .250 average and just a .695 OPS. He mustered only 26 extra base hits(13 homeruns) and slugged a pathetic .360. There's no logical reason for a 30 year old player with Fuentes, Jr.'s talent to completely fall apart, but that's pretty much what he's done. The lack of production from Fuentes, Jr. has had a dramatic impact on the Miami offense. In 2080, when he had his big season, the Dolphins were 5th in all of baseball in runs scored. They have since slumped to 13th and 19th in the past two seasons. If he can bounce back, the Dolphins have the potential for a solid, if not overpowering, lineup. If he can't, that will put a lot of pressure on an aging pitching staff.

Predicted finish: 1st




Nashville Predators:
2082 Record: 82-80
Record over the last five seasons: 400-410
Payroll: $57,725,614
Payroll Rank: 13th
Minor League Rank: 22nd

One of the great tragedies of the league has been the decline of the Nashville Predators as a competitive organization. In the first 42 years of the league, Nashville reached 11 World Series, and won four of them. Since winning the '44 Series, the Predators have not been back. In those same 42 years, Nashville reached the postseason 14 times. Since then, only once- last year. In those first 42 years, Nashville finished with a greater than .500 record 26 times. Since then, six times. In 2064, the Predators even had the dubious distinction of finishing with a worse record than the expansion Charlotte Panthers. The question now is, was last season's playoff appearance a fluke, or are the Predators on the verge of returning to prominence?

Free agent catcher Daniel Lane will be a nice addition to a an otherwise fairly ordinary lineup. The 27 year old backstop has a .901 career OPS and has hit between 18 and 33 homeruns in each of the last eight seasons. Last year he had a .924 OPS and hit 23 homeruns. 29 year old shortstop David Rosier isn't going to hit for a high average(he batted just .227 last year), but he has good power(297 career homeruns and 22 last year), is a dangerous base-stealer(561 career thefts and 48 last season), and may be the best defensive shortstop in baseball, having won four Gold Glove Awards since 2076 and two straight. 31 year old center-fielder Carlo Romero is coming off of a down season. Romero has a career OPS of .940, but struggled last year with just a .789 OPS. Romero can be a fearsome slugger when he's on, with 387 career round-trippers. Despite his struggles last year, he still managed to hit 29. He was also as patient as ever, drawing 100 walks.

30 year old Mose Urick had a breakthrough season last year, capturing the Cy Young Award by going 22-5 with a 1.74 ERA, 240 strikeouts, and 5 shutouts. He pretty much put Nashville in the playoffs single-handedly. Unfortunately for Urick, he may have to do it again. The rest of the rotation includes: a pair of aged, walk-prone starters in 37 year old left-hander Marco Nunez, who has walked over 100 batters in four of the last five seasons, and 38 year old Steffen Snow, who has walked over 100 batters in nine straight seasons. In the last five seasons, the two have combined for just two seasons with ERAs under 6.00. There may be a ray of hope, however, in 23 year old Rene Romero. Romero has tremendous ability, and if he can continue to develop, a 1-2 punch of Urick and him would be a dangerous combination. Thus far, however, he has an ERA of 7.64 in almost 90 career innings.

The position to watch on the Predators will be first base. 33 year old Jerry Hise is a useful player, but his .775 career OPS simply doesn't belong at first base on a daily basis. An upgrade here seems almost a necessity if Nashville wants to contend.

Predicted finish: 4th




Washington Senators:
2082 Record: 79-83
Record over the last five seasons: 448-362
Payroll: $76,751,114
Payroll Rank: 6th
Minor League Rank: 17th


Washington has quietly been one of the better teams in baseball over the last decade. The Senators had posted winning records for eight straight seasons until last year, and they also had a streak of five consecutive playoff appearances broken with their fourth place finish. That streak began, of course, when they won the '77 World Series.

Catcher Tito Baeza just keeps on chugging. The 38 year old Baeza has 2,624 career hits, 445 homeruns, and a .916 OPS, and he managed a solid .802 OPS last season with 25 homeruns. Left-fielder Leon Pino enters his age 36 season as the owner of 2,664 hits, 560 homeruns, and a .940 career OPS. Last year, he had an .857 OPS and 25 homeruns. 26 year old right-fielder Steven Patterson has incredible plate discipline, racking up 122 walks last year while posting an OBP of .418. He also poked out 20 homeruns.

The Senators will place their hopes in a veteran rotation, anchored by 34 year old Cleveland Lauria. The two time Cy Young Award winner has 198 career wins, a 3.99 ERA, 2432 strikeouts, and a 1.01 WHIP. He has shown signs of age in recent years, however, with back to back seasons of a 4.00 or higher ERA. 31 year old Kenneth Thurman has talent, but has rarely been an effective starting pitcher. In seven full seasons, he's posted an ERA under 5.00 just twice, and never one under 4.00. Juan Fuentes(34) has been a solid pitcher for several seasons. Last year, he won 15 games, had an ERA of 4.35, struck out 213 batters, and tossed 5 shutouts. 31 year Otis Smith has also been a decent pitcher. In 241 career starts, Smith has a respectable, if unspectacular, 4.74 ERA. Washington doesn't have the greatest bullpen in the world, but James Smith has proven himself to be a capable closer. The 33 year old has 243 career saves and a 4.03 ERA. In the last two seasons, however, his ERA has been under 3.00. Last year, he had a 2.96 ERA with 34 saves.

The main weakness of the Senators is an expected DH platoon of 25 year old outfielder Bryan Jusino and 35 year old first-baseman Johnnie Sermons. Both players have a bit of skill, but they fit better as bench players rather than starters at an offensive-oriented spot. Jusino has just a .634 OPS in 134 career at bats, while Sermons has posted a .690 OPS in nearly 1700 at bats. Expect Washington to try and upgrade this spot, and fairly quickly. A second weakness has to do with the Senators' bench. Most of Washington's reserves simply don't belong on a major league roster. The Senators could very easily be crippled if they are beset by even one or two injuries, as they simply don't have the depth to cover for it.

Predicted finish: 2nd

[jamus23]

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

[jamus23]

2083 Season Preview: Denver Broncos




Denver Broncos:
2082 Record: 107-55
Record over the last five seasons: 480-330
Payroll: $78,018,572
Payroll Rank: 4th
Minor League Rank: 24th

First things first. Yes, that minor league rank does say 24th. The Broncos have the worst rated minor league system in the entire league. Currently, just

two Denver prospects crack the Top 100 list. Starting pitcher Christopher Hicks is rated the #72 prospect, while starting pitcher Thomas Fons is rated the

#83 prospect. This not a great position to be in, as it calls into question how long the Broncos will be able to keep up their current run of success. Given

the respective ages of Denver's core players, I would give this group about four more years of strong success. After that, all bets are off, as without a

significant influx of young talent into the organization, there is simply nothing in the pipeline. If guys like Asbel Fuentez, Ellis Bolling, Lee Chappel,

et al, can't be replaced sufficiently in the next couple years as they start to hit their late 30's, the Broncos could be in for some rough years. Now, onto

the roster:

Lee Chappel remains the starting catcher, of course. The 32 year old Chappel has a 1.014 career OPS and 272 career homeruns. He's also hit 60 doubles in two

straight seasons. Last year, he reached 100 walks for the second time in his career, drawing 102. Chappel's contract expires at the end of this season, so

the Broncos will definitely be looking to work something out, hopefully keeping him in Denver for several more years.

Backing up Chappel will be 34 year old Greg Lauritsen, signed to a 1 year deal this offseason. Lauritsen was originally an undrafted free agent signed by

Pittsburgh back in 2070. He reached the major leagues in 2075, and was the Pirates' backup catcher in '76. In 2077, he was traded to Rochester, and then,

the following year, traded to San Jose. He has since played for Grand Rapids and Sacramento. In 643 career at bats, he has just a .621 OPS. As a backup,

he's probably acceptable, but if Chappel was to get injured for any major length of time, the Broncos would surely look to acquire someone better than

Lauritsen to fill in.

Ellis Bolling heads into his age 34 season with 595 career doubles, 504 career homeruns, 1557 runs batted in, and 1358 runs scored. Bolling also has a .960

career OPS, driven primarily by his .609 career slugging percentage. Last year, Bolling belted 70 doubles and 44 homeruns, and collected 166 runs batted in,

despite missing three weeks near the end of the season with a fractured foot.

Jack Rumfelt will be a starter for the first time in his career this season. The 30 year old infielder has 354 career at bats, and has posted a .731 OPS. He

won't hit for any power, but he does have a respectable .352 on base percentage. Though he is a left-handed hitter, the Broncos are not expected to platoon

him at all.

27 year old Michael Phillips will be another first-time starter. Phillips will man the hot corner for Denver this year. In 262 career at bats, Phillips has

a .771 OPS, driven by a .393 on base percentage. In 160 at bats last season, Phillips got on base at a .403 clip.

Booker Romero remains the starter at shortstop, despite the fact that he hasn't been all that productive the last two seasons. Even with the benefit of

playing half of his games in an extreme hitter's park, Romero has managed OPS's of only .694 and .693. One item of note, especially in light of the

acquisition of the left-handed hitting infielder Adrian Mingo, is the fact that Romero had a .915 OPS in 101 at bats against lefties last year. If Romero

continues to struggle, don't be surprised if Mingo starts taking away playing time against right-handed pitchers.

Speaking of Mingo, the 30 year old infielder will handle the utility role, at least for now. Mingo has shown fairly good plate discipline in his career(75

walks with 556 at bats), but has generally been such a weak hitter that it hasn't mattered much. Mingo has only a .218 career batting average, which has

dragged what might otherwise have been a decent on base percentage down to a meager .311. Also, don't expect much power from Mingo, though he does have the

speed to leg out some triples. He has 10 in his career, and managed 4 in 190 at bats last season. He is also dangerous on the basepaths, with 21 stolen

bases last year and 33 in 2080.

Technically, 37 year old Ruben Diaz is considered an infielder also, as he has experience at 2B, 3B, and SS, but he is pretty poor at all three positions.

In any event, he was brought in to be the designated hitter. Diaz has a .757 OPS in 2148 career at bats, which includes a .430 slugging percentage. In the

friendly confines of Denver, Diaz should be a fairly solid performer. This will be Diaz's second go-around with the Broncos. In 2070, he was acquired by the

Broncos from Atlanta for relief pitcher Huey Crawford, but saw little action in the big leagues that year, with only four at bats. The following year, he

saw significant action for Denver, collecting 379 at bats with an .823 OPS and 13 homeruns. In 2072, however, the Broncos dealt Diaz to Knoxville, and he's

been limited to part-time duty ever since. It'll be interesting to see how he handles regular playing time, especially given the fact that he isn't exactly

a spring chicken.

Alexis Vazquez now gives the Broncos three former Silver Slugger Award winners(the first two being Chappel and Bolling). The 34 year old Vazquez was

outstanding last year, batting .363 with 43 homeruns and a 162 runs batted in, and he set career highs in virtually every offensive category. He comes into

this season with an .871 career OPS and 242 homeruns.

Vazquez wasn't the only Bronco having a career year last year. Center-fielder Russell Thomas set a personal best with a .950 OPS last season, and both his

26 homeruns and .531 slugging percentage were the highest of his career. It's funny how things work out sometimes. Thomas was brought in prior to the 2081

season ostensibly to be the Broncos' leadoff hitter. Increasingly, however, he found himself hitting in the middle of the order, especially against right-

handed pitchers, and thus has driven in 219 runs the last two seasons. The 32 year old Thomas has an .876 career OPS, mainly because of his .355 career

batting average.

It was Asbel Fuentez who began to wrest the leadoff spot away from Thomas against right-handed pitchers the past two seasons, mainly because of his

tremendous ability to not only get on base, but to get into scoring position. The 35 year old Fuentez has been a great hitter for average, but he has also

been patient enough to draw around 70 walks per year. That allows him to put up on base percentages close to .420 year in and year out. But it's not just

about getting to first base. Fuentez has been one of the elite base-stealers of his generation. He enters this season with 654 career stolen bases, which

gives him an excellent chance to become just the seventh player to reach 700. Beyond even stolen bases however, Fuentez has also ripped 40 or more doubles

in five consecutive seasons, including a career high 54 last year. When you have a guy who can "get on and get over" so frequently, all by himself, you're

going to score a lot of runs.


Armando Navarro returns as a speedy and rangy reserve outfielder. The 33 year old Navarro has only a .658 career OPS in 694 at bats, but he has performed

very solidly for the Broncos the last two seasons. In 2081, he had an .804 OPS in 103 at bats, while last year, he had a .734 OPS in 163 at bats. He has

gone 19 of 22 stealing bases the last two seasons as well.

Marvin Lore is the Broncos' final position player. The 24 year old Lore batted .321 with an .821 OPS at AAA last year, but was only 2 for 12 in his first

taste of the big leagues. In addition to playing the outfield, Lore will likely see some time at first base as the backup to Bolling. Lore, drafted by

Denver in 2077, is one of only four position players on the Broncos to have been drafted by Denver. The other three are Vazquez, Bolling, and Chappel. In

all, nine Denver draft picks are on the 25-man roster.


Pitching:

Kenny Pillsbury is the unquestioned leader of the Broncos' rotation after he broke the franchise record for wins in a season that had stood for nearly 30

years. The 31 year old Pillsbury won 24 games last year, breaking the record of 23 that Wilfredo Arenas had set back in 2055. Pillsbury has a career record

of 94-41 in 166 major league games, with a 4.16 ERA.

Following Pillsbury in the rotation is the harder-throwing Ray Lockridge. Lockridge, also 31 years old, won 20 games for the second time in his career last

season. For his career, Lockridge is 138-79, with a 3.69 ERA.

To further confuse opposing hitters, the Broncos follow up Lockridge with the left-handed knuckleballer, Robert McNett. The 27 year old McNett completed his

third full season last year, and compiled a respectable 14-9 record with a 4.54 ERA. McNett has a career record of 49-31, and a 4.62 ERA.

Christopher Kirk has developed into a very dependable workhorse the last couple of seasons, posting a 4.68 ERA in 101 career starts. In addition, the 30 year old

Kirk has won 20 games in two straight seasons. For his career, Kirk is 57-32.

Completing the rotation is 30 year old George Buentello. Buentello, the fourth overall selection in the 2072 draft, appears to have finally established

himself in the big leagues after going 17-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 27 starts over the last two seasons. He'll probably never win a Cy Young Award, or even make

an All Star game, but he should provide the Broncos with a more than capable fifth starter for a few years. In 41 career starts, Buentello is 22-9 with a

4.72 ERA.

In the same way that Pillsbury has established himself as the leader of the rotation, James Virgen has taken the reins of the bullpen. Gifted with a blazing

fastball, Virgen has won 17 games out of the bullpen the last two years, while also picking up 27 saves. Last year, he had a career best 19 saves, and

posted a 66/10 K/BB in 82 2/3 innings pitched. He also has three straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00. For his career, Virgen has a 4.29 ERA in 613

games.

Complementing the 6'5" Virgen, is the diminutive left-hander, Ramon Gomez. Standing only 5'10", Gomez has mastered the art of making opposing hitters look

foolish. One of the best strikeout pitchers in the league, Gomez has 633 career K's in 595 1/3 innings pitched. Last year, he whiffed 60 batters in 54 1/3

innings. After two brilliant years as the Broncos' closer in 2079 and 2080, Gomez seemed to collapse in 2081; his ERA ballooned over 5.00 and he blew save

after save. He appeared to recover last year, posting a solid 3.15 ERA, but it is likely that his days as the Broncos' sole closer are over for good. Now,

manager John Wilkerson will play the matchups: if the starter can complete the game, he will(Pillsbury and Kirk combined for 19 complete games last year),

if Virgen is the better play, he'll get the call(19 saves last year), and if it is Gomez, well, he'll get a shot, too(11 saves last year). The 32 year old

Gomez has a 4.08 ERA in 433 career games, and has saved 113 games.

The remainder of the Broncos' bullpen has some question marks. 30 year old Fred Lemire has managed an ERA under 3.00 in 2 of the last 3 seasons. The year

that it wasn't, however, it was a whopping 8.48. Lemire has excellent stuff, and is able to make batters swing and miss frequently. However, he does have a

tendency to put the ball over the heart of the plate, gift-wrapping homeruns. He coughed up 7 homeruns in only 37 2/3 innings last year. It was even worse

in 2081, when he surrendered 14 longballs in 40 1/3 innings. Lemire has a 5.39 ERA in 76 career games.

25 year old Lyndon Gwinn has a nasty fastball that can make hitters look downright silly at times, but like Lemire, Gwinn often gets a little careless with

his location, leading to lots of homeruns. He got tagged for 12 homeruns in 46 innings last year. Gwinn has a 4.70 ERA in 36 career appearances.

Larry Waltz is one of the longest tenured players in the Denver organization. The 34 year old Waltz has been with the Broncos since he was drafted in the

fourth round in 2070. Only Alexis Vazquez(drafted in '69) and Ellis Bolling(drafted two rounds ahead of Waltz in '70) have been with the Broncos as long or

longer as Waltz. Of course, those two have been with the big club for much longer, as Waltz has spent most of his career toiling in the minor leagues, with

only occasional callups. However, a solid stint with the team in 2081 endeared him to the front office, and for the first time, he'll make the 25 man roster

out of spring training. Waltz has made 43 major league appearances, 26 of which have been starts. In those games, he has a 4.88 ERA. In '81, injuries forced

him into the rotation for a time, and in 24 games and 17 starts, he was 7-9 with a 4.07 ERA. He also tossed 4 complete games and a shutout. Waltz is also

known for having one of the most impressive debuts by a player. Way back in 2074, Waltz had completed his first season at AAA. It wasn't a very good season,

as he had a 5.43 ERA in 23 starts. Nevertheless, the Broncos gave him a September callup. He made his first career start against the Atlanta Braves on

October 3rd of that year. Waltz proceeded tossed a 1-hit shutout as Denver bombarded the Braves 12-0.

The final roster spot is somewhat of a surprise to Broncos' fans. It was expected that 28 year old left-hander Robert Soto would fill out the bullpen. Soto

does have a 4.14 ERA in 147 career games. But it is not Soto that completes the roster. Instead, it is gigantic left-handed starting pitcher James Myatt

making the team. The 27 year old Myatt stands a towering 6'11", making him a very intimidating presence on the mound. In discussing the surprising decision,

Broncos' GM John Mounts said given the way Myatt has performed in the minor leagues in recent seasons, it was simply time for him to pitch in the majors.

"Whether it's as a reliever or a starter, we want him contributing. He has the ability." Although Myatt had a 3.09 ERA in 17 AAA starts last year, and

whiffed 171 batters in 116 2/3 innings, his major league numbers were not nearly as impressive. He made 8 starts for the Broncos, and posted a 6.91 ERA. He

also struck out only 28 batters in 43 innings. Myatt has a 7.07 ERA in 49 2/3 career innings pitched. Mounts said that, for now, Myatt would be a reliever,

but if there were injuries, he would be the firt choice to fill in. As well, Mounts mentioned that "if there was a favorable matchup," Myatt might also get

some spot starts.

Minor Leagues:

Thus far, I haven't focused much on Denver's minor league system, giving only passing mention to it from time to time. But in light of the fact that the

Broncos' minor leagues are now considered the worst in the league, it may be a good time to discuss the state of affairs, starting with Denver's top 10

prospects. Although the aforementioned Christopher Hicks and Thomas Fons are the two Broncos' prospects in the Top 100 list, they are not considered the

Broncos' two best prospects; rather, they rank 3rd and 6th, respectively. Ranked number one is, in fact, Marvin Lore, so his graduation to the majors will

further weaken Denver's minor leagues.

Ranking second on the list is 24 year old outfielder Thomas Vassallo. Vassallo can handle any of the outfield positions, but he is probably better suited to

one of the corners, as he has only adequate range. He does have a strong arm. Vassallo is a switch-hitter with some power potential, but his plate

discipline is fairly weak, as he swings at most everything, but has difficulty making contact. He's not a fast runner, but he picks his spots well and can

steal a fair number of bases. Originally drafted in the second round by New Jersey in 2077, Vassallo has developed slowly. This will be his first season

above A-ball. He hit .311 with an .821 OPS at single A last year, with 48 doubles, 14 homeruns, and 30 stolen bases. Given the ages of outfielders Alexis

Vazquez and Asbel Fuentez, the Broncos would benefit greatly from speedier development by Vassallo.

Christopher Hicks is the third ranked Denver prospect. Hicks is a 20 year old starting pitcher who was drafted in the second round in 2081. Hicks has solid

control and get a few strikeouts. He's very good at inducing groundballs, as well. After two solid campaigns at single A, the Broncos are debating whether

or not Hick is ready for AA. The only concern is that he actually performed worse in his second year; his ERA rose from 3.21 to 3.97 and his WHIP rose from

1.07 to 1.27. On the plus side, his strikeout rate jumped considerably.

Fourth on Denver's prospect list is shortstop Brooks Branco, the Bronco's first round pick in 2078. The 24 year old Branco isn't much defensively, but he's a

switch-hitter with a strong bat and patient approach at the plate. Last season, he got his first taste of AA ball, and rose to the challenge. In 225 at

bats, Branco had an .894 OPS. He hit 13 homeruns and had a .356 on base percentage. Branco runs well, but isn't much of a base-stealer.

Ranking fifth is this season's first round pick, first-baseman Henry Lewis, Jr. The 23 year old has a well-polished bat, with no real weaknesses. He will

begin his professional career at single A.

Starting pitcher Thomas Fons ranks sixth on Denver's list. The 24 year old Fons was the Broncos' first round pick last year. He spent most of last season

single A, compiling a 3.97 ERA in 20 starts. He also made a 2 start cup of coffee at AA and got hammered for 10 runs in 12 2/3 innings pitched. Fons also

missed significant time last year with injuries to his shoulder and triceps. Fons is a workhorse who induces a lot of groundballs. He doesn't throw hard,

and doesn't strike out many batters. He also needs to work harder on his control.

First-baseman Tamiko Teika is the seventh rated prospect, and pretty much the only prospect on Denver's AAA squad. Teika was a second round pick by Tucson in

2079, but bounced to Memphis and Buffalo before being acquired by the Broncos last offseason in a trade. Teika is only 22 years old but has moved steadily

up the minor league ladder despite not having any standout skills. A left-handed hitter, Teika has, at times, hit for good average and shown occasional

power, but he can be streaky and inconsistent at times. He split last season between AA and AAA and batted .307 with a .782 OPS and 8 homeruns in 349 AAA at

bats.

Second-baseman Dale Churchill is the Broncos eighth rated prospect. The 24 year old Churchill is an excellent fielder at second, and can hold his own at

shortstop. As a hitter, he knows how to draw a walk and..... well, that's pretty much it. He has little power and doesn't make contact very often. He had a

solid season at AA last year, putting up a .776 OPS, with a .360 OBP. Churchill also runs very well, but is inconsistent with his base-stealing. He was

originally drafted in the second round in 2077 by Rochester. The Broncos acquired him in a trade in 2081.

The ninth rated prospect is 25 year old starting pitcher Travis Ripple. Ripple was the Broncos' second round pick in 2079. Ripple is coming back from an

injury that cost him virtually all of last season. On Opening Day last year, Ripple pitched 2 innings before being lost for the season with a torn ligament

in his elbow. Ripple is hard-throwing left-hander who racks up the strikeouts but who is still working on refining the other aspects of pitching. Ripple had

gotten his first look at AA in 2081, and whiffed 194 batters in 136 innings. However, he also had a 5.63 ERA.

23 year old Rafael Alvarez is considered the Broncos' 10th best prospect. Alvarez, a starting pitcher who was drafted in the third round last year, had a

respectable season in 2082. In 25 starts, he had a 4.62 ERA. He will start of A ball again to start this season.

Now for some prospects who didn't make the Top 10 list but may make an impact in the next couple of seasons:

25 year old starting pitcher Charles Yost. Yost throws hard but struggles with his control. He was solid at AA last year, with a 3.68 ERA in 22 starts, but

in 4 starts at AAA, he got hit very hard, with a 9.16 ERA. Yost might be acceptable as an emergency starter, but without significant improvement, that's his

ceiling.

23 year old catcher John Landon. Landon has only two years of experience, but already has a season and half at AA, where he's performed very respectably. He

batted .312 with a .705 OPS there last year. Landon doesn't project as a starter, but could make a viable backup catcher in the big leagues.

25 year old infielder Randall Naughton. Naughton spent six seasons toiling away for Grand Rapids' single A team, but was acquired in a minor trade by Denver

this offseason. Naughton potentially has very good plate discipline, and could make a useful utility infielder if his hitting ability improves even a

little bit more.

22 year old left-fielder Shane Lattimer. Lattimer, a left-handed hitter, could find his way onto a major league bench someday. He has a solid glove, and

after a couple of excellent seasons at single A, may have gotten his name noticed. A sixth round pick by Denver in 2079, Lattimer was awful his first two

seasons, but in the last two years he has put up OPS's of .862 and .868. He has no power, but he's a good contact hitter who can draw the occasional walk.

22 year old outfielder Arlie Raines. Raines is a terrific fielder in either left or center, with a plus arm to go with excellent range. After struggling in

his first professional season in 2079, he has performed very well since then, and last year, put up an .860 OPS at AA.

18 year old center-fielder Charles Curran. Denver's second round pick this season, Curran is a very raw, toolsy player. He's fast, covers a lot of ground in

the outfield, has a strong arm, and may have some power potential. I'd say he's a long way off from the majors, though.

And that's the Denver minor league system in a nutshell. There are a few other prospects, some who even decent potential, but nobody that really stands out.

And ultimately, that's sort of the frighening thing. There is really noone who currently looks like even a good major league regular. Vassallo, Branco, and

Hicks are probably the closest, but Vassallo isn't very well-developed given his age, and Hicks is a long, long way off. Even the next worst system in the

league, San Jose, has a number of very solid looking prospects. The Broncos really have nothing.

Of course, if you win a championship, concerns about the minor leagues tend to vanish for awhile....



And that's the 2083 preview. Next up.... Opening Day, 2083!

[jamus23]

Before I get into discussing the first week of action, there are a few things that need to be mentioned.

1. Inexplicably, I forgot to mention one of the Broncos making the 25-man roster. I have no idea how I did this, but oh well. The final roster spot went to relief pitcher Omar Lopez. The 28 year old Lopez was acquired from Tucson in a trade back in 2077, and has been used as the AA and AAA closer the last several seasons, with major league cups of coffee in each of the last three years. Lopez came into this season with 14 major league appearances, a 2.61 ERA, and a 12/1 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings pitched. Lopez is a right-hander who has good control and does a good job of inducing groundballs, thus limiting homeruns.

2. The "Milestone Watch" feature will be retired for the time being. Last year was interesting because there were a number of players climbing near the top of several leaderboards. This year, there aren't really any threats to any career records. Hartford's Ricky Vega, who played a big role last year, began the season 5th in hits, 3rd in homeruns, 1st in RBI, and 8th in runs scored. While he will continue to add to his RBI record, he is likely to move up only one spot in each of those other categories(needing 8 hits, 15 homeruns, and 7 runs scored to do so). Rochester's Segundo Narbaiza, another name from last year, is still 15 wins away from the number three all time pitcher, Robert McComas. If he can stay healthy and effective long enough to get close enough, then I will bring back the milestone watch. Until then, however, it's pretty pointless. There are just a few other players making any kind of noise. Atlanta's Raimundo Carbajal needs 9 wins to become the fifth player to 300. Denver's Asbel Fuentez needs 46 stolen bases to become just the seventh player to steal 700 in a career. San Diego's Andrew Burdick can jump from 20th in runs scored to 9th by scoring 110 runs, and if he scores 118 runs, he will become just 9th player to reach 2000 runs scored. Harrisburg's Del Shigemori needs 7 homeruns to crack the top 10 all time.

So, while there are a few players climbing the charts, nobody is really challenging to become an all-time leader, and for many, it will take the whole season to see if they can reach their possible destinations anyways. Thus, I won't bother with the milestone watch until perhaps later in the year.

3. I will, however, be resuming the Hall of Fame bios. I wanted to do more during the offseason, but didn't really have the time.



__________________________________________________ _____________


So, onto the first series of the season:

April 1st, 2083 to April 3rd, 2083

The Green Bay Packers, (0-0)



AT


The Denver Broncos, (0-0)




If Opening Day is a chance for every team to make a statement about themselves regarding the just begun season, then the Broncos have informed the league that they will be a sloppy, ineffective team. Denver opened its season against a seemingly overmatched Green Bay team, and proceeded to fall behind 5-1 after two innings. In the fifth inning, the Packers' Ernie Willis hit the first of his two homeruns- this one a mad dash around the bases for a two run, inside the park four-bagger to make the score 7-1. Willis added another homerun in the seventh to make it 8-1. That homerun actually went over the fence. Asbel Fuentez and Booker Romero delivered back to back homeruns in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it was too little, too late in an 8-4 defeat. Denver's other run came on Alexis Vazquez's solo homer in the second inning.

Kenny Pillsbury didn't exactly help the cause on the mound, though neither did his fielders-Fuentez, in particular. Pillsbury surrendered 7 runs in five innings, while allowing 6 hits and 3 walks. Because of two errors by Fuentez, only 3 of the runs were earned. Pillsbury also gave up two homeruns.


The second game of the year was almost a carbon-copy of the first. Sloppy fielding, and ineffective hitting and pitching combined to allow the Packers to hand the Broncos a second straight defeat, this one by a score of 8-3. Green Bay got started early, scoring a run in the first inning, two in the second inning, and then one apiece in the fourth and fifth innings, building a comfortable 5-0 lead. Ray Lockridge followed in the footsteps of Pillsbury, getting bombarded for 12 hits in 5 innings. One of the five runs that Lockridge allowed was unearned, as Asbel Fuentez committed his third error of the season. The Broncos were briefly provided with hope, as they scrounged up three runs in the sixth inning. Those hopes were dashed, however, when reliever Lyndon Gwinn got tagged for three runs in the eighth inning off of back to back homeruns from Ralph Ferrari and Robert Quirk.


Many Denver fans had a sense of "here we go again" when the Packers got two runs in the second inning of the third game of the series from an unlikely two out double by Peter Winston. But the Broncos' hitters shook off their early season lethargy, and struck for 3 runs in the bottom of the second. In the third inning, Denver broke the game wide open, exploding for 5 runs. Asbel Fuentez provided a two run triple in the inning. The two teams traded runs, with Green Bay scoring in the fifth inning, and Denver scoring in the sixth inning, making it 9-3. The Packers completed the scoring with two runs in the ninth inning, giving the Broncos their first win of the season, a 9-5 victory.

Left-hander Robert McNett put out a solid performance after two shaky outings by the Broncos' top two starters. McNett pitched 7 innings, and allowed just 3 runs. He struck out 7 batters. Fuentez delivered 3 hits and 3 RBI in the contest, while Jack Rumfelt collected 3 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Michael Phillips drove in and scored a pair of runs, each, while Russell Thomas crossed home plate 3 times.

[jamus23]

I don't normally do two Hall of Fame bios in one post, but for these next two Hall of Famers, I think it makes sense to do them at the same time. For much of their careers, they were teammates, and they wound up getting elected to the Hall of Fame in consecutive seasons. We'll start with Fabian Rosas.

Fabian Rosas:

Of the seven players who have posted career OPS's greater than 1.000, we have looked at the players who rank second(John Rockwood), third(Hector Abad), fifth(Billy Stolztfus), and seventh(Matthew Allman). Now we take a look at the man who ranks sixth: rightfielder Fabian Rosas.

The Kansas City Royals were an up and down team throughout the 10's and 20's. They won division titles in 2011, 2013, and 2016. They also reached, and lost, the 2013 World Series. But as the 10's came to a close and the 20's began, the team began to slide, finishing in last place in both 2018 and 2020. The Royals hovered around .500 as the 20's progressed, and managed to squeak out a division title in 2022 despite an 82-80 record. Though they generally remained competitive, the early 30's would prove to be different. In 2030, the Royals lost 91 games and finished in last place. A year later, they lost a whopping 106 games. It was the first 100 loss season in franchise history. It wouldn't be the last. In 2032, the team improved to 74-88, only to collapse back to 57-105 in 2033. That collapse earned the Royals the number one overall pick in the 2034 amateur draft. With the pick, they selected a tremendously talented 22 year old by the name of Fabian Rosas. Rosas had everything you could want: power, speed, discipline, and a natural grace in the outfield. He was a true 5-tool talent, and he was ready to step into the big leagues right away.

Rosas did, in fact, step into the majors right away, and he responded to the challenge with one of the finest rookie seasons in history. He slammed 35 homeruns, leading his team in that category, drew 86 walks, and swiped 18 bases. He easily won the Rookie of the Year Award, and also took home the Gold Glove Award for his strong efforts in the field. Despite his achievements, however, the Royals could not overcome an absolute trainwreck of a pitching staff. Even in one of the highest offensive eras ever, the Royals' 6.55 team ERA was an embarassment. Naturally, the Royals remained at the bottom of the league, losing 105 games.

2035 was different. The Royals signed two major stars, LF Roberto Torre and CF Reginald Allbritton, to complete one of the most talented outfields in all of baseball. An early season trade netted them a frontline starting pitcher, Francis Beatty, and suddenly, the team was a legitimate contender. Unfortunately, the Tucson Diamondbacks were too strong for Kansas City. Despite the Royals' 86 wins, Tucson rolled to a division title with a 97-65 record. Rosas actually saw a tiny decline in his sophomore season, but his .881 OPS would be the lowest of his career until 2049.

2036 was a difficult year. The Southeast Division was weak that year, so everyone in the Central took advantage. What that meant was that, despite winning 85 games, the Royals wound up in last place. Rosas enjoyed a breakout year, ripping 44 doubles, 11 triples, and 37 homeruns, while batting .322 and putting up a 1.064 OPS. He made his first All Star team that year. Like 2036, the '37 season was frustrating. The Royals weren't terrible, finishing with a 79-83 record, but they again found themselves in last place. Rosas was superb once more, hitting .335 with a 1.031 OPS. Rosas' finest season came in 2038. He batted .371/.475/.688/1.162, posting career highs in all of those categories. The Royals benefited from expansion, winning 94 games, but it wasn't enough as Tucson and Memphis dominated the league, both winning over 100 games.

Finally, in 2039, the Royals returned to the postseason. Rosas was excellent, as usual, hitting .328 with a 1.064 OPS, and Kansas City won 107 games, beating out Tucson for the division by 6 games. Kansas City was pitted against Knoxville in the ALCS. Trailing 2 games to 1, Rosas had 3 hits in a 7-3 Game Four victory. The Royals fell behind in the series once again, but in Game Six, Rosas delivered a run-scoring double in the fourth inning, and Kansas City took a 2-0 lead. The lead stretched to 5-0, and the Royals hung on for a 5-3 win to force a seventh game. And what a game it was! Kansas City drew first blood with a run in the first inning, and increased its lead to 3-0 after three innings. Knoxville fought back, and took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth. The Royals rallied with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-4 lead. The 79ers seemingly took control, however, with 3 runs in the fifth and 2 runs in the sixth, and Knoxville led 9-6. Once again, Kansas City rallied, striking for 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 9. The teams exchanged runs in the seventh inning, and the 10-10 score held through the eighth and ninth innings. In the bottom of the tenth, it would be Rosas who stepped up to be the hero. With one out and one on, Rosas slashed a triple to knock in the winning run. With an 11-10, extra-inning victory in Game Seven, the Royals were headed to the World Series for the first time in 26 years. Back in 2013, Kansas City was just another victim of the great Pittsburgh dynasty of that time period. The Pirates beat the Royals that year for their sixth consecutive championship(their run would be stopped the following year by Atlanta). Now, in 2039, they would take on Pittsburgh again. This Pirates team had won four straight World Series from 2033 to 2036, but had missed in 2037, and lost to Tucson in 2038. This Pittsburgh team was also one of the most dominant of all time, having won an astounding 125 games in the regular season. In Game One, the Royals jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but trailed 4-2 from the second inning into the seventh inning. With runs in the seventh and eighth innings, the Royals managed to tie the game at four apiece. However, in the bottom of the eighth, the Pirates struck for 3 runs, and Pittsburgh took Game One, 7-4. In Game Two, the Pirates scored 4 times in the third inning and twice in the fourth inning. That 6-0 lead held until the ninth inning, when the Royals finally showed up and erupted for 5 runs. Unfortunately, they stopped at 5, and lost Game Two. The remainder of the series wasn't close, as Pittsburgh stomped the Royals by scores of 9-1 and 7-1. Overall, Rosas had an excellent postseason, delivering 7 extra base hits and 8 RBI.

In 2040, Rosas enjoyed both his first 200 hit season and his first 40 homerun season. He also led the American League in OPS for the third consecutive season. Unfortunately, the defending AL champion Royals came crashing back to earth, finishing in fourth place in the Central with an 81-81 record. Kansas City wasn't much better the following season, but the Central was very weak, and that allowed the Royals to compete. In mid-September, however, Rosas was sidelined with a fractured hand. One wonders what would have happened if he had not been injured. The Royals wound up finishing 76-86, only 3 1/2 games out of first. Grand Rapids and Tucson tied for the division lead with records of 79-83, and the Tigers prevailed in a one game playoff.

Rosas returned from injury in 2042 to post his second 40 homerun season, while also setting career highs in doubles(49) and RBI(147). Kansas City emerged victorious in a tight race for the Central Division crown, finishing 87-75 and beating out Denver and Tucson by 4 and 6 games, respectively. The Royals were pitted against the up and coming Miami Dolphins in the ALCS. They proved to be no match for Miami, losing in four games. Rosas did little, batting .250 with a single homerun.

In '43, Rosas set a career high with 42 homeruns, and Kansas City finished the regular season tied with Denver atop the Central with identical 87-75 records. The Broncos defeated the Royals in a one game playoff, ending Kansas City's season. In '44, Rosas posted his second career season with double digits in doubles, triples, and homeruns, and he drew 100 walks for the fifth time in his career. The Royals were good, winning 91 games, but they finished in second place, 6 games behind Denver. In '45, Rosas posted his third career, and second consecutive, season with double digits in each of the extra base hit categories. He also set a career high by drawing 132 walks. The Royals won 88 games, but it was another second place finish for them, as Tucson paced the Central with 95 wins.

Rosas' time in Kansas City came to an end in 2046. He signed with Washington, a team that hadn't made the playoffs in more than ten years, as a free agent. Rosas had a strong season, though he did miss about a month with a broken finger. It's debatable whether that lengthy absence cost the Senators a shot at the playoffs. Washington did win 86 games, but that was a far cry from the division-winning Miami's 108 wins. Without Rosas, meanwhile, Kansas City sunk to 75-87 and a fourth place finish in the Central Division. 2047 played out much the same as 2046: Rosas was excellent, posting his fourth career 40 homerun campaign while getting named to his eighth All Star game. Washington was strong, winning 89 games, but the Senators were still a distant second to Miami, who ripped off 109 wins. In 2048, rinse and repeat. Rosas delivered the 500th homerun of his career in May, but was injured in mid-July and didn't return until more than a month later. The Senators won 90 games, but finished second to the Dolphins, who won 103 games.

In 2049, the 37 year old Rosas got old in a hurry. He got off to a poor start, and other than an excellent month of June, never really got going. He wound up setting career lows in virtually every offensive category: hits, doubles, triples, homeruns, RBI, runs scored, walks, stolen bases, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Washington was unable to survive the decline, and slumped to just 73 wins. And in one of life's little coincidences, in the same year that Rosas saw his abilities disappear, the Kansas City Royals captured their first World Series title in a seven game thriller against Pittsburgh. Rosas signed with Rochester to start the 2050 season, but was released a week into the season. The Sacramento Kings signed him near the end of May, but a month later, they, too, released him. He retired following the 2050 season.

At the time of his retirement, Rosas ranked 22nd all time in homeruns, 22nd in RBI, 15th in triples, 15th in runs scored, and 20th in walks. He no longer ranks in the top 25 in any of those categories. He does, however, rank sixth all time in OPS, with a 1.013 career OPS. He also won an impressive five Gold Gloves in right field, though other players have won as many or more than that.

Career Batting Stats 
 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI    R   BB    K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS Teams 
2034   150  510  136  18   6  35  107   88   86  138  18  10 .267 .372 .531  .904 KC 
2035   140  522  138  25   5  31   99  112   89  129  23  11 .264 .372 .510  .881 KC 
2036   157  565  182  44  11  37  142  137  105  113  16   7 .322 .428 .635 1.064 KC,AL 
2037   157  546  183  36   5  31  113  121  104   87  23   7 .335 .442 .590 1.031 KC,AL 
2038   124  445  165  39   6  30  127  111   88   65  13  10 .371 .475 .688 1.162 KC,AL 
2039   157  558  183  45   9  35  129  128  106   80  13   6 .328 .435 .629 1.064 KC,AL 
2040   158  572  203  44   6  40  133  138   96   78   7   7 .355 .448 .663 1.110 KC,AL 
2041   139  503  153  26   7  31  105   94   87   87  12   9 .304 .407 .569  .975 KC,AL 
2042   156  562  196  49   6  40  147  144  109   83  13   8 .349 .455 .671 1.125 KC,AL 
2043   157  577  181  29   8  42  138  123   99   84  13   9 .314 .414 .610 1.024 KC 
2044   152  544  180  33  11  34  113  138  115   78  18  14 .331 .448 .619 1.067 KC 
2045   156  528  164  33  11  32  106  121  132   76  16  15 .311 .448 .597 1.045 KC 
2046   135  485  155  31   5  34  106  111   87   67  11   4 .320 .423 .614 1.038 WAS 
2047   157  536  173  29   4  41  111  113   81   89   5   6 .323 .412 .621 1.033 WAS,AL 
2048   122  462  151  16   4  25   74   89   73   76   3   2 .327 .419 .541  .960 WAS 
2049   139  475  109  16   1  17   74   68   53  118   1   0 .229 .307 .375  .682 WAS 
2050    10   12    2   0   0   0    0    0    0    4   0   0 .167 .167 .167  .333 ROC SAC 
Total 2366 8402 2654 513 105 535 1824 1836 1510 1452 205 125 .316 .420 .593 1.013   
 
Career Minor League Batting Stats
 
 
Year      G AB H 2B 3B HR RBI R BB K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
2050, AAA 5 19 4  0  0  0   2 2  1 3  0  0 .211 .227 .211 .438 
 
Career Postseason Batting Stats
 
 
Year   G AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
2039  11 42 15  3  1  2   8  9  6 7  4  0 .357 .438 .619 1.057 
2042   4 16  4  0  0  1   1  2  1 2  2  0 .250 .294 .438  .732 
Total 15 58 19  3  1  3   9 11  7 9  6  0 .328 .400 .569  .969 
 
 
Player History
 
 
Drafted in 1st round, 1st overall pick, by Kansas City in 2034...
Had first career hit (homerun) on 4/2/2034, off Lawrence Erwin (GR)...
Hit 3 homeruns against Atlanta, driving in 7 runs on 9/20/2034...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/22/2034, hitting .577 with 6 HR, 17 RBI...
Won Batter of the Month award on 10/1/2034, hitting .337 with 14 HR, 29 RBI...
Won Rookie of the Year Award in 2034, hitting .267 with 35 HR, 107 RBI...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2034...
Drove in 6 runs against Memphis on 5/25/2036...
Was selected to the 2036 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 4/28/2037, hitting .577 with 3 HR, 12 RBI...
Was selected to the 2037 Allstar game...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2037...
Had 6 hits with 5 RBI against Nashville on 6/23/2038...
Was selected to the 2038 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/11/2038, hitting .667 with 4 HR, 11 RBI...
Injured on 8/27/2038 with a Broken Hand, out for 7 weeks...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 6/21/2039...
Was selected to the 2039 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/29/2039, hitting .522 with 2 HR, 7 RBI...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2039...
Drove in 6 runs against Miami on 5/10/2040...
Won Player of the Week award on 5/12/2040, hitting .556 with 3 HR, 13 RBI...
Was selected to the 2040 Allstar game...
Won Batter of the Month award on 9/1/2040, hitting .385 with 11 HR, 30 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/1/2040, hitting .519 with 6 HR, 15 RBI...
Was selected to the 2041 Allstar game...
Injured on 9/15/2041 with a Fractured Hand, out for 4 weeks...
Was selected to the 2042 Allstar game...
Had 5 hits with 7 RBI against Miami on 7/8/2042...
Won Batter of the Month award on 8/1/2042, hitting .383 with 9 HR, 32 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/4/2042, hitting .563 with 2 HR, 7 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/25/2042, hitting .565 with 2 HR, 11 RBI...
Won Batter of the Month award on 10/1/2042, hitting .389 with 13 HR, 33 RBI...
Had 5 hits with 1 RBI against Grand Rapids on 4/17/2043...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/23/2043, hitting .556 with 5 HR, 11 RBI...
Had 5 hits with 5 RBI against Tucson on 7/19/2044...
Had 5 hits with 3 RBI against Washington on 8/9/2044...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2044...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/2/2045, hitting .500 with 3 HR, 7 RBI...
Had 2000th career hit on 7/18/2045, off Gregorio Martinez (DEN)...
Signed as a free agent by Washington on 2/5/2046 to a 4-year deal worth $14,867,500 per year...
Drove in 7 runs against Tucson on 4/9/2046...
Injured on 6/26/2046 with a Broken Finger, out for 4 weeks...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/1/2046, hitting .545 with 2 HR, 4 RBI...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2046...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/30/2047, hitting .600 with 3 HR, 7 RBI...
Was selected to the 2047 Allstar game...
Drove in 7 runs against Tucson on 8/11/2047...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/18/2047, hitting .435 with 4 HR, 10 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Kansas City on 9/19/2047...
Had 500th career homerun on 5/3/2048, off Henry Sotan (KC)...
Injured on 7/14/2048 with a Herniated Disc Back, out for 5-6 weeks...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 9/9/2048...
Drove in 6 runs against Memphis on 6/11/2049...
Injured on 8/14/2049 with a Strained Back, out for 1-2 weeks...
Signed as a free agent by Rochester on 2/9/2050 to a 2-year deal worth $535,000 per year...
Released by Rochester on 4/7/2050...
Signed as a free agent by Sacramento on 5/26/2050 to a minor league contract...
Released by Sacramento on 6/23/2050, refused assignment to minors...
Retired and inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2051.
 
 
Batting Leader Boards Appearances 
 
AVG
2037 - .335 - 7th
2038 - .371 - 2nd
2039 - .328 - 10th
2040 - .355 - 5th
2042 - .349 - 8th
2048 - .327 - 8th
 
OBP
2036 - .428 - 4th
2037 - .442 - 4th
2038 - .475 - 1st
2039 - .435 - 7th
2040 - .448 - 3rd
2041 - .407 - 9th
2042 - .455 - 2nd
2043 - .414 - 8th
2044 - .448 - 4th
2045 - .448 - 1st
2046 - .423 - 7th
2047 - .412 - 8th
2048 - .419 - 4th
 
SLG
2036 - .635 - 5th
2037 - .590 - 5th
2038 - .688 - 1st
2039 - .629 - 1st
2040 - .663 - 1st
2041 - .569 - 4th
2042 - .671 - 1st
2043 - .610 - 7th
2044 - .619 - 7th
2045 - .597 - 7th
2046 - .614 - 6th
2047 - .621 - 6th
 
OPS
2036 - 1.064 - 4th
2037 - 1.031 - 3rd
2038 - 1.162 - 1st
2039 - 1.064 - 1st
2040 - 1.110 - 1st
2041 -  .975 - 3rd
2042 - 1.125 - 2nd
2043 - 1.024 - 8th
2044 - 1.067 - 6th
2045 - 1.045 - 2nd
2046 - 1.038 - 5th
2047 - 1.033 - 6th
2048 -  .960 - 9th
 
Hits
2040 - 203 - 6th
 
Doubles
2036 - 44 - 6th
2038 - 39 - 7th
2039 - 45 - 6th
2040 - 44 - 8th
2042 - 49 - 3rd
 
Triples
2036 - 11 - 5th
2039 -  9 - 2nd
2043 -  8 - 8th
2044 - 11 - 1st
2045 - 11 - 1st
 
Homeruns
2036 - 37 - 8th
2037 - 31 - 8th
2039 - 35 - 5th
2040 - 40 - 3rd
2041 - 31 - 8th
2042 - 40 - 8th
2043 - 42 - 4th
2047 - 41 - 5th
 
RBI
2036 - 142 - 3rd
2038 - 127 - 8th
2039 - 129 - 8th
2040 - 133 - 2nd
2041 - 105 - 10th
2042 - 147 - 3rd
2043 - 138 - 5th
 
Runs
2036 - 137 - 1st
2037 - 121 - 5th
2039 - 128 - 4th
2040 - 138 - 1st
2042 - 144 - 1st
2043 - 123 - 8th
2044 - 138 - 4th
2045 - 121 - 3rd
 
BB
2036 - 105 - 5th
2037 - 104 - 3rd
2039 - 106 - 5th
2040 -  96 - 5th
2041 -  87 - 10th
2042 - 109 - 2nd
2043 -  99 - 6th
2044 - 115 - 2nd
2045 - 132 - 1st
 
SB
2035 - 23 - 5th
2037 - 23 - 8th

And onto Walter Mara:




Walter Mara:

There are few things that I enjoy more than seeing a ballplayer spend his entire career with one team. When that career spans twenty years and includes magnificent, Hall of Fame caliber results, well, so much the better. After a decade of mostly mediocre baseball, the 2030's got off to an uninspired start for the Kansas City Royals. They lost 91 games in 2030, and in '31, they sunk to the bottom of all of baseball, tying with Portland for the worst record at 56-106. It was the first 100-loss season in franchise history. A coin toss gave the Royals the first overall pick in the '32 amateur draft. With it, they selected 20 year old third-baseman, Walter Mara. For nearly three months, Mara played at AAA. He showed very good plate discipline, posting a .358 OBP in 294 AB, but his expected power had not quite arrived. Midway through a season in which they unexpectedly contended, the Royals decided to give Mara a taste of the big leagues. He spent a few weeks with the big club after getting promoted near the end of June, but was sent back to AAA in the first week of July. He wouldn't stay down for long. Less than a week after getting sent back to AAA, the Royals dealt their aged star third-baseman, Joel Muir, to Washington for veteran starting pitcher Jose Miranda and a couple of middling prospects. Walter Mara was recalled and began receiving the bulk of the playing time at third. He collected a total of 173 at bats that first season, and in addition to retaining the plate awareness he had shown in the minors(.406 OBP), the power that hadn't yet manifested itself, suddenly did so. Mara belted 13 homeruns and slugged .555 down the stretch for the Royals. In a weak Central Division, the Royals very much had a shot at the postseason, but they ultimately fell short. Kansas City won only 74 games, but the division-winning Memphis Grizzlies won just 78 themselves. One can speculate as to how things might have played out had Walter Mara not gotten injured in mid-August, missing four weeks.

Mara's first full season was a fine one, though he was again hampered by an injury, missing more than a month of action with a strained triceps. Mara smacked 18 homeruns and posted a .402 on base percentage. The Royals, on the other hand, collapsed again, losing a league worst 105 games. Mara was healthy for the entirety of the '34 season, and continued his development by delivering 29 homeruns, a .909 OPS, and his first 100 RBI season. Alas, it didn't do the Royals much good, as their hapless pitching staff sent them spiraling into another 105 loss season.

2035 seemed to be a breakthrough year. The Royals emerged from the shadows and won 86 games, finishing in second place. It was their first winning season since 2029, and the most wins since they won 89 games in 2016. Mara himself enjoyed a breakout year, finishing second in the batting race with a .356 average, and first in both on base percentage and OPS. Kansas City fans were stunned when the Silver Slugger Award was handed to Memphis' James Holsinger, and not Mara. Though Holsinger had a fine season, they argued, the Grizzlies were a last place team, while the Royals tied for the second best record in the American League with Southeast-winning Washington.

In 2036, Mara put up numbers virtually identical to the previous season, only a little bit better. This time, he won the batting title, hitting .359, and also led the league in OBP, while finishing second in OPS. The Royals won 85 games that year, but the American League was significantly unbalanced, with every team in the Central Division finishing over .500, and every team in the Southeast finishing under .500. Thus, the Royals 85 wins weren't good enough to avoid last place.

It was another disappointing last place finish for Kansas City in 2037, as the Royals managed only a middling 79 wins. The season was also a disappointment for Mara, who was off to a rather slow start, when he was lost for the season in the first week of June with a torn bicep muscle.

Mara returned the following year, and the Royals looked like a new team, winning a franchise-record 94 games. It helped to go 27-8 against a pair of expansion teams. Unfortunately for the Royals, those 94 wins were only good enough for third place, as both Tucson and Memphis hit the 100-win mark. Mara had a solid campaign, though it was not as strong as the '35 and '36 ones. He managed 23 homeruns and an .886 OPS.

In 2039, the Royals went a combined 30-5 against the second year Dolphins and Broncos, and rolled to an American League-best 107 wins, breaking the franchise record for wins that had been set just the year before. Mara returned to his previous level, putting up an OPS of 1.021 while collecting 200 hits for the first time in his career. Mara was terrific in the ALCS, hitting .538 with a homerun and 2 RBI against Knoxville. Mara's 2-out RBI double in the seventh inning of Game Seven tied up the game at 10 apiece, and the Royals eventually pulled out an 11-10 victory in 10 innings. The Royals were headed to the World Series for the first time in 25 years. They would be pitted against a juggernaut Pittsburgh team that had just ripped off 125 wins.

In Game One, the Royals grabbed a quick 2-0 lead, but just as quickly, fell behind 4-2. One run in the seventh inning got the Royals to within a single run, and Walter Mara delivered the big hit that they needed, smacking a solo homerun in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at four. It didn't stay tied for long. Pittsburgh scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth en route to a 7-4 victory. In Game Two, the Royals' lineup did absolutely nothing until the ninth inning. Trailing 6-0 at the start of the ninth, Mara again came through with a huge hit, hammering a three run homerun with one out. The rally fell short, however, as the Pirates prevailed, 6-5. Mara scored the only run in a Game Three, 9-1 rout by Pittsburgh. The series concluded its anticlimactic ending with a 7-1 triumph by the Pirates. Despite the ultimate disappointing finish, no one could cast blame in Mara's direction, who was absolutely magnificent in the postseason run, batting .476 with 6 extra base hits, 6 RBI, 9 runs scored, and 6 walks. Most Royals' fans didn't take the defeat too hard, either, as they expected their team to be a dominant power in the near future. With a lineup filled with stars such as Mara, RF Fabian Rosas, C Maurice Knox, 1B Steve Kempf, and CF Reginald Allbritton, plus an emerging talent in LF Ariel Cuestas, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this team would be back.

Thus, the 2040 season was a huge disappointment for Kansas City. The Royals' change in fortune began with two key free agent losses. The first was obvious at the time: 32 year old 1B Steve Kempf, who had belted 32 homeruns and led the team in RBI the previous season, signed very quickly with the Portland Trailblazers. The second loss wasn't considered as significant, but would prove to have a profound impact on the futures of two franchises, Kansas City and Miami. 26 year old starting pitcher Robert Padgett had won 16 games for the Royals in 2039, but few were excited about his 5.43 ERA. So it was that few Royals' fans were upset to see Padgett leave as a free agent and sign with the Dolphins. Though Mara would have an excellent season, hitting 28 homeruns with a .990 OPS, the Royals stumbled to just 81-81, finishing a distant fourth place in the Central Division. In 2041, the Royals lost two more players to free agency: C Maurice Knox and CF Reginald Allbritton. Kansas City slumped further to 76-86. Mara had a .917 OPS, with 20 homeruns.

Despite the loss of yet another key player, LF Ariel Cuesta, the Royals emerged as winners in the '42 offseason, adding star first-baseman Eugene Spradling. His contributions(42 homeruns and a .997 OPS) helped turn the Royals into the highest scoring team in baseball. Mara posted his fourth season with an OPS over 1.000, coming in at 1.021. Kansas City captured the Central Division crown with an 87-75 record. But who was that on the mound for Miami in Game One of the ALCS? One Robert Padgett, fresh off of a 22 win season with the Dolphins. Padgett went 7 1/3 innings and gave up just two runs in a Miami victory. The Dolphins never looked back, sweeping the Royals on their way to their first championship. Mara wasn't terrible in the series, hitting .357 with a .438 OBP, but he failed to drive in any runs. He did manage to score five runs, however.

In 2043, the Royals' hearts were broken. Mara set a personal best with his league-leading .374 batting average. He had also had career highs in walks(113) and OBP(.482), and posted his fifth season with an OPS greater than 1.000. The Central Division race went down to the wire, with the Royals and the Denver Broncos ultimately tying for the lead with identical 87-75 records. A one game playoff would determine who would play in the postseason. The Royals were defeated, bringing their season to an end.

Mara produced his sixth season with an OPS over 1.000 in 2044, and posted his first 50 double season. The Royals won 91 games, but fell six games short of the Denver Broncos in the Central Division.

2045 was a season of what might have been. Kansas City won 88 games and finished 7 games behind division-winning Tucson. But if not for numerous injuries, one wonders if the Royals could have won the division. It began when Fabian Rosas injured his ribs near the end of April. Though he didn't go on the disabled list, he was clearly effected, hitting just .225 in the month of May. Then relief pitcher Manuel Fresquez had his hand fractured by a line drive and missed about a month. Mara played through a nagging back injury for a few weeks in June. In early June, 15 game winner William Shim, Jr., injured his shoulder and was on the disabled list for two months. Just two days after Shim's injury, another starting pitcher, Donald Youngblood, strained his bicep, and he was knocked out for about two months. In mid-July, Manuel Fresquez was injured again, and missed a couple of weeks. Mara missed two weeks in August with a bruised wrist. Finally, in mid-September, Eugene Spradling suffered a broken finger, effectively ending his season. Could the Royals have won the division without all of the injuries? It's debatable, especially given the fact that the Royals had a tremendous final month of the season, and still finished seven games behind the Diamondbacks. Despite Mara's slightly injury-plagued season, he posted a .930 OPS.

In 2046, the Royals were hit by the free agent losses of long-time star, Fabian Rosas, as well as Eugene Spradling. With the loss of Rosas, only Mara and William Shim, Jr. remained from the '39 team that played in the World Series(catcher Terrell Vanalstyne did have a 5 at bat cup of coffee in 2039). Mara hit a career high 56 doubles in '46 and posted a .981 OPS. Although he had a fine season, the Royals slogged through a 75 win campaign. Where once optimism had been high, it now looked quite bleak for the Royals' franchise. That once fearsome lineup had been almost completely broken up now, and with nothing to show for it. Worse, the Royals' best starting pitcher, Carlos Fernandes, was expected to leave as a free agent in the upcoming offseason, while the franchise icon, Walter Mara, had also reached the end of his contract. Could the team come to an agreement with him, or like so many others over the years, would he desire greener pastures? But then an amazing thing happened. Mara, one of the greatest to ever don a Royals' uniform, agreed to a new contract with Kansas City, saying that he was not interested in playing anywhere else.

Despite a seemingly rejuvenated Mara setting a career high with a 1.104 OPS, the Royals stumbled through a 78 win season in 2047. It was Mara's seventh, and final, 1.000 OPS season.

2048 was very reminiscent of 2043. The Royals and Broncos went down to the wire in the Central, finishing with identical records of 83-79. This time, the Royals prevailed in the one game playoff, setting up an ALCS against the Miami Dolphins. Despite a fine regular season by Mara, in which he hit 34 homeruns with a .969 OPS, the Royals weren't really that great of a team, and the matchup against Miami was largely a mismatch. The Dolphins swept the Royals in four games. Mara doubled twice, homered once, and drove in 3 runs, but it just wasn't enough.

In 2049, Mara was named to his ninth, and final All Star team, putting up a .932 OPS while posting his fourth season with over 50 doubles. He also drew 100 walks for the fifth time in his career. The division races in the American League that year weren't particularly exciting. Miami blew away its Southeastern rivals, beating Knoxville by a whopping 34 games, as it cruised to a 111 win season. The Royals, meanwhile, won 94 games and captured the Central by 12 games over Tucson. In an ALCS rematch, the Royals were heavy underdogs against a Miami team that had both scored the most runs in all of baseball and allowed the fewest runs. Anchoring the Dolphins' dominant rotation was one of the greatest pitchers of all time: Robert Padgett. The Dolphins' lineup included three future Hall of Famers, as well as a handful of significant stars of the time period. But instead of the expected Miami cakewalk, the Royals played spoiler, upsetting the Dolphins in six games. Kansas City was headed to the World Series, where it would face a familiar foe.

In the Royals' first World Series appearance, back in 2013, they fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games. In their second World Series appearance, in 2039, they were swept by Pittsburgh in four games. Now, in Kansas City's third appearance in the World Series, it would once again face the Pittsburgh Pirates. After getting by the powerful Dolphins in the ALCS, Pittsburgh didn't exactly represent a breather. Like Miami, Pittsburgh had won 111 games. And while Miami had finished first in both runs scored and runs allowed, Pittsburgh had finished second in both categories. Pittsburgh's rotation was anchored by three 20-game winners: Simeon Romero, Dennis Hallowell, and Phillip Traub. The Pirates' offense was an unlikely high-powered one. Instead of bludgeoning teams to death with homeruns, the Pirates simply accumulated base runner after base runner, finishing second in the league in batting average and first in on base percentage, while leading all of baseball in walks drawn. Only four players reached double digits in homeruns, with the team leader having only 19, but three players drew at least 70 walks, with one hitting the 100 mark. Three regulars had OBP over .400, and only two players had over 200 at bats with an OBP under .360.

Game One initially headed south after the Royals grabbed a first inning run. Pittsburgh scored 2 in the second and 1 in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead. It stayed that way until the seventh inning, when Kansas City struck for 3 runs. The Royals added two in the ninth to secure a 6-3 victory. A 3 run second inning was all that the Royals needed in a 3-2 Game Two victory. Then everything unraveled for the Royals. They led Game Three by a score of 2-1 heading into the top of the fifth inning, when Pittsburgh scored twice to take the lead. Two more runs in the eighth inning gave the Pirates a 6-4 win. Kansas City mustered only five hits in a 5-1 Game Four defeat, and the series was all tied up. Game Five was a wild one. Both team scored first inning runs and it remained 1-1 until the fourth inning, when Pittsburgh exploded for 5 runs. In the bottom of the inning, the Royals struck for two of their own, making it a 6-3 Pittsburgh lead. In the sixth inning, they traded runs again, making it 7-4. In the seventh inning, Royals' right-fielder Alonso Perez, who had managed a single homerun in 616 regular season at bats, delivered a game-tying, three-run homerun. In the eighth inning, however, Pittsburgh reserve outfielder Louis Mayor ripped a two out, two run triple to give the Pirates a 9-7 lead. Pittsburgh hung onto that lead, and was now just one game away from capturing the World Series.

Game Six pitted 24 year old Paul Host, owner of 13 wins and a 4.67 ERA against 28 year old Simeon Romero. Romero was 21-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 243 strikeouts that season, and would win the Cy Young Award, one of several in his career. It was scoreless after one inning. It was scoreless after two innings. In the third inning, Pittsburgh threatened, when second-baseman Pete Sims doubled with a runner aboard, but the Pirates couldn't plate the run, and Sims was injured on the play, to boot. It was scoreless through four innings. It was scoreless through five innings. In the sixth, Pittsburgh threatened again, with a two out double by catcher John Brockway. They came up empty. In the seventh inning, Simeon Romero tried to help out his own cause, delivering a two out triple for his second hit of the game. Again, nothing. In the top of the eighth inning, Paul Host gave way to pinch hitter Richard Paton. It was an amazing performance for the young Host: 7 innings, 7 hits, 0 runs, 4 K's, 1 walk. Paton drew a walk. Infielder Freddie Eggen was brought in as a pinch-runner, and promptly swiped second base. One out later, Alonso Perez delivered a run-scoring single. Kansas City had the lead. Now it was up to the bullpen. Tony Gomez and Michael Dunn, both All Star relief pitchers, finished out the game, allowing three base-runners, but no runs. The Royals had gone up against the best Pittsburgh had to offer, and had forced a seventh game. Hope sprang anew among the Kansas City faithful.

The Royals struck first in Game Seven, on Richard Paton's two out, run-scoring double in the second inning. Pittsburgh responded immediately. First-baseman Alvaro Vargas led off the bottom of the second with his fourth homerun of the postseason. And then it got worse. Pittsburgh shortstop Edson Vega delivered a two run single in the third inning to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead. Both teams put up goose-eggs for the next four innings. Then in the eighth inning, Pirates' second-baseman Damien Gallegos smacked a two out solo homerun, and Pittsburgh had a 4-1 lead with only three outs to go. To the mound stepped Pittsburgh relief ace Inogorou Heikichi, who had notched 37 saves with a 2.72 ERA during the regular season. In the blink of an eye, it all blew up in Pittsburgh's face. Seven hits(all singles), one walk, and two pitchers later, Kansas City had erased the 4-1 deficit and now led 6-4. To the mound strode Michael Dunn, who had earned the save in the 1-0 Game Six victory. 1-2-3. The Royals were World Champions for the first time in franchise history. The perseverance of generations of fans and the loyalty of one Walter Mara had finally been rewarded. Mara himself did not have a great postseason, as despite a .365 OBP, his OPS was just .661. He was, however, a part of that furious ninth inning rally, driving in one of the runs.

Having finally won a championship, there was just one more thing that Mara wanted to accomplish. 3,000. Only 11 players before him had reached such a lofty pinnacle, and Mara stood just seven hits away from joining that elite company. He certainly wasn't going to hang 'em up just yet! Unfortunately for Mara and the Royals, the team was gutted by free agency following the World Series. They didn't recover from the losses, finishing with the worst record in the American League at 64-98. The 39 year old Mara suffered through his worst season in the majors, managing just a .717 OPS. Despite that, Mara joined the 3,000 hit club in the first week of the season, blasting a 3-run homerun against Tucson on April 6th. Mara attempted to play one more season, but after receiving just 2 at bats with the Royals in the first few weeks of 2051, the Royals released him, bringing his career to a close.

At the time of his retirement, Mara ranked 16th all time in batting average, 7th all time in hits, 10th in RBI, 22nd in doubles, 13th in walks, and 9th in runs scored. Today, Mara ranks 20th in hits, 18th in RBI, 18th in walks, and 17th in runs scored.

Career Batting Stats 
 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI    R   BB    K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS Teams 
2032    53  173   50   7  0  13   39   35   34   41  0  0 .289 .406 .555  .961 KC 
2033   121  433  127  13  0  18   72   70   79  102  0  2 .293 .402 .448  .850 KC 
2034   155  597  178  36  3  29  122  110   95  144  3  0 .298 .395 .514  .909 KC 
2035   156  550  196  30  0  35  133  123  102  113  3  0 .356 .457 .602 1.059 KC,AL 
2036   153  549  197  37  3  35  137  136   99  101  1  0 .359 .457 .628 1.085 KC,AL 
2037    57  223   59   9  0   7   37   39   38   51  0  0 .265 .372 .399  .771 KC 
2038   141  542  161  30  2  23   88   97   92  111  0  0 .297 .399 .487  .886 KC 
2039   154  609  209  47  2  33  130  131   94  120  0  0 .343 .431 .589 1.021 KC,AL 
2040   141  488  158  33  0  28  126   92   87   76  1  1 .324 .426 .564  .990 KC,AL 
2041   155  569  181  39  2  20   87   92   98   95  1  0 .318 .418 .499  .917 KC 
2042   156  565  197  45  5  24  124  126  101   94  0  3 .349 .447 .573 1.021 KC,AL 
2043   157  540  202  45  1  26  122  123  113   80  0  2 .374 .482 .606 1.088 KC,AL 
2044   155  557  183  51  0  29  139  125  102   96  5  0 .329 .432 .576 1.009 KC,AL 
2045   138  476  151  31  3  18   98   88   86  102  0  2 .317 .422 .508  .930 KC 
2046   157  591  191  56  1  29  112  100   90  131  1  1 .323 .413 .569  .981 KC 
2047   145  508  184  52  1  32  115  124   77  102  3  0 .362 .446 .657 1.104 KC,AL 
2048   155  593  190  40  3  34  117  119   78  113  4  0 .320 .399 .570  .969 KC 
2049   155  558  179  51  1  17   95  103  101  114  2  0 .321 .425 .507  .932 KC,AL 
2050   140  495  134  24  2   8   54   68   53  133  0  2 .271 .341 .376  .717 KC 
2051     2    2    0   0  0   0    0    0    0    1  0  0 .000 .000 .000  .000 KC 
Total 2646 9618 3127 676 29 458 1947 1901 1619 1920 24 13 .325 .422 .544  .967   
 
Career Minor League Batting Stats
 
 
Year       G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
2032, AAA 79 294 78 13  1  8  37 37 46 60  0  0 .265 .358 .398 .756 
 
Career Postseason Batting Stats
 
 
Year   G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS 
2039  11  42 20  3  0  3   6  9  6  7  0  0 .476 .542 .762 1.304 
2042   4  14  5  1  0  0   0  5  2  4  0  0 .357 .438 .429  .866 
2048   4  15  3  2  0  1   3  4  2  7  0  0 .200 .294 .533  .827 
2049  13  44 11  2  0  0   5  3  8 18  0  0 .250 .365 .295  .661 
Total 32 115 39  8  0  4  14 21 18 36  0  0 .339 .429 .513  .942 
 
 
Player History
 
 
Drafted in 1st round, 1st overall pick, by Kansas City in 2032...
Had first career hit (double) on 6/25/2032, off George Brownlow (NAS)...
Hit first career homerun on 7/24/2032, off George Brownlow (NAS)...
Drove in 6 runs against Knoxville on 8/13/2032...
Injured on 8/17/2032 with a Torn Groin Muscle, out for 4 weeks...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/18/2032, hitting .333 with 5 HR, 13 RBI...
Had 20-game hitting streak snapped on 7/24/2033...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/15/2034, hitting .478 with 3 HR, 8 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 5/13/2035...
Was selected to the 2035 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/22/2035, hitting .480 with 4 HR, 7 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 4/7/2036, hitting .700 with 2 HR, 7 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Atlanta on 6/8/2036...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/9/2036, hitting .500 with 4 HR, 13 RBI...
Was selected to the 2036 Allstar game...
Injured on 6/6/2037 with a Torn Bicep Muscle, out for full season...
Injured on 5/29/2038 with a Strained Groin Muscle, out for one week...
Had 20-game hitting streak snapped on 8/5/2038...
Had 5 hits with 1 RBI against Miami on 6/12/2039...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/16/2039, hitting .571 with 3 HR, 5 RBI...
Had 22-game hitting streak snapped on 6/27/2039...
Won Batter of the Month award on 7/1/2039, hitting .425 with 10 HR, 27 RBI...
Was selected to the 2039 Allstar game...
Won Batter of the Month award on 10/1/2039, hitting .347 with 6 HR, 23 RBI...
Had 5 hits with 6 RBI against Memphis on 4/5/2040...
Was selected to the 2040 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 7/14/2040, hitting .600 with 2 HR, 8 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Memphis on 8/24/2040...
Injured on 9/7/2040 with a Pulled Groin Muscle, out for 1-2 weeks...
Drove in 8 runs against Tucson on 7/19/2041...
Won Player of the Week award on 7/28/2041, hitting .615 with 1 HR, 8 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/9/2042, hitting .630 with 0 HR, 12 RBI...
Won Batter of the Month award on 7/1/2042, hitting .473 with 2 HR, 27 RBI...
Was selected to the 2042 Allstar game...
Drove in 8 runs against Washington on 9/13/2042...
Drove in 7 runs against Memphis on 9/14/2042...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/15/2042, hitting .571 with 3 HR, 16 RBI...
Had 21-game hitting streak snapped on 9/24/2042...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/2/2043, hitting .474 with 4 HR, 11 RBI...
Had 24-game hitting streak snapped on 6/7/2043...
Was selected to the 2043 Allstar game...
Had 2000th career hit on 6/12/2044, off Melchor Echegaray (KNO)...
Was selected to the 2044 Allstar game...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 7/8/2044...
Drove in 7 runs against Grand Rapids on 7/30/2044...
Injured on 8/16/2045 with a Bruised Wrist, out for one week...
Had 27-game hitting streak snapped on 5/29/2046...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/30/2046, hitting .542 with 3 HR, 11 RBI...
Had 21-game hitting streak snapped on 4/28/2047...
Was selected to the 2047 Allstar game...
Injured on 8/17/2047 with a Scratched Cornea Eye, out for 1-2 weeks...
Won Batter of the Month award on 9/1/2048, hitting .390 with 11 HR, 33 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/1/2048, hitting .440 with 6 HR, 12 RBI...
Drove in 7 runs against Memphis on 9/1/2048...
Was selected to the 2049 Allstar game...
Won World Series with Kansas City in 2049...
Signed as a free agent by Kansas City on 2/1/2050 to a 2-year deal worth $2,533,100 per year...
Had 3000th career hit on 4/6/2050, off Gerald Sozen (TUC)...
Injured on 9/18/2050 with a Tight Shoulder, out for one week...
Released by Kansas City on 4/21/2051, refused assignment to minors...
Retired and inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2052.
 
 
Batting Leader Boards Appearances 
 
AVG
2035 - .356 - 2nd
2036 - .359 - 1st
2039 - .343 - 3rd
2042 - .349 - 9th
2043 - .374 - 1st
2047 - .362 - 4th
 
OBP
2033 - .402 - 8th
2035 - .457 - 1st
2036 - .457 - 1st
2039 - .431 - 5th
2040 - .426 - 7th
2041 - .418 - 4th
2042 - .447 - 3rd
2043 - .482 - 2nd
2044 - .432 - 7th
2045 - .422 - 5th
2047 - .446 - 2nd
2049 - .425 - 5th
 
SLG
2035 - .602 - 5th
2036 - .628 - 6th
2039 - .589 - 4th
2040 - .564 - 6th
2043 - .606 - 9th
2044 - .576 - 10th
2047 - .657 - 1st
2048 - .570 - 9th
 
OPS
2035 - 1.059 - 1st
2036 - 1.085 - 2nd
2039 - 1.021 - 3rd
2040 -  .990 - 7th
2041 -  .917 - 8th
2042 - 1.021 - 5th
2043 - 1.088 - 2nd
2044 - 1.009 - 9th
2047 - 1.104 - 1st
2048 -  .969 - 8th
 
Hits
2035 - 196 - 5th
2036 - 197 - 4th
2039 - 209 - 2nd
2043 - 202 - 10th
2048 - 190 - 9th
 
Doubles
2039 - 47 - 2nd
2041 - 39 - 8th
2042 - 45 - 5th
2043 - 45 - 7th
2044 - 51 - 7th
2046 - 56 - 2nd
2047 - 52 - 2nd
2049 - 51 - 3rd
 
Homeruns
2036 - 35 - 9th
2039 - 33 - 8th
 
RBI
2034 - 122 - 10th
2035 - 133 - 6th
2036 - 137 - 6th
2039 - 130 - 7th
2040 - 126 - 6th
2042 - 124 - 6th
2044 - 139 - 3rd
2048 - 117 - 10th
 
Runs
2035 - 123 - 3rd
2036 - 136 - 2nd
2039 - 131 - 2nd
2042 - 126 - 2nd
2044 - 125 - 9th
2047 - 124 - 4th
2048 - 119 - 9th
 
BB
2033 -  79 - 10th
2034 -  95 - 6th
2035 - 102 - 7th
2036 -  99 - 6th
2038 -  92 - 10th
2039 -  94 - 8th
2041 -  98 - 3rd
2042 - 101 - 3rd
2043 - 113 - 2nd
2044 - 102 - 5th
2046 -  90 - 10th
2049 - 101 - 6th

[jamus23]

April, 2083 recap:

The Broncos' shaky start in the season opener against Green Bay was forgotten very quickly as they roared to a league-best 19-7 record. Following that first series, Denver swept a four game series with Kansas City, outscoring the Royals by a combined 36-4. Denver then took two of three against both Memphis and Tucson, split a two game set against Grand Rapids, and gained some revenge against the Packers by winning two out of three. Following the second Green Bay series, the Broncos swept three games from Memphis and took two of three from Knoxville. Finally, Denver closed out the month of April by winning the first two games of a three game series against Charlotte.

Amazingly, the Broncos' strong start hasn't been completely dependent on their powerful offense, which, admittedly, ranks fourth in the league in runs scored. Instead, Denver's pitching has been the best in baseball, ranking first in both ERA and runs allowed. The Broncos' pitchers have done it by preventing hits(first in batting average against), walks(first), and homeruns(second). Leading the charge has been Kenny Pillsbury, who after surrendering 7 runs in the opener, has allowed only 5 total runs in his five starts since. He has tossed three complete games, including a pair of shutouts. One of those was a one-hit, 11 strikeout masterpiece in the second series against Green Bay. By going 5-1 with a league-leading 1.58 ERA, Pillsbury was named the American League Pitcher of the Month. Pillsbury is now just one win away from his 100th career victory.

Surprisingly, George Buentello has posted both the second best ERA on the team and the second best ERA in the American League, with a mark of 2.17 in five starts. Both he and Robert McNett have earned 4 victories so far this season.

Christopher Kirk has been the most inconsistent of the starting pitchers so far. Kirk fired a one-hit shutout over Grand Rapids, and has had two other superb starts. But he also has two starts in which he has surrendered 19 runs in a total of 12 innings.

Offensively, the Broncos have been led by the usual suspects. Ellis Bolling leads the team with 9 homeruns and 27 RBI, while Alexis Vazquez is second in RBI with 26 and tied for second in homeruns with 7. Lee Chappel leads the team with a 1.078 OPS and 10 doubles. He is tied for second with 7 homeruns. Asbel Fuentez leads all starters with a .356 AVG and is second with a 1.044 OPS.

The starter who has struggled the most so far is third-baseman Michael Phillips, who, despite a .351 OBP, has just a .674 OPS.

Marvin Lore has been excellent coming off the bench and making some starts in right field against left-handed pitchers. In 39 at bats, Lore has hit .359 with an .855 OPS.

In minor league news, AAA pitchers Valentine Mcgurk and Robert Soto have both suffered arm injuries. Neither will be available to pitch over the next month. Therefore, if the Broncos were in need of a replacement pitcher, the most likely candidate would be 36 year old reliever Steven Poe, owner of a 3.85 ERA in 74 major league appearances. Poe would get the call regardless of whether the injury was to a starter or reliever, as either Larry Waltz or James Myatt could move from the bullpen to the rotation in the event of an injury to a starting pitcher.

It also may be worth it to pay attention to 26 year old outfielder Arthur Elbert. With reserve outfielder Armando Navarro off to an uninspiring, 2 for 12 start, Broncos' GM John Mounts has to have noticed Elbert's .327/.391/.644/1.036 line at AAA. Elbert also has 9 doubles and 8 homeruns.

24 year old catcher John Landon was promoted to AAA after hitting .438/.495/.479/.974 in 96 at bats at AA.

First round draft pick Henry Lewis, Jr. has been promoted to AA after hitting .318/.380/.409/.789 in 110 at bats at single A.

On the less positive side, 20 year old starting pitching prospect Christopher Hicks, who was considered one of the best prospects in Denver's organization, suffered a serious injury on Opening Day. He tore the bicep muscle in his pitching arm and there are serious doubts as to whether he will be able to recover from this injury. Considering the sparseness of the Broncos' system, this was definitely not what the Broncos needed.



Denver's batting stats through one month of play:

Name         G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K  AVG  OBP  SLG SB CS 
A. Vasquez  26 111 31  7  0  7  26 15  5 21 .279 .316 .532  0  0
E. Bolling  26 108 33  9  1  9  27 22 10 17 .306 .364 .657  0  0
R. Diaz     25  98 32  7  0  5  12 17  4 15 .327 .365 .551  0  0
L. Chappel  24  96 33 10  0  7  19 20 11  7 .344 .411 .667  1  0
R. Thomas   23  96 32  3  0  2  10 19  5  5 .333 .369 .427  3  0
M. Phillips 25  93 23  4  0  1  15 17 14  9 .247 .351 .323  1  0
B. Romero   25  87 24  8  3  1  11 14 10 21 .276 .350 .471  2  0
J. Rumfelt  25  83 27  8  0  1  13 11 14  7 .325 .423 .458  1  0
A. Fuentez  18  73 26  8  2  3  12 14  4  6 .356 .400 .644  1  1
M. Lore     14  39 14  2  0  0   5  4  6  7 .359 .444 .410  0  0
A. Mingo     7  13  2  1  1  0   2  3  0  0 .154 .154 .385  0  0
A. Navarro   8  12  2  0  0  0   2  2  3  1 .167 .313 .167  2  1
G. Lauritsen 4  12  4  0  0  0   1  2  0  1 .333 .333 .333  0  0

Denver's pitching stats through one month of play:

Name         G GS W L SV   ERA   IP HA  R ER BB  K CG SHO 
K. Pillsbury 6  6 5 1  0  1.58 45.2 33 12  8  9 32  3   2
G. Buentello 5  5 4 1  0  2.17 37.1 29 11  9  6 19  0   0
C. Kirk      5  5 2 2  0  5.75 36.0 32 23 23 12 21  1   1
R. Lockridge 5  5 3 2  0  3.60 35.0 36 18 14  5 33  0   0
R. Mcnett    5  5 4 0  0  3.23 30.2 25 11 11  7 29  0   0
J. Virgen    8  0 1 1  3  2.38 11.1  5  4  3  2  6  0   0
R. Gomez     9  0 0 0  5  4.82  9.1  8  5  5  3  9  0   0
F. Lemire    5  0 0 0  0  0.00  6.2  3  0  0  2  6  0   0
O. Lopez     3  0 0 0  0  1.50  6.0  4  1  1  0  4  0   0
L. Gwinn     3  0 0 0  0  5.40  5.0  7  3  3  0  7  0   0
L. Waltz     3  0 0 0  0  6.75  4.0  8  3  3  1  5  0   0
J. Myatt     2  0 0 0  0 13.50  3.1  7  5  5  1  4  0   0

Next up: The Standings through one month of play.

[jamus23]

National League Standings 
 
West Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home Away XInn 1Run
Los Angeles  17  9 .654  -   16-10    1  7- 6 10-3  1-0  2-3
San Diego    17  9 .654  -   16-10    1  9- 5  8-4  3-2  5-3
Phoenix      13 13 .500  4   13-13    0  3-10 10-3  1-4  3-2
Sacramento   11 15 .423  6   13-13   -2  5- 9  6-6  0-0  3-7
San Jose     11 15 .423  6   14-12   -3  6- 8  5-7  0-2  1-4
Portland     10 16 .385  7   11-15   -1  3- 9  7-7  1-2  2-3
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home Away XInn 1Run
Rochester    17  9 .654  -   15-11    2 10- 4  7-5  3-3  8-4
Pittsburgh   15 11 .577  2   15-11    0  8- 4  7-7  3-1  6-5
Buffalo      12 14 .462  5   11-15    1  5- 8  7-6  3-3  6-3
Harrisburg   11 15 .423  6   10-16    1  4-10  7-5  1-1  4-2
Hartford     11 15 .423  6   11-15    0  5- 7  6-8  2-3  4-7
New Jersey   11 15 .423  6   10-16    1  4- 7  7-8  3-0  4-5
 
American League Standings 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home Away XInn 1Run
Washington   16 10 .615  -   16-10    0   8-5 8- 5  2-0  4-2
Atlanta      15 11 .577  1   15-11    0   8-6 7- 5  0-1  4-3
Miami        15 11 .577  1   14-12    1   8-6 7- 5  1-0  2-3
Knoxville    12 14 .462  4   13-13   -1   5-7 7- 7  2-2  2-2
Nashville    11 15 .423  5   10-16    1   6-7 5- 8  1-0  4-4
Charlotte     8 18 .308  8    7-19    1   4-8 4-10  0-1  5-3
 
Central Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home Away XInn 1Run
Denver       19  7 .731  -   19- 7    0  10-3  9-4  0-0  2-1
Grand Rapids 16 10 .615  3   15-11    1   7-7  9-3  1-1  5-3
Tucson       12 14 .462  7   12-14    0   5-7  7-7  1-1  2-5
Green Bay    11 15 .423  8   11-15    0   6-6  5-9  1-1  2-2
Kansas City  11 15 .423  8   12-14   -1   8-6  3-9  0-0  1-2
Memphis      10 16 .385  9   11-15   -1   6-7  4-9  0-2  2-5

[jamus23]

Broncos Face First Test Of Season
5/3/2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

After rolling through the month of April, pounding mostly on fellow Central Division teams en route baseball's best record, the Broncos face their first test of the young season: Eight of their next eleven games come against Miami, Atlanta, and Washington who are all currently tied atop the Southeast Division with 16-11 records. The Atlanta series, as well as a three game set against 12-15 Nashville, will be played away from the friendly confines of Denver's home ballpark.

Up first are the defending world champion Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins come into Denver having salvaged the final game of a series against Grand Rapids in emphatic fashion. The Dolphins blitzed the Tigers by a score of 14-0. The Dolphins attack was led by first-baseman Aaron Shorts and right-fielder Albert Chichester. Shorts stroked 5 hits out of the leadoff spot, including a pair of doubles, and crossed home plate 5 times. Meanwhile, Chichester delivered 3 doubles, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored before leaving with an injury. While the Dolphins' lineup had its way with the Tigers pitching, veteran Miami starting pitcher Jose Caceres went the distance, surrendering only 6 hits while punching out 9 batters in the shutout.

The Dolphins have been a well-balanced team so far, ranking 8th in runs scored and 6th in runs allowed. Surprisingly, long-time slugger Roy Springs has not been the main force in the lineup, having posted "only" an .834 OPS. Picking up the slack have been Shorts and left-fielder Dennis Fernandez. Shorts has hit .351 with a .957 OPS. He has ripped 11 doubles and 4 homeruns. Fernandez, meanwhile, has a .950 OPS, and leads the team with 26 runs batted in and 19 walks. He also has 6 homeruns. Another player to watch out for has been outfielder Daniel Armas. Armas began the year on the bench, but has hit his way into a larger role. In 17 games, Armas has hit .394 with a .481 OBP, and has failed to reach base via hit or walk in only one game this season.

On the mound, Christian Hokusai has picked up where he left off last season by going 5-1 with a 2.23 ERA in his first six starts. Aside from Hokusai, however, the traditionally strong Miami rotation has been somewhat shaky, as Jim Miller has finally begun to show his age, with a 6.23 ERA in 3 starts, while Mark Prior has been effective in only one of his four starts. Even Caceres and Joseph Brashears have only pitched at an average level so far.

Luckily for the Broncos, they are not expected to face Hokusai this series, instead facing the left-handed Miller, and righties Brashears and Prior. Taking the mound for Denver will be their own left-hander, knuckle-baller Robert McNett, and right-handers Christopher Kirk and George Buentello. Manager John Wilkerson expects this battle with Miami to be as tough as it ever is. "It's always a thrill, both for me personally, having played so many years for them, but also for my guys. They admire Miami for their consistency and their excellence, and they consider this a chance to prove themselves."

[jamus23]

Broncos' First Test: A+
5/6/2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

The Broncos passed their first big test of the 2083 season by sweeping the Miami Dolphins. They did it in emphatic fashion, pounding the Dolphins' pitching staff in victories of 10-3, 8-5, and 8-3. The first game saw the Broncos deliver four homeruns: A two run blast from third-baseman Michael Phillips in a four run third inning, a solo shot from right-fielder Marvin Lore in the fourth inning, and two run shots from catcher Lee Chappel and center-fielder Russell Thomas in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Robert McNett produced eight strong innings on the mound to improve his record to 5-0. In the second game, the Broncos' lineup methodically built a big lead, scoring 2 runs each in the second, third, and fourth innings, and additional runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Alexis Vazquez had 4 hits, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored in the game. Denver overcame a 4-hit, 2 double, 1 homerun performance from Miami's Daniel Armas. In the final game of the series, the Broncos jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning, and extended it to 5-0 in the second inning. It stayed that way until the seventh inning when Denver added two more runs. The Broncos made it 8-0 in the eighth inning. Miami finally threatened in the ninth inning. The Dolphins struck for three runs, ending George Buentello's shutout bid, and had the bases loaded with only one out. Denver reliever James Virgen entered the game following an ineffective attempt by Omar Lopez to mop up. Facing Miami slugger Roy Springs, who had whiffed three times against Buentello, Virgen got him to line into a game-ending double play. Lee Chappel doubled, homered and drove in 2 runs in the game. Infielders Jack Rumfelt and Michael Phillips each had 2 hits and 2 RBI. George Buentello earned his fifth win of the season.

The Broncos now head to Atlanta for their second test. The Braves are returning from a disappointing trip to Green Bay. After winning a 16-10 slugfest, the Braves dropped the next two games by scores of 6-5 and 4-2. Atlanta ranks first in all of baseball in runs scored, but the Braves' pitching thus far has been a disaster. Atlanta ranks 22nd in runs allowed and dead last with a 6.26. ERA.

On the offensive side, Atlanta has a number of dangerous hitters. Left-fielder Joey Campos is second in the American League with a .406 batting average. He also ranks third in the league in OPS, second in RBI, and third in runs scored. First-baseman Joseph Ishmael is second in the league in OPS and first in the league in homeruns(14). Ishmael and Atlanta shortstop Roger Attaway are tied for first in the league in runs scored. Another player to pay attention to is 25 year old catcher Bill Baker. Baker has been platooning with veteran Paul Pavone, a left-handed hitter, but has been hitting well enough to make the Braves think about changing the distribution of playing time. Baker has hit .422 in 65 at bats and is currently on a 13 game hitting streak.

On the mound, the Braves have really struggled. However, they are expected to deploy their most effective (at least thus far) starters for this season in this series. Thomas Sanchez has a respectable 4.61 ERA in 7 starts, but has gotten hit very hard by left-handed hitters. That's good news for guys like Lee Chappel, Asbel Fuentez, and Jack Rumfelt. Surprisingly, the aged Raimundo Carbajal has the next best ERA among the Braves' starters at 4.76, though the 38 year old has made only 3 starts. Tony Testa has the third best ERA among the Braves' starters, but that isn't saying much, as it is just 5.98. Testa has been hittable, but his biggest problem has been walks- over 6 per 9 innings- and homeruns- more than 1 per 9 innings.

Taking the mound for the Broncos in this series will be Kenny Pillsbury, 5-1 with a league-leading 1.58 ERA; Ray Lockridge, 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA and a team-leading 38 strikeouts; and Robert McNett, 5-0 with a 3.26 ERA.

One Broncos' hitter to pay attention to right now is Michael Phillips. Phillips is 9 for 16 with 4 extra base hits so far in the month of May. After not showing much power in April, Phillips' four extra base hits are just one fewer than he hit on the first month of the season.

[jamus23]

Another Test Passed By Broncos
5/9/2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

After passing their test against Miami with flying colors, the Broncos' next challenge proved to be a bit tougher. Denver headed to Atlanta to take on the Braves, and almost immediately got off to a bad start. Despite drawing first blood with a first-inning run, the Broncos allowed Atlanta to tie the game in the second inning. Even worse, Kenny Pillsbury had to leave the game with an injury. Fortunately, Pillsbury's injury is not serious. He will miss only one start with strained back muscle. The Broncos bounced back to take a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning, only to have it cut to 4-3 in the bottom of the inning. Denver then appeared to take control of the game, leading 7-3 through six innings. The Braves crept to within two runs in the seventh inning. Reliever Fred Lemire came on in the ninth inning to close out the game, protecting that two run Denver lead. The first batter he faced was third-baseman Raymond Stair. Lemire walked him. Next was catcher Bill Baker. Baker singled to bring the potential winning run to the plate. Up stepped designated hitter Andrew Francis, who had already delivered one homerun in the game. Homerun. Game over. Braves victory. Asbel Fuentez had a strong performance in the loss, collecting 3 hits and 3 runs batted in.

The Broncos made sure that there would be no comebacks in the second game of the series. Atlanta starter Raimundo Carbajal faced 8 batters in the game and retired none of them, issuing 5 hits and 3 walks as the Broncos exploded for five first-inning runs. Denver didn't spare Atlanta's relievers, pounding out 4 runs in the second inning, 3 more in the third inning, and finally a single run in the fourth inning to take a commanding 13-0 lead. Ray Lockridge held the Braves at bay for six innings before tiring, and Lyndon Gwinn finished up the game, surrendering 3 runs in the ninth inning before bringing things to an end. Lee Chappel delivered 4 hits, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored in the game, while Michael Phillips and Alexis Vazquez each had 3 hits and 3 runs scored. Vazquez also drove in 3 runs.

In the third game of the series, the Broncos again struck quickly, scoring three runs in the first inning. This lead didn't hold for long, as Atlanta tied it up with 3 in the third inning. Denver retook the lead with a run in the fifth inning, but the Braves tied it up once more in the bottom of the sixth. Denver went ahead for good with 2 runs in the eighth inning, and James Virgen finished off the 6-4 victory to get his fifth save of the season. Asbel Fuentez, Lee Chappel, Michael Phillips, and Marvin Lore all picked up 2 hits in this game, while Ellis Bolling drove in a pair of runs. Robert McNett whiffed a season-high 10 batters in the game.

Denver now gets what should be a slight breather with a series against the Nashville Predators. Though the Predators were a playoff team last year, they are a sluggish 14-19 so far, and have lost 7 of their last 10 games. The Predators offense has been below average, ranking 15th in runs scored, while their pitching has been awful, ranking 22nd in runs allowed.

Center-fielder Carlo Romero appears to have rebounded from last season's inexplicable slump, and he leads Nashville's regulars with a 1.037 OPS. Interestingly, the player who ranks second on OPS among the Predators' starting position players is former Broncos' prospect, Robert Perkins. The 26 year old has hit .350 with an .850 OPS so far this season. The biggest disappointment so far for the Predators has been catcher Daniel Lane. Lane was a prize free agent acquisition, but the 27 year old has just a .743 OPS and 1 homerun thus far. Lane has an .899 career OPS and has hit 20+ homeruns in four straight seasons.

Like last season, the Predators' pitching staff has been Mose Urick and.... well, that's pretty much it. Urick is 5-2 with a 3.67 ERA. The next best ERA among the starting pitchers belongs to Rene Romero, who has a 5.23 ERA to go with a 2-2 record. The expected starters for this series are Romero, Steffen Snow (1-4, 5.55 ERA), and Urick.

As for the Broncos, they are expected to send Christopher Kirk (3-2, 5.68 ERA), George Buentello (5-1, 2.17 ERA), and either Larry Waltz (0-0, 5.40 ERA in 4 games) or James Myatt (0-0, 13.50 ERA in 2 games). Myatt may be the more likely candidate given that Nashville's lineup contains three left-handed hitters and thus might be a favorable matchup for him. Additionally, manager John Wilkerson would like to get Myatt more work than he has been getting, so the opportunity to have him start while Pillsbury is injured may be too good to pass up.

[jamus23]

Broncos survive feisty Predators
5/12/2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

With a three game series against Washington lurking ahead, the Broncos expected Nashville to be a slight breather after their six game stretch against Miami and Atlanta, but the Predators were determined not to get pushed around. Denver drew first blood in the first game of the series, scoring a pair of runs in the third inning. Nashville cut it to 2-1 in the fifth inning before the Broncos broke the game open with a 6 run seventh inning. The Predators responded with 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh to keep things interesting. Denver pushed it to 9-4 in the eighth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Nashville threatened to rally, scoring twice before finally giving up the ghost. Despite managing only one hit between them, Ruben Diaz, Michael Phillips, and Jack Rumfelt combined for 6 runs batted in, each of them collecting two apiece.

The Broncos were unexpectedly shut down by Nashville's Steffen Snow in the second game of the series, as he blanked them for the first five innings. The Predators managed a couple of runs in that time period, which wound up being enough to defeat Denver, as the Broncos managed only a single run in the game. Alexis Vazquez had 3 hits and drove in the only run, but none of Denver's other hitters bothered to show up.

In the final game of the series, the Broncos trailed 1-0 through four innings, but erupted for 4 runs in the fifth inning. Nashville kept it close, though, with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Denver added a run in the sixth inning to take a 5-3 lead. The Predators threatened in the ninth, scoring one run, but their rally fell short. James Myatt made his first start of the season, and though he was able to keep Nashville off the scoreboard for the most part (3 runs allowed in 7 2/3 innings), manager John Wilkerson said that he "needs to be more efficient with his pitches." Despite the respectable runs allowed total, Myatt allowed 7 hits and 5 walks- not the kind of numbers that will lead to consistent success. Russell Thomas had 4 hits in the contest, while Jack Rumfelt had 2 hits and 2 RBI.

After a well-deserved day off today, the Broncos will begin a stretch that pits them against the best team in Southeast(Washington at 23-13), as well as the second and third place teams in their own division(Grand Rapids at 21-15 and Tucson at 18-18).

The Senators enter this two game set against the Broncos second in runs scored and tied for eighth in runs allowed. They are also tied for first in homeruns. Leading the Washington attack are left-fielder Leon Pino and third-baseman Mike Sanders. Pino, owner of 572 career homeruns, has a .927 OPS and 12 homeruns so far this season. He leads the league with 41 runs batted. Sanders, meanwhile, has bounced back from two sub-.800 OPS seasons to put up a .995 OPS this season. Like Pino, Sanders has 12 homeruns. Sanders is second in the league in runs batted in, with 39.

On the mound, Cleveland Lauria, Kenneth Thurman, and Juan Fuentes have all posted sub-4.00 ERAs and are a combined 15-6 for Washington. The expected starters for this series are Otis Smith (2-1, 6.48 ERA) and the left-handed Thurman (6-1, 3.09 ERA, and a league-leading 59 strikeouts).

On the mound for Denver will be Ray Lockridge (4-3, 3.12 ERA) and Robert McNett (6-0, 3.47 ERA).

The Broncos' hitter to pay attention to right now is Michael Phillips. Phillips has hit a ridiculous .447/.532/.658/1.190 so far in the month of May. Last week, he was 10 for 25, with 8 walks, 2 doubles, 5 RBI, and 6 runs scored.

[jamus23]

National League Standings 
 
West Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
San Diego    33 20 .623  -   34-19   -1 18- 9 15-11  4-4   9-8
Los Angeles  30 23 .566  3   30-23    0 15-11 15-12  1-1   4-6
Sacramento   26 27 .491  7   26-27    0 12-14 14-13  0-0   5-8
San Jose     26 27 .491  7   26-27    0 14-12 12-15  4-3   9-5
Portland     24 29 .453  9   23-30    1 10-18 14-11  3-2   6-6
Phoenix      23 30 .434 10   27-26   -4  8-19 15-11  1-8   5-9
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
Rochester    34 19 .642  -   30-23    4 18- 8 16-11  3-3 15- 8
Pittsburgh   29 24 .547  5   29-24    0 18- 8 11-16  4-2 13-12
Hartford     25 28 .472  9   28-25   -3 13-14 12-14  5-3  9-12
New Jersey   25 28 .472  9   24-29    1 16-12  9-16  4-1  8- 9
Buffalo      23 30 .434 11   23-30    0 12-15 11-15  3-4  8- 9
Harrisburg   20 33 .377 14   19-34    1  8-16 12-17  1-2  6- 5
 
American League Standings 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
Miami        32 21 .604  -   31-22    1 17-10 15-11  1-0   6-5
Washington   30 23 .566  2   30-23    0 17-12 13-11  3-1   7-4
Atlanta      26 27 .491  6   27-26   -1 14-12 12-15  0-2   6-7
Knoxville    26 27 .491  6   28-25   -2 13-12 13-15  5-3   5-4
Nashville    25 28 .472  7   25-28    0 12-16 13-12  1-2   7-9
Charlotte    18 35 .340 14   16-37    2 11-17  7-18  2-2  10-6
 
Central Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
Denver       35 18 .660  -   37-16   -2 19- 8 16-10  1-1   4-7
Green Bay    28 25 .528  7   25-28    3 15-12 13-13  3-2   7-5
Grand Rapids 26 27 .491  9   22-31    4 12-13 14-14  3-3  10-8
Kansas City  25 28 .472 10   25-28    0 13-12 12-16  1-1   5-5
Tucson       25 28 .472 10   28-25   -3 10-16 15-12  1-2   4-8
Memphis      22 31 .415 13   23-30   -1 13-12  9-19  1-3   5-8

Another month has come and gone, and the Broncos remain atop the Central Division, having posted the best record in baseball at 35-18. Despite that, Denver did limp somewhat as the month of May came to a close. The Broncos dropped five of their last nine games in May. Of those, two came the Charlotte Panthers, owners of the worst record in baseball, and two more came against the Washington Senators, who remain a threat in the Southeast Division.

Leading the Denver offense this past month was center-fielder Russell Thomas, who won his first career Batter of the Month award after hitting .397 with 7 doubles, 3 homeruns, and 19 runs batted in in May. Catcher Lee Chappel was his usual devastating force at the plate, hitting .362 with a 1.071 OPS, 16 extra base hits, and a team-leading 25 runs batted in. Designated hitter Ruben Diaz paced the team with 7 homeruns in the last month.

Some weaknesses did begin to show up in the lineup, specifically in the infield. After very solid starts to the season, both second-baseman Jack Rumfelt and short-stop Booker Romero struggled throughout the month of May, with OPS's of .528 and .601 respectively. Additionally, though third-baseman Michael Phillips put up capable numbers for the entire month, he ended May in a 6 for 33 slide. Unfortunately, reserve infielder Adrian Mingo has not done anything to demand more playing time, so for now, the Broncos will likely have to ride out these slumps.

On the pitching side of things, Christopher Kirk and George Buentello stepped up in a month of struggles and injuries. After a shaky start to the season, Kirk went 4-1 with a 3.29 ERA in the month of May. Along the way, he tossed a masterpiece against division rival Tucson- a four hit, 11 strikeout, complete game shutout. As for Buentello, although he mustered just a 1-1 record, he had a 2.92 ERA in 5 starts.

Meanwhile, minor injuries to Kenny Pillsbury and Robert McNett forced James Myatt to make 3 starts during May. The first, in place, of Pillsbury, was an acceptable, if fortunate, performance. Myatt surrendered only 3 runs in 7 2/3 innings, but did allow 7 hits and 5 walks. The second start, in place of McNett, was a fine outing against Washington, in which he allowed just 1 run in 7 1/3 innings. He cut down on his walks(only 3), and struck out a career-high 7 batters. The third one, also in place of McNett, was a disaster, as Knoxville lit him up for 12 hits and 8 runs in only 5 innings.

In addition to missing two starts due to injury, McNett struggled during the month of May, posting a 6.33 ERA in 4 starts.



Taking a look around the league now, there are two big surprises so far. Within Denver's own division, the Green Bay Packers are stunningly in second place, with a 28-25 record. The Packers were expected to finish in last place, and "compete" for the worst record in baseball with teams like Charlotte, Harrisburg, Portland, and Kansas City. Yet somehow, they have managed to stay afloat for two months. Don't expect it to last for too much longer, though. Despite their record, the Packers' pitching is among the very worst in baseball, and their respectable offense so far has been boosted by a handful players who have probably overachieved, most notably 37 year old right-fielder Flavio Valdivieso, who has posted an .857 OPS so far this season. Valdivieso hasn't had an OPS above .800 since 2078. He's also on pace for his first 20 homerun season since 2079. Still, it will be interesting to see if the Packers can keep it up. If they do, it will be their first winning season since 2072.

On the flip side, the struggles of the San Jose Sharks were certainly not expected. True, many prognosticators felt that the Sharks would lose their hold on the West Division to the surging San Diego Padres. While both teams had good lineups, the Padres' starting pitching was expected to be superior. Indeed, the Sharks have not been getting consistent and effective starting pitching. What has been surprising, however, and what has caused the Sharks to struggle, has been the collapse of San Jose's offense. A year ago, San Jose ranked fifth in all of baseball in scoring runs. So far this season, the Sharks rank 21st. Stars Ugo Momoru(.760 OPS) and Charles Seaver(.729 OPS) have performed significantly below their career averages(.939 and .890, respectively), while players such as William Natali(.568), Alberto Cisneros(.604), and Robert Clear(.644) have contributed almost nothing at all. The 38 year old Natali, who has gone to four All Star games in the last five seasons, would have the lowest OPS in all of baseball if he had garnered enough plate appearances to qualify. Not surprisingly, the reason he doesn't have enough is because he's performed so poorly. The Sharks have shown some signs of life recently, however, having won 7 of their last 10 games.



Next up, Denver's batting and pitching stats through the month of May, followed by the league batting and pitching stats.

[jamus23]

Batting:

Name         G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K  AVG  OBP  SLG SB CS
A. Vasquez  52 221 65 10  0 12  40 35 13 37 .294 .336 .502  1  0
E. Bolling  52 212 58 15  4 13  48 42 29 28 .274 .358 .566  0  0
R. Thomas   49 212 78 10  0  5  29 35 10  9 .368 .400 .486  4  1
L. Chappel  49 190 67 21  1 11  44 45 25 12 .353 .428 .647  1  0
R. Diaz     48 185 58  9  0 12  35 33 13 22 .314 .365 .557  2  0
M. Phillips 50 180 48 10  0  2  26 32 34 22 .267 .392 .356  1  0
B. Romero   50 166 42  9  6  1  17 23 17 42 .253 .319 .398  5  0
J. Rumfelt  47 160 41 10  0  2  26 24 25 11 .256 .355 .356  1  0
A. Fuentez  39 151 52 14  5  4  22 30 12  8 .344 .401 .583  4  1
M. Lore     30  98 33  7  0  3  19 13 13 13 .337 .414 .500  0  0
A. Mingo    19  44  9  3  1  0   7  7  4  6 .205 .271 .318  1  0
A. Navarro  20  42  8  3  0  0   6  7  8  5 .190 .314 .262  4  1
G. Lauritsen 9  25  9  1  0  1   3  4  1  3 .360 .385 .520  0  0

Russell Thomas and Lee Chappel currently rank 1-2 in the American League batting race. Asbel Fuentez is fourth in the batting race. Thomas leads the league in hits, while Chappel is tied for fifth. Chappel is tied for second in doubles. Booker Romero is tied for first in triples, while Fuentez is tied for second, and Ellis Bolling is tied for third. Bolling is third in runs batted in. Chappel is tied for second in runs scored, while Bolling is tied for third. Chappel is third in on base percentage and second in slugging percentage.




Pitching:

Name          G GS W L SV  ERA   IP HA  R ER BB  K CG SH 
R. Lockridge 11 11 6 5  0 3.74 74.2 76 36 31  9 66  1  0
C. Kirk      10 10 6 3  0 4.48 74.1 68 37 37 19 55  3  2
G. Buentello 10 10 5 2  0 2.54 74.1 67 23 21 13 46  0  0
K. Pillsbury 10 10 6 2  0 2.53 67.2 55 25 19 15 56  3  2
R. Mcnett     9  9 6 1  0 4.50 52.0 49 28 26 15 50  0  0
J. Virgen    21  0 2 4  9 3.45 28.2 24 12 11  6 15  0  0
R. Gomez     19  0 0 0  6 3.20 25.1 21  9  9  6 28  0  0
J. Myatt      6  3 2 0  0 6.38 24.0 33 17 17 11 20  0  0
L. Gwinn      7  0 1 0  1 6.92 13.0 20 10 10  1 10  0  0
L. Waltz      7  0 1 0  0 4.26 12.2 16  7  6  4  9  0  0
F. Lemire     9  0 0 1  0 4.63 11.2  9  6  6  7 13  0  0
O. Lopez      7  0 0 0  0 5.73 11.0 15  7  7  3  6  0  0

Kenny Pillsbury and George Buentello rank 3rd and 4th, respectively, in the American League in ERA. James Virgen is fourth in the league in saves. Pillsbury and Christopher Kirk are tied for the league lead with 2 shutouts apiece.



Next up, the league batting and pitching stats.

[jamus23]

National League Batting 
 
West Division 
 
Team           AVG  HR    R    AB    H  2B  3B   BB     K  OBP  SLG  OPS  SB 
San Diego     .278  90  313  1858  516  77   9  210   345 .354 .474 .828  69 
Los Angeles   .278  74  290  1860  518 111  16  138   332 .332 .475 .807  36 
Sacramento    .257  77  249  1781  457  86   9  170   325 .321 .445 .766  16 
San Jose      .249  56  242  1840  458  96  14  166   239 .313 .408 .721  40 
Portland      .236  52  228  1840  435  95  17  173   379 .306 .391 .697  29 
Phoenix       .276  62  286  1897  524  99   9  192   350 .344 .436 .780  33 
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team           AVG  HR    R    AB    H   2B  3B   BB    K  OBP  SLG  OPS  SB 
Rochester     .270  76  303  1858  501   70  17  176  323 .337 .448 .786  26 
Pittsburgh    .276  66  300  1909  526   89  15  241  336 .357 .442 .799  24 
Hartford      .301  68  323  1928  580  118  19  151  297 .354 .488 .841  59 
New Jersey    .271  66  266  1890  513   97   6  164  344 .332 .434 .765  67 
Buffalo       .252  56  225  1846  466   72  11  169  360 .317 .394 .712  29 
Harrisburg    .251  75  267  1835  461   76  12  199  408 .328 .428 .757  36 
                                    
Total         .267 818 3292 22342 5955 1086 154 2149 4038 .333 .439 .772 464 
 
American League Batting 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team           AVG  HR    R    AB    H   2B  3B   BB    K  OBP  SLG  OPS  SB 
Miami         .274  80  305  1835  502  107  15  177  272 .340 .479 .819   2 
Washington    .276  72  303  1860  514  101   9  202  317 .352 .456 .808  22 
Atlanta       .283  74  347  1836  519  141  15  236  365 .366 .497 .862  18 
Knoxville     .264  73  301  1899  501  126  16  224  360 .343 .462 .806  43 
Nashville     .270  58  301  1870  505   93  14  228  327 .351 .428 .779  33 
Charlotte     .238  43  198  1817  432  105  10  162  373 .305 .378 .683  28 
 
Central Division 
 
Team           AVG  HR    R    AB    H   2B  3B   BB    K  OBP  SLG  OPS  SB 
Denver        .301  66  330  1886  568  122  17  204  218 .371 .489 .860  24 
Green Bay     .260  67  301  1862  484  108   7  199  431 .335 .433 .768  42 
Grand Rapids  .249  68  246  1845  459  109   8  222  382 .332 .427 .759  19 
Kansas City   .267  60  281  1854  495  105  10  201  303 .341 .431 .772  20 
Tucson        .269  56  305  1851  497  106  17  228  360 .352 .435 .786  60 
Memphis       .258  52  256  1826  471  100  13  155  218 .320 .412 .733  42 
                                    
Total         .267 769 3474 22241 5947 1323 151 2438 3926 .343 .444 .787 353

National League Pitching 
 
West Division 
 
Team             ERA   S     IP   HA    R   ER HRA   BB    K OAVG CG SHO 
San Diego       4.02  15  483.2  498  237  216  46  148  308 .267  4   0 
Los Angeles     4.28  14  466.1  450  255  222  71  198  373 .252  1   0 
Sacramento      4.20  15  465.1  469  250  217  46  156  313 .260  4   2 
San Jose        4.39   7  475.1  488  246  232  57  141  338 .264  6   4 
Portland        4.36  13  489.0  477  263  237  62  218  353 .255  7   1 
Phoenix         4.70  12  484.0  496  284  253  90  200  325 .264  3   0 
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team             ERA   S     IP   HA    R   ER HRA   BB    K OAVG CG SHO 
Rochester       4.42  23  478.1  501  264  235  68  155  290 .271  6   2 
Pittsburgh      4.82  11  481.2  521  274  258  50  132  370 .273  5   1 
Hartford        5.53  10  478.1  487  310  294  78  238  393 .262  4   0 
New Jersey      5.10   8  476.1  526  290  270  87  163  297 .277  5   0 
Buffalo         4.54  13  482.0  451  261  243  75  195  349 .246  2   0 
Harrisburg      6.46   9  472.1  591  358  339  88  205  329 .305  2   0 
                                    
Total           4.73 150 5732.2 5955 3292 3016 818 2149 4038 .267 49  10 
 
American League Pitching 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team             ERA   S     IP   HA    R   ER HRA   BB    K OAVG CG SHO 
Miami           4.72  10  468.2  480  257  246  48  167  348 .263  8   2 
Washington      4.83  17  477.1  465  266  256  76  181  326 .253  9   2 
Atlanta         6.12   7  465.0  554  335  316  67  266  315 .296  4   0 
Knoxville       4.84  12  487.2  457  286  262  77  258  350 .245  4   1 
Nashville       5.43  11  477.1  475  314  288  69  226  352 .259  3   0 
Charlotte       5.65   8  471.2  509  303  296  59  222  275 .274  5   1 
 
Central Division 
 
Team             ERA   S     IP   HA    R   ER HRA   BB    K OAVG CG SHO 
Denver          3.84  16  469.0  453  217  200  47  109  374 .252  7   4 
Green Bay       5.62  12  475.1  521  319  297  71  238  292 .276  5   0 
Grand Rapids    5.02  18  476.2  515  289  266  69  200  353 .273  3   0 
Kansas City     5.42  11  469.2  517  302  283  58  185  274 .280 12   1 
Tucson          5.05  12  469.0  486  290  263  70  192  331 .263  8   3 
Memphis         4.99  10  469.1  515  296  260  58  194  336 .274  7   2 
                                    
Total           5.13 144 5676.2 5947 3474 3233 769 2438 3926 .267 75  16