Saint Louis Signs Closer of the Future: Tomas Santos

Saint Louis, MO -  Cliff Cazey, spokesperson for the Saint Louis Kamikazes, announced today the signing of 18yr old Cuban defector Tomas Santos to a 5 year major league  contract  with a $7.9 million signing bonus. Santos was assigned  to St. Louis' AAA affiliate. 

While pitching for the Cuban national team, Santos mixed two pitches, including a wicked slider.  AAA Pitching  coach Miguel Cabrera said in a statement: "This is a very exciting time for our team. I look forward to helping Tom develop his control and refine his pitching mechanics to mold him into a succesful Major league closer". The signing was met with mixed reactions amongst the Cuban community in Florida.  

New Orleans inks International Pitching Prospect Rosado

El Seibo, Dominican Republic - The New Orleans Fifth Ward Reds announced the signing of 18yr  old pitching prospect Ricardo Rosado after offering him a $13.2 million signing bonus. Rosado, who has been working out in a training complex outside of Santo Domingo, said "I am looking forward to being a part of a team that will have a lot  to offer, compete and get that  ring someday". Rosado is a 3-pitch pitcher with lots of upswing, although critics have cited his temper, lack of stamina and poor control as  hurdles that he will have to overcome during his minor league development. 

The  head of Dominican scouting  for another organization claimed that Rosado is significantly older than his birth certificate shows, although he asked to remain anonymous. "Look at this guy's frame - not  many 18 yr olds look like an NFL running back". Rosado's father has stated that Rosado has a strict workout routine -  " What  can I  say -  he matured early, he takes care of his body, and he has excellent genes".

Saint Louis Kamikazes off to a great start

This is a team that lost 97 games last year and 93 the year before. Check.
This is a team that moved cities after ownership threw in the white flag. Check.
This is a team that cutback payroll and shifted money into scouting and prospect payroll. Check.
This is the team leading the NL North. uhh... Check.

The Saint Louis Kamikazes have turned a few heads in what was written off as a "rebuilding" season by league rivals. After being picked by only 4% of reporters to win the division, and most likely to finish 3rd (behind Portland and Columbus), the Kamikazes are tied for first place in the division. Gone are veterans Britt George, Jerome Milliard and Glenn Parker, but Miguel Duran has finally stepped up as staff pitching ace in a rotation that has started 8 diferent pitchers, and Rookie of the Year Miguel Nunez has been impressive in his sophomore season while shifting from SS to CF. Offseason acquisition Cliff Smart has anchored the bullpen (15 saves), and the Kamikazes are capitalizing on early season struggles by the Portland Rain. Catcher Benito Elcano, a career .253 hitter signed as a free agent in the offseason, has hit .336 since starting regularly for St. Louis while providing excellent defense behind the plate.

How the Kamikazes are leading without major all-star names is a mystery to most, but not to the Saint Louis faithful who show up every night to watch their blue-collar, gritty team compete against the best. "Our manager has shown an uncanny ability to get the most out of our team, and motivates us to give 110% day in and day out." said 37 yr old pitching veteran Brett Bailey."We are just a bunch of guys wanting to show that we are better than we were given credit for and that we have what it takes to win". While many critics think this the team is overperforming, this team plays to win, has nothing to lose and is here to give it all and win or die trying.

WITH THE FIRST PICK IN THE DRAFT........... (by pita323)

What will the Anaheim Mighty Ducks do with the first pick in the annual amateur draft?

There have been reports that Anaheim's scouts have been spotted at Kent State, where power hitting, good fielding Jose Chantres anchors the hot corner. Eastern Oklahoma State College's slick fielding, great hitting SS Ivan Andujar has also gotten a few looks, as well as Prince Georges CC's  SP Sal Cashman, who has shown that he has great control along with 97 MPH fastball. Sal has yet to hire an agent and has his mother advising him.

Scouts are not overlooking Eunice High School, where young pitcher Douglas Slaughter, who ranked #1 in many scouting magazines, is expecting to graduate in the professional ranks with a large signing bonus. Anaheim High School scouting director Jacob Ramirez, who was scouting Slaughter, has also been seen at Longmont Christian High School, where SP Omar Gilbert and his pinpoint control pitches reign supreme. Who they will pick? Owner/GM pita323 has remained silent, not even hinting a clue whether he is leaning towards pitching or hitting. Recent history suggests they'll go with pitching, as season 10 was a strong draft for Anaheim hitting, with infielders Del Henley and Chad Schneider looking as strong Major League prospects. The prior four season seasons yielded some weak prospects: the franchise's first pick in Season 9 was not until #60., and Season 8 's first pick did not come until #50. In both seasons 6 & 7, the franchise was unable to sign their first round picks. New ownership has committed to building this organization unlike previous regimes, aggresively pursuing top signable prospects.

International Free Agents Make a Splash in a Few Budgets

A total of 24 International Players have been signed by Major League franchises this season. The Iowa City Bison, a historically minor player in the International market, and the Milwaukee Beer Swillers lead the pack in numbers of signings with three. In terms of talent, the Baltimore Blast and the Portland Rain have claimed the biggest prizes so far, by landing highly touted pitching  prospects RJ Nunez and Frank Shigetoshi.  Here is a look at the top signing bonuses and the prospects that got them:

Frank Shigetoshi, SP- Portland Rain - $22.8 million signing bonus with spring  training invite. The 19 yr old native  of  Fukuoka, Japan has been touted as the best pitching prospect  to come out of Japan. With four pitches anchored by  a wicked curveball, the young pitcher has the tools to succeed at  the ML level. The Rain invested heavily based on international scout accounts, and although  the US-based scouts are skeptical that Shigetoshi will develop into the lights-out potential superstar that was advertised, there is  no  doubt that he will be  a serviceable, reliable ML starter.

RJ Nunez, RP- Baltimore Blast - $12 million signing bonus. The 18 yr old Dominican projects to be a strong major league closer. At 18 yrs of age, he has quite a bit to learn in terms of maturity and patience, but he alredy possesses a fastball and a slider that could compete at the Major League level. Despite struggling through his first 13 appearances at the Low A level, (blowing 5 of 9 save opportunities and holding a 10.66 ERA through 12 2/3 innings), Nunez has shown steady improvement and has built some confidence.

Esteban Camacho, 1B- Iowa City Bison - $5.4 million signing bonus. The 18 yr old Cuban defector is an aggresive, impatient hitter with minimal defensive skills. He projects to have average major league hitting capabilities, with a superb ability to make contact and get on base. In 185 at bats at the Low A level, Camacho has hit .345 with an OBP of .425 and a .901 OPS.

Jim Gran, RF- Saint Louis Kamikazes - $4.5 million signing bonus, plus a 5 yr major league contract. The Kamikazes invested heavily on the 18 yr old British import from Bedford, in the United Kingdom. Gran has grand power, hitting mammooth shots from both sides of the plate during tryouts in front of the international scouts. Critics have said that Gran will excel as a power hitter, although by the time he develops at the end of his current ML contract, he may be demanding major Euros before playing  at  the ML level. 

Alfredo Cairo, SS - Charlotte Wolfpack - $4.2 million signing bonus, plus a 5 yr major league contract. Signed as a shortstop, early accounts suggest that Cairo will likely be a 2B or 3B at the ML level. Cairo has shown impressive skills and advanced development for his age and experience set, and only time will tell how far Cairo is from reaching his true potential. 

Octavio Guerrero, CF- Saint Louis Kamikazes - $4.0 million signing bonus, plus a 5 yr major league contract. Originally scouted as a 2B, Guerrero has played several positions, and mostly CF since signing with the Kamikazes. Guerrero is a balanced hitter with  great speed and good defensive skills that enable him to play almost anywhere on  the field. The 21 yr old Cuban defector from Bauta made his professional debut at the AAA level, where he has hit .407, a.509 OBp and 1.172 OPS through 31 games. There is no doubt that Guerrero is a bona fide prospect and will not be long before he makes an impact at the ML level.

Detroit: movers and shakers in the league (by soulblazer)

The Detroit Shuffle are making a serious effort one month into the new season to improve their team. They clearly are trying to get good enough to make a push for the playoffs -- either that, or get young talent for a rebuilding effort. Management is not yet decided on how good the team is, but their recent trades are designed to bring in a mix of young and old talent.

Three trades have just been aproved by the MLB's head office and the team owners. The first involved the Anaheim Mighty Ducks when vet setup pitcher Chris Cormier was aquired by Detroit in return for starting/setup pitcher Carter Martin. Another trade was with the Los Angeles Diamond Kings for young 1B/LF hitter Marty Washington and prime of his career starting pitcher Ernest Wulf and Detroit sent to LA vet 1B Robinson Dixon and young prospect LF Tony James. Detroit also helped with $3.5 mil of thier two players salery.

Perhaps the biggest of the three trades, though, was that vetern closer Julian DeRojas was shipped to Seattle in return for young SP Kyle Hocking along with $4.0 mil in cash. The 22 year old left hander was drafted in the first round in Season 7 by Detroit but was lost to Seattle in the Rule 5 draft this year, a move that angered the head coach of the team as he had big plans for Hocking. Seattle was going with young pitching in their roation this season, with three out of five of their pitchers rookies, including Hocking, who started five games for them but failed to get any wins and took one loss. After that he was moved to the bullpen for long relief. The other two rookie pitchers for Seattle were also moved out of their SP roatations and the team went looking for both SP and bullpen help, as they had blown several close games.

Detroit, by comparison, had young closers they could bring up to replace DeRojas and wanted to be free of his contract. The 33 year old right throwing vet was in the first year of a three year contracting costing $5.4 mil a year and there was concern over how good he'd be at the end of his deal. Originaly pitching for the Portland Rain, he was traded to Detroit in Season 7. During his career he had won a Cy Young, two Firemen of the Year awards, and been named to the All-Star Team six times. DeRojas has a 30-64 record with 350 out of 408 saves, a ERA of 3.92 and a WHIP of 1.37 and has never been on the DL.

Seattle announced they would make DeRojas their primary closer while Detroit planned to have Hocking as either a SP or a long relief pitcher in the bigs.

What all of this trading will do for Detroit reamains debatable, but ownership has indicated they are not done yet.

Various notes and items from Season 11 (by soulblazer)

Various notes and items from several matters around the league:

The biggest international free agent signing so far this year was setup/closer pitcher R.J. Nunez by the Baltimore Blast. The 18 year old out of the Dominican Republic is projected to have one of the best fastballs in the game and a very good slider. He was signed for a $12 mil bonus and has been playing in Low A. In a few years when he is ready for the bigs he should anchor the bullpen of the young and rebuilding Blast for years to come.

There have been a flurry of trades this season so far, only about a month in, with more being projected. Teams are unloading older and expensive vets to teams with good farm systems, trying to get younger. Other teams are seeking pitching help and looking for older players who can still help a playoff hope. A major trade between Detroit and Seattle is in the works now, according to reports, and we may see more in the weeks to come.

Records of the teams so far this year have been surprising. 32 games in, in three out fo four of the AL divisions there are two very good teams fighting for the best record. Milwaukee and New Britain are leading the AL North with a 22-9 and 20-11 record respectfully. Trenton leads the AL East with a 24-8 record, the best in the MLB, and Chicago is right behind them with a 23-8 record. Memphis leads the AL South with a 21-10 record and Charlotte is two games back. The surprise has been the AL West, where Oakland currently leads with a disapointing 15-16 record and Kansas City two games behind them.

Things are even worse in the NL. Three out four divions here have teams with winning records leading here, like in the AL, but the numbers are not as good. Portland leads the NL North with a 17-14 record, St. Louis right behind them by one game, and the other two teams just one game behind that. Iowa is the best team in the NL East with a 20-12 record and Buffalo two games behind. In the NL South there is no team with a winning record, as Louisville and El Paso are tied with a 14-17 record. The best team in the NL is in the NL West, where Las Vegas leads with a 20-11 record.

Experts are surprised at how 'average' and muddled the teams seem to be this year in most of the divisions and are not sure the reasons for it. Hopefully things will improve as the season is hardly a month old, however, bets are allready being made that there will be no 100 win teams this year.

Parker McIntyre hits HR #500 (by soulblazer)

BUFFALO, NY -- Buffalo Blizzard 1B Parker McIntyre has become the 4th player in Baseball to reach the milestone of hitting 500 HR's during a career today, as he hit numbers 500 and 501 in a game aganist the Columbus Flatlanders. He is the second player this season to reach that milestone, the first being Kareem Nunally of New Britain. Drafted in the first round of the first season by Buffalo, he made his major league debut in Season 3 and has played a major role in the Blizzard;s history ever since. An all-around dangerous hitter, McIntyre also has 1324 RBI's and a average of .322 during his ML career, but most notably, he has never been on the DL. He is under contract for four more years making $7.2 mil this year and $8.0 mil for each of the next four.

Number 500 for Parker came during the third inning of a scoreless game, hitting a 2 run homer off of Columbus starter Yannick Brooks to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead. That lead soon dissipated, and it McIntire struck again in the 8th inning of a game that his team now trailed 10-3. Parker led off the inning with a solo blast for number 501 of his career. Despite Buffalo losing that game 10-4, it was an important day for the 28 year old hitter from Wichita, Kansas. At only 28, Parker is likely to hit many more during his careeer, and may become the all-time HR leader before he retires. Parker has been a 6-time All-Star, a 6 time silver slugger 1B and a 4 time Most Valuable Player. He also earned his first gold glove award during his Season 10 MVP season.

Major trades Season 11 (by soulblazer)

The baseball season is hardly a month old and several major trades have been completed between teams looking to improve after rough starts or experienced older teams with talent to unload:

The Salem Volcanoes were looking to get cheaper and younger as they traded stud pitcher Walt Falk to the Milwaukee Beer Swillers in return for a young player and two prospects. The 33 year old Falk is the second year of a three year contract making $7.3 mil this year and $6.3 mil next year with a $1.0 mil bonus. During his 10 year career with the team he has won 2 Cy Young awards and been named to the All Star Team 6 times with a 145-82 record. He also has a liftime ERA of 3.69 and a WHIP of 1.21 and has never been on the DL. The right hander is expected to remain a great pitcher for the rest of his contract.

The St. Louis Kamikazes traded young prosects Willy Bergeron and Sammy Figureoa to the Colorado Crush in return for six young players. The trade was reported to be made so that St. Louis could get three good players in return for a great one. Bergeron is a 23 year old 2B and outfielder who was a 1st round draft pick last year who should be a great contact and speed hitter. In the less then a year time that Bergeron has been playing in High A and Double AA he has 11 HR's and 72 RBI's with 36 Steals and a average of .325. Figureoa is a 19 year old outfielder who was a international free agent signing last year for $4.1 mil who should be a great defender and good contact hitter. In about the same playing time as Bergeron, Figureoa has been playing in Low A, High A, and Double A and has 10 HR's and 88 RBI's and a average of .296.

In another move to get younger and cheaper, Salem traded pitcher Ahmad Griffey to the Kansas City Coconuts for three young players. The left handed Griffey is 34 years old and is in the third year of a four year contract making $8.8 mil a year with a $8.0 mil bonus. During his 10 year career with the team he has won a Cy Young and been named to the All Star Team twice with a 134-115 record, a lifetime ERA of 4.28 and a WHIP of 1.34 and has never been on the DL. Although not quite as great as Walk Falk, he is also expected to remain good for the rest of his contract.

Yet another Salem pitcher was traded, this time Stan Uribe to the Detroit Shuffle for three young players. Uribe is 32 years old and throws right handed. He is in the third year of a four year contract making $6.8 mil a year. The first pick of the first round in the first season, he first played in the bigs in Season 4 and has racked up a 99-75 record with a liftime ERA of 4.45 and a WHIP of 1.34. He has only been on the DL once, a short stint when he was in the minor leagues. Uribe has won no awards in the bigs but is another solid pitcher.

The Texas Steers traded young promising closer Dolf Spencer to the Colorado Crush for three ML players, again a case of getting three good players for one (hopefully, in this case) great one. Spencer is 19 years old and was the second pick of the first rounf last season. He throws left handed and scouts rave about his nasty slider and just as deadly cut fastball, and has the stanima to be a setup pitcher as well. In 30 games in the Rookie and Low A levels, Spencer has a 1-2 record with 4 out of 5 saves, a lifetime ERA of 4.99 and a WHIP of 1.56.

In perhaps the biggest and most surprising trade so far in this young season, star pitcher Sean Donovan was traded from the Louisville Wild Turkeys to the Portland Rain in return for Victor Rodriguez. Considered by many one of the best pitchers in baseball, Donovan is a left handed pitcher and 35 years old. During his award winning 10 year career, he has a 166-65 record with a lifetime ERA of 3.16 and a WHIP of 1.18. Donovan has won 4 Cy Young's and been named to the All Star Team 7 times, and has only been on the DL once, a short stint. He's on his final year of a two year contract making $7.8 mil. Rodriguez is a 25 year old Shortstop and considered to be one of the best young players in the game. He's both a great contact and power hitter and plays good defense. An international free agent signing in Season 5 by Helena, he was traded to Portland the following year and made his major league debut later that season. During Rodriguez's four complete and two partial years in the majors, he has 132 HR's, 382 RBI's, 46 steals and a average of .272 and is in the second year of a five year contract making $6.6 mil this year and a bonus of $3.0 mil. Reports indicate that Louisville was willing to tarde Donovan as he was getting past the prime of his career in return for a young and blossoming stud player.

The Seattle Lightning and Columbus Flatlanders worked out a major trade with three players from both teams moving, the major guys being closer Joe Gibbons from Seattle for hitter Rick Boswell. Gibbons is a right hand throwing 33 year old pitcher who was traded from Colorado to Seattle in Season 5 and took over the primary closing duties in Seattle the following year. He ws a great closer for three years before being delegated to backup in Season 10 and made expandable this year with young closers ready to take over in Seattle. Saettle was shopping him around for a while before finally coming to terms with the Flatlanders. During his career, Gibbons has a 17-20 record with 146 out of 168 saves, a lifetime ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.34 and has been on the All-Star Team twice. He uses a Sinker and a Slider and has never been on the DL, and is on the last year of a two year contract making $3.4 mil. Boswell is a 27 year old 2B and outfielder in the prime of his career, on a min salery. Drafted by Columbus in Season 6, he made his MLB debut in Season 9 and is a great power hitter with good defense. In about two years total of being in the bigs, Boswell has 46 HR's, 156 RBI's, 6 steels and a average of .266.

San Antonio Stallion Limps Out of the Gate (by canadadry)

San Antonio, TX - After a terrific spring training hopes were high that San Antonio Stallion, Kurt Damon (CF), was set to have an equally terrific regular season. But right from the opening pitch Kurt displayed why so many close to the team had expressed pre-season concerns about his play. Managing to get only 2 hits in his first 23 at bats with only 1 home run and 1 RBI, he lost his starting position and in the next 8 games was given 7 more opportunities at the plate; collecting nothing but 3 more strike outs to add to his dismal totals. At that point he was batting .066 (2 for 30) with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 walk while striking out 6 times.Coach C. Dry had had enough. He sent Kurt down to AAA and San Antonio’s management went out and got Billy Hunter off the waiver wire to replace him in the Stallion’s outfield. However, in his first 4 games at AAA, Kurt Damon has been on fire! He has 10 hits in only 20 ABs. 6 of those hits have been home runs, including at least one homer in each of the 4 games! He has batted in 9 runs, walked twice and even has a stolen base. If he continues to hit like this, Dry is going to be hard pressed to keep him down in the minors.

Cookie Ramirez No-HIts St. Louis Kamikaze

St. Louis, MO  - Cookie Ramirez threw his first  career nohitter in a 3-0 win over the Kamikazes. Ramirez (3-0) allowed 4 runners on base, issuing  two walks and hitting two batters.  In the 4th inning, Saint Louis started the inning  with two runners on base  and no  outs, but Ramirez pitched himself out of the jam. Ramirez' performance silenced critics who have noted that  Ramirez' strikeout ratio has dropped significantly through his first four starts of the season, when compared to previous seasons. Coming of off a rocky  start in Colorado, where Ramirez allowed 6ER  and 12 hits in 7 innings, the ace of the Bison pitching staff threw a complete game in 104 pitches. 

Kareem Nunally Hits Career HRs #500 and 501

Milwaukee, WI - Kareem Nunnally hit career homeruns #500 and 500 in New Britain's 6-1 win over the Milwaukee Beer Swillers. The 33 yr old Nunally becomes only the third player to pass this milestone, and is now second in all-time career homers, following Ernie Broome (582) and Mac Chong (500) after today's game action. At least two other players are expected to reach the 500 career HR milestone this season, Parker McIntyre (492) and John Russ (478).

Nunnally's 500th came in the third inning, a 2-Run shot off of Milwaukee starter Mateo Guillen. In the top of the 9th, Nunnally hit #501 off of Harold Farley, and came immediately after David Lee's solo shot to CF.

Nunally, a catcher/designated hitter, is in the second year of a 4 yr 48.5 million contract with the New Britain Bombers, having played his first 9 seasons for the Memphis Blues Boys. He was the Season 10 AL MVP, helping New Britain win its first Division Title and first post-season appearance. He is a 6-time All-Star, a 3 time silver slugger, and a 3-time AL MVP and has never been placed on the disabled list. He is a career .306 hitter, and a future hall of famer.

Jorge Perez drives in 11 runs - Mighty Ducks roll over Rollers 21-1 in season opener

Jorge Perez of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks made his major league debut with a bang, going 4-4 and driving in 11 runs against division rival Las Vegas. Perez, the top pick in the Rule 5 draft, had a very strong spring training to earn a starting spot in the team's opening day lineup. Perez hit two homeruns, a 3 R HR in the bottom of the third and a grandslam in the bottom of the 6th. Anaheim scored 11 times in the 6th, and Hector Carrasco (1-0) threw 8 solid innings for the win. Boxscore

Opening Night Season 11 is here!!

Season 11 of World Mathewson got underway with 8 games tonight. Five of the 8 games were dominated by strong pitching, and here are the highlights...

Colorado 8, Los Angeles 0
Robert Howry (1-0) and Sammy Castillo combined for a 2 hit shutout of the LA Diamond Kings. The Colorado offense was powered by four homeruns.

Iowa City 1, Cincinnati 0
In a classic pitching duel, Cookie Ramirez faced off against Cincinnati's newly acquired ace Yogi Cooper. Cooper pitched 7 scoreless innings in a no-decision, while Ramirez pitched 8 shutout in a 1-0 score. The only extrabase hit: a double by pinch-hitter Eugene Maduro off of Earl Jacobsen.

Louisville 2, Richmond 6
Richmond's free agent acquisition, Brett Clark (1-0) gave up 2 solo shots in pitching 7 strong innings against the Turkeys.

Helena 5, Saint Louis 4
Despite strong starting pitching by both teams, the St. Louis bullpen blew a 2 run lead in the bottom of the 9th. Rookie catcher Greg Smith provided some late-inning heroics in hitting a walk-off 2-R homerun to win it for Helena.

Seattle 3, Oakland 1
Seattle's Pascual Roque (and Season 10 AL Rookie of the Year) made his sophomore season debut with a bold statement, throwing a 1-ER complete game in 121 pitches.

Trenton 4, Baltimore 2
The reigning world champions won behind ace Andrew Baxter (1-0) and Kirk Heiserman picked up his first save of the season. 17+ million dollar man Jumbo Syvilla took the loss for the Baltimore Blast.

Milwaukee 8, Cleveland 4
Although this one promised to be a pitching duel between Oscar Martin (1-0) and Louie Gonzalez (0-1), it was all Martin in this one. Cleveland score 4 unearned runs off of the Milwaukee ace. Bruce Marquis picked up a save, while Alexander Goss drew in 4 runs, capped by a 3-run HR.

Memphis 6, Texas 3
Dustan Stoops pitched well enough to win, but got a no decision in a Memphis win that saw HRs by three different of the Blues Boys. Tim Richardson picked up the first save of the season.

YOUTH BRINGS HOPE TO ANAHEIM (by pita323)

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks, known in season 10 as the Colorado Springs Fighting Falcons (yes, the name did need to be shortened), will go into season 11 as a significantly different team - and it's not just the name. Many of the veterans that filled the season 10 roster are gone; in their place is a partial youth movement that brings energy and attitude to this franchise. Analyzing each position gives us a better picture of this team and its outlook:

At the catcher spot are two veterans, Ben Boehringer and Carl Rivera, who last season combined for 29 HRs and 143 RBIs and played very good defense. The veterans anchor a young core, while their defense will help the pitching staff (especially the two youngsters in the rotation) mature. 1B will be manned by 25 year old Joel Richardson and Jeff Williams (who will also see plenty of action in the OF). Richardson is looking to appear in his first full season. He should be able to hit, and hit well, but his defense has a lot to be desired. Williams is coming off a season of 33 HRs and 104 RBIs (.381 OBA). Acquired via trade, 2B will be manned by newcomer Darond Cook who batted .301 (.359 OBA) last season in 156 ABs, after 10 seasons in Omaha. Cook is a former gold glove 2B that provides strong defense down the middle, and should be a consistent hitter as he appears fully recovered from the injury that plagued him last season. 3B is a position where the Ducks are looking for Willie Tatis to show that he still wants this job. Tatis struggled defensively last season after being claimed off waivers from El Paso, but he is looking to rebound. Veteran David Rosa and newcomer Rule 5 prospect Harry Feliz are on the bench to provide added security if Tatis falters again.

SS is a strong position for the Ducks with Angel Candelaria (.403 OBA last season in 467 ABs) as the main man here. BUT, a spot needs to be made for Rule 5 player Jorge Perez (5 HRs in preseason). Between Perez and Candelaria, one of them should see significant time in other infield positions. The OF right now has a platoon of Alex Cooke and Jeff Williams in LF, former gold glove winner Keith Durham (.378 OBA last season) in CF, and end of season 10 acquisition Dennis Chang (28 HRs 90 RBIs and no errors in the OF last season) in RF. The starting rotation is improved since last season, but still needs a few pieces. 24 year old Hector Carrasco (2-2 in 9 starts) and 25 year old Curtis Spence (cup of coffee last season) add youth to a rotation that also includes veterans Dennis Lyons, Louie Guzman & journeyman Gene Edwards (a combined 16-20 lasts season with little help from the defense). The bullpen is filled by veterans, except at the closer position, where Amp Rowand looks to step in as the team's full time closer, after saving 18 last year in the second half of the season.

With youth like Perez, Feliz, Carrasco, Spence & Richardson being added this season, and a lot of deadwood removed since last season, a .500 season is in sight for this franchise on its way to credibility. With a slew of minor league prospects like IF's Sean Hoover, Alfredo Garces & Rafael Soto on their way up within the next couple seasons, more hope is on its way. As long as management continues to upgrade the needs of this franchise, the Mighty Ducks will be here to stay.

Bison's chances take a hit (or two)

Flagstaff, AZ - The Iowa City Bison suffered two losses to the disabled list, as LF Vinny Funaki and IF Tyler Merrick were injured in Spring Training games. Funaki suffered a pulled oblique muscle and is expected to miss at least two weeks while rehabbing, and is expected to open the season in the DL. Funaki is a 3-time all star and 2-time silver slugger, but was placed on the disabled list for the fourth time in his 11 year career. Originally a 2B, the 32 yr old Funaki started a significant number of games in LF in Season 10 following a herniated disk that limited his infield range, and projected to be the Bison's regular LF this season. Funaki is a .321 career hitter and appeared in 154 games last season.

In an earlier spring training game, Funaki's projected replacement at 2B, Tyler Merrick, suffered a torn ligament in his ankle while running out an infield hit. Bison team physician Dr Raul Falto indicated that Merrick will undergo surgery today to repair the ligament, and is expected to miss at least one month. Team GM Bill Zooba issued a statement "Although both of these injuries are significant to our team, we emphasize the concept of team and believe that the team will continue to compete until we get them back and healthy. At this point, we believe we have enough talent and depth in our organization to fill the temporary needs until Tyler and Vinny are healthy to come back to their jobs".

Following the injuries, the Bison made a few roster moves. 3B Jason Whitehead was claimed off waivers from the Oakland Elephants. Whitehead is a Rule 5 draftee and must stay in the Major League roster or be returned to his original team, the Buffalo Blizzard. 2B Travis Biggio, who filled in admirable for the injured Vinaki during Season 9's playoff push, was added to the ML roster. Biggio, Whitehead, and fellow Rule 5 draftees Vic Saez and Billy Hunter are the most likely options to temporarily replace Merrick and Funaki in the lineup.

Rule 5: Winners, Losers... chain smokers and boozers

The Mathewson Season 11 Rule 5 Draft was complete, and early on, it appears that there were some clear winners, some losers, and well, as the country music song goes, some chain smokers and boozers. The Cleveland Lumberjacks lost 7 players in the draft, while the Colorado Crush lost 5. The majority of players drafted project to fill some limited roles for their new teams, but some notable exceptions are expected to carry significant roles.

Winners:
The Anaheim Mighty Ducks took infielder Jorge Perez with the first pick of the draft. Perez, a previous Colorado projects to be a solid infielder with a balanced set of tools and should play a significant role in Anaheim's rebuilding efforts.

The Baltimore Blast picked catcher Pablo Santos in the second pick of the draft. In 250+ at bats at the ML level in Season 10, Santos hit a decent .275 AVG/.353 OBP/.712 OPS, while catching in 74 games. The Blast were in desperate need of a catcher, and Santos clearly helps fill that void.

The Boston Minute Men claimed outfielder Pedro James from the Colorado Crush. The 23 yr old James has been a 4 time All-Star in the Minor Leagues, and has shown great promise against right handed pitching and a great batting eye.

Losers:
No real losers in this draft. While Cleveland lost the highest number of players, Colorado lost the most talent. However, the Colorado minor league system is very strong, and the players lost in the draft have a minimal impact on the depth of the system. In fact, looking at the number of quality players protected by the Crush that would've been eligible for the draft, Colorado could qualify as a winner in this year's draft.

Chain Smokers?
The Baltimore Blast claimed 10 players in this year's draft. In picks ranging from the #2 to the #290 in the draft, the Blast strategy was clearly aimed at numbers in restocking a franchise that lost a lot of talent under prior management in the last few seasons. It is not clear that these players will remain in the roster, but the Blast get the "chain-smoker" award.

The Iowa City Bison picked two very similar players in this year's draft: Vic Saez and Billy Hunter. Both are defensive, speedy players who play 2B and CF with limited offensive capabilities, and it is not immediately clear what role both of these would play in the team if they stay with the franchise.

Boozers?
In the drafting binge of Rule 5 talent stocking, the Baltimore Blast took on AJ West off of the El Paso Fighting Tacos... and his 5 million contract due in season 11. Although a talented player, West's otherwise modest contract will be a significant burden in a team looking to rebuild and leaving the Blast management in a post-draft hangover. The Blast are considering returning West to El Paso; after clearing waivers and not getting claimed by other teams, El Paso is still considering. Rumors say that the Blast are in negotiation with several teams regarding a possible trade that would bring younger prospects to Baltimore.

Season 11 TOP 125 PROSPECTS (by jmagliaro)

Top 125 Prospects – Season 11 (by jmagliaro)

A breakdown of what went into determining the ratings. First off, I took into account health and makeup because those 2 things could considerably hinder a prospect from reaching his projected numbers. For position players the ratings are based on defensive skills, health, makeup, contact, power, splits, batting eye, speed and baserunning. For starting pitchers ratings are based on health, makeup, stamina, control, splits, grounball/flyball and pitches. For relief pitchers ratings are based on health, makeup, durability, stamina, control, splits, groundball/flyball and pitches. I welcome any suggestions of how to make this more accurate.
(Note from zoobaseball; jmagliaro included attribute ratings on how the ranks were determined, but I omitted those in the posting until I can sort out the spacing posting/editing).

1 George Crandall, SP (New Britain, HiA) Rank: 9.8
2 Pascual Martin, CF (Memphis, AA) Rank 9.6
3 Adam Phillips, SP (Colorado, AAA) Rank 9.6
4 Howard Robinson, 3B (Cincinnati, AA) Rank 9.5
5 Del Henley, SS (Anaheim, HiA) Rank 9.5
6 Tomas Gonzales , SP (Helena, AA) Rank 9.5
7 Dennis Satou, SP (Salem, AAA) Rank 9.5
8 Steven Reith, SP (Oakland, HiA) Rank 9.5
9 Shea Brooks , CF (Chicago, AA) Rank 9.4
10 Albert Bell , 2B (Chicago, AA) Rank 9.4
11 Joshua Gaston ,SP (Portland ,LoA ) Rank 9.4
12 Vic Cordero, SP (Portland, AAA) Rank 9.3
13 Tyler Merrick , SS (Iowa, AAA) Rank 9.3
14 Octavio Guerrero, SP (Richmond, HiA) Rank 9.3
15 Albert Moraga, CF (Norfolk, HiA) Rank 9.3
16 Ken Easley, RF (Memphis, AA) Rank 9.3
17 Fernando Rodriguez, LF (Trenton, AAA) Rank 9.3
18 Mike Jameson, RF (Baltimore, LoA) Rank 9.2
19 Cozy Ponson, SP (El Paso, AAA) Rank 9.2
20 Pedro Uribe, SP (Chicago, AA) Rank 9.2
21 Johnny Roth, SP (Colorado, AAA) Rank 9.2
22 Joaquin Vega, RF (Helena, AAA) Rank 9.2
23 Hugh Stargell, LF (Columbus, AA) Rank 9.2
24 Chris Tobin, 1B (Columbus, AA) Rank 9.2
25 Carlos Rosado, SP (Columbus, AAA) Rank 9.2
26 Ivan Henriquez, SP (Seattle, AAA) Rank 9.1
27 Brendan Lee, CF (Helena, LoA) Rank 9.1
28 Bob Willis, SP (Las Vegas, HiA) Rank 9.1
29 Sidney Gardner, 3B (Cincinnati, AAA) Rank 9.1
30 Kevin Jenkins, SP (Norfolk, LoA) Rank 9.1
31 Charlie Chambers, SP (Las Vegas, AAA) Rank 9.0
32 Yeico Julio, SP (Cleveland, HiA) Rank 9.0
33 O.T. Ferrara, SP (Iowa, AAA) Rank 9.0
34 Shaggy Spencer, SP (Charlotte, RL) Rank 9.0
35 Mariano Gonzalez, DH (Colorado, AAA) Rank 9.0
36 Jumbo Becker, 2B (Helena, LoA) Rank 9.0
37 Sammy Ugueto, SP (Portland, AA) Rank 9.0
38 Trevor Bellhorn, LF (Trenton, AAA) Rank 8.9
39 Douglas Thompson, SP (New Orleans, AA) Rank 8.9
40 Bono Hardy, 2B (Helena, AAA) Rank 8.9
41 Carlos James, SP (Louisville, AA) Rank 8.9
42 Pedro Pulido, SP (New Britain, HiA) Rank 8.9
43 Edgar Martin, SP (Cincinnati, AAA) Rank 8.9
44 Anthony Christenson, LF (San Antonio, AAA) Rank 8.9
45 Kelly McPherson, SP (New Britain, HiA) Rank 8.8
46 David DeLeon, CL (Kansas City, HiA) Rank 8.8
47 Yorvit Beltran, RF (New Britain, AA) Rank 8.8
48 Pedro Gonzalez, SS (Helena, HiA) Rank 8.8
49 Derick Romero, SP (Colorado, AAA) Rank 8.8
50 Brian Jordan, 2B (Salem, AAA) Rank 8.8
51 Stan Middlebrook , SP (Salem, ML) Rank 8.8*
52 Cam Kelley, 2B (Salem, HiA) Rank 8.8
53 Valerio Reyes, SS (Boston, AAA) Rank 8.7
54 Patrick Bonilla, SP (Boston, AAA) Rank 8.7
55 Howie Martin, SS (Kansas City, HiA) Rank 8.7
56 Dolf Spencer, CL (Texas, LoA) Rank 8.7
57 Jerrod Payton, LF (Norfolk, AA) Rank 8.7
58 Flash Barr, SP (Buffalo, AAA ) Rank 8.7
59 Richie Johnson, 2B (Richmond, AAA) Rank 8.7
60 Damon Rivera, 2B (Norfolk, AAA ) Rank 8.7
61 Hick Delahanty, LF (Salem, AA) Rank 8.6
62 Guy Zaun, CL (San Antonio ,RL) Rank 8.6
63 Cookie Bravo, 1B (Cincinnati, AAA) Rank 8.6
64 Bey Franco, SP (Texas, HiA) Rank 8.6
65 Craig Gates CL (Memphis, LoA) Rank 8.6
66 Rob Cox, CF (New Britain, AA) Rank 8.6
67 Quinton Hansen, CL (Chicago, HiA) Rank 8.5
68 Ivan Pescado, LF (Chicago, HiA) Rank 8.5
69 Hector Riley, CL (Norfolk, HiA ) Rank 8.5
70 Albert Vallarta, SS (Texas, RL) Rank 8.5
71 Ken Clark, SP (Detroit, RL) Rank 8.5
72 Edgar Sanchez, CL (Colorado, AAA) Rank 8.5
73 Pedro James, RF (Boston, ML) Rank 8.5 - RULE 5 DRAFTEE
74 Pedro James, 2B (Trenton, AAA) Rank 8.5
75 Clayton Reagan, 2B (Salem, AAA) Rank 8.4
76 Hank Puffer, 2B (Salem, HiA) Rank 8.4

77 Pascual James, 1B (New Orleans, LoA) Rank 8.4

78 Courtney Ratliff, CF (Cleveland, AA) Rank 8.4
79 Al Park, CF (Colorado, AA) Rank 8.4
80 Hideo Martin, SS (Trenton, AAA) Rank 8.3
81 Enrique Macias, CF (Baltimore, HiA) Rank 8.3
82 Bailey Darensbourg, 2B (El Paso , LoA) Rank 8.3
83 Bump Newhouser, 2B (Boston, RL) Rank 8.3
84 Harry Butler, 2B (Baltimore, HiA) Rank 8.3
85 Luis Baerga, LF (Charlotte, RL) Rank 8.3
86 Howard Stockton, 1B (Seattle, AAA) Rank 8.3
87 Tony Miranda, SS (Oakland, HiA) Rank 8.3
88 J.R. Holt, SP (Los Angeles, RL) Rank 8.3
89 Henry Jenkins, CL (Oakland, AA) Rank 8.2
90 Esteban Rodriguez, RP (Iowa, AAA) Rank 8.2
91 Hootie Glynn, SP (Los Angeles, RL) Rank 8.2
92 Joshua Lewis, 2B (Colorado, AAA) Rank 8.2
93 Brendan Pierce, 3B (Trenton, AAA) Rank 8.2
94 Sammy Rivera, SP (Cleveland, AA) Rank 8.1
95 Cooper Harper, SS (Salem, HiA) Rank 8.1
96 Jorge Perez, 3B (Anaheim, ML) Rank 8.1 - RULE 5 DRAFTEE
97 Rex Vaughn, LF (Buffalo, AAA) Rank 8.1
98 Steve Griffiths, RF (Trenton, HiA) Rank 8.1
99 Sandy Blake, RF (Texas, AAA) Rank 8.1
100 Chris Mcquillan, SP (New Orleans, AA) Rank 8.1
101 Joe Rolle, CF (Los Angeles, AA) Rank 8.1
102 Harry Encarnacion, 3B (Portland, AAA) Rank 8.0
103 Andres Melo, CL (Seattle, AAA) Rank 8.0
104 Mike Haywood, SP (El Paso, AAA) Rank 8.0
105 Will Jones, LF (New Britain, AAA ) Rank 8.0
106 Juan Colon, DH (St. Louis, AAA) Rank 8.0
107 Chad Scheinder, LF (Anaheim, AA) Rank 8.0
108 Hector Morris, 2B (Memphis, RL) Rank 7.9
109 Heath Wood, 2B (Detroit, AA) Rank 7.9
110 Derrek Silva, C (Portland, AA) Rank 7.9
111 Harry Harding, SP (Columbus, AAA) Rank 7.9
112 Jose Bennett, C (Buffalo, AA) Rank 7.9
113 Sal Priest, CF (Norfolk, AAA) Rank 7.8
114 Rube Murphy, RP (Iowa, AAA) Rank 7.8
115 McKay Reagan, CL (Memphis, AA) Rank 7.8
116 Steve Reed, CF (El Paso, AA) Rank 7.7
117 Jason Whitehead, 3B (Iowa City, ML) Rank 7.7 - RULE 5 DRAFTEE

118 Paul Smith, 2B (Helena, HiA) Rank 7.6

119 Artie Stuart, SP (New Orleans, HiA) Rank 7.6
120 Albert Cairo, C (Salem, AAA) Rank 7.6
121 Kevin Sikorski, C (New Britain, HiA) Rank 7.5
122 Albert Borbon, C (Seattle, RL ) Rank 7.3
123 Andrew Harris, SP (Seattle, AAA) Rank 7.1
124 Greg Smith ,C (Helena, AAA) Rank 7.0
125 Buddy Taylor, C (Detroit, HiA ) Rank 6.8

Aging bison look to stay ahead of the herd

The season 11 Iowa City Bison look very much like an older version of the Season 10 bison. After two seasons on top of the NL East, management has done very few changes in the offseason. The team is drastically different from the Season 6 team that moved into Iowa City after playing several seasons between Columbus and New York.

Pitching remains the team's strength, with 31 yr old Cookie Ramirez returning as the staff ace for the 11th consecutive season, having won his first Cy Young award in Season 10. The rest of the rotation is rounded up by 35 yr old Brandon Freeman, Rick Cobb, Ismael Alvarado and Darrin Lloyd, although Jose Amaro and Pedro Saenz will challenge Lloyd for a spot in the rotation during spring training. The bullpen lacks a clearly defined closer; Brett Halter is likely to get the majority of the save opportunities, but Robert Owens may be ready to step into the role.

The team lost two significant position players in the offseason: 2B/CF Jimmie Henley (who signed a deal with the Chicago Billy Goats as a free agent) and OF Joe Eyre. Their speed on the bases and stellar defense, will likely be replace by a pair of Rule 5 draftees: Billy Hunter and Vic Saez. Failing to land a free agent, the team looks likely to rely heavily on aging sluggers 36yr old RF Mike Burrell, LF Vinny Funaki, 36yr old C Joel McNamara and 34yr old 3B Kenny Perez. The younger core of the offense is provided by 1B/LF Norberto Fernandez and CF Aaron Bailey, while the defensive gold glove platoon of Tony Tatis and Willie Lopez returns for a third season. Bo Wells returns on a limited role as part time 1B, occasional catcher and pinch-hitter extraordinaire. Likely to make the team as starting 2B is highly touted prospect Tyler Merrick, a shortstop in his minor league career.

The team is a combination of aging free agent and trade acquisitions, and some home-grown talent, but the fate of the Bison likely rests on the skills of some aging players and how well the bench players can fill in to keep them fresh. In a division where Buffalo, Cincinnati and Norfolk have significantly improved, the Bison herd will likely find themselves fighting to avoid extermination.

The Flatlanders are ready for the new season!

(Analysis contributed by bobcat_grad)
COLUMBUS, OH - It's been a long trek for the Flatlanders since taking over a troubled franchise six seasons ago Columbus organization seem poised to take the next step.When the former Chicago Cruisers was purchased by the Columbus ownership group, the team had just wrapped up a miserable 65 win season despite $97 million dollar payroll. Much of that money was wrapped up in aging players with very little talent in the farm system. The new general manager, Bob Catgrad, made the decision to cut the player payroll and invest heavily in scouting, pursuing international players and the annual amateur draft. Catgrad said, "Initially, we didn't have much to work with. We knew it was going to be a rough couple of years, so we just dug in a weathered the storm."

Catgrad made some significant trades in his first two seasons as the Flatlanders GM, shedding salary and brining in young prospects. Randy Bailey and perrenial MVP candidate Tony Devereaux were brought into the organization while the big contracts were sent packing. Recognizing the amount of talent around the globe, the Flatlanders made investments in players like current left-fielder Denny Lo early on, but the core of the current roster was built through the domestic draft. Current ace of the staff, Jackie Little, was the first pick in the draft made by Catgrad and has turned into an anchor for the young Flatlander staff. Rick Boswell emerged as a good offensive second basemen last year, pushing veteran Mike Webb out of the lineup, and starts this season penciled in as the starter. The young phenom, Marty Boyer, made the leap at age 19 from Rookie league to the majors and is coming off a 29 save season posting a 2.08 ERA. At only 22 years of age, the Flatlanders look to have their closer situation settled for the next decade. The investment in youth and building from within began to pay off two seasons ago when the Flatlanders won 91 games, made a late run at the wild card, but ended up losing in the second round to division rival Portland. Last year, the team fell short of the postseason by one game and the front office felt the lack of veteran leadership may have hampered the team's performance. A late trade by Catgrad tried to address this need, but the addition of Howie Buckley did not turn out well as Buckley hit .239 and with an OPS of .712 for the Flatlanders, well off his career numbers of .293 and .918. "Who would have expected Howie to struggle so much here?" said Catgrad. "I don't think he did, and I certainly didn't."

Looking to improve his club's chances this year, Catgrad has already made the first big move of the offseason by trading some of the young prospects he's stockpiled for two proven players. Harry Moya and Tony Delgado come over from Salem, and will be counted on to shore up right field and the starting rotation. The Flatlanders are reportedly also shopping for a center fielder, opting to not tender Ozzie Howell an offer. Catgrad is looking forward to spring training, saying "I feel confident with the moves we've made that this team can contend for our division this year. Portland has set a high bar for us, but we are going to do our best to reach it."