Anaheim The Team

Last month, we were three games below .500. So we followed that up by going four games under .500 for October and pushing us below a .500 season. Not exactly the finish I was hoping for.

As one might expect from a team which finished two games below even, we were 16th in the final league power rankings. We spent most of the month hovering around the center mark.

The Yankees used that last string of victories to move up to the top power ranking spot with 115 points. Oakland and Boston were right behind them with 114. The Braves were the best of the NL squads, with 111 points and fourth in the rankings. Red hot Seattle edged out NL Wildcard winner San Francisco and former top NL team Chicago for the fifth spot, with 106 points. And they don't even get to go to the playoffs! We Angels ended up with 88 points overall.

Here is where we stand in major categories, with MLB rank in parentheses. Note that this is a longer list, given that this is the end of the regular season:

Team AVG: .257 (19th)
Team HR: 181 (11th)
Team Walks: 504 (26th)
Team SB: 131 (5th)
Team Runs: 781 (19th)

As you can see, we did a general drop in the offensive categories from last month, albeit a slight one. But given that we weren't too hot to begin with, you could definitely say this wasn't a great thing to have happen. Our average pretty much stayed right around the 33rd percentile all year, and our power numbers dropped a little after moving up the list pretty far. Obviously, on base percentage is a problem for us, what with being in the Bottom 11 in both average and walks. That more than anything has to be the problem with our 19th ranked runs scored, which also dropped again. It's nice to finish 5th in SB, but when you get right down to it, what does that mean?

Team ERA: 4.26 (12th)
Team Average Allowed: .256 (11th)
Team Homers Allowed: 172 (16th)
Team Walks Given Up: 545 (8th)
Team Runs Allowed: 745 (8th)

The numbers in pitching were also down this month, although it is clear which area is the stronger part of our team. The ERA dropped a few points and in the rankings, so that we're barely above mediocre now. The average was a solid figure, and we kept our opponents' hits down lower than our anemic offense itself was producing. Homers allowed was not a strength, but overall it didn't seem to factor into the runs allowed too much. We remain strong in walks given up and in runs allowed, although both numbers and rankings dropped a little this last month.

Financials

Well, we took another big hit in Fan Interest, ending up at 73, good for 10th in the league. While the league ranking is still respectable, considering we started off as the number one team in FI, this is rather disturbing. We dropped 18 FI points total.

Our October attendances took a sharp fall into the mid-30,000's for the most part, although we still ended up just a thousand short of an average sellout for the year.

Here are the financial numbers as of the end of the regular season. I don't expect them to change much, if at all, during the postseason:

Total Attendance: 3.569 M fans
Average Attendance: 44,066 per game (45,023 max capacity)
Attendance Revenue: $35.693 M
Average Attendance Revenue: $440K per game
Broadcasting Revenue: $23.0 M
Merchandise Revenue: $12.383 M

Total Revenue $71.077 M
Player Expenses: $60.143 M

I don't really know for sure what else will change, but I guess it's possible player expenses might still rise (not sure if they just take it out across the regular season, or also through the postseason). Nevertheless, we seem assured of clearing about $10 M or so on the season at least. Since the cash max is set at $25 M, and we already have $10 M on hand, we should be able to take it all and store it away for future use. Still, it's critical we make a climb back into contention, because we aren't going to enjoy another year like this financially without getting that Fan Interest back up again.

Chief Rum

Cool. I'm five-star ranked now. :)

Thanks to the reader who did that. I think that's cool. :)

Keep on readin', folks!

Chief Rum

That was me:D

Keep it up!!!

The Major League Squad

END OF REGULAR SEASON FINAL ASSESSMENT

The actual player-by-player assessments will follow afterwards, but for now I will do the same quick run through of how the regulars ended up.

The Rotation

Jarrod Washburn (14-12, 3.94) finished the season as he had been doing all year long--solidly. I'm glad we have him.

John Lackey (12-12, 4.73) continued to pitch solidly in October after the horrible midseason stretch that got him up close to a 5 ERA in the first place.

John Thomson (7-16, 5.30) wasn't as consistent at the end as he was in August and September, but you really can't complain about a guy who used the last three months of the season to jump from a 6.38 ERA to 5.30.

Ramon Ortiz (9-13, 5.07) pitched out of the bullpen for much of October, and unfortunately, it did little to improve his performance. At least he didn't get much worse this month.

Aaron Sele (10-11, 5.32) is another pitcher who could have been expected to pitch better. He also spent October pitching out of the pen.

Despite being 41 years old and being pushed to start on short days rest three separate times, Roger Clemens (9-8, 3.25) still had the best month of any of our pitchers, going 1-2, with a 3.12 ERA. I'm supposing that says an awful lot about both Clemens and our starters.

I was very pleased with the performance of Matt Wise (2-3, 3.89), who certainly showed in his one-month tryout that he deserves a longer look.

The Bullpen

Troy Percival (4-4, 1.76, 33 sv) has had a great season from beginning to end. It's too bad the Angels' horrible stretch int he last two months netted him just five saves.

Francisco Rodriguez (5-4, 2.33) was nearly untouchable. He was Mr. Consistency for the Angels, appearing 77 games and throwing 104.1 IP.

Randy Choate (6-0, 2.89, 1 sv) turned out to be a very solid pick up from the Yankees, solidifying the Angels' relief corps from the left side. Brendan Donnelly (3-3, 2.89, 3 sv) had a strong October to get below a 3 ERA again, and finish with another dominating year.

Ben Weber (5-1, 3.99, 2 sv) and Lou Pote (3-0, 4.04) helped to flesh out one of the best pens in baseball, and the only real reason for the seeming success of the pitching staff this season. Scot Shields (0-2, 6.48) never seemed to really get it together after that horrible appearance in July.

The Infield

Shawn Wooten (.288, 14, 70) ended up putting up very solid numbers, despite the inconsistency of starting off in a platoon at DH, his being moved to catcher at midseason, and his injury problems in August. Benji Molina (.219, 1, 13) only established that he should at best be a backup, and even that as a mediocre one.

Scott Spiezio (.277, 18, 67) didn't exactly light it up at the end of the season (.238 in September & October), but overall he put up very solid numbers for him. Late season call up and career minor leaguer Larry Barnes (.255, 0, 4) didn't really play enough or do enough to know what his future in the sport will be, but at 29, his options are running out fast. Across the way, Troy Glaus (.235, 45, 121) had a banner power year, if not so hot in the average department.

David Eckstein (.257, 7, 54) never pulled out of the slump that knocked him down to the .240-.250 range of average, and his problems getting on base no doubt had a lot to do with the Angels' overall offensive consistency problems. Adam Kennedy (.225, 3, 43) was pretty much phenomenally horrible. It's not just that he did just about nothing in over 500 at bats. It's about the fact that he never hit higher than .230 after June. Benji Gil (.202, 3, 22) also did surprisingly poorly in a backup role for the middle infield spots. The middle infield was just pretty damn crappy all around.

The Outfeild/DH

For Darin Erstad (.223, 3, 28), this has to be regarded as a lost season. He most half the season to a broken finger, and the rest of it, he seemed to be struggling in much the same way as Kennedy and Eckstein.

When Erstad returned in October, Garrett Anderson (.283, 30, 94) was able to return to his more natural left field spot. Anderson was his usual dependable self, providing offensive support, even as several of his teammates suffered through injuries and horrible slumps.

In right field, the Angels' lone All Star Tim Salmon (.277, 29, 94) enjoyed a fine season in the final year of his contract with the Angels. The team has already announced its intentions to allow Salmon to test free agency in the offseason, so this was a bittersweet goodbye for the fans of the former 1993 Rookie of the Year, and 11-year vet of the Angels.

Backing up the outfield spots, Eric Owens (.255, 1, 13) proved to be an adequate backup, albeit not spectacular. Late callup Elpidio Guzman (.230, 3, 12) unfortunately never really proved he could handle the job of backup outfielder next year, although he might end up getting it by default.

Robb Quinlan (.305, 14, 58) was one of the few true bright spots of an otherwise disappointing season. He ended the season at DH, but he has good outfield skills and started in LF while Erstad was hurt. He has definitely earned himself a spot in next year's lineup, and he might even get some consideration for Rookie of the Year (although he is likely short of the at bats needed to woo the voters).

Jose Molina (.229, 7, 47) bounced around from catcher to part time DH, and at least displayed a little abit of the power that might make him attractive to bring back as the backup catcher and a decent off-the-bench bat. Still, he should be better hitting for average than he has shown so far.

Chief Rum

Thanks, tucker! :D

Chief Rum

Final Team Stats, 2003

HITTING


PITCHING


Chief Rum

Minor Leagues

This is probably going to be short. As it turns out, the minor leagues stuck to the old schedule and stopped playing games around October 3 or so. So there are only three sets of games that weren't counted in the last Minor League report I did, for September. That stats for all players are virtually the same as well, so I won't bother redoing them here.

There was some news in the rankings department. Can you believe that Tampa Bay is no longer first? In fact, they dropped out of the Top 5 completely. I don't have a clue why yet. They are now tied for sixth with 82 points.

As the second place team, of course, that should mean I was elevated to the top spot, right? Of course not--I even fell a spot to third with 100 points.

The new minor league system "champ" is a team that I don't recall ever being near the Top 5 before-- Philadelphia! They are barely in front with 103 points. Detroit leapfrogged me again (we have been doing it all year now, it seems) into second with 101 points. The Cubbies and Brewers are fourth and fifth with 89 and 88 points.

I did have some interesting player development news. Adam Kennedy (yes, that Kennedy) increased his abilties to hit homeruns, draw walks, and avoid strikeouts. I was concerned that this might lead to an increase in his arbitration demands, but nothing seems apparent thus far. And, no, I still haven't really made my decision on him yet.

The other real interesting development was with AAA SP Steve Green, a decent enough propsect pitcher but no standout. He increased his talent in avoiding both hits and homeruns, and the talent potnetial jump leaped him into the Top 10 Angels prospect list.

Bobby Jenks suffered a talent drop in avoiding homeruns, so I'm not too happy about that. His seeming running in palce and a few talent drops and rises has me thinking that maybe I should put him ont he block and see what takes.

Some other developments among major league baseballers. Troy Glaus's talent in hitting homeruns dropped--somehow I don't think he needs any more talent in this department anyway. Francisco Rodriguez's duration dropped from B to C, which is bad news considering how I used him this year (77 games, 104.1 IP). And Robb Quinlan increased his spped to B, making it even more likely I will try to find him a spot in the lineup and in the field.

Nothing happened in the way of promotions besides ones already mentioned (like the Matt Wise promotion), and the only injury was last month's broken leg by Julio Ramirez. He healed up in time to play golf.

Alfredo Amezaga, Chone Figgins and Michael O'Keefe all are still being greenlighted for a visit to the pros, and all will probably be there next year. To this list, Stoneman is now also pushing SP Chris Bootcheck, who has made his climb through the system at a quite rapid pace, and the recently talent-buoyed Steve Green. It seems I don't lack for SP talents.

Down at AA, Stoneman is still counseling that Jenks and 1B Casey Kotchman are almost ready to make the jump to Salt Lake, and to that list he has added SP Chris Waters. As usual, Elvin Nina, career minor leaguer, can play in AAA, Stoneman reminds me. At Rancho Cucamonga, Stoneman is still telling me David Laboy and Omar Ramirez are almost ready for Arkansas, but he hsan't given me the thumbs up yet to move them up.

In all, Salt Lake finished with a wonderful 81-57 record, Arkansas with an underachieving 67-71 record, and Rancho Cucamonga with a solid 77-61 record.

The Angels' Top 10 Prospect List

1. SP David Laboy-- A (10-2, 2.18) 19th best prospect in MLB
2. SP Joe Saunders-- AAA (4-2, 5.31; 7-5, 2.66 at AA) 63rd best prospect in MLB
3. SP John Lackey-- majors (12-12, 4.73)
4. 1B Casey Kotchman-- AA (.266, 9, 52) 14th best prospect in MLB
5. SP Joe Torres-- AA (2-1, 5.06; 8-10, 4.32 at A) 32nd best prospect in MLB
6. RF Michael O'Keefe-- AAA (.330, 32, 113)
7. C Jared Abruzzo-- AAA (.273, 4, 27; .258, 5, 28 at AA; .270, 6, 18 at A) 52nd best prospect in MLB
8. SP Steve Green-- AAA (9-12, 4.24)
9. Chris Waters-- AA (9-9, 4.13)
10. Richard Fischer-- AA (4-12, 6.21)

(It should be noted that the Top 100 MLB prospects list is compiled by an average scout--Stoneman, who puts together our Top 10 list, is supposed to be better).

Other Angels prospects on MLB Top 100 list

SP Johan A. Santana-- AA (2-4, 5.70; 4-8, 3.30 at A) 59th best prospect in MLB

Chief Rum

The postseason is just around the corner, but first I'm going to go through the other 29 MLB teams and give quick rundowns of their seasons.

The way I figure it, to truly immerse yourself in a league and its history, you do have to be somewhat aware of what the other teams are doing and who the individual stars are and what not.

And besides, I didn't want to have to do it after the postseason, when I would want to go over the upcoming offseason and make some key decisions for the Angels.

So the following set of posts will be these quick rundowns. Feel free to skip past them in fyou like, or even check them out to see how your favorite teams and players did.

Chief Rum

AL West

END OF 2003 SEASON RUNDOWN

True rookies will be listed in the reports in italics.

OAKLAND A'S (97-65)

Team AVG: .275 (5th)
Team HR: 176 (15th)
Team Runs: 902 (5th)

C: Mitch Meluskey (.302, 11, 73)
1B: Scott Hatteburg (.273, 12, 52)
2B: Mark Ellis (.270, 6, 54)
3B: Eric Chavez (.282, 24, 111)
SS: Miguel Tejada (.298, 26, 108)
LF: Terrence Long (.247, 10, 58)
CF: Chris Singleton (.265, 9, 54)
RF: Jermaine Dye (.294, 18, 92)
DH: Erubiel Durazo (.265, 30, 109)

Team ERA: 4.15 (7th)
Team AVG Allowed: .249 (5th)
Team Runs Allowed: 737 (7th)

SP: Mark Mulder (22-8, 2.76)
SP: Barry Zito (17-9, 3.14)
SP: Ted Lilly (12-11, 5.37)
SP: Tim Hudson (11-7, 4.32)
SP: Aaron Harang (5-11, 7.65)

CL: Keith Foulke (6-2, 2.28, 44 sv)
MR: Jeremy Fikac (8-2, 5.02, 2 sv)
MR: Jim Mecir (3-3, 2.76, 4 sv)
MR: Chad Bradford (4-2, 4.87, 3 sv)

Commentary: It seems like the only thing the A's didn't have going for them was power, and just eyeballing their lineup, I don't think that's really all that much of a problem, with Chavez, Tejada, Dye and Durazo around. You can't say anyone on offense really had a standout year, but they are just solid all around in most places. Long needs to improve, though, and I am certain A's would like a long term solution in center instead of Singleton. As for pitching, of course, there are few better than Mulder and Zito at the top. Hudson worked his way through a decent year as well. Lilly and especially Harang had poor years, but September callup Rich Harden (4-3, 2.83) is waiting in the wings for one of those spots. Foulke was an absolute shutdown closer. While Mecir was the only bullpen guy who put up a solid ERA, the pen seems full of "get-by" types of pitchers who can do the job. The A's ended up pretty good, but I can see how their last two starters and bullpen inconsistency probably kept them from running away from us in the AL West until the very end. They didn't make any major trades, and the only significant injuries were 2-3 week types to Hatteburg and Dye.

SEATTLE MARINERS (90-72)

Team AVG: .261 (18th)
Team HR: 111 (29th)
Team Runs: 775 (20th)

C: Ben Davis (.221, 7, 43)
1B: Jon Olerud (.318, 18, 89)
2B: Bret Boone (.275, 15, 91)
3B: Jeff Cirillo (.246, 1, 69)
SS: Carlos Guillen (.216, 9, 48)
LF: Bobby Higginson (.272, 13, 68)
CF: Mike Cameron (.228, 15, 59)
RF: Ichiro Suzuki (.320, 8, 76)
DH: Edgar Martinez (.279, 13, 61)-- released 9/7/2003

Team ERA: 3.60 (1st)
Team AVG Allowed: .228 (1st)
Team Runs Allowed: 638 (1st)

SP: Freddy Garcia (25-4, 2.81)
SP: Joel Pineiro (13-10, 439)
SP: Gil Meche (7-12, 4.11)
SP: Rafael Soriano (9-12, 3.98)
SP: Ryan Anderson (9-6, 4.85)

CL: Kazutoshi Sasaki (2-3, 1.64, 41 sv)
MR: Ryan Franklin (4-2, 3.71, 3 sv)
MR: Shigetoshi Hasegawa (5-7, 3.78)
MR: Arthur Rhodes (3-1, 0.84, 6 sv)

Commentary: So, do you think it's obvious what part of the team spreads the butter for these guys? Man, talk about some dominating pitching. What's really funny is that, outside of Garcia, none of the other starters seem to be real dominators. They are just functionally sound above average players. Garcia, of course, is incredible. The M's did make one mysterious move here, cutting Jamie Moyer (4-8, 3.90) in July. Anderson handled most of the remaining starts. But the real strength of this staff was then bullpen. Wow! They have maybe the best closer in baseball, and a pen that goes at least five deep with superquality guys. Two others not mentioned above include Norm Charlton (5-2, 3.01, 2 sv) and Jeff Nelson (4-1, 3.72, 1 sv). Rhodes had a great year, obviously, but he didn't pitch enough innings (53.1) to qualify for then reliever ERA listings. Now, the hitting...ugh. This team could have gone somewhere were it not for a virtually punchless lineup. Ichiro, Olerud and maybe the released Martinez (another boneheaded move) were the only guys carrying their weight in the ways they should. Boone and early season trade acquisition Higginson hit well enough for average, but they both were way under normal expectations for power. And Davis, Guillen, Cirillo and Cameron were all way below expectations across the board. Randy Winn (.280, 2, 38) should have gotten more at bats (275). There weren't any huge injuries, and the Higginson deal in April was the only trade of significance.

TEXAS RANGERS (85-77)

Team AVG: .267 (9th)
Team HR: 213 (2nd)
Team Runs: 868 (8th)

C: Einar Diaz (.237, 3, 28)
1B: Rafael Palmerio (.290, 19, 68)
2B: Mike Young (.279, 12, 58)
3B: Hank Blalock (.281, 9, 76)
SS: Alex Rodriguez (.301, 37, 109)
LF: Kevin Mench (.238, 21, 76)
CF: Carl Everett (.250, 36, 85)
RF: Juan Gonzalez (.279, 30, 100)
DH: Ruben Sierra (.223, 10, 36)-- released 7/21/2003

Team ERA: 4.89 (23rd)
Team AVG Allowed: .281 (27th)
Team Runs Allowed: 873 (23rd)

SP: Chan Ho Park (17-16, 4.49)
SP: Ismael Valdes (13-6, 5.84)
SP: Kevin Appier (12-10, 4.53)
SP: Joaquin Benoit (5-10, 4.28)
SP: Justin Thompson (5-6, 7.01)

CL: Ugueth Urbina (3-3, 3.84, 36 sv)
MR: Jay Powell (5-7, 2.67, 2 sv)
MR: Francisco Cordero (9-1, 3.91, 1 sv)
MR: Esteban Yan (5-2, 4.91, 3 sv)

Commentary: You know, judging by the Rangers, it seems that OOTP5 has it pegged. These guys had a fine offense, with incredible power numbers, and a piss-poor pitching staff for the most part. They really had few holes in the lineup, and Blalock and Mench are probably going to get a lot better. They have Mark Texeira waiting in the wings to replace the aging Palmeiro. And Everett returned to baseball stardom with a banner season. If he keeps his mouth shut, he just might keep it up. There are a few problems. Diaz isn't reminding anyone of the departed Ivan Rodriguez. He's a pretty substandard hitter. And the DH spot was a revolving door, mostly because of injuries and the Rangers' AI doing some tinkering. The released Ruben Sierra just got the most at bats there, but trade departed Herbert Perry, speedy outfielder Doug Glanville, and Texeira, among many others, also shared the spot. They really need to nail down someone permanently for that job. Now, as for the pitching, well, it may not actually be as bad as it seems--but it's not good. Chan Ho put up about what you expect from him nowadays, although Rangers' fans want to see better. Valdes was horrible all year long. Appier did great after being acquired from the Angels, and ended up with a solid season--and the Rangers shipped out John Thomson, who had been doing horrible, to get him. Benoit didn't win many games, but he might have been the best pitcher on the staff. Thompson just needs to retire. Fortunately, with Park and Appier being solid vets, Benoit working to get into form, and veteran minor leaguer Robert Ellis (5-5, 4.10) showing he may be capable, the future may be at least a little bit brighter for the rotation. The bullpen, while not great, was surprisingly solid. Urbina is a solid closer, and he has a round of 3-4 solid relievers to back him up. The problem is that after those guys, the pen's quality drops like a rock, and nowadays you need 5-6 good guys to get it done. The Rangers got rocked by a lot of injuries this year, and players coming back probably keyed their late run. Appier missed six weeks after hurting himself just a couple days after being acquired by trade (but allowing Ellis to get some starts). Mench and Palmeiro both missed almost two months of play with early to midseason injuries. And even the durable ARod went down for a two-week stretch. The major deals mostly brought minor leaguers to Texas. They shipped out Rudy Seanez to the Cubs, in addition to the Perry deal to Tampa Bay in June and Thomson-for-Appier deal at the deadline.

Chief Rum

AL Central

END OF 2003 SEASON RUNDOWN

True rookies will be listed in reports in italics.

MINNESOTA TWINS (88-74)

Team AVG: .279 (3rd)
Team HR: 136 (25th)
Team Runs: 838 (11th)

C: A.J. Pierzynski (.290, 4, 53)
1B: Doug Mientkiewicz (.304, 19, 88)
2B: Luis Rivas (.270, 3, 64)
3B: Corey Koskie (.329, 15, 89)
SS: Christian Guzman (.308, 10, 65)
LF: Jacque Jones (.272, 16, 72)
CF: Torii Hunter (.285, 24, 93)
RF: Bobby Kielty (.284, 14, 84)
DH: Michael Cuddyer (.246, 10, 53)

Team ERA: 4.07 (5th)
Team AVG Allowed: .255 (10th)
Team Runs Allowed: 717 (4th)

SP: Brad Radke (17-11, 3.91)
SP: Joe Mays (13-11, 4.10)
SP: Eric Milton (16-14, 4.65)
SP: Johan A. Santana (12-4, 3.56)
SP: Rick Reed (9-4, 3.46)

CL: J.C. Romero (4-6, 5.18, 14 sv)
MR: Eddie Guardado (0-4, 3.08, 18 sv)
MR: LaTroy Hawkins (5-6, 4.34)
MR: Mike Trombley (3-1, 2.84)

Commentary: At some point or another during the season, Pierzynski, Mientkiewicz, Koskie, and Kielty all appeared in the Top 5 of hitting, and that doesn't include Guzman, who hit .308, or Hunter, the Twins' best hitter. So it should come as no shock that they had one of the best hitting teams in the league. There are no easy outs in the lineup, and they have a lot of young, solid hitters that make contact. Power, on the other hand, is lacking, and the primary reason for a drop to the second third of the league in runs scored. Mientkiwicz and Koskie especially had eye-opening years, although the former missed a month of play. Kielty also missed about a month to injury near the end of the season. Jones underachieved this year, and more power in general is expected from him, Koskie, Hunter and young talent Cuddyer. There were few teams with as solid a top-to-botom rotation as the Twins. Radke and Milton were just horses. Mays put in a nother very solid season. And the only thing holding back Santana and Reed seems to be that the team's setting of going with the highest ranked and rested starter, depriving them of starts. They had the best pitch-by-pitch numbers on the staff. The bullpen was a little less steady. Guardado was the closer for most of the yera, and he did well. He got hurt, though, and missed a month, leading to Romero as the closer. Romero is not nearly as much of a lock as Guardado, but the big man is back, and the Twins still have Romero at closer. Hawkins and Trombley provide key support, but surprisingly, this bullpen doesn't seem as deep as it did last year.

CHICAGO WHITESOX (80-82)

Team AVG: .266 (10th)
Team HR: 163 (20th)
Team Runs: 799 (16th)

C: Miguel Olivo (.224, 1, 24)
1B: Paul Konerko (.223, 17, 74)
2B: Pokey Reese (.251, 3, 58)
3B: Joe Crede (.256, 13, 62)
SS: Jose Valentin (.277, 23, 77)
LF: Carlos Lee (.277, 24, 84)
CF: Aaron Rowand (.292, 11, 71)
RF: Magglio Ordonez (.289, 32, 96)
DH: Frank Thomas (.274, 25, 102)

Team ERA: 4.55 (17th)
Team AVG Allowed: .257 (13th)
Team Runs Allowed: 786 (14th)

SP: Mark Buehrle (13-14, 3.35)
SP: Bartolo Colon (16-11, 3.34)
SP: Jon Garland (9-8, 5.30)
SP: Gil Heredia (10-7, 4.61)
SP: Gary Glover (5-7, 4.71)

CL: Tom Gordon (2-7, 3.66, 35 sv)
MR: Billy Koch (12-7, 3.93, 2 sv)
MR: Kelly Wunsch (2-2, 6.94)
MR: Damaso Marte (1-2, 5.30)

Commentary: Judging by the rankings and their final record, the White Sox were overall one of the most average teams ever. They had a solid hitting squad, and they didn't have a lot of power, but they weren't terribly close to the extreme in either case. The result was a runs scored total that finished almost right smack in the middle of the league. The story of the lineup seems to be overachieving and underachieving. Ordonez had another fine year, although it could be argued that he's capable of better. Thomas continues to show that he is back from the malaise he settled into in the late 90s. Lee and Valentin provided expected power. But Konerko, the other hitting star on this team, had a miserable year. And young star talent Crede struggled with injuries and youth. Reese did well enouygh to get an extension, but he's no savior at second. And Olivo did pretty poorly in place of the released Sandy Alomar Jr. (.279, 1, 27). One nice surprise was Rowand, who provided speed and excitement atop the White Sox order. Buerhle and Colon are nearly as good a twosome as Mulder and Zito, but the quality falls off sharply from there. Garland seems at best to be mediocre stopgap, and Heredia is just serviceable. Glover can still develop further, but he suffered from the usual problems of youth. In the pen, Gordon was fine at closer, and another closer, Koch, filled in the key relief spot quite well, pitching an amazing 121 relief innings. But after that, the pen was pretty darn miserable. What's really interesting is that Chicago dealt a key reliever, Lorenzo Barcelo, to Pittsburgh for Reese, just before the season began, and Barcelo had a solid year for the Pirates.

CLEVELAND INDIANS (80-82)

Team AVG: .264 (12th)
Team HR: 132 (27th)
Team Runs: 783 (18th)

C: Victor Martinez (.255, 9, 63)
1B: Karim Garcia (.285, 12, 82)
2B: Ricky Gutierrez (.292, 6, 55)
3B: Travis Fryman (.274, 16, 84)
SS: Omar Vizquel (.321, 7, 57)
LF: Henri Stanley (.253, 15, 62)
CF: Alex Escobar (.244, 14, 50)
RF: Matt Lawton (.246, 12, 58)
DH: Ellis Burks (.253, 23, 83)

Team ERA: 4.45 (16th)
Team AVG Allowed: .256 (12th)
Team Runs Allowed: 826 (20th)

SP: Ricardo Rodriguez (15-12, 3.69)
SP: C.C. Sabathia (15-14, 3.88)
SP: Danys Baez (11-16, 4.16)
SP: Brian Anderson (6-14, 6.43)
SP: Cliff Lee (4-8, 4.86)

CL: Bob Wickman (4-3, 4.08, 14 sv)
MR: Jeff Shaw (2-2, 2.19, 19 sv)
MR: Mark Wohlers (6-7, 6.02, 1 sv)
MR: Dave Elder (6-1, 5.93)

Commentary: Cleveland's surprising year may actually be exactly what they didn't need. No one wants to lose, but approaching .500 only teases the fans, making it seem like the Indians will have a fairly quick rebuild before returning to the top of the AL Central. The reality is that most of their talented kids played like, well, kids, and the handful of vets they still have did a lot of the leg work for getting this team where it is this year--and they aren't going to be around for long. For instance, top two power sources, Burks and Fryman, are 39 and 34 respectively. Vizquel, 36, turned in the highest team average (and was just 50 plate appearances or so short of being third in the AL in hitting). One good thing is that young future stars like Stanley, Escobar, and Martinez broke ground on their careers and started to gain experience. The right side of the infield was surprisingly solid, manned by up until now mediocre players like Garcia and Gutierrez. Lawton was a big disappointment in right and Escobar missed two months early in the season. This is going to take time. Pitching was surprisingly solid at the front of the rotation. Rodriguez has established himself as an up-and-coming star, and Sabathia remains both young and tested. Baez didn't catch any breaks with the wins and losses, but he, too was solid. Lee still has some developing to do, and Anderson just flat out needs to be replaced. The pen was also solid. The surprise return of Shaw to baseball was only confounded by his removal from the closer spot halfway through the season. At the time of his removal in favor of Wickman, he was one of baseball's best this year. Don't be fooled by Wohlers and Elder. They got a lot of work this year, which is why they are featured, but the Indians had 4-5 other pitchers with under a 5 ERA and 30+ IP. This is an unusually deep bullpen. The only significant trade was moving Brian Tallet to the Astros for Stanley. While Tallet was replaced by the horrible Anderson, this is a temporary solution, and Stanley could be a future star.

DETROIT TIGERS (65-97)

Team AVG: .255 (21st)
Team HR: 134 (26th)
Team Runs: 754 (22nd)

C: Tony Eusebio (.255, 4, 38)
1B: Greg Colbrunn (.281, 11, 80)
2B: Damion Easley (.249, 13, 52)
3B: Dean Palmer (.216, 19, 74)
SS: Omar Infante (.199, 7, 40)
LF: Ray Lankford (.264, 19, 80)
CF: Roosevelt Brown (.260, 11, 37)
RF: Dmitri Young (.312, 12, 108)
DH: Dave Justice (.287, 22, 70)

Team ERA: 5.83 (30th)
Team AVG Allowed: .302 (30th)
Team Runs Allowed: 1023 (30th)

SP: Mike Maroth (13-13, 4.90)
SP: Andy Van Hekken (9-17, 6.07)
SP: Adam Bernero (6-14, 7.13)
SP: Steve Sparks (7-7, 5.13)
SP: Lance Davis (5-14, 6.39)

CL: Jose Paniagua (4-5, 5.45, 22 sv)
MR: Gary Knotts (3-2, 4.61, 1 sv)
MR: Franklyn German (0-5, 3.84, 2 sv)
MR: Matt Anderson (4-4, 5.40, 4 sv)

Commentary: No, the hitting wasn't great, but the pitching was so phenomenally bad, the hitting never hd a chance. Maroth fell back to Earth after a strong start, but at least he was solid. Coming out of this season with a .500 record from this team is an accomplishment. Sparks gets it done, albeit not well. And Van Hekken, for all that high ERA, is a well-regarded and talented young pitcher. But Bernero and Davis are career minor leaguer types with little future. The Tigers had to have been able to get someone else to fill one of those spots. In the pen, Paniagua is still considered to be a solid pitcher, but he had a bad year. The former closer, Anderson, still seems to be struggling to find his command. And the possible closer of the future German was probably the best pitcher on staff. The pitching was horrible, but the Tigers didn't help themselves either by making some strange decisions, like sitting young power slugger Carlos Pena in favor of Greg Colbrunn--whom they traded decent power hitter Bobby Higginson to get. Colbrunn did end up having a fine season, but there is little reason to not have Pena in the lineup. The most disappointing thing is that, despite where they finished, the Tigers have a mostly veteran-laden team that isn't going to be around long. Justice has already been released after a fine comeback season. Palmer seems to be getting worse every year. And Lankford and Easley's days are numbered. The one kid they did get in the lineup--Infante--had a horrible year (hitting .199 in 553 at bats, ouch). At least they have Young, who was impressive driving in runs for this lineup.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (58-104)

Team AVG: .254 (24th)
Team HR: 139 (23rd)
Team Runs: 671 (29th)

C: Brent Mayne (.285, 6, 51)
1B: Mike Sweeney (.255, 27, 86)
2B: Ramon E. Martinez (.232, 5, 30)
3B: Joe Randa (.230, 7, 64)
SS: Desi Relaford (.261, 6, 30)
LF: Gabe Kapler (.269, 9, 62)
CF: Carlos Beltran (.277, 27, 74)
RF: Mark Quinn (.240, 13, 64)
DH: Raul Ibanez (.260, 17, 66)

Team ERA: 5.21 (28th)
Team AVG Allowed: .286 (29th)
Team Runs Allowed: 913 (27th)

SP: Mike Macdougal (11-16, 4.05)
SP: Brian Tallet (8-21, 6.13)
SP: Runelvys Hernandez (10-9, 4.07)
SP: Mike Hampton (8-15, 5.16)
SP: Jeremy Affeldt (8-21, 6.05)

CL: Jason Grimsley (4-7, 5.51, 32 sv)
MR: Corey Bailey (0-0, 5.54)
MR: Jeremy Hill (3-3, 4.50)
MR: Scott Mullen (0-2, 4.58, 1 sv)

Commentary: The hitting was probably the better part of a bad team, but it far worse than it could have been. It looks like the enitre roster had a bad, underachieving year. The Royals compounded problems by trading for Kapler when they already had a solidly performing Michael Tucker (.260, 20, 53). And by allowing subpar veterans like Mayne and Relaford to play a lot, they deprive young players like Juan Brito and Angel Berroa of needed experience. With pitching, the Royals seemed much more committed to the kids, although maybe that's because they had few options. Yes, the pitching was horrible this year. But [i]Macdougal and Hernandez have established themselves as solid, up-and-coming starters. And Affeldt and Tallet also have talent that can develop. No one is going to give Hampton a medal for his performance, but considering how he was doing in Colorado, this is a big step up. The bullpen needs work, as you might expect from a low-end team like the Royals. Grimsley is definitely not a longterm solution at closer.

Chief Rum

AL East

END OF 2003 SEASON BREAKDOWN

True rookies will be listed in reports in italics.

BOSTON RED SOX (103-60)

Team AVG: .292 (1st)
Team HR: 182 (10th)
Team Runs: 999 (1st)

C: Doug Mirabelli (.287, 14, 61)
1B: Kevin Millar (.237, 21, 85)
2B: Todd Walker (.311, 12, 72)
3B: Shea Hillenbrand (.278, 4, 57)
SS: Nomar Garciaparra (.328, 20, 109)
LF: Manny Ramirez (.346, 45, 139)
CF: Johnny Damon (.298, 8, 70)
RF: Trot Nixon (.272, 10, 54)
DH: Jeremy Giambi (.314, 18, 92)

Team ERA: 4.17 (8th)
Team AVG Allowed: .260 (16th)
Team Runs Allowed: 748 (9th)

SP: Pedro Martinez (22-7, 2.36)
SP: Derek Lowe (17-9, 3.91)
SP: Tim Wakefield (14-8, 4.81)
SP: Casey Fossum (14-8, 4.61)
SP: Robert Person (4-2, 4.09)

CL: Chad Fox (4-5, 3.13, 41 sv)
MR: Paxton Crawford (9-2, 3.63, 3 sv)
MR: Ramiro Mendoza (5-5, 4.08, 2 sv)
MR: Frank Castillo (1-3, 5.46, 1 sv)

Commentary: The Red Sox had one of those great offensive years teams just dream about. The lineup is built around Triple Crown winner Ramirez and star shortstop Gariaparra. But it was the performance of the rest of the lineup that really elevated the offense this year. Damon didn't hit .300, but he scored 123 runs and stole 47 bases. Giambi had a surprisingly solid season, and was in the top five of hitting almost all year. Millar didn't hit for a good average, but he adds nice power to the middle of the order. Mirabelli and Walker were also key. The only real disappointments were in Hillebrand's less than inspriing power numbers, and Trot Nixon--and even he didn't do all that bad. Pitching, which has always been a strength and feautres dominant pitcher Martinez, was actually the relative sore spot for this squad this year. Martinez was great, and Lowe made for a fine #2, but Wakefield and Fossum were a little bit too hit and miss. Things weren't helped either when Person went down with a season-ending injury in June, leading to a hole-filling experiment involving two youngsters, Brad Lyon (2-4, 5.35) and Chris Elmore (3-3, 5.55). The team has limited the problems by going to a highest-ranked and rested starter setting. On offense, Millar also missed about a month.

NEW YORK YANKEES (102-61)

Team AVG: .278 (4th)
Team HR: 203 (4th)
Team Runs: 978 (2nd)

C: Jorge Posada (.281, 19, 84)
1B: Jason Giambi (.310, 32, 121)
2B: Alfonso Soriano (.287, 27, 100)
3B: Robin Ventura (.268, 23, 103)
SS: Derek Jeter (.275, 11, 63)
LF: Hideki Matsui (.298, 14, 77)
CF: Bernie Williams (.307, 20, 81)
RF: Raul Mondesi (.237, 26, 107)
DH: Mike Frank (.262, 4, 44)

Team ERA: 4.26 (13th)
Team AVG Allowed: .267 (20th)
Team Runs Allowed: 780 (13th)

SP: Jeff Weaver (17-11, 4.84)
SP: Mike Mussina (20-10, 3.86)
SP: Chris Hammond (15-11, 4.65)
SP: Andy Pettite (13-8, 3.94)
SP: Jose Contreras (10-4, 3.08)

CL: Mariano Rivera (5-3, 1.60, 42 sv)
MR: Antonio Osuna (2-1, 5.97, 1 sv)
MR: Steve Karsay (3-2, 3.44, 4 sv)
MR: Juan Acevedo (2-3, 5.81)

Commentary: The Yankees combined average and power like few other teams, so it's almost a mini-upset that they finished second in run production rather than on top. It probably wasn't helped that Williams, Matsui and Soriano each missed about a month to injuries. Their numbers don't seem to have suffered much from it, though. This lineup truly is incredible. There are few, if any, easy outs in the whole thing. And they didn't even use Nick Johnson or Juan Rivera. They traded away Todd Zeile, who became a regular for the Orioles. And Rondell White was reduced to platoon DH status. Scary stuff. Jeter had a disappointing offensive season, all told, but this was made up for by Ventura's great season. Frank was the one that forced White into split time duty, but if you ask me, White should have been getting all of the at bats. Matsui did well, outside of his injury, in adjusting to American ball. For a team as strong as the Yankees, the pitching seems to be relatively suspect. Weaver won as much because of the offense as his own own skills. And it can't be good when you have to press the journeyman Hammond into regular service, although he acquitted himself well. Mussina and Pettite didn't finish the year off very strongly, but they were among the pitching leaders for most of the season. Contreras maybe should have been allowed to pitch more, and Roger Clemens, of course, should never have been released. In the pen, Rivera is still one of the top closers in the league, and he had a great year. Karsay also did well in support, and as a replacement closer for Rivera, hurt near the end of the season. The problem is in depth after that. Many of the key relievers in the Yanks' pen had atrocious years, and releasing Clemens (thus forcing Contreras to move to the rotation) only further weakened the relief corps.

TORONTO BLUEJAYS (81-81)

Team AVG: .272 (6th)
Team HR: 161 (21st)
Team Runs: 915 (4th)

C: Kevin Cash (.222, 5, 38)
1B: Carlos Delgado (.275, 31, 99)
2B: Orlando Hudson (.317, 10, 78)
3B: Eric Hinske (.277, 15, 88)
SS: Craig Wilson (.269, 7, 42)
LF: Shannon Stewart (.280, 11, 71)
CF: Vernon Wells (.266, 15, 79)
RF: Frank Catalanotto (.295, 5, 76)
DH: Josh Phelps (.269, 33, 115)

Team ERA: 5.10 (26th)
Team AVG Allowed: .272 (22nd)
Team Runs Allowed: 907 (26th)

SP: Roy Halladay (16-15, 4.56)
SP: Kelvim Escobar (11-8, 3.74)
SP: Cory Lidle (9-16, 5.66)
SP: Mark Hendrickson (8-15, 6.67)
SP: Tanyon Sturtze (7-4, 4.14)

CL: Cliff Politte (6-5, 4.48, 32 sv)
MR: Scott Cassidy (2-4, 7.07)
MR: Bob File (4-3, 4.70, 5 sv)
MR: Brian Bowles (2-2, 5.68)

Commentary: It didn't seem so obvious to me how the Jays were scoring all there runs, but when it came right down to it, I realized they were just damn good at making contact and getting on base. Add a couple big boppers like Delgado and Phelps, and mix: a winning combo. Toronto probably can't take too much from being in an ultra tough division like this, but they can at least be happy to know that young stars int he making like Phelps, Hudson and Hinske seem to be developing well, and Cash is at least getting time (if not playing well). Even their "vets", like Delgado, Wells and Stewart, are still relatively young. This lineup, short of a new SS, could be together for awhile if Toronto plays it right. But the problems aren't in hitting, but in pitching. Halladay didn't pitch as good as he's capable of, but he's solid. Escobar is coming off of a very strong season. Between those two, the Jays have a top twosome to compare with all but the best tops of rotations in the league. After that, it gets a little murky. Rookie Hendrickson isn't particularly well-regarded and he pitched like it. Lidle was an even bigger disappointment. Sturtze has the least talent of the five, but at least he was pitching well. The Jays would have done better to have brought up former Orioles starter Josh Towers (5-2, 3.71) sooner. He's solid and young, and was kept in AAA for almost four months before he was brought up. The pen was terrible. Politte is serviceable as a closer, and File can put up some decent outings, but beyond them, just about every option had a poor to very poor year. The rotation wasn't always sharp, but they showed up more often than these guys.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (71-91)

Team AVG: .256 (20th)
Team HR: 169 (18th)
Team Runs: 709 (25th)

C: Brook Fordyce (.255, 15, 50)
1B: David Segui (.286, 17, 72)
2B: Melvin Mora (.223, 14, 62)
3B: Todd Zeile (.272, 9, 46)
SS: Brian Roberts (.248, 4, 30)
LF: Marty Cordova (.245, 18, 76)
CF: Darnell McDonald (.285, 8, 48)
RF: Luis Matos (.218, 8, 28)
DH: Jay Gibbons (.248, 28, 83)

Team ERA: 4.69 (22nd)
Team AVG Allowed: .268 (21st)
Team Runs Allowed: 838 (22nd)

SP: Jake Peavy (13-12, 3.52)
SP: Sidney Ponson (10-18, 4.90)
SP: Ryan Dempster (7-16, 5.66)
SP: Pat Hentgen (2-17, 7.52) released 9/14/2003
SP: Rick Helling (7-4, 5.09) released 8/17/2003

CL: Buddy Groom (5-4, 2.07, 32 sv)
MR: Kerry Ligtenberg (4-5, 3.82, 4 sv)
MR: Rick Bauer (2-1, 5.53)
MR: Jorge Julio (4-2, 4.30)

Commentary: This team seems to be a hodgepodge of kids going through growing pains and veterans trying desperately to hold on to a regular job. You see this theme replayed in every aspect of the team, and the inconsistencies that have resulted are the primary reason the O's are where they currently are. Playing time is being given to key youngsters like Matos and McDonald and Roberts and not taken away from already established young players like Gibbons. They even kept Chris Richard (.256, 20, 44) in a part time role, just to keep the highly-regarded Matos getting regular swings. But the fact remains that the team is still being carried by guys like Segui, Fordyce, Zeile and Cordova. These kids need to develop faster, and new ones need to replace the older players, or this rebuild will never end. An interesting move in all this was the decision early in the year to trade away slugger Tony Batiste to the Padres. While they certainly got their money's worth (Peavy was the main return), Batiste is still just 29 years old, and the Orioles didn't have a youthful replacement for him. Instead, they started Jeff Conine (.277, 10, 35) before acquiring Zeile from the Yanks at the deadline. And, then, of course, they just up and released Conine, another useful vet. Pitching is a mixed bag as well. Peavy was a wonderful get, and if this year is anyindication, he may be on his way to becoming one of the hot new hurlers in the league. But answers come far and few between after him. Ponson is steady, but hasn't shown he is a longterm answer, despite his relative youth. Dempster is another former highly-regarded pitcher who hasn't really shown he deserved the accolades--and he was acquired for another pitcher just like him in Rodrigo Lopez. Helling and Hentgen are just vets trying to hold on, and were rightfully released. The pen is complete confusion. Okay, Groom has been incredible, I'll give that. But why give him the closer's role, when he might be more valuable as a reliever getting more innings? And Ligtenberg is listed as an actual closer, but he has also done best as a middle reliever as well. That brings us to Julio, who was supposed to be one of the new great closers of the league. Why was he reduced to a simple relief role? It seems to me that a little organization might have served the O's for a lot longer.

TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (55-107)

Team AVG: .237 (30th)
Team HR: 138 (24th)
Team Runs: 673 (28th)

C: Toby Hall (.241, 6, 27)
1B: Lee Stevens (.251, 12, 48)
2B: Marlon Anderson (.243, 10, 58)
3B: Herbert Perry (.219, 10, 51)
SS: Felix Escalona (.282, 3, 29)
LF: Ben Grieve (.259, 16, 58)
CF: Ryan Thompson (.221, 18, 55)
RF: James Mouton (.199, 7, 38)
DH: Aubrey Huff (.298, 9, 48)

Team ERA: 5.19 (27th)
Team AVG Allowed: .273 (23rd)
Team Runs Allowed: 914 (28th)

SP: Joe Kennedy (8-17, 4.42)
SP: Victor Zambrano (9-12, 5.75)
SP: Bobby Seay (7-14, 4.13)
SP: Chuck Finley (4-16, 6.08)
SP: Juan Sosa (2-11, 7.19)

CL: Travis Phelps (3-11, 5.30, 20 sv)
MR: Mike James (1-5, 4.83, 2 sv)
MR: Lance Carter (1-6, 4.36, 4 sv)
MR: Lee Gardner (4-4, 4.79, 4 sv)

Commentary: Talk about realism! The in-game management of Tampa Bay seems to be about as poor as its real life counterparts. Only one player in the end-of-the-year lineup can be considered to be a young up-and-coming player and that is rookie Escalona. Everyone else was a veteran--and usually a poor excuse for one at that. Carl Crawford is a solid youngster, but he had a season-ending injury in June. Solid young catcher Pete LaForest was dealt away for a veteran pitcher who was released a month later. Rocco Baldelli and Jared Sandberg, two other nice talents, only got September callups. One of the better prospects in a deep system, Josh Hamilton, never got a call at all. So they really screwed the pooch here. They did quite a bit better with pitching youth, though (strangely like KC, who also did young pitching but went with more vet hitters for the most part). Kennedy remains a young and up-and-coming ace pitcher, and Seay has also shown he has what it takes. Sosa and Zambrano are both young, although they clearly need to pitch a bit better. The bullpen is full of solid young pitchers, outside of James. Phelps has good talent, and Carter and the unseen Jesus Colome are both good quality young relievers on the way.

Chief Rum

I sure hope CM4 isn't going to kill this dynasty. I just know it's the Cub's year! :)

Yeah, looking foward to the dynasty future.

CM4 only tosses a wrench in the mix. :)

Actually, I have heard of some bug issues with CM4, particularly the forward scoring, which will probably keep me from getting full into it until the new patch arrives. I am also still tinkering with the little things in the game and trying to determine what the appropriate number of leagues to run is on my computer. So while I will be playing it, I probably won't be fully possessed with the CM4 demons until later this month.

AIf I didn;t have other options, CM4 might be getting a full walkthrough anyway (despite its possible problems), but I have received OOTP5 (of course) and I am also still into my MTW. I don't plan on letting either dynasty go, although I'm sure my MTW fans think I have.

I'll see what else I can get up tonight.

Chief Rum

NLWest

END OF 2003 SEASON BREAKDOWN

True rookies will be listed in reports in italics.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (90-72)

Team AVG: .255 (22nd)
Team HR: 172 (16th)
Team Runs: 725 (23rd)

C: Paul Lo Duca (.303, 14, 68)
1B: Daryle Ward (.230, 23, 80)
2B: Joe Thurston (.221, 6, 30)
3B: Adrian Beltre (.298, 20, 71)
SS: Alex Cora (.271, 8, 43)
LF: Brian Jordan (.249, 14, 40)
CF: Kenny Lofton (.280, 11, 47)
RF: Shawn Green (.293, 37, 115)

Team ERA: 3.98 (2nd)
Team AVG Allowed: .243 (2nd)
Team Runs Allowed: 705 (3rd)

SP: Odalis Perez (22-7, 2.06)
SP: Kazuhisa Ishii (9-14, 5.21)
SP: Hideo Nomo (5-15, 4.98)
SP: Kevin Brown (12-5, 4.29)
SP: Darren Driefort (7-8, 4.43)

CL: Eric Gagne (12-0, 1.03, 38 sv)
MR: Mike Remlinger (3-5, 2.57, 28 sv)
MR: Giovanni Carrara (1-4, 4.45, 1 sv)
MR: Alfredo Gonzalez (6-0, 3.00, 2 sv)

Commentary: Man, if the Dodgers had an offense there would be no stopping these guys. Actually, their offense is interesting, because it doesn't look all that bad. Jordan had an offyear, but that's counteracted by Ward's overachieving season. Thurston has good talent, so he's capable of better. But everyone else seemed to do as expected or even a little bit better (like Beltre). And that doesn't include solid bench power options like Fred McGriff (.268, 12, 49) and Todd Hundley (.234, 12, 41) or speedy former starter Dave Roberts (.240, 2, 26). So what happened? Basically, it seems like injuries got in the way a lot, for one thing. Beltre missed time. Lo Duca was put on the DL three separate times. And then the wealth of options seemed to confuse the Dodger's AI, who subbed so much that only three players got more than 500 at bats. Still, they are probably capable of much better, especially if Thurston makes the expected improvement he can. The incredible pitching was second only to Seattle in the rankings, and it is also shockingly similar to that rotation. Once again, we have the dominant starter (Perez) and a host of decent, but not spectacular, other options to fill out the rotation. And one again, we have the dominant bullpen. If it weren't for Perez and the Braves' Smoltz having fine seasons, I would think Gagne might get serious Cy Young consideration, which is awfully hard to do nowadays. Remlinger, as was well noted, was the save leader when he was released by the Cubs and subsequently signed by the Dodgers. Carrara and Gonzalez are fine young talents, and that doesn't even mention guys like Paul Shuey (third in the NL in reliever ERA at 2.22), or Gullermo Mota (currently injured), or Paul Quantrill (released when Remlinger was acquired) or Troy Brohawn (just another solid reliever). It's kinda scary really. One concern-- Darren Driefort hit the DL three times this year, and both he and Mota are essentially out for the playoffs. Lo Duca is also going to miss some time. This team succeeded in spite of the injury bug this year.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (88-74)

Team AVG: .263 (14th)
Team HR: 178 (12th)
Team Runs: 824 (13th)

C: Yorvit Torrealba (.287, 6, 41)
1B: J.T. Snow (.231, 12, 66)
2B: Ray Durham (.300, 7, 73)
3B: Edgar Alfonzo (.264, 14, 76)
SS: Rich Aurillia (.282, 27, 98)
LF: Barry Bonds (.316, 55, 126)
CF: Chad Curtis (.262, 14, 70)
RF: Jose Cruz Jr. (.241, 16, 89)

Team ERA: 4.01 (3rd)
Team AVG Allowed: .249 (6th)
Team Runs Allowed: 703 (2nd)

SP: Jason Schmidt (18-12, 3.64)
SP: Damian Moss (8-13, 4.74)
SP: Kurt Ainsworth (14-8, 3.51)
SP: Livan Hernandez (13-8, 4.43)
SP: Kirk Reuter (7-5, 4.10)

CL: Rob Nen (5-4, 2.89, 26 sv)
MR: Felix Rodriguez (4-6, 2.60, 1 sv)
MR: Jason Christiansen (5-2, 3.59, 1 sv)
MR: Chad Zerbe (2-3, 3.13, 2 sv)

Commentary: It's surprising that the Giants weren't able to catch the Dodgers. After all, their pitching is nearly as good, and their offense is much better. They aren't setting records on offense, but they are at least above average. J.T. Snow had a bad year, but not really out of sync with his recent years. Cruz had a poor average and less power than expected, but you couldn't tell from the runs he drove in. Young Torrealba played so well, the Giants released veteran Benito Santiago. And Alfonzo's numbers suffered from six weeks on the DL. Bonds was Bonds, of course. The pitching was very solid. Schmidt proved he is ace worthy, and Ainsworth had a breakout year. Few of the starters couldn't be counted on, with Moss being the only guy who could have performed a bit better than he did. Nen and Rodriguez form a one of the better setup-closer combos in the league, and the pen is deep with solid veteran types to support them.

COLORADO ROCKIES (79-83)

Team AVG: .283 (2nd)
Team HR: 202 (5th)
Team Runs: 946 (3rd)

C: Charles Johnson (.269, 29, 122)
1B: Todd Helton (.388, 36, 119)
2B: Pablo Ozuna (.275, 0, 34)
3B: Chris Stynes (.279, 12, 65)
SS: Juan Uribe (.271, 8, 67)
LF: Jack Cust (.258, 22, 81)
CF: Preston Wilson (.261, 29, 100)
RF: Larry Walker (.337, 23, 112)

Team ERA: 5.25 (29th)
Team AVG Allowed: .276 (25th)
Team Runs Allowed: 931 (29th)

SP: Jason Jennings (9-11, 5.17)
SP: Denny Neagle (8-13, 5.44)
SP: Dennis Stark (8-8, 5.93)
SP: Miguel Batiste (4-11, 4.99)
SP: Shawn Chacon (4-5, 6.59)

CL: Rich Garces (5-8, 5.29, 11 sv)
MR: Jose Jiminez (6-5, 3.64, 17 sv)
MR: Nelson Cruz (11-1, 3.83, 2 sv)
MR: Justin Speier (8-7, 4.85, 3 sv)

Commentary: It's always so hard to tell how much Coors figures into things, both at the plate and on the mound. The actual talent of the players here is much harder to pin down. For instance, it couldn't be anything other than Coors Field that is responsible for Johnson's amazing offensive season after a career of mediocrity. Cust, though, is a very talented young player who maybe could have done even better than he did (and he did pretty good). Uribe and Ozuna are also two fine young players, but they didn't have especially great years (although they were solid). Wilson's numbers are up a little from what he's been doing but not much. Helton and Walker are givens, of course, so no matter how you cut it this was a great offense at home, and at least an above average offense away from Denver. Pitching, of course, follows the reverse. Jennings is one of the best up-and-coming pitchers in the league, but he has a 5+ ERA (barely). Batiste went under a 5 ERA, but he pitched the first month and change in Arizona and missed a bit of time as a Rockie with injury. Stark and Neagle could even be considered to have overachieved to get their numbers. One exciting thing for Rockies fans is rookie Jeff Francis, the amazing young hurler who threw a no hitter in his second ever game in September. Jiminez was great as a reliever, anywhere, much less Colorado, but Garces got the call as the closer. Go figure. Obviously, they switched int he role at least once during the year. Actually, the pen is fairly deep and successful for a Coors Field pen.

SAN DIEGO PADRES (79-83)

Team AVG: .254 (23rd)
Team HR: 170 (17th)
Team Runs: 755 (21st)

C: Darrin Fletcher (.297, 10, 40)
1B: Ryan Klesko (.273, 32, 93)
2B: Mark Loretta (.263, 9, 53)
3B: Tony Batiste (.267, 26, 90)
SS: Ramon Vazquez (.263, 2, 35)
LF: Phil Nevin (.286, 33, 99)
CF: Mark Kotsay (.285, 13, 61)
RF: Brian Buchanan (.235, 10, 51)

Team ERA: 4.62 (20th)
Team AVG Allowed: .260 (15th)
Team Runs Allowed: 823 (19th)

SP: Brian Lawrence (17-12, 3.09)
SP: Adam Eaton (14-13, 4.73)
SP: Oliver Perez (7-11, 4.72)
SP: Clay Condrey (8-10, 4.86)
SP: Ben Howard (7-5, 4.59)

CL: Trevor Hoffman (2-5, 2.76, 35 sv)
MR: Mike Timlin (4-4, 5.08, 2 sv)
MR: Kevin Walker (5-7, 4.84, 1 sv)
MR: Jose Nunez (4-7, 5.57, 4 sv)

Commentary: This year may go down as one of missed opportunities for the Padres, Missed on the field? Probably not. Truth be told, the Padres seem to have enjoyed a win-loss record above and beyond their actual performance, almost reaching .500 with both a substandard offense and pitching. No, the opportunity lost was in the personnel decisions they made in doing it. For instance, the potentially devastating trade for Batiste. If you're an NL team (and, thus, you can't hide an extra player at a DH spot), why trade for Batiste when you have one of the best young 3B prospects in the league in Sean Burroughs? And why on Earth would you trade such a fine talent as Jake Peavy--now one of the new young pitching stars of the American League--to do it? And that wasn't it. Other future stars are also now ready to go. Xavier Nady. Ben Johnson. Khalil Green. Bernabel Castro. Tagg Bozied. Burroughs, of course. All of these future lineup major leaguers and even stars are ready to go. But instead, Padres fans are subjected to the likes of Brian Buchanan and Mark Loretta. It's really quite disappointing. As for pitching, I will give that trading an as yet unproven Peavy made some sense because of the organization's depth in starting pitching. The rotation this year was filled with young pitchers with futures. Lawrence established himself as an ace and a star (imagine where the Pads would have been with both Peavy and Lawrence atop their rotation). None of the other four had especially great seasons, but they all got needed experience and they are all only going to get better (well maybe not Condrey). Perez has as much potential as Peavy, and more than Lawrence. In the pen, old reliable Hoffman continued to show age is not yet an issue. After him, though, the bullpen was very hit and miss, and was a big factor in the overall lack of success of the Padres' pitching.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (71-91)

Team AVG: .261 (16th)
Team HR: 105 (30th)
Team Runs: 698 (26th)

C: Chad Moeller (.253, 3, 47)
1B: Mark Grace (.257, 7, 36)
2B: Junior Spivey (.256, 13, 74)
3B: Russ Davis (.210, 19, 75)
SS: Barry Larkin (.262, 8, 46)
LF: Luis Gonzalez (.305, 26, 86)
CF: Quinton McCracken (.289, 1, 31)
RF: Danny Bautista (.291, 11, 62)

Team ERA: 4.65 (21st)
Team AVG Allowed: .261 (17th)
Team Runs Allowed: 812 (18th)

SP: Curt Schilling (9-16, 4.47)
SP: Randy Johnson (15-11, 4.04)
SP: Byung-hyun Kim (10-13, 3.60)
SP: John Patterson (5-12, 5.22)
SP: Chris Capuano (3-6, 4.71)

CL: Greg Swindell (1-4, 3.75, 25 sv)
MR: Matt Mantei (4-5, 5.08)
MR: Ricky Bottalico (4-0, 5.58, 3 sv)
MR: Mike Myers (4-2, 5.32, 10 sv)

Commentary: Finally, the first of the two mystery teams. I was wondering how on Earth two formerly powerful teams like the Diamondbacks and Astros could falter so badly. I think I have my answer for at least one of them: the D'Backs got old and unlucky. The entire lineup was pretty much devoid of power outside of Gonzalez, who compunded the problem by not having a terrific power year (although he was good by most standards). Durazo was allowed to leave for the A's in the offseason, Williams got old and was released, and Finley suffered a season ending injury a month into the season. Another potential power source, Eric Karros, was let go after a short stint early in the season. It was just a collection of bad timing, age and bad decisions. Most of the lineup was a collection of decent or once decent contact hitters, and if you have no one to drive them in, this is what you get. But the D'Backs powerful team was built around pitching, so it was really here that they got hurt. Both Johnson and Schilling are finally proving human, showing some age. Although both had solid seasons, they were also a good two steps back each from their previous abilities. Kim became the surprise ace, and he isn't thought to really be as good as he pitched this year. Patterson and Capuano are the future, so it's good to get them their licks now. Capuano replaced Paul Abbot (5-9, 5.90) halfway through the season. Abbot was pitching because Arizona traded away the serviceable Batiste to the Rockies to get a replacement centerfielder for Finley--Jay Payton--and then didn't even give him the most at bats at the spot. The problems were even worse at the top of the pen. Swindell was surprisingly effective as a closer, but he's about to retire. Mantei and Bottalico had horrible seasons, and Myers doesn't look like he will be a good replacement for Swindell. Kim leaving for the rotation hurt the pen (although it was necessary, too, since Johnson and Schilling are going to need replacing soon, maybe even this offseason). The good news in the pen is that it does have some good younger relievers who should have gotten more time over the "proven" vets, and they should eventually form to become a strength if this team. This year, though, this season is just a loss, and quite frankly it looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Chief Rum

NL Central

END OF 2003 SEASON BREAKDOWN

True rookies will be listed in reports in italics.

CHICAGO CUBS (93-69)

Team AVG: .264 (13th)
Team HR: 229 (1st)
Team Runs: 878 (6th)

C: Damian Miller (.257, 17, 69)
1B: Morgan Burkhart (.279, 32, 98)
2B: Bobby Hill (.248, 14, 54)
3B: Mark Bellhorn (.284, 36, 115)
SS: Alex S. Gonzalez (.247, 15, 91)
LF: Moises Alou (.289, 23, 84)
CF: Alex Ochoa (.273, 18, 62)
RF: Sammy Sosa (.320, 49, 122)

Team ERA: 4.60 (19th)
Team AVG Allowed: .255 (9th)
Team Runs Allowed: 808 (17th)

SP: Mark Prior (16-7, 3.67)
SP: Matt Clement (15-9, 4.22)
SP: Kerry Wood (12-5, 4.33)
SP: Carlos Zambrano (11-11, 5.38)
SP: Shawn Estes (11-9, 4.70)

CL: Rudy Seanez (4-6, 4.41, 15 sv)
MR: Mark Guthrie (4-2, 3.54, 2 sv)
MR: Rod Beck (3-2, 5.25)
MR: Marc Wilkins (6-2, 4.50)

Commentary: Let's hear it for power! The Cubs big weapon was apparently the big bat. The usual Sosa was joined by unlikely middle-of-the-order cohorts like 31-year-old rookie Burkhart and the solid (but not THIS solid) Bellhorn. Add in nice contributions from Alou (expected) and many others (all unexpected) and you end up with a very good power hitting squad. The team average was solid, too, but it seems clear what drove this offense. The shocker was Burkhart. The Cubbies got him from the Royals for a scrub second baseman and an iffy 3B prospect. Now that's a rip off! Pitching wasn't really anything to write home about, but their young starters are on their way at least. Arizona takes the cake for a great trio of strikeout pitchers, but the Cubs aren't too far behind with Prior, Clement and Wood. Wood would have finished higher, but he missed the last month with a ruptured elbow ligament. The pen is a potential weakness. The Cubs did the mystifyingly dumb by releasing Remlinger, one of the league's best relievers. They let Seanez, acquired from the Rangers, handle duties, and he was very iffy with the Cubs (although his numbers still look solid). They do have some decent relievers like Guthrie around, but their depth took a hit when Beck went down with a season-ender recently as well. So now it looks like both Wood and Beck will miss the playoffs.

CINCINNATI REDS (87-75)

Team AVG: .265 (11th)
Team HR: 211 (3rd)
Team Runs: 854 (10th)

C: Jason LaRue (.226, 14, 66)
1B: Sean Casey (.329, 21, 79)
2B: Aaron Boone (.257, 21, 91)
3B: Russell Branyan (.233, 30, 89)
SS: Felipe Lopez (.259, 7, 35)
LF: Adam Dunn (.292, 28, 94)
CF: Ken Griffey Jr. (.312, 38, 129)
RF: Austin Kearns (.279, 24, 96)

Team ERA: 4.33 (14th)
Team AVG Allowed: .262 (18th)
Team Runs Allowed: 792 (16th)

SP: Scott Williamson (15-6, 3.15)
SP: Paul Wilson (12-11, 4.45)
SP: Tony Armas Jr. (11-9, 4.43)
SP: Rodrigo Lopez (8-13, 4.91)
SP: Danny Graves (12-2, 3.66)

CL: John Reidling (4-10, 4.42, 35 sv)
MR: Scott MacRae (6-7, 5.04)
MR: Carlos Almanzar (2-3, 2.70, 4 sv)
MR: Josias Manzanillo (9-5, 4.83, 3 sv)

Commentary: I'm not sure what's more scary. That these guys are actually pretty darn good, or that they should continue to be good for a little while yet. This is a young team that took a huge step to get into playoff contention. They never once faded from the Cubs, and were in the wildcard mix right up to the last day of the season. They have an icredible outfield, with two superstar talents in Dunn and Kearns surrounding an alltime great talent like Griffey--who isn't Prone injury in this league. That, of course, allowed Griffey to return to the status of an elite power hitter. The Reds also successfully moved on from the Barry Larkin era, moving him to Arizona and allowing another good prospect in Lopez to take his shot. Solid bats like Casey and Boone, and a young power bat like Branyan are still around to pick up the pace when the stars falter. Casey had a great season making contact. The real shock is that the Reds used resurgences by Branyan and Griffey, and general lineup excellence, to move up to third in power in baseball. As for pitching, there's a lot to like here, although this year, the real truth of the matter is that the pitching was just good enough to allow the offense to win the game. The funny fact is that the best thing the Reds have going for them is that they raided their bullpen for quality starters. Graves, in real life, was expected to go to the rotation this year. But for a midseason injury that sidelined him for a month and a half, Graves might have figured more prominently in league leaders lists. Williamson, projected in real life to close for the Reds, was all on the AI. It turned out to be a brilliant move, as Williamson has in one season changed from a talented reliever to a dominating young ace pitcher. The Reds were also among the most savvy traders in the league, acquiring decent young starters like Lopez and Armas Jr. for virtually nothing. Obviously, the pen suffered a bit without the services of Graves and Williamson. Riedling put up a good number of saves, but he was inconsistent. And some of the more used relievers also could have been better. But all in all, the bullpen came out pretty well, and there remains a solid stable of relievers around to keep what has been a tradition of Cincy since the days of the Big Red Machine in the 70s: a strong bullpen.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (86-76)

Team AVG: .252 (25th)
Team HR: 191 (6th)
Team Runs: 807 (15th)

C: Mike Matheny (.193, 3, 20)
1B: Eli Marrero (.232, 12, 36)
2B: Fernando Vina (.285, 1, 27)
3B: Scott Rolen (.256, 20, 63)
SS: Edgar Renteria (.243, 7, 51)
LF: Albert Pujols (.301, 34, 100)
CF: Jim Edmonds (.294, 33, 106)
RF: J.D. Drew (.305, 30, 102)

Team ERA: 4.22 (10th)
Team AVG Allowed: .248 (4th)
Team Runs Allowed: 761 (10th)

SP: Matt Morris (17-7, 3.08)
SP: Jason Simontacchi (13-15, 4.31)
SP: Woody Williams (7-13, 4.68)
SP: Brett Tomko (10-6, 4.64)
SP: Garrett Stephenson (6-9, 6.07)

CL: Jason Isringhausen (6-5, 1.64, 38 sv)
MR: Al Levine (6-2, 5.64, 1 sv)
MR: Mike Crudale (5-3, 2.69, 2 sv)
MR: Todd Erdos (2-1, 3.11, 1 sv)

Commentary: Using a wealth of homeruns--much like direct NL Central competitors, the Reds and Cubs--, the Cards overcame a very poor team average, some big time zeroes in their lineup, and some injury problems to turn out an average offensive system. And that turned out to be just what a very solid pitching staff needed to nail down some wins after a horrible start by St. Louis. The problems at catcher and first base are mystifying. Matheny split time with Joe Girardi, who fared little better, for most of the year. Then up-and-coming youngster Steven Torrealba got some at bats, and the Cards signed vet Raul Casanova to make some starts over the last couple of months of the season. No one stepped, though, and the position was still a rather poor one. Meanwhile, at 1B, the Cards inexplicably released vet Tino Martinez (.252, 8, 43), who was putting up respectable numbers in a half season of work. This left them with Marrero, having a bad offensive year, and John Gall, a rookie 1B with some skills, but who is plainly not ready yet. On top of all this, Vina brought his usual one-dimensional game to play, Renteria had an awful season and "superstar" Rolen fell far short of his usual quality work. As if that wasn't enough, all three of these players missed significant time in the second half of the season, and Vina missed the last two months of the season with his injury. One can only envision what this team, just two games back of the wildcard, might have done had it been fully staffed. The Vina and Renteria injuries, though, might have been a blessing--it gave time for exciting rookie Shawn Boyd (.267, 17, 73) to play, and he produced far more than the two established vets in the middle infield. The outfield was simply phenomenal, as you might expect from three guys named Pujols, Edmonds and Drew. They really carried the team. Pitching was the name of the game, and Morris was his usual dominating self. Without him at the top of the rotation and intimidating closer Jason isringhausen heading the pen, this season might have been a completely different story for the Cards. The rest of the rotation was nothing to get excited about, and neither was the pen. Frankly, it's amazing to me that this team finished as well as it did in the pitching categories.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (72-90)

Team AVG: .247 (29th)
Team HR: 150 (22nd)
Team Runs: 687 (27th)

C: Pete LaForest (.224, 12, 50)
1B: Richie Sexson (.275, 27, 92)
2B: Eric Young (.236, 2, 33)
3B: Brandon Larson (.240, 9, 47)
SS: Royce Clayton (.225, 11, 52)
LF: Brady Clark (.251, 10, 47)
CF: Jeffrey Hammonds (.307, 24, 90)
RF: Geoff Jenkins (.214, 27, 89)

Team ERA: 4.60 (18th)
Team AVG Allowed: .273 (24th)
Team Runs Allowed: 829 (21st)

SP: Todd Ritchie (15-15, 3.74)
SP: Ben Sheets (5-14, 5.91)
SP: Glendon Rusch (8-11, 3.72)
SP: Kyle Peterson (9-6, 3.60)
SP: Wayne Franklin (6-11, 6.36)

CL: Jayson Durocher (3-7, 4.07, 37 sv)
MR: Mike Buddie (6-3, 3.83, 2 sv)
MR: Mike DeJean (3-2, 3.43, 2 sv)
MR: Mike Matthews (4-3, 6.93)

Commentary: While the pitching actually doesn't seem to have been that good from the final rankings, it is pretty clear the offense was the big loser for the Brew Crew this year. Yes, the Sexson-Jenkins power duo continues to produce solid results, and Hammonds finally had a year outside of Colorado that he could hang his hat on. But where were the positives after that? Future star catcher LaForest had an awful year after being acquired from Tampa Bay. He missed more than a month with a broken hand and never got into a grrove after the deadline deal. Other than LaForest, the rest of the poor performers are essentially subpar veterans at best with little expectation to improve in the future. The Brewers are going to have to stop using players like Young, Clayton and Clark if they are ever going to get beyond where they are right now. Given the numbers put up by the prominent members of the staff, pitching would seem to be a relative strength. But the surprise is that it may be the more troubled area. The one true prospect who saw regular time is Sheets, and he had an awful season. Rusch, Peterson, Chuck Smith (dealt for LaForest), even Ritchie, are all pretty much maxed and of doubtful overall talent. The Brewers do have a little talent on the way, such as Ben Diggins (3-4, 4.46), who got some starts late in the year, but right now, you have to consider the rotation to be hit-and-miss for how much better it can be for a good while yet. The pen also has a lack of any real prospects coming up, but the good news is that there are some talented relievers here. One obvious one is Durocher, who came out of practically nowhere to finish among league leaders in saves. He saved more than half of the Brewers' wins, although he could work on being more consistent. He has top closer talent. Buddie and DeJean formed as good a backup twosome as you can find for most teams, so the pen was strong at the top. After that, though, depth took a huge hit, as several more pitchers also got a good amount of mound time, but did not fare anywhere near as well.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES (72-90)

Team AVG: .248 (28th)
Team HR: 183 (t-8th)
Team Runs: 798 (17th)

C: Jason Kendall (.279, 9, 59)
1B: Randall Simon (.289, 8, 57)
2B: Rob Mackowiak (.224, 13, 51)
3B: Aramis Ramirez (.240, 20, 92)
SS: Tomas de la Rosa (.244, 3, 37)
LF: Craig A. Wilson (.241, 22, 93)
CF: Brian Giles (.316, 35, 119)
RF: Reggie Sanders (.223, 26, 91)

Team ERA: 4.98 (24th)
Team AVG Allowed: .277 (26th)
Team Runs Allowed: 899 (25th)

SP: Kip Wells (9-11, 4.11)
SP: Josh Fogg (13-10, 4.14)
SP: Dave Williams (9-15, 5.22)
SP: Kris Benson (10-14, 5.48)
SP: Jeff D'Amico (5-8, 5.23)

CL: Mike Williams (5-4, 2.96, 27 sv)
MR: Lorenzo Barcelo (3-6, 4.57)
MR: Rolando Arrojo (2-4, 5.70, 3 sv)
MR: Al Reyes (5-4, 4.94, 2 sv)

Commentary: This wasn't a great year for the Pirates, but there is hope for the future. It seems that several solid prospects are just around the corner. Meanwhile, the lineup provided some surprising power, and enabled the offense to score a little more runs than most teams at Pittsburgh's level. Giles continues to be a monster, of course, and while Ramirez and Sanders don't hit for high average, they certainly can hit the longball. Wilson was a huge early season success, and ended up with a solid power season, although he got so bad as the season went on, that he gave way to another surprise vet power source, Adam Hyzdu (.269, 28, 63). Actually, despite being 31 and a one-star talent, Hyzdu has put up an impressive 45 HR and 110 RBI in 545 career at bats--they really need to feature him more. Kendall and Simon lent some average ability to a lineup with few of them. This is a subpar average, but it's not so bad. Pitching really cost the Pirates, even with a solid twosome in Wells and Fogg at the top. Williams is a young pitcher learning the trade, and he got some important starts in this year. Benson and D'Amico, though, are no-upside vets who probably can't do much better than they did. A wealth of pitching prospects will likely end their days as Pirates soon. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they already have one of the best closers in Mike Williams. The only thing he needs is to work more often. Although the pen in general could be more consistent, the Pirates have so many decent to good pitching prospects ont he way, that it's not going to matter in a year or two.

HOUSTON ASTROS (67-95)

Team AVG: .268 (8th)
Team HR: 177 (13th)
Team Runs: 835 (12th)

C: Greg Zaun (.265, 11, 71)
1B: Jeff Bagwell (.301, 38, 129)
2B: Jeff Kent (.322, 26, 115)
3B: Geoff Blum (.237, 15, 66)
SS: Julio Lugo (.233, 9, 43)
LF: Lance Berkman (.333, 25, 91)
CF: Brian L. Hunter (.301, 3, 30)
RF: Richard Hidalgo (.260, 24, 85)

Team ERA: 5.03 (25th)
Team AVG Allowed: .282 (28th)
Team Runs Allowed: 886 (24th)

SP: Roy Oswalt (13-10, 3.45)
SP: Chris George (11-15, 4.69)
SP: Wade Miller (14-12, 4.39)
SP: Brian Moehler (7-13, 5.91)
SP: Jared Fernandez (4-15, 7.33)

CL: Billy Wagner (2-2, 3.63, 19 sv)
MR: Octavio Dotel (6-6, 5.03, 5 sv)
MR: Brandon Puffer (5-7, 6.65, 1 sv)
MR: T.J. Mathews (3-3, 3.46, 3 sv)

Commentary: There were two mysteries going into this thing. One was why the D'backs were so bad. And the other was the fall of these Astros. And as with Arizona, I'm beginning to see the pitcure. What is more disturbing, though, is what lies ahead for the Astros. First of all, the lineup was above average, as one might expect with three elite hitters like Bagwell, Kent and Berkman in place hitting in minute Maid Field (aka Coors "Light" Field). Few teams can match those three hitters. They got good support from Hidalgo and Zaun, and that was all the Astros really needed to get them where they are with the offense. It's actually kinda scary to think what they could have done had they not released longtime Astro Craig Biggio halfway through the season, or of his replacement, Hunter, hadn't missed the last two months, or if Blum or Lugo could actually act like major league hitters. Or if the Astros hadn't traded away by far their best hitting (and best overall) prospect--Henri Stanley, a likely future star--for a pitcher (Brian Tallet) who had one of the all time worst full rookie campaigns in history. But what is really scary is the future. Biggio is gone. Bagwell, Kent and Hunter are 35. Zaun is 32, and he overachieved. Only Hidalgo (28) and Berkman (27) are relatively young. Stanley is now an Indian, and there is virtually no one of any real worth on their way to the bigs in the Astros' system--one of the worst in the big leagues. And this is the good part of the team. The side that really lost it for them was on the mound. Tallet was miserable for half a season before he was dealt for up-and-comer George (the one good move on the year). Moehler and Fernandez are stopgaps with no potential to do better. And this roster set just screwed Miller, who should be better than the 2.5 stars he got here. And he pitched like a 2.5 star talent as well. Oswalt is still one of the league's youngest and finest. And Wagner and Dotel still form maybe the best one-two reliever punch in the league. George is just as talented as Oswalt--he just needs time. So it's not without hope here, but not exactly great either. Further confounding matters is the fact that virtually all of the depth in the pen after Dotel and Wagner is pretty poor stuff. The bullpen had a big hand in where the staff (and the team) ended up this year.

Chief Rum

NL East

END OF 2003 SEASON BREAKDOWN

True rookies will be listed in reports in italics.

ATLANTA BRAVES (93-69)

Team AVG: .269 (7th)
Team HR: 177 (13th)
Team Runs: 863 (9th)

C: Javy Lopez (.285, 24, 102)
1B: Robert Fick (.289, 22, 78)
2B: Mark Derosa (.278, 7, 59)
3B: Marcus Giles (.269, 24, 87)
SS: Rafael Furcal (.252, 3, 45)
LF: Chipper Jones (.326, 28, 105)
CF: Andruw Jones (.254, 24, 107)
RF: Gary Sheffield (.304, 37, 137)

Team ERA: 4.04 (4th)
Team AVG Allowed: .243 (3rd)
Team Runs Allowed: 720 (5th)

SP: John Smoltz (19-3, 1.94)
SP: Greg Maddux (15-7, 3.37)
SP: Paul Byrd (12-9, 3.72)
SP: Russ Ortiz (12-8, 3.75)
SP: Jason Marquis (8-5, 4.20)

CL: Ray King (9-10, 4.65, 32 sv)
MR: J.D. Smart (2-3, 4.27, 3 sv)
MR: Kevin Gryboski (1-4, 5.04, 2 sv)
MR: Yorkis Perez (2-6, 9.42, 2 sv)

Commentary: Pitching is always a given with the Braves. So it was the hitting that really made the difference and eventually put them atop the division. The lineup just has few holes. Lopez returned to respectability and an injury-free season. Fick finally filled a 1B spot that hasn't been adequately filled since Galaragga first came over from Colorado. Giles blossomed into a fine hitter. The Joneses and Sheffield did their usual work. The only bad thing was Furcal's poor season, and he may be the most talented offensive prospect on the team--it should eventually be an offensive leader here. Sheffield is the oldest at 34, so this offense could have some years ahead of it, if it doesn't get broken up by financial considerations. Pitching isn't as age-proof, although it is certainly still solid. In fact, the AI made perhaps the inspired move of the year when it moved Smoltz back to starter. Glavine who? Smoltz turned a season which for a while looked to be the most dominant since Bob Gibson's record '68 campaign. He will probably get the Cy Young. Maddux had to play second fiddle for the first time, but he was still one of the best in the league. Byrd is showing last year was no fluke, Ortiz continued to be the solid pitcher he is, and Marquis continues to look like a fine developing talent. This is almost certainly the best rotation in the league. The pen brought it down a little, though. King is a decent enough pitcher, but he's no Smoltz. No one in the pen really stood out with a great year, and this is usually a strength of Atlanta. If it weren't for the back end guys, this rotation would have definitely led the Braves past the top pitching staffs of the M's and Dodgers.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (87-75)

Team AVG: .261 (17th)
Team HR: 183 (8th)
Team Runs: 809 (14th)

C: Mike Lieberthal (.261, 11, 67)
1B: Jim Thome (.292, 49, 126)
2B: Placido Polanco (.294, 8, 60)
3B: Tyler Houston (.239, 17, 60)
SS: Jimmy Rollins (.288, 9, 60)
LF: Pat Burrell (.271, 26, 99)
CF: Marlon Byrd (.256, 17, 75)
RF: Bobby Abreu (.301, 19, 79)

Team ERA: 4.24 (11th)
Team AVG Allowed: .259 (14th)
Team Runs Allowed: 768 (12th)

SP: Vincente Padilla (13-11, 3.29)
SP: Kevin Millwood (12-8, 3.10)
SP: Randy Wolf (15-10, 3.61)
SP: Brandon Duckworth (12-10, 5.22)
SP: Brett Myers (3-7, 5.82)

CL: Dave Coggin (4-8, 5.10, 24 sv)
MR: Jose Mesa (1-3, 3.04, 16 sv) released 7/13/2003
MR: Rheal Cormier (9-3, 3.92, 2 sv)
MR: Turk Wendell (4-2, 6.00, 3 sv)

Commentary: Considering how the Phillies finished just a game out of the wildcard and underachieved most of the year, this has to be painted as a team that was just on the edge of being very good. Indeed, it's final rankings for both hitting and pitching also paint a team on such a fringe. There's a lot to like about the Phillies, but this maybe a season of missed opportunities. The lineup had plenty of power, led by free agent acquisition Thome, but it could have been even better because other solid stars like Abreu, Burrell and Lieberthal all had substandard power years. Burrell's year, while good, was a downer all around--he has the ability to put up star level numbers. Rookie Byrd actually contributed better power than expected, but a worse average. Still, he is among the leading contenders for the NL ROY award. Few teams can match the solid contributions of the Phillies' top three starters. The failings of the staff will not be pinned on Padilla, proving last year was no fluke; Millwood, finishing among ERA leaders; or Wolf, one of the better young pithcers in the league. The rest of the rotation, though, was fraught with growing pains as young super-talents Duckworth and Myers struggled to get their games under control. And that doesn't even mention the veteran Terry Adams, thrown back to the pen and doing badly, or another hot shot prospect in Bud Smith, who started the year in the rotation, got hurt, and then lost his spot to Myers. Depth is not an issue, and neither is age. This rotation has the makings to be one of the league's best int he very near future. Unfortunately, the same can't quite be said for the pen. Coggin is a decent enough closer who can do the job, but he had a poor year, and making even less sense, the Phillies put Coggin in veteran Jose Mesa's closer spot, despite the fact that Mesa was having a great year,--and then proceeded to release him. Cormier did a nice job as a key reliever, but the same reliability would be a description of few others in the pen.

NEW YORK METS (82-80)

Team AVG: .262 (15th)
Team HR: 190 (7th)
Team Runs: 877 (7th)

C: Mike Piazza (.275, 35, 108)
1B: Mo Vaughn (.246, 22, 81)
2B: Roberto Alomar (.300, 15, 84)
3B: Ty Wigginton (.280, 25, 72)
SS: Jose Reyes (.263, 9, 75)
LF: Cliff Floyd (.302, 30, 95)
CF: Roger Cedeno (.242, 4, 37)
RF: Jeromy Burnitz (.246, 13, 67)

Team ERA: 4.22 (9th)
Team AVG Allowed: .264 (19th)
Team Runs Allowed: 791 (15th)

SP: Al Leiter (13-11, 3.94)
SP: Steve Trachsel (15-10, 4.00)
SP: Tom Glavine (9-15, 5.14)
SP: Grant Roberts (11-7, 3.43)
SP: Jason Middlebrook (7-6, 3.32)

CL: Armando Benitez (6-7, 4.25, 24 sv)
MR: Jamie Cerda (2-2, 3.71, 1 sv)
MR: Mike Stanton (3-2, 5.01)
MR: Scott Strickland (2-3, 2.63, 5 sv)

Commentary: The Mets had some great performances this year from some key players, and some contributions from unexpected points, so they ended up being fairly good, even in the wildcard race almost up to the end. In the end, though, injuries and some bad personnel decisions came back to haunt the Mets in their bid for a playoff spot. Piazza had a great season, even if his average plummeted after the first couple months. Floyd and Alomar, two acquisitions which did work out, joined with Piazza to carry the team offensively. Unfortunately, the offense was shortchanged by the lack of consistency of other big name gets, like Vaughn and Burnitz. Vaughn also missed a stretch to injury, and Cedeno was almost worthless in CF. The Mets would have been even worse off were it not for the key contributions of rookies Wigginton and Reyes. Wigginton should get some consideration for ROY, and if he hadn't missed two months, he would have probably been a cinch for the award. Reyes is one of the best prospects in baseball. He still has a ways to go, but he's only 20, so his best days are definitely still ahead of him. Pitching was, for the most part, solid. The lone outcast in this respect was much ballyhooed free agent acquisition Glavine, who had, by his standards, a horrible season, and perhaps signalling the twilight of a great career. It looks like the Braves made the right choice. Leiter was his usual dependable self and Trachsel had one of his best years. But the fortunes of the staff hinged on two unexpected individuals: Middlebrook and Roberts. Middlebrook made the rotation as a fifth man, and even endured a two-month injury. But he had the best ERA in the rotation. Roberts spent the first half of the season in the pen, appearing in 48 games. But when the call came for him to joint he rotation, he was fantastic. So good, in fact, that he won the Pitcher of the Month award for August. The only real bad news (besides Glavine) for these guys is that Leiter is 38, Glavine 37, and Trachsel, 33--their best days are likely behind them; and Middlebrook and Roberts, while solid younger starters, are not considered to be elite talents on which you could hang a staff. In the pen, Benitez was his usual dominating, but hit-and-miss self. He had some good support from a solid pen for the most part.

FLORIDA MARLINS (75-87)

Team AVG: .249 (27th)
Team HR: 130 (28th)
Team Runs: 652 (30th)

C: Ivan Rodriguez (.268, 36, 104)
1B: Derrek Lee (.241, 21, 71)
2B: Luis Castillo (.289, 1, 38)
3B: Mike Lowell (.242, 19, 68)
SS: Andy Fox (.289, 8, 49)
LF: Todd Hollandsworth (.274, 16, 84)
CF: Juan Pierre (.291, 2, 65)
RF: Juan Encarnacion (.216, 12, 56)

Team ERA: 4.33 (15th)
Team AVG Allowed: .249 (7th)
Team Runs Allowed: 767 (11th)

SP: A.J. Burnett (7-12, 4.11)
SP: Brad Penny (8-11, 4.26)
SP: Justin Wayne (7-13, 4.55)
SP: Josh Beckett (13-7, 2.98)
SP: Mark Redman (4-11, 4.75)

CL: Vladimir Nunez (8-9, 3.63, 39 sv)
MR: Braden Looper (3-5, 4.68)
MR: Tim Spooneybarger (7-4, 4.09, 2 sv)
MR: Blaine Neal (3-3, 4.09, 2 sv)

Commentary: I have seen all offenses. I have seen the Marlins offense. And it is the worst. In fact, I am amazed this team won 75 games with an offense this anemic, statistically the worst in the league. Few teams manage to suck at both average and pwoer hitting, and yet the Marlins "succeed" in doing just that. IRod's signing turned out to be brilliant, because I don;t even want to know where they would be without a sim-game rejuvenated and healthy Ivan Rodriguez. At 31, he should have a lot of game left, too. Hollandsworth played out of his gourd, having his best season since early in his Colorado years, or maybe even way back to his ROY campaign with the Dodgers (when he was thought to be good). Castillo and Pierre provided their usual speed and hitting combination to form the fastest duo of any team (82 steals between them). Of course, their presence also strips the lineup of any whit of power at two spots, and it's not like they are hitting .330. Lowell and Lee put up the expected power, but were absolutely horrible getting hits--they were like the anithesis of Castillo and Pierre. And then there was Encarnacion, the returning "star". Could any player in either league be said to have had as massive a slump as this guy had? .216? 12 HRs? Ugh. The "good" news is, IRod is the oldest at 31. There are some kids on the way, but this team is still going to be heavily dependent on some of these guys for a while, sot hey need to get their act together--especially Encarnacion. The Marlins do look to be in good shape with pitching. In fact, it may be excellent--this young, growing reotation may soon be rivalling the A's for great young arms. They ended strongly here, despite Penny, Beckett and Redman all missing parts of the season to injury, and Wayne being a rookie. Beckett has established himself as one of the domiannt pitchers of the future. He has Pedro skills and Big Unit speed, and he's improving. Only on a staff with a guy like Beckett would top talents like Penny and Wayne be playing second fiddle. Wayne had a solid rookie campaign, and should get some consideration for NL ROY (although he seems likely to miss out). Penny is already a "vet" at 25, and he continues to turn himself into a solid pitcher. Burnett and Redman are a little older--but that just means late 20s here. They are solid #4-#5 types. In the pen, Nunez was the surprise call at closer, and he ended up turning in a very solid first season at the pressure spot. He is also young and talented--a theme started in the rotation that continues in the pen. The pen was solid and deep with good, young relievers whose best days are still ahead of them.

MONTREAL EXPOS

Team AVG: .249 (26th)
Team HR: 166 (19th)
Team Runs: 719 (24th)

C: Michael Barrett (.259, 14, 51)
1B: Wil Cordero (.229, 11, 50)
2B: Jose Vidro (.297, 12, 76)
3B: Fernando Tatis (.207, 19, 70)
SS: Orlando Cabrera (.249, 12, 70)
LF: Brad Wilkerson (.280, 18, 53)
CF: Ruben Mateo (.275, 13, 58)
RF: Vladimir Guerrero (.286, 30, 94)

Team ERA: 4.07 (6th)
Team AVG Allowed: .250 (8th)
Team Runs Allowed: 732 (6th)

SP: Tomo Ohka (11-12, 3.48)
SP: Javier Vazquez (14-10, 3.35)
SP: Osvaldo Fernandez (10-16, 5.34)
SP: Orlando Hernandez (7-11, 3.93)
SP: Rocky Biddle (7-6, 3.75)

CL: Scott Stewart (207, 3.50, 29 sv)
MR: Zach Day (6-6, 4.70, 1 sv)
MR: Jim Brower (3-1, 4.96)
MR: Joey Eischen (2-3, 2.35, 3 sv)

Commentary: Well, that settles it-- there's no such thing as a bad rotation in the NL East. But more on that later. It is surprising how similar Montreal's path seemed to follow Florida, although they had a better lineup and rotation, overall. They should have finished better than they did with the kind of pitching they had. But the parallels cannot be ignored. Once again, one big star--Guerrero, of course--leads the way. He was his usual dominant self. He was, unfortunately, surrounded by either mediocre former prospects or vets trying to rejuvenate their failed games. Vidro and Wilkerson are solid, and Barrett can be good, too, but the Expos need to get rid of guys like Tatis and Mateo to move up to the next level. Also like the Marlins, there are some decent hitting prospects on the way, but there aren't enough to fill the holes in this lineup. Pitching, as I said, was even better than Florida, but the Expos' future outlook is not so bright. For one thing, Fernandez and Hernandez aren't getting any younger. Hernandez is almost done, and Fernandez should be if he keeps putting up years like this one. Biddle has questionable talent as well, although he at least has youth. Fortunately, Vzaquez and Ohka are both young and good, and that's a fine start for the future rotation. Neither is a true ace, but they are both very good. The pen is looking much better--in fact, better than Florida's. It starts with Stewart, who looks like he may be one of the best young closers in the league. And then there is a wealth of talent--led by key reliever Day--ready to support him.

Chief Rum

Just wanted to compliment you on the thoroughness of your dynasty report. Its the thought of not being able to put one half as good as this together, that keeps me from really putting the fingers to keyboard and typing one up.

I agree Mike. Chief, how to you copy the lineups with stats?

Thanks guys.

General Mike: It is my plan to be a novelist and/or a computer gaming programmer (how's that for diversification?), and by training, I am a journalist. I have read great works by guys like Hemingway and other literary greats, both present and past. I have played most of the best computer games of the past 15 years. I have read the articles of some of the most brilliant reporters and columnists (both in and out of sports) in the media biz.

If I let their greatness get in between me and what I want to do, I would never get anything done (cuz who the heck can ever hope to be that good?). :) And besides, you're not talking Hemingway--I'm just an Internet hack and sports junkie who loves to write things in-depth. I appreciate the comments, but please don't let my posts stop you from starting your own. I love OOTP5 dynasties, and would love to read some more. :)

But if you choose not to, I certainly hope you'll continue to read mine. :)

SunDancer: You may think I use some kind of copy and paste to do that, but unfortunately, I haven't figured out a quick and easy way to do it. All I do is copy/paste a Word document copy of the format (each line heading with the column, and so forth). I type in the names and the stats manually. One thing that has helped a lot--moving my screen resolution above 1024x768. Apparently, OOTP only goes up to that resolution, so if you pick higher, OOTP is no longer a screen filler, but a Window. It makes it much easier to go back and forth between the game and the posting window, so I don't forget stuff before I write it down. :)

Keep on reading folks. Technically, I'm still finishing the post above (the last two NL East entries), but once I am done there, we're finally moving on. :)

And you know what that means, Red Sox and Cubs fans!

Chief Rum

American League Division Series Preview

MINNESOTA TWINS vs BOSTON RED SOX


Commentary: The Twins are one of the best contact hitting teams in the league, so it has to be scary that they are facing one of the only two teams that are better than them at it--and by a good bit. On top of that, the Red Sox also club a lot more homeruns, and they have a true elite star in Ramirez that the Twins don't really have. Getting through this lineup, which seems to have no holes, sometimes seems impossible. The Sox are going with a Varitek/Mirabelli platoon at catcher, and sitting Trot Nixon in favor of former twin David Ortiz. The Twins will try and add a little power to their more line-drive hitting lineup by adding premier power prospect Morneau to the lineup. He will DH in the series. Fellow rookie Cuddyer will platoon with Bobby Kielty, the regular season RF. With pitching, the Twins apparently have the better staff, across the board, but in a five game series, it's all about the dominating starters. And in this respect, the Red Sox easily have the edge in Cy Young frontrunner Martinez. Having to beat him and that lineup maybe twice in this series seems like an impossible task. Mays gets the first game nod for the Twins. It should be interesting to see if we get to Game 4 and the top starters aren't ready yet, because that would feature maybe the Twins' best starter, Santana, against the BoSox worst, rookie Elmore. Elmore should be a fine starter in the future, but I'm not sure it's smart going with him at #4, instead of Fossum, who will likely not get into a game.

My Prediction: Red Sox in 3. If it isn't in 3, it will go 5, but still be the Sox.

Chief Rum

American League Division Series Preview

OAKLAND ATHLETICS vs NEW YORK YANKEES


Commentary: This should be a tight one, not to mention the recent playoff history between these two teams. Now Giambi is Jeter's teammate, so there won't be any amazing relay throws by the shortstop to cut the tentative-sliding Giambi. But these are also different teams in other ways. The Yankees are still the mashers, scoring their runs with a scary combination of power and hitting ability. Giambi and Soriano are the power center, but rare is the bat in a Yankees lineup that can't hurt you. The A's aren't as strong, through and through, but their big three of Tejada, Chavez and Durazo can battel with anyone, and their lineup as a whole hits almost as well as the Yankees. They are making some interesting decisions with the lefty-righty matchups which might affect things--including replacing Dye against lefties in favor of Adam Piatt, an untested youth. But the difference in this series will probably be the pitching. Zito and Mulder are dominant ace type pitchers who will likely pitch in three of any five-game series, including the first two. Weaver is going up against Zito, and I have to think that is not a favorable matchup for the Yanks. Contreras, is a better matchup for the A's aces, but he is unproven over the longhaul, and he is up against the A's best in Mulder. And the A's could still throw out Harden as well for Game 4. There is one thing up in the air. Tim Hudson, the third of the A's intrepid star pitchers, is recovering from a sore back. He has one day left on the DL at the beginning of the series. My guess is he would replace Lilly in Game 3, and that would be even more frightening for the Yankees, although they do counter with one of their best in Mussina. Another point working against the Yankees is that they currently have it setup for Pettite--perhaps their best proven pitcher--to not even start a game.

My Prediction: A's in 4. Even if the Yanks shuffle their pitchers to give them a better shot, they just don't have the arms anymore.

Chief Rum

National League Division Series Preview

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS vs ATLANTA BRAVES


Commentary: I can't even begin to grade this one, although I'll certainly give it a shot. If the computer leaves these teams as they are, it just boggles the mind. But then they both seem to be making the same mistake, so maybe it won't matter. Basically, they are both skipping over their best starters, pushing them back to maybe as far back as Game #4. This would hurt both teams, although it would hurt the Braves more, since their #1 is the ultra-dominant Smoltz. I certainly hope the respective AI's come to their senses. Both rotations are set to go with the highest rested starter, so we'll see. Now, back to the numbers. This one is just going to be a nailbiter. The Braves have a better offense, but neither team is a slouch, and the Giants have Bonds. The Braves may also have hurt themselves by choosing superprospect Betemit over Marcus Giles to start at 3B. In fact, Giles--the Braves 3B who had a breakout year--isn't even on the playoff roster (he's down at AAA!). Betemit looks like he will be a great player, but is now the time to find out? Could these equal things on offense? If it does, it could be a critical mistake. The main advantages the Braves enjoy is Smoltz and a superior lineup, so if they give up both, they could be in trouble. Outside of Smoltz, the rotation matches up fairly well. The Braves do seem to throw out the stronger overall starters, and the Giants also have top prospect Foppert--who has not done well--in the rotation instead of Kirk Reuter. In effect, the Giants may be making a Betemit style mistake with their rotation. But the Braves also hurt themselves by possibly placing Maddux at the #5 spot, where he would likely pitch. The bullpen battle clearly goes to the Giants, where they were dominant this year. The Braves have a shaky closer in King and questionable quality depth, so if they don't have the advantage in the lineup or in the rotation or the luxury of two Smoltz starts in five games, this could be a clincher for the Giants.

My Prediction: Braves in 5. I think the AI will come to its senses at least with respect to Smoltz, and that's two likely wins for the Braves. And that's too hard for the Giants--even with Bonds--to overcome.

Chief Rum

National League Division Series Preview

LOS ANGELES DODGERS vs CHICAGO CUBS


Commentary: I wish I understood why the AI sets things up the way it does. Maybe the lineups just aren't set yet. Or maybe this is just some horrible AI logic. Anyway, the Dodgers' AI seems to be suffering from some of the same problems suffered by the Braves and Giants. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, this means Perez--the only guy close to competing with Smoltz for the Cy Young--may not get the two starts the Dodgers need him to have. And meanwhile, the Cubs are being run right. They are starting their best pitcher, and Prior is a darn good one at that. No starting pitcher on the Dodgers besides Perez can really compare to Prior or the Cubs #2 Clement, so if Perez doesn't get a start opposite one of these two, there's a good chance the Dodgers will falter, especially with their hit-and-miss lineup. The Cubs, meanwhile, look like they have the bats to slaughter some of the guys the Dodgers might run out there. Both teams are hurt by injuries, although they seem to balance out a bit. The Dodgers lost Darren Driefort for at least the divisional series, and the Cubs lost Kerry Wood for pretty much the entire playoffs (he might be able to pitch in a World Series Game 7). Matching starters--they both held about the same position in their respective rotations. Both sides also lost a key reliever. Rod Beck will miss the divisional series for the Cubs, and Guillermo Mota is done for the season for the Dodgers. Basically, the only chance the Dodgers have is if Perez gets two starts, and they get their excellent bullpen into the act. They will need at least one other quality start fromt he rest of the group, but none have proved consistent enough.

My Prediction: Cubs in 4. Even with Perez pitching in the right spot, this would tough for the Dodgers. They just don't match up well with the Cubs. Their one clear strength--the bullpen--needs to be reached with a lead before it can be properly utilized.

Chief Rum

Chief Rum,

Generally OOTP does a good job of getting back to the best available rested starter in the playoffs. As long as the ratings hold up, Smoltz, Maddux, Perez, etc. should see early playoff action.

I am worried about the AI being smart and putting Hudson on the playoff roster so they can use him in game 3 against the Evil Empire.

Thanks for the info, GeneralMike. I kinda thought it would do that, too, but I wasn't sure.

As for the DL, yeah, that could be a concern. But it's countered by something I didn't mention-- the Yankees currently have Mariano Rivera on the DL. He's ready and able to come off, so I figured he would be in for this one, but he's still listed on the DL, too.

I guess we'll just have to play them to find out.

Chief Rum

Division Series Game One

Before I proceed with the first scores and rundowns, I thought I would let you guys know how it will work.

I will have a short game description/commentary, followed by the bolded score, and then a quick rundown of any pertinent stats. So if you don't want to be surprised byt he score--don't flick your eyes down to the score! :)

Minnesota at Boston

The Twins scored early off of Pedro, with a two-run homer by Torii Hunter in the first, and four more runs keyed by a Kevin Millar error in the third. The Sox got four back in the next two innings, with a Jeremy Giambi double, a Johnny Damon triple, and a David Ortiz two-run shot. But the Twins put it away for good, with a five-run seventh, once again allowed to happen by Millar's iffy glove. What is it with the Red Sox playoffs and iffy fielding firstbasemen? The inning, allowed to go on because of Millar's second error, eventually included a bases loaded walk by reliever Wille Banks, and then a grand-slam homerun by Jacque Jones.

Final: Twins 11, Red Sox 4

Other than the blips in the the third and fourth innings, Joe Mays pitched a great game, scattering 10 hits in 8.2 IP and striking out 5. Pedro Martinez seemed more dominant at times, but errors and a few bad pitches undid him. He lasted 6.1 IP, and allowed 3 earned runs--but 9 runs total. He had 8 K. Jones and Corey Koskie went 2-for-4 each. Koskie scored 3 runs, and Jones drove in 5--taking the POTG with him as well. Ortiz was Boston's best at 2-for-three. Only one hitter in either lineup--Boston's Jason varitek--did not get a hit in the game.

Oakland at New York

The A's drew first blood in the second when Eric Chavez clubbed a two-run tater. But the Yankees would quickly press the advantage against an unusually shaky Zito. An Alfonso Soriano solo shot, and a pair of doubles by Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada brought two runs home in the third to tie it up. And then int he fifth, the Yanks moved ahead with a collection of singles, a wild pitch by Zito, and a bases loaded walk--also by Zito. See what I mean by uncharacteristic? Yanks up 5-2. But this ain't over by a longshot. Jeter, of all people, booted a ball in the seventh, allowing a rally to continue that would eventually lead to a bases load single by Erubiel Durazo, and then Chavez's second dinger of the game, a three-run shot. The A"s blasted ahead to a 7-5 lead. The Yanks almost scored in the bottom of the seventh, but Terrence Long cut Jeter down trying to score on a single, anbd Zito worked his way out of a one-out, bases-loaded situation without allowing a run. It was all downhill from there. Each side added another run, and the usually dependable Bernie Williams had his second error of the game, but the most excitement after that was when Zito got Jason Giambi out looking, and then watched as the former Atheltic got himself tossed for arguing the call. The Yankee crowd falls into a hush.

Final: A's 8, Yankees 6

Neither Zito nor Yanks' starter Jeff Weaver were particularly effective. Zito went 8 IP. He allowed 10 hits and 5 earned runs. He had 6 walks, including two intentionals. Weaver let 7 runs go by in 6.2 IP, although only 2 were earned. He walked and struck out four apiece. POTG went to Chavez, of course, who was 3-for-5 with two homers and 5 RBI. He was aided by Long (3-for-4 and gunned Jeter out at the plate). Jeter went 3-for-3, but I doubt that consoled him, since his error in the seventh was the pivotal moment of the game.

San Francisco at Atlanta

The AI did make the right choices, moving up aces John Smoltz and Jason Schmidt into starts here. It seems clear, though, that they were still fatigued, because both were out of the game by the beginning of the fifth inning, despite pitching well. Schmidt allowed a solo shot to Rafeal Furcal in the first, and Smoltz responded in kind, giving up another clear-bases tater to Chad Curtis in the third. This stood as all the scoring in the game until the bottom of the sixth, when it had turned into a tight duel between the two bullpens. Giants' reliever Jason Christansen was unusually shakey in the sixth, though, walking in two runs after the Braves loaded the bases. But the Braves' pen is horrible, so it makes sense they couldn't hold it. Braves pitcher Yorkis Perez--who had a horrible season--walked the bases loaded, and then gave up a bases-clearing triple to Egardo Alfonzo. The Giants had the lead. But they just kept pouring it on, behind a solo shot by Damon Minor in the eighth, and a three-run homer by Alfonzo in the ninth. Giants win, going away.

Final: Giants 9, Braves 3

I said the bullpens could be the difference in this series, and this game is making me look like a prophet. The Giants allowed 2 ER in 5.1 relief IP, while the Braves gave up 8 runs, 7 earned, in 5 IP. The POTG is Alfonzo, of course, who went 3-for-4 and drove in 6 runs. The Braves got just five hits from their offense, and four of them were by Furcal (4-for-4).

Los Angeles at Chicago

A GeneralMike said, the game wised up and put Odalis Perez in to start for the Dodgers here against young Mark Prior. The Cubs didn't care, though. They scored a run in the first with a Mark Bellhorn triple, and then added another in the third when Bobby Hill drove in Bellhorn with a double. Shawn Green notched things up at two with a two-run shot off of Prior in the fourth. But it was all Cubs after that, as they started to chip away. Three homeruns--two solo shots by Moises Alou and Sammy Sosa, and a two-run dinger by Alex Ochoa--led to four runs in three innings. Prior was mostly untouchable, and the Dodgers just managed to get in a mercy run off of reliever Joe Borowski in the ninth.

Final: Cubs 6, Dodgers 3

Prior went 7.2 IP, allowing just 4 hits and 1 walk, and striking out 9. That's some pretty dominating stuff. Perez, perhaps pitching too soon, was more touchable than usual, allowing 8 hits and 3 earned runs in 5.1 IP. Sosa, the POTG, and Bellhorn led a 13-hit attack. Sosa went 3-for-4 with the HR, 2 runs and an RBI, while Bellhorn went 3-for-3 with a triple and a double. Green got two of the Dodgers' five hits and was pretty much solely responsible for what offense they produced. The Cubs did get some bad news--reliever Dave Veres pulled an elbow ligament in the ninth, and will miss the rest of the playoffs.

Chief Rum

Division Series Game Two

Minnesota at Boston

This one went into immediate pitcher's duel mode. Eric Milton got throught he first five innings in scoreless fashion, and allowed just two hits to the mighty Red Sox lineup. Derek Lowe was almost equally as good, giving up just four hits in the first five innings, although he did allow a run in the third when Chrsitian Guzman tripled and was driven home by a sac fly. It all came apart in the top of the sixth for Lowe, though. Two singles and a walk go another Twin home, and then Lowe allowed a three-run homer to Doug Mientkiewicz, breaking the game open. Michael Cuddyer followed with a back-to-back solo shot, and Lowe was done without getting a single out in the sixth inning. Milton continued to be untouchable. He finished the game, allowing just two more hits, and getting a playoff shutout. The Twins padded their score with a two-run shot by Justin Morneau in the eighth inning.

Final: Twins 8, Red Sox 0

Milton's brilliant performance netted him the POTG. He allowed four hits in 9 IP, walked just 1, and struck out 3. Lowe ended up with 6 ER in 5 innings, but that seems strange, given he pitched five fine innings. He just fell apart at a bad team. Mientkiewicz led the way for the Twins' hitters, going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI from his homerun. As if it didn't get bad enough for the Sox, the two runs scored by Morneau's homerun were allowed to happen by--yes--another Kevin Millar error, not the Sox were going to catch them with Milton pitching the way he was. And then Garciaparra hurt himself, suffering a stiff shoulder from a throw in the eighth. He'll be at 90% effectiveness for the remainder of the series. Twins lead the series, 2-0.

Oakland at New York

The AI shuffled the starters again, and came up with Chris Hammond for the Yanks, to go against the A's dominating ace, Mark Mulder. Both choices seemed solid, as they both were pitching well. The Yanks did get to Mulder early, using a Jorge Posada double and a Raul Mondesi single and some small ball to push across two runs in the bottom of the second. The A's seemed to be punchless themselves, although they turned a Hammond walk into a run in the fourth inning, when they maneuvered Mark Ellis over to third and then drove him in on a Scott Hatteburg doubleplay ball. Still, the Yanks had a 2-1 lead after four. Both sides continued to get mowed down. Hammond had control issues today, and he was eventually pulled in the sixth for Jonathon Johnson when Game 1 hero Eric Chavez came to bat. Chavez actually got a single off of Johnson, but then the pitcher got Hatteburg to ground out. Mulder continued to go for the A's, dominating the Yanks' lineup and hoping the A's offense would get it in gear. But it never did. Johnson gave way to Allen Watson, and then interim closer Steve Karsay, and they all did a flawless job.

Final: Yankees 2, A's 1

It's a shame Mulder got a loss, because he did pitch very well, getting an 8 IP complete game. He allowed 2 earned runs and scattered 10 hits and a walk, while striking out 7. Hammond got the POTG for his performance, which, while successful, was a bit more iffy (1 ER in 5.2 IP, 5 walks). Altogether, Oakland had just four hits on the day against Hammond and company. The series is tied, 1-1.

San Francisco at Atlanta

How about this for a story line? Russ Ortiz versus Damian Moss-- traded for each other in the offseason, and both facing their former teams in a pivotal playoff game. And they both stepped it up. Moss's stuff was all over the place, and few Braves hitters could catch up to it. He allowed just 2 hits in 6 IP, although he also walked four batters. Ortiz was giving up more hits (7), but he was dominating in his own way in 6.1 IP of work, with 7 K. When the two starters turned the game over to the pens, the score was still locked up at zero, in a true pitcher's duel. Jason Christiansen and Chad Zerbe shut down the Braves in the seventh and eighth, and J.D. Smart took care of the Giants through the eighth as well, so the score was still scoreless going into the ninth. The Braves trotted out regular closer Ray King. King immediately gave up a double to J.T. Snow, who was subsequently replaced by pinchrunner Neifi Perez. Yorvit Torrealba moved Perez over to third with a sacrifice bunt, and then pinchhitter Damon Minor proved the clincher, hitting a deep fly to center and getting Perez home by a sac fly. Robb Nen came in in the bottom of the ninth to get the save, and the Giants had a hard-earned win.

Final: Giants 1, Braves 0

The Braves got just three hits on the day, and their offense is just doing terrible. Moss got the POTG for his 6-IP, 2-hit performance. Zerbe got the win, and Snow led the way for the Giants, going 3-for-4, including the double which keyed the only score in the game. Giants lead the series, 2-0.

Los Angeles at Chicago

Whereas missing offense seemed to be a theme in the other games, the Cubs and Dodgers couldn't get enough of scoring. The Dodgers started off strong, with Adrian beltre opening the game with a homerun. They would get a collection of singles and walks off of Cubs starter Matt Clement to put up a 3-0 score before the Cubs had even come to the plate. Clement never really found his groove, and was done by the third. The Dodgers scored seven runs in the first four innings of play, five off of Clement. The Cubs weren't quiet themselves scoring a run in the first and third, but going into the bottom of the fourth, they were already down 7-2. They got tough and touched up Dodgers' starter Kazuhisa Ishii for three runs in the fourth, including a two-run homer by Damian Miller. The Cubs didn't score in the fifth, though, and the Dodgers padded their lead with help from a Daryle Ward double. Time was running out for the Cubs, down 8-5 going into the bottom of the sixth. Two rookies dueled there, as Morgan Burkhart faced off with Dodgers' reliever Alfredo Gonzalez. And Burkhart got the better of it with a solo shot. The Cubs would add another run that inning and close to within 8-7. You want irony? Mike Remlinger came in for the Dodgers against the Cubs in the bottom of the seventh, and a horrendous inning of mistakes began with LA. Beltre booted a ball, and Paul LoDuca had a passed ball. This, an intentional walk and a couple key hits netted the Cubs three more runs, as they raced past the Dodgers to get their first lead of the day at 10-8. Mark Guthrie, Kyle Farnsworth and Rudy Seanez proved up to the task Clement didn't and shut the Dodgers down the rest of the way for the harry win.

Final: Cubs 10, Dodgers 8

These two teams scored 18 runs on 29 hits against 11 pitchers in this game. I doubt any pitchers are going to want to reminisce about this one. Clement allowed 5 earned runs in 2+ IP, and was chased without an out in the third. Ishii wasn't much better, also allowing 5 ER, but in 4 IP. Remlinger got tagged with the loss, although only 1 of the 3 runs he allowed was earned. Moises Alou went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI to lead the way, and getting a POTG nod. Alex Ochoa went 3-for-3 and Miller 2-for-5, including the tater. For the Dodgers, surprisingly enough, Alex Cora was the big hitter, at 3-for-4. The Dodgers' first five hitters--none of whom were Cora--all got two hits apiece. Cubs lead the series, 2-0.

Chief Rum

My Sox are at it again. What is it with this team and not being able to win in the playoffs?

Great job on the updates and info, Chief. Keep it up.

Division Series Game Three

The eight teams got a much needed day break before today's games. It should be interesting to see how this will affect future pitching matchups, as all eight teams are going with their highest ranked and rested starter. I still can't believe the Yankees went with Weaver and Hammond, when they have Moose and Pettite available. :)

Boston at Minnesota

As with Game Two, this one started off as a pitcher's duel. The Twin's longtime ace Brad Radke went for them, and the Sox countered with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The Twins got a run first, using a Michael Cuddyer single and a Christian Guzman sacrifice fly to get a run in the bottom of the second. Then the BoSox got it back in the fourth, as Kevin Millar--fielding goat of Game 1--doubled in Manny Ramirez in the fourth. The score remained tense and tied through five innings, with the Red Sox's backs to the wall. Wakefield's stuff, as you might expect, was pretty wild. In the bottom of the sixth inning, he walked Jacque Jones with one out. A ground out got Jones to second, and then a Wakefield wild pitch got him to third. It seems fitting that Guzman should manage to eek out an infield hit, and that's what scored Jones and moved the Twins ahead 2-1. Reliever Wille Banks finished off the inning for the Sox, and struck out the first two Twins in the seventh before getting into trouble. He gave up a triple to Doug Mientkiewicz and walked Cuddyer. Paxton Crawford came in, but he couldn't get that third out either, allowing two basehits to drive Mientkiewicz and Cuddyer home. The Twins were now up 4-1, and Radke was still going strong, doing a fine imitation of Milton and his Game 2 complete game. The Sox threatened late, but they couldn't score, and the Twins complete the sweep. Sorry, DolphinFan1.

Final: Twins 4, Red Sox 1

Radke was POTG, going 8.1 IP and allowing the Red Sox just 4 hits. What the heck happened to the Sox' vaunted offense? Radke only threw 96 pitches, and struck out 2. J.C. Romero came in for the save. Wakefield did okay, with 2 earned runs in 5.2 IP. He allowed 7 hits and walked 3. Banks, who allowed the grandslam homer to Jones in Game 1, will probably need to go into the witness protection program with Millar to avoid assassination by angry Red Sox fans. Guzman went 2-for-2 and figured in two of the scoring innings.

New York at Oakland

What GeneralMike mentioned as a possibility seems to be quite true: Tim Hudson is still on the Dl, and will likely remain there, despite being perfectly healthy. The Yanks also lose Rivera, but you can't compare a closer's role to the key Game 3 start Hudson would have garnered. As a result, the A's have to go with shaky Ted Lilly today. The Yanks have Jose Contreras in response. Neither pitcher starts off too well. Lilly was hamstrung by an opening game error by Chavez. The Yanks used that an a couple singles to manufacture a couple runs. Then in the bottom of the first, the A's tied it back up with a two-run homer by Miguel Tejada. In fact, Tejada was proving to be the man for them, as he also hit a solo shot in the third to put them up 3-2. But the Yanks' mighty bats awoke in the fourth inning. Mike Frank and Alfonso Soriano got doubles with one outs, and then a string of three singles got more runs home, putting the Yanks up 6-3. They also chased Lilly. The A's wouldn't get much closer. The teams exhanged a run each over the next inning, but Contreras was just going too strong. In fact, the A's pen should be commended for doing very well in support of Lilly. They shut down his bad inning, and allowed just 1 ER in 5.1 IP. But Contreras and the Yankees' pen was too tough, and the A's offense couldn't generate the difference.

Final: Yankees 7, A's 4

Lilly was horrible, as expected. He went just 3.2 IP, allowing 9 hits and 6 runs, 4 of them earned. He also walked three batters. All told, the Yankees pounded out 16 hits. Soriano went 3-for-6 with 2 doubles, and Derek Jeter went 3-for-5. A surprising contribution came from DH Mike Frank, who also went 3-for-5, and figured in the Yanks big inning with a rally-opening double. The A's weren't too bad themselves with 11 hits, although they got most of them early. Tejada's two bombs put him at 2-for-4 with all 4 of Oakland's RBI. It also netted him the POTG in a losing effort. Contreras went 7 IP and struck out 7. He gave up 9 hits and 4 ER. Steve Karsay is doing a fine imitation of "injured" closer Mariano Rivera, throwing 1.2 scoreless IP to get his second save of the series. The Yanks move ahead in the series, 2-1.

Atlanta at San Francisco

The Braves' backs are to the wall. Nevertheless, they send out Jason Marquis to keep them alive. The Giants start Kurt Ainsworth. Both are young up-and-coming pitchers, but Ainsworth is the one coming off of a fine season. Still, the bats for both sides are pretty quiet early on. The Braves have really struggled on offense, so it was a good sign that they were able to manufacture a run int he top of the first, with a Rafael Furcal walk and stolen base, and a run-scoring single by Chipper Jones. That would be the one blip on the screen for the Braves for a while yet. The Giants tied it up in the bottom of the third when Chad Curtis, having a fine series, got a hold of a Marquis pitch and hit it into the bleachers. The score remained knotted at 1 going into the fifteh, when the Braves finally worked themselves out of their slump and figured out Ainsworth. They scored seven runs in three innings, exploding to an 8-1 lead by the eighth inning. Triples by Andruw Jones and Furcal were the key hits in the first two innings, and a three-run dinger by Javy Lopez was the big run-producer in the top of the seventh (and finally chasing Ainsworth). The Giants weren't done, though. After a day of mostly lost offensive opportunities, the Giants pushed across four in the bottom of the eighth. Edgardo Alfonzo provided most of the offense with a three-run homer that sent Marquis to the showers, and the Giants were only down 3, at 8-5 Braves. The Braves dashed those hopes in the top of the ninth, though, when pinchhitter Johhny Estrada--yes, the Millwood Estrada--hit a two-run homer to put the Giants away for good.

Final: Braves 10, Giants 6

So as it turns out, Marquis was the smart start after all. He didn't pitch great, but he pitched good enough, and the Braves' bats came alive. Marquis went 7.2 IP, scattering 6 hits, and allowing 4 ER. He struck out 5. Ainsworth, the more noted youngster, did far worse, allowing 8 ER in 6.1 IP. He got knocked around for 9 hits and also issued 5 walks. Lopez got the call for POTG, going 3-for-5, with the 3 RBI from his homer. Curtis went 3-for-5 with his homer in a losing effort. The Braves stave off elimination. The Giants still lead the series, 2-1.

Chicago at Los Angeles

Both teams are sending out young pitchers to the mound. The difference is that Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs starter, has proven to be at least a decent pitcher and he has a lot of talent, while Victor Alvarez finished the season with eight straight losses, and doesn't really have much discernible talent. I ahve to think an elimination game is the last thing they need to start Alvarez in, and much to the disgust of solid pitchers like Hideo Nomo and Kevin Brown, watching from the dugout. The Cubs take quick advantage, with Sammy Sosa clubbing a two-run homer off of Alvarez in the first. The teams traded runs in the second inning, and the Cubs had a 3-1 lead. Surprisingly, Alvarez settled down after that, and the Dodgers couldn't egt anything on Zambrano. After five innings, the score was still 3-1. Alvarez started the top of the sixth, though, with a walk, double and a single. He gave way to Alfredo Gonzalez, a rookie whose trips to the mound have given new meaning to the term "arsony". He allowed Alvarez's lasts two runners to score, and would have let more get by if Dave Roberts hadn't thrown Damian Miller out at home on a tag up. The Cubs are now up 6-1, and the Dodgers are on the edge of going home. Apparently, too close to the edge--the Dodgers only mount a late two-run comeback before falling. Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win!

Final: Cubs 7, Dodgers 3

The POTG was Miller, who went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI. He was aided by Bobby Hill, who also went 3-for-5. Zambrano went 5.2 IP, scattering 6 hits and allowing just 1 ER. He struck out 5. Alvarez finished with 6 ER allowed in 5 IP, and allowed 9 hits. Paul LoDuca provided much of the Dodgers' paltry offense, going 3-for-4 with a solo homerun. The Cubs eliminate the Dodgers.

Chief Rum

Thanks, DolphinFan1. You got me on the Red Sox. I have no idea why they would choke here. They were clearly the best team in the regular season. Oh well...maybe next year.

Chief Rum

Oakland better go back to Zito for game 4, or Im gonna be cryin.

We'll see, GeneralMike. I have found I don't even know who's going to start until after I sim the game and go back and look. The computer switches often it seems, and the projected starters aren't always the guys that take the mound.

Chief Rum

I know what you mean Chief. In my solo leagues, since I never know whats going to happen if I leave it up to chance, once I make the playoffs, I set the starting pitchers in game, and then use the sim to end option, but that doesn't bother you since your Angels aren't in the playoffs ;)

Division Series Game Four

New York at Oakland

As GeneralMike hoped, the opening game starters return for Game 4. Barry Zito goes for the A's, and Jeff Weaver for the Yankees. Of course this means that Mussina and Pettite won't pitch for the Yankees at all in this series. Ugh...how stupid. The A's, facing elimination, decide to get Zito the early lead. Erubiel Durazo opens the bottom of the second inning with a solo homerun, and Eric Chavez follows up with a double, eventually scoring on a Scott Hatteburg groundout. Zito shuts down the Yanks through three, so the A's have a 2-0 lead going into the fourth. The teams exchange runs there, moving up to 3-1. Another double by Chavez figured heavily into the A's scoring. Still, both pitchers seem to be going strong. The Yankees inch closer in the sixth inning, when Bernie Williams hits a bases-empty tater, and the score is 3-2. Zito and Weaver both stayed in, and the pitcher's duel axtended to the eighth. That's when former Athletic Jason Giambi got a hold of a pitch and crushed it over the right-centerfield wall, tying the game up. New pitcher Chad Bradford then issued a walk, allowed a single and hit a bitter to load the bases. Another new pitcher, Ricardo Rincon, induced Venurea into a grounder to first, but it was too late to stop the runner. The Yankees had come back and moved ahead of the A's 4-3, after being down all game. Maybe Zito was in too long? Well, it turns out the question is more was Weaver in too long. In the bottom of the eighth, Weaver struck out the first batter, but then allowed a walk and a single. Big Durazo, already with a homerun in the game, came up, and he blasted a ball to deep centerfield. It sailed over the wall, and the A's were excitingly back on top with a 6-4 lead! And that's how it would end up. The A's tied it and forced a Game 5 back in New York.

Final: A's 6, Yankees 4

Zito went 7.1 IP, and allowed just 7 hits. He gave up 2 ER, 3 runs overall, and struckout 4. Weaver's stats weren't far off through the first 7 IP, but that eighth inning made all the difference. He allowed 6 ER on 8 hits in 7.1 IP, and struck out 3. No shock who the POTG was--Durazo went 2-for-4 with 2 HR and 4 RBI. He was ably supported by Chavez, 3-for-3, with 2 runs scored and 2 doubles. For the Yanks, Giambi was the big guy, going 3-for-4 with a homer.

Atlanta at San Francisco

John Smoltz and Jason Schmidt return to the mound to battle it out. The last time, these guys barely pitched (although they pitched well), possibly because of fatigue issues. How long will they last today? Smoltz didn't have his best stuff today, but the Giants couldn't do much with it. They scattered six hits off of him in the first six innings. Schmidt was even more dominating. The Braves couldn't get anything off of him, and had just two hits through six. In the seventh, Schmidt stranded a double by Gar Sheffield. In the bottom frame, Smoltz struck out Darren Bragg, before giving way to J.D. Smart, who finished the rest of the inning without a problem. The score is still 0-0, and the tension is high--especially for the Braves, who seem to be slumping again and in an elimination game. Schmidt put down the Braves 1-2-3 in the eighth. New Braves pitcher Jason Jiminez got two outs in the bottom of the inning, but was replaced by Mike Venafro after he gave up a single to Edgardo Alfonzo. Venafro finished off the Giants, and we go to the ninth. Schmidt struck out Furcal to open the ninth, but he was finally sent to the lockeroom after walking Estrada. New Giants pitcher Joe Nathan flashed his stuff by getting Chipper Jones looking, and then closer Robb Nen threw three strikes by a flailing Andruw Joners. Braves closer Ray King, the goat of Game 2's pitching duel, overcame that and struckout the side in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. In the tenth inning, new pitcher Felix Rodriguez induced three straight groundouts to put the Braves down in order. King returned to the mound for the bottom of the tenth. Young catcher Trey Lunsford batted for Chad Curtis, and got a single off of King to open the inning. Rich Aurillia attempted to sacrifice, but the Braves threw Lunsford out at second. Barry Bonds got a walk (of course), moving Aurillia to second. All this set up Neifi Perez, who drilled a line drive basehit into short left-center. Aurillia rounded third as Chipper Jones got to the ball and heaved it home...but he's too late! Auriliia slides into home safe with the game and series winning run! The Giants beat the Braves in the NLDS for the second year in a row.

Final: Giants 1, Braves 0

The story of the game is the pitching, of course. Schmidt got the POTG nod, allowing just 2 hits in 8.1 scoreless IP. He struck out 6 and walked just 2 batters. Smoltz was almost as good, if not as longlasting. He also didn't allow a run, and scattered 6 hits in 6.1 IP. He struckout 8 in a diminant performance, walking 1 batter. King gets tagged with the loss, his second 1-0 loss in the series, and returns to the everlasting hatred of Braves fans at home. Edgardo Alfonzo is the only hitter in the game with more than one hit. He went 2-for-4. The Giants move on to meet the Cubs!

Chief Rum

True, Mike, true. Thanks for reminding me. :)

I'm glad it's not an issue for me right now, although I guess we'll see once I get those guys back into the playofs. :)

Chief Rum

Division Series Game Five

Oakland at New York

The final elimination game is back at Yankees Stadium. Talk about a pressure situation! As usual, the Yankees continue to go with the wrong pitchers (IMO) and are starting Chris Hammond. Of course, Hammond won last time, so who am I to say it's a bad idea? The A's counter with Mark Mulder, who pitched well in game 2, but got edged out in a tight game by Hammond and the Yanks' pen. Last time, the A's couldn't seem to figure Hammond out, despite the fact he wasn't exhibiting great command of his pitches. They had no such problems early on this one. The A's scored in each of the first three innings, putting up 4 runs. Most of the runs were scored by small ball and singles, although the two-run third was keyed by doubles by Miguel Tejada and Scott Hatteburg. Mulder allowed just one hit the first three innings, and the A's led 4-0. The Yankees came storming back after that, though. In the bottom of the fourth, Jorge Posada clubbed a two-run double and Mondesi drove in Posada with a double of his own, moving the Yanks within one. Hammond seemed to settle down and started shutting the A's down, holding them scoreless in his last two innings. Robin Ventura then hit a game-tying solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, and the series was up for grabs again. The Yankees didn't stop there, though. Mulder eliminated a runner with a double play in the seventh inning, but a walk and an infield hit were followed by a key error by leftfielder Terrence Long, allowing the go ahead run to score. After leading for so long, the A's were down 5-4! That just made the A's get tough and try harder--if you recall, they did the same thing last game and won the half-inning after losing the lead. And it happens again here. Antonio Osuna was going for it for the A's. He walked Eric Chavez, who was sacrificed over to second by Hatteburg. New pitcher Steve Karsay gave up a single to Erubiel Durazo, the Game 4 hero, and Chavez scored to tie it up again! Then came a moment of retribution. Eric Byrnes singled to move Durazo's pinchrunner, Jermaine Dye, over to third. This set the stage for the at bat of Long, the player whose error allowed the Yanks to move ahead last inning. Long allowed himself to sleep again by stroking a single to center and scoring Dye. It pretty much went from there. With nothing more than singles, the A's scored five runs total in the inning and jumped out to a 9-5 lead. Mulder shut the Yanks down in the bottom of the eighth, and the A's put it down for good in the ninth, when they scored three more runs on a homerun by--you guessed it--Long. The Yanks wouldn't say die and scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little too late. The A's have finally removed the goat of past failings against the Yankees and are moving on to meet the Twins.

Final: A's 12, Yankees 9

Mulder wasn't quite his dominating self, but he did the job. He went 7.2 IP, and allowed 5 runs, 4 earned. He struck out 3. Hammond allowed 4 ER in 5 IP. He was ably replaced by Osuna, who pitched two scoreless innings before the troubled eighth inning. You have to wonder what the Yankees would have done if they had Mariano Rivera like they should have. Long rightfully got the POTG. How nice is that? Going froma possible goat to the POTG in one inning. Long went 4-for-6, with 6 RBI, including the go ahead run in the eighth--and one error, of course. Byrnes went 3-for-4 and catcher Ramon Hernandez went 3-for5. Four Yankees collected 2 hits each, including Derek Jeter. Altogether, the two teams combined for 21 runs and 30 hits. We are spared a Yankees championship for the third year in a row. :)

Chief Rum

American League Championship Series Preview

MINNESOTA TWINS vs OAKLAND ATHLETICS


Commentary: From the looks of things, I'm thinking this is going to be one tight series. The A's seem to have some of the power the Twins lack, but that didn't seem to hurt the Twins against the even more fearsome offense of the Red Sox. The Twins seem to have steady, dependable starters. And the A's have two outright studs and some question marks after that. The real question is, which Twins team will show up? Will it be the one that didn't seem like it would make it out of the AL Central? Or will it be the one that dominated the Red Sox? That may be the question of the series. Hurting the A's is the fact that their late series with the Yankees may push Mulder's first start all the way back to Game 3. This series will also be interesting because it seems likely that both teams will need their fourth starters: possibly the Twins' best pitcher in Johan A. Santana and hotshot rookie stud Rich Harden for the A's. And then, of course, there's always the fact thatthese two teams met last year in the ALDS, and the Twins upset a great A's team.

My Prediction: Twins in 6. I think the inconsistency of Lilly and his more prominent role here is going to cause problems for the A's, who need Mulder and Zito to pitch as often as possible. If they do go to a Game 7, it seems likely Mulder will pitch that game, though, which would make things quite interesting.

Chief Rum

Chief,
Great reports. Must say, does this much detail make you feel so much more connected with the league and the players?

Thanks, SunDancer. And heck yeah it helps. I'm definitely more in tune with what's going on. And I'm hoping I am conveying some of that to you readers as well, so that we can all be immersed in the league. Maybe you guys will even begin to critique me on my moves. :)

I think we're even going to hit another level in the offseason, when we see how the AI works to improve its teams. I will be looking at the upcoming free agents and some future stars (high-ranked AAA and rookie players) as well, soon. Not to mention making my final decisions on the Angels whose contracts are up or set for arbitration.

Chief Rum

National League Championship Series Preview

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS vs CHICAGO CUBS


Commentary: It's always nice to have two teams with some history behind them. These two teams go back to the beginning of modern baseball. The Cubs haven't won a World Series since close to the turn of the century, and the Giants haven't won one since before they came out to San Francisco. Also, the Giants beat the Cubs in the '89 NLCS, and the Cubs beat the Giants in a '98 playoff for the wildcard spot. So these two teams meeting certainly leaves its mark in history. As for the actual matchup, it's the classic pitching versus hitting. The Cubs are the majors' most powerful team and one of its best offenses. And few teams can match the rotation or bullpen of the Giants. Neither team is a slouch in the other end either, but it's the clash of team strengths that will likely determine how this series goes. The Dodgers didn't have a great offensive team, so it's hard to tell just how good the Cubs' pitching can be. Prior was dominant, though. That said, they also have depth issues, thanks to the injuries to Kerry Wood and Rod Beck. The Giants' offense did pretty good against the Braves' tough starting pitching, but did they do enough to prove they could produce when needed?

My Predicition: Cubs in 7. I really think this series can go all the way. These teams are that close. If it goes to 7, I have to give the edge to Prior, who just dominated in the NLDS, and might even pitch in three games, depending on how the AI works it.

Chief Rum

Championship Series Game One

Minnesota at Oakland

Zito got the call for the A's, and he went up against Mays. This figures to be a close game. The Twins got on the board quickly, scoring three in the second inning. The bad news for the A's is that it was mostly accomplished by two errors, one by Zito himself and the other by Corey Koskie. Those and a double by Jacque Jones helped to put the Twins up 3-0 early on. On the other end, Mays was going strong until the fifth inning. There, Jermaine Dye smashed a double, driving in Eric Chavez, was on after being hit by a pitch. Then Terrence Long, the hero of ALDS Game 5, came up and clubbed a two-run homer to tie it up. Other than those two big innings, Zito and Mays seemed to continue on their merry way unscathed. Finally, in the top of the seventh, thw Twins used an intentional walk and three singles to push across two runs. The big hit came courtesy of pinch hitter Ruben Salazar, who's single drove in both runs. Mays and closer J.C. Romero made the lead stand up.

Final: Twins 5, A's 3

Mays was very solid, proving his Game 1 win in the ALDS was no fluke. He scattered 7 hits in 8 IP, and allowed 3 ER. Zito wasn't bad either, but he wasn't up to those standards. He also had 8 IP, but he had a lot of baserunners, with 12 hits allowed and 4 walks. He gave up 5 runs, 4 of them earned. Luis Rivas got the POTG nod, going 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI, but the offense was really generated by the combination of his work with that of Torii Hunter and Corey Koskie, both of whom also went 3-for-5. Twins lead the series, 1-0.

San Francisco at Chicago

Jason Schmidt was ready, after all, so he got the shot against Mark prior to start the series off. Neither pitcher started too well, though. In the top of the second, the Giants scored two runs, keyed by a double by Yorvit Torrealba. But that was small potatoes. The Cubs took Schmidt apart in the bottom frame. Schmidt oddly lost control and walked four batters in the inning. Those, doubles by Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou, and a two-run single by Corey Patterson, led to six runs for the Cubbies, and an early shower for Schmidt. J.T. Snow would hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and Barry Bonds a solo shot in the fifth, but the Cubs had already scored all they needed. They also padded the numbers and won going away.

Final: Cubs 9, Giants 5

Prior wasn't very good, allowing 5 ER in 5 IP, but he didn't have to be with the way Schmidt imploded. The Giants relievers did a decent enough job (3 ER in 6.1 IP), but the damage was done. Sosa went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI, and got the POTG award. It could have just as easily been Alou, who went 4-for-4. Meanwhile, the Giants only got 7 hits altogether.

Chief Rum

What's really bad, is that I'm following this dynasty more than I follow real baseball :)

Go Cubs!

Klayman, so am I. Have they started the baseball season yet?

You guys are a riot. Thanks, though. ;)

Real baseball can be fun still. I spent this last weekend catching highlights of my Angels obliterating the A's and returning the favor for a sweep by them last week.

In this one here, it's tough to say who I want to win. Cubs are a sentimental favorite, but I wouldn't mind the Twins winning either. Although I have nothing really against either team, I can't say I am too excited about the possibility of a Bay Area World Series.

We'll see how it all works out.

Chief Rum

Championship Series Game Two

Minnesota at Oakland

As I suspected, Mark Mulder is not ready to go today--he pitched too recently. The only reason Zito was able to go in Game One was because of the day off between Games Four and Five of the ALDS. So Lilly and his 5.00+ ERA gets the call for the A's. The Twins have no problems with who they are going with--Eric Milton shut the Red Sox out. Still, it was the A's that got on board first. Miguel Tejada doubled to open the second inning and was driven in by a Mark Ellis single. Lilly brought his good stuff today, fortunately for the A's. He shut the Twins down for the first five innings, allowing just three hits. Outside of the run in the second, Milton was similarly strong. In fact, after six innings, Milton had only allowed one hit--a fifth inning double by Ramon Hernandez--by Oakland outside of the two-hit second inning. Lilly, meanwhile, finally let a pitch skate too high int he sixth, and Corey Koskie crushed it to tie the score up at 1. That was stillt he score in the bottom of the seventh, when Tejada--Milton's bane--slammed a two-run tater to left-center, ad return the A's to the lead. Lilly was starting to waver, though, too. In the top of the eighth, he allowed an inning-opening double to Luis Rivas, who would score three batters later on a single by Bobby Kielty. Lilly was replaced by Jim Mecir, who allowed a game-tying single to Doug Mientkiewicz before putting the A's down. So the game is quickly tied once more. Milton was still in, though, and maybe he shouldn't have been. He left a mistake pitch over the plate for Scott Hatteburg, and the first baseman deposited it in the right-center bleachers for a go-ahead solo homerun. Keith Foulke came in the top of the ninth and shut the Twins down for good.

Final: A's 4, Twins 3

Milton got another complete game, although he wasn't as successful at it this time. He threw 8 IP, allowed 7 hits and 4 ER, and he struck out 4. Lilly was very strong, striking out 9 batters in 7.1 IP. He allowed 6 hits and 3 ER, whilke walking just one batter. Tejada got the POTG nod after his homerun and double were a main part of the A's offense. He went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Kielty went 2-for-3 in a losing effort for the Twins. The series is tied now, 1-1.

San Francisco at Chicago

Matt Clement gets the call tonight for the Cubs. He was lit up pretty hard by the Dodgers, but got away with it because of some great hitting by the Cubs. The Giants throw out Damian Moss, who got a no decision in the first 1-0 game with the Braves. He pitched very well in that game. The Cubs tagged Moss early, getting a run after Bobby Hill got a double in the bottom of the second. He was driven in with a single by Alex S. Gonzalez. Other than that, the score stayed 1-0 for most of the game. Neither side scored any other runs through five innings. In fact, Moss no-hit the Cubs outside of the second inning, while the guy who held the Giants scoreless, Clement, struggled a bit, walking five batters and giving up two hits through six. The Cubs finally got to Moss again, when Alex Ochoa knocked a double to open the inning. He would eventually score on a groundout. Clement needed help to get out of the bottom of the seventh, and reliever Joe Borowski came in and kept the frustrated Giants off the board. Damian Miller then doubled ina third run int he bottom of the seventh to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. They were just chipping away, and barely holding the Giants down. But that's what they did. Five Cubs relievers, including Borowski, managed to limit the Giants to just a solo shot by pinch hitter Trey Lunsford in the ninth, and the Cubs walked away with the win.

Final: Cubs 3, Giants 1

This game was all about the pitching. The guy who got the loss was actually the best pitcher in the game in many respects. Moss pitched 7 innings, and struck out 10 Cubs. He gave up 6 hits and 3 ER. Clement really struggled with his control, walking 6 in 6.2 IP. Of course, the Giants couldn't reaaly put a bat on his stuff either, as he struck out 7, gave up just 3 hits, and held them scoreless. That seemingly hide-and-seek performance earned him the POTG award. This wasn't a game for hitters. Only two players--the Cubs' Gonzalez and the Giants' J.T. Snow--got more than one hit (they each had two). Cubs lead the series now, 2-0.

Chief Rum

Championship Series Game Three

Oakland at Minnesota

The Twins' workhouse of a pitcher Brad Radke would be taking the ball today. As expected, facing him would be the A's ace Mark Mulder, finally ready to appear in a game. Radke was okay in his game against the Sox, but he didn't dominate. Mulder was very good at times in his two starts against the Yanks, but also shaky at others. The A's got to work early, tagging Radke for runs in the first two innings. Mitch Meluskey hit a solo shot in the first, and Chris Singleton doubled in a run in the second to give the A's a two-run lead. Mulder held up the lead until the third inning. He opened the inning by allowing opening singles to Luis Rivas (who is proving to be a thorn in the A's side) and Torii Hunter. These two would provide us with a pivotal scene to describe twins baseball when they would execute a successful double steal, putting runners at second and third. And sure enough, Doug Mientkiewicz came through, driving them both home with a basehit to left to tie the score. Hunter would figure in things again in the fourth, when he put the Twins ahead with a two-run double. And in the fifth, rookie Justin Morneau singled home Mientkiewicz after the first baseman doubled to reach base. After three straight scoring innings, the Twins were up 5-2. Meanwhile, Radke shook off the early jitters and came through in spades. After the second inning, he threw six innings of shutout ball, scattering three hits. Oakland never had a chance.

Final: Twins 5, A's 2

In total, Radke allowed 7 hits and 2 ER in 8 IP of work. He struck out 4. Mulder, though, looked much more human, allowing 5 ER in 5.2 IP. He also gave up 11 hits. He did strikeout 8, and only walked one, which hints that maybe some of his balls straightened out too much, especially in the middle innings where the Twins did their damage. Hunter got the POTG for going 4-for-4 with 2 RBI. Mientkiewicz went 3-for-4. The Twins lead the series, 2-1.

Chicago at San Francisco

Carlos Zambrano is a youngster who struggled at times this year. He did okay, but didn't really dominate in the NLDS. Kurt Ainsworth, though also young, had a very solid season and had a fine start in the NLDS. So Ainsworth will dominate, right? Right...the Cubbies tagged Ainsworth right from the beginning. Corey Patterson opened the game with a triple, and Damian Miller followed him with a two-run blast. The Cubs would end up scoring three times in the opening frame. Ainsworth kept things under control for two innings after that, but the Cubs weren't to be denied forever. They got another run after Bobby Hill opened things up with a triple. Zambrano himself brought the man home with a sac fly. In the fifth, the Cubs really broke it open. Two singles and two walks into the inning, the Cubs had added two more runs, and Ainsworth was out of the game. They got a third run off of Joe Nathan and left the top of the fifth with a 7-0 lead. Then they nailed it up good with a five run sixth, including doubles by Patterson and Alex S. Gonzalez. With that kind of support, Zambrano needed little help, although he pitched like he did. He threw seven innings of shutout ball, and the Cubs massacred the Giants.

Final Cubs 14, Giants 1

Zambrano had some wild stuff in 7 IP, allowing just two hits, but walking 4. He struck out 5, and generally had his way with the Giants. Ainsowrth allowed 7 ER in 4 IP, and Nathan 5 ER in just 1 IP. It was pretty pathetic. The Giants amassed a grand total of just 3 knocks on the day. There were many heroes on offense for the Cubs, but the game picked Miller for the POTG. The catcher went 3-for-5 with a homerun, a double and 3 RBI. Moises Alou continues a great series, going 4-for-5 with 3 RBI himself, and Patterson went 2-for-4, with a double and a triple. The Cubs may be smelling sweep here, up 3-0 in the series.

Chief Rum

Go Cubs! Wow - I've never seen so many triples. It definitely looks like Alou should be series MVP at this point.

Ugg. Why didn't the As take Hudson off the DL?

A Cubs-Twins World Championship? That's something you don't see in reality.

ShagVT: I haven't actually checked to see if triples are up across the board, but I guess it's possible. Maybe the breaks have just come down that way for the postseason.

As for Alou, he is 9-for-16 for the series, and that includes a 1=for-4 in the next game I am about to post about it. So, yeah, he was 8-for-12 in the first three games. He is hitting .483 through seven games in the 2003 postseason. I didn't look anyone else over, but I'm thinking that would be pretty hard to beat for a series or postseason MVP nod thus far.

General Mike: It appears to be a rather idiotic bug. I don't know why the AI would have roster instructions that would keep an available, good and healthy player on the DL, but that's where we are. It should be noted that the Yankees lost Mariano Rivera in pretty much the same way, and the Cubs are currently going without Rod Beck, who suffered a minor injury in the divisional series and is already healthy. It's altogether stupid as heck, and maybe next year (when I am prepared for it), I will make what changes need to be made. But that's a thought for another time--I'm not sure how far I should go in adjusting computer rosters without it being considered "tampering". I don't want to spoil the legitimacy of the dynasty.

SunDancer: We may not see it here either. Long way to go in these ones. Well, okay, it's unlikely the Giants will come back. :)

Chief Rum

Championship Series Game Four

Oakland at Minnesota

Well, the AI returned rather quickly to Barry Zito and Joe Mays. Perhaps the top pitchers will get a shot at starting three games of a seven-game series. As they have done in some recent games, the A's jumped on top early. This time, though, they scored more runs than usual, putting a big four up in the top of the second. Mays loaded the bases with a couple walks and a single, but had gotten to two outs, so he almost got out of it. But then he made a mistake pitch to Chris Singleton, and the unlikely hero blasted it away for the second grandslam of the 2003 postseason (Mays' teammate Jacque Jones being the first to accomplish the feat in Game 1 of the ALDS, if you will recall). The A's didn't stop there. In the top of the fourth, they pushed across two more runs, with Singleton again figuring in things with a run-scoring single. Meanwhile, as Mays struggled, Barry Zito was--for the first time, really--Barry Zito. He was untouchable; easily had his best game of the postseason. The Twins were baffled by him all day long, and wouldn't you know it, at the end of it all, he had nearly pitched a two-hit shutout. And one of the two hits was an infield hit. He missed the shutout when he was pulled with one batter in the ninth. They should have just let him finish it.

Final: A's 7, Twins 0

For all of Singleton's accomplishments, I think the game gave the POTG award to the right guy in Zito. He went 8.1 IP, and struck out 9. He allowed 2 hits and only walked one. Counting two errors by his shaky defense, Zito allowed just five baserunners all day, and no one advanced past second. Mays, though, had his first bad performance of the postseason, allowing 6 ER in 4 IP. He also allowed 5 hits and walked 4 batters. Singleton--the #9 batter, BTW--went 2-for-4 with 5 RBI. The series is now tied, 2-2.

Chicago at San Francisco

Neither Mark Prior nor Jason Schmidt were very good in Game 1, but they are the aces of this team, so the AI recalled the two of them to mound action today. The Giants, of course, are trying to stave off an embarrassing sweep, and prolong their postseason another day. The Cubs would like to finish them off, so they can start resting their pitchers for the World Series against a likely fatigued AL opponent. Things went the Cubs way at first. In the top of the second, they used a pair of singles and a fielder's choice groundout to get a run home and take an early lead. But the Giants were tired of getting thrown around, so they finally got back into the swing of things in the third and fourth innings. Jose Cruz Jr. rattled Prior first, clubbing a deep solo homer to left. Cruz has been very silent all postseason, but he came up big here, hitting a 468-foot bomb! Then the Giants scored three more runs in the third, thanks in part to an Edgardo Alfonzo two-run single. SF batted around in the inning. Then in the fourth, they added two more runs. The key hits were doubles by Chad Curtis and, yes, Cruz. He was having a good day. Apparently, this was enough for Schmidt, who put his bad memories of Game 1 behind him, and threw a strong seven innings. The Giants survived for Game 5.

Final: Giants 6, Cubs 1

Schmidt, like Zito, overshadowed a strong offensive performance by a teammate to garner POTG mention. He threw 7 IP, and struck out 8. He allowed just 1 ER, 5 H and 2 BB. Prior was very "Mays-esque" is allowing 6 ER in an eerily similar 4 IP. It feels like the same game was played twice--just the team names were switched. :) Cruz went 2-for-3 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored. The Giants are still down 3-1, but maybe there's a glimmer of hope.

Chief Rum

Chief, check your pm.

Chief, I finally got around to start reading this and hopefully I'll have a witty comment or two to make. This is going to be a fun read, I can tell already.

I have to say that was one of the best 2 hours of reading (looong lunch) I have had here. This reminded me of the time I started reading your Medieval dynasty. This dynasty, imo, is the single best personal-style dynasty I have ever read! Your history of the Angels was superb, exactly the right tone and balance of highlights and lowlights. (The first ML game I went to was Ryan's Angels in 1976, btw.)

Couple of comments:

Do you know about the Player Watch feature? I haven't tried it out by apparently you can put players in there and it will keep track of their stats and development. This would be good for your minor leaguers (like your cousin and friend), as well as players on other teams.

Sorry about the bugs. I guess when one gets into the game with exacting details, problems do become more apparent. I really hope that 5.10 takes care of at least some of them.

The transactions surprises me, not just the type of players they released but in my careers, I have always seen the AI rapidly pick up released players in FA. In other words, I would see just as many FA signings as I would releases. By the time I get around to looking, there are always no one left worth looking at. But then again, it could be another difference between playing a current league vs a historical league. I know you are aware of this but for others, the AI does not know who any of these players are - just the ratings/age/salaries - which threw a lot of folks screaming why the Yankees would release Clemens. But again, 5.10 seems do a better job at evaluating better.

Keep up the great work (and don't forget about keeping us up to date on Poland).

Got it, SunDancer, as you know since we talked on AIM. I have my settings here to alert me whenever I get a PM, so I won't be missing any.

Anrhydeddu: It's about time. :)

Thanks for the compliments. This has been a fun one. As you know, I can get very involved in the stats, and baseball is by far the stat-friendliest and most statistically-detailed game in the world.

Also, I'm big into immersion (one of the reasons I love CM, although I know you don't want to hear it ;) ), and going into this kind of detail really allows me to get into the "world" of the league. And I hope I am also allowing others to do the same with that same detail.

Yeah, the bugs are annoying, but I am hoping that 5.10 will fix that. They changed the AI's evaluation of players to better emphasize actual stats for financial purposes (that, I am sure of), but I don't know if they just did it for finances, or if they also did it for AI decision-making. The finances would be a nice addition, but I really think that it's necessary for overall AI decision-making.

I can understand the game releasing players--even great players--if they are doing poorly. Biggio was doing badly for the Astros, for instance. But, man, Clemens might have been the Yanks best pitcher at that point. That just plain sucks. So hopefully the amphasis on stats also extends to AI decision-making. Really, the whole process of AI evaluation of players needs to include more emphasis on stats, and if it does, the rest of the routines should take care of their own.

Yeah, I haven't put the Player Watch feature to good use yet. Seems like a neat little thing, but I wasn't sure I needed it. But, yeah, I think putting my cousin and my friend on there would be a great idea. Also, I could start to add "unfairly released" players to the list, or vets approaching milestones. I definitely think I could put this feature to better use.

I'm jealous. I never got to see Ryan pitch in person. Saw him a lot on TV, of course. I was only seven when he left the Angels, and I don't remember any games from that long ago (my earliest clear memory of one was in '80, when I was a Little Leaguer, and we got to stand on the field of the Big A and see the players up close. It was a bunch of OC Little Leagues, so there were hundreds of 8-9 year olds. :) ). I was too afraid to approach any of the players (I didn't know if I could or not).

Don't worry about the warriors of the Great Northern Kingdom. The travails of Poland are never far from my mind, and I will return to that.

Chief Rum

Championship Series Game Five

Oakland at Minnesota

Eric Milton and Ted Lilly return to duty for this one, as GeneralMike rolls his eyes about Hudson not pitching this one. ;) With the series tied up, this has to be considered a pivotal game. Whoever wins will have the advantage going into the last two games in Oakland. The A's have been really good at taking early leads of late and this game is no different. They score three runs in the first two innings. Terrence Long scored after a double in the first, and Scott Hatteburg's double in the second was a key hit in a two-run inning. Bobby Kielty got a couple runs back for the Twins in the bottoms of the second and fourth with solo homeruns, but they were still down 3-2. The A's scored another in the fifth with a Miguel Tejada solo shot, but then Kielty went back to his antics again in the bottom of the inning, doubling in Torii Hunter (who had also doubled). This has beena very seesaw game so far, although the A's have just managed to maintain their lead. They extended by another run in the seventh, tanks in part to a double by Adam Piatt. But in the bottom of the seventh, the Twins finally bridged the gap when Hunter clubbed a game-tying two-run homerun. The game was tied, and both Milton and Lilly were out of the game. This one is up to the pens. The eighth and ninth innings go by without anyone crossing the plate, so this critical game is going to extras. In the top of the tenth inning, Twins closer J.C. Romero gets one out, but hung a pitch to Hatteburg. The firstbaseman crushed it to deep left-center, and the A's had a 6-5 lead. Kent Foulke was flawless in the bottom of the inning, putting the Twins down 1-2-3, and the A's are now a game away from the Series.

Final: A's 6, Twins 5

Neither starter lasted long, nor really deserved to. Lilly went 6 IP, and allowed 4 ER and 8 H. Milton only lasted 5.2 IP and let 3 ER get by. Chad Harville was the pitching star, throwing three scoreless innings late in the game and getting the win. Despite being ont he losing end, Kielty was given the POTG award for going 3-for-5 with 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 HR and a double. Hunter also went 3-for-5, with a HR and double, but it did them little good. The A"s were more well-rounded on offense, getting top contributions from Hatteburg, who went 3-for-5 and hit the go-ahead homerun, and Piatt, who also went 3-for-5. The A's lead the series, 3-2.

Chicago at San Francisco

This one should be fun. :) Matt Clement and Damian Moss are the starters today, but I'll just go ahead and let you all know they don't pitch particularly well. This one was going to be a barnburner from the beginning. The Cubs pushed a run across in the second with a Damian Miller double, then they broke open a good lead with four runs in the third. Moss got in trouble with some walks, and then the runs were scored on a two-run single by Sammy Sosa and a follow-up two-run jack by Mark Bellhorn. Clements' strong performance lasted until the fourth inning, when he let his team's 5-0 lead evaporate. The Giants stormed back with four runs of their own, most of which came in on a Yorvit Torrealba three-run tater, and pushing the score to 5-4 Cubs. It took the Giants a couple more innings to get past the Cubs, but when they did, they put another four-spot up, across two innings. Jose Cruz Jr. clubbed a two-run homer in the sixth, and Torrealba came through again in the seventh, with a two-run homer, and giving the Giants an 8-5 lead. Can the Giants hold off elimination for another day? Not if the Cubs have anything to do about it. Corey Patterson hit a two-run single in the eighth to move the Cubs within one at 8-7. But they were still down going into the ninth inning. And the Giants had one of baseball's best finishers on the mound in Robb Nen. Not that the Cubs care! Moises Alou opened things up with a single, and was replaced on the basepaths by Kimera Bartee. After a walk to Sosa, Bellhorn drove a single into rightfield, scoring Bartee with the game-tying run! But the Giants could still get out of this one tied. They intentionally walked Bobby Hill, loading the bases. But it didn't work. Alex S. Gonzalez smacked a shot down the left field line, and when all was said and done, two more Cubs were home and Gonzalez was standing on second. The Cubs tagged on some more runs, but the Giants were done anyway.

Final: Cubs 13, Giants 8

Obviously, this one was all about the offenses, with 21 runs and 24 hits by both sides. Bellhorn got the POTG nod, going 4-for-5, with 3 runs and 3 RBI each. He was most ably supported by Gonzalez, who also went 4-for-5. For the Giants, Torrealba figured in much of their scoring and finsihed his season on a fine note, going 4-for-5 with 5 RBI. The pitching was horrible, of course, and Nen finished off his season with 5 ER while not getting a single out. That's right, folks--the Giants are eliminated, and the CUBS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! I can't even begin to tell you how long it's been--I just know it's been a long, long time. The 30s? I know Babe Ruth did his famous "calling the shot" against the Cubbies in '32. Was that the last time we saw these guys in the Series? Wow...

Chief Rum

Championship Series Game Six

Minnesota at Oakland

It seems almost like it came out of nowhere. After Game Three of the ALCS, the Twins had a 2-1 series lead over the A's after sweeping the Red Sox. Just two games later--including a Game 5 extra inning thriller--the Twins are on the brink of elimination, and the A's potentially on the verge of chasing away the ghosts of recent lost postseasons. The Twins will go with the steady Brad Radke, and the A's are throwing their best in Mark Mulder. Radke came out on top in Game 3. Could he do it again? The A's quickly answered that question. They used three singles and an error by DOug Mientkiewicz to get two runs on the board and take the early lead. After Mulder took care of the business in the top of the second, they came back for more--and once again, the Twins were hurt by an error, this time by Luis Rivas. After Terrence Long got on with the error, Game Four hero Chris Singleton crushed a two-run homerun to move the A's up to 4-0. Two batters after Singleton, Miguel Tejada tripled in a third run, and Radke was done for the day--having not gotten even one out in the second. Tejada would eventually come in on a sac fly, giving the A's a 6-0 lead. Mulder went to work on the other end, and really came through. He allowed just two hits in seven innings, and was dominating the Twins, much like Zito had. Unfortunately for the A's, though, the Twins still had some punch left, and Mulder was a tired pitcher in the eighth inning. Torii Hunter hot a two-run double, and Corey Koskie followed it with a two-run longball to bring the Twins within two of the A's. Then in the ninth, Keith Foulke came in, which usually marks an easy three outs and an Oakland victory. But not so easy this time. Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer greeted him with back-to-back singles, putting the tying run on first. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners. A.J. Pierzynski lifted a fly to center, and Morneau tagged up. Singleton had designs on getting him at home, but his throw went wild, putting the tying run at second, and the A's barely hanging on to a 6-5 lead. Rivas--he of the key second inning error--was all that stood between the A's and the World Series. So Rivas...flew out to right-center. Game over.

Final: A's 6, Twins 5

It's a tale of two pitchers. For all the damage he was tagged with at the end, Mulder pitched a strong game, striking out 9 and scattering 6 hits in 7.2 IP. He allowed 4 ER in that span. Meanwhile, Radke was given credit for just 1+ IP, and he allowed 6 ER in what will no doubt be a start that stays heavy on his mind throughout the offseason. Singleton's late error did not stop him from receiving the POTG award. He went 1-for-3, with the two-run homer in the second. Personally, I think I would have given it to Tejada (2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, with a triple). But who cares? The A's are in the World Series--their first trip since 1990, when they lost to the Reds. And the first visit by this era of A's, predictaed by many to reach this exalted point much sooner than 2003.

Chief Rum

2003 World Series Preview

CHICAGO CUBS vs OAKLAND ATHLETICS


Commentary: I did it. I couldn't take the DL thing anymore, and I figured a break between series was a fine time to make changes. Also, I didn't want this Series to be decided because a team didn't have someone they should have. I have been lucky so far, because the Cubs and A's were the two teams hurt worst by this, but someone has to lose this thing, and I don't want to give either team an excuse. :) So I sent down Aaron Harang and put Tim Hudson back on the active roster. And I sent down a needless third centerfielder in Kimera Bartee, and put Rod Beck back on the active roster. And if he heals fast enough, I will also put Kerry Wood back on the Cubs roster. He is scheduled to be down for another week, so he could conceivably be available for a Game 6 or a Game 7. Now, as for this Series, I think it could be a tough one for the Cubs. The A's have pitching and hitting. So do the Cubs. But they just don't look as strong out there. The only area they match up with the A's is power, which they have aplenty. But will that be enough? The Cubs have been playing well, and the A's have struggled to put away their opponents in both of the previous series. But I really think the A's are the better team, so this should be a very interesting matchup.

My Prediction: A's in 6. The Cubs will steal a couple, but the A's will end up taking it, prolonging the Cubs' curse for at least another year. Of course, it should be noted that I am only batting .500 in my predictions so far this postseason.

Chief Rum

2003 World Series Game One

Chicago at Oakland

Game One goes to the aces, of course. Barry Zito and Mark Prior get the call in this one, so I am hoping for a tight and exciting game. Zito actually starts off in trouble, allowing two Series opening singles, but he managed to work his way out of the jam without giving up a run. Prior wasn't so lucky. It's amazing to me how the A's keep jumping out to early leads. If these were real players, I would think the A's' opponents would be falling apart from the stress. Anyway, Prior let two runners get on base when Miguel Tejada hit a double and Erubiel Durazo drew a walk. Still, he had gotten two outs and looked like he might get out of it when Eric Chavez smashed a three-run shot over the right-center wall. So the A's jumped to a 3-0 lead before the first inning was up. Zito continued to be shaky, allowing two more hits in the second, and walking two batters in the third. He didn't get his first 1-2-3 inning until the fourth inning. Nevertheless, he held the Cubs scoreless up to that point. The A"s were quiet themselves until the bottom of the fourth, when Jermaine Dye doubled, and eventually scored on a Prior wild pitch. 4-0 A's. Zito was rolling now. He eliminated a hit in the fifth with a double play, and he had another 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Dye went to work again, this time hitting a solo homerun. The Cubs finally got to Zito in the seventh, although he had already gotten two outs by the time they did anything. Damian Miller got on with a single, and then advanced to second on a passed ball by Mitch Meluskey. Then Morgan Burkhart drove him home with another single. But it wasn't nearly enough. Zito and the A's dominated this one.

Final: A's 5, Cubs 1

Zito gets the POTG, as he should have. He pitched a complete game, 7-hitter, allowing just 1 ER. He walked 2, and struck out 7. Prior was all over the place. He only allowed 3 hits, but he walked 4 batters and struck out 5 in 5 IP. That says his ball was all over the place. Neither he nor the hitters knew very well where it was headed, it seems. Dye went 2-for-3, woth 2 runs and 1 RBI. Chavez went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI from his first inning jack. A's take the early Series lead, 1-0.

Chief Rum

2003 World Series Game Two

Chicago at Oakland

The Cubs got a pleasant surprise today when the A's determined Mark Mulder, the staff ace, isn't quite recovered yet from his ALCS Game 6 start against the Twins. So the A's are going with Tim Hudson today, in his first start of the postseason. The Cubs are countering with Matt Clement, who has been up-and-down this November. He has pitched well in spots, and he started the Cubs' series clinching win over the Giants, but he was tagged hard in a game that was won by the offense, not pitching. The first inning was quick and easy, as both pitchers put their sides down without letting a run go by. The second inning wasn't so quiet. Hudson gave up a single to Moises Alou, and then young Bobby Hill hit a two-run homer to left-center to give the Cubs their first lead of the series. It didn't last long, though, since the A's used a walk, two singles and a sac fly to tie the game up in the bottom of the inning. In the third, Sammy Sosa slammed Hudson's first pitch deep over the wall in center, so you know this was going to be a bad inning for Hudson. After that solo shot, the Cubs added three more runs, with the help of doubles by Damian Miller and Hill again. And that was it for Hudson--his debut was not so hot. Continuing the tit-for-tat, the A's charged back with two in the bottom of the third, courtesy of an Erubiel Durazo two-run dinger. After just three innings, the score was already 6-4 and one starter was out of the game. The Cubs jumped all over Hudson's replacement, Chad Harville, in the fourth inning, as Morgan Burkhart clubbed a three-run homerun after Harville walked the first two batters in the inning. Now, the Cubs had a commanding 9-4 lead. The A's finally stopped coming back, and it was cruise control the rest of the way.

Final: Cubs 13, A's 5

No A's pitcher escaped unharmed, and there were four of them. Hudson let 5 ER go in 2.1 IP, with 7 hits and 6 runs total. Harville let 3 ER go by in 1.1 IP. Clement wasn't so hot himself, allowing 4 ER, 4 hits and 4 BB in 6.1 IP, but you don't have to be that good when your offense played the way the Cubs' did. Former DL mate Rod Beck pitched out the rest of the game, going 2.2 IP, and allowing 1 ER. The Cubs had 16 hits, and only Corey Patterson went 0-fer (going 0-for-6, ouch). Hill gets the POTG award, going 4-for-5 with 2 runs and 3 RBI, thanks in part to a homer and a double. Burkhart went 2-for-5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs. We're tied up at 1-1.

Chief Rum

2003 World Series Game Three

Oakland at Chicago

After a day off, the two teams start up again at Wrigley Field. The good news for Game Two for the Cubs was avoiding Mark Mulder. The bad news is that you have to face him eventually, and today is the day. Mulder will face off with the young Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano has had some good appearances this postseason, but Mulder has been very good. This should be a tough one for the Cubs--and in a key game, too. One bonus for the Cubs--Erubiel Durazo, the A's powerful DH, is on the bench. Both pitchers get through the first without trouble. In the top of the second, though, the A's drew first blood, when Terrence Long reached on an infield hit, and Chris Singleton doubled him in to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. That was just an appetizer, though--the A's really lit into Zambrano in the third. A Mark Ellis single and a free pass to Jermaine Dye turned into three runs when Miguel Tejada drove a Zambrano pitch over the right-field wall. And to pile it on some, Eric Chavez followed Tejada with a solo shot, going back-to-back, and chasing Zambrano. Joe Borkowski got the last two outs of the inning, but the A's were up 5-0 with their best pitcher on the mound. The Cubs used a walk, a single and some small ball to finally get on the board, but 5-1 isn't much better than where they were before. And the A's are just cruel. Would you believe that in the top of the fifth, they hit another pair of back-to-back homeruns? And get this--it was Tejada and Chavez again! Wow! Someone go check Elias to see if that's ever happened before, period, much less in a postseason game. Need I go on? The Cubs are done in this one.

Final: A's 9, Cubs 3

Ouch. Good thing Mulder will at best pitch in just two games. He allowed 3 ER in 8.1 IP, scattering 7 hits and striking out 5 Cubs. Zambrano will want to forget this one, allowing 5 ER in 2+ IP. POTG goes to Tejada, who went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI and two jacks. Chavez could have gotten it, too, going 3-for-4, with 3 runs, 2 RBI and, of course, also 2 homers. Sammy Sosa was 1-for-2, with 2 RBI, 2 BB and a HR, but he needed more help from his teammates. The A's move ahead in the Series, 2-1.

Chief Rum

2003 World Series Game Four

Oakland at Chicago

Back to the beginning. Barry Zito and Mark Prior return, in a rematch of Game One, a game in which Zito clearly outpitched Prior. Which Prior will show up today? From the early going, it appears that the good one is here. But Zito is the same, too. These guys allow just a run apiece through six innings. The A's got their run in the top of the second. Eric Chavez doubled, and then got driven home by a Scott Hatteburg single. The Cubs tied it up in the bottom of the fifth with an identical set up--a Bobby Hill double, followed by a run-scoring single by Alex S. Gonzalez. The 1-1 pitcher's duel went into the seventh inning, as Prior set the A's down again. Zito finally falters, though, in the bottom of the seventh. After walking Hill, Zito gave up back-to-back doubles by pinch hitter Angel Echevarria and Damian Miller, scoring two runs. Alex Ochoa then drives Miler in with a single. The Cubs are on top, 4-1, in a must-win game. The Cubs perhaps make a key mistake here, though, replacing Prior with Kyle Farnsworth in the top of the eighth. Farnsworth gets the first two outs, but gives up a single to Chavez, and is removed for Dave Veres. Veres then gives up a run-scoring double to Mitch Meluskey, and a follow up RBI single by pinch hitter Erubiel Durazo. After Durazo's pinch runner, Bobby Crosby, advanced to second on an error by Morgan Burkhart, Eric Byrnes brought him home, and the A's had tied it up again, 4-4. This is how it was going into the ninth inning. Mark Guthrie was pitching for the Cubs, but he allowed a leadoff single to Mark Ellis. He was replaced by closer Rudy Seanez--too late? Jermaine Dye moved Ellis to second, and two batter later, Chavez drove Ellis, the go-ahead run, home with a single. Dominating A's closer Keith Foulke was on the mound now. Had the Cubs blown it? A must-win game, and they had a three-run lead against one of the best pitchers in baseball, and they blew it. They had just one more chance to make things right, and Foulke isn't an easy guy to do it on. Miller flew out to deep left-center for the first out. Lightly-regarded and late-maturing SS Charles Gipson--a defensive replacement in the eighth, came up to bat for just his second at bat in the entire postseason...and he stroked a soft single to shallow center. Hey, whatever works, right? The Cubs had a runner on. Corey Patterson hit for Guthrie, but all he does is hit a grounder to Hatteburg at first base. Hatteburg gets the force at second on Gipson, but the relay throw is too late to get the decent-of-foot-speed Patterson. One out more for the A's, and the Cubs still have the tying run on first. The fans are on their feet, hoping for a miracle. And coming to the plate is...Alex Ochoa?!? Well, not exactly story book. Could he do it? Foulke and Ochoa go eye-to-eye, and the pitch is on its way...CRACK! Ochoa gets around on it hard and the ball leaps off his bat toward center field. Patterson is around second as the ball continues to rise. Terrence Long backs up to the ivy, trying to keep an eye on the ball. But he'll never catch that one as it sails far over the wall for a 428-foot, two-run gamewinning homerun! CUBS WIN!

Final: Cubs 6, A's 5

Wow, in real life, that would be a very memorable game, especially with the Cubs looking at being down 3-1 if they lost. The true ridicule of this, though, is that Prior gets the POTG--showing he never should have been taken out in the first place. He was pinch hit for during the Cubs three-run seventh, but they had already scored two go-ahead runs before he came up. Why take him out? He threw 7 IP, and dominated with 11 strikeouts. He allowed just 3 hits, and 1 ER. Heck, Veres allowed 3 hits without recording a single out in the A's comeback eighth inning. Zito was very good himself until the seventh, which warped his stats. He went 7 IP, and allowed 4 ER, with 6 K. The ninth inning hero, Ochoa, went 2-for-5 with 3 RBI, and Hill went 2-for-3 and scored 2 runs. No other Cubs had more than one hit, as the offense was spread around some. For the A's, the only hitter of note was Chavez, who was the Man for Oakland, going 3-for-4, with 2 runs and 1 RBI. The Cubs have tied this one up, 2-2, and a trip back to Oakland is guaranteed.

Chief Rum

Sorry to leave you guys hanging, but it's time for bed. I have work in a few hours. I should be able to wrap up the World Series Thursday night.

What will happen? Heck, if I know...I'm simming one game at a time, so I'm only finding out a little bit before you guys are. :)

Chief Rum

Go A's.

I don't know, Bucc. Shag just seems to want it more. :)

Time to find out what the game thinks...

Chief Rum

2003 World Series Game Five

Oakland at Chicago

The day is rainy and cold at Wrigley today, causing a 30 minute rain delay. Tim Hudson and Matt Clement return to the mound in a rematch of Game Two. Neither pitcher was strong in that game, and Hudson was out very early. Clement's performances have been spotty this year, and Game Two was Hudson's first of the postseason. Could we see another offensive slugfest today? To the game we go. If first innings are a judge, yes, this one will be high scoring. The A's jumped all over Clement. A single, a walk, and another single brought the first run home, but Clement got the next two batters and looked like he might escape relatively unscathed. Alas, he uncorked a pitch in Scott Hatteburg's wheel-well, who promptly drove it down the rightfield line. Two more runs scored, and Hatteburg had a double. Corey Patterson greeted Hudson equally rudely, smashing a solo shot to open things in the bottom of the inning. Unfortunately, for the Cubs their early scoring stopped there. Both teams settled into chip away mode. The Cubs scored single runs in the second and fourth innings, and the A's added another run in the third. The A's clinged to a 4-3 lead through the middle innings. Clement was removed in favor of Mark Guthrie after five innings, and Hudson went six, so the game remained close after the starters left the game. In the top of the seventh, Eric Chavez padded the A's lead with a bases-empty dinger, then pinch hitter Ramon hernandez tagged another one in the eighth. The Cubs were looking at a 6-3 deficit in another key game. Mark Bellhorn, who has been mostly silent in the Series, moved them one step closer with a solo homerun in the eighth, but they were still down two runs when the A's came up again in the ninth. That's when Oakland put it out of reach--in a rather sad display of poor baseball, the Cubs committed two errors, one by pitcher Dave Veres and the other by Sammy Sosa of all people, and those combined with a walk, some singles and some small ball to produce four more runs for the A's.

Final: A's 10, Cubs 4

Hudson finally pitched a little closer to the Hudson we know, although he was far from perfect. He allowed 3 ER in 6 IP, and struck out 8 Cubs. He walked 1 and allowed 7 hits. Clement, once again, was eminently hittable, allowing 7 hits and 3 walks in 4.2 IP. He was responsible for 4 ER. As in Game Four, Veres was once again awful. Only 1 of the 4 runs he allowed was earned, but it's hard not to fault him when he was the one to make the first critical error in the inning. Chavez and Miguel Tejada both went 2-for-5, but it was the Cubs' Bellhorn who got the POTG nod in a losing cause. He went 3-for-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBI. A's CF Chris Singleton suffered a bruised neck trying to make a catch, and his effectiveness may be limited for the next two days (although he isn't expected to miss any time). The A's lead now, 3-2, and a championship may be within their grasp.

Chief Rum

I swear if the Cubs don't win, I'm never following baseball again.

Oh man, if I only had a dime everytime I've said that!

2003 World Series Game Six

Chicago at Oakland

Well, I tried. Apparently you have to do promotions/demotions during the breaks between series. Had I known this, I would have pulled Kerry Wood off the DL from the very beginning, so that he would be available in a long series. Alas, I did not know this, and Wood will have to remain on the DL for the rest of the Series. Today's matchup is a rematch of Game Three, between the A's best starter Mark Mulder, and young Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs. The A's took Zambrano apart in the last one, so this is not a good sign. Wood almost certainly would have been started over Zambrano. Is this the end for the Cubs, or can they beat Mulder and the odds to force a Game 7? In the first, Mulder gets into immediate trouble allowing a leadoff single and then a walk, but he manages to get out of the inning without letting a run go by. Zambrano is done in by his infield, as Bobby Hill fumbled a grounder by Mark Ellis to put the first runner on. Two singles later, and the A's had a 1-0 lead. Zambrano set the rest down, and thus began an intense pitcher's duel between the two young pitchers, one proven and the other still trying to prove himself. After the game-opening single, Mulder was on fire. He didn't give up a hit for seven innings, finishing off the seventh inning with just one hit allowed. Zambrano nearly matched him, allowing just two hits after the first inning through the sixth. But Zambrano didn't help himself in the seventh, walking Jermaine Dye to open the inning. Dye would steal second, and then come around two batters later on a Terrence Long double. So the A's moved up to 2-0 through seven innings, and the crowd was beginning to get into it. Mulder finally gave up another hit in the top of the eighth, allowing a single to Game Four hero Alex Ochoa. But he would strike the next batter out and wipe out Ochoa with a double play. Zambrano held his own as well, walking just one batter in the bottom of the eighth and keeping the A's within two. The Cubs' last chance has arrived. Can they come back again, against one of the hottest pitchers? Yes, perhaps wary of Keith Foulke's troubles in Game Four, the A's kept Mulder in the game when the ninth inning started. The A's are just three outs away from winning the World Series. Can they do it? Not if the defense doesn't step it up. Leadoff hitter Morgan Burkhart gets on base when Ellis boots a ball. Next up, Hill gets a hold of one and drives it to deep left-center, but it falls short for the first out. Moises Alou then skies another one, this time to straight center, and it also falls for an out. Two done, one to go, and a championship on the line. Up at the plate is Cub great Sammy Sosa. Mulder throws tot he plate, Sosa comes around hard on it and hits a hard liner into leftfield. It drops for a basehit! Burkhart rounds third and scores easily. 2-1 A's! The tying run is on first now. The A's are starting to get concerned, so now they bring in Foulke, crossing their fingers he has better stuff today than he did three days ago in Chicago. Mark Bellhorn is due up, but the Cubs send up Corey Patterson instead to pinch hit for him. Foulke and Patterson battle it out, and Foulke gets two strikes on the young future star talent. He winds up and sends a sharp fastball on the outside corner. Patterson tenses, begins to step into the ball. But he senses it is outside, so he freezes up, holds back. The ball strikes Mitch Meluskey's mitt. "Strike!" the umpire calls out. Foulke leaps off the mound in joy as his teammates mob him. In the background, Patterson, deflated, lets the bat fall softly to the home plate dirt, and with the bat go the eternal hopes of all Cubs fans, dashed once again.

Final: A's 2, Cubs 1

Can there be any doubt that Mulder is one of the true greats in the game at the moment? He didn't end up finishing it off, but he came damn close. He outpitched Zambrano having one of his best days ever. He went 8.2 IP, allowed just 4 hits. Just 1 run, unearned, was scored off of him. He struck out 6, and walked just 1 batter. He, also, of course, got the POTG award. It's a shame Zambrano's great start was watsed, because he was very solid, pitching a complete game 8 IP, and allowing just 2 runs, 1 earned, and 6 hits. He struck out 7 A's, and walked 2. Obviously, this wasn't a day for offense; no single player on either team got more than one hit in the game.

The A's win the series, 4-2, strangely enough the exact prediction I made. I guess if you make enough predictions, you'll eventually back into making the correct one. :)

The game doesn't select a World Series MVP, so I went ahead and did so. The winner of the 2003 World Series MVP is Oakland 3B Eric Chavez. Chavez hit safely in all six World Series games. He went 12-for-23 for a .522 average. He hit 3 doubles and 4 homeruns. He also scored 9 runs, and drove in 7 RBI. He pretty much dominated. A close second was Mulder, who had a 1.58 ERA in 2 starts, both victories. He struck out 11 and allowed just 11 hits in 17 total IP.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS, YOUR 2003 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!

Chief Rum

Ouch. Sorry, klayman. :)

I'm glad you have a history of reneging on that oath. :)

Chief Rum

2003 Rookie Of The Year

The game declared the winners of the ROY awards for the two leagues.

American League: LF Hideki Matsui (NYA)

Let the debate begin. It's no surprise that Matsui would win it, but one might make the argument that a player who competed for years in Japan's professional league should not be eligible for this award. That said, Ichiro Suzuki won it in 2001, so it's certainly too late for "should haves". Matsui hit .298, hit 14 HR, and drove in 77 RBI in 383 at bats. He missed a month of action early in the season due to a broken hand. Other contenders for the award were BAL CF Darnell McDonald (.285, 8, 48), CLE LF Henri Stanley (.253, 15, 62), ANA LF Robb Quinlan (.305, 14, 58), KC SP Mike MacDougal (11-16, 4.05), TB SP Bobby Seay (7-14, 4.13), NYA SP Jose Conteras (10-4, 3.08), and ANA RP Francisco Rodriguez (5-4, 2.33).

National League: 1B Morgan Burkhart (CHC)

This is the year for older rookies. Burkhart, a natural rookie, is actually older than the more "experienced" Matsui. Burkhart had a storybook season. He was a little used 31-year-old reserve for the Royals who was dealt to the Cubs in April to be a stopgap 1B option. By the end of the year, he had proven to be far more than a stopgap, and he was starting at 1B in the World Series. Burhart hit .279, with 32 HR and 98 RBI in 506 at bats. Burkhart won the award over PHI's CF Marlon Byrd (.256, 17, 75), NYM 3B Ty Wigginton (.280, 25, 72), LF Jack Cust (.258, 22, 81), STL Shawn Boyd (.267, 17, 73), and FLA SP Justin Wayne (7-13, 4.55).

Chief Rum

2003 Cy Young

The game declared the winners of the Cy Young award, given to the best pitcher in each league.

American League: SP Freddy Garcia (SEA)

This one was a bit of a shock. Yes, Garcia had the best record in the majors--three more wins than anyone else, in fact--but he was far behind Pedro Martinez in other key areas. Garcia finished with a 25-4 record, a 2.81 ERA, and 173 K. He threw 269.0 IP, allowed 202 hits, and limited opposing hitters to a .207 average. He was third in the AL in ERA, and fourth in strikeouts. Other contenders for the award were BOS SP Pedro Martinez (22-7, 2.36), OAK SP Mark Mulder (22-8, 2.76) and SP Barry Zito (17-9, 3.14), NYA SP Mike Mussina (20-10, 3.86) and CL Mariano Rivera (44 sv, 1.60), and SEA CL Kazutoshi Sasaki (42 sv, 1.64).

National League: SP Odalis Perez (LA)

For as great as John Smoltz was for the most of the year, I can't blame the game for picking Perez. This guy was just wonderful this year, and it's amazing that he was able to match Smoltz after the latter's hot start and three straight Pitcher of the Month awards to start the season. Perez finished with an NL-best 22-7 record, a 2nd best 2.06 ERA and 6th with 205 K. He allowed just 161 hits and 47 walks in 235.1 IP, limiting opposing hitters to a paltry .191 average. Other contenders for the award were, of course, ATL SP John Smoltz (19-3, 1.94), STL SP Matt Morris (17-7, 3.08) and CL Jason Isringhausen (38 sv, 1.64), SD SP Brian Lawrence (17-12, 3.09), CIN SP Scott Williamson (15-6, 3.15), and LA CL Eric Gagne (12-0, 38 sv, 1.03).

Chief Rum

2003 Most Valuable Player

The game declared the winners of the MVP award for both leagues, given to the best players in the leagues.

American League: LF Manny Ramirez (BOS)

This is about as anticlimactic as you might expect. The game did indeed recognize that Manny Ramirez won the Triple Crown, despite tying with Anaheim's Troy Glaus in HR. He was just phenomenal--one of the best seasons of all time. He hit .346, with 45 HR and 139 RBI. All were league-leading totals. His nearest competitors were BOS teammate SS Nomar Garciaparra (.318, 20, 109), NYA 1B Jason Giambi (.310, 32, 121) and TEX SS Alex Rodriguez (.301, 37, 109).

National League: 1B Todd Helton (COL)

This award was nearly as obvious as Ramirez was. Todd Helton, Coors-Field-inflated stats or not, had one of the all time great seasons, and nearly became the first player to hit .400 or higher since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. As it was, Helton was far ahead of the pack at .388. He also hit 36 HR and drove in 119 RBI. Other candidates for the award were COL teammate RF Larry Walker (.337, 23, 112), ATL 3B Chipper Jones (.326, 28, 105), HOU 2B Jeff Kent (.322, 26, 115), CHC RF Sammy Sosa (.320, 49, 122), and SF LF Barry Bonds (.316, 55, 126). Truth be told, the list goes well beyond that--it was a good year for elite NL hitters.

Chief Rum

2003 Gold Glove Winners

These awards were given by the game to the finest fielders in baseball this season.

American League

Pitcher: Mike Maroth (DET)
Catcher: Ben Davis (SEA)
First Base: Doug Mientkiewicz (MIN)
Second Base: Pokey Reese (CHW)
Third Base: Eric Chavez (OAK)
Shortstop: Alez Rodriguez (TEX)
Left Field: Gabe Kapler (KC)
Center Field: Torii Hunter (MIN)
Right Field: Ichiro Suzuki (SEA)

National League

Pitcher: Josh Fogg (PIT)
Catcher: Mike Lieberthal (PHI)
First Base: Todd Helton (COL)
Second Base: Roberto Alomar (NYM)
Third Base: Scott Rolen (STL)
Shortstop: Royce Clayton (MIL)
Left Field: Craig A. Wilson (PIT)
Center Field: Jim Edmonds (STL)
Right Field: J.D. Drew (STL)

Chief Rum

Chief, none of the Angels won anything. Way to go.....

*shake his head*

Yeah, yeah...shaddap! :D

Chief Rum

Angels' Final Decisions

It was fun to get away fromt he one-team focus and give an all-around picture of the league, and I enjoyed doing the postseason as well, but let's face it: I'm here for one reason, and that's to put the Angels where the A's currently are. So it's somewhat of a relief to return to the job of trying to improve this team.

The offseason will begin shortly. I will have a look at the needs of the teams in MLB, and I will take a look at the free agents on the market. I will also check out who retired, and who the potential future stars are.

But first things first. I have some financial decisions to make. The following players are free agents to be, and I made my decision on them months ago. Here they are, once again, all being released to free agency:

RF Tim Salmon
SS Benji Gil
RF Eric Owens

Salmon is being let go because of his age (34), contract demands (he wanted a 4-year contract), and a ready replacement (O'Keefe). Gil and Owens are veteran backups for whom I have a number of minor league replacements available.

Originally, Brad Fullmer was listed here as well, but I traded him away to the Yankees in July for Randy Choate.

Additionally, I also signed SP Roger Clemens to a one-year deal, and he will be a free agent, too. I never intended to sign him to a longer deal, and also still feel that would unfairly take advantage of a bad AI decision on the part of the Yankees. My fear, of course, is that he will choose to retire and never reach 4,000 strikeouts.

The decisions are most needed for the following players, all of whom are arbitration eligible. The figures which follow are their current contracts, and in parentheses, the figures provided by a new feature of OOTP5, arbitraion estimates.

SP Jarrod Washburn-- $3.93 M ($3.30 M)
SP Ramon Ortiz-- $2.39 M ($1.62 M)
SS David Eckstein-- $2.18 M ($2.42 M)
MR Lou Pote-- $915 K ($920 K)
2B Adam Kennedy-- $601 K ($440 K)
C Benji Molina-- $457 K ($ 340 K)
2B Jose Nieves-- $350 K (minimum)

MR Ben Weber-- minimum ($920 K)
DH Shawn Wooten-- minimum ($550 K)
C Jose Molina-- minimum ($440 K)
RF Jeff DaVanon-- minimim (minimum)
SP Matt Wise-- minimum ($500 K)
RF Julio Ramirez-- minimum (minimum)

There is a clear separation between two groups of players. The first group have already received their first big arbitration contracts, and you would suspect they will only go up marginally, percentage-wise. The second group are still in their first three years, making minimum. This group usually makes a much larger jump in the first year of arbitration.

I should also note that, while this is my first time using the arbitration estimate feature, I have read reports that these figures often come in low. This is actually fine by me, because I planned for much higher salaries for some of these players than the listed estimates, so I figure things will even out.

In addition, one player in the previous group who is no longer with us is MR Scott Schoenweiss, whom I shipped to the Astros in July. Obviously, a decision is no longer required for him.

We did add two players in July trading that now also need decisions. They are MR Randy Choate and SP John Thomson. Choate is making the minimum, and the computer is pegging him at a heft raise up to $1.15 M. That's actually the biggest predicted raise by the $300K group. Thomson is currently making a maddeningly overpriced $2.39 M, and the computer is justifyingly calling for a drop to $1.54 M.

All told, these 15 players represent about $15.3 M. Going by the computer's estimates, if I were to keep them all (which I won't), they would be signed up for almost exactly $15 M, so just a short drop in salary. My actual bet is that the figure will end up somewhere near $20 M, which is quite a bit more significant.

But, like I said, I'm not keeping everyone. So maybe $15 M (effectively, no real change in the numbers) will be the target after all.

Decisions Already Made

From the first group, Washburn and Eckstein are easy choices to keep. Ortiz was an easy decision, but his poor performance this year has put that consideration into question. That said, I figure he isn't going to get much more than he's being paid now, and he's talented enough to keep around for another year at least.

Nieves is a definite cut. I just don't need a minor leaguer making more than the dirt scratch minor leaguers normally get.

From the first group, I still have decisions to make on Benji Molina, Pote, Kennedy, and now Thomson.

From the second group, Weber, Wooten and Wise--the three W's--are definitely returning. Ramirez and DaVanon are both gone, for similar reasons as Nieves.

Choate and Jose Molina are awaiting a decision.

Decision Time

C Benji Molina and C Jose Molina-- As a real life Angel fan, the decision on Benji is not an easy one. Confounding matters is his brother. The futures of these two are inextricably linked--not just because they are brothers, but because they are both angling for the same spot, backup catcher. With Wooten moving to the starting spot permanently next season, I only need a backup catcher. Since Benji Molina is not considered to be a great hitting talent (.219, 1, 13), and the roster set didn't give him the Gold Glove-level defensive skills he has in real life, I just can't see keeping him over his brother. While Jose is no better behind the plate, he is thought to have considerably more upside as a hitter (.229, 7, 47). So I am letting Benji go, and keeping Jose.

MR Lou Pote-- Pote is a solid reliever (4.04 ERA), but I am deep in the pen, and with Weber getting a raise, I just can't afford to keep him around. So I'm letting Pote go. He should get a nice contract from someone in free agency.

2B Adam Kennedy-- I originally listed Kennedy as a player to bring back in a backup role and as insurance in case Chone Figgins doesn't do as well in the bigs as he did in AAA, but Kennedy's horrible performance (.225, 3, 43) this year had me considering dropping him after all. But then he got an across the board talent jump, and his arbitration number doesn't look to bad. He's 27, so it's not likely he will take advantage of the talent jump, but it is within reason that this was just a bad year for him, and that I scould still use the insurance. Plus, I could always deal him.

SP John Thomson-- Thomson is a tough decision. He was horrible for Texas this year, and his overall numbers weren't strong either. But he did pitch well for us, and we can use options in the rotation with only Washburn coming off of a consistent and strong season. Plus, Stoneman's report on him indicates he isn't without talent, so maybe this season was an abberation. So I'm going to play it risky and keep him on for another year.

MR Randy Choate-- Choate is looking at a very nice raise, which is usually bad news for a reliever. That said, I'm letting Pote go in part to keep Choate, plus Choate is young, has some talent abd is left-handed--the latter of which I pretty much have no one else for. So Choate is in.

So to recap: Washburn, Eckstein, Ortiz, Weber, Wise, Wooten, Jose Molina, Kennedy, Thomson and Coate are going to be kept on the team. Nieves, Ramirez, DaVanon, Benji Molina and Pote are going to be released prior to arbitration.

Chief Rum

Before I move on to the next step, I thought I would point out that the computer has made some odd decisions with signing and releasing players all year.

I'm not going to save them from all the stupid decisions they make, but I thought I could at least help out with the stupidest. Some teams signed players to multi-year contracts at the beginning of the year, and then released them somewhere during the year. I thought this was extremely stupid, so I edited these teams' cash totals to return the values of the contracts beyond this year. So, in other words, if Player A was signed this season to a $500 K, 2-year contract, I added $500 K (for the unused second year of the contract) to the team's cash totals.

I didn't do anything else to change these totals, though, and I can only hope a bunch of the early releases are related to the fact that we're using an edited roster set, which may have different formats/compositions than the game is used to.

Probably the biggest payback was to Detroit, which got more than $11 M back for the last two years of Dave Justice's contract.

Chief Rum

Chief, Great read. I really enjoyed this dynasty. Keep it up. I can't imagine the time you spent going into detail on almost every team. You really put people in the game.

Future Stars, Part I

I thought this would be a good time to go over some of the possible future stars of the league. These are guys who appear to be close to major league ready or who have already had some limited appearances in the majors, and who may be about to break out and become new stars in the league.

It's a good time for me to do this, because I haven't pressed the season button yet, so I still have stats for minor leaguers. They do keep these stats now, apparently, but I won't be able to sort them after the new seasons starts, or see them on the top prospects list. :)

The talent ratings rate, in order, Average Hitting Ability, Hitting Doubles, Slugging Homeruns, Drawing Walks, and Avoiding Strikeouts. I skipped Triples to make the ratings a little more readable. If you're not familiar with the talent ratings, they go P=Poor, F=Fair, A=Average, G=Good, and B=Brilliant.

CATCHERS

Trey Lunsford, San Francisco-- 3.5 stars

Talent: GFAAA
Stats: .257, 9, 45 at AAA

Lunsford has a nice stroke, which he displayed with a few at bats in the postseason for the Giants. He may still need some more development time, but with Benito Santiago released, there's a backup spot open behind Yorvit Torrealba.

Gerald Laird, Texas-- 3.5 stars

Talent: GGFAA
Stats: .246, 9, 48 at AAA

Laird is another catcher with a nice stroke, although he doesn't have the natural power Lunsford has. He should be a good gap hitter, though, and he excels defensively, witha plus arm. He could be a Gold Glover in the future, and with Einar Diaz being a practical non-entity for the Rangers right now, he should get a shot at the starting job.

FIRST BASEMEN

Mark Teixeira, Texas-- 5.0 stars

Talent: BGGGG
Stats: .257, 17, 64 at AAA

Teixeira is the #5 prospect in the league, and is considered to be one of the true future stars. He has the ability to win batting titles in his career, and hit 30 HRs while doing it. This guy does it all at the plate. With Rafael Pameiro approaching 40, Teixeira should be in Texas permanently next year.

Walter Young, Pittsburgh-- 3.5 stars

Talent: AABFA
Stats: .276, 20, 81 at AAA

Young has great power, and could be a 40-HR guy in the future. He is also handy with the bat in other ways, and could easily become one of the better run=producers in baseball. He would fit in better in the AL, where his utter lack of defensive ability could be hidden at DH. Randall Simon is at first base right now, but it's only a matter of time before the cost-conscious Pirates move him to make way for Young.

Justin Morneau, Minnesota-- 4.5 stars

Talent: GGGAA
Stats: .318, 17, 67 at AAA

Morneau, of course, played a prominent role for the Twins in the postseason, so you may already be quite familiar with him. Morneau can hit for both average and power, and he hits for the gaps, too. He even plays a decent 1B. Technically, the Twins seem set with Mientkiewicz at first and Cuddyer at DH, but my guess is Morneau at DH in the postseason (with Cuddyer in RF) is a sign of things to come.

Luis Garcia, Cleveland-- 2.0 stars

Talent: AFGPG
Stats: .301, 21, 77 at AAA

By his talent alone, Garcia might not warrant much notice, but when you combine a season of both top-level average and power at AAA with the Indians' glaring weakness at 1B (Karim Garcia), you have a prime opportunity here. Gracia may not be a very patient hitter, but he has talent in the right spots. He has the capability of putting up a solid average with 25-30 HR power.

John Gall, St. Louis-- 2.5 stars

Talent: AGAFG
Stats: .300, 18, 72 at AAA

Gall is a very well-rounded hitter. He is best hitting for the gaps, but he can hit for some power as well. He should develop a nice stroke and be tough to strikeout. He had one of the better seasons at AAA this year, so there's even hope he can go beyond his listed talents. And it looks like he could get the opportunity, since Tino Martinez was released, and Eli Marrero--a backup type of player--had an awful season trying to replace Martinez at first.

Craig Brazell, New York (N)-- 3.0 stars

Talent: AFGAF
Stats: .249, 29, 94

Can you tell first base is a deep position in this up-and-coming class? Brazell is one of those that may have slipped under the radar, but there seems to be little doubt he can play. He had some of the best power numbers in AAA this year, and scouts indicate he could do it in the majors one day, too. The average is a worry, but he has the ability to hit much better there, and overall be a very solid run producer. Mo Vaughn mans the first base spot right now, but if he continues to hit .246 with poor defense, Brazell may not have to wait long to get some serious PT with the big club.

SECOND BASEMEN

Chone Figgins, Anaheim-- 2.5 stars

Talent: AFFAB
Stats: .317, 3, 63 at AAA

Figgins doesn't strike one as being an elite talent, but with few apparent stars coming soon at the position, he might be the best of the bunch. He has the ability to develop a nice stroke in the bigs, and he is a speed burner who combines an excellent eye and a patient approach at the plate. As such, he might be an ideal leadoff man. He is decent, but not spectacular at second, and given his natural speed, his average range may actually be a bit disappointing. Still, he will get first crack at the Angels' starting second base job in 2004.

THIRD BASEMEN

Chase Utley, Philadelphia-- 5.0 stars

Talent: BFGAB
Stats: .283, 9, 78 at AAA

Utley, the #21 prospect, has the scary combination skills whereby he has the great line drove stroke to hit well above .300 consistently, combined with being extremely well-disciplined at the plate. Toss on solid 30 HR power potential, and you can see why the Phillies weren't really that worried in letting Scott Rolen go a year-and-a-half ago. Tyler Houston and David Bell combine to play a decent 3B for the Phils now, but I can't see either of them getting in this kid's way for long.

Chad Tracy, Arizona-- 5.0 stars

Talent: BAGAG
Stats: .359, 10, 67 at AAA

Tracy put his bat where his talent is, leading all AAA hitters with a .359 average. He also did well in a short stint at the majors. Tracy has the ability to contend for batting titles, and has some good pop in the bat as well. Arizona might have been a lot better last year if Tracy had been a little closer to ready to replace the aging Matt Williams. Russ Davis starts for Arizona at 3B right now, but Tracy could beat him out for the spot.

Xavier Nady, San Diego-- 4.5 stars

Talent: GABGF
Stats: .293, 11, 59 at AAA

Nady, the #35 prospect overall, is another in a fine line of up-and-coming 3B. Nady reminds some of Mark McGwire--except he has .300 average hitting ability. He has tremendous power and great patience at the plate. Listed as a 3B, Nady is actually considered to be more natural and skilled at 1B. At either position, though, he sits behind either the Padres' best young player (3B Sean Burroughs) or its best current hitter (1B Ryan Klesko). They need to find a way to get Nady into the lineup.

Wilson Betemit, Atlanta-- 4.5 stars

Talent: GGGAF
Stats: .306, 7, 48 at AAA, .280 in 100 AB in majors

Betemit is another player to whom we got a postseason introduction, to the point that the Braves' brass played him over Marcus Giles, another young player who had a fine season at 3B. Betemit, #61 overall, has the classic .300 stroke, and could reach 30-homerun capability with solid gap power. He plays both a good short and a good third base, and his presence in the postseason lineup can only mean this guy is going to be getting regular at bats next year in some form.

SHORTSTOPS

Bobby Crosby, Oakland-- 3.5 stars

Talent: BGFAA
Stats: .239, 0, 5 in majors

Crosby, ranked #40 in the league, had the strange situation of serving an apprenticeship with the world champion A's as a backup middlie infielder all year. He got a ring for his troubles, but it can only be hoped the limited playing time he got (just 47 AB) won't hurt his longterm potential. That potential says that he can be an elite batsman with strong power to the gaps. He can play both short and second serviceably well, but he does face the same situation next year, in that A's superstar Miguel Tejada and the highly-regarded Mark Ellis are both ahead of him in the lineup.

LEFT FIELDERS

Joe Borchard, Chicago (A)-- 4.5 stars

Talent: GGBAG
Stats: .290, 33, 85 at AAA

There seems to be little this guy can't do with the bat. Borchard, currently ranked 49th among prospects, can be expected to approach .300 with consistency, and he can absolutely power the ball. He is a future contender for homerun titles and probably MVPs as well. He does have a problem, though--the White Sox are stacked in the outfield right now, with Carlos Lee, Aaron Rowand and Magglio Ordonez manning the spots. Even DH isn't clear--it features longtime Pale Hose power bat Frank Thomas. It should be interesting to see if the White Sox try and move someone to make room for Borchard, because he's ready to play now.

Dave Kelton, Cubs-- 4.5 stars

Talent: ABGGG
Stats: .302, 14, 68 at AAA

Kelton, ranked 64th on the list, doesn't really stand out in any specific way. It's more the overall solidity of his all around game. He won't .300 all the time, but he's no slouch. He has terrific power to the gaps, and he should eventually be able to turn on the ball for some 30 HRs as well. He is a professional hitter at the plate, showing great patience. Kelton displays fine range in LF as well, although he is actually a natural 3B. The emergence of Mark Bellhorn for the Cubs has put up a roadblock for Kelton, and left field doesn't get any easier with Moises Alou manning the spot.

Steve Stanley, Oakland-- 4.0 stars

Talent: GGFGG
Stats: .256, 11, 43 at AAA

Stanley, at #77 on the prospect list, can do everything, it seems, except jack the ball out of the park. He's a line drive hitter who makes good contact and is great at hitting for the gaps. He has solid plate discipline and is hard to strikeout. He is also fast and smart on the basepaths, and is a plus defender with range in both left and center. He's even behind one of the A's weakest starters in Terrence Long, who, despite a strong postseason, never really hit his stride this past season. The only thing holding Stanley back is that it looks like he may need another year of seasoning in AAA.

Juan Rivera, New York (A)-- 2.5 stars

Talent: FBAAB
Stats: .327, 10, 62 at AAA

No, Rivera doesn't really wow you with his overall talent, and he may not even hit for enough power to justify the low average that will likely come with it. But it's hard to ignore a solid season like he has enjoyed at AAA, and you have to wonder if he might be able to bring his patient, gap-power swing to the Yankees and provide a cheap alternative in the outfield or at DH for once. It figures to be an uphill struggle for the time being, though, unless the Yankees move Raul Mondesi, or start Rivera over another young hitter, Mike Frank, at DH.

CENTERFIELDERS

Choo Freeman, Colorado-- 4.5 stars

Talent: GFGAA
Stats: .295, 3, 8 in majors, .330, 2, 14 in 88 AB at AAA

Like Crosby with Oakland, the talented Freeman spent much of 2003 serving as a backup outfielder for the Rockies. He doesn't figure to be a backup for long, though. Freeman, #48 overall, has a good stroke, and a strong power bat that, in Coors Field, just might break 40 HR a year with consistency. He also has good speed on base, and fine range in centerfield. He may have to continue to bide his time in his backup role for another year, though, with top young talent Jack Cust, solid power hitter Preston Wilson, and smooth-hitting vet Larry Walker currently taking up spots in Coors Field's spacious outfield.

Wilkin Ruan, Los Angeles-- 3.5 stars

Talent: GFAAA
Stats: .297, 8, 33 at AAA

Ruan is a rangy, speedy hitter who is already displaying a plus bat at AAA, albeit short of the power he is believed to possess. He should be a consistent .300 hitter with 20 HR pop, he's msart on the basepaths, and he's very solid in both left and center field. With Brian Jordan coming off of a bad year, Kenny Lofton not getting any younger, and Dave Roberts suffering a horrible sophomore slump, the opportunity is there for Ruan to make an immediate impact on a playoff team.

Tim Raines, Jr., Baltimore-- 3.0 stars

Talent: AAAFA
Stats: .303, 3, 60

Raines takes after his father, but he hits for more power. Raines brings utter excitement to the game when he's on his game. He received his father's greatest genetic gift--blazing speed, and he has the smarts to become one of the game's truly elite basestealers. He has a nice swing, gap pwer, and 20-HR potential. He is also very solid defender with a nice arm. He's sitting behind youngsters Darnell McDonald and Luis Matos in the outfield, but Marty Cordova, power or not, doesn't figure to be with the O's so long as to hurt Raines' development. He could be leading off for Baltimore as soona s Opening Day, 2004.

RIGHT FIELDERS

Michael O'Keefe, Anaheim-- 3.5 stars

Talent: AGBAG
Stats: .330, 32, 113 at AAA

It's a shocker to me that O'Keefe hasn't broken into the Top 100 list. He didn't just do well at AAA--he dominated. No other hitter in AAA even came close to his overall excellence. O'Keefe probably won't be hitting .300 in the majors too often, but he has league-leading power and can stroke for the gaps. He has the tools and plate discipline to become a major run-producer. He also has a very strong arm in right, although his range is very limited. As you all know, O'Keefe has already been pretty much handed the Angels' starting rightfield spot for 2004.

Grady Sizemore, Cleveland-- 3.5 stars

Talent: GGFAG
Stats: .295, 5, 50 at AAA

Alex Escobar and Henri Stanley are already in the Indians' major league outfielder. Meet the top candidate for the last spot in the Indians' star outfield of the future. Sizemore is the kind of guy managers love. He can stroke it, and he gets on base. He has good spped, and the know-how to use it. He can play all three outfield spots well, and he has a good enough arm to keep baserunners honest. He could beat out Matt Lawton, coming off a down year, for the Indians' right field spot as soon as 2004.

Michael Restovich, Minnesota-- 3.0 stars

Talent: FBBFA
Stats: .314, 14, 63 at AAA

Restovich looks like the quintessential power-only bat. He looks like a basehit-light free swinger who nevertheless will produce runs in tons due to the utter power in his bat. He could be a future homerun king contender, and he can produce with gap hits when he shortens his swing as well. Heck, his AAA average even gives hope that he can exceed his reputation in making contact. Restovich's big problem right now is the logjam int he Twins; outfield. Bobby Kielty isn't a bad player at all--and he may already be bumped by the addition of another top Twins prospect in Justin Morneau.

DESIGNATED HITTERS

Jayson Werth, Toronto-- 4.5 stars

Talent: GBGAA
Stats: .304, 10, 57 at AAA

Actually, Werth isn't such a bad fielder that he needs to be relegated to DH already. He can play a major league corner outfield spot, and do it passably well. That said, there's no doubt that it's at the plate where this kid has a future, so a DH spot would seem to be fitting. Werth has a .300 bat, great gap power and 30-homer potential. He could be a prime run producer for the Jays in the very near future. There isn't a spot for him just yet, but you can't keep talent like this down for long--he'll get there sooner or later, and I would bet on sooner.

Pitchers still to come...

Chief Rum

Choo Freeman, Colorado-- 4.5 stars

its cool to see this. freeman was an exceptional qb out of high school and signed to play at texas a&m. another guy i saw mentioned earlier, darnell mcdonald, signed with texas. its just kid of neat to see their names again

DolphinFan1: That's the idea! ;) Keep reading.

IMetTrentGreen: It worked! I knew if I dropped enough Texas names, I could get you to post!

Just kidding, I honestly didn't know those two had any connections to any Texas football programs. Glad you're enjoying the dynasty for any reason. :)

BTW, it seems likely those two will be heard from again.

Chief Rum

Future Stars, Part II

I did hitters. So now I do pitchers.

I will use the same rating system as for hitters, except the order of abilities goes as follows: avoiding hits, avoiding doubles, avoiding homeruns, avoiding walks, getting strikeouts. In addition, I will add the velocity (on a scale of 1-10) in parentheses after the talent listing.

Mike Wood, Oakland-- 5.0 stars

Talent: GGGBB (5)
Stats: 5-11, 4.43 at AAA

And you thought the A's rotation was scary now with the Big Three and good-looking young pitcher Rich Harden on the way? Imagine a rotation of five aces. The best rotation ever? Quite possibly. Wood only has two pitches and he doesn't throw very hard, but he has great command and control ont he mound. He keeps the ball on the ground, and he knows what he's doing out there. His only problem is having to leapfrog guys like Ted Lilly and Aaron Harang or maybe even Harden to get into the rotation. Well, and it would be nice to see him perform a little better at AAA, too. Oh yeah--Wood is the #1 overall prospect in baseball right now.

Boof Bonser, San Francisco-- 5.0 stars

Talent: BFGAG (8)
Stats: 12-0, 2.54 at AAA

The Bay Area is loaded with good young arms, it seems. Of course, Bonser, the #12 prospect, might get to the bigs just for the strange pleasure of seeing his weird name in the paper. But there are plenty of other reasons to bring him up. He has a mid-90s fastball, and throws four pitches with command. His stuff is very hard to hit, so that he can be domianting at times. His control could use work. He absolutely dominated at AAA, but the Giants already have a strong rotation, so they may want him to get some more starts down there (he only had 120.1 IP in AAA after splitting time with AA). Also, for a strikeout pitcher who was surprisingly ineffective there (only 74 K at AAA).

Bryan Bullington, Pittsburgh-- 5.0 stars

Talent: BAAGG (9)
Stats: 7-7, 3.82 at AAA

Bullington looks like a savior right now for Pittsbugh. They could certainly use him, with a back-end of a rotation that no one would want. Bullington, #14 overall, performed quite well at AAA, although, like Bonser, he maybe could use more time to prove himself there. He has a heater that touches the upper-90s, and four pitches altogether. He, too, is capable of dominating the hitters, but he should keep them off the board completely, by avoiding both walks and hits. He had a fantastic 4-to-1 strikeout:walk ration at AAA. He might occasionally give up the key longball hit, but for the most part he keeps the ball ont he ground. Maybe he should stay in AAA for a little longer, but my guess is the Pirates will be bringing him up soon--maybe even Opening Day, 2004.

Aaron Heilman, New York (N)-- 4.0 stars

Talent: GBGAB (6)
Stats: 15-6, 2.93 at AAA

There is quite a drop from Bullington to Heilman on the prospects list, but I don't think you'll find too many Mets fans who will complain too much about this talent, rated #78 on the list. Heilman was maybe the best prospect pitcher in AAA this year. He doesn't have an outstanding fastball, but he has hard to stuff on four pitchers, including a devastating splitfinger-fastball. He is still working on some control issues, and he is a pitcher that works in the air--meaning he could be susceptible to the longball. But he's too good in other areas to keep down for long. With Tom Glavine and Al Leiter in their late 30s, he should get his shot soon.

Matt Guerrier, Pittsburgh-- 4.0 stars

Talent: GGAGG (4)
Stats: 10-5, 4.07 at AAA

It looks like the Pirates won't fear for being short of quality pitching. The 84th prospect, Guerrier also appears about ready to make the jump. He is a soft thrower, but a poised presence on the mound. He can throw four pitches with command, displays good control, keeps the hitters off the bases, and induces a lot of groundballs from frustrated hitters. That said, he allowed a lot of hits in AAA, so he may not be an immediate success ont he major league level.

Steve Green, Anaheim-- 4.0 stars

Talent: GFGAG (5)
Stats: 9-12, 4.24 at AAA

Green, of course, just recently developed some of the skills that scouts believe will make him a future star, so his stats, while decent, might not even be truly indicative of what this guy is capable of. He's another soft thrower, albeit faster than Guerrier. He keeps the ball down, and he gets good movement on his three pitches. The Angels have problems in their rotation, and it's possible he will make his debut sometime in 2004. It seems more likely, though, that with other options around, he will be kept at AAA for one more season before he is brought up. He is the 89th ranked prospect in baseball.

Erik Bedard, Baltimore-- 4.0 stars

Talent: GBFGG (8)
Stats: 10-7, 3.07 at AAA

Bedard, ranked right behind Green at #90, has exciting stuff and fine control. He keeps hitters off the bases, and his only truly apparent flaw is that he is prone to giving up the longball. He has mid-90s heat, and he is well-schooled in four top pitches. He also did very well at AAA, particularly in limiting hits allowed. With the Orioles struggling with some disastrous rotation issues, it should be a no brainer to get this guy in the bigs sometime in 2004.

Tim Redding, Houston-- 4.0 stars

Talent: AAGBG (8)
Stats: 12-11, 3.31 at AAA

Redding is in an odd position, given that he already has 23 starts in the majors with mixed results. Of course, those starts came in 2001 and 2002--he didn't pitch in the bigs for the Astros in 2003, which is kinda surprisingly given how bad they were. Nevertheless, Redding has fine talent and he's still young at 25. He also has that great combination--blistering, mid-90s heat and pinpoint control. It's hard to beat that, although his stuff straightens out a little too often, so that he ends up giving up a lot of hits. Still 206 K at AAA (and a close-to-4-to-1 trikeout: walk ratio) is nothing to laugh at. Redding has nothing left to prove at AAA, so he should be in the Astros' rotation.

Kirk Saarlos, Houston-- 3.0 stars

Talent: AGPGA (5)
Stats: 13-5, 2.45 at AAA

If anyone is a threat to Redding being in the Astros' rotation in 2004, I would suppose it's this guy. Of course, I don't see a reason why both can't be in there. Saarlos may have been the most dominating pitcher in AAA last year. He had a good strikeout:walk ratio and keeps the hitters off the basepaths. He's more of a soft thrower with good control, and command of three strong pitches. His glaring weakness is a propensity to give up the longball, but he works almost exclusively on the gorund, depending on his defense. So power hitters don't get the opportunities to get the lift they need to slug it out, and even when they do, no one is on base. Both Saarlos and Redding deserve shots at the Astros' 2004 rotation.

Jimmy Journell, St. Louis-- 2.5 stars

Talent: AAFAG (7)
Stats: 10-10, 4.33 at AAA

Journell doesn't have much standout talent, but he seems able to get the job done. He throws in the low-to-mid 90s, and has nice movement on four pitches. As a result, he racks up the K's pretty good, with 190 K in 176.2 IP. He does work in the air, though, and is heavily prone to giving up the longball. Also, he seems to still need work keeping runners off base, because he had some control issues and his WHIP was very poor at AAA (1.43). The Cards may not need Journell right away, and he could use some more seasoning in the minors, but he's not too far away.

Ben Christensen, Chicago (N)-- 2.5 stars

Talent: AAGFG (8)
Stats: 10-10, 3.36 at AAA

Christensen is a powe rpitcher with mid-90s heat, and he can flat out throw it by most people. For a hard thrower, he is also surprisingly effective at keeping the ball in the park and on the ground. His big problem is control, and it may actually be a problem for his entire career. He just hasn't been able to harness any real command of his stuff. Of course, knowledge of that fact and his hard, wild stuff will keep hitters guessing as well. If the pitcher doesn't know where it's going, how's the guy sitting in front of a 95 mph fastball gonna know? Fortunately, Christensen looks like he has some time to develop some more control--the NL champ Cubbies are loaded with strong talent in the rotation.

Richard Stahl, Baltimore-- 3.0 stars

Talent: ABAAA (4)
Stats: 12-7, 2.94 at AAA

Stahl was one of the more efective AAA pitchers in baseball last year, and the O's could certainly find a spot for him. He's another soft thrower with fine command of his three pitches. He doesn't have too many apparent flaws, and he's good at keeping the big hit from spoiling an inning. That said, he also doesn't really stand out in any way either, and some question whether he can be a dominant pitcher in the bigs. He also has some control issues that he needs to sew up, although that should come with time. The problem is the Orioles need help now.

Rich Harden, Oakland-- 4.5 stars

Talent: GAAGG (7)
Stats: 7-8, 3.74 at AAA; 4-3, 2.83 in majors

Harden didn't end up catching a glimpse of the postseason, but I mentioned him enough as I followed the path of the eventual world champs. Harden throws four hard pitches, and his debut int he majors seems to indicate he's ready for the big time. He keeps the runners off the basepaths and the ball down. He has low-to-mid-90s velocity, and good command of four pitches. He racks up the strikeouts, too. He should fit in to the A's roation quiet well, and I suspect he will be in there full time in 2004.

John Ennis, Atlanta-- 2.5 stars

Talent: AGGFA (6)
Stats: 8-7, 3.33 at AAA

The Atlanta farm system has a long history of producing some fine pitchers-- Glavine, Wohlers, Rocker, Schmidt, Perez, Millwood, Minor, Marquis, etc. The list goes on, and that was just a small sample. Ennis looks like he could eb another fine one in that tradition, although he still appears to need to learn some things before going full bore in the majors. He throws in the low-90s and has shown some ability in keeping hitters from getting a bat on the ball, through some nice ball movement and fine mound command. He has control issues, though, and he doesn't pitch hard enough to get away with that for long. He will need to develop more consistency there. With Smoltz, Maddux and Byrd being in their mid-30s or older, Ennis should find his way in the rotation soon.

Dewon Brazleton, Tampa Bay-- 4.0 stars

Talent: GGFAG (5)
Stats: 8-9, 5.00 at AAA

The Devil Rays need good pitching in a big way, and this guy is one seen coming from a ways off. Brazleton has actually flirted with being ready for major league work, but his sporadic consistency has caused problems for him, both in short stints in the majors and at AAa, as you can see from his ERA. Right now, he's having problems keeping runners off the bases (1.47 WHIP), but he has the ability and command to end up doing well in this. He also displayed little of the strikeout ability he is rumored to have inside him. This kid has talent, but he seems to be a slow learner, and needs to be brought along as such. So, as much as Tampa Bay could use him, they really need to keep him down for at least another season.

There are actually a ton of other possible pitchers, but I feel I have tossed out most of the best, and I have to draw the line somewhere. So here it is. :)

Chief Rum

FINALLY!

It's time to push the button...

The 2003 season is now officially over.

Chief Rum

Retirements

So who were the key retirements this year?

First off, the Angels saw SP Mickey Callaway and MR Rich Rodriguez retire. Rodriguez was expected, given that he's 41 years old. Callway, sadly enough, was expected to. If you recall, he tore a tricep muscle in September that has ended his career. Even given he was a questionably talented 29-year-old pitcher, it was still shocking and disappointing. Adding to the misery of the situation, he also happened to be having his best minor league year ever, and his numebrs were ranked among the best minor league pitchers this year.

Around the league, there was a lengthy list of retirements by players not under contract for 2003, and I didn't immediately see any that surprised me. I will look at them closer when I post the more significant retirements.

There were a handful of retirements by players still under contract for 2003, and here are the more key or interesting retirements.

Boston: SP John Burkett and LF Eric Davis. Both are old, and neither ever graced Boston's major league roster.

New York: SP Jon Leiber. So much for that insurance policy. Leiber decided to call it quits rather than attempt a comeback from the injury that shelved him for all of 2003.

Tampa Bay: SP Chuck Finley. As an Angels fan, this one is particularly personal. Nothing said "Angel" like Chuck Finley. Finley finished with a 3.94 career ERA in 18 seasons, all but the last four with the Angels. He finished 204-188 for his career and racked up 2716 K. No, he probably doesn't deserve Hall of Fame consideration, but it would be nice to see him get consideration. He went 4-15 with a 6.08 ERA this past season.

Kansas City: 2B Randy Velarde. COnsummate team professional finally called it quits. Even the Royals didn't see the need to call him up this past season.

Seattle: LF Rickey Henderson. The King of Swap finally sent his running cleats to Cooperstown. Rickey didn't make a major league appearance this year. He finishes his career atop the career walks, runs and stolen base leaders. He won the MVP in 1989 for the A's. Not counting the appearance-less 2003 season, he played 24 seasons, and was one of those players who managed to last long enough to appear in four different decades (the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s). He hit .279 for his career with 3040 hits. He scored 2208 runs and stole 1403 stolen bases. He walked 2141 times. With all due respect to Lou Brock, Maury Wills and other great leadoff hitters, there is simply little doubt the feisty and moody Henderson was the premier leadoff hitter of all time. The game, of course, inducted him into the Hall of Fame.

Texas: LF Rusty Greer. The oft-injured Greer has finally called it quits. He didn't play in a major league game in 2003.

Atlanta: SP Hideki Irabu. Irabu is just 34 years old, but he is obviously done. Talk about a disgrace for Japan. Not only did he not appear in a major league game in 2003, he didn't even appear in a game in 2002!

St. Louis: C Joe Girardi. Girardi was a backup for the Cards this season. He decided to hang it up after hitting .251-0-17 in 219 at bats.

Arizona: CF Steve Finley. What, expecting Randy Johnson? No, the Big Unit will return to attempt to finish his march to 4000 K. Finley, even at 38, was a bit of a surprise, though. He missed most of the 2003 season with a broken knee, but he was a starter while he was out there. He hit .289-2-7 in 14 games this past season. He finished his career hitting .276 in 15 seasons, but didn't really come into his own until the mid-90s with the Padres. He finished with 2031 hits and 229 homeruns. He appeared in the '96 World Series with the Padres, and won a ring with the Diamondbacks in 2001.

San Diego: SP Charles Nagy and MR Mike Timlin. Nagy is just a story of a pitcher who never really ended up realizing the potential he showed as a young hurler for the Indians in the 90s. He played in 13 seasons, all with the Indians, and had five straight 15+-win seasons from 1995 to 1999. He ended up 130-107 for his career, with a 4.47 ERA. He signed with the Padres as a minor league free agent in 2003, but never appeared in a game. Timlin, 38, was a surprise, because it seems like he could still do the job. He finished with 120 saves and a career 3.90 ERA in 13 seasons.

Like I said, there were a lot of players who called it quits who were free agents. Some of them played in 2003, most didn't. I'll put fears to rest early on by noting that SP Roger Clemens did NOT retire. He doesn't seem to have much left, but I'm hoping someone will sign him and give him the necessary innings to get those last three strikeouts he needs to get to 4000 K.

Here are the significant free agents that decided to hang it up:

LF Brady Anderson
2B Carlos Baerga
SS Jay Bell
SP Andy Benes
CF Craig Biggio
SS Mike Bordick
SP Dave Burba
3B Vinny Castilla
SP David Cone
1B Jeff Conine
2B Delino Deshields
SS Shawon Dunston
SP Scott Erickson
MR Jeff Fassero
1B Julio Franco
1B Andres Galarraga
DH Ron Gant
CF Tom Goodwin
CF Marquis Grissom
SP Pete Harnisch
SP Pat Hentgen
CL Roberto Hernandez
3B Dave Hollins
1B Eric Karros
LF Chuck Knoblauch
RF Al Martin
RF Dave Martinez
2B Mark McLemore
MR Mike Morgan
1B Jose Offerman
RF Troy O'Leary
MR Jesse Orosco
MR Dan Plesac
CF Tim Raines
SP Shane Reynolds
SP Jose Rijo
SP Kenny Rogers
C Benito Santiago
LF Ruben Sierra
SP Todd Stottlemyre
DH Greg Vaughn
SP David Wells
C Sandy Alomar Jr.
3B Matt Williams

If anyone wants specific information on the above players, just ask and I will be glad to provide.

Chief Rum

Coaching Changes

Before I move forward to the meaty part of the offseason (free agency), I have to first take care of Coaches and Scouts signing.

We actually lost a couple very good staffers in hitting coach Mickey Hatcher and Double AA manager Doug Sisson. Sisson has apparently chosen to retire (since I can't find him anywhere--he was 60), and he would have been one of the best minor league managers on the market had he stayed in the biz. Hatcher looks like he might be the premier hitting coach on the market.

It is my philosophy to pay well at these positions (at all such positions), and we did well financially this year. Also, by comparison to players' salaries, coaching salaries are paltry. So I'm not going to be chintzy on this. I hope the AI teams will.

The top hitting coach options are Hatcher (Excellent), Jeff Pentland (Good), and Dave Engel (Decent). So as you can see, the quality of coaches drops rather sharply.

Hatcher has no particular preference for his job and is seeking $420K for 2 years. Pentland, an older coach at 58, is seeking a challenge and wants $380K for 4 years. Engel, a year younger than Hatcher at 47, just wants work. He is looking for a $340K salary for 3 years.

Hatcher is clearly the best, and he was our hitting coach last year. I don't see any reason to not shoot for the top, so I have decided to offer him $510K for 2 years. I stuck to the years offer he requested and shot for the next highest hundred thousand, then pushed it up a touch to put me ahead of any other $500K offers.

With two skills (hitting and pitching development) being of note for minor league managers, my options for a replacement for Sisson are much more varied.

Since I am aiming high, I decided to only pursue managers with well above average skills in both areas. This helps limit the choices a bit.

Jose Marzan, 59, is Legendary at developing hitting and Good with pitching. He's a bit older than I like, but he seems to have the necessary skills. He is seeking a challenge and is looking for for $440K over 2 years.

Bobby Jones, 50, has Excellent skills in both hitting and pitching, which makes him one of the more well-rounded managers available. And apparently he knows it, because his overriding concern seems to be money. He is asking for $420K for 3 years, which actually doesn't seem to bad to me for being a moneygrubber with those kinds of skills.

Don Money, 56, has equal skills to Jones, with Excellent hitting and pitching development abilities. Ironically, despite his name, money is not an issue with Money. In fact, he doesn't have any real preference--he just wants work. He is looking for $420K for 2 years.

Finally, there's Michael Bryant, another older manager at 59. His best skills are in pitching, where he is Legendary. And he is no slouch at Excellent for hitting. That makes him the most skilled manager available. He wants a challenge and is looking for $460K for 2 years.

After some consideration, I decided to go with Jones. I would prefer to sign a longer contract, and Jones' age and contract preferences go right into that. That is worth more to me right now than landing managers with higher skills in some areas.

I made an opening offer of $510K for 3 years to Jones, the same salary level as Hatcher.

Day One

Oh, geez, I sharply underestimated what these guys would be offered. Hatcher was signed by the Cubs for an amazing $935K for 2 years. The Cubs apparently have good taste because they alo signed Jones for $887 for 4 years.

The signings log was a long list of much higher offers than mine. Ouch. Back to the drawing board.

Unfortunately, all of the best hitting coaches signed on Day 1, so I had to go with an option from a list of Average hitting coaches. I decided to offer $400K for 3 years to Tommie McGraw, figuring that most of the teams that needed a hitting coach had already picked one up, and I'll be darned if I'm going to spend a whole lot of money on an average hitting coach. McGraw was looking for $300K for 3 years.

Once again, pretty much allt he best managers signed. So I went with Bob Geren, a 42-year-old Good hitting and Good pitching-rated developer. Geren is looking for a $380K for 3 years, and he wants to win. Since I do, too, that should work out well. I decided to offer him $550K for 4 years.

Day Two

Both McGraw and Geren agreed to deals with us. Obviously, I'm pretty disappointed how this ended up, but at least I have it taken care of now. I'm hopeful that Geren can develop some, but I may look to dump McGraw the second a good hitting coach becomes available, especially if the team is doing badly at the plate.

I finished coaches & scouts to get to the next phase of the offseason.

Chief Rum

Nobody besides Henderson made it into the Hall?

Incidentally, the Cubs' last Series was in the middle of WWII. They lost to the Tigers in '45.