OOTP5-- Hangin' The Halos

[Chief Rum]

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

[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

[SunDancer]

Chief, check your pm.

[Anrhydeddu]

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.

[Anrhydeddu]

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).

[Chief Rum]

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

[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

[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

[Chief Rum]

2003 World Series Preview

CHICAGO CUBS vs OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Cubs (93-69), NL Central Champ			Athletics (97-65), AL West Champ

Team AVG: .264 (13th)				.275 (5th)
Team HR: 229 (1st)				176 (15th)
Team Runs: 878 (6th)				902 (5th)

C: Damian Miller (.257, 17, 69)			Mitch Meluskey (.302, 11, 73)
1B: Morgan Burkhart (.279, 32, 98)		Scott Hatteburg (.273, 12, 52)
2B: Bobby Hill (.248, 14, 54)			Mark Ellis (.270, 6, 54)
3B: Mark Bellhorn (.284, 36, 115)		Eric Chavez (.282, 24, 111)
SS: Alex S. Gonzalez (.247, 15, 91)		Miguel Tejada (.298, 26, 108)
LF: Moises Alou (.289, 23, 84)			Terrence Long (.247, 10, 58)
CF: Corey Patterson (.301, 7, 25)		Chris Singleton (.265, 9, 54)
RF: Sammy Sosa (.320, 49, 122)			Jermaine Dye (.294, 18, 92)
DH: Alex Ochoa (.273, 18, 62)			Erubiel Durazo (.265, 30, 109)

Team ERA: 4.60 (19th)				4.15 (7th)
Team AVG Allowed: .255 (9th)			.249 (5th)
Team Runs Allowed: 808 (17th)			737 (7th)

SP: Mark Prior (16-7, 3.67)			Barry Zito (17-9, 3.14)
SP: Matt Clement (15-9, 4.22)			Mark Mulder (22-8, 2.76)
SP: Carlos Zambrano (11-11, 5.38)		Tim Hudson (11-7, 4.32)
SP: Shawn Estes (11-9, 4.70)			Ted Lilly (12-11, 5.37)
SP: Juan Cruz (4-2, 4.05)			Rich Harden (4-3, 2.83)

CL: Rudy Seanez (4-6, 4.41, 15 sv)		Keith Foulke (6-2, 2.28, 44 sv)
MR: Mark Guthrie (4-2, 3.54, 2 sv)		Jeremy Fikac (8-2, 5.02, 2 sv)
MR: Rod Beck (3-2, 5.25)			Jim Mecir (3-3, 2.76, 4 sv)
MR: Marc Wilkins (6-2, 4.50)			Chad Bradford (4-2, 4.87, 3 sv)

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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[Anrhydeddu]

Go A's.

[ShagVT]

GO CUBS!

[Chief Rum]

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

Time to find out what the game thinks...

Chief Rum

[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

[klayman]

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!

[Chief Rum]

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

[Chief Rum]

Ouch. Sorry, klayman.

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

Chief Rum

[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

[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

[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

[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

[MrBug708]

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

*shake his head*

[Chief Rum]

Yeah, yeah...shaddap!

Chief Rum

[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

[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

[DolphinFan1]

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.

[Chief Rum]

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

[IMetTrentGreen]

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

[Chief Rum]

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

[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

[Chief Rum]

FINALLY!

It's time to push the button...

The 2003 season is now officially over.

Chief Rum

[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

[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

[Katon]

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.