Here are number of wins needed this season to stay in the league for teams that won less than 75 games in Season 10:
Pittsburgh: 56
Cheyenne: 61
Los Angeles: 64
Sioux Falls: 53
Milwaukee: 56
San Juan: 60
N.Y. Yankees: 62
Iowa City: 58
Salem: 55
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
AL North Preview: Season 11
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The defending division champs decided to keep as much of their pitching staff as possible intact; the only turnover involved low-leverage reliever Douglas Johns replacing little-used Glen Leon. On the flip side, nealphd did bring in a few new position players, including 3B Houston Linden, C Tony Hernandez, and recent call-up Norm Webster. Linden will likely be an everyday player, while Hernandez and Webster will share duties with incumbents Tuck Stein and Luis Uribe, respectively. This year's team, as is, looks likely to suffer from the same pitfalls as last year's team; Uribe is a butcher at SS, the bullpen doesn't have much depth after Sandy Bryant, and the lineup is merely decent. The rotation is still as good as any in baseball, though. Last year's performance wasn't a fluke; look for them to run away with the title of AL's best team this year.
Prediction: 108-54, Division champs
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The Fatboys were hit as hard as any one team by free agency; four of their departing players combined for 15 All-Star game appearances (Stewart, Crespo, Washington, Fonville). Minnesota also dealt away starting pitchers Norm Ellenwood and Lance Lara, although the losses were somewhat mitigated by adding capable arms Dennis Cohen and Billy Ray Perry. However, that appears to be at least a small net loss, and even the better starters on the roster all have some question marks (Is Harrison better than last year? Will Becker rebound from last year's injury? Does Leary still "have it" at 40 years old?). The Fatboys also dealt away SS Guy Wise, although the organizational depth at the position borders on ludicrous. The bullpen features the three-headed monster of Croushore, Zhou, and Gandarilla; both Croushore and Gandarilla are capable of topping 100 innings of quality relief per season, and Zhou ranks among the better closers in the league. The lineup is still plenty dangerous, although expecting Keeler to repeat last season's performance would be unreasonable under any circumstances. The Fatboys still have a good team, but temper your expectations; this might be the weakest team Minny's fielded in a while.
Prediction: 90-72, Wildcard
*EDIT: Quote taken from Gleeman off the world chat: "I'm not even kidding. Read the AL North preview (which is well done, generally) and if you agree with the wins prediction for the Fatboys, name a number. I'll bet $10,000, if someone wants. Seriously."
Not that I'm completely disagreeing with him (it does feel a bit low, on second thought), but I felt I had to post this so I could look back on it at the end of the season. :-)
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After a tumultuous offseason that included a controversial vetoed trade, new GM morneau33hr decided to keep the core of the team intact. The problem is, many of the complementary pieces appear to be gone, and no one was signed to replace them. Relievers Kordell Bordick, Ross Livingstone, and Brian Murata were allowed to walk, as were catchers Derek Page and Vic Hardtke and outfielder Hector Hernandez. The Rocks signed OF Luis Cairo to replace Hernandez, but the loss of Page and Hardtke leaves incumbent Rich Beech alone to hit against RHP, which probably isn't the best idea, even considering his defense. Also, the bullpen, once a strength, looks awfully shaky behind Brian Hunt. There are enough stars here to call this a playoff-caliber team, but the glaring holes in the margins of Cleveland's roster makes them a bit of a tough read.
Prediction: 83-79, 3rd place, no playoffs
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The Tumbleweeds patched up one of their team's biggest holes this offseason, signing C Neil Byrne to replace all-glove C Humberto Martinez and the excrable Miguel Alou. Adding Luis Cervantes to replace Ken James is less of an upgrade, but an upgrade nonetheless. However, the rest of last year's thoroughly mediocre team is back at it again, with the same so-so pitching staff to complement what should be a capable, but forgettable lineup. The Tumbleweeds are in an awkward position: they're too good to be considered a rebuilding team, but aren't really contenders in the AL's toughest division. It doesn't appear that will change this season.
Prediction: 79-83, 4th place
NL North preview: Season 11
Vancouver Vigilantes (93-69, NL North champs)
Vancouver lost half-season rental Eugene Ramirez to free agency, but that may not be as big a loss as expected. The Vigilantes went out and signed Ruben Crespo to replace him. While Crespo's not quite as good as Ramirez, he did post a 3.99 ERA in an AL hitters' park last season, while pitching 311 innings. Crespo should be able to improve upon the production Vancouver got from Ramirez and Coco Ferrell last season (a combined 3.89 ERA in 236 innings).
Vancouver's other big loss was RF Douglas Coleridge. To replace his bat, they traded for 3B Darron Jenkins and will move Brandon Sheffield to RF.
Jenkins should help an offense that finished third in the NL in runs scored (894) last season, as he joins 2B Bryan Beckett, Sheffield, CF Joseph Wang, SS Turk Badilla and LF Mark Sakamoto in a balanced lineup. The only weak spot is 1B, where the Vigilantes will try to get by with Pedro Marin.
Crespo leads a rotation that includes Paul Wilson and a bunch of question marks. Pat Bowen and Tomas Moreno have durability issues. Juan Gonzales has stamina issues. And Alfonso Aquino and Fred Torres have issues of quality.
The bullpen will rely heavily on Shigetoshi Itou and Clyde Haynes.
When you factor in the age-related declines of Beckett and Gonzales, Vancouver probably only improved slightly in the offseason. The good news for Vigilantes fans is that nobody else in the division did enough to make up the gap.
Prediction: 94-68, first place by at least 10 games
Ottawa Otters (79-83)
Ottawa didn't lose any critical players, saying goodbye to Rickey Dixon and Octavio Suarez and good riddance to Andy Weaver and Cody Woods. Unfortunately, the Otters didn't add any critical players either, as signing RP Nick Harper was the team's only real offseason move.
Harper will join Josh Houston and Grant Westbrook in what should be a solid bullpen.
The rotation still features quality starters Aurelio Martin and Vinny Matthews at the top, with Pablo Campos, Nick Roosevelt and an unattractive choice between Ed McNamara and Javy Gomez.
The pitching staff allowed 720 runs last season, fifth in the NL, and should be somewhere in that range again this season. The offense, on the other hand, is a mess. It was 12th in the league with 709 runs scored last season and doesn't appear much improved.
LF Enrique Melendez is the only player on Ottawa's roster who had at least 250 at-bats for the Otters last season and posted an OPS above .800. RF Tony Cela should bounce back from a disappointing season, but it's no guarantee. James Holmes and Esteban Lecuona will take some of the at-bats left by the departures of Dixon, Weaver and Woods, but it remains to be seen whether they can improve on the poor performance of that trio.
Prediction: 81-81
Sioux Falls Gunslingers (72-90)
Sioux Falls also didn't lose anybody of consequence, and actually made one of the biggest one-for-one upgrades of the entire offseason. The Gunslingers kicked Howard Riley (.543 OPS in 387 at-bats) to the curb and signed J.D. Pettyjohn to take most of the at-bats at catcher. Even if Pettyjohn fails to replicate last season's career year, he'll be a huge improvement over Riley. Sioux Falls' offense (15th in the NL last season) should also get more production from corner outfielders Al Rapp and Carlos Carreras.
Sioux Falls' other offseason move was to trade for SP Jayson Ellis who should benefit from leaving Fenway behind and joining the NL. He'll lead a rag-tag rotation that may shift a lot througout the season.
The strength of the Gunslingers is definitely its bullpen, led by Crash Miller, Larry Piatt and Rob Hutch.
Prediction: 75-87
Milwaukee Twindyans (69-93)
After nine consecutive winning seasons and eight playoff appearances, Milwaukee fell hard last season, and it's not going to get any better this season. The Twindyans traded their best hitter (Darrin Murphy) during season 10 and then lost their next-best hitter (Victor Bieser) in the offseason. So an offense that was 13th in the NL with 691 runs scored last season could be much, much worse this season.
On top of that, the Twindyans also lost their best starting pitcher (Larry Williamson) during the offseason and will replace him with rookie Theo Marquis, who should be solid but is untested as of yet.
And the only relievers in the bullpen who posted sub-4 ERAs in significant action are Rickey Bolick and the ancient Vic Alfonzo.
Prediction: 65-97
Vancouver lost half-season rental Eugene Ramirez to free agency, but that may not be as big a loss as expected. The Vigilantes went out and signed Ruben Crespo to replace him. While Crespo's not quite as good as Ramirez, he did post a 3.99 ERA in an AL hitters' park last season, while pitching 311 innings. Crespo should be able to improve upon the production Vancouver got from Ramirez and Coco Ferrell last season (a combined 3.89 ERA in 236 innings).
Vancouver's other big loss was RF Douglas Coleridge. To replace his bat, they traded for 3B Darron Jenkins and will move Brandon Sheffield to RF.
Jenkins should help an offense that finished third in the NL in runs scored (894) last season, as he joins 2B Bryan Beckett, Sheffield, CF Joseph Wang, SS Turk Badilla and LF Mark Sakamoto in a balanced lineup. The only weak spot is 1B, where the Vigilantes will try to get by with Pedro Marin.
Crespo leads a rotation that includes Paul Wilson and a bunch of question marks. Pat Bowen and Tomas Moreno have durability issues. Juan Gonzales has stamina issues. And Alfonso Aquino and Fred Torres have issues of quality.
The bullpen will rely heavily on Shigetoshi Itou and Clyde Haynes.
When you factor in the age-related declines of Beckett and Gonzales, Vancouver probably only improved slightly in the offseason. The good news for Vigilantes fans is that nobody else in the division did enough to make up the gap.
Prediction: 94-68, first place by at least 10 games
Ottawa Otters (79-83)
Ottawa didn't lose any critical players, saying goodbye to Rickey Dixon and Octavio Suarez and good riddance to Andy Weaver and Cody Woods. Unfortunately, the Otters didn't add any critical players either, as signing RP Nick Harper was the team's only real offseason move.
Harper will join Josh Houston and Grant Westbrook in what should be a solid bullpen.
The rotation still features quality starters Aurelio Martin and Vinny Matthews at the top, with Pablo Campos, Nick Roosevelt and an unattractive choice between Ed McNamara and Javy Gomez.
The pitching staff allowed 720 runs last season, fifth in the NL, and should be somewhere in that range again this season. The offense, on the other hand, is a mess. It was 12th in the league with 709 runs scored last season and doesn't appear much improved.
LF Enrique Melendez is the only player on Ottawa's roster who had at least 250 at-bats for the Otters last season and posted an OPS above .800. RF Tony Cela should bounce back from a disappointing season, but it's no guarantee. James Holmes and Esteban Lecuona will take some of the at-bats left by the departures of Dixon, Weaver and Woods, but it remains to be seen whether they can improve on the poor performance of that trio.
Prediction: 81-81
Sioux Falls Gunslingers (72-90)
Sioux Falls also didn't lose anybody of consequence, and actually made one of the biggest one-for-one upgrades of the entire offseason. The Gunslingers kicked Howard Riley (.543 OPS in 387 at-bats) to the curb and signed J.D. Pettyjohn to take most of the at-bats at catcher. Even if Pettyjohn fails to replicate last season's career year, he'll be a huge improvement over Riley. Sioux Falls' offense (15th in the NL last season) should also get more production from corner outfielders Al Rapp and Carlos Carreras.
Sioux Falls' other offseason move was to trade for SP Jayson Ellis who should benefit from leaving Fenway behind and joining the NL. He'll lead a rag-tag rotation that may shift a lot througout the season.
The strength of the Gunslingers is definitely its bullpen, led by Crash Miller, Larry Piatt and Rob Hutch.
Prediction: 75-87
Milwaukee Twindyans (69-93)
After nine consecutive winning seasons and eight playoff appearances, Milwaukee fell hard last season, and it's not going to get any better this season. The Twindyans traded their best hitter (Darrin Murphy) during season 10 and then lost their next-best hitter (Victor Bieser) in the offseason. So an offense that was 13th in the NL with 691 runs scored last season could be much, much worse this season.
On top of that, the Twindyans also lost their best starting pitcher (Larry Williamson) during the offseason and will replace him with rookie Theo Marquis, who should be solid but is untested as of yet.
And the only relievers in the bullpen who posted sub-4 ERAs in significant action are Rickey Bolick and the ancient Vic Alfonzo.
Prediction: 65-97
Saturday, May 16, 2009
NL South - Season 11 Preview
ST. LOUIS GREY'S (93-69, Division Champion)
St. Louis fan's were breathing a sigh of relief this offseason as the moving vans spotted at the house of John Carroll were only dropping off bags of cash instead of moving furniture. Rumor has it the perennial Cy Young candidate is building a Scrooge McDuck type vault to swim in his record tying haul. Even with Carroll, the rest of the league will wait and observe whether you can compete for a World Series when nearly 1/5th of this seasons budget (not just salary) will be going to a single starting pitcher.
Roy Gold, Howie Delasandro, and Willis Smith provide depth to the rotation, while the bullpen is scary in its own right with the backend combination of Lawrence Edwards and young closer Nate Pederson. The only spot for improvement is 2nd yr. starter David Alvarado, but that would be nitpicking on a staff primed for a World Series run in what should be an improved NL.
Lost in the Carroll negotiations, Matt Governale brought his 575 career HR's to town in order to put the offense on par with the pitching staff. He'll provide protection for a young but talented bunch that includes Vladimir Pichardo, Louis Dispenza, and David Terrero to name a few. Behind the plate is the only cause for concern as Scott Anderson & Brian Murphy will have a hard time replacing veteran J.D. Pettyjohn who left in Free Agency.
It's win now time for St. Louis. The window is open, but for how long. The payroll is at 94 million this season and will only go up as the offense starts hitting arbitration in the next few seasons. Still, St. Louis should be the class of the NL with a young offense and a stellar pitching staff.
Prediction: 99-63
MONTERREY CONQUISTADORS (85-77, 2nd)
With their best record since moving the franchise to Monterrey, GM evelandz23 has assembled a strong core of star players to build around both offensively and on the pitching staff. While loaded at the top, this team is one injury away from irellevance with questionable depth on the pitching staff. Can Monterrey find a way to improve the back end talent to really give the Grey's a run in the division?
After trading for Pete Skinner & Dennis Nelson last season, Monterrey has assembled star players at key positions. Pete Skinner occupies cf while Tony Henriquez 2b, Erubiel Benitez ss, and Francisco Nunez c all provide strong bats to go with solid defense. The rest of the lineup combine solid bats with versatile options as everyone is capable of manning multiple positions, including Nelson.
The pitching staff could creep toward league averages statistically if Juan Oliva can develop into a worthy complement to budding star Max Moehler. Otis Upshaw was signed to try and rekindle some of his former glory, but has shown nothing in recent years to indicate a turn-around is on the way. The bullpen is based around solid closer Lance Acosta, but like the rotation could use an upgrade of its depth. If Arthur Franklin & Pedro Brogna can put last year behind them and pitch like they have in the past, the bullpen could climb towards mediocrity.
Without improved pitching depth, Monterrey is going to struggle trying to compete with the loaded St. Louis Grey's . The only help on the near horizon pitching wise could be Lefty Loaiza, but he has not lived up to his ratings at AAA. One option would be dealing Henriquez for a starter to improve the staff and pave the way for star prospect Taylor Turner. Without help, this team will have to mash its way to a possible wild card berth.
Predictions: 82-80, (Misses Playoffs)
OKLAHOMA CITY TWINS (78-84, 3rd)
After several seasons at the bottom of the NL south, the Twins finally took a step forward. This season they hope to build upon that success with improvement from their young players.
Offensively, veterans Darwin Stocker and Raul Rivera bring stability to a lineup still finding their legs. Ray Lyons, Charlie Horton, and Travis O'Connor provide an improving young core to slot in around the veterans. The only addition was Shea Carver who should be able to keep RF warm until future stars Del Tavarez and Branch Laker are ready to join the big club.
The pitching staff focuses on consistency over stars with a promising group of Adrian Henderson, Vic Lopez, Bobby Metzger, and Rico Silva. Lance Lara will be expected to provide the leadership coming over via trade for his second stint with the Twins. The bullpen is deep with options and has Moe Farley closing the door. Just like the offense, help is coming with Felipe Ruiz making his way through the system.
With only minor additions to the roster and improvements from a young core, the Twins should be able to play .500 or better. However, in a division with the win now Grey's that will just not be good enough and management seems to realize that. Stocker, Rivera, and Horton are all on the trading block as they develop their youngsters and wait for reinforcements from within the organization.
Prediction: 83-79 (Misses Playoffs)
IOWA CITY COMICS (67-95, 4th)
After being a perennial threat to win the division, Iowa had its first season in the basement of an improved division. The Comics still have all-world 1b Chipper Velandia and lf Ricardo Rincon who are 30 and 31 respectively. This should be a crucial season for management. Do you loot the farm system and build around your stars or is it time to blow it up?
Outside of Velandia and Rincon, the lineup is built around defense starting with the Mr. Magoo catching combo of Onan Chen & Al Pineda who sport a batting eye of 0 (COMBINED). The only notable FA signing is Andy Weaver who upgrades the ss position from a good glove to great with no improvement at the plate where it is truly needed. Any improvement in the offense will depend upon the development of Nicholas Helms in cf, Luis Cruz at 3b, and the call-up of Peter Pride at 2b.
Joe Sanders, Sandy Price, Henry Beckwith form a solid backbone for the staff, albeit an unspectacular one with plenty of questions. Can Beckwith pitch 150 innings with declining stamina? Will Sanders continue his turnaround from last season? The bigger questions will be at the front and back of the rotation with no Ace pitcher or competent option for the 5 slot. The bullpen returns relatively intact but last seasons' best reliever was Orlando Aramboles who needs to prove his 2.33 ERA was not a fluke.
If everything breaks right, Velandia could carry a low-upside offense to mediocrity while the pitching remains solid but unspectacular. Still, it's more likely that the Chipper Velandia era could be coming to an end with the vultures starting to circle in what could shape up to be an interesting bidding war. Could edwzipper pull the trigger on a deal for his cornerstone player in a much needed rebuilding effort? Time will tell.
Prediction: 69-93
Friday, May 1, 2009
GW1 Look Back: Season 2 Draft
The players from the second amateur draft have finished their ninth professional season, so it's a good time to look back and see how that class has done so far.
I'm going to rank the 30 players who signed based on what they've done since then. Keep in mind that I'm not considering ratings at all. These ratings are based entirely on what each player has accomplished on the field.
Also, after ranking the first rounders, I'll list the 10 best players who weren't picked in the first round.
30. Vic Valentin (12th by Iowa City): The only Season 2 first-rounder who has already retired, Valentin got one season in the majors, posting a 7.80 ERA in 60 innings. In his minor league career, he had a 4.79 ERA in 278 innings. He was easily the biggest first-round bust of Season 2.
29. Ron Duvall (32nd by Los Angeles Hangars): Duvall is the only first-rounder who hasn't made an appearance in the majors. His minor league career is extensive, as he's gone 79-69 with a 4.39 ERA in 1,289 innings.
28. Max Walters (29th by Los Angeles Snappers): When first drafted, Walters looked like he could be a mediocre hitter with a good glove. Instead, he's become a bad hitter with a mediocre glove. He's hit .263/.327/.314 (.641) in 2,036 at-bats and he hasn't posted a .700-plus OPS in four seasons. Defensively, he has nine plus plays and nine minus plays in nearly 3,800 innings at shortstop.
27. Kareem Duckworth (15th by San Antonio): Duckworth has some power, with 159 big league homers in 617 games, but that's about it. He's hit .242/.300/.488 (.788) in 2.362 at-bats, and making outs in 70% of your plate appearances is unacceptable for a left fielder. He does play good defense, winning a Gold Glove in Season 10.
26. Mikey Houston (18th by Indianapolis): Houston had a good start to his career, posting an .821 OPS as a rookie and a .799 OPS the following season. He hasn't been nearly as good since then and now sports a .263/.328/.394 (.722) line in 2,884 at-bats. He spent a good chunk of Season 10 in AAA and only got 56 big league at-bats. Defensively, he has 12 plus plays and 19 minus plays in nearly 6,000 innings at second base.
25. Al Clinton (20th by Syracuse): Aside from a 69-game stint with the Chicago Jayhawks, Clinton's had a thoroughly mediocre career. His career line is .265/.323/.414 (.737) in 2,147 at-bats. He's been solid on defense, mostly at second base, with eight plus plays and four minus plays in nearly 3,600 innings there. He also won a Gold Glove at second in Season 10.
24. Chili Coles (16th by Nashville): Coles didn't reach the majors until Season 8, when he was 27 years old, and he hasn't done much in the three seasons since. He's 35-32 with a 5.41 ERA in 611 career innings, and his best season was a 4.54 ERA in Season 9. The biggest problem in his career has been the long ball, as he's allowed 124 homers so far, including 49 in Season 10.
23. Jose Nieves (30th by Atlanta): Nieves reached the majors for good in Season 5, but he's never been a full-time player, with a high of 410 at-bats in Season 9. His best attribute is his power, with a .263/.324/.488 (.812) line with 110 homers in 1,844 at-bats. For a corner outfielder, he's just not that good a hitter.
22. Dan Ojala (10th by Cheyenne): Ojala has played at least 146 games for the Tackleberries ever since his rookie year in Season 5. He's shown consistent 20-homer power, but he doesn't get on base much, hitting .253/.316/.440 (.756) with 138 homers in 3,263 at-bats. His best performance was an .817 OPS in Season 6, when he was an All-Star. Defensively, he's been poor at both center field (4,500 innings) and shortstop (1,900 innings); he'd be a very good second baseman though.
21. Ozzie Zhang (5th by Philadelphia): Zhang had short stints in the majors in Seasons 3 and 4 before getting a full-time job in Season 5. He's a solid pitcher, but he'd be much better if he didn't struggle mightily against lefties. For his career, he's 59-77 with a 5.28 ERA in 1,203 innings, which isn't terrible in a hitters' park in the AL.
20. Jeremy Walker (28th by Indianapolis): Walker didn't reach the majors until Season 7, when he was 25 years old. He posted a 4.24 ERA as a rookie that season and while he hasn't been that good since, he's still 53-53 with a 5.13 ERA in 905 innings for his career.
19. Tony Cela (8th by Kansas City): Cela has struggled to live up to his potential as a player with great contact skills, good power and a decent batting eye to go with a solid approach at the plate. He came up late in Season 5 and had a nice 25-game stint, but he's been unable to match that level of production since. For his career, he's hitting .276/.334/.491 (.825) with 152 homers in 2,907 at-bats. His career thus far has to be considered a huge disappointment, especially considering the corner outfielder who went one spot later.
18. Jose Machado (31st by Los Angeles Snappers): Coming off his fourth season in the majors, Machado has shown good power but has struggled to get on base. He's also struggled with durability, and he had a major injury in Season 9. For his career, he's hitting .274/.328/.513 (.841) with 117 homers in 1,849 innings. Defensively, he has 5 plus plays and 2 minus plays in more than 3,900 innings at third base.
17. Victor Bieser (22nd by Milwaukee): Bieser was a part-time player early in his career, and didn't really get to start every day until his last two seasons. He doesn't have great home run power for a corner outfielder, but he's hit .282/.347/.505 (.852) in 1,901 at-bats.
16. Mark Lyons (13th by Tampa Bay): Lyons got a bit of a late start, as he didn't reach the majors for good until Season 7, when he was 25 years old. He's been OK since then, hitting .282/.354/.481 (.835) in 2,131 at-bats, mostly in a slight hitters' park. He doesn't have the power you'd like from a corner outfielder (only 85 homers), but he gets on base at a solid clip and he's stolen 212 bases in 237 attempts.
15. Bronson Ritz (23rd by St. Louis): Ritz was called up to the majors early in Season 4 at the tender age of 20 and has been a full-time player ever since. He's had a couple fantastic seasons (.289/.348/.604 with 45 homers in Season 7 and .271/.337/.553 with 42 homers in Season 6), but mostly he's been a home run hitter who doesn't get on base otherwise. He's hitting .264/.325/.524 (.849) with 265 homers in 3,785 at-bats in his career. Even in a pitchers' park, he hasn't been a great hitter for a right fielder.
14. Jon Stowers (11th by Boise): Stowers was one of the first Season 2 draft picks to reach the majors, getting called up before midseason of Season 3. Since then, he's hit .281/.346/.512 (.858) in 4,360 at-bats, getting some help from a hitters' park. He supplements decent home run power (209 in his career) with good doubles power (269). He's also stolen 186 bases, but not at a great rate (65%). He's been a good-hitting (but not great) right fielder.
13. Geoff Forest (17th by San Antonio): Forest didn't get a full-time job in the majors until Season 7, but he's been pretty good in his four seasons since then, hitting .285/.359/.415 (.774) in 2,402 at-bats. He has been helped by playing in a pretty good hitters' park for 2.5 seasons, but even so you have to like that kind of OBP from a second baseman. His defense has been spotty, with 11 plus plays and 16 minus plays in more than 4,300 innings.
12. Clyde Haynes (19th by Montreal): Haynes has an amazing combination of control and pure stuff, but his pitches never really developed, which has led to some inconsistency. He posted ERAs of 3.75 or lower in Seasons 6, 7 and 10 and ERAs of 4.73 and 4.32 in Seasons 8 and 9. For his career, he's 21-22 with a 3.96 ERA and 88 saves in 111 chances in 347 innings. For a reliever in a neutral park in the NL, he's been solid but not great. Strangely, his one All-Star appearance came in Season 8, his worst season.
11. Luis Uribe (6th by Buffalo): Uribe spent some time in the majors in Seasons 3 and 4 before sticking for good to start Season 5. He's been Buffalo's starting shortstop since then, and while his defense is somewhat lacking, he's been one of the better hitters at his position in the AL. Uribe has a .274/.334/.456 (.790) line in 3,542 at-bats, which is good enough to earn him Silver Slugger awards in Seasons 7, 9 and 10. He's hit 132 career homers while stealing 148 bases in 186 attempts. Defensively, he has 7 plus plays and 20 minus plays in more than 6,000 innings. His lone All-Star appearance came in Season 7.
10. Gene Tessmer (7th by Las Vegas): Tessmer's a better-hitting, better-fielding version of Uribe. He came up early in Season 6 and has hit .278/.331/.497 (.828) with 146 homers in 2,741 at-bats. He's spent 3.5 seasons in a good hitters' park and a little over a season in a terrible hitters' park. His .307/.358/.592 line with 44 homers and 100 RBI was good for an All-Star appearance and a Silver Slugger award in Season 9, and he also made the All-Star team in Season 10. Defensively, he has 11 plus plays and 13 minus plays in nearly 5,200 innings at shortstop.
9. Sid Fleming (2nd by Rochester): Fleming was in the majors by early in Season 4, and he was an excellent hitter through Season 8. For some reason he's struggled mightily the past two seasons, but he's still hitting .276/.324/.536 (.860) with 271 homers in 4,234 career at-bats, although he has been helped by his home park most of his career. Defensively, he's been terrible in center field (11 plus plays and 38 minus plays in nearly 5,800 innings) and decent at shortstop (5 plus plays and 4 minus plays in about 2,150 innings).
8. Dale Stewart (3rd by San Francisco): Stewart played just 82 games in the minors after getting drafted before he was in the majors that season as a 22-year-old just out of college. He's been a consistently good hitter ever since. For his career, Stewart's hitting .284/.351/.480 (.831) with 169 homers, 294 doubles and 195 steals (in 264 attempts) in 4,660 at-bats. He's played in both hitters' parks (his best years came in Seasons 8 and 9 in Minnesota) and pitchers' parks (his worst year was Season 7 in Las Vegas). Defensively, he was out of his element when asked to play shortstop, posting 9 plus plays and 44 minus plays in more than 6,100 innings. In his 3,200-plus innings at second base, he's had 8 plus plays and 2 minus plays. Stewart has won two Silver Sluggers awards and has made the All-Star team twice.
7. Joey Ward (14th by Albuquerque): Ward has had a tumultuous career, getting traded three times and seeing his performance range from a 3.83 ERA in Season 5 with Minnesota to a 5.24 ERA in Season 8 with Minnesota and Syracuse. For his career, Ward's 49-31 with a 4.34 ERA in 757 innings. He's also spent his entire career in the AL, and about half of it with a slight hitter's park as his home park.
6. Luis Cervantes (21st by Charlotte): Cervantes spent his entire career in the Charlotte/Richmond system before leaving as a free agent to sign with Fargo this offseason. In his seven seasons with Richmond, he was a model of consistency, posting an OPS between .832 and .910 every season. For his career, he's hit .298/.381/.495 (.876) with 189 homers in 3,867 at-bats. He's also been an excellent defensive first baseman, winning the Gold Glove award in Seasons 5 and 9.
5. Goose Hayes (25th by Minnesota): Traded from Minnesota to Washington in a swap of elite prospects, Hayes has gone on to great success in the majors. He went 14-5 with a 3.31 ERA in Season 7 to win the Rookie of the Year award and he blossomed into a true star in Season 10, going 19-6 with a 2.89 ERA. A poor Season 9 that's looking like a fluke is the only reason he hasn't done better in his career than 55-36 with a 3.71 ERA in 828 innings.
4. Richard Stocker (24th by N.Y. Mets): Stocker got a brief stint in the majors in Season 3, came up halfway through Season 4 and played his first full season in the bigs at age 24. Since that Season 4 call-up, he's done nothing but mash, hitting .308/.385/.591 (.976) with 293 homers in 3,840 at-bats. His defense at first base has been spotty, but that hardly matters when you hit like he does. He's made the All-Star team in Seasons 7, 8 and 10.
3. Haywood Gipson (1st by Colorado): The fact that Gipson isn't No. 1 on this list just shows you how strong this draft was. Gipson made his big league debut early in Season 6 and has been the NL's best second baseman over the 4-plus seasons since, making four All-Star teams and winning three Silver Slugger awards. For his career, he's hit .306/.370/.548 (.918) with 165 homers and 94 steals (in 123 attempts) in 2,863 at-bats. He hasn't been awful defensively, either, with 10 plus plays and 12 minus plays in nearly 6,000 innings.
2. Al Iglesias (4th by Scranton): He may eventually be No. 1 on this list, but for now Iglesias hasn't done enough to overcome the fact that he reached the majors four seasons after the top guy. When he did make it to the bigs, he made an instant impact, posting a .935 OPS as a rookie in Season 7. He followed that up by hitting .351/.419/.699 (1.118) with 40 homers, 96 RBI and 114 runs scored to win the Season 8 MVP award. He hasn't been that good the past two seasons, but he still has a .325/.395/.586 (.981) line with 118 homers in 2,129 career at-bats. He's not a good defender, with 6 plus plays and 13 minus plays in about 4,300 innings in center field, but the fact that he can even play a premier position gives him a ton of value. In addition to his MVP award, he's made three All-Star teams and won two Silver Slugger awards.
1. Nash McCartin (9th by Boston): A college graduate, McCartin probably could have gone straight from the draft to the majors. Instead he stayed in the minors until late in Season 3, and he struggled after getting called up. Starting in Season 4, however, he turned into a hitting machine and hasn't stopped, hitting .325/.380/.691 (1.071) with 390 homers in 3,790 at-bats. He's played his entire career in hitters' parks, but that only helps so much. He posted an 1.174 OPS with 76 homers and 167 RBI to win the Season 10 MVP award, and he's also made six All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards.
Top 10 non-first-rounders (in order of when they were picked)
Scot Rhodes (34th by Chicago): .265/.351/.558 (.909) with 257 homers in 2,963 at-bats. Season 6 Rookie of the Year, Season 7 All-Star, Gold Glove first baseman in Seasons 8 and 10.
Andy Page (40th by Kansas City): .277/.340/.500 (.840) with 128 homers in 2,582 at-bats. 11 plus plays, 11 minus plays in 5,500 innings at second base.
Charlie Ramsey (49th by Kansas City): .279/.342/.403 (.745) in 2,531 at-bats. Has thrown out 25.5 percent of base stealers (112 of 440) in 5,500 innings.
David Gates (51st by N.Y. Yankees): 30-35 with a 4.88 ERA in 573 innings.
Daniel Thompson (64th by St. Louis): .270/.347/.420 (.767) in 2,061 at-bats. 22 plus plays, 9 minus plays in 4,000 innings at second base. Season 8 Gold Glove winner.
Lance Acosta (65th by N.Y. Mets): 14-15 with 21 saves in 33 chances and 3.51 ERA in 215 innings.
Douglas Jordan (76th by San Francisco): 11-10 with six saves in seven chances and 4.48 ERA in 211 innings.
Dave Coles (83rd by Cheyenne): .310/.386/.477 (.863) in 2,266 at-bats. 5 plus plays, 4 minus plays in 5,000 innings at first base. Season 9 All-Star.
Jesus Santos (124th by Montreal): 10-23 with 56 saves in 76 chances and a 4.56 ERA in 225 innings. Season 8 All-Star.
Ben Everett (161st by N.Y. Mets): .246/.332/.519 (.851) with 98 homers in 1,315 at-bats.
I'm going to rank the 30 players who signed based on what they've done since then. Keep in mind that I'm not considering ratings at all. These ratings are based entirely on what each player has accomplished on the field.
Also, after ranking the first rounders, I'll list the 10 best players who weren't picked in the first round.
30. Vic Valentin (12th by Iowa City): The only Season 2 first-rounder who has already retired, Valentin got one season in the majors, posting a 7.80 ERA in 60 innings. In his minor league career, he had a 4.79 ERA in 278 innings. He was easily the biggest first-round bust of Season 2.
29. Ron Duvall (32nd by Los Angeles Hangars): Duvall is the only first-rounder who hasn't made an appearance in the majors. His minor league career is extensive, as he's gone 79-69 with a 4.39 ERA in 1,289 innings.
28. Max Walters (29th by Los Angeles Snappers): When first drafted, Walters looked like he could be a mediocre hitter with a good glove. Instead, he's become a bad hitter with a mediocre glove. He's hit .263/.327/.314 (.641) in 2,036 at-bats and he hasn't posted a .700-plus OPS in four seasons. Defensively, he has nine plus plays and nine minus plays in nearly 3,800 innings at shortstop.
27. Kareem Duckworth (15th by San Antonio): Duckworth has some power, with 159 big league homers in 617 games, but that's about it. He's hit .242/.300/.488 (.788) in 2.362 at-bats, and making outs in 70% of your plate appearances is unacceptable for a left fielder. He does play good defense, winning a Gold Glove in Season 10.
26. Mikey Houston (18th by Indianapolis): Houston had a good start to his career, posting an .821 OPS as a rookie and a .799 OPS the following season. He hasn't been nearly as good since then and now sports a .263/.328/.394 (.722) line in 2,884 at-bats. He spent a good chunk of Season 10 in AAA and only got 56 big league at-bats. Defensively, he has 12 plus plays and 19 minus plays in nearly 6,000 innings at second base.
25. Al Clinton (20th by Syracuse): Aside from a 69-game stint with the Chicago Jayhawks, Clinton's had a thoroughly mediocre career. His career line is .265/.323/.414 (.737) in 2,147 at-bats. He's been solid on defense, mostly at second base, with eight plus plays and four minus plays in nearly 3,600 innings there. He also won a Gold Glove at second in Season 10.
24. Chili Coles (16th by Nashville): Coles didn't reach the majors until Season 8, when he was 27 years old, and he hasn't done much in the three seasons since. He's 35-32 with a 5.41 ERA in 611 career innings, and his best season was a 4.54 ERA in Season 9. The biggest problem in his career has been the long ball, as he's allowed 124 homers so far, including 49 in Season 10.
23. Jose Nieves (30th by Atlanta): Nieves reached the majors for good in Season 5, but he's never been a full-time player, with a high of 410 at-bats in Season 9. His best attribute is his power, with a .263/.324/.488 (.812) line with 110 homers in 1,844 at-bats. For a corner outfielder, he's just not that good a hitter.
22. Dan Ojala (10th by Cheyenne): Ojala has played at least 146 games for the Tackleberries ever since his rookie year in Season 5. He's shown consistent 20-homer power, but he doesn't get on base much, hitting .253/.316/.440 (.756) with 138 homers in 3,263 at-bats. His best performance was an .817 OPS in Season 6, when he was an All-Star. Defensively, he's been poor at both center field (4,500 innings) and shortstop (1,900 innings); he'd be a very good second baseman though.
21. Ozzie Zhang (5th by Philadelphia): Zhang had short stints in the majors in Seasons 3 and 4 before getting a full-time job in Season 5. He's a solid pitcher, but he'd be much better if he didn't struggle mightily against lefties. For his career, he's 59-77 with a 5.28 ERA in 1,203 innings, which isn't terrible in a hitters' park in the AL.
20. Jeremy Walker (28th by Indianapolis): Walker didn't reach the majors until Season 7, when he was 25 years old. He posted a 4.24 ERA as a rookie that season and while he hasn't been that good since, he's still 53-53 with a 5.13 ERA in 905 innings for his career.
19. Tony Cela (8th by Kansas City): Cela has struggled to live up to his potential as a player with great contact skills, good power and a decent batting eye to go with a solid approach at the plate. He came up late in Season 5 and had a nice 25-game stint, but he's been unable to match that level of production since. For his career, he's hitting .276/.334/.491 (.825) with 152 homers in 2,907 at-bats. His career thus far has to be considered a huge disappointment, especially considering the corner outfielder who went one spot later.
18. Jose Machado (31st by Los Angeles Snappers): Coming off his fourth season in the majors, Machado has shown good power but has struggled to get on base. He's also struggled with durability, and he had a major injury in Season 9. For his career, he's hitting .274/.328/.513 (.841) with 117 homers in 1,849 innings. Defensively, he has 5 plus plays and 2 minus plays in more than 3,900 innings at third base.
17. Victor Bieser (22nd by Milwaukee): Bieser was a part-time player early in his career, and didn't really get to start every day until his last two seasons. He doesn't have great home run power for a corner outfielder, but he's hit .282/.347/.505 (.852) in 1,901 at-bats.
16. Mark Lyons (13th by Tampa Bay): Lyons got a bit of a late start, as he didn't reach the majors for good until Season 7, when he was 25 years old. He's been OK since then, hitting .282/.354/.481 (.835) in 2,131 at-bats, mostly in a slight hitters' park. He doesn't have the power you'd like from a corner outfielder (only 85 homers), but he gets on base at a solid clip and he's stolen 212 bases in 237 attempts.
15. Bronson Ritz (23rd by St. Louis): Ritz was called up to the majors early in Season 4 at the tender age of 20 and has been a full-time player ever since. He's had a couple fantastic seasons (.289/.348/.604 with 45 homers in Season 7 and .271/.337/.553 with 42 homers in Season 6), but mostly he's been a home run hitter who doesn't get on base otherwise. He's hitting .264/.325/.524 (.849) with 265 homers in 3,785 at-bats in his career. Even in a pitchers' park, he hasn't been a great hitter for a right fielder.
14. Jon Stowers (11th by Boise): Stowers was one of the first Season 2 draft picks to reach the majors, getting called up before midseason of Season 3. Since then, he's hit .281/.346/.512 (.858) in 4,360 at-bats, getting some help from a hitters' park. He supplements decent home run power (209 in his career) with good doubles power (269). He's also stolen 186 bases, but not at a great rate (65%). He's been a good-hitting (but not great) right fielder.
13. Geoff Forest (17th by San Antonio): Forest didn't get a full-time job in the majors until Season 7, but he's been pretty good in his four seasons since then, hitting .285/.359/.415 (.774) in 2,402 at-bats. He has been helped by playing in a pretty good hitters' park for 2.5 seasons, but even so you have to like that kind of OBP from a second baseman. His defense has been spotty, with 11 plus plays and 16 minus plays in more than 4,300 innings.
12. Clyde Haynes (19th by Montreal): Haynes has an amazing combination of control and pure stuff, but his pitches never really developed, which has led to some inconsistency. He posted ERAs of 3.75 or lower in Seasons 6, 7 and 10 and ERAs of 4.73 and 4.32 in Seasons 8 and 9. For his career, he's 21-22 with a 3.96 ERA and 88 saves in 111 chances in 347 innings. For a reliever in a neutral park in the NL, he's been solid but not great. Strangely, his one All-Star appearance came in Season 8, his worst season.
11. Luis Uribe (6th by Buffalo): Uribe spent some time in the majors in Seasons 3 and 4 before sticking for good to start Season 5. He's been Buffalo's starting shortstop since then, and while his defense is somewhat lacking, he's been one of the better hitters at his position in the AL. Uribe has a .274/.334/.456 (.790) line in 3,542 at-bats, which is good enough to earn him Silver Slugger awards in Seasons 7, 9 and 10. He's hit 132 career homers while stealing 148 bases in 186 attempts. Defensively, he has 7 plus plays and 20 minus plays in more than 6,000 innings. His lone All-Star appearance came in Season 7.
10. Gene Tessmer (7th by Las Vegas): Tessmer's a better-hitting, better-fielding version of Uribe. He came up early in Season 6 and has hit .278/.331/.497 (.828) with 146 homers in 2,741 at-bats. He's spent 3.5 seasons in a good hitters' park and a little over a season in a terrible hitters' park. His .307/.358/.592 line with 44 homers and 100 RBI was good for an All-Star appearance and a Silver Slugger award in Season 9, and he also made the All-Star team in Season 10. Defensively, he has 11 plus plays and 13 minus plays in nearly 5,200 innings at shortstop.
9. Sid Fleming (2nd by Rochester): Fleming was in the majors by early in Season 4, and he was an excellent hitter through Season 8. For some reason he's struggled mightily the past two seasons, but he's still hitting .276/.324/.536 (.860) with 271 homers in 4,234 career at-bats, although he has been helped by his home park most of his career. Defensively, he's been terrible in center field (11 plus plays and 38 minus plays in nearly 5,800 innings) and decent at shortstop (5 plus plays and 4 minus plays in about 2,150 innings).
8. Dale Stewart (3rd by San Francisco): Stewart played just 82 games in the minors after getting drafted before he was in the majors that season as a 22-year-old just out of college. He's been a consistently good hitter ever since. For his career, Stewart's hitting .284/.351/.480 (.831) with 169 homers, 294 doubles and 195 steals (in 264 attempts) in 4,660 at-bats. He's played in both hitters' parks (his best years came in Seasons 8 and 9 in Minnesota) and pitchers' parks (his worst year was Season 7 in Las Vegas). Defensively, he was out of his element when asked to play shortstop, posting 9 plus plays and 44 minus plays in more than 6,100 innings. In his 3,200-plus innings at second base, he's had 8 plus plays and 2 minus plays. Stewart has won two Silver Sluggers awards and has made the All-Star team twice.
7. Joey Ward (14th by Albuquerque): Ward has had a tumultuous career, getting traded three times and seeing his performance range from a 3.83 ERA in Season 5 with Minnesota to a 5.24 ERA in Season 8 with Minnesota and Syracuse. For his career, Ward's 49-31 with a 4.34 ERA in 757 innings. He's also spent his entire career in the AL, and about half of it with a slight hitter's park as his home park.
6. Luis Cervantes (21st by Charlotte): Cervantes spent his entire career in the Charlotte/Richmond system before leaving as a free agent to sign with Fargo this offseason. In his seven seasons with Richmond, he was a model of consistency, posting an OPS between .832 and .910 every season. For his career, he's hit .298/.381/.495 (.876) with 189 homers in 3,867 at-bats. He's also been an excellent defensive first baseman, winning the Gold Glove award in Seasons 5 and 9.
5. Goose Hayes (25th by Minnesota): Traded from Minnesota to Washington in a swap of elite prospects, Hayes has gone on to great success in the majors. He went 14-5 with a 3.31 ERA in Season 7 to win the Rookie of the Year award and he blossomed into a true star in Season 10, going 19-6 with a 2.89 ERA. A poor Season 9 that's looking like a fluke is the only reason he hasn't done better in his career than 55-36 with a 3.71 ERA in 828 innings.
4. Richard Stocker (24th by N.Y. Mets): Stocker got a brief stint in the majors in Season 3, came up halfway through Season 4 and played his first full season in the bigs at age 24. Since that Season 4 call-up, he's done nothing but mash, hitting .308/.385/.591 (.976) with 293 homers in 3,840 at-bats. His defense at first base has been spotty, but that hardly matters when you hit like he does. He's made the All-Star team in Seasons 7, 8 and 10.
3. Haywood Gipson (1st by Colorado): The fact that Gipson isn't No. 1 on this list just shows you how strong this draft was. Gipson made his big league debut early in Season 6 and has been the NL's best second baseman over the 4-plus seasons since, making four All-Star teams and winning three Silver Slugger awards. For his career, he's hit .306/.370/.548 (.918) with 165 homers and 94 steals (in 123 attempts) in 2,863 at-bats. He hasn't been awful defensively, either, with 10 plus plays and 12 minus plays in nearly 6,000 innings.
2. Al Iglesias (4th by Scranton): He may eventually be No. 1 on this list, but for now Iglesias hasn't done enough to overcome the fact that he reached the majors four seasons after the top guy. When he did make it to the bigs, he made an instant impact, posting a .935 OPS as a rookie in Season 7. He followed that up by hitting .351/.419/.699 (1.118) with 40 homers, 96 RBI and 114 runs scored to win the Season 8 MVP award. He hasn't been that good the past two seasons, but he still has a .325/.395/.586 (.981) line with 118 homers in 2,129 career at-bats. He's not a good defender, with 6 plus plays and 13 minus plays in about 4,300 innings in center field, but the fact that he can even play a premier position gives him a ton of value. In addition to his MVP award, he's made three All-Star teams and won two Silver Slugger awards.
1. Nash McCartin (9th by Boston): A college graduate, McCartin probably could have gone straight from the draft to the majors. Instead he stayed in the minors until late in Season 3, and he struggled after getting called up. Starting in Season 4, however, he turned into a hitting machine and hasn't stopped, hitting .325/.380/.691 (1.071) with 390 homers in 3,790 at-bats. He's played his entire career in hitters' parks, but that only helps so much. He posted an 1.174 OPS with 76 homers and 167 RBI to win the Season 10 MVP award, and he's also made six All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards.
Top 10 non-first-rounders (in order of when they were picked)
Scot Rhodes (34th by Chicago): .265/.351/.558 (.909) with 257 homers in 2,963 at-bats. Season 6 Rookie of the Year, Season 7 All-Star, Gold Glove first baseman in Seasons 8 and 10.
Andy Page (40th by Kansas City): .277/.340/.500 (.840) with 128 homers in 2,582 at-bats. 11 plus plays, 11 minus plays in 5,500 innings at second base.
Charlie Ramsey (49th by Kansas City): .279/.342/.403 (.745) in 2,531 at-bats. Has thrown out 25.5 percent of base stealers (112 of 440) in 5,500 innings.
David Gates (51st by N.Y. Yankees): 30-35 with a 4.88 ERA in 573 innings.
Daniel Thompson (64th by St. Louis): .270/.347/.420 (.767) in 2,061 at-bats. 22 plus plays, 9 minus plays in 4,000 innings at second base. Season 8 Gold Glove winner.
Lance Acosta (65th by N.Y. Mets): 14-15 with 21 saves in 33 chances and 3.51 ERA in 215 innings.
Douglas Jordan (76th by San Francisco): 11-10 with six saves in seven chances and 4.48 ERA in 211 innings.
Dave Coles (83rd by Cheyenne): .310/.386/.477 (.863) in 2,266 at-bats. 5 plus plays, 4 minus plays in 5,000 innings at first base. Season 9 All-Star.
Jesus Santos (124th by Montreal): 10-23 with 56 saves in 76 chances and a 4.56 ERA in 225 innings. Season 8 All-Star.
Ben Everett (161st by N.Y. Mets): .246/.332/.519 (.851) with 98 homers in 1,315 at-bats.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
GW1: Tacoma In preparation for the offseason
I'm mostly set with my team for next year. I'm going to be making some moves at the margins, but don't expect to make any huge trades after the deals I've made the last couple of seasons. With that said, due to the internal promotions and the improve of the talent base I've had over the last couple seasons a couple of players who are good regulars have found themselves without a position.
Piper has good ratings across the board and can play either corner outfield slot of first base. This will be his second year of arbitration. The right handed hitter, has struggled in translating his strong ratings into solid statistics. Can be had for a low level prospect.
Herman Grace is an offensive minded infielder who has played 1b/2b/3b over the last two years. He had a very strong offensive year in season 9, but his production decreased when highly regarded prospects or trade acquisitions took much of his playing time. Grace has strong ratings for his positions and would help many teams.
Both players can be had for low level prospects or can be moved in a package. Would also consider a solid veteran short reliever if on a short contract.
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Piper has good ratings across the board and can play either corner outfield slot of first base. This will be his second year of arbitration. The right handed hitter, has struggled in translating his strong ratings into solid statistics. Can be had for a low level prospect.
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Herman Grace is an offensive minded infielder who has played 1b/2b/3b over the last two years. He had a very strong offensive year in season 9, but his production decreased when highly regarded prospects or trade acquisitions took much of his playing time. Grace has strong ratings for his positions and would help many teams.
Both players can be had for low level prospects or can be moved in a package. Would also consider a solid veteran short reliever if on a short contract.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
GW1 Historical extremes
Ten regular seasons are in the books in Gleeman World, and the most recent one saw some history made in a few ways. Buffalo tied Los Angeles (Season 1) for the fewest wins by a team with the best record in the world (100-62). Los Angeles set a record for the most wins by a team with the worst record in the world (61-101). And the difference between Buffalo and Los Angeles (39 games) easily set a record for the fewest games between the best and worst teams in the world.
Here's a look at the best team, worst team and difference between the two over the first 10 seasons.
Season 1
Best team: Los Angeles Hangars 100-62
Worst team: San Diego Whales 41-121
Difference: 59 games
Season 2
Best team: Los Angeles Hangars 107-55
Worst team: Colorado Coyotes 59-103
Difference: 48 games
Season 3
Best team: New York Metropolitans 102-60
Worst team: San Antonio Sting 57-105
Difference: 45 games
Season 4
Best team: Chicago Jayhawks 113-49
Worst team: San Antonio Sting 58-104
Difference: 55 games
Season 5
Best team: Chicago Jayhawks 114-48
Worst team: San Antonio Sting 54-108
Difference: 60 games
Season 6
Best team: New York Metropolitans 117-45
Worst team: Tacoma Down Pour 51-111
Difference: 66 games
Season 7
Best team: New York Metropolitans 108-54
Worst team: Colorado Springs Silver Stars 48-114
Difference: 60 games
Season 8
Best team: New York Metropolitans 114-48
Worst team: Las Vegas Armijos 44-118
Difference: 70 games
Season 9
Best team: Minnesota Fatboys and Anaheim Anteaters 112-50
Worst team: Salem Sidehill Gougers 54-108
Difference: 58 games
Season 10
Best team: Buffalo Europeans 100-62
Worst team: Los Angeles Hangars 61-101
Difference: 39 games
Here's a look at the best team, worst team and difference between the two over the first 10 seasons.
Season 1
Best team: Los Angeles Hangars 100-62
Worst team: San Diego Whales 41-121
Difference: 59 games
Season 2
Best team: Los Angeles Hangars 107-55
Worst team: Colorado Coyotes 59-103
Difference: 48 games
Season 3
Best team: New York Metropolitans 102-60
Worst team: San Antonio Sting 57-105
Difference: 45 games
Season 4
Best team: Chicago Jayhawks 113-49
Worst team: San Antonio Sting 58-104
Difference: 55 games
Season 5
Best team: Chicago Jayhawks 114-48
Worst team: San Antonio Sting 54-108
Difference: 60 games
Season 6
Best team: New York Metropolitans 117-45
Worst team: Tacoma Down Pour 51-111
Difference: 66 games
Season 7
Best team: New York Metropolitans 108-54
Worst team: Colorado Springs Silver Stars 48-114
Difference: 60 games
Season 8
Best team: New York Metropolitans 114-48
Worst team: Las Vegas Armijos 44-118
Difference: 70 games
Season 9
Best team: Minnesota Fatboys and Anaheim Anteaters 112-50
Worst team: Salem Sidehill Gougers 54-108
Difference: 58 games
Season 10
Best team: Buffalo Europeans 100-62
Worst team: Los Angeles Hangars 61-101
Difference: 39 games
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