Starting Staff:
Three “A” starters sound like a dream and under normal circumstances it is. Unfortunately the Sound’s three Grade A’s, Brandon Beachy, Cory Luebke and Matt Harvey have just 81 IP, 31 IP and 59 IP respectively. Harvey is also saddled with the dreaded “W”. Never the less they are useful. Beach and Harvey will make the team, perhaps sharing the same spot in the rotation while Luebke will be sent to the minors to be summoned later. Four (C-Z’s) make up the rest of the staff in Anibal Sanchez, Phil Hughes, Rick Porcello and Marco Estrada. Josh Johnson (C-No-Z) also makes the Big Club but probably just for mop up duties. One of the C-Z’s could also be used in that role as Skipper Kachnoskie has a penchant for that tactic. Down on the Farm is Alex Cobb (C-No-Z), Jacob Turner (D-Z), Ivan Nova (D-No-Z) and three (D-W’s) in Drew Pomeranz, Zach Britton and Ubaldo Jimenez. Un-carded Gerrit Cole will join them. A lot arms, 15 to be exact (On a 40 man roster it seems like an inordinate amount), but a lot of high return potential.
Bullpen:
Sean Marshall (A*-Z), acquired on the eve of the draft, contradictory to the Moratorium Directive, will be the closer. Setting him up are two (A*-No-Z’s) in Craig Breslow and
Mitchell Boggs. In support of that duo will be the (B*-Z) tandem of Jared Hughes and Burke Badenhop. Ernesto Freiri (A*-W) will be in the minors. Overall, it is a real solid bullpen.
Catchers:
May be the best receiving combo in the ZSABL with Buster Posey C-8 1B-3 .957 OPS and Jonathan Lucroy C-7 .881 OPS. They also have youth on their side as Posey is just 26 while Lucroy is 27.
Infield:
Robinson Cano 2B-9 is the star of this group. His double-play partner is Asdrubal Cabrera SS-8 who is more than adequate. At first base, two kids with high ceilings and playable APBA cards in Freddy Freeman 1B-4 and Anthony Rizzo 1B-3 give them plenty of depth. Rizzo will see most of his PT in the DH spot. Brett Lawrie 3B-5, coming off an off year due to injuries will probably see most of the action at third base because of his glove. Matt Carpenter 3B-3 1B-3 OF-1 2B-6, second only to Cano in OPS can start at the hot corner or serve as the DH with his 296 at bats. Jason Kipnis 2B-8 makes the squad as a reserve. In the minors is Adeiny Hechevarria SS-8 3B-4 2B-7, who Memphis is very keen on. Two un-carded infielders in Carlos Correa and Kaleb Cowart will join him.
Outfield:
Alex Rios OF-2 is one starter, flanking him will be Jay Bruce OF-3, and in the other slot it will be Dayan Viciedo OF-1.The reserves are Starlin Marte OF-2 and Ben Revere OF-3. Down on the farm is OF-1 Domonic Brown, who may finally realize his potential and un-carded Michael Choice.
Draft Analysis:
They didn’t pick until the 2nd round, where they had two picks. Their first choice was Matt Harvey, a really good choice and with their other they took Alex Cobb, a move later regretted by the front office according to their draft analysis. In the 3rd they grabbed Matt Carpenter, again a real nice selection. In the 4th they targeted Gerrit Cole, no questioning by the “peanut gallery” with this pick. Marco Estrada arrived in the 5th, with the Memphis manager saying, “It was an APBA move”, but most pundits thought it was an astute choice. They took Hughes in the 6th. They went un-carded in the 7th with Carlos Correa, they bolstered their pen in the 8th with Burke Badenhop before going back to the un-carded route with their final selection in the 9th with Kaleb Cowart. It was a very good draft even with the perceived mistake in Cobb.
Synopsis:
Actually I thought Memphis, who dismantled the championship team of 2011, was still in a rebuilding process. Upon writing this review I see things very differently. Will they challenge Norfolk or Pensacola for the Western pennant? No they will not. The rotation poses the greatest challenge to make the post season. The “A’s” with the limited IP take up one spot, the rest are C’s, normally the “kiss of death”, but they all have control, which makes a big difference. The bullpen is very strong if they are given a lead with the C-Z’s going at least 4 or 5 innings. It could result in more than a few victories. The only vulnerable spot is Viciedo or whoever plays the third OF spot behind Rios and Bruce. Sacrificing defense with Carpenter supplanting Lawrie at 3B may produce enough runs to compensate for how many the C-Z’s surrender. I hate to give any kudo’s to the Sound’s Management because they always “foment trouble” but I am impressed with the overall shape of the franchise. That being said, however, I see them just missing the post season.
Starting Staff:
Unlike Memphis, Norfolk has three bona-fide A-Z’s in Justin Verlander, Johnny Cueto and Matt Cain. They all have over 200 IP. As if that is not enough the back end of the rotation has Jake Peavy 219 IP and Jordan Zimmerman 195 IP, both (B-Z’s). Adam Wainwright (C-Z), will probably not need to start a game but will pitch some mop up IP. Down on the farm is ¾ of a rotation as good as some teams currently in the ZSABL. Its led by Jeremy Hellickson (B-No-Z), Jeff Karstens (C-Z) and Lance Lynn (C-No-Z). Two highly prized un-cards join them in Taijuan Walker and Jameson Taillon.
Bullpen:
Leading the pen is a pair of (A&C*-Z’s) in Sergio Romo and Jake McGee. Norfolk has always said,”that you need two (A*-Z’s) to be competitive”. Setting them up is a pair of (A*-No-Z’s) in Luke Gregorson and Drew Storen. Rounding out the rest of the pen is Joel Hanrahan (A*-W) and lefty Tim Collins (B*-No-Z). A group that is uncharacteristic of the Neptunes, because they are mostly devoid of the letter “Z”. In the minors with 13 IP of {A(A&C*-No-Z)} is Shelby Miller. Joining him will be Trevor Rosenthal (A*-No Z).
Catchers:
Yadier Molina C-9 1B-2, one of the elite catchers in the game, coming off a fine offensive year will start. Its tough to be Joe Mauer C-8 1B-2 and only be the back up.
Jesus Montero C-7, who regressed a bit this year but still has potential, will be in the minors.
Infield:
1B-3 Prince Fielder will be one starter and across the diamond 3B-4 Ryan Zimmerman will be another. SS-8 Jose Reyes (Who Norfolk claims, “Always leads the league in errors”, E.N. Actually he only led twice) and 2B-9 Dustin Pedroia make up the double-play combination. Pablo Sandoval 3B-4 1B-3 will be the main back up. Donovan Solano 2B-8 3B-3 OF-1 SS-6, who elicited some oohs and ahhs from the crowd when he was drafted, will use his versatility in a better fashion than former Neptune Jamey Carroll did in the same role last year. Even with Pedroia and possibly Reyes having for them, off years, it is still quite an imposing group. In the bushes are Joaquin Arias 3B-4 SS-8 2B-6, Eric Hosmer 1B-3 and Brandon Crawford SS-8. Un-carded Kolten Wong and Francisco Lindor will join them.
Outfield:
This might be the best starting trio in the ZSABL. Led by Ryan Braun OF-3 OPS .986 and Melky Cabrera OF-3 OPS .906, both under clouds of suspicion of using performance enhancing agents, nevertheless will play on the APBA battlefield with the cards they were issued. Carlos Gonzalez OF-3 will be the other starter, unlike the previous two, his OPS is slightly under .900 at .881, Giancarlo Stanton OF-2 OPS .969 will DH only because there is “no room for him at the Inn”, in the outfield. Eric Young,Jr. OF-2 will be the reserve. In the Neptune farm system will be Desmond Jennings OF-3 and the un-carded Aaron Hicks, who the “Nep’s” released last year but was re-acquired in this year’s draft.
Draft Anaylsis:
Shocked the ZSABL world with the announcement of Jake Peavy as the # 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Most experts, buoyed by Norfolk press releases, had them taking Oscar Taveras or Fernando Rodney. They had two second round selections and took Jake McGee, a very good pick, and un-carded Francisco Lindor. In the 3rd they went un-carded again, they never could keep their hands out of the cookie jar, by selecting Aaron Hicks, who they unceremoniously released at last year’s meeting. Norfolk Management went on record by saying “We were afraid he would be drafted by someone else” as they replied to constructive criticism of why Hicks was taken so early. They had no 4th but in the 5th they touted Eric Young, Jr. and in the 6th they grabbed Solano. The 7th saw Rosenthal being added to the Neptune roster and in the 8th Joaquin Arias. Lance Lynn arrived in the 9th and in the 10th Tim Collins was added as a situational lefty. They passed the next few rounds. Their final pick came in the 14th and it was Brandon Crawford.
Synopsis:
With the best lineup in the ZSABL and a phenomenal rotation and a decent enough bullpen they are a lock for the post season. Will they capture the pennant? Definitely!!! They will rarely need their GPS to find Chiques Rock this season. Pensacola may pose their only threat to the pennant. The Norfolk front office believes the Piranhas are closer to them than most astute observers. Will they make a run at the ZSABL record for victories in a season? I don’t think so. Their Bullpen is not up to typical Neptune standards, nor did Pedroia and Reyes have their usual “monster” years. They will be content with capturing their fourth consecutive Western flag, a feat accomplished by the Pittsburgh Crawfords on two separate occasions.
Starting Staff:
(B-Z) Doug Fister heads the Scouts rotation. Following him will be a pair of (C-Z’s) in Bronson Arroyo and Joe Saunders. A duo of (C-No-Z’s) will come next in Lucas Harrell and Wei-Yin Chen. In the minors are five (C-No-Z’s), which include the likes of Edwin Jackson, Jake Westbrook, James Mcdonald, Mike Fiers and John Lannan. It is no doubt the weakest rotation in the ZSABL.
Bullpen:
Five (A*-Z’s) in Kelvin Herrera, Casey Janssen, Troy Patton, Matt Lindstrom and Aaron Loup who has a double “ZZ”, is probably un-matched in ZSABL history. Brad Lincon a {C(B*-No-Z)} is the only non-Grade A* on the active roster. Throw in Minor leaguers Casey Fien (A&C*-Z), Steve Cishek (A*-No-Z), Jesse Crain (A*-W) and J.J.Putz (B*-Z) and you can have a parade of quality pitching in nearly every game. The caveat being none of these hurlers can enter the game until the 4th inning unless the starting pitcher surrenders three or more runs. The lack of these types of grades in the rotation severely dampens the value of this collection of quality arms. That being said, perhaps this strategy will work, who know it has never been tried at this magnitude before.
Catchers:
Ryan Doumit C-6 OF-1 1B-2 will be the starter with Miguel Olivo C-8 backing him up. Down on the farm is Jesus Flores C-7. Doumit provides the most “sock” with Olivo, .620 OPS, only providing some defense when the Scouts get a lead.
Infield:
1B-4 Paul Konerko starts at first base. Chris Nelson 2B-7 3B-3 SS-7, should start at the keystone bag but the Seattle skipper may opt for Gordon Beckham 2B-8 SS-6 in which case Nelson would shift over to third. If in fact, Nelson does play second then Chris Johnson 3B-3 1B-2 OF-1 would man the hot corner. Marcus Scutaro SS-8 2B-8 3B-4 will remain the Scouts Shortstop. Mile Aviles SS-8 2B-6 3B-3 will be the extra infielder. In the minors is Alex Gonzalez SS-8, injured most of the year, with just 81 at bats. Josh Donaldson 3B-3 1B-3 C-6, Kelly Johnson 2B-7, Jack Hannahan 3B-4 1B-2 SS-7 and Clint Barmes SS-8 1B-2 will join him.
Outfield:
Tyler Colvin OF-2 1B-2 with his 44-0 is the crème de la crème of the Scout fly chasers. Nelson R.Cruz OF-2, who they over-achieved for last year when he swatted 40 home runs, will be an everyday performer while Angel Pagan OF-2 will round out the “pasture” trio. On the bench for the first time in his Seattle career is Michael Bourn OF-3; Michael Saunders OF-2 will sit next to him. Michael Cuddyer OF-2 1B-3 will be the DH.
Draft Anaylsis:
They had no first but with their second round choice they took Herrera, the first of many A*-Z’s to come. Troy Patton, another pitcher of the same ilk, arrived in the 3rd. The 4th saw them stray away from pitching and take a player, in Saunders. Probably too early IMHO but Norfolk later stated that they were looking at him also in that round. The 5th garnered them Aaron Loup, the 6th round gave them two non-pitchers in Tyler Colvin and Chris Nelson, both solid choices. In the 7th it was back to bullpen depth with Fien and in the 8th they added Donaldson. The 9th, 10th and 11th the Scouts addressed their rotation with Harrell, Chen and McDonald respectively. In the 12th, the catcher Flores was selected. Kelly Johnson was their pick in the 13th, Mike Fiers in the 14th and their 15th and final pick was Brad Lincoln.
Synopsis:
A rotation of B-Z, C-Z, C-Z and a C make things real tough, although their bullpen is undeniably awesome. Their lineup although better than average is nevertheless the worst in the powerhouse Western Division. Playing catch up baseball is tough to do without a lot of pop throughout the lineup. That will be the scenario for the most part until they can get their vaunted bullpen into the contests. It is an interesting strategy; it would work better if the offense were not as anemic as it is. I do not see playoffs in the picture at all; the basement is a real possibility if this “Master Plan” fails. It probably falls somewhere in the middle so 5th or 6th is more likely.
Starting Staff:
Clayton Kershaw (A-No-Z) will be followed by (B-Z) Kyle Lohse and then probably a combined # 3 spot in the rotation by Colby Lewis 105 IP and A.J.Griffin 82 IP, both B-Z’s. Ryan Vogelsong (B-No-Z) fills out the starting staff. In the bushes is Mike Pelfry (A-Z) 19 IP, Neftali Feliz (B-W) 48 IP, Kevin Correia (C-Z) and Rickey Nolasco (D-Z). This group is a far cry from their three (A-Z’s) of last year in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Kershaw.
Bullpen:
The closer will be Fernando Rodney (A&B*-Z), Scott Atchison (A&C*-Z) will set him up. Jon Papelbon (A*-Z) provides more depth with Joe Smith (A*-No-Z) and Pedro Strop (A*-W) also lending a hand. Joaquin Benoit (B*-No-Z) will occupy the last spot in the pen. In the minors is Brad Ziegler (A*-No-Z), Tyler Clippard (C*-No-Z) and un-carded Ryan Madson.
Catchers:
Carlos Ruiz C-8 is a stud behind the dish with Ryan Hanigan C-8 backing him up. Ruiz has just 372 at bats so the latter will see plenty of PT. J.P. Arencibia C-7 will start the season in the minors along with Robert Brantly C-7.
Infield:
Edwin Encarnacion 1B-3 3B-3 OF-1 will start at first and across the diamond David Wright 3B-5 SS-6 will guard the hot corner. Brandon Phillips 2B-9, last year’s batting champ, will play second base teaming up with Pensy’s favorite “adopted” son Jimmy Rollins SS-9 at shortstop. Peter Kozma SS-8 2B-7 will be one back up, with multi-positional Trevor Plouffe 3B-3 OF-1 1B-2 2B-6 SS-6 the other. Lance Berkman, 81 at bats will be the main pinch-hitter. In the minors is the versatile Michael Young 1B-3 2B-5 3B-3 SS-7, Evereth Cabrera SS-8 2B-6 3B-3 and Danny Descalso 2B-8 3B-3 SS-7 1B-3. Un-carded Nick Castellanos will bide his time.
Outfield:
Matt Holliday, down to a OF-1, will be the designated hitter. Allen Craig OF-2 1B-3 and Alex Gordon OF-3 will be two of the starters. B.J.Upton OF-3 and Justin Ruggiano OF-2 will work their way into the lineup as well. The latter has just 288 at bats. In the minors is Darin Ruf OF-1 and Roger Bernadina OF-3.
Draft Anaylsis:
Rodney in the first was a no brainer. Griffin was a nice pick with the first of their 2nd round picks; with Atchison being the other, both were solid choices. They had no 3rd but Ruggiano in the 4th was one of their targeted players. They had three picks in the 5th and they selected Bernadina, Correia and Kozma. In the the 6th they had no picks. Brantly was taken in the 7th, they had no 8th but in the 9th they went un-carded in Nick Castellanos, with a little prompting by USMC. Strop arrived in the 10th, Plouffe in the 11th, Cabrera in the 12th and Ruf was their final pick in the 13th.
Synopsis:
Norfolk was constantly looking over their shoulder at the Pensacola franchise thinking they were a distinct threat to their plans of another Western Division pennant. Although Pensy had a strong draft and made several bold trades that strengthened their club they are still a step behind. The main areas of weakness will be Kershaw’s and Vogelsong’s lack of a “Z” and overall innings by their starting rotation. Their bullpen might be able to compensate for the shortage of innings but two pitchers without a “Z” will not match up well against Norfolk. Ruiz’s light at bats may also come into play. Their skipper keeps saying, “I just want to come in 3rd”. They should be able to do that easily although 2nd place is more likely.
Jon Niese (B-Z) is the ace of this staff, he will be followed by two C-Z’s in Mark Buehrle and Danny Haren, acquired from Norfolk during the draft. Trevor Cahill (C-No-Z) is the 4th starter. Somewhere in this mix is Brett Anderson (A-Z) 35 IP. Once his IP are exhausted the call to the minors will summon Brandon McCarthy (B-Z), 111 IP. Also down in the bushes are Jason Vargas (C-No-Z), Chris Archer (C-W) and Ricky Romero (D-W).
Bullpen:
Darren O’Day (A*-Z) will be the closer, setting him up will be Craig Stammen, Vinnie Pestano or Jerry Blevins, they are all (A*-No-Z’s). Edward Mujica (B*-Z) and David Phelps {C(B*)-No-Z)} complete the bullpen. In the minors is Dylan Bundy (A&B*-W), he of one total inning pitched and David Robertson (A*-No-Z).
Catchers:
Mike Napoli C-7 1B-2 will start but he has no way near the card he had last year and only has 352 at bats. Mike McKenry C-7 is the back up. Un-Carded Mike Zunino should break his APBA virginity sometime this season.
Infield:
Aaron Hill 2B-8 is the star of this group. Ben Zobrist SS-8 2B-8 OF-3 will be his double play partner at shortstop. Alex Rodriguez 3B-4 will start at third base with Brandon Belt 1B-4 across the diamond at first base. Mark Trumbo 1B-3 OF-1 will do the DH honors. The reserves include Mark Reynolds 1B-4 3B-3, Kevin Youkilis 1B-4 3B-4 and Erik Aybar SS-8. In the minors are Pedro Alvarez 3B-3, Stephen Drew SS-8 and Dustin Ackley 2B-8 1B-2. Un-carded infielders include Javier Baez and Xander Bogaerts.
Outfield:
The outfield is kind of non-descript with the veteran Torii Hunter leading the way flanked by Curtis Granderson and Josh Reddick, they are all OF-3’s. On the bench will be Chris B.Young OF-3. Colby Rasmus OF-2 will be in the minors along with un-carded Yasiel Puig and Jorge Soler.
Draft Anaylsis:
They had stated that they needed two “B” starters in the first round; instead the draft saw the Cowboys go for two un-cards in SS Javier Baez and SS-3B Xander Bogaerts. In the 2nd round they took their 3rd straight un-carded player in C Mike Zunino. They had no 3rd but in the 4th they added P Craig Stammen. An Un-Carded player was their MO again in the 5th as they selected OF Jorge Soler. Jerry Blevins arrived in the 6th to stabilize their bullpen. They went back to the un-carded format in the 7th as they tabbed OF Jorge Soler. David Phelps was their choice in the 8th. Catcher Hector Sanchez was chosen in the 9th but he was later released. They took a flier on P Chris Archer in the 10th. Coinciding with the release of Hector Sanchez they grabbed C Mike McKenry in the 11th and concluded their draft with OF Torii Hunter in the 12th.
Synopsis:
They had a nice run last year, finishing second before bowing out to Pensacola in the playoffs. There will be no repeat.
1)They just do not have enough starting pitching.
2)Napoli with his light at bats; and with McKenry the only other option, will pose a problem.
3)They do not have enough firepower at the corner infield positions
These shortcomings will doom them into the second division in the West. They did do well for the future, drafting five un-cards, who all are on the Top Prospect lists of many publications. Their final place in the standings will be 6th or 7th.
Three Grade A starters, two with (Z’s) match up well with Norfolk but the similarity ends when you consider the fact that Kris Medlen {A(A&C*-Z)} has just 138 IP and Brandon Morrow the only (A-No-Z) has just 124 IP. R.A.Dickey (A-Z) who has 233 IP is really the only legitimate claimant to that match-up. The rest of the Hurricanes rotation will be Miguel Gonzalez (B-No-Z), 105 IP and Clayton Richard (C-Z). Because of inning restrictions, Richard with his (C-Z) will have to be the #2 guy in the rotation. There is some depth in the minors with a pair of (C-No-Z’s) in Tim Hudson and Mike Minor, although the former will be carried on the opening day roster to “suck” up some innings before being optioned back down. Joining them on the farm is the tandem of (C-W’s) Randall Delgado and C.J.Wilson. Un-Carded strong-armed J.R.Graham will also toil in the system, as the organization will determine if he is a starter or a reliever.
Bullpen:
The closer is Junichi Tazawa (A&C*-Z), he will be setup by Eric O’Flaherty (A&C*-No-Z), who will also get some save opportunities. In support will be a pair of (B*-Z’s) in Shawn Camp and Joel Peralta. Brandon League (B*-No-Z) provides the mop up innings. As mentioned previously, Tim Hudson (C-No-Z) will be here in the pen for a short time as Hartford is a little shy of the necessary innings for an entire season. Jonny Venters (B*-W) will be on the farm.
Catchers:
Finally after five years and just 50 games played, Jarrid Saltalamacchia C-7 1B-2 will be a starter. Backing him up will be Tyler Flowers C-7 1B-2. Brian McCann, who suffered through an injury-riddled campaign, will be in the minors. Christian Bethancourt, an un-carded player, will join him although it is questionable if he will ever be able to hit well enough to help the big league club.
Infield:
1B-5 Adrian Gonzalez, who the Hurricanes have never been able to roll for, will start at first. Ian Desmond SS-8 who had a breakout season will be the shortstop. David Freese 3B-4 will start at third while Dan Uggla 2B-7 and Daniel Murphy 2B-6 1B-3 will share time at the keystone position. David Ortiz 1B-2 will handle the DH chores but is limited with 324 at bats. The reserve infielder is Eduardo Nunez SS-7 2B-6 3B-3 OF-2. In the Hurricanes farm system are SS-9 Andrelton Simmons, 3B-3 Juan Francisco, SS-7 2B-6 Tyler Pastornicky and 2B-7 OF-2 SS-6 Jordany Valdespin. Also in the bushes is un-carded 1B-OF Joey Terdoslavich.
Outfield:
Josh Willingham OF-1 will play every day either in left field or at DH to compensate for Ortiz’s light at bats. Jose A. Bautista OF-2 3B-3 1B-2 will see action probably every other day since he has just 332 at bats. Jayson Werth OF-3 will also see limited time as he has only 300 at bats. Coco Criso OF-3, “The scourge of the West”, will get to use all of his 455 at bats. Michael Morse OF-1 1B-3 will see some time in left when Willingham DH’s and be the # 1 pinch-hitter off the bench. In the minors is Adam Eaton OF-2, currently expected to miss two months with an injury, Lucas Duda OF-1 1B-2, expected to provide some power numbers for the NY Mets this year and Lorenzo Cain OF-2, who is hoping for a break out season if he can stay healthy.
Draft Anaylsis:
They didn’t pick until the 3rd round and were forced to take the best available starting pitcher. It turned out to be Miguel Gonzalez (B-No-Z) 105 IP, not exactly what the “Canes” were hoping for. They needed a closer in the 4th and ended up with Junichi Tazawa, again not exactly what they were hoping for. That is the drawbacks of dealing your draft picks. Now to the 5th where they had two picks. With the two main goals accomplished, a SP and a closer, they turned their attention to, as San Diego would say, “The best available athlete”, in this case it would be Adam Eaton. It did elicit some compliments from the crowd but it all went down the drain when it was announced this week he would miss at least two months with an injury. Their other 5th round pick, to satisfy a ZSABL rule (A back up with at least 10 GP), and because he is an Atlanta Brave, and because he is having a great spring training, they chose Juan Francisco 3B-3. Who was on their short list but not as an early draft pick. In the 6th they strengthened the pen with Shawn Camp. They had no 7th but they did have two in the 8th and here they added Jordany Valdespin, panned by draft guru Kachnoskie but praised by USMC skipper Smith, and un-carded J.R.Graham.
Synopsis:
With two playoff slots seemingly locked up by Norfolk and Pensacola the rest of the Western Division will be playing for the final berth. The Hurricanes with three “A” starters, regardless of innings, a competent bullpen and a good lineup will be a contender for that spot. Ortiz, Werth and Bautista with limited at bats have to be used judiciously. If they are fortunate enough to make the post season, everything is out the window as the three A’s will not be restricted. It is duly noted that Bautista, Ortiz and Werth all have 300+ at bats so they are not hampered by post-season restrictions. The battle will be getting into the playoffs.
Starting Staff:
Four (B-Z’s) headline the 76er rotation in Cole Hamels, Jamie Shields, Cliff Lee and Tommy Milone. A four man rotation will be the 76er method of operation as Wandy Rodriguez (C-Z), Gavin Floyd (C-No-Z), Kyle Kendrick (C-No-Z), Joe Blanton (D-Z), Roy Halladay (D-Z), Ervin Santana (D-No-Z) and Garret Richards (D-W) were all optioned to the minors.
Bullpen:
The closer will be Koji Uehara (A&C*-ZZ). Jason Motte and Joe Nathan both (A*-Z’s) are the set up men. David Hernandez and Robbie Ross, both (A*-No-Z’s) will lend their support. Ryan Mattheus (B*-Z) fills out the pen. There has been no indication as of yet which reliever will be designated to lead the league in appearances.
Catchers:
The 76er’s will start C-8 Miguel Montero. They have toyed with the idea of leading him off and even experimented with it once here early in the season. He will be backed up by another one of their Greek connections, George Kottaras C-7 1B-2. In the minors is C-6 1B-2 Welington Castillo. (The one “L” in his first name is not a typo)
Infield:
Billy Butler 1B-2 will be the designated hitter. Chipper Jones 3B-3, back to San Diego where he had nine successful seasons, will man the hot corner. Chipper, in his ZSABL swan song year, needs 15 Home runs and 13 Doubles to reach the 400 plateaus in both categories in his long career. Chris Davis 1B-3 OF-1 will start at first base. The double-play tandem will be Jose Altuve 2B-7 and J.J.Hardy SS-10. Jeff Keppinger 3B-4 2B-7 1B-3, another former 76er, will be Chipper’s caddy and the #1 reserve off the bench. Two other extra infielders in Omar Infante 2B-8 3B-3 and Ruben Tejada SS-8 will be relegated to bench duties. In the minors is Mitch Moreland 1B-4 OF-1, Wilson Betemit 3B-3 1B-3 OF-1 and Jhonny Peralta SS-8. Surprisingly the Golden Greek Mike Moustakas 3B-5, did not make the cut and despite the protests of the Lottery Mistress, he will spend the summer down on the farm joined by un-carded Christian Colon.
Outfield:
Nick Swisher OF-2 1B-3 will start most of the time and you have to figure that “The Greek Adonis” Nick Markakis OF-3 will use all of his 420 at bats. Carlos Gomez OF-3 will also get plenty of use out of his 415 at bats. That leaves Brandon Moss OF-2 1B-2, to get his 265 at bats either at a outfield spot or as a DH or even occasionally at first base. Matt Joyce OF-2, 399 at bats also figures into this outfield equation. Down on the farm are Nolan Reimhold OF-1 and Leonys Martin OF-2.
Draft Anaylsis:
Their first pick was in the Lottery and they grabbed Tommy Milone. In the 2nd they added OF Gomez and in the 3rd, they had two picks and tabbed RP Nathan and OF-1B Brandon Moss, for four strong picks in a row. In the 4th David Hernandez was their choice, they had no 5th but with two 6th round picks they took Mattheus and Ross for bullpen help. In the 7th Uti Jeff Keppinger was a welcome addition. No 8th but in the 9th they took a gamble on OF Leonys Martin. Their 10th round pick was Castillo before ending their draft in the 11th with Reimhold.
Synopsis:
Four B-Z’s and a very strong bullpen will compensate for an ordinary lineup. Brandon Moss 1-0-0-0-1 is the only real power threat and he has limited at bats. There are enough of those pesky hitters and with the 76er skipper’s newly found affinity for the hit & run, they will be able to manufacture some scoring. Rotating his outfield alignment should not be that difficult as none of them other than Moss have critical at bat shortages. No offensive production from the SS position can be overlooked with Hardy’s (SS-10). Their biggest problem will be the constant clamoring from the Lottery Mistress to recall that Mike Moustakas from the minors.
Norfolk, has the best hitting in the league, a strong pen but not as deep as last year and an excellent starting staff with the three (A-Z’s). This club is well rounded and should add another pennant to their resume. Will they have some competition? Yes, from Pensacola but not much. The “Fish” look a little short in some areas so they will not pose much of a threat to a Neptune flag hoisting celebration. The Piranhas should slide into the runner up spot without too much trouble although last season they had to get “hot” at the end of the year to make the play offs and they had a better squad then with the three (A) starters.
So who makes the last post-season berth? We used to say, “Throw the proverbial blanket” over questionable outcomes in the ZSABL regular season. I think that is the case here. Hartford, San Diego and Memphis seem like the logical choices. Seattle with their new strategy of six (A*-Z’s) despite their hitting deficiencies cannot be ruled out. Once they play a couple of series, we can then see if the end result is productive. Union Station appears to be just a little short on pitching and the lack of production from their outfield will not help. So with that being said, I will eliminate the above two clubs from the outer confines of the “blanket”.
If Memphis had one solid B-Z starter I would be tempted to pick them, but they don’t so I am going to give them a gentle nudge to 5th place. That leaves San Diego and Hartford. The 76er’s four B-Z’s starters are a solid part of any ZSABL play off bound team. I do have to question their ability to score. Granted if the starters hold the opposition down and they can turn the game over to their stacked bullpen, they do not have to tally many runs. The biggest bug-a-boo facing Hartford is pitching a C-Z every fourth day. They should be able to score and the bullpen although not as strong as San Diego’s is decent enough. An (A) is better than a (B) on every report ever generated. The “Canes” have three starters with them, despite inning limitations. Two years ago these same two clubs tied for the 3rd slot in the Western Division standings. Perhaps, as Yogi Berra once said, “it’s déjà vu, all over again”.
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