COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE
EXPLORE THE BREWSTER http://montybrewster.net/ Apply: http://montybrewster.net/forums/app.php/applicationform
2065
Commissioner: Matt Rectenwald Vice Commissioner: Stephen Lane Division Director: Nathan Garrison (JL Atlantic) Division Director: Ron Collins (JL Frontier) Division Director: Mike Simon (FL Heartland) Division Director: James Walker (FL Pacific) Recruiting & Development Director: Chad Nason
CONTENTS
2064 BBA Year in Review 2064 GBC Year in Review 2064 Hall of Fame Class
FEATURES BBA History in Review - 1975 to 2065 by the Decade - Matt Rectenwald Draft History by Franchise - Matt Rectenwald The 2045 Morales Award - Rob McMonigal Ranking the Logos of the BBA - Mike Neugebauer The All-BBA Team - Bob Breum Rewind the Tape - Lem Piker Sr. Return of the King - Mike Calvaruso All Modern Era Team - Montreal - Nathan Garrison All Modern Era Team - New Orleans - Nathan Garrison THE PROJECTION ROOM 2065 Preamble - Stephen Lane Johnson League Atlantic - James Walker Johnson League Frontier - Chuck Valenches Frick League Heartland - Mike Neugebauer Frick League Pacific - John Momberg Global Baseball Consortium - Woody Donahue
Cover Graphics by Mike Simon, 90th Anniversary Logo by Stephen Lane Content Coordination, Editing, Design & Publishing by Stephen Lane
2064 FINAL JL STANDINGS
2064 FINAL FL STANDINGS
Phoenix Defeats Nashville in 4 Games
2064 BREWSTER CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
2064 FINAL GBC STANDINGS
2064 GRAND SLAM CUP presented by DENNY'S, MARKO AND SUBARU
Sao Paulo Defeats Moscow in 8 Games
Always a source of passionate debate, the Hall of Fame saw a significant, temporary change. Seeing a backlog of deserving players, the voting limit was changed from 10 to 20. The change was successful, seeing eight deserving players take their place among the legends of the Brewster Baseball Association.
2064 Hall of Fame Class
Carlos Flores
Juan Donéstevez
Ángel González
Ernest McBride
Juan Rivera
Félix Román
Alaric Wullenweber
Manobu Shimizu
1975 to 2065 by the Decade
The first season of the Brewster’s “Modern Era” was 1995. With this season being 2055, I decided it was as good of a time as any to take a look at every ten years back in history with a little capsule of information on each season. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it all together. 10 years ago (2055) - The Charm City Jimmies went an incredible 120-42 in the regular season and then won their second straight Monty Series, defeating the Twin Cities River Monsters. - Tom Rudge of the Las Vegas Hustlers won the only Silk Award of his long career in the Johnson League; Aaron Haney picked up his second Silk in the Frick with the Des Moines Kernels. - Mexico City’s Dave Corfield won the fourth of his five career Nebraska Awards. Carlos Flores won the third of his four career Nebraska’s for Sacramento. - Jeremiah Moss (who?) of Edmonton (where??) won the JL Gillstrom Award. Omaha’s Arturo Meza won it in the Frick. - The GM of the Year winners were David Burcicki (CCJ) and Patrick McLaughlin (DM). - Sam Landry of Omaha pitched a no-hitter on 9/7/55 against Yellow Springs. - Cecil Clarke (LV) somehow hit for the cycle. So did Resurrection Santos III. - The longest hitting streak was 32 games by San Antonio’s Patrick Strolz. - Twenty Game Winners: NONE. - 50+ HR Season: Ernest McBride (55), Larry Stinson (54) - 130+ RBI Season: Jeffrey Smith (133), Aaron Haney (130), Ernest McBride (135), Larry Stinson (158), Adam Backhouse (132) - Major milestones met: Aaron Haney, 600 HR; Dave Lee, 2000 K’s; Ricardo Rivera, 2000 K’s; Steven Collins III, 3500 hits; Angel Gonzalez, 700 steals; Jeffrey Smith, 500 HR; Alex Ramirez, 3000 hits; Mike Campbell, 3000 hits; Amayas Moelling, 2000 K’s; Ruben Vazquez, 2500 K’s; Felix Roman, 700 HR; Bernie Stuart, 2000 K’s; Lance Harrison, 2000 K’s; Larry Stinson, 600 HR; Angel Gonzalez, 3000 hits; Semei Kwakou, 600 HR; Lucio de la Cruz, 500 HR; Dave Corfield, 2000 K’s; Felix Roman, 2000 RBI; Orlando Ordonez, 600 HR. - #1 Overall Pick: Frank Liyongo, 1B, Brooklyn (-0.66 WAR) - Teams of Yesteryear: Omaha Cyclones, Seattle Storm, Rockville Pikemen, Charlotte C ougars, Brooklyn Robins, Rocky Mountain Oysters, Edmonton Jackrabbits. - One and done players: Ralph Dye - GM Memory Lane: Jim Slade, Rockville; Seth Moland-Kovash, Charlotte; Kevin Chmura, Chicago; Patrick McLaughlin, Des Moines; Fred Holmes, Mexico City; Douglas Aiton, Montreal; Brett Golden, Rocky Mountain. - GM’s in Different Places: Ben Heuring, Brooklyn; Morris Ragland, Valencia; Mike Neugebauer, Edmonton. 20 years ago (2045) - The Edmonton Jackrabbits were 101-61 in the regular seasons and went on to defeat Ron Collins’ Yellow Springs Nine in the Monty Series. - Silk Awards went to Felix Roman of Boise (JL) and Manobu Shimizu of Madison (FL). - Nebraska Award winners were Ruben Vasquez of San Antonio (JL) and Alaric Wullenweber of Hawaii (FL). - The Gillstrom recipients were Bill Constable of Charm City (JL) and Derrick C haney of Yellow Springs (FL). - Our GM winners were Chris Robillard (Edmonton) and Justin Niles (Omaha). - Ruben Vasquez pitched a Perfect Game for San Antonio against New Orleans on 7/27/45 with 14 strikeouts. This was the ninth perfect game of the Modern Era (1995-present). - Hit for the Cycle: Myeong-hwan Kim (Sacramento) and Kidane Ata (Las Vegas). - Hitting Streak: Julio Uribe (Jacksonville) 32 games. - Twenty Game Winners: Timo Dooley, Dave Lee, Juan Lopez, Alaric Wullenweber. - 50+ HR Season: Lucio De La Cruz (52) , Felix Roman (50), Juan Rivera (54), Quinn Richardson (50) - 130+ RBI Season: David Simpson (132), Felix Roman (153), Pedro Huerta (131), Reggie Vargas (131, Carlomaria Donadoni (141), Jose Romero (131), Monobu Shimizu (141), Alfonso Trinidad (131). - Major Milestones: Chris Kelly, 2000 K’s; Ken Walter, 2000 K’s; Kevin Morales, 2000 K’s; Carlos Valle, 2000 K’s; Tai hoi Wie, 1500 Runs Scored; David Noboru, 500 HR; Miguel Ramos, 2500 K’s. - #1 Overall Pick: Phil Cole, SP, El Paso (59.87 WAR) - Teams of Yesteryear: Rockville, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Edmonton, El Paso Chilis, Omaha, Seattle. - GM Memory Lane: Joshua Biddle, Atlantic City; Vic Caleca, Chicago; Geoff Webb, Des Moines; Chris Robillard, Edmonton; Nigel Laverick, El Paso; Stephen Shaw, Louisville; Herb DeSpain, Montreal; Randy Wiegand, San Fernando; Nathan Eagan, Seattle; Ted Schmidt, Twin Cities; Neil Thomas, Valencia; Taylor Bettencourt, Vancouver. - GM’s in Different Places: Doug Olmstead, Sacramento; Gregg Greathouse, Jacksonville; Aaron Weiner, Rockville; Ron Collins, Yellow Springs; Joe Lederer, Boise. 30 years ago (2035) - The California Crusaders went 98-64 in the regular season and then went on to top Rockville in the Landis Memorial Series 4 games to 1. - Silk Awards: David Noboru of Jacksonville (JL), Jared Gillstrom of the San Fernando Bears (FL). - Nebraska Awards: Arthur Dempster, Rockville (JL), Lawrence Columbus LaLoosh, Yellow Springs (FL) - Gillstrom Awards: Lorenzo Palacios, Rockville (JL), Juan Guerrero, Vancouver (FL) - GM Awards: - Five No-Hitters!!!! Mario Villarreal (LOU), Chris Kelly (TWC), Jose Trujillo (PHX), Reese Raynor (TWC), Hao Kun (LV). - Hit for the Cycle: Antonio Baca (LV) - Hitting Streak: Mike Ellis of Mexico City with 29 games. - Twenty Game Winners: NONE - 50+ HR Season: Ed Curry (50), Rupert Grant (62), Emilio Morales (64). - 130+ RBI Season: David Noboru (133), Rupert Grant (157), Emilio Morales (147), Jon Mick (155), Tai hoi Wie (146) - Major Milestones: Jose Chavez, 2000 K’s; Luis Soto, 2000 K’s; Antonio Sanchez, 1500 Runs Scored; Atsumori Maeda, 200 Wins; Juan Escobar, 3000 Hits; Enrique Gomez, 200 Wins; Frank Thomas III, 500 HR; Brian Clough, 3000 Hits; Tully Crow, 2000 K’s - #1 Overall Pick: Alex Ramirez, 3B, Wichita (95.78 WAR) - Teams of Yesteryear: Rockville, Brooklyn, Huntsville Phantoms, Nashville Goats, Wichita Aviators, Omaha Hawks, California Crusaders, Seattle, Edmonton - GM Memory Lane: Ryan Wangman, Boise; Edward Murphy, Des Moines; Brandon Brooks, Edmonton; Mike Bieschke, Hawaii; Kyle Stever, Huntsville; Tyler Simmons, Jacksonville; John Callahan, Montreal; Scott Piccoli, Twin Cities; Lee Honigsfeld, Valencia; Joe Geoghegan, Vancouver; Stu Hopkins, Wichita - GM’s in Different Places: Justin Niles, Omaha Hawks; Alan Ehlers, Brooklyn; Chris Wilson, Madison; Ben Teague, Nashville. 40 years ago (2025) - The Hawaii Tropics defeated the Birmingham Bandits to win the Landis. - Silk Awards: Alfredo Salazar, Madison (JL); Newman Watson, Indy (FL) - Nebraska Awards: Ricardo Diaz, California (JL), Nelson Ramirez, Birmingham (FL) - Gillstrom Awards: Alfredo Salazar, Madison (JL), Pedro Canales, New Orleans (FL) - No-Hitters: NONE! - Hit For The Cycle: Iran Brito (OMA) - Hitting Streak: Brian Whitten, Mexico City, 31 Games - Twenty Game Winners: Nelson Ramirez, Jose De La Cruz - 50+ HR Season: Hector Cano (55) - 130+ RBI Season: NONE - Major Milestones: Bryan Walden, 2500 K’s; Manuel Guerra, 2000 K’s, Billy Chapel, Jr., 2000 K’s, Gabriel Campos, 2500 K’s, Gabriel Campos, 200 Wins, Al Hall, 2000 K’s - #1 Overall Pick: Ferguson Gibson, P, Yellow Springs (1.25 WAR) - Teams of Yesteryear: Halifax Hawks, Brooklyn, Greenville Moonshiners, Huntsville, Omaha Barnstormers, California, Carolina Kraken, Havana Sugar Kings, Indy Grasshoppers, Birmingham Bandits, Seattle, Tucson Cactus - GM Memory Lane: Brett Schroeder, Vancouver; Ryan Scott, Atlantic City; Adam Dee, Havana; Carl Mitchell, Tucson - GM’s in Different Places: Ben Teague, Indy. 50 years ago (2015) - The Birmingham Bandits got a clean sweep Landis title over the Louisville Sluggers. - Silk Awards: Martin Felix, Greenville (JL), Freddie Rigsby, Birmingham (FL) - Nebraska Awards: Tom Madonald, Chicago (JL), Mike Swanson, Buffalo (FL) - Gillstrom Awards: Gabriel Gomez, Louisville (JL), Drew Zod, Long Beach (FL) - No-Hitters: NONE! - Hit For The Cycle: Orlando Ruiz (OMA), John Holland (LOU), Kal El (BIR) - Hitting Streak: Jorge Diaz (Louisville) and Dave Pruitt (Montreal), 24 Games - Twenty Game Winners: Tom Madonald - 50+ HR Season: NONE! - 130+ RBI Season: NONE! - Major Milestones: Charles Puckett, 600 HR; Duane Whitley, 3000 Hits; Rogelio Morales, 2000 Runs Scored; Mike Williams, 3000 K’s; Jason Egan, 700 Saves; Duane Whitley, 1500 Runs Scored - #1 Overall Pick: Mingo Boone, SP, Yellow Springs (71.64 WAR) - Teams of Yesteryear: Greenville, Halifax, Baltimore Monarchs, Omaha Barnstormers, California, Buffalo Bison, Carolina, Birmingham, Marquette Suns, Seattle, Calgary Marauders (name change to Pioneers came after this). - GM Memory Lane: Steve Meyers, Baltimore; Tim Imasa, Greenville; Jason Martin, California; Matthew Bornac, Buffalo; Jason Russell, Long Beach; Tim Meseck, Yellow Springs. 60 years ago (2005) - The Las Vegas Hustlers defeated the Baltimore Monarchs to win the Landis title. - Silk Awards: Charles Puckett, Madison (JL), Rogelio Morales, New Orleans (FL) - Nebraska Awards: Robbie Sargent, Vancouver (JL), Davey Acheson, Las Vegas (FL) - Gillstrom Awards: Stephen Lubin, Baltimore (JL), Jeff Stanley, Seattle (FL) - No-Hitters: Russell Vanness (MRQ) - Hit For The Cycle: Jim Wilson (WAS), Armando Santos (SEA), Al Jones (LBC) - Hitting Streak: Chris Neal, Birmingham, 35 games - Twenty Game Winners: John Rasmussen, Shane Wookey, Jay Lee, Davey Acheson, Robbie Sargent, Christian Nichols - 50+ HR Season: NONE! - 130+ RBI Season: Bopper Kengos (154) - Major Milestones: Jim Cramer, 2000 K’s; Jeff Kiplinger, 3000 K’s; Ted Dever, 400 Saves; Ted Sale, 500 HR; Ted Sale, 3000 Hits; Rick Cushing, 2000 K’s; Jay Lee 200 Wins; Jay Lee, 3000 Strikeouts; Sammy Bodeen, 2500 K’s; Bolt Vanderhugen, 500 HR; McKinley Washington, 400 Saves; Ken Howell, 250 Wins; Chip Foodie, 3000 K’s; Christopher Stoller, 2000 K’s; Jeff Kiplinger, 200 Wins; Javy Cordero, 2500 K’s; Devon Hyngary, 3000 K’s - #1 Overall Pick: Alonso Rodriguez, SS, Chicago (38.16 WAR) - Teams of Yesteryear: Baltimore, Greenville, Washington Bobwhites, Omaha Barnstormers, The “original” Phoenix Talons (now Yellow Springs), California, Buffalo, Carolina, Marquette, Birmingham, Seattle - GM Memory Lane: Nick Verhoeven, Baltimore; Jeff Kloes, Greenville; Nick Spitulski, Louisville; Tim Brown, Chicago; “Al Hoot”, Hawaii; Jon Robinson, Seattle; Brad Browne, Marquette - GM’s in Different Places: Ben Teague, Carolina; Sean Marko, Washington 70 years ago (1995) nb: there is less information recorded in this and previous decades - The Chicago Black Sox defeated the Des Moines Kernels four games to one in winning the Landis Series. - Silk Awards: Mike Clarke, Baltimore (JL), Morris Pennebaker, Seattle (FL) - Nebraska Awards: Ken Howell, Washington (JL), John Ross Riles, Jr., Hackensack (FL) - Gillstrom Awards: Aaron Hayes, Greenville (JL), Ossian Fallon, Atlantic City (FL) - 50+ HR Season: NONE! - 130+ RBI Season: NONE! - Major Milestones: Sawyer Silk, 1500 Runs Scored; Hayden “Sidd” Finch, 3000 K’s; Keon Cho, 2000 Hits - #1 Overall Pick: Jimu Harunobu, P, Washington (-2.35 WAR) - Teams of Yesteryear: Washington, Greenville, Baltimore, original Phoenix, Omaha Barnstomers, California, Hackensack Bulls, Buffalo, Austin Riverbats, Birmingham, Seattle - GM Memory Lane: Joel Odenbach, Austin; Steven Eberenz, Baltimore; Josh Johnson, Birmingham; Jon Lyons, Atlantic City; Chris Ramsey, Buffalo; Mike Dunn, Chicago; Ross Grooters, Calgary; Mike Lynch, Des Moines; Ron Churches, Greenville; Matt Szcepanski, Louisville; Gates Elliott, Madison; Anthony Puhl, Montreal; John Bowden, Seattle; Kirk Pedersen, Vancouver; Mark Kierstead, Washington 80 years ago (1985) - The Baltimore Monarchs won the Landis in seven games over the New Orleans Crawdads. - “Hitter Award”: Sawyer Silk, New Orleans - “Pitcher Award”: Steve Nebraska, Buffalo - “Rookie Award”: Brian Fisher, Manhattan - Teams of Yesteryear: Buffalo, Manhattan Myst, Brooklyn Bombers, Austin, Birmingham, Seattle, Baltimore, Washington, Greenville, Omaha Barnstomers, original Phoenix, California, Honolulu Typhoons - GM Memory Lane: Brian “the Stunt Bum” Miller, Baltimore; Michael “Fitt Dog” Fitterer, Birmingham; Justin Lorenz, Buffalo; John Bibler, California; Mike Wilkinson, Chicago; James Crider, Calgary; Damian Morgan, Manhattan; Joshua Gottesman, Hawaii; Martin Lee, Louisville; Travis McDermott, Madison; Charles Box, Montreal; Jerimy Kopra, New Orleans; Larry Gold, Omaha; A.J. Holz, Seattle; Jason Bartlett, Valencia; Eric Schoessler, Vancouver; Allen Rainey, Washington 90 years ago (1975) - The Washington Bobwhites won the Landis, besting New Orleans four games to two. - “Hitter Award”: Joe Gillstrom, Marquette (JL), Vince Milani, Birmingham (FL) - “Super Slugger Award”: Dick Allen, Washington (JL), Vince Milani, Birmingham (FL) - “Golden Arm Award”: Steve Nebraska, Washington (JL), Vernon Simpson, Salt Lake City (FL) - “Phenom Award”: Hector Garcia, Honolulu (JL), Jackie Varela, Seattle (FL) - Teams of Yesteryear: Washington, Charlotte Knights, Jacksonville Monarchs, Omaha Barnstormers, original Phoenix, Marquette, Honolulu, California, Brooklyn Bombers, Manhattan, Buffalo, Birmingham, Lexington Lightning, Salt Lake City Missions, Seattle - GM Memory Lane: Chris Oxford, Birmingham; Ray DeRoy, Buffalo; Mike Giovacchini, Chicago; Dwayne Gifford, Manhattan; David Klein, Hawaii; Simon Wright, Salt Lake City; Eric Hoffmeister, Montreal; Dan Kotaska, Omaha; Brett Rose, Phoenix - GM’s in Different Places: Chris Wilson, Long Beach
by Matt Rectenwald, Commissioner
History in Review
Phil Cole
Alex Ramirez
Mingo Boone
Sawyer Silk
Steve Nebraska
Joe Gillstrom
Which franchise has drafted the best in modern history (1995-2064)? The results may be surprising, until you get into the nitty gritty. Also, please bear in mind that expansion teams are going to be way at the bottom of this chart.
Draft History by Team
Frank Thomas III
Cape Fear, hey?? Raise your hand if you are surprised by that. Now, bear in mind that this team was long run by the resident Ammy Draft guru in Aaron Weiner, and then by Jim Slade, and now by Woody Donahue. It’s no surprise then that they lead the way. Top WAR: Frank Thomas III, 1/1, 2013, 121.35 WAR Value Pick: Danny Leach, 10/325, 2038, 69.78 WAR Nashville being second on this list is actually a bit of a surprise. Don’t get fooled by recency bias- this franchise was largely horrible for most of their existence. The outliers are the Chad Nason era, and the Halifax Hawks under Chris Robillard. Top WAR: David Simpson, 1/5, 2037, 87.00 WAR Value Pick: Francisco Calderon, 6/196, 27.43 WAR (and counting) Speaking of recency bias, Madison is third! They have been bad for so long that there’s probably a lot of people in the league who don’t even know what a behemoth this club was. Two of the all-time greatest players were on Madison at the same time (Charles Puckett and Bopper Kengos). Thirteen straight years of playoffs. Three Landis appearances and two titles. This was THE franchise for a good spell. Top WAR: Charles Puckett, 1/5, 1995, 176.94 WAR Value Pick: Josh Clark, 12/383, 2047, 31.49 (and counting) Another franchise that has hit the skids lately is Long Beach. It’d be a shame if I didn’t mention that Chris Wilson has been GM of both this team and Madison throughout his career. He’s a big part of this rating. Top WAR: Alberto Guzman, 1/1, 2002, 98.99 WAR Value Pick: Lucas Wood, 5/163, 2047, 25.22 WAR (and counting) Then there’s my Hustlers. We had some really big hits on pitchers back in the day but not as much lately. Even so, we’ve drafted a fair share of Hall of Famers over the years. Top WAR: Davey Acheson, 2/34, 1995, 89.09 WAR Value Pick: Mario Gonzalez, 13/341, 2016, 49.11 WAR Jacksonville’s best drafting stretch was actually during the Tim Imasa era (2008-2015). Top WAR: Roman Empire, 1/2, 1995, 104.46 WAR Value Pick: Manuel Martinez, 21/595. 2031, 26.14 WAR San Fernando has had great, stable ownership over the years from Chris Ramsey to Matthew Bornac to Randy Weigand and now with Kurt Imber. The next name I have to type still makes me angry. Top WAR: Mike Swanson, 1/1, 2010, 84.84 WAR Value Pick: Ralph Butt, 5/119, 1997, 40.55 WAR Atlantic City has had their fair share of GM’s over the years. Ryan Scott may have been their most impactful drafter, though Nigel Laverick also had his most success here. Top WAR: Juan Rivera, 1/11, 2038, 139.73 WAR Value Pick: Rafael Bido, 7/188, 2017, 68.66 WAR Louisville’s drafts have been highlighted by Stu Hopkins and a touch of Stephen Shaw. Top WAR: Brian Clough, 1/2, 2013, 82.80 WAR Value Pick: Kevin Morales, 25/708, 2029, 56.82 WAR In Montreal, ironically two of their best picks came in a transitional era after John Callahan’s long run as GM. Top WAR: Eduardo Gonxzalez, 1/8, 2038, 84.38 WAR Value Pick: Robert Harrell, 20/468, 1995, 31.03 WAR Yellow Springs had some great picks in the Tim Meseck era, and Ron Collins hit on a couple of really nice ones. Top WAR: Bo Jordan, 1/2, 2014, 96.64 WAR Value Pick: Carlos Valle, 4/123, 2031, 80.57 WAR Bikini (Seattle) had some real nice early picks, and a lot of solid ones under the Nathan Eagan years. Top WAR: Tobias Kelly, 7/171, 1997, 57.09 WAR Value Pick (besides Kelly): Grant Hardin, 19/477, 2004, 26.13 WAR Mexico City was led by Fred Holmes for many years and drafted a couple of Hall of Famers at the top of their list. Also interesting here, Tim Imasa in his short stint (when they were still the Omaha Barnstormers) had their third best pick (Fraser Dodson) and also their best value pick, both in the 2001 draft. Top WAR: Dave Corfield, 1/7, 2046, 92.39 WAR Value Pick: Bob Goodwin, 14/340, 2001, 42.17 WAR Des Moines was under Edward Murphy’s purvey for a long run, and he did indeed have the top pick. Shout out to O.G. Mike Lynch who had five of the top eleven. Top WAR: Jared Gillstrom, 1/1, 2022, 113.14 WAR Value Pick: Duane Whitley, 4/96, 1995, 95.21 WAR Sacramento had top picks made by Jason Martin, Doug Olmstead, and Ted Schmidt over the years. Top WAR: Gabriel Campos, 1/2nd, 2009, 83.47 WAR Value Pick: Carlos Moya, 11/375, 2048, 34.93 WAR San Antonio’s list is dominated by Mike Calvaruso’s picks, and now he’s back in the saddle (pun intended?). Top WAR: Larry Stinson, 1st/6th, 2038, 95.26 WAR Value Pick: Ruben Vazquez, 4/157, 2041, 64.89 WAR Hawaii’s best drafter by far has been Mike Bieschke. I’m also sad to report that the value pick was made by one “Al Hoot”. Top WAR: Alaric Wullenweber, 2/41, 2038, 123.69 WAR Value Pick: Bartolo Melendez, 13/326, 2007, 69.66 WAR Calgary’s drafts have been run solely by Kevin Dickson since 2004. Oddly their list is full of Round 1, 2 and 3 guys. You have to go all the way to their 28th best pick by WAR to find a guy drafted past pick 100 of a draft. Top WAR: Hector Cano, 1st/4th, 2014, 77.73 WAR Value Pick: Joel Ottoboni, 3/101, 2037, 18.85 WAR Vancouver had Joe Geoghegan, Brett Schroeder and Taylor Bettancourt leading the way. Like Calgary, also not a lot of late round finds. Top WAR: Robbie Sargent, 1/24, 1995, 107.06 WAR Value Pick: Jose Linares, 13/324, 2007, 19.75 WAR Chicago’s best pick was made by the great Vic Caleca. Kyle Stever was the best of the rest. Top WAR: Bernie Stuart, 10/342, 2042, 83.26 WAR Value Pick (besides Stuart): Heinrich Peithner, 5/156, 2029, 28.42 WAR Valencia’s top fourteen players buy WAR were all first round picks. No player past the third round until WAY down the list. Seeing the trend here? Top WAR: Aaron Haney, 1st/3rd, 2038, 118.12 WAR Value Pick: Edison Elliott, 8/191, 2007, 15.71 WAR Cobble Hill is an interesting one. Of all the great things Alan Ehlers does I expected him to have both of these guys. Instead, it was neither. Top WAR: Daniel Labrie (Sr.), 1st/6th, 1995, 116.81 WAR Value Pick: Manuel Andres, 4/112, 2031, 39.60 WAR Brook Park’s best pick was made by Ben Teague! Top WAR: Leon Sandcastle, 1st/4th, 2016, 107.76 WAR Value Pick: Steve Faulkner, 20/470, 1995, 44.42 WAR New Orleans has been Jim Roberts and nothing but Jim Roberts. Top WAR: Juan Donastevez, 1/15, 2038, 92.75 WAR Value Pick: Dave Martin, 12/294, 2026, 66.14 WAR Austin (nee Edmonton) evokes the names Chris Robillard and Mike Neugebauer. Ironically, their best pick and their value pick were made by Brandon Brooks. Top WAR: Steve Collins III, 1st/1st, 2034, 80.75 WAR Value Pick: Po-sin Shi, 6/189, 2036, 33.45 WAR Twin Cities list is headed by a player not in the Hall of Fame. Top WAR: Lorenzo de’ Medici, 1/16, 2034, 51.55 WAR Value Pick: Cornelio Lozano, 6/175, 2033, 31.45 WAR Charm City is largely Brandon Slouck’s work. Top WAR: Dave Ackerman, 1/17, 2048, 63.31 WAR Value Pick: Dan Small, 13/442, 2042, 26.56 WAR Phoenix’s belief that drafts suck makes a lot more sense now. Top WAR: Feliciano Rafael, 3/78, 2029, 62.0 WAR Value Pick: Norihasa Yokoyama, 3/103, 2038, 26.62 WAR Rosenblatt’s top four picks by WAR were all first overall picks. They also have two more first overall picks and ninth and tenth. Top WAR: Alex Ramirez, 1st/1st, 2035, 95.78 WAR Value Pick: Joe King, 7/212, 2046, 37.67 WAR Boise’s GM’s were a hodgepodge for the first four years. The last of those four produced Roman and marked the addition of Joe Lederer as GM. Woody Donahue made an ultimate value pick in Molina. Top WAR: Felix Roman, 1st/5th, 2038, 138.05 WAR Value Pick: David Molina, 16/500, 2051, 28.65 WAR Charlotte was run by Brett Golden through 2052, then two years later Nathan Garrison took the reigns Top WAR: Thomas Turner, 1st/3rd, 2045, 54.26 WAR Value Pick: Masakado Matsunaga, 6/177, 2056, 19.26 WAR Portland is last. Chris Wilson was an awesome drafter for two other franchises. Not as much in Portland to date. Top WAR: Steve Warren, 1st/5th, 2045, 52.05 WAR Value Pick: Patrick Rosales, 13/423, 2045, 8.28 WAR
Alberto Guzmán
Dave Corfield
Larry Stinson
Aaron Haney
Steve Collins
Feniks 'Drafts Suck' Talonz
Welcome back to the annual Kevin Morales Award, as we look back at who was the "best" 20th round draft pick of each year. Inspired by the Fictional National Football League's concept of Mr. Irrelevant, aka the last pick of the draft, it's named for arguably the most successful late round draft pick of all time. Mr. Morales had one heck of a career for a man drafted in the25th(!) round, winning 204 games, three championships, and a Nebraska award. In honor of his achievements, the Kevin Morales award is given to the player drafted in the 20th round of a given year who had the most success as professional baseball player. Success, of course, is extremely relative here. These *are* 20th round picks we're talking about here. At least so far, there hasn't been much of career for any of these guys. Here's a look at past winners. Kevin Morales Award Winners 2040 Catcher Rodrigo Valles (673rd pick overall, no BBA or GBC service time, highest level AAA, career minor league WAR of 12.61) 2041 Outfielder Theron Fairchild (685th pick overall, 40 career BBA games, .202 average, -.54 WAR, career minor league WAR of 10.85, 14 professional seasons) 2042 Outfielder Steve Tucker (675th pick overall, 2 BBA Seasons totaling 66 games, career ZR of 2.55, .244 average, 1.7 WAR, career minor league WAR of 18.11, 17 professional seasons) 2043 Pitcher Jesus Noriega (639th pick overall, 0 BBA Seasons, career minor league WAR of 5.97, 4 professional seasons) 2044 Pitcher Jude MacNeill (672nd pick overall, 0 BBA Seasons, career minor league WAR of 2.99 (5 professional seasons) Running Totals Number of BBA alumni: 3 Number of GBC alumni: 2 Max Pro Career:17 seasons (2042) Best Year So Far: 2041 (1 BBA and 1 GBC alumni, median pro career of 5 seasons) Worst Year So Far: 2040, 2045 (8 players with negative WAR for their pro career) Best Median Pro Level: 2042 (A/AA Ball Split) Best Median Pro Career: 2041 (5 years) Best Career BBA/GBC WAR: 1.7 (Steve Tucker from 2042) Best Career Minor League WAR: 22.34 (David Graham from 2042) The 2045 Kevin Morales Award Fun Facts 25 of 32 are listed in Stats Plus - Where do those other kids go? Are we doing human sacrifices? 14 Position Players and 11 Pitchers 15 Years was longest pro career 1 "Two Way" Player 1 Players Made the BBA 1 Players Made the GBC 2 Players never even saw a single pro game Mean Median and Mode Fun Part 1: Leveling Up (or not!) – BBA Level Data Mean: 3.08 (A Ball) Median: 3 (A Ball) Mode: 4 (Double A, which had 6 people going that high but no further) Mean Median and Mode Fun Part 2: Hiding from the GM (for a bit, anyway) – Career Length Data Mean: 5.2 Pro Years Median: 3 Pro Years Mode: 3 Pro Years (5) Outliers: 1 Player with a 15 year career (but note we also had one 14 and two 13 year careers) Notable Stats • I almost forgot what it looked like when they have a BBA and minor league career • 5 players had pro careers of 10 years or longer, which I believe is a record • 5 players drafted had negative WAR in high school • 3 of those five also had negative WAR in the minors • 8 total players had negative professional career WAR, tying 2040 • 1 player drafted had negative WAR in high school and college • Best Minor League WAR was 21.01 Other Cool or Interesting Facts • No Devil's Draft Curse, that appears to have been a weird early quirk. • 4 players drafted were SS and both players who got to the BBA/GBC were shortstops. • This is a bit of an extremes final round. 2 players did nothing at all, 8 had negative careers, but on the other hand, nearly half made it to AA or higher, two made it to the bigs, and 3 had career minor league WAR of 16 or better. • The 15 season player retired in 2059, so we're starting to get into players I may have personal knowledge of, though I'm still 8 seasons from when I will "enter the chat" as it were by making my own 20th round selections. At this this year, despite having less overall candidates, had a few players who were worth sinking my teeth into and looking over their careers. For lack of a better term, I had four finalists for the award, two of whom got all the way to the BBA/GBC level, albeit briefly and without much success. Let's talk briefly about them, ranked rather unofficially from fourth to winner: P Marty Erickson was drafted 656th overall by Twin Cities, and I'm pretty sure we've talked about Alan's late-round picks before. He only had 11.86 WAR but his rWAR (better judge for pitchers) was 16.31. He had a career ERA of 3.99 and won 60 games. He, like most of the lasted longer types, bounced from the BBA to the GBC minors. If he had been a bit older, he'd have won 2043 and 2045 walking away, but there were better options. SS Paul Brown made his dream come true at the age of 31, when he played with the Louisville Sluggers for 12 games in 2054. Brown was a minor league players of the week and two-time minor league Gold Glove winner. Nothing to be ashamed of there. Never willing to give up until his body did, Brown went back into the minors and tried again, but never made it back. He even did a final season overseas at age 36 with the Toyko organization, but it was not to be. Despite being the only 20th round pick award season to make it to the BBA, Brown's overall numbers, which started as the 652nd pick overall by Madison, just weren't as good as our winner and our runner up. SS Bobby Wright was similar to Mr. Brown above, but his dream didn't come true with a BBA team. Instead, he joined the Buenos Aires Brisas in 2053 for a whopping 6 games, which is why he, too, fails to win this coveted award. Drafted 654th overall by what is now the Bikini Kill but back then was the Seattle Storm, Wright also never gave up on his dream. He kept playing until 2058, ironically primarily for a minor-league team also located in Buenos Aires. A one-time minor league all star and one-time Gold Glove winner, Wright compiled 19.36 WAR over his pro seasons. But that wasn't quite good enough. Your 2045 Kevin Morales Award Winner is… Pitcher Ash Fields! Ash Fields, drafted 671st overall by then Edmonton Jackrabbits (now Austin, I believe. Hard to keep up!), was the 28th selection in the 20th round. Only four other players were drafted after him. Seen as a player who wasn't likely to walk anyone but just couldn't get up to stuff (or movement), scouts didn't think too highly of him, and with good reason. A typical "staff filler" type for the minors, which is likely why he hung around for so long. Used as a reliever in his first professional season, he was 3-2 in 14 games with a 1.60 WHIP. Not exactly promotion-level numbers. But he moved to Short A, where batters hit his pitches to all fields. An 0-5 record in 16 games (5 starts), 2.40 WHIP, and 8.14 ERA are the type of numbers that gets you dropped. But the Jackrabbits showed the patience of a turtle, and despite crapping the bed *again* in 2047 (6-9, 5.05 ERA in in 24 starts, albeit with a FIP- of an average 101), he remained with the team through 2052, slowly getting better. Between 2048 and 2052, bouncing from A-ball to AAA, he had a 39-31 record with a few saves and ERAs under 4 for the most part. Nothing spectacular but the kind of player you tend to keep around as good depth and the potential for bumping. But even that wasn't enough and Fields signed with Las Vegas. Ash scattered his time with the Hustlers across their system, once again going from A-ball to AAA, depending on Matt's needs. He was 20-12, but by the time he was fully in AAA in 2055, his ERA ballooned to 5.43 with Milwaukee and his FIP- were getting into the 120 range for his entire tenure in the organization. Matt doesn't tolerate that level of bad, and Fields had no field to play on for the entirely of 2056. It was looking like his career was over. But Des Moines signed him in late 2056, though they released him soon after in January of 2057. It once again looked like the end, but enter the Jerusalem Hebrew Hammers and one final shot, starting in April of 2057. At this point, Ash isn't a future star. Or even a future piece. But he was very, very good as a Single A pitcher. He took to playing for the Tokyo Magic like Aaron Wharram takes to losing playoff series, going a combined 21-13 with 197 strikeouts, 7.93 WAR, and a FIP- of 80. In fact, he saved his best work for his final season: In 2058, he leveled players akin to a volcanic ash deposit, finishing with a 17-4 record, 131Ks, 1.24 WHIP, 80 FIP-, and 5.57 WAR, nearly 25% of his career WAR total. With that, Fields never returned to play the field, or even coach. He disappeared after 2058 and no one seems to know where he is now. But with such a lengthy career, covering 14 seasons, multiple continents, and 21.01 WAR, Ash ruined the soil of his competitors and made him the clear favorite. Learn more about him here: https://statsplus.net/brewster/player/55773?page=pitch I'm so glad this got interesting again! I'm really looking forward to writing next year's column, whereas I went into this one with dread after two straight years of dread. Join me next time for more odd quirks of the BBA's last men in, a bit more snark, and of course, more bad puns based on names. See you then!
by Rob McMonigal
The 2045 Kevin Morales Award
by Mike Calvaruso
The Return of the King
The Quest for the Ring!
A historic day has arrived in San Antonio as former Outlaws GM Mike Calvaruso, has returned to the fold in the hopes of directing the team to another Brewster Memorial Series Title. “I was here through the move from Birmingham to San Antonio, and was able to be a part of some fun and successful years. My two championship trophies still sit proudly on my mantle at home, no matter how much my wife complains, and I am looking forward to adding to that total, much to her chagrin”. “Leaving the Outlaws back in 2046 was probably the hardest thing I ever did in my life, but felt I wanted to seek out some other adventures in my life. I spent a few years helping run a shrimp boat in Louisiana with a buddy of mine named Forrest, bought a NASCAR team and hired a driver named Cole Trickle, man those were Days of Thunder, and spent a few years studying with the Dalai Lama in Tibet, which apparently will help me achieve total consciousness on my death bed, but my heart ached to return to San Antonio”. GM Calvaruso hit the ground running making wholesale coaching changes within the entire organization. “Why would I want to keep losers? Was GM Calvaruso’s comment when asked at the press conference. “I expect total commitment to winning, and nothing else will be acceptable”. It will remain to be seen when, and if, GM Calvaruso can return San Antonio to the elites of the BBA, but the excitement within the Outlaws organization is palpable.
All Modern Era Team
Montreal Blazers
During the modern era, the Montreal Blazers have a winning percentage of .519, with 32 playoff appearances and 1 championship. In this article, I am going to determine the franchise’s best player at each position during that time. All statistics and accomplishments used in this article are from the players’ time with Montreal. CATCHER Top Candidates: Wesley Brummett (.302/.375/.455, 122 wRC+, 254 2B, 107 HR, 579 R, 594 RBI, 32.2 WAR in 1,092 Games from 1999-2008 and 2028-He threw out 32.5% of attempted base stealers with the team.) Joe Bradshaw (.260/.315/.441, 99 wRC+, 287 2B, 113 HR, 420 R, 465 RBI, 19 WAR in 959 Games from 2044-2051. He threw out 33.7% of attempted base stealers with the team.) Calvin Johnson (.250/.300/.418, 92 wRC+, 142 2B, 60 HR, 233 R, 279 RBI, 18.3 WAR in 570 Games from 2056-2061-He threw out 23.6% of attempted base stealers with the team. He was a phenomenal pitch framer.) Brummett was a 2 time All-Star. Bradshaw was a 3 time All-Star. Johnson was a 1 time All-Star. My choice for the top Catcher in the modern era for Montreal is Will Brammett. He was a good defensive catcher who was clearly the best offensive player out of this group. FIRST BASEMAN Top Candidates: Esteban Contreras (.262/.351/.491), 131 wRC+, 207 2B, 301 HR, 753 R, 873 RBI, 35 SB, 40.2 WAR in 1,341 Games from 2019-2027) Duane Whitley (.333/.397/.547, 148 wRC+, 594 2B, 43 3B, 439 HR, 1,513 R, 1,797 RBI, 92.8 WAR in 2,325 Games from 2001-2015) Cisco Guerrero (.326/376/.541, 236 2B, 9 3B, 260 HR, 723 R, 981 RBI, 142 wRC+, 43.6 WAR in 1,215 Games from 2028-2034.) Contreras was a 2 time All-Star, a 3 time Diamond Glove Winner, and a 1 time Platinum Stick winner. He led the league in RBI, BB, and WAR once each. Whitley was a 4 time Sawyer Silk winner. He won the 2001 Gillstrom Rookie of the Year Award. He was a 13 time All-Star. He led the league in hits, average, and RBI 3 times, total bases 5 times, extra base hits, OPS, and slugging percentage twice, and doubles and WAR once. Whitley was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Guerrero finished 3rd in Silk voting in 2031. He was a 3 time All-Star and 1 time Platinum Stick winner. He led the league in total bases once and RBI twice. Guerrero was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. My choice for the top First Baseman in the modern era for Montreal is Duane Whitley. I had two Hall of Famers and another player who won several league awards to choose from, but Whitley was clearly the best of the group. The fact that he put up over 90 WAR in a Montreal uniform is incredibly impressive. SECOND BASEMAN Top Candidates: Lineu Aldo (.293/.333/.528, 740 2B, 173 3B, 429 HR, 1,632 R, 1,636 RBI, 124 wRC+, 75 WAR in 2,651 Games from 2041-2059) John Neely (.335/.382/.469, 381 2B, 53 3B, 99 HR, 1,016 R, 712 RBI, 110 SB, 128 wRC+, 44.4 WAR in 1,367 Games from 1998-2007) Jaime Serna (.285/.351/.502, 94 2B, 22 3B, 56 HR, 194 R, 202 RBI, 132 wRC+, 14.1 WAR in 360 Games from 2062-2064-Currently Active at the time the article was written.) Ernie Stauffer (.306/.341/.447, 271 2B, 120 HR, 689 R, 703 RBI, 107 wRC+, 30.1 WAR in 1,251 Games from 2008-2016.) Aldo finished second in Silk Sawyer voting in 2041. He was the Gillstrom Rookie of the Year that season. He was a 9 time All-Star, a 3 time Diamond Glove winner (at 1B), a 3 time Platinum Stick winner, and a 1 time Playoff Series MVP. Aldo led the league in doubles once, triples three times, stolen bases and extra base hits twice. Neely was a 3 time All-Star. He led the league in hits and runs twice and doubles 3 times. Serna finished 3rd in the voting for the Silk Sawyer award voting in 2063. He is a 2 time All-Star and 1 time Platinum Stick winner. He led the league in WAR in 2063. Stauffer was the Gillstrom Rookie of the Year in 2009. He was a 3 time All-Star, and a 2 time Diamond Glove winner. Stauffer was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. My choice for the top Second Baseman in the modern era for Montreal is Lineu Aldo. He was very good for a long time in Montreal, and will be the player future Blazer second basemen will be measured against. THIRD BASEMAN Top Candidate: Eduardo Gonzalez (.283/.341/.514, 124 wRC+, 829 2B, 58 3B, 554 HR, 1,711 R, 1,946 RBI, 84.4 WAR in 2,945 Games from 2041-2060) Gonzalez was a 6 time All-Star and a 2 time Platinum Stick winner. My choice for the top third baseman in the modern era for Montreal is Eduardo Gonzalez. If Denes Terovolas spent a little more time in Montreal he might have entered the conversation, but Gonzalez is the clear choice here. SHORTSTOP Top Candidates: Jared Gillstrom (.332/.379/.566, 153 wRC+, 229 2B, 245 HR, 827 R, 884 RBI, 61.9 WAR in 1,121 Games from 2026-2033) Roman Empire (.330/.420/.543, 158 wRC+, 138 2B, 23 3B, 149 HR, 570 R, 538 RBI, 50 SB, 42.3 WAR in 766 Games from 2002-2007) Dave Pruitt (.313/.337/.446, 110 wRC+, 303 2B, 45 3B, 120 HR, 827 R, 670 RBI, 163 SB, 41.8 WAR in 1,3976 Games from 2012-2022) Gillstrom was the Silk Sawyer Batter of the Year in 2030, 2031, and 2032, and finished second in the voting for that award in 2028 and 2029. Gillstrom was the Rookie of the Year in 2026, a 6 time All-Star, a 7 time Platinum Stick winner, and a 1 time Playoff Series MVP. He led the league in hits twice, home runs, triples, walks, OBP, ISO, and total bases once each. He led the league in OPS, SLG, and RBI twice, runs and batting average three times, and WAR four times. Gillstrom was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Empire was a 5 time All-Star and a 1 time Diamond Glove winner. He led the league in runs once. Empire was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Pruitt was a 5 time All-Star. He led the league in hits in 2018. My choice for the top shortstop in the modern era for Montreal is Jared Gillstrom. The other two players on the list were excellent players, but Gillstrom was incredible. Winning three consecutive Silk Sawyer awards and being either the winner or the runner up for 5 straight years is unbelievable. LEFT FIELDER Top Candidates: Billy Beauford (.316/.362/.480, 120 wRC+, 351 2B, 60 3B, 123 HR, 860 R, 659 RBI, 96 SB, 32.1 WAR in 1,237 Games from 2007-2015) Clancy Lee (.273/.316/.451, 103 wRC+, 220 2B, 41 3B, 81 HR, 411 R, 376 RBI, 17.5 WAR in 842 Games from 2059-2064 Currently active at the time the article was written) Beauford was a 4 time All-Star, a 1 time Diamond Glove winner, and a 1 time Playoff Series MVP. Lee led the league in triples in 1059. My choice for the top left fielder in the modern era for Montreal is Billy Beauford. He had a nice career, and was productive during his time in Montreal. CENTER FIELDER Top Candidates: Leon Sandcastle (.324/.403/.543, 160 wRC+, 148 2B, 52 3B, 154 HR, 614 R, 490 RBI, 42.8 WAR in 829 Games from 2018-2023) Ferris Wheeler (.282/.348/.508, 124 wRC+, 155 2B, 25 3B, 119 HR, 415 R, 451 RBI, 122 SB, 22 WAR in 625 Games from 1998-2001) Pedro Rosales (.272/.353/.477, 121 wRC+, 230 2B, 19 3B, 130 HR, 521 R, 435 RBI, 19.8 WAR in 916 Games from 2050-2055) Sandcastle was a 2 time Silk Sawyer winner, and finished 2nd another time. He was a 6 time All-Star, and a 1 time Platinum Stick winner. He led the league in triples, batting average, ISO, and SLG once each, OPS twice, and WAR three times. Sandcastle was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Wheeler was a 1 time Diamond Glove winner. Rosales was a 1 time All-Star. My choice for the top center fielder in the modern era for Montreal is Leon Sandcastle. He was an outstanding player, and his best years were in Montreal. RIGHT FIELDER Top Candidates: Rex Bell (.292/.364/.521, 132 wRC+, 325 2B, 56 3B, 269 HR, 972 R, 922 RBI, 186 SB, 46.2 WAR in 1,378 Games from 1998-2008) Bob White (.313/.375/.469, 123 wRC+, 183 2B, 113 HR, 627 R, 535 RBI, 24.2 WAR in 955 Games from 2009-2016) Bell was a 2 time All-Star. He led the league in total bases, extra base hits, and RBI in 2004. White was a 1 time All-Star. My choice for the top right fielder in the modern era for Montreal is Rex Bell. Bell spent almost his entire career in Montreal, and should be fondly remembered by the team’s fans. DESIGNATED HITTER Top Candidates: Ettienne R. LaFitte (.314/.374/.549, 139 wRC+, 191 2B, 40 3B, 307 HR, 899 R, 964 RBI, 458 SB, 43.6 WAR in 1,273 Games from 2030-2037) Alberto Guzman (.278/.384/.523, 149 wRC+, 50 2B, 8 3B 52 HR, 159 R, 165 RBI, 9.4 WAR in 268 Games from 2019-2020) LaFitte was a 1 time All-Star. Guzman was a 2 time All-Star. My choice for the top designated hitter in the modern era for Montreal is Ettiene R. LaFitte. Guzman played the final two years of a great career in Montreal, and did a nice job. LaFitte was an important part of the Montreal lineup for the better part of a decade. STARTING PITCHER Top Candidates: Jorge Stanza (183-112, 3.35 ERA, 3.36 FIP, 82 FIP-, 60.1 WAR, 60.5 rWAR in 381 G, 381 GS from 2018-2032) Moses Tallchief (111-76, 3.89 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 84 FIP-, 38.9 WAR, 38.4 rWAR in 244 G, 243 GS from 2008-2016) Leon Flores (91-60, 3.74 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 87 FIP-, 28.1.3 WAR, 28.8 rWAR in 195 G, 192 GS from 2027-2033) Stanza was a 1 time Nebraska Pitcher of the Year and a 3 time All-Star. He led the league in Wins, ERA, BB/9, and rWAR once each, and shutouts twice. Tallchief was a 3 time All-Star. He led the league in H/9 twice. Flores finished 2nd in the voting for the Nebraska in 2027. He won the Gillstrom Rookie of the Year award that season as well. Flores was a 4 time All-Star and a 1 time Playoff Series MVP. He led the league in Wins, Innings Pitched, ERA, Shoutouts, WAR, and rWAR once each. He led the league in Complete Games twice. My choice for the top starting pitcher in the modern era for Montreal is Jorge Stanza. Flores was also an outstanding pitcher, but Stanza was able to maintain his excellent form for a much longer time than Flores was. RELIEF PITCHER Top Candidates: Carlton Casson (43-47, 212 Sv, 3.12 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 69 FIP-, 18.4 WAR, 16.6 rWAR in 637 G, 0 GS from 2044-2056-Also had 7.1 WAR as a position player) Marc Jutras (37-49, 320 Sv, 2.81 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 66 FIP-, 13.5 WAR, 15.4 rWAR in 618 G from 2004-2016) Adam Bristcoe (40-32, 34 Sv, 3.35 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 80 FIP-, 10.2 WAR, 10 rWAR in 566 G, 0 GS from 2058-2064-Currently Active at the time the article was written) Casson finished second in the voting for the Rookie of the Year award and the Reliever of the Year award in 2044. He was a 4 time All-Star. Casson led the league in saves once. Jutras was a 3 time All-Star and a 1 time Playoff Series MVP once. Bristcoe was a 3 time All-Star and finished in the top 3 in voting for the Reliever of the Year award twice. Bristcoe was also a 1 time Playoff Series MVP. My choice for top relief pitcher in the modern era for Montreal is Marc Jutras. It was close for me between Jutras and Casson, but I feel like Jutras was just a little better overall. MONTREAL BLAZERS ALL MODERN ERA TEAM C: Will Brammett 1B: Duane Whitley 2B: Lineu Aldo 3B: Eduardo Gonzalez SS: Jared Gillstrom LF: Billy Beauford CF: Leon Sandcastle RF: Rex Bell DH: Ettiene R. LaFitte SP: Jorge Stanza RP: Marc Jutras
by Nathan Garrison
All Modern Era Team - Montreal Blazers
Duane Whitley
Lineu Aldo
editorial note: rumor has it that Leon says that the best day of his career was when he was traded from Montreal to Tucson.
Leon Sandcastle
Ettienne R. LaFitte
New Orleans Crawdads
During the modern era, the New Orleans Crawdads have a winning percentage of .530, with 35 playoff appearances and 5 championships. In this article, I am going to determine the franchise’s best player at each position during that time. All statistics and accomplishments used in this article are from the players’ time with New Orleans. CATCHER Top Candidates: Conner Keely (.294/.396/.455, 130 wRC+, 211 2B, 87 HR, 576 R, 520 RBI, 35 WAR in 982 Games from 1998-2005-He threw out 43.3% of attempted base stealers with the team.) Hsin Mei (.282/.341/.513,123 wRC+, 198 2B, 148 HR, 420 R, 440 RBI, 24.2 WAR in 759 Games from 2031-2036 and 2047. He threw out 34.7% of attempted base stealers with the team.) Todd Tatlock (.291/.321/.374, 86 wRC+, 164 2B, 37 HR, 327 R, 370 RBI, 20.1 WAR in 950 Games from 2049-2057-He threw out 43.3% of attempted base stealers with the team. Currently active at the time the article was written) Keely was the 1999 Gillstrom Rookie of the Year. He was a 1 time All-Star and 2 time Diamond Glove winner. Mei finished 2nd in Silk Sawyer Batter of the Year voting once. He was a 1 time All-Star, a 2 time Platinum Stick winner, and a 2 time Playoff Series MVP. Mei led the league in slugging percentage in 2036. Tatlock was a 3 time All-Star, a 1 time League Champion, and a 5 time Diamond Glove winner. My choice for the top Catcher in the modern era for New Orleans is Conner Keely. Mei was an excellent hitter. Tatlock was an amazing defender. Keely was outstanding at both. FIRST BASEMAN Top Candidates: Bartolo Meléndez (.308/.369/.565), 149 wRC+, 277 2B, 271 HR, 697 R, 824 RBI, 43.9 WAR in 1,131 Games from 2012-2021) Yancy Cravat (.270/.328/.550, 121 wRC+, 122 2B, 362 HR, 710 R, 831 RBI, 26.9 WAR in 1,144 Games from 2033-2041) Meléndez finished third in Silk Sawyer Player of the Year voting in 2020. He was a 6 time All-Star and a 1 time Platinum Stick winner. He led the league in total bases, home runs, and RBI once each. He led the league in extra base hits and slugging percentage twice each, and ISO 3 times. Meléndez was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Cravat was a 1 time All-Star and a 6 time Diamond Glove winner. He led the league in home runs 3 times. My choice for the top First Baseman in the modern era for New Orleans is Bartolo Meléndez. He played the majority of his Hall of Fame career in New Orleans, where he built up most of his resume. SECOND BASEMAN Top Candidates: Jose Sanchez (.303/.345/.416, 269 2B, 90 3B, 25 HR, 632 R, 411 RBI, 201 SB, 103 wRC+, 18.5 WAR in 1,180 Games from 2041-2049 and 2054) Mike Glover (.283/.300/.443, 134 2B, 11 3B, 71 HR, 292 R, 305 RBI, 36 SB, 91 wRC+, 12 WAR in 679 Games from 2008-2016) Sanchez was a 3 time All-Star and a 1 time Platinum Stick winner. He led the league in triples in 2046. Glover was a 1 time All-Star and a 1 time Diamond Glove winner. My choice for the top Second Baseman in the modern era for New Orleans is Jose Sanchez. Second base hasn’t been the strongest of positions for the Crawdads, but Sanchez was a good player who stands out among the crowd. THIRD BASEMAN Top Candidate: Rogelio Morales (.328/.427/.559, 162 wRC+, 376 2B, 37 3B, 361 HR, 1,225 R, 1,205 RBI, 91.7 WAR in 1,763 Games from 1996-2006 and 2013-2014) Mark Dempsey (.271/.347/.493, 126 wRC+, 294 2B, 373 HR, 911 R, 1,030 RBI, 54.5 WAR in 1,732 Games from 2023-2034 and 2038) Mal Fountain (.273/.331/.494, 118 wRC+, 371 2B, 59 3B, 298 HR, 950 R, 1,002 RBI, 41.9 WAR in 1,650 Games from 2044-2054) Morales was the Silk Sawyer Batter of the Year in 2005. He was a 10 time All-Star. Morales led the league in extra base hits, slugging percentage, runs, and ISO once each, home runs, RBI, on base percentage, and OPS twice each, and WAR three times. Morales was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Dempsey was a 5 time All-Star, 3 time Platinum Stick winner, and 1 time Playoff Series MVP. Fountain was a 5 time All-Star, 1 time League Champion, 1 time Diamond Glove winner, and 1 time Playoff Series MVP. My choice for the top third baseman in the modern era for New Orleans is Rogelio Morales. There have been quite a few excellent players who have manned the hot corner for the Crawdads, but Morales was the best of them all. SHORTSTOP Top Candidates: Jared Gillstrom (.310/.385/.542, 136 wRC+, 41 2B, 5 3B, 60 HR, 176 R, 166 RBI, 27 SB, 8.8 WAR in 263 Games in 2039 and 2042) Paco Torres (.295/.344/.382, 93 wRC+, 186 2B, 26 3B, 27 HR, 463 R, 388 RBI, 181 SB, 17 WAR in 1,173 Games from 2004-2016) Lindsey Jacinto (.268/.333/.455, 107 wRC+, 216 2B, 18 3B, 223 HR, 682 R, 799 RBI, 30.9 WAR in 1,410 Games from 1996-2007 and 2009) Gillstrom was a 1 time All-Star. He was selected as the top shortstop in the modern era for the Montreal Blazers. Gillstrom was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Jacinto was a 1 time All-Star and a 1 time Diamond Glove winner. My choice for the top shortstop in the modern era for New Orleans is Lindsey Jacinto. Gillstrom was the best player to play the position for the Crawdads, but Jacinto had the greater overall impact for the team at the position. His longevity and consistency were an important part of the Crawdad’s history. LEFT FIELDER Top Candidates: Joey Rosko (.294/.348/.497, 129 wRC+, 269 2B, 43 3B, 288 HR, 916 R, 888 RBI, 216 SB, 47.1 WAR in 1,526 Games from 2014-2024) Luis Estrada (.257/.343/.530, 129 wRC+, 214 2B, 35 3B, 256 HR, 664 R, 742 RBI, 20.8 WAR in 1,013 Games from 2048-2057) Rosko finished in the top 3 for the Silk Sawyer Batter of the Year award voting twice. He was a 5 time All-Star and a 2 time Diamond Glove winner. Estrada was a 5 time All-Star, a 1 time League Champion, 1 time Platinum Stick Winner, and 2 time Playoff Series MVP. Rosko led the league in WAR in 2017 and was 2nd in WAR in 2019. My choice for the top left fielder in the modern era for New Orleans is Joey Rosko. He had some outstanding years for the Cawdads. CENTER FIELDER Top Candidate: Tipper Kengos (.328/.440/.394, 136 wRC+, 328 2B, 63 3B, 62 HR, 1,606 R, 900 RBI, 63.7 WAR in 1,506 Games from 1996-2009) Kengos was a 2 time All-Star. He led the league in triples in 1997 and OBP in 2001. Kengos was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. My choice for the top center fielder in the modern era for New Orleans is Tipper Kengos. He spent two thirds of his Hall of Fame career in a Crawdads uniform. RIGHT FIELDER Top Candidates: Al Jones (.289/.364/.492, 121 wRC+, 286 2B, 28 3B, 218 HR, 788 R, 824 RBI, 35.1 WAR in 1,230 Games from 2006-2014) Juan Donestevez (.311/.380/.530, 143 wRC+, 183 2B, 113 HR, 627 R, 535 RBI, 92.8 WAR in 2,722 Games from 2042-2062) Jones was a 2 time All-Star and a 5 time Diamond Glove winner. He led the league in total bases, extra base hits, home runs, ISO, and RBI once each. Jones was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Donestevez was a 2 time Silk Sawyer Batter of the Year and finished 3rd in the voting for that award one other time. He was an 11 time All-Star, 1 time League Champion, 2 time Diamond Glove winner, 5 time Platinum Stick award winner, and 2 time Playoff Series MVP. He led the league in hits, and batting average once, stolen bases, OBP, and WAR twice. Donestevez was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. My choice for the top right fielder in the modern era for New Orleans is Juan Donestevez. I included Jones on the list because he was also a hall of farmer, but there was never a question that this was going to be Donestevez. DESIGNATED HITTER Top Candidates: Maximo Cuevas (.277/.330/.481, 120 wRC+, 174 2B, 150 HR, 408 R, 417 RBI, 19.1 WAR in 871 Games from 2022-2030) Elmer Mould (.277/.310/.453, 107 wRC+, 212 2B, 13 3B 182 HR, 529 R, 602 RBI, 18.4 WAR in 1,197 Games from 2016-2025) Cuevas was a 1 time All-Star. He led the league in extra base hits in 2026. My choice for the top designated hitter in the modern era for New Orleans is Maximo Cuevas. He was a productive player for the better part of a decade for the Crawdads. STARTING PITCHER Top Candidates: Manuel Ramirez (186-97, 3.08 ERA, 3.12 FIP, 76 FIP-, 72.7 WAR, 75 rWAR in 432 G, 424 GS from 2018-2030) Albert Martinez (179-127, 1 Sv, 3.60 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 84 FIP-, 60.7 WAR, 63 rWAR in 411 G, 409 GS from 2010-2023) Cristian Garcia (146-71, 3.31 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 78 FIP-, 51.8 WAR, 55 rWAR in 313 G, 313 GS from 2041-2053) Jimmy McCabe (155-94, 6 Sv, 3.59 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 88 FIP-, 42.9 WAR, 50.2 rWAR in 349 G, 295 GS from 2011-2021) Ramirez was a 1 time Nebraska Pitcher of the Year and finished in the top 3 voting for the award two other times. He was a 5 time All-Star. He led the league in Wins, ERA, WHIP, and rWAR once each, and H/9 and WAR twice. Ramirez was inducted into the BBA Hall of Fame. Martinez finished 3rd in the voting for the Nebraska Pitcher of the Year award once, and was a 2 time All-Star. He led the league in shutouts in 2013. Garcia was a 1 time Nebraska Pitcher of the Year and finished second in the voting for the award one other time. He was a 5 time All-Star a 1 time League Champion, a 2 time Diamond Glove award winner, and a 1 time Playoff Series MVP. Garcia led the league in Win%, WAR, and rWAR once each. He led the league in shutouts twice. McCabe was a 2 time Nebraska Pitcher of the Year and finished second in the voting for the award one other time. He was a 5 time All-Star.McCabe led the league in ERA, WHIP, shutouts, WAR, and rWAR once each and wins and innings pitched twice. My choice for the top starting pitcher in the modern era for New Orleans is Manuel Ramirez. It was really close for me between Ramirez and McCabe, but the fact that Ramirez was able to pitch in so many more games than McCabe in New Orleans makes him the top choice for me. RELIEF PITCHER Top Candidates: Renato Lacerda (70-56, 381 Sv, 3.22 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 81 FIP-, 15.3 WAR, 22.9 rWAR in 699 G, 4 GS from 2039-2046 and 2050-2052) Gary Wilson (71-71, 253 Sv, 3.45 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 71 FIP-, 18.2 WAR, 15.5 rWAR in 923 G, 0 GS from 2001-2016) Carlos Altavista (56-51, 353 Sv, 2.77 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 66 FIP-, 14.7 WAR, 15.8 rWAR in 681 G, 0 GS from 2011-2021) Lacerda was a 1 time Eagan Reliever of the Year winner, a 4 time All-Star and a 1 time League Champion. Lacerda led the league in Saves 6 times. Wilson was a 1 time All-Star. He led the league in Holds twice. Altavista was a 9 time All-Star and a 5 time Playoff Series MVP. He led the league in Saves 3 times. My choice for top relief pitcher in the modern era for New Orleans is Carlos Altavista. All three of these pitchers were fantastic for the Crawdads. It was especially close for me between Lacerda and Altavista, but I prefer Altavista just slightly. NEW ORLEANS CRAWDADS ALL MODERN ERA TEAM C: Conner Keely 1B: Bartolo Meléndez 2B: Jose Sanchez 3B: Rogelio Morales SS: Lindsey Jacinto LF: Joey Rosko CF: Tipper Kengos RF: Juan Donestevez DH: Máximo Cuevas SP: Manuel Ramírez RP: Carlos Altavista
Bartolo Meléndez
All Modern Era Team - New Orleans Crawdads
Rogelio Morales
Tipper Kengos
Manuel 'Eyechart' Ramírez
Máximo Cuevas
THE PROJECTION ROOM
Welcome back! It's your favorite part of the Media Guide. It's me again, Lane, here to copy/paste past years' bad jokes as I scramble to finish the Media Guide. With any luck, you're reading this just before Opening Day 2065. Again this year, the previews were a group effort, and we start off with James Walker providing a peep at the the Johnson League Atlantic. Chuck Valenches returns to whip out the previews for the Johnson League Frontier division. It's an unenviable job, as it has been one of the most competitive divisions of late. The Frick League Heartland is tackled by Mike Neugebauer. It will probably be more interesting to read this year, as it may be the first time this century that Nashville is not entering the season as the reigning Heartland winner. The Best Division in Baseball (Frick League Pacific) is given the once over by John Momburg. The only easy call in the Pacific this year is that the Surfers will be last. Finally, we have Woody Donahue stepping up to the plate to do an excellent job with the Global Baseball Consortium previews. The completely accurate estimate of your team winning 90+ games lies in the pages ahead, and if they predicted your team under .500 you should probably put it up in the clubhouse as a reminder of just how wrong the prediction is. And of course don't forget to read the previews of the other teams...who knows, you might find a weakness or two to exploit!
stephen lane, vice commish & gm, long beach surfers
The last time I wrote this little preamble, it was 2060, and I was talking about how the JL juggernaut Charm City Jimmies were toppled in the Brewster Championship series by the Portland Lumberjacks. Since then, not much has happened. The Nashville Bluebirds won like ten in a row, and ruined baseball forever. Last year though? Very different. As we all know, the Toledo Liberty have been the Best Team in Baseball for quite some time now. With countless league championships, a stellar GM, and the full backing of Denny's and Subaru, they have been in a class of their own. Out of nowhere though, a new team claims the title. The men of the Liberty decided they were bored, and ascended to the BBA as demigods. Assuming the identity of the Phoenix Talons, they won 102 games (the only BBA team over 100 in 2064), and took the Frontier by a comfortable 17 game margin. You'd think that was impressive, until you heard about what they did in the playoffs. After the bye in the Geoghegan Round, they swept the Hustlers out of the Doubleday series. In the JL championship Cartwright Cup, they didn't blink, and wiped out the Jacksonville Zombies in a four game sweep. The Monty Brewster Memorial Series saw them matched up with the Nashville Bluebirds, who had to play in the Geoghegan Round for probably the first time ever. The Liberty Talons paid no mind to the juggernaut, winners of four consecutive championships. All that Phoenix did was win the damn thing in four games! That's right, after winning 102 regular season games, the Talons went 12-0 in the playoffs. Unbelievable. So, will they do it again? Probably. They're young, and they certainly won't be too worn out when they start spring training after needing only 12 games to win the Brewster Memorial Series. They've got a living legend for a general manager, the backing of Denny's and Subaru, and they're powered by heat of the smelter that never sleeps. The Frontier will be competitive, but the Talons stand tall amongst them. International Free Agency is still here, and this year it was the Rosenblatt Bombers dropping a bomb on the league, spending $36,850,000 on a bonus for 16-year-old left handed pitcher Safwan 'The Cure' bin Khalil. At least it wasn't the Bluebirds again? The GBC continues to shine, and was full of drama in 2064. The AfSAMoc division required a one-game playoff between the Sao Paulo Pilots and the Sydney Sharks, with the Johannesburg Gold just one game behind. The league is sure to be competitive again in 2065. Good luck, have fun, and don't forget to visit the Forums!
twenty sixty five, the preamble
2064 Final Standings *guaranteed accurate
Johnson League Atlantic
2065 Final Standings *guaranteed accurate within 15 games
The Atlantic Division of the Johnson League was a dog fight in a phone booth that ended with Charm City taking another division flag at 94-68. The Zombies finished just 5 games back and took a wild card with a big season from SS Pepe Aragon. Montreal was 86-76 and Cobble Hill was 84-78 to give both teams wild card berths in the BBA post season. The Charlotte Flyers made several moves to jump start their season but fell short of the playoffs at 80-82. Atlantic City was next at 78-84 followed by Caper Fear at 74-88. New Orleans has hit the bottom with a 73-89 record and has nowhere left to go but up in the standings. In the Geohegan Round, Jacksonville took on the Cobble Hill Robins and won the series 3 games to 2 to move on to the Doubleday and division rival Charm City. Montreal played their bets of five series against the Las Vegas Hustlers but also fell 3 games to 2. The Zombies dominated the Jimmies in the Doubleday Series taking 4 games to move on to face the Phoenix Talons in the Cartwright Cup. The Talons swept the Hustlers in the Doubleday then swept the Zombies to win the Cartwright Cup and the right to face the Nashville Bluebirds. The Talons completed their undefeated march to the Monty against Nashville to finish their fairy tale season. Overall, the Atlantic Division has turned itself into a force with Cobble Hill and New Orleans improving while long running powerhouses are beginning to lose their grips on the division.
Atlantic City Gamblers GM- John Momberg (chicoruiz) Lifetime Record 1446-1958 2064 Season 78-84 (Predicted 83-79. Just a bit outside) Key Losses- SP Brian Whitford Trade VAN 3 WAR, SP Motka Beteev FA 0.3 WAR, 1B Masahiko Harada FA 0.2 WAR, 12 players at 3.5 WAR Gains- SP Tommy Boele FA 0.9 WAR, RP Carlos Ramirez Trade VAN 0.2 WAR, 2B Kensaku Kato Rule 5 TWC 0.3 WAR, LF Angel Trejo Trade LV 0.9 WAR, 7 players at 2.3 WAR 2065 Season The Atlantic City Gamblers signed veteran starter Tommy Boele to mentor a young rotation after the trade of Brad Whitford. Boele joins Angel Medina, Seth Weller, Dewey McKim and Ray Allard in the rotation. Luis Harris is ready for the bigs but may work out of the ‘pen to start the season. The Gamblers have some strong candidates in the bullpen led by Abdul-Mi’izz Keys. Harry King, Juan Medina, Carlos Ramirez and Jesus Martinez are excellent options in relief but will need some help from young pitchers Tom Brothers and Lenya Nikushkin. The pitchers will team with solid catcher Jesus Durango. Durango put up 2.5 WAR in 2064 with 17 homers and 63 RBI with nice defensive stats behind the plate. He will be spotted by rookie Calvin Upchurch who comes from the Montreal Blazers organization as a free agent. He has some bat skills and can play some good defense. Javier Martinez will man first, Javier Aguilar at second, Mauro Dominguez at the hot corner and Jafar Seif al Din at short. In left, Vandika Zadoyan is the team’s best hitter with 24 homers and 88 ribbies last season with a very capable glove in left. Angel Trejo will be in right against righties and DH against lefties with Carlos Allen in right against the lefties in spring training. It remains to be seen if they will continue that om the regular season. Center field is manned by defensive minded players John Kagwa and Byung-gyu Kim. Vicente Salas has a shot to make this team as an outfielder for the Gamblers. Atlantic City has reliever Fernando Sandoval in AAA Wilmington that is nearing big lead readiness and third baseman Elmer Fisher that is ready but may get some time in AAA before getting his call up to play first. Minor leaguer Ignacio Ryder developed an elbow strain in spring training and will miss two months and will likely play in AAA once healed. 2065 Prediction 68-94
Cobble Hill Robins GM Doug Olmstead (shoeless.db) Lifetime Record 2351-1707 2064 Season 84-78 (Prediction 71-91, Shit, missed that one too) Key Losses- SP Hayden Bennion FA 3.2 WAR, RP Bryan Cunningham Claimed on Waivers by DM 0.3 WAR, 9 players at 3.5 WAR Gains- SP Carlos Moya FA 2.2 WAR, RP Richard Lawrence FA 0.6, 10 players at 2.8 WAR 2065 Season The Cobble Hill Robins pulled the playoff monkey off the back of the former Brooklyn Robins earning a wild card spot for GM Doug ‘Shoeless’ Olmstead. Olmstead keeps his formula simple staying with the tried-and-true tenants of good pitching, hitting and defense to keep pressure on the opposition. He lost a starter in Hayden Bennion in free agency but picked up Carlos Moya with a 6-year deal that is really a 4-year deal if Moya begins to falter later in the contract. Moya slots in the rotation with Luis Medina, Dave Labonte, Bobby McHone, and Armando Ortiz. Jose Betancourt can be a 6th starter, work out of the bullpen or ‘break glass in case of emergency’. In the bullpen, the Robins lean heavily on Jose Gonzalez and Beau Broomhall late in games but will need Jerry Anaya, Armando Maldonado, Joshua Blenkhorn and Richar Lawrence to shoulder some of the load this season. The Robins are waiting on the return of reliever Mauro Rojas from UCL reconstruction with a return window of late August to mid- September. Eduardo Medine shares catching duties Njal Helgestad and the two have combined for 4.2 WAR last season with 19 homers and 76 ribbies. Ismael Delgado can play first and third without any issues, but he will share with Santiago Rodriguez in certain lineup combinations. Francisco Baez came over in a May trade with Twin Cities River Monsters and solidified second for the Robins. Roderick Hochstetler shared the hot corner with Ismael Delgado last season in his first taste of BBA action. He will get more time there as the starter with Delgado probably moving to first more and Rodriguez to DH. Maybe? Juan Martinez is the no bat, all glove shortstop but Bartolo Lee is lurking in the minors and could soon push for the full-time job in Cobble Hill. The Robins use Gui-fan Guao, Juan Hernandez, Ed Rooney, Nelson Cadiou, Carlos Hernandez and Masayoshi Kokawa in the outfield last season. The Robins have built some depth under Shoeless and can survive injuries and lackluster play. Don’t ever count an Olmstead team out in a season. 2065 Prediction 95-67
Charlotte Flyers GM Nathan Garrison (Krathan) Lifetime Record 845-778 2064 Season 80-82 (Predicted 97-65. Not even close.) Key Losses- 1B Alfredo Trujillo FA 1.1 WAR, 3 players at 1.1 WAR Gains- SP Nick Rivers Trade SFB 1.8 WAR, RP Guo-dong Cong FA 0.6 WAR, RP Mitch Bond FA 0.5 WAR, 5 Players at 3 WAR 2065 Season The Charlotte Flyers had a disappoint season in 2064 after being predicted to make another run into the playoffs. The Flyers were plagued by injuries and poor performances all season prohibiting them to go on any winning streaks. Flyers GM Nathan Garrison made an addition to the starting rotation by trading for Nick Rivers from the San Fernando Bears in return for $1. He’s among a large group of starters in spring training for Charlotte. Felipe Cummings is the #1 on the staff with Emilio Carrillo as his #2. Salvador Montanez is a nice piece in the middle of the rotation with his high control rating and average to above average 6 HR Rate. Rivers slots in behind Carrillo or 2nd year starter John Miller. Miller has excellent movement on his pitches and will keep the ball in the park. The Flyers have some depth in low stuff starters Larry Vernon and Issam bin Numair, but they may go to AAA or the bullpen. Their top 3 relievers are an unproven Jose Lopez, Felipe Herrera and Pedro Martinez. Herrera and Martinez have some experience in the majors from last season but all three should be good this season. There are 8 average arms in the ‘pen to support the top three giving the Flyers the ability to go with the hot hands series by series. Wayne Lambert is a high stuff reliever, but his 2 control can be an issue. Virgil Guffin has his stuff rating rise from 8 to 10 but he will give up some homers. This bullpen isn’t bad but will aggravate the Flyers Faithful with meltdowns and blown saves. Francisco Ayala came from the Vancouver Organization in July of 2064 and is an exciting young player that will play behind the plate. He struggled in 38 games with the Flyers, but he has all the tools to be a star. It’s up in the air who will back up Ayala between Cipriano Martinez and Brody Stapleton. Roberto Villalobos had a nice BBA debut season in 2064 making Alfredo ‘The Cookie Monster’ Trujillo expendable. Villalobos will get on base and play above average defense for the Flyers at first. Tommy Anderson is a slick fielding second baseman and will be paired with Domingo Chavez as a double play partner. Jacquot Natta had an off year on the mound but excelled at the plate and as a solid option at third. Natta is fragile and will get his days off by Wani Matos who will be the super utility infielder. Power hitting Tony Villa will play left, Jose Bedreddin will patrol center, and Jorge Trujillo will play right. Dennis Armitage and Francisco Rios will be the 4th and 5th outfielders. The Flyers have more youth on the way with catcher Rodger Jones, left fielders Andy Armstrong and Jose Gomez, center fielder Tom Boyd, RFs Dale Keller and Raul Segura. On the pitching side there is some help on ethe way with SPs Robet Trevelyan, Hyun-il Paek, relievers Rich Hearn, Lee Hodgson, Antonio Martinez, Kelly Chase, Charlie McGough, Virgilio DelDoglio, Hector Lara, and Kayahan Al-Suhrawardi. 2065 Prediction 81-81
Charm City GM Joe Lederer (jleddy) Lifetime Record 1071-940 2064 Season 94-68 Atlantic Division Champion (Predicted 104-58, What was I thinking?) Key Losses- SP Rannal Seldon FA 0.1 WAR, RP Bobby Sherman FA 0.7 WAR, 2B Dave Ackerman FA 4.1 WAR, 4 players at 4.9 WAR Gains- None 2065 Season The Charm City Jimmies made the playoffs for the 13 straight season but fell in the Doubleday Series to the Jacksonville Zombies. Now the Jimmies had to deal with the problem of how to keep star 2B Dave Ackerman. He made $13m his final season and was likely going to command upwards of $20 million per season which would put them over the cap. Ackerman walked away and signed a $35 million deal for one year in Bikini leaving the Jimmies to fill a hole at second and find a new Team Captain. They have $57 million invested in 5 players and dwindling funds after the team didn’t make a deep run in the playoffs. They still have five workhorses in the rotation with Allen Davidson, Hector Silva, Jorge Nava, Ian Tolley and John Mellon. They have two young stud starters in spring training in Albert Cordova and Muta Isa, but they are still 2+ seasons out of the big-league rotation. The bullpen is still rock solid led by Closer Miguel Reyes. Reyes was 4-5 with 33 saves in a classic closer role. He has Seung-jim Cho and Jason Gomez can also close and serve as Reyes’s set up men. They need some of the young talent to pitch to their ratings to allow the team to thrive on the mound. They won’t have the services of relievers Rafael Cedeno with shoulder inflammation for two months and Ramiro Felix with UCL reconstruction for 6 months. Edgardo Reyes calls the games behind the plate for the Jimmies and is backed up by Max Heregger. Heregger can play left field and DH to get his bat into the lineup. First is not platooned as much as shared between Jose Cardoza and Arturo Perez. Perez has more power, but Cardoza gets on base and plays better defense. Perez would benefit with being full time DH. Ayyad Faisal can handle duties at the keystone and be backed up by problem child James Darvell. Lucio Guevara is at short, but he had a disappointing season in 2064 after 4.4 WAR in ’62 and 3.6 WAR in ’63. His 2.2 WAR in ’64 was partly due to his great defense at short. Third is a big question mark with some meh candidates for the hot corner. Elvin Cade, Jorge Aguilera and Mu’tasim Esam will get their time there in spring training to win the job. Rookies Alan Kinney and Jesus Molinawill get playing time in spring training with hopes of displacing someone in the outfield. Carlos Rodriguez is an unproven hitter and is better in a DH only role. Emilio Reyes is a glove man in center but struggles with the bat. Juan Patlan can play all three outfield positions and hit while Matt Bamber is in right. He hits with power nad playe respectable defense in right. In the minors, the Jimmies have 1B Manny Labarca ready to go but not in spring training. He has a good bat but lacks the high power of a corner infielder and plays good defense. They have some pitchers in the lower minors but still a few years out from the bigs. 2065 Prediction 89-73
Jacksonville Zombies GM Aaron Weiner (aaronweiner) Lifetime Record 5247-4789 2064 Season 89-73 (Prediction 83-79, I almost go this one) Key Losses- RP Joshua Blenkhorn FA 0.6 WAR, RF Randolph Clarke FA 1.8 WAR, RF Chris Hall FA 0.9 WAR, 5 players at 3.3 WAR Gains- RP David Prigent FA 0.1 WAR 2065 Season The Jacksonvill Zombies outdid our season expectations of 83 wins with 89 and a playoff berth. They proceeded to take out the upstart Cobble Hill Robins in the Geohegan Round then dominate the Charm City Jimmies in the Doubleday Series to make the Cartwright Cup. They were swept by the Talons to end their season, but it was a success in my book. They return six starters in their rotation and all but one reliever in the bullpen. Mahilai Manaalii is the #1 starter for the Zombies with high control starters Alexander Swanson, Dan Voelzke, and Ji-e Woo. Bartolo Borquez is a swing man and lefty Augusto Delgado who doesn’t have the high control ratings but does keep the ball in the park. Victor Braden is the closer going 4-9 last season with 37 saves in 68 appearances with a 4.88 ERA. Lindsay Barber rejuvenated his career with 104 innings in relief going 9-4 with a save in 104.2 innings with a 3.18 ERA. Tony Gallegos was a swing man last season making 20 starts and made 9 relief appearances pitching 140 innings for the brain snackers. The Zombies have a competition going in for backstops in spring training with incumbents Juan Flores and Hector Pineiro being pushed by Lien-ying Thum, Jorge Castillo and Cipriano Acosta. Javier Huertas may break in as the starter at first this season or platoon a bit with Paul Long. Isoruko Takimoto is entrenched at second and paired with star shortstop Pepe Aragon up the middle. Ed Wartell us a solid third baseman but is giving up early reps to Mack McIntosh in spring training. The Zombies used platooning to their advantage last season, and we assume they will continue if they have success. Steve Holcombe is in right, Vladislav Wishenkoff in center and Pablo Mathis in left but he is still young with all the struggles that come with that. The Zombies have some depth that in AAA but nothing of future value deep in the minors. They have enough to weather short term injuries but with anything long term will begin to affect the offense or pitching. 2065 Prediction 83-79
Montreal Blazers GM Bob and Erik Breum (breum, Bob Breum) Lifetime Record 880-740 2064 Season 86-76 (Prediction 90-72, This one was close too) Key Losses- SP Luis Gonzalez FA 3.3 WAR, SP Lucio Juarez FA 1.6 WAR, RP Wlodz Sidelsky Trade Vancouver 0.5 WAR, C Augusto Annis FA 1.2 WAR, 3B Denes Terovolas Trade Vancouver 2 WAR, 11 players at 9 WAR Gains- 1B Felix Alvarez Claimed on Waivers from Cape Fear 0.1 WAR, 2B Miller Shed Trade Vancouver 2 WAR, LF Joshua Ackland Trade Cape Fear 2.6 WAR, 7 players at 4.7 WAR 2065 Season The Montreal Blazers made the playoffs for the 9th time in the last 13 seasons but fell early in the playoffs to the Las Vegas Hustlers but made it close. They’ve lost some veteran starters but have replaced them with younger, cheaper options from their minor leagues. The Blazers still have Umar Dogar as their #1 followed by Samuel Nebraska at the #2. They are joined by rookies Craig Greenway, Hipakeiki Olba, Damon Yates and David Uribe. Save for Uribe, these are typical Montreal pitchers that have high movement while Uribe has great control. The bullpen has pitchers with even higher movement and stuff led by relievers Julio Madrid and Jack Kunkel. Adam Bristcoe, Lusi Imodian and Luis Manuel are solid performers in relief. Behind the plate for Montreal is Luis Campos who has good power and calls a good game. Jim Garrick are Guillermo Espinoza are competing to be his backup with Espinoza better defensively. Jesus Ramos gets the nod at first for spring training, but Dan Wilkinson will play there in the regular season. Miller Shed was acquired to plate second and at short is Reynaldo Serrano. Jaime Serna is a great defender and provides power from the hot corner. The outfield will be Jedidiah Marzuq in left, Clancy Lee in center and Manny Burgus in right with Teddy Bullock as the fourth outfielder. Bryan Burgoin will be the DH against righties and probably Jesus Ramos against lefties. Petru Marinus will have to play somewhere because he has no options left to use. There will be some interesting cuts on the offense after spring training ends. The Blazers have two starters waiting in the wings with Ignacio Morales and Artemis Theodopoulo in AAA Ottawa. They are the heir apparents to the ageing Dogar and volatile Nebraska. 2065 Prediction 90-72
New Orleans Crawdads GM Jim Roberts (JimBob2232) Lifetime Record 6133-5507 2064 Season 73-89 (Prediction 66-96, I slipped a little) Key Losses- SP Jayin Ranjani FA 0.5 WAR, RP Mitch Bond FA 0.5 WAR, RP Mateo Cruz Released 0.2 WAR, SS Joe Hall Released 0 WAR, 8 players at 1.2 WAR Gain- SP Jamie Barber FA 3.4 WAR, SP Rick Marriott FA 0.7 WAR, RP Ryan Harmon FA 0.3 WAR, CF Juan Serna FA 0.8 WAR, 7 players at 5.2 WAR 2065 Season The New Orleans Crawdads have missed the playoffs 6 consecutive seasons and GM Jim Roberts is making moves to end the drought. Roberts added help in the rotation with the signings of Jamie Barber and Rick Marriott in free agency that is an upgrade from Mitch Bond and Jayin Ranjani. This rotation has the possibility to have four starters pitch at least 200 innings each and win 10+ games each. Harry Thomas is the #1 starter followed but Barber, Ed Smith, Juan De La Cruz and Rick Marriott. Eduardo Jimenez is the closer for the Crawdads and put up 35 saves last season and a 2-7 record in 66 appearances. Bob Rolf is a high stuff strikeout artist with a bright future ahead of him. The rest of the bullpen is average and if New Orleans is in the playoff race later in the season it will need to be improved. Domingo Quintana is the best option to be the starting catcher due to his defense while Miguel Bermudez is a horrible catcher but can hit. Bermudez played 400+ innings behind the dish but hindered his starters with terrible pitch framing. Mixmo Baez hit well in 32 starts and is a good option as the backup. Adib bin Nasser played the bulk of last season at first but with the emergence of Glenn Garret will just be the DH against righties. Neo Stromberg is the option at second in spring training but will cost his team runs. Necdet Ecevit may get the starting job at the keystone, but the Crawdads have a small army competing for second. Bill Atkinson may be an option at second and light hitting Martin Ortega playing short to give the defense a chance. Tom Guenette plays third and led the team with 42 homers and 115 RBI. Eduardo Correa and Pete Mitchell will share duties in left, Juan Cabrera in center as long a Tony Mercado is on the IL. Callum McKay is in right while Pedro Salazar with DH and maybe play right. New Orleans has prospect up in spring training getting some playing time and most will return to the minors, but their future is looking good. 2065 Prediction 79-83
Cape Fear Swamp Foxes GM woods (Woody Donahue) Lifetime Record 939-1170 2064 Season 74-88 (Predicted 77-85, Close but not quite) Key Losses- SP Felix Feliz FA 0.4 WAR, RP Jose Arredondo FA 0.1 WAR, LF Joshua Ackland Trade MON 2.6 WAR, CF luis Morales FA 0.9 WAR, CF Juan Serna FA 0.8 WAR, 14 players at 4.8 WAR Gains- SP Arturo Trevino FA 0.7 WAR, CF Dan Morris FA 1.2 WAR, 8 players at 1.9 WAR 2065 Season Will the Swamp Foxes make Kalaila Cobar a full-time starter? That’s one of the things I’ve been wondering since he broke into the league in 2062. Cape Fear has lost innings eater Carlos Barrera for 5 months due to a torn labrum in spring training and now forced to rely on young but fragile starters in Jose Daigle, Harry Stewart and an aging Arturo Trevino. Trevino struggled in Charlotte in a relief role before pitching better in Long Beach as a starter. Cobar does have a 4 stamina but there is plenty of starters that have excelled with low stamina. Jose Martinez and Geni Djojopoespito will get a look in spring training, but Djojo will go back to the minors and Martinez could end up in the bullpen. In the ‘pen, Moananani Nani is the best option to finish games with young reliever Mario Vick the best option to set up Nani. The rest of the group are average relievers that will have the usual inconsistencies from these type of rated pitchers. Behind the plate will be Sam Butler and his backup is a very capable Jose Smith. Smith could be a starter on some teams, but he will share duties. Butler has some power and has 72 homers combined the last three seasons. Pedro Menendez will play first in the spring and will be the best option to stick there to begin the season. Senzo Sato is getting time at second and is a positive defender there while he stills has a great eye at the plate. Vincente Palmer is the future at third base but is a season away and Felix Perreno is playing there in the spring. Jose Delgado and Maximo Gousto are sharing short, but we may see an opening day infield of Menendez at 1B, Delgado ay 2B, Gousto at SS and Sato at 3B. The outfield is interchangeable with Octavio Martinez able to play in left and right along with Antoni Huerta and Jose Montoya. Dan Morris is below average at the plate but is outstanding in center so anything he can give you at the plate is a bomus. Juan Hernandez will be the DH facing lefties and righties. LF Gerardo Flores is almost ready and will likely see some time in AAA but be a call up some time in the summer along with Omar Torres. Torres has a weaker bat and will find it hard to crack the lineup and would be good trade bait later in the season for someone looking for a defender. 2065 Prediction 75-87
2065 Predicted Standings
Frick League Pacific
BBA ratings are down. Fans complain that players these days aren't as good as the ones of yesteryear. They want more superstars, more pitchers lighting up the radar guns, and a more thrilling championship series. Well, dear casual fan, let me turn you on to GBC baseball. Superstars? We've got flame-throwing closers, slick-fielding shortstops, and most of the top players' salaries exceed the GDP of whatever tiny Pacific island they come from. You want a good championship series? How about a best-of-nine Grand Slam Cup, fueled by Denny's coffee (which you'll need, trust me), that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final out? If that sounds like real baseball to you, then it's time to grab your passport, a flight ticket, and a custom-printed Surinder Suryanarayana jersey that uses those extra-narrow letters on the back to make the whole name fit, and take in some GBC games this season. Last season, the São Paulo Pilots took home the Grand Slam Cup, in what many considered an upset. But Sampa is set out to show the world that their victory wasn't a fluke. Despite losing their best player to the BBA, they're defending their title with an explosive offense and a deep pitching roster. Can they once again bring glory to Brazil? The Moscow Thunder Bears were the favorites of many to win it all, but ultimately lost out to São Paulo in a gripping eight games. Their star closer, Riyadi Subandrio, is amazing, but can't win games all by himself. If Moscow wants another shot, they'll need to build a competitive team around him. The Tokyo Pearls, meanwhile, fell pretty far from grace. In the span of a year, they went from being Grand Slam champions to 94-loss afterthoughts. But they've got some really exciting young prospects who should help them get back to respectability. Unlike São Paulo, they want to show the world that last year was a fluke. Jerusalem, once the class of the GBC, is now going on almost a decade since their last Grand Slam win. But their young star closer and electric center fielder want to change that narrative, and remind everyone that they're the OG center of the world. Just across the Sinai, the Cairo Pharaohs have a revamped pitching rotation, and the will of the patron deity Amun-Ra to help the offense, which is technically not against the rules as long as he occupies a lineup spot. London and Sydney are two talented, young squads who were both shown early playoff exits. They also have two of the brightest young shortstops in the game, with deep supporting casts that should more than give them another chance at the prize. And never count out the Johannesburg Gold. They don't have any true superstars, but that never seems to stop them from being in playoff contention every year. Can their band of misfits bring South Africa its first ever title? Buenos Aires may own the best starting pitcher in the Consortium in Alapai Nalani, and some exciting young hitters, but for some reason they haven't been able to translate those assets into success. Could this be the year they figure it out? Athens has been a disaster in recent years, but as a result, they now have the three top rated prospects in the entire GBC. They won't contend this season, but we may see the beginning of the next golden age for the Fighting Centaurs. All this is to say the scrum that is the GBC this season is certain to delight, surprise, and possibly have you shutting off your TV in disgust. Let's get into the previews.
GBC Previews
by Woody Donahue
AfSAmOcDivision Sydney Sharks 94-68 Johannesburg Gold 88-74 São Paulo Pilots 86-76 Cairo Pharaohs 80-82 Buenos Aires Brisas 59-103
EurAsiaDivision London Monarchs 100-62 Jerusalem Hebrew Hammers 84-78 Tokyo Pearls 79-83 Moscow Thunder Bears 75-87 Athens Fighting Centaurs 70-92
Jerusalem Hebrew Hammers 2064 record: 81-81, 3rd place in EurAsia Notable additions: RF Boris Volhov, 1B Kaldhuta Sundhararajan, RF Rais Wa'il, C Leonardo Tapia, 1B Javier Manuel, SS Fai Wan, RP Clarence Moore, 1B Olivier Godart, RP Surinder Suryanarayana, SP Orhan Atil, RF Vincente Méndez, LF Steve Montgomery Losses (and 2064 WAR): C Tokimasa Yano (-0.6), SS Roberto López (0.3), 2B Bosko Mijatovic (-0.3), RP Carlos Rodda (0.0), 1B Javier Manuel (1.2), RF Ted Benson (-1.0), SP Luke Seddon (4.3) Star power: Center fielder Kevin Lambert pretty much does it all: patrols the outfield like a gazelle, hits everything, steals a ton of bases, and even led the league in sac bunts. Jerusalem locked him up with a three-year contract extension to be their center fielder for the foreseeable future, and they're glad they did. He'll anchor a lineup packed with guys who get on base and keep the line moving — Hammers' hitters drew more walks than any other team in the GBC, with catcher Roy O'Donnell, left fielder Na'il Hisham and first baseman Mike McClure all checking in among the league leaders in the category. Sneaky-good player: We'll turn to the pitching staff here, where second-year starter Moges Odoyo is probably the best pitcher most people don't know about. He was runner-up in last year's Pitcher of the Year voting, with a sub-3.00 ERA and a knack for keeping balls on the ground. Anytime you can pair an elite groundball specialist with a league-leading infield defense, it's generally a winning strategy. Weakness: Middle relief. Closer Davida Keeaola is lights out, this we all know. But the path to get to him is fraught with potential disaster. That, and the fact that Keeaola hasn't been able to stay healthy for a full season since he broke into the bigs. If Keeaola can be dependable and give the Hammers 80 innings of work, then great. But it seems more like 50-60 innings is his limit. That means you're entrusting the likes of Kalpanath Sudeshna (5.65 ERA last year) and Kishor Baboor (5.52) with a lot of high leverage situations, which is a very risky proposition. 2065 prediction: 84-78. The Hammers are a quality squad, and they'll always be in the mix for a playoff spot. This year, it's tough to tell, but you can maybe squint and see them making it in on a Wildcard spot. But I just feel as though something's missing; a bit of star power, like a big-name starting pitcher or a slugger. If they can find that missing piece, they could get there, and I hope they do, because their window might be now — they're going to want to build a winner while Keeaola's still cheap.
London Monarchs 2064 record: 105-57, 1st place in EurAsia Notable additions: SP Owen Geddes, 3B Sammy McNeill Losses (and 2064 WAR): RP Edgar Egger (-0.2), SP Rick Clarijs (4.2), LF Justin Limer (-0.3), RP Ron McLeish (0.8) Star power: Owen Geddes, who already has 138 wins to his name as a GBC pitcher, is back in the Consortium after signing a two-year deal to join the ranks of the Monarchy. And don't be fooled by his advanced age, or think he's "settling" for the GBC by any means — Geddes is still a top-level starter, who any BBA team would also be lucky to have. It seems the Englishman just wanted to play a little closer to home. If you're unfamiliar with how London managed its pitching staff to 105 wins last season, here's a primer: they used a four-man rotation, with starters on limited pitch counts to keep them fresh. The strategy worked so well last year, it made 39-year-old Rick Clarijs into the Pitcher of the Year award winner. And while it's unclear whether they'll follow the same strategy this year, Geddes seems like the perfect candidate to repeat Clarijs' feat. Sneaky-good player: London seems to pass the torch every season to a new young player to have a breakout year. Last year it was Daniel Sparks, who won the Position Player of the Year award in a season where he led the GBC in home runs, RBIs and OPS. This year, it'll be first baseman Augusto Quezada, a 22-year-old with big power who has been rising swiftly through London's minor league system. He had a monster spring, and appears to be all but a sure thing to break camp with the team. Weakness: How do you pick a weakness for a team that seems to run effortlessly on all cylinders? I guess it'd have to be center field, where the incumbent Mike Cox is a couple steps short defensively. But ask around, and I'm sure any GBC team would love to have a center fielder who can actually hit, not to mention who stole 37 bases last year. 2065 prediction: 100-62. London has the best pitching and the best offense in the whole GBC. They have the depth to withstand injuries, and they keep bringing prospects out of the woodwork to fill the holes of departed players. No wonder the British Empire was around for so long — they really know how to run things up there.
Tokyo Pearls 2064 record: 68-94, 4th place in EurAsia Notable additions: CF Ion Bradea, CF Bhavin Datla, RF Logan Simms, SP Fatin Asad, SP Sandy Mallandaine, LF Shunsho Miyake, RP Terence Harris, SP Javier López, CF Masinisan Sumait, CF Ekela Kirila, CF Jesús Alicea, RF Ted Benson, RP Emílio Cisneros, LF Alonso González, RF Waleed Kpodo, LF Erik Robertsen, RP Joe Burton, RP Trofimoff Ishimov, RP Randall Cotton, SP Jayin Ranjani, LF José Muñóz, 1B Volodya Igumenov Losses (and 2064 WAR): RP Baha al Din Mubarak (0.7), CF Daniel Quintana (-0.6), CF Steve Montgomery (-0.3), RP Clarence Moore (0.0), SP Mike Johnson (0.2), CF Juan Solíz (0.4), RF Greg Godwin (0.8) Star power: Yue-jiu Lai earned his fame from being the best pitcher on Tokyo's 2063 championship team, but he regressed a lot last year. The 23-year-old is still young enough to chalk it up to normal developmental pains, but he needs to right the ship quickly if the Pearls want to be back in the conversation. If Lai can't find the magic again, Tokyo does have a couple of the GBC's top pitching prospects, Vicente Amador and Adoniia Kalika, waiting in the wings. Both have electric stuff, high ceilings, and will soon make Tokyo a powerhouse with an elite, low-cost pitching rotation. But the plan was for Lai to be at the party, too. So hopefully he still can be. Sneaky-good player: Shortstop José Espinoza won a Great Glove award, and led all of Tokyo's position players with 3.1 WAR last year. Most of his value is on the defensive side, but let's not understate the impact of having the best defensive shortstop in the EurAsia. At a position where most GBC teams are happy with a break-even WAR, Tokyo has a leg up. Weakness: The offense, mainly at third base and center field. The Pearls got a .631 OPS from their primary third baseman last year (Thomas Caballero), and a .665 from center field (Matthew Ewing). Normally those numbers would only be tolerable if the players were actually good at defense, but in the cases of these two, they really aren't. 2065 prediction: 79-83. No team suffered a steeper fall from grace last year than the Pearls, who only a year removed from winning the Grand Slam Cup, suffered a 31-win drop in the standings. Even without any big signings this winter, they have a deep farm system, which will give them plenty of opportunities to find the right guys for the next playoff run. But I see them hanging around .500 this season, while they slowly build towards that.
Athens Fighting Centaurs 2064 record: 58-104, 5th place in EurAsia Notable additions: CF António Gonzáles, SS Leonani Huboka*, 2B Asad bin Sariyah*, RF Joseph Allcock*, SS Julius Lewis, SP John Rasmussen III, RP Utbah bin Muta, SP Arturo Damasco, RP Gerald Rogers, SP Luke Seddon, SP Mu'tazz bin Akram Losses (and 2064 WAR): RF Logan Simms (1.2), SP Sandy Mallandaine (-0.4), SP Jayden Nicholls (-0.1), RP Jason Lee (0.1), SP Emílio Cisneros (-0.1), RP Pedro Flores (-1.2), SP Paris Zervakos (0.1), RP Luis Pérez (-0.9), SP Luis Hagy (0.2), 3B Levi Leuthold (-0.1), RP Alvin Anstey (0.6), SP Juan Garza (0.0), SP Tim Adams (2.0), 3B Ralph Simpson (0.6), RF Muslih Abdul-Hasib (-1.0) Star power: Despite such a poor record last season, Athens wasn't that bad, especially on offense. The man leading the charge was former first-overall draft pick, Jason Caldwell, and the fan favorite is expected to hold down the middle of the lineup once again for the Centaurs. Count on him for at least a .300 average, and plenty of RBI opportunities from hitting behind on-base threats like second baseman Enrique Estrada. Sneaky-good player: Athens made some minor splashes in the free agent market, grabbing veterans John Rasmussen III and Luke Seddon to bolster its rotation. But the pitcher with the most breakout potential is second-year starter Carlos Martínez. He boasts a highly developed fastball/slider/change arsenal, and led the staff with a 3.93 FIP last season; he just fell victim to some bad batted-ball luck. Martínez turning into a real trustworthy starter will be key to Athens' success. Weakness: Bullpen. Athens' pitching staff allowed the most home runs in the GBC last season, and not by a small margin. And while they did a decent job patching the rotation, the bullpen is filled with guys susceptible to the long ball. Closer Gerald Rogers is the one respectable bullpen arm, but outside of him, it's like a minefield with a staff of Brenton Clinkscales, Keilan Edemona and Salvador Batista. Expect all of them to be responsible for their fair share of blown leads this year. 2065 prediction: 70-92. The rotation is better, and Rasmussen's stamina will keep the ball away from the bullpen for longer, which is a good thing (believe me). If the young offense takes a step forward, Athens could find themselves out of the gutter for the first time since 2061.
Moscow Thunder Bears 2064 record: 87-75, 2nd place in EurAsia Notable additions: SP Albert Romano, 2B José Herrera*, 3B Levi Leuthold Losses (and 2064 WAR): CF Bhavin Datla (0.1), 2B Chia-Kang Zhang (-1.1), C Jesse Holman (-0.3), SP Shimpei Ono (0.2), LF Godofredo Chucha (1.5), SS Rich Moore (-0.9), SP Patrick Hawkins (-0.3), RP Gil Phillips (2.1), RP Chiah-jen Xú (-0.5), 3B Kozma Gizikis (0.5), SP Theodore Puckett (0.7) Star power: This conversation begins and ends with closer Riyadi Subandrio, as he's probably the star of the entire GBC. The 22-year-old casually throws 102, and last year earned 50 saves and over 5 WAR as a reliever. In case you're not aware, that's really good! I've never seen a pitching staff quite like Moscow's before, where everyone is perfectly fine, but no one is remarkable, except for the otherworldly closer. Even in the rotation, there's simply nothing notable to say about anybody. Okay, fine: Trevor Lawrence led the GBC in strikeouts last season. He's decent. But the thing is, Moscow's pitching only needs to be good enough to get the ball to Subandrio in the ninth with the lead. And they do that perfectly well. Sneaky-good player: Outfielder Eng-hee Shen won Rookie of the Year in the EurAsia, and he's the guy who sets the table for the T-Bears. He stole a GBC-best 76 bases last season, and you can bet he'll be looking to improve that number this year. It looks like he'll also be shifting from center to a corner outfield spot this year, to make room for former first round pick Nazir Daulat Khel, a move that will strengthen the Bears' defense across the board. Weakness: On-base ability. The Thunder Bears had the worst team on-base percentage in the EurAsia last season, and it was because the lineup was packed with free-swingers like outfielders Isaaco Aglietti and Héctor Porrett. Sure, these guys may hit you a few home runs, but sometimes there's more value in keeping the line moving. 2065 prediction: 75-87. Moscow didn't add many new players to improve the squad after last season's disappointing early playoff exit. Maybe they're content to run it back, hoping for better luck in the postseason. Or maybe they're waiting to push all their chips in until #4 GBC prospect Takamasa Masuda and #8 prospect Pang Yang are GBC-ready. In any case, the Bears have a good base of talent, and like in the Siberian Arctic, it's just a matter of when they choose to strike.
Johannesburg Gold 2064 record: 89-73, 3rd place in AFSAMOC Notable additions: SS Don Colbert, SP Will Mitchell, RF George McCoy, SP Jonathan Bryant, CF Ron Phillips, SP Alvin Anstey, SP Doug Eckhoff Losses (and 2064 WAR): DH António Román (0.7), CF Masinisan Sumait (0.2), 1B Gerek Radwanski (-0.2), 2B Munoto Kono (-0.2), SP Kiminobu Seki (1.1), RF Jesús León (-0.1), SP Marshall Taylor (0.7), CF Fareed bin Sa'eed (1.0), SP Billy Kelly (4.1), RP Gerald Rogers (1.3) Star power: Johannesburg is built on pitching and defense, and it all revolves around shortstop Dima Rozinov. The 5-time Great Glove winner takes care of everything hit in his general direction, fueled by the groundball-oriented pitching staff and offense-suppressing ballpark. It's a well-oiled machine that led to Johannesburg having the best team ERA (3.64) in the AfSAmOc last year. As long as Rozinov keeps showing up every day, the Gold are golden. Sneaky-good player: I'm gonna go off the board here and pick Johannesburg's sneaky GM, who the game tells me is named League Control 1. Talk about sneaky — Johannesburg has been monitoring the free agent landscape, and picking up a ton of useful players cast off by the BBA. Start in the pitching rotation, where they grabbed Steven Clulow Jr. a month after he was let go by the Phoenix Talons. He pitched brilliantly for the Gold, with a 3.34 ERA in 19 starts, and stands to be a rotation fixture for years to come. Or, how about the stealthy signing of Jacksonville casualty Don Colbert last September, as the BBA was busy gearing up for the playoffs? He's now inked to be the Gold's starting second baseman for the next two seasons. These two players, along with several others, give the Gold plenty of depth for the season. Weakness: Power. Johannesburg was last in the ASAO last season in every power-related stat you can name: slugging, OPS, home runs, XBH, and wOBA. They didn't have a single everyday player slug higher than .460. This year, they're trying to infuse some power into the lineup with new signings like right fielder George McCoy, a good gap hitter who should do well at the Golden Palace. And early Spring Training returns are showing some extra pop from catcher Simão Hayagawa. But it remains to be seen how it will all translate to the regular season. 2064 prediction: 88-74. The Gold were left outside of the playoffs looking in last year, and their sole objective will be to make sure that doesn't happen again. They have good starting pitching depth, good defense, and a solid bullpen. All the right components are there, so the onus is on Johannesburg's division rivals to keep pace.
Cairo Pharaohs 2064 record: 75-87, 4th place in AFSAMOC Notable additions: SP Ken Houston*, SP Jim Achbar*, SP Malik bin Adnan*, C Carlton Gaselee, 1B Gustavo Espinoza, SS Frank Lee, SP Ielemia Faletose, SP Billy Kelly, 1B Ralph Halvorsen Losses (and 2064 WAR): RP Albert Romano (0.4), RP Steven Quinn (0.3), C Milos Brabeuecs (0.4), SP Carl Vincent (1.7), RP Glenn Dennis (0.9), SP John Rasmussen III (4.4) Star power: Center fielder Boulus bin Altair has come into his own as the face of the franchise, and finally took home the Position Player of the Year award last season after being overshadowed by Blair Peyton for so many years. He anchors a lineup that includes a good amount of thump, with power bats Zhao-hui Mei and Gustavo Espinoza, and hit machine Emílio Gies. Sneaky-good player: You may think the Pharaohs don't need any more help in the outfield, with bin Altair in center and Great Glove Award winners in both corners. But top prospect Harun Al Rachid bin Na'il is coming soon, and they'll need to make room for him. He's a doubles-hitting machine whose gap power will be a perfect fit for Pyramid Park, and he's got enough range in center to shift bin Altair over to a corner position, which will improve the defense even more. Weakness: Bullpen. They weren't so bad last season, but I just don't see closer Womiq Awan maintaining an ERA in the twos while walking 5.0 batters per nine innings. And across the rest of the staff, there are other issues. For example, I wonder how much 36-year-old Jim Achbar can still contribute at the big league level. I wonder if Israel Garza's inflated .345 BABIP is going to be a problem. I wonder whether Tashfin Gitonga's teammates call him "Tashy" or "Finny" as a nickname. Personally, I'm more partial to Finny. 2065 prediction: 80-82. Give the Pharaohs credit for pitching to their park — namely getting pitchers who can make batters elevate fly balls to Cairo's cavernous outfield, where "death to flying things" bin Altair catches everything in the air. I also like the added pitching depth in Billy Kelly and Ielemia Faletose, which should do a lot to keep Cairo competitive.
Buenos Aires Brisas 2064 record: 67-95, 5th place in AFSAMOC Notable additions: None. Losses (and 2064 WAR): RP Fatin Asad (0.3), LF Erik Robertsen (1.7), SP Paul Carson (0.7), RP Ommar bin Ayyub (0.0), RP José Núñez (-1.2) Star power: 22-year-old Tongan pitching prodigy Alapai Nalani continues to get better every year, pitching to a 2.88 ERA last season while taking home the Pitcher of the Year trophy. And I see no reason why this trend shouldn't continue, since scouts say he still hasn't reached his full potential. The rub this season, though, is he's due to be a free agent after this year. There may be some extra incentive on both sides — on Nalani to deliver a career year and maximize his payday, and on Buenos Aires to put a winner on the field to help convince him to stay. Nalani’s supporting staff is mostly made up of soft-tossing veterans, but he could be joined this year by the organization's top prospect, Adrian Cully. Cully has some control issues, but his five-pitch mix elicits a comparison to, well… Nalani, actually. Sneaky-good player: Everyone knows about second baseman Yeong-suk Yun and his hitting prowess, but right fielder Miguel Lemus is still completely under the radar, despite having the second-most WAR on offense for the Brisas last year (3.1). He's a prototypical lefty slugger, and a fantastic fielder to boot. He hit 23 home runs as a rookie last year, but keep an eye on him — there's still quite a bit of untapped potential there. Weakness: Bullpen. The Brisas' closer, Apelama Anka, was among the league leaders in both K/9 and BB/9 last season, which tells you the sort of adventure the team is in for whenever they enter the ninth inning with a lead. The only other pitcher who managed an ERA under 5 for Buenos Aires last year was the 20-year-old Caspar Bright, but he may have his sights set on the starting rotation. Either way, it's going to be a rough ride for Buenos Aires in the later innings. 2065 prediction: 59-103. Buenos Aires took a look at their 95-loss team, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "We're good," opting to not sign any free agents or trade for anyone who might help. With a combined $28.6M tied up in Ira Patterson and Tim Bartlett, they would hardly have had the flexibility to do so if they wanted. Expect a long year of disappointment in Buenos Aires, and for Nalani to be on the first flight out after Game 162.
Sydney Sharks 2064 record: 90-73, 2nd place in AFSAMOC Notable additions: SP Talip Arikan, 2B Juan Carlos Casar, RP Andrew Tilton, 1B Mototsune Ine*, SP Santiago Chávez*, 2B Gonzalo Morales*, CF Nadim Omar*, SP Cody Glynn, SP Faqih bin Nasser, 1B Juan García Losses (and 2064 WAR): LF Mario Kurth (2.1), 3B Gonzalo Morales (1.5), RP Dani Martínez (-0.1), RP Daljit Mayappan (0.2), SP Dabir Nawfal (-0.3), RP Chih Kuang (0.0), SP Ielemia Faletose (2.0), SP Hud Bannon (1.3), RP Stanley Moore (1.0) Star power: Outfielder José Márquez is coming off a completely unprecedented 2064 campaign that saw him win the batting title and finish as the runner-up in Position Player of the Year voting, so Sydney is very glad they held onto their former 14th-round draft pick. You might say it's unlikely for the 30-year-old to repeat that performance, but it was just as unlikely last year, so why not? He's hitting in a great park for right-handers, with plenty of lineup protection. Let the man go off. Sneaky-good player: The Sharks may have found a gem in the 2061 draft, and I'm not talking about their shortstop, Ilia Arakchaa. (He's fine, but most people already know about him, so he's not exactly "sneaky good".) Rather, Sydney's setup man, Edgardo Reyes, has turned into a formidable, durable super-reliever. He appeared in the most games (86) and threw the second-most innings (128) of all GBC relievers last year, and did it while managing a 3.38 ERA and an impressive strikeout rate. Having him come out as early as the seventh, and then handing it off to closer Baz Badr, really shortens the game for opposing teams. Weakness: They don't have many. The one starting spot still up in the air is at catcher, where incumbent Bob McPherson may lose his job to up-and-coming prospect Alia Mandar, who just put up a remarkable spring performance with a 1.059 OPS. But that's hardly a weakness. 2065 prediction: 94-68. The rotation is bolstered, with the additions of BBA arms Cody Glynn and Faqih bin Nasser. The elite double play duo of José Ramos and Ilia Arakchaa will provide airtight defense. There's no reason why the Sharks shouldn't already be planning for a playoff run — hopefully one that lasts a little longer this time.
Sao Paulo Pilots G2064 record: 91-72, 1st place in AFSAMOC; Grand Slam Cup Champions Notable additions: SP Mike Johnson, SS Roberto López, RP Gil Phillips, SP Tim Adams, C Pedro Flores, SP Carl Vincent, 3B Socrates Kazantziakis, SP Garrett Skiffington, CF Amitatman Praveen, LF Godofredo Chucha, SP Rick Clarijs, RF Cisco Cintrón, SS Pedro Rocha Losses (and 2064 WAR): RP Jason Wing (-0.3), SP Fassil Maundu (-0.3), SP Chris Lacey (2.3), 2B Takehide Nakayama (0.2), C Njoroge Akins (0.5), RF Waleed Kpodo (0.7), 1B Katsunan Hashimoto (3.9), RP Surinder Suryanarayana (0.4), C Hosang Saikumar (0.5), SP Brian Chappell (3.6), 2B Bernie Mulholland (0.5) Star power: It's the first season in nearly a decade where the answer isn't Katsunan Hashimoto. The Pilots' longtime star got his BBA payday, leaving third baseman Félix Ramos as the new face of the team. But as important as Ramos was to last year's squad — and he was; they don't win it all without him and his 1.373 playoff OPS — they need him to be that and more this year. With Ramos’ hitting prowess, the Pilots shouldn't settle for him to be any less than a .400 on-base percentage, MVP-caliber hitter, if they want any hope of repeating. But more importantly, they need him to stay healthy. If the Pilots lose their main offensive contributor, well, let’s just say there will be some turbulence, so fasten your seatbelts. Sneaky-good player: São Paulo's closer, Wene Amosa, earned two saves in the Grand Slam Cup, and won the AfSAmOc Reliever of the Year award, all before his 21st birthday. So he's not exactly "sneaky," but soon his name will be on the lips of more São Pauloans than mortadella sandwich crumbs. He possesses a lethal fastball/sinker/splitter combo, and his 10.1 K/9 last season was third-best in the GBC last year among qualified relievers. Weakness: Second base. The position was a revolving door last season, with Jen-djieh Yi and David Padilla sharing the starting role, and each putting up a negative WAR. This year, it appears to be the same candidates, though a minor league signing of shortstop Roberto López might indicate that São Paulo is considering shifting regular shortstop Asir bin Nabil to second. That would at least give them a strong defense up the middle. 2065 prediction: 86-76. The Pilots certainly have the pieces to make it back to the Grand Slam, if everyone rallies together. The lineup has some punch, the rotation has depth, and there are even more prospects on the way, including former first-round pick Judite Hasegawa. So the sky's the limit for the defending champs, but they have to make it happen on the field.
thanks for reading, and best of luck in 2065
