Unfortunately, the Fearless Forecaster (oooohhhhh, ahhhhhhh) is unable to do his annual pre-draft report on the ammys. So, he has asked that we (Nick TEX and Steve PGH) publish the report this year. We cannot compete with the likes of Fearless. We understand that this is like the team of juggling monkeys performing in place of the Beatles, but we shall do our best. We start with the prediction of the Top 10 picks in the draft. This is who we feel that these teams should take if they are smart. Unfortunately, Fearless is not always listened to. After that are all the players in this ammy pool ranked by position. After the blurb about them is where we predict they will be taken. Have fun, and give us feedback. We would be interested for you all to weigh in on this pool.
The Top 10 Picks in This Year's Draft:
1. The Angels are in a major rebuilding mode. They have holes at many positions. Every good manager knows, when you are starting to rebuild, focus on pitching. This draft pool makes it an easy choice. The Angels will select Chief Bender as their Ace for the future.
2. The Blue Jays are also in rebuilding mode. The holes are many for this team as well, so a good franchise type bat should do the trick. The Blue Jays will draft the versatile and talented Hack Wilson to improve the heart of their lineup.
3. The Orioles are a team that has fallen from greatness, but seem to be close to climbing to the top again. Their most solid position is first base, with Lou Gehrig sealing that up. So, they will draft a young outfielder to compliment Gehrig in the lineup. The Orioles will select RF Frank Howard who will swing for the fences regularly.
4. The Rangers were able to move up and get another top 5 pick. This team is looking for youngsters to keep their dynasty going strong. The Rangers have no holes on their team, so they are left taking the best available. The Rangers will select 1B Clue Haywood as another young bat that will give them options.
5. The Cubs made a splash in the free agent market this year, signing a very good outfielder. However, they still have one outfield spot open, and it will be filled as the Cubs select Willie "Pops" Stargell to be a home run hitter and middle of the lineup guy.
6. The Padres have some good young prospects acquired over the last few years. What they don't have, though, is a good cather, one of the most important positions on the field. The Padres will select C Ray Fosse to use his hot bat at the plate, and his superb defense and arm behind it.
7. The Mets have great young pitchers that will soon be ready to propel this team to the top. What they don't have is a dominant bullpen guy to close out games. The Mets will take RP Clay Carrol as they build for the near future.
8. Next up are the White Sox. The White Sox have gotten much younger recently, and are looking to build a future winner. This time in the draft, they take the best available, which is P Ray Washburn. He will help their rotation in a few years.
9. With the 9th pick from the Giants are the Cubs again. Having already taken a great power hitting bat in the draft, they will now add depth to their pithing. The Cubs will take P Pat Dobson to go with the alredy great future rotation he has.
10. Rounding out the top 10 are the Angels with the Red Sox pick. After taking a stud pitcher 1st overall, they will now acquire some hitting. The best available hitter at this point is CF Bobby Tolan. He will patrol the center field for the Angels nicely and will hit for a pretty good clip too.
And there you have it.
And now, here are the players ranked by position:
Catchers
1. Ray Fosse- The best C in the draft. Great defense (80 FA, 84 AS) and a good bat. Top 10.
2. Bill Plummer- Solid all around catcher. Late 1st.
3. Pat Corrales- Decent CH (67) and good D. 2nd.
4. Paul Casonova- Not great at the plate but a cannon for an arm (90)
5. Fred Kendall- May find his way on a team as a roster filler. 5th.
First Basemen
1. Clue Haywood- A stud power hitting 1B. GF (41) and PL (84) are geared for the fence. Top 5.
2. Wes Parker- 1B falls off quite a bit after 1. Sold hitter with decent speed. 2nd half of 1st.
3. Nate Colbert- Solid at everything. 2nd half of 1st.
4. Jim Beauchamp- CH is good enough to see him as a decent backup 1B. @nd
5. John Milner- Decent power (72). 2nd.
6. Mike Fiore- Has a little power (67). 3rd.
7. Ray Webster- Career backup. 3rd or later.
Second Basemen
1. Ron Hunt- A groundball hitter with good CH (78) makes him the best middle infielder in the draft. 1st round.
2. Horace Clarke- Solid defender and decent hitter. Late 1st.
3. Dave Cambell- best defensive 2B in the pool. Not the best hitter though. 2nd.
4. Gary Sutherland- Could see some time as a backup. 3rd.
5. Van Kelly- Can play 2nd or 3rd. Decent backup. 3rd.
6. John Donaldson- Can play several positions, but none very well. 3rd.
7. Steve Hunts- Again, versatility isn't always a good thing. 4th.
Third Basemen
1. Ed Charles- A shallow pool for 3B. Charles is solid. 1st.
2. Dick Green- A backup on almost every team. 3rd.
3. Coco Laboy- Cool name, but little talent. 3rd.
4. Pete Spiezio- Roster filler. 5th.
5. Bill Sudakis- You hope this guy doesn't play, 'cause it means your 2 other 3B went down.
Shortstop
1. Frank Duffy- decent hitter and can play 2 positions well. Late 1st.
2. Bobby Wine- Good speed and superb D at 2B and SS. Could be a pitchers best friend. Late 1st.
3. Darrell Chaney- Decetn at several positions. 2nd.
4. Gene Michael- Good defender; bad hitter. 3rd.
5. Jose Arcia- Almost fast enough to pinch run. Late.
6. Jackie Hernandez- We are not sure if this is a guy or a girl...but he/she throws like a girl. Late.
7. Tommy Dean- Cheap roster fillers anyone? 5th.
Left Field
1. Willie Stargell- Pops is a great power hitter (88) and should have a great career. Top 5.
2. Cito Gaston- Good all around player. Hits well, runs well, plays OF and 1B well. 1st.
3. Larry Stahl- Good speed makes him a solid outfielder. Late 1st.
4. Ollie Brown- Not a great hitter, but goof LF D guy and a canon for an arm. 2nd.
5. Ron Fairly- Decent power but poor defense. 2nd.
6. Willie Crawford- Solid hitter. Decent 5th outfielder on the roster type. Late 2nd.
7. Al Ferrara- Decent CH should find him a roster spot in AAA. 3rd.
8. Ron Woods- OF like him are a dime a dozen. 3rd.
9. Angel Bravo- Can play every position, but none better than 55. Nothing angelic about him. Late.
10. Tommy Reynolds- I'm really just going for entertainment at this point. Late.
11. Steve Hovley- Are you still reading this? Just move onto the CF.
Center Field
1. Bobby Tolan- Good fielder at 1B and OF. Nice all around player. 1st.
2. Billy Conigliaro- Some nice pop in his bat. Good #2 hitter possibly. Mid 1st.
3. Del Unser- Good CH/SP combo and good fielding makes him a good find. Mid 1st.
4. Jerry Morales- Good at putting the bat on the ball, but low speed may hurt him. Late 1st.
5. Ty Cline- Decent CH/SP. Good backup. 2nd.
6. Ken Berry- Good fielder. 3rd.
7. Ivan Murrell- Can play 1B. Good utility backup.
8. Hank Allen- If you draft him, maybe someone will get him confused with Hank Aaron and you could trade him. Late.
Right Field
1. Hack Wilson- Franchise caliber player. Great CH, good PH and SP, but a 94 SC rating makes him special. Top 5.
2. Frank Howard- Good hard hitting power guy. Has 90 PH and a 70 PL. Top 5.
3. Ken Harrelson- Decent power; versatile defense. 2nd.
4. Russ Snyder- Decent CH and SP. 2nd.
5. Mack Jones- A low CH, high power good SP guy. These guys have some value, but they strike out a lot. 2nd.
Starting Pitchers
1. Chief Bender- Should be one of the best pitchers in the game. Top 3
2. Ray Washburn- Has the potential to be a better than average starter. Mid 1st
3. Pat Dobson- Could be a decent starter or a solid closer. Mid 1st
4. Jim Maloney- Has great stuff if he can locate his pitches. Late 1st
5. Steve Hargan- Has the potential to be a back end of the rotation guy. Late 1st
6. Milt Wilcox- Ditto on this guy. Late 1st/Early 2nd
7. Bo Belinsky- Has good control of his pitches. 2nd
8. Dave Roberts- Solid sinker, but not much else. 2nd
9. Jimmy Merritt- Good chance to make it as a long reliever. 2nd
10. Clay Kirby- Strong arm, but may not throw enough strikes for it to matter. 3rd
11. Mike Corkins- May be most valuable in the bullpen. 3rd
12. Dick Selma- Very strong arm, but may serve up a lot of longballs. 3rd
13. Wayne Simpson- Changeup not good enough to fool many hitters. 3rd
14. Billy Champion- Could be a fan favorite with the AAA club. 4th
15. Steve Renko- Arm doesn't tire easily. 4th
16. Jim McGloth- Outside chance of making it. 4th
17. Danny Coombs- Probably a career minor-leaguer. 5th
18. Steve Arlin- Roster filler. 5th
19. Al Santoni- Same for him. 5th
Relief Pitchers
1. Clay Carroll- Will be one of the best closers in the league. Top 10
2. Wayne Granger- Should be a solid closer. Mid 1st
3. Jack Baldschun- Could be a decent setup guy. Late 1st
4. Paul Doyle- Has a strong arm. 2nd
5. Roberto Rodriguez- Superb control. 2nd
6. Ron Willis- Should find a spot in the bullpen. 2nd
7. Ron Herbel- Could serve as a long or middle reliever. 3rd
8. Jerry Nymun- May get a shot in middle relief. 4th
9. Gary Ross- Unlikely to contribute. 5th
10. Tommy Dukes- Better get his dukes up for all the times he'll plunk batters. 5th
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
2027 Award Winners
The votes have been cast and ballots sent in. The reults have been tabulated for your 2027 award winners. Here is a list of the winners with some comments about the season's they had.
NL MVP Babe Ruth FLA
A nearly unanimous winner, Babe Ruth had a sensational season. Having changed teams in the offseason, he was ready to show what he could do. He was able to win the triple crown in the NL and improve in AVG, doubles, homers, RBI, and stolen bases over last year.
AL MVP Lou Gehrig BAL
In the AL, Gehrig was the man to bring home the trophy. It was a closer race in the AL, but Gehrig was the easy winner. He had a stellar year, improving in virtually every category. As he enters his prime, it will be interesting to see if he can get Baltimore back to the playoffs to compete once again.
It is interesting that both MVP winners were on non-playoff teams. They certainly had the stats to warrant the award, but do stats carry more weight than getting a team to the playoffs? In the NL, Mel Ott was the runner up in the award. He helped take the Phillies to their second strait World Series appearence. In the AL, 2nd and 3rd place were very close seeing Hank Aaron and Jimmie Foxx be just a point apart. Both of these players were on playoff teams. Are these guys, Ott, Aaron and Foxx, less worthy of the MVP than Ruth and Gehrig?
NL Cy Young Billy Chapel LA
In a funny turn of events, Chapel brings the third strait Cy Young trophy to the Dodgers, each brought by a different pitcher (Langston and Garcia were the others). In a somewhat close race, Chapel's meager ERA and 18 wins were enough to win him the award. I suppose it also helps that Chapel was the Ace for the team with the best record in the NL. At the end of the season, following the Dodgers defeat by the Phillies, Chapel announced his retirement. He was able to win a Cy young and make one last run at a World Series before his retirement. He definately went out on the top of his game.
AL Cy Young David Cone MIN
Cone wins his first Cy Young this year in only his third season in the big leages. The #1 overall pick by the Twins a few seasons ago, Cone has lived up to the hype and been a stud in the rotation for the Twins. This race was somewhat close as well, with knuckleballer and second year player Doud Rau for the Rangers going 22-2 this season. It was the battle of the youngsters. In the end, Cone was superior in several categories and was able to take home the award.
For the Cy Young voting this year, the top 2 in the NL and the top 4 in the AL were on playoff teams. The AL was interesting, as it was youngsters battling for the award, as opposed to the NL, which was all veterans.
NL Rookie of the Year Bobby Abreu PGH
The big name rookie slugger from Pittsburgh was the winner of the ROY this year. He had a huge first half, then plateaud a little in the 2nd half. Abreau was a former 6th overall pick and part of the deal for which Aaron moved teams. Abreu rose to the top as the best rookies. He was ranked 2nd in the NL among rookies early in the year. Damon came in 2nd and McDonald 3rd, ranked 3rd and 1st at the begining of the season respectively.
AL Rookie of the Year Tom Glavine MIN
In the most one sided landslide category this season, Tom Glavine ran away with the rookie of the year. Glavine looked like a Cy Young candidate early on, before he leveled off a little and then finished strong. Glavine was the favorite early in the year to win the award.
This is an interesting award, as we wrote a blog article early in the year predicting who woukld win. You can check it out here.
NL Fireman Roy Face LA
The best reliever this season by a narrow margin was Roy Face. Face also won our top reliever spot when we ranked the Top 10 Relievers in Habla this season. Face continually posts very low ERA's and set a career high for holds this season.
AL Fireman Tom Martin KC
From the World Champion Kansas City Royals come the best reliever in the AL. Martin is a hard throwing lefty who for the second time in his career posted an ERA below 3.00. This was the closest race this season, as the top 4 candidates were seperated by only 6 points.
GM of the Year Travis Hair KC
This award was again, not close. Travis certainly diserved this award as he, for the first time in 2 and a half decades, was able to get his team to the World Series and win it all. A 100+ win season and a World Series crown is enough to get you the GM of the year. Congrats to Travis.
As expected, Travis won the GM of the year. This makes at least the 5th year in a row that the team that won the World Series won the GM of the year (probably more, but the official records page is incomplete on these awards). I think this is probably a good trend, for the WS is certainly the highest honor in Habla. My question is can you think of a situation where the GM who won the World Series would not win the GM of the year? Let us know your thoughts on this and the other topics discussed here.
NL MVP Babe Ruth FLA
A nearly unanimous winner, Babe Ruth had a sensational season. Having changed teams in the offseason, he was ready to show what he could do. He was able to win the triple crown in the NL and improve in AVG, doubles, homers, RBI, and stolen bases over last year.
AL MVP Lou Gehrig BAL
In the AL, Gehrig was the man to bring home the trophy. It was a closer race in the AL, but Gehrig was the easy winner. He had a stellar year, improving in virtually every category. As he enters his prime, it will be interesting to see if he can get Baltimore back to the playoffs to compete once again.
It is interesting that both MVP winners were on non-playoff teams. They certainly had the stats to warrant the award, but do stats carry more weight than getting a team to the playoffs? In the NL, Mel Ott was the runner up in the award. He helped take the Phillies to their second strait World Series appearence. In the AL, 2nd and 3rd place were very close seeing Hank Aaron and Jimmie Foxx be just a point apart. Both of these players were on playoff teams. Are these guys, Ott, Aaron and Foxx, less worthy of the MVP than Ruth and Gehrig?
NL Cy Young Billy Chapel LA
In a funny turn of events, Chapel brings the third strait Cy Young trophy to the Dodgers, each brought by a different pitcher (Langston and Garcia were the others). In a somewhat close race, Chapel's meager ERA and 18 wins were enough to win him the award. I suppose it also helps that Chapel was the Ace for the team with the best record in the NL. At the end of the season, following the Dodgers defeat by the Phillies, Chapel announced his retirement. He was able to win a Cy young and make one last run at a World Series before his retirement. He definately went out on the top of his game.
AL Cy Young David Cone MIN
Cone wins his first Cy Young this year in only his third season in the big leages. The #1 overall pick by the Twins a few seasons ago, Cone has lived up to the hype and been a stud in the rotation for the Twins. This race was somewhat close as well, with knuckleballer and second year player Doud Rau for the Rangers going 22-2 this season. It was the battle of the youngsters. In the end, Cone was superior in several categories and was able to take home the award.
For the Cy Young voting this year, the top 2 in the NL and the top 4 in the AL were on playoff teams. The AL was interesting, as it was youngsters battling for the award, as opposed to the NL, which was all veterans.
NL Rookie of the Year Bobby Abreu PGH
The big name rookie slugger from Pittsburgh was the winner of the ROY this year. He had a huge first half, then plateaud a little in the 2nd half. Abreau was a former 6th overall pick and part of the deal for which Aaron moved teams. Abreu rose to the top as the best rookies. He was ranked 2nd in the NL among rookies early in the year. Damon came in 2nd and McDonald 3rd, ranked 3rd and 1st at the begining of the season respectively.
AL Rookie of the Year Tom Glavine MIN
In the most one sided landslide category this season, Tom Glavine ran away with the rookie of the year. Glavine looked like a Cy Young candidate early on, before he leveled off a little and then finished strong. Glavine was the favorite early in the year to win the award.
This is an interesting award, as we wrote a blog article early in the year predicting who woukld win. You can check it out here.
NL Fireman Roy Face LA
The best reliever this season by a narrow margin was Roy Face. Face also won our top reliever spot when we ranked the Top 10 Relievers in Habla this season. Face continually posts very low ERA's and set a career high for holds this season.
AL Fireman Tom Martin KC
From the World Champion Kansas City Royals come the best reliever in the AL. Martin is a hard throwing lefty who for the second time in his career posted an ERA below 3.00. This was the closest race this season, as the top 4 candidates were seperated by only 6 points.
GM of the Year Travis Hair KC
This award was again, not close. Travis certainly diserved this award as he, for the first time in 2 and a half decades, was able to get his team to the World Series and win it all. A 100+ win season and a World Series crown is enough to get you the GM of the year. Congrats to Travis.
As expected, Travis won the GM of the year. This makes at least the 5th year in a row that the team that won the World Series won the GM of the year (probably more, but the official records page is incomplete on these awards). I think this is probably a good trend, for the WS is certainly the highest honor in Habla. My question is can you think of a situation where the GM who won the World Series would not win the GM of the year? Let us know your thoughts on this and the other topics discussed here.
Monday, March 20, 2006
The Kansas City Royals: A Long Road to A Championship
Saturday night the Royals players stormed onto the field as they got the final out in game 7 of the World Series against the Phillies. It was an interesting series. A series in which the home team never won a game. A series in which the 4th starter in the rotation all season (Britt Reames) carried the load and walked away with the World Series MVP trophy. A series that, once again, saw the AL Wild Card Team win it all.
But I am more concerned today with the road to the championship. It had been 25 seasons that Hair had been the manager of the Royals and had never won a playoff series. Then, when he finally does get another chance, he is set to face the Texas Rangers, who posted the 3rd best record ever in Habla history this year. The Royals won in 5 games. Next in line were the always tough Minnesota Twins, who also won more than 100 games and with one of the most fearsome rotations in baseball, last year's MVP in Rickey Davis, and stud veteran Jimmy Foxx added at the begining of the year, looked to knock off their division rival in the ALCS with ease. However, it proved to be no easy task. "The Royals were a relentless team all season," commented Twins GM Luke W. "I found a way to fight them off in divisional play, but couldn't do it come playoff time. Tip of the cap to Travis." The Royals were able to down the Twins in 7 games. Then came the World Series. The opponent was now the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies. After a World Series Appearence last season with their Ace Adam Eaton injured, they were back with Eaton healthy and ready to take home the championship. The Series was hard fought, including an extra innings game in which Phillies pitcher Bruce Hurst pitched 11 scoreless innings. In the end, the Royals were able to close out the series in the 7th and final game.
This season saw the Royals post the best record in their history. Part of the reason for this was the huge off season signing of top Free Agent Bobby Bonds. Bonds added to what was already one of the best offenses in the league. That combined with the Royals pitching coming together this year was a recipe for a championship. Congratualtions to the Royals and Travis on the World Series victory.
Teams That Trade The Most Seem to do The Best
This Blog Article was submitted by Greg, from the Cleveland Indians.
I have been bothered by teams that are hesitant to trade for quite some time and thought I would express my views on this blog. Every year it seems that there are teams that are in the hunt or are headed for the post season and all they need is a key player or two. Yet they almost always get cold feet when it comes time to make the move or moves.
Some of the most active teams in the trade market have done the best making the post season or going all the way. I have contacted several teams the past couple seasons about trading some solid veterans of mine, such as Duke Snider, Rick Vaughn, etc for a #1 pick, prospect player, cash, some sort of combination of these. Each time I was turned down because they didn;t want to trade away their future. Pardon me but what in the hell kind of logic is that? I mean seriously, is this not all about winning the World Series? I won back to back a few seasons ago, will I ever get back or will I ever win another one? No way to know but I have already done it so I have all the time to rebuild without the pressure. If a team has a serious chance to win it now and by adding a key player or two it greatly increases that chance, GO FOR IT!! You never know if you will even make the playoffs again so why wait? A great point was KC paying an astonishing 54 million for Bobby Bonds. Giving up that kind of cash for one guy was extremely risky, but it worked. They will lose players to free agency, and may not even make it back to the playoffs this upcoming season. SO WHAT! They are now and forever WS champs.
Let's take Duke Snider for example. I offered him to several teams, some of the proposals included Rick Vaughn, and Griffey Sr in the same deal. In return I was asking for a #1 and a top prospect. Now, if the Duke was a free agent like Bonds last season he would have nabbed at least $40 if not more? Then let's say Vaughn was a free agent as well, even Griffey Sr. The three players combined would have nabbed well over 100 million on the FA market. So here a team has a chance to get all three for a pick and a top prospect for a chance to win it all. Keep in mind this team was locked in as a playoff team. If I had never won the WS, I would trade my entire future for a legit shot at the grand prize. I dont want to be a playoff contender every year, the team that almost made it, the bridesmaid but never the bride. It's all or nothing. Go down in a blaze of glory! There is a fine line between plaing not to lose and playing to win, I choose the latter.
If you look at the last five World Series champions, KC, Tex, Cle, Cle, Tex, they all made a lot of moves via trade and free agency. I believe the last national league team to win it was Florida and Felix made a ton of trades getting that team to the dance. He traded youth, picks, cash, all for veterans. It is a formula that has proven itself, yet it is amazing how few teams practice it.
I have been bothered by teams that are hesitant to trade for quite some time and thought I would express my views on this blog. Every year it seems that there are teams that are in the hunt or are headed for the post season and all they need is a key player or two. Yet they almost always get cold feet when it comes time to make the move or moves.
Some of the most active teams in the trade market have done the best making the post season or going all the way. I have contacted several teams the past couple seasons about trading some solid veterans of mine, such as Duke Snider, Rick Vaughn, etc for a #1 pick, prospect player, cash, some sort of combination of these. Each time I was turned down because they didn;t want to trade away their future. Pardon me but what in the hell kind of logic is that? I mean seriously, is this not all about winning the World Series? I won back to back a few seasons ago, will I ever get back or will I ever win another one? No way to know but I have already done it so I have all the time to rebuild without the pressure. If a team has a serious chance to win it now and by adding a key player or two it greatly increases that chance, GO FOR IT!! You never know if you will even make the playoffs again so why wait? A great point was KC paying an astonishing 54 million for Bobby Bonds. Giving up that kind of cash for one guy was extremely risky, but it worked. They will lose players to free agency, and may not even make it back to the playoffs this upcoming season. SO WHAT! They are now and forever WS champs.
Let's take Duke Snider for example. I offered him to several teams, some of the proposals included Rick Vaughn, and Griffey Sr in the same deal. In return I was asking for a #1 and a top prospect. Now, if the Duke was a free agent like Bonds last season he would have nabbed at least $40 if not more? Then let's say Vaughn was a free agent as well, even Griffey Sr. The three players combined would have nabbed well over 100 million on the FA market. So here a team has a chance to get all three for a pick and a top prospect for a chance to win it all. Keep in mind this team was locked in as a playoff team. If I had never won the WS, I would trade my entire future for a legit shot at the grand prize. I dont want to be a playoff contender every year, the team that almost made it, the bridesmaid but never the bride. It's all or nothing. Go down in a blaze of glory! There is a fine line between plaing not to lose and playing to win, I choose the latter.
If you look at the last five World Series champions, KC, Tex, Cle, Cle, Tex, they all made a lot of moves via trade and free agency. I believe the last national league team to win it was Florida and Felix made a ton of trades getting that team to the dance. He traded youth, picks, cash, all for veterans. It is a formula that has proven itself, yet it is amazing how few teams practice it.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Best Seasons in Habla History
As the Habla season comes to an end, the Texas Rangers find themselves having won 116 games. This got me thinking as to where that might rank all time as far as "most wins." I did some research using the Official Records Page to see who the best teams have been over the years. As it turns out, no team has won 111 in the last decade, no team has won more 111 in the last 2 decades, and no team has one 116 since 2006. In addition, there have been 20 teams that have won 111 or more games in a season before this year. As you can see below, only 2 of those 20 went on to win the World Series. This helps to confirm my theory that the "best team" seldom wins.
Another interesting trend was that dominance rarely happens to a single team in a certain year. In 10 calendar years represented below (most from very early in the league), only 2 years saw just one team win 111 games (1999 & 2017). 2003 and 2005 each have 3 teams winning 111 or more. This year seems to match that trend, as the Rangers won 116 and the Dodgers won 111. What is the reason for this? I have no theory. What I do know is that history seems to be against the Rangers winning their 3rd title in 5 years. However, they are tied with the 2006 Mariners as the 3rd best team in Habla History (in terms of wins). The Dodgers have made their mark on history as well, getting to 111 wins and cracking the top 22 all time. It will be interesting to see how the playoffs play out and if one of these top two teams can win it all.
Top Teams in Habla History Prior to This Year
Another interesting trend was that dominance rarely happens to a single team in a certain year. In 10 calendar years represented below (most from very early in the league), only 2 years saw just one team win 111 games (1999 & 2017). 2003 and 2005 each have 3 teams winning 111 or more. This year seems to match that trend, as the Rangers won 116 and the Dodgers won 111. What is the reason for this? I have no theory. What I do know is that history seems to be against the Rangers winning their 3rd title in 5 years. However, they are tied with the 2006 Mariners as the 3rd best team in Habla History (in terms of wins). The Dodgers have made their mark on history as well, getting to 111 wins and cracking the top 22 all time. It will be interesting to see how the playoffs play out and if one of these top two teams can win it all.
Top Teams in Habla History Prior to This Year
Team Year W/L Win World
Series?
1. Seattle Mariners 2001 121-41 No
Seattle Mariners 2003 121-41 Yes
3. Seattle Mariners 2006 116-46 No
4. Seattle Mariners 2000 115-47 No
Seattle Mariners 1999 115-47 No
6. New York Mets 2001 114-48 No
San Francisco Giants 2003 114-48 No
Houston Astros 2003 114-48 No
Seattle Mariners 2007 114-48 No
10. New York Mets 2005 113-49 Yes
San Francisco Giants 2005 113-49 No
Seattle Mariners 2005 113-49 No
New York Mets 2001 113-49 No
14. San Francisco Giants 2006 112-50 No
New York Mets 2007 112-50 No
16. Cleveland Indians 2000 111-51 No
New York Mets 2004 111-51 No
Montreal Expos 2004 111-51 No
Minnesota Twins 2014 111-51 No
St. Louis Cardinals 2017 111-51 No
Friday, March 10, 2006
Top 10 LOW Minor Systems in Habla
As we continue to look towards the offseason (the best time of year) we examine the teams that have the best young prospects in their LOW minors clubs. To build a team for tomorrow, you must have the rising stars necessary in LOW to pick you up when they mature. Please note that we only took into consideration players in LOW. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 LOW Minor Systems in Habla. Thanks to Steve (PGH) for compiling this list.
1. Mets- Mike Mussina, Jack McDowell, Mark Prior, Kenny Lofton, John Rodriguez, and Eric Schroeder
The Mets are loaded. Three great pitchers form the best LOW club in baseball. In addition, Lofton and company make for a pretty solid future outfield. Beware when these names get up to the bigs.
2. Mariners- Myles Tauscher Jr., Jeff Francouer, and Kelly Johnson
The 2 and three spots were hotly disputed because they are such a toss up. Seattle sports two top 7 picks from last seasons draft in Tauscher, a future menace to hitters, and Francouer, an equally tough menace to pitchers. These guys are both studs and help give Seattle a loaded minors system.
3. Cardinals- Robbie Alomar, Clete Boyer, Bill Goldsmith
The Cards sport only three big names, but they are good ones. With the 3rd and 4th picks from last years draft, Alomar, a future star at 2nd, and Boyer, a future star at 3rd, the infield seems in pretty good shape in St. Louis. Topping it off is Goldsmith, who also seems to have stud potential.
4. Pirates- Jack Morris, Rickie Weeks, Scott Ruffcorn, Wayne Garrett, and Casey Kotchman
The Pirates have oodles in their system as well. Morris seems like the kind of pitcher who will be an Ace on 75% of the teams in the league. Weeks is a stellar infielder who is as versatile as he is good. Ruffcorn is a talented young reliever at a time when relief pitching is so important.
5. Padres- Chris Carpenter and Rey Ordonez
Carpenter was the 2nd pick in last years draft, and is very similar to Morris in many ways. Expect great things from him. Ordonez isn't much for the offense, but is great at playing defense, which is very important at his position. He should help keep Carp's ERA very low, not that Carp will need the help.
6. Rangers- Derek Lee and Todd Worrell
This is where the list falls off a bit. The Rangers have just two guys that are any good. Lee, a former 3rd overall pick, looks to be a great power hitter in this league. Worrell has the stuff to be a great reliever. We will see if he becomes one.
7. Braves- Steve Barber, Vern Law, Moises Alou, Mark Grace, Victor Diaz, and Sandy Alomar Jr.
No super studs in the Braves LOW minors, but they are deep. Alou and Grace are good young position players who will play a big part when their time comes. Law may have what it takes to be a good hurler in this league.
8. A's- Brian Roberts, Pedro Astacio, Darryl Kile, Kyle Snyders, and Joe Girardi,
The A's have several young pitchers who may be pieces of a pretty good rotation in a few years. Roberts is a good young middle infielder; something you can never have too much of.
9. Dodgers- Tony Blanco, Mike Jackson, Derek Bell, Dennis Cook, Luis Rivas, and Victor Martinez
The Dodgers are deep in the LOW club as well. A good reliever in Jackson and a good 3B in Blanco make up this team's hope for the future.
10. Twins- Mike Hampton
Hampton, last years 8th pick, is a promising young pitcher with a nasty sinker. He could be a very special player someday when the Twins have an opening in their rotation.
1. Mets- Mike Mussina, Jack McDowell, Mark Prior, Kenny Lofton, John Rodriguez, and Eric Schroeder
The Mets are loaded. Three great pitchers form the best LOW club in baseball. In addition, Lofton and company make for a pretty solid future outfield. Beware when these names get up to the bigs.
2. Mariners- Myles Tauscher Jr., Jeff Francouer, and Kelly Johnson
The 2 and three spots were hotly disputed because they are such a toss up. Seattle sports two top 7 picks from last seasons draft in Tauscher, a future menace to hitters, and Francouer, an equally tough menace to pitchers. These guys are both studs and help give Seattle a loaded minors system.
3. Cardinals- Robbie Alomar, Clete Boyer, Bill Goldsmith
The Cards sport only three big names, but they are good ones. With the 3rd and 4th picks from last years draft, Alomar, a future star at 2nd, and Boyer, a future star at 3rd, the infield seems in pretty good shape in St. Louis. Topping it off is Goldsmith, who also seems to have stud potential.
4. Pirates- Jack Morris, Rickie Weeks, Scott Ruffcorn, Wayne Garrett, and Casey Kotchman
The Pirates have oodles in their system as well. Morris seems like the kind of pitcher who will be an Ace on 75% of the teams in the league. Weeks is a stellar infielder who is as versatile as he is good. Ruffcorn is a talented young reliever at a time when relief pitching is so important.
5. Padres- Chris Carpenter and Rey Ordonez
Carpenter was the 2nd pick in last years draft, and is very similar to Morris in many ways. Expect great things from him. Ordonez isn't much for the offense, but is great at playing defense, which is very important at his position. He should help keep Carp's ERA very low, not that Carp will need the help.
6. Rangers- Derek Lee and Todd Worrell
This is where the list falls off a bit. The Rangers have just two guys that are any good. Lee, a former 3rd overall pick, looks to be a great power hitter in this league. Worrell has the stuff to be a great reliever. We will see if he becomes one.
7. Braves- Steve Barber, Vern Law, Moises Alou, Mark Grace, Victor Diaz, and Sandy Alomar Jr.
No super studs in the Braves LOW minors, but they are deep. Alou and Grace are good young position players who will play a big part when their time comes. Law may have what it takes to be a good hurler in this league.
8. A's- Brian Roberts, Pedro Astacio, Darryl Kile, Kyle Snyders, and Joe Girardi,
The A's have several young pitchers who may be pieces of a pretty good rotation in a few years. Roberts is a good young middle infielder; something you can never have too much of.
9. Dodgers- Tony Blanco, Mike Jackson, Derek Bell, Dennis Cook, Luis Rivas, and Victor Martinez
The Dodgers are deep in the LOW club as well. A good reliever in Jackson and a good 3B in Blanco make up this team's hope for the future.
10. Twins- Mike Hampton
Hampton, last years 8th pick, is a promising young pitcher with a nasty sinker. He could be a very special player someday when the Twins have an opening in their rotation.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
The Owl's Trading Deadline Power Rankings
The Owl has compiled his last set of Power Rankings as we surge into the last leg of the season. How does this compare with the Power Rankings from the first month? Who is too high? Too low? Surprise of the season? Disappointment? You tell us.
1. Texas- Injuries are showing how much depth this
team has. Team to beat
2. Dodgers- Team still clicking and gearing for the
playoffs but is the window of opportunity getting
smaller?
3. Phillies- Defending NL Champs will not be an easy
nut to crack. Team capable of winning it all.
4. Twins- another team that should win 100 games. No
way they can be overlooked.
5. Royals- Gambled by paying big bucks for Free
Agents. They got a great return for their investment.
6. Seattle- Great job by Arvin. Watch out for this
team in the future
7. Reds- Hard to believe this team had a 8 game losing
streak but they hung in there and have a good shot at
the playoffs.
8. Astros- Astros have been hot and made some late
season moves that could lead them to the playoffs.
9. Marlins- Could they be on the outside looking in at
the playoffs. Need to have a last minute surge.
10. A's- Coming on of late so they have something to
build on next season.
11. Indians- Season of disappointment but team has a
good future.
12. Yankees- Team made some much needed late season
moves and they have helped. Team will make the
playoffs and you never know.
13. Expos- Team making strides and already have 5 more
wins then last season.
14. Braves- Team never got it going. Just a few
players away from contending.
15. Rockies- Another team happy to end the season that
wasn't.
16. Giants- Team faded but that could be due to the
youth on this team. Look for improvement next season.
17. Cards- Team has some great young prospects. When
they arrive so should this team.
18. White Sox- Team getting close using young players.
Matter of time before they turn the corner.
19. Brewers- Team should of been better. Could a
management change be in the near future.
20. Tigers- Tigers could only rely on a two man
pitching staff. Just wasn't enough. Time to rebuild?
21. Red Sox- Team management tried to find the
combination for success but it will have to find help
in the off season.
22. Padres- Piece by piece this team is putting
together a puzzle to success.
23. Mets- Team is down but past history would suggest
a rapid recovery.
24. O's- Gehrig is having a stellar season but he
doesn't pitch. Lucky he doesn't have to face the O's
staff. The damage he could cause if he did!
25. Cubs- Took awhile but this team has played solid
of late.
26. Pirates- Season of promise turned into a mess.
Team hoping for young pitchers to help in the future.
27. Toronto- Path to move up will be long. But in AL
East it could be shorter then you might think.
28. Angels- KL making some moves that the fans should
like. Hope is alive.
1. Texas- Injuries are showing how much depth this
team has. Team to beat
2. Dodgers- Team still clicking and gearing for the
playoffs but is the window of opportunity getting
smaller?
3. Phillies- Defending NL Champs will not be an easy
nut to crack. Team capable of winning it all.
4. Twins- another team that should win 100 games. No
way they can be overlooked.
5. Royals- Gambled by paying big bucks for Free
Agents. They got a great return for their investment.
6. Seattle- Great job by Arvin. Watch out for this
team in the future
7. Reds- Hard to believe this team had a 8 game losing
streak but they hung in there and have a good shot at
the playoffs.
8. Astros- Astros have been hot and made some late
season moves that could lead them to the playoffs.
9. Marlins- Could they be on the outside looking in at
the playoffs. Need to have a last minute surge.
10. A's- Coming on of late so they have something to
build on next season.
11. Indians- Season of disappointment but team has a
good future.
12. Yankees- Team made some much needed late season
moves and they have helped. Team will make the
playoffs and you never know.
13. Expos- Team making strides and already have 5 more
wins then last season.
14. Braves- Team never got it going. Just a few
players away from contending.
15. Rockies- Another team happy to end the season that
wasn't.
16. Giants- Team faded but that could be due to the
youth on this team. Look for improvement next season.
17. Cards- Team has some great young prospects. When
they arrive so should this team.
18. White Sox- Team getting close using young players.
Matter of time before they turn the corner.
19. Brewers- Team should of been better. Could a
management change be in the near future.
20. Tigers- Tigers could only rely on a two man
pitching staff. Just wasn't enough. Time to rebuild?
21. Red Sox- Team management tried to find the
combination for success but it will have to find help
in the off season.
22. Padres- Piece by piece this team is putting
together a puzzle to success.
23. Mets- Team is down but past history would suggest
a rapid recovery.
24. O's- Gehrig is having a stellar season but he
doesn't pitch. Lucky he doesn't have to face the O's
staff. The damage he could cause if he did!
25. Cubs- Took awhile but this team has played solid
of late.
26. Pirates- Season of promise turned into a mess.
Team hoping for young pitchers to help in the future.
27. Toronto- Path to move up will be long. But in AL
East it could be shorter then you might think.
28. Angels- KL making some moves that the fans should
like. Hope is alive.
Friday, March 03, 2006
The Top 10 Draft Day Steals in Habla History
As we enter the last leg of the season, naturally a large part of the owners begin to salavate at the ammateur draft that is only weeks away. The offseason has been called the best time of the Habla year, and the ammy draft is certainly the apex of that time. As we begin to look forward to the draft, we will take a look back at some past drafts. Today, we will look at the biggest steals that have taken place in draft history. Take heart ye who pick late...their can be a game changer late in the draft.
1. P Charlie Hough CIN
The race for the top spot on this list was not even close. Hough, the first of the great knuckleballers in the league, may be the best pitcher in Habla right now. He is at least in the conversation. However, he was picked 6th in the 2nd round in 2012 by the White Sox. Hough has got to be the steal of the century.
2. C Brandon Inge CIN
Inge, who was ranked 2nd in the Top 10 Catchers list, was aniother guy that was disrespected on draft day. He was taken 5th in the second round in 2011. I'm sure many owners are kicking themselves considering the lack of catchers in the league today. Inge was certainly a steal.
3. LF Adam Dunn KC
Stay in 2011, just look down a few picks. Adum Dunn was taken 17th in the 2nd round this year. Dunn has been a great power hitter for the Royals and made the Top 10 LF list as well.
4. RF Paul O'Niell MIN
O'Niell is another who fell into that early second round category (taken 5th in the 2nd in 2023). He has been one of the big pieces of the team that the Twins have assembled to make a run at the World Series.
5. P Ken Hill HOU
Another 2023 draftee, Hill fell to the Marlins at the 2nd pick in the second round. After a roungh rookie season, Hill posted 17 wins and an ERA of 3.00 in over 200 IP in his second season.
6. LF Roosevelt Brown TOR
Brown, who hit 40 Homers as a rookie, was the 27th pick in the 2nd round by the Rangers. Though he is not a good fielder, he can still hit homers and steal some bases, making him an asset to a team.
7. P Bruce Hurst PHI
Hurst, a career overachiever, was taken 27th overall in 2017. Since then, he has been a very good pitcher for the Phillies (an Honorable Mention for the Top 20 Starting Pitchers) posting a career 3.43 ERA.
8. C John Hough CLE
Taken 25th overall, Hough has had a good career as a backstop for the Indians, playing great defense and throwing out runners almost at will.
9. LF Willie McGee MIN
McGee is the first 3rd rounder listed in this bunch, taken 3rd in the 3rd round in 2022. McGee rode the pine for a few years before finding a home in MIN where he has posted a .323 average this season.
10 2B Felix Millian CLE
Millian was taken 8th in the 3rd round in 2016. He has been a very solid middle infielder in his career, hitting for a career .293 average. To get a middle infielder wo is this solid with your 3rd round pick is quite a steal.
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