Future Hall of Famers - Part 1 of 5

The Future:

Joey Tracy (Chicago) – At the tender age of 23, Tracy already has amassed 193 HR’s, 475 RBI’s, and a .301 Batting Average.

Bernie Diaz (Dover) – Only 26 years of age, Diaz has amassed 190 HR’s and 555 RBI’s.

Rocky Spencer (Houston) – At 24 years of age, Spencer already has 130 HR’s, 324 RBI’s, and a .326 Batting Average.

Albert Johnson (Louisville) – Johnson has not yet reached his full potential, but the future looks bright. At 25 years of age; he has 762 Hits, 523 Runs, 113 HR’s, 466 RBI’s, 85 SB’s, and a .325 Batting Average.

Donald Satou (Milwaukee) – Already 47 career wins at the age of 24, Satou should be a quality pitcher for many years to come.

Zoltan Mercedes (Atlanta) – Mercede’s career stats are not that impressive, but he finally started to put it all together at the end of last year and is still only 24 years old. He has 88 HR’s, 281 RBI’s and a .342 Batting Average.

Max Crede (Pittsburgh) – At 26 years of age, Crede has amassed 706 Hits, 425 Runs, 182 HR’s, 532 RBI’s, and a .270 Batting Average.

Harry Brown (Salem) – At 26 years of age, Brown has amassed 691 Hits, 502 Runs, 163 HR’s, 503 RBI’s, and a .263 Batting Average.

Louie Martinez(NYY) – Only 26 years of age, Martinez has converted 104 of 128 save opportunities and has a career 3.63 ERA.

Yorrick Robinson (St. Louis) – At only 25 years of age, Robinson is becoming one of the best hitting catchers in the league. He has amassed 647 Hits, 414 Runs, 153 HR’s, 483 RBI’s, and a .297 Batting Average.

Javier Santayana (Toronto) – Santayana makes this list because he still has an outside chance of reaching the 3,000 hit mark. At age 27, he has 1,165 Hits, 754 Runs, 161 HR’s, 657 RBI’s, 233 SB’s, and a .320 Batting Average.

Dwight Hall (Washington D.C.) – At only 22 years of age, Hall is the youngest person to make the list. He has already converted 57 of 75 save opportunities, but needs to lower his career 4.23 ERA.

Surprise Teams (so far)

Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates are trying to bring respectability back to the NL East. They are currently leading the division 38 games into the season. Recently they took 2 of 3 against the Brewers and Marlins. After winning only 68 games last season the Pirates look poised to make a playoff run in Firesigns third season with the team.

Texas Rangers - Although they are a probably long shot to make the playoffs, sox2424 looks to have turned this team around. They recently swept the AL East leading Yankees, and are on pace for record over .500. This is a great turn around for team that only won 54 games last season.

Houston Astros - Like or hate him kingjohndeville has turned the Astros into a contender. The Astros are only 2 games out of NL South. They recently swept the Brewers and took 2 out of 3 against the Mayhem. The real question is whether they can this pace up all season. A division title could be tough in a division that contains teams like the Swingers and Marlins. A wild card spot could be just as difficult with teams like the surging Brewers and Cubs in the NL.

Austin Deuce Droppers - It may be a stretch to call them a surprise team after their 4 straight titles, but after a disappointing last season they are back on top of the AL. Last season they missed the playoffs, this season their on pace to win over 110 games. An injury to key player could stop their quest for a fifth title, but right now they are the team to beat in the AL.

Power Rankings - Week 2

1) Cincinnati Reds – Dominating again in season 7. The Reds are on an 8 game winning streak. Pitching has been stellar. Offense has been great. Not much else to say about the Reds. Yorvit Castillo is having an absolutely horrible season. Reds fans are beginning to wonder why they continue to hold onto this sub-par pitcher. For the season he has a 17.47 era and 2 losses. (As a new feature of the power rankings we will only feature the Reds who having bad seasons. Unfortunately this is probably it.)
Previous Ranking: 5
Record: 21 – 4

2) Austin Deuce Droppers – Won 9 games in a row. They are beginning to look like the team that won 4 straight titles. Last seasons most disappointing player Blake Mathews continues to impress. Matthews has 12 homeruns and 33 RBIs this season.
Previous Ranking: 8
Record: 18 – 7

3) Louisville Swingers – They are beginning to resemble last season’s team that won 103 games. They won 5 straight, including 3 of 4 against the Mayhem. They have a tough schedule ahead with a series against the Reds, 2 series against the Cubs, and then the Brewers. Starting pitchers Greg Brown, Frank Tamura, and Paulie Sanders are all having great seasons for the Swingers.
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Record: 17 – 8

4) New York Yankees – Started off the season hot, but have cooled off a bit. There pitching has been solid. The Yankess are third in the league in team era with a 4.05. Patrick Neal is having a great season for the Yankees with 4 wins and a 2.73 era in 5 starts.
Previous Ranking: 1
Record: 17 – 8

5) Houston Astros – Winners of 6 in a row including 2 of 3 against the Cubs, a sweep of the Brewers, and 2 in a row against the Mayhem. Willie Espinosa looks like the real deal, with 5 wins in 5 starts.
Previous Ranking: 10
Record: 16 – 9

6) Minnesota Twins – Recently the Twins recently went on a 7 game winning streak. Dallas Payton has been crushing the ball with 4 homeruns over the Twins last 10 games and is serious candidate for an MVP award this season. Former Pork N Bean Cap Cromer has been the Twins top starter with 4 wins in 5 starts.
Previous Ranking: 9
Record: 16 – 9

7) Monterrey Corn Dogs – Monterrey has been one of the top hitting teams in the league. The CDs are second in the league in team batting average with a .309, and third in the league in homeruns with 50. Chan Yang has 5 homeruns and 15 RBIs over the last 10 games.
Previous Ranking: 4
Record: 15 – 10

8) Florida Marlins – The Marlins are 8 – 2 over their last 10 games. They recently took 2 of 3 against the NL East leading Pork N Beans. Omar Elcano is beginning to look like a serious contender for a CY Young this season. He has 3 wins and a 1.69 era in 5 starts this season.
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Record: 15 – 10

9) Atlanta Pork N Beans – The PnBs have had a tough schedule recently that has left them with a 5 – 5 record over their past 10 games. Young closer Willard Farley is a having a great season for the PnBs with 6 saves in 6 opportunities with a .68 era.
Previous Ranking: 6
Record: 15 – 10

10) Toronto Blue Jays – The Blue Jays recently ran into a rough patch after a great start to the season. They took the first 2 games of a 3 game series against the #4 ranked Yankees. Willis Ulrich is having a great season with 11 homeruns and 33 RBIs.
Previous Ranking: 2
Record: 16 - 9

American League Rookie of the Year Preview

Hardball Dynasty's

Vince Cummings

Arizona - DH

Although a DH Vince should get some serious consideration for the AL rookie of the year award. He's always been a terrific hitter and so far has shown that with 3 home runs, 13 rbi and a .291 average through 86 at bats. He'll have some stiff competition though and one wonders if not playing a defensive position will hurt in the eyes of the voters.

Hardball Dynasty's

Douglas Crudale

Las Vegas - LF

Douglass Crudale had a wicked september last year as a late season call-up and has continued that into this year. Already with 6 home runs and 13 rbi through 79 at bats he's shown he can definitely hit Major League hitting. He'll likely need to raise his .266 batting average some to seriously contend however which isn't inconcievable as he's never hit below .300 throughout his minor league career.

Hardball Dynasty's

Reggie Kreuter

Los Angeles - DH/C

Not much has ever been expected from Reggie Krueter which is most likely the reason LA was able to pick him up in the rule 5 draft. He has so far surprised everyone by crushing 4 homers driving in 13 runs and hitting at a .365 clip in 74 at bats. Although a DH Reggie can fill in as a back-up catcher when needed and has been valuable for LA so far and likely a reason they are tied for first place thus far.

Hardball Dynasty's

Jeff Brooks

Salt Lake - CF

Jeff Brooks can hit bombs. Combine that with his ability to roam centerfield with ease, swipe some bags and just plain put the bat on the ball and you have a star in the making. 9 home runs and 17 rbi so far make Jeff a serious contender for the AL ROY. Hitting .284 won't hurt and he'll likely raise that average as the year goes on. This Cincy scout's early money is on Jeff to win the award and it's not surprising that Cincy had inquired about Jeff in the off-season. Salt Lakes wily GM would have none of it though and rightly so.

Hardball Dynasty's

Louis Hiljus

St. Louis - LF

Louis Hiljus has the makings of a solid major leaguer but he just hasn't shown it yet. Unless he can drastically improve upon his .246 batting average and his paltry power numbers (1 dinger and 7 rbi) he'll likely drop off the ROY list sooner rather than later. St. Louis management believes he can turn it around however. The world will wait and see.



Current Standings (based on a sober Cincinnati scouts observations)

1. Jeff Brooks
2. Reggie Krueter
3. Douglass Crudale
4. Vince Cummings
5. Louis Hiljus

Cubs Preview

Despite winning 103 games last season, the Cubs went into the off season with a bitter taste in their mouths after being dispatched in the second round of the playoffs by the Florida Marlins. Looking back at their playoff failure, the Cubs identified two areas of weakness that needed to be addressed in the off season, lack of a true #1 starter, and more consistent, timely hitting.

The Cubs quickly moved to address their biggest deficiency by trading for veteran star pitcher Dwight Johnson. The Cubs admittedly paid a ransom for Johnson, giving up a stellar pitching prospect to go with a good OF prospect. Despite innuendo about possible collusion, the Cubs moved forward with the trade with the hopes that Johnson would be a key to their success come playoff time.

While the Cubs made no majors moves to bolster the offense, GM Josepaco was confident that an additional year of growth and progress by key players would be sufficient. The Cubs key position players are very young and talented. After getting their first taste of playoff baseball, the Cubs expect bigger and better things this year.

GM and Manager: Josepaco (6th season, 660-636 (.509), 1 Wild Card; Last Season: 103-59, 2nd place in NL North; Season Seven Prediction: 101-61, 2nd place; Wild Card. Could be better if: bullpen is better than previous year; Reds suffer catastrophic injuries. Could be worse if: Bullpen struggles; offense lacks consistency.

Cubs position by position breakdown:


Catcher
Iron man Billy Ulrich is looking to build off a very successful 1st season with the Cubs. Last year, Ulrich hit .329 with 29 hr and 108 RBI. His biggest contribution remains his ability to handle the Cubs pitching staff. Its no coincidence that the Cubs pitching staff saw their era drop by more than a run with Ulrich's arrival. The Cubs however have zero depth behind Ulrich and have no promising prospects at the position. Ulrich's health is vital to any success the Cubs have.

First Base
The Cubs figure to be set at first for some time to come with young slugger Tony Suarezmanning the position. Suarez slow start last year hurt the Cubs early, but his torrid second half set the pace for the playoff run. While club officials are happy with Suarez's ability to consistently hit for power and average (3yr ave .300, 39 hrs, 135 RBI), they're are quiet concerns about the dip in his OBP. Prospect Larry Bushwill get some ABs against righties, but figures to be trade bait if the Cubs look to make a push mid season.

Second Base
Posiedon Wardencontinues to impress at age 32, hitting .320 with a .448 OBP. His ability to get on base is the key in the engine of the Cubs offense. While defense remains a detractor for Warden, he remains one of the more electric players in the national league

Short Stop
The Cubs go into season 7 with the plan of playing SS by committee, with Parker Hoffman and Benjamin Prokopec sharing the load. Hoffman had a solid first season with the Cubs, hitting .285 with a .359 OBP, but is limited in his range. The Cubs picked up Prokopec on the cheap in the off-season, and hope that he can hit just enough to get his stellar glove into the field

Third Base
At the tender age of 23, Joey Tracyhas established himself as the heart and soul of the Cubs and the team' most feared hitter. Despite hitting 58 HRs and driving in 139 RBIs last year, Tracy's consistency came into question as he saw his average dip from .330 to .269. Coming off of a 70 HR year in season 5, many suspected that he fell in love with the long ball, and swung for the fences too much. The Cubs have big expectations for Tracy this year, as his ability to hit for average and power is required for the team to do well. Overlooked because of his offensive prowess was Tracy's development on the defensive side. Tracy won the gold glove at third base last year, and has unheralded range at the hot corner. His defensive ability is a big contributor to the pitching staff's success.

Left Field
Wayne Stewart has been labeled Mr. Consistency for his metronome like performance. If the season has started, pencil Stewart in for .300, 35 HRs and 100 RBI.

Center Field
Batting .291 with 28 HRs and 92 RBIs, while winning a gold glove in CF is impressive. Add to that the fact that the player putting up those numbers was in his rookie year, and you have a star in the making. Many thought that the impressive year put together by Brett Kinney last year should have been enough to garner the ROY award. Despite not winning the trophy, the Cubs hope that Kinney continues to develop. He is the anchor in one of the NLs best defensive outfields.

Right Field
A former infield prospect, Anthony Siscohas one of the NLs strongest arms in the outfield. The Cubs need Sisco to continue to develop patience at the plate and put the ball in play more often so he can use his natural talents. Sisco's versatility is a huge benefit to the Cubs, as he was able to play multiple positions last year when needed.

Starting Pitching
The Cubs again go into the season with more starters than they can use. This proved effective and wise last year, as stalwart Dennis Riley went down early with a shoulder injury and missed significant time. The Cubs mix a blend of aging veteran stars with young fireballers, looking for the right combination to lead them to the championship. While Dwight Johnson is the player most will be watching, the season's success may ride on the shoulders of young vets Don Belland Xavier Hart. Horse Lorenzo Bennettis an innings eater who bolsters the end of the rotation. Should one of the Cubs starters go down, old vet Turner Hughes, coming off his most successful season as a Cub, is hanging around in the bullpen. He'll get a few spot starts and will move into the rotation in the second half of the year in an effort to keep him fresh.

Bullpen
The bullpen was a mixed bag for the Cubs last year. Fireballer and prospective closer Stephen Fonville inexplicably turned into the gas man last year, causing more fires than he put out. His failures opened the door for young stud Jorge Padilla, who at 21 had 27 saves and a respectable 3.19 ERA. The rubber armed Vicente Lopez was called on to carry a big workload last year, but the Cubs need him to be the bridge to Padilla in the 8th.

Youngster Douglas Baker pitched well late last year, and earned himself a spot in the bullpen to start the year. If he can maintain his control, he'll be effective in getting batters out. George Swift remains an enigma, having the talent to compete, but questions persist about his will to succeed.

The Cubs have the talent in the pen to form one of the strongest relief crews in the league. However, as last year showed, many question the testicular fortitude of the collective group and their ability to pitch under pressure. Any success by the starters could evaporate quickly if the bullpen blows the close to 20 saves they did in season 6.

National League Rookie of the Year Preview

Hardball Dynasty's

Max Lima

Atlanta PnB's - C

Max is off to a slow start. through 54 at bats he is only hitting .167 with a .515 ops and has only 2 home runs and 6 rbi's. My trusted scouts tell me that his potential is much better than that and though Max won't win any defensive awards a 60 home run season is not out of the realm of possibilities. He should be a strong contender before season end.

Hardball Dynasty's

Roger Merrick

Cincinnati Reds - RF

Roger came up late so to date has only 24 at bats. During those 24 at bats he has managed to hit .375 with an ops of .923 though only one home run and 2 rbi to his credit. Roger's potential is outstanding and though he hits in the leadoff spot for Cincinnati he should still have plenty of rbi opportunities. Not your typical lead-off hitter you won't see many stolen bases from Roger. Speed has never been the philosophy in Cincy though.

Hardball Dynasty's

Willie Espinosa

Houston Astros - SP

The only pitcher featured in either our NL or AL ROY Preview Willie makes it in on his outstanding performance thus far. A record of 3 - 0 through 19 innings, an ERA of 2.84 and a whip of 1.21 earn him a spot amongst the contenders for NL ROY. However it is mighty tough for a pitcher, starter or not, to earn the respect they deserve to be considered for this award. If Willie is able to continue his success he may just surprise a few traditionalists and pull it off.

Hardball Dynasty's

Miguel Franco

Louisville Swingers - LF

Miguel is hitting the cover off the ball. 6 home runs, 10 rbi, a .372 batting average and an impressive 1.252 ops through only 43 at bats propel Miguel to the top of the NL ROY rankings thus far. One wonders if he can keep up this torrid pace once the leagues best pitchers figure him out or if he'll settle back down to earth amongst us mere mortals. Time, and this scout, will tell.

Hardball Dynasty's

Perry Simmons

Omaha Larrupin Lous - 2b

Not originally considerd a ROY candidate, perhaps due to being a rule 5 pick, Perry is of to a terrific start. In 65 at bats Perry has 4 rbis, is hitting .338 with an ops of .856 though he's yet to hit his first ever Major League home run. He won't hit many but expect hit on base percentage and base-running to be outstanding. One to consider for sure.

Hardball Dynasty's

Willie Pizzaro

Seattle Pilots - 1b

Willie needs to start hitting a little more. he made it into considerations based on this scouts expectations of him dropping balls in every river and bay behind every stadium that has a river and bay behind it and to his credit he does have 2 dingers and 6 rbi's though 55 at bats. the .200 batting average needs to come up though if he wants to continue being considered. Bring it Willie. Bring it.

Current Standings: (based on a drunken Cincinnati scout's report)

1. Miguel Franco
2. Roger Merrick
3. Perry Simmons
4. Willie Espinosa
5. Willie Pizzaro
6. Max Lima

Omar Nixon Hits for Cycle

During the 8-2 thrashing of the Astros, Reds 1B Omar Nixon hit for the cycle. For the season Nixon is hitting .311, with 5 HRs, and 13 RBIs.