As Spring Training gets under way we take a look at the teams and how much money they are paying out in payroll this season. Unless a major trade comes along, salaries are likely to remain near the figures listed. This season the average payroll for the league is $81.3 million when all team payrolls are combined and averaged out. So without further ado here are the teams and their current payrolls.
1. Montgomery - $136 million (AL)
Leading the way in payroll and having spent a full $25 million more than Helena, Montgomery is out to prove that you can indeed buy a World Series Championship. Montgomery is projected by many to be the favorite to win not only the American League but the World Series. If this team fails to make the World Series it will be viewed as nothing short of failure.
2. Helena - $111 million (AL)
Helena may not have spent the amount of money that Montgomery has this season but they are in no way thinking that they won’t represent the American League in the World Series as they are lead by their own $20 million man Robert Robinson. Many are picking Montgomery to represent the American League but don’t overlook Helena. If this team does not have a deep playoff run, it will be viewed as a failure. One would think a division title would be sewn up with this kind of cash but the next team has something to say about that.
3. Vancouver - $106 million (AL)
Vancouver comes in third on payroll this season and interesting enough is in the same division as Helena. While Vancouver may not sport a $20 million man, they are lead by $15 million man Leon Haynes. Another team that is looking for a deep playoff run and failure to do so may lead to the failure label being placed on them.
4. Salem – $101 million (AL)
Salem comes in fourth on payroll this season and interesting enough is in the same division as Helena and Vancouver. Seems that if you are not spending at least $100 million, you don’t have hopes of winning the division this season. Lead by $20 million man Miguel Alou the team traded for Kurt Westmoreland in hopes of boosting their playoff chances. The AL West may not be the best division in Double Day but it’s certainly spending the most.
5. Montreal – 99.6 million (AL)
Montreal rounds out the AL dominance on payrolls for this season. After finishing a disappointing third last season Montreal looks to be competitive and possibly make a playoff run. With a salary this high one would be surprised if the team nucleus will be kept together if another disappointing season ensues in Montreal.
6. Tucson - $98.5 million (NL)
Tucson is the first National League team. Lead by $20 million man Erick Shannon, Tucson has high hopes of making the World Series this season. Most consider them to have a great shot of representing the National League in the World Series but one wonders if $35.5 million tied up in 2 pitchers leaves them enough cash to put together a suitable offense.
7. Jacksonville - $96 million (AL)
Jacksonville comes in tied for sixth on our list and is lead by $20 million man Oswald Navarro. Jacksonville has hopes for a deep post season run but in the American League that could prove to be a tough task. The team has $52.3 million tied up in 3 players so one has to wonder if there is enough cash left to put a supporting cast around them.
8. Salt Lake - $96 million (AL)
Salt Lake comes in tied for sixth on our list and has no players making over $7 million this season. Another team that has hopes for a deep run in the play offs it will be interesting to see if the spread the cash theory works out better than the pay a few players big bucks theory.
9. Austin - $93 million (NL)
Austin comes in eighth, and only the second National League team, on our list and has no players making over $9 million this season. Austin hopes to win their division and make a deep run in the post season and hopefully representing the National League in the World Series. The team has gone for the spread the cash around theory as they look for their 7th consecutive division title.
10. Pittsburgh - $88 million (NL)
The defending World Series Champions come in at a most ninth on our list. While it is hard to question success, one wonders if the $88 million they have spent this far will be enough for them to make a deep run in the play offs and possibly capture their second title. The defending champs can’t be over looked in their quest to win their second World Series title.
11. Louisville - $87 million (NL)
Louisville comes in at tenth on the list with hopes of climbing out of the divisional cellar this season. Since being sold the team has never made the play offs and the once feared winner of 5 of the league’s first 6 World Series Titles looks to give their fans something to once again cheer about.
12. Columbus - $86 million (NL)
Columbus comes in at eleventh as the National League shows a difference in philosophies are far as spending goes. Columbus is another team hoping to climb out of the divisional cellar but being in the same division as Pittsburg is never a good thing.
13. Detroit - $85 million (NL)
Detroit made the playoffs last season and is hoping that the extra cash spent this season will lead to them winning the division for the first time and going places in the playoffs. The team certainly has spent the most of any team in its division and it will be interesting to see if they can do better than their consecutive second place finishes in the division.
14. Honolulu - $82 million (NL)
Honolulu looks to defend their division title against Tucson while spending about $17 million less than Tucson. One would normally question this kind of thinking but when you have won the division title the last 2 seasons there is little room to doubt the chances of them making it 3 seasons in a row.
15. Monterrey - $80.5 million (NL)
Monterrey tries to regroup after finishing 2nd in the division again and missing out on the playoffs. Can they be the team to de-throne Austin? Only time will tell but as of now I would say another 2nd place finish is in their future.
16. El Paso - $80 million (NL)
El Paso’s biggest claim to fame is not finishing any higher than 3rd in the division since Season 5 and has never made the play offs. With new ownership coming in this season, the fans are hopeful that if the playoffs are not in their future then at least signs of life are.
17. Cleveland - $77.5 million (NL)
Cleveland looks to win their 5th consecutive division title and won a World Series Title two seasons ago. While some would scoff at their payroll, you can’t argue with the success that ownership has had there.
18. Baltimore - $73.5 million (AL)
Whew we were starting to wonder what had happened to the rest of the American League teams. Baltimore looks to improve on its third place finish in the division this season though winning the division looks to be a tough task. Baltimore has $35 million tied up in 2 players so there may not be enough cash left to put together a solid supporting cash to improve on their 72 win total of last season.
19. Chicago - $73.5 million (NL)
Chicago had high hopes of resigning Albert Wall evaporated when the slugger moved onto Montgomery. While most would consider this a huge blow, for Chicago it may not be so bad and allow the team to rebuild. The team over the last 3 seasons has dropped from 2nd place, to 3rd place, to 4th place in their division. The team looks to climb out of the divisional cellar this season but losing a bat like Wall may make it difficult.
20. Norfolk - $73 million (AL)
Norfolk has a modest payroll that should allow them to be competitive but one wonders if they will have enough to challenge for the divisional title this season. Last season new ownership guided the team to a 2nd place finish in the division though the team only won 73 games.
21. Las Vegas - $71 million (AL)
Las Vegas missed out on running a $100 million payroll like the rest of the teams in the division. While the team has never won a divisional title under current ownership it has improved in the divisional standings each of the last 3 years so is this the year they win the division? Not likely but they could show that a modest payroll can compete.
22. Kansas City - $66 million (AL)
Kansas City ran a modest payroll last season and won 102 games, takes care of the need a huge payroll to make the play offs theory. One wonders though if the team can repeat that kind of success with $18.5 million tied up in 1 player. The team has a lot of young, cheap players to fill out the roster so it should be interesting to see what happens.
23. Huntington - $65.6 million (AL)
Huntington finished third in the division last season and with their modest payroll may be able to finish second this season but a division title this season looks doubtful given they are in the same division as Montgomery.
24. St. Louis - $63.5 million (NL)
St. Louis continues to shed salary as they try and work their way out of the basement. The team has a mixture of veterans as well as some talented youth on the team. Pitching will be the key to see if the team can make any noise this season.
25. Boston - $59 million (NL)
Boston looks to finish above third place for the first time under their current ownership. The team may not finish above third place this season but should get a nice pick out of this year’s draft.
26. Seattle - $57 million (AL)
Seattle won the American League last season and in the off season made the decision to lower payroll after winning over 100 games. Not often an owner does that but it is hard to envision one of the lowest payrolls in the world winning their division again this season let alone going to the World Series.
27. Durham - $51 million (AL)
Durham has the honor of being the team with the fourth lowest payroll this season. After only winning 60 games last season the team may be in place to win a few more but another cellar finish may also be in their future this season as well as a good draft pick next season.
28. Portland - $50.5 million (NL)
Portland rings in with the 5th lowest payroll in the league. The team managed to climb out of the cellar last season to 3rd place and looks to continue their rise in the divisional standings but a limited payroll may hamper those efforts this season.
29. Hartford - $47 million (NL)
Hartford rings in with the 4th lowest payroll in the league. After looking like a contender before Free Agency began ownership decided to go a different direction and had a fire sale on the team moving long time players Kurt Westmoreland and Lefty Moore. The fans can only hope that the team can be competitive in a few seasons.
30. San Juan - $37 million (AL)
San Juan rings in with the 3rd lowest payroll in the league. After a second place finish last season the team will be hard pressed to repeat that kind of success. The team is primed to finish with a poor record and garner a high draft pick next season.
31. Philadelphia - $29.5 million (AL)
Philadelphia rings in with the 2nd lowest payroll in the league. Ownership has continued its trend of lowering salary and building up the farm system. While the team is pretty much assured a last place finish in its division it should also have a Top 5 draft pick in next seasons draft.
32. Iowa - $19 million (NL)
Iowa wins the lowest payroll in the league award as they have one of the lowest, if not the lowest, payrolls in world history. After coming in third place last season it would appear that Iowa is on pace to finish last in the division and has a legitimate shot at having the top overall draft pick. The team is chalked full of young and cheap players but should be fairly competitive.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Around the Block
A busy week in Doubleday with Free Agency, Promotions, Trades etc.. To start off I have received word that Detroit is willing to deal Nolan Cain. Yes, big news! Detroit is seeking a good position player and a VERY good Starting Pitcher. From what I gather it don't matter if the players are prospects or ML vets.
Moving on, Some updated Free Agency news! Kansas City signed Kevin Colin in the last week to a 5 year 88 million dollar contract. El Paso signed Felipe Guerrero to a 4 year 55 million dollar contract with a 1.3 mil signing bonus! And last but certainly not least, Chicago managed to attempt to replace Albert Wall by signing Erv Hines to a 4 year 20.8 million dollar contract!
Huntington Heroes promoted the #9 pick from season 7 draft SS Benjamin Rigby to Major League squad! Rigby projects to be a stud at the Shortstop position with a very good bat. Philadelphia also did some promoting this season.. Felipe Roque has been promoted to the Major League team and is said to be potentially the best call up in several seasons.
Moving on, Some updated Free Agency news! Kansas City signed Kevin Colin in the last week to a 5 year 88 million dollar contract. El Paso signed Felipe Guerrero to a 4 year 55 million dollar contract with a 1.3 mil signing bonus! And last but certainly not least, Chicago managed to attempt to replace Albert Wall by signing Erv Hines to a 4 year 20.8 million dollar contract!
Huntington Heroes promoted the #9 pick from season 7 draft SS Benjamin Rigby to Major League squad! Rigby projects to be a stud at the Shortstop position with a very good bat. Philadelphia also did some promoting this season.. Felipe Roque has been promoted to the Major League team and is said to be potentially the best call up in several seasons.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Best Free Agent Signings so far!
Albert Wall being signed by Montgomery to a 5 year 100 million dollar contract with a 2 million dollar signing bonus! Montgomery added the man that comes 2nd place in career Home Runs to the other 2 guys who sit at the top of the list with him. The power Montgomery has right now is scary.. The question right now is, Who can stop them from scoring?
Junior Cerveza was not re-signed by Montgomery allowing Huntington, a division rival to snag up the 35 year old SP. Cerveza is only getting 15million over the next 2 seasons and to me that is a great value. He will not be the same pitcher he is now after those 2 seasons are up. Cerveza could potentially still get it done with Cy Young type numbers. Huntington should get quality for the next 2 seasons and possibly get back to the post season.
SP Arnold Dougherty has returned to Chicago! A 28 million dollar contract for the next 4 seasons with a no trade clause has pretty much made Dougherty a Chicago Whale for the rest of his career. Much like Junior Cerveza he still posesses most of his skills. He will not be able to go as long in games but while he's pitching he'll still put out quality performances. Chicago's signing of Dougherty doesn't put them in a position to where they make the playoffs instantly, they still have work to do.
Oh look! Montgomery signed ANOTHER very good player this offseason. RP Virgil Hayes agreed to a 4 year 26.8 million dollar contract. Hayes is a very good RP that has the potential to close on most teams, we will see just where he ends up on the pitching staff once Spring Training ends.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Arnold Traded!
Trevor Arnold was traded to Norfolk today! St. Louis acquired two very good prospects in return. 1B Randy Murray and LF Al Aybar in the deal. Great trade for both sides and Norfolk seriously amped up their offense. However, they are very weak in the pitching department. It will be interesting to see what they do to fix that.
Free Agency!!
Top 10 Free Agents Available
1. Albert Wall -1B
2. Erv Hines -RF
3. Junior Cerveza -SP
4. Virgil Hayes -RP
5. Robinson Dreifort -SP
6. Kevin Colin -3B
7. Felipe Guererro -2B
8. Homer Vance -1B
9. Arnold Dougherty -SP
10. Erik Shannon -SP
1. Albert Wall -1B
2. Erv Hines -RF
3. Junior Cerveza -SP
4. Virgil Hayes -RP
5. Robinson Dreifort -SP
6. Kevin Colin -3B
7. Felipe Guererro -2B
8. Homer Vance -1B
9. Arnold Dougherty -SP
10. Erik Shannon -SP
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sellers!
Welcome to Season 11!!
To start off with Season 11 we had two owners sell off their franchises. Long time Colorado Grizzlies owner Ice-Rat decided it was time to sell because of the past terrible seasons. He had a great thing building but in Colorado it just kills any new pitching. Same thing for the former Charlotte franchise, could have become a better team with patience however the team has been sold!!
Incoming owners captainpud2 bought the Charlotte franchise and moved them to El Paso where he hopes to revive and rebuild a team in desperate need of attention. With only 5 seasons under his belt he has managed to get to the playoffs 3 times. I hope the success continues in El Paso!!! The 2nd owner to come in is a brand new owner to the HBD world! Bagwellbuff takes the former Colorado team and moves them north to Vancouver where he plans on taking this team to the next level!
Incoming owners captainpud2 bought the Charlotte franchise and moved them to El Paso where he hopes to revive and rebuild a team in desperate need of attention. With only 5 seasons under his belt he has managed to get to the playoffs 3 times. I hope the success continues in El Paso!!! The 2nd owner to come in is a brand new owner to the HBD world! Bagwellbuff takes the former Colorado team and moves them north to Vancouver where he plans on taking this team to the next level!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
New Champs!! Pittsburgh Crawfords!!!
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With a 3-2 lead in the World Series, Pittsburgh came into the game looking to end it! Seattle needed to tie the series to take the series to game 7 where they were the favorites. SP John Grimsley has been one of the more successful pitchers in the Pittsburgh organization in the Post season coming into the game with a 5-1 post season record. Seattle started SP Pablo Mercedes which is 0-2 in the Post season career. A pretty bold move since this would define their season, however who could blame Seattle when Mercedes was 17-8 during the regular season. Mercedes would give up 6 earned runs before P Horacio Duran would come in to try and stop the bleeding. It was too late! Seattle could only put up 2 additional runs making it a 7-3 ball game..RP Felix Moran would come in to finish the job only giving up 1 run in the final 2 innings giving Pittsburgh its first Championship!!!
The Lead Pilot!
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Macias is seriously humiliating the opponents this post season. He has managed to hit 7 Home runs in just 10 games while driving in 14 runs. Macias has been an important piece to the Seattle offense. Even with the first game of the World Series going to Pittsburgh, Macias could be the one who changes the course and takes Seattle to the Championship!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
And it's showtime!!
VS.
The Seattle Pilots have returned to the World Series for the 2nd consecutive season. This season they emerged as one of the best teams in Doubleday and improving their record by 12 games! Led by their Ace Roger Hosmer, Seattle took out the Salem Volcanoes in the ALCS. They will be facing a very dangerous Pittsburgh Crawfords team. Pittsburgh was pretty much outdone during the regular season in every major category by Seattle. However I feel Pittsburgh has more weapons overall. This series should go 7!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Playoff Predictions!!
AMERICAN LEAGUE!!
#6 Memphis vs. #3 Salem- Although Memphis barely entered the playoffs I feel with the players on this team they can win this series. 3-2 MEMPHIS
#5 Kansas City vs. #4 Jacksonville- As much as I love Dan Hudler and Erv Hines, Jacksonville doesn't stand a chance against a team that just simply has it all! 3-1 KANSAS CITY
NATIONAL LEAGUE
#6 Detroit vs. #3 Honolulu- Detroit finally made the playoffs!!! Now they are going to lose to a very good Honolulu team. 3-2 HONOLULU
#5Tucson vs. #4 Pittsburgh- Tucson is also in their first ever playoff appearance! This series to me will be the closest of all! Tucson put together a very good team and a good run at the end of the season to make it here. Pittsburgh has let me down for the last 3 seasons.... I pick 3-2 TUCSON
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Bailey No Hits the Stars!
Opey Higgins
Doubleday Daily
Las Vegas, Nevada
The game started out like any other game.. Not a very important game for either team however that would change. SP Rene Bailey would step on the mound and become part of Doubleday History! Bailey would not allow one hit throughout nine innings! Philly didn't have an answer for him all night long. Bailey has a career win/loss of 81-93 coming into this game which is what makes this extra special for the veteran. Congrats to Rene Bailey and hopefully you will shock us again!
Doubleday Daily
Las Vegas, Nevada
The game started out like any other game.. Not a very important game for either team however that would change. SP Rene Bailey would step on the mound and become part of Doubleday History! Bailey would not allow one hit throughout nine innings! Philly didn't have an answer for him all night long. Bailey has a career win/loss of 81-93 coming into this game which is what makes this extra special for the veteran. Congrats to Rene Bailey and hopefully you will shock us again!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
700 Stolen Bases!
Fonzie Puffer has reached 700 stolen bases in his career! The first man to do so in Doubleday history has been really killing it over the last 8 seasons. Puffer holds the single season stolen base record with 155 topping the previous best 128 of retired Javier Piniero. Puffer hasn't been the best hitter in his career but when he got on base he gives his team a chance to score every time. Congrats Fonzie!
Maxwell and Shinjo on record pace!
Montgomery's Philip Maxwell and Austin's Alex Shinjo both have 41HR's in the first 100 games. With 62 games left both men could potentially hit another 25+ bringing them both to approx. 65HR. I would imagine both of them with their current batting averages and ability to make things happen to rival Albert Wall's single season record of 74. We will follow this story as it unfolds as we wind down to the end of the season.
Inge signs contract extension!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Where are they now? Rookie of the Year winners!
NL Season 1: Albert Wall - NL ROY has eclipsed the 500 HR mark! Wall also has the single season HR record of 74. Wall is a former 2 time NL MVP, 3 time HR Derby champ and 7 time All-Star
AL Season 1: Valerio Pizzaro - Pizzaro has hit the 400 HR mark and will probably end his career with around 500. Pizzaro 1 time HR Derby Champ and 3 time All-Star.
NL Season 2: Brett Raymond- in season 2 Raymond went 16-7 to win the NL ROY award.. Since then he's won no more than 14 games and hasn't had much of a career. Raymond is a 1 time All-Star and has 2 World Championship rings to his credit.
AL Season 2: Oswaldo Navarro- in 8 ML years Navarro has hit 40 HR's in 7 of them! Navarro has won a MVP award and 3 time All-Star.
NL Season 3: Les Cloud- Cloud has been part of the Louisville Franchise from day 1.One of the biggest threats in the ML, Cloud has accumulated 6 time All-Star, 1 time All-Star MVP , 1 time HR Derby Champ, and 4 World Championship rings.
AL Season 3: Abraham Inge- Inge started a little slow in his career after taking the ROY award home but he has made a nice transition since then. Inge has managed to become a 3 time All-Star and also has 1 World Championship ring to his credit.
NL Season 4: Lefty Moore- In his 6th ML season Moore has done a lot to cement his name into the Doubleday HOF. At 27 he's already hit 281 HR while being one of the most feared hitters in the NL. Moore has 1 MVP award and 3 All-Star appearances.
AL Season 4: Charlie Hitchcock- Hitchcock has to be one of the biggest disappointments to ever win the ROY award. In 155 starts he's only won 50 games...He has 1 All-Star appearance.
NL Season 5: Harry Bennett- Since his 18-9 performance in season 5, Bennett had 2 more consecutive 18 wins seasons. Even with the 2 18 wins seasons he only managed to be an All-Star 1 time.
AL Season 5: Rafael Seanez- Seanez had a great rookie season but hasn't even came close to that level of play since. Seanez managed to gather 2 Gold Gloves for RF since his ROY award win.
NL Season 6: Jamie Helton- Helton had a phenomenal rookie season and he hasn't really let up yet! Averaging 40hr/year and over .300ba. Helton has 1 All-Star appearance in his career.
AL Season 6: Kevin Strickland- 52 HR in his rookie season with Colorado. Strickland appeared to be a new threat. For 2 more seasons he hit pretty well over 30 hr per season then he was picked up by Kansas City..He hasn't had a full ML season since season 8. He is in AAA right now awaiting further instructions.Strickland has 1 All-Star appearance.
NL Season 7: Eduardo Gandarillas- 51-22 since his rookie year , Gandarillas is a very feared Pitcher. He hasn't been able to do well enough to garner an All-Star appearance.
AL Season 7: Branch Ryan- Ryan is a solid 1b/C and has averaged 27 HR per season. Much like his NL ROY partner he also hasn't garnered an All-Star appearance.
NL Season 8: Alex Shinjo- 100 HR and 200 RBI in his first 2 seasons, Shinjo is going to be a beast! Shinjo already an All-Star and has hit for the Cycle in his career.
AL Season 8: Fausto Vargas- 45 HR and 203 RBI in 2 seasons, Vargas is on his way to becoming a very good player! Vargas is already a 2 time All-Star.
NL Season 9: Trevor Arnold & Billy Herbert- Arnold hit over 30HR in his first season wh ile Herbert went 10-1. Both guys got exactly the same amount of votes. Arnold hasn't won any awards yet while Herbert has a World Championship ring.
AL Season 9: Erubiel Bournigal- All-Star and Golden Glove in his first season! Bournigal is going to have a very promising career.
AL Season 1: Valerio Pizzaro - Pizzaro has hit the 400 HR mark and will probably end his career with around 500. Pizzaro 1 time HR Derby Champ and 3 time All-Star.
NL Season 2: Brett Raymond- in season 2 Raymond went 16-7 to win the NL ROY award.. Since then he's won no more than 14 games and hasn't had much of a career. Raymond is a 1 time All-Star and has 2 World Championship rings to his credit.
AL Season 2: Oswaldo Navarro- in 8 ML years Navarro has hit 40 HR's in 7 of them! Navarro has won a MVP award and 3 time All-Star.
NL Season 3: Les Cloud- Cloud has been part of the Louisville Franchise from day 1.One of the biggest threats in the ML, Cloud has accumulated 6 time All-Star, 1 time All-Star MVP , 1 time HR Derby Champ, and 4 World Championship rings.
AL Season 3: Abraham Inge- Inge started a little slow in his career after taking the ROY award home but he has made a nice transition since then. Inge has managed to become a 3 time All-Star and also has 1 World Championship ring to his credit.
NL Season 4: Lefty Moore- In his 6th ML season Moore has done a lot to cement his name into the Doubleday HOF. At 27 he's already hit 281 HR while being one of the most feared hitters in the NL. Moore has 1 MVP award and 3 All-Star appearances.
AL Season 4: Charlie Hitchcock- Hitchcock has to be one of the biggest disappointments to ever win the ROY award. In 155 starts he's only won 50 games...He has 1 All-Star appearance.
NL Season 5: Harry Bennett- Since his 18-9 performance in season 5, Bennett had 2 more consecutive 18 wins seasons. Even with the 2 18 wins seasons he only managed to be an All-Star 1 time.
AL Season 5: Rafael Seanez- Seanez had a great rookie season but hasn't even came close to that level of play since. Seanez managed to gather 2 Gold Gloves for RF since his ROY award win.
NL Season 6: Jamie Helton- Helton had a phenomenal rookie season and he hasn't really let up yet! Averaging 40hr/year and over .300ba. Helton has 1 All-Star appearance in his career.
AL Season 6: Kevin Strickland- 52 HR in his rookie season with Colorado. Strickland appeared to be a new threat. For 2 more seasons he hit pretty well over 30 hr per season then he was picked up by Kansas City..He hasn't had a full ML season since season 8. He is in AAA right now awaiting further instructions.Strickland has 1 All-Star appearance.
NL Season 7: Eduardo Gandarillas- 51-22 since his rookie year , Gandarillas is a very feared Pitcher. He hasn't been able to do well enough to garner an All-Star appearance.
AL Season 7: Branch Ryan- Ryan is a solid 1b/C and has averaged 27 HR per season. Much like his NL ROY partner he also hasn't garnered an All-Star appearance.
NL Season 8: Alex Shinjo- 100 HR and 200 RBI in his first 2 seasons, Shinjo is going to be a beast! Shinjo already an All-Star and has hit for the Cycle in his career.
AL Season 8: Fausto Vargas- 45 HR and 203 RBI in 2 seasons, Vargas is on his way to becoming a very good player! Vargas is already a 2 time All-Star.
NL Season 9: Trevor Arnold & Billy Herbert- Arnold hit over 30HR in his first season wh ile Herbert went 10-1. Both guys got exactly the same amount of votes. Arnold hasn't won any awards yet while Herbert has a World Championship ring.
AL Season 9: Erubiel Bournigal- All-Star and Golden Glove in his first season! Bournigal is going to have a very promising career.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Wall hits 500!!!!
The night of October 9th Chicago played Charlotte.. Albert Wall had been in a big HR drought only hitting 2 Home runs in the previous 9 games. Wall closing in on his 500th HR for his career.. We all knew it would happen ... When was what everyone was asking. Well here we are and Francis Cortes was the lucky victim to give it up! With 1 out in the top of the 7th Albert Wall crushed 400ft blast to RF! Albert Wall is only the 2nd hitter in Doubleday History to achieve this milestone!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Corino Promoted!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Call the police we have some serious theft going on!
Today we will begin watching not only the 500 career Home Run milestone get another member.. We will also begin watching 2 guys hit the 700 career Stolen Base milestone! Fonzie Puffer and William Webster both are within striking distance of hitting 700 really soon.. Puffer has 690 and Webster has 682! Both of them barring injury will hit 700 for the season. At their age they will likely be the first 2 for a while.. being that the closest active player is Neil Campbell with 549. Campbell is 29 so if he has some good seasons he will be the 3rd and possible to hit 800.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
S10 AL Preview!
The AL North is where I'll begin, last season all 4 teams finished with above 90 wins but only 3 of them made the playoffs. Seattle Pilots were good enough to squeak in with a wild card entry but they also managed to pull off the seemingly impossible AL Championship. They went down to Cleveland in the World Series however.. This off-season Seattle hasn't done much of anything but they didn't really need to anyway.. They are going to be a hard team to beat this season. Salt Lake City on the other hand signed former Montreal LF Mariano Manzanillo and Former Durham RF Damian Tamura off Free Agency this off-season. They lost SP Santayana and SP John Nakamura to Free Agency but replaced them with some younger guys out of their farm. Salt Lake City has always been a personal favorite of mine to win it all but this season I think they just might fall a bit short.
Montreal, the most active of the AL North teams.. Losing P's Becker, Reid and Espinoza to Free Agency, They went and traded RP Hayes along with DH Maurer, 3B Parent and RF Rodgers for a slew of Prospects. It appeared to be Fire Sale time in Montreal.. But low and behold the true strategy came out by Montreal trading most of the prospects they acquired for High end Starting pitching. They also managed to Sign former MVP CF O'Brien to a huge deal to bolster their already solid offense. Montreal will improve from last season greatly if the pitching they added really helps them out. Kansas City also didn't do much in the off-season in regards to Free Agent signing but they did promote young Pitcher Raul Calvo and Trey Krause to the ML team. Look for KC to have another great season led by some great young talent and last seasons Cy Young winner Eli Hernandez.
Seattle: 99-63
Kansas City: 98-64
Montreal: 96-66
Salt Lake City: 88-74
The AL EAST is up next, First team in the AL East I'd like to discuss is Norfolk.. They traded SP Robinson Dreifort and lost CF Albert O'Briend and C Taylor Person to Free Agency. They acquired 3B Alex Parent and C Rondell Wilson as for the only big names. They aren't really in trouble in that division but they are going to still have a fight against Baltimore.. Baltimore didn't do much this off-season but what they did was added depth to their pitching. Not an amazing rotation but they have a solid offense to take them to most likely a first place finish. Jacksonville lost several to Free Agency but managed to re-sign SP Odalis Vega, LF Otto Judd and SP Graham Langston. They have a pretty solid offense still led by Dan Hudler and Erv Hines two of the best hitters in the game. They could make a run at the division but I think they'll finish in 2nd. Last we have Philly...Philly has reduced their payroll and looks to be in rebuild mode. Philly ended last season with 60 wins giving them the 4th pick in this season's Amateur draft. This season will be no different for the Stars since they pretty much suck..
Baltimore: 85-77
Jacksonville: 83-79
Norfolk: 70-92
Philly: 61-101
AL SOUTH: Let's start off with the former World Series Champs, Montgomery... Montgomery is still intact from last season only losing a couple relatively decent players to Free Agency. They are still the top dog in the South from what I can see loaded on the offense with Webb and Maxwell... The only team I see even competing with them is Memphis.. They added SP Jimmie Paul to the Rotation as well as continuing their youth movement. Is this the season we see Corino come up? If so that boosts Memphis to an actual playoff contender in my opinion. If they don't they'll be running with Huntington and Durham fighting for 2nd place. Huntington has been trying hard to rid themselves of big contracts and attempting to find a Starting Pitcher or 5 to make them a worthy contender this season... They did manage to capture SP Gary Mann and Promoted young SP Fred Cooke.. Some say he should have kept Cooke in the minors another season but this could be a good season for Cooke. Durham is under new ownership this season and they traded away Beltran to start things off.. I think they were smart ditching high payroll players and I feel they are going to be in rebuild mode for a few seasons...
Montgomery: 95-67
Memphis: 81-81
Huntington: 75-87
Durham: 60-102
That leaves us with the AL WEST! Salem is the first team I'd like to talk about.. They looked good last season and they managed to pick up a couple Free Agents.. nothing special.. But they did promote 2B Sherm Spence to the ML roster which will help a lot. Not sure wtf the owner is thinking but he released a few players and signed one back.. The attempt to build up the bullpen may have been the strategy.. I just hope it works out for him.... Colorado, The signing of SS Vic Tejada and RF Chris Marte could be a huge advancement in this teams performance. Also trading for DH P.T. Maurer brings more power to the lineup .. Colorado's pitching has improved with the return of SP Niko Barry! Next up! Las Vegas....you have to respect what Badoujack has done with this team.. He took over this team that had probably the worst group of players in season 5 to bring them to close to a winning record in just 3 seasons.. Not a tank job by any means.. He played who he could get and just tried to build up.. led this season by 3B Neifi Espinosa and newly acquired SP Bernie Alvarez. Las Vegas is going to attempt a jump in win pct. Last on our predictions and discussion is Helena! Key additions 1B Ray Rigby and LF Willie Guapo.. Helena is still a good team and will be competitive this season.. Look for Robinson to have another MVP type year.
Salem: 88-74
Colorado: 80-82
Helena: 80-82
Las Vegas: 70-92
Montreal, the most active of the AL North teams.. Losing P's Becker, Reid and Espinoza to Free Agency, They went and traded RP Hayes along with DH Maurer, 3B Parent and RF Rodgers for a slew of Prospects. It appeared to be Fire Sale time in Montreal.. But low and behold the true strategy came out by Montreal trading most of the prospects they acquired for High end Starting pitching. They also managed to Sign former MVP CF O'Brien to a huge deal to bolster their already solid offense. Montreal will improve from last season greatly if the pitching they added really helps them out. Kansas City also didn't do much in the off-season in regards to Free Agent signing but they did promote young Pitcher Raul Calvo and Trey Krause to the ML team. Look for KC to have another great season led by some great young talent and last seasons Cy Young winner Eli Hernandez.
Seattle: 99-63
Kansas City: 98-64
Montreal: 96-66
Salt Lake City: 88-74
The AL EAST is up next, First team in the AL East I'd like to discuss is Norfolk.. They traded SP Robinson Dreifort and lost CF Albert O'Briend and C Taylor Person to Free Agency. They acquired 3B Alex Parent and C Rondell Wilson as for the only big names. They aren't really in trouble in that division but they are going to still have a fight against Baltimore.. Baltimore didn't do much this off-season but what they did was added depth to their pitching. Not an amazing rotation but they have a solid offense to take them to most likely a first place finish. Jacksonville lost several to Free Agency but managed to re-sign SP Odalis Vega, LF Otto Judd and SP Graham Langston. They have a pretty solid offense still led by Dan Hudler and Erv Hines two of the best hitters in the game. They could make a run at the division but I think they'll finish in 2nd. Last we have Philly...Philly has reduced their payroll and looks to be in rebuild mode. Philly ended last season with 60 wins giving them the 4th pick in this season's Amateur draft. This season will be no different for the Stars since they pretty much suck..
Baltimore: 85-77
Jacksonville: 83-79
Norfolk: 70-92
Philly: 61-101
AL SOUTH: Let's start off with the former World Series Champs, Montgomery... Montgomery is still intact from last season only losing a couple relatively decent players to Free Agency. They are still the top dog in the South from what I can see loaded on the offense with Webb and Maxwell... The only team I see even competing with them is Memphis.. They added SP Jimmie Paul to the Rotation as well as continuing their youth movement. Is this the season we see Corino come up? If so that boosts Memphis to an actual playoff contender in my opinion. If they don't they'll be running with Huntington and Durham fighting for 2nd place. Huntington has been trying hard to rid themselves of big contracts and attempting to find a Starting Pitcher or 5 to make them a worthy contender this season... They did manage to capture SP Gary Mann and Promoted young SP Fred Cooke.. Some say he should have kept Cooke in the minors another season but this could be a good season for Cooke. Durham is under new ownership this season and they traded away Beltran to start things off.. I think they were smart ditching high payroll players and I feel they are going to be in rebuild mode for a few seasons...
Montgomery: 95-67
Memphis: 81-81
Huntington: 75-87
Durham: 60-102
That leaves us with the AL WEST! Salem is the first team I'd like to talk about.. They looked good last season and they managed to pick up a couple Free Agents.. nothing special.. But they did promote 2B Sherm Spence to the ML roster which will help a lot. Not sure wtf the owner is thinking but he released a few players and signed one back.. The attempt to build up the bullpen may have been the strategy.. I just hope it works out for him.... Colorado, The signing of SS Vic Tejada and RF Chris Marte could be a huge advancement in this teams performance. Also trading for DH P.T. Maurer brings more power to the lineup .. Colorado's pitching has improved with the return of SP Niko Barry! Next up! Las Vegas....you have to respect what Badoujack has done with this team.. He took over this team that had probably the worst group of players in season 5 to bring them to close to a winning record in just 3 seasons.. Not a tank job by any means.. He played who he could get and just tried to build up.. led this season by 3B Neifi Espinosa and newly acquired SP Bernie Alvarez. Las Vegas is going to attempt a jump in win pct. Last on our predictions and discussion is Helena! Key additions 1B Ray Rigby and LF Willie Guapo.. Helena is still a good team and will be competitive this season.. Look for Robinson to have another MVP type year.
Salem: 88-74
Colorado: 80-82
Helena: 80-82
Las Vegas: 70-92
Sunday, September 26, 2010
S10 Predictions!
I'll start off with the NATIONAL LEAGUE... In the AL NORTH I think Cleveland will take the division only because the other 3 teams just haven't done enough to compete with them.. Detroit's Cain, Chong, Hurst threesome could be a huge help keeping the Detroit franchise close to Cleveland however I'm not sure if that will be enough. Chicago has Albert Wall.. So my order officially will be
Cleveland: 100-62
Detroit: 90-72
Chicago: 80-82
Portland: 62-100
Moving onto the NL EAST! With Washington D.C. moving to Hartford and signing mainly power type hitters for their offense.. Something has to be said about the lack of pitching.. Look for them to hit a ton of HR's but give up about 10 runs per game... Pittsburgh, one of the biggest disappointments to me last season.. They are the best team assembled in the National League yet they can't get to the World Series... 2 straight NLCS appearances and knocked out both times.. They will win the division again and maybe this time get to the World Series...Columbus will improve this season mainly because Hartford will probably suck real bad.. Same with Boston.. Boston is still figuring things out and moving up every season. This season they won't beat many teams but they will win around 60 games.
Pittsburgh: 110-52
Columbus: 72-90
Hartford: 70-92
Boston: 65-97
NL SOUTH is where it's at.. Austin will be the top team again with Shinjo leading them..Another disappointing team from last season. No major moves but they did lose a couple decent players during the offseason.. Look for them to still remain on top of the division... As I sit here I debate on the next teams motives or lack there of.. Louisville.. no moves going on in that organization for many seasons.. No real trade activity and no real Free Agent signings...Ted Mercedes retired this season but nothing else stands out. No IFA's and no trades have happened since season 6... Onto the next team, Monterrey! Monterrey is the home of Triple Crown winner Harold Burrell! Among many other top talent Burrell will lead the Monterrey team to a 2nd place finish this season.. Last but not least, Charlotte... Charlotte added some depth in the Bullpen but they still lack any real offensive power and they don't have much of a rotation. Still a work in progress and I am willing to bet they will improve.
Austin: 95-67
Monterrey: 90-72
Charlotte: 71-91
Louisville: 62-100
NL WEST is where I feel this seasons biggest surprise comes in... I think Tucson wins this division this season because of the very active free agent period among the trades made... Combine that with St. Louis having a fire sale this season and fixing to probably barely win 60 games it's only fitting other teams will get better.. Honolulu will remain a tough competitor all season especially with Jaime Helton playing awesome for them.. And that leaves me with Iowa City! Iowa City's slowly getting there... They have some pretty impressive ML talent but not yet a playoff team. Last season they only won 53 games.. This season I expect them to finish much better.
Tucson: 85-77
Honolulu: 82-80
Iowa City: 60-102
St. Louis: 55-107
Cleveland: 100-62
Detroit: 90-72
Chicago: 80-82
Portland: 62-100
Moving onto the NL EAST! With Washington D.C. moving to Hartford and signing mainly power type hitters for their offense.. Something has to be said about the lack of pitching.. Look for them to hit a ton of HR's but give up about 10 runs per game... Pittsburgh, one of the biggest disappointments to me last season.. They are the best team assembled in the National League yet they can't get to the World Series... 2 straight NLCS appearances and knocked out both times.. They will win the division again and maybe this time get to the World Series...Columbus will improve this season mainly because Hartford will probably suck real bad.. Same with Boston.. Boston is still figuring things out and moving up every season. This season they won't beat many teams but they will win around 60 games.
Pittsburgh: 110-52
Columbus: 72-90
Hartford: 70-92
Boston: 65-97
NL SOUTH is where it's at.. Austin will be the top team again with Shinjo leading them..Another disappointing team from last season. No major moves but they did lose a couple decent players during the offseason.. Look for them to still remain on top of the division... As I sit here I debate on the next teams motives or lack there of.. Louisville.. no moves going on in that organization for many seasons.. No real trade activity and no real Free Agent signings...Ted Mercedes retired this season but nothing else stands out. No IFA's and no trades have happened since season 6... Onto the next team, Monterrey! Monterrey is the home of Triple Crown winner Harold Burrell! Among many other top talent Burrell will lead the Monterrey team to a 2nd place finish this season.. Last but not least, Charlotte... Charlotte added some depth in the Bullpen but they still lack any real offensive power and they don't have much of a rotation. Still a work in progress and I am willing to bet they will improve.
Austin: 95-67
Monterrey: 90-72
Charlotte: 71-91
Louisville: 62-100
NL WEST is where I feel this seasons biggest surprise comes in... I think Tucson wins this division this season because of the very active free agent period among the trades made... Combine that with St. Louis having a fire sale this season and fixing to probably barely win 60 games it's only fitting other teams will get better.. Honolulu will remain a tough competitor all season especially with Jaime Helton playing awesome for them.. And that leaves me with Iowa City! Iowa City's slowly getting there... They have some pretty impressive ML talent but not yet a playoff team. Last season they only won 53 games.. This season I expect them to finish much better.
Tucson: 85-77
Honolulu: 82-80
Iowa City: 60-102
St. Louis: 55-107
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Introducing Columbus Owner Nyaggie
After helping Dubs go 50-112 in season 8 (as Triple A coach) I received a phone call from the GM of the Jets asking me if I would be interested in moving up to the big league and coach.After thinking about it for a couple weeks and evaluating the left over talent from the previous owner (rootgargle) I knew I would be starting from scratch but decided I was up for the challenge.My first big decision as head coach was trading for 2B Billy Neagle and he didn't disappoint hitting .310 and having 31HRs.
...As my first season progressed I knew it was going to be a lost cause so I traded as few ML talented players for some Minor Leaguers hoping to built up through them.
Then we had a good draft and brought in 3 future MLs (1B Andy Maduro, 3B Jerrod Harding and LF Josh Mock). After winning only 67 games in my first season I decided that it was time for a major change.So I let go a 5 players from last season’s team and bring up some of my younger talent that I felt was ready (mainly CF Benji Rios and 1B Robb Duvall) also bringing SP Vladimir James and Karim Bennett should help us win a few more games this season.
We are not talking playoffs this season, but anything less than a 10 game improvement will be a disappointment. Once all my young talent is ready to do their thing for the big league club everyone should watch out because that World Series trophy will be coming to Columbus.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Introducing Colorado Owner Ice_Rat
Since then, inept management has led to season upon season of sub par teams. While the Colorado fans rally around and support their team, the obvious mismanagement of funds, questionable trades and lack of a cohesive strategy have forced some pundits to wonder if the organization is anything but and easy way for Eisratt and Co to launder money, because, it is obvious, there is no true commitment to winning.
Friday, September 17, 2010
More Free Agents sign!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Doubleday Awards- 10 seasons down, 10 more to go!
Tom Highway
Doubleday Daily
Over the past 10 seasons we have witnessed many owners come and go.. We have had some fierce competitors and some not so fierce.. We've had people that love this world and we had people that didn't love it so much. Regardless of all that we are still here and have a lot of guys that's been here for a long time. I would like to induct 3 owners to the Doubleday Owner Hall of Fame.. I have sat down for 3 days now and thought about how I wanted to do this and I feel there is no real way to be fair by placing a vote being that everyone didn't have the opportunity to play with these guys.
First owner I'd like to induct is Rbedwell. Rbedwell was the owner of the Louisville Colonels (Now known as the Louisville Red Caps) and captured 5 World Series titles without doing much of anything. He was not a big trade person and he never tanked to get top picks.. He managed to compete every season and build pretty much from within.. Rbedwell left the world with a 613-359 (.631) record.
The next guy I'd like to induct is Keosawa... Keosawa was the owner of the Boston Beaneaters (now known as the Jacksonville Suns) Keosawa was controversial and had a lot to say in the blog chat. However as an owner he managed win his division 2 times and in those very seasons get to the World Series. He played only 4 seasons and ended with a record of 374-274 (.577). Keo was also a huge contributor to the blog.
Last I would like to induct Coonja76. Coonja was the owner of the Durham Tobacconists (now known as Boston Beaneaters) and managed to accumulate 3 division titles and a World Series Championship. Coonja was known for speaking his mind in the world chat. Coonja left Doubleday with a 423-225 (.653) record.
Love them or hate them.. These guys all were very competitive and dedicated to making their teams the best they could while they were here. They were the best of the best in Doubleday for many seasons.
I have a few other owners I'd like to give recognition to.
mele316:Even though you didn't win a championship you managed to take your team to 3 division titles and you proved you really were trying to get far.
Jt3: 6 seasons with us and we know you had to take a leave. Hopefully one day you'll come back and bring the fighting spirit you always brought.
Austinfan1: Sucks that you had to drop our world. You were one of the best owners we had and you were learning the game very well. The door is always open.
Doubleday Daily
Over the past 10 seasons we have witnessed many owners come and go.. We have had some fierce competitors and some not so fierce.. We've had people that love this world and we had people that didn't love it so much. Regardless of all that we are still here and have a lot of guys that's been here for a long time. I would like to induct 3 owners to the Doubleday Owner Hall of Fame.. I have sat down for 3 days now and thought about how I wanted to do this and I feel there is no real way to be fair by placing a vote being that everyone didn't have the opportunity to play with these guys.
First owner I'd like to induct is Rbedwell. Rbedwell was the owner of the Louisville Colonels (Now known as the Louisville Red Caps) and captured 5 World Series titles without doing much of anything. He was not a big trade person and he never tanked to get top picks.. He managed to compete every season and build pretty much from within.. Rbedwell left the world with a 613-359 (.631) record.
The next guy I'd like to induct is Keosawa... Keosawa was the owner of the Boston Beaneaters (now known as the Jacksonville Suns) Keosawa was controversial and had a lot to say in the blog chat. However as an owner he managed win his division 2 times and in those very seasons get to the World Series. He played only 4 seasons and ended with a record of 374-274 (.577). Keo was also a huge contributor to the blog.
Last I would like to induct Coonja76. Coonja was the owner of the Durham Tobacconists (now known as Boston Beaneaters) and managed to accumulate 3 division titles and a World Series Championship. Coonja was known for speaking his mind in the world chat. Coonja left Doubleday with a 423-225 (.653) record.
Love them or hate them.. These guys all were very competitive and dedicated to making their teams the best they could while they were here. They were the best of the best in Doubleday for many seasons.
I have a few other owners I'd like to give recognition to.
mele316:Even though you didn't win a championship you managed to take your team to 3 division titles and you proved you really were trying to get far.
Jt3: 6 seasons with us and we know you had to take a leave. Hopefully one day you'll come back and bring the fighting spirit you always brought.
Austinfan1: Sucks that you had to drop our world. You were one of the best owners we had and you were learning the game very well. The door is always open.
Huge Free Agent signings!!!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Available Free Agents
1B Matt Quirarte- 45hr 118 rbi and .311BA season 9
2B Clarence Vaughn- 29hr 93 rbi and .302BA season 9
SP Bernie Alvarez- 11-11, 162k's and 4.68 era season 9
RP Malachi Dalrymple- 8-6, 35SV and 4.50 era season 9
LR Tim Barnes- 6-5, 2SV and 2.59 era season 9
SP Graham Langston- 6-9, 119k's and 4.24 era season 9
Dreifort goes to Cleveland!
It's official! Norfolk agreed to trade SP Dreifort to the World Series Champs! He will receive Eddie Garciaparra a RP prospect that dominate once he gets to the Majors. There were 2 other players included in the deal that will be named when the official trade is processed! Cleveland Also managed to upgrade the pitching staff again by trading for SP Pedro Beltran! Beltran is certainly going to be of help in what will probably be one of his final years in the world! Cleveland upgrades and gets tougher!
In other news Monterrey is putting CF Felipe Guerrero on the block in search of a younger CF. Guerrero is one of the best lead off hitters in Doubleday so we shall see just how much it takes to get him moved to another team!
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