The Bigs Daily News

Season 16 Draft Review

2012-01-15T16:03:00.004-05:00

Now that nearly all the players who are going to sign have put their name on the dotted line, it's time to take a look at this season's draft, with selected commentary on good, bad, and otherwise particularly noteworthy selections.

1. New York Knickerbockers

Jerry Williams, LHP - Age 18 - $4.00M (MLB Contract) - Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: In one of the most top-heavy drafts of recent years, Williams is far and away the most obvious choice for #1 overall. The Virginia high-school phenom has virtually no weaknesses as a prospect, and has a legitimate shot at someday challenging Javier Henriquez's status as the best pitcher in the history of The Bigs.

2. New Orleans Voodoo

Rich Williams, RHP - Age 22 - $3.19M - Rating: - Grade: B

Comment: Though the "other Williams" certainly has the makings of a good starter about him - and, as a college senior, won't take long to reach the majors - he's simply not at the same level as many of the other top-10 picks in this season's draft.

3. Salem Sacrifices

Kurt Bunch, 1B – Age 18 - $5.50M – Rating: - Grade: A-

4. Cincinnati Reds

Alex Lira, RF - Age 20 - $3.72M - Rating: - Grade: A

5. Cheyenne Crackers

Dennis Redding, RF - Age 18 - Unsigned - Rating: - Grade: C

Comment: Redding isn't a bad pick for 5th overall - he's nearly a five-star prospect - but the Crackers have decided to spend their prospect-signing budget playing the international market. While they got a very good player out of it (Cuban shortstop Ricardo Gongora), it's still rather unsavory to see an easily signable top-5 pick go unsigned.

6. Milwaukee Manic Maulers

Moises Lima, C - Age 18 - $6.89M - Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: In a draft full of outstanding hitters, Lima may be the very best. He could even turn out to be the best-hitting catcher in the history of the league. But he has two very big hurdles to clear in order to even get a chance: his mediocre game-calling skill, and a troubling health history.

7. Seattle Killer Whales

Bosco Price, RHP - Age 19 - $3.44M - Rating: - Grade: B

8. Mexico City Chupacabras

Ray Presley, SS - Age 18 - $3.35M - Rating: - Grade: A

9. Vancouver Grizzlies

Theo Summers, 3B - Age 18 - $3.25M - Rating: - Grade: A-

10. Boise Drifters

Eddie Harris, C - Age 18 - $3.16M - Rating: - Grade: B+

Comment: Harris, like Moises Lima, is a backstop with awe-inspiring hitting potential - but unlike Lima, he doesn't have a good throwing arm to match. While he's sure to find his way to the middle of a big-league lineup someday, it may be as a DH and not a catcher.

11. Montreal Alouettes

Shawn Heathcott, RHP - Age 20 - $3.07M - Rating: - Grade: B

12. Anaheim Chiles

Matty Palmeiro, LHP - Age 18 - $2.97M - Rating: - Grade: C+

Comment: Palmeiro has a good control and a fastball that can blow hitters away - but there's little else about him that's truly impressive. He's vulnerable to right-handed hitters and doesn't have much in the way of secondary pitches to go with that fastball. He's still a legitimate first-rounder, but for the 12th overall pick, this is a real reach.

13. Oakland East Bay Rays

Trevor Torres, 2B - Age 21 - $2.88M - Rating: - Grade: B-

Comment: It's difficult to really take the measure of a player like Torres. He destroys LHPs, but is average against righties. He projects to be a sure-handed gloveman at 2B, but doesn't have much range for the position. Overall, his individual tools are good enough to warrant a four-star rating - but one wonders if the whole may be less than the sum of its parts.

14. Chicago Cows

Jarrod Laird, 3B - Age 20 - $2.79M - Rating: - Grade: B+

15. Norfolk Destroyers

Danny Zagone, LHP - Age 19 - $2.69M - Rating: - Grade: B+

16. Austin Slackers

Footsie Cooper, CF - Age 20 - $2.60M - Rating: - Grade: B

17. Boston Bambinos

Ismael Pineda, LHP - Age 21 - $2.50M - Rating: - Grade: A-

18. Buffalo Blue Cheese

Henderson Martin, 2B - Age 18 - $2.41M - Rating: - Grade: C+

19. Huntington Riverdogs

Cleatus Velandia, 1B - Age 18 - $2.32M - Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: Velandia may not play the toughest position, but he's one of the best pure hitters in a draft full of them, and projects to be a decent fielder at first base, too. He's a terrific find for the 19th overall pick, and this selection may turn out to be one of the few bright spots in what has been an awful season for the Riverdogs.

20. Vancouver Grizzlies

Felipe Romano, LHP - Age 19 - $2.22M - Rating: - Grade: B-

Comment: If you're feeling a sense of deja vu about this pick, it might be because this isn't the first time the Grizzlies have used a late-first-round draft pick on a left-handed pitcher with fair-to-middling potential named "F. Romano". (Francis Romano, their season 13 first-rounder, was traded to Mexico City earlier this season.)

21. Madison Snappers

Ray Neal, RHP - Age 21 - $3.62M - Rating: - Grade: D

Comment: Neal is a classic "innings-eater" - he doesn't have very good stuff, but he'll easily throw 110+ pitches every time out, and can often do so on short rest if it's necessary. While players like Neal will always have a place in the majors, he's really not first-round material, nor is he worth his over-slot signing bonus.

22. Memphis Ptah

Gerrit Donnelly, 2B/CF - Age 21 - $2.04M - Rating: - Grade: B-

23. Salt Lake City Shakers

Bump Werth, LF - Age 19 - $1.94M - Rating: - Grade: B

24. Fargo Dirtbags

Adam Bailey, P - Age 18 - Unsigned - Rating: N/A - Grade: N/A

Comment: Bailey is demanding a staggering $5.5 million to sign with Fargo, and that's money that the Dirtbags simply don't have right now as they've spent an even more staggering $113.3 million on player salaries. While it looks like Bailey (whom our scouts never got a chance to see) will go unsigned, that's just another cost of doing business for a team in hot pursuit of a pennant.

25. Monterrey Sultans of Swat

Esteban Cubillan, 2B - Age 19 - $1.75M - Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: While Cubillan's potential as a fielder may be questionable (his range is far better suited to a corner outfield position), his potential as a batter is unimpeachable. He hits well for both contact and power, and is well-disciplined at the plate - overall, he could be the one of the biggest steals of the first round.

26. Boise Drifters

Marc Sabathia, RF - Age 18 - $1.66M - Rating: - Grade: B

27. Atlanta Bandits

Bill Munro, RHP - Age 21 - $1.57M - Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: If Cubillan isn't the steal of the first round, then Munro definitely is. He has throws three high-quality pitches including a fastball that clocks in at well over 90 MPH, all of which he can control well, and simply tears up right-handed hitters. Though he lacks the stamina of a truly great starter, he could be a brilliant 5- or 6-inning pitcher.

28. Helena Shadow Wolves

Eli Cruz, RHP - Age 19 - $1.47M - Rating: - Grade: C-

29. Buffalo Blue Cheese

Lyle Hundley, RHP - Age 18 - $1.38M - Rating: - Grade: B-

30. Buffalo Blue Cheese

Rollie Bolden, RHP - Age 18 - $1.29M - Rating: - Grade: C

Comment: With two straight picks (both compensatory selections), Buffalo drafts two remarkably similar pitchers - both are hard throwers, both have some terrific pitches, and both struggle with their control. Bolden is probably the "safer" pick, but Hundley may have bigger upside. It'll be interesting seeing them develop side-by-side in the same organization.

31. Pawtucket Patriot

Les Clark, 2B - Age 21 - $1.19M - Rating: - Grade: B+

32. Charleston Chew

John Chen, SS - Age 19 - $1.10M - Rating: - Grade: B-

33. Washington Blue Coats

Bobby Isringhausen, LHP - Age 18 - $1.00M - Rating: - Grade: B

Comment: Washington brings round one to a close with one of the draft's most interesting pitchers. Isringhausen is a control artist who keeps the ball on the ground and boasts a wide variety of offspeed pitches - and can also blow a fastball by hitters when he needs to. If not for mediocre L/R split ratings, he'd be one of the top pitchers in the draft- but he'll have to settle for just barely squeaking into the first round.

AL prevails over NL in mid-summer classic

2012-01-13T18:06:00.005-05:00

Sobkowiak takes MVP honors in 16th All-Star Game

He may have fallen a bit short in the weekend's Home Run Derby but Anaheim's Mitch Sobkowiak was not to be denied in this season's All-Star Game. Sobkowiak earned MVP honors in the 16th annual All-Star game, going 1-2 with a 3-run homerun off of Fargo's Javier Henriquez that helped put the American League out to a 4-0 lead over the National League. The AL would go on to win the game by a final of 5-3. Sobkowiak's Anaheim teammate Andres James was credited with the victory and Buffalo's Jeromy West earned a save while Fargo's Fausto Almanza suffered the loss.

Ugueto wins Home Run Derby

2012-01-09T23:20:00.003-05:00

Chupacabras slugger edges Chiles' Sobkowiak

The man who entered this year's Home Run Derby with the fewest amount of homeruns out of all competitors ended up being the one with the biggest bat in the end. Mexico City DH Horacio Ugueto defeated Anaheim's Mitch Sobkowiak in the final round of the season 16 Home Run Derby, 15-7, to win this season's event. Ugueto, who was elected to his first career All-Star team this season and entered the competition with a mere 27 long balls , finished the event with 42 homeruns overall.

Dunwoody calls it a career

2011-12-03T00:11:00.001-05:00

10-time All-Star starter retires

Former Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star starting pitcher Dave Dunwoody has announced his retirement from The Bigs. Dunwoody spent six and a half seasons with the Salem Sacrifices before being traded to Trenton. Dunwoody helped lead the Sacrifices to victory in the season 1 World Series while also splitting the NL Cy Young Award that season with teammate Dwight Salmon.

Dunwoody ranks second all-time in career wins with 226 and second in career strikeouts with 3106. He and Henriquez are the only two pitchers to ever reach the 3000 strikeout plateau. Dunwoody also holds the single season record of 274 strikeouts, set in season 3. In addition to Salem and Trenton, Dunwoody also played for Atlanta, Los Angeles and Monterrey.

Henriquez becomes first to reach 250 wins

2011-12-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

Future HOF'er reaches milestone on Opening Day

The Bigs' all-time leader in wins has extended his career record wins number. Javier Henriquez went 5 innings for career win number 250 in a 8-2 Fargo victory over Vancouver on Openings Day. Henriquez gave up two runs and struck out four in his first outing of the season. 36-years-old now, Henriquez has an outside chance to reach 300 wins by the end of his career but an already low durability rating could cost him the chance as he ages and his ratings begin to decline. The 8-time Cy Young Award winner's career record now stands at 250-99.

Season 16 free agency tracker

2011-11-25T11:21:00.001-05:00

Big name free agents sign for big money in busy market

The free agency period has drawn to a close and plenty of big name free agents found new homes and new loads of cash to fill those homes. Let's take a look at some of the big names to land large contracts this season:

Dan Benard, P, Austin Slackers: 5 years, $94 million
The largest of the big contracts given out this off season, Austin mortgaged the house to keep their ace. Benard, a four-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year managed just an 8-10 record last season while sporting a 4.26 ERA. Not exactly worth $94 million but the Slackers are banking on Benard regaining his old form and stabilizing their rotation. The final year of Benard's contract is a mutual option.

Sammy Garrido, P, Chicago Cows: 5 years, $91 million
Garrido left Salem for the bright lights of Chicago (and the money) but he may have also left for a better team and a shot at the playoffs. Garrido posted a 10-12 record with a 3.20 ERA for a Salem team that lost 100 games last season. Now he joins a rotation with Miguel Cayones and newly acquired Yorrick Cannon to form one of the better rotations in the NL. Garrido's deal includes a no-trade clause and a mutual option for season 20.

Alex Silva, SS, Salem Sacrifices: 5 years, $65 millionWith the departure of Garrido, Salem was left with some cash to spend and they wound up netting one of the best shortstops in the league in Silva. Silva batted .265 with a .374 OBP with the Pawtucket franchise last season. He'll provide stability at the top of the Salem order as they look to improve from their poor season 15.

Watty Miller, RF, Fargo Dirtbags: 5 years, $60.5 million
No team spent more money this off season than the Fargo Dirtbags and Watty Miller was the recipient of a large portion of that. Miller takes over the right field position in Fargo from the departed Philip McCartin who signed with Ottawa this off season. With Buffalo last season, Miller batted .318 with a .390 OBP and .548 SLG and is expected to hit number two for the Dirtbags. The final year of his deal includes a mutual option.

AJ Leonard, LF, Oakland East Bay Rays: 5 years, $36 million
Easily the best bargain found in this free agent market, the two-time AL MVP Leonard leaves the comforts of Buffalo and heads to the NL West to join Oakland. Leonard batted just .266 with 35 homeruns and a .835 OPS in what was a down year for him but the East Bay Rays are hoping he bounces back in the middle of their lineup.

Nick Hernandez, LF, Fargo Dirtbags: 3 years, $33.3 million
After 12 seasons with the Pawtucket franchise, Hernandez leaves for Fargo and one final big contract as his Hall of Fame career winds down. Hernandez batted .282 with a .419 OBP and 49 steals last season and will replace Luis Martinez (who moves to a bench/utility role) as Fargo's everyday left fielder. He joins Miller, the newly acquired Brian Sweeney and Fargo residents Raul Vallarta, Rodrigo Melendez and Cesar Gonzalez to form the top offense in the NL.The final year of Hernandez's deal also includes a mutual option.

Mickey Stanifer, CP, Fargo Dirtbags: 5 years, $31.2 million
The top reliever on the market, Stanifer joined his Pawtucket teammate Hernandez in leaving the Patriots for the Dirtbags. Stanifer has served as the setup man for future Hall of Famer Carlos Carrasco for the past seven seasons but will now get an opportunity to close for Fargo, replacing the departed Christian Price in that role. Stanifer posted a 2.10 ERA in 72 appearances out of the bullpen last season and the final year of his deal also includes a mutual option.

Fred Carter, SP, Scranton Janitors: 3 years, $30 million
As Carter's storied career winds down he has found one more pay day by heading to the American League and signing with the Janitors. Carter went 15-10 last season with a 3.20 ERA for Huntington and will now be expected to anchor the Scranton rotation. While $30 million may seem like a lot for a 37-year-old starter, the final year of the deal includes a mutual option.

Blue Coats make it back to back

2011-11-22T22:11:00.001-05:00

DC captures second consecutive World Series in five games

The Washington DC Blue Coats became just the second franchise in the history of The Bigs to win back to back World Series championships by defeating the St. Louis River City RAGE four games to one. The Blue Coats' offense was paced throughout the postseason by clutch performances from center fielder Kyle Ramirez who batted .370 with a .442 OBP and .478 SLG after a regular season which saw him post a career best .303/.364/.392 batting line. Ace Carter Leonard carried the load on the mound, going 4-0 in five postseason starts with a 2.13 ERA.

The only other franchise to win consecutive titles is the Atlanta Bandits who accomplished the feat in seasons 6 and 7.

Henriquez gets 8th, Lincoln 3rd Cy Young

2011-11-15T23:16:00.001-05:00

Simpson wins fourth MVP as familiar names take awards

Some familiar faces picked up some more hardware for this past season in The Bigs as Charleston's Ronn Lincoln won his second straight and third American League Cy Young Award of his career while Fargo's Javier Henriquez locked up NL Cy Young Award number eight. Lincoln finished season 15 with an 18-5 record while posting a 2.73 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while striking out 224 batters in 33 starts. Henriquez meanwhile registered a 19-4 record with a 2.32 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 212 strikeouts in 217 innings pitched.

Pitchers weren't the only repeat winners of major awards as Monterrey's Sean Simpson was awarded with his fourth career MVP award. Simpson batted .339 with 45 homeruns, 113 RBI and a 1.062 OPS while stealing 30 bases. In the National League it was Boise's Kevin Lawson taking home his first NL MVP Award. Lawson hit .292 with 55 homeruns, 135 RBI and posted a 1.062 OPS.

Season 15 Awards

2011-11-12T17:46:00.004-05:00

With season 15 now complete, it's time to hand out a few awards.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Raul Vallarta, Fargo

Vallarta, a two-time POTY runner-up, has finally brought home the hardware with the best season of his impressive career. He led all of baseball with an awesome .435 OBP, and didn't skimp on the power either - his .559 SLG was in the NL's top 10. That, along with his 38 steals and a big league-leading 133 runs scored, was the heart of the Dirtbags' potent offense; meanwhile, his great defense at second helped make the Dirtbags one of baseball's best-fielding teams.

Runner-Up: Sean Simpson, Monterrey

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Javier Henriquez, Fargo

Last season, Henriquez's age finally seemed to catch up with him, as he finished with an ERA of over 3.00 for the first time in his career. Apparently, that was just a minor hiccup, as he was back in vintage form this year: his 2.32 ERA and 1.00 WHIP both led baseball, and he threw his first career no-hitter (against Salem) on his way to his eighth career Cy Young award.

Runner-Up: Orlando Palmeiro, Helena

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

sweetsalve, Washington

For the second consecutive season, the Blue Coats are World Series champions. That's not just difficult, it's nearly unprecedented: only one other owner in the league (Atlanta's cantarski) has achieved this impressive feat. And Washington didn't just dominate the postseason - they had baseball's best record in the regular season, too. Although they've been one of the league's most powerful teams for quite some time now, what sweetsalve has achieved in the past two seasons is simply remarkable.

Runner-Up: sylemark, San Juan

SEASON 14 COMEDY AWARDS

As we remember the previous few months, it's important not only to remember the good, but to be able to laugh at ourselves for some of the bad. In that spirit, here are the winners of the "prestigious" Iron Glove and Tin Slugger awards for Season 15.

IRON GLOVE AWARDS

Presented to the worst fielder at each position

P Mark Rogers, Minnesota

C Livan Guillen, New Orleans

1B Luis Javier, Mexico City

2B Alex Saenz, Boston

3B O.T. Wagner, Oakland

SS James Palmer, Minnesota

LF Fernando Beltran, Salt Lake City

CF Enrique Alarcon, New Orleans

RF Steve Sweeney, New York

TIN SLUGGER AWARDS

Presented to the worst hitter at each position

C Cesar Trevino, Milwaukee

1B Buddy Lowe, Milwaukee

2B Marc Phillips, Huntington

3B Raymond Newham, Vancouver

SS Brad Easterly, New York

LF Ivan Gil, New York

CF Zachrey Buckley, New York

RF Ramon Chang, Syracuse

DH Oswaldo Guerrero, Seattle

Season 15 Draft Review

2011-10-29T16:59:00.007-04:00

Now that all the players who are going to sign have put their name on the dotted line, it's time to take a look at this season's draft, with selected commentary on good, bad, and otherwise particularly noteworthy selections.

1. New Orleans Voodoo

Otis Evans, RHP - Age 18 - $6.72M - Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: Evans is the clearest choice for the #1 overall pick in quite some time, and may be the best pitcher to enter the league – through the draft or otherwise – in several seasons. He’s well worth his huge signing bonus.

2. New York Knickerbockers

Endy Regan, CF/2B - Age 18 - $6.10M - Rating: - Grade: B-

3. Cheyenne Crackers

Delino Rojas, CF – Age 20 - $3.82M – Rating: - Grade: B

Comment: Regan and Rojas both project to be speedy players with strong defense, but neither is an especially skilled hitter. While they’re both valuable, neither is quite worthy of a top-5 pick.

4. Oakland East Bay Rays

Burke Lincoln, RHP – Age 22 - $3.72M – Rating: - Grade: A-

Comment: In a weak year for pitchers, Oakland gets the marquee prospect their farm system badly needs with the draft’s second-best starter. Best of all, as a college senior, Lincoln is probably closer to the majors than any other player in this draft class.

5. Mexico City Chupacabras

Mateo Mercedes, 2B – Age 19 - $3.63M – Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: Mercedes is almost certainly the draft’s most talented position player, a top-quality hitter with good speed and the durability to play 162 games a season. It’s shocking that he fell this far.

6. Norfolk Destroyers

Kennie Webster, SS – Age 18 - $3.54M – Rating: - Grade: A

7. Boise Drifters

Leo Harris, LHP – Age 19 - $3.44M – Rating: - Grade: A-

8. Milwaukee Manic Maulers

Lance Doyle, 2B – Age 21 - $3.35M – Rating: - Grade: B+

Comment: Doyle is a difficult player to grade. Scouts say he has great potential both as a contact hitter and a power hitter, but his L/R splits are mediocre at best. No matter how his hitting turns out, his defense and speed are still impressive, but he’s not quite 5-star material.

9. Seattle Killer Whales

Alex Tolbert, RHP – Age 18 - $3.25M – Rating: - Grade: C-

Comment: It’s never easy to draft a good starting pitcher, but the Killer Whales could certainly do better than Tolbert, who throws just 3 pitches and has unimpressive L/R splits.

10. Salem Sacrifices

Sammy Bowen, RHP – Age 18 - $3.16M – Rating: - Grade: B

11. Cincinnati Reds

Robinson Reynolds, 1B/DH – Age 19 - $3.07M – Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: The switch-hitting Reynolds swings the best bat in this draft class by a wide margin, and if he’s able to overcome his injury problems, he will likely develop into a perennial All-Star.

12. Boston Bambinos

Harold Alston, LHP – Age 18 - $2.97M – Rating: - Grade: A-

13. Chicago Cows

B.C. Sipp, SS – Age 18 - $5.11M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: For the third straight season, the Cows selected the draft’s best high-school position player. The pride of Cajun country (the “B.C.” stands for Beauregard Charlemagne) is more than just a good hitter – he’s also lightning-quick on the bases and projects to be a competent fielder, too.

14. Monterrey Sultans of Swat

Derrek Trammell, 2B – Age 18 - $2.79M – Rating: - Grade: C+

15. Seattle Killer Whales

Spike Alston, RHP – Age 20 - $2.69M – Rating: - Grade: B-

16. Vancouver Grizzlies

Jude Aardsma, RF/1B – Age 18 - $2.60M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: Aardsma is a terrific hitter with great speed whose talent is more like that of a top-10 pick than the 16^th overall selection. What might hold him back, however, is his poor durability, which will likely limit him to 130 or so games per season.

17. Scranton Janitors

Bill Barker, LHP – Age 18 - $2.50M – Rating: - Grade: A-

18. San Juan Dead Bunnies

Willis Barfield, 1B/DH – Age 19 - $2.41M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: Barfield is almost certainly the second-best hitter in this draft class. But one area in which he’s second to none is his temper, which has been described as “explosive” and “terrifying” by various sources. Hopefully for San Juan, he’ll calm down enough to become a good big-leaguer.

19. Louisville Woodies

Art Dunn, RF – Age 19 - $2.32M – Rating: - Grade: A-

Comment: Dunn has great potential as a hitter, but his platoon splits are as dramatic as they come. Against lefties, he’s the second coming of Babe Ruth; against righties, he’s the second coming of Mario Mendoza.

20. Huntington Riverdogs

Philip Giambi, 2B – Age 18 - $2.22M – Rating: - Grade: B

21. Syracuse Sandmen

Mariano Herrara, LHP – Age 21 - $2.13M – Rating: - Grade: B

22. Buffalo Blue Cheese

Marino Blanco, LHP – Age 18 – $2.04M– Rating: - Grade: D

Comment: Blanco throws hard, has good control, and keeps the ball on the ground – but he only has one good pitch, and his L/R splits aren’t very exciting either. Buffalo may have been better just letting him go unsigned.

23. Salt Lake City Shakers

Billy Nelson, RHP – Age 18 - $1.94M – Rating: - Grade: C+

24. Minnesota North Stars

Vicente Chavez, 3B – Age 22 - $1.85M – Rating: - Grade: A

25. Atlanta Bandits

Dean Hill, RHP – Age 21 - $1.75M – Rating: - Grade: B

Comment: Hill is the third reliever chosen in a four-pick span, but the only one with true potential to be a closer. Though he doesn’t throw particularly hard, he boasts a devastating cutter and slider, and excellent control of both pitches.

26. Anaheim Chiles

B.J. McNeil, LHP – Age 22 - $1.66M – Rating: - Grade: B-

27. St. Louis River City Rage

Antone Webster, LF/RF – Age 18 - $1.57M – Rating: - Grade: D

Comment: It’s typical to see teams reach for pitchers at the end of round 1, but rarely do position players of Webster’s caliber get taken this high. He projects to be an average ML hitter at best, and isn’t especially fast either – not exactly the sort of future you want for a corner outfielder.

28. Helena Shadow Wolves

Willie Nieto, LHP – Age 18 - $1.47M – Rating: - Grade: B+

29. Fargo Dirtbags

Dick Jefferies, RHP – Age 18 - $2.95M – Rating: - Grade: B-

30. Buffalo Blue Cheese

Johnnie Gibson, SS – Age 18 – Unsigned – Rating: - Grade: C-

Comment: Gibson is a mediocre hitter at best, but he’s also one of the best defensive shortstops in the draft. He seems to have chosen football over baseball, as he said he might – but that may be because Buffalo management simply declined to meet his contract demands.

31. Helena Shadow Wolves

Andrew Clayton, 2B – Age 18 - $1.19M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: Clayton may not have the durability to last a full big-league season, but whatever portion he does play, he’ll be a dynamic force. He’s a good fielder who can run and hit for both power and contact – a great find for the 31^st pick.

32. Washington Blue Coats

Pete Adams, 1B – Age 22 - $1.10M – Rating: - Grade: A-

33. Salt Lake City Shakers

Hector Machado, SS – Age 18 - $1.00M – Rating: - Grade: B

34. Ottawa O-Jays

Vernon Bruntlett, RHP – Age 19 - $0.96M – Rating: - Grade: B+

Comment: Ottawa closes out the first round with one of its most intriguing selections. Bruntlett has terrific stuff and could be an excellent setup man or even closer someday – but his poor stamina and durability will drastically limit how much he can be used.

Dirtbags won't re-sign Price

2011-10-26T00:50:00.004-04:00

Fargo will let closer test free agency

The Fargo Dirtbags informed closer Christian Price that the team will not re-sign him after this season, allowing Price to become a free agent heading into season 16. Price has struggled this season, putting together a 5-10 record with 26 saves and a sub-par 4.42 ERA. The three-time All-Star will be 36-years-old next season and it remains to be seen what type of market there will be for an aging closer who has seen his ERA rise heavily over the past two seasons.

Fargo is also expected to let outfielder Philip McCartin and third baseman Vic Mercado test the free agent market next season as well. The team has previously said they would like to re-sign Mercado but that his demands may be too high.

International market report

2011-10-21T20:55:00.002-04:00

As season 15 in The Bigs draws towards a close, we take a look at the big name international free agents that have been signed this year.

Alex Molina, SS -- signed by Cincinnati Reds ($17.2 million bonus): Molina is the big catch in this year's international free agent market. He projects to be just an average short stop defensively but what he is capable of with the bat is the reason why he's so coveted. It's my opinion that he would be better suited for CF, 3B, or 2B once he reaches the major league level as he could be a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner at any of those positions.

Del Rodriguez, 1B -- signed by Monterrey Sultans of Swat ($16.7 million bonus): Rodriguez could be an average major league first baseman right now and with a little development and coaching, he could be a beast.

Alex Ortiz, SS -- signed by Atlanta Bandits ($15.5 million bonus): Atlanta landed a solid defensive shortstop though there are some questions about Ortiz's glove and whether or not he may eventually wind up a CF or 2B once he reaches the majors. But if Ortiz can develop into a ML-caliber shortstop defensively, he projects to have good on base potential for a player at the position.

Emil Cerveza, P -- signed by New Orleans Voodoo ($13.1 million bonus): Arguably the top pitcher on the international market (and certainly the most expensive), Cerveza is an above average all-around pitcher. He doesn't have elite stuff in any particular category but he's not weak in any category either. His low durability will limit the number of innings he's able to pitch so it appears that New Orleans will develop him as a short reliever.

Humberto Segui, SS -- signed by Vancouver Grizzlies ($12.3 million bonus): Segui's speed is what will make him an asset at the major league level once he gets there as he's the fastest man signed off the international market this season. Defensively, he could play 3B for a major league team right now but with some good old fashioned minor league seasoning, he could be an elite defender at a more demanding position such as shortstop.

NL edges AL for All-Star glory

2011-10-12T23:49:00.000-04:00

Manzanillo's HR proves enough

Pitching stole the show but two of The Bigs all-time greats weren't their sharpest as the National League earned a 3-2 victory over the American League at this season's mid-summer classic. NL starter Javier Henriquez allowed two runs in 1.2 innings while AL starter Andres DeLeon gave up a run in two innings of work. From there, it was all pitching. however, until one swing of the bat changed the outcome of the game.

Norfolk 3B Geovany Manzanillo took Jim Clyburn deep for a two-run homerun in the top of the 7th for what would be the eventual game winning run. Manzanillo would earn All-Star Game MVP honors for his only hit of the night.

Floyd wins second HR Derby title

2011-10-12T23:23:00.002-04:00

Slugger runs away with Derby crown

Charleston left fielder Floyd Floyd won his second career Home Run Derby title as he dominated in the final round with15 homeruns. Floyd defeated St. Louis 2B Kane Walters 15-6 to capture his second Derby championship in the past three seasons. He finished the contest with a total of 33 home runs over three rounds and also belted the longest home run of the competition, a 535-foot blast in the first round.

Opening Day in Tweets Part II

2011-09-02T01:01:00.004-04:00

River Dogs get lost in the Woods in Huntington.

East Bay Rays accept Sacrifice in Salem.

Wolves nibble on Crackers in Helena.

Blue Coats pen in Cows in Washington, D.C.

O-Jays depressed by Manic Maulers in Milwaukee.

Bambinos paint the town Red in Cincinnati.

Hillbillies debunk Chupacabra myth in Nashville.

Henriquez and his Dirtbags blinded by North Star in Fargo.

Opening Day in Tweets

2011-09-01T12:11:00.002-04:00

Bandits get Destroyed in Atlanta.

Drifters get Shaken apart in the ninth and tenth innings in Salt Lake City.

Grizzlies sweep up the Sandmen with their Broome late in the game in Vancouver.

Killer Whales eat Chiles in Seattle.

Voodoo works on Dead Bunnies in New Orleans.

Yogi RAGES over Blue Cheese in St. Louis.

Limon "cleans up" Knickerbockers in New York.

Sultans Swat a 2-run homer in the top of the fifteenth only to get Chewed up in the bottom in Charleston.

The case for Siddall in the Hall

2011-08-26T18:15:00.011-04:00

A close look at the most dominant reliever of his time

There's been a lot of speculation on whether or not Christoper Siddall will get enough votes to get into the Hall of Fame this season. And I'll admit, I'm probably a bit biased because Siddall was a Dirtbag for the first seven seasons of this world's existence. But his numbers simply cannot be denied -- he was the most dominant reliever of his era, hands down. It's really not even close.

The biggest knock on Siddall is probably that he doesn't have enough saves to get in. And if you're a reliever without any saves, you don't have much of a chance to get in the Hall of Fame. Generally, I would agree with that stance. A reliever would really have to have been dominant -- historically dominant -- to get consideration without any saves.

Well, Siddall was historically dominant. For a reliever or a starter, Siddall owns The Bigs' pitching record books. He is The Bigs all-time career leader in strikeout/walk ratio (a ridiculous 3.84), WHIP (1.03) and on base percentage allowed (.266). He is number two all-time in ERA (2.61) and slugging percentage allowed (.311) and third all-time in batting average allowed (.212).

So he doesn't have 300 saves. Big deal. He threw almost 1200 innings, which is more than borderline Hall of Fame starting pitchers like Vin Solano, and threw over 100 innings in each of his first nine seasons in The Bigs. So it's not like he didn't play long enough.

People can get caught up in the saves category but it's really a lot like the RBI stat -- based largely on outside factors. Siddall couldn't control how many saves he got much like hitters can't control whether or not there are runners on base when they come to bat. I chose to use Siddall as a setup A so that I could get the most innings pitched out of him. All he could control was how well he pitched when he was in the game and he ended up being better than any pitcher, starter or reliever, EVER. The only pitcher who could even be considered better than him is his ex-teammate Javier Henriquez.

Still think he's not Hall of Fame worthy?

Season 15 Previews: Oakland East Bay Rays

2011-08-25T16:03:00.002-04:00

And lastly, we turn to the East Bay Rays. They've never won the NL West and finished in the basement last season. Can they turn it around after two straight last place finishes?

Oakland East Bay Rays

Last season: 65-97 (last in NL West, missed playoffs)

Offense: 15th in NL

Pitching: 15th in NL

Key additions: SS Gustavo Contreras (FA-Vancouver), C Rick Anderson (FA-Boston), C Rodney Rando (trade- New Orleans), P Shane Simms (trade-Cincinnati)

Key losses: SS William Satou (trade-Chicago), P Billy Spencer (FA-Boise), P Harry Lee (FA)

Analysis: If not for New Orleans this would have been the worst offense, so this was the first thing addressed. They upgraded at SS with Contreras and C with the Anderson/Rando combination and they could have a deep lineup when combined with sluggers 2B Virgil Vega, 1B Bob Zambrano, and RF O.T. Wagner. The team is expecting more from 3B Marcus Goldman and talented CF Roscoe Rigby.

Pitching is where this team is likely to struggle again. B.C. Macias is a good start, but he needs help. Dealing for Simms was a good start in rebuilding the staff, but they had to bring back Pedro Hernandez (who was pedestrian last season) and Don McConnell (who was beyond awful last season) just to eat innings. The bullpen is even more unsettled than the rotation.

Outlook: I can see them overtaking Boise and maybe even Salem for second place. They'll need a telescope to see Salt Lake City, however.

Season 15 Previews: Boise Drifters

2011-08-25T15:50:00.003-04:00

Last season's San Francisco Sabercats picked up and moved to potato country. Will they fare better in Idaho?

Boise Drifters

Last season: 66-96 (3rd in NL West, missed playoffs)

Offense: 15th in NL

Pitching: 12th in NL

Key additions: SS Amp Palmer (FA-Salt Lake City), P Billy Spencer (FA-Oakland), Dan Young (FA-Chicago), P Don Wang (FA-Helena)

Key losses: P Turner Darr (FA-Cheyenne), C Steven O'Malley (FA-Cheyenne), P Ivan Webster (FA-Huntington)

Analysis: They'll have to be better on offense this season just by the addition of Palmer. They lacked a bat of his caliber last season, as the burden fell on aging veterans RF William Bolling and SS Ryan Hamill to produce. LF Kevin Lawson has a lot of potential, but they'll need more to compete with the Shakers.

The pitching could be more of a question mark as it was last season. Darr and Webster had subpar (in Darr's case, very subpar) seasons, but they provided innings. That leaves Louie Bolivar and Damion Mays as the only two established pitchers (both have career records under .500, by the way). Joseph Woo could get a shot at some point. Leon Dunn was solid as the closer, although he had few chances to close games.

Outlook: The Palmer signing was a bold stroke, but I'm not sure if it leads to anything. They won't be unwatchable, but they'll struggle.

Season 15 Previews: Salem Sacrifices

2011-08-25T15:37:00.002-04:00

The Salem Sacrifices find themselves in a rebuilding process. Will they make strides this season? Can they even challenge the mighty Shakers?

Salem Sacrifices

Last season: 72-90 (2nd in NL West, missed playoffs)

Offense: 13th in NL

Pitching: 9th in NL

Key additions: C Yeico Solano (trade-Nashville)

Key losses: P Benji Stewart (FA-Mexico City)

Analysis: The buzz around Salem is about Rookie of the Year 1B Wilton Jang, but he can't win a pennant by himself. Veteran OF Melvin Taylor and Jimmie Lincoln each had a nice year and 3B Anthony Smith showed promise, but they had little help from the top or bottom of the lineup. SS Danny Wilson disappointed and 2B Tito Martin saw a dropoff in his numbers.

This might be the year that Sammy Garrido finally gets some help (hard to believe he's still only 29). The current roster holds little (save for maybe Willie Hernandez), but Salem could call up Miguel Tavarez and/or Vic Carillo at some point this season. They wouldn't put Salem in contention but would help fill in some of the pieces currently missing at the ML level. The closer is TBA

Outlook: They're starting to look like a team that could contend in a few seasons. This season? I don't see it.

Season 15 Previews: Salt Lake City Shakers

2011-08-25T15:22:00.002-04:00

Salt Lake City has long been the gold standard in the NL West and arguably in the NL itself. They've won 8 straight NL West titles (with 4 NLCS appearances and a World Series title thrown in that stretch) and appear primed for a 9th. Can they win another World Series title? Does anybody in the division have the horses to finally knock them off?

Salt Lake City Shakers

Last season: 96-66 (1st in NL West, 1st in NL, lost in NLCS to Washington)

Offense: 1st in NL

Pitching: 6th in NL

Key additions: None

Key losses: OF Jordan Newfield (FA-Nashville), SS Amp Palmer (FA-Boise), LF Benito Fuentes (FA-Mexico City

Analysis: They'll miss Newfield, Palmer, and Fuentes, but they're still dangerous. 1B Phil Creek, SS Carlos Batista, and RF Vic James all return- they're high on base guys as well as sluggers. CF George Lowe had an off season, but he and 2B Cy Brand will provide the speed in the lineup. The only question is whether they'll be as deep as they have in the past. They really like what Stuffy Eyre did in spot duty last season.

Their pitching staff always seems to find a way to get it done, albeit unconventially. Felipe Calles and Rob Cepeda are not uber-talented, but they know how to get enough outs. Joe Forrest won 24 games, all in relief. The team likes closer Lonny Soto, even if he did blow 9 saves last season.

Outlook: It remains to be seen how losing all those hitters will affect them, but even if it affects them greatly, I don't see who else in the division can rise up to take them out.

Season 15 Previews: New Orleans Voodoo

2011-08-25T15:05:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe this once-proud franchise lost 112 games last season. Hopefully last season's dumpster fire of a campaign is rock bottom (because any further would be below the wins minimum). Should New Orleans just hope to avoid elimination, or is there some hope for... anything?

New Orleans Voodoo

Last season: 50-112 (last in NL South, missed playoffs [obviously])

Offense: Last in NL

Pitching: Last in NL

Key additions: SS Doc Bowen, (FA-Syracuse)

Key losses: C Rodney Rando (trade-Oakland), 1B Brian Christiansen (FA), P Orber Marin (FA)

Analysis: Well, they can't be any worse, but I'm not sure they'll be much better, either. They backed the Brinks truck up at the Bowen residence to grab one of the best free-agents available, but he can't do it alone. Last season's leader in homers and RBI, the aforementioned Christiansen, had an OBP under .300 and was not re-signed. LF Clayton Long had a solid rookie season, but RF Erick Daniels underachieved and New Orleans legend Ray Cepicky just doesn't have it anymore (he's also a free-agent). The team felt comfortable dealing Rando due to highly touted prospect C Livan Guillen ready to step into the starting lineup.

I don't see where the innings are going to come from. Their best two starters, Eric Edwards and Mateo Guerrero, would be in the back of most rotations. Is Rich Gibson or Jackie Page part of the solution? No one knows. They have two dynamite arms in the pen in closer Miguel Estalella and rookie Tripp Gosling, but if they don't inherit games that are close, they won't be of much use.

Outlook: I really hope they're not flirting with the win minimum this season. But I don't think New Orleans fans can expect respectability.

Season 15 Previews: San Juan Dead Bunnies

2011-08-25T14:46:00.002-04:00

Although they finished third and missed the playoffs, San Juan posted its best record in 10 seasons. So where does this team go from here? Do they pass Louisville and/or Huntington or will they stay back of the pack?

San Juan Dead Bunnies

Last season: 86-76 (3rd in NL South, missed playoffs)

Offense: 3rd in NL

Pitching: 11th in NL

Key additions: P Miguel Reyes (FA-Minnesota), P Albert Lopez (FA-Fargo),

Key losses: None

Analysis: Like Louisville, this team will hit. Silver Slugger C Russ Glanville had a monster season, and 2B Jason Walker, CF Bob Meyer, and 3B Vic Oliveras all hit at least 26 homers. SS Charles Hultzen also has a lot of upside. They had five guys in double digits in steals, so they have some speed as well.

As often is the case, pitching is the question mark in San Juan. Vladimir Bibby was solid last season and Andrew Smith showed quite a bit of improvement over his rookie season, but Vin Espinosa pitched to a 5 ERA and I'm not sure Reyes or Lopez is the answer (although San Juna fans will probably be thrilled to not have to watch a combined 38 starts out of Donne Osik and Hipolito Pujols). Jorge Aguilar was surprisingly good in his first season as a closer.

Outlook: If they could somehow add a quality starter or two, I'd pick them to take this division (although I could say that about Louisville as well). As of right now, I like them but I'm not sure they're as good as Huntington.

Analysis:

Season 15 Previews: Louisville Woodies

2011-08-25T14:32:00.002-04:00

Last season the Woodies finished only two games back of the Riverdogs. Can they take the next step and beat them out for the division title this season?

Louisville Woodies

Last season: 87-75 (2nd in NL South, missed playoffs)

Offense: 4th in NL

Pitching: 10th in NL

Key additions: 2B Bart O'Hallaran (trade-Anaheim)

Key losses: None

Analysis: Anyone who watched Louisville play last season realized that power is not this team's problem. They nearly slugged their way to a division title last season, as 3 players (OF Bob Stewart, SS Mariano Terrero, and 1B Clayton Olson) each hit more than 40 homers and drove in more than 100 runs- 3 more guys hit at least 25. They outhomered every other NL team and outhomered all but one AL team. On the flipside they stole the fewest bases (CF Rich Porter had 19 of the teams 26 steals), so some diversity might help, but look for more Home Run Derby in Louisville.

The pitching staff is solid if unspectacular. Dan Bernard and Miguel Castilla are a solid top of the rotation and 22-year-old Julian Cerda looked fairly good in his rookie year. The bullpen is led by talented arms in Rey Jung and Craig Pratt

Outlook: They'll be in the playoff mix, and they could slug their way to a division title if Huntington falters. They're not outstanding, but I don't see Huntington as outstanding, either.

Season 15 Previews: Huntington Riverdogs

2011-08-25T11:36:00.003-04:00

After only their 2nd season without a playoff appearance in Season 13, the Riverdogs came back in seaso 14 to claim their 9th division title. Can they make it an even 10 this season?

Houston Riverdogs

Last season: 89-73 (1st in NL South, 4th seed in NL, lost in 2nd round to Salt Lake City)

Offense: 11th in NL

Pitching: 7th in NL

Key additions: P Kid Johnstone (FA-Scranton)

Key losses: None

Analysis: This team will look very similar to last season's division winners. 3B Che Bong, LF Yorvit Terrero, and C Angel Marquez all had very good all-around seasons. RF Andres Paniagua led the team in HRs and RBI. 1B Quentin Fletcher and 2B Marc Phillips are both talented but need to chip in more.

Their veteran rotation will be anchored by Kenneth Graves and Fred Carter. The Riverdogs have high hopes for rookie starter Fred Norman. Their bullpen is solid and deep, led by closer Larry Driskill, and the Johnstone signing makes it deeper.

Outlook: Again, a team that doesn't look like a big-time contender on paper, but I don't see anyone in the division who looks like an odds-on favorite to beat them. And if they can get into the playoffs, who knows?

Season 15 Previews: Vancouver Grizzlies

2011-08-23T13:54:00.003-04:00

Last season the Grizzlies pulled off the nearly impossible-they finished in last place despite having a winning record. So although they missed the playoffs and were looking up at every one else in the division, there's still reason for hope. Can they leapfrog the other tenants in the division and compete for a division title?

Vancouver Grizzlies

Last season: 82-80 (4th in NL North, missed playoffs)

Offense: 10th in NL

Pitching: 5th in NL

Key additions: None

Key losses: SS Gustavo Contreras (FA-Oakland), LF Fernando Ibanez (FA)

Analysis: This is going to be an interesting season for the Grizzlies. Slugger LF Heath Christiansen and speedster RF Ricky Carpenter need help. Will talented CF Geraldo Santayana step up, or will it come from the minor leaguers that the Grizzlies have stockpiled? They have three or four AAA players who could end up playing a significant role this season.

As for the pitching staff, they're a little more settled. They'll return Willie Pineda and Luis Tejera, who won 30 games between the two of them. And while Ozzie Acker maybe isn't as good as his 26-6 Cy Young season in Season 13, he's definitely not as bad as last year's 9-19 debacle. Heath Rollins was solid as the closer last season.

Outlook: It's hard to say. If they call up some of their AAA guys and those guys can make an immediate impact, I'd give them a puncher's chance at the playoffs. But if they can't or if the Vancouver brass decides that calling these guys up would hamper their long-term growth, then I don't see where the offense comes from.

Season 15 Previews: Syracuse Sandmen

2011-08-23T13:38:00.002-04:00

Last season Syracuse finished just 4 back of the division and 2 back of a wild card spot. Can they make the jump this season?

Syracuse Sandmen

Last season: 89-73 (3rd in NL North, missed playoffs)

Offense: 9th in NL

Pitching: 2nd in NL

Key additions: P Enrique Gutierrez (FA-Louisville)

Key losses: SS Doc Bowen (FA-New Orleans), P Ivan Castilla (FA-Cheyenne), CF Trever Pierre (FA-Boston)

Analysis: The offense has young talent and some question marks. The trio of 2B Barry Sanders, 3B Travis Stein, and 1B Antoine Hoover are good up-and-coming players. But the losses of Bowen and Pierre could impact the offense, they need more from IF Pete Butler, and the Dennis Tamura experiment did not work out for Syracuse last season- he heard some booing from the crowd at the end. It'll be interesting to see if he can bounce back- if not, his $50 million remaining over the last 3 years of his contract is likely to be a sore spot with the team and the fans.

Their top three in the rotation are good veterans in Alberto Vidal, Albert Herzog, and Christy Castillo. The other two positions are fairly wide open. They've got Chick Price and Coco Hines to anchor a solid bullpen.

Outlook: I don't see a repeat of season 13's World Series title, but they should be in the playoff mix.

Season 15 Previews: Minnesota North Stars

2011-08-23T13:18:00.002-04:00

Minnesota gave Fargo a good run for the division title last season, then pulled the slight upset in the playoffs before falling to the eventual champion Blue Coats. Can they repeat or improve that performance?

Minnesota North Stars

Last season: 91-71 (2nd in NL North, 6th in NL, lost in 2nd round to Washington)

Offense: 7th in NL

Pitching: 8th in NL

Key additions: None

Key losses: P Miguel Reyes (FA-San Juan), P Nate McNamara (FA-Chicago), P Donaldo Lopez (FA-Nashville)

Analysis: Hard to figure how this team is going to go. Veteran 2B Rico Guevara has now had two career years, albeit 7 years apart and SS James Dixon's home run total has gone down each of the last three seasons. As hard as it is to do for a guy making almost $8 million a season, RF Zach Leary quietly put up great numbers. But the offense may hinge on three guys possibly transitioning from part-time to full-time duty: IF Shea Olmansky, OF Andrea Butler, and 1B John Okajima. Expect some AAA call-ups as well.

The pitching staff saw 5 guys win 10 games and no one win more than 15. Veteran Rob Cather was the 15 game winner and he'll be back, but North Stars fans are far more excited about young potential ace Braden Carroll. The loss of Reyes eliminates some depth, but he was far from an ace. They'll rely on guys like Yorrick Cannon, Carlos Franco, and Mark Rogers for the depth. As for the bullpen, they'll also miss the depth of McNamara and Lopez, but Gary Weems and Boomer Nelson are both reliable and should be able to pick up the slack.

Outlook: They're definitely better than they were two seasons ago when they finished last in the division, but I'm not sure I can pick them to go back to the playoffs.

Season 15 Previews: Fargo Dirtbags

2011-08-23T12:46:00.002-04:00

We move to the North, where Fargo is the reigning division champion. Can they repeat and maybe go further?

Fargo Dirtbags

Last season: 93-69 (1st in NL North, 3rd in NL, lost in 1st round to Minnesota)

Offense: 6th in NL

Pitching: 4th in NL

Key additions: LF Luis Martinez (FA-Ottawa)

Key losses: OF Jamey Hunter (FA)

Analysis: The offense should once again be led by young sluggers C Rodrigo Melendez and 1B Cesar Gonzalez. 2B Raul Vallarta and RF Philip McCartin provide the speed and each scored over 100 runs. They're hoping to get some depth in the lineup through aging stars Martinez and Alex Lim- Martinez will likely start and Lim should be a bench player. Their lineup isn't the deepest, but it's got some talent.

The pitching staff in Fargo, like in Atlanta, is always a quality staff. They have 2-time and reigning Cy Young winner Fausto Almanza (20-4 last season) and the legendary Javier Henriquez anchoring the staff. After the dynamic duo, there are some question marks, as rookie Bryce Washington and veteran Malachi Clifton likely will occupy the #3 and #4 spot. The good news is the starters usually don't have to go past the 6th or 7th inning, as the combination of Garry "Dream Weaver" Wright and Cristian Price is usually lights out at the end. Price was a little too prone to the long ball last year but Wright was tremendous in the "Chris Siddall" role.

Outlook: Not sure if I'm looking at a title contender here, but they'll be in playoff contention. And once you get in the playoffs, you've always got a puncher's chance, especially with 9 Cy Young awards in that playoff rotation.

Season 15 Previews: Norfolk Destroyers

2011-08-22T13:23:00.002-04:00

And then came the Destroyers. Norfolk fans have seen one winning season in the last eleven seasons and no playoff appearances in that time. What can the Virginia faithful expect from their young rebuilding team this season:

Norfolk Destroyers

Last season: 68-94 (4th in NL East, missed playoffs)

Offense: 13th in NL

Pitching: 14th in NL

Key additions: P Louie Martin (FA-Ottawa)

Key losses: None

Analysis: This is a young squad that figures to get better with time. LF Keith Singleton put up a monster season but he needs some help. RF Dave Hodges put up solid numbers and 3B Geovany Manzanillo showed some of his potential but no one was able to put up 90 runs. OF Albert Picasso had a decent rookie season but is capable of more. 22-year-old CF Julian Mieses should get a shot to win a job in camp- he's got boom or bust ability.

The pitching staff is a mess. John Wilson is a solid starter but he was the only reliable starter last season for the Destroyers. They brought in the aforementioned Martin to be the #2 or #3 type starter although he could start Opening Day. Delino Hernandez and Edwin Aaron must pitch better for Norfolk to be respectable and both men could be pitching for their careers- Aaron is 34 and could be on the way down and Hernandez is 28 and has yet to figure it out at the ML level- he's now coming off his worst season in the big leagues. Craig Shermann was effective, if unspectacular, as the closer.

Outlook: This is a proud franchise with solid ownership and a loyal fanbase, but I just don't see it. They're clearly the fourth best team in this division.

Season 15 Previews: Chicago Cows

2011-08-22T12:58:00.002-04:00

The Cows are in a tough spot, as they're a team on the rise but with two perpetually good teams ahead of them in their own division. Are they stuck in third place or can they take the next step?

Chicago Cows

Last season: 78-84 (3rd in NL East, missed playoffs)

Offense: 2nd in NL

Pitching: 13th in NL

Key additions: SS William Satou (trade from Oakland)

Key losses: P Tito Mercedes (FA-Salt Lake City)

Analysis: Offense isn't the problem at Wrigley. Young sluggers LF Hub Hamilton and 1B Jack Millard both followed up breakthrough seasons in Season 13 with similar big-time years in Season 14. Veteran IF Jacque Puffer chimed in with 25 HRs and 105 RBI, one of 5 guys with at least 20 homers. Hamilton, Puffer, and SS Jesus Espinosa all stole at least 30 bases, showing the diversity of the offense.

The pitching staff was what held this team back, and may do so again this season. Alex Bong and Yuniesky Solano are arguably the two most talented arms on this team and neither has yet put together a solid season (although they are 25 and 23, respectively, so it's not exactly time to give up on either of them). Jeremi Gant was the best starter last season, but he can't do it alone. Juan Cabrera will have to pitch a lot better than he did last season if Chicago wants to finish at .500, never mind sniff the playoffs. They've got some decent arms in the pen but must figure out the roles- unlike Washington, I'm not 100% confident in this squad to get it done. Knuckleballer Hack Gregerson couldn't handle the role last season.

Outlook: This has been a team on the rise in its first two seasons in Chicago, but unless Bong and Solano figure it out, they won't be much better than last season. They'll need some more pieces to be a playoff contender and the big question is whether those pieces are currently on their roster or not.

Season 15 Previews: Atlanta Bandits

2011-08-22T12:41:00.002-04:00

We head to Atlanta, who has made the playoffs an astounding 11 straight seasons. Can they make it 12?

Atlanta Bandits

Last season: 91-61 (2nd in NL East, #5 seed in playoffs, lost in 1st round to Huntington)

Offense: 8th in NL

Pitching: 1st in NL

Key additions: None

Key losses: IF Cap Herrera (FA-Ottawa)

Analysis: Again, this is a team that stood relatively pat. Their offense will be based on speed yet again- slugging 1B Tony Javier is the lone big-time home run threat. Their entire outfield (Neifi James, Steve Lofton, Butch Russell), stole at least 30 bases, but can they get on base enough to take advantage of that speed? They've got some talent, but I question how the offense fits together. However, they still win games.

The pitching always seems to be at or near the top of the NL. Kaz Whang and Santiago Perez didn't put up gaudy win totals, but they're both stud pitchers. Like the other top teams, they have rotation depth (Roy Walker and Mike Lowery are both very solid) and a good deep bullpen.

Outlook: I'd love to say this is the season where it doesn't come together, where they just don't have enough offense to make the postseason. However, this team has earned the benefit of the doubt and I'll believe it when I see it. They somehow always find a way to be in the mix.

Season 15 Previews: Washington D.C. Blue Coats

2011-08-22T12:19:00.003-04:00

Since I have two weeks off from work, the previews are back! Traditionally, we start in the NL East so that's what we'll do.

Washington D.C. Blue Coats

Last season: 96-66 (1st in NL East, won World Series)

Offense: 5th in NL

Pitching: 3rd in NL

Key additions: None

Key losses: Alex Javier (FA- Scranton)

Analysis: Washington will start the season with pretty much the same squad that took home the title last season. They'll be led once again by breakout star 2B Andrew Clayton, who put up Hall of Fame numbers last season. He'll be supported by RF Matty Pena and last season's mid-season acquisition, INF Jack Hunt. 3B James Dixon is still a productive hitter, but his 59 point drop in average from the year before would have to concern the D.C. fans.

The starting pitching won't change. Former Cy Young winner Carter Leonard is the horse and had a nice bounce-back season, but John Balfour may have been even better. Albert Hendrickson and Adrian Shipley add depth to the rotation. The question around D.C. is around the loss of Javier, but they have enough quality arms in the bullpen to cover the loss- someone will probably step up. Norman Eckenstahler, Enos Swann, and Jorge Cruz could all get shots at the role.

Outlook: Can't exactly say they're an odds-on favorite to repeat, as there are a few small question marks and the NL appears to be deep this season, but when the Vegas lines come out they'll be at or near the top.

Oakland's Offseason Moves

2011-08-22T10:34:00.002-04:00

Oakland GM gumbercules has obviously shown that 65 wins and another last place finish in the NL West will not be acceptable this season. There have been some major moves made in the offseason to better the team.

The light-hitting SS William Satou and C Bump Edwards are no longer with the squad- they've been replaced by free-agent pickup Gustavo Contreras and the catching tandem of Rick Anderson and Rodney Rando, respectively. Although the defense might not be quite as good, these moves definitely lengthen the lineup.

The pitching staff was a mess, so it's been partially rebuilt. The starting staff will consist of young star B.C. Macias and veteran stalwarts Pedro Hernandez, Don McConnell (who is getting one more chance after a dreadful Season 14) and Adrian Hendrickson (again, awful last season). Shane Simms, 12-10 last season in Cincinnati, joins the team in a trade.

"We expect to be better than last season", said the new GM. "Would we like to contend for the division title? Sure. Is that realistic? I have no idea. But that is the goal. Salt Lake City has been the gold standard in the division and maybe even the league for years. But I have every intention of putting together the team that breaks their consecutive division title streak, whenever that may be."

Free Agency Wrap-up

2011-08-22T10:11:00.002-04:00

There were a few major signings to close the free-agency period.

Former Syracuse SS Doc Bowen signed a 5-year, $63 million contract with New Orleans. Bowen's agent said he wanted to be the highest paid SS in the league but he wasn't even the highest paid shortstop in this free-agent class, as Amp Palmer got $65 million. However, at his New Orleans press conference, Bowen said all the right things, adding "I'm satisfied with this contract and looking forward to big things with the Voodoo". When reminded that he was joining a 50-win team, he said, "Well, there's nowhere to go but up".

Nashville picked up former Salt Lake City Shaker infielder Jordan Newfield for 4 years and about $38 million. The 10-year veteran will provide another potent bat to help try and lead Nashville past the Charleston Chew this season.

The Scranton Janitors picked up the best pitcher on the market, and he'll cost them a pretty penny. Close Alex Javier will make $73 million over the next 5 seasons, including a whopping $24.5 million this season. Does Javier put Scranton over the top in the AL this season? This will be just one of the many questions that won't be answered until the World Series is over.

Take 5- Pitchers

2011-08-21T09:49:00.003-04:00

OK, since we've already taken a look at the eligible hitters, let's head to the other category:

Who are the top 5 pitchers eligible for the Hall of Fame?

1. Christopher Siddall

Case for: Best career ERA and WHIP of all currently eligible pitchers, was a dominant middle reliever, pitched over 100 innings with a WHIP of less than 1.00 five times (including a 0.84 WHIP in 138 innings in season 1).

Case against: No major hardware, only two All-Star appearances, finished with less than 120 combined wins and saves.

Outlook: Hard to say. It's a shame his career happened so early in the existence of the world because if he had started later on and had, say, 10 to 12 years of this type of performance he would become the ultimate test case of "Can a middle reliever get voted into the HOF"? As with the next two guys to follow, time is not on their side- they've been retired for a few years and haven't been voted in yet and the next few seasons will see the retirements of guys like Dunwoody, Robinson, and eventually even Henriquez, making it harder to get in.

2. Matty Eusebio

Case for: 122-63 record, career ERA under 3, won at least 15 games 6 times, finished with a WHIP under 1.00 three times, 4-time All Star, pitched a no-hitter.

Case against: No Cy Young awards (in his defense, he might have a few if Henriquez had pitched in the AL), never won 20, does not appear in the top 5 all-time in any major pitching category for either a season or a career.

Outlook: Questionable at best.

3. Vin Solano

Case for: Career winning percentage of .768, career ERA of 2.95, 2 Cy Young awards to go with 4 All-Star appearances and a World Series ring.

Case against: Didn't win 100 games in his career, only started 5 years in the Bigs with two of those being dominant (his Cy Young seasons).

Outlook: See Eusebio.

4. Pablo Rijo

Case for: 443 career saves, 6 All-Star appearances, saved 40 or more games five times.

Case against: Very inconsistent as a closer- had 3 seasons with an ERA over 5, no Fireman of the Year awards, career ERA over 4.

Outlook: Chances are slim to none, and Slim is walking out the door. I don't see it happening.

5. Babe Broadhurst

Case for: 3-time All Star, twice won 18 games, career 3.32 ERA (yeah, I'll admit it's a pretty weak case).

Case against: Only 115 career wins, never won 20, lasted only 8 years as a starter.

Outlook: See Rijo. He's basically Carlton Fleming with a little more longevity and maybe slightly less dominance. Neither guy is getting in (and rightfully so).

Lim re-joins Dirtbags

2011-08-20T23:46:00.005-04:00

Future HOFer to play backup role

Fargo is quickly becoming the place where future Hall of Famers go to retire. After signing 36-year-old Luis Martinez to a three-year deal and extending Javier Henriquez through his age 38 season, the Dirtbags have now signed another future Hall of Famer; Alex Lim.

Lim agreed to a 2-year $3.4 million deal to serve as the Dirtbags' fourth outfielder. The 37-year-old outfielder batted .291/.376/.412 last season in a full-time role with San Francisco. Lim previously patrolled left field in Fargo for five and a half seasons, helping the Dirtbags win their only World Series championship.

Boise lands Palmer

2011-08-20T23:34:00.003-04:00

6-time All-Star jumps to division rival

The Boise franchise has failed to make the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons. Now, they hope that a little money will go a long way towards fixing that. Actually, it's a lot of money.

The Drifters have announced the signing of 6-time All-Star shortstop Amp Palmer to a 5-year $65 million deal. The deal includes a $4 million bonus and a team option for the final year. The 32-year-old Palmer, who spent the past three seasons with Salt Lake City, had a .292/.349/.553 batting line last season with 39 homeruns, 134 RBI, 109 runs scored and 25 stolen bases.

Take 5- The Long Awaited Return

2011-08-19T16:29:00.003-04:00

It's been a while, but Take 5 makes a return to the blog. The signing of future Hall-of-Famer Javier Henriquez to a 3 year extention with Fargo turns our attention to the current crop of players available for HOF voting. The pitching candidates are not all that strong, so we'll concentrate on the other side of the ball and ask the question:

Who are the top 5 eligible candidates for the Hall-of-Fame in the Position Players category?

1. David Rushford

Resume: The recently retired Rushford probably rushes to the top of this list. His 460 HRs and 1126 RBI rank first among eligible hitters. He has 7 40 HR/100 RBI seasons to his name. The voters did him very little justice in putting him in only one All-Star game.

Outlook: Far from a slam-dunk, but he's got a shot. Supporters will point to those seven dominant years and note that Gregg Black got in for five or six dominant years. Detractors can point to his severe dropoff late in his career and lack of hardware.

2. Ryan Snyder

Resume: Snyder very quietly put together a borderline HOF career. He's got an MVP award (which Rushford can't claim), went to 5 All-Star games, and won a World Series ring. Although he finihed 140 homers behind Rushford, their all-time slugging percentages are almost identical. He finished 6 stolen bases short of going 300/300 for his career.

Outlook: In some respects he may have a better case than Rushford, but he's been retired since Season 11 and hasn't gone in yet, which does not bode well at all for his chances. With only two inductees, it's not like he's stuck in a logjam behind sure-fire HOFers.

3. King Winn

Resume: Another member of the 1000 RBI club, Winn holds the single season RBI record with 182. That total helped him earn his MVP award as a DH, a difficult feat to accomplish. He drove in 100 runs 6 times and hit over 60 homers twice.

Outlook: I'd say not good. He had two or three hall-of-fame years, but his time of dominance was short and he fell off worse than Rushford. Being essentially a DH (he caught from time to time but had a hard time doing it full-time) also makes it harder. I most certainly wouldn't put him in ahead of Rushford or Snyder, and there will be sure-fire HOFers retiring soon, making it harder for him.

4. Andre Eckenstahler

Resume: He's the only currently eligible player with over 5000 at-bats to retire with a .300 average. Andre batted over .300 seven times and hit the 30/100 plateaus three times. He's got 4 All-Stars and 4 Silver Slugger awards on his mantle.

Outlook: Very doubtful. He had only one dominant season (season 1, where he hit .340--47-133 and would have cruised to an MVP award if not for the beer league softball season of Gregg Black) and his power numbers aren't eye-popping.

5. Bernie Soriano

Resume: The Cuban defector came in three homers short of the 400 mark and drove in 1114 runs in his career- Rushford is the only eligible candidate with more. He drove in 100 runs four times and had seasons of 99 and 98 RBI and hit 50 homers twice.

Outlook: No chance and rightfully so. I could have easily put about 5 or 6 other guys in this slot, none of which would be viable candidates for the Hall. As for Soriano, he had a handful of big-time seasons and was wildly inconsistent. No way he should ever be voted in.

Fargo, Henriquez agree on extension

2011-08-19T15:58:00.005-04:00

Deal keeps Henriquez in Fargo until season 19

Just a few hours after signing Luis Martinez, the Fargo Dirtbags announced that they have agreed to a contract extension with franchise ace Javier Henriquez. Henriquez, The Bigs all-time wins leader with 230, signed a three-year $28.5 million extension with the third year of the deal being a team option. He will make $17.3 million next season, which includes a $10 million bonus, $6.2 million in season 17 and $5 million in season 18.

The extension will keep Henriquez with Fargo through season 18, meaning the ace pitcher will not be eligible for free agency again until he is 39-years-old.

Martinez returns to his roots

2011-08-19T10:53:00.009-04:00

Former MVP signs with Dirtbags

14 seasons ago, The Bigs saw its first blockbuster trade as the Fargo Dirtbags traded Luis Martinez, Del Lopez and James Morton to the Milwaukee Manic Maulers for Javier Henriquez. Since that trade, the players involved have combined to earn 17 All-Star appearances, 7 Silver Sluggers, 2 Gold Gloves, 7 Cy Youngs, 1 MVP and 2 World Series rings. Henriquez and Martinez, the headliners of the deal, became the two best players at their position in their prime. Now, on the downside of their careers, they will be teammates.

Martinez agreed to terms on a three-year $12 million deal with Fargo and will serve as their starting left fielder this season. Ironically enough, the Dirtbags declined the option of Lopez, who had served the team in a part-time role the past two seasons, to make room for Martinez on their roster. Despite playing in five World Series, Martinez has yet to win one. The future Hall of Famer missed his only chance as his Milwaukee Manic Maulers went on to win the World Series in season 4 while Martinez was sidelined for the season with nerve irritation in his forearm.

Martinez will now join forces with the man he was once traded for in the biggest blockbuster in The Bigs' history to try and capture that elusive World Series ring.

Oakland Announces New Regional Network

2011-08-15T21:33:00.002-04:00

Oakland owner Rudy Jordan has had a busy offseason. After moving the Boise Bombers to the East Bay, he managed to lure GM gumbercules out of retirement to run the show. Today he announced the formation of the REDS (Rays Entertainment, Development, and Sports) network. "Rather than sign on with a regional sports channel, we wanted to increase our profit margins by creating our own network", said Jordan. "With our own network, we feel we can increase our reach throughout northern California, as we are now the only team in The Bigs in this area". The REDS network will broadcast all East Bay Rays and the majority of the Golden State Warriors basketball games (pre-game and post-game coverage included), as well as original programming. A representative was sent to try to secure the rights to broadcast Raiders games, but looking at Al Davis made him turn into stone. REDS's broadcast team of Randall Brooks and Kelly Downs will debut at the EBRs' first spring training game against Fargo.

Two Former Sluggers Retire

2011-08-15T20:30:00.002-04:00

As we start our 15th season, the two Silver Slugger 3rd basemen from Season 5 both announced their retirements today.

David Rushford was one of the most feared sluggers for the first seven years of the league. He made an immediate splash in Philadelphia (later Washington), hitting 44 homers in season 1 despite starting the season in AAA. In his five big league seasons in Philadelphia/Washington he amassed an incredible 251 homers before moving on to Fargo and had two more big-time seasons before slowing down. He finishes his career with a .272 average, 460 homers, and 1126 RBI. Despite only playing 5 seasons with the Washington franchise he still holds the team records for HRs and RBI and has 4 of the top 5 single season home run totals. His HOF candidacy is already being debated.

Brook Teut is not likely to be taken seriously as a Hall of Fame candidate (and shouldn't be), but he was a good hitter in his day. Teut topped the 30 HR plateau four times and drove in more than 100 runs three times. His .269-34-119 season for Jackson in season 5 earned him a Silver Slugger award at 3B (Rushford was the NL winner that season) and an All-Star appearance. Teut retires with 259 homers and 914 RBI.

Lincoln, Almanza win second Cy Young Awards

2011-08-13T18:09:00.011-04:00

Floyd, Hamilton take home MVP hardware

Fargo's Fausto Almanza and Charleston's Ronn Lincoln were both awarded with their second career Cy Young Awards in season 14. Winning the NL Cy Young, Almanza became the first player in the history of The Bigs to win a Cy Young Award in both the American League and the National League. Almanza finished the season with a 20-4 record, a 2.88 ERA and 223 strikeouts in 253 innings pitched. For the Chew, Lincoln went 19-4 with a 2.84 ERA and 218 strikeouts in 206.1 innings pitched.

Charleston swept the major two awards in the AL as LF Floyd Floyd was named the AL MVP for season 14. Floyd posted a .279/.399/.537 batting line with 34 homeruns, 63 stolen bases and 120 runs scored for the Chew. In the NL, Chicago Cows' Hub Hamilton took home the MVP honors. Hamilton hit .295/.366/.547 with 39 homeruns, 141 RBI, 119 runs scored and 33 stolen bases.

Season 14 Awards

2011-08-09T19:51:00.005-04:00

With season 14 now complete, it's time to hand out a few awards.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Adrian Clayton, Washington

Exactly why Clayton did not appear on the NL MVP ballot is a mystery, as he not only belonged in the running, but should have won the award outright. After a poor season 13, Clayton re-established himself as one of the league's preeminent sluggers, with 49 home runs and a major-league leading 151 RBIs, .639 slugging percentage, and 1.000 OPS - while recording 20 steals and providing fine defense at second base. While there's no shortage of stars on the World Series-winning Blue Coats, this one clearly shines brighter than the rest.

Runner-Up: Raul Vallarta, Fargo

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Fausto Almanza, Fargo

Javier Henriquez has long gotten the biggest accolades on Fargo's top-notch pitching staff, but this season, the Dirtbags' erstwhile #2 starter was their real ace. Almanza was one of just two 20-game winners in the majors, and maintained a 1.09 WHIP and 2.88 ERA - both figures among the league's best - while pitching a staggering 253 innings in 38 starts, including a major league-leading 27 quality starts.

Runner-Up: John Balfour, Washington

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

deuce112, Charleston

While the winner in this category is usually pretty tough to pick, this season's choice may be the easiest ever. From season 6 to season 11, Charleston's win totals were as follows: 57, 55, 56, 67, 60, 53. Most franchises that find themselves in that kind of funk never break out of it. But in just 4 seasons, deuce112 has guided his team to one of the best records in the AL - and looking at all the young stars they've accumulated, it's a good bet they'll only continue to improve.

Runner-Up: bgkrenz, Minnesota

SEASON 14 COMEDY AWARDS

IRON GLOVE AWARDS

Presented to the worst fielder at each position

P Jimmy Cole, Milwaukee

C Steven O'Malley, San Francisco

1B Vin Logan, Monterrey

2B Gerald Duran, San Francisco

3B Frank Campbell, Boston

SS Enrique Alarcon, New Orleans

LF Clayton Long, New Orleans

CF Sammy Quentin, Seattle

RF Max Lira, Mexico City

TIN SLUGGER AWARDS

Presented to the worst hitter at each position

C Pablo DeSoto, Cincinnati

1B Bret Kingman, Cheyenne

2B Alex Beltran, New York

3B Vern Monroe, Seattle

SS Eduardo Martis, Monterrey

LF Ivan Gil, New York

CF Adrian Jensen, Cheyenne

RF Matthew Holdridge, Charleston

DH Zip Capra, Anaheim

DC takes Series in 5

2011-08-08T23:56:00.010-04:00

Blue Coats win rematch of season 12 WS

Jack Hunt left Ottawa after helping them defeat Washington DC in the season 12 World Series. Little did he know, he'd be helping the Blue Coats turn the tables on his former team just two seasons later.

The Washington DC Blue Coats defeated the Ottawa O-jays in five games to win the franchises first World Series title in this year's Series. Hunt scored the go ahead run in the sixth inning to clinch the series for Washington DC.

Hunt was a beast for the Blue Coats, dominating his former teammates by going 10-22 with three homeruns and eight RBI in the five games.

Ottawa meets DC in WS

2011-08-06T10:26:00.011-04:00

Teams clash in rematch of season 12 World Series

The Washington DC Blue Coats will hope their second trip to the World Series will end better than their first one did. But they'll have to defeat a familiar enemy to reach their goal as the Ottawa O-jays will be their World Series opponent for the second time in three seasons.

The last time these teams met in the World Series, the O-jays took home the championship trophy, winning the series four games to two. The teams will again be lead by aces A n dres DeLeon and Carter Leonard but the biggest subplot of this rematch may revolve around the two superstars who are playing for the other side this time around.

Future Hall of Famer Luis Martinez left DC after their season 12 World Series disappointment and signed a three-year deal to join then defending champion Ottawa. Jack Hunt also left his team after that World Series, fleeing Ottawa for big money in New York. But Hunt was traded to Washington midway through this season and will try to help the team he defeated two years ago, take down the team he helped to victory.

Season 14 Draft Review

2011-08-02T13:46:00.009-04:00

1. Cincinnati Reds

Hootie Adams, RHP - Age 18 - $4.00M - Rating: - Grade: A

2. Cheyenne Crackers

Adam Coppinger, RHP - Age 18 - $3.91M - Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: It's hard to say which is the better prospect, but either way it's undeniable that Adams and Coppinger are future aces and well deserving of the first two picks of the draft.

3. New Orleans Voodoo

Luis Rincon, SS - Age 19 - $3.82M - Rating: - Grade: A

4. Norfolk Destroyers

Edinson Lugo, C - Age 22 - $3.72M - Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: Lugo may turn out to be the biggest prize of this year's draft class. Though he lacks the stellar defense of the typical 5-star prospect, he's perhaps the best pure hitter to enter the draft in several seasons and should be a perennial MVP candidate in the near future.

5. Boston Bambinos

Javier Castillo, RHP - Age 18 - $3.63M - Rating: - Grade: D

Comment: Castillo's a decent prospect, but he's barely first-round material, let alone a top-5 player. Also, as an extreme flyball pitcher, Fenway Park may be the worst possible big-league home for him. Why the Bambinos picked him in this spot is a real head-scratcher.

6. Mexico City Chupacabras

Ralph Dickerson, LHP - Age 22 - $3.54M - Rating: - Grade: B

7. Boise Bombers

Darren Coleman, LHP - Age 18 - Unsigned - Rating: - Grade: D

Comment: Faced with a tight financial situation and an unproductive farm system, Boise badly needed to draft an impact prospect whom they could afford to sign. Instead, they selected a solid-but-unspectacular pitcher with known signability concerns, and now have nothing to show for a top-10 pick.

8. Milwaukee Manic Maulers

William McConnell, SS - Age 19 - $3.35M - Rating: - Grade: A

9. Scranton Janitors

Darryl Percival, LHP - Age 18 - $3.25M - Rating: - Grade: B

10. San Francisco Sabercats

Hod Cradle, RHP - Age 18 - $3.16M - Rating: - Grade: B+

Comment: Cradle may have one the the strangest names in this year's draft class, but he's also the best reliever available by a wide margin. He adds to the impressive pile of elite pitching prospects that San Francisco has accrued over the last few seasons.

11. Chicago Cows

Pete Hitchcock, 3B/SS - Age 18 - $3.07M - Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: It's almost unfair how lucky the Cows got with this pick; it's extremely rare for a prospect of this quality to slip past the top ten - and he happened to fall into the lap of a franchise already teeming with great hitting prospects. In just a few seasons, Chicago's lineup may turn into a modern-day Murderer's Row.

12. New York Knickerbockers

Phillip Bergmann, LHP - Age 19 - $2.97M - Rating: - Grade: B

13. Salem Sacrifices

Dick Smith, LHP - Age 18 - $2.88M - Rating: - Grade: B-

14. Seattle Killer Whales

Anthony Thornton, C/DH - Age 18 - Unsigned - Rating: - Grade: C-

Comment: Thornton is a good hitter for a high schooler, but is a poor defensive catcher and likely has a future as a DH - or would have, if he hadn't picked basketball instead. Seattle may have actually dodged a bullet when he chose not to sign.

15. Minnesota North Stars

Charlie Hardy, 2B - Age 21 - $2.69M - Rating: - Grade: C+

16. San Juan Dead Bunnies

Kevin League, 2B - Age 22 - $2.60M - Rating: - Grade: B+

17. Louisville Woodies

Homer Wohlers, LF/RF - Age 18 - $2.50M - Rating: - Grade: C

18. Salt Lake City Shakers

Cecil Medina, RF - Age 18 - $2.41M - Rating: - Grade: A-

Comment: You can't sustain the kind of success that the Shakers have without drafting well, and this season is no exception. Medina has some weaknesses, to be sure, but he's one of the best hitters in this season's draft class and is an impressive "get" for the 18th overall pick.

19. Louisville Woodies

Collin Sheets, 2B - Age 21 - $2.32M - Rating: - Grade: B+

20. Atlanta Bandits

Bert Moss, SS - Age 18 - $2.22M - Rating: - Grade: B-

21. Charleston Chew

Chuck Smyth, 3B/RF - Age 18 - $3.45M - Rating: - Grade: B+

Comment: Smyth is a mediocre third baseman, at best, but could be an excellent right fielder if Charleston sees fit to move him there - well worth his above-slot signing bonus.

22. Syracuse Sandmen

Max Giminez, 2B - Age 21 - $2.04M - Rating: - Grade: C

23. St. Louis River City Rage

Paulie Smith, C - Age 18 - $1.94M - Rating: - Grade: C+

24. Atlanta Bandits

Niko Stokes, 1B/DH - Age 18 - $1.85M - Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: It's hard to believe that Stokes stayed on the board this long, but here he is, the 24th overall pick. He's a poor fielder, even for a first baseman, but he has terrific potential as a hitter, and is perhaps this draft's second-best high-school position player.

25. Washington Blue Coats

Tripp Rogers, LHP - Age 18 - $2.64M - Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: The first pitcher selected since the 13th overall pick is a good one. Rogers lacks the durability of a typical closer, but his dynamite stuff ensures that he'll be a first-rate reliever someday.

26. Helena Shadow Wolves

Phil Hukata, 1B - Age 18 - Unsigned - Rating: - Grade: A-

Comment: It's hard to blame Helena for taking Hukata, in spite of the associated signability concerns, as he was far and away the best hitter left on the board at this point. Unfortunately he chose football over baseball, but still, this was a good risk to take.

27. Vancouver Grizzlies

Jerrod Scanlan, 2B/LF - Age 18 - $1.57M - Rating: - Grade: B+

28. Anaheim Chiles

Spike Ellsbury, RHP - Age 19 - $1.47M - Rating: - Grade: B

29. Monterrey Sultans of Swat

Graham Banks, 1B - Age 18 - $1.38M - Rating: - Grade: B+

30. Louisville Woodies

Tony Burkhart, RF - Age 20 - $1.29M - Rating: - Grade: B

31. Seattle Killer Whales

Luther Mack, RHP - Age 21 - $1.19M - Rating: - Grade: C+

Comment: This is a tough pick to grade. Mack has truly amazing stuff, but his stamina and durability are so poor that it's hard to imagine what role he can fill when he reaches the majors - he simply can't pitch more than an inning at a time, or on consecutive days. But no matter what, he'll be an interesting player to keep an eye on.

32. New Orleans Voodoo

Grant Fordham, RHP - Age 22 - $1.10M - Rating: - Grade: B-

33. Nashville Hillbillies

Matty Aquino, SS - Age 20 - $1.00M - Rating: - Grade: B

Opening Day in Tweets Part II

2011-05-30T01:25:00.003-04:00

North Stars shine over Grizzlies in Vancouver.

Sultans of Swat protect their goats from Chupacabras in Monterrey.

Bambinos keep their Knickers from bunching in New York.

O-Jays calm the RAGE in St. Louis.

Bandits tip some Cows in Atlanta.

Killer whales crunch on some Crackers in Seattle.

Bombers get Shaken and implode in Salt Lake City.

Bunnies are Dead Wood in San Juan.

Opening Day in Tweets

2011-05-29T12:04:00.002-04:00

Blue Cheese are Mauled to death in Milwaukee.

Hillbillies get Chewed up in Nashville.

Janitors clean up the Red in Cincinnati.

Wolves eat Chiles for breakfast in Anaheim.

Voodoo doesn't work on Dogs in New Orleans.

Sand covers up the Dirt in Fargo.

Sabercats eat the Sacrifice in Salem.

Blue Coats avoid Destruction in Washington.

The Bigs Anti-Tanking Act

2011-05-27T09:32:00.021-04:00

Please choose one of the following rules to be set in place for all owners in The Bigs beginning season 14:

A. Owners must have a minimum player payroll of $30 million.
B. Owners must have a prospect budget that does not exceed $30 million.
C. Owners must win a minimum of 50 games at the ML level each season or they will be automatically ejected from the league the following season.
D. Owners must win a minimum of 50 games at the ML level each season or they will face a league vote to determine whether or not they will remain in the league.
E. Owners must win a minimum of 168 games at the ML level over any three season span or they will be automatically ejected from the league the following season.

VOTING RESULTS
A:
B: 2
C: 10
D: 3
E: 4

Stevenson retires

2011-05-18T23:16:00.007-04:00

Two-time MVP calls it quits

One of the greatest hitters in the history of The Bigs has decided to call it a career. Long-time Milwaukee outfielder/first baseman Burt Stevenson has announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 39.

A four-time All-Star, Stevenson won two American League MVP Awards (seasons 2 and 6) while with Milwaukee and was a part of two World Series championship teams (Milwaukee, season 4 and St. Louis, season 11).

The future Hall of Famer finishes his career tied for second all-time in career slugging percentage with a .610 mark. He totaled 440 home runs, 1249 RBI and 1042 runs scored as well as a .310 batting average and 1.000 OPS.

Sandmen capture World title

2011-05-18T22:52:00.012-04:00

Syracuse sweeps Buffalo for crown

The Syracuse Sandmen may have flown a bit under the radar all season and entered the season 13 playoffs as the underdog six seed. But once the playoffs got underway, the focus of the entire baseball world shifted to the Sandmen.

Syracuse blew through each opponent they faced in the playoffs to the tune of a 14-1 record on their way to the franchise's first World Series championship. The Sandmen defeated the third seeded Washington D.C. Blue Coats three games to one in the first round. They then went on to sweep Vancouver in three games in the DCS, Salt Lake City in four games in the NLCS and, finally, the Buffalo Blue Cheese in four games in the World Series.

Sandmen ace Alberto Vidal was dominant throughout the playoffs for Syracuse, winning all four games he started. Vidal posted a 1.80 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 58 strikeouts in 30 playoff innings pitched.

Hoover/Christiansen named Co-MVPs

2011-05-14T16:40:00.024-04:00

Record-setting Acker takes NL Cy Young

The National League MVP voters just couldn't decide whether to give the award to Heath Christiansen of Vancouver or rookie Antone Hoover of Syracuse. So, they gave it to both of them. Christiansen paced the Vancouver Grizzlies with a .327 batting average, 31 home runs, 127 RBI and a .954 OPS while rookie first baseman Hoover led the world champion Sandmen by hitting .325 with 36 home runs, 130 RBI and a .955 OPS. Hoover also took home the Rookie of the Year honors in the National League.

Montgomery's Thurman Allen was awarded the American League MVP all to himself. Allen led The Bigs with a .340 batting average while also hitting 35 home runs, 114 RBI and posting a 1.004 OPS. The Alibamu first baseman also earned a Gold Glove for his stellar defensive play throughout the season.

Anyone assuming to see Javier Henriquez win another NL Cy Young Award apparently wasn't paying enough attention to the Grizzlies' Ossie Acker. Acker set a new single season record for wins by achieving a 26-6 record to earn him his first career Cy Young Award. Acker posted a 2.69 ERA and 1.09 WHIP for the season with 179 strikeouts in 254.2 innings pitched.

The AL Cy Young Award went to Buffalo's D'Angelo Martin who sported a 23-4 record with a 3.33 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 178 strikeouts in 243.1 innings pitched.

Rounding out the voting, the AL Rookie of the Year Award was presented to Jose Gonzalez of the Scranton Janitors. The rookie third baseman batted .304 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI in 112 games of major league action while posting a .815 OPS.

Season 13 in Review, Part III: Awards

2011-05-08T15:41:00.006-04:00

With season 13 now complete, it's time to hand out a few awards.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Antone Hoover, Syracuse

NL Rookie of the Year and co-MVP, World Series champion - what more needs to be said about this kid? Although he wasn't, statistically speaking, the best hitter in the majors this season, Hoover is probably the biggest story of the season. This may be the first of many Player of the Year awards for an emerging superstar.

Runner-Up: Raul Vallarta, Mexico City/Atlanta

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Ossie Acker, Vancouver

After years of Javier Henriquez being the league's most dominant pitcher, another top pitcher has finally emerged good enough to compete with Fargo's Ace of Aces. Acker carved up the majors in impressive fashion while helping Vancouver to its second-ever division title. He and Henriquez put up nearly-identical stats this season, but Acker pitches in a tougher home park, so he gets the Pitcher of the Year nod.

Runner-Up: Javier Henriquez, Fargo

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

flipdog0, Buffalo

It's a tough call on this one as there were several deserving candidates (particularly shobob, who won 96 games while spending just $53M in player salaries), but flipdog0 takes the cake for bringing Buffalo to its first postseason berth ever, and then taking them all the way to the World Series.

Runner-Up: shobob, Vancouver

SEASON 13 COMEDY AWARDS

IRON GLOVE AWARDS

Presented to the worst fielder at each position

P Don McConnell, Boise

C Rick Anderson, Boston

1B Ruben Hernandez, Boston

2B Gerald Duran, San Francisco

3B Andres Paniagua, Huntington

SS Ignacio Diaz, Cheyenne

LF Dennis Tamura, Cheyenne

CF Roscoe Peters, Cheyenne

RF Harold Lewis, Boston

TIN SLUGGER AWARDS

Presented to the worst hitter at each position

C Chuck Reed, Cheyenne

1B Wally Harvey, Cheyenne

2B Alex Beltran, New York

3B Brook Teut, Milwaukee

SS Harold James, Mexico City

LF Ray Tucker and Ramon Chang, Syracuse

CF Bartolo Barcelo, Seattle

RF Tony Burnitz, Atlanta

DH Oswaldo Guerrero, Seattle

Season 13 in Review, Part II: International FAs

2011-05-01T19:27:00.004-04:00

Continuing the look back at season 13, here's an examination of this season's major ($4 million signing bonus or more) international free-agent signings. (Players are listed in alphabetical order.)

TOREY CARRASCO, SS
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Chicago for $8.4M

Carrasco is an excellent defensive shortstop with good speed who projects to be a decent ML hitter, with average contact and power and an above-average batting eye. He's good enough with the glove to merit a spot in a big-league starting lineup someday, but will probably spend his career at the bottom of the batting order.
Season 13 stats: .300/.424/.375, 1 HR, 0 SB in 19 games (Rookie League)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Late Round 1/Supplemental Round
Signing Bonus Value: B-

YUSMEIRO CORTAZAR, RHP
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Scranton for $13.7M

Cortazar is the best reliever to come out of the international market this season, with a 1-2 punch of fastball and curve that both project to be among the best pitches in the bigs someday. He throws them with oustanding control and velocity and is equally effective against lefties and righties. His poor stamina and durability limit how much he can be used, but he's still terrifically effective at getting outs.
Season 13 stats: 2.29 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 10 BB, 46 SO in 39 1/3 innings (Low A)
Player Potential:
Draft equivalent: Mid/Late Round 1
Signing Bonus Value: B

ALBERT CORTES, RHP
Age 18 - Panama
Signed by Scranton for $13.6M

Cortes is another excellent two-pitch reliever. Like Cortazar, he throws very hard and has very good control, and although his pitches (a fastball and palmball) aren't quite as impressive, they certainly have great potential. Unlike Cortazar, Cortes has the durability to see frequent use as a setup man or closer.
Season 13 stats: Did not play (Signed late in season)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Mid/Late Round 1
Signing Bonus Value: B

CESAR GONZALES, 1B/LF
Age 19 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Fargo for $30.0M

Gonzales became the best hitting prospect in the league the moment he signed. What else can you say about someone who projects to have perfect 100 ratings in not one, but two separate hitting categories? He's not much of a fielder or baserunner, but when you can hit like he does, who's to complain? A $30M signing bonus isn't a great value for anybody, but Gonzales almost totally justifies it.
Season 13 stats: .322/.409/.774, 58 HR, 1 SB in 112 games (High A)

Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Top 5
Signing Bonus Value: B+

PEDRO JAMES, DH
Age 20 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Helena for $4.3M

James is one of the best pure hitters to enter the pro ranks this season, either through the draft or free agency. However, when I say "pure hitter", I really mean it: he can't field any position, run the bases, or condition himself well enough to play more than 2/3 of a big-league season. Still, a hitter like James will have a place in the majors someday, no matter what his deficiencies.
Season 13 stats: .444/.563/.937, 22 HR, 0 SB in 56 games (Rookie League)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Supplemental Round/Round 2
Signing Bonus Value: A

JIN-CHE KATOU, RHP
Age 18 - Japan
Signed by Minnesota for $16.0M

A high-school star in Japan, Katou bypassed the J-Leagues altogether to play in the states - a wise choice considering his potential. A finesse pitcher with excellent control and a killer sinkerball, Katou will make a great #2 starter someday so long as his low makeup doesn't hinder his development too much.
Season 13 stats: 2.45 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 14 BB, 60 SO in 62 1/3 innings (Rookie League)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Top 10
Signing Bonus Value: A-

PASCUAL LEE, SS
Age 18 - Mexico
Signed by New York for $15.0M

Lee is very good at a lot of things, but not truly great at any of them. He projects to hit for good contact and power, have good speed, and should be a good fielder at his position; about the only tool he has that's truly outstanding is a great eye at the plate. He should be a good everyday SS someday, but don't count on him being a truly distinguished one in any way.
Season 13 stats: .316/.430/.480, 6 HR, 10 SB in 77 games (Low A)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Early/Mid Round 1
Signing Bonus Value: B

GERONIMO LOPEZ, LF/RF
Age 22 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Washington for $6.0M

Lopez is a near-ML-ready prospect who is already a top power hitter with very good speed. He's a free swinger who has mediocre contact-hitting and batting-eye skills, but he can slug with the best of them. There's not much room for Lopez to grow as a player, but he should make an impact at the big-league level very soon.
Season 13 stats: .297/.355/.590, 22 HR, 10 SB in 79 games (AAA)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Mid/Late Round 1
Signing Bonus Value: A

MARTIN MA, LHP
Age 22 - South Korea
Signed by Huntington for $11.8M

Ma is a hard-throwing left-hander with good control and an outstanding split-finger fastball. However, none of his three other pitches really have better-than-average potential, and he's a bit weak against right-handed hitters. He'll find his way into a major-league rotation someday (and likely soon, given his age), but his potential doesn't seem to match his near-$12M signing bonus.
Season 13 stats: 1.16 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 5 BB, 18 SO in 31 innings (AA)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Mid/Late Round 1
Signing Bonus Value: C

GORKYS MONTANEZ, RHP
Age 22 - Venezuela
Signed by Syracuse for $14.8M

Montanez is a dependable righty reliever with a hellacious sinkerball, a solid changeup, and good control. He's not a spectacular player by any means, but he does have the advantage of already being good enough to contribute at the ML level - no need to wait for him to develop. This was still a high price for the Sandmen to pay for him, though.
Season 13 stats: 1.13 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 2 BB, 8 SO in 8 innings (ML)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Late Round 1/Supplemental Round
Signing Bonus Value: C+

ARMANDO MORENO, RF
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Vancouver for $17.2M

Moreno is a truly terrific hitter and one of the highest-impact prospects to surface either in the draft or the international market this season. He excels in every way at the plate, and projects to be a fine corner outfielder to boot. It's quite honestly amazing that the Grizzles managed to get their paws on him for less than $20 million.
Season 13 stats: .276/.400/.538, 18 HR, 0 SB in 78 games (High A)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Top 5
Signing Bonus Value: A

GIOMAR ORTEGA, SS
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Louisville for $17.0M

Ortega is one of the best all-around shortstop prospects to enter the league in years. He projects to be an excellent fielder at his position, has lots of speed, and hits well for both power and contact with a good eye at the plate. He's not quite "all-world" quality either offensively or defensively, but he's near the top in both categories. This is an excellent signing for the money.
Season 13 stats: .000/.000/.000, 0 HR, 0 SB in 1 game (Rookie League)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Top 10
Signing Bonus Value: A

ALFONSO OZUNA, RHP
Age 18 - Cuba
Signed by San Francisco for $4.3M

Ozuna doesn't quite belong as either a starter or reliever. He projects to have a starter's stamina, but with just three pitches - only one of which is truly good - he would probably do much better out of the bullpen. Overall, nothing about him is truly impressive, and other pitchers this good could be had for half as much.
Season 13 stats: 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 1 BB, 10 SO in 6 innings (Rookie League)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Round 2/Round 3
Signing Bonus Value: C

KENDRY ROQUE, RHP
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by San Juan for $4.9M

Roque is a hard-throwing starter with good control who comes equipped with mediocre L/R splits and an arsenal of good-but-not-great pitches. He projects to have plenty of stamina, but that's not terribly valuable if he's not very good in the first place. At best, Roque has the potential to be a back-of-the-rotation starter.
Season 13 stats: 3.32 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 44 BB, 109 SO in 132 2/3 innings (Low A/High A)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Round 2/Round 3
Signing Bonus Value: C-

AL SANCHES, 2B/LF
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by San Juan for $5.7M

Sanches is one of the best values of any IFA signing this season. He projects to be a very good switch-hitting slugger with top-notch speed and a discerning batting eye. He likely doesn't have the fielding ability to stay at second base, but he'll likely make a very good LF someday. Sanches is nearly a four-star prospect, and San Juan brought him in for a two-star price.
Season 13 stats: .326/.404/.639, 20 HR, 12 SB in 74 games (Low A)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Mid/Late Round 1
Signing Bonus Value: A+

FAUSTO SOLANO, RHP
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by Syracuse for $4.6M

With excellent control and velocity paired with great pitch movement, Solano may have the best fastball of any international free agent this season. Unfortunately, none of his other three pitches are anything to write home about, and his projected L/R splits are merely average. Solano should be a decent back-end starter someday, but that's the extent of his potential.
Season 13 stats: 7.88 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 4 BB, 14 SO in 8 innings (Low A)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Round 2/Round 3
Signing Bonus Value: C

PEDRO TORRES, SS/3B
Age 18 - Dominican Republic
Signed by St. Louis for $6.0M

Torres boasts an excellent combination of power and speed and hits left-handers very well, but just about everything else about him is average. He projects to have average power, average batting eye, and should be an average - at best - fielder at the hot corner. (Forget about him staying a shortstop.) In spite of all his flaws, he has a good future and came at reasonable price.
Season 13 stats: .250/.400/.250, 0 HR, 0 SB in 1 game (Low A)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Mid/Late Round 1
Signing Bonus Value: A

TITO WHANG, CF
Age 21 - Japan
Signed by Cincinnati for $31.0M

Once you get past his name (How does someone from Japan get a Hispanic first name and a Chinese last name, anyway?), Whang is a terrifically impressive prospect who only needs a bit of minor-league seasoning before being big-league ready. He projects to be very fast and an excellent hitter and fielder. $31M is almost certainly too much to pay, but players like Whang are few and far between.
Season 13 stats: .357/.427/.704, 40 HR, 44 SB in 142 games (Low A/High A/AA)
Player Potential:
Draft Equivalent: Top 5
Signing Bonus Value: B

Season 13 in Review, Part I: The Draft

2011-04-30T13:58:00.013-04:00

With season 13 winding down, it's time for a look back at how things have gone. First up is a pick-by-pick review of the first round of the amateur draft.

1. CHICAGO COWS

Frank King, 2B/CF

Age 18 - Oklahoma

Signed for $4.00M

King has the highest ceiling in this year's draft class - as a switch-hitter with incredible power, L/R splits, batting eye, and speed, he has the potential to become a superstar. (Not to mention that he projects to be a competent fielder at both 2B and CF.) His health and makeup are low enough, however, to cause some concern about his ability to reach that potential.

Season 13 stats: .347/.445/.795, 23 HR, 9 SB in 73 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A

2. NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS

Fernando Lorenzo, 2B/3B

Age 22 - Wisconsin

Signed for $3.91M

In contrast to King, Lorenzo is as close to a "sure thing" as it gets - his makeup and health are unimpeachable - but he lacks the same superstar potential. His potential as a hitter is quite good, but not great. Lorenzo primarily played SS in college, but lacks the range to stay there as a pro; he could be a Gold Glover at 2B or 3B, however.

Season 13 stats: .446/.527/.765, 15 HR, 5 SB in 76 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A-

3. SAN FRANCISCO SABERCATS

Antonio Bolton, LHP

Age 18 - Illinois

Signed for $3.82M

The first pitcher selected is, without question, the best pitcher in this draft class. Bolton is a classic power lefty with very good control, and four of his five pitches are projected to develop to big-league quality. The only marks against him are that he gives up a few fly balls too many and doesn't quite have the stamina you like to see from an ace, but those are minor quibbles.

Season 13 stats: 3.88 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 18 BB, 78 SO in 72 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A

4. NEW ORLEANS VOODOO

Ernie Allensworth, SS

Age 20 - Illinois

Signed for $3.72M

This is a bit high for Allensworth. He doesn't hit for much power nor is he projected to develop any, and although he is a good contact hitter and baserunner, that's undermined a bit by a lackluster batting eye. What he does well, however, is field - he's one of the few shortstops in this draft who could legitimately win a Gold Glove at the position.

Season 13 stats: .325/.438/.452, 4 HR, 21 SB in 79 games (Rookie League/Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B

5. SCRANTON JANITORS

Matty Gold, 2B/OF

Age 18 - Connecticut

Signed for $3.63M

Gold may be the best pure hitter in this year's draft. He's projected to hit very well for both contact and power, with an excellent batting eye, against both lefties and righties. However, he's a mediocre fielder at 2B and may need to be moved to the outfield. A bigger concern, though, is his low durability, which will likely limit him to playing 120-130 games per season at most.

Season 13 stats: .384/.473/.662, 14 HR, 0 SB in 62 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A-

6. SEATTLE KILLER WHALES

Kenny Dean, LHP

Age 18 - Pennsylvania

Signed for $5.95M

This is the draft's first real head-scratcher of a selection. Dean is a finesse lefty with five good pitches and excellent control, but he's mediore at best against right-handed hitters and throws with little velocity. He's a fine pitcher, but not worthy of a top-10 pick - or a signing bonus of nearly $6 million.

Season 13 stats: 10.37 ERA, 2.28 WHIP, 28 BB, 13 SO in 46 innings (Rookie/Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: C-

7. SALEM SACRIFICES

Julian Sanchez, RHP

Age 22 - Oklahoma

Signed for $3.44M

Sanchez was the only truly elite closer prospect in this year's draft class. He already has outstanding velocity, pinpoint control, and two high-quality pitches, and should reach the majors very soon. This is a bit high to select a reliever, and Sanchez has shown himself vulnerable to lefties, but this is still a solid pick.

Season 13 stats: 1.04 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 8 BB, 53 SO in 52 innings (Low A/High A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B

8. SAN JUAN DEAD BUNNIES

Matthew Chatwood, 2B/CF

Age 20 - California

Signed for $3.35M

Chatwood is a paradoxical prospect. He projects to hit for good contact and power, with a discerning eye at the plate, but he has mediocre L/R splits which might hold him back as a hitter. He has good range and a terrific glove, but a wet noodle for a throwing arm. It's hard to settle on what his potential truly is, but one thing is for sure: there were better players available here.

Season 13 stats: .315/.414/.550, 13 HR, 8 SB in 77 games (Rookie/Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B-

9. CINCINNATI REDS

Yonder Rodrigo, SS/3B

Age 19 - California

Signed for $3.25M

How did Rodrigo fall this far? Hard to say; he does just about everything well. He projects to be an excellent contact hitter with good power, and should do well against both righties and lefties. He has great speed, is a good fielder (better at 3B than SS, though), and has the durability to play 162 games. His makeup isn't great, but did that really scare teams away?

Season 13 stats: .337/.450/.620, 16 HR, 10 SB in 76 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A+

10. BUFFALO BLUE CHEESE

Nick Perry, SS

Age 21 - Wisconsin

Signed for $3.16M

Like Rodrigo, Perry is another impressive prospect who somehow slipped through the cracks. As a hitter, he projects to be a perfect leadoff man - great contact and L/R splits, good batting eye and speed, and a bit of power. His range is a bit low for a SS, but his other fielding ratings are good enough to make up for it.

Season 13 stats: .361/.456/.589, 9 HR, 0 SB in 59 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A

11. ANAHEIM CHILES

Tony Acevedo, RHP

Age 18 - New York

Signed for $3.07M

Acevedo is one of the draft's best high-school pitchers. He doesn't throw hard, but boasts a fastball with terrific movement as well as four other solid pitches, and is equally effective against both lefties and righties while keeping the ball down. Most impressively, his potential control rating is a perfect 100. The only thing that might hurt him is his mediocre makeup.

Season 13 stats: 3.94 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 17 BB, 36 SO in 45 2/3 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A

12. CHEYENNE FROZEN ROPES

Jim Frazier, 2B

Age 20 - New Jersey

Signed for $2.97M

Frazier is good at a lot of things, but truly great at almost none of them. He's a decent contact hitter with a good eye, and shows good range and a very good glove in the field, and has very good speed. He is an outstanding baserunner and is extremely healthy and durable, but even with that, none of Frazier's major tools are truly impressive, and that's a problem for the 12th overall pick.

Season 13 stats: .343/.438/.479, 6 HR, 25 SB in 59 games (Rookie/Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: C+

13. MILWAUKEE MANIC MAULERS

Sam Phillips, RF/1B

Age 18 - Alabama

Signed for $2.88M

Phillips didn't grade much above average in his ability to hit for either contact or power, but what he lacks in tools, he makes up for in baseball smarts: he sees the ball very well against both lefties and righties - particularly righties. He also has great baserunning instincts. He's not much of a fielder and not particularly durable, but he should become an excellent hitter.

Season 13 stats: .427/.518/.795, 9 HR, 8 SB in 67 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B+

14. MEXICO CITY CHUPACABRAS

Raymond Mauer, RHP

Age 20 - Arizona

Unsigned

This is one of the most dubious picks of the first round. Mauer isn't exactly terrible - he throws two good pitches with some impressive heat, and can generally throw strikes - but he projects, at best, to be a decent setup man, and isn't even among the top 5 relievers in this draft class. At least Mexico City didn't waste money on signing him.

Season 13 stats: N/A

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: D

15. FARGO DIRTBAGS

Donaldo Maradona, SS

Age 19 - Oklahoma

Unsigned

There is no scouting information available on Maradona.

Season 13 stats: N/A

Player Potential: N/A

Pick Grade: N/A

16. MINNESOTA NORTH STARS

Paul Walker, 2B

Age 21 - California

Signed for $4.39M

Walker is one of the best legitimate power hitters in this draft class, and boasts a good eye along with solid contact and L/R splits to boot. He also has impressive speed, although he runs into too many outs on the bases. Walker projects to be an average defensive 2B, and should develop into one of the league's best hitters at the keystone. He's well worth his inflated signing bonus.

Season 13 stats: .302/.399/.607, 16 HR, 0 SB in 63 games (Rookie/Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A

17. BOISE BULLDOGS

Sun Martin, RHP

Age 22 - New York

Signed for $2.50M

Martin is a "tweener" pitcher who doesn't have the stamina to be classified as a starter, and lacks the durability to be classified a reliever. Whatever his role, however, he projects to be a good pitcher, with excellent control and four good pitches, two of them truly outstanding. He is a bit of a soft-tosser and vulnerable to lefty hitters, but overall this is a solid pick for the mid-first round.

Season 13 stats: 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 15 BB, 72 SO in 70 2/3 innings (Rookie/Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B+

18. BOISE BULLDOGS (Type D Compensatory Selection)

Randy Cairncross, SS/3B

Age 18 - Wisconsin

Signed for $2.41M

Cairncross projects to be a very good power hitter who should absolutely obliterate left-handed pitching. He's a free swinger, with a mediocre batting eye and a below-average projected contact rating, but he should slug well enough to make up for it. As a fielder, he's not really cut out to play SS, but would do well with a slide over to 3B. One big concern: his low makeup could hinder his development.

Season 13 stats: .332/.402/.605, 17 HR, 4 SB in 76 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B

19. MONTGOMERY ALIBAMU

Jeremy Floyd, 2B/CF

Age 18 - Illinois

Signed for $2.32M

Floyd is a fast, rangey 2B who should be an excellent fielder at the position - which is good, because he's probably going to be a mediocre hitter. Although he projects to have good contact and power, his L/R splits are only average, and his batting eye is just awful. Also, he's known as a manager's nightmare - he has very little patience and a terrible temper.

Season 13 stats: .350/.402/.586, 12 HR, 17 SB in 72 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: C

20. CHEYENNE FROZEN ROPES (Type D Compensatory Selection)

Jim Sorrento, RHP

Age 21 - Texas

Signed for $2.22M

Sorrento may be the worst pick of round one. Yes, he throws very hard, and yes, he has excellent control, but still: even as a reliever, you generally need two good pitches to get by in this world. Sorrento has one very good pitch, one pitch that might be average someday, and... that's it. It's hard to forsee him being any better than mediocre at the big-league level.

Season 13 stats: 10.41 ERA, 2.41 WHIP, 23 BB, 18 SO in 32 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: D

21. VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES

Francis Romano, LHP

Age 18 - Utah

Signed for $2.13M

Like Sun Martin, Romano is a good pitcher who doesn't really belong as a starter or a reliever. A hard-thrower with three solid pitches, good control, and good L/R splits, Romano should be good (but not great) at getting outs in any role. His quesitonable makeup might be his downfall, but if he gets close to reaching his potential, he'll be a solid if unspectacular pitcher.

Season 13 stats: 4.50 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 22 BB, 37 SO in 44 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: C+

22. CHARLESTON CHEW

Eric Hill, LHP

Age 20 - Texas

Signed for $2.04M

Hill projects to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter. Although he only has one truly outstanding pitch, he complements it with two fairly good ones, throws everything hard, has very good control, and doesn't give up many fly balls. Like Romano, he should develop into a solid pitcher, but not a great one; this is probably a bit too high to pick him.

Season 13 stats: 2.02 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 16 BB, 54 SO in 49 innings (Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B-

23. NORFOLK DESTROYERS

Dave Torres, LHP

Age 20 - Virginia

Signed for $1.94M

Here's yet another hard-throwing lefty with good control and stamina issues that might require a move to the bullpen down the road. However, this isn't quite a broken record: Torres has four legitimately good pitches including a killer sinker ball, and was one of the best pitchers available at this point in the draft. Also, as a native Virginian, he has a chance to be a hometown hero for Norfolk.

Season 13 stats: 2.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 22 BB, 89 SO in 80 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A-

24. HUNTINGTON RIVERDOGS

Tyler Burkett, RHP

Age 18 - Louisiana

Signed for $2.22M

Nothing about Burkett's stuff overwhelms you - he has three good-but-not-great pitches, he throws with adequate velocity, he projects to have very good control, and generally keeps the ball on the ground. However, pitching like that when you have a rubber arm that can throw an inning or two in over 100 games a year - that's valuable. Maybe not worth the 24th overall pick, but close to it.

Season 13 stats: 2.02 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 14 BB, 38 SO in 35 2/3 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B+

25. HELENA SHADOW WOLVES

Alex Callaway, 2B/CF

Age 22 - California

Signed for $1.75M

Callaway is, essentially, the Very Model of a Modern Major-League Leadoff Hitter - he has the contact hitting and batting eye to get on base with a walk or single, and the speed and baserunning smarts to fly around the basepaths. Of course, he has no power and won't develop any, so don't count on him to do anything else. (And, given his poor makeup rating, don't count on him to develop to his full potential.)

Season 13 stats: .373/.466/.475, 2 HR, 30 SB in 70 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B

26. MILWAUKEE MANIC MAULERS (Type D Compensatory Selection)

Zachrey Durham, SS

Age 22 - Ohio

Signed for $1.66M

How a player like Durham exists is a mystery. He projects to have the range to be an outstanding big-league shortstop, and yet his speed rating is exactly 0. Maybe he just always knows where the ball is going to be hit? In any case, Durham is probably the best fielder at any position in this draft, and projects to be a capable big-league hitter as well. This is a very good pick.

Season 13 stats: .297/.376/.549, 17 HR, 0 SB in 77 games (Rookie/Low A/High A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A

27. ATLANTA BANDITS

Sam Steinbach, RHP

Age 18 - Iowa

Signed for $3.04M

Steinbach is a finesse pitcher in the tradition of Greg Maddux - he doesn't have much velocity, but he puts a lot of movement on his pitches and throws a ton of strikes. With very good L/R splits and one pitch that could, potentially, reach a perfect 100 rating, he's one of the best SPs in this draft class. He did present a signability risk and demanded an above-slot bonus, but was well worth it.

Season 13 stats: 0.61 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 15 BB, 58 SO in 59 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A

28. BOSTON BAMBINOS

Russell Simon, 2B

Age 20 - Washington

Signed for $1.74M

Simon is a bit like Matthew Chatwood - a talented middle infielder with flaws that may prevent him from settling into an easily-defined role. He's a good hitter, but he lacks the power for the middle of the lineup, and the speed for the top of the lineup; he's a good fielder, but not so good that he can be called a defensive player. He'll be a solid big-leaguer someday, but probably no more than that.

Season 13 stats: .267/.360/.373, 8 HR, 0 SB in 77 games (Rookie/High A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B-

29. LOUISVILLE WOODIES

Kirt Morgan, RHP

Age 19 - Ohio

Unsigned

Morgan is a very good finesse pitcher much like Sam Steinbach, and, like Steinbach, he was a signability risk, having gone on record as saying he'd prefer to finish college. Unfortunately for Louisville, he stuck to his guns and did not sign. It was a worthwhile risk, though, as he was perhaps the best player left on the board at this point.

Season 13 stats: N/A

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B

30. SYRACUSE SANDMEN

John Turner, 2B/RF

Age 19 - California

Signed for $1.29M

Turner should make an good top-of-the-lineup hitter. He already has very good speed on the bases, and projects to have an excellent batting eye to go with a good contact rating and decent power. His L/R splits are merely average, but he's still capable of hitting well at the big-league level. A 3B in college, Turner has been moved to 2B already, but his long-term future is probably as an outfielder.

Season 13 stats: .400/.513/.615, 2 HR, 4 SB in 18 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A-

31. VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES (Type A Compensatory Selection from Ottawa)

Vasco Arrojo, RHP

Age 20 - Louisiana

Signed for $1.19M

Arrojo gets by on the strength of excellent control, two very good pitches, and little else. He has neither the stamina to start nor the durability to relieve, his pitch velocity is lacking, and his projected L/R splits are only a tick above average. In short, although he'll probably reach the majors someday, he's not first-round material.

Season 13 stats: 1.40 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 10 BB, 29 SO in 38 2/3 innings (Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: C-

32. ST. LOUIS RIVER CITY RAGE

Gail Hollins

Age 18 - Massachusetts

Signed for $1.10M

Hollins is one of the better overall "true" shortstops in this draft class. He projects to be an excellent fielder, with good speed and a capable (but not great) bat, particularly against LHPs. His biggest weakness seems to be his mediocre durability, which likely won't allow him to play more than 140 games per season.

Season 13 stats: .364/.420/.670, 16 HR, 12 SB in 77 games (Rookie/Low A)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A-

33. WASHINGTON BLUE COATS

Gene Holtz, C

Age 22 - New Jersey

Signed for $1.00M

Holtz has great potential as a hitter, boasting excellent projected ratings for both power and batting eye. However, he's not all that good defensively (particularly as a pitch-caller), he has poor durability even for a catcher, and he has the worst makeup of any first-round draftee. Holtz's strengths are impressive, but his weaknesses put his big-league potential in doubt.

Season 13 stats: .296/.399/.537, 16 HR, 0 SB in 76 games (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: C+

34. MONTERREY SULTANS OF SWAT

Benito Romero, LHP

Age 18 - Wisconsin

Signed for $6.00M

Romero has the makings of a future mid-rotation starter - he has excellent control, good L/R splits, and several very good pitches. He doesn't throw hard, and gives up a lot of fly balls, but overall he projects to be a good pitcher. The issue here, howerver, is the price - Romero's $6M signing bonus is the largest of the draft, and it's hard to justify that for a player with his potential.

Season 13 stats: 5.06 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 41 BB, 43 SO in 78 1/3 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: B

35. OTTAWA O-JAYS (Type D Compensatory Selection)

Brady Simmons, RHP

Age 21 - Montana

Signed for $0.92M

Simmons is perhaps the second-best reliever in this draft class (or the second-best who signed, anyway). He throws hard with excellent control, boasts a great fastball and changeup and a solid splitter, and most importantly has excellent L/R split projections. With his limited stamina he's strictly a one-inning closer, and he is an injury risk, but overall he's a nice "get" for the end of round one.

Season 13 stats: 1.66 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 3 BB, 18 SO in 21 2/3 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: A-

36. HELENA SHADOW WOLVES (Type A Compensatory Selection from Salt Lake City)

Tim Jordan, RHP

Age 21 - Connecticut

Signed for $0.88M

Jordan is a finesse pitcher with poor velocity but excellent control and great movement on his pitches, particularly his fastball and curveball which both have top-notch potential. However, his L/R splits aren't particularly impressive, his makeup is just this side of terrible, and he doesn't quite project as someone who fits as a starter or a reliever. This is a bit of a reach.

Season 13 stats: 1.80 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 11 BB, 52 SO in 60 innings (Rookie League)

Player Potential:

Pick Grade: C

Late rally propels NL to All-Star win

2011-04-08T12:21:00.008-04:00

Shakers' Robertson takes home MVP

The American League All-Stars were one out away from winning this season's All-Star game but the National League had a different idea in mind. Down two runs with two outs in the top of the ninth, Huntington's Yorvit Terrero lined a double into left field and it was just the spark that the NL needed. The next batter, Sal Lake City's Nick Robertson crushed a two-run home run off of Ottawa's Mark Ott to tie the game at eight. The NL would tack on two more runs in the ninth, all with two outs, and wind up winning the game 10-9. Robertson was named the game's MVP.

Floyd dominates final round to win Derby

2011-03-30T22:31:00.006-04:00

Chew outfielder puts on a show

Charleston Chew outfielder Floyd Floyd had some tough competition in this year's Home Run Derby but a monster final round secured the title. Floyd bashed 16 home runs in a final round showdown against Norfolk's Geovany Manzanillo to win the season 13 Home Run Derby. Floyd finished the Derby with a total of 38 homeruns with his longest being a 532 foot blast that came in round 3.

Season 13: Midseason awards

2011-03-27T14:39:00.008-04:00

With the All-Star game fast approaching and all 32 teams now starting the second half of their schedules, it's time for a look at the season's highlights thus far, and to hand out awards for the league's best performances.

AL MVP: Floyd Floyd, Charleston
"Double F" is leading the Chew toward their best season in a decade. He's one of only three players in the AL with an OPS over 1.0, and is the only player doing so while playing home games in a pitcher's park. His defense at both 2B and LF has been excellent, and he's already nearing a 30/30 season.
Runner-Up: Vin Logan, Monterrey

NL MVP: Heath Christiansen, Vancouver
The Grizzlies' 55 wins lead the NL, and no Grizzly has been more instrumental to the team's leap into the league's upper echelon than Christiansen. He ranks in the top 10 in nearly every offensive category, including a league-leading 75 RBI. He has also played stellar defense at first base.
Runner-Up: George Lowe, Salt Lake City

AL Cy Young:Vernon Taubensee, St. Louis
The AL Cy Young may be the easiest piece of hardware to give out at this point. Taubensee rather incredibly leads the league in batting average against (.176), on-base percentage against (.264), slugging percentage against (.296), WHIP (1.01), and ERA (2.45). If he is able to maintain his torrid pace, he'll finish with one of the best individual seasons for any pitcher in AL history.
Runner-Up: Stone Curtis, Montgomery

NL Cy Young: Ossie Acker, Vancouver
Wins are a lousy indicator of pitching success - but Acker's 17-1 midseason record should still impress even the most ardent statheads. But that's not all: his 2.17 ERA leads the league, his 1.16 WHIP is fifth, and he's one of only a handful of pitchers with over 100 strikeouts already. He's also the only pitcher in either league who has recorded 2 shutouts.
Runner-Up: Javier Henriquez, Fargo

AL Rookie of the Year: Kent Swindell, Milwaukee
In a down year for American League rookies, Swindell's .797 OPS and 13 steals stand out. The 24-year-old CF should develop into one of the league's better players.
Runner-Up: Ignacio Sanchez, Montgomery

NL Rookie of the Year: Antone Hoover, Syracuse
Hoover's 70 RBI not only leads all rookies in baseball, but it's good enough for 4th among all NL players. His .298/.357/.537 batting line is impressive as well. Hoover is proving a wonderfully capable replacement for departed free agent Jacque Puffer.
Runner-Up: Charles Hultzen, San Juan

Player of the Year: Raul Vallarta, Mexico City/Atlanta
Vallarta - who hasn't yet played enough games for Bandits to be considered an NL MVP candidate - is having a truly astounding year: 63 runs scored, 14 homers, 54 walks (to only 32 strikeouts), 21 steals in 23 attempts, a .363 batting average, and a jaw-dropping .463 OBP. And, oh yes, playing solid defense at both 2B and in the outfield.
Runner-Up: Ossie Acker, Vancouver

Best Games of the Year: Carter Leonard and Willie Pineda's No-Hitters
Few accomplishments in baseball - particularly in the offense-happy realm of WhatIf Sports - top a no-hitter. How wonderful it is that we've already seen not one, but two, no-hit games this season.
Runner-Up: Tony Javier goes 5-for-6, hits for the cycle

Manager of the Year: shobob, Vancouver
No manager has done more with less so far this season than shobob. Despite having a player payroll of just $52 million, and only 2 players with an overall rating of 80 or higher, the Grizzlies are not only in first place in the NL North, but have the best record in the NL and are on track for their best season ever.
Runner-Up: kjmulli, Fargo

Mexico City trades Vallarta, Lim in separate deals

2011-03-21T01:08:00.010-04:00

Chupacabras continue to strip-down roster

The Mexico City Chupacabras unloaded two more superstars in two separate deals this week to continue the franchise's rebuilding process.

The Chupacabras dealt CF Raul Vallarta to the Atlanta Bandits for starting pitcher Neifi Gonzalez and pitching prospect Harry Beltran. The 27-year-old Vallarta, a three-time All-Star, is batting .369 this season with 12 home runs, 41 RBI and a 1.054 OPS.

The second deal featured future Hall-of-Famer Alex Lim being shipped to Helena for designated hitter Tony Iglesias and pitching prospect Juan Ontiveros. Before the trade, Lim was batting .313 with 12 home runs, 31 RBI and a .960 OPS.

Chicago selects King with top draft pick

2011-03-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

With their #1 overall pick in Season 13's amateur player draft, the Chicago Cows selected Oklahoma prep star Frank King. The 18-year-old King hails from the tiny town of Beggs, just south of Tulsa, and attended Tulsa's Bishop Kelley High School, where he primarily played second base and center field. While at Bishop Kelley, he set or tied numerous state records for hitting, including Mickey Mantle's mark for career home runs. The late Commerce Comet is one of King's baseball idols - he even started switch-hitting out of admiration for Mantle - and there's more than a passing resemblance between their skills as players. King has, as once scout put it, "power and speed that's simply unnatural to see in such a young kid, with plenty of potential to continue to develop both". The Tulsa World recently interviewed one old-timer who's been watching area baseball since World War II, who was quoted as saying "If you squint hard when you watch King hit, it's easy to think you're seeing Mickey Mantle all over again".

All comparisons aside, King was universally regarded as the best high school position player in the country (opinions are split over whether pitcher Antonio Bolton, drafted 3rd by San Francisco, is a better player overall) and has a scholarship offer from nearly every major NCAA baseball program. However, he's not a pick without any risks - like Mantle, he has a history of injuries, and Baseball America described his work ethic as "somewhat questionable". But for the Cows, his upside was just too great to ignore, and they hope that in a few years he can become the face of the franchise.

As of this writing, the Cows are still negotiating the details of King's contract with his agent, Harry Diaz, but a source close to the negotiations says that he will "almost certainly" sign with Chicago, perhaps in the next few days.

Dirtbags complete trade for Almanza

2011-03-18T19:52:00.011-04:00

Starter gives Fargo formidable 1-2 in rotation

The Mexico City Chupacabras recently announced that the club will listen to offers for all players and now the first piece of the rebuilding puzzle has been moved. The Chupacabras sent former Cy Young winner Fausto Almanza to Fargo in exchange for pitching prospects Vic Lopez and Vinny Meares. Almanza will join Fargo ace Javier Henriquez at the top of the Dirtbags rotation, giving the team a formidable 1-2 punch.

Almanza is 5-4 this season with a 4.01 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 13 starts for Mexico City. Mexico City also sent $4 million to Fargo to help with Almanza's salary for this season. The starter is scheduled to make $7 million in the final year of his contract next season.

To make room on the roster for Almanza, the Dirtbags designated starter Yogi Hissey for assignment.

Dirtbags win bid for Gonzales

2011-03-08T19:57:00.015-05:00

Dominican receives third-highest bonus ever

Though the Fargo Dirtbags recently lost out on the bidding for international sensation Tito Whang, they managed to sign another international star with just as bright a future ahead of him. The Dirtbags announced the signing of Dominican 1B prospect Cesar Gonzales to a 3-year major league deal that includes a $30 million bonus. The $30 million bonus is the third-highest given to an IFA in The Bigs history and narrowly edged the total amount offered to Gonzales by Charleston. Scouts around the league say that Gonzales has the potential to be a future Hall-of-Famer and the durability to play 162 games a season. He began his professional career with Fargo's HiA team earlier this afternoon and went 0-3 with two walks.

Pierce hits DL again

2011-03-03T23:44:00.008-05:00

Loses two more points off overall rating

Future Hall of Famer Sammy Pierce was placed on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his shoulder. The 35-year-old Huntington starting pitcher has now been placed on the disabled list twice since joining the Riverdogs prior to season 12. Last season, Pierce was placed on the 60-day DL for the first time in his career with a shoulder sprain.

Pierce has now lost a total of seven points off of his overall rating since the beginning of season 12, thanks in large part to the pair of injuries.

NL Season Openers

2011-02-27T00:50:00.002-05:00

Norfolk Destroyers @ Atlanta Bandits
Atlanta went up 1-0 in the first inning, and the score stayed that way until the top of the seventh. Perez was great for Atlanta through 6.1 innings until Tony Gutierrez smacks a two run shot over the center field wall to give Norfolk a 2-1 lead. Wilson went six innings for Norfolk allowing just the one run. Aquino took over shutting down Atlanta for the next two, with Craig Sherman closing it out for a 2-1 Norfolk win.

Boise Bulldogs @ Salem Sacrifices
A couple solo shots in the second by Sanchez and Taylor help Salem take the early lead. That was enough for Sammy Garrido, as he only allowed three hits and one run in eight innings for Salem. Sanchez cracked another solo shot in the seventh and picked up a pop-out RBI in the eighth for insurance, but Vega didn't need the extra help as he closes out the game and Salem wins 4-1.

Chicago Cows @ Washington D.C. Blue Coats
Alex Clayton smacks a two run shot in the first inning giving Washington a 2-0 lead. Jeremi Gant closed the door on Washington for the next seven innings, but the damage was already done. Carter Leonard went eight innings for Washington giving up only two hits and no runs, and Alex Javier closed it out for a 2-0 Washington win.

Minnesota North Stars @ Fargo Dirtbags
Yorrick Cannon gives up a couple in the second to Fargo as he goes six innings for Minnesota. Minnesota's Molina gave up another two in the eighth, but with their offense absent, it made little difference by that point. Cy Young king Henriquez went six innings for Fargo giving up no runs with Cone, Price and Davis preserving the shutout in relief. Fargo takes it 4-0. And on an a side note, there are rumours that the MLB is considering changing the name of the Cy Young award to the Javier Henriquez award.

Louisville Woodies @ Huntington Riverdogs
Fred Carter loads the bases to open the forth inning setting up a Clayton Olson grand slam giving Louisville a 4-0 lead. They would add another in the top of the eighth to take a commanding 5-1 lead. But Huntington wasn't ready to throw in the towel. Black crushed a two run shot in the bottom of the eighth to pull Huntington within two. Louisville turned to all-star closer Matt Skinner in the bottom of the ninth. Skinner gave up a HR off the first hitter, Jiminez, making it a one run ballgame. Fortunately Skinner relied on his experience to regain his calm and finish the job, as Louisville takes it 5-4.

San Juan Dead Bunnies @ New Orleans Voodoo
Vin Espinosa gave up two HRs and five runs total in just five innings for San Juan. The bullpen only gave up one run in the final four innings, but it wasn't enough. New Orlean's Warren Pagnozzi gave up a couple of two run shots in 6.2 innings and Rodriguez gave up another one in the eighth to let San Juan pull to within one, but Miguel Estalella came in and closed it out to preserve the 6-5 New Orleans win.

San Francisco Sabercats @ Salt Lake City Shakers
San Francisco gets out to an early lead with a run in the second and third. It takes Salt Lake until the seventh with a two run shot by Fuentes to catch up. Still tied going into the top of the ninth, Armando Lopez entered the game to pitch for Salt Lake. He proceeded to load up the bases. With San Francisco's pitcher up next, they called out a pinch hitter, Orlando Diaz. Diaz hit a double to center field, allowing all three men on base to score. Leon Dunn closed it out in the bottom of the ninth for San Francisco as they won 5-2.

Syracuse Sandmen @ Vancouver Grizzlies
In a pitcher's duel, Alberto Vidal of Syracuse goes seven innings allowing only one run. Unfortunately for Syracuse and Vidal, Vancouver's Ossie Acker shut the door completely for eight straight innings. Heath Rollins came in to close it out and secure the 1-0 Vancouver victory.

AL Season Openers

2011-02-27T00:20:00.002-05:00

Anaheim Chiles @ Seattle Killer Whales
Anaheim pulled out to an early lead going up 4-0 in the third inning. That was all they needed as Mateo Batista only allowed three hits and one run over seven innings. Greg Niemen shut Seattle down for two innings in relief as Anaheim takes it 5-1.

Boston Bambinos @ Cincinnati Reds
Kevin Pong went seven innings giving up two runs for Boston, as Anaheim's starter Adam Byrne is pulled early after only four innings and one run against. Carrasco gives up a run in the sixth to allow Boston to tie it up at two. The eighth inning made all the difference, however. Tom Sanders came into the game for Cincinnati with two outs already down and nobody on base. Hernandez drives a ball to Ichiro Kojima that should have ended the inning, but Kojima mishandles it and Hernandez reaches on the error. It must have rattled Sanders a little, as he proceeded to walk the next two batters, loading the bases. Bob Koplov stepped up to the plate and crushed a grand slam, essentially ending the game. Cincinnati added a run in the bottom of the eighth, but still lost 6-3.

Buffalo Blue Cheese @ St. Louis City River Rage
This one wasn't even close. Buffalo goes through seven pitchers giving up sixteen hits and nine runs as St. Louis wins by committee with four players picking up a couple RBIs each. Even on the mound for St. Louis Yogi Anderson and Jose Mesa split the work pitching four and five innings respectively for the shutout giving up only two hits each.

Monterrey Sultans of Swat @ Charleston Chew
Monterrey's big guns were just too much for for Ron Lincoln as he gave up four HRs and six runs total in 6.2 innings for Charleston. That was more than enough for Luther Brush to get the win as he gave up only two runs in eight innings, both solo shots. Daniel Williams closed it out as Monterrey won 7-2.

Cheyenne Frozen Ropes @ Helena Shadow Wolves
Einar Crespo gave up two solo shots and three runs total in six innings for Helena. That was all Cheyenne needed as Bob Delaney only allowed four hits and no runs in six innings. Bennett carried it through the next two and star closer Coco Hines finished the job as usual closing it out for a 3-0 Cheyenne win.

Mexico City Chupacabras @ Montgomery Alibamu
In another tight game, Fausto Almanza went eight innings for Mexico giving up five runs. Stone Curtis for Montgomery is pulled after only three innings and two runs against. Herman gave up one in two innings of relief. Then Cora stepped in for the sixth and gave up a three run homer that would end up being the difference maker. Cole and Logan shut down Mexico for the last three innings, but Montgomery just couldn't get the tying run across home plate. Wright closed it out for Mexico's 6-5 win.

Ottawa O-Jays @ Milwalkee Manic Maulers
Another blowout. Andres DeLeon was stellar for Ottawa, going eight innings allowing on four hits and no runs while striking out nine. Jimmy Cole wasn't so stellar for Milwalkee giving up four HRs and six runs total (five earned) in 6.2 innings as Ottawa rolls to a 7-0 win.

Scranton Janitors @ New York Knickerbockers
Alex Samuel started for Scranton, giving up a two run shot and a solo HR for three runs against in five innings. New York had five pitchers sharing short inning duty combining to allow only two hits and no runs. Hunt's two run shot in the first was enough for the win, but they added three more as New York cruised to a 5-0 win.

Cincy outbids Fargo for Whang

2011-02-25T21:11:00.010-05:00

Reds shell out near-record bid for Japanese star

The Cincinnati Reds have signed Japanese star Tito Whang to a three-year major league contract. The contract includes the second-highest signing bonus for an international player in the history of The Bigs. Whang will receive $31 million in guaranteed money, second only to the $32 million the Chicago (then Trenton) franchise paid Dominican pitcher Miguel Cayones last season. The 21-year-old Whang will begin his professional career with Cincinnati's Low-A affiliate.

Scranton wins bid for Cortazar

2011-02-23T19:56:00.003-05:00

The Scranton Janitors have won the bidding for the services of Dominican reliever Yusmeiro Cortazar. The 18-year-old Cortazar signed a minor league deal with the Janitors with a signing bonus of $13.7 million. Cortazar, from San Isidro, Dominican Republic, projects to have great control and with an excellent four-seam fastball and very good curveball. He will begin his professional career with Scranton's Low-A affiliate.

Hunt, Puffer each sign $60+ million deals

2011-02-15T22:09:00.019-05:00

World Champion O-jays sign former MVP Martinez

The New York Knickerbockers made headlines this week when the team inked outfielder Jack Hunt to a 4-year $60 million deal. Hunt, a three-time All-Star, spent last season with Ottawa where he helped the franchise win its first World Series championship. The 30-year-old batted .261 last season with 27 home runs and 99 RBI.

Chicago found a new face of the franchise in 1B Jacque Puffer when the team was able to sign Puffer to a 5-year $66 million deal. The 32-year-old 4-time All-Star had spent his entire career with Seattle before being traded to Syracuse. Puffer bated .293 with 33 homeruns, 111 RBI and a .916 OPS in his only season with the Sandmen.

To replace Hunt, the O-jays agreed to terms on a 3-year deal with former MVP outfielder Luis Martinez worth approximately $19.1 million. The deal includes a full no-trade clause with the third year being a team option. The 34-year-old 5-time All-Star batted .297 with 21 home runs and 64 RBI with a .919 OPS last season for the Washington D.C. Blue Coats.

Hernandez gives St. Louis hometown discount

2011-02-14T21:41:00.006-05:00

Re-signs with River City RAGE for three years

Arguably the best offensive player on the free agent market decided that he wanted to continue playing in the only major league uniform he's ever known. St. Louis outfielder Nick Hernandez re-signed with the River City RAGE for three years, $19.5 million. The Bigs' all-time leader in career on base percentage batted .342 for St. Louis last season with a .454 OBP and .916 OPS.

Gates signs 5-year deal with Seattle

2011-02-14T20:52:00.010-05:00

Robinson cashes in with Blue Cheese

The top two starters on the free agent market have found homes. 30-year-old Lonny Gates has signed a fice-year deal with the Seattle Killer Whales worth approximately $65.3 million. Gates spent last season with Boston where he posted a 15-2 record with a 2.88 ERA in 23 starts. The four-time All-Star had his only season with the Bambinos cut short when he suffered an elbow injury that required surgery.

The other, and much older, ace on the market was also signed to a big contract. 37-year-old Bernard Robinson, who had spent his entire career with the Syracuse organization, signed a three-year worth approximately $35 million. Robinson, considered an ace for some time but plagued by a lack of team success over the years, finished last season with a 20-7 record with a 2.70 ERA while earning his second career All-Star appearance.