Sunday, September 21, 2008

So how did my predictions turn out? Part 2 - NL

NL North

Last year the Ottawa Omebas ran away with their division, finishing 17 games ahead of the second place Milwaukee Timberjacks. The Omebas set out on their quest to repeat as division champs by acquiring perennial all star and former MVP, Tyrone Knight. Knight will replace Shawn Lilly in right field this season and will add even more power to a lineup that scored 990 runs last season, good for 2nd most in the NL. Winner: Omebas Wild Card: None

Did anyone think Ottawa would be THIS good? Half credit since I didn't think Milwaukee would compete for a WC spot. Weird fact - The Omebas scored MORE runs last year. It's their pitching that really improved this year.

NL East

The NL East should an exciting division this year. There is a possibility of a three team race for the division featuring two of the most dynamic offenses in the league. The core of the Dover Soles that won 103 games last year remains intact, with the addition of closer Osvaldo Martinez the only major change. After breaking out with 101 wins last season, the Chicago Turgid Warriors will try to overtake the Soles for the division title this year. Chicago's key pickup was Dean Jordan, a 22 year old rule 5 selection. Jordan should have no problem hitting ML pitching, it's getting into the lineup that will be the problem. Not suited for full time catching duty, Jordan might be able to hide at first base. Winner: Turgid Warriors WC: Soles

Big fat zero. The Soles ran away with the division and Chicago and NY will probably miss out on the last WC spot.

NL South


No team in the South has ever won 100 games. With the addition of Hugh Boudreau this offseason, the San Juan Saints will have an improved offense and a good shot at winning 100. The Tampa Bay Grass Cats have a shot at the division with their good young starting pitching, but will need to improve their offense by ~100 runs to keep up with the Saints. Winner: Saints WC: None

Still no 100 game winner, but full credit. San Juan is up by 11 games and no other team has a realistic shot at the playoffs.

NL West


The Vancouver Beavers had kind of a down year last year, only winning 97 games. But msj22 is too good at stockpiling young talent to stay down for long. Look for this team to run away with the division, winning 105+ games. The Santa Cruz Tsunami will certainly hold their own in the wild card race this season. Their strong pitching staff is lead by Jimmie Nunez, still one of the best pitchers in the league, but he's 35 and his window of opportunity is narrowing. In order to challenge for a wild card spot, the Portland Gamblers will need to pick up an impact bat and replace the back end of their rotation will two major league capable starters. Outside of those improvements, the Gamblers will be lucky to finish more than a couple games over .500. Last year the San Francisco ROIDS scored 718 runs, last in the NL. Without addressing this offensive deficiency, they don't have a chance to compete. Look for them to continue building for the future. Winner: Beavers WC: Tsunami

Full credit for this one too. Bonus points for nailing the problems of the Gamblers and Roids.

50/100, 0/100, 100/100, 100/100 plus 10 bonus = 65%,

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