Williamson World Blog

Knucklebones Radio

2010-04-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/knucklebones Hi HBD'ers. I've found myself a new hobby and I do mean new. I've always been a big fan of talk radio and now with the internet I have a chance to give it a try. Im going to do a test run to get the nerves out and decide wether or not I will stick to fake baseball only or random subjects.My group on Facebook is Knucklebones Radio - Please join up if you do facebook. I will also be putting more effort into my personal blog http://knucklebones-hbd.blogspot.com/. This is for bored people and complete HBD fanatics.

Its also a good site for 9/11 truth/New World Order/Tea Party talk. All welcome with your opinions. I suggest freedomizer and nformd radio on blogtalkradio for those topics. You can also freind those groups on facebook if you have interest in that. As is well documented in these leagues, Im pretty nuts. I'm not going to deny it, but maybe I can thrive in it. If nothing else my talk shows should be entertaining once I get started. You can call into any of the shows with Skype or your own phone. Thanks for wasting 2 minutes of your life reading this if you did.

Defensive Efficiency ratings

2010-03-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is quick and dirty... I calculated Baseball Prospectus's Defensive Efficiency rating for our league. It's designed to give you an idea of how many balls in play get converted to outs. It should take into account both fielding percentage and number of balls a player gets to. A higher number means more balls were converted into outs.
Defensive Efficiency Calculation

Charlotte Chuggers	slim2061	0.716913
Pawtucket Maroons	mitcho8	0.716497
Mexico City Effin Yam Bags	bigjonny	0.710951
El Paso Coyotes	kahrtmen	0.709408
Baltimore Big Sticks	boyk10	0.703613
Los Angeles Dodgers	jaydodson	0.70081
Huntington Rail Kings	sergei1991	0.699242
Vancouver Whitecaps	jmercer77	0.694627
Honolulu Dukes	WiredTiger	0.691322
Jackson Crawdaddies	davisbrian	0.691287
Seattle Dragonflys	jlouttit	0.690234
Tampa Bay Red Tide	nwilson2	0.687536
Arizona Archaeopteryxes	chukc	0.687335
Madison Pilots	threester	0.681098
Salt Lake City Hat Removers	moonriver	0.679895
Scranton Saints	sjd0378	0.679567
Washington D.C. Clones	ratpoison	0.67834
Scottsdale Slobs	SLOBS	0.678138
Salem Squeavers	aginor	0.676961
Fargo Buscemi's	newtheory	0.676568
Rochester Fuzzy Dishes	mirky	0.676217
Monterrey Mad Cats	cedarberry	0.675706
Chicago Choking Goats	knucklebones	0.675223
Richmond River Pirates	Iceman67	0.673587
Pittsburgh Sith	palpatine242	0.669945
Syracuse silencers	oddson	0.667497
Helena Bull Trout	iclypso	0.66605
Detroit Wolves	tiskingmoon	0.665828
Boston Bandits	jtgraves	0.661073
Kansas City Condors	mark102857	0.654156
Chicago Cardinals	ratatat72	0.649457

When animals attack...

2010-03-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

The 'Goats smell blood in the AL for a wild card spot and made a move when the Silencers decided to rebuild.

Enrique Diaz becomes the Ace and with his 20m contract he'll be around awhile. Talent like this isn't free and doesn't float around often in this league. 'Goats management basically said "pick three" and didn't put up too much of a fight in negotiations.

Lariel Sosa, Andrew Rivers, Prince Knight leave the 'Goats for greener pastures in moving to Syracuse. Syracuse always seems to be in the hunt and these three should ensure they remain a menace for years to come.

The 'Goats are elated to bring Diaz into the fold and hope he can help them shock the world and snag a wild card spot. Time will tell. Until then the city of Chicago jumps for joy.

Lightning Strikes

2009-06-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Today is a day I will never forget. The anniversary of my wifes death and the reason for the name change to Williamson. (Thanks guys) On this day I found a good story about baseball and death. Its about people who died doing what they love most (Baseball) and this reminds me that my wife left us in much the same way... around the people who meant most to her, her Son and myself.

This is the Story

http://www.slate.com/id/2218733/?gt1=38001

Enjoy your day and live life to the fullest or you may get killed playing or watching baseball...

Congratulations to Kahrtmen!

2009-03-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the El Paso Coyotes on their first world series appearance and their first world series win! Kahrtmen took over as commish in the second season and has been a huge part of why this world has been so good in rankings, and competitiveness! Great job commish, and there is no doubt that your team will be a powerhouse for seasons to come!

Goat Fever (Mad Cow)

2009-03-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

The league has caught Goat fever as the Choking Goats of Chicago continue their improbable run. Nicholas Saipe has been on fire in the playoffs, going 5-0 so far. He's two years removed from the serious injury he had and it looks like he's all the way back to Ace form. Alex Valenzuela & Damaso Sanchez have also pitched solidly in their starts, Valenzuela getting 2 wins in his 4 starts, and Sanchez keeping the Goats in it in his 3 starts with a 3.57 era. Tony Castro, C.J. Smart, & Humberto Cortes have crushed the ball for the Goats this postseason, totalling 14 hrs and 38 rbis so far.

Can the Goats keep up their improbable run? With pitching slalwarts Tacoma & El Paso waiting in the wings, the odds are against it. Its been an amazing run and with the young pitching the Goats might be around for awhile. Win or lose its been a great season in Chicago and the team will continue doing what its done all year. Taking it a game at a time while knowing that anything is possible. The Goats can compete with anyone as they have shown. Will they take the next step and become Champ? Don't count them out until the final batter.

AL POWER RANKING

2009-02-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

1. Albuquerque Prickly Pears ()
Power Index: 129.5 Last week:
Comment: changes cities and name. Same results. When you have the top ranked hitting and good pitching you probably are going to be hard to beat. 3B Tom Easley is having a career resurgence after a down S8

2. Detroit Wolves ()
Power Index: 125.5 Last week: 111.125
Comment: Polar opposite of the Pears and having less spectacular results. Great pitching puts this team high up on the power ranking, but their lack of consistant hitting is keeping their record closer to .500. This team has sacrificed any form of offense for great fielders. Starting Victor Colon, Miguel Fernandez, and Rob McGlinchy all at the same time means 1/3 of your order is essentially an out. add in potential NL rules match up and Holy 1-0 games, Batman! In addition I don't believe it's save for McGinchy's seeing eye dog to be allowed on the field when he bats, Kirby PucketT retired when he started to go blind.

3. Pawtucket Maroons ()
Power Index: 114.75 Last week:
Comments: Solid Pitching and good baserunning put them in position to win their division for the 1st time. 3 men with over 20 stolen bases is nice, what would be nicer is if 2 of those guys hit over .235. LF Jose Blanco is batting almost 60 points under his career average.

4. Cleveland Kamikaze Bombers ()
Power Index: 111.625 Last week:
Comment: Streaky team as always, This team should be the odds on favorite to take the AL east. Currently in 2nd behind the Maroons, they need to make their move and get some distance between them and their division. Behind the Pears this is the most balanced

5. Salem Squeavers ()
Power Index: 108.125 Last week:
Comment: Consistant grider team, They some how manage to win the close ones and get the lucky bounces. Salem's top pitcher in wins is a rule 5 reliever Daryl McCartney. They need 1 more solid starter or one more bat to really be considered a threat in the Playoffs.

6. Wichita Primetimers ()
Power Index: 99.125 Last week:
Comment: Their aggressivness on the basepaths and wreckless running will lead to their downfall. They have the pitching and hitting to make the playoffs, but they make a lot of fundamental mistakes in the field on the basepaths and at the plate. their reletive high ages says its now or never.

7. Buffalo Buffeds ()
Power Index: 96.625 Last week:
Comment: Solid fielding team with good baserunning and homerun power, but they struggle at the plate leading the Al in worst OBP. They need to find more consistancy in the pitching Pedro Nunez has a 6+ era.

8. Colorado Cream ()
Power Index: 95.5 Last week:
Comment: Like any Colorado team they are the top hitting team in the AL and the worst pitching team. a TEam ERA in excess of 6.35 is hard to fathom, but a reality here. Armando Diaz and Butch Kennedy are clearly overmatched in starting roles. Team will fade fast if pitching is not tinkered with.

9. Austin Stinky Peas ()
Power Index: 94.125 Last week:
Comment: hitting has been consistant and they have been among the league leaders, but pitching has been a nightmare. 2 Starts flirting with 6+ ERAs a bullpen which has blown more games than they have saved. Seth Hutton Alex Rincon and Pat Vanguri are cmpletely underperforming.

10. Chicago Choking Goats ()
Power Index: 86.625 Last week:
Comment: Tony Castro has added the offense the team needed and Nicholas Saipe has continued to be the anchor to the Pitching. This team is a complete enigma that continues to look for answers. I like them to sneak into the playoffs and make some noise. The Goats have the best foundation to build with.

11. Jackson Crawdaddies()
Power Index: 83.125 Last week:
Comment: The Crawdaddies hit and pitch well enough to take the AL South, but I don't think they will. Their Field has been horrible with 51 erros at the shortstop position alone. They need to corrct this is they want a playoff spot.

12. Baltimore Big Sticks ()
Power Index: 74.75 Last week:
Comment: SP Alex Lopez is following up a disasterous rookie campaign with an even more disasterous sophmore campaign. Might be time to pull him from the rotation. S8 stat 4-17 6.2 7 S9 1-3 8.53ERA. That about summs up Baltimore's issues.

13. New York Comics ()
Power Index: 73 Last week:
Comment: I don't care how many 1 run dingers you hit, you aren't going to win consistantly with that philosophy. need baserunners badly in front of their power bats. Ralph Randall has 34 homers and only 77 RBI to lead the team.

14. Trenton Thunder ()
Power Index: 69.75 Last week:
Comment: Traded away many of their better hitters for younger guys, this team is not concerned with the Now but looking for the tomorrow.

15. Tucson Titans ()
Power Index: 69.5 Last week:
Comment: When the bright spot of your bullpen is Nolan Fleming you know you have pitching troubles. RP Louie Rodriguez and Chili Nakano look completely overmatched in the bullpen this season.

16. Memphis Misfits ()
Power Index: 33.25 Last week:
Comment: Offensively this team has tuned out, and is on target for their 8th losing season out of 9.

WiredTiger and the Scottsdale Minotaurs Do it again!!!!

2008-09-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

the Scottsdale Minotaurs, formally the Colorado Lumber Company win another world series title! In the past 6 seasons, WiredTiger has taken 3 out of 6 WS titles and been to the WS 5 times! The franchise as a whole has made the playoffs EVERY single season. Congrats Wiredtiger it would seem you truely cant be beat, no matter what park you play in!

10 questions with Kahrtmen

2008-09-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Todays 10 questions is with kahrtmen owner of the El Paso Coyotes He is also the leagues commish and has been with us since the first season, and the commish since the second season. He has a knack for keeping the peace : ) Keep in mind these questions were asked and answered about a month ago!!!!

1.How did you get into whatifsports?

I started playing in baseball simleagues about six or seven years ago after hearing about whatif in a number of places online (Bill Simmons for one). I played in a number of open and theme leagues and I sitll have a few free simleague teams, but I doubt I will ever use them - HBD is so much more interesting to me that I have basically dropped simleague entirely. I have tried Hoops Dynasty and a couple of other whatif games, but HBD is by far my favorite.

2.Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Keep in mind that every manager will be asked this. Things like Age, Work, location, family things, hobbies/interests, personality quirks.

I am 33 years old and I live in Mountain View, CA, which is about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose, smack in the middle of Silicon Valley. I work as a software engineer at Lockheed Martin, working on missile defense programs. I am married and have a 3 year old son, with another son due to join the family in November. My main hobbies all revolve around sports. I play a lot of basketball and softball and am involved in more fantasy sports leagues than I care to count. I have played fantasy sports for about 17 years, and my wife can't seem to understand why my favorite fantasy sports team is made up of fake players.

3.In your opinion, what minor league player, in your franchise, has the most potential to be a ML star and why?

I have a bunch of decent hitting prospects, but my best prospect is probably SP Victor Gonzalez, who is currently on my HiA team. I haven't been able to add many top tier talents the past couple seasons since I have been drafting in the late twenties. Gonzalez could probably pitch in the majors right now and will certainly be up within the next couple of seasons.

4.Would you change anything about your budget this season?

Not really. I think I could have probably gotten by with a couple million less in coaching, but other than that I am happy with my allocation. I have several million dollars in payroll that I haven't used this season, so I'd like to try to swing a deal to use that.

5.How did you come up with your team name?

Well, I was looking for a fairly neutral park, so when I chose El Paso I had to think of a name that made sense for that city. I liked the Coyote mascot because it fits the desert landscape around El Paso and also refers to the people who bring people over into the US from Mexico.

6.In real life, what teams/sports do you like? Also did you play sports as a kid and what was that like?

I am a huge fan of the big three sports (baseball, basketball and football). My favorite teams in those three sports are the Yankees, Wizards, and Redskins (I grew up in North Carolina and DC). Living in California, I pull for the A's as long as they are not playing the Yankees. I played a ton if sports as a kid. Baseball, basketball, tennis, track, etc. My biggest regret is not being able to play football. My parents were dead-set against me playing because they were worried I'd get hurt. They're probably right, but I still wish I could have played.

7.Who is your team MVP thus far in the ML’s?

I have a balanced team, so I don't have many guys that stick out, which is part of the reason why I haven't had much success in the playoffs. I'd say it's either Walter Riggan or Trevor Stankiewicz so far.

8. Which of your three trades this season is your favorite so far?

I've only had one trade so far this season, and I feel like it has worked out fairly well so far. I traded two prospects for Jacob Abbott, and he has played very well for me.

9. After not making the playoffs the first two seasons, you turned your team around and have made it the last 4 in a row and are clearly headed for a 5th. What did you learn from the first two seasons that has helped you be so successful?

Well, the main thing I learned was to avoid sticking myself with bad contracts. I have made a concerted effort to build my system from within, which is one of the reasons why I think I have had sustained success. I have a number of players on my current ML team that were draft picks from earlier seasons. I definitely need to learn how to get a little further into the playoffs. My playoff record so far is very underwhelming.

10. What one team do you consider to be your biggest rival in this league?

Well, I doubt he thinks he has a rivalry with me, but Syracuse has been the best team in the NL for several seasons now, so I always feel like I am trying to keep up with them. They have knocked me out of the playoffs two of the last three years. Hopefully this year I can break through against oddson, but judging from his record so far, that isn't very likely.

NL Power Rankings 131 Games

2008-08-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

1. Syracuse silencers (1)
Power Index: 157.5 Last Week: 159.5
Comment: Never left the #1 spot, Leads almost all hitting categories and near the top in all the pitching.

2. Tacoma Engineers (2)
Power Index: 136.75 Last Week: 140.25
Comment: Pitching is the name of the game in Tacoma, They are almost gaurenteed a Playoff Berth

3. Huntington KYCATS01 (7)
Power Index: 112.375 Last Week: 105.75
Comment: tied for their division they have only gotten better as the weeks continue. This will be a dog fight at the end of the season with Washington DC.

4. El Paso Coyotes (3)
Power Index: 112.0 Last Week: 114.125
Comment: Slipping a little, but have a comfortable lead for a playoff berth .

5. Tampa Bay Red Tide (9)
Power Index: 107.875 Last Week: 101.125
Comment: Index darling that is all hitting and middle of the road pitching if they get ht for a week they are in the playoffs.

6. Washington D.C. Clones (5)
Power Index: 106.375 Last Week: 108.0
Comment: Currently have a tedious hold on the last Wild Card spot. Needto cut the walks down to succeed.

7. New York Amazins (11)
Power Index: 105.375 Last Week: 78.5
Comment: I about wrote off the Amazins at the beginning of the season. Now they are in the heat of a playoff push. Fielding will need to play better to succeed.

8. Helena Cow Pies (4)
Power Index: 105.375 Last Week: 113.625
Comment: No chance in the division but very much competitive in the wild card. need to straighten out the pitching if they are to succeed.

9. Charleston Pee Wees (10)
Power Index: 93.25 Last Week: 87.625
Comment: only 5 games out of the wildcard. The Pee Wees are still very much a threat.

10. Las Vegas Aces (8)
Power Index: 90.625 Last Week: 104.125
Comment: up 9 games in their division should get them into the playoffs... the Question is does this team deserve to be there?

11. Seattle Dragonflys (6)
Power Index: 89.25 Last Week: 107.125
Comment: When the Summer ends the Dragonflys all die....looks like the same goes for the baseball team.

12. Houston Effin Yam Bags (13)
Power Index: 79.5 Last Week: 60.375
Comment: Middle of the road team in a slump (now going on 3 weeks).

13. Los Angeles Dodgers (14)
Power Index: 52.75 Last Week: 53.0
Comment: Speed is competitive but that is about all the Dodgers are offering this season

14. Richmond River Pirates(12)
Power Index: 52.0 Last Week: 62.375
Comment: Slide continues. Richmond is looking to next season.

15. Santa Cruz Jacks (15)
Power Index: 44.5 Last Week: 50.25
Comments: Worst hitting team in the NL hands down.

16. Rochester Fuzzy Dishes (16)
Power Index: 16.75 Last Week: 16.25
Comment: Dead last in everything, when will the season end...FIRE MILLEN>>>FIRE MILLEN...FIRE MILLEN.

AL Power Rankings 131 games gone

2008-08-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay. here is the latest ranking.

1. Scottsdale Minotaurs (1)
Power Index: 153.5 Last week: 156.5
Comment: going to take the index from week 1 to the end without much challenge

2. Detroit Wolves (3)
Power Index: 125.5 Last week: 111.125
Comment: Improves fielding and moves up. Probably not a coincidence

3. Little Rock Primetimers (5)
Power Index: 125.25 Last week: 110.750
Comment: Took Control of the AL South and has run away with it.

4. Salem Warlocks (6)
Power Index: 116.675 Last week: 110.375
Comment: 9-1 in the last week have propelled Salem up the index. Currently they hold a wild card spot. To maintain they will need to improve their slumping hitting

5. Florida Swamp Grass (2)
Power Index: 116.25 Last week: 118.75
Comment: Division is wrapped up. They can start resting starters and just coast into the playoffs.

6. Tucson Boilermaker Express (8)
Power Index: 105.5 Last week: 95.75
Comment: 3 games back in the WIld Card but the Index has them in the Playoffs. They have slipped some since last check. The key match up comes at season's end when Tucson takes on Vancouver. Winner should be in the Playoffs

7. Vancouver Vikings (7)
Power Index: 104.125 Last week: 102.625
Comment: Currently hold the last wildcard position. Pitching will be critical for them to hold it.

8. Charlotte Silverbacks (4)
Power Index: 103.5 Last week: 110.875
Comment: Team is suprising ranked high on the index each week, though their record never reflects their position. I still slate them in to make a run for the playoffs. If they can hold it together for 3 weeks.

9. Austin Stinky Peas (13)
Power Index: 95.25 Last week: 67.5
Comment: The Yo-Yo team. COuld be the streakiest team in the AL. They have been as high as 2nd and as low as 15 on the index. talk about frustration.

10. Boston Red Sox (10)
Power Index: 77.375 Last week: 75.75
Comment: Hitting and pitching have come around, but it is almost to late for a chance at a wildcard.

11. Fargo Fire Crackers (9)
Power Index: 76.375 Last week: 87.875
Comment: Still has an outside shot at a wildcard, but they would have to overcome their stale batting.

12. New York Comics (15)
Power Index: 69.25 Last week: 56.5
Comment: dead last in BA and OBP compromises their adequete pitching and power.

13. Atlanta Elite Senators III (12)
Power Index: 51.5 Last week: 71.875
Comment: Hot-Lanta No more

14. Hartford Whalers (16)
Power Index: 51.25 Last week: 51.25
Comment: Fishing for a new stategy and slowly clawling up the index up only as a resultof others just playing worse.

15. Madison Ham Fighters (14)
Power Index: 50.75 Last week: 59.25
Comment: Its long Gone!!!!!! near the top in HR production, but near the bottom with every pitching category

16. Baltimore Big Sticks (10)
Power Index: 40 Last week: 75.75
Comment: Have proceeded to drop down to the bottom really can only move up from here....right?

Captain goes down with the ship

2008-08-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

I just love all these sea references. Sometimes reality strikes and you realize you're just not going to win on certain days or seasons. The Whalers have come a long way and I take responsibility for not acting on the main need of the team. We need pitchers that keep the ball in the park here in our cozy stadium. My fleet offense was never the problem, it was the pitching and I am responsible for not getting the guys lined up this year. Some credit has to go to the tough division I play in. None of us are as bad as our records and we do have a WS winner still around here. I also got to give credit to the other managers in this league. This is quietly one of the best leagues in HBD and I hope to stay here as long as I play.

I will begin tanking as soon as I finish this post (haha) . Anyway its been an interesting season from a last place stand point. At least I know we can only improve next year. I hope that many of you will remain, because in spite of the quietness on the chat board, this is an excellent league. I hope to start posting more about anything to do with HBD and try to keep it in that context. I appreciate the rest of you putting up with me and my previous post. Its been a tough time and little things that people do, count in times like these. You baseballers really came through for me in private chats and different things that you said. It really helped and Im starting t0 get back to a little bit of normalcy. Thanks, carry on and good luck in the playoffs to those who will make it. I will of course still try to win, but i've run out of fingers to plug the holes. I also wanted to take that last post and tuck it away so you guys don't have to think about it. You all sort of mourned with me in all of my leagues really, and the time has come to move on. Since my team won't be in the playoffs, I intend to do playoff write ups or previews while I wait til next year!

Fish Stories (The one that got away)

2008-08-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Yes I know this is an odd name for a blog, but as most here in Williamson know, Im an odd guy. I just wanted to take this time to thank you all for voting or approving to change the league name from Jaha to Williamson. That was a very nice gesture and has helped to get me through this along with a couple of friends I've made in this league and other unexpected places.

The one that got away. This is what the blog is all about. We are all fortunate people to be here and able to play HBD. I've got no complaints. Its just some of us (me for instance), spend so much time and energy here online that we forget about whats really important in life and then those things and people disappear in a flash. Just because that happens to you or me, it doesn't give us an excuse to give up or quit fishing. I learned that theres much more to life than stuff like hbd and burying myself in these numbers. I learned the hard way and I just want to remind everyone to not take the best things in your lives for granted. Whe she was here a lot of times I was on this game 24/7 now thats shes gone, my hearts not in it. That being said I will continue to "fish".

Thanks everyone and of course a special thanks to tiskingmoon and the biggest hug ever. You're ok for a Detroit fan.

NL Power Rankings 78 Games

2008-08-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

1. Syracuse silencers (1)
Power Index: 159.5 Last Week: 159.0
Comment: 7 all-stars on the NL team so far.Most in the NL.

2. Tacoma Engineers (2)
Power Index: 140.25 Last Week: 136.25
Comment: SP Kelly Mattingly is on pace for 28 wins

3. El Paso Coyotes (3)
Power Index: 114.125 Last Week: 122.5
Comment: El Paso is yet to steal a base this season.

4. Helena Cow Pies (6)
Power Index: 113.625 Last Week: 97.5
Comment: 1B Sparky Seaver is batting .391 will 21 Hr to lead the league

5. Washington D.C. Clones (7)
Power Index: 108.0 Last Week: 96.75
Comment: 1B Damon Butler's 18 game hitting streak is the longest active in the majors

6. Seattle Dragonflys (4)
Power Index: 107.125 Last Week: 113.75
Comment: Tough week drawing both Syracuse and Tacoma. Lost series to the Syracuse, but took Tacoma. Still they slide down the index.

7. Huntington KYCATS01 (9)
Power Index: 105.75 Last Week: 91.0
Comment: Sp Jorge Tatis is flying under the radar, but is averaging 11.74 So every 9 innings.

8. Las Vegas Aces (5)
Power Index: 104.125 Last Week: 107.25
Comment: C Ron Byrnes has caught only 10% of potential base stealers.

9. Tampa Bay Red Tide (8)
Power Index: 101.125 Last Week: 94.0
Comment: 1B Tom Workman has been beaned 13 times this season. Leading the league in a painful category

10. Charleston Pee Wees (11)
Power Index: 87.625 Last Week: 79.25
Comment: 3B Marv Anderson has stuck out 88 times 11 more than the number of hits he has gotten.

11. New York Amazins (12)
Power Index: 78.5 Last Week: 73.25
Comment: although at 33, Stephen Franco ain't the man he use to be his Stiff Groin injury will still hurt this teams climb up the Index.

12. Richmond River Pirates(10)
Power Index: 62.375 Last Week: 81.5
Comment: 2-8 in their last ten against allmost every team with a losing record. Not so good for Richmond.

13. Houston Effin Yam Bags (13)
Power Index: 60.375 Last Week: 69.75
Comment: CF Damian Gardner in 50 games in CF has yet to make a mistake and even has 2 "+" plays

14. Los Angeles Dodgers (14)
Power Index: 53.0 Last Week: 59.5
Comment: 2-8 in their last 10 games, it has been nearly 2 weeks since they won a series.

15. Santa Cruz Jacks (15)
Power Index: 50.25 Last Week: 53.75
Comments: took series from both syracuse and Salem in the last 2 weeks, but little good new else where.

16. Rochester Fuzzy Dishes (16)
Power Index: 16.25 Last Week: 24.75
Comment: SP Einar Johnson has 76 walks compared to 46 SO, sorta explains why he's 3-10

AL Power Rankings 77 games gone

2008-08-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

1. Scottsdale Minotaurs (1)
Power Index: 156.5 Last week: 162
Comment: 2B Wes Atkins leads the ML in Batting Average with a .355 clip

2. Florida Swamp Grass (3)
Power Index: 118.75 Last week: 118.25
Comment: the Loss of 2B Aaron Caruso is going to slow this team down. Out 50 games Caruso's speed will be missed

3. Detroit Wolves (4)
Power Index: 111.125 Last week: 107.5
Comment: 3rd worst fielding percentage is holding this team from greatness.

4. Charlotte Silverbacks (7)
Power Index: 110.875 Last week: 94.125
Comment: SP Harry Marshall leads the Al in SO with 111

5. Little Rock Primetimers (6)
Power Index: 110.75 Last week: 100.0
Comment: At the Plate this team can hit with the big dogs, everywhere else they struggle more than they succeed.

6. Salem Warlocks (2)
Power Index: 110.375 Last week: 121.875
Comment: Most AL All-stars with 5.

7. Vancouver Vikings (11)
Power Index: 102.625 Last week: 84.0
Comment: Still climbing but only 10-9 in the past 2 weeks. Might start so slide in the power index.

8. Tucson Boilermaker Express (5)
Power Index: 95.75 Last week: 101.875
Comment: Pitching has been aweful this season, Talk about slugging out wins, look no farther than Tucson

9. Fargo Fire Crackers (8)
Power Index: 87.875 Last week: 92.5
Comment: Florida should be their only challenege before the All-star break. They should climb back up the index.

10. Boston Red Sox (9)
Power Index: 75.75 Last week: 88.25
Comment: 2-8 in their last 10 its make or break time they draw CHAR, Aus, and Det they need to come out with a winning record or they will fall hard this week.

10. Baltimore Big Sticks (10)
Power Index: 75.75 Last week: 87.5
Comment: Like a Post in the middle of the infield, Balls roll right by SS Wayne Paulson. So far he has amassed 26 "-" plays at short. More than the next 6 guys combined.

12. Atlanta Elite Senators III (13)
Power Index: 71.875 Last week: 64.625
Comment: Crawling up the Power index at a snails pace, I doubt slow and steady will win this race. Next week will be a challenge with Scottsdale, Fargo, Tucson, and Salem.

13. Austin Stinky Peas (12)
Power Index: 67.5 Last week: 68.625
Comment: 2 weeks ago they has the 2nd best record in the Al no they are 10 games under.

14. Madison Ham Fighters (14)
Power Index: 59.25 Last week: 59.125
Comment: Leads all the Al in homerun production but almost last in Sb and OBP. Meaning alot of 1 run shots and a lot of losses.

15. New York Comics (16)
Power Index: 56.5 Last week: 54.75
Comment: RP Robert Walcutt is a workhorse already pitching in 48 games with 74.2 innings under his belt.

16. Hartford Whalers (15)
Power Index: 51.75 Last week: 56
Comment: Leads the League in Stolen bases for the 2nd year in a row, but also has the 2nd lowed OBP in the AL. imagine if those guys would walk once in a while.

AL POWER RANKING 59 games in

2008-08-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

1. Scottsdale Minotaurs (1)
Power Index: 162 Last week: 158
Comment: SP Eli Alfonseca is a perfect 8-0

2. Salem Warlocks (2)
Power Index: 121.875 Last week: 128.5
Comment: LRP Wes Zaun has fallen a part this season he has given up 19 hits in just over 8 innings

3. Florida Swamp Grass (6)
Power Index: 118.25 Last week: 101.0
Comment: SP Norberto Saenz a;ready has 5 complete games and teammate Emil Bennett has 4.

4. Detroit Wolves (3)
Power Index: 107.5 Last week: 119
Comment: Beyond SP Larry Davis, no SP is pitching up to their level.

5. Tucson Boilermaker Express (9)
Power Index: 101.875 Last week: 94.25
Comment: C Chance Leiter could be the easiest guy in the league to steal bases on. He throws out a league low 20%

6. Little Rock Primetimers (4)
Power Index: 100 Last week: 107.5
Comment: Finally took over the Lead in the AL South... Huge accomplishment there

7. Charlotte Silverbacks (8)
Power Index: 94.125 Last week: 99
Comment: SP Harry Marshall leads the AL in SO

8. Fargo Fire Crackers (7)
Power Index: 92.5 Last week: 100.75
Comment: With few exceptions the relief Pitching has played poor this season

9. Boston Red Sox (13)
Power Index: 88.25 Last week: 58.5
Comment: Top 2 Batting average players play here and have contributed to Boston's rise in the power ratings

10. Baltimore Big Sticks (10)
Power Index: 87.5 Last week: 88.75
Comment: 3B Brian Yamada is leading the league in SO. All for 14M a year

11. Vancouver Vikings (14)
Power Index: 84 Last week: 58.25
Comment: Large Jump in the power index shows the team is still competitve

12. Austin Stinky Peas (5)
Power Index: 68.625 Last week: 103.25
Comment: Free.....Freefalling

13. Atlanta Elite Senators III (12)
Power Index: 64.625 Last week: 62.25
Comment: team has 48 steals but has been caught stealing 24 times not great odds.

14. Madison Ham Fighters (15)
Power Index: 59.125 Last week: 56.25
Comment: RP R.A. Wilkins is the guy you want to see coming in to induce a big rally against Madison. he has allowed 15/24 inherrited runners score

15. Hartford Whalers (11)
Power Index: 56 Last week: 81
Comment: 2 of the top 5 Stolen Base guys reside here

16. New York Comics (16)
Power Index: 54.75 Last week: 45.75
Comment: batting a lowly .237 as a team

NL Power Rankings 59 games in

2008-08-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

1. Syracuse silencers (1)
Power Index: 159.0 Last Week: 154.0
Comment: SP Dennis Venafro is 11/12 in quality starts this season

2. Tacoma Engineers (2)
Power Index: 136.25 Last Week: 132.5
Comment: Achilles Heel might be fielding 2nd worst in the NL.

3. El Paso Coyotes (3)
Power Index: 122.5 Last Week: 119.25
Comment: Team that makes few mistakes and uses their peices well, capable of beating any team in the league consistantly.

4. Seattle Dragonflys (8)
Power Index: 113.75 Last Week: 95.5
Comment: RP Gus Kobayashi is lights out in relief only 3/22 inherittedrunners have scored on him.

5. Las Vegas Aces (14)
Power Index: 107.25 Last Week: 68.0
Comment: Drew a Flush this week and climbed the standings and the Poll

6. Helena Cow Pies (9)
Power Index: 97.5 Last Week: 89.5
Comment: The 3 top hitters (Seaver, Dunn, Seenstra) take their swings for Helena.

7. Washington D.C. Clones (11)
Power Index: 96.75 Last Week: 72.0
Comment: sweep a big series against a domanant Tacoma Team. Team is HOT right now.

8. Tampa Bay Red Tide (7)
Power Index: 94.0 Last Week: 96.75
Comment:

9. Huntington KYCATS01 (5)
Power Index: 91.0 Last Week: 109.0
Comment: LF Tony Nelson(.225 16 sb 6cs) struggles at the plate underscore the struggles of KYCATS01's offense.

10. Richmond River Pirates(6)
Power Index: 81.5 Last Week: 105.75
Comment: Swept La on the road just to watch them sweep them right back at home. This team is very inconsistant.

11. Charleston Pee Wees (13)
Power Index: 79.25 Last Week: 68.25
Comment: The rest of the team might be struggling, but CF Brian Campbell's getting it done at the plate. Batting .346 with 16 dingers

12. New York Amazins (10)
Power Index: 73.25 Last Week: 74.25
Comment: SS Trevor Shaw's Defense might not be covering for his lack of offense. He's batting .183 in just under 200 ab

13. Houston Effin Yam Bags (4)
Power Index: 69.75 Last Week: 113.25
Comment: Biggest tumble in the Nl can be contributed to inconsistency at the Plate and on the mound

14. Los Angeles Dodgers (12)
Power Index: 59.5 Last Week: 67.5
Comment: They are fast and can field but struggle mightily at the plate.

15. Santa Cruz Jacks (15)
Power Index: 53.75 Last Week: 54.0
Comments: Only able to beat Huntington consistantly. Tough times if this ship isn't righted

16. Rochester Fuzzy Dishes (16)
Power Index: 24.75 Last Week: 20.75
Comment: They have the #1 Pick in this years draft Why not next seasons

10 Questions with Aginor

2008-07-26T03:18:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to 10 questions. Sorry for the Delay. Now lets get started.

This time around we are featuring Aginor, manager of the Salem Warlocks , originally the San Jose Squeakables He has been with us from season one and is a core member of our league. Its always fun to check the world board and see what he has to say! now lets get to it...

1.How did you get into WhatIfSports?

A friend mentioned he found this website and said I should check it out. I started with an exhibition season of hockey. Yes I’m a Canadian and YES hockey is THE game!! Got hooked, plain & simple. My second full season of hockey lost in finals – it went the full 7. One the original HBD leagues (World 55 – Riley) was mainly owners from the Hockey side of the sim. Most of us are still there 9 seasons later and it’s only world I’ve seen where ALL 32 owners signed up for next season BEFORE the rollover (twice now). I mainly play hockey theme league – progressive or regressive type. I like the idea of ”building” a team. That’s why HBD appeals to me. We “puck heads” would love a hockey version of HBD.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Keep in mind that every manager will be asked this. Things like Age, Work, location, family things, hobbies/interests, personality quirks.
Age 46 and live in Calgary, Alberta (home of the ’88 Winter Olympics - which I was a volunteer for). Work as what my company (insurance) calls a Commercial Field Risk Analyst – a mix of an underwriter and inspector. It’s fun cause I get to see a lot of businesses, it’s interesting to see how people run their business etc. Everyone is different. Single and some family here, most in the U.S. Ski in the winter, play slo-pitch in summer and train in the marital arts year around. A quirk… hmm, I hate being late for something. So much so, I’m often a fair bit early.

3. In your opinion, what minor league player, in your franchise, has the most potential to be a ML star and why?
My organization has a LOT of solid pitching prospects. Solid, but the majority is not what you’d call ACE material (mainly solid SP 3-5 type guys). If you’re going on STAR potential, it isn’t a pitcher; it’s John Hume. A Catcher that is presently in Hi-A. This 1st rounder from last year was a “HAVE TO HAVE” when I saw him on the draft board! A catcher who will have great PC rating AND will hit for decent power & average, how could I resist? The only 2 drawbacks are his durability and arm, still a future star! Oh and he’s from my home town too (added bonus!).

4. Would you change anything about your budget this season?

Other than the fact I’ll like more $ to spend. Not really, I’ve decided in most of my leagues to stay out of the IFA bidding wars. While some great talent there, the price tag can be too much sometimes. Have enough in Prospect Payroll to sign my draft picks and spend the money on scouting those picks and T & M budgets. You can’t have everything, so I’ve decided to try this approach.
5. How did you come up with your team name?

Well San Jose Squeables… I was camping with my slo-pitch team during a tourney in Vernon B.C. (great fun). At the campsite, there were a lot of marmots. Well somebody noted that they look like a beaver mixed with a squirrel, so we called them Squeavers. BUT my nephew couldn’t pronounce the “v” etc & it came out Squeables. I’m thinking next season I’ll change the team name to Salem Squeavers or Squeables. I kinda miss that nickname.

6. In real life, what teams/sports do you like? Also did you play sports as a kid and what was that like?

I play on a mixed slo-pitch team and a +40 men’s team. Both are just a bunch of people who enjoy playing. Sure winning is nice but at the end of the day… we all have jobs to go to in the morning. Nobody is making money playing, actually the exact opposite!! So, why get all worked up about it??? I’ve played on some top caliber teams in high level leagues etc. Sure it was fun – to a point. But my first tourney with this +40 group of guys showed me the “light” as it were. A group of very experienced and skilled guys, but no egos to feed etc. Just a “put me in coach” attitude!! Nobody cared about position or spot in the batting order…just whatever so long as I'm playing it's all good kinda thing. Nobody jumped on anybody for a mistake etc. I had NEVER enjoyed playing that much before!!! We didn’t win anything, but we were competitive with EVERY team we played – won a few games & lost a few. The last team we played (2nd time we'd played them that weekend - each winning one); a couple of their players actually came over to our bench as we were leaving and complemented us. Saying it was great to play against a bunch of guys who clearly just love playing the game for the sake of playing it. WOW, you don't hear that one often!!! I did play little league as kid and tried hockey, though it wasn’t my sport (couldn’t skate to save my life). Played volleyball and badminton in school etc. The overriding issue was winning at school or in little league. Guess that I took that basic attitude with me into adulthood. Took two decades BUT finally have come to realize… fun is the key, being with people who are in it for the same reason AND whose company you really enjoy is the MOST important thing. Is that enough Soap Box time?? Seriously, it was an eye opener and I hope others don't take as long as I did to realize this.
7. Who is your team MVP thus far in the ML’s?

Easy one!! Diego Balboa, though honorable mentions go to Clark Magnante & Tony Manuel. Guess getting out of the pitcher’s pit in San Jose agrees with Diego.

8. After not making the playoffs the last two seasons what have you done to try and turn your team around?
Firstly got out of that pitcher’s park. I know a fair number of owners are against movement of teams etc. But I’ve noticed that leagues that ban those “extreme” parks (hitter’s or pitcher’s) don't seem to have the wild swings in performance or at least it is far least frequent. I’ve come to the basic conclusion that the HBD engine doesn’t handle them well. So I dumped the extreme park for a more neutral park. Considering that this team last season was a .500 home team and horrible road team, I would’ve thought DISASTER this season. But instead the solid pitching staff that I’ve always stated I’ve got has shown its stuff. No longer in the top 5 of the league, still in the top 1/3 – that isn’t bad. The offence is now allowed to support them at home, result a few more wins. I’ve always thought this offence is better than it was showing (even when in San Jose). I also, moved a solid defensive player to 3B and brought up a solid glove at 2B. So my defense is much better. Finally, hope that a couple of guys who had an "off" year last season would rebound this season.

9. This is the only season you have yet to make a trade. Can we expect any from you and if so what will you be looking for?

Came really close to pulling off a blockbuster but the other owner changed his mind at the last minute. That’s cool; sometimes the best trades are the ones you DON’T make. I’m in the market for stud 3B. As I mentioned this organization has a lot of solid ML pitching prospect (too many to fit in the ML team). Heck my SP5 guy may be on block soon!

10. Out of the three players you promoted to the ml's this season which has worked out the best for you?
Again an easy one, it’s early in the season still. Paxton McConnell – in 8 starts he’s 3-1 with a WHiP of 1.17 & ERA under 3. The 2B guy has played great defense but has struggled at the plate. The other pitcher Ryan McConnell has had limited time so far but if my present SP5 continues to struggle, he’ll get his shot. Its funny these pitchers named McConnell have come through the system together (now promoted to ML at the same time). Note, they ain't brothers, though maybe 1/2 brothers?? ;-)

Aginor as a tribute to you i offer you this fine picture of Theo Fluery : )
I also agree with you, there should be a hockey HBD like game! Best of luck the rest of the way

NL Power Rankings 33 games in

2008-07-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

1. Syracuse silencers
Comment: Not only leads the NL in Wins but they have one of the most potent Offenses and Pitching in the League.

2. Tacoma Engineers
Comment: Pitching is the name of the game in any other division they are champs, Here they fight

3. El Paso Coyotes
Comment: Fleet footed team who is solid, but not dominating in almost ever area.

4. Houston Effin Yam Bags
Comment: CL Donaldo Cortes's efforts 10/11 in saves is one of the reasons this team ranks so high

5. Huntington KYCATS01
Comment: once they get their bats going this team might be tough to beat

6. Richmond River Pirates
Comment: SS Tony Espinoza leads the league in errors with 16.

7. Tampa Bay Red Tide
Comment: They have proven they can hit, but the pitching is no where to be seen

8. Seattle Dragonflys
Comment: Quinn Johnson leads the league in stolen bases and helps propel this teams mediocre offense

9. Helena Cow Pies
Comment: SP Lorenzo Estrada is one reason this team has been able to win what they have. Now the hitting needs to wake up.

10. New York Amazins
Comment: Best team in New York, but thats not saying much right now

11. Washington D.C. Clones
Comment: middle of the pack in everything else so why not the power rankings

12. Los Angeles Dodgers
Comment: fielding is above average and they have shown both speed and power, but also have the worst Batting Average in the league.

13. Charleston Pee Wees
Comment: Top 3 batters in SO does not sound so good.

14. Las Vegas Aces
Comment: Fielding what fielding?

15. Santa Cruz Jacks
Comment: near the bottom in HRs and stolen bases, and the pitching is only slightly brighter

16. Rochester Fuzzy Dishes
Comment: Bottom of the barrell in almost every statistic, they need help to compete, some AAA teams might destroy Rochester

AL POWER RANKING 33 games in

2008-07-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Haven't seen an update in awhile and I had sometime, so I thought I would compile our first Power Rankings of Season 7. I have done Power Rankings for the past several seasons in Ryan. I can be controversial!

1. Scottsdale Minotaurs
Comment: Most lethal combination of Hitting and Pitching near the top in almost all categories

2. Salem Warlocks
Comment: 3rd best record in the AL lead by Diego Balboa's ridicules .392 Batting average

3. Detroit Wolves
Comment: SP Larry Davis has a 1.68 ERA. Tough start for an elite team they are much better than their record indicates

4. Little Rock Primetimers
Comment: Worst fielding team in the AL makes up the difference with SO and solid hitting

5. Austin Stinky Peas
Comment: Rule 5 Pick and Long Reliever Luis Julio leads the AL in wins with 6. That stat does not bode well for the Peas.

6. Florida Swamp Grass
Comment: Could be higher but struggles at the plate have kept Florida out of the top 5.

7. Fargo Fire Crackers
Comment: Overall the best fielding and running team in the AL, but struggling to score those men

8. Charlotte Silverbacks
Comment: Now I'm not saying Wayne Paulson should play SS, but 15 "-" Plays and 5 errors is a bit telling would you say?

9. Tucson Boilermaker Express
Comment: DH B.C. Villa has put together a fine season leading the league in walks while batting .315 with 9 HR

10. Baltimore Big Sticks
Comment: 4th best record in the league and they get no respect. The team has done nothing to impress me besides their current record. Maybe next week.

11. Hartford Whalers
Comment: CF Darrin Jackson is tied for the league lead with 3 + plays

12. Atlanta Elite Senators III
Comment: Where's the Beef? Teams hitting and pitching have both struggled at times

13. Boston Red Sox
Comment: SS Walker Corey is batting .235 and leading the league in error, Hello Edgar Renteria!

14. Vancouver Vikings
Comment: Ratingwise the Vikings are the 3rd best team on paper, it's a shame they can't just show someone that paper and collect a win.

15. Madison Ham Fighters
Comment: Aaron Houston leads the AL in saves and is 2nd in losses, not the best combination

16. New York Comics
Comment: on the Positive Fred Hill is on a pace for 88 dingers this season

Season 7: Relocation, relocation, relocation

2008-07-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

As season 7 starts in Williamson, we will take a look at the franchises that relocated in the offseason. Many of the new parks should have a noticeable effect on the statistical leaderboards as well as the league standings.

Tacoma Engineers - Formerly the Chicago Cubs, playing at Wrigley Field. The move to an extreme pitcher's park (-4, -4, -4, -4, -4) should make the Engineers' pitching look even better than it does already. With EIGHT pitchers rated at 80 or above overall, Tacoma could potentially post the best team ERA in Williamson history.

Seattle Dragonflys - Formerly the Honolulu Sensamillas, playing at Aloha Stadium. One of the founding owners in the World, Jay Louttit has returned to the league and moved the Dragonflys to another pitcher's park (-2, -3, -2, -2, -2). The franchise won the World Series in season 2, but has recently fallen on hard times due to low scouting budgets in the early seasons. As they say, flags fly forever.

Madison Ham Fighters - Formerly the Philadelphia Ham Fighters, playing at Citizens Bank Park. An original owner, wafrost has moved from a decent hitter's park to a hitter's heaven (2, 3, 2, 3, 4). After trading for Tony Castro he looks to be tailoring his team to the new ballpark.

Baltimore Big Sticks - Formerly the Wichita Wings, playing at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. boyk10, a new owner, has moved his team from a pitcher's park to a fairly neutral park (1, -3, -2, 1, 1). He will try to return the franchise to it's former glory days when the team resided in Cleveland.

Atlanta Elite Senators III - Formerly the Texas Titans, playing at Ameriquest Field. foxspor54, who has been out of Williamson since Season 3, has returned and moved his new franchise to a neutral field (1, 0, 0, -1, -1). He will attempt to make the first playoff appearance in franchise history.

Tucson Boilermaker Express - Formerly the Oakland On-base Percentage Obsessives, playing at Network Associates Coliseum. roba1930 has made a bold move, moving the team to an extreme hitter's park (3, 3, 4, 3, 3). He will hope to ride his high-power offense to his 4th playoff appearance in the past five years.

Salem Warlocks - Formerly the San Jose Squeables, playing at Municipal Stadium. An original owner, aginor has decided to move the franchise after 6 up and down seasons in San Jose. He has moved from one of the biggest pitcher's parks in the league to a neutral park (0, 0, 0, 1, 1), which should help the offense, but might make his notoriously inconsistent pitching even more frustrating.

Scottsdale Minotaurs - Formerly the Colorado Lumber Company, playing at Coors Field. Fresh off his fourth World Series appearance in five seasons, WiredTiger has decided to take a chance and move the team. His new park (2, 2, 2, 2, 2) is not nearly the bandbox that Coors is, which will hopefully allow some non-Colorado position players to make the All-Star team this season.

The Silencers Break Through in Season 6

2008-06-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

After years of dominating the regular season but falling short in the playoffs, the Syracuse Silencers won the Williamson (formerly Jaha) World Series in 7 games. The Silencers were able to prevent the Lumber Company from winning their 3rd title in 4 seasons. The Silencers have averaged 103 wins per season for the past three seasons but had yet to translate that success into a World title. In a matchup of the two highest scoring teams in the league, the Silencers were able to outlast the Lumber Company on the road in front of the rowdy Colordao fans.

Congrats to oddson for winning his 4th HBD World Series title.

Power Rankings through 136 Games

2008-05-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the Jaha Power Rankings through 136 games:

1. Chicago Cubs (94-42) - The best record in the World by nine games. A 22-11 record in one-run games shows that they have had their share of luck, but even a .500 record in 1-run games would have them at 88 wins.
2. Colorado Lumber Company (85-51) - With the best record in the AL, they look primed to make another run to the World Series. They have managed to avoid most of the Coors Field perils and seem to be enjoying the perks.
3. Syracuse Silencers (85-51) - Nine games back in their division but owners of the top run differential in Jaha. Leads the NL in both runs scored and allowed.
4. New York Comics (80-56) - An excellent offense, led by 25-year old Ralph Randall, has propelled the Comics to the top of the AL East. They will have their work cut out for them holding off the next team in our rankings.
5. Florida Swamp Grass (78-58) - The top pitching staff in Jaha is led by Norberto Saenz (17-9). With a 22-10 record in 1-run games, their luck will need to hold for a few more weeks to retake the AL East lead.
6. El Paso Coyotes (76-60) - A well-rounded team with above average pitching and hitting. An NL-leading 157 GIDPs helps explain why the large difference between their actual (.559) and expected (.605) winning percentage.
7. Helena Cow Pies (79-57) - A balanced offense with no lineup holes has the Cow Pies in position to return to the postseason for the first time since Season 3. Mo Yarnall (15-4) has stood out on an otherwise average pitching staff.
8. New York Amazins (77-59) - Currently trailing in the wild card race by two games, the Amazins sport one of the best run differentials in Jaha. Dave O'Brien and Brady Hackman have already combined for 90 HR and 264 RBI.

Honorable Menntion:

The Santa Cruz Jacks (69-67) and Las Vegas Aces (68-68) are battling it out for the NL West, with the loser likely missing out on the playoffs. Similarly, the Charlotte Pea Pods (71-65) and Austin Stinky Peas (71-65) are deadlocked in a tight division race. The loser will likely watch the playoffs from home. The Detroit Wolves (73-63) have a 4 game lead in the AL North, but are fortunate to have that record after being outscored on the season.

The Perils and perks of playing at Coors.

2008-05-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Coors field is maybe the most extreme park in HBD. It requires players with different skills then other parks and even affects the composition of your roster. Without giving away my whole strategy here are some of the best and worst things about having Coors Field as your home.

The Perils

Tires out your pitching staff – Pitchers have to throw quite a few more pitches in Coors to complete a game then you would at a normal ball park. Starters tire out sooner and don’t work as deep into games. Relievers max out at one inning. Coors forces you to carry extra starters in your bullpen to get through the middle innings. This year I’ve thrown about 11% more pitches at home per inning than on the road.

Tires out your positional players – Players with high durability ratings still need to rest because they get so many more plate appearances at Coors then in other spots. Rest early in the season becomes very important. And because you can come back from large deficits at Coors you can’t rest your players as early in the game as you might like to.

Hard to find pitchers who will succeed – Pitchers with average fly ball to ground ball ratios are killers at Coors. Certain pitchers just don’t seem to do well at Coors and the stats are so skewed it can be tough to pick out who is actually pitching well. Any pitcher with an ERA under 5.50 with half his games pitched at Coors is doing pretty well.

The Perks

You can build around sluggers – Always fun and fairly cheap. Guys that would normally be average at sea level become very playable at Coors. Neil Lukasiewicz is a classic example of a Coors player.

Visiting teams without power tend to struggle – A successful lineup that is not built around power will not do as well at Coors.

Domination of All Star lineup – Your positional players will have a pretty good shot at making the All Star team.

Every game is an adventure – It’s such a rollercoaster ride to look at box scores from home games. Seven run comebacks are fairly common and you get a few 20-12 games. Your hitters never slump.

10 questions with Iceman67

2008-05-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today in the NL we are interviewing iceman67 owner of the Richmond River Pirates. He has also been with us from season 1.

1.How did you get into whatifsports?

1. I've been a member of WiS since 2002...I was looking for a different kind of fantasy baseball to play besides Yahoo and I came across WiS..been hooked ever since (much to the dismay of the wife)

2.Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Keep in mind that every manager will be asked this. Things like Age, Work, location, family things, hobbies/interests, personality quirks.

2. I'm 40 years old, married and living in Carrollton, TX, which is about 20 miles north of Dallas. I was born in Minnesota and moved to Texas when I was about 10. WiS keeps me occupied most of the time considering I have 4 HBD, 2 HD, 2 GD and 2 sim league progressive baseball teams (that's probably nothing to some, but enough for me). When I'm not tweaking my teams, I'm playing softball, playing "Guitar Hero" with my nephew or watching/going to the movies with my wife.

3.In your opinion, what minor league player, in your franchise, has the most potential to be a ML star and why?

3. I think I have done a fairly decent job in stocking my minor league system, so there is not just one player that stands out. There are for sure 3 players that have ML star potential - 1B Joe Bell and pitchers Giomar Chavez and Edgardo Bonilla..all three will be on my big league roster sooner than later.

4.Would you change anything about your budget this season?

4. Probably my scouting department could use more funds; kind of defeats the purpose of having a large prospect budget if the scouts don't have the money to give true enough scouting reports.

5.How did you come up with your team name?

5. Believe it or not, I actually did some research on the city of Richmond. Since its nickname is "The River City" and I'm a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I put the two together and the River Pirates were born.

6.In real life, what teams/sports do you like? Also did you play sports as a kid and what was that like?

6. Growing up I played baseball and soccer, dabbled in some hockey (kinda seemed the thing to do living in Minnesota). I also ran track and cross country when I got to high school. Now its softball a couple of nights a week. Even though I now live in Texas, I am still a huge fan of the Twins and Vikings...cannot stand the Cowboys whatsoever (and that's a big no-no living in the area). Love the Mavericks and the Stars as well.

7.Who is your team MVP thus far in the ML’s

7. Right now I'd have to say Einar Almonte. He is leading the team in hitting (.327) and RBIs (46)...not bad for a rookie!

8. You have made only one playoff appearance. What do you think is the reason behind this?

8. I can't really explain why I have had one playoff appearance in 5 seasons. The team has averaged 86 wins over that time, but I think they tend to slump at the wrong time and by the time they snap out of it, it is too late. Of course, the way the team has stumbled out of the gate this season, I'll still be stuck at one.

9. You have promoted 4 players from the minors this season. Which player do you think will have the most positive impact on your big league club?

9. Actually I have promoted 3 players to the big leagues, Almonte, 1B Khoury Hewson and RF Benji Delgado. Hewson & Almonte are playing up to expectations; Delgado has been a disappointment so far. Right now I would have to say that Almonte will have the most impact on the team.

10. Are you happy with the two trades you made this season?

10. I am happy with the trades I have made...I'm usually not very active on the trade front, but I had Almonte waiting in the wings at AAA with long time favorite Hector Becker standing in his way at the hot corner...it only made sense to shop Becker and call up Almonte...so far so good!

Thanks for 6 great seasons! I hope you make a run for it soon! Your team looks a lot better than it is performing!!!

1o Questions with Wafrost

2008-05-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

Hello back with 10 questions. This time up from the Al we are interviewing Wafrost, owner of the Philadeplphia Hams He has been with JAHA since season 1.

1.How did you get into whatifsports?

1) I don't remember. I think I read about it from a Sports Guy column on ESPN.com. Started out doing SimLeague baseball, which I've totally lost interest in since I tried HBD.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Keep in mind that every manager will be asked this. Things like Age, Work, location, family things, hobbies/interests, personality quirks.

2) I'm 32 years old, live in San Jose, CA with my wife and daughter. I grew up in Minnesota (go Twins), but moved out to CA for grad school 8 years ago. I am currently working for Lockheed Martin building a weather satellite for NOAA/NASA, to be launched next year.

3.In your opinion, what minor league player, in your franchise, has the most potential to be a ML star and why?

3) Well my first season number 1 draft pick just made the majors last year and my number 1 pick from season 2 just got promoted this year. Other than that, I have high hopes for my season 4 first rounder, Harry Acevedo. He is an incredible hitter, but is a slug in the field (good thing I am in the AL). My DH of the future.

4.Would you change anything about your budget this season?

4) Yeah, I'm a little cash strapped this season. I dropped my player payroll from previous seasons and upped my scouting/prospect budget. I had some players with team options that I bought out and some high priced sucky free agents that left, but it looks like i may not have enough budget left to make it through the season. I only have like $100k free for promotions/signing draft picks/etc. Looks like I may need to make a trade with someone who can take on salary... or there is always the dreaded budget transfer.

5.How did you come up with your team name?

5) Well I picked Philadelphia for its park (Citizens bank). The nickname I borrowed from a Japanese baseball team (Nippon Ham Fighters?). I've always thought the Ham Fighters was the most ridiculous name in professional sports.

6.In real life, what teams/sports do you like? Also did you play sports as a kid and what was that like?

6) I'm a Minnesota fan (Twins/Vikings/Timberwolves). (The Wild, not so much, they didn't exist yet when I left MN.) Times are tough right now, losing Garnett and Santana, but at least I have Adrian Peterson to look forward to in the fall. I didn't play much sports as a kid, I do DH for a Beer-league softball team now though.

7.Who is your team MVP thus far in the ML’s

7) My hitting for the most part has been awful so far, luckily my pitchers are keeping me in games. No one really stands out though. Stevie Rollins is my ace, but he is so consistent that he's boring (think Tim Duncan). Doug Vosberg has been my only consistently good hitter this year, but Clarence Barrett has started to come out of his slump and I will be looking for him to finish the year strong.

8. The first two seasons you won your Division, but in all past three seasons you have come in second, not making the playoffs since the second season. When can we expect another playoff appearance from you?

8) I would love to make the playoffs again. If only the teams in my division would suck more. I can't explain it. Every year I think I am putting together a winner, but they can't seem to win games. I did some house-cleaning in the off season, so this was going to be a semi-rebuilding year, but we'll see how it goes.

9. You have made two trades this season. Both seem to have worked out good for you. Last year you made no trades. Do you think your lack of trades last season had a negative impact on your franchise?

9) I like the guys I've picked up in trades this year. I took on a bunch of salary to get Barrett, and that is the cause of my financial woes, but he looks like he's going to be worth it. I swapped some Rule 5 pick-ups, and they have been pitching way over their heads.... In the past, I have been less active than most making trades, and that has probably hurt me. The problem is I don't think I have a terribly deep minor league system, so I need to hang on to the few prospects I have. It makes it tough to trade for talent, if you don't have any to give up.

10. Out of the six free agent signings you made this year, which player do you think has worked out the best, thus far?

10) Alan Dunham and Enrique Sosa were my two high priced FAs signees. Neither has worked out incredibly well for me. There's always next year....

Thanks Wafrost for your time! Best of luck the rest of the way. I guess not too good of luck since you are in my division!

Bonham shatters single season SB record.

2008-05-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Walter Bonham
Hartford
Whalers
Age: 26	B/T: S/R
Born: New Castle, DE
Position(s): 2B/CIF/OF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

is at 99 SBs with 84 games left to play shattering the previous single season record by former Whaler

Ben Rapp
Helena
Cow Pies
Age: 27	B/T: R/R
Born: Stamford, CT
Position(s): 2B/1B/LF/CF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

. The Whalers GM knucklebones says that Bonham will continue to get the green light and test the arms of the catchers in the league. He's only been caught once in 100 trys. Why not send him everytime?

10 Questions with nwilson2

2008-04-17T23:28:00.000-07:00

On Todays edition of 10 questions we are talking to nwilsion2 owner of the Tampa Bay Red Tides. Tampa Bay has made the playoffs all 5 seasons, the only NL team to do so. This is the first interview from the NL.

1. How did you get into whatifsports?

A friend of mine actually convinced me to give it a try. I had been playing multiple fantasy games with him (Baseball, Football, Basketball, NASCAR etc.) and he thought I would like it. He was right I’ve been pretty into it since Day 1 of the Tampa Bay Red Tide!

2. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Keep in mind that every manager will be asked this. Things like Age, Work, location, family things, hobbies/interests, personality quirks.

I’m 24 years old and currently living in Baltimore, MD. I grew up in the small town of Chestertown located on the Easter Shore of Maryland. I lived there all my life even staying in Chestertown to attend Washington College. Upon graduation I made the move across the Chesapeake Bay to take an internship, which latter turned into a job. I love all sports and get drilled by the girlfriend for playing more attention to them then her. I play all Fantasy sports and usually have multiple teams in multiple leagues. I spend most of the summer weekends on my newly acquired boat and enjoy the summer sun and beaches. I’m going to stop writing about myself now because I’m beginning to feel like this is a personal add that’s going to be posted on a dating website.

3. In your opinion, what minor league player, in your franchise, has the most potential to be a ML star and why?

I would be the first to admit that I don’t really have a very good minor league system. Choosing to sign high priced Free Agents and losing draft picks. My 3 favorite/top prospects are currently in the Majors with Carl Nelson being the one I have the highest hopes for. Of the prospects still in my minor leagues I think Wolf James has the potential to be a solid ML player if he can stay healthy.

4. Would you change anything about your budget this season?

If I could change anything I guess it would be to add more money into my player payroll budget. I know I already have the 3rd highest player payroll in the league but it would have been nice if I could have spent the money needed to sign Perry Bennett! I really need a #1 caliber starter especially since my #2 pitcher went down for the season. Hopefully a stud pitcher will make it into Free Agency this off season!!

5. How did you come up with your team name?

I vacation in Tampa usually for a week every year. Someone had already picked the Baltimore location when I signed up so I decided to go with Tampa. During my last trip to Tampa there had been some Red Tide in the Gulf and so I just used it as a team name. I thought it was an interesting name until I found out my colors were yellow and blue! The Red Tide name kind of lost its edge when the team has no red in the color scheme. Whatif should allow teams to pick their own colors!

6. In real life, what teams/sports do you like? Also did you play sports as a kid and what was that like?

I’m a big Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan! So much so that I convinced myself it was a good idea to buy season tickets even though I live in Baltimore and could only attend one game, at the most, each year! I also love the Baltimore Orioles however 10 losing seasons has made it easy to forget about them and route more for my individual fantasy players then the O’s. Growing up I played all sports but as I got older and practices started to conflict with each other I choose Baseball and Football. I played both sports in High school and continued playing baseball in college. After one year on the Division III College team I called it quits and now only play the occasional game of squash.

7. Who is your team MVP thus far in the ML’s

The MVP of the Red Tide is Tito Wilkerson. Currently he has 14 homeruns, 45 RBIs and 15 SBs and we have only played roughly 30 games. I’m hoping he can win the league MVP award this year!

8. You have made the playoffs all five seasons. Do you think you will continue this streak? Also do you think you can win the world series this year?

I do think the streak will continue this year. It looks like NY and Washington will give me a run for my money but I think my hitting will prove good enough to propel me into the playoffs. I don’t think a World Series win is in the cards for this year even though I hope it happens. I don’t think I have the pitching needed to compete in the playoffs. Last year I thought I was going to make it to the World Series but Chicago swept me and with their pitching I don’t know how I’m going to get by them in the playoffs. Hopefully someone else can do my dirty work and knock them out before I have to play them. Even then without a trade for a big time pitcher I don’t think I have what it takes to make it to the Series.

9.You made three trades this year. Which do you think is your best trade and do you think you will make the playoffs because of these trades?

By far my best trade was the one that netted me Tito Wilkerson. He has done nothing but hit since he has come to the Red Tide. Even though that was the best trade the other 2 trades were for guys that have proven to be key pieces of my team currently.

10. Who do you consider to be your rival/rivals in this league?

My biggest rivals are the teams in the NL east. I really can’t single anyone of the teams out has each year a different team has taken the title from me or given me a good chase. One year it was NY, one year it was DC, last year it was Huntington and this year it looks like DC and NY are going to be tough to get by.

A Big thanks to Tampa Bay for answering my questions! Good Luck the rest of the way!

Up next a team from the AL...

Highest Paid Players in season 6

2008-04-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

I thought an article should be done to show the top paid players in our league. I will break it down into the top 15 pitchers and top 15 position players.

The top Paid 15 Position Players For this season Are...

Team name and salary in the millions...Forgive the way it all squished together...i had more things, like age and position but you can imagine how awful that looked! Back to Blogging school i go!

1. Pablo Mercedes Syracuse 14.125
2. Javier Baez Syracuse 11.7
3. Brian Rodgers Fargo 10
4. William Hunter Austin 9.9
5. Harry Montero Chi Cubs 9.281
6. Darren Brohawn Helena 9.250
7. Fred Hill NY Com 9.1
8. Oswaldo Park Little Rock 9
9. Dave O'Brien NY Ama 9
10. Peter Fox Richmond 9
11. Tommie Allen Vancouver 9
12. Albert Bennett Little Rock 8.950
13. Howie Watson Detroit 8.815
14. Norm Christman Philadelphia 8.6
15. Roy Nelson Detroit 8.6

The total of all these players salaries is about 144.321 million, the average player on this list makes 9.62 million and is about 29.5 years old. Are all of these players deserving? I will leave that for you to decide!

It should be noted that, for position, I used the position that the owner has listed, so it may be incorrect at times.

Also, No Players who have their primary position listed as C or DH made this list. The Highest Three paid Catchers for this season were 25 yr old Ralph Randal of the NY Comics, who makes 6.875 mil, 32 yr old D'Angelo Pescado who plays for Santa Cruz and makes 6.190 mil, and 32 yr old Josh Beltre who plays for Tamba Bay and will make 6 million this season

The highest three paid players listed at DH were 34 yr old Eddie Norton from San Jose who is making 7.760 mil, 28 yr old Nicholas Maduro from Detroit who is making 7 mil, and 32 yr old B.C. Villa from Oakland who is making 5.7 mil.

Highest Paid Pitchers to Come Shortly...

10 Questions with Primetime17

2008-04-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

For the first installment of the AL 10 questions, we are starting with Primetime17 , owner of the Little Rock Primetimers . They have been with us in JAHA now for 6 seasons and are the only team to have won their division 5 seasons and counting.

1. How did you get into whatifsports?

I saw a link on MLB.Com and have been hooked since the day I clicked it

2. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Keep in mind that every manager will be asked this. Things like Age, Work, location, family things, hobbies/interests, personality quirks.

Im a NYC boy, born and raised. Im not on the other side of the mountain but I can see the top. For the last 20 years I have been a Race Horse Trainer, racing in the tough NY/NJ circuit (Meadowlands, Yonkers, Freehold). For a number of years I was 1 of the leading Trainers at Yonkers Raceway and won the training title in 2001 with 113 Wins. These days I mostly play poker and play HBD for my entertainment. I have been known to be a little bit of a hot head here in WIS but its only my competitive nature. Deep down I can be very sensitive and warm hearted.

3. In your opinion, what minor league player, in your franchise, has the most potential to be a ML star and why?

Unfortunately all my good young players were pressed into duty and playing in the Big Leagues. Also with a very low draft choice every year its hard to find any new ones. The one that does stick out in my mind is AAA pitcher Carlos Izquierdo. So far he has moved up the ranks and pitched well at every level.

4. Would you change anything about your budget this season?

Yes. More player payroll as I am at my limit.

5. How did you come up with your team name?

I actually had a Sports Memorabilia business at one time called Primetime Sports. I got that name from a coach that said I was the best 6:00 hitter he ever seen (but too bad the games started at 7:00) and he also used to say you needed to be a Primetime player, not a 6:00 player. No, it has nothing to do with Deion Sanders.

6. In real life, what teams/sports do you like? Also did you play sports as a kid and what was that like?

Guess I kinda answered that already but I played baseball and basketball almost my whole life. Loved basketball more but was a way better baseball player. My life is my beloved NY Mets but I am also a big NY Jets fan and, sorry to say, a NY Knicks fan.

7. Who is your team MVP thus far in the ML’s

Hard to answer that because I am off to my usual slow start but LF Cecil Bush and SP Kent Hart are my 2 best players and Im sure they will rise to the top.

8. As the only owner to have 5 straight division champions, do you feel any pressure? Also do you think you will do it again this season? Could this be the year you win the world series?

I actually do feel the pressure right now because despite 5 straight divisions I have won only 1 playoff series. This year with basically everyone coming back I added a #3 hitter in Alex Guevara and an Ace in Pokey Smith and feel they put me over the top. Unfortunately I am only at 12-14 at this moment and Im starting to worry why I cant get rolling.

9. Are you worried about the loss of Alex Guevara? Do you think he will be at risk now for repeat injuries?

Well I dont think I can afford to lose him because I was 8-2 before he got hurt and went 4-12 without him. He is back now and his health rating is 90 so I cant feel he is going to be injury prone.

10.You have had a number of guys promoted to the big leagues this season. In your mind which of them has the best chance of becoming a star?

This is Alex Guevara 1st year in the majors and I think he has a big career ahead. Also I have two young RP's named Victor Lee and Denny Zhou that are in their 1st full major league season and I think that 1-2 punch before my super steady closer Buster Lankford are going to make it tough to come back against the Primetimers late in the game when we have a lead.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Primetimers! Best of luck the rest of the way

Next up on ten questions, from the NL, we have the Tampa Bay Red Tide. Look for new questions from the NL and AL every4 days or so. Until then...

Huge Trade

2008-04-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

Paul Simon
Colorado
Lumber Company
Age: 22	B/T: S/R
Born: Andover, MN
Position(s): SS
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

for

Phil Stewart
Los Angeles
Dodgers
Age: 21	B/T: R/R
Born: Bakersfield, CA
Position(s): P (SP3)
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

and

Fausto Johnson
Los Angeles
Dodgers
Age: 21	B/T: R/R
Born: Denton, TX
Position(s): 2B/CIF/OF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The classic hitting for pitching deal. The Lumber Company acquired their SS of the future in Simon. His defense should be average at short and his ratings indicate that he should hit for a decent average as well. The Dodgers receive a future ace in Stewart and a decent utilityman in Johnson. All three of these players should be ML-ready in short order, possibly as soon as this season.

The Original 10

2008-04-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Jaha League is now in its sixth season. We are fortunate to have 10 original owners

From the AL West we have the San Jose Squeables . They won the world series in the first season, and with 3 of the 5 world series champs coming from this division, it is for sure, one of the most competitive in the league.

The Al South has one original owner, the Little Rock Primetimers. They have been the Division winners in 5 straight seasons. Pretty remarkable! Will this streak continue?

The Al East also has one original owner, the New York Comics , they have made the playoffs 3 seasons and look to be in the playoff hunt come the end of the season.

The Al North has two original owners, the Philadelphia Ham Fighters and the Detroit Wolves. The Philadelphia Ham Fighters have made it the playoffs twice, and have been competitive every season, and the Detroit Wolves have made it the playoffs four times, and won the world series once.

Now we move regretfully on to the NL. This Blogger has almost no respect for the NL but will try to withhold any bias from, this blog : ) As a side note, 4 out of the five World Series Winners from the Jaha league have been from the AL. Perhaps now the readers will understand this bloggers feelings in writing about the NL....

In the NL West There are no original owners. The owner that has been in this division the longest is the Los Angeles Dodgers who joined up in season 4.

In the NL South you can find two original owners. The Richmond River Pirates have made the playoffs one time, and have to be itching to get back in it! Our League Commish, owner of the El Paso Coyotes also resides here. They have made the playoffs the last three seasons. It should also be noted that this league has managed a low turn out rate the last few seasons, and a fast fill up rate, due in large part to this manager. Thank you Commish!

The NL East has three original mangers. The New York Amazins , Tampa Bay Red Tide and the Washington D.C. Clones. The New York Amazins made the playoffs the first two seasons and havent made the playoffs since. I think they are long over due for an appearance. The Tampa Bay Red Tide have made the playoffs all five seasons! It is only a matter of time before they win a world series. You never know this could be the year! The Washington D.C. Clones made the playoffs in the 4th season. With a huge free agent signing this year, its apparent they are shooting for another post season appearance.

The NL North has no original owners. The longest owner is of the Chicago Cubs and they joined this division in season three. However in season two this owner managed the Albuquerque Pilots in the NL West.

A big thanks to all the original owners!!! But Also to newer active owners. This league has made great strives in the past few seasons, and i think it will only get better in the seasons to come!

Power Rankings

2008-04-11T00:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the Jaha Power Rankings through 26 games:

1. Florida Swamp Grass (19-7) - An outstanding start fueled by phenomenal pitching. The team ERA of 3.13 is the lowest in the AL by over a run.
2. Chicago Cubs (19-7) - A balanced team with solid pitching and hitting. Perennial MVP candidate Harry Montero has 25 RBI through the first 26 games.
3. Santa Cruz Jacks (18-8) - Quick start includes a recent three game sweep of El Paso. A revamped rotation has lopped nearly 2 runs off of last season's ERA.
4. New York Amazins (18-8) - Excellent hitting has more than made of for inconsistent pitching. Veteran Dave O'Brien is flat out raking, with a 1.329 OPS and 15 HR in 26 games.
5. Detroit Wolves (19-7) - The top record in the AL is helped by a 7-1 record in 1-run games. A mediocre 14 run differential indicates regression might be approaching. Still, 19 wins is 19 wins.
6. El Paso Coyotes (16-10) - The top run differential in the NL so far, but this team has struggled in series against the Cubs and Jacks.
7. Colorado Lumber Company (16-10) - The defending World Series Champions are scoring runs by the bushel, as usual. They will need to improve run prevnetion to make another run for the title.
8. Charlotte Pea Pods (16-10) - The top scoring team in Jaha has been led by rookie Chris Rivers, who has a blistering 1.293 OPS in his first 26 ML games.

Season 6 is Underway

2008-04-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

We are less than 20 games into the new season, and several franchises have already fallen victim to the fickle HBD Gods.

The first major blow was in Spring Training, where the Texas Titans lost starting left fielder Theo Hansen for the season with a mysterious case of nerve irritation. Hansen had recently signed a 5 year, 25 million dollar contract, giving him 4 more years to justify his contract. Charlie Larkin, Luis Montanez, and Tyler Glavine were also lost to the 60-day DL in the early weeks of the season.

Several of Season 5's top teams have struggled out of the gate, with the division winners Los Angeles, Syracuse, and Little Rock struggling to get over .500 in the early going.

It's not all gloom and doom though, as several teams look like they are primed for major turnarounds. The Santa Cruz Jacks, New York Amazins, and Florida Swamp Grass are all poised for playoff runs after several years of missing out on the postseason.