2003 CDBL SEASON PREVIEW "Your mileage may vary!" Predicted Pennant Winners: Mashers, Isotopes, Stingers, Pilots Predicted Conference Wildcards: Friars, Destroyers Predicted League Wildcards: Minutemen, Blue Lobsters Predicted World Series: Stingers over Mashers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aaron Division 1. Manhatten Beach Mashers (Last Year: 106-56, T-Aaron Division Pennant) The Mashers were tied for the best record in the majors last year, and look to be the pre-season favorite to win the Aaron division. David Ortiz has come into his own as an elite hitter, and Bret Boone, Morgan Ensberg and Jay Payton all hit for average and power. Jody Gerut and Greg Myers add to this high-quality lineup. The bench is deep with the likes of Austin Kearns, Eduardo Perez and Brian Buchanan. Miguel Batista, Mark Redman, CC Sabathia and Darrell May lead the conference's best pitching staff and should win plenty of games with their run support. John Smoltz and Guillermo Mota lead a deep and talented bullpen. 2. Point Lomas Friars (Last Year: 72-90, 6th place) As long as the Friars have Jason Giambi they'll be alright. Giambi is joined by Luis Gonzalez, Jason Varitek, Cliff Floyd, Vinny Castilla and Jeff Conine as power threats. Luis Castillo is a top notch table setter, able to get on base and swipe a few. Ryan Franklin is their ace by default, and Kevin Millwood and Andy Pettite are solid middle of the rotation starters. Dan Miceli and Julio Mateo won't have anyone quaking in their boots in the later innings but the Friars have plenty of options for relief. The Friars won't likely challenge the Mashers for Aaron division dominance, but on paper they're the 3rd best team in the conference. 3. Montreal Voltigeurs (Last Year: 77-85, 5th place) The Voltigeurs feature two all-star sluggers in Manny Ramirez and Preston Wilson. Their infield squadron of Jose Vidro, Orlando Cabrera and Placido Polanco can hit for average and knock out quite a few doubles. Montreal can cobble together good production out of the 1B slot with greybeards Andres Galarraga and Julio Franco. Marlon Byrd adds to the offense in the outfield. Josh Beckett continues in his evolution into a dynamic young starter, and Tomo Ohka and Jason Johnson anchor spots in the rotation. The bullpen is a little thin after Felix Heredia, but the Voltigeurs should push the Friars for the conference wildcard spot this year. 4. Elk Grove Trout (Last Year: 79-83, 4th place) The Trout feature a trio of talented outfielders in Magglio Ordonez, Garrett Anderson and Shannon Stewart, with the league's top 4th outfielder in Marquis Grissom. Mark Grudzielanek hits well for an infielder and Ramon Hernandez has some good power for a catcher. The offense overall should score some runs. Barry Zito is a legit ace, and Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets and Freddy Garcia will eat up some innings. Jose Valverde leads a capable if non-flashy bullpen. 4th place should be considered a floor for this team, as they could finish much higher. 5. California Kamados (Last Year: 106-56, T-Aaron Division Pennant) The Kamados feature one of the most talented infields in the game, with Derek Jeter, Scott Rolen and Mike Lieberthal hitting for average and power. They should get plenty of home runs out of first between Travis Lee and Adam Dunn. Moises Alou provides power from the outfield. Roy Halladay is a Cy Young candidate this year, and Woody Williams is a solid #2 starter, but the rest of the rotation gets really shaky really fast. Bullpen is pretty non-existent - Wilson Alvarez could potentially be their closer but he's also needed in the rotation. If California adds a few more quality pitchers they could rise in the rankings this year. 6. Arkham Investigators (Last Year: 84-78, 3rd place) The Investigators are going to thump the ball this year. Alfonso Soriano, Reggie Sanders, Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee and Jose Valentin are all 30 home run threats. Run scoring should not be a problem. Keeping the other side from scoring will be. Mark Buehrle is a dependable starter, as is Jarrod Washburn, but the rest of the staff is either ineffective or injured. The bullpen is fairly mediocre; there's no odds-on candidates for a 30-save season. Still, there's a lot of power on this team, and they may just tater their way to the middle of the division. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paige Division 1. Springfield Isotopes (Last Year: 104-58, Paige Division Pennant) Salary constraints will make it hard for Springfield to win triple digits again this year, but they've got enough talent left over to be pre-season division favorites. Barry Bonds continues to defy father time, Gary Sheffield will put up some gaudy stats and Miguel Tejada provides a lot of power at the shortstop position. After that there's a lot of replacement-level bats in the lineup, but that may be OK with 3 potential all-stars. Curt Schilling is still solid when he's not injured, and Tim Redding is an OK #2 pitcher. The rest of the rotation is shaky. LaTroy Hawkins is their best reliever but the rest of the bullpen is pretty non-descript. Springfield gets the pre-season nod as division favorites due to their finish last year and an expected stellar year from Barry Bonds. 2. Tualatin Thunder (Last Year: 58-104, 6th place) The Thunder said goodbye to longtime slugger Mike Piazza in the off-season, but said hello to future face of the franchise in Miguel Cabrera with the #1 overall pick. Jeff Bagwell is the elder statesman at 1B, and is supported by young stars Eric Chavez and Rocco Baldelli. Todd Walker and Frank Catalanotto add quality bats to the lineup. Mark Prior anchors the rotation and is a threat to win 20. Bartolo Colon eats a lot of innings as the #2 starter, but the rest of the rotation is suspect. Mariano Rivera is one of the best relievers in the business, and Brendan Donnelly is a solid setup man. Tualatin will certainly do better than their triple digit loss 2002 season, and could provide stiff competition to the Isotopes for the Paige division title. 3. Chicago Black Sox (Last Year: 76-86, 5th place) Vladimir Guerrero is great but frequently injured. Edgar Renteria could be one of the best table-setters in the league this year, hitting for average, walks and speed. Bernie Williams, Sean Casey and Aaron Guiel should have a knack for getting on base, but the lack of overall team power will hurt run generation. Steve Trachsel and Carl Pavano are not necessarily aces, but will pitch a lot of innings and keep their team competitive. John Lackey is still finding his form, but will be counted on to fill a rotation slot. Jason Isringhausen and Joe Borowski are solid relievers, but the bullpen depth gets iffy after that. They likely won't be a foil to Springfield this year but will not be a pushover either. 4. Seattle Decaf (Last Year: 78-84, 4th place) Seattle was stuck in mid-division purgatory in 2002, and it looks like they'll be stuck again in 2003. JD Drew is a rising starter, and John Olerud can still take a walk, but the rest of the lineup is fairly mediocre. Mike Hampton plies his trade as the default ace on the staff, but the rest of the rotation will struggle to win games. For the times they do get a lead into the 8th and 9th, they should be able to protect it with stellar setup man David Riske and elite closer Billy Wagner. 5. DBL Fishbiscuits (Last Year: 94-68, #1 League Wildcard, 2002 CDBL Champs) Championship banners fly forever, as the Fishbiscuits captured their 2nd straight title in 2002. Their 2002 run was highly leveraged, and they'll pay the bill in 2003. Albert Pujols and Jim Thome are their only returning starting fielders from the 2002 team, as the rest of the starters were too expensive to keep. The rest of the lineup is filled with hitters that have seen better days or have not seen good days at all. Al Leiter, Wade Miller and Tom Glavine are decent starters, but they'll have no run support to speak of. The bullpen is non-existent. Still, fans will have the '01 and '02 seasons to look back on while they rack up the losses in '03. 6. Madison Muckrakers (Last Year: 82-80, 3rd place) The Muckrakers jettisoned most of their 2003-quality players in a rebuild attempt. Andruw Jones is the only hitter in the lineup that could make some noise this year. The pitching staff is full of youngsters and pitching prospects like Kyle Lohse and AJ Burnett, but the overall dearth of talent points to a season full of losses for Madison ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gehrig Division 1. Topeka Stingers (Last Year: 68-94, 4th place) The Stingers are ready to rule in 2003 with a potent hitting lineup. Javy Lopez and Richie Sexson are good for 40 home runs each, and Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar will have fine seasons as well. Not to mention Jeff Kent, one of the CDBL's all-time greats at second base. Matt Stairs and Hidecki Matsui add to the hitting depth. As good as the hitting is, the pitching might be better. Jason Schmidt, Jamie Moyer, Javier Vazquez and Mark Mulder could all be the #1 starter on many teams, but they complete one of the most formidable rotations in the league. Ugueth Urbina and Paul Quantrill lead a deep and scary-talented bullpen. 2. Concord Minutemen (Last Year: 55-107, 6th place) The Minutemen rank high on the star power. Chipper Jones, Ivan Rodriguez, Lance Berkman, Ryan Klesko and rookie Mark Teixeira get all of the autograph requests. Jeromy Burnitz also provides a nice punch in the lineup. Mike Mussina is a solid ace, and young Johan Santana is starting to come into his own. Jeff Suppan and Victor Zambrano are solid starters. Shigetoshi Hasegawa leads a strong bullpen. The Gehrig division will be tough this year, but the Minutemen have enough talent to make it to the post-season. 3. Hong Kong Cavaliers (Last Year: 90-72, 2nd place) The Cavaliers are set to compete this year in a loaded division. Carlos Delgado could contend for an MVP award, and the outfield of Carlos Beltran, Carlos Lee and Larry Walker/Tim Salmon is among the best in baseball. Aaron Boone should do well in the corner spot, and Julio Lugo and Benito Santiago bring quality bats to the lineup. Pedro Martinez is stll among the best pitchers in baseball, and is joined by rookie Dontrelle Willis in the rotation. The rest of the rotation is merely "OK". Hong Kong has plenty of options in the bullpen, led by Armando Benitez, Joe Nathan and Troy Percival. Hong Kong will be in the thick of the playoff race all season long. 4. Albuquerque Maul (Last Year: 57-105, 5th place) After triple digit losses in 2002, the Maul should rebound back to a competitive 2003 season. Rafael Palmeiro provides the big bat in the middle, and Raul Mondesi, Jay Gibbons and Mike Lowell add some thump. Juan Pierre is an above average table-setter, getting on base and swiping quite a few. Infielder Michael Young and catcher Jason Phillips adds to the offense. For pitching the Maul have 2 aces in Brandon Webb and Roy Oswalt which will serve them for years to come, and the rest of the rotation is decent. Matt Mantei anchors a solid bullpen. Albuquerque might be a pennant contender in other divisions but in the Gehrig division they'll have to settle for a middle-of-the- pack-but-winning season. 5. Anchorage Gold Diggers (Last Year: 104-58, Gehrig Division Pennant) Anchorage won the pennant last year, but will be hard pressed for a repeat. Torii Hunter, Kenny Lofton and Rondell White form a solid outfield, and Jason Kendall can hit and get on base, but the lack of big power bats will hurt run production. Esteban Loaiza is a bona-fide ace, and Matt Morris, Jake Peavy and Brian Lawrence round out an above average rotation. The bullpen is a weak point, with Brian Shouse being their best reliever. Still, adding a home run threat and a few relievers would move Anchorage up in the division. 6. Carlsbad Surfers (Last Year: 81-81, 3rd place) Carlsbad took one look at their roster and decided to punt for next year. Hank Blalock, Raul Ibanez and Steve Finley will be bright spots in the lineup. Father time is starting to catch up with Greg Maddux, and the rest of the rotation is not ready. Bullpen is sparse. Of all of the predictions for this conference, having Carlsbad finish last is the only guarantee. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tiant Division 1. Milwaukee Pilots (Last Year: 61-101, 5th place) The Pilots are loaded for a title run this year. Vernon Wells, Ichiro Suzuki and Carlos Guillen are one of the best outfields in the game. Rafael Furcal should score plenty of runs at the top of the order, and swipe a few as well. Jorge Posada provides 30 home run power at the catcher position, and Mark Loretta, Doug Mientkiewicz and Casey Blake show that there are no holes in this lineup. If the hitting is great, the pitching is that much better. Kevin Brown anchors one of the best rotations in the majors, with Livan Hernandez, Sydney Ponson and David Wells filling out the rest. Octavio Dotel heads a deep and talented bullpen. 2. Dedham Destroyers (Last Year: 59-103, 6th place) After a few down years, Dedham should be back in the playoff hunt this year. Todd Helton and Richard Hidalgo are major power threats, and Brian Giles and Brad Wilkerson are big sabermetric contributors. Angel Berroa and Bill Mueller contribute from the infield, and the platoon of Mike Piazza and Benji Molina adds a lot of offense at the catcher position. Hideo Nomo and Brian Anderson are a solid 1-2 combination in the rotation, although Brett Myers and Brad Radke may struggle to match up to Milwaukee. Eric Gagne and Tim Worrell lead one of the best bullpens in the league. 3. Bangor Blue Lobsters (Last Year: 63-99, 4th place) Signs point to a banner year for Bangor in 2003. Sammy Sosa joins Frank Thomas as big home run threats, and Dmitri Young and Nomar Garciaparra should hit 30 each. Scott Podsednik should score a lot of runs and steal a lot of bases, and Joe Randa is another quality bat. Tim Hudson is one of the best young hurlers in the game, and Kip Wells, Vicente Padilla and Horacio Ramirez round out an above average rotation. Eddie Guardado and Curtis Leskanic lead a capable bullpen. 4. Boston Bulldogs (Last Year: 99-63, Tiant Division Pennant) The Bulldogs won their division last year, and are poised for another run in this competitive division. Carl Everett, Bobby Abreu, Edgar Martinez and Marcus Giles may not break 30 home runs, but they hit for average, get on base and hit lots of doubles. Alex Cintron hits for average with some doubles power from a middle infield position, as does Ray Durham. Father time may be catching up to Randy Johnson, but Carlos Zambrano is a capable replacement ace. Russ Ortiz and Tim Wakefield keep this a competitive rotation. Chad Bradford and Oscar Villarreal lead a bullpen that might struggle for depth as several relievers may get called on to start as well. 5. Alphaville Cautions (Last Year: 98-64, GT Conference Wildcard) Someone has to be picked 5th in this tough division. Still, the Cautions could still have a winning season and contend for a wildcard spot. Trot Nixon and Geoff Jenkins can rake, and Randy Winn and Corey Koskie and Matthew LeCroy can all hit. Kerry Wood can go toe to toe with any ace in the league, and Joel Pineiro and Jae Weong Seo anchor a solid rotation. If the Cautions make the post-season they'll have a solid starter in Jerome Williams. The bullpen is a little shaky, with Brian Fuentes and Braden Looper being decent relievers but won't have anyone quaking in their boots in the 9th inning. 6. Avila Dragons (Last Year: 93-69, #2 League Wildcard, GT Conference Champions) Avila shocked the league by making it to the world series last year, and a repeat trip would have to involve a few more shocks. Alex Rodriguez is the best shortstop in the game, and Jim Edmonds has a case as one of the best center fielders out there. Johnny Damon should have a good year, but not necessarily the best he's ever had. The rest of the hitters will struggle to generate enough runs to keep up with the rest of the division. Roger Clemens, Pat Hentgen and Brad Penny are solid middle-of-the-rotation pitchers, but will struggle to match up with contending team aces. The bullpen is a bright spot, with Keith Foulke leading a bevy of talented relievers.