1991 CDBL PREVIEW "Your Mileage May Vary!" ***** AARON DIVISION PREVIEW: This division will still be among the strongest, although their dominance won't be as big as it was last year. 1ST: Manhatten Beach Mashers Last year's champions, the Mashers are in a bit of a transition. Gone is Frank Viola, Bobby Witt and Alan Trammell, and on board are aces Dennis Martinez, Tom Candiotti and slugging catcher Matt Nokes. Tommy Greene is the #3 starter, and the Mashers hope to cobble something together for the #4 and 5 starters. Rob Dibble was a salary cap victim, but closer Dennis Eckersley is still on board. The Mashers are not crying about it, as John Habyan and Jeff Gray should have standout relief performances. On offense, Rickey Henderson won't have the 5-category tools he had a year ago, but will return to his standout tablesetting performance, getting on base, stealing them, and scoring runs. Paul O'Neill finally emerges as an RBI threat, and Matt Nokes will also provide some thump. Rob Deer and acquisition Mark McGwire will provide a lot of firepower and fireworks at the plate. OVERALL: You can't bet against the champs, although they won't be as untouchable as last year. 2ND: Arkham Investigators They spent a few seasons rebuilding, and in 1990 they were rewarded with a triple digit win season. They are in contention again this year. The hitters are potent, led by youngster Ken Griffey Jr and Shane Mack. Hal Morris and youngster Robin Ventura also have some pop in their bat. Tony Phillips continues his years of being an effective table setter. Veteran Willie Randolph adds to a team that will be very efficient in manufacturing runs. Jose Rijo and Kevin Appier lead an above average rotation, and Billy Swift should be prime in the closer spot. OVERALL: The Investigators machine continues to roll. They will see the post-season for sure, but how far will they be able to go? 3RD: Elk Grove Trout Champions a year removed, the Trout have some pop in their lineup this year that should make them formidable again. Will Clark, Julio Franco, David Justice and Kevin Reimer are all threats to go deep or hit a key double. 3B Terry Pendleton will be among the best at his position, and Tony Gwynn will put in his customarily good performance. The downside this year will be pitching. Kevin Tapani is a capable ace, but Chuck Finley and Tom Browning have seen better days, and pitching mainstays like Sid Fernandez and Dennis Martinez are no longer on the team. Mike Maddux will surprise in the closer role. OVERALL: It used to be so-so hitting and great pitching. It's now great hitting and so-so pitching. Either way, the Trout will be a force to be reckoned with. 4TH: Point Lomas Friars The Friars made a play last year, bringing in slugger Eddie Murray. The move resulted in a playoff appearance. If 1990 was the party, 1991 may be the year the Friars pay the bill. 2B Ryne Sandberg remains the heart of the team, hitting for average and power. Outfielder Tim Raines is as speedy as ever and will score a lot of runs. Ivan Calderon provides some pop, and Carlos Quintana performs just like Murray in 1990, minus a few dozen homers. Todd Stottlemyre, Bryn Smith and Bud Black are competant starters but are no aces. Alejandro Pena and Jay Howell are quality relievers. OVERALL: The Friars are 1 top player away from being a threat this year. 5TH: White Rock Mighty Pugs Being in the best division in the league last year, the Pugs were pummeled to the worst record in baseball. With a primo draft position, they selected rookie catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who should be a mainstay for years. In the meantime, they have sluggers Joe Carter, Kelly Gruber, Dale Murphy and Eddie Murray, giving the Pugs a veteran meat and potatoes lineup. Mark Langston and Ramon Martinez can go toe to toe with any ace in the league, and Bill Gullickson is a workhorse. Juan Berenguer, Jim Gott, Paul Assenmacher and Tim Burke lead a deep reliever corps. OVERALL: It won't be as bad as last year, but it will still be a tough road for White Rock. ***** PAIGE DIVISION PREVIEW: Still the ugly stepchild of the AP conference, several teams are building up their talent base to become an even match for their Aaron division opponents. 1ST: Dewey Beach Lush The Lush have been in rebuilding mode for several years now, and prior year's investments are starting to pay off. Rafael Palmeiro and Frank Thomas are the Lush's 2 best players, but unfortuantely for the Lush, they both play the same position. Larry Walker, Felix Jose and Orlando Merced form a talented outfield. Shortstop Jay Bell provides much needed infield pop. Terry Mulholland should benefit from the run support, but the rest of the starting rotation will be patchwork. Todd Frohwirth and Mike Flanagan lead a talented reliever set that will be heavily relied on. OVERALL: Dewey Beach is still in rebuilding mode, but their talent base is now too good to keep them down. 2ND: DC Riots The Riots offense this year consists of 2 very good individuals (3B Chris Sabo and 1B Fred McGriff), 1 good individual (OF Mel Hall) and the rest being role players. The pitching is excellent, with Bill Wegman, Mike Moore, Ken Hill and Mark Gardner rounding out one of the better rotations in the league. Carl Willis, Don Pall, Chuck McElroy and Jeff Russell will make for many scoreless late innings. OVERALL: Great pitching, but will they have enough hitting to contend? 3RD: Hurdle Mills Hurdlers The Hurdlers rolled their way to the Paige division pennant in '90. The hitters won't be big on the longball (nobody should break 20 homers), but will do a lot of hit and running and sacrifice bunting. The lineup features players such as Lonnie Smith, Craig Biggio, Delino DeSheilds and Tony Fernandez. The pitching is above average, with Bobby Ojeda, Greg Swindell, Brian Holman and Eric Hanson leading a deep rotation. Steve Farr, Jim Poole and Wally Ritchie are strong in relief. OVERALL: Same as the Riots, only without the homer power. 4TH: Long Beach Experience The Paige division has always been a toss-up, and this year Long Beach may be the darkhorse candidate. They have a legit cleanup hitter in Andre Dawson, a 1B (Kent Hrbek) with some thump, and a table setter (Steve Sax) who can swipe a base and score. Mike Greenwell and Jim Eisenreich add depth to the lineup. On the pitching side, they boast 2 workhorses (Jack McDowell and Jim Abbott) and a top-tier closer (Tom Henke). OVERALL: The Experience are the wild card of the division. Depending on how their stars play, they could end up much higher. 5TH: Tualatin Thunder The Thunder have made immediate strides in reversing the roster rot that plagued the team for years. Their 1st round draft pick was Jeff Bagwell, who should be a mainstay in the middle of the order for years. Otherwise, the lineup is full of supporting players such as Kirk Gibson and Kevin McReynolds. Run generation will be a concern for 1991. Despite the lack of offense, the pitching has the potential to be very good. Pete Harnisch, Steve Avery and Jack Morris are very, very good this year, and John Franco, Steve Olin and Bobby Thigpen are quality closer candidates. There may be trouble at the back end of the rotation, as Jeff Ballard, Jeff Johnson and Jose Mesa won't remind anyone of Clemens. OVERALL: Some nice pitching, but they'll need Jeff Bagwell to develop to move higher. 6TH: Springfield Isotopes The future will always be bright with a guy like Barry Bonds in the lineup. The young star is starting to get some protection in the lineup in the form of Greg Vaughn. But it will be a long season for the slugger, as the pitching just isn't there. Mark Eichhorn will be excellent in the closer role, and Melido Perez will be good in a part time role, and Curt Schlling has a lot of potential, but the rest are batting practice quality. OVERALL: They'll have some good games, but lack of pitching will limit the Isotopes this year. ***** GEHRIG DIVISION PREVIEW: The days of a team needing only 90 wins for the division are over. There will be some monster teams on the prowl. 1ST: Concord Minutemen The Minutemen look pretty scary this year. On offense, Jose Canseco is as good as ever, good for 40+ homers and a few stolen bases too. Kirby Puckett is his usually good self, and George Bell should provide plenty of RBI's. Draft acquisition Jack Clark hits for power and gets the walk, and youngster Carlos Baerge provides offense in the infield. One of the better hitting lineups in the league. If the offense is good, the pitching is better. The starting rotation, Tim Belcher, Nolan Ryan, Jimmy Key, Zane Smith and Jose DeJesus, is the best in the majors. Bryan Harvey is a top notch closer. Overall, this may be the best pitching staff in the league. OVERALL: The Minutemen barely lost out on the Gehrig division pennant in 1990. With the talent they boast this year, it will be hard seeing them in 2nd place again. Their best team since their championship 1987 season. 2ND: Morningside Urban Rats The 1991 version of the formerly-named Surfers will be in contention this year. You want power? They've got 30 homer potential in Danny Tartabull and Mickey Tettleton. You want speed? Otis Nixon, Ozzie Smith and Devon White are all threats to steal at least 30. Steve Buechele and Dan Pasqua don't fit into either category, but they add depth to a deep lineup. The pitching is a combination of potential and kinetic talent. Jose Guzman and John Smiley are ace pitchers. Greg Maddux finally starts to justify his 1st pick overall status way back in 1986. Rookie Mike Mussina and Joe Hesketh will combine to be a competant 4th starter. If only youngster Kevin Brown were better, this could be the best top to bottom rotation in the league. Oh well. Scott Radinsky and Mike Stanton will vie for closer honors. OVERALL: Masters of the draft rebound, the Rats will be in contention this year. 3RD: Albuquerque Maul The Maul have had a good couple of years, going to the world series 2 years ago and winning the division last year. This year may be one of the spoiler. Youngsters Albert Belle and Travis Fryman replace the departed Glenn Davis, and Brian Harper continues to provide quality hitting at the catcher position. Much of the offense will be platoon-based. On pitching, Chris Bosio becomes the ace, and Luis Aquino, BOb Walk and John Smoltz should provide quality innings. Jeff Innings, Mike Henneman and Gregg Olson anchor an above average group of relievers. OVERALL: It will be tough for the Maul to win the division again, but they will be no pushovers. 4TH: Topeka Stingers Cecil Fielder generated a lot of fan interest and some MVP nominations in 1990. In '91, he hopes an improved surrounding cast will move the Stingers upwards. Wade Boggs is still one of the best table settings in the league, hitting in the mid .300's with a high on base average and a decent slugging average, too. Ruben Sierra and Ron Gant are .500 sluggers with 30 homer potential. Andy Van Slyke is a quality hitter, and Marquis Grissom is a rampant base-stealer with a bit of power. If there's a knock against the team, it's the pitching. Charlie Hough, Chuck Nagy and Bobby Welch won't match up very well with the Minutemen. Rob MacDonald and Stan Belinda will be OK as relievers, but the overall pitching will be below average. OVERALL: Expect lots of high scoring games, both in runs generated and runs allowed. 5TH: Boulder County Trustafarians Barry Larkin is the shining light on this team, providing average and power at the shortstop position. 1B/OF John Kruk provides eerily similar stats as Larkin. Rookie Chuck Knoblauch will give Boulder County one of the best double play combos in the league for years to come. While OF Mike Devereux has some pop, the rest of the hitters won't scare the opposition. Jose DeLeon and Juan Guzman are effective starters when they are able to start. The relievers are excellent, led by Jeff Brantley, Jeff Montgomery and Rob Dibble. OVERALL: Great relievers, but a general lack of starting pitching and sluggers will hurt the Trustafarians this year. 6TH: San Francisco Samurai The roster has been blown apart. It will be a long season for Robert Alomar and company. OVERALL: Hello Pedro Martinez. Or Mike Piazza. Take your pick. #1 draft pick, here we come! ***** TIANT DIVISION PREVIEW: Lots of similar faces, and it could be anyone's race this year. 1ST: Dark Valley Destinies Many familiar faces return to the Destinies, with some new faces thrown in for flavor. Dave Henderson, Darryl Strawberry, Lou Whitaker and Howard Johnson will make sure plenty of runs are scored, with New 1B Randy Milligan providing walks and catcher Lance Parrish providing the occasional home run. Scott Erickson and Doug Drabek give the Destinies a powerful 1-2 punch in the rotation, and Norm Charlton and Greg W Harris will combine for a stellar #3. Closer duties will be held in Duane Ward's capable hands. OVERALL: Last year they won 100 games and made a world series appearance. There's no reason they couldn't do at least as well. 2ND: Front Range Riders The Riders and great pitching go hand in hand. The rotation is strong, with ace Roger Clemens, Andy Benes and David Wells leading the way. Lee Smith and Kent Mercker lead a strong reliever corps. The achilles heal has always been offense. With Mark McGwire traded during the off- season, the Riders will depend on a more balanced attack, with 3B Matt Williams teaming up with 1B Chili Davis to score runs. OVERALL: Great pitching, but will they have enough offense to contend? 3RD: Orange Whoop Some new faces and some emerging stars make this a team to watch. Juan Gonzalez and Jay Buhner make their full season debuts, and combined with Dave Winfield the Whoop have the sluggingest outfield in baseball. Greg Jefferies provides offense at 2nd, while John Olerud provides some run scoring opportunities at the top of the order. Young stars Tom Glavine and David Cone form the best 1-2 starters in the league, and Larry Andersen and Rick Aguilera are excellent closer candidates. OVERALL: The lineup has some thump, and they've got some real hosses in the rotation. 4TH: Boston Bulldogs New blood powers the offense. Paul Molitor was acquired in the off-season, and Edgar Martinez becomes a full time player at third base. Mainstay Kevin Mitchell will have another good (if injured) season, and Willie McGee provides quality at bats in the outfield. Mike Morgan, Randy Tomlin and Bob Tewksbury helps provide a solid rotation, lacking only in starpower. Jeff Fassero, Dwayne Henry and ike Jackson man the bullpen. OVERALL: Good hitting, good pitching. Just a stacked division. 5TH: San Diego Stars This should be Cal Ripken's best year since 1984. Joining him in the offense are longtime Stars Bobby Bonilla and Harold Baines. Robby Thompson and Roberto Kelly add to the offense. In his 2nd year with the team, Bret Saberhagen will combine with Bruce Hurst, Bill Krueger and Darryl Kile to form an above average pitching rotation. Mitch Williams and Scott Terry are great relievers, but the reliever depth falls off quickly. OVERALL: Some good hitting, some good pitching. But in this division, somebody has to be listed last.