2005 CFOD PREVIEW "Your Mileage May Vary!" ************************************************************************************************* MANTLE DIVISION PREVIEW ************************************************************************************************* 1st - Angry Candy - Last Year 87-75, 3rd in division The usual suspects return on offense. Todd Helton, Chipper Jones and Bobby Abreu anchor the offense, and young phenom Jason Bay will be a mainstay for years to come. They've got some pop even at the shortstop and catcher position, with Felipe Lopez and vet Javy Lopez manning the slots. Josh Beckett anchors a solid if plain rotation, which also features the likes of Bruce Chen and Victor Zambrano. Salomon Torres and Kelvim Escobar lead a serviceable bullpen. OUTLOOK: A great offense and above average pitching will make the Candy the team to beat in the Mantle division. 2nd - San Francisco Shriners - Last Year 93-69, 1st in division The rotation of Johan Santana, Randy Johnson, Aaron Harang and Jon Lieber will be tough to beat this year, as will the reliever combo of Trevor Hoffman and Brian Fuentes. Pitching is definitely the Shriners' strong suit. Slugger Gary Sheffield was brought in during the off-season and provides the big bat in the middle. Moises Alou, Coco Crisp, Ray Durham and Bill Mueller add to the mix. OUTLOOK: Great pitching, but do the Shriners have enough hitting to overtake the Candy in order to win their 2nd straight pennant? 3rd - Mechan Syndicate - Last Year 89-73, 2nd in division, 2005 League Wildcard The Syndicate have always been about the offense, but the names are starting to change. Like Rafael Palmeiro and Roberto Alomar before him, Barry Bonds was too old and too injured to keep in the off-season. And Eric Chavez was dealt as well. No bother. Miguel Cabera, 3B David Wright and SS Jhonny Peralta assure the Syndicate of a high powered offense for years to come. Adam Dunn is stil around to provide power as well. Shawn Green and Jay Gibbons help keep the outfield stocked. Kris Benson, Tim Wakefield and Dave Williams are OK pitchers, but none of them will remind anyone of Johan Santana. The 8th & 9th innings won't be a worry though, with Juston Duchscherer and Ryan Dempster being very, very good at their jobs. OUTLOOK: Great hitting as always and some good relievers, but a lack of quality starting pitching will hurt the Syndicate's chances this year. 4th - Bakersfield RamJets - Last Year 72-90, 6th in division The RamJets make for an interesting case. 1B Derek Lee, SS Miguel Tejada and C Ivan Rodriguez are all potential all-stars. Mark Grudzielanek and Garrett Anderson are competant batters around them. And John Lackey is a bonafide ace. Livan Hernandez and Matt Morris are great innings eaters. The starters at the end of the rotation are a little iffy. Cliff Politte and Eddie Guardado are top flight relievers. OUTLOOK: They've got an interesting talent mix, and could finish higher than their pre-season prediction. 5th - Arlington Arthropods - Last Year 80-82, 4th in division Fantastic hitting. Manny Ramirez, Aramis Ramirez, Mike Sweeney, and Michael Barrett will help Arlington score a bushel of runs, and prospect Ryan Zimmerman will begin contributing next year. John Smoltz returns to the rotation, and should return to his glory days of old. Noah Lowry, Brad Penny and Jason Schmidt round out the rotation. Relief may be iffy, as there's no clear superstar closers in the bunch. OUTLOOK: Great hitting, decent starting pitching, but a lack of quality relief may lead to a lot of 9th inning heartbreaks this year. 6th - Springfield of Shelbyville 'Topes - Last Year 74-88, 5th in division They've got Melvin Mora and Kevin Mench to bolster the hitting lineup, but the offense suffers from a lack of star power. Mark Buehrle is an ace in the rotation, and Chris Capuano is a solid #2. The latter part of the rotation? Well, not so much. Lots of no-name relievers who may not make the all-star team, but could be good enough to get the job done. OUTLOOK: Other than Mora or Buehrle, not many all-star prospects here. But if the team gels together, they could surprise. ************************************************************************************************* KOUFAX DIVISION PREVIEW ************************************************************************************************* 1st - Missouri Mudfish - Last Year 58-104, 6th in division Predicted to win the pennant? Really? Yes, really. Morgan Ensberg, Jorge Posada, Brian Giles, and Tony Graffanino give the offense a high-slugging-average-without-homers aspect to it, seemingly adopting the offense model of the Rock. It doesn't hurt that Posada is a Cincinnati alum. Josh Towers, Danny Haren and Barry Zito give the Mudish a young core star rotation. Francisco Cordero leads a solid bunch of relievers. And don't forget superstar in training Felix Hernandez. OUTLOOK: Great pitching and great hitting give the Mudfish their best team in years .. maybe their best team ever. 2nd - Boston Brewins - Last Year 93-69, 3rd in division, 2005 League Wildcard Roger Clemens, Brandon Webb, Jeff Suppan and Gustavo Chacin are a killer rotation. Danyz Baez is an elite closer. The pitching staff overall may very well be the best in the league. Albert Pujols, Alfonso Soriano and Troy Glaus are among the best at their positions, hitting homers a-plenty. Vernon Wells and Rondell White add to the offense. OUTLOOK: Fantastic pitching, fantastic hitting. The fight for the Koufax division pennant will be a fierce one. 3rd - Cincinnati Rock - Last Year 95-67, 2nd in division, 2005 MK Conf Wildcard The division's most successful post-season franchise this decade, the Rock remain in contention. Derek Jeter and Chase Utley form the league's top hitting double play combo. Carl Crawford is among the league's most potent base stealers, and Jason Lane and Reggie Sanders provide the power. Roy Oswalt and Carlos Zambrano could be the staff ace on just about any team in the league. Neal Cotts and Justin Speier are not household names but they give the Rock options in the bullpen. OUTLOOK: They've been winners before, and they'll be winners this year. A better #3 starter could work wonders. 4th - Oregon Wet Sox - Last Year 59-103, 5th in division The Wet Sox were dominant in the late 90's, but the team of Bagwell, Walker, Garciaparra and Mussina is no more ... but the team outlook this year is much better than it has been. Jon Garland and Esteban Loaiza anchor a decent pitching staff formed of many #2 and #3 starters. Zach Duke will end up being the staff ace for years to come. Billy Wagner is an elite closer. Paul Konerko is the man in in the middle now, hitting for power and getting on base. Juan Pierre is an effective base stealer, and Juan Encarnacion and Carlos Lee will help score some runs. OUTLOOK: A team on the rise. 5th - Somerville Sluggers - Last Year 97-65, 1st in division Andruw Jones and Grady Sizemore drive this offense. Jones provides the home runs, and Sizemore provides the triples. Adrian Beltre won't be the MVP he was last year, but will provide suitable performance at third. Roy Halladay would have been the staff ace had he had a full year, but is joined in the rotation by Carlos Silva and Cliff Lee. Tom Gordon will be a solid closer, but the pitching depth could be considered suspect. OUTLOOK: The Sluggers seem to feed off the perpetually low pre-season rankings they get. 2005 will be no different! 6th - Hillsborough Regulators - Last Year 62-100, 4th in division A team in ned of a little TLC. Jorge Cantu, Jimmy Rollins and Francisco Rodriguez will give the fans something to root about this season. OUTLOOK: They have some good players, but not enough to contend this year. A rebuilding year. ************************************************************************************************* RUTH DIVISION PREVIEW ************************************************************************************************* 1st - Paxtang Pitbulls - Last Year 77-85, 5th in division The Pitbulls always threaten to dominate the league, and this year seems to be one of those years. Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado, and Marcus Giles are joined this year by Jermaine Dye and youngster Matt Holliday on offense. Jake Peavy, Jose Contreras, Derek Lowe and Mark Mulder are a staff capable of winning a pennant all by themselves. As if that's not enough, Kyle Farnsworth and BJ Ryan could each contend for Fireman of the Year honors. OUTLOOK: The Pitbulls have reloaded this year and will be a force to be reckoned with. 2nd - California Coneheads - Last Year 105-57, 1st in division Age, injuries, salary cap problems and perpetually low draft positions would make you think that california is bound to fade one of these years, but they find ways to remain on top. Victor Martinez is one of the league's best catchers (finally replacing Mike Piazza, formerly the league's best catcher). Tony Cark, Chad Tracey, Kenny Lofton, JD Drew and Milton Bradley won't make any all-star teams, but they'll help power an offense that will score a lot of runs. Ben Sheets, Tim Hudson, Bret Myers and Scott Kazmir is a more than capable rotation, and Todd Jones will be a great closer. OUTLOOK: Never, ever count the Coneheads out. That goes for the 2005 edition of the team, too. 3rd - Topeka MooseDogs - Last Year 87-75, 2nd in division The recovery miracle continues. Once one of the more downtrodden franchises in the league, smart drafting and trading has given a new life to the MooseDogs. Andy Pettitte, Rich Harden, Shawn Chacon, AJ Burnett and Joe Blanton give Topeka one of the best and deepest rotations in the league. Closer duties are not an issue with Derrick Turnbow around. Mark Teixiera provides tremendous power in the middle, as does Cliff Floyd. Brian Roberts is one of the best second basemen around, and Johnny Damon, Trot Nixon and Aubrey Huff add to the offense. OUTLOOK: They've got some horses. It will remain to be seen how well they'll run in the regular season. 4th - Carolina Lightning - Last Year 86-76, 3rd in division Lots of homer power on this team. Richie Sexson, Jim Edmonds, Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard are all masters of the longball. Scott Podseknik helps balance out the homers with expert base stealing. Garrett Atkins and Rich Aurillia help fill gaps in the batting lineup. Kevin Millwood is a definite ace, but the rest of the rotation is a bit .. meh. They make up for it with their relievers, with Joe Nathan and Mike Timlin leading a deep bullpen (and they'll need it!) OUTLOOK: Great hitting, great relievers, but the Lightning could use an extra starter or two. Then again, who doesn't need an extra starter or two? 5th - San Diego Termites - Last Year 80-82, 4th in division Bring on the vets! The offense of Brady Clark, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Jason Varitek and Luis Gonzalez are all 30-somethings. Lyle Overbay is the "baby" at 28 years of age. Chris Carpenter is a true ace (and possible Cy contender), and Jarrod Washburn and Paul Byrd help round out a good rotation. Brad Lidge will make for an excellent closer. OUTLOOK: They've got some pitching. Will their hitting have enough Ben-Gay to make it through the season? 6th - Miami Mangos - Last Year 68-94, 6th in division Long known as the team with the rotten luck with young arms (if a promising prospect had his future hampered by injury, chances are they were a Mango). But that seems to have changed with Dontrelle Willis, who has emerged as a young elite ace. Combined with John Patterson and a solid Tom Glavine, the Mangos have put together a decent rotation this year. Chad Qualls and Scott Schoenweis lead a solid bullpen. None of the hitters will bang out 30 home runs and only 3B Joe Randa has an outside shot at the all-star team, but they'll be able to score some runs. OUTLOOK: The hitting is merely OK, but it will be the pitching that makes Miami interesting this year. ************************************************************************************************* YOUNG DIVISION PREVIEW ************************************************************************************************* 1st - Park City Climbers - Last Year 74-88, 4th in division Pedro Martinez has been an ace for the Climbers for a great many years, and will continue to be so in 2005. He's joined by Bartolo Colon and Mark Prior to create a strong rotation. Bob Wickman will easily handle closer duties. The offense is powered by the infield corners in 1B Jason Giambi and 3B Eric Chavez, both fairly recent additions to the team. Jose Guillen and Jonny provide hitting in the outfield, while Mark Ellis provides offense at second base. OUTLOOK: Park City has the talent to win the division this year. 2nd - San Francisco Piazza's - Last Year 72-90, 5th in division The Piazza's could very well have the league's best outfield, with Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and comeback player Ken Griffey Jr. The future of the infield looks bright with 2B Robinson Cano and catcher Joe Mauer. Rafael Furcal isn't exactly chopped meat, either. Veteran Kenny Rogers anchors the staff, which also features Kirk Saarloos and Jamie Moyer (a healthy Kerry Wood would have really helped this year!). Dustin Hermansn will handle closing duties this year. OUTLOOK: A solid hitting lineup and supportable pitching make the Piazza's contenders this year. 3rd - Brookfield Brouhaha - Last Year 89-73, 2nd in division, RY Conf Wildcard The Brouhaha are always hard to characterize. They have not had a franchise hitter since the days of Edgar Martinez, but they always find a way to score runs. The lineup features Randy Winn, Geoff Jenkins, Ronnie Belliard and Jay Payton. Jorge Sosa and Aaron Small can be cobbled together to make an effective ace, and Tomokazu Ohka and Bret Tomko round out the rotation. Juan Rincon won the Fireman of the Year award last year and will join Aaron Fultz and Hector Carrasco in a quality bullpen. OUTLOOK: Brookfield has always been the case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. 2005 should be no different. 4th - Seattle Moshers - Last Year 81-81, 3rd in division Seattle boasts one of the best shortstops in the league, Michael Young, and one of the best 1B in the league in David Ortiz. Craig Biggio and Joe Crede add some pop to a strong infield. CC Sabathia, Jason Marquis, Brandon Claussen and Greg Maddux field a solid if unspectacular rotation. Star in the making Matt Cain will make a welcome addition to the rotation next year. Roberto Hernandez and Todd Williams are the primary relievers, although the depth gets thin after that. OUTLOOK: Some OK hitting, but a mediocre starting rotation and a thin bullpen will hurt Seattle's chances this year. 5th - Oregon City Pioneers - Last Year 71-91, 6th in division Vladimir Guerrero once again is the cornerstone of this franchise. Hank Blalock isn't quite as good as he was last year, but still provides power from 3B. He's joined by Preston Wilson and Matt Stairs. Freddy Garcia is the ace of the staff, but the starting pitching gets a bit iffy after that. What isn't iffy are the closer options. Mariano Rivera, Huston Street and Chad Cordero could all close on most teams in the league, and Scot Shields is easily the best 5th reliever in the whole league. OUTLOOK: Some OK hitting, excellent bullpen, but is one starter enough to make the Pioneers contenders? 6th - Rocklin Thunder - Last Year 95-67, 1st in division, 2004 CFOD Champs The Thunder partied hard in 2004, winning the CFOD championship. 2005 will be when they pay the bill. Many vets who were key to their victory were traded, and those that remained have slumped. The Thunder hope the bevy of prospects taken in this year's draft will pan out. In the meantime, they'll have the performances of Travis Hafner and Lance Berkman to look upon, and Doug Davis and Brad Radke are capable starters. OUTLOOK: They've got their 2004 championship season to look back on, and a bunch of prospects to look forward to. But the present hopes of the Thunder may be to get a decent draft position for next year's draft in order for a successful 2006 season.