January 19, 2002

2002 Pre-Season Preview

As we head into our fourth season, the question remains the same as it has been for the past three seasons: can anyone beat the Stamford Zoots?   Coming off a BDBL-record 112-win season and their third straight championship in three seasons, the Zoots have built yet another strong team that should get them to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.   But this year, the Zoots may have some competition.  In fact, we should see a tight pennant race in all six divisions this coming season.

The Ozzie League has been dominated by the Zoots, Cowtippers, Undertakers and Lightning since the league's inception, though the Gillette Swamp Rats were able to sneak into the playoff picture last season.  This year, the Zoots, Cowtippers and Undertakers will all field competitive teams, but it looks like a sad state of affairs in Litchfield and Gillette.  Madison, Bear Country, Marlboro and even the New Milford Blazers should all be in the playoff hunt this season.

Over in the Eck League, the balance of power has shifted dramatically.  The Hrbek Division became the first division ever to feature three 90-win teams last year.  This year, that feat could be matched by the Higuera Division.  The Allentown Ridgebacks and Phoenix Predators made significant improvements over the off-season, and the Kansas Law Dogs return most of the same offense that set every BDBL record in the book last year.  The New York Knights will battle the Kentucky Fox and Villanova Mustangs for the Person Division title, and the Akron Ryche seem to stand all alone in the Hrbek Division, which has gone from the strongest division to the weakest in only one year.

It will be an interesting year featuring many exciting pennant races.  But the question is: in the end, will it matter?

Before I get to my outlooks and predictions for the coming year, I thought we should take a look back at my predictions of a year ago to see how I did.

• Of the six division races, I correctly predicted the division winner five times. (In comparison, the league predicted four of the six division winners through web polling.)
• Of the eight playoff teams, I got six of them right.
• I correctly predicted that the Zoots would make a ridiculously lopsided trade during the season (well, okay, that one was easy.)
• I correctly predicted that the Law Dogs and Black Sox would beat up on each other during the ELDS, with Darryl Kile winning Game Seven.  (Scary, huh?)
• I predicted the Sea Cats and Ryche would play a hard-fought, low-scoring seven game series in the ELDS.  Instead, they played a hard-fought, low-scoring six game series.

And now for my not-so-accurate predictions:

• I predicted that the Akron Ryche would not only win the Eck League title, but the BDBL championship as well.  (What was I thinking??)
• For the first time ever, I predicted that the Los Altos Undertakers would win the Griffin Division.  But for the first time ever, they didn't.
• Last, but certainly not least, I predicted that the Gillette Swamp Rats would not only finish last in their division, but would break the all-time BDBL record for losses by a team.  We all know how that one turned out.

As you can see, this is an inexact science.  But if I didn't make these ridiculous predictions every year, what would BDBL teams post on their clubhouse walls?

OZZIE LEAGUE

Stamford Zoots

Owner: Paul Marazita
2001 Record: 112-48 (1st place and the BDBL championship)
Projected Rotation: Mark Buehrle, Roger Clemens, Kevin Brown/Juan Cruz, Lou Pote and Jesus Sanchez
Bullpen: Bung-Hole Kim, Chad Bradford, C.J. Nitkowski, Joey Eischen and Jeff Fassero
Projected Lineup: Trot Nixon (CF), Chipper Jones (3B), Magglio Ordonez (RF), Jim Edmonds (LF), Tony Clark (1B), Edgardo Alfonzo/Michael Young (2B), Damian Jackson (SS) and Brooke Fordyce/Chad Kreuter (C)

Strengths: When Stamford lost Randy Johnson to free agency and Kevin Brown to injury, most of us thought (dare I say hoped?) it meant the end of the Zoots dynasty.  Yet with the unexpected rise to superstardom by Buehrle and the off-season acquisition of Clemens, the Zoots' strength is once again pitching.  With one eye always on the prize, the Zoots are well aware that Brown is eligible to pitch full-time in the post-season, giving the Zoots three outstanding starters once again.  The offense features five very solid hitters, four of whom could be featured in this summer's BDBL all-star game.

Weaknesses: Beyond the Big Five, the Stamford offense is surprisingly thin.  Combined, Alfonzo, Young, Jackson, Fordyce and Kreuter hit .235/.308/.371 last year.  That's not like any other Zoots team I've ever seen.  And Pote and Sanchez are unlike any other #4 or #5 pitcher I've ever seen on the Zoots.  The offense is also very lefty-heavy, but fortunately for the Zoots, there are only four decent left-handed starters in the Ozzie League, and none in the Butler Division.  Lastly, the bullpen is a little thin beyond their closer, Bungholio.

Outlook: Believe it or not, there was a brief moment last November when the Zoots front office actually entertained thoughts of rebuilding.  But before they had even played one inning of post-season ball, the Manchester Irish Rebels stepped in and put an end to that dream.  The Chipper Jones trade transformed this team into an instant contender, and the subsequent trades for Clemens, Edmonds and Nixon should be enough to push this team into their fourth straight playoffs appearance.  What remains to be seen is who will help the Zoots fill in those holes they so desperately need to fill.  You can bet your collection of mint condition Pokemon cards that someone will do just that.

Prediction: 1st place and the fourth straight BDBL championship.  Midway through the season, Paul Marazita pulls off an unprecedented four-team deal in which he acquires Vladimir Guerrero, Brett Boone, Tom Glavine, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling in exchange for Benny Agbayani, Lou Merloni, Eric Byrnes, Brandon Berger and Chad Krueter.  Marazita issues a statement to the press, proclaiming that he has sacrificed the future of the Zoots franchise for a remote chance of competing in the playoffs.  "We still don't have the horses to compete," says an exasperated Marazita, "but Good Lord willin', if we catch a few breaks here and there, maybe we can get lucky and win a couple of games here and there."

Madison Fighting Mimes

Owner: Brian Hicks
2001 Record: 69-91 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Joe Mays, Miguel Batista, Elmer Dessens, A.J. Burnett/Kelvim Escobar and Kevin Millwood
Bullpen: Bob Wickman, Mike Matthews, Matt Herges, Jay Powell, Mike Trombley, Chad Zerbe, Pedro Borbon and Vicente Padilla
Projected Lineup: Frank Catalanotto (RF), Jose Vidro (2B), Rafael Palmeiro (1B), Jeff Bagwell (3B), Brian Giles (CF), Randy Velarde/Rickey Henderson (LF), Benji Gil/Desi Relaford (SS) and Henry Blanco/Wiki Gonzalez (C)

Strengths: Depth.  The Fighting Mimes have great depth in the starting rotation, where their #6 starter is good enough to be a #2 or #3 for some teams in the BDBL.  There is depth in the bullpen, which features six pitchers with ERA's under 4.00.  And there is great depth on the bench, which includes Russell Branyan (1226 OPS vs. LH), Wilton Guerrero (843 vs. RH), Raul Ibanez (852 vs. RH), Felipe Lopez (840 vs. LH), Jeff Reboulet (863 vs. LH) and Chris Richard (843 vs. RH) in addition to the second half of the platoons in left field, shortstop and catcher.   If you're wondering where all the at-bats in the draft went, look no further.   The Mimes have more than 6,400 total, with eleven players who had 300 or more AB's last year.  They have nine first basemen, seven second basemen, eight third basemen, five shortstops and ten outfielders.

Weaknesses: There aren't too many on this team.  If you really wanted to get picky, you could point to the 474 mediocre at-bats by the catching platoon of Blanco and Gonzalez, or the cost to the team defensively by playing Bagwell at third.  But all in all, this is a very solid team from top to bottom, with a quality player for every conceivable situation.

Outlook: So why am I predicting a second-place finish for a team with no weaknesses?  Simply put, I never bet against the Zoots, especially when you consider their trading history.  While the Madison pitching staff is solid, it still pales in comparison to the Stamford staff, especially in a short series.  While Palmeiro, Bagwell and Giles form an impressive heart of the order, they aren't that much better than Jones, Ordonez and Edmonds.  The only thing that separates these two teams is the bottom half of their lineups, and you know that Marazita will fix that some time this year.

Prediction: 2nd place.  After Marazita pulls off his four-team megadeal, Brian Hicks enrolls himself into his own mental health facility, where he attends an "Overcome Your Obsession" workshop headed by Commissioner Glander.

Bear Country Jamboree

Owner: Matt Clemm
2001 Record: 94-66 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Brad Radke, Terry Adams, Steve Trachsel, Jim Brower/Pat Hentgen and Mark Gardner/Nick Bierbrodt
Bullpen: Vladimir Nunez, Bob File, Giovanni Carrara, Kane Davis, Mark Wohlers and Dan Plesac
Projected Lineup: Paul LoDuca (C), Rondell White/Bubba Trammell (LF), Alex Rodriguez (SS), Jim Thome (1B), Vinny Castilla (3B), Brian Buchanan/David McCarty (RF), Mark Smith/Marvin Benard (CF) and Neifi Perez/Pokey Reese (2B)

Strengths: Rodriguez is the pre-season favorite to win the OL Babe Ruth Award.  The one-two punch of A-Rod and Thome alone should give the Jamboree 250 runs.  LoDuca is an asset at the top of the lineup, and is the only catcher in the league who could possibly bat leadoff given Jason Kendall's off year at the plate.   Radke is a top-of-the-line ace, and the bullpen contains six quality arms.

Weaknesses: The bottom half of the lineup is a hodgepodge of platoons, but in general those platoons should work out well for the Jamboree.  Though the pitching staff is better than average, it's probably the worst in this tough division.  How tough is this division?  Last year, the Jamboree became the third different Butler Division team to win 90 games and not make the playoffs.

Outlook: The Jamboree are one of those limbo teams that are not quite good enough to make the playoffs, but not quite bad enough to give up and start rebuilding.  With a couple of key trades, this club could compete this year.  But given the GM competition, any improvements they do make would be negated by the moves made by Marazita and Hicks.

Prediction: 3rd place.  Midway through the season, the Jamboree are contacted by attorneys from the Disney Corporation, who slap the club with a lawsuit for copyright infringement.  The Jamboree hold a "Name the Team" contest, in which a winner is drawn at random.  Beginning in August of 2002, the Jamboree officially become the "Little Mermaids."

Arizona Heat

Owner: Mike Leuck
2001 Record: 61-99 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Curt Schilling, Woody Williams, Jon Garland/Dave Coggin, Blake Stein/Chris Reitsma and Eric Gagne/Joe Kennedy
Bullpen: Antonio Alfonseca, Paul Shuey, Jose Cabrera, Willis Roberts and John Halama
Projected Lineup: Reggie Sanders (RF), Mark Grace (1B), Gary Sheffield (LF), Javy Lopez (C), Garrett Anderson (CF), Matt Williams (3B), Placido Polanco (SS) and Jerry Hairston (2B)

Strengths: With Randy Johnson moving to the Eck League, Schilling is the pre-season favorite to win the OL Cy Young Award.   His only competition is Mike Mussina of the Cowtippers, who has been known to choke under pressure.  Sheffield gives this franchise, which has always concentrated solely on pitching, their first true offensive superstar.  The bench is also strong, headed by Brian Jordan (830 OPS) and Jacque Jones (751).  Polanco is the only Ex shortstop in the BDBL (believe it or not), and the Heat own one of the league's few Vg shortstops as well (Rey Sanchez.)

Weaknesses: The offense surrounding Sheffield is questionable.  Sanders (.337 OBP) and Grace (.386) should do a decent job of setting the table for him, but Lopez (747 OPS) and Anderson (792) won't provide very good protection.  As a result, Sheffield could see a lot of free passes this year.  The pitching staff beyond Schilling is serviceable, but unspectacular.   And the bullpen lacks a lefty setup man.

Outlook: The Heat franchise has always featured excellent pitching and little offense.  With youngsters like Dewon Brazelton, Jon Garland, Eric Gagne, Jason Jennings, Joe Kennedy, Jeff Austin and Billy Traber on the horizon, pitching will continue to be the foundation of this franchise.   Sheffield is a nice start on offense, but there are no good hitting prospects in the Arizona system other than Mike Restovich, and the lineup is dominated by old-timers like Grace, Williams, Jordan and Sanders.  Playing in the same division as the three time champs, Arizona would be best served by punting this season and building an offense for 2003 and beyond.

Prediction: 4th place.  In their quest to field an all Ex defense, the Manchester Irish Rebels trade Eric Milton to the Heat in exchange for Polanco, straight-up.  "We wanted to cut salary," explains Rebels GM Jim Doyle.

Salem Cowtippers

Owner: Mike Glander
2001 Record: 107-53 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Mike Mussina, Steve Sparks, John Thomson/Paul Byrd, Pedro Astacio and Paul Wilson
Bullpen: David Weathers, Mike Magnante, Norm Charlton, Scott MacRae, Grant Roberts, Greg Swindell and Derek Lowe
Projected Lineup: Mike Cameron (CF), David Eckstein (SS), Lance Berkman (LF), Sammy Sosa (RF), Todd Helton (1B), Ray Durham (2B), Robin Ventura (3B) and Ben Davis (C)

Strengths: Mussina returns for another year of regular season brilliance and post-season failure.  If BDBL awards were given to the most deserving, Mussina would have been last year's Cy Young Award winner.   Salem's trio of Berkman, Sosa and Helton are unmatched in the BDBL.  Cameron and Eckstein should do for Salem what Shannon Stewart and Quilvio Veras did for them back in 1999.  And Durham, Ventura and Davis form a capable bottom third of the lineup.   Defensively, Salem features a Vg or Ex at every position but catcher and left field (not bad, but certainly not Manchester-like.)

Weaknesses: The Salem bench just might be the worst bench ever in the history of organized baseball.  How bad is it?   Salem's best pinch hitter was their hitting coach last season, Julio Franco (821 OPS).   Their other "go-to" options when the game is on the line are Gary Bennett (659), Ken Caminiti (719) and Donnie Sadler (454).  The bullpen will have to rely upon Derek Lowe to string together some quality innings in middle relief, which might be too much to ask from him.  And the starting rotation beyond Mussina is somewhat less than thrilling.

Outlook: The Cowtippers will have some legitimate competition in the Benes Division for the first time ever this season.   But with their defense compensating for whatever shortcomings they might have on their pitching staff, and their offense churning out runs as frequently as ever, Salem has a good chance of four-peating this division title.

Prediction: 1st place.  The OLDS is a rematch between the Cowtippers and the Los Altos Undertakers.  Los Altos sweeps the series when Series MVP Doug Mirabelli knocks home his eighth run of the series against Derek Lowe in the ninth inning of a tie ballgame.  As tradition dictates, the Cowtippers are managed by Phil Geisel throughout the entire series.

Marlboro Hammerheads

Owner: Ken "The Shark" Kaminski
2001 Record: 71-89 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Javier Vazquez, Jamie Moyer, Jarrod Washburn, Jason Johnson and Adam Eaton/Sidney Ponson
Bullpen: Mike DeJean, Ugueth Urbina, Sean Lowe, Bret Prinz, Danny Graves and Dennys Reyes
Projected Lineup: Ichiro Suzuki (RF), Roberto Alomar (2B), Paul Konerko/Jeff Conine (1B), Geoff Jenkins/Ruben Sierra (LF), Jorge Posada (C), Mike Lowell (3B), Steve Finley (CF) and Carlos Guillen (SS)

Strengths: Suzuki and Alomar are the best 1-2 punch at the top of any lineup in the BDBL, and Vazquez and Moyer are the second-best 1-2 punch at the top of any rotation in the Ozzie League (trailing only the Zoots.)  The Marlboro bench is very deep, with Brian Daubach (859 OPS), Royce Clayton (938 vs. LH) and Mark Grudzielanek (826 vs. LH), plus the second halves of the first base and left field platoons.

Weaknesses: The absence of a legitimate run-producer in the middle of the lineup.  Konerko and Conine are fine hitters, but they make up what is probably the weakest #3 hitter in the division.  The same goes for the four, five and six hitters in the Marlboro lineup.  They're all solid, dependable hitters, but far from being game-breakers.  And the bullpen lacks an intimidating closer.

Outlook: The best thing that happened to the Salem Cowtippers all winter was that Ken Kaminski fell in love with Ichiro Suzuki, who was passed over by Salem a year ago in the farm draft.  Kaminski was offered both Chipper Jones AND Manny Ramirez in exchange for Ichiro prior to the November playoffs, but Kaminski waffled too long and the deal fell through.  Had he made that deal, we might be looking at the Benes Division champions.

Prediction: 2nd place and the OL wild card.  During the OLDS match-up between Stamford and Marlboro, the game is delayed for five minutes after Ken Kaminski's head explodes.  The situation called for the Marlboro manager to make an actual decision, which caused the atrophied neurons in his skull to overheat.  Kaminski is replaced in the dugout by the team mascot, "M.C. Hammerhead", who takes the series to seven games before finally losing to the Zoots in a dramatic Game Seven.  Trot Nixon ties the game with a homer off Sean Lowe in the eighth, then wins it with another homer off Mike DeJean in the ninth.

Great Lakes Sphinx

Owner: Scott Romonosky
2001 Record: 66-94 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Tony Armas, Jason Bere, Tim Wakefield, Tanyon Sturtze and Chris Michalek/Glendon Rusch
Bullpen: Chad Fox, Esteban Yan, Armando Benitez and Kerry Ligtenberg.
Projected Lineup:  Frank Menechino (2B), Rusty Greer/Ellis Burks (LF), Mike Piazza (C), Derrek Lee (1B), Julio Lugo/Tony Batista (SS), Scott Spiezio (3B), Kenny Lofton and Jose Macias (RF)

Strengths: Explanation #2 on why there were no at-bats left at the end of the free agent draft.  The Sphinx currently have 7,281 at-bats on their roster - and that's before the 110-percent BDBL mark-up!   They have so much depth that Omar Vizquel, the starting shortstop for the three-time BDBL champions, is relegated to being this team's #3 shortstop off the bench.

Weaknesses: While the Sphinx have a ton of quantity, they also have an undeniable dearth of quality. Piazza and Fox are the only possible all-star candidates on the roster, and the lack of protection for Piazza could mean a lot of free passes for him.  The starting rotation also lacks that one go-to ace in big game situations.

Outlook: The starting rotation is solid enough to make this a .500 team, and that will put this team on the fringe between contending and rebuilding for most of the year.  Unfortunately, if they do decide to rebuild, they don't have a lot of attractive trade bait to offer.  Piazza is the most marketable player on the roster, but he's not going anywhere.  That leaves Burks, who plays a position that most contending teams have already filled.

Prediction: 3rd place.  In an effort to get the team back on track, Great Lakes hires former franchise CEO Tim Zigmund as a chief consultant.  Zigmund immediately contacts the Akron Ryche regarding the availability of one Mark L. Johnson, who then becomes the heir apparent to Piazza, both behind and at the plate.

Manchester Irish Rebels

Owner: Jim Doyle
2001 Record: 56-104 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Eric Milton, Brad Penny, Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster and David Cone/Kenny Rogers
Bullpen: Billy Wagner, Josh Towers, Brian Anderson and Ron Villone
Projected Lineup: Darin Erstad (CF), Brett Boone (2B), Vladimir Guerrero (RF), Mark Quinn (LF), Kevin Young/Olmedo Saenz (1B), Cal Ripken/Jolbert Cabrera (3B), Todd Hundley/Brad Ausmus (C) and Rey Ordonez/Abraham Nunez (SS)

Strengths: As is well known by now, the strength of this ballclub is defense.  The Irish Rebels could conceivably start a Vg or an Ex at every position except third base.  On the bench, they have several more Vg's and Ex's.  At first base alone, they have three Vg's and an Ex.

Weaknesses: Unfortunately, none of those guys - with the exceptions of Boone and Guerrero - can hit.  Erstad has the lowest OPS (691) of any player ever drafted in the second round.  Quinn has the lowest OPS (757) of any cleanup hitter in the league.  And Ripken (637), Ausmus (625) and Ordonez (635) were among the worst hitters at their positions in all of baseball last year.  The starting rotation lacks a true top-of-the-rotation ace, and the bullpen is in desperate need of quality middle relief innings.

Outlook: We've seen many strange theories and strategies employed throughout the three year history of this league, and this one ranks right up there among the strangest.  It's hard to believe that this is the same team that came into the winter off-season with a 3-4-5 lineup of Manny Ramirez, Chipper Jones and Todd Helton.  The Manchester pitching staff is not the best in the league, but because of their home ballpark and defense, they may very well lead the league in ERA.   The problem is that they'll have a ton of trouble trying to scrape together 500 runs scored.  And it's tough to win without scoring any runs - well, at least it is in the 21st century.  Jim Doyle has publicly stated that he is trying to emulate the success of the 2001 Mariners, but what he seems to have forgotten is that the M's led the American League in runs scored last year.  The Rebels will be hard-pressed to score half the runs of the league leader.

Prediction: 4th place.  Somewhere around Chapter Five, the Irish Rebels begin to realize that it takes more than good glovework to win a division title.  Having tried both the all-offense/no-pitching and all-defense/no-hitting strategies, Jim Doyle devises a new strategy for the 2003 season in which he acquires a team full of players that are 36 years of age or older. "It worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks, didn't it?," says Doyle.

Los Altos Undertakers

Owner: Jeff Paulson
2001 Record: 63-97 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Chan Ho Park, Aaron Sele, Shawn Estes, Jason Marquis and Calvin Maduro/Eric Hiljus
Bullpen: Octavio Dotel, Ramiro Mendoza, Ryan Franklin, Randy Choate, Jeff Wallace, Erik Hiljus, Jim Mecir, Juan Moreno, John Riedling and Rudy Seanez
Projected Lineup: Rich Aurilia (SS), Devon White/Shawon Dunston (LF), Larry Walker (RF), Kevin Millar (1B), Eric Chavez (3B), Ramon Hernandez (C), Danny Bautista/David Dellucci (CF) and Jose Ortiz (2B)

Strengths: As usual - pitching.  And as usual - especially the bullpen.  The Undertakers bullpen includes no less than ELEVEN pitchers with 30 or more innings pitched and an ERA under 4.00.  With so many relievers at their disposal, a two-game series against the Undertakers could take the better part of a week to play.  Aurilia, Walker, Millar and Chavez form one of the better foursomes in the BDBL and did I mention that the bullpen is ridiculously deep and talented?

Weaknesses: I'm never all that impressed with the Los Altos starting rotation, so this is nothing new.  Because of their home ballpark (modeled after whatever they're calling Jack Murphy Stadium nowadays), Los Altos pitching always looks better than it really is.  But with that bullpen, the Undertakers really don't need a strong starting staff anyway.

Outlook: In three years, I'm 0-for-3 in predicting the winner of this division.  But I have a good feeling about this year.   The Undertakers will win this division - and they'll do so by a landslide.  I truly believe they were good enough to win this division last year had they held on and fought for it.   But Jeff Paulson has never been content to merely make the playoffs.  His goal is the same as the rest of us: to beat the Zoots.  Does he have the personnel to accomplish that goal this year?  Time will tell.

Prediction: 1st place.  The Undertakers get another shot at the Zoots in the OLCS, and they take it to seven games.   Roger Clemens, making his third appearance in the series and sixth appearance in the 2002 playoffs, tosses a gem in Game Seven as the Zoots win 3-1 thanks to a three-run homer by Larry "Chipper" Jones.  Mark Buehrle closes out the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

New Milford Blazers

Owner: Billy Romaniello
2001 Record: 68-92 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Greg Maddux, C.C. Sabathia, Chris Carpenter, Jamey Wright and Darren Dreifort
Bullpen: Mike Stanton, Dave Veres, Curt Leskanic, Turk Wendell and Mark Guthrie.
Projected Lineup: Aaron Boone (3B), Alfonso Soriano (2B), Dmitri Young (LF), Doug Mientkiewicz (1B), Torii Hunter (CF), Paul O'Neill (RF), A.J. Pierzynski/Greg Zaun (C) and Alex Cora (SS)

Strengths: The lineup from one-to-six is better than any other lineup constructed by the Blazers in any past year.  Granted, that's not saying much, but it's a step in the right direction.  The Blazers were dead last in runs scored in the Ozzie League in both 1999 and 2000, and they ranked eighth last year, all despite playing in the league's best hitter's park.  This year, despite moving to a neutral park, I believe the Blazers will set a franchise record for runs scored.   Maddux and Sabathia form a very nice righty/lefty one-two punch at the top of the rotation, and the bullpen is packed with quality arms.

Weaknesses: The trade of Robert Person for Chris Carpenter (which involved several others) hurt this team's chances of competing for a wild card this year.  Carpenter is nowhere near the pitcher that Person is, and the Blazers failed to improve in any area by making that trade.  Offensively, the Blazers continue to abandon players who specialize in getting on base.  As a result, they will have to rely on the Earl Weaver Special (the three-run homer) to score runs.

Outlook: After three years in which they've lost a total of 314 games, the New Milford Blazers are finally moving in the right direction.  Every franchise in the BDBL that has finished with 100 or more losses in any given year has also enjoyed a winning season - except the Blazers.  This year, they'll turn a corner and taste victory for the first time.  With an unprecedented youth movement on the way in the very near future, New Milford is just a year or two away from winning this division.   If they decide to trade some of that talent for immediate help, they could even compete this year.  But the mere thought of seeing an infield of Mientkiewicz, Soriano, Vazquez and Burroughs, and an outfield of Piatt, Patterson and Kearns, might be too good to break up.

Prediction: 2nd place.  After voting for Phil Geisel as "Manager of the Year" in each of the past three seasons, Billy Romaniello hires Geisel to be his mentor.  Before long, Billy is playing his first baseman at third, disqualifying six of his best players by reckless overuse and using his starters to pitch six innings of relief the day before their scheduled start.

Gillette Swamp Rats

Owner: John Bochicchio
2001 Record: 97-63 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: John Burkett, Paul Abbott, Rolando Arrojo/Luke Prokopec, Shawn Chacon and Jose Lima
Bullpen: Jeff Tam, Nelson Figueroa, Hector Carrasco, Rheal Cormier, Scott Stewart and Aaron Fultz
Projected Lineup: Johnny Damon (CF), Rafael Furcal/Mike Lansing (SS), Juan Gonzalez (RF), Andres Galarraga/Brad Fullmer (1B), Chuck Knoblauch/Al Martin (LF), Geoff Blum (2B), Brett Mayne/Todd Pratt (C) and Craig Paquette (3B)

Strengths: Burkett had a very nice year in the final year of his two year deal with the Swamp Rats.  He could either be the ace of another surprise contending team or valuable trade bait down the stretch.  Juan Gonzalez bounced back nicely as well, which is fortunate considering the money the Swamp Rats are paying him.

Weaknesses: Unfortunately, last year's team MVP, Johnny Damon, did not have a very good year at all.  He still has two years remaining on his contract, totalling $19.5 million altogether. Among the other overpaid players on the Gillette roster are Chuck Finley (5.54 ERA), who is signed for $6 million next year, and Jose Lima (5.54 ERA), who will be making $8 million in 2003.  If the Swamp Rats could find a taker for just one of these guys, it would go a long way toward rebuilding this team into a contender.

Outlook: I made the mistake of picking this team to finish last a year ago, and I'm not about to look foolish again.  That's the second time in three years that I've gotten this division completely wrong - which is good news for the Lightning.

Prediction: 3rd place.  John Bochicchio applies his own "Green Cross" formula to the BDBL and discovers that the Litchfield Lightning should run away with the 2002 championship.  He immediately phones his bookies in Vegas and bets his life savings on Litchfield.  Nine months later, he mysteriously disappears.

Litchfield Lightning

Owner: Phil Geisel
2001 Record: 96-64 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Bartolo Colon, Doug Davis, Steve Parris/Mac Suzuki, Denny Neagle and Kip Wells/Steve Woodard
Bullpen: Arthur Rhodes, Steve Karsay, Jeff Shaw, Scott Strickland, John Franco, David Lee (Roth) and Rick White
Projected Lineup: Damion Easley (2B), Mark McLemore (LF), Derek Jeter (SS), Sean Casey (1B), Preston Wilson (CF), Wil Cordero/Chad Curtis (RF), Luis Lopez/Tomas Perez (3B) and Mike Matheny/John Flaherty (C)

Strengths: Colon gives the Lightning their first true ace since David Cone in 1999.  Rhodes and Karsay are a killer lefty/righty combo out of the pen, which is solid and deep as a whole.

Weaknesses: In left field, the Lightning went from Barry Bonds to Mark McLemore.  At third, Litchfield went from Edgar Martinez to Luis Lopez.  My, how the mighty have fallen.  The Lightning lost several key offensive players due to trade and free agency last winter and failed to find an adequate replacement for any one of them.  In addition to McLemore and Lopez, Easley is a poor replacement for Eric Young at second, and Casey is nowhere near the offensive threat that Will Clark was.  On the mound, Doug Davis just might be the weakest #2 starter in the Ozzie League.  And the rest of the rotation just makes your head shake back and forth.

Outlook: The good times are over for the Litchfield Lightning.  After cruising through the first three seasons, winning 292 games (third-most in BDBL history) and enjoying three playoff appearances without breaking a sweat, the unabashed apathy of their owner has finally caught up to them.  It's rebuilding time for the Lightning, who unfortunately have little to build upon.

Prediction: 4th place.  As his team fades in the standings, Phil Geisel's interests turn from the baseball diamond to diamond rings.  While diligent BDBL GM's scour the internet looking for the latest hot prospects, Geisel scans the latest issue of "Modern Bride" looking for the latest hot fashion trends.  And while every BDBL GM tries to make the right moves for his club in anticipation of the big game, Geisel works on his dance moves at the local disco club in anticipation of his big day.

Allentown Ridgebacks

Owner: Tom DiStefano
2001 Record: 52-108 (last in the BDBL)
Projected Rotation: Randy Johnson, Roy Oswalt/Dave Williams, Wade Miller, Russ Ortiz and Jimmy Anderson
Bullpen: Felix Rodriguez, Jose Mesa, Steve Reed, John Smoltz, Mike Lincoln and Jesus Colome.
Projected Lineup: Jimmy Rollins (SS), Robert Fick (C), Barry Bonds (LF), Edgar Martinez (1B), Manny Ramirez (RF), Tyler Houston/Bill Mueller (3B), Mark Kotsay (CF) and Ronnie Belliard/Russ Johnson (2B)

Strengths: The trio of Bonds, Martinez and Ramirez is the best in the Eck League, and there is no pitching staff in the BDBL that can match the front four of Johnson, Oswalt, Miller and Ortiz.  Rodriguez is a stud in the pen who is even better against lefties (467 OPS) than he is against righties (587).   And his supporting cast in the bullpen is outstanding.

Weaknesses: If there is one weakness on this team, it may be the lack of depth and protection in the lineup for the Big Three.   But when you have three spots in the lineup occupied by players with OPS's of 800 or better, it's hard to quibble.

Outlook: Tom DiStefano has done an outstanding job of turning this franchise around, from drafting (Johnson, Martinez, Rodriguez) to trading (Bonds, Ramirez, Miller) to developing the farm (Oswalt and Rollins.)  As a result, the Ridgebacks may become the second team in BDBL history to go from 100 losses to 100 wins in only one year.  This team is very similar to the Zoots of 2001.  If they have the same amount of luck as the 2001 Zoots, they will also have something else in common: a BDBL championship.

Prediction: 1st place and the EL championship.  Allentown wins Games One and Two of the BDBL World Series against Stamford, then loses three in a row.  An Allentown win in Game Six forces a Game Seven, where Kevin Brown outduels his former teammate Randy Johnson to give Allentown the hard luck loss.

Phoenix Predators

Owner: Scot Zook
2001 Record: 54-106 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Freddy Garcia, Barry Zito, Kevin Appier, Andy Pettitte and Dustin Hermanson
Bullpen: Jeff Zimmerman, Steve Kline, Troy Percival, Scott Sullivan and Justin Speier
Projected Lineup: Eric Young/Adam Kennedy (2B), Orlando Cabrera (SS), Bobby Abreu (RF), Phil Nevin (3B), Tino Martinez (1B), Pat Burrell (LF), Carlos Beltran (CF) and Michael Barrett/Dan Wilson (C)

Strengths: The Predators feature the third-best starting rotation in the BDBL.  Unfortunately, the best rotation in the league resides in their own division.  The Predators bullpen, however, has no equal.   Zimmerman, Kline, Percival and Sullivan were all among the top 30 relievers in the game last year.  If you take only the Predators starting rotation, or if you take only their bullpen, that alone would be enough to make this team a contender.  The offense is vastly improved from last year, thanks to the additions of Abreu, Nevin and Burrell, and the resurrection of Beltran.

Weaknesses: There is really no glaring weakness on this team other than being a little susceptible to good left-handed pitching.  The bench is stocked with capable hitters like Dante Bichette (786 OPS) and Steve Cox (750), the bullpen depth beyond the Big Four is very respectable, and the Predators even have a wealth of young talent (Chris George, Chin-Hui Tsao, Fernando Tatis, etc.) that can be used as trade bait should they need it as the race heats up.

Outlook: The Predators are heading back to the playoffs, there is no doubt about that.  The only question is whether they'll be going to the Division Series as the division champion or the wild card winner.

Prediction: 2nd place. Phoenix easily slides by the New York Knights in the ELDS, earning a chance to take on their division rivals, the Allentown Ridgebacks, in the EL Championship Series.  The Predators put up a good fight, taking the series to six games, but in the end, the lefty pitching of the Ridgebacks puts them away.

Kansas Law Dogs

Owner: Chris Luhning
2001 Record: 105-55 (1st place and the EL championship)
Projected Rotation: Darryl Kile, Ismael Valdes, Bryan Rekar, David Wells/Dan Reichert and Mike Thurman/Lance Davis
Bullpen: Tom Gordon, Jason Grimsley, Bradon Looper, Jose Jimenez, Mike Williams, Mike Venafro, B.J. Ryan and Corey Bailey
Projected Lineup: J.D. Drew/Carl Everett (CF), Ivan Rodriguez (C), Luis Gonzalez (LF), Troy Glaus (3B), Mike Sweeney (1B), Jermaine Dye (RF), Miguel Tejada (SS) and Chris Stynes/Carlos Febles (2B)

Strengths: The Law Dogs return most of the same offense that made a mockery of the BDBL record book last season.  Gonzalez could become the BDBL's first Triple Crown winner given his numbers, his ballpark and his protection in the lineup.  Kile enjoyed another great year, and should keep his team in the game against the other dominating starters in this division.

Weaknesses: Drew and Rodriguez missed half the year due to injuries, and Everett and Glaus both had off-years.  Based on that alone, I don't believe the Law Dogs will come close to matching their offensive output of last year.   And the Kansas pitching staff is much weaker this year than it was last November.

Outlook: In any other division, the Law Dogs might have a chance to compete for the division title.  But in this very tough division featuring two teams with outstanding pitching, the Dogs will be consistently out-gunned by the competition.

Prediction: 3rd place.  Chris Luhning gets so wrapped up in the BDBL that he loses touch with reality.  He starts charging $90 for Chris Stynes rookie cards in his baseball card shop.  "The kid hit .374 last year!," says Luhning, ".374!  He's going to have a monster career!"

Southern Cal Slyme

Owner: Bob Sylvester, Sr.
2001 Record: 72-88 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: John Lieber, Randy Wolf, Jason Schmidt, Kirk Rueter and Bruce Chen
Bullpen: Trevor Hoffman, Jason Isringhausen, Billy Koch, Jack Cressend, Danys Baez, Mike Timlin and Doug Creek
Projected Lineup: Shannon Stewart (LF), Matt Lawton (RF), Fred McGriff (1B), Gabe Kapler (CF), Joe Randa (3B), Brent Abernathy/Damian Rolls (2B), Eli Marrero/Darren Fletcher (C) and Deivi Cruz/Mark Loretta (SS)

Strengths: Stewart and Lawton are excellent one-two hitters, the rotation is solid from one-to-three and the bullpen is very strong.  Another strength of this team is marketable players.  If the Slyme decide to call it quits at any time this season, Lieber and Stewart - who are both in the final years of their contracts - would make excellent trade bait.

Weaknesses: The heart of the lineup is one of the weakest in the BDBL.  From five-to-eight, the Slyme lineup is just about as weak as you'll find on any team, and that's just not going to cut it in this division.

Outlook: After three years of competing, the Slyme are clearly in full rebuilding mode this season.  They've already drafted several good players for next year (Chen, Veras, Travis Fryman, Hoffman and Williamson), they've picked up Koch via trade, and they have three good young arms (Dennis Tankersley, Jake Peavy and Ryan Anderson) on the farm, just waiting for the next playoff appearance.

Prediction: 4th place.  After BDBL investigators learn that Bob Sylvester was the mastermind behind the 1999 free agent acquisition of Tim Hudson on behalf of his son's team, the Kentucky Fox, the Star Tribune of Minnesota calls for Sylvester's resignation.  "There is no conflict of interests here," claims the elder Sylvester.  "I assure you that my relationship with the Kentucky Fox is as disconnected as Bud Selig's relationship with the Milwaukee Brewers."

New York Knights

Owner: Chris Schultheis
2001 Record: 61-99 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Matt Morris, Robert Person, Ramon Ortiz, Todd Ritchie and Kevin Jarvis
Bullpen: Mariano Rivera, Danny Patterson, Buddy Groom, Al Levine, Jason Christiansen, Todd Jones and Eddie Guardado
Projected Lineup: Jose Hernandez/Jose Valentin (SS), Luis Castillo/Terry Shumpert (2B), Jason Giambi (1B), Bernie Williams (CF), Shawn Green (RF), Jose Cruz (LF), Scott Brosius (3B) and Einar Diaz (C)

Strengths: The Knights own the best starting rotation, the best bullpen and the best offense in this division.  New York's $3 million gamble on Matt Morris during last winter's free agent draft paid off big-time.  The acquisition of Person was huge, as the Knights got a #2 pitcher in exchange for a handful of bench players.  Second-round draft pick Ortiz gives the Knights three aces to go with one of the league's best closers, Rivera.  The Knights bullpen features three lefties and four righties - all quality arms.  The heart of the lineup - Giambi, Williams and Green - is capable of generating 400 runs from just the three of them.

Weaknesses: The four players I've listed in the number one and two spots in the lineup combined for a .324 OBP last year.  If the Knights had some true on-base threats at the top of the lineup, there's no telling how much damage the middle three could do.

Outlook: When Chris Schultheis took over this franchise in the middle of last year, this club was in sad shape with no hope of contending in the near future.  Yet without having to trade the only two marketable players on his roster (Giambi and Rivera), Schultheis was able to build a team that could very well win this division.  If he does, he deserves some serious consideration for GM of the Year.

Prediction: 1st place.  The Knights put up a tough fight in the ELDS against Phoenix, but Barry Zito and Andy Pettitte dominate Giambi, Williams and Green throughout the series, and the Knights lose the series in five games.  But in 2003, the Knights rotation (dubbed the "International House of Pitchers" after American Morris, Japanese Kazuhisa Ishii, Cuban Orlando Hernandez and Dominican Ramon Ortiz) leads the Knights to their second straight division championship, where the results are...well, you'll have to read next year's season preview to find out.

Kentucky Fox

Owner: Bobby Sylvester, Jr.
2001 Record: 74-86 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Jeff Weaver, Jeff Suppan, Albie Lopez, Omar Daal and Bud Smith/Ben Sheets
Bullpen: Todd Van Poppel, Mike Remlinger, Paul Quantrill, Shiggy Hasegawa, Rod Beck, Nelson Cruz and Brian Boehringer
Projected Lineup: Craig Biggio (2B), Christian Guzman (SS), Albert Pujols (3B), Adam Dunn/Ben Grieve (LF), Moises Alou (RF), Richie Sexson (1B), Joe McEwing/Alex Ochoa (CF) and Ben Molina/Raul Casanova (C)

Strengths: For 268 at-bats, Dunn will be a huge asset to this team.  How far this team goes depends upon how wisely the Fox utilize him.  He is surrounded by the league's best third baseman, Pujols, and Alou, who enjoyed another monster year at the plate.  Biggio and Guzman are two top-notch table setters at the top of the lineup.  And Sexson's power bat provides enough incentive not to pitch around Alou.  The bullpen is talented and deep.

Weaknesses: The rotation is serviceable, but far from being threatening to anyone.  The one plus to this rotation is having two lefties to face the Knights trio of Giambi, Williams and Green.

Outlook: Kentucky went all the way to the ELCS two years ago, and they're hoping to get back into the playoffs this year.  To do so, they'll have to win this division, as the wild card will likely come from the Higuera Division this year.  And to win this division, they'll need to trade for an ace, which would likely cost them one of their big-name rookies (Dunn, Pujols, Smith and/or Sheets.)  That raises the age-old GM question of whether it is worth sacrificing the future for a chance at winning it all.  It will be interesting to see which decision young Bobby Sylvester makes.

Prediction: 2nd place.   Outfielder/actor/rapper Will Smith, chosen by Kentucky in the second round of the farm draft, becomes the unanimous selection for NL Rookie of the Year, joining Albert Pujols, Adam Dunn, Tim Hudson and Bud Smith as Kentucky farm alumni who have all gone on to greatness.  "After that Ali movie that I did, I figured I'd better start looking for a new career," says Smith.

Villanova Mustangs

Owner: Tony Chamra
2001 Record: 71-89 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Cory Lidle, Rick Reed, Frank Castillo/Brian Tollberg, Scott Schoeneweis and Chad Durbin
Bullpen: Kats Sasaki, Jay Witasick, Tim Worrell, Jose Santiago, Mike Myers, Erik Sabel and Travis Phelps
Projected Lineup: Juan Pierre (CF), Corey Koskie (3B), Cliff Floyd (LF), Jeff Kent (2B), Jeromy Burnitz (RF), David Segui/Lee Stevens (1B), Benito Santiago/Craig Wilson (C) and Craig Counsell (SS)

Strengths: A well-balanced, solid team from the starting rotation to the bullpen to the lineup to the defense.  There aren't any gaping holes in this Villanova team, which has more than 6,200 at-bats and 1,800 innings.

Weaknesses: Unfortunately, quantity does not equal quality.  The Mustangs could use an upgrade at almost every position.   The first five spots in the lineup are good enough for a .500 team, but not a contender.  The starting rotation is a collection of #3 and #4 starters.  The bullpen is solid, though if Kats Sasaki pitches anything like he did for the Mimes last year, this team could be in for a long year.

Outlook: Looking over the Villanova roster, the first thing you notice is the absence of an impact player.   Sasaki may be the only Mustangs player who will get consideration for this summer's all-star game.  It's tough to win without all-stars, though it can be done - and has been done before.  If the Mustangs are that type of team, they are certainly in the right division.

Prediction: 3rd place.  Villanova owner Tony Chamra continues to draw the ire of his players as he lets his dog, Poochie, romp all over the field during pre-game workouts.  "That dog is a nuisance," says Mustangs catcher Benito Santiago, "but at least all those deposits that he leaves all over the field are smaller than Schottzie's."

South Carolina Sea Cats

Owner: Tony DeCastro
2001 Record: 92-68 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Tom Glavine, Brian Lawrence/Brandon Lyon, James Baldwin, Julian Tavarez and Rocky Biddle/Kris Wilson
Bullpen: Josias Manzanillo, Victor Santos, Cliff Politte, Vic Darensbourg, Graeme Lloyd
Projected Lineup: Shane Halter (3B), Warren Morris/Todd Walker (2B), Ryan Klesko (1B), Ray Lankford/Doug Glanville (CF), Bobby Higginson (LF), Ron Gant/Troy O'Leary (RF), Charles Johnson (C), D'Angelo Jimenez/Denny Hocking (SS)

Strengths: Considering the massive exodus of talent, the Sea Cats lineup actually isn't all that bad.  From one to nine, there isn't a bum in the lot.  The bullpen is decent enough, and the starting rotation has an ace and a decent supporting cast.

Weaknesses: While the lineup is solid, there isn't an overwhelming threat outside of Klesko, who can be pitched around.  The bullpen also lacks that one go-to guy when the game is on the line.

Outlook: So if this is a solid team with few weaknesses, why am I predicting a last place finish?  Because clearly, the Sea Cats are in rebuilding mode, and I sense that more trades are on the way.  Had this team kept Clemens, Edmonds and Sweeney, they might have had a legitimate shot at the division title.   But South Carolina seems to be moving steadily toward a 2004 championship.   The Sea Cats went from last place to first place in 2001, and they can easily go from first to last in 2002.

Prediction: 4th place.  Nick Johnson wins the AL Rookie of the Year award and single-handedly carries the 2003 Sea Cats on his back to the BDBL championship.  Yet the BDBL press still maintains that South Carolina should have gotten more for Roger Clemens.

Akron Ryche

Owner: D.J. Shepard
2001 Record: 107-53 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Pedro Martinez/Allen Levrault, Esteban Loaiza and Jose Mercedes
Bullpen: Jeff Nelson, Ricardo Rincon, Victor Zambrano, Odalis Perez, Ben Weber, David Riske and Ray King
Projected Lineup: Marlon Anderson (2B), Adrian Beltre (SS), John Olerud (1B), Scott Rolen (3B), John Vander Wal (RF), Jeremy Giambi/Stan Javier (LF), Wendell Magee/Armando Rios (CF) and Bill Hasselman/Jason Varitek/Mark Johnson (C)

Strengths: Mulder, Hudson and Martinez form the best trio of starters in the BDBL, and the bullpen, led by righty-killer Nelson (473 OPS vs. RH), is top-notch.

Weaknesses: There is a huge disparity between this team's top three and bottom three starting pitchers.  Mulder, Hudson and Martinez combined for a 3.21 ERA last season.  The combined ERA for Levrault, Loaiza and Mercedes is 5.58.  If Akron can win this division, this rotation is good enough to carry them through the playoffs since those bottom three would never have to be used.  But winning the division might be tough with that bottom three.  The 2001 Ryche were known for their stellar pitching, but they were also third in the league in runs scored.  This lineup is not likely to finish in the top half of the league, and it is vulnerable against lefty pitching.

Outlook: If the Hrbek Division were anywhere near as competitive as it was last year, the Ryche would be looking to rebuild by the all-star break.  But this year, they might be good enough to sneak into the playoff picture.  If they get there, their pitching can carry them far.

Prediction: 1st place.  Akron's pitching staff is out-gunned by the Allentown arms and bats in the Division Series.   Allentown wins the series in five games and Akron begins preparing for their third straight division title.

Atlanta Fire Ants

Owner: Gene Patterson
2001 Record: 74-86 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Mike Hampton, Shane Reynolds, Matt Clement, Gil Heredia/Ted Lilly and Dave Mlicki
Bullpen: Kyle Farnsworth, Rich Garces, Roberto Hernandez, Hector Mercado, Jose Paniagua and Gene Stechschulte.
Projected Lineup: Fernando Vina (2B), Jeff Cirillo (3B), Ken Griffey (CF), Terrence Long (RF), Todd Zeile (1B), B.J. Surhoff (LF), Damian Miller/Ben Petrick (C) and Alex Gonzalez (SS)

Strengths: The Fire Ants are another one of those teams with more than 6,000 at-bats.  As a result, they have a strong bench that includes Todd Zeile, Michael Tucker and David Bell.  Hampton and Reynolds form a strong one-two at the top of the rotation, and there isn't a glaring weakness in the lineup from one to nine.

Weaknesses: Griffey hasn't been his usual Hall-of-Fame self lately, but he's the only legitimate threat in the lineup.  If Hampton doesn't adjust well to the low altitude of Atlanta, then this team also lacks an ace.  And the bullpen is missing a lefty specialist.

Outlook: The Fire Ants are a trade or two away from being a contender in this division.  They have some good trade bait to offer to a rebuilding team, such as Nick Neugebauer, Brandon Claussen, Xavier Nady and Ben Petrick.  The question is whether a shot at the playoffs would be worth sacrificing the future.  But then, that's the same question we all ask ourselves every year.

Prediction: 2nd place.  Sales of El Guapo jerseys at Ant Hill Stadium surpass sales of Ken Griffey, Jr. jerseys, prompting the jealous Junior to demand to be traded closer to his home in Florida.  When told that there is no BDBL team closer to Florida than Atlanta, the geographically-challenged Griffey responds by saying, "Okay, then...does Perth, Australia still have a team in this league?" 

Chicago Black Sox

Owner: John Gill
2001 Record: 106-54 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Bobby Jones, Chris Holt, Darren Oliver, Pat Mahomes/Tomo Ohka and Andy Benes/Tony McKnight
Bullpen: Keith Foulke, Ricky Bottalico, Jerrod Riggan, Bobby Howry and John Rocker
Projected Lineup: Andruw Jones (CF), Nomar Garciaparra/Edgar Renteria (SS), Carlos Delgado (1B), Richard Hidalgo (LF), Aramis Ramirez (3B), Raul Mondesi (RF), Jason Kendall (C) and Jose Offerman (2B)

Strengths: As usual, the Black Sox's strength is their offense, though this year's lineup pales in comparison to the 2000 and 2001 teams.  Garciaparra is only available for 91 at-bats, and they won't be the usual Nomar-like at-bats.  Delgado had a good year, but he won't be vying for the Triple Crown as he did last year.  Hidalgo and Ramirez are two big bats to have in the 4th and 5th spots.

Weaknesses: Chicago went into the draft with no starting pitching whatsoever, and didn't draft a starter until the 16th round.   They didn't draft a starter that they'll actually use this season until the 21st round.  The first three pitchers in their rotation were all drafted in the $100,000 rounds.  And it shows.  This may possibly be the worst pitching staff ever assembled in BDBL history.

Outlook: The Black Sox were the first team to go from 100 losses to 100 wins in a season, and they may be the first team to go from 100 wins to 100 losses in one year as well.  The Hrbek Division had two 100-win teams last year, and it could very well have two 100-loss teams in 2002.

Prediction: 3rd place.  Further demonstrating his disdain for pitchers, John Gill orders his pitchers to ride to each away game by bus while the hitters fly first class.  He rents one room in a seedy hotel blocks away from the luxury suite where his hitters stay, and orders his entire pitching staff to share the room.  Each night, he tosses a loaf of bread into the middle of the room and makes them fight over it.  Eventually the Health Department steps in and orders more humane treatment, but Gill refuses to give in.  He fires the entire pitching staff and wheels a pitching machine out to the mound every half inning.   "What difference does it make?," asks Gill.  "Wake me up when it's time to hit again."

Cleveland Rocks

Owner: Mike Stein
2001 Record: 92-68 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Hideo Nomo, Al Leiter, Roy Halladay/Masato Yoshii, Pat Rapp and Livan Hernandez
Bullpen: Joel Pineiro, Robb Nen, Mike Buddie, Mike Morgan and Rich Rodriguez
Projected Lineup: Delino DeShields/Chris Gomez (2B), Chris Truby/Mike Lamb (3B), Carlos Lee (LF), Mark McGwire/David Ortiz (1B), Tsuyoshi Shinjo (CF), Scott Hatteberg/Greg Myers (C), Brady Anderson (RF) and Alex Gonzalez (SS)

Strengths: Since this team is clearly in rebuilding mode, let's look at what they have to offer for trade bait.  Nomo and Leiter will be very in demand this summer, as contending teams can never have enough quality pitching.  Nen could be useful to a contender as well, though he would fetch far less.  And if Pineiro falls back to earth, Cleveland would surely be able to find a taker for him.

Weaknesses: The Black Sox went into the draft with no starting pitching.  Cleveland went into the draft with not one hitter other than Dave Hansen, Melvin Mora and Greg Myers - none of whom will be full-time starters this season.  That's simply incredible for a franchise that once boasted of having the best offense in the BDBL.  The Rocks took a $12.8 million hit in penalties this winter - a figure that was overmatched only by the Gillette Swamp Rats last year.   The difference between the two teams is that Gillette went into the draft with most of their team intact, and only needed to fill in the missing pieces.  Cleveland's roster was completely decimated by free agency and trades.

Outlook: The only reason I'm predicting that Cleveland will finish with a worse record than Chicago is because I'm assuming that Nomo and Leiter will be traded at some point this season.  The Rocks franchise has been snakebitten from the very beginning of this league.  They lost a one game playoff in 1999 and another in 2000, and last year they won 92 games but finished in third place.  In three years, this franchise has won 262 games, yet they've never visited the post-season.  Maybe it is time to rebuild and start from scratch.

Prediction: 4th place.  Controversy erupts when Brady Anderson is caught with naked pictures of teammate Tsuyoshi Shinjo in the clubhouse shower.  "Um...the Japanese press is offering big money for those pictures," claims Anderson.  But when told that Ichiro Suzuki is target of the Japanese press, and not Shinjo, Anderson scurries out of the clubhouse, red-faced and giggling.