February, 2006

2006 Season Preview

The interminable wait is over.  All the plotting and planning and drafting and trading is history, and a brand new season is just around the corner.  Optimism reigns, and every team in the league holds a share of first place.  Last year's storyline had a great plot, with exciting and unexpected twists that held our interest from beginning to end.  But the story had a lousy ending-- one we'd already seen one too many times before.  It's time for a new champion; one not named Tom or Paul or Skizm.  Maybe 2006 will be that year.

Before I get to my latest off-base predictions, let's take a look at some of my predictions from last year:

• Of the six division races, I correctly picked five division winners.  I would have been a perfect six-for-six if it weren't for the Griffin Division tie-breaker.
• I correctly predicted the Atlanta Fire Ants would win the EL wild card.
• I predicted that Schilling and Clemens would have disappointing performances in the playoffs, but that one was a gimme.
• I predicted the Blazers would finish in second-place in their division-- just one of many times I have done so, only to be WAY off the mark.
• I predicted the Badgers would finish in fourth place.  Oops.
• I predicted the Infidels would win the OL championship.  But the Baseball Gods didn't shine upon them in 2005 as they did in 2004.
• I predicted the Hammerheads would score 900 runs and win the OL wild card, but they came up 82 runs and 10 games short.
• I speculated that the Padawans didn't have enough offensive firepower to make the leap from worst to first.  But despite scoring just 746 runs (10th out of 12 teams in the OL), that's exactly what they did.
• I predicted the Jamboree would finish in 3rd place.  I don't remember what I was drinking that day.
• I predicted that Mike Stein would trade Jason Schmidt for an "assortment of semi-useless spare parts for the 2006 season."  Scary, eh?
• I placed the over/under on Great Lakes losses at 92.  They finished with 93.
• Finally, I predicted the Allentown Ridgebacks would win their second BDBL championship.  Yep, I did.  You could look it up.

Did the league do any better at playing Nostradamus?  Well, you all correctly picked only four of the six division champions, but you did predict both the OL and EL champions.  Unfortunately, I didn't record the voting on the BDBL champion, but I seem to remember that Salem was the leader in that poll.  I'm guessing that you all failed history in high school.

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Corona Confederates

Owner: Ed McGowan
2004 Record: 73-87 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: John Smoltz, Brett Myers, Noah Lowry, Jerome Williams and Doug Waechter.
Bullpen: Billy Wagner, Danys Baez, Joaquin Benoit and Scott Linebrink.
Projected Lineup: Brad Wilkerson/Dave Roberts (CF), Joe Mauer (C), David Ortiz (1B), Vladimir Guerrero (RF), David Bell (3B), Julio Lugo (SS), Mike Lowell/Willy Aybar (2B) and Jason Ellison/Alex Sanchez (LF).

Strengths: Smoltz, Myers and Lowry are three quality arms, and Wagner is Gagnesque out of the bullpen.  Wagner's supporting cast is very strong, and Ortiz and Guerrero form the scariest offensive combo since...well, Ortiz and Ramirez last season.  Three years after Mauer was delivered to this franchise in a gift basket from the Wapakoneta Hippos franchise, he takes his place at the top of the lineup as one of the best hitting catchers in baseball.

Weaknesses: The back end of the rotation is a little weak (but whose isn't?)  And the bottom third of the lineup is a little weak as well (though not quite Salemesque.)

Outlook: After a brief one-year hiatus, the Corona Confederates are poised to partake in BDBL playoff baseball once again.  Ed McGowan's gutsy decision to trade his ace pitcher for an aging reliever-turned-starter last season allowed this team to turn the corner and elevate themselves back into the realm of contention.

Prediction: 1st place-- by at least five games.  The Blazers believe they are the Chosen Ones in 2006, but history is littered with teams that foolishly underestimated the Corona franchise.  With a farm team packed full of talent, this team has enough firepower to add one or two impact players to push them over the top and out of reach.  Look for the Confederates to sail into the LCS, where they will meet the Padawans in what should be one of the most exciting post-season series in league history.

New Milford Blazers

Owner: Billy Baseball and Anthony Peburn
2004 Record: 73-87 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Roger Clemens, Chris Carpenter, Jarrod Washburn and John Wasdin.
Bullpen: Justin Duchscherer, Brad Thompson, Chris Reitsma, John Grabow, John Foster.
Projected Lineup: David Eckstein (SS), Randy Winn (CF), Jason Bay (LF), Chipper Jones/Jeff Cirillo (3B), Mike Sweeney (1B), Alfonso Soriano (2B), Jeff Conine/Luis A. Gonzalez (RF) and Gregg Zaun/Yorvit Torrealba (C).

Strengths: Clemens and Carpenter are two of the top five pitchers in baseball, and the Blazers could easily get 40 wins from those two combined (if they don't trade them away.)  Douchesharer is a dominant closer who can pitch more than 15 innings per chapter.  And the middle of the lineup, with Winn, Bay, Jones, Sweeney and Soriano, is among the best in the league.

Weaknesses: Is John "Way Back" Wasdin really the #4 starter for this team?  His 3.77 CERA in a hitter's ballpark is impressive, but he only threw 77.2 innings in MLB last year.  The only way for this team to be competitive this year is if they trade for a full-time quality #4 starter-- and soon.  Another possible weakness is that the Blazers don't have one left-handed batter.  Yep, that's right.  Not one.  They have three switch-hitters, but no lefties.  This is just the type of thing that crafty opposing managers will have no problem exploiting.

Outlook: Certainly, the Blazers' 2005 season has been well-documented.  After seven dismal seasons of sub-.500 play, it is pretty clear that they are "going for it" in 2006.  After sacrificing Danny Haren and Chris Crapuano for one-year stop-gap solutions, and paying $19 million for a 44-year-old pitcher with a bum knee, this franchise has little to look forward to in 2007.  It is now or never for this woeful team.

Prediction: 2nd place.  A year ago, the Blazers were predicted to finish in second place on this page.  Instead, they finished with a worse record than the year before.  This year, the Blazers are once again predicted to finish in second place.  Where they actually finish depends on how well they employ their personnel this season, how resourceful they can be at the trade table, and whether they can resist the temptation to wave that white flag again.  I would love nothing better than to predict that the Blazers will not make it to the post-season in 2006, but the competition for the OL wild card just isn't that great this season.  Unfortunately, the Blazers look like the best of the lot-- on paper.  If they do make it (for the first time in franchise history), having two dominant ace pitchers in a short series usually helps (unless you're the Cowtippers.)  But I have a tough time seeing this team advance past the Division Series, regardless of that.  Then again, maybe I'm just in denial.

Salem Cowtippers

Owner: Mike Glander
2005 Record: 108-52 (1st place, OL champs)
Projected Rotation: Randy Johnson, Kevin Millwood, Greg Maddux and Bruce Chen.
Bullpen: Kelvim Escobar, Chris Ray, Aki Otsuka, Marcos Carvajal and Jeremy Accardo.
Projected Lineup: Luis Castillo (2B), Corey Koskie/Vinny Castilla (3B), Lance Berkman (RF), Mark Teixeira (1B), Magglio Ordonez/Bernie Williams (RF), Jay Payton (CF), Chad Moeller/Pat Borders (C) and Nick Punto/Yuniesky Betancourt (SS).

Strengths: Starting rotations don't get much better than this one.  Johnson and Millwood were arguably two of the top three free agent pitchers this winter, and Salem signed them both for about the same amount of money that New Milford doled out for Roger Clemens alone.  Maddux and Chen are very strong #3 and #4 starters, and the bullpen is solid, though unspectacular.  And while the starting lineup isn't half as strong as last year's, the first five batters in this year's edition can put some runs on the board.  And the infield defense features Vg gloves around the horn.

Weaknesses: You may have heard that the Cowtippers are a little light in the areas of catcher and shortstop.  Has there ever been worse hitters at these two positions for any team in history?  With three black holes at the bottom of the lineup, the Cowtippers could score fewer than 750 runs for the first time in franchise history.  This team also has no #5 starter and no left-handed pitcher in the bullpen, which could be problematic.

Outlook: This ain't your older brother's Cowtippers.  Just a year ago, Salem featured two of the league's best hitters at the catcher and shortstop positions.  But where Ivan Rodriguez and Mark Loretta once roamed, Chad Moeller and Nick Punto now serve as constant reminders of how far this team has fallen.

Prediction: 3rd place.  The Cowtippers have already placed their two prized free agent ace pitchers on the block, and it's quite possible that neither pitcher will be with this team at the Chapter Four trading deadline.  At this point, this team's goal is simply to stay as competitive as possible, both to attain a high draft position next year and to stay atop the all-time wins list.  Too many things went wrong for this franchise this past year.  And after seven consecutive seasons of competitive play, they're long overdue for a rebuilding year.

New Hope Badgers

Owner: Tony Badger
2004 Record: 89-71 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Jake Westbrook, Daniel Cabrera, Chris Young, Jason Johnson and Shawn Estes.
Bullpen: Bobby Jenks, Kerry Wood, Brian Meadows, Michael Wuertz, Wil Ohman and Tanyan Sturtze.
Projected Lineup: Grady Sizemore (CF), Joe Randa/Pedro Feliz (3B), Jason Giambi (1B), Rondell White/Lew Ford (LF), Bobby Kielty (RF), Michael Cuddyer/Adam Kennedy (2B), Bengie Molina/Kelly Stinnett (C) and Jack Wilson (SS). 

Strengths: The Badgers' biggest strength is that they're not downright awful in any particular area.  Neither the starting rotation, nor the bullpen, nor the offense blows you away.  Yet there isn't any black hole sucking the gravity out of everything it touches (like, say, the bottom third of Salem's lineup), either.  The Badgers aren't going to dominate anyone at any time, but they aren't going to embarrass themselves, either.  (How's that for damning with faint praise?)

Weaknesses: The team's biggest strength, of course, is also its weakness.  New Hope's #1 starter would be a #3 or #4 starter for most other teams.  New Hope's #4 hitter would be a #6 or #7 for most teams.  New Hope's closer would be a setup man on most rosters.  You get the drift.

Outlook: New Hope's goal in 2005 was to shock the league by being competitive, just one year after the franchise was left for dead, lying in a gutter in Litchfield.  This year, the Badgers are clearly looking toward a division title in 2007.  Drafting Barry Bonds is certainly a good start toward that goal.

Prediction: 4th place.  The Badgers have some decent trade bait in role players like Jenks, White, Randa, Molina and Kielty, but they're not going to be making any blockbuster trades in 2006.  Instead, look for them to quietly lurk in the background, counting their vast amount of free agent spending money for another run at the title in '07.

Marlboro Hammerheads

Owner: Ken "The Shark" Kaminski
2004 Record: 81-79 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Carlos Zambrano, Barry Zito, Jon Garland, Pedro Astacio/Mike Hampton and Woody Williams.
Bullpen: David Riske, Justin Speier, Brandon Medders, Jim Mecir and Justin Lehr.
Projected Lineup: Derek Jeter (SS), Brian Giles (CF), Moises Alou (LF), Tony Clark (1B), Mark Sweeney (RF), Jason LaRue (C), Todd Walker (2B) and Nick Green/Scott Rolen (3B).

Strengths: Zambrano, Zito and Garland are an impressive trio of aces, and the Astacio/Hampton combo at #4 isn't bad at all.  With Marlboro moving into a spacious new pitcher-friendly park modeled after RFK Stadium, expect the Hammerheads to be at the top of the ERA leaders board.  The bullpen is strong, with three sub-2.60 CERA pitchers sharing time as the closer.  Jeter and Giles are big-time table-setters at the top of the lineup, and Alou, Clark and Sweeney form a powerful combo in the middle.

Weaknesses: By spending $8 million on Rolen and Sweeney in the draft, the Hammerheads weren't left with any money to purchase a full-time third baseman.  Green and Rolen have enough at-bats to fill the position, but they're hardly a championship-caliber platoon.  This team is also sorely in need of outfield at-bats, as they have just two full-time outfielders and one part-timer.  Of course, these holes can (and will) be filled via trade.

Outlook: The Hammerheads should be competitive in '06, and their pitching makes them the best team in a surprisingly strong division.  In order to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, they'll need to swing a trade or two.  They have gambled $5 million that Rolen will become highly-desired trade bait; but remember, they wagered the same $5 million on Troy Glaus two years ago, but weren't able to unload him until this winter.  On the farm, Phil Hughes, Craig Hansen and Daniel Bard might be able to reel in a role player or two, just as Anibal Sanchez and Ervin Santana did last year.

Prediction: 1st place.  It will be fun to see Sharky sweat out another close division pennant race, but my bet is that the Fish will win their second division title by a comfortable margin.  How far they advance beyond that is up to Trader Sharky.  Look for the Hammerheads to draw the #3 seed in the playoffs and fail their second attempt to advance to the LCS.

Las Vegas Flamingos

Owner: John Bochicchio
2004 Record: 80-80 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Doug Davis, Jon Lieber, Tim Wakefield, Eric Bedard and Chien-Ming Wang.
Bullpen: Scott Shields, Hector Carrasco, Cal Eldred, Scott Downs, Julio Mateo and Jamie Walker.
Projected Lineup: Johnny Damon (CF), Chase Utley (2B), Hideki Matsui (LF), Juan Encarnacion/Jeromy Burnitz (RF), Shea Hillenbrand (3B), Tino Martinez (1B), Javy Lopez (C) and Alex Cora/Mark DeRosa (SS).

Strengths: A powerful lineup from one through five. The first five batters in the projected lineup above combined for 546 equivalent runs last season.  The Flamingos should have no problem scoring 800 runs this year.  Thanks to a Draft Day gaffe, the bullpen is very strong as well, led by Shields and Carrasco.

Weaknesses: The starting rotation is deep, with five starters sporting CERA's under 4.00, but it lacks a true #1 starter.  That's less of a problem during the regular season than it would be if the Flamingos should advance to the playoffs.  If Las Vegas is in a position to play November baseball at mid-season, they should seriously consider upgrading.  The offense is also sub-par against right-handed pitching.  Even lefties Damon and Matsui hit better against southpaws.  And Hillenbrand, Matsui and Encarnacion each lose 100 OPS points against righties.

Outlook: There is no reason to think that the Flamingos won't be a competitive team in 2006.  They finished with a .500 record last season with a far inferior team.  The problem is that in order for them to step up to the next level, they will need to add an impact player or two through trade, and there just isn't a lot of young trade bait here.  Aside from the untouchable Delmon Young, the farm system just doesn't have the high-ceilinged impact players a rebuilding team looks for.

Prediction: 2nd place.  Look for Las Vegas to be in the wild card hunt throughout most of the season.  If they can add an ace and a prime left-handed hitter to the mix, they'll be able to nail another flag to the outfield wall.

Ravenswood Infidels

Owner: Brian "Skizm" Potrafka
2004 Record: 86-74 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Johan Santana, Tom Glavine, Brad Penny, Elmer Dessens/Rick Helling, Odalis Perez and Bung-Hole Kim.
Bullpen: Cliff Politte, Ugueth Urbina and Jeff Harris.
Projected Lineup: Placido Polanco (3B), Luis Matos/So Taguchi (CF), Matt Stairs (LF), Adam Dunn/Phil Nevin (1B), Michael Barrett (C), Matt Lawton (RF), Alex Cintron/Robinson Cano (2B) and Russ Adams/Chris Gomez (SS).

Strengths: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Any team with Johan Santana has a chance to compete.  Santana is the Pedro Martinez of the Ozzie League, and he could easily win back-to-back Cy Youngs.  The rest of the rotation is very solid, and the bullpen is strong as well.  Polanco is a stud at the top of the lineup, and there are no easy outs here from one to eight.

Weaknesses: The middle of the Infidels lineup is not nearly as strong as it has been in the past.  Stairs, Dunn/Nevin and Barrett aren't prototypical middle-of-the-order hitters.  Dunn, Stairs and Lawton are also highly susceptible to left-handed pitching, while only Barrett sports a 900+ OPS against them.

Outlook: This team has some holes, but nothing that can't be fixed.  This division should be every bit as competitive as it was last year, so the Infidels will have to battle every step of the way.  Like the Flamingos, the problem for this team may be a shortage of young trade bait.  Without that, it will be tough to keep pace.

Prediction: 3rd place.  The big question here, of course, is will Brian Potrafka give in to temptation and trade free-agent-to-be Santana?  If the Infidels fall out of the race early, the decision could be an easy one, as Santana would be the biggest trade chit since...well, ever.  If he is dealt, expect a huge uproar from the teams that lose that bidding war.  But if the Infidels find themselves within three games of the division lead at the Chapter Four deadline, it would be extremely difficult to give up on this season and trade the team's MVP.

Manchester Irish Rebels

Owner: Jim Doyle
2004 Record: 70-90 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Brad Radke, Rodrigo Lopez, Scott Kazmir and Jeff Francis.
Bullpen: Mike Timlin, Luis Ayala, Jose Mesa and Ricardo Rincon.
Projected Lineup: Rafael Furcal (SS), Brian Roberts (2B), Miguel Cabrera (LF), Jose Guillen (RF), Wes Helms (3B), Wily Mo Pena/Terrance Long (CF), Sean Casey (1B) and Brad Ausmus (C).

Strengths: The best #1-#3 hitters in the BDBL.  Furcal, Roberts and Cabrera should create more than 325 runs combined this season.  Radke is a solid ace with an outrageous walks-per-nine ratio, though he may suffer from lopsided splits (833/671).

Weaknesses: The same question seems to pop up each and every year: What on earth is Jim Doyle thinking?  This year, that question applies to his bullpen strategy.  Timlin and Ayala are the only two relievers with 20+ innings and a sub-4.70 CERA.  How can a team function with only two relievers?  Doyle has had some very bizarre strategies through the years, but this may be the most bizarre of all.  Aside from that weirdness, the bottom half of the Manchester lineup is a bit weak, which makes this team all the more reliant upon the first three hitters.  The rotation beyond Radke is also highly suspect.

Outlook: The Irish Rebels spent a BDBL auction record $18 million on their middle infield this winter in the belief that it will help them finish with a respectable record this season, while also giving them two dependable middle infielders for 2007.  However, neither of those two presumptions are mortal locks.  As great as Furcal and Roberts are, they aren't likely to carry this team into contention this year all by themselves.  And given Furcal's new home and Roberts' health, neither is a lock to be worth their salaries next year.

Prediction: 4th place.  If the Irish Rebels were really serious about competing this year, they would've done something about this pitching staff.  As it stands, Rebels fans will be forced to wait another year for all that young pitching (Cain, Francis, Kazmir, Cole Hamels and Adam Loewen) to mature.  In the meantime, Radke and Guillen could fetch some decent trade bait if Doyle can get his head in the game.

Sylmar Padawans

Owner: John Duel
2004 Record: 91-69 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Kris Benson, Derek Lowe and Brandon McCarthy.
Bullpen: Mariano Rivera, Francisco Rodriguez, Bobby Howry, Vinny Chulk, Jeff Fassero and Jake Woods.
Projected Lineup: Carl Crawford (LF), Craig Biggio (2B), Casey Blake/Lyle Overbay (1B), Brandon Inge (3B), Emil Brown/Juan Rivera (RF), Miguel Olivo/Javier Valentin (C), Bobby Crosby/Damian Jackson (SS) and Mike Cameron (CF).

Strengths: Depth.  Most teams would be ecstatic to have one lights-out closer, but the Padawans have three.  Mike Cameron would be the leadoff hitter for most teams, but for the Padawans he might be their #8 hitter.  The Padawans have over 7,100 PA's and over 1,600 innings pitched.  No matter what lineup they put on the field, their bench will consist of several full-time players that would be starting for many other teams.

Weaknesses: This team has no decent #3 catcher, and their #5 shortstop is nonexistent.  But seriously folks, this team could use a true power-hitter in the middle of the lineup to strike some fear into the opposition.  And the back end of the rotation could use an upgrade.

Outlook: The Padawans are in prime position to defend their division title.  Only this time, they won't be winning via tie-breaker.  The Griffin Division is by far the weakest division in the BDBL.  A team could win 70 games and still win this division.  This division is so weak, it makes Lindsay Lohan look like Lucy Lawless.  This division is so pathetic, it makes Billy Baseball look like...well, you get the idea.

Prediction: 1st place.  By about 50 games.  The Padawans have a prototypical playoff roster: a dominant #1 ace starter, a suffocating bullpen and a deep lineup.  Playoff teams with great bullpens haven't fared well in past BDBL playoffs (just take a look at Undertakers history.)  But teams with deep lineups, that don't rely on just one or two batters to score runs, tend to do very well.  Sylmar seems to have all the necessary ingredients of a league champion.  All they need is a little good fortune from the Baseball Gods.

Bear Country Jamboree

Owner: Matt Clemm
2004 Record: 52-108 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: John Lackey, Chris Crapuano, Mark Redman, Victor Zambrano and Aaron Small.
Bullpen: Jason Isringhausen, Dan Wheeler, Mike Myers, Scott Munter and Russ Springer.
Projected Lineup: Scott Podsednik (CF), Mark Loretta (2B), Alex Rodriguez (SS), Richie Sexson (1B), Luis Gonzalez (LF), Mike Piazza/A.J. Pierzynski (C), Sammy Sosa/Jody Gerut (RF) and Rich Aurilia/Abraham Nunez (3B).

Strengths: Well, they're getting away with starting A-Rod at shortstop for another season.  But that's only a strength if you have an above-average third baseman.  Aside from A-Rod's position, Lackey is a pretty good #1 starter, and Sexson isn't a bad cleanup hitter.

Weaknesses: Where do we begin?  Once you get beyond Crapuano, the rotation begins to look pretty bleak.  The bullpen is decent, but it's hard to get excited about anyone aside from Izzy.  Podsednik is reportedly a nice guy, but a really bad leadoff hitter.  Loretta has more value next year than this year.  And the lineup in general is uninspiring aside from A-Rod and Sexson.

Outlook: It's hard to believe this is the second-best team in the division, yet that appears to be the case.  With Francisco Liriano, Kendry Morales, Dustin Pedroia, Josh Willingham and Ricky Romero on the horizon, future contention isn't far away.  Just not this year.

Prediction: 2nd place.  With no impending impact free agents, and no useful role players, the Jamboree have little to offer in terms of trade bait for contending teams.  As a result, their Chapter Five roster will probably look a lot like it does now.  That will give them an advantage over the bottom two teams in this division, which will be tossing out their best players like water from a leaky boat.

Los Altos Undertakers

Owner: Jeff Paulson
2004 Record: 64-96 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Mark Mulder, Jason Schmidt, Jeff Suppan, Dave Williams and David Bush.
Bullpen: Al Reyes, Aaron Heilman, Steve Kline, Robinson Tejeda and Yhency Brazoban.
Projected Lineup: Jose Vidro/Rickie Weeks (2B), Jason Lane (RF), Eric Chavez (3B), Ivan Rodriguez (C), Cliff Floyd (LF), Olmedo Saenz/Chris Shelton (1B), J.J. Hardy/Antonio Perez (SS) and Alexis Rios/Orlando Palmeiro (CF).

Strengths: Mulder is a really funny guy, Chavez can whip up an omelet like you wouldn't believe, and Orlando Palmeiro is a true clubhouse leader.

Weaknesses: The starting rotation isn't bad, but it isn't great, either.  A one-two punch of Mulder and Schmidt would've been unstoppable a year ago, but today they're nothing more than #3 starters paired together at the top of the rotation.  The bullpen isn't bad, either.  But again, there really isn't an impact pitcher here that can extinguish a rally at a moment's notice.  And the lineup just doesn't compare to the other lineups in the league.

Outlook: The Los Altos Undertakers will be great again someday.  There is no doubt about that.  But this isn't the year.  Hell, 2007 might not be the year, either.  That year might not come until 2008 or 2009.  And by then, we'll be too old to care.  Rickie Weeks, Jeremy Hermida, Alex Gordon, Jeff Clement, Justin Upton, Mike Pelfrey and Jared Weaver will one day dominate the BDBL.  But not yet.  Undertakers fans will eventually reap the benefits of Jeff Paulson's master plan.  But it's going to take some time.  A lot of time.  Until then, it could be painful.

Prediction: 3rd place.  Free agents-to-be Chavez, Rodriguez and Vidro could have significant value on the open market when the time comes.  If Paulson uses that 20/20 hindsight to his advantage, the Undertakers could make a run for it as early as 2007.  Weeks, Hardy and Hermida should be able to make an impact by then, and Schmidt and Gagne could rebound nicely as well.  Perhaps the future isn't as far away as we think for Los Altos.

Silicon Valley CyberSox

Owner: Greg Newgard
2004 Record: 91-69 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Danny Haren, Carlos Silva, Brett Tomko and Nate Robertson.
Bullpen: Huston Street, Aaron Fultz, Trevor Hoffman, Shiggy Hasegawa, Chris Spurling and Giovanni Carrara.
Projected Lineup: Clint Barmes/Adam Everett (SS), Brady Clark (CF), Carlos Lee (LF), Adrian Beltre (3B), Aaron Rowand/Gary Matthews (RF), Ben Broussard (1B), Orlando Hudson/Jose Lopez (2B) and Yadier Molina/Dave Ross (C).

Strengths: A strong bullpen, led by rookie Street and "Type H" gamble Fultz.  The CySox also feature strong defense up the middle, with a Vg or Ex glove at second, short and third, and an Ex in center.

Weaknesses: The lineup is very weak.  Lee, Beltre and Rowand form one of the weaker hearts of any lineup you'll see in this league, and the front three and bottom three aren't any prettier.  The rotation is solid from one to four, but there is no real ace of this staff (at least, not yet.)

Outlook: The wild card-winning CyberSox were hit hard by a poor season by Beltre, the trades of Chris Carpenter and Milton Bradley, and the poor showings by Keith Foulke and Ryan Drese.  Thanks to Beltre's enormous salary, they just didn't have the resources to replace all that lost talent this winter.  But that's the price you pay for the glory of the BDBL post-season.

Prediction: 4th place.  The CyberSox went from 99 losses to 91 wins in one year last year, and they could very well drop back to 90 losses this season.  Silva and Tomko would make nice additions to some contending team's staff, though neither is likely to fetch the next Jeremy Hermida.

Villanova Mustangs

Owner: Tony Chamra
2004 Record: 76-84 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Dontrelle Willis, Mark Buehrle, Rich Harden, Joe Blanton and Brandon Backe.
Bullpen: Neal Cotts, Jesse Crain, Rudy Seanez, Julio Santana, Brian Shackelford, David Weathers and Mike DeJean.
Projected Lineup: Reggie Sanders (LF), Bill Hall (SS), Morgan Ensberg (3B), Jim Edmonds (CF), Travis Hafner (1B), Freddy Sanchez/Chris Woodward (2B), Ryan Doumit/Brian McCann/Johnny Estrada/Chris Snyder (C) and Nick Swisher (RF).

Strengths: Willis, Buehrle, Harden and Blanton.  Not only are they four of the top pitchers in the game, but they're all under the age of 28.  The bullpen is very strong and very deep, led by the unstoppable Cotts.  And the bench is ridiculously deep.  The Mustangs have over 8,200 PA's this season (and that's before adding ten percent), including four catchers and five shortstops. (And you wonder how I ended up with Chad Moeller and Nick Punto.)

Weaknesses: If the Mustangs hadn't traded Danny Haren last year, the starting rotation would be just as dominant today, but much less expensive.  The Mustangs spent $12.5 million to upgrade a starting rotation that was already strong, and another $12.5m to upgrade an outfield that already possessed great depth and strength.  It seems like a waste of resources.  But then again, who else had that amount of resources to waste?  This team has no glaring weakness worth mentioning, which is why they could afford to pass up the opportunity to trade one of their many prospects in exchange for $10 million in extra spending money this winter.

Outlook: The Mustangs are clearly the class of the Higuera Division-- and perhaps the Eck League as well.  Joe Blanton would be the ace for many teams in the BDBL, yet he is a #4 starter on this team.  Edmonds was outrageously expensive for a player his age, but he was a sorely-needed weapon against right-handed pitching.

Prediction: 1st place.  Villanova should have no problems winning this division without much of a challenge.  With this pitching staff, it's hard to imagine this team not advancing to the World Series.  A Villanova/Sylmar World Series match-up would be very evenly-matched and very exciting.  I'm going to go out on a limb and predict a BDBL championship for the Mustangs in 2006.

Great Lakes Sphinx

Owner: Scott Romonosky
2004 Record: 67-93 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Andy Pettitte, Freddy Garcia, Tim Hudson, Jason Marquis and Vicente Padilla.
Bullpen: Dustin Hermanson, Chad Orvella, Fernando Cabrera, Eddie Guardado, Erasmo Ramirez and James Baldwin.
Projected Lineup: Eric Byrnes/Carl Everett (CF), Jimmy Rollins (SS), Chad Tracy/Justin Morneau (1B), Troy Glaus (3B), Geoff Jenkins (RF), Jason Dubois/Kevin Millar (LF), Danny Ardoin/J.D. Closser (C) and Jerry Hairston (2B).

Strengths: Pitching, pitching and more pitching.  The Sphinx pitching staff is so strong, they traded away C.C. Sabathia and Jon Garland and yet they still have a strong starting rotation.  Pettitte, Garcia and Hudson are good for at least 50 wins, and the bullpen is obscenely deep.

Weaknesses: The starting lineup lacks that one true "scary" hitter who makes opposing managers pee their pants.  Tracy, Morneau, Glaus and Jenkins just aren't all that frightening.  In particular, no Sphinx first baseman carries an OPS over 723 against lefties, which seems unfathomable.

Outlook: This team has some holes to fill, but it is very close to surefire contender status.  The Sphinx went into the draft with just $2.7 million to spend, and it shows.  This team couldn't afford to make one improvement during the draft, which means they'll need to improve via trade.  Unfortunately, high-demand youngsters are in short supply on the Great Lakes roster.

Prediction: 2nd place.  With a pitching staff like this, the Sphinx would have to screw up pretty badly not to make the playoffs.  If they don't screw up, it will be the first playoff appearance for this franchise.  (They are one of just four teams remaining that have never played November baseball.)  In other words, there is a lot at stake here.  The Sphinx will win the EL wild card in a tight race.  How much farther they go depends on how well their aces perform under pressure.  As some of us know all too well, great pitchers tend to fall apart at the worst possible times.

Allentown Ridgebacks

Owner: Tom DiStefano
2004 Record: 102-58 (1st place, BDBL champions)
Projected Rotation: Roy Oswalt, Jake Peavy, Felix Hernandez/Jae Seo, and D.J. Houlton.
Bullpen: Juan Padilla, Braden Looper and Jack Taschner.
Projected Lineup: Marcus Giles (2B), Carlos Guillen/Felipe Lopez (SS), J.D. Drew (LF), Milton Bradley (CF), Trot Nixon/Larry Walker (RF), Paul Lo Duca (C), Robb Quinlan/Frank Thomas (1B) and Edwin Encarnacion/Junior Spivey (3B).

Strengths: Oswalt and Peavy.  The toughest thing to do in the BDBL is acquire an ace pitcher at any price.  (Just ask the New Milford Blazers, who just shelled out $19 million for an old man with a bum knee.)  Any team that can carry a reliable ace (and how many of those are there in baseball?) from one season to the next automatically has an advantage over every other team in the league.  Now, imagine a team carrying TWO ace pitchers from one year to the next.  Now, imagine that those two pitchers are signed through the 2009 season.  Now, imagine that both pitchers earn salaries well below market value in each of those seasons.  And now, imagine that Felix Hernandez will be joining those two pitchers next season.  That should give you some idea how the Ridgebacks have been so successful over the past four seasons, and why they will continue to enjoy that success through the end of this decade.

Weaknesses: With the exceptions of Oswalt and Peavy, no other Ridgebacks starter logged more than 129 MLB innings.  And only three relievers logged enough innings, and were effective enough in those innings, to be worth mentioning.  How on earth can this team compete with so few quality innings?

Outlook: The 2006 Ridgebacks are an enigma.  With two ace starters making far less than minimum wage, they have such a huge head start on the rest of the league, it doesn't seem fair.  And yet, they still seem to have a roster full of holes.  This bullpen will never be able to hold a lead consistently, and this offense doesn't seem capable of scoring 750 runs.  And yet somehow, some way, the Ridgebacks will compete in 2006.

Prediction: 3rd place.  The defending champs would love to make another run for it, but their real goal is the top seed in the 2007 draft.  The Ridgebacks were suspiciously quiet during the auction, and as a result, they have just $18.8 million tied up in 2007 salary at the moment.  With the 2007 draft class expected to be the greatest ever, the Ridgebacks are well-positioned to be big spenders.  With another Cy Young-caliber year from Oswalt and Peavy, and a full season from Hernandez, another championship trophy for the Ridgebacks in 2007 seems inevitable.

Kansas Law Dogs

Owner: Chris Luhning
2004 Record: 76-84 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Aaron Harang, Matt Morris, Mike Mussina, Mike Maroth and Zach Duke/Jason Vargas.
Bullpen: Chad Qualls, Todd Williams, Armando Benitez, Mike MacDougal, Miguel Batista, Joe Borowski, Ambiorix Burgos.
Projected Lineup: Carlos Beltran (CF), Mark Grudzielanek (2B), David Wright (3B), Pat Burrell (LF), Paul Konerko (1B), Rod Barajas (C), David DeJesus/Reed Johnson (RF) and Damian Easley/Angel Berroa (SS).

Strengths: Pitchers with the initials "M.M."  The 'Dogs have four of them.  That has to be some kind of record, no?  Kansas also has over 2,000 MLB innings at their disposal, which has to be close to a record.  And as always, the Kansas offense is impressive, with Wright, Burrell and Konerko in the heart of the lineup.  There isn't an easy out in the Kansas lineup from one through eight.

Weaknesses: Aaron Harang is a decent pitcher with good stats in a very hitter-friendly ballpark, but let's face it: he's no ace.  The Law Dogs have four very good inning-eating starters, plus one very good platoon starter in the #5 slot, but there is no ace here that can compete against the Oswalts, Peavys, Pettittes, Garcias, Willises, Hardens, Buehrles and Blantons of the world.

Outlook: 2006 marks the end of an era.  For the first time since the league's inception, no team in the BDBL will play in a ballpark modeled after Coors Field.  This is a radical change for the Law Dogs franchise, and it will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on every other team in the league.  How will the new-look Law Dogs perform without their offensive crutch?  Only time will tell.  Speculation is that run scoring will take a drastic dive, while pitching performance will see a vast improvement.  But that's just ill-informed speculation.

Prediction: 4th place.  The Law Dogs would probably win the Griffin Division title, but here in the Higuera Division, they're nothing but an also-ran.  Playing 16 games against the Ridgebacks, Sphinx and Mustangs is no picnic.  This division could contain four teams with win totals between 82 and 96.  Unfortunately for Kansas fans, the 'Dogs are on the low end of that spectrum.

Southern Cal Slyme

Owner: Bob Sylvester, Sr.
2004 Record: 71-89 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Josh Beckett, Jose Contreras, C.C. Sabathia, Jorge Sosa and Brad Halsey.
Bullpen: B.J. Ryan, Derrick Turnbow, Jose Valverde, David Cortes, Brendan Donnelly, Chris Hammond and Jon Rauch.
Projected Lineup: Raul Ibanez (LF), Edgar Renteria (SS), Victor Martinez (C), Carlos Delgado (1B), Jeff Kent (2B), Torii Hunter (CF), Jay Gibbons (RF) and Rob Mackowiak/Neifi Perez (3B) .

Strengths: Beckett, Contreras and Sabathia each pitched more than 175 innings, each posted a CERA lower than 3.60, and each held opposing lefties and righties to a sub-700 OPS.  Ryan is a tremendous closer, who will have two setup men (Turnbow and Valverde) with sub-2.50 CERA's.  The heart of the lineup-- Martinez, Delgado and Kent --could easily create 330 runs combined.

Weaknesses: This team could use a table-setter.  Neither Ibanez nor Renteria sports a high on-base percentage, which means fewer RBI opportunities for the middle three.

Outlook: The last time the Slyme were managed from a tent in the Middle East, they won 106 games and a division title.  With their manager returning to that tent, the Slyme are well-positioned to make a run for division title number four.

Prediction: 1st place.  This division race almost looks too close to call at this point.  Both the Slyme and Funkadelic have three quality starting pitchers and two solid innings-eaters at the back end of the rotation.  Both teams have a lights-out closer.  Both teams have a solid lineup from one through seven.  And both teams have the post-season playoff experience necessary to know what it takes to win.  I'm picking the Slyme only because of their deeper bullpen and the slightly better starting rotation.  But this is going to be a very close race, and it will likely be decided by random luck more than anything else.

Nashville Funkadelic

Owner: Steve Osborne
2004 Record: 78-82 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Bartolo Colon, Paul Byrd, Esteban Loaiza, Victor Santos and Jamie Moyer.
Bullpen: Joe Nathan, Matt Guerrier, Fernando Rodney, Scott Schoeneweis, J.J. Putz and Ron Villone.
Projected Lineup: Ichiro Suzuki (RF), Tad Iguchi (2B), Ken Griffey, Jr. (CF), Ryan Howard/Ty Wigginton (1B), Jermaine Dye/Kevin Mench/David Dellucci (LF), Jorge Cantu (3B), Brian Schneider/Toby Hall (C) and Wilson Betemit/Jose Reyes (SS).

Strengths: An explosive offense featuring two speedy Japanese guys at the top, a revived future Hall of Famer in the #3 spot and an above-average hitter in every spot in the lineup from one through seven.  Colon is a true ace at the top of the rotation, and Nathan is a stud in the bullpen. The rotation includes three starters with 200+ innings and a sub-3.80 CERA.  And the bench is very strong, as this team seems to have three full-time left fielders sharing one lineup spot.

Weaknesses: The shortstop combo of Betemit and Reyes doesn't exactly strike fear into anyone's heart.  But that's some serious nit-picking.

Outlook: You might remember that the Funkadelic were ranked as the second-best team in the BDBL in the FTDOTC "Look-ahead" article written last October.  Since then, the Funk have added Loaiza via trade.  Jack Wilson (lousy bat, but Ex range) was shipped off for prospects, leaving that hole at shortstop.  Jason Marquis and Eddie Guardado were traded for Dye and prospect Chris Young.  Dye became an unnecessary luxury when Kevin Mench was signed at the auction, and became even less important once Dellucci was acquired.  Nashville went into the auction with $12.6 million to spend on just six players, and $9 million of that was spent on Mench and Moyer-- two players that really didn't improve the team all that much.

Prediction: 2nd place.  This team looked stronger on paper in October than it looks now, though there is plenty of time for that to turn around, and plenty of trade bait here to make that happen.  The present-day Funk might be good enough to win the division without making any changes, but an upgrade to the rotation and/or bullpen would go a long way toward ensuring that.  With three very strong teams in the Higuera Division and two very strong teams in this division, the wild card race is going to be very tight.  No matter what happens, two really good teams are going to be left sitting on the sidelines in November.

Wapakoneta Hippos

Owner: Bobby Sylvester, Jr.
2004 Record: 87-73 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: John Patterson, Livan Hernandez, Josh Towers, Tomo Ohka and Shawn Chacon.
Bullpen: Brad Lidge, Todd Jones, Kent Mercker, Duaner Sanchez, Julian Tavarez and Pete Walker.
Projected Lineup: Craig Counsell (2B), Bill Mueller (3B), Albert Pujols (1B), Michael Young (SS), Shawn Green/Dustan Mohr (CF), Matt Holliday (LF), Mike Matheny/Damian Miller (C) and Preston Wilson (RF).

Strengths: As always, Albert Pujols.  The man is a machine.  The bullpen duo of Lidge and Jones is among the best in the BDBL, and will help to shorten games by an inning or two.  The starting rotation is very solid, with five good, innings-eating pitchers.  And the starting lineup doesn't have any glaring hole.

Weaknesses: The pitching staff is without an ace.  Patterson and Hernandez are nice, but how badly will their performances suffer moving from one of baseball's best pitcher's parks (RFK Stadium) to a more hitter-friendly environment (Breyers Stadium, modeled after Fenway Park?)

Outlook: The Hippos had $52.5 million to spend on free agents this winter, which is a pretty extraordinary figure, given that our total salary cap is only $63.5 million.  Rather than blow that bundle on one or two superstars, they spread the wealth in order to establish a deeper, more well-rounded roster.  They certainly accomplished that.  Their well-roundedness will serve them well over a long 160-game schedule, but it's unlikely that this team will be able to keep pace with the Slyme and Funkadelic.

Prediction: 3rd place.  After losing Bonds, Schmidt, Westbrook and Mora to free agency, it should be expected that this team would take a step back.  All things considered, they aren't in bad shape at all.  Freeing up Bonds' $20.5 million certainly helped with that.  The Hippos should hover around .500 this season, but don't expect more than that unless they swing a major trade.

South Carolina Sea Cats

Owner: Tony DeCastro
2004 Record: 66-94 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Kenny Rogers, Gustavo Chacin, Matt Clement, Kirk Saarloos and Kameron Loe/Scott Baker.
Bullpen: Tom Gordon, Juan Rincon, Salomon Torres, Clay Hensley, Joey Eischen, Jeff Nelson and Andy Sisco.
Projected Lineup: Omar Vizquel (SS), Nick Johnson (1B), Andruw Jones (CF), Gary Sheffield (RF), Hank Blalock/Deivi Cruz (3B), Ryan Klesko/Matt Murton (LF), Sal Fasano/Ramon Hernandez (C), and Tony Graffanino/Eric Young (2B). 

Strengths: Jones and Sheffield form a lethal one-two punch in the middle of the lineup.  The bullpen is very deep, featuring no fewer than seven quality pitchers.  Vizquel and Johnson are capable leadoff men, and the lineup has no easy outs from one through eight.

Weaknesses: The starting rotation features three solid pitchers with decent stats, but no true "ace."  This rotation is good, but it just doesn't compare favorably to the other rotations in this division.

Outlook: The Sea Cats have made a lot of improvements, and are in no danger of losing 90 games two years in a row.  This team would be good enough to finish in second place in some divisions (the Griffin Division, for example.)  But unfortunately for 'Cats fans, they play in the Person Division.

Prediction: 4th place.  Rogers, Gordon, Hernandez and Klesko will all be free agents at the end of this season, which means they are most likely to be traded if this team falls behind early.  All four should return some quality players for '07.  If Sheffield continues his decline, he could find himself on the trading block as well, though his $11.5m salary would be tougher to move.

Chicago Black Sox

Owner: John Gill
2004 Record: 102-58 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Ben Sheets, Mark Prior, Brandon Webb, Jeremy Bonderman and Kyle Lohse.
Bullpen: Matt Wise, Francisco Cordero, Latroy Hawkins, Terry Mulholland, Scott Sauerbeck and Mike Koplove.
Projected Lineup: Juan Pierre (CF), Jason Kendall (C), Derrek Lee (1B), Manny Ramirez (LF), Aramis Ramirez (3B), Vernon Wells (RF), Khalil Greene (SS) and Jose Castillo/Oscar Robles (2B).

Strengths: As usual, offense.  The Black Sox have traditionally poured all of their money and resources into their offense through the years and it has served them well.  This year, the lineup features the leading candidate to win the 2006 EL MVP award: Derrek Lee.  Lee posted an OPS over 1000 against both lefties and righties, which is a rare feat.  He is protected in the lineup by the Ramirez brothers, Manny (982 OPS overall) and Aramis (926.)  Pierre and Kendall are two good OBP batters at the top of the lineup, and Wells and Green fill out the back end of the lineup nicely.  On the mound, Sheets returns as the ace, though in limited duty (172 eligible innings), and Prior is available for a limited time (183 IP) as well.  Webb is as good a #3 starter as you'll find on any team, and Bonderman and Lohse give the rotation five quality starters.  Wise enjoyed a quietly dominant season, and held left-handed batters to a 396 OPS.

Weaknesses: Wise's supporting staff in the bullpen could be stronger.  Cordero and Hawkins each had a bit of an off-year, and the rest of the bullpen is uninspiring.

Outlook: With their combination of quality starting pitching and powerful offense, the Black Sox should have no problem walking away with their fourth division title this season.  The 2005 Black Sox scored 945 runs and allowed 754.  Expect nearly identical numbers in 2006.

Prediction: 1st place.  Like the Cowtippers, the Black Sox have lost their only two World Series appearances despite being heavily favored to win both (and despite having a three games to none advantage in one!)  Will 2006 be the year the Black Sox finally break the curse?  Chicago will win 100+ games in 2006, which will be a BDBL record for 100-win seasons.  Eventually, if they make it to the World Series enough times, they'll win one by sheer random luck.  2006 might not be that year, though.  The competition is too tough.  My crystal ball tells me that Chicago will make it past the Division Series, but crumble in the LCS.

Akron Ryche

Owner: D.J. Shepard
2004 Record: 88-72 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Pedro Martinez, Javier Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Bronson Arroyo and John Thomson.
Bullpen: Jay Witasick, Matt Miller, Joel Peralta, Blaine Boyer, Randy Flores, Geoff Geary, Mike Gonzalez, Gary Majewski.
Projected Lineup: Chone Figgins (2B), Mark Kotsay (CF), Jhonny Peralta (SS), Todd Helton/Lance Niekro (1B), Jason Varitek (C), Jose Cruz (RF), Jonny Gomes (LF) and Ryan Freel (3B).

Strengths: For the eighth-- and quite possibly final --year in a row, one of Akron's biggest strengths will be having Pedro Martinez at the top of their starting rotation.  (The question is how will Pedro cope with the dreaded BDBL Mets pitcher jinx?)  Martinez is backed this year by three quality innings-eaters with sub-4.10 CERA's.  The Akron lineup is exceptionally strong this year, thanks to the out-of-nowhere season by Jhonny Peralta and the off-season acquisition of the Helton/Niekro platoon.  Figgins and Kotsay are quality leadoff men, and Varitek, Cruz, Gomes and Freel fill out the lineup very nicely.

Weaknesses: The bullpen includes no fewer than eight quality pitchers, but no one that you would point to as an unstoppable closer.  While the pitching rotation is solid from one through four, it is not as strong as some of the other rotations in the league.

Outlook: The Ryche never seem to have trouble staying competitive.  In seven seasons, they've never finished in last place, and they've finished below .500 just once.  Look for that trend to continue in '06.

Prediction: 2nd place.  Akron will likely be in the hunt for either a wild card or a division title throughout the season.  With Martinez, Helton, Kotsay and Varitek all approaching free agency, don't look for Akron to put it all on the line and sacrifice the future for a chance to win now.  That just isn't their style.  Instead, look for Akron to finish with somewhere between 85 and 90 wins and a very high pick in the 2007 draft.

Cleveland Rocks

Owner: Mike Stein
2004 Record: 58-102 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Cliff Lee, David Wells, Casey Fossum, Adam Eaton and Scott Elarton.
Bullpen: Kyle Farnsworth, Arthur Rhodes, Bob Wickman, Kiko Calero, Rafael Betancourt, Brian Fuentes and Roberto Hernandez.
Projected Lineup: Kenny Lofton (CF), Mark Ellis (SS), Ronnie Belliard (2B), Melvin Mora (3B), Jorge Posada (C), Jacque Jones (RF), Jason Michaels/Dmitri Young (LF) and Ryan Shealy/Matt LeCroy (1B).

Strengths: As you might know, Mike Stein is awfully proud of his low-budget bullpen.  And for good reason.  A number of Rocks relievers enjoyed shockingly good rebound seasons after several years of decline, and posted stellar numbers to the surprise of just about everyone in baseball.  The Cleveland bullpen includes no fewer than EIGHT pitchers with 40 or more innings and a CERA below 3.75.  The Rocks hope to replicate the success of the early 2000's Undertakers by riding that bullpen to a .700 record in one-run games and sneaking into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Weaknesses: Despite the presence of demi-god Cliff Lee, the Rocks starting rotation isn't very strong.  Wells, Fossum, Eaton and Elarton are #4/#5 starter types that can log some innings without putting the team in a really deep hole, but they aren't going to out-pitch anyone this season.  The starting lineup lacks a true power threat.  Belliard, Mora, Posada and Jones are better suited to the back end of a lineup rather than the middle.

Outlook: Cleveland stirred up a ton of controversy last season in order to build this pitching staff, and-- never at a loss for optimism --they fully expect this staff to carry them into the playoffs.  But this team is only the third best team in the division on paper, and they'll need more firepower than this if they are to meet that lofty goal. 

Prediction: 3rd place.  If the Rocks fall five games out of the race by March 1st, will Mike Stein hold another fire sale?  Who can predict what Stein will do?  If the white flag is raised, the Rocks will do considerably less damage to the pennant races this year than they did last year.  There is no Jason Schmidt or Kelvim Escobar on this year's Rocks.  Nor is there a Barry Bonds.  That's good news for the contending teams out there.

Atlanta Fire Ants

Owner: Gene Patterson
2004 Record: 91-69 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Brian Lawrence, Cory Lidle, Brandon Claussen, Kip Wells, Glendon Rusch and Joe Kennedy.
Bullpen: Chad Cordero, Scott Eyre, Jason Frasor, Guillermo Mota and Heath Bell.
Projected Lineup: Coco Crisp/Craig Monroe (CF), Ray Durham (2B), Bobby Abreu (RF), Miguel Tejada (SS), Mike Lieberthal (C), Ryan Church/Jeff Francoeur (LF), Travis Lee/Xavier Nady (1B) and Joe Crede (3B).

Strengths: A quality lineup featuring four all-star candidates in the leadoff through cleanup spots.  Crisp, Durham, Abreu and Tejada are among the best players at their positions in the Eck League.  Cordero and Eyre form a solid duo out of the bullpen.

Weaknesses: The starting rotation.  Lawrence and Lidle would be #3 or #4 starters for most teams, but in Atlanta they form the top of the rotation.  Claussen, Wells, Rusch and Kennedy are merely innings-eaters who each sports a below-average ERA.

Outlook: It's tough to win without good starting pitching.  The 2005 Badgers managed to do it by scoring a ton of runs and employing a lights-out closer.  Unfortunately for Ants fans, Atlanta probably won't score a ton of runs; and while Cordero is good, he's no Eric Gagne.

Prediction: 4th place.  From fourth to second, then back to 4th.  It's been a real roller coaster ride for this franchise the past couple of years.  This winter was particularly tough, as Livan Hernandez, Mark Mulder, Paul Konerko and Aaron Rowand all bolted for free agency, and Jaret Wright regressed to his pre-2004 abilities.  The Fire Ants had $30.3 million to spend on free agents this winter, but they refused to participate in the reckless orgy of spending and all but one of their 44 bids came up short.  If this team decides to hold a white flag sale, there won't be a shortage of buyers.  Abreu, Tejada and Durham will be free agents at the end of this season, and all three should fetch a healthy return.