Franchise Rankings...

Here is the next installment of our countdown to number 1. The teams listed 24-21 are below. I have also recapped the first 12 on our list just below that. Enjoy.

#24- Boston Chokers
Franchise Power Ranking: 25.5
Best Year: 84-78, S5 – Worst Year: 42-120, S2
Post Season Achievements: 2-Playoffs, 2-Division
Best Player: Carson McKnight
Best Pitcher: Marco Washington

#23- New York G-Men (Cincinnati)
Franchise Power Ranking: 27.5
Best Year: 92-70, S3 – Worst Year: 53-109, S9
Post Season Achievements: 2- Playoffs, 2-Wild Card
Best Player: Jeff Jennings
Best Pitcher: Thomas Richardson

#22- Anaheim Bombers
Franchise Power Ranking: 29.0
Best Year: 89-73, S7 – Worst Year: 52-110, S2
Post Season Achievements: 1-Playoffs, 1-Division
Best Player: Andrew Richard
Best Pitcher: Murray O'Neil

#21- Philadelphia Flying Fish
Franchise Power Ranking: 29
Best Year: 93-69, S5 – Worst Year: 57-105, S1
Post Season Achievements: 1- Playoff, 1- Wild Card
Best Player: Tony Flores
Best Pitcher: Rodrigo Unamuno


Here is a recap of the teams 21-32.


Philadelphia 29
Anaheim 29
Cincinnati 27.5
Boston 25.5
Iowa City 25
Trenton 24
New Orleans 23
Chicago 22
Santa Cruz 21
Wichita 21
Pawtucket 20
Salt Lake City 18.5

Franchise Rankings Cont....

#28- Toledo Mudhens (Chicago )
Franchise Power Ranking: 22.0
Best Year: 87-75, S7 – Worst Year: 59-103, S4
Post Season Achievements: No Postseason
Best Player: Cy Keats
Best Pitcher: Rex Walls

#27- New Orleans Pelicans
Franchise Power Ranking: 23.0
Best Year: 85-77, S9 – Worst Year: 58-104, S6
Post Season Achievements: 1- Playoff, 1- Division
Best Player: Cliff York
Best Pitcher: Glenn Gibbons

#26- Buffalo Lebowskis (Trenton )
Franchise Power Ranking: 24.0
Best Year: 97-65, S1 – Worst Year: 44-118, S8
Post Season Achievements: 1- Playoff, 1- Division
Best Player: Juan Castillo
Best Pitcher: Jonathan Campbell

#25- Iowa City Screwballs
Franchise Power Ranking: 25.0
Best Year: 87-75, S6 – Worst Year: 67-95, S2
Post Season Achievements: 1- Playoff, 1- Wild Card
Best Player: Jim Donovan
Best Pitcher: James Li

Franchise Rankings Cont.

Here is the next two franchises on our way up to number 1.

#30 Cleveland Stars (Wichita)
Franchise Power Ranking: 21.0
Best Year: 85-77, S5 – Worst Year: 56-106, S7
Post Season Achievements: No Postseason
Best Player: Frank Haad
Best Pitcher: Miguel Ozuna

#29- Colorado Humidors (Santa Cruz)
Franchise Power Ranking: 21.0
Best Year: 87-75, S5 – Worst Year: 25-137, S3
Post Season Achievements: No Postseason
Best Player: Ronnie Kirkland
Best Pitcher: Jim Hampton

Franchise Power Rankings

Below starts the franchise rankings based on a formula that takes into account each teams wins, postseason appearances, and playoff proficiency. I am starting at number 32 and will work my way up from there, all the way to number 1.

#32- Salt Lake City Sea Monkeys
Franchise Power Ranking: 18.5
Best Year: 76-86, S3 – Worst Year: 34-128, S5
Post Season Achievements: No Postseason
Best Player: Louis McCartin
Best Pitcher: Hugh Jameson

#31- Pawtucket Privateers
Franchise Power Ranking: 20
Best Year: 80-82, S9 – Worst Year: 64-98, S4
Post Season Achievements: No Postseason
Best Player: Raul Guerrero
Best Pitcher: Harry Charlton

2009- World Series

Congratulations to namshub and his Saltine Warriors 2009 World Series Champions.

Draft 2001- Remembered- Round 1

Here is a recap of the first round picks from 2001 (First season). Just thought this would be a slight jog down memory lane. Especially for those of us, who have been here since the beginning. Without further ado, here are your first 10 draft picks…..ever.

1. Jake Caufield- P- St. Louis Unsigned

2. Michael Dillon- P- Scranton $ 3,910,000
Michael made a quick jump to the big leagues after spending only 3 years in the minors. He is #5 all time in winning percentage for the organization. Made one appearance in the all-star game in 2007.

3. Larry Brown- 2B- Ottawa $ 5,000,000
Larry was signed out of high school for the second highest signing bonus at the time. So, there were high expectations for this kid from the very beginning. Spent three years in the minors, where he was known for his power and speed. Currently is the career leader in stolen bases and 3rd in franchise history in home-runs. 4-time all-star and 2-time silver slugger at 2B.

4. Miguel Rijo- CF- Toledo $ 3,720,000
This lightning fast CF started his career in HiA and quickly ran his way into a starting spot on the big club in just two years. Has played a steady CF for Lowly over the years and was instrumental in the Roosters three WS appearances in four years.

5. Dante Edmonds- P- Santa Fe $ 3,630,000
Dante has been the type of pitcher most managers would love to have on their team. In fact most managers have had him on their teams. Dante has played for six different managers over his career.

6. Walt Coppolecchia- P- Cin Unsigned

7. David Galvez- P- Memphis $ 5,000,00
David was rushed to the majors after only one season. While the expectations were high, David as managed to stay on the big club most of his career. While the beginning of is career was difficult, he seems to have found his stride in Charleston. Made his all-star debut in 2008.

8. Russell Cunningham- SS- Mont $ 3,350,000
Russell was a former Deadbeat, who spent 4 years in the minors. Since being traded to his current team, Russell has put together a good career, despite being in a platoon role.

9. Thumper Peavy- RF- Fargo $ 3,250,000
Thumper is in only his 2nd year on the big club, having amassed over 3100 at bats in the minors. In his first year at the ML level, Thumper earned a gold glove in RF.

10. Ryan Nelson- P- Boise $ 3,250,000
Ryan rounds out the top ten picks. He has been a steady dose of “W’s “ for Dover, having collected 88 wins in just over six and a half seasons. He is a 2-time all-star and former gold glove winner in 2006.

New Season Set to Begin

The smell of fresh cut grass mixed in with the mouth watering aroma of roasted peanuts, can only mean one thing.......It is opening day at the ballpark.

It is the one day where every team has a chance to win it all. Every team has a clean slate to work with. Managers and owners are busy trying to figure out the last minute adjustments to lineups and pitching rotations. Making important decisions about the future allstar, should he be called up or does he need one more season in the minors?

This really is the best day of the year. All the excitement, all the hype in the local papers for each team, all the off season moves will finally be put to the test.

Hope everyone has a great season and has fun. Lets continue to make this one of the best worlds out there. Good luck everyone.

LETS PLAY BALL!!!!

Durham Wins!!

Durham completes the perfect comeback season with a four games to one win over the sixth seeded 42's. This is Durham's fifth title in six years and third under the tutiledge of Natic_Empire.

World Series Showdown!!!

This World Series matchup is a classic David and Goliath meeting. In one corner you have the six time defending AL champion making their eighth straight playoff appearance. In the other corner you have a team making their second playoff run since season one. This should be a great final series.

#1 (Seed) Durham Daddies (122-40)(Playoff record, 7-2) AL South Division Champions.

Defeated Richmond (3-1), Detroit (4-1) to get to the Championship Series. They did it with pitching (3.56 ERA) and opportunistic hitting (.277). The Daddies will need to continue their good pitching and timely hitting if they want to redeem themselves for the uncharacteristic collapse last year.

#6 (Seed) Washington 42’s (96-66) (10-2) 3rd place in the NL East

Defeated Portland (3-0), Louisville (3-1), Toledo (4-1) to get to the Championship Series. Washington comes into the biggest series in the history of the franchise with a great turn around season. They tied a franchise record for wins with 96, they improved their win total over last season by 32 games. The 42’s are here on pure guts. They are batting an inspired 53 points higher in the playoffs, then in the regular season. Good thing too, because the pitching staff is giving up nearly a run more then in the regular season.

Pitching Matchups for the first four games:

Game #1 -42’s- S. Henriquez (13-4, 2.33)- vs.- Daddies- J. Weston (19-2, 2.19)

Game #2-42’s- B. Hall (2-2, 3.37) -vs.- Daddies- T. Damon (18-6, 3.06)

Game#3-Daddies T. Daly (18-5, 2.78)-vs.- 42’s T. Solano (10-8, 4.67)

Game #4-Daddies J. Weston (19-2, 2.19)-vs.- S. Henriquez (13-4, 2.33)

Conference Champions- Race for the Pennents

In advance of the ALCS and NLCS, here’s a position-by-position matchups for the four remaining playoff teams.


ALCS _ No. 1 Durham Daddies (122-40 vs No. 3 Detroit Domination (82-80)

CATCHER
Durham _ Erubiel Baez was masterful behind the plate, throwing out 50 percent of runners trying to steal (27 of 54). He also chipped in a .253 average.

Detroit _ Walt Nunnally threw out 28 percent of basestealers (27 of 95) and hit .270 with 16 homers and 80 RBIs.

ADVANTAGE: Durham

FIRST BASE
Durham _ Diego Moya nearly had as many RBIs (135) as games played (148). He also leads the Daddies in strikeouts (102).

Detroit _ Jon Price is Detroit’s biggest offensive threat, leading the Domination in average (.343), homers (40) and OPS (1.080).

ADVANTAGE: Detroit

SECOND BASE
Durham _ Luis Gonzalez hit .277 with 21 homers in 499 at bats.

Detroit _ Miguel Cervantes hit .276 with 8 homers and 62 RBIs, also scoring 72 runs.

ADVANTAGE: Even.

THIRD BASE
Durham _ Josh Rain hit .334 and played a smooth third base, committing only 6 errors.

Detroit _ Ricky Gibson’s power numbers slipped to a career low (15), but he still drove in 95 and hit .294 with an OPS of .805.

ADVANTAGE: Durham

SHORTSTOP
Durham _ Benny Alfonseca smashed 61 homers and drove in 126. He’s also second on the Daddies with 13 steals.

Detroit _ With speedster Roger Conine still ailing with a sore shoulder, Detroit will likely turn to rookie Brian Borbon (.273/14/56).

ADVANTAGE: Durham

LEFT FIELD
Durham _ Lariel Neruda (.325/55/145) has hit at least 55 homers for five consecutive seasons.

Detroit _ Russ Scott was second for the Domination with 37 homers to go with a .272 average. He also led Detroit in runs (129) and strikeouts (131).

ADVANTAGE: Durham

CENTER FIELD
Durham _ Benny Baerga is the speedster of the Daddy lineup, swiping 29 bases and recording a .396 OBP. Just for good measure, he also hit 39 homers.

Detroit _ Highly touted Orber Jimenez hit .323 in the minor leagues, but has struggled in 37 games after his late-season callup, hitting .219 with more strikeouts (24) than walks (14)

ADVANTAGE: Durham

RIGHT FIELD
Durham _ Courtney Rogers hit .300 with 54 homers and 143 RBIs.

Detroit _ Thumper Peavy was second on the team with 16 steals and hit .266 with 57 RBIs.

ADVANTAGE: Durham

DESIGNATED HITTER
Durham _ Gus Cora leads the Daddies in OPS (1.215), batting average (.352), homers (72) and RBIs (159).

Detroit _ Giomar Roque scored 96 times to go with his .277 average and 19 homers.

ADVANTAGE: Durham

STARTING PITCHING
Durham _ Lonnie Glynn, Todd Damon, Jeremy Weston and Tuck Daly combined for 72 wins, and each had a WHIP below 1.30.

Detroit _ David Polanco (16-8) Dominates for the Domination, but others have struggled. Solid performances from Edwards Beech (6-9, 1.29 WHIP) will be a key to the series.

ADVANTAGE: Durham

BULLPEN
Durham _ Arthur Scanlan and Ned Kingland were a nice 1-2 punch late in games, combining for 47 saves in 52 chances.

Detroit _ Sean White (55 games, 83.2 innings, 1.24 WHIP) is dependable. Jin-Che Dong has 2 postseason saves.

ADVANTAGE: Durham.

PREDICTION: Durham in 5

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NLCS _ No. 1 Toledo Dirt Roosters (98-64) vs No. 6 Washington D.C. 42s (96-66)

CATCHER
Toledo _ Durable Lance Kaufman (.316/36/118) had another great year behind the plate and also threw out 34 percent of possible baserunners (38 of 112).

Washington _ Rookie Mateo Medrano blasted 35 homers to go with his .275 average and threw out 25 percent of possible basestealers (23 of 93).

ADVANTAGE: Toledo.

FIRST BASE
Toledo_ Sal Simmons led the Dirt Roosters in hits (199), homers (43), RBIs (127) and batting average (.338).

Washington _ Yamid Encarnacion led the 42s balanced attack with 32 homers, .a 327 average and 101 runs.

ADVANTAGE: Toledo.

SECOND BASE
Toledo _ Rodrigo Romano provided power from the middle infield, hitting 29 homers and driving in 102.

Washington _ Brady Simpson hit .271 with 89 runs, 17 homers and 74 RBIs.

ADVANTAGE: Toledo.

THIRD BASE
Toledo _ Damaso Mesa hit .272 with 26 homers and 81 RBIs.

Washington _ Bernard Hammond led the 42s with 103 runs and hit .302 with 22 homers.

ADVANTAGE: Even.

SHORTSTOP
Toledo _ Al Tavarez hit .284 with 14 homers, and contributed a .977 fielding percentage.

Washington _ Abraham Frascatore was smooth in the field and hit .246 with 7 homers in 363 at bats. Defensive whiz Bobby Nelson surprised with a .345 average in 177 at bats.

ADVANTAGE: Washington

LEFT FIELD
Toledo _ A.J. Powell bashed 35 homers, drove in 114 and scored 109 runs.

Washington _ Max Guerrero knocked 24 homers with his .290 average, but also led the team with 115 strikeouts.

ADVANTAGE: Toledo

CENTER FIELD
Toledo _ Speedy Miguel Rijo stole 33 bases while hitting .285 and scoring 103 runs.

Washington _ Jose Montanez hit .315 with a .378 OBP, adding 19 homers.

ADVANTAGE: Washington

RIGHT FIELD
Toledo _ Nigel Harding and Vladimir Bennett combined to hit 26 homers and drive in more than 100 runs.

Washington _ Rafael Castro hit 14 homers and .279.

ADVANTAGE: Toledo.


STARTING PITCHING
Toledo _ Russ Wall led the team with 16 wins, while Al Turner (15-11) and Winston Surhoff (14-9) provided quality depth to the rotation

Washington _ Sammy Henriquez (13-4, 1.02 WHIP) dominated the regular season but has struggled in the playoffs. Matt Richardson (9-8) and Torey Solano (10-8) are also expected to get starts.

ADVANTAGE: Even

BULLPEN
Toledo_ Setup man Bruce Brown (89 games, 127 innings, 1.44 WHIP will try to bridge the gap to closer Billy Ratliff (45 saves in 50 opportunities).

Washington _ Mendy Griffin played a key role, going 15-4 in 174 innings and 75 appearances. Miguel Prieto had a 1.11 WHIP in 95 innings. Hades Gibson saved 28 games in 32 chances.

ADVANTAGE: Washington

PREDICTION: Toledo in 6

Division Series

In any other league, a Richmond-Durham matchup would be worthy of a World Series, or at least a league championship series. But this season, HBD for HDers II’s two most winning teams are squaring off in the league divisional series. The winner of the marquee matchup will be odds-on favorite to advance through the league championship. The National League bracket is a complete tossup, with all four teams winning 96-98 games in the regular season.

Here are the division playoff series capsules:

No. 5 Richmond Rebels (100-62) vs No. 1 Durham Daddies (122-40)

HISTORY: Richmond returns to the playoffs for the first time since Season 3. Owner steelerstime continues a remarkable turnaround for the franchise that won the Season 1 World Series. Durham, owner of the league’s best record, captured its seventh consecutive division title and is looking for its fourth World Series title.

SEASON SERIES: Durham won, 6-4.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Durham cruised to the No. 1 seed by winning the AL South over second-place Richmond by 22 games. The Rebels needed a six-run ninth inning rallt to win the decisive Game 5 against a gutty Kansas City team in the wild card round.

WHO’S HOT: Richmond SS Alan Vickers hit .389 in the wild card round and led the Rebels with three homers. 3B Alex Jung (.385) and 2B Dann Cone (.333) are also swinging hot bats. Durham was led in the regular season by Gus Cora (.352/72/159) as well as LF Lariel Neruda, RF Courtney Rogers and SS Benny Alfonseca.

WHO’S NOT: Richmond SP J.D. Boyer was lit up in his only playoff appearance, giving up 5 runs in 3.2 innings. RF Ugueth Romero is hitting .200 in the postseason. Durham is solid all the way around, but are hoping to get more consistent play from SP Octovio Chavez (29 starts, 1.50 WHIP, 5.10 ERA.)

No. 3 Detroit Domination (82-80) vs No. 2 Columbus Crush (83-79)

HISTORY: Detroit is in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season and has captured its third straight division title. Columbus has won its second consecutive division title. Both teams are looking advance to their first conference championship.

SEASON SERIES: Columbus won, 6-4.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Both teams narrowly won their divisions. Detroit edged Dover and Chicago by a game in the AL North, then took four games to dispatch No. 6 seed Charleston in the wild card round. Columbus topped Boston by 2 games in the AL East to secure a first-round playoff bye.

WHO’S HOT: Detroit SS Roger Conine hit a blistering .571 and RF swung at a .500 clip in the wild card round. SP Rod Gagne gave up three hits and 1 run in his only playoff start. Columbus is led by DH Sven Lundquist (.325/27/87), RF Rafael Tejera (.359/20/97) and slugging SS Livan Servet (33 homers). Pitcher Marvin Jefferies won 21 games in relief.

WHO’S NOT: Detroit bats were ice cold in the wild card round. Owner petec needs 3B Ricky Gibson (.071), OF Orber Jimenez (.071), OF Miguel Cervantes (.077), C Giomar Roque and OF B.C. Tatis (.167) to rebound. Columbus is counting on a consistent offense, but needs No. 2 starter Pedro Mendoza (33 starts, 124 IP, .4.99 ERA, 1.60 WHIP) to be a big-game pitcher in the playoffs.


No. 5 Syracuse (98-64) vs. No. 1 Toledo (98-64)

HISTORY: A battle of two founding league members. Syracuse has been in the playoffs every year under nashumb’s leadership, but is looking for its first conference championship. Lowly’s Toledo team needed a tiebreaker to beat Syracuse for the NL East title and hopes to makes the Dirt Roosters’ fourth World Series appearance.

SEASON SERIES: Tied 5-5.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Three Saltine Warrior pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout to close out wild card series against Vancouver in five games. The Dirt Roosters are the National League’s No. 1 seed.

WHO’S HOT: Saltine Warrior 2B Eric Edwards is stroking .429 in the playoffs. RF Mariano Alvarez added two homers to his .400 playoff average. SP Hensley Nixon was lights out against Vancouver, allowing five hits and three runs in 11.2 innings. Toledo’s rotation is anchored by Russ Wall (16-8, 166 Ks, 1.26 WHIP. 1B Sal Simmons keys the Dirt Rooster attack, hitting .338 with 43 HR and a team-best 127 RBIs. Five players have scored more than 100 runs, led by C Lance Kaufman’s 110.

WHO’S NOT: Syracuse CF Christian Gibbons struggled in the first round with a .136 average and eight strikeouts. 1B Omar Soriano hit .317 with 46 homers in the season, but is off to a .211 start with 1 HR in the playoffs. Toledo 2B Rodrigo Romano drove in 102 runs but only hit .250 in the season. The opposition is batting .284 against Dir Rooster starter Jed Simmons, the highest average against in Toledo’s rotation.

No. 6 Washington D.C. 42’s (96-66) vs No. 2 Louisville Derbies (98-64)

HISTORY: schuyler101 improved Washington by 32 games this season, bringing the 42’s to the playoffs for the first time since Season 1. Louisville won its division for the second consecutive year under gerald007, one of the league’s founding owners.

SEASON SERIES: Louisville won, 6-4.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Washington finished in third place in the NL East, 2 games behind Toledo and Syracuse, and then swept. No. 3 seed Portland in the wild-card round. Louisville dominated the NL South, winning the division by 28 games and clinching a first-round bye in the playoffs.

WHO’S HOT: Washington LF Max Guerrero hit .500 in the first round; CF Jose Monanez is hitting .357 with 2 stolen bases in the playoffs. Louisville’s attack is led by LF Robert Tomberlin (.349/47/149), RF Raul Andujar (.316/48/110), and 2B Cole Woodson (41 homers)

WHO’S NOT: Washington C Mateo Medrano struck out 5 times in 12 at bats in the wild card round. Louisville SS Patrick Gordon is a defensive whiz, but is hitting .229 with 104 Ks.

Playoffs are Here

AL Wild Card Series (Best of 5)

CHARLESTON(95-67) vs DETROIT (82-80) (season series 7-3, Detroit)

This series should be a close one. Detroit is coming into this series with a lot of confidence, with beating the Chew seven times in ten games.

Detroit is led by a couple of great players in Jon Price and Russ Scott. Price has led the team in home runs, while Scott leads the team in RBIs and Runs. Scott has a tendency to swing and miss a lot of third strikes, as evidenced by his team high 131 Ks. On the mound, the Domination is lead by all-star David Polanco and his team high 16 wins. It seems that as Polanco goes, so goes the Domination. When the ninth inning comes along, the Domination will rely on Santiago Samuel and his 13-16 record in save chances this year. With only one pitcher getting double digit wins, it seems Detroit might have its hands full.

Charleston is lead by Mr. Everything, Norm Cooper. He leads the team in Home Runs (61), Runs (110), RBIs (136) and Strike Outs (132). A classic “swing for the fences” type of hitter. The Chew are much better on the mound with two pitchers winning 19 games this year. David Galvez and Alex Roque have done more than their share in getting the team to the playoffs. Their closer, Ben Lambert, is money when it comes to closing out the ninth inning. Lambert is 30-33 in save chances this year.

RICHMOND (100-62) vs KANSAS CITY (80-82) (6-4, Kansas City)

With twenty games separating the teams in the standings, one would think that this series will be completely one sided, but Kansas City has the final say in this one. Both of these teams are lead by their own Mr. Everything. Should be a good series that will be decided by whose ME comes to play.

Kansas City is in the playoffs by virtue of winning game #162. This team is lead by Einar Candelaria, who leads in Home runs (32), Runs (113) and RBIs (108). On the mound, Russ Jerchower (15-9, 4.19) leads a Grillers team that had four pitchers win 10+ games. Once the Grillers take a lead into the ninth it will be hard for the other team to score. Jerome Peterson has been shutting down teams all year. His 25-31 save chances speak volumes.

The Rebels come into these playoffs with mixed feelings. They win 100 games, but are the road team in this series. Their ability to look past their seeding will determine their success this post season. To help them they will rely on Jonathan Poppell to lead them again, as he did in the regular season. Poppell lead the team in HRs (49), RBIs (161), Runs (123) and Strike Outs (132). On the mound, Richmond will send Denny Kobayashi and his 15-6, 3.74 record out there to get them past the first round. If they have a lead in the ninth, consider the game over, as Harry Sosa (25-28) will shut the door.


NL Wild Card Series (Best of 5)

WASHINGTON D.C. (96-66) vs PORTLAND (96-66) (7-3, Washington D.C.)

Can’t ask for a better opening series to the 2008 playoffs. These two teams couldn’t be more evenly matched.

The 42’s are making the playoffs for the first time since 2001. They are lead by five players that have 75 RBIs or more and none over 100, this team can win in so many different ways. On the mound, the 42’s get it done differently than most teams. Most teams send out their ace and hope for the best. Washington has a dominating middle reliever in Mendy Griffin who won 15 games out of the pen. Yes, this is the same guy who won 78 games in the minors, including 59 games over two seasons. Their closer, Hades Gibson, has saved 28 out of 32 chances this season.

Portland won their 4th division title and first since 2003. They are lead MVP candidate, Luis Limon. He has been one of the more consistent players this year for the Showers. When they take the mound, the Showers will likely start, their ace Nick Wood, (21-2, 2.86). Portland has a team ERA of 4.29, you better play good defense, because they won’t allow you to score very much.

SYRACUSE (98-64) vs VANCOUVER (95-67) (6-4, Syracuse)

Syracuse makes the playoffs for the third year in a row as they take on the Tuques of Vancouver, who make the second season for the 4th time in five years.

The Warriors have a nice one-two punch in Mariano Alvarez (57HR, 150RBI) and Omar Soriano (46, 144). If these guys can continue to hit, it will be a long series for the other team. Their pitching has a nice one-two punch as well, with Lance Evans (17-6, 4.67) and Bobby Allen (17-5, 3.60) That is a tough combination to beat.

The Tuques will do their best when they take the field. Ralph Edwards leads a very balanced team ready to go to the next level. On the bump, Vancouver will send out Louie Neruda, a 17 game winner with an ERA of 4.04. To close games out will be a bully-by-committee.

Franchise All-Time Records

Here is the complete list of team wins though 2008.
AL= Blue NL= Red

1. Durham (956-340)
2. Kansas City (765-531)
3. St. Louis (763-533)
4. Toledo (745-551)
5. Dover (729-567)
6. Syracuse (723-573)
7. Vancouver (715-581)
8. Charleston (711-585)
9. Ottawa (709-587)
10. Portland (702-594)
11. Louisville (688-608)
12. Detroit (679-617)
13. Columbus (670-626)
14. Nashville (668-628)
15. Richmond (652-644)
16. Arizona (643-653)
17. Cincinnati (639-657)
18. Oklahoma City (616-680)
19. San Antonio (610-686)
20. Philadelphia (600-696)
21. Chicago (598-698)
22. Cleveland (590-706)
23. Washington (589-707)
24. Anaheim (585-711)
25. Scranton (582-714)
26. Burlington (563-733)
27. Honolulu (553-743)
28. New Orleans (552-744)
29. Pawtucket (551-745)
30. Santa Cruz (542-754)
31. Boston (542-754)
32. Salt Lake City (452-844)
    

Power Poll

This edition of the power poll is kind of special, it will be the last poll before the playoffs. The teams in the top 5 should be locks for the playoffs, while the bottom 5 teams will be fighting for their playoff lives. So, without further adu, the top ten power poll. (current W-L) (since last power poll W-L) (previous power poll ranking):

1. Durham Daddies (95-26) (23-7) (1).
2. Vancouver Tuques (77-44) (20-10) (2).
3. Syracuse Saltine Warriors (77-44) (18-12) (3).
4. Toledo Dirt Roosters (74-47) (18-12) (4).
5. Charleston Chew (73-48) (24-6) (9).
6. Louisville Derbies (73-48) (16-14) (6).
7. Washington 42's (71-50) (17-13) (5).
8. Portland Showers (70-51) (17-13) (8).
9. Richmond Rebels (68-53) (18-12) (NR).
10. Ottawa Rocks (66-55) (16-14) (7).

Power Poll- All Star Edition

Here we are at the All Star break. It has been a very interesting season so far. The following power poll will have the familiar top ten and a brief run down of the remaining teams. The NL teams are starting to make their mark on the power rankings. One other thing added to the rankings, the second set of win-loss records, is the teams’ records since the last power poll. Here we go:

1. Durham Daddies (72-19) (28-6) (1), Duh!!

2. Vancouver Tuques (57-34) (25-9) (9), Up 7 spots on the strength of top ten pitching and top ten hitting.

3. Syracuse Saltine Warriors (59-32) (23-11) (3), One of only three teams to be in the top ten in both hitting and pitching.

4. Toledo Dirt Roosters (56-35) (22-12) (6), As good as this team is, how have they lost 35 games.

5. Washington 42’s (54-37) (21-13) (7), Teams above better watch out, this team is starting to come together.

6. Louisville Derbies (57-34) (18-16) (4), If their hitting wasn’t so good (4th), this teams pitching (16th) would be killing them. I see them continuing to fall, if changes aren’t made.

7. Ottawa Rocks, (50-41) (18-16) (8), This team is just hanging in there.

8. Portland Showers (53-38) (NA) (NR), The Showers make the list for the first time this year. They are behind Ottawa only because the Rocks have better hitting and pitching.

9. Charleston Chew (49-42) (13-21)(2), This team has the #2 pitching staff in the majors. The Chew will win their share of games on their pitching alone.

10. Columbus Crush (52-39) (16-18) (5), Hanging on with their hitting. The pitching staff is the biggest problem (18th). They’re worse then Louisville.


The rest of the teams are listed below.

11. Richmond Rebels (50-41)
12. St. Louis Cardinals (49-42)
13. Salt Lake City Sea Monkeys (47-44)
14. Anaheim Bombers (47-44)
15. Santa Cruz Banana Slugs (44-47)
16. Boston Chokers (44-47)
17. Honolulu Dashboard Hula Dolls (42-49)
18. Chicago hillbillies (44-47)
19. Scranton Salt Dogs (43-48)
20. Dover ‘Necks (43-48)
21. San Antonio Flame (42-49)
22. Cincinnati Cinners (42-49)
23. Detroit Domination (41-50)
24. Philadelphia Flying Fish (39-52)
25. Kansas City Grillers (38-53)
26. Oklahoma City Rams (36-55)
27. Nashville Thunder (37-54)
28. Cleveland Spiders (36-55)
29. Arizona Rattlers (37-54)
30. New Orleans Pelicans (36-55)
31. Burlington Dunken Catamounts (31-60)
32. Pawtucket Privateers (29-62)

Power Poll

We are near the 60 game mark and its time for the second power poll. This power poll was compiled using a very sophisticated logarithm. If I were to tell you, I would have to kill you…… taking the teams with the best records, comparing ERA and Batting averages, I ranked the teams. Any ties were decided based on the fielding prowess of the teams involved in the tie. Let us get to the rankings:

1. Durham Daddies: (44-13) Previously (1), No changes here. They just keep rolling along.

2. Charleston Chew: (36-21) (4), This team is on a good roll right now, up two from last week. Making a big jump in this poll shows this reporter that management has this team heading in the right direction.

3. Syracuse Saltine Warriors: (36-21) (5), The Warriors are up two as well this week. Improvements in their batting and pitching since the last poll has propelled them to the top NL team in this weeks poll. Look for this team to stay put, if their bats stay hot.

4. Louisville Derbies: (39-18) (3), This team is kind of an anomaly. They are winning their games by simply out scoring their opponents. The Derbies are a notch below the Warriors because of their pitching. They have the worst pitching of the top 10 teams, but have a very potent offense. If this team wants to move back up the rankings, they will have to start finding a way to pitch better. We’ll see.

5. Columbus Crush: (36-21) (2), Maybe the pressure was too much for them. The Crush fall this week three spots because of their pitching. While this was one of the strengths in the early part of the year, they seem to have fallen back to earth. The bats are still working, but the pitching staff has ballooned to over five runs a game.

6. Toledo Dirt Roosters: (34-23) (8), The Roosters are starting their move to the top of the division. With Syracuse in their sites, it should be a good run to the NL East division title. Toledo seems to have come to a nice balance right now between pitching and hitting. If they continue at this pace, they will definitely improve on last years win total.

7. Washington 42’s: (33-24) (NR), The 42’s make the power rankings for the first time this season at number seven. schuyler101 seems to have the team coming together. They have made big strides this year and may even have their first winning season under Schuyler’s tutelage. Maybe management’s decision to keep him as GM has started to payoff.

8. Ottawa Rocks: (32-25) (6), The Rocks are hanging in there, hoping for a strong run like they had in 2007. Their pitching is among the league leaders, but the bats have gone cold. Quebec needs to light a fire under his team or they will continue to fall like “rocks”.

9. Vancouver Tuques: (32-25) (9), the Tuques are holding steady at number nine. Look for this team to make a move up this list, Eric has made some strong moves recently to improve the offense. We shall see if it is enough to hang on to the lead in the NL West.

10. Chicago hillbillies: (32-25) (7), This team maybe on its way out of the top ten. The hillbillies are giving up 5.5 runs a game. It is hard to continue winning even when you are hitting .289 as a team.

Power Poll-

Here is the first mid season power poll. There are some familiar names in the top ten as well as some new blood. It just goes to show that the league is getting more balanced as the seasons go by. Without further adu, here is the top ten:

1. Durham Daddies (22-6): This team is still the one beat. After a disappointing end to last season, this team has come out of the blocks on a mission. Look for them to stay near the top of this list all season.

2. Columbus Crush (22-6): Amazing start to the season. Offense is firing on all cylinders and the pitching seems to have gelled in the early part of the season. Will be interesting to see if it holds up all year.

3. Louisville Derbies (18-11): Here is an annual playoff contender and top NL squad. No surprises here; should be strong all season with a powerful offense putting up more runs then even Durham. If the pitching holds together, this team will be very hard to beat this year.

4. Charleston Chew (17-12): This team is fighting some early troubles; seems to have the pitching to compete with Durham, but the offense has yet to come around. Look for this team to find a way to score more runs, as they make another playoff push.

5. Syracuse Saltine Warriors (16-12): This team gets the nod over the defending WS champs, because of the better offense so far this season. The Warriors seem to have made a slight improvement over last years pitching staff. Should be playoff bound if the team can keep it together.

6. Ottawa Rocks (16-13): Seems the team is still suffering from a post season hangover after winning the WS. They are dangerously close to mediocre, but that's what the experts said about them last year.

7. Chicago hillbillies (18-11): This team should be ranked lower, but right now they are playing better then their stats show. With the amount of runs they are giving up, it will be hard to beat the likes of Durham and Columbus. If the team wants to move past the first round in the playoffs, they will have to tighten up the loose ends.

8. Toledo Dirt Roosters (16-12): Team is trying to make it back to the playoffs. So far this season looks like they will be good enough to make the dance, but won’t last very long if they continue to play like they are.

9. Vancouver Tuques (18-10): This team is ranked this low because of their low offensive numbers. Of the top ten teams, they have scored the least amount of runs. If it wasn’t for their pitching, they wouldn’t be this good. Time will tell if this team falls or will they start putting the pieces together and make a strong playoff push.

10. Richmond Rebels (17-12): This team is hanging in at the number ten position, if they want to stay there, they will have to start scoring more then their opponents. Right now they are giving up more then they push across. Tribute their good start to good managing and timely hitting in the close games.

Polanco No-Nos Burlington!!

Detroit’s David Polanco threw a no hitter in yesterdays game against the Burlington Drunken Catamounts. This is the first no-no this season.
“I feel like a million dollars!” Polanco said after the game. The 26 year old, right hander completed the game on 93 pitches and only allowed four men to even reach base. In fact, he faced only one over the minimum, thanks to a three double plays to clean up two of the base on balls and one hit batter. The hardest hit ball was off the bat of Burlinton’s SS, Octavio Castro, a deep fly ball to center field that made it to the warning track.
This youngster has a promising career ahead of him. Should be fun watching him develop, as long as you are a team, NOT in the American League.

NL North Preview

Season 8 – NL North Preview

Ottawa Rocks (Last season’s record: 91-71, World Series Champions)

Key Additions: David Perez (FA), Jim Donovan (FA) and Chris Riley (FA)

Key Losses: Roy Bere

Outlook: Ottawa returns the majority of its players from last year’s championship team. Look for solid starting pitching especially if Brad Adams can return to his form from two seasons ago when he was named NL Rookie of the Year. There is some concern over how #3 starter Edgardo Blanco will pitch after his season ending injury last September. The bullpen will again count heavily on Stephen Herndon to get to one of the top closers in the league Andy Curtis. The team added some depth with their free agent additions of first baseman David Perez, left fielder Jim Donovan, and utility man Chris Riley. Questions still remain on the production generated from the left field position as Donovan is only a part-time player in the late stages of his career. No doubt the offense starts with Larry Brown who set a ML record last season with 113 stolen bases. Expect him to lead the league again and be a potential MVP candidate. Overall this looks to be a team that should challenge for the division title and have a chance to defend its title.

Scranton Salt Dogs (Last season’s record: 93-69, NL North division title)

Key Additions: Tomas Borbon (Rookie), Louis Dixon (R), Oswaldo Jacquez (FA) and Ralph Lowe (FA)

Key Losses: Gene Haynes

Outlook: Scranton continued its trend of adding talent to its team. Starting pitching should be very strong with Cy Young runner up Darwin Rhodes anchoring the staff. They look for Horacio Martinez to rebound after a tough year and show he is a top tier pitcher. The bullpen contains a group of both young and old with some of their roles still to be defined once the season gets underway. It appears that the closer job will go to Vladimir Sierra who finished last season converting 10 out of his 11 chances. Offensively the team has added two new starters in Dixon and Jacquez while Borbon will platoon with Walt McGee behind the plate. Emerging star Harold Cox should anchor the offense while the oft-injured veteran Sarma Borland should provide the power if he can stay on the field. This team should contend with Ottawa for the division title and should still be playing ball come October.

Portland Showers (Last season’s record: 90-72, Wild card)

Key Additions: Rickey Baez (Trade), Craig Karl (R) and Curt Obermueller (FA)

Key Losses: Rob Sweeney, Luther Marte and Ben Lambert

Outlook: Portland looks like a very solid team again this season. The starting pitching appears a little suspect once you get by the top two of Nick Wood and Michael Dillon. Wood, in his last year of his contract, should be exceptional again as he showcases his skills for potential suitors in free agency. The bullpen remains mostly intact from last season with the loss of set-up/closer Ben Lambert making this group a little thin. John Coomer moves into the full time closer role this year and will need to convert a higher percentage for this team to remain in competitive. Offensively this team lost two major bats during the off season with the biggest being Luther Marte who couldn’t agree with the club on an extension and signed a one year deal with Boston in the American league. There still remains a very solid core of hitters including Bubbles Jerchower, mashers Tom Torres and Luis Limon. Tyrone Kennedy may be the wild card for this team, if he’s able to take the next step and prove to be a dangerous hitter this team would bump right up with Ottawa and Scranton. Expect this team to finish behind the before mentioned clubs but be right on their heals all year.

Cincinnati Cinners (Last season’s record: 66-96, 4^th place in division)

Key Additions: Eric Nye (FA), Matthew Banks (FA) and Trevor Delahanty (R)

Key Losses: Curt Obermueller and Ewell Poole

Outlook: This team hit rock bottom last year after six straight second place finishes in the division. Dante Edmonds appears to be the only bright spot amongst this aging starting staff. Much is the same for the bullpen which has a collection of pitchers nearing the end of their careers. Vin Campos will need to log major innings and Craig Ojala will need to close the door on every opportunity to insure wins for this team. Obviously, the offense revolves around one of the greatest hitters in both leagues, Jeff Jennings. We know he’ll post his 70 HR 150 RBI numbers again this year but as in other years can they score more then they give up. Trevor Delahanty should be a nice addition to the middle of the line up but this will be his first year in the majors. Also, Matthew Banks will bat at the top of the order and hope to get on for Jenkins to drive home. Overall this is an aging team that just doesn’t have the talent of the other team’s in the division.

AL West Preview

Kansas City Grillers
Last Season: (1st Place)
Manager: drsnell (1st season)

Key Acquisitions: C Dave Carson (FA – DC); P Rock Clayton (FA – LOU)
Key Losses: P Keith Hardtke (FA – SA); P Jayson Harrison; P Victor Canseco (FA – CHI); C Duke Thompson (FA – PHI)

Synopsis:
In Season 7, Kansas City continued to reign supreme over the AL West winning their 4th consecutive division title under 2 managers. They look to continue their dominance under new manager drsnell.

A powerful lineup returns almost completely intact and showcases powerful bats top to bottom. Einar Candelaria (.296, 42, 132), Charles Regan (.320, 43, 144), Lariel Martin (.294, 33, 118) are one of the league’s most productive infields. Outfielers Alfredo Woolf (.346, 11, 70, 55 SB), Javier Rosado (.262, 15, 56), and Javier Macias (.299, 13, 69) supply even more pop.

On the mound Russ Jerchower leads the starters, while the Grillers hope Billy Daniels can regain his past form. Jerome Peterson is still one of the top closers in the American League.

Proj. Lineup:
C: Dave Carson
1B: Einar Candelaria
2B: Ben Darwin
3B: Charles Regan
SS: Lariel Martin
LF: Alfredo Woolf
CF: Javier Macias
RF: Javier Rosado
DH: Lyle Beck

5 Key Pitchers:
SP Russ Jerchower
SP Keith Bennett
SP Billy Daniels
RP Jerome Peterson
RP/SP Aaron Glass

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Honolulu Dashboard Hula Dolls
Last Season: 78-84 (2nd Place)
Manager: jweatherman (7th season overall, 2nd with team)

Key Acquisitions: RF Rob Sweeney (Trade – POR)
Key Losses: DH Rickey Baez (Trade – POR); CF David Chang; RF Norm Aldridge; 1B Octavio Infante; SP Rod Bennett (FA-SC); RP Eddie Waltman (FA – DOV)

Synopsis:
Fresh off their best record in 4 seasons, the Dashboard Hula Dolls look to continue building momentum in Season 8.

Success this season will begin and end on the mound. Unfortunately, that’s where a bulk of the question marks also lie. The rotation is anchored by Eddie Baker, who entrenched himself as one of the AL’s top starting pitchers last season (13-12, 10 CG, 3.72 ERA, 1.26 WHIP). Behind Baker is crafty lefthander Bruce Wells, who pitched well after being acquired mid-season from St. Louis. The bullpen stabilized itself near the end of the season with a back-end of Donald Choi, Dave Griffith, Jimmie Mateo and Matt Mullaney all stepping into their own.

Offensively, Honolulu’s biggest weakness is inconsistency so management brought in RF Rob Sweeney (.272, 26, 89) from Portland and claimed 1B Adrian Parker (.262, 11, 45) off late-season waivers in hopes of generating regular run production. Rookies Darrin Beam, Fernando Matos, Nicholas Lemon and Jimmie Flores are ones to watch.

Proj. Lineup
C: Fernando Matos
1B: Adrian Parker
2B: Pascual Guzman
3B: Alex Woo
SS: Chris Peterson
LF: Darrin Beam/Jimmie Flores
CF: Nicholas Lemon
RF: Rob Sweeney
DH: James O’Connor

5 Key Pitchers:
SP Eddie Baker
SP Bruce Wells
RP Jimmie Mateo
RP Dave Griffith
RP Matt Mullaney

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Arizona Rattlers
Last Season: 71-91 (3rd Place)
Manager: Fantasy Frea (2nd season)

Key Acquisitions:
Key Losses: P Raul Polanco

Synopsis:
The Rattlers look to bounce back from a disappointing second half of Season 7, which saw them go from division contenders to a 3rd place finish. They took great steps to improve their lineup and power potential by adding free agents Jason Nunnally, Will Lansing and Kevin Martin (.272, 34, 95).

The key to Arizona’s season is oft-injured Ronnie Field. When he’s healthy, he’s a great arm at the top of the rotation. If manager Fantasy Frea can find a solid bullpen rotation to compliment Field and his fellow starters Arizona should be a team to watch in the division race.

Proj. Lineup:
C: Benny Knoblauch
1B: Jason Nunnally
2B: Carl Cornelius
3B: Archie Lyons
SS: Jimmie Wilfredo
LF: Kevin Martin
CF: Will Lansing
RF: Bob Flores/Troy Shelley
DH: Lou Washington

5 Key Pitchers:
SP Ronnie Field
SP Carlos Valdes
SP/RP Jamey Jackson
RP Luis Prieto
RP Gregory Hart

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Salt Lake City Sea Monkeys
Last Season: 55-107 as Seattle Sentinels (4th Place)
Manager: psanders84 (2nd season overall, first season since #)

Key Acquisitions: 2B Ismael Iglesias (FA-BUR)
Key Losses: P Ron Tucker (FA – SC); OF Peter Allen (FA – BOS)

Synopsis:
Psanders84 returns for a second stint with the franchise currently in Salt Lake City. Even though they are coming off a 4th place finish, the cupboard is far from bare. SP Rafael Morales (7-10, 5.14 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) is one of the best young arms in the game and Pascual Frias (31/37 save opps) has been a consistently solid reliever for several seasons.

A young lineup should be able to score regularly, even with rumors that veteran slugger Louis McCartin (.282, 29, 119) may be on the trade block. The trick for this squad is to improve pitching depth, that means Javier Trevino and Rich Bell need to earn their salaries.

Proj. Lineup:
C: Pascual Viriato/Jimmy Ramsey
1B: Al Tavarez
2B: Felipe Andujar
3B: Richard Little
SS: Raul Cedeno
LF: Ismael IglesiasCF: Jerry Carter
RF: Louis McCartin
DH: Joe Simon


5 Key Pitchers
SP Rafael Morales
SP Javier Trevino
RP Pascual Frias
RP Frank Rapp
SP/RP Rich Bell

2008 Season Begins

Welcome back everyone to the 2008 season. This season shapes up to be one of the most competitively balanced to date in the National League. The American League is slowly closing the gap with Durham. All things being equal it should still be a very good season there.

I would like to take this time to welcome the new owners (and not so new owner).

First in was a former owner, who ran the Tacoma Tigers back in 2005. Psanders84 returns to the same team in hopes of continuing to turn this franchise around. His previous outing produced a 34-128 record with an extremely young team. Under his guidance, this team is poised to make a run at a .500+ record this year. With Rafael Morales anchoring the rotation, the Salt Lake City Sea Monkeys should be competing for a division crown soon enough.

The next owner to secure a franchise is drsnell. This rookie owner is taking on a winning Kansas City team that won the division in 2007 for the fourth season in a row. It will be very interesting watching this owner mold the team into his idea of a winner. This owner will try and use his college coaching prowess in the front office this year, as he has chosen to listen to the fans and keep the team right here in KC.

Last but not least, drubrally. Our second rookie owner that has the passion the former city of Tampa Bay was looking for. Drubrally, has chosen to relocate the former proud franchise to Nashville. This owner dreams of increased ticket sales and a more offensive producing stadium. He comes from a very successful coaching career in which he has won two national championships in the college game. While this is a different game, drubrally is very excited about this new challenge.

Here’s to wishing everyone a very good season and to come out fighting when you hear the bell.

Ottawa Rocks Durham!!

Congratulations to the Rocks for their seven game World Series victory!!!

Low A World Series Preview

Low A World Series Preview
The Low A WS matches two coaches who used to rumble in the SEC in Crum. One went on to win NCs and the other... well he doesn't coach there anymore. Not that that has anything to do with the Low A WS (I just wanted to plug my latest NC and give js a hard time for leaving Vandy). The Low A playoffs pretty much stuck to the script with the best record from the NL matching up against the second best record from the AL. The Chew are led by RBI machine Doyle Guerrero and his 26 HR and 150 RBI. The Pelicans will look for Orber Amaro to continue swinging the hot bat that produced 38 HR and 140 RBI.The Pelicans will throw Low As best pitching staff, 3.26 Team ERA, against the Chew machine that produced Low As best offense, .340 team batting AVG, 248 HR and 1325 RBI. First round draft picks Red Roosevelt, 3.69 ERA, of the Chew and Fausto Rivera, 2.08 ERA, of the Pelicans offer a preview of what one day may be a Major League World Series Game 1 match up.Follow the action at http://hdersiimlr.blogspot.com/

Rocks take Game 1 of NL Divisional Series

After squandering a 4-1 lead in the sixth the Ottawa Rocks took game one of the NL divisional series 6-4 in 12 innings. The game started with a bang in the bottom of the first inning when Roy Bere threw out Malcolm McCartin at the plate where he violently collided with catcher Buster Patterson. Patterson remained in the game and seemed to have no lingering effects as he later added two hits and two RBIs. Alan Brownson in his first playoff start of this post season survived the first inning and pitched six strong innings. Brownson’s night ending shortly after NL MVP candidate Robert Tomberlin hit a two run homer to make the score 4-3. After two solid innings from Stephen Herndon, the Rocks gave the ball to closer Andy Curtis. Curtis, as you remember, closed all three games during the wild card series but was unable to finish this one giving up a run in the ninth and being removed from the game. In the 12^th, David Hyun, who has been mired in a slump during the playoffs, hit a 2 run homer to right center field to give the Rocks the lead and eventual win. This gives the Rocks a 4-0 record this post season and continues their incredible play over the last month.

Don’t forget about tonight’s early start time due to Kentucky Derby weekend. Both teams will fly out immediately after the game for Saturday afternoon’s game three in Ottawa.

Anaheim Sneaks Past Portland

Game 5 of the NL Divisional Play-In Game, turned out exactly the way the hype predicted. The Bombers Donne Rushford came through with a walk-off ground rule double over a drawn in outfield to push across the series clinching run against Portland. Giving Anaheim Bombers its first playoff series win.

The 29 year old, CF, had to be the least likely person the Showers were concerned with. Said Donnie in a post game interview, “ I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be invited to the post season after being sent down earlier in the year.”

Albert Pulido, (0-1) had this to say about the events leading up to the game winning hit. “ I just didn’t have good stuff out there.” Nick Wood did all he could to help the Showers advance going five innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out three. Nick was seen in the dugout arguing with the pitching coach, Homer Rogers, possibly about being pulled after only 70 pitches.

On to the next round for Anaheim where they will face the #2 seed Scranton Salt Dogs coming off their first round bye.

Franchise All Time Wins

Here is the complete list of team wins though 2007.
AL= Blue
NL= Red

1. Durham (834-300)
2. Kansas City (685-449)
3. St. Louis (672-462)
4. Dover (648-486)
5. Toledo (647-487)
6. Syracuse (625-509)
7. Ottawa (622-512)
8. Vancouver (620-514)
9. Charleston (616-518)
10. Tampa Bay (608-526)
11. Portland (606-528)
12. Detroit (597-537)
13. Louisville (590-544)
14. Columbus (587-548)
15. Arizona (580-554)
16. Cincinnati (573-561)
17. Richmond (552-582)
18. Oklahoma (546-588)
19. San Antonio (538-596)
20. Philadelphia (532-602)
21. Pittsburgh (526-608)
22. Burlington (519-615)
23. Chicago (517-617)
24. Scranton (502-632)
25. Anaheim (502-632)
26. Washington (493-641)
27. Pawtucket (485-649)
28. New Orleans (482-652)
29. Honolulu (474-660)
30. Santa Cruz (471-663)
31. Boston (461-673)
32. Seattle (380-754)