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Matt from TN · 05-04-2005, 12:40 PM

National League

With a flurry of trades over the winter, the NL has been shaken up. The Cardinals surprised a lot of people and even angered many fans by trading away most of the stars from their pennant winning club. After the retirement of Herman Dunkel and Junior Nunez, the team's management felt it was their best coarse of action. Many locals disagreed. "It a coward's way out," said one local radio broadcaster. "Instead of looking for the players they needed to win another pennant, they tucked their tails between their legs and shipped off their best players to their top rivals. [GM] Chuck Harris should be run out of town on a rail."

1. Reds (86-68, 2nd) - After finishing second last year, manager Ron Bennarivo moved from the dugout to the front office as the team's new GM. He swung a masterful deal in his first month on the job, landing two Cardinals stars, two-time POY Grady Ingram and perennial stolen base leader "Bullet" Ben Cook. Ingram adds legitimacy to the Reds rotation and should provide leadership for the young starters on the staff - Hank Makris (28), Leon Conley (26) and Jerry Pegues (25). Ingram should also benefit from pitching half his games at Crosley Field and in front of an impeccable infield defense. However, the move of Cook to 3rd displaces perhaps the best defensive third baseman in the majors, James Jones.

2. Phillies (77-77, 4th) - The Phillies became instant contenders when they acquired pitchers Garland Sisk and Loren Cost along with slugging shortstop Mike Fellner from St. Louis. That deal overshadowed another key move where the Phils reacquired James Lewis from Boston. Lewis will begin his 3rd stint with the Phils, moving to RF. He and Fellner should be excited about hitting at Shibe, and this team could have the best offense in the league.

3. Cubs (82-72, 3rd) - This is a good team that should be in the race all year. Pitching will be a strength, but there will be some concern over catcher Chuck Rauch playing a full season at age 40, and the rest of their offensive stars are over 30. Their window of opportunity could be closing.

4. Pirates (74-80, 5th) - Cotton Simson is back for another season at age 39. He will be the team's 4th starter, but there is a chance he could finish the season in the bullpen if his iffy spring is a sign of things to come. The offense will be their strength, and the acquisition of pitchers Daniel Blisit and Jack Schoonover from the Giants will help keep them competitive. Whether they have enough to win the pennant is a big question.

5. Dodgers (65-89, 8th) - After his first season with the team, manager Harry Finley believes this is the year the Dodgers make their move. Joe Helton is looking more and more like an ace, but the rest of the rotation is a bit shaky. The offense may not be spectacular, but it has potential. A run at .500 is certainly a possibility.

6. Braves (67-87, 7th) - This team is unlikely to contend, but they upgraded the rotation with trades for Mike Walker (Phillies) and Edgar Weingarten (Cubs). Ken Chaucer had his best season in Milwaukee last year, and Buck Tomlinson had a solid year as a full time third baseman. The key to their season could be how Abe Arsenault follows up his ROY season.

7. Cardinals (94-60, 1st) - Times have changed in St. Louis and changed quickly. All the trades created obvious holes on the major league roster, but the team certainly made major strides in rebuilding one of the thinnest farm systems in the league. There is potential for a solid pitching rotation, although the bullpen could be a mess. The offense will be a big question mark, but they should still be a tough opponent.

8. Giants (71-83, 6th) - This team is another year older and most of their key players are one year closer to retirement. Plus a brawl between 1B Ervin Thompson and P Lauren Slayton could be a sign of disfunction in the clubhouse. Ron Fleischmann returns to the rotation, and that could provide some fireworks. He allowed 21 HR in 170 IP last year, so a full season of regular starts could see him coughing up 40-50 HR thanks mostly to the Polo Grounds. This veteran-heavy team will fight hard to keep from losing 90 games. The good news for Giants fans is that the farm system is improving, however, most of their top prospects are down at Single-A.

05-04-2005, 12:40 PM	#4469
Matt from TN Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: In a funk.... Posts: 3,413	National League With a flurry of trades over the winter, the NL has been shaken up. The Cardinals surprised a lot of people and even angered many fans by trading away most of the stars from their pennant winning club. After the retirement of Herman Dunkel and Junior Nunez, the team's management felt it was their best coarse of action. Many locals disagreed. "It a coward's way out," said one local radio broadcaster. "Instead of looking for the players they needed to win another pennant, they tucked their tails between their legs and shipped off their best players to their top rivals. [GM] Chuck Harris should be run out of town on a rail." 1. Reds (86-68, 2nd) - After finishing second last year, manager Ron Bennarivo moved from the dugout to the front office as the team's new GM. He swung a masterful deal in his first month on the job, landing two Cardinals stars, two-time POY Grady Ingram and perennial stolen base leader "Bullet" Ben Cook. Ingram adds legitimacy to the Reds rotation and should provide leadership for the young starters on the staff - Hank Makris (28), Leon Conley (26) and Jerry Pegues (25). Ingram should also benefit from pitching half his games at Crosley Field and in front of an impeccable infield defense. However, the move of Cook to 3rd displaces perhaps the best defensive third baseman in the majors, James Jones. 2. Phillies (77-77, 4th) - The Phillies became instant contenders when they acquired pitchers Garland Sisk and Loren Cost along with slugging shortstop Mike Fellner from St. Louis. That deal overshadowed another key move where the Phils reacquired James Lewis from Boston. Lewis will begin his 3rd stint with the Phils, moving to RF. He and Fellner should be excited about hitting at Shibe, and this team could have the best offense in the league. 3. Cubs (82-72, 3rd) - This is a good team that should be in the race all year. Pitching will be a strength, but there will be some concern over catcher Chuck Rauch playing a full season at age 40, and the rest of their offensive stars are over 30. Their window of opportunity could be closing. 4. Pirates (74-80, 5th) - Cotton Simson is back for another season at age 39. He will be the team's 4th starter, but there is a chance he could finish the season in the bullpen if his iffy spring is a sign of things to come. The offense will be their strength, and the acquisition of pitchers Daniel Blisit and Jack Schoonover from the Giants will help keep them competitive. Whether they have enough to win the pennant is a big question. 5. Dodgers (65-89, 8th) - After his first season with the team, manager Harry Finley believes this is the year the Dodgers make their move. Joe Helton is looking more and more like an ace, but the rest of the rotation is a bit shaky. The offense may not be spectacular, but it has potential. A run at .500 is certainly a possibility. 6. Braves (67-87, 7th) - This team is unlikely to contend, but they upgraded the rotation with trades for Mike Walker (Phillies) and Edgar Weingarten (Cubs). Ken Chaucer had his best season in Milwaukee last year, and Buck Tomlinson had a solid year as a full time third baseman. The key to their season could be how Abe Arsenault follows up his ROY season. 7. Cardinals (94-60, 1st) - Times have changed in St. Louis and changed quickly. All the trades created obvious holes on the major league roster, but the team certainly made major strides in rebuilding one of the thinnest farm systems in the league. There is potential for a solid pitching rotation, although the bullpen could be a mess. The offense will be a big question mark, but they should still be a tough opponent. 8. Giants (71-83, 6th) - This team is another year older and most of their key players are one year closer to retirement. Plus a brawl between 1B Ervin Thompson and P Lauren Slayton could be a sign of disfunction in the clubhouse. Ron Fleischmann returns to the rotation, and that could provide some fireworks. He allowed 21 HR in 170 IP last year, so a full season of regular starts could see him coughing up 40-50 HR thanks mostly to the Polo Grounds. This veteran-heavy team will fight hard to keep from losing 90 games. The good news for Giants fans is that the farm system is improving, however, most of their top prospects are down at Single-A.