2013 Carlsberg Super League Preview
Last Season: 5th, 95-67
With an aging squad that didn't get improved over the offseason, Aigburth's 5th place last year may be the peak and this season could be the beginning of the fall from grace. They won't be relegation fodder, but a midtable spot is a safe bet. Kenny Lönnberg is the only pitcher in rotation that is of any use, but his 32 year old frame is getting on a bit. Expect to see lots of relief appearances from Clyde Joscelyn and Sam Lewis. Young rookie Knud Simonsen may feature too. Closer Stig Hedberg still has the ability but again, his age comes into question. Expect to see Catcher Reima Kaipainen to continue to do well with the bat (he led the team in batting avg last year with .335) although rookie Lee Walgrove will also start full time in the number three spot with his good contact. 3B Joe Graham to continue from last year with the clean-up hitter position thanks to his of the scale power.
Prediction: Midtable.
Last Season: 10th, 82-80
Didn't have the best of year's last year with a winning season 10th place. Depth is Angelsea's biggest problem, the reserve roster would have a hard time making most Second Division teams. 41-year old Charlie Evans is still going, well, not so strongly, but he's still going. If the Armada can avoid a injury plagued season they could find themselves in the top third. Phil Badman will lead off the rotation on Opening Day with Joe Snyder, Del Brooks, Eugene Gorden and Brandon Simpson behind him. Not the best rotation in all of baseball is it? In fact, none of them had an ERA lower than 4.05 (held by Simpson) last season. Mattias Ortendhal should dig Angelsea out of a few holes as a relief pitcher and Colby Ostendorff oozes class as a closer (although he didn't have a great year last season compared to 2011). Offensively, J.J. Simms was the go-to guy leading the team in average (.337) and RBIs (118) ahead of Denzel Wansey (as DH). This is where Angelsea will struggle. Nobody is a stand out hitter, so expect those two to lead the charge again. What a depressing thought for Armada fans. 23-year old Shortstop Logan Cuber has excellent contact but just can't hit for power, and if Spring training is anything to go by, that won't change.
Prediction: Midtable.
Last Season: 3rd, 99-63
Bayside didn't really get many votes when it came to picking favourites for the title last year. Ignoring the fact that Saphire Coast was loaded, it was probably because Bayside's Pitching was probably only 8th best in the league. Kristian Birkeland led the team in wins last season (16) with Richie Cox leading in ERA (2.98) but when two of your oldest Pitchers are beating your younger stars consistently, there must a be a problem. Edward Miller (27) and Scott Thurlow (26) are the big guns on this team yet they failed to do anything of note last year which hampered Baysides' already slim title chances. 38-year old William Breed still has a bit of life left in him, but no good pitching prospects on the horizon it's now or never for the Bombers. I would not hesitate in saying Bayside has the best Bullpen in the Super League, but if the Starters don't turn up then it's going to be another frustrating season ahead. Bradley Weldon (led team in HR and RBI last year) is expected to play clean-up DH again to allow rookie Joe Ingleby slot into RF whilst young Kai Duane will continue to build on his solid career at shortstop. It is early days yet, but you may see CF Spike King make his professional debut this year, as Tom Hannaford is probably the biggest weakness in an otherwise strong line-up.
Prediction: 3rd.
Last Season: 4th, 95-67
Without a shadow of a doubt the biggest over-achievers last season. How they finished 4th I will never know. Carrying a depleted squad of just 26 players really doesn't help in a 162 game season. Colm Hillson is a 35-year old Pitcher who went 11-12 last season with an ERA of 3.95. If he gets anywhere near that this year I will eat my shoes. Per Ohberg is the same age and will lead the team out on Opening Day but the Mercs. seem to be the unluckiest team in the world. In 2011 they signed a young reliever by the name of Garrett Webster who was predicted to do big things in his professional career. Two years later we are still waiting for him to deliver, going 10-8 with 12 saves and a 3.91 ERA. In 181.2 IP he has amassed 152 strikeouts and 124 walks. Black Island lost 2B Hugo Wilhelmsson until at least the middle of May with an elbow strain and RF Niclas Söderlund until the middle of the season with a broken shoulder. Replacing the latter is CF Gustaf Wegraeus who went .385/.440/.802 in 23 games last year; his first professional year. The catch? He played DH all season as his defensive ability is woeful. Which says a lot about RF'ers Steven Schultz and Matt Lee, both 34. Jouni Hasler (led team in batting average with .330 last year) is the only ray of hope for this team. But remember the name Craig Roberts who joined the club in October and whilst failed to make the Active Roster will surely feature this season.
Prediction: Midtable...just
Last Season: 1st (D1), 105-57
I always hate previewing newly promoted teams as it's so hard to judge. The Spartans have an average rotation that stood out in the First Division. Evan Townend led the charge in his first professional season going 17-9, 3.11 with a WHIP of 1.25 and 163 K's. But don't expect similar numbers this year. Robbie Petersen who struggled last year (2-6 with an ERA of 4.48) will stand a better chance of impacting the Super League so keep an eye out for him. Any team that faces Neil Evershed will have a easy win. 22-year old Closer Juhamatti Toiviainen is right out of his depth and may blow quite a few saves this season. The other side of the team isn't much better. 26-year old CF Erik Tinker is the only player who can hold good stats in the top division. When Conneaut was in the Super League for 2010 and 2011, Tinker batted .325/.385/.479 with 9 Triples and 25 HRs. He had a tough year in 2012 and missed nearly 4 months through injury, but expect him to lead the team in all major categories as he bats in the 3-hole. LF Ryan Riley and 3B Alvin Björkström may pose a few problems for opposition batters, but I think the Spartans may just have enough talent to avoid the drop in their first back in the big league.
Prediction: Survival, barely.
Last Season: 17th, 63-99
2013 is going to be a brutal season for the Capitals. They battled bravely against the drop last year and survived with a game to spare. I don't think they are going to be as lucky this year. With easily the worst starting rotation in the Super League, including a raw rookie Wes Smith, who despite having the potential to match Marten Kristensen is just not ready the show, the Capitals are really going to struggle. Ethan Staples managed 30 saves last year, a remarkable feat considering he only had 33 save opportunities all season. 2B Tim Stroud had a quiet year last year, but I expect him to improve on his .250/.320/.343 that he managed last year batting first on the line-up. Cleanup hitter Quincy Wrighton is the big "if" factor here. Last year he went .255/.373/.536 with 104 RBIs and 43 HRs. He hasn't hit a triple since 2010 and hit his career lowest doubles in a season with just 21 last year. If the Catcher can find his form Cosby City can be in for a big year. First baseman played well last year, but the 35-year old is aging and won't make as big an impact as he did last year. This is going to be another long season for the Caps.
Prediction: Brave fight against the drop. Which they will win.
Last Season: 2nd (D1), 103-59
Creetown's season finished on March the 16th with the shock retirement of Gene Limbrick. The 29-year old played a monumental part in getting the Crusaders back into the top flight last year, leading the team in batting average (.361), Home runs (43) and RBIs (132) whilst batting third on the order. With the Creetown legend gone, the team looks bare bones and not even the signing of Benjamin Lindt can lift the Crusaders spirits. Dermot Morgan led the First Division in K's last year with 241 and will be the only Pitcher who should provide any resistance to opposition batters. Brandon Shenton joined the Crusaders from Aigburth in a trade in October providing some much needed Super League experience (351 games, 342 starts, 154-125, ERA 3.92, 21 complete games) but he won't sure up the team much. With Limbrick gone, William Hookway (.306/.350/.431 last year) will continue to stay second on the batting order whilst Arvid Snadberg will be the cleanup hitter (.264/.386/.494 last year). New boy Benjamin Lindt will lead off the batting and hopefully steal a few bases along the way. His inexperience could be his undoing, and ultimately I think Creetown will drop straight back down to Division 1. I don't think I would've said that before Limbrick's retirement; he was just that good.
Prediction: Brave fight against the drop. Which they will lose.
Last Season: 13th, 75-87
Arvid Friggeberg will miss the first month of the season after sustaining a fractured wrist during Spring Training. Arvid led the team last year, batting .339/.430/.656 with 31 Homers and 115 RBIs. His loss comes as a major blow to the Tribe who are battling to stave off relegation for another season. With 38-year old Jake Jerram (12-14, 2.75) coming up to retirement, the rest of the rotation doesn't look quite as good. 19-year old Ian Silva (8-11, 4.48) and Monty Yates are solid Pitchers but aren't exceptional. However, they do have some young relievers (like George Farris and Closer Kai Frankland) who will hopefully prolong the Tribe's stay in the top flight. Without Friggeberg though, Cruden Bay will struggle offensively. Kane Newell (.307/.375/.414) and Tex Burrell Jr. (.301/.379/.409) will struggle to reclaim the stats that they managed last year as they bat 3rd and 4th in the line-up. With only 2 players outside of their Active Roster, the Tribe are going to need another clean season injury wise, but safety should all but be assured by September.
Prediction: Lower half. Sitting in or near the drop zone for a few weeks here and there.
Last Season: 3rd (D1), 100-62
Embleton have an excellent Bullpen but how their Starters helped them acheive Promotion last year is anyone's guess. With only 2 players (Christian Lawrence and Mike O'Reilly) considered Starters, a handful of Relievers will have to be in the rotation. Virgil Bond is one of them. Last year as a Starter he went 12-5 with an ERA of 3.76 with 76 K's and 72 BB's. Not great stats for the First Division. Coy Walker will help close games out as the 23-year old enters his 4th professional year. Rookie Pat Smyth failed to make the Active Roster this season, but don't be surprised if he gets a call up later on down the line. Alfie Beecroft (.241/.314/.341 in his two SL years) will lead of the batting with Kalle Lostedt (.279/.357/.433) who has never played above the First Division before, sitting 4th on the line-up. That could only be temporary as CF Alfie Wilford (.291/.357/.448 last year) and SS Gerald Cash (.247/.337/.386 in 2012) come back from Spring injuries within the first week. The team has a good chance of survival if the batters perform well, but the red flag has to be the rotation which is just a shambles. Embleton will struggle to leave the drop zone all year, succumbing to the drop by mid September.
Prediction: Dead last.
Last Season: 9th, 83-79
Ninth place last year was a fair assessment of the Hawks who still have a problem with their rotation which has been evident for years and years now. Damien Clinch (2-18, 10.57) and Peter Eckley (7-17, 7.50), both 21, made their professional debuts last year and remain in the rotation this year but have yet to show any glimpse of the potential that Humoor saw when they signed them. Tim Armstrong (16-11, 3.23), Harry Farleigh (19-11, 4.57) and Billy Olmstead (1-2, 5.59) are the other three pitchers. Armstrong, 36, will be the starting pitcher on Opening Day. Humoor has the best bullpen in Relievers and Closers, with Closer Micah Browning going 9-0 with 29 saves and an ERA of 1.36 last year. 3B Micah West led the team in Average and RBIs (.348 and 126 respectively) last year and will continue to bat third ahead of 1B Danny Welch (.304/.419/.512) in the order. CF Gorin Amdahl will likely start in RF as Ian Melluish has still yet to reach his potential, despite batting .256/.321/.406 in his first pro year in 2012. For this reason, rookie Kelly Allen, who failed to make the Active Roster, may feature a bit this year. Fellow rookie SS Mikael Hostikka also failed to make the Active Roster.
Prediction: Top half.
Last Season: 7th, 88-74
Jaxon City lost Pitcher Jake Harrison for three months just a week ago forcing 37-year old Dudley Fowler into the rotation. This is a bitter blow for the Stormers who otherwise have a nice rotation; a hard task in this day and age. 2-year old Lex Earnshaw (13-10, 2.83) will start his third campaign the day after Opening Day which will be started by Edware Ware (10-11, 3.10). LF Tenho Pekkala will miss the first week through a sprained knee making Dominic Webster play DH; last year he shared the Catchers role with Trop Thompson which they will continue to do once Pekkala comes back. The Stormers failed to find a replacement for leadoff hitter Andrew Carr (.275/.352/.365 last year) which is the only major weakness of this Western State team. A top half finish is not out of the question at all, but they won't be close to challenging this year.
Prediction: Top half.
Last Season: 6th, 89-73
Jonestown have the smallest squad in the Super League, with just 22 players, 3 of which are on the Disabled list at the moment. So with an active roster of just 19, Jonestown's 6th placed finish last year is a remarkable achievement. Something which they could struggle to repeat this year. Zachary Kettlewell and Carlos Roberts sit 1 and 2 in rotation and are rated above average pitchers, yet Gorin Sjovold (14-11, 3.23), Bill Trippas (10-10, 4.43) and Tomas Almkuist (11-17, 6.65) aren't really stars. The Broncos Bullpen is tiny, with just Reece Allbutt, Glenn Dennis and Closer Mark Green in there. The loss of 1B Samuel Cluett for 4 months, who was DH last year, is a major blow and means rookie Cole Shaffer will take on the DH role for much of the season. LF Wayne Oakes (.254/.322/.352) is leadoff hitter and 2B Charles Bavol (.286/.423/.508) will be the new cleanup hitter. The loss of Cluett is a major blow and for that reason, Jonestown will only manage a midtable finish.
Prediction: Midtable.
Last Season: 8th, 84-78
A slightly above average rotation with a couple of dinosaurs will help keep the Titans in frame for another winning season. Young Joe Ray performed well last year, going 14-9 with an ERA of 4-10 in 31 starts and he will be the main pitcher once Andrew Bush, Henry Pope and Willie Rollins, aged 37, 32 and 41 respectively, all retire. Isaac Blye, 24, sits third in rotation. The Titans Bullpen is average at best, with Rob Hilliard the only player worth any note, Closer Ray Robbins will do the business, but could be improved upon. Otherwise, Megopolis' biggest weakness in the Catcher position. Mike Lynch (.264/.322/.413 in 2012) looks set to get the nod over Dan Richardson on Opening Day. 36-year old LF Jake Whalebelly (.226/.307/.451) continues to play cleanup behind Dave Daniel (.266/.298/.321), Niklas Sundqvist (.296/.352/.444) and Karri Meriluoto (.291/.342/.438) on the batting order. 20-year old 1B Mike Tainio, who joined the Titans in 2010 has yet to play a game for the Black & Whites, and has still yet to show any promise as a star player, the only rookie on a fast aging Titans team.
Prediction: Top half.
Last Season: 14th, 72-90
Nyhaven had a slightly above average batting line-up last year, but what let them down was their pitching. Not that the rotation or bullpen is poor, Nyhaven just had an off year. Ryan Hodges (8-9, 4.14) missed 4 months through injury which really hurt the Stars, leaving Perry Lumley (13-13, 4.46) to lead the way. Griff Puleston couldn't hit a barn door if he tried and will go into the season 5th on the rotation, although rookie 19-year old Everton Bowler could replace him late in the season if his Stuff and Control improve. Unsurprisingly for Nyhaven fans Trevor Alty, affectionately known as "Tippy", will lead the way for the batters this season; he led the team in all major categories last season on his way to .341/.442/.625 with 114 RBIs and 37 Homers. RF Kirk Mitchell also batted well last year (.299/.367/.460) and LF Shaun Northam (.295/.366/.446) expected to lead off the line-up. CF Ken Brown is the only major weakness for the North Stars, and is expected to bat last. In his first season since his trade from Oilers in late 2011, the Arbordale native batted just .193/.301/.351 in 348 ABs. Nyhaven could improve on their 14th place finish, especially if Hodges stays healthy. But over the long haul anything but midtable would be a surprise.
Prediction: Midtable.
Last Season: 2nd, 100-62
Ocean Point were widely tipped to prove the biggest challengers to the Sharks last year, and whilst they did finish 2nd, they were a long way behind Saphire Coast. The Swarm have a very complete team and could really push for honours this year, but I think their batting line-up is the biggest chink in the armour. With a 5-man rotation of Maximilian Lindlof, Maurice Ednams, Jeremy Clarke, David Bisbee and Hughie Green, why they only combined for the 9th best Starter ERA last season is anyone's guess. 43-year old Armas Kivikoski enters his 18th season as a Pro and will still get the nod ahead of Tim Franklin, 10 years his younger. Tuukka Koskenkorva still remains one of the best Closers in the game. Patrick Dimock (.319/.424/.553) will miss out on the cleanup hitter role, with the Swarm favouring Bryan Grummitt (.253/.347/.535) which I see as a bad move. Dimock is a much more complete hitter, despite hitting 13 fewer Home Runs last season compared to Grummitt. 1B Graeme Allcock is the biggest weakness in the side, although he has batted .270/.329/.352 career in the Super League. Shortstop Steve Rose who led the team in batting average last year (.367/.445/.552) will likely slot into 3rd or Cleanup hitter when he returns from injury a couple of weeks after Opening Day. Swarm fans should keep an eye out for Everton "Bad News" Taylor this year. The 19-year old rookie signed a contract with Ocean Point in October and whilst could miss out on a start due to the strength of Ocean Point's line-up, could see a few games should injuries creep in. Fred Epley, in his second professional year, may also feature a bit more this season. In 2012 the 21-year old went .071/.071/.071 in 14 ABs from 6 games. Ocean Point has a good squad that has a couple of young guns who can keep the team challenging for years to come. Unfortunately, Saphire Coast's batting line-up crushes the Swarm, so a second place finish looks likely.
Prediction: 2nd.
Last Season: 16th, 67-95
I expect Pointborough Town to have another long and bitter battle against relegation this season as the Husk's are without any competent Pitchers in their rotation. Sebastian Aynsley led the team in Wins (11), ERA (3.52) and Strikeouts (153) last year, which from his point of view is excellent...as a Reliever. Ernest Bielvenstram is second on the rotation list, and is yet to pitch professionally (in Spring he went 0-3 with an ERA of 8.88 in just over 24 Innings Pitched). Brian Reynolds will start on Opening Day, but is just barely Super League quality. Last season he went 11-8 with an ERA of 5.41; not the sort of line you want from your Opening Day Pitcher. Dave Mason (Reliever) and Andy Smith (Closer) are solid pitchers though, and will need to be top of their games to squeak out a few wins here and there to ensure survival. Of course, the Huskies could have been down last year if it wasn't for Left Fielder Freddie Poyntz who ran way with Batting title, finishing 2012 with .358/.422/.613 for 129 RBIs and 40 Home Runs, scoring 126 times. The 23-year old will need to lead by example again with young Nicholas Eastham (.346/.383/.539) and 30-year old Arthur Fossett (.284/.342/.354) also needing pull more than their fair share of weight. Josh Locke (.186/.225/.293) is a weakness in both batting and fielding where he plays Shortstop with Christoffer Tott (.248/.275/.340) the better option in both cases being tied down at 2B.
Prediction: Battle bravely and succeed against relegation.
Last Season: 12th, 81-81
Ruysdael's mentality of "you score 8 we score 9" was certainly on show last year as they scored the 4th most, yet conceded the 4th worst. Expect the same this year. Pitching is still woeful with Graeme Crowe (11-12, 4.71) the only top flight calibre pitcher on the rotation. Kai Edison, Jacob Francombe and Gerard Green will share reliever duties whilst Arthur Jones remains as Closer. This setup could change as the season progresses with Espen Andren and Jack Attenborough failing to make the Active Roster; probably due to age as they are 38 and 34 respectively. Young Jamie Finnemore may get a few games in his first professional year. In fact, Ruysdael's pitching staff is probably no better off than most relegation candidates but what separates them from the others is they have a brilliant batting line-up. Everyone bar Catcher Kaj Lidstrom (who will bat 9th) is a brilliant batter, starting with RF Jeff Gross (.238/.297/.328) we then have 2B Justin Copp (.291/.373/.376) followed by 1B Gerard Trewhella (led the team in batting average and home runs last year) and then Jayden Eckley (.315/.396/.515). 30-year old Jonathan Simms moves down the order to 6th, just ahead of DH Magnus Bondesson who also moved down the order. The Gen's are probably the hardest team to predict, but midtable would be a safe bet.
Prediction: Lower half.
Last Season: 1st, 122-40
The current Champions ran away with the title last year, and you can expect much of the same this year. Marten Kristensen (Pitcher of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012) leads of the rotation of Tomek Timonen, Hank McCown, Yrjänä Klami and Keith Lumsden, the latter of which is easily the weakest of the lot. Rookie Vesa Nurmi has made the Active Roster, replacing Aatu Markula who moves to Closer, along with fellow reliever Artie Ramey. Last year's Closer Jude Tregellas will miss at least 3 and a half months due to a shoulder injury and will be missed. Markula is no Closer. Speaking of injuries, Shortstop Harley Hoad will miss the season with a broken kneecap forcing Oscar Bedser (.297/.371/.449), who batted most of last season 9th on the order, to fill the SS vacancy. Alex Wilson (.330/.433/.570) will stay third on the batting order behind Ryan Saunders (.358/.457/.491) and now Bedser with Henry Tassell (.335/.415/.517) as cleanup hitter and DH. Rookies Andreas Berggren (RF) and Jerry Wiggins (3B) failed to make the Active Roster and could have a bit of a wait, too. Their time could be 2014.
Prediction: Champions.
Last Season: 11th, 81-81
One of the youngest teams floating around in the Super League, Snowflake City could well challenge for titles in the future, but for now midtable looks a sure bet. Matt Roberts (16-13, 3.94) will pitch on Opening Day, ahead of young Tim Edbom (5-2, 4.00) and Don Sharpe (6-17, 7.83), both of whom are benefitting from experience, but are not really Super League ready. Mark Shipway (3-22, 7.71) is fast losing his ability and the Pirates may be better off forcing reliever Mitchell Hathway (9-5, 18 saves, 3.43 ERA) to start over Shipway. Catcher Eric Jamison will need to continue his great year last season (led team in HRs and RBIs) with LF Zachary Pearn (.330/.424/.456). 1B Wilson Wolfe (.305/.381/.431) will stay at 3rd on the line-up but the Newport native may be found out this year as his stats have got progressively worse since 2009 when he batted .355/.428/.502 with 125 RBIs.
Prediction: Midtable.
Last Season: 15th, 71-91
Peter Dettman (8-8, 3.49) and Judd Graham (13-14, 4.39) are two of the best Pitchers in the league but that didn't stop Stondon finishing in their lowest position in the Super League (with the exception of 2009 when they were relegated). This is probably due to the fact that the rest of the rotation is appalling, Bryan Abbott (12-12, 5.12) and Bill Thomas (4-2, 6.09) in particular. Thankfully, relievers Declan Oakes and Logan Murray, along with Closer Oliver Bicknell keep the team from slipping into the bottom quarter of the table, but any injuries to these players could be detrimental to the team. The aging Sylvester Williams led the team in batting average last year when he batted 5th, which is where he will bat this year too. Not a great stat for Stondon, with John Morris (.287/.367/.402), Kyle Hill (.266/.322/.405), and Virgil Reynolds (.285/.350/.408) all needing a big kick up the backside. Ryan Margerison (.333/.415/.430) the lone exception. The Steelers need to improve their batting this year if they wish to improve on their 15th finish in 2012, and whilst relegation never really looked likely, another bad year with the bat could see the Steelers slipping into a dogfight for survival.
Prediction: Lower half.