Our available teams are:
Cleveland (76-86 in 1999, 3rd in ALC, 30 gb ) -- Once a really good team that's been treading water without an active owner. They're currently 52-56 in third place so they need some work. They have one superstar outfielder in Luis Gonzalez, another excellent outfielder in Bobby Higginson and a a very good platoon hitter in Jay Gibbons. Pokey Reese head a mediocre infield, while their catching core is solid. The top of the rotation is solid but unspectacular with Glendon Rusch and Vaughn Eshelman, but like the rest of team, the squad lacks depth. Farm system: #13 (including P Rafael Soriano, CF Angel Pagan, C Carlos Ruis, 3B Kensuke Tanaka, OF Aaron Rowand, P Chris Mears, P Horacio Ramirez)
Los Angeles (A) (71-91 in 1999, 4rd in ALW, 20 gb) -- A team that has run aground due to ownership issues. While they are currently the second worst team in the league (meaning the #2 draft pick in 2001 as of now), they do have so quality players to build around or trade off. The team has a very strong infield based around Frank Thomas, a boosted players Micah Franklin and Ramon Vazquez and a watered-down but still good version of Alex Rodriguez. The outfield is a mess. The pitching staff is a wasteland, but starters Kelvim Escobar, Mike Hampton and Sidney Ponson should be performing better than they have been this season. Farm system: #4 (including league's #1 prospect P Carlos Zambrano, OF Nelson Cruz, OF Corey Hart, 2B Luis Rivas, P Adam Bernero).
Oakland (87-75 in 1999, 3rd in ALW, 4 gb) -- They were excellent from 1997-99, including a 106-win 1998 season, but they lost their owner this year and have struggled at 44-64. Their rotation is excellent, led by Mike Mussina, Odalis Perez, Shane Reynolds and Masao Kida, but their bullpen is shaky. Their outfield is quite bad, except for Reed Johnson, but they have a terrific first baseman in Tony Clark and an highly-touted 21-year old catcher in Carlos Maldonado. Farm system: #17 (including 3B Edwin Encarnacion, OF Ryan Ludwick, P Jerome Williams, C Toby Hall, 3B Willy Aybar)
Philadelphia (82-80 in 1999, 3rd in NLE, 11 gb) -- A consistently .500 team, even without an active ownership group. At 58-50, they are just 3 games out of first in the NL East and are leading the NL wild card. Youngsters Ted Lilly, Matt Morris and Danny Graves top a decent rotation that is getting a big comeback year from Al Leiter. The bullpen (McElroy, Jeremy Hernandez, Urbina, Tavo Alvarez) is very good. The offense is headed by young sluggers like 2B Alfonso Soriano, Aaron Guiel, Johnny Damon, Eric Hinske, and Chad Hermansen, while John Olerud backs them. After promoting all their stud prospects, their farm system is down to #25 (C Miguel Olivo, P Kris Wilson, P Jason Stanford, 2B Ronnie Belliard, 1B Erubiel Durazo, CF Gary Matthews Jr., P Matt Anderson).
San Diego (76-86 in 1999, 3rd in NLW, 24 gb) -- The Padres look like they are worse than ever (at 39-69 in 2000) but they have turned a corner and will be ready to compete very soon. The rotation is down this year with only Bobby M Jones have a good year, but it should be able to bounce quickly as Andy Pettitte, Rick Helling and Fumiya Nishiguchi are all underperforming. The bullpen features Mariano Rivera (also have a bad year) but no one to get the ball to him. The teams strength lies in their very deep and young stable of hitters, including RF Ichiro Suzuki, SS Edgar Renteria, C Victor Martinez, 3B Troy Glaus, 3B-OF Russell Branyan, all of whom are 26-years-old or younger. Platoon hitters SS Jose Valentin and Roberto Petagine still have several good years ahead of them. Plus, the farm system, ranked #15 is very strong (including OF Matt Holliday, P Aaron Harang, C Davis Ross, 3B Aubrey Huff, CF Gregor Blanco, SS Ramon Castro, P Travis Phelps, OF Jayson Werth, OF-2B Kelly Johnson).
Drop me a line at
giacalone.anthony@gmail.com or go to rlpa.org and fill and fill out an application.