The Northwest League

[ifspuds]

The Interstate Series: Western League Championship Series

Yakima Yaks (86-68)
vs.

Eugene Emeralds (91-63)

League Rankings
Yakima
Batting Average: .265 (2nd)
Homeruns: 156 (15th)
Walks: 496 (2nd)
Stolen Bases: 120 (5th)
Runs Scored: 750 (1st)

ERA: 3.92 (8th)
Opponents Avg: .251 (11th)
HRs Allowed: 186 (23rd)
Walks Allowed: 420 (7th)
Runs Allowed: 671 (11th)

Eugene
Batting Average: .261 (3rd)
Homeruns: 184 (3rd)
Walks: 408 (21st)
Stolen Bases: 105 (11th)
Runs Scored: 725 (4th)

ERA: 3.77 (2nd)
Opponents Avg: .247 (7th)
HRs Allowed: 118 (1st)
Walks Allowed: 444 (14th)
Runs Allowed: 627 (1st)

Top Performers
Yakima
SS Chet Myers (.340, 48 HR, 126 RBI)
C Stew Elamin (.304, 14 HR, 72 RBI)
1B Peter Creek (.311, 6 HR, 44 RBI)
CF Antonio Delmas (.287, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 42 SB)

SP David Pena (17-7, 3.75 ERA, 1.23 WHIP)
SP Daryl Greenlaw (10-6, 3.94 ERA, 1.13 WHIP)
SP Leroy Lecroy (10-7, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP)

Eugene
1B William Imler (.289, 40 HR, 106 RBI)
LF Jose Alcala (.312, 21 HR, 68 RBI, 24 SB)
C John Savory (.319, 10 HR, 55 RBI)
RF John Buxton (.289, 22 HR, 95 RBI, 43 SB)

SP Thomas Samuel (13-5, 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP)
SP Jose Garcia (11-13, 3.46 ERA, 1.26 WHIP)

The Scoop

If this series had been played a couple months ago, before Eugene lost pitchers Jeffrey Hood and Clayton Abston, you could safely hand the Western League Championship to the Emeralds. Yakima's a talented offensive team, but Eugene can -- or could -- simply shut teams down without a squeak of protest. Now? Well, it's a tossup. Thomas Samuel and Jose Garcia are arguably better than any of Yakima's starters, but who's going to take the ball in games 3 and 4? Emeralds 3rd starter Barry Dimas has a 5.40 ERA and Dan Halpin isn't much better at 5.01, and both pitchers allow baserunners like water through a sieve.

Chet Myers is likely the most talented player in all of the Western League and could lay a claim to top player in either league, though Idaho Falls' Viper Davey might have something to say about it. When you add Stew Elamin and Antonio Delmas to the lineup, Yakima can simply wear teams down with their patience, their ability to put the bat on the ball, and their speed on the basepaths. Eugene is a good offensive team, but they're not in Yakima's class.

With the pitching more even and Yakima having an edge offensively, you have to give the favorite label to the Yaks.

Prediction: Yakima in 6

[ifspuds]

The Interstate Series: Eastern League Championship Series

Boise Buckaroos (87-67)
vs.

Glacier Park Rangers (86-68)

League Rankings
Boise
Batting Average: .255 (12nd)
Homeruns: 162 (13th)
Walks: 369 (24th)
Stolen Bases: 154 (2nd)
Runs Scored: 711 (7th)

ERA: 3.89 (7th)
Opponents Avg: .240 (1st)
HRs Allowed: 170 (T-17th)
Walks Allowed: 451 (16th)
Runs Allowed: 670 (T-9th)

Glacier Park
Batting Average: .267 (1st)
Homeruns: 151 (17th)
Walks: 452 (10th)
Stolen Bases: 165 (1st)
Runs Scored: 723 (6th)

ERA: 3.98 (10th)
Opponents Avg: .248 (8th)
HRs Allowed: 152 (10th)
Walks Allowed: 406 (6th)
Runs Allowed: 652 (6th)

Top Performers
Boise
RF Jesus Morales (.302, 38 HR, 108 RBI, 24 SB)
C Mateo Aguilera (.270, 27 HR, 75 RBI)
1B Ronald Lewis (.290, 16 HR, 88 RBI)

SP Eduardo Carpio (19-7, 3.21 ERA, 1.10 WHIP)
SP Christian Staudt (15-8, 3.65 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)
SP Darrell Bain (13-10, 3.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP)

Glacier Park
RF Elmo McCray (.305, 33 HR, 119 RBI)
C Louis Byerly (.313, 10 HR, 60 RBI)
3B Bill Kellum (.316, 10 HR, 58 RBI)

SP Edward Funke (14-10, 3.01 ERA, 1.02 WHIP)
SP Frank Ellerman (13-6, 3.28 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)
SP William Richardson (16-9, 3.98 ERA, 1.29 WHIP)

The Scoop

Like the Western League Interstate Series, the outcome of this clash is heavily influenced by injury: the broken -- some say mangled -- ankle of Glacier Park center fielder Bradley Chinn, who was hitting .348 with 31 HR and 46 steals when he went out in mid-September. Elmo McCray is a talented hitter, but Glacier Park is going to miss their leader here. Will Boise be able to take advantage, though? A glance through the lineups suggests they don't have the guns to stick with the Rangers, as Glacier Park has Boise outclassed in both runs scored and runs allowed, but again: how much of that is due to Bradley Chinn? Boise depends heavily on speed and the stolen base to score runs, and Glacier Park catcher Louis Byerly could have his hands full: he threw out only 17% of runners trying to steal.

Both teams had close divisional races to keep them sharp down the stretch, which may have given Glacier Park's young rotation some needed experience in tight situations. Both pitching staffs are prone to the longball, but neither team is especially proficient in hitting them, so you probably won't find an edge there either.

The loss of Bradley Chinn hangs all over this series. Just as in the Western League, if this had been played a month ago, Glacier Park is the clear favorite. As it is now...

Prediction: Boise in 7

[ifspuds]

The Interstate Series: Eastern League Championship

Game 1: Glacier Park 2, Boise 7: Down 1-0 in the top of the 7th, Glacier Park tied it up 1-1 on a Patrick Sowder solo shot. That's when the wheels fell off for the Rangers. With 2 down and runners on 1st and 3rd for Boise, pinch-hitter Jorge Castillo stepped to the plate and hit a bomb to the deepest part of the park, a 432-foot 3-run homer that made it 4-1 Buckaroos. Back-to-back doubles followed, and Boise sailed to the easy 7-2 win.

Game 2: Glacier Park 3, Boise 0: This one was all about Glacier Park pitching. With fireballer Eduardo Carpio on the mound for Boise, the Rangers had to get a great performance out of William Richardson, and they couldn't have been happier. Richardson shut out Boise on 3 hits, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts through 6 innings before giving way to the pen, which pitched 3 innings of 1 hit ball to keep the Buckaroos off the board. Elmo McCray gave the Rangers the only run they needed on a solo homer in the first.

Game 3: Boise 10, Glacier Park 2: The Buckaroos put the game 2 shutout behind them and beat the Rangers pitching staff like a rented mule. Roque Ortiz started for Glacier Park, but it was easy to see he wasn't long for the game, as Boise roughed him up for 5 runs in 3 and two-thirds, then proceeded to greet a procession of relievers rudely, including a 3-run exclamation point in the 9th. Francis Dermody went 4-4 with a homer for Boise, and Mateo Aguilera and Ronald Lewis each had 3 hits.

Game 4: Boise 1, Glacier Park 6: Another fine pitching performance from Glacier Park, this time from Game 1 starter Charles York, who went 7 and allowed just 5 hits and no walks, while striking out a career-high 10 Buckaroos. The Rangers broke the game open in the bottom of the 2nd, when Galen Chong ripped a bases-loaded double to make the score 4-0. The most amazing play of the series, though, happened in the 4th. Patrick Sowder led off with a solo homer, and catcher Louis Byerly followed. He hit a soaring fly ball into right field that Jesus Morales nearly corraled at the wall, but instead it caromed off the base of the wall and got away. Byerly, not the fleetest of foot, raced around the bases and slid in safely with an inside-the-park homer.

Game 5: Boise 4, Glacier Park 3: This shouldn't have been this close. Boise outhit Glacier Park 11-4, but just couldn't quite put the Rangers away. Mateo Aguilera went 4-5 for the Buckaroos, driving in a pair and Byron Hassell picked up 3 hits and scored twice. Eduardo Carpio only allowed 3 hits in his 6 and two-thirds, striking out 9, but giving up 5 walks, 2 to the opposing pitcher. Boise heads home leading the series 3-2.

Game 6: Glacier Park 0, Boise 1: Glacier Park manager David Robertson is going to be hearing about this one the entire offseason. And it was such a classic game that there'll be no shortage of people wanting to talk about it. Glacier Park sent ace Edward Funke to the mound for his first start of the series after declaring himself recovered from nagging elbow injuries. Meanwhile, Boise's Armando Patino, the game 3 winner, took the hill for the other side. The two matched up in an incredible pitcher's duel, scoreless headed into the 8th. Funke had allowed just 2 hits, Patino just 4. But with 1 down in the top of the 8th, Robertson lifted his pitcher for a pinch-hitter. Keith Bressler drew a walk, but Galen Chong ended the threat with a double play grounder. You could just see what was about to happen. Lorenzo Gonzalez took the mound for Glacier Park, and Boise's Tom McKeever promptly greeted him with a towering home run to left field. The Buckaroo fans went crazy, showering the field with cheers and bringing McKeever back out onto the field for a curtain call. From there, Patino finished off the 4-hit, 10-strikeout shutout and sent the Buckaroos to the Northwest Championship.

Series MVP:

Armando Patino

2-0, 1.00 ERA, 18 IP, 11 hits, 4 walks, 15 strikeouts.

[ifspuds]

The Interstate Series: Western League Championship

Game 1: Yakima 6, Eugene 3: Eugene manager Reggie Barnum is going to get some heat over this one: with his best reliever on the mound in Jed Cianciolo having allowed a pair of baserunners on a single and a seeing-eye bunt, he brought in left-hander Jeffrey Morehouse to face the righty-hitting Chet Myers. Even the most partisan Emeralds fan could see what was coming: Myers clubbed a 3-run homer to make a 3-2 Eugene lead 5-3 in favor of the Yaks. Yakima would go on to win game 1 by the final of 6-3.

Game 2: Yakima 5, Eugene 6: After the first 2 innings, it looked like this game was going to be 13-12, but both starters settled down and kept it at 3-3 until Yakima's Stew Elamin knocked a 2-run homer. Eugene got one back in the 7th on Harland Hubbert's RBI double, but the Emeralds missed a golden opportunity to tie it when they couldn't bring Hubbert home from 3rd with one out. It looked like poor luck was going to be the rule of the day for the Emeralds after the 8th, when they had runners on 1st and 3rd with one down, but Keith Hix grounded into the inning-ending twin killing. That all changed in the 9th, though, when Porfirio Alcaide took league saves leader Daniel Willman deep for a pinch-hit, game-tying leadoff homer. Two straight singles followed, but John Savory couldn't bunt the runners over. With pinch-hitter Brian Vallejo at the plate, the Emeralds through caution to the winds and put on the double steal. You could practically hear the collective gasp in Civic Stadium, but the ploy worked. Vallejo singled, and the Emeralds tied up the series at a game apiece.

Game 3: Eugene 3, Yakima 2: Barry Dimas for MVP! The oft-maligned Dimas, who became the 3rd starter by default due to the rash of injuries, turned what looked early on to be a runaway Yakima win into the game of his career. After allowing a pair of runs on 4 hits in the 1st, Dimas was a model of efficiency afterward, giving up just 1 more hit in his 8 innings of work. John Savory tied the game for the Emeralds with a 2-out, 2-run single in the 2nd, and Carlos Rodriguez made it 3-1 in the 3rd with an RBI single. The Emeralds now lead the series 2-1.

Game 4: Eugene 2, Yakima 3: This one was another terrific game, coming down to the final innings tied 1-1 despite both teams having opportunity after opportunity to break the game open. Eugene's Thomas Samuel gave up a run in the first but worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam, and later worked out of a second bases-loaded inning with no runs scoring. Eugene had a number of chances to score on David Pena, but he always seemed to come up with a big strikeout when he needed it, and racked up a career high 9 in the game, despite only working into the 7th. The game turned in the bottom of the 8th, when Paul Licht and Roger Ross singled back-to-back and each drove in runs. Keith Hix homered in the bottom half for Eugene, but the Emeralds couldn't get the tying run.

Game 5: Eugene 1, Yakima 0: The Emeralds got only 3 hits, but one of them was a solo homer in the 3rd by Orestes Arellano that gave Jose Garcia all the run support he needed. Yakima picked up 7 hits off Garcia, but could never get a rally started. Garcia walked just 1 and struck out a career-high 8, and sends his team back home leading the series 3 games to 2.

Game 6: Yakima 7, Eugene 6: Yet another one run game, the 5th of this series. The Yaks were down 6-5 going to the 8th inning, but they had the heart of the order due up. Chet Myers doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and Stew Elamin tied up the seesaw battle with a sac fly. It looked as though it would stay tied up and head to extra innings, but with runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs, Chet Myers struck again, his 4th hit of the game, and this one would be the game-winning single.

Game 7: Yakima 8, Eugene 1: As close as this series was, for it to end in an 8-1 blowout seems somehow unfair, and certainly disappointing for the home team, who had two chances to close out the series in front of their own fans and failed both times. The big blow came in the 4th, when Eugene's Thomas Samuel gave up 2-out singles to Antonio Delmas and Stew Elamin before walking Cesar Perdomo. That brought up Peter Creek, who silenced a capacity crowd with a majestic bomb, sailing over the center field fence for a grand slam. They played 5 more innings, but they could have stopped right there. Yakima's David Pena had no intention of letting Eugene back in the game. He went 7 scoreless innings, allowing 6 hits, and picked up his second win of the series.

Series MVP:

David Pena

2-0, 1.31 ERA, 20.2 IP, 21 hits, 5 walks, 16 strikeouts.

[ifspuds]

The Northwest Championship



Yakima Yaks (86-68)

vs.



Boise Buckaroos (87-67)

The inaugural and -- most would say -- successful 2009 season of the Northwest League comes to its conclusion with the Northwest Championship, pitting the Western League champion Yakima Yaks against the Eastern League champion Boise Buckaroos.

Both teams survived strong challenges in their Interstate Series wins, and both escaped without injuries. Yakima is clearly the more dangerous offensive team, but Boise has slightly better pitching. Neither team is particularly lights-out on the mound, though, and we could see an offensive series.

On Yakima's side, only David Pena comes in particularly hot, but after pitching in game 7 of the WLCS, he won't go again until probably game 3 of the championship. The game 1 start will probably go to Daryl Greenlaw, who was strong throughout the season and turned in two solid performances in the series against Eugene, but only picked up a hard-luck loss for his efforts. Offensively, everything runs through Chet Myers, who hit .379 with a pair of homers in the WLCS, and Antonio Delmas, who also homered twice and hit .400 for the series. Catcher Stew Elamin (.304, 14 HR, 72 RBI during the season, .217, 2 HR, 4 RBI in the WLCS) will need to pick it up a bit to give these guys some support. Manager Al Benson's contract is up at the end of this season, and he has yet to sign an extension. He could be managing for his job in this one.

For Boise, catcher Mateo Aguilera made a case for ELCS MVP, hitting .440 with a homer and 4 RBI, and Francis Dermody staked his claim to the starting job in the championship series with a .474 average during the ELCS. The Buckaroos, by virtue of their 6-game series, had an extra day of rest that allowed them to set their rotation up. Eduardo Carpio will go in game 1, followed by Darrell Bain and ELCS MVP Armando Patino. Bain had one great start and one rotten start in the ELCS, so many eyes will be watching to see which version of the veteran righty will show up for the championship. Manager Tim Quentin's job is safe, but you have to wonder what sort of blackmail centerfielder Rogelio Plazas has on him to keep the defensive marvel in the leadoff spot. Plazas was awful in the ELCS, after not being very good during the season: .111, no walks, 11 strikeouts in the ELCS, .244, 18 walks, 127 strikeouts during the season.

Who's going to come out on top of what should be a pretty evenly matched series? Boise had a more impressive showing in their league championship series, and their pitching looks more reliable and rested. If the Buckaroos can get another hitter to get hot alongside Aguilera and Dermody, it could be a blowout, but chances are the series is going to go at least 6, if not 7, games.

Prediction: Boise in 6

[ifspuds]

Northwest Championship

Game 1: Boise 4 - Yakima 3

The Yaks are going to be kicking themselves over this one. With Boise ace Eduardo Carpio struggling in the 1st, committing an error and hitting Chet Myers on the way to loading the bases with no outs, the Yaks could have blown open the game. Cleanup hitter Antonio Delmas, though, bounced back to the mound to start a double play, and while they scored 2 on Jesus Morales' dropped fly ball, it should have been more. Then in the 7th, with Yakima up 3-2, much-maligned Rogelio Plazas led off with a triple for Boise and tied the game 3-3 on a sac fly two batters later. Alberto Nava, who had walked, stole second and took third on the wild throw, then scored on the next pitch -- a wild pitch that Stew Elamin had no hope of handling. Suddenly, Boise was ahead 4-3, and that's the way it would end, despite Yakima getting two runners on in both the 8th and 9th.

Game 2: Boise 2 - Yakima 1

Hard to believe this one was only 2-1, as neither starting pitcher had anything close to their best stuff. The Yaks went on the board first, scoring on Chet Myers' sacrifice fly, but with 2 on and 1 out with Antonio Delmas up, again they wanted more. Boise came back in the third, scoring a pair on Francis Dermody's double, then settled in to try and hold the lead. Yakima continued to put runners on, but Al Benson's ill-advised fascination with the sacrifice bunt ended at least two threats. Their final shot came with 1 down in the 8th, when Stew Elamin and Cesar Perdomo singled, but Peter Creek, who hit .311 over the season, bunted the runners over and the pinch-hitter Juvel Zapata struck out. Mike Peer, part of the two-headed closer monster in the Boise bullpen, pitched a perfect ninth for the save, and the Buckaroos head home up 2-0 in the series.

Game 3: Yakima 6 - Boise 1

Tensions run high in Yakima as game 3 begins. Chet Myers, who went hitless in the first two games, let his temper get the best of him in the first inning and was tossed by the home plate umpire after a borderline strike 3 call. Hector Ascencio followed suit in the 5th, and some observers were wondering where Al Benson was and why he wasn't protecting his players. And all this with surprise starter Burt Browning -- and not ELCS MVP Armando Patino -- on the mound. No one's certain if Patino is hurt, or he was skipped for some other reason. Browning only had one start during the season, though he's got the arm to be a starter. Unfortunately for Boise, he only last 4 and two-thirds. Turns out Yakima didn't need two of their starting hitters, as they had David Pena mowing down hitters and the rest of the lineup pounding out 13 hits and 6 runs.

Game 4: Yakima 1 - Boise 2

Before the game, it was announced that Boise's Armando Patino, who pitched so masterfully in the ELCS, is suffering from shoulder pain and may not be able to pitch in the series at all. With that in the backs of their minds, the Buckaroos had to hope Eduardo Carpio could shut down the Yaks offense. And for 7 innings, he did, giving up a single run in the 1st after some more 1st inning struggles, but in the end, he allowed just 3 more hits and struck out 12 hitters. With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th, Boise put runners on the corners with 1 down. Left fielder John Jackson hit a sharp grounder to third, and the Yaks tried to turn the double play, but pinch-runner Byron Hassell came in hard to break up the pivot, and Alberto Nava scored the go-ahead -- and eventually, the winning -- run.

Game 5: Yakima 2 - Boise 8

The outcome of this one was never in doubt. Boise got to George LeGros early, scoring single runs in the 1st and 2nd, and adding two more in the 4th. To add insult to injury, Boise pitcher Darrell Bain drove in the 2nd run of the inning on a double. Yakima got two back in the 6th on Stew Elamin's 2-run homer, but Boise went right back to work in the bottom half and got those two back on a double from Rogelio Plazas and a throwing error on Yakima right fielder Willie Vizcarra. The story of this series might just end up being Chet Myers. The Yakima shortstop, who missed out on the Triple Crown by just one leg, had just one hit, a single in game 4, and was tossed from the only game his team won. Whatever it was, the Boise Buckaroos took it right to the Yaks, and won the first-ever Northwest Championship. There's no doubt they and their fans will gladly take it.

Northwest Championship MVP:



Eduardo Carpio (2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 10 hits, 1 walk, 17 strikeouts)

Your 2009 Northwest League Champions:

[ifspuds]

Two days after the Boise Buckaroos won the first Northwest Championship, the league announced their award winners as voted on by writers covering the league.

Batters of the Year

Not much suspense here. The shortstop position makes a clean sweep of the Batter of the Year awards, with Yakima's Chet Myers taking home the hardware in the Western League, and his Eastern League counterpart Josiah "Viper" Davey from Idaho Falls winning the award for his league. Myers missed winning the Triple Crown by one leg, finishing 2nd in batting average by 11 points to Bend's Juan Rondon. He hit .340, with 48 homers, 126 RBI and 103 runs scored, leading his team to the Northwest Championship. Davey finished with an outstanding line of a .326 average, NWL-leading 52 homers, 119 RBI and 129 runs scored. He also stole 10 bases.

Pitchers of the Year

Adding to his Northwest Championship MVP trophy is Boise's Eduardo Carpio, who wins the Pitcher of the Year for the Eastern League. Carpio went 19-7, 3.21 in 218.2 innings, allowing just a .178 opponents' average (140 hits), while walking 101 and striking out 284. His 19 wins and 284 strikeouts were both tops in the NWL. In the Western League, Robert "Porky" Martin takes top honors among pitchers. He was 17-4, 2.46 in 197.2 innings, allowing just 135 hits while walking 38 and striking out 183. He wins the award despite missing 5 weeks late in the season with an arm injury.

Rookies of the Year

When you win the batting title (and deny a man the Triple Crown) as a 25-year old rookie, your chances of taking home some hardware are pretty good. Just ask Juan Rondon from the Bend Volcanoes, who hit .351/.426/.460 and also added the Leather Award at third base for his rookie campaign. Bozeman's left field Berny Iniguez is the Eastern League Rookie of the Year, after hitting .279 with 19 homers and stealing 21 bags for the Bashers.

Leather Awards
2009 Western League Winners

Pitcher: Juan Solano, COR
Catcher: Bill Krohn, LNG
First Base: Jeffrey Espitia, POR
Second Base: Keith Browning, OLY
Third Base: Juan Rondon, BND
Shortstop: Tony Narihira, SPO
Leftfield: William Counts, ROS
Centerfield: Paul Hepner, TAC
Rightfield: Daren Moromao, SPO

2009 Eastern League Winners

Pitcher: Bobby Hopkins, BOZ
Catcher: Ira Sapienza, GTF
First Base: Robert Ames, CLD
Second Base: Tom McKeever, BOI
Third Base: Michael James, TWF
Shortstop: Walter Alvis, CLD
Leftfield: Carlos Serra, MIS
Centerfield: Corey Janzen, GTF
Rightfield: Victor Meraz, MIS

[ifspuds]

While I'm preparing for next season, I'm happy to take suggestions from my loyal readership (however many of you there might be -- I really have no idea) on what they'd like to see added and/or subtracted (or multiplied or divided, for that matter) in next season's reports.

There'll be a few board member players to report on, and those'll get updates every sim. I'm going to try and talk about more players -- board members or not -- whenever possible as well.

Thanks for reading.

[hayesb26]

I like the way you've been doing it. A nice mix between the game generated stats and your own creative writings. Nice and refreshing to read.

[seth70liz76]

I second the comment above, you seem to have a format you are very comfortable with and it shows.

[Jestor]

I like this format, personally

I just wish Tacoma would get it in gear Go Rainiers!

[ifspuds]

Thanks for the words, guys. I'm happy to keep going the way I have been, but it never hurts to sound out the readership too.

[ifspuds]

Northwest League Offseason News

Teams Seek New Managers

Four teams bid goodbye to their managers after the season ended. The Corvallis Rivermen let go of Charlie Denton after a league-worst 63-91 finish in 2009. Lou Clark, manager of the Great Falls Explorers, announced his retirement from the game after the season, citing health and family concerns for his departure. Clark spent most of a 30-year career with the Kansas City Royals organization, including several seasons as a major league reliever.

After the collapse of the Yakima Yaks in the Northwest Championship, including several players losing their composure over umpiring, Al Benson -- who was hired only for one season, did not receive an extension. With loads of talent on the team, especially if Antonio Delmas decides to remain, the Yaks job should be popular. Finally, the Glacier Park Rangers were disappointed when David Robertson turned down a contract extension in order to return to the majors as the AAA manager for the Detroit organization. Robertson had led the team to the Montana Division championship, but like a number of players in the Northwest League, his preference was to return to the big leagues.

Seven Major Leaguers Join the NWL

Seven former major league players, unable to catch on with a major league team in the offseason, have made themselves available for the Northwest League's annual free agent signing period. Two pitchers make the jump, including two-time All-Star Brian McHaney. The 35-year old McHaney owns a 61-56 record, mostly as a Dodger, before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2008 and released last season after going 5-10, 5.82. 27-year old starter Robert Horiuchi also makes the jump. Horiuchi never made it to the big leagues, but he went 13-7, 2.36 for the Atlanta organization at AA in 2009.

26-year old 2B Shawn Jenson, 35-year old 3B Robert Brunette, 32-year old catcher Clark Robinson, 29-year old 1B Oscar Reyes and 31-year old Cristopher Francis also hope to catch on with an NWL team. Shawn Jenson likely has the most upside, with solid ability to make contact and several years ahead of him in his career. Brunette has a big power bat, but he swings at nearly everything, which is probably why he's only managed 149 career at-bats in the bigs. Francis is better-rounded, but still has major power capability. Oscar Reyes should be a better player than he is, but scouts say the ball just doesn't jump off his bat like it should, and with his lack of speed, he didn't get many hits.

Three Players Declare for NWL Free Agency

Middle infielder Brett "Gunner" Hayes, pitcher Shaun Eisenhauer and first baseman Uzi Thundakowski have added their names to the NWL free agency pool for 2010. None of the three were able to catch on with a big-league team and have joined the Northwest League. The 24-year old Hayes, a defensive marvel that should be able to hit for a great average in the NWL, hails from Boise and makes no bones about the fact that he'd like to sign with the hometown Buckaroos. They need a middle infielder, so he can expect to get a call. Thundakowski, also 24, wields a powerful stick at the plate, and has a great eye at the plate. He's got work to do making contact, but for a team that needs some pop, they could do a lot worse. Reliever Eisenhauer, a recent graduate of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, went undrafted and as a 23-year old, is eligible for free agency in the Northwest League. He's got good control and scouts say he pitches low in the strike zone, which should help him keep the ball on the ground and in the park.

[ifspuds]

Northwest League Free Agency News

In the first test of a system devised by Northwest League officials, teams and players met collectively over a thirty-day period to negotiate new contracts for players testing the free agent market. Surprisingly, no NWL players chose to jump to the major leagues, though some stars of the first season such as Antonio Delmas threatened to do so. The economic situation in Major League Baseball continues to be poor, or so the league states publicly, and competition from outside sources continues to grow. Emboldened, perhaps, by the success of the Northwest League, other regions of the country are considering forming leagues along the same lines.

The contracts handed out during the 30-day signing period are by no means as lucrative as those awarded to the stars of Major League Baseball, but for players dreaming of a baseball career that have few other options, it is more than enough. A number of stars were up for new contracts, and a few new faces were available to teams in search of talent. Some big contracts were handed out, and of course, with all the teams present at the meetings, a number of trades were made as well.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Without the ability to control contract amounts, I've chosen to report contracts here as 1/50th of what was actually signed in the game. In-game, however, the contracts retain their standard OOTP values)

The largest deal went to 34-year old ace Mark Fernandez, who went 11-4, 3.03 for Twin Falls in 2009. Yakima opened up the wallet and inked him to a 4-year deal worth $410K a year. Major League refugee Robert Brunette also hit it big, signing a 4-year contract with Boise at $345K a year. The 35-year old hacker has to be thinking he made the right decision coming northwest. Other 2009 major league players also signed deals with NWL teams (Clark Robinson to Port Angeles, Shawn Jenson to Bend, Robert Horiuchi to Sandpoint, Brian McHaney to Missoula, Cristopher Francis to Roseburg, Oscar Reyes to Glacier Park).

One of the biggest surprises, though, has to be Brett "Gunner" Hayes. The 24-year old Boise native had offers from as many as 17 of the 24 NWL teams, including his hometown Buckaroos, but in the end, he chose to sign with the Eugene Emeralds for 4 years at $320K a season. With his defensive skills and bat control, the Emeralds are hoping he'll anchor their infield as they make another playoff run in 2010. He'll hit 5th against right-handers and lead off against southpaws. Former Emerald Ariel Diez, who suffered a season-ending elbow injury on July 5th last season, put his name on a 5-year contract with the Longview Trojans. He'll be making $318K a season, but many around the league were surprised at the length of the deal, considering his past injury history. If Diez is healthy, though, he's a perennial Pitcher of the Year candidate.

Two other new faces had opposite fates in the signing period. Young slugging first baseman Uzi Thundakowski signed early, going to the Twin Falls Twins for $52K a year. The switch-hitter will play full time for the Twins, who finished 6 games back of Boise in 2009. 23-year old hurler Shawn Eisenhauer didn't fare quite so well, going unsigned despite positive reviews from league scouts. He'll remain eligible to sign with a team in midseason.

[hayesb26]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

One of the biggest surprises, though, has to be Brett "Gunner" Hayes. The 24-year old Boise native had offers from as many as 17 of the 24 NWL teams, including his hometown Buckaroos, but in the end, he chose to sign with the Eugene Emeralds for 4 years at $320K a season. With his defensive skills and bat control, the Emeralds are hoping he'll anchor their infield as they make another playoff run in 2010. He'll hit 5th against right-handers and lead off against southpaws.

That's a good salary for a new guy in the league. Hopefully he can put up some solid numbers for the Emeralds.

[ifspuds]

It's a great salary. He's the 5th highest paid player in the league.

Lots of people waving contracts at him. Boise made a big mistake, I think, not offering a little more and steering clear of MLB refugee Brunette, who wouldn't know balls from strikes if he had five minutes to decide on the pitch.

[ifspuds]

Northwest League Amateur Draft

The amateur draft in the Northwest League, unlike that of Major League Baseball, is held in March. The rationale behind this scheduling change was to allow players undrafted by major league baseball a chance to catch on with a Northwest League team in the draft. For many, it's a chance to continue playing baseball and being paid for it. While it's not the bright lights and glamour of the major leagues, it's the next best thing in the early 21st century.

The Corvallis Rivermen had the first pick, which they spent on 20-year old right fielder Clarence Franklin. Franklin is reputed to have a great batting eye and should be above-average in all aspects of the batting game. Shortstop Edmund Bristol went to Helena with the #2 pick, and many expected the recent high school graduate to go #1. He's an outstanding defender and can rake from both sides of the plate. Outfielder Dave Devereux went to Billings at #3. This kid has huge power potential, and despite being an intimidating physical specimen (6'7", 255), he's uncannily fast as well. He'll start at A-ball but could move quickly. 10 of the first 12 players selected were position players, perhaps reflecting a desire to save costs by investing in the surer hitting prospects, leaving the high school pitchers for the major leagues. Right-handed fireballer Santana "Missile Crisis" Gutierrez went with the 13th pick to the Caldwell Cowboys. Gutierrez can hit 96 mph on the radar gun, and his ball jumps around like it's had too much coffee. At 22 years old, Gutierrez will start at AA. Caldwell ranked 18th in runs allowed in 2009, so he could move up quickly.

The rest of the top ten picks:
4) Great Falls: 3B Brian Amell (big power, above average defender and a good baserunner)
5) Portland: SS Hector Aguilar (great plate discipline, but a suspect defender with a below average arm for shortstop)
6) Roseburg: SP William Navarro (outstanding stuff, but can he control it?)
7) Bend: SP Brian Tennyson (great stuff, knows how to pitch, but he needs a better breaking pitch and some work on his leg strength)
8) Sandpoint: CF Herman Escobar (all-around solid hitter, smart baserunner, average in the field)
9) Port Angeles: SS Damian Perez (quality hitter and great range in the field, he's fast but doesn't have basepath intelligence)
10) Missoula: RF Jeffrey Boggess (great hitter, decent defender and smart baserunner, lacks arm strength)

[Sarcastic]

Woohoo! Third pick!

Now I just hope he doesn't screw it up. Keep up the good work, ifspuds.

[ifspuds]

The Eugene Emeralds ran away with the Oregon Division last season, winning the title by 10 games -- the largest cushion in the NWL -- before falling to Yakima in the Western League Interstate Series. They lose left fielder Jose Alcala to free agency, but they've added budding young star Brett "Gunner" Hayes. Two other teams have closed some of the gap, but Eugene still appears to be the class of the division.

Oregon Division Standings (in order of predicted finish)


Eugene Emeralds

Last Season: 91-63, 1st place, lost to Yakima in Western League Interstate Series
Coming In: 2B Brett Hayes (first season), CL William Creekmore (7-7, 3.04, 33 SV, 1.22 WHIP for Port Angeles)
Going Out: SP Ariel Diez (9-3, 2.45, 1.05 WHIP in 18 starts), LF Jose Alcala (312/368/538, 21 HR), SP Jeffrey Hood (11-11, 4.03, 1.18 WHIP)

In contrast to their counterparts 50 miles up the highway in Corvallis, the Emeralds made a couple of nice moves in the offseason. They ended up winning the unexpected Brett Hayes sweepstakes, and if he hits the way the Emeralds think he can, along with his defense, he should make up for the loss of Jose Alcala. Add in 27-year old All-Star closer William Creekmore to stabilize the back end of a bullpen that saw 5 different pitchers earn saves in 2009, and the Emeralds look poised to repeat their Oregon Division title. The pitching isn't quite as solid, but they coasted to the division crown without Ariel Diez last season, and Thomas Samuel looks like the real deal at the front of the rotation.


Medford Grizzlies

Last Season: 81-73, 2nd place, 10 games behind
Coming In: 1B Marion Laboy (286/350/383, 8 HR for Corvallis)
Going Out: SP Jason Chase (12-9, 3.73, 1.28 WHIP), CF Paul Ellett (260/312/373, 6 HR), 1B Eric Nickel (251/309/390, 10 HR), C Chris Crosland (259/339/414, 7 HR)

If Eugene has competition in the Oregon Division, it resides in Medford. Robert Martin is the reigning Pitcher of the Year, and the pitching staff as a whole remains mostly intact from 2009, a season in which they were 2nd in the NWL in runs allowed. Only Jason Chase, as a major contributor, departs, and at 38 years old, he wasn't going to put up a 3.73 ERA again. The issue in Medford is the offense. Marion Laboy fills a hole at first base, though he lacks the kind of power you want from your corners, but Garrett Rosenthal is a solid hitter and Matthew Nowlin is one of the better young shortstops in the game. They should improve on their 20th place rank in runs scored, and if they do, they could challenge for the division.


Portland Roses

Last Season: 70-84, T-4th place, 21 games behind
Coming In: RF Seve Luna (286/350/479, 19 HR for Helena), 3B William Loewen (327/358/469, 3 HR, 113 AB for Bend), P Robert Broadhurst (3-5, 3.35, 1.43 WHIP for Pocatello as a reliever, will be used as a starter)
Going Out: No one of consequence

The worst offensive team in the NWL got a little better with the addition of Seve Luna and the subtraction of Patrick Bellantoni, who might have been the worst regular player in the entire league: .172 in 483 ABs. William Loewen will tackle the full time job at 3B, and should be a positive contributor. The pitching staff (4th in runs allowed in 2009) remains intact, and ought to be even better, with standout prospect Warren Smith making the jump from long relief to the starting rotation. Just 22, he'll be the opening day starter for Portland, and with some help from the offense, this team could be much, much better this season. They'll still be looking up at Eugene and Medford, though.


Roseburg Rogues

Last Season: 70-84, T-4th place, 21 games behind
Coming In: RF Cristopher Francis (306/363/654, 43 HR in Atlanta (MLB) minors), 3B Robert Doyle (255/298/410, 9 HR for Missoula)
Going Out: SP Andrew Gale (9-9, 3.40, 1.27 WHIP), RP David Hardman (1-0, 1.93, 1 SV, 1.18 WHIP)

Another team with great pitching and offensive issues, Roseburg may not have done a whole lot to help themselves out. Cristopher Francis, the former major leaguer, may provide a lot of pop, but he probably won't hit for a high average. Still, when your team ranks 19th of 24 in home runs but 3rd in walks, a few extra longballs are going to improve your scoring tremendously. The pitching staff remains mostly intact, though losing Gale (who led the starters in ERA) and Hardman (who led the relievers in ERA) is going to hurt some. All in all, the Rogues appear to be standing still, and have more competition in their division than they did in 2009.


Bend Volcanoes

Last Season: 72-82, 3rd place, 19 games behind
Coming In: 2B Shawn Jenson (292/338/440 in Kansas City (MLB) minors), 2B Keith Bressler (300/326/423 for Glacier Park), RF Stephen Shun (256/310/408 for Caldwell)
Going Out: 1B Ralph Wilson (292/385/549, 36 HR), 3B William Loewen (327/358/469, 3 HR, 113 AB), SP Armando Ortiz (9-8, 4.60, 1.37 WHIP), LF Miguel Pardo (234/288/400, 14 HR)

Losing Ralph Wilson is going to kill this team. As the major power threat in the lineup, his absence means that the only player with double digit homers in the lineup is RF Ronald Bordeau. They're hoping 22-year old prospect Albert Kohan, who hit 29 homers in the minors last season, can fill some of the void, but unless he learns some more plate discipline, NWL pitchers might eat him alive. Juan Rondon, last year's rookie of the year, returns as well, but he needs someone around to drive him in, or help him drive in other guys.

The pitching staff is in better shape, in the sense that they return four of the five starters, but none of them are bona fide aces. Closer Masharu Kata and setup man Johnny Barry are back, and they were reliable relievers in 2009, but they might not have too many leads to hold.


Corvallis Rivermen

Last Season: 63-91, 6th place, 28 games behind
Coming In: P Pedro Donato (1-0, 2.34, 42 innings in relief for Port Angeles, will be used as a starter), RP Isidoro Santamaria (6-5, 3.10, 1.20 WHIP for Olympia), CF Antonio Delmas (287/372/417 for Yakima), RP Peter Creek (2-4, 3.36, 37 SV, 1.42 WHIP for Glacier Park)
Going Out: 1B Marion Laboy (286/350/383, 8 HR), SP Rikarudo Shigematsu (8-7, 4.24, 1.27 WHIP), RF Benji Vargas (268/319/363, 4 HR)

Some say that if you're going to be bad, at least be bad with a young, cheap team. Not the Corvallis Rivermen. This team had the worst record in the NWL, and while they didn't lose much from 2009, they didn't have much to lose, either. Antonio Delmas is a nice pickup, but at 31 years old, he's not really a building block for a team that's several years away from contention. The two relievers they brought in are both 38 years old and make far too much money for a struggling team to be paying out.

Consider, too, that Corvallis' minor league system is ranked 12th in the league almost solely on the basis of their #1 pick, Clarence Franklin, who is ranked as the 7th best prospect overall. At least 3 other players with higher ceilings were drafted after Franklin. You have to wonder what's going on with this team, because it's hard to figure out their plan. They might be even worse in 2010.

[ifspuds]

Yakima Yaks

Last Season: 86-68, 1st place, defeated Eugene in WLIS, lost to Boise in NWLCS
Coming In: SP Mark Fernandez (11-4, 3.03, 1.04 WHIP for Twin Falls), 1B Bradley Judah (273/328/390, 7 HR for Spokane), RP Bruno Brassfield (0-4, 3.61, 1.49 WHIP, 4 SV for Medford)
Going Out: CF Antonio Delmas (287/372/417, 14 HR, 42 SB), SP Leroy Lecroy (10-7, 3.68, 1.25 WHIP), RF Willie Vizcarra (256/341/340, 1 HR)

If you gauge top free agent signings by the amount of money given out, Yakima won the free agent war by inking Mark Fernandez to the largest offseason deal, nearly $410,000 a year for 4 years. At age 34 and known to not be able to pitch deep into games, Yakima's taking an awful risk here. But, after losing Leroy Lecroy to free agency, they needed to plug that hole in the rotation, and they could've done worse. Signing Bradley Judah won't quite make up for losing Delmas, but they should be okay offensively as long as Batter of the Year Chet Myers keeps hitting. There's no reason to expect that they won't challenge for the Washington Division in 2010.


Longview Trojans

Last Season: 85-69, 2nd place, 1 game behind
Coming In: SP Ariel Diez (9-3, 2.45, 1.05 WHIP for Eugene), RP Christopher Johnson (0-0, 4.50, 0.81 WHIP for Glacier Park)
Going Out: No one of consequence

The Trojans came awfully close to sneaking away with the division last season, and were one of the most active teams in the offseason, signing 14 free agents. Most of them were of the tinkering variety, but they dipped into the bank account to pick up Ariel Diez, who missed the second half of 2009 with a torn elbow ligament. When Diez is healthy, he's one of the top pitchers in the league, but the Trojans are taking a big risk on the 31-year old's ability to come back with no ill effects. If he comes up big, the Trojans ought to be right up at the top of the division once again. In a way, you have to admire them for rolling the dice.


Spokane Snakes

Last Season: 76-78, 4th place, 10 games behind
Coming In: SP Edward Funke (14-10, 3.01, 1.02 WHIP for Idaho Falls, Portland and Glacier Park)
Going Out: SP Genaro Ceballos (6-12, 5.17, 1.58 WHIP), CF Juan Perez (245/290/367, 9 HR)

The Snakes had one of the worst pitching staffs in the NWL last season (19th in runs allowed), and they picked up one of the more talented starters on the market in Edward Funke, who helped Glacier Park to the ELIS in 2009. There are whispers that Funke's in-your-face brand of leadership is what led to his wearing three different uniforms in 2009, and a 4th so far in 2010, but manager Jimmy Wills reportedly loves Funke's fiery personality. Unless he irritates the rest of the team to the point they quit, Spokane can't help but get better this season.


Olympia Sounders

Last Season: 82-72, 3rd place, 4 games behind
Coming In: 1B Ralph Wilson (292/385/549, 36 HR for Bend)
Going Out: SP Jerrold Kim (13-12, 5.00, 1.42 WHIP), RP Isidoro Santamaria (6-5, 3.10, 1.20 WHIP, 2 SV)

Olympia needed a little bit of offense to go around 1B Victor Lugo and someone to fill in the back of the rotation. So in the offseason they signed... another first baseman. To a big contract ($204K/6 years). And they have nowhere to play him. The Sounders now have the most expensive backup first baseman in the league. Word is that Victor Lugo -- in the last year of his contract -- is furious at Sounders management, and is demanding a trade. There are plenty of teams out there that would love to have him.

Olympia's not a bad team, but they could've improved themselves a lot more this offseason. Don't expect them to do much unless they can bring in a hefty haul of players for one of their All-Star first basemen.


Tacoma Rainiers

Last Season: 75-79, 5th place, 11 games behind
Coming In: 3B Francis Dermody (300/370/608 in 130 ABs for Boise), RP Carmine Mellott (3-1, 3.55, 1.20 WHIP, 1 SV for Boise)
Going Out: SP Aaron Barras (2-5, 4.19, 1.42 WHIP)

Talk about spinning your wheels. The Rainiers were a below average team in 2009 and did almost nothing to improve their lot except make a pair of trades with Boise that brought in a reliever and a third baseman who hit well in limited action with the Buckaroos. Francis Dermody is 33 years old, however, and for a team with limited prospects for contention, he's not the sort of player you want to be going after. Expect another long season in Tacoma in 2010.


Port Angeles Olympics

Last Season: 73-81, 6th place, 13 games behind
Coming In: No one of consequence
Going Out: SP Charles Shurtleff (12-9, 4.45, 1.31 WHIP), CL William Creekmore (7-7, 3.04, 1.22 WHIP, 33 SV), RP Pedro Donato (1-0, 2.34, 0.99 WHIP, 1 SV)

The Olympics were one of the worst offensive teams in the league last season, primarily due to a poor batting average. So maybe it made sense to not worry too much about that -- batting average does fluctuate from season to season. But sitting still while losing two quality relievers -- one who could've been a good starting pitcher (and will be, for Corvallis) -- and a decent starting pitcher in addition, it looks like Port Angeles will be playing for 2011 and draft position.