Time Warp Baseball

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by jdw

We need some season previews to get the discussion going again in this thread.

My pc's been down for days. Just got it back so hopefully I'll get to some of it tomorrow.

[Matt from TN]

Key Retirees:


Cotton Simson, SP
St. Louis Browns 1939-51
Pittsburgh Pirates 1952-55



Simson was the dominant pitcher of his generation. He began his career when Frank Smith and Jethro Lee were at the top of their game. Once they retired, Simson was the best around. He helped lead the Browns to the 1946 World Series where his 2.12 ERA was good enough only for an 0-2 record. After being traded to the Pirates before the 1952 season, he helped return Pittsburgh to a position of respect with two near-misses in two of the most thrilling pennant races the NL has ever seen. Over his career, Simson won 20 or more games 10 times. He retired with a fantastic 317-173 record (64.7%, 13th Most Wins All-Time), 2.97 ERA, 1058 walks, 2709 K's (4th All-Time), 332 complete games, 51 shutouts (12th All-Time) and a 1.09 WHIP. Two seasons before retiring, Simson was between Smith and Lee on the all-time ERA list but those final two seasons with career high ERA's dropped him out of the Top 25. Simson was a 6-time POY and an 11-time all-star.


Tom Howard, SS/2B
New York Giants 1942-56



When Howard first brokeout during the 1944 season, many in the media called it a wartime fluke. He quickly proved those doubters wrong because in 1947 he became the first Triple Crown winner in major league history by hitting .352 with 33 HR and 137 RBI. He went on to retire with a .311 average, 2100 hits, 373 doubles, 193 homeruns, 1010 RBI, 1035 runs, 675 K's, 533 walks, 91 steals and a .856 OPS. He was one of the best shortstops of his generation before helping the team by moving to 2B in 1951. He played in three World Series, but the Giants lost all three of them. In 1949 he won a Gold Glove at shortstop and then in 1955 he added a GG at second base. He was the 1943 ROY, the 1947 BOY and a 7-time all-star.



Other Notable Retirees:

Dennis Kitterman, 1B
Dodgers 1939-43, 1946-49
Tigers 1949-56

.319, 1981 H, 233 2B, 119 HR, 787 RBI, 1108 R, 459 K, 770 BB, 101 SB, .839 OPS

Kitterman broke through as the 1B of the future with the 1943 Dodgers, but he went off to war after the season and only returned halfway through the 1946 season. In May of 1949, he was traded to Detroit where he became a consistent leader the Tigers teams that won four straight World Series. He also won a World Series with the Dodgers in 1943.


Corky Stell, SP
White Sox 1942-50
Reds 1950-51
Tigers 1951-56

163-108, 15 Sv, 3.30 ERA, 820 BB, 986 K, 30 CG, 8 SHO, 1.27 WHIP

Three-time POY including the first two seasons of Detroit's four year WS run. 6-time AS.


Will Groaning, LF
Cubs 1944-52
Red Sox 1952-55

.284, 1623 H, 336 2B, 185 HR, 844 RBI, 910 R, 678 K, 1210 BB, .849 OPS

Three-time AS who finished 2nd in walks 6 times in a 7-year period.


Ace Shipley, SP
Reds 1938-40, 1942-48
Cardinals 1949-52
Pirates 1953-56

193-149, 3.52 ERA, 912 BB, 1282 K, 125 CG, 20 SHO, 1.29 WHIP

Won 1947 WS with Reds and 1950 WS with Cardinals. 4-time AS.


Ogden Wing, LF Ancestor
Cardinals 1938-43, 1946-56

.307, 2297 H, 302 2B, 200 HR, 1018 RBI, 1370 R, 748 K, 1037 BB, 276 SB, .854 OPS

Won 3 GG's. Won 3 pennants and 1 WS. 9-time AS.


"Jungle" Jim Dunkel, 3B Ancestor
Senators 1938-42, 1946-52
Yankees 1953-55
Cardinals 1956

.280, 1500 H, 254 2B, 214 HR, 914 RBI, 833 R, 638 K, 581 BB, .822 OPS

Won 2 pennants and 1 WS with Senators. Won 2 GG's. 3-time AS.



Honorable Mentions:

Eugene Sprecher, SP
Browns/Orioles 1942, 1946-55

145-160, 4.43 ERA, 1230 BB, 1122 K, 115 CG, 19 SHO, 1.48 WHIP

Lost 3 years to the war but returned in 1946 to win 22 games and help lead Browns to the pennant. Despite the 22-10 record and 2.93 ERA, he lost out on the ROY thanks to another fabulous season by fellow Brown Johnny Champagne (.397, 12 HR, 94 RBI) who also just returned from the war that year.


Stu Cripps, RF
White Sox 1942-49, 1952-53
Giants 1949-51, 1956
Yankees 1953-55

.291, 1602 H, 231 2B, 84 HR, 674 RBI, 682 R, 455 BB, 724 K, .744 OPS

Won 2 GG's.


Bonnard Shadle, SS Ancestor
Braves 1940-56

.260, 1703 H, 315 2B, 70 HR, 680 RBI, 937 R, 864 K, 1069 BB, 154 SB, .738 OPS

Won 1 GG.


Other Retiring Ancestors:

Cecil Reed, LF Ancestor
Pirates 1946-56

.250, 259 H, 17 HR, 103 RBI, 125 R, 114 K, 100 BB, .677 OPS

[canadiancreed]

Cecil Reed, LF Ancestor
Pirates 1946-56

.250, 259 H, 17 HR, 103 RBI, 125 R, 114 K, 100 BB, .677 OPS

Far from a HOF career, he was able to hang on for ten years with the Pirates as a clutch hitter in a PH role

[Matt from TN]

Ancestors Added in 1957:

Braulio "El Jefe" Camacho, SP, Philadelphia Phillies



This 23-year-old pitcher dominated the Mexican League before being convinced to try his trade in America. He should be in the Phillies starting rotation on Opening Day. He is a hard thrower who set strikeout records in Mexico. The one concern right now is his ability to keep balls in the park at Shibe Park.


Mon "Fatty" Villa, CF, Milwaukee Braves



A talented outfielder who hits for contact and power. Is is average defensively and he has decent speed. He should start the season at AA Atlanta but he could be in the majors very soon. With plenty of young outfield talent in Milwaukee, Villa could become the starting LF, moving Abe Arsenault to RF where he is a better fielder.


LeRoy "Ears" Darling, RF, Baltimore Orioles



The Orioles already have several talented young outfielders, and Darling should provide them yet another option. He is a talented hitter with plenty of power. He is young though, and should need plenty of time in the minors to develop. But with all the young talent in Baltimore these days, the team can afford to be patient.


Richard Lutske, 1B, Chicago Cubs



With Bobby Johnson turning 36 in August, the Cubs continue to search for his eventual replacement. The team hopes Johnson continues to hit the way he has over the past few seasons so a young player like Lutske can get some seasoning in the minors before being needed in Chicago. Lutske's power is unquestioned, although he often struggles to make contact. He is currently projected as a .260 hitter with 30-40 HR power potential. He sometimes makes up for his contact with a good eye at the plate. He will begin the season at Single-A Burlington, and his rise to the majors should be slow and steady.


"Nasty" Nestor Camacho, 3B, Detroit Tigers



The brother of Phillies pitcher Braulio, Nestor decided to come to America with his older brother. He makes great contact and has decent 20 HR power. He can play all over the infield, but the Tigers hope he can step into the 3B job in the major leagues soon. He will begin this season at AAA Buffalo.


Gary Yordy, C, Pittsburgh Pirates



Pittsburgh believes they have their catcher of the future in last season's ROY Doug Provenzano. However, 18-year-old Yordy has a great bat and the team hopes to slowly develop him to see and see if he can either someday take over the starting job in Pittsburgh, backup Provenzano or become valuable trade bait. His arm is average at best. He will begin his career at Single A Burlington-Graham.


Warren Pope, SS, New York Giants



With Tom Howard retiring this offseason and Nick Pursell, Mike Fellner and Rex Seelinger ages 38, 36 and 35 as of Opening Day, the Giants continue to work on building the future of their infield. The future stars appear to be Henry Edwards and Chippy Gaines at AA Wilkes-Barre, but Pope joins Johhny Vamos at Single A Danville as other top young infield prospects. Pope is somewhat lacking at the plate but he is stellar defensively. His one offensive strength is considerable gap power which is aided by his good speed. He will likely not be rushed to the majors, but his defense could get him there before other young players.


Tommy "Teetotaler" Allen, C, Milwaukee Braves



The organization is desperate for catching help. They have Hector Cruz at Single A, but he could also play 1B or 3B. Allen, who can also play 1B, gives the Braves two young catchers with rocket arms. Cruz is a superior hitter but Allen has more power. He struggles with the strikezone at times, but if he makes better contact, Milwaukee will have to find a way to work but him and Cruz into the regular lineup.

[Matt from TN]

1957 Offseason News

The Indians have yet to live up to their lofty expectations as serious pennant contenders, and last year was one of the most depressing seasons for the team as they failed to finish with a winning record. As a result, the team fired GM Charles Netzer and manager Cookie DeWitt. In their place are rookie GM Hank Jett and new manager Flip DeLeon. Second year GM Fred Storey also put the Senators coaching staff through a complete overhaul. In as manager is HOF centerfielder Sam Kass, who once served as the team's hitting coach. Recently retired former Senators 3B Jim Dunkel was hired as the team's third base coach.

In The News

Oct 2: The Comiskey Park broadcast booth caught fire, causing damage estimated at $100,000.

Oct 5: Owner Clark Griffith of the Senators said the club is considering moving to the West Coast because of the delay in building a new Washington stadium.

Oct 11: AL President Will Harridge barred the shift of the Senators to the West Coast, unless unanimously approved by the other AL owners.

Oct 17: The Senators announced they will study bids from Louisville and San Francisco.

Oct 30: The Dodgers sold Ebbets Field to a real estate group. They agreed to stay until 1959, with an option to stay until 1961.

Nov 13: In Japan, the touring Dodgers won the last game of their exhibition trip to finish with 14 wins, four losses and a tie.

Nov 14: The Pittsburgh Pirates said the franchise may have to move unless a new municipal stadium is built to replace Forbes Field.

Dec 10: Mrs. Grace Comiskey, president of the White Sox, died of a heart attack in Washington.

Dec 11: A players organization is established with Tom Howard as president.

Dec 12: The Major Leagues voted at a joint meeting to allow rosters to remain at 28 players for the first 30 days of the regular season.

Dec 28: The NY Board of Estimate voted $25,000 for a survey regarding the Dodgers' proposed new stadium for downtown Brooklyn.

Jan 4: The Dodgers bought a 44-passenger twin-engine airplane for $775,000, which they will use to transport the club during the season. They are the first team to own their own plane.

Jan 10: Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that singer Bing Crosby can keep his "token" stock in the Detroit Tigers, even though he owns part of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jan 29: With the advent of coast-to-coast air travel, major league baseball weighed a plan for a player pool to be used in the event of an air disaster.

Feb 1: Club owners approved a new 5-year player pension plan, effective April 1st. It offers more liberal benefits and includes all players, coaches and trainers eligible for the 1947 plan. The owners rejected the players' request to raise the minimum salary from $6,000 to $7,500.

Feb 14: The Georgia Senate unanimously approved Senator Leon Butts' bill barring blacks from playing baseball with whites. Religious gatherings are the only exceptions to this bill.

Feb 19: The Detroit Tigers shipped catcher John Degal, infielder Mike Kreitenberg and a minor league pitcher to Boston. In return they received catcher Ben Lutske and a host of minor league talent. Kreitenberg did not report to the Red Sox until the day after spring training started, while Degal didn't report until a month later, less than two weeks before the start of the season. The Red Sox eventually admitted that when they signed pitcher Randy Bazer to a $85,000 bonus after last season, it was on behalf of the Tigers with the understanding that they'd later ship him to Detroit.

Feb 21: In an ominous development for Brooklyn, Walter O'Malley "trades" minor league franchises with Phil Wrigley of the Cubs, giving up the Dodgers' St. Paul club in return for the Cubs' Los Angeles Angels (PCL).

Feb 22: Walter O'Malley said the Dodgers may play 10 exhibitions in California in 1958.

Feb 25: The U.S. Supreme Court decided 6-3 that baseball is the only professional sport exempt from antitrust laws. The issue arose when pro football sought similar protection from the laws.

Mar 6: Walter O'Malley conferred with Los Angeles Mayor Norris Poulson and other officials of the city.

Mar 11: Representative Emanuel Celler, whose committee investigated baseball, called Ford Frick a "czar" who wishes to "gag" officials; Frick had cautioned major league owners about commenting on the recent Supreme Court decision on pro football coming under antitrust rules.

Mar 18: In what is believed to be the largest offer for a player ever made, the Indians reject a million-dollar offer for 3B Dave Lemmings from Red Sox GM Sal Piccolo. New Cleveland GM Hank Jett refused, saying that the team is interested in building for the future, not in selling its best ballplayers.

Mar 21: Television Age reports that the major leagues will get $9.3 million for TV-radio rights in 1957.

Hall of Fame

Four players were elected to the HOF in 1957, two by the baseball writers and 2 by the veteran's committee:


Jimmy Ditty, CF
Cap: Yankees
Inducted: BBWAA 89.5%
Teams: New York A.L. 1930-1941, 1946-1951
Plaque: Jimmy was the last remnant of the Yankees dynasty that dominated the AL from 1934-40. Over that period of time, Jimmy played in 6 World Series with New York and won 5 of them. At that time, much was written about the outfield logjam that included four eventual HOF candidates - Moonlight Graham, Allen March, Ping Hung and Ditty. World War II devastated this dynasty, and the first hit the team took was when Jimmy enlisted after the 1941 season. At age 29, Ditty would go on to miss 4 seasons during his prime. Yet he still returned and hit 301 career homeruns (9th All-Time), along with a .307 lifetime average, 2315 hits, 372 doubles, 1348 RBI, 1183 runs, 837 walks and a .865 OPS. Ditty was also a 10-time all star, won the 1938 AL BOY and three Gold Gloves - 2 in CF and 1 in RF.

(Also current Yankees GM)



Art Booth, SP
Cap: Yankees
Inducted: BBWAA 84.2%
Teams: New York A.L. 1929-1943
Plaque: Booth was part of a fantastic rotation that helped the Yankees to six World Series from 1931-40, winning four of them. He won two POY's, including one in 1942, just two seasons before he would leave for WWII. He was a fabulous athlete, as is evident by his six Gold Gloves. He retired with a 284-165 record (17th Most Wins All-Time), 3.64 ERA, 1402 walks, 1758 strikeouts, 339 CG, 30 shutouts and a 1.34 WHIP.



Johnny Swinson, SP
Cap: Dodgers (Robins)
Inducted: VC
Teams: Philadelphia A.L. 1914-1919, Brooklyn N.L. 1919-1930
Plaque: Swinson was one of the premier pitchers of his day, dominating the National League over an eight year span. He won three POY Awards and had 7 consecutive 20-win seasons. He led the NL in ERA and Wins three times each. He won two World Series with Brooklyn and a Gold Glove. He finished his career with a 256-167 record, 3.23 ERA, 1159 K's, 348 complete games and 33 shutouts. At the time of his retirement, he had the 2nd best ERA, 4th most wins, 3rd most complete games and 3rd most shutouts among active pitchers.


*Note that all rankings (i.e. 2nd All-Time) were at the time of the players retirement. What happened after they retired does not reflect on their plaque.

[jdw]

> Other Notable Retirees:
>
> Corky Stell, SP
> Ace Shipley, SP
> Ogden Wing, LF Ancestor

I know Matt's a little strapped for time with the laptop issues and trying to get the season started. Perhaps Cards Frank and write something longer for Wing (the length that Howard got). Wing is one of the best players of the first decade of the live Era - he's going to end up All Pro from 1948-53. He was every bit the Live Era star that Howard was.

I'll be happy to write something on Corky & Ace. There aren't a ton of 3-time POY, and Corky has an interesting story. As does Ace.


John

[fhomess]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

1943 Offseason News

The Indians have yet to live up to their lofty expectations as serious pennant contenders, and last year was one of the most depressing seasons for the team as they failed to finish with a winning record. As a result, the team fired GM Charles Netzer and manager Woodrow Woodworth.

Minor quibble, but we fired manager Cookie DeWitt, not Woodworth.

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

1957 Offseason News

Mar 18: In what is believed to be the largest offer for a player ever made, the Indians reject a million-dollar offer for 3B Dave Lemmings from Red Sox GM Sal Piccolo. New Cleveland GM Hank Jett refused, saying that the team is interested in building for the future, not in selling its best ballplayers.

Damn! That would've been a sweet deal! I didn't even realize I made the offer.

Hall of Fame

Jimmy Ditty, CF
Cap: Yankees
Inducted: BBWAA 89.5%
Teams: New York A.L. 1930-1941, 1946-1951
Plaque: Jimmy was the last remnant of the Yankees dynasty that dominated the AL from 1934-40. Over that period of time, Jimmy played in 6 World Series with New York and won 5 of them. At that time, much was written about the outfield logjam that included four eventual HOF candidates - Moonlight Graham, Allen March, Ping Hung and Ditty. World War II devastated this dynasty, and the first hit the team took was when Jimmy enlisted after the 1941 season. At age 29, Ditty would go on to miss 4 seasons during his prime. Yet he still returned and hit 301 career homeruns (9th All-Time), along with a .307 lifetime average, 2315 hits, 372 doubles, 1348 RBI, 1183 runs, 837 walks and a .865 OPS. Ditty was also a 10-time all star, won the 1938 AL BOY and three Gold Gloves - 2 in CF and 1 in RF.

(Also current Yankees GM)

"Where have you gone, Jimmy Diiiiiitty??"

[Vris]

When did we lose 15 years?

[kreitena]

Weird it says that Morris Lutske and his clan were born in Russia, why couldn't it be USSR. I'm sure if it was USSR Mo's popularity around the league (besides in Boston) would be even worse. Nobody likes a communist.

Moral of the story: Nobody likes a Communist.

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by kreitena

Weird it says that Morris Lutske and his clan were born in Russia, why couldn't it be USSR. I'm sure if it was USSR Mo's popularity around the league (besides in Boston) would be even worse. Nobody likes a communist.

Moral of the story: Nobody likes a Communist.

Maybe that's why Laszlo Szabo-Nagy never did too well. People kept him down out of jealousy! In RL, he was the head of the Communist Hungarian version of the KGB. He even spent a couple years in jail in the 60's after attempting a coup. Someday I'd like to get his story down. It would make a great movie.

On the USSR note, everyone I've known who had family come over from the former USSR always identified with the individual country: Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, etc.... That's basically why it broke up.

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by Vris

When did we lose 15 years?

Not the first time I've done this... I was obviously in a hurry.

[Matt from TN]

WEB PAGES UPDATED... INCLUDING PLAYER PAGES


1957 Season Preview

American League

The Tigers have begun trading off some of their top talent in hopes of taking a page out of the Cardinals book and rebuild quickly while their veterans still have value. However, the team and fans were shocked to learn that young stars John Degal and Mike Kreitenberg had been traded to Boston. Then just before teams began leaving spring training, they shipped pitcher Bud Ulrich to Baltimore. Degal was so upset by the move that he didn't report to Boston's spring site until 10 days before the season was to start.

Despite the deals, Detroit still has enough talent to compete this year. The Indians underwent a coaching and front office change which was sorely needed as they try to finally live up to their potential. Meanwhile, the Orioles are clearly a team on the rise. The Yankees and A's are expected to battle for the pennant all season long, but don't be surprised to see one of the other three teams mentioned in the mix. That, of course, depends on how quickly Detroit dismantles their team. As for Boston, well, we'll wait to see if they secure some better pitching first.


1. Yankees (107-47, 1st) - Bourbon Allen Jr. and Carpenter Erickson are the real thing, and Eric Williams continues to defy all odds with his career 3.85 ERA despite the hits and homeruns he allows. Now the team is relying on rookie Roosevelt Wurth to step into the 4th starter's role. The offense is clearly talented, but KC is only a hair behind them.

2. Athletics (96-58, 2nd) - This team is loaded with pitching and everyone is waiting to see how Charlton Brown follows up his record-setting 61 homerun season. Hans Habermehl swatted 22 homers but his basestealing mysteriously disappeared. Meanwhile Emanuel Ryan, Roger McNicholas and Chip Sinton are young and getting better with age.

3. Indians (69-85, 5th) - They can't be a sub-.500 team can they? New manager Flip DeLeon doesn't think so. He helped turn the Orioles hitters into major leaguers, and now he is expected to turn around this listless team. There is plenty of talent... if only they can get motivated.

4. Tigers (88-66, 3rd) - The trade of Degal and Kreitenberg shocked and angered many fans, but this is still a good team. The big question is whether or not Ray Kress can bounce back after missing most of last season.

5. Orioles (82-72, 4th) - This team is clearly improving, but there is still a ways to go before reaching the level of New York and KC. If Detroit continues to trade players or their remaining vets play uninspired, the O's could easily move up to 3rd in the standings.

6. Red Sox (64-90, 6th) - This offense could be lethal, but one would think that the braintrust in Beantown would have learned after 50 years of trying that a team needs pitching to win too.

7. White Sox (57-97, 7th) - There are some young and exciting players on this team but they still need some seasoning before putting up any great numbers. As this team attempts to build something worthwhile, the biggest question is whether Ernest Cohen will ever realize his potential. After a strong 1955 season in which he posted his first ERA below 4.00 (3.20), he turned around and lost 21 games in 1956 with a 4.59 ERA.

8. Senators (53-101, 8th) - The team's ownership and upper level management are obviously frustrated with this team. The organization underwent a massive overhaul with the entire coaching staff being replaced. The team is very young, but there is certainly talent on this club. HOF centerfielder Sam Kass has the task of harnessing that talent into wins on the field. The team has posted a 212-404 record (.344) over the past four seasons. After 15 straight seasons of winning baseball (minus one .500 season) from 1933-1947, the Senators have put up 9 straight losing seasons. That recent track record has fostered a saying that is popular in the nation's capital these days: "Washington is first in war, first in peace and last in the American League."


National League

The Reds were the posterboys for underachievement last season before finishing the season well. They will again enter the season as pennant favorites. Meanwhile, the two teams who battled for the pennant last year, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh, remain serious contenders this year. The Cubs are still in the running, but they are short on time as their roster continues to age. The Braves and Giants are clearly improving but it's too early to add them to the race yet.

1. Reds (85-69, 3rd) - Who are the real Cincinnati Reds? The team believes they are pennant favorites, but they have to prove that on the field. They have a strong rotation and one of the better offenses in the NL. If they fail to perform well, Pee Wee Osborne's job as manager will be at risk.

2. Dodgers (97-57, 1st) - Brooklyn shocked the nation with their trip to the World Series last year and a near sweep of the mighty Yanks in October. They could repeat, but many questions remain. Can Dewey Coughlin and Tom Dufresne repeat their 1956 performances? Can Daniel McCarty finally be a reliable 4th starter? How will this young team bounce back from their heartbreaking World Series loss?

3. Pirates (96-58, 2nd) - Yet another 2nd place finish for the Pirates found the team a measly one game back. The pitching staff was surprisingly good, but no one outside of Pittsburgh seems convinced that they can do it again. The offense is likely the best in the NL and that will be the strength they lean on.

4. Cubs (82-72, 4th) - The Cubs are aging, but the team thinks that veteran presence should help them through the Dog Days of summer. Randy Liebermann is an unquestioned ace, but will Adam Sardina repeat his 1956 performance (17-19, 4.39) or will he revert to his POY form of 1955 (27-6, 2.70)?

5. Braves (73-81, 5th) - The Braves likely do not have enough to be a serious pennant contender, but the roster has more talent than most people thought before last season started. They are excited about a full season with Barry Gwaltney and John Surette in the starting lineup alongside Rudel Dietrich. The team is talented and there is more help on the way in the minors, but likely not this year.

6. Giants (65-89, 6th) - Perhaps the oldest team in the league, the Giants will happily roll out their veterans once again as the team threatens to move to California. If they do move, it is possible that this could be the final act for many of these veterans who now call New York home. Manager George Ward has already said he would not move his family from the east coast, so this is clearly a team in doubt. The turmoil of a potential move could doom the Giants this season, but the team seems to be content to let their veterans' careers play out while they slowly mix in the growing number of prospects ready for the majors. Don't let this old team fool you; they will be a contender again soon... but New York fans may not get to enjoy it.

7. Cardinals (63-91, 7th) - The offense will doom them to another 80+ loss season, but there are several young players now in the majors (and at AAA Rochester) that have fans and management excited about the future. Alan Liao Jr. and Scotch Allen had fine debuts last year. This season, eyes will be on catcher Chris Bland (.339, 26 HR, 87 RBI at AAA last year) and pitcher Louis Schmit (combined 11-11, 3.35 between AA and AAA).

8. Phillies (55-99, 8th) - No longer the class on the National League, Philadelphia is a city that desperately wants a winning team, especially when they see the success the A's are having in Kansas City. Mexican phenom Braulio Camacho has fans excited, but little else does. However, there are some intriguing players at AAA Syracuse, but little else in the low minors.

[canadiancreed]

Who are the real Cincinnati Reds?

Who indeed. If thigns continue, I may have to do soemthing front-office wise that I was hoping not to do.

[jdw]

I get the feeling that Matt intentional put the Reds #1 to insure they won't win the title. Are the Reds to teams what Moe Lutske is for players - the team Matt roots against?


John

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by jdw

I get the feeling that Matt intentional put the Reds #1 to insure they won't win the title. Are the Reds to teams what Moe Lutske is for players - the team Matt roots against?


John

hmmm conspiracy theories abound

[Ankhiel]

Originally Posted by jdw

I get the feeling that Matt intentional put the Reds #1 to insure they won't win the title. Are the Reds to teams what Moe Lutske is for players - the team Matt roots against?


John

maybe its just because he was scared everyone would disagree with him if he set me #1

[fhomess]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

1957 Season Preview
3. Indians (69-85, 5th) - They can't be a sub-.500 team can they?

We live to disappoint. I'm not sure I put my team this high up, but it's sure flattering.

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

6. Red Sox (64-90, 6th) - This offense could be lethal, but one would think that the braintrust in Beantown would have learned after 50 years of trying that a team needs pitching to win too.

Dude, that's HARSH! This season will be spent proving you wrong.

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by metsgeek

Dude, that's HARSH! This season will be spent proving you wrong.

I take an omnipotent approach and spare no feelings!

I've knocked people before, but so you know, this was aimed at the history of the Dead, err Red Sox. They've taken the all-offense approach before. And when they've stunk (which is about 75% of their history), they've always seemed to have lousy pitching staffs with a lot of 1 and 1.5-star SP's similar to yours this yr.