Following the New Frontier!

[PrinceofKirkland]

Bored billionaires are vehicles of endless potential. One such billionaire was self-made chain candy store Jack Crump, who had loved Major League Baseball. For the first seventeen years of his life, Crump lived for Baseball. From Boise Idaho, Crump wasn’t really a fan of a team, just a fan of the game. However, in 1977, tragedy struck. Major League Baseball awarded Seattle Washington an expansion team. This proved to be a fatal error. The Seattle Mariners radiated so much futile, pathetic energy, that the whole league folded financially after their first game. Yes, that is what happened.

Crump believed that baseball could be a successful business model. It had been America’s pastime for centuries, and he had already seen it work in his childhood. Not to mention the NFL, NBA and NHL all represented blueprints for big league success. Crump, with all his free time, reached out to all of his rich compatriots and soon enough they had cobbled together 8 teams with stadiums, uniforms and, most importantly, mascots. All of these billionaires were west coast entrepreneurs like Crump, so all eight teams original teams are along the west coast. Thus, the New Frontier Baseball Association was born.

All that remained were the players. On December 1, 1999, hundreds of prospective baseball players across the globe, lured in by promises of big money, competed in a massive combine. A month later, at the turn of the century, a massive draft was held, as all eight teams had their pick from the players. Crump was thrilled. Baseball was back.

The New Frontier Baseball League began as a west coast baseball league. Eight teams of 25 would compete in 110 games of ball. At the end of the season, the two teams with the most wins would compete in a seven-game series to see who the best team would be. Crump, a lover of home runs, instituted the designated hitter rule. There are two minor leagues, Triple A and Double A to season young talent. The New Frontier Baseball League would finally bring baseball back to the american public!
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I'm going to follow the league as a whole and see how it develops. I will check in with each team at the halfway point, then review the trade deadline, check in with each team at the end of the season, dive in-depth into the post season then review the off-season

[PrinceofKirkland]

Time to meet the teams that will participate in the inaugural season!

Boise Badgers: Crump wanted a team for his hometown, so he personally financed the Boise Badgers himself. They would play in a child’s utopia, filled with playgrounds, a pool and plenty of Crump Candy stores, known as The Den. They had a relatively small payroll, ranking 6th in the League. They would wear Black and Grey and their Mascot was Babe the Badger, a Cigar Smoking Badger in honor of the Great Bambino.

Seattle Seagulls: Colombian Oil Baron Rafael Guillen was always out to prove he could outdo someone else and no better way to prove that by having the best baseball team. And then to one up himself, he wanted to do it in Seattle, a baseball wasteland. He was the first to hop on the Crump train, desperate to take the Seattle Market to a championship. The Gulls would play in The Bay, a slick, modern, steel and glass stadium. They would wear Teal, Yellow and White and their Mascots would be Sally the Seagull and her comedic sidekick Baygull who was an anthropomorphic Bagel in a top hat. They have the third highest payroll in the league

Los Angles Saints: Once upon a time, in the glitz of Hollywood, young producer Jack Blackburn watched the dominance of the showtime Lakers. After the surprise success of the first Cow Assassin movie, followed by the critically acclaimed Cow Assassin II: The Reckoning, Blackburn saw an opportunity to recreate that childhood joy with his own franchise. Thus, the Saints were born. The Silver Palace, a stadium that can only be described as grossly decadent was quickly built. The uniforms were clean, white and red and they were the only team with no home and away jerseys. “The team speaks for itself” Blackburn said. A man in a full suit of armor, Sir Swatsalot pumped up the crowd by racing a horse around the field. Their payroll was the highest in the league.

San Francisco Electricity: British Tech Developer and former professional cricket player Maxwell Pennington jumped at the opportunity to fund hitting a ball with a stick once again. He built the Power Plant, a steam punk themed stadium and created Andy the Automaton, a robotic mascot. The electricity wear blue and yellow and had the seventh highest budget in the league. Max was excited but, despite being the richest owner was not completely ready to shell out the big bucks.

Salt Lake City Cannons: The Pirates Deck was constructed by Rafael Bautista, the second Rafael. He was also an Oil Baron and a huge rival with his namesake Guillen. Although he wasn’t as rich, when he heard Guillen was joining the start up league, he had to join in too. He picked Salt Lake City and decided he would shoot off confetti cannons every time his boys hit a dinger. The cannons were represented by Captain Petey Parrot, a parrot with a peg leg. They are set to wear Orange and Black and were tied with the Electricity for the seventh highest budget in the league.

Denver Thunderbirds: Up on the high peaks, richest and also stingiest man in America, Rob Vaughn decided to cast his lot. With his hometown in California taken, Vaughn moved to Colorado, a market he believed could really support a team. He built “The Roost” a beautiful stadium with a natural theme and a mountain serving a batting eye. The Thunderbirds wear yellow (I am now noticing how much yellow is in the league but it’s mostly an accent, Denver is the one exception) and grey. Buzzy the Bird takes the mantle of Mascot and the team has the second largest budget in the league.

Santa Fe Rattlers: In New Mexico, former disgraced basketball team owner Bobby Raines decided it was time for a second shot at the professional sports league game. He picked a relatively small market to hide himself and thus the Santa Fe Rattlers were created without much fanfare. The Rattlers nest was a classic field with a desert, sandstone theme. Ssammy, a snake mascot would soon become famous for his pranks and general hijinks with opposing stars. The Rattlers wear Brown, yellow (I like yellow) and black. They are tied for fourth in payroll.

Portland Unicorns: The Rattlers were tied for fourth in payroll by the Portland Unicorns. Rob Lee had never been much into sports, but he enjoyed being the center of attention as a Broadway producer. He asked Crump where his team should be, and Crump answered Portland as the most logical answer geographically and Lee obliged. Wilber the Unicorn holds the reigns as mascot. The Glade was a garish stadium which instantly became on of the best concert venues in the country. The Unicorns became known as the Boys in Green with their light green and grey uniforms.

The teams were set. The draft was done. The teams were filled. All the was left was spring training and then, finally, the season. The Rattlers became the story of spring training winning 11 out of 12 games. Despite this, they were only predicted to finish third by the pundits. The two richest teams, Los Angles and Denver Thunderbird were seen as the two favourites to make the inaugural playoffs with Los Angles getting the slight edge. Santa Fe was predicted to finish third. All the other teams were predicted to finish under .500. Boise and Salt Lake City were predicted to tie in fourth and fifth, with Seattle, Portland and San Francisco rounding out the basement.

But preseason predictions are fickle, and pundits are often wrong. The only way to know for sure is to play ball. I’ll be back two months (in game months) to update you on every team. Let's play ball!

[PrinceofKirkland]

2000: Mid-Season Reports begin now!
(Actually it's 3/4 through the season, I was not paying attention but I think I like the 3/4 system better, it's a slightly more accurate representation of the teams but still leaves the excitement of the home stretch)

Three months in the pundits are scratching their heads. Several teams have surprised and several have disappointed. Let's dive into each team from worst to first to see how they are doing.


8th Place- San Francisco Electricity (31-51)
The Electricity were pegged to be the worst team in the league before the season and their 31-51 record proves this was a correct assumption. Manager Felix Lopez has been unable to rally his limited talent to any wins, with his team ranking 7th in runs scored with 312 and dead last in runs against with 404 scored against them.

The offence, while generally ineffective, has had some bright spots. One bright spot really. 25-year-old Puerto Rican Left Fielder Jorge Merced (.325/.399/.574, 20 HR, 42 RBI) has been on an absolute tear and giving Electricity fans something to cheer for. He has contributed 4.3 wins above replacement so far, making him the second most valuable hitter in the league. Although the record may suggest that he is completely alone, he is not, backed up by solid contributors like slugging 30-year-old Canadian Christian Girault (.241/.325/.528, 25 HR, 54 RBI) and young right fielder Bobby Powell (.287/.323/.474, 13 HR, 38 RBI). The rest of the team combined to bat .240 with a .294 on base percentage. However, they do rank second in the league in long bombs with 99, although Girault, and Merced make up half that number by themselves.

The starting pitching has no bright spots. It has been absolutely abysmal. The starters era ranks dead last in the league at 5.12. Starter Aston Walden (9-7, 4.45 ERA, 99 K, 51 BB) is the only pitcher on the roster with a winning record. Mike Payne (5-8, 4.34 ERA, 63 K, 31 BB) has been serviceable. The other three rotation members have been absolutely putrid, all with ERA’s higher than 5.60. Teams have been simply slaughtering San Francisco’s starters.

The Bullpen has been slightly better. Young closer Ivan “Fossil” Hernandez (1.76 ERA, 51 K, 7 BB, 17 Saves) earned his nickname from his teammates based on his tendency to act like an old man with early bedtimes and classical music. However, at 1.2 WAR he is the most valuable pitcher on the roster. The rest of the Bullpen is mediocre, pitching to a 3.34 team ERA which ranks 6th in the league which was full of strong bullpens.

All in all, I would not bet on this team making up the 18-game deficit over the next month and San Francisco fans should turn their attention to next year.

[PrinceofKirkland]

7th Place- Denver Thunderbirds (36-46)

Boy oh boy what on earth happened. Very young manager Carlos Cortez seemed extremely worried at his press conference at the end of July, after a 10-18 month, placing a talented Denver team at an overall record of 36-46.

The offence has been let down all season. The highest scoring offence of the season has been led by the best player in the league so far. 30-year-old catcher Thomas “Tugboat” Pike (.370/.455/.656, 20 HR, 55 RBI) has set the league on fire. He is currently on pace to finish with 7.0 WAR which would be by far the highest in the league. MVP chants echo through the roost whenever he steps up to bat. He is supported by many great hitters in their own right. 27-year-old right fielder Britt Thompson (.299/.356/.470, 10 HR, 50 RBI) has been very solid in his own right and on May 28 they traded for star first basemen Terry George (.322/.394/.549, 13 HR, 50 RBI) from Portland to solidify the offence powerhouse. The rest of the offence was solid enough for this core of three to dominate pitching throughout the league.

Just like the Electricity, the Thunderbirds weakness is their pitching. They rank 7th in runs against with 362 runs crossing the plate against them. The trouble began when Lynn “Dawg” Haines (1-3, 1.93 ERA, 41 K) who was predicted to be one of the best pitchers in the league tossed four stars before he tore his throwing tricep and was done for the season. Number two pitcher Leonidas Vlakhou (9-7, 2.69 ERA, 107 K, 33 BB) has stepped nicely into the ace role and Maximo Dominguez (7-6, 3.49 ERA) has been serviceable but the rest of the rotation could not hold up. Lynn’s replacement Juan Laval (2-10, 6.16 ERA) has been horrible and June trade pickup starter Dave Wilson (4-11, 7.56 ERA) has not won a game in four stars with Denver and has had a 9.11 ERA with the Birds.

Closer Miguel Morales is another solid young closer and at 26-years-old with a bright future, but the bullpen as a whole is comparatively weak when prepared with the rest of the league. Their 3.49 ERA ranks 7th in the league. Furthermore, the teams .679 Defensive efficiency ranks last in the league.

The injury to The Dawg really shot the Thunderbirds in the foot, but with potential MVP Thomas Pike it is hard to believe that Denver is as bad as their record. The are 10-20 in one run games which is immensely bad luck. However, at 13 games back it is unlikely they will be able to bounce back.

[PrinceofKirkland]

6th Place- Boise Badgers (37-45)

In many ways the Badgers are similar to the Thunderbirds. At a record of 37-45 they are similarly mediocre. They also have a young manager under 35 in Randy Patterson. Unlike the Thunderbirds, they have a horrible offence and no one anywhere near being an MVP candidate.

The Badgers offence is bad. Putrid even. They rank last in the league with 305 runs scored. Oddly they lead the league in home runs, mostly thanks to the only players worth highlighting. 24-year-old center fielder Miguel Padilla (.258/.319/.577, 23 HR, 57 RBI) is far and away the best hitting Badger. He is second in the league in home runs behind Girault’s 25, although Padilla’s chance to pass that number was hampered by his recent 10 game suspension. 25-year-old Third baseman Jose Vazquez (.234/.311/.457, 17 HR, 29 RBI) has also been a solid young contributor. Right Fielder Dave Ervin (.311/.430/.412, 2 HR, 14 RBI) has flashed potential but has only played in 40 games due to wrist tendinitis and back spasms. Aside from that everyone else in the lineup has been mediocre to downright bad.

Their pitching is actually not to horrible, with all five starters at least deserving of a big-league rotation spot. They rank 4th in the league in runs against. Gary Crawford (5-6, 3.32 ERA, 111 K, 34 BB) is the teams most prestigious starter and analysts believe he has another level he can reach. He is backed by the easily winded yet talented Edmund Lewis (5-3, 3.00 ERA, 83 K, 25 BB) who’s only flaw is his inability to eat up innings. The rest of the rotation is solid with, all with ERA’s between 3.60 and 4.15, none special but none horrible either.

The bullpen, however, is horrible. It’s absolutely horrible. No one on the roster has more than six saves. SIX. I will not name any of them because they do not deserve to be named. In a league with great relief talent, the Badgers rank 8th in Bullpen ERA by a mile.

The Badgers are mediocre personified and in combination with their very low attendance numbers, Crump’s dream of a Boise franchise has not been off to a fantastic start.

[PrinceofKirkland]

5th Place- Los Angeles Saints (38-44)

Despite the Saints having twice as much money as the Badgers they only have one more win, sitting at a disappointing 38-44. The biggest market in the league was had the highest expectations preseason, so what happened to the boys in white?

Their offence has been decent, currently tied for 5th in the league with Portland, but it was projected to be the best in the league behind Denver. Los Angles newspapers have been lampooning team captain Lou Evans (.197/.314/.325, 8 HR, 24) who has been incredibly disappointing. The fifth overall pick in the inaugural draft was expected to carry the team to greatness but instead hasn’t yet climbed over the Mendoza line! Some of the slack has been picked up by Jon “Dracula” Cobb (.325/.409/.598, 18 HR, 49 RBI) who has incredible stats but at 38-years-old and an upcoming free agent, Cobb doesn’t have much barring on future Saints endeavours. Other standout, shortstop Brian Fleming (.329/.378/.500, 8 HR, 25 RBI) has been solid but at 34 he isn’t a spring chicken. The rest of the offence also falls into one of these two categories- old or disappointing. Some both.

Their run prevention is also fifth. Pepe Martinez (7-3, 4.05 ERA, 91 K, 44 BB) wins most of the games he pitches and his BABIP is pretty high suggesting his ERA should be better. 36-year-old Ricardo Arias (6-8, 3.44 ERA, 91 K, 44 BB) is also a respectable starter but, like so many other Saints, is really old. The rest of the rotation is blasé. Not terrible, not good. Very fifth place-ish.

They do have a phenomenal bullpen, however. It ranks first in ERA, as not a single major contributor has an ERA over 2.88. And its their Closer Richard Veeck (2.88 ERA, 20 SV). All of the names are relatively impressive but setup man Robby Simpson (2-2, 2.33 ERA, 33 K) has been particularly good in his 20 innings of work.

Other than the bullpen this team of veterans that many predicted would take the championship is incredibly mediocre. I would personally be surprised if they finished with a .500 record.

[PrinceofKirkland]

4th Place- Portland Unicorns (43-39)

Our first pleasant surprise! At 43-39 the Unicorns seem to have become more than the sum of its parts and at only 6 games back is still alive in the playoff hunt! They are also one of the more exciting/trade happy teams to follow. It’s never dull in the Portland War Room. However, they seem to be a somewhat mediocre team overall and will most likely stay hovering around the .500 mark they are at now.

Unless Designated Hitter Thomas Long (.340/.444/.542, 9 HR, 36 RBI) has anything to say about it that is! He can do it all at the plate, from slugging home runs to drawing more walks (43) than strikeouts (29) Long is the heart and soul of the Unicorn lineup. Other stalwart is Eric Brown (.265/.367/.339, 0 HR, 18 RBI) is a solid hitting and fielding shortstop. The rest of the offence is mediocre, with some solid pieces from the Terry George trade with Denver, such as Connor O’Quinn (.275/.327/.422, 10 HR, 50 RBI) rounding out an average, but deep lineup.

Their pitching is also just ok. Their ageing ace, Jason Hunter (6-9, 4.68 ERA, 122 K, 40 BB), who they signed to a 5-year deal before he even threw a pitch has not been super ace-like. Very early in the season they called up Salt Lake and traded for Marvin “Entertainer” Roberts (15-7, 3.01 ERA, 144 K, 55 BB) who has been more of an ace figure. They have him locked up for 4 years. If Hunter returns to form, the Unicorns have a solid 1-2 for a few years. The rest of the rotation is nondescript and mediocre except for youngster knuckleballer Gilberto Ramirez (6-5, 4.05 ERA, 46 K, 14 BB) who is projected to become a very solid option as he gets older. Scouts are keeping a close eye on him.

The Pen is anchored by closer Travis Harris (2.09 ERA, 20 SV), who is another solid reliever of the year candidate at only 26. The league has lots of great young closers. The pen is very top heavy, with four relievers with ERA’s under 2.20 and three with ERA’s above 5.80. Special shout out to Armmano Corosi and his 12.00 ERA and his 0-4 record.

Portland’s run has been interesting but also mediocrity defined in many ways. Many pundits have them dropping below LA as the season progresses. However, they have gutted out some tough wins so its hard to bet against them in that regard.

[PrinceofKirkland]

3rd Place- Santa Fe Rattlers (45-37)

The team most consistent to their preseason prediction currently sits at 45-37, only 4 games back of a playoff spot. Throughout the season the Ratters have employed the deep and wide team. No major shinning stars but the team as a whole is very talented with no glaring weaknesses on the roster.

Even in this culture of equality, Phil Alexander (.286/.387/.459, 11 HR, 38 RBI) has stood out as a star. The 30-year-old second baseman is a polite star who is all about the team, but that hasn’t stopped fans, and opposing pitchers, from noticing his immense skill with the bat. Outfielder Luis Ramirez (.312/.399/.469, 11 HR, 37 RBI) and 3B Joe “Soupy” Howell (.243/.282/.479, 12 HR, 49 RBI) are two other standouts. The entire lineup is filled with .270 hitters with around ten home runs. None of them stand out simply because the entire team is so deep. This has led to the Rattlers offence scoring the second most runs in the league so far, at 351.

They are also second is runs against, with a similar deep and wide philosophy, only one starter has an ERA over 4.00 (and Pedro Lopez is trying his best and that’s what matters). Venezuelan Tomas Madrigal (8-8, 3.05 ERA, 102 K, 30 BB) is definitely the Ace, but all the other starters are good as well. None of them particularly merit shout out but trust me they are all B- to B grade guys (except for Pedro Lopez but he’s trying ok lay off).

The bullpen is, you guessed it, very solid and very deep. The Rattlers also have a young 25-year-old closer in Luis Chapa (2.29 ERA, 23 SV). He is very good. The league has a lot of great young closing talent. The rest of the Bullpen has done what needs to be done to get them where they are.

This is a championship contender. They are solid when they are up to bat and when they are pitching. They may not ooze star power, but no one should be surprised if they easily make up those four games and take home the inaugural chip. But there are two teams that are currently standing in the Ratters way.

Tied for 1st- Seattle Seagulls (49-33)

When manager John Delgado was asked “why do you think the Seagulls have been able to find so much success this season?” he just laughed and said “Well its simple really, when the other guys can’t score, they can’t win.” It’s hard to argue with their incredible 259 runs against. The second lowest is 325. The team has been all around incredibly strong during their 49-33 inaugural campaign and are seen as many as the favorites to win the championship.

The Seagulls are lauded for pitching, but their hitting is nothing to be sneezed at. Leading the way is Dominican slugger Felipe Cervantes (.291/.344/.503, 16 HR, 52 RBI). The first baseman leads the Seagulls in every statistical category and provides great clubhouse leadership. The Seagulls rewarded his efforts with a 6-year extension. Cervantes has the star power but 30-year-old Dave McMillian (.288/.360/.487, 15 HR, 37 RBI) leads the team in WAR, by virtue of getting on base, speed on the base paths and solid defence. Young catcher Reynaldo Torres (.265/.319/.449, 12 HR, 42 RBI) has also been very good and at only 26 years old is an exciting future piece.

But scoring runs is not nearly as important as preventing them to the Gulls. The currently employ the best starting pitcher in the league who is not on the IL. Zane Davis (9-7, 2.26 ERA, 143 K, 32 BB) leads the league in ERA, Strikeouts, Hits per 9 innings, opponents batting average, WHIP, FIP and War. His dominate performance has stunned batters all year long. At 32, there are concerns about his longevity. Age is not a concern for Chung Cheng (8-8, 3.04 ERA, 97 K, 17 BB) who at only 24 is turning into an ace in his on right. His peripherals are fantastic. Davis and Cheng are the batman and robin that have carried the gulls to their lead. The other three pitcher are good as well. Two (Vantassell and Pagan) have ERA’s of 3.36 and 3.99 respectively and Willie MacKinney (7-5, 4.61 ERA, 44 K, 41 BB) is not having the best season but at 24, he is said to have lots of potential.

The Seagulls ALSO have a great young closer in his mid-twenties! Ricky Ward (1.67, 23 SV) might be the best of them all. The rest of the pen is incredibly solid around Ward and have pitched to the tune of a 2.38 ERA, good for second in the league.

The Seagulls are the odds-on favorite to win the title. While Denver and LA have crashed to earth, the Gulls have soared into playoff position. However, if the season were end, they would not technically have the home field advantage, because the team they are tied with currently holds the head to head record against them.

[PrinceofKirkland]

Tied for 1st- Salt Lake City Cannons (49-33)

No one really expected them to be here, but here they are. Three months into the inaugural season of the NFBA, the Salt Lake City Cannons are in first place. Tied with Seattle at 49-33, the Cannons hold the tie breaker and game seven of the Championship would be held at The Captain’s Deck. The Cannons have scored 345 runs and allowed 354. Their Pythagorean record is 40-42. However, their incredible 16-4 record in one run games has carried them to the top of the standings.

The offence is young and exciting, tied for 3rd with the Gulls in runs scored. At only 20-years-old, Nelson “Slick” Frank (.382/.439/.522, 4 HR, 50 RBI) has proved himself to be one of the best contact hitters in the game, leading the league in average, hits (121) and doubles (26). 22-year-old Jorge Morales (.270/.331/.466, 13 HR, 43 RBI) sits behind him in the lineup. Third Baseman Jason Savage (.274/.346/.396, 10 HR, 38 RBI) and 26-years-old catcher Pat Carter (.241/.321/.453, 13 HR, 36 RBI) provides great offence from the hot corner and from behind the plate. The rest of the line up is solidly nondescript, getting the job done, but not really standing out.

Its when you examine the pitching that the Cannon’s success makes less sense. All five rotation pieces are right handers. Andre Walton (12-2, 3.28 ERA, 77 K, 47 BB) leads the league in wins and has had a solid season. Artie Woods (11-2, 3.24 ERA, 91 K, 40 BB) is not far behind in wins and has also been serviceable. The joke among Cannons fans is when either took the mound, they would say “Time to get A W” in reference to their initials. After that the quality drops. Domingo Gutierrez (5-8, 4.87 ERA, 115 K, 41 BB) has not lived up to his ace potential and the other two starts Miles and Garcia have been really bad. While the rotation isn’t a dumpster fire, per se, it certainly does not have the look of a championship team.

Someone has to win those one run games. And that person is yet another amazingly talented closer in his mid-twenties! Mike Wilson (23 SV, 0.93 ERA, 38.2 IP) is probably the best of them all. He has carried the Cannons to their fantastic record in one run games and most pundits agree that without Wilson the Cannons would not be where they are. The rest of the bullpen is just ok, ranking 5th in the league in ERA.

The Cannons are a fascinating first place time. Some call them lucky. Some call them gritty. The only way to know for sure if they are as good as their record is to finish out the season.

[PrinceofKirkland]

With the first 3/4 of the league played out, General Managers have three options. Buy, Sell or hold firm. It's time for the trade deadline!

THE BIG TRADES:

• Boise trades Dave Ervin (.311/.430/.412, 2 HR, 14 RBI) to Salt Lake for Jason Savage (.274/.346/.396, 10 HR, 38 RBI), Daniel Samson (a solid veteran reliever) and a prospect.
• Boise trades Jose Vazquez (.234/.311/.457, 17 HR, 29 RBI) to San Francisco for Closer Liam MacCosh (0-2, 6.75 ERA) and RP Gregg Smith (0-0, 3.68 ERA)
• Santa Fe trades 3B Joe Howell (.243/.282/.479, 12 HR, 55 RBI) to Seattle for Michael Thomas (36-years-old, .234, 8 HR) and First Base prospect Ivan Leon.

Analysis: In a relatively quiet trade deadline, the main story was the Boise Badgers attempting to cobble together a bullpen by giving up to solid batters in Ervin and Vazquez. These were two incredibly bright stars and their star power will be sorely missed. However, they netted Jason Savage from Salt Lake who is a great young piece for them long term.

Seattle further deepens their lineups by adding power hitter Joe Howell for a pretty good price, I definitely think they got the better end of the deal with Santa Fe. I personally think the Rattlers are contenders and if they miss the playoffs they will regret trading this pop. Unless Leon becomes a star of course.

Salt Lake picks up Dave Ervin, who’s a great lead off guy when healthy but he doesn’t really solve the team’s problem, which is starting pitching. Savage is a tough piece to sacrifice for someone who as already shown to be frequently injured.

San Francisco picks up a great third 25-year-old third baseman in Vazquez who can give Merced some help in the lineup. They only had to give up some mediocre pieces of the pen to do it. I think they won the deadline, not in the sense that they will win this year, but they netted a star with very little cost.

PRINCE PREDICTIONS:

With the deadline over, lets see if I can predict the final standings. I am fairly confident that Seattle will get the one seed. Their pitching is the real deal and with Howell their offence is dead as well. Santa Fe will claim second and the final playoff spot through their consistency. Salt Lake's luck in one run game will run out and they will fall to third. Portland will stay in fourth. Denver simply has too much talent to be this bad and they will improve and finish over .500 to finish in fifth place on a solid last month. Los Angeles will finish sixth, Boise in Seventh and San Francisco will stay in the basement. All three will be incredibly bad over the last month. None of them have the talent on both sides of the ball to win very many games.

[PrinceofKirkland]

End of the Year Standings!!!


The year is over, a division champion has been crowned, the post season is set and my predictions were not accurate. Let’s dive into it!

8th Place- San Francisco Electricity
Record: 45-64
Highlighted players final stats:
• Jorge Merced (25, LF): .306/.387/.559, 27 HR, 59 RBI, 5.7 WAR
• Christian Girault (30, DH): .236/.329/.501, 30 HR (led league), 67 RBI, 1.9 WAR
• Bobby Powell (24, RF): .272/.310/.427, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 1.4 WAR
• Jose Vazquez (25, 3B): .261/.330/.493, 24 HR, 40 RBI, 3.0 WAR
• Aston Walden (28, SP): 12-9, 4.40 ERA, 128 K, 71 BB, 1.4 WAR
• Mike Payne (28, SP): 10-9, 3.82 ERA, 82 K, 38 BB, 0.9 WAR
• Ivan “Fossil” Hernandez: 2-3, 1.44 ERA, 26 ERA, 67 K, 1.7 WAR
Story: The Electricity ended the season as they began. Badly. They ranked 7th in runs scored and 8th in runs against. Their starting pitching and bullpen (outside the Fossil) are completely incompetent with very few salvageable pieces. The offence, on the other hand, is young and has potential, especially with their trade for Vazquez who caught fire after joining San Fran, raising his average by 40 points and doubling his WAR in half the games. Maybe they can get something going next year to supplement their cheap hitting core. Northern California can only hope and pray.


7th Place- Denver Thunderbirds
Record: 47-62
Highlighted players final stats:
• Thomas “Tugboat” Pike (30, C): .351/.439 (led league)/.644 (led league), 28 HR, 71 RBI, 6.6 WAR (led league)
• Britt Thompson (27, LF): .302/.366/.440, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 2.1 WAR, lead league in triples (6)
• Terry George (31, 1B): .298/.371/.515, 17 HR, 71 RBI, 3.0 WAR
• Leonidas Vlakhou (28, SP): 13-8, 2.48 ERA, 163 K, 51 BB, 4.5 WAR, lead league in innings (189.0)
• Maximo Dominguez (28, SP): 8-10, 3.86 ERA, 114 K, 51 BB, 2.3 WAR
• Laval and Wilson both ended the year in the minors and were highlighted only based on how bad they were
• Lynn “Dawg” Haines (31, SP): 1-3, 1.93 ERA, 41 K, 7 BB, 1.3 WAR (season ending injury after only four games)
• Miguel Morales (26, CL): 3-3, 2.28 ERA, 18 SV, 48 K, 1.3 WAR
Story: This team had a positive run differential. They were second in the league in offence. They had the “probable” MVP in Tugboat. The Birds really blew a talented team. With a 14-27 record in one run games and a Pythagorean record of 56-54, the Birds are, ultimately, extremely unlucky. Next year, however, their ace, Haines will be back to support Vlakhou whose become an ace in his own right. And the offence will still be potent. And maybe, the balls will bounce their way. Then they will be something to fear. But not this year.

6th Place- Boise Badgers
Record: 48-61
Highlighted players final stats:
• Miguel Padilla (24, LF): .257/.312/.528, 23 HR, 60 RBI, 1.8 WAR
• Jason Savage (25, 3B): .242/.327/.709, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 2.1 WAR (2.4 WAR in 72 games with Salt Lake and -0.3 WAR in 31 games with Boise)
• Gary Crawford (28 SP): 6-10, 3.31 ERA, 145 K, 46 BB, 2.5 WAR
• Edmund Lewis (27, SP): 7-6, 2.80 ERA, 119 K, 33 BB, 2.6 WAR
Story: Post deadline, this team has the least talent in the league. Trading Ervin and Vazquez bolstered the bullpen, lowering their ERA from 4.27 to 3.47 to end the season. Sadly, that is still the highest number in the league. The one place the Badgers were solid in was their starting rotation and they actually ended up second in runs against. However, both of their best starting pitchers, Crawford and Lewis, are free agents and are not likely to return. The Badgers most likely have the dimmest future in the league, which is a sad state for their owner Crump who was the one who conceptualised the league in the first place.

[PrinceofKirkland]

5th Place- Portland Unicorn
Record: 51-58
Highlighted players final stats:
• Thomas Long (28, DH): .333/.421/.504, 12 HR, 46 RBI, 3.3 WAR
• Eric “Snacks” Brown (30, 2B): .274/.378/.736, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 2.6 WAR
• Connor O’ Quinn (27, RF): .294/.344/.440, 11 HR, 62 RBI, 1.6 WAR (0.0 WAR in 61 games in Denver, 1.6 WAR in 44 games with Portland)
• Jason Hunter (32, SP): 6-13 (led league in losses), 4.71 ERA, 155 K, 51 BB, 0.8 WAR
• Marvin “Entertainer” Roberts (29, SP): 15-6 (led league in wins), 3.26 ERA, 144 K, 57 BB, 2.4 WAR
• Gilberto Ramirez (24, SP): 6-8, 4.51 ERA, 57 K, 21 BB, 0.4 WAR
• Travis Harris (26, CL): 2-1, 2.09 ERA, 23 SV, 83 K, 15 BB, 1.3 WAR
Story: All hope of playoff contention vanished when the Boys in Green went 1-11 to start July and dropped 19 of their last 28 games down the stretch. They ended the season 6th in runs scored and 5th in runs against. The team had some great high-end talent, especially in Thomas Long but ultimately, they didn’t have the depth to compete. And with “Snacks” Brown and O’ Quinn hitting free agency it seems unlikely that the line will improve. Dark days may be ahead for Portland fans.

4th Place- Los Angeles Saints
Record: 53-56
Highlighted players final stats:
• Lou Evans (28, CF): .188/.305/.339, 14 HR, 40 RBI, -0.2 WAR
• Jon “Dracula” Cobb (38, LF): .322/.401/.558, 21 HR, 64 RBI, 4.0 WAR, led league in stolen bases (25) and triples (6)
• Brian Fleming (34, SS): .319/.363/.458, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 2.9 WAR
• Pepe Martinez (27, SP): 10-4, 3.49 ERA, 115 K, 61 BB, 2.2 WAR
• Ricardo Arias (36, SP): 8-12, 3.88 ERA, 114 K, 44 BB, 2.6 WAR
• Richard “Tadpole” Veeck (29, CL): 2-3, 2.63 ERA, 30 SV, 88 K, 12 BB, 1.8 WAR
Story: The Saints went 14-13 to finish the season in somewhat respectable fashion but their problems remained. All their players are either very disappointing, very old, or both. Lou Evans was particularly bad, it got to the point where he was booed every time he went up to the plate. LA owner Jack Blackburn was extremely disappointed. This was NOTHING like showtime. Even though they were able to surpass the Unicorns for fourth place, the Saints first season was definitely a disappointment.


3rd Place- Santa Fe Rattlers
Record: 60-49
Highlighted players final stats:
• Phil Alexander (30, 2B): .302/.395/.552, 26 HR, 66 RBI, 5.7 WAR, led league in runs (82)
• Luis Ramirez (29, LF): .302/.390/.472, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 2.8 WAR
• Jack Nicholson (25, CF): .260/.303/.420, 16 HR, 54 RBI, 1.7 WAR (Not highlighted but I think he deserves recognition as a solid B+ player)
• Tomas Madrigal (30, SP): 10-8, 3.27 ERA, 138 K, 41 BB, 4.9 WAR
• Pedro Lopez (23, SP): 10-11, 4.66 ERA, 142 K, 44 BB, 2.1 WAR (He tried his best, and it wasn’t actually that bad he’s now their number two starter after a great July)
• Luis Chapa (25, CL): 3-4, 2.51 ERA, 28 SV, 65 K, 11 BB, 1.1 WAR
Story: Santa Fe was, statistically the second-best team in the league, 3rd in both offence and in run prevention. However, Pythagorean record isn’t what decides the post season. They entered the month four games out of the playoff sport. Phil Alexander went on a home run rampage and went from 11 to 26 bombs in July alone. Things were looking up for the Rattlers as they won consecutive series against the Seagulls and Cannons back to back. However, they just weren’t good enough to overcome the deficit they entered July with or torrid finishes of the Gulls and Cannons. Thus, they died a slow suffocating death, never losing ground but never gaining it either and in the end, they simply ran out of runway.

[PrinceofKirkland]

2nd Place- Salt Lake City Cannons
Record: 65-44
Highlighted players final stats:
• Nelson “Slick” Frank (20, LF): .354/.411/.474, 4 HR, 57 RBI, 3.2 WAR, led league in average (.354) and hits (150)
• Jorge Morales (22, CF): .269/.336/.460, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 4.7 WAR
• Dale Ervin (27, RF): .336/.444/.437, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 1.7 WAR (only 64 out of 110 games played, only 29 with the Cannons)
• Pat Carter (27, C): .241/.335/.486, 21 HR, 51 RBI, 2.7 WAR
• Andre Walton (27, SP): 12-7, 4.24 ERA, 92 K, 64 BB, 1.2 WAR (Ended the year on four straight losses)
• Artie Woods (32, SP): 15-3, 3.10 ERA, 115 K, 48 BB, 1.5 WAR, led league in wins (15)
• Domingo Gutierrez (26, SP): 6-10, 5.03 ERA, 162 K, 52 BB, 0.9 WAR, led league in K/9 (10.6), supposedly an “ace”
• Mike Wilson (28, CL): 4-1, 1.35 ERA, 69 K, 18 BB, 1.3 WAR
Story: The Cannons allowed the second most runs in the league to cross home plate. The offence was talented, but inexperienced. They allowed 18 more runs then they scored. Yet here they are in the inaugural championship with a chance to be the first team ever to hoist the trophy. The easiest way to explain this phenomenon is their 24-7 record in one run games, making them sort of the anti-thunderbirds. They refused to give up this pace. At the start of the month they fell two games behind the blazing hot Seagulls but then they caught fire themselves and never let the Gulls get more than two games up on them. On June 25, Salt Lake was only one game behind. Both teams proceeded to win four straight games in the most exciting run of the season. Unfortunately, Salt Lake lost on the 29th to the Saints and were already a game behind and Seattle never lost again, giving the Seagulls the division and home field advantage. The last week of the season was a dark one for the Cannons, as Dale Ervin, their major trade deadline pickup, was announced to have strained his hamstring, shutting him down for the playoffs. Ervin is known for being fragile, but this was a brutal loss. The next day, Jorge Morales made a catch before slamming into the wall. He fell over in pain and had to leave the field. On the last day of the season it was announced that he had separated his shoulder and would also be missing the playoffs. Cannons fans were displeased.

1st Place- Seattle Seagulls
Record: 68-42
Highlighted players final stats:
• Felipe Cervantes (28, 1B): .282/.341/.497, 23 HR, 74 RBI (led league), 2.8 WAR
• Dave McMillian (30, CF): .286/.361/.477, 19 HR, 50 RBI, 3.4 WAR (24 Stolen Bases)
• Reynaldo “Jaybird” Torres (26, C): .255/.313/.445, 16 HR, 50 RBI, 2.4 WAR
• Joe “Soupy” Howell (32, 3B): .252/.303/.452, 15 HR, 63 RBI, 3.1 WAR (most of the WAR is from defence)
• Zane Davis (32, SP): 13-7, 2.20 ERA (led league), 184 K (led league), 42 BB, 5.4 WAR (led league), led league in WHIP (1.00)
• Chung Cheng (24, SP): 12-7, 3.01 ERA, 127 K, 23 BB, 4.0 WAR, led league in BB/9 (1.3)
• Ricky Ward (27, CL): 3-3, 1.50 ERA, 33 SV, 92 K, 8 BB, 2.4 WAR, led league in games (54)
Story: The Seagulls went a torrid 19-9 in July to finish the season with the first ever division title. There was significantly less drama involved in their playoff push, as they ended the season on a seven-game winning streak that put them out of reach of any other team. Their offence caught fire and they ended the season first in runs scored at 490, two ahead of Denver and they also ended the season first in runs against with 364, 57 runs ahead of second place Boise. The one two punch of Davis and Cheng was unstoppable, the offence was deep, and they had the best closer in baseball in Ricky Ward. Although they only finished two games ahead of Salt Lake, their performance was dominate and they definitely deserve the division title and enter the championship round as heavy favorites.

[PrinceofKirkland]

Post Season:
All along the west coast, excitement was brewing. Even if their team wasn’t playing, fans were thrilled that playoff baseball was back in America. On paper, the series was relatively one sided. Everyone from casual fans to Vegas seemed to be siding with the Seagulls. And that was before the injuries to two of the most talented Cannons (Ervin and Morales). However, Rafael Bautista, Oil Baron and owner of the Cannons went on Salt Lake City Radio the day before the series and claimed “My Cannons are going to win. I’m not going to promise you a win in 4 or 5. But I will tell you that the Cannons will be the champions of the league.” On the eve of game one, the media asked Seagull star pitcher Zane Davis what he thought about these comments. “They have seven chances to prove him right. That’s all I’m going to say about it.” Not many fans follow the oil business but the rivalry between these teams went beyond ball. Both owners were bitter rivals in Oil, and both personally went to each of there players and told them how important this championship was to them. Tensions were boiling and soon they would be on the big stage. It was time for Game one of the first ever New Frontier Baseball Association!

Game One:
Seagulls #2 pitcher Chung Cheng took the mound against Cannons “ace” Domingo Gutierrez. Cheng overachieved and had an incredible season with 3.01 ERA. Gutierrez could not fill the shoes of former Ace “Entertainer” Roberts after the Cannons shipped him to Portland and pitched to a 5.03 ERA.

Despite all expectations, the in the top of the second second inning, Salt Lake Journey man Ricardo Justavo hit a two-run shot off of Cheng to give the Cannons a two-run league. Until the fourth, Cannons fans were elated with Gutierrez. Felipe Cervantes hit a one out single. Then Gutierrez gave up a walk. Then another walk. With the bases juiced, deadline pickup Joe “Soupy” Howell strolled up to the plate and hit a two-run double. Another walk, bases juiced again. Joey Grimes, a Seagull hitter who hit .197 on the year broke the game open with a second double scoring two more. The fourth inning ended with the Seagulls up 5-2 and Gutierrez pulled.

The Seagulls tacked two more runs on in the 5th off of Cannons reliever Gonzalo Garcia (6.15 ERA in the regular season) and Cheng cruised into the seventh. In the seventh, Cannons hero Justavo suddenly injected new life into Salt Lake, hitting a solo Bomb off of Cheng. 7-3 Seagulls. Cheng, ever the professional, induced two ground outs and a strikeout.

Cannons reliever Jerry Barnet pitched 2.2 scoreless innings but by then it was too late as Seattle reliever Jesus Venegas and star closer Ricky Ward shut the Cannons down, each only allowing one hit.

Final Score: 7-3 Seattle Seagulls
Series: 1-0 Seagulls
Player of the Game: SEA Cheng Chung: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 2 HR


Game Two:
Seattle ace and Pitcher of the Year favorite Zane Davis took the mound against Cannons pitcher Andre Walton. Again, the Cannons struck first, with Davis giving up back to back doubles in the first to SLC catcher Pat Carter and center fielder Steven McCullough. The Seagulls let Davis down in the second as well and two errors led to three more runs crossing the plate on Salt Lake star Nelson Frank’s first hit of the series.

It didn’t take Seattle long to start to close the gap. In the bottom of the third speedster Seattle Seagull shortstop Sean Ward sprinted from second to home on a single by Ray Connor. Felipe Cervantes followed that up with a two-run bomb bringing the score to 4-3 Cannons.

The fourth went by scoreless. In the fifth, Sean Ward and Ray Connor struck again for the Gulls. Ward hit a lead off double off of Walton and Connor took a 1-2 fastball deep to Left Center to give the Gulls a 5-4 lead and knocking Andre Walton off the mound.

The Cannons sent in long reliever John Bradshaw. Bradshaw and Davis took the game into the seventh at 5-4. In the bottom of the seventh, who else buy Ray Connor strode up to bat and took Bradshaw deep for his second home run of the night, further extending the Seagulls lead.

The Seattle bullpen worked as a team, with four separate pitchers coming on in the bottom of the ninth to put Seattle up two games to none. Ricky Ward got the final out and his first save. Things looked grim for the Cannons as the series shifted to The Captain’s Deck for the next three games.

Final Score: 6-4 Seattle Seagulls
Series: 2-0 Seagulls
Player of the Game: SEA Ray Connor: 3-4, 3 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI


Game Three:
As the series shifts to Salt Lake, there is some reason for hope for Cannons fans. They have home field now and for the first time they will face a pitcher not named Cheng or Davis. 36-year-old Christos Vantassell got the call for the Seagulls and he had been cold in July, his ERA going from 3.35 to 3.85. The Cannons sent Artie Wood to the mound, the leagues leader in wins with 15 and the most consistent pitcher for the Cannons all year long. This was the opening the Cannons needed.

Everyone was on the edge of their seat as both pitchers started strong. Vantassell retired the first six batters he faced, and Woods was also solid, allowing a walk (to Ray Conner) and a hit in the first two innings. When the Seagulls came up in the third, Ray Conner walked again. Cervantes then took Woods deep for two. Woods got out the inning without any more damage.

But it seemed like it would be enough. Vantassell cruised through the first six innings with only one hit. Woods also limited the damage to those two runs. But in the bottom of the seventh, Vantassell finally cracked. He got a ground out but then gave up back to back singles to Cannon second baseman Jim Pritchard and Ricardo Justavo. He walked the next batter to load the bases. With Cannons fans on the edge of their seat, Jose Lopez came to bat and… he walked. A run scored and Vantassell’s night was over.

Seagulls Manager John Delgado sent out Jesus Venegas for the third straight game, a clear mistake as he immediately gave up a single. Somehow only one run scored. With the score knotted at two, the game went into the eighth.

Cannons reliever Luis Silva sent the Gulls back to the bench in order in the top of the eighth. Then for some unknown reason, Jesus Venegas went back up on the mound to pitch another inning. Hit leader Nelson Frank slapped a single but went back to the dugout when Pat Carter hit into a fielder’s choice. Center Fielder Steven McCullough then took a 2-2 pitch to the wall to put runners on first and third. After a ground out, Ricardo Justavo, the postseason machine for the Cannons hit a soft single over the shortstop to give the Cannons a 3-2 lead. McCullough opted not to risk going home, which turned out to be the wrong choice as a strike out ended the inning.

In the top of the ninth, Closer Mike Wilson took the mound and completely mowed down the final three Seagull batters with back to back to back strikeouts and the Cannons scraped out on of their trademarked one run wins.

Final Score: 3-2 Cannons.
Series: 2-1 Seagulls
Player of the Game: SLC Artie Wood: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K


Game 4:
Chung Cheng was rested and got the call for game four for a rematch against Domingo Gutierrez. However, Salt Lake Manager Maximo Sosa got cold feet and ended up giving the ball to Mike Miles, who only made 12 starts in the season but was serviceable. The media was all over Sosa’s lack of trust in his ace and everyone was waiting to see if his gambit would pay off.

It didn’t. In the top of the second Seattle Center Fielder Jose Gutierrez took Miles deep with a lead off home run. In the top of the third the bleeding continued. Ray Connor hit a lead off single then Felipe Cervantes hit a two-run shot to bring him in, his third of the postseason. Reynaldo Torres followed up that up with triple which scored on a wild pitch. Joe Howell hit a single before Miles mercifully ended the damage with a strikeout. The Seagulls held a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third the Cannons got one off of Cheng. Ron Banfield hit a single and Nelson “slick” Frank knocked him in with another single to bring the score to 4-1. Sosa decided to stick by with his pitching choice and Miles got through the fourth without damage. The fifth, however was different. Two outs in, Jose Gutierrez hit a second solo shot. Joe Howell followed that up with a single and Ed McGhee walked before Sosa finally pulled Miles. Cannons reliever Jerry Barnett got the Cannons the last out of the inning. 5-1 Gulls.

The Cannons, who had been scrappy all year, struck back in the bottom of the inning. Cannons hero Justavo hit a lead off single which the Cannons followed up with a double, then a single to bring one in. Banfield then hit a single to bring in another to make it four consecutive Cannon hits off of Cheng. But Cheng was able to get three straight outs to end the threat leaving the score at 5-3. But the Cannons struck again in the 6th with McCullough hitting a lead off double and Justavo knocked him in with another clutch hit. Two more consecutive singles (by Todd Johnson and Jose Lopez) led to Cheng getting pulled. Seattle Reliever Sherwood Mitchell ended the threat, not letting either base runner score. The game was tantalisingly close at 5-4.

However, in the next inning the Seagulls re-extended their lead off of the bats of Gutierrez, McGhee and Ward who each hit a single. A walk Joey Grimes made it 6-4, and a second walk to Ray Connor made it 7-4. A Reynaldo Torres solo shot in the top of the eight put the game completely out of reach and the Seattle Bullpen cruised to the end of the game and held on to the 8-4 lead.

Final Score: 8-4 Seagulls
Series: 3-1 Seagulls
Player of the Game: SEA Jose Gutierrez: 2-3, 2 H, 2 HR, 1 BB, 1 K


Game 5:

Brock Benningham: “And strike…three…called. Grimes is not happy. That is two outs in the top of the 14th. Augusto Flores shifts the dirt around; he hasn’t pitched three innings in a game all year. Sean Ward is up next. Flores is wasting no time. Ball one, not even close.”

Jim Thortan: “No, not at all, three innings are really taking their toll.”

Benningham: “Here’s the pitch and WARD HAS BARRELLED IT UP, ITS LINE DRIVE TO DEEP LEFT AND… ITS OFF THE TOP OF THE WALL! ITS STILL IN PLAY! WARD THOUGHT IT WAS A BOMB! He is only gonna get to second on that one. Absolutely bonkers, everyone thought the Seagull were champs. I’ve never seen a crowd more excited about the other team hitting a double. Ray Connor is walking to the plate. Before he even gets there, Sosa has given him a free pass.”

Thortan: “Risky move Brock.”

Benningham: “Definitely, McMillian has certainly been cold in this series but Delgado has kept him second in the lineup for a reason. Seems Sosa is taking out Flores and sending out his last reliever Raoul Wils.”

Thortan: “We’ll be back after this.”

Benningham: “And we’re back! You missed a ball to McMillian and Wils is getting ready for another pitch. Here’s the pitch and McMillian gets under it! IT’S A SOFTY! IS IT GONNA GET DOWN?? IT DOES! RUNNERS ARE GOING AND…WARD GETS THE STOP SIGN AT FIRST. The game is still tied. Bases Juiced for FELIPE CERVANTES. Here he is, the star of Seattle, three bombs in the post season. Here’s the first pitch, and it’s a ball. Wils works fast, but Cervantes calls for time. He’s back. There’s another Ball. Favourable count for Felipe. Here’s a pitch, and Felipe GETS IT! NELSON FRANK IS ON THE MOVE IN LEFT, HE DIVES AND IT’S OFF HIS GLOVE!!! WARD SCORES, CONNOR SCORES, MCMILLIAN IS ON HIS WAY AND THE THROW HOME IS… NOT IN TIME!!! 9-6 SEATTLE.”

Thortan: “There is no one else in the bullpen, the Cannons have to roll with Wils against Torres.”

Benningham: “Torres is up and he’s all smiles. All the tension is broken, the Salt Lake fans are crushed. SPEAKING OF CRUSHED, TORRES TAKES THE FIRST PITCH DEEP. THAT my friends is a NO DOUBTER. THE BAT FLIP!! THE DISRESPECT! 11-6 SEAGULLS. Torres has smashed it wide open! The bench is going wild!! Cannons have a tall order in the bottom of the inning that’s for sure…”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benningham: “Jose Lopez, in a bad count. Wayne Drake throws a change up in an 0-2, 93% of the time. Here’s that change up, and that’s a dribbler to third! COULD THIS BE A DOUBLE PLAY!!! SOUPY HOWELL WITH THE SCOOP AND HE TOSSES IT TO SECOND, JOHNSON IS OUT! CONNOR MAKES THE TURN! THE THROW TO FIRST AND…THE UMP PUMPS HIS FIST! HE…IS…OUT. The GULLS win the marathon and the FIRST EVER CHAMPIONSHIP!!! THE BENCH CLEARS! CONGRATULATIONS SEATTLE!!!”

Final Score: 11-6 (14)
Series: 4-1 Seagulls WIN
Player of the Game: Joe “Soupy” Howell: 4-6, 4 H, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR

The Seattle Seagulls are your first ever New Frontier Baseball Association Champions! Joe Howell was named MVP of the series. The trade deadline acquisition from Santa Fe hit .435/.485/.739 in the series with 4 doubles and one home run. None of his hits were particularly clutch, as he only had four RBI’s, but he was a threat every time he went up to bat. But as one of the free agents, the second the series ended, the focus shifted from his play on the field to his next contract. Which brings us too…

[PrinceofKirkland]

The Offseason!

The Seattle Seagulls championship victory over the Salt Lake City Cannons captivated the West Coast. The 4-1 series win seems more lopsided than the games really were, and it took the Seagulls 14 thrilling innings to finally put the pesky Cannons away. The Cannons had heart, but injuries to Dale Ervin and Jorge Morales proved to be too much to overcome.

Seagull's owner, Rafael Guillen made himself an old fashion and spent a quiet night with his family, smiling to himself. Rafael Bautista was an inferior oil baron and now he was an inferior baseball club owner. Seattle was captivated. It only took one year for the new league to give them a champion (As a real-life Mariners fan, I am flabbergasted).

But for 7 other clubs, the championship celebration wasn’t the main event. The offseason brought with it promise and individual accolades that could potentially dull the sting of defeat. Who would claim the coveted awards for the season?

OFF SEASON AWARDS:

Golden Glove Winners:

Catcher: Thomas Pike, Denver Thunderbirds
First Base: David Flint, Santa Fe Rattlers
Second Base: Phil Alexander, Santa Fe Rattlers
Third Base: Joe “Soupy” Howell, Santa Fe Rattlers and Seattle Seagulls
Shortstop: Maxwell Morrow, Denver Thunderbirds
Left Field: Jorge Merced, San Francisco Electricity
Center Field: Jorge Morales, Salt Lake City Cannons
Right Field: Bobby Powell, San Francisco Electricity

Commentary: The awards for glove work just solidified the brightest stars in the game as very well-rounded players. Many high-profile players took home defensive hardware this year. Thomas Pike is an incredible batsman but he’s also the league’s primer pitch framer behind the plate. Phil Alexander is the definition of a class act and is a five-tool player. Howell captivated the world in the championship series with his bat and glove work and Jorge Merced, at only 25, made plenty of spectacular diving catches, making the electricity ten times more electric.



Silver Stick Winners:

Catcher: Thomas Pike, Denver Thunderbirds (.351/.439/.644, 28 HR, 71 RBI, 6.6 WAR)
This honor comes as no surprise. Thomas Pike was not only the best hitting catcher in baseball, he was the best hitter in baseball. The Thunderbirds may have disappointed, but their superstar absolutely did not.

First Baseman: Felipe Cervantes, Seattle Seagulls (.282/.341/.497, 23 HR, 74 RBI, 2.8 WAR)
After the season, many pundits were talking about how Seattle Superstar Felipe Cervantes isn’t a superstar at all. He has the smile, sure, but his numbers? He’s no Pike! Just because he led the league in RBI’s doesn’t mean anything, it’s a meaningless stat and he is a bit of defensive liability. In a Seagull presser, Manager John Delgado told reporters: “Some say lucky, I say clutch! He might not be Pike, but Pike isn’t a champion, is he?” Pike and the Denver Thunderbirds declined to comment.

Second Baseman: Phil Alexander, Santa Fe Rattlers (.302/.395/.552, 26 HR, 66 RBI, 5.7 WAR)
If you were to ask Phil why the Rattlers were so successful, he’d tell you it was because they were a team. They had no real stars, and all worked together well. If you were to ask that question to any other person on earth, they would tell you that Phil Alexander is one of the brightest, most exciting stars on a diamond. What kind of second baseman can hit 26 homers, draw 58 walks, AND Field? Phil is a star. Everyone knows it but him.

Third Baseman: Jose Vazquez, Boise Badgers and San Francisco Electricity (.261/.330/.493, 24 HR, 40 RBI, 2.9 WAR)
Boise’s bullpen was bad, and owner Jack Crump told GM Randy Patterson to fix it. So they traded Jose Vasquez to the Electricity to bolster their pen. They regretted that quickly. Jose erupted on the Electricity. In his 29 games at the power plant, Vazquez accumulated a total of 1.1 WAR. He had accumulated 1.8 WAR in 77 games in Boise. And he’s only 26. If he keeps up his San Francisco pace, he’ll be a household name. Badgers fans are content knowing he would have never been that good with them anyway. That’s baseball.

Shortstop: Paul Duncan, Santa Fe Rattlers (.276/.337/.422, 13 HR, 37 RBI, 2.5 WAR)
Paul Duncan calls himself “The Stork.” Why? In his words “He turns pitchers into babies and flies them out of the stadium.” It’s a convoluted metaphor. But for a shortstop, Duncan can certainly hit. Next to Phil, he created a slugging middle infield that powered that Rattlers to third place. Paul might not have the most incredible numbers, but when you remember that he also plays the most difficult defensive position in the sport to a high level, it’s hard to take away from his success.

Left Field: Jorge Merced, San Francisco Electricity (.306/.387/.559, 27 HR, 59 RBI, 5.7 WAR)
The Electricity was the worst team in the league. But fans show up game after game. Why? To see 25-year-old Merced dazzle them with the glove and the bat. With many of the leagues most marketable stars over the age of 30, Merced is just entering his prime. And he’s already said to be a top 3 hitter. San Francisco fans are excited for Pike and Alexander to get older, so top 3 can turn into top 1.

Center Field: David McMillian, Seattle Seagulls (.286/.361/.477, 19 HR, 50 RBI, 3.4 WAR)
David is a good old Texan boy with a boring, consistent bat. In a west coast league all about flash, being new, and having star power, David is a star for middle America. Every day he’ll go onto the field, play his ass off, get dirty and then have a beer with the guys after. Are his numbers eye-popping? Not particularly. Would he improve any team he played for? Absolutely.

Right Field: Jon “Dracula” Cobb, Los Angeles Saints (.322/.401/.558, 21 HR, 64 RBI 4.0 WAR)
Jon Cobb is quiet and ageless. The man is 38-years-old and tears the cover off the ball as good as anyone. And he doesn’t speak. The Saints were a team in chaos. Their owner Jack Blackburn was a load mouth who wouldn’t stop going on local talk radio to diss his own team. Lou Evans, the man who was supposed to be the face of the league couldn’t hit over .200. But Cobb? Cobb was quiet. And Cobb sure as hell hit.

Designated Hitter: Christian Girault, San Francisco Electricity (.236/.326/.501, 30 HR, 67 RBI, 1.9 WAR)
When Jack Crump founded the league, baseball fans who remembered the MLB were outraged. WHY ARE THERE DESIGNATED HITTERS? Crump had a one-word response. “Dingers.” And Canadian DH Girault proved him right. He led the league with 30 dingers. That’s a lot of dingers. Sure he hit .236. But he did it with 30 dingers.

(P.S. It's been a year! More than a year! I had forgotten all about this! But I'm back for now, and having a good time! I'm glad I got through the championship before leaving everyone hanging)

[PrinceofKirkland]

Major Award Winners!

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR: Ricky Ward, Seattle Seagulls (3-3, 1.50 ERA, 33 SV, 92 K, 8 BB, 2.4 WAR)
In a league with incredible young reliever talent, Rick Ward stood out as the best of the best. He took the mound in a league-leading 54 games and got saves in 33 of them, only blowing three. Collecting 2.4 WAR as a reliever is an incredible achievement and Ricky deserves the honor.

Runner ups: Mike Wilson, Salt Lake City (4-1, 1.35 ERA, 32 SV) and Ivan “Fossil” Hernandez (2-3, 1.44 ERA, 26 SV). Ivan’s 26 saves are more impressive when you consider that the Electricity only won 45 games in total.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Nelson “Slick” Frank, Salt Lake City Cannons. (.351/.411/.474, 4 HR, 57 RBI, 3.2 WAR)
This award was never in doubt. Frank was the brightest star of the Cannons, a team that captivated America with their one-run wins and “never say die” attitude. At only 20, Frank led the league in average and hits, cementing himself as the best contact hitter in the league. Oh yes, again, he’s 20. If Merced didn’t also patrol left field, he would have been a shoo-in for a coveted Silver Stick.

Runners up: Miguel Padilla, Boise Badgers, RF (.257/.312/.528, 23 HR, 60 RBI, 1.8 WAR) and Chung Cheng, Seattle Seagulls, SP (12-7, 3.01 ERA, 127 K, 23 BB, 4.0 WAR)

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Maximo Sosa, Salt Lake City Cannons
Maximo was tossed out of the game more than any other manager. He was not afraid to get into the umpire’s face. He’s the definition of a “Florida Man.” And at 33, he’s younger than some of his players. But the man is a genius tactician and motivator. And he won 66 games with a roster that no one expected to sniff the playoffs. It’s no wonder that Sosa has gained a cult following in Utah.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Zane Davis, Seattle Seagulls (13-7, 2.20 ERA, 184 K, 42 BB 5.0 WAR)
When a pitcher can get 184 K’s in only 25 games, you know he’s something special. Not to mention his 2.20 ERA. And is the undisputed captain of the world champion Seagulls. It’s tough to have a better year than Davis did in 2000. He was also good in the finals, pitching 2 games with a 2.19 ERA. Davis, a Mormon from Salt Lake City, both made the people of Utah incredibly proud and crushed their hopes and dreams, all in one inaugural season.

Runners up: Ricky Ward, Seattle Seagulls, RP (3-3, 1.50 ERA, 33 SV) and Leonidas Vlakhou, Denver Thunderbirds (13-8, 2.48 ERA, 163 K, 51 BB 4.5 WAR)

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Thomas Pike, Denver Thunderbirds, Catcher (.351/.439/.644, 28 HR, 71 RBI, 6.6 WAR)
Everyone saw this coming. The next closest player to Thomas in WAR had 5.7 to his 6.6. Pike is a superstar, a leader, a class act, and to many, a hero. “I’m honored, but to be frank, I’d give it up in a heartbeat for a shot at the championship.” Denver certainly did not have the season that they wanted. That’s the elephant in the room when you talk about Thomas’ incredible season. All eyes will be on the superstar next year. Can he repeat his success? Can he win more games?

Runner ups: Phil Alexander, Santa Fe Rattlers (.302/.395/.552, 26 HR, 66 RBI, 5.7 WAR) and Jorge Merced, San Francisco Electricity (.306/.387/.559, 27 HR, 59 RBI, 5.7 WAR). We have talked about both of these guys a lot. I’ll spare you again.

And with the MVP award handed out, the year 2000 is officially in the record books. The league was a hit. It had beloved players, a classic extra-inning game in the finals that captivated fans, and most importantly, it was profitable. The New Frontier would be back again.

[PrinceofKirkland]

September 1, 2000

8 Billionaires sat together in a conference room above Crump’s Boise based Candy Factory and toasted a bottle of champagne.

“Thank you everyone for believing in this crazy idea. Baseball is back and it’s profitable. Who would have thought?” Crump chuckled, pleased with himself. The man was only 30, yet here he was, the head of a new baseball empire.

Maxwell Pennington, the British owner of the San Francisco, set his drink down without taking a sip.

“So boys? Are we coming back next year?”

The group agreed resoundingly.

Guillen, so far the only the champion of the bunch, smiled and said “I don’t see why we can’t be as popular as the NFL with these numbers! We’ll be on for a long time.”

Pennington leaned back in his chair and took his first sip of Bubbly.

Early the next morning, the Electricity announced that they had signed 25-year-old superstar Jorge Merced to a 7-year extension worth $93,360,000. Pennington was not content with being last place any longer. Now that he knew the league was here to stay, he was ready to shell out. Jorge’s mega-deal kicked off a new type of show. Every player suddenly released that they could be compensated.
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September 16, 2000

Phil Alexander paced around the room with tears in his eyes. His agent, a crotchety old man named Gareth Bunion, drummed his fingers on the table and sighed.

“Phil you know you can’t accept a one-year deal, no matter how much of a team you were. This league might not exist after next season. You need guaranteed money. Think about your family.”

Phil grew up poor in Oildale California. All he had was baseball. The MLB folded when he was 7. But his dream never died. He trained every year, playing for amateur teams for next to nothing. Now he had a chance to secure his family for life. But what about the Santa Fe Rattlers? What about the beautiful team ball? The fans?

“I don’t know if I can do it Gareth.”

“Sleep on it, Phil. Offers like this are once in a lifetime.”

Phil slept on it.
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September 17, 2000

Rafael Guillen mixed himself another old fashioned. The Seagull’s owner made himself a personal pledge only to have an old fashioned on very special occasions. This was his second in two months.

He had just gotten off the phone with his GM Javier Torres. The Seagulls had signed Phil Alexander to a 6-year, $177,600,000 contract. Later that evening, 7 other fan bases found out the news for themselves.

[PrinceofKirkland]

Major Offseason Moves:

9/10: The Portland Unicorns sign Starting Pitcher Gary Crawford to a 5-year, $101,000,000 contract. Gary is a 29-year old pitcher who had a line of 6-10, 3.31 ERA, 145 K, and 46 BB with the Badgers in 2000. He was also one of the only bright spots for an otherwise incredibly disappointing Badgers team.

9/11: The Boise Badgers woes continue as their Ace in 2000, Edmund Lewis signs a 6-year, $134,600,000 deal with the Los Angeles Saints. Edmund is only 27 and last year had a 7-6 record with a 2.80 ERA. Boise has now lost there only two superstars in back to back days.

9/17: The day that MVP runner up Phil Alexander left the Santa Fe Rattlers and signed with the champion Seattle Seagulls, adding a superstar bat to their lineup. He signed for 6 years and $177,600,000, the largest contract in the sport.

The Denver Thunderbirds also quietly extended their star right fielder Britt Thomas, the robin to Tom Pike’s batman to a 4-year, $54,300,000 contract. Britt slashed .302/.366/.440 in 2000 and led the league in triples with 6.

9/19: Paul “Stork” Duncan leaves the Santa Fe Rattlers, meaning the Rattlers lose both haves of there fantastic middle infield. Duncan won the Shortstop Silver Stick with Santa Fe in 2000 and signed with the Unicorns for a 3-year, $35,100,000 contract. This cast doubt on the future of Portland Shortstop Eric Brown, who was also a free agent.

9/20: The Saints further bolster their rotation by signing SP Ashley Walden to a 5-year, $60,400,000 contract. Ashley was the best pitcher on a San Francisco team that lacked pitching depth but has character issues and his 4.40 ERA and 87 ERA+ has sabermetricians wondering if this deal is going to backfire.

9/22: The Seagulls add another solid piece to their incredible rotation, trading for Raul Cruz from the Santa Fe Rattlers for two prospects. The Rattlers picked up Cruz at the deadline from San Fran and he lowered his ERA from 4.45 in San Fran to 2.88 ERA in Santa Fe. Cruz is 29 and on a 1-year, $1,800,000 deal.

9/23: Eric “Snacks” Brown, Star Shortstop, leaves the Portland Unicorns and signs a 5-year, $17,200,000 contract with the Denver Thunderbirds, adding more to their scary offense. Eric hit .274 with a 2.6 WAR in 2000. No one is surprised he left. He was asking for a lot of money and Portland had already found his replacement in “Stork” Duncan for cheap.

9/26: Portland trades their best pitcher in Marvin “Entertainer” Roberts to the newly pitching starved Boise Badgers. Roberts won 15 games last season and is signed through 2004. Portland gets two solid prospects in return. This is a bad deal for Portland. Roberts was on a cheap deal.

9/30: Championship round MVP Joe “Soupy” Howell signs a 3-year, $32,300,00 deal with the team he beat in the finals, the Salt Lake City Cannons. The Cannons got to see Howell man the Seagulls hot corner very up close and personal and they must have liked what they saw.

10/11: The Electricity sign former Rattler Designated Hitter Jeff Nicholson to a 3-year contract. Nicholson’s numbers weren’t eye-popping, hitting .260 with 1.7 WAR but he was one of several depth pieces that made Santa Fe so deep in 2000. Losing yet another player with no sign of a replacement for any of them, Santa Fe fans are in full panic mode.

10/13: The LA Saints resign Starting Pitcher Pepe Martinez (10-4, 3.49 ERA in 2000) to a 3-year extension. He was very solid for them in 2000 and is only 27.

10/14: The Seagulls sign Connor O’Quinn, a right fielder who played for Denver and Portland in 2000 and slashed .294/.344/.440. Then immediately trade him to the Rattlers for prospects. O’Quinn has now been on four of the eight teams in two years.

11/6: The Seagulls trade their backup shortstop Sean Ward to the Badgers two solid prospects, Kirby Yates and Freddy Salazar. Kirby is 27 and is big-league ready, hitting over .300 in AAA and Freddy is a young pitcher with potential. Ward is 25 and hit .300 but was backing up Seattle star Ray Conner who had shortstop held down with an iron clamp.

11/20: The Rattlers lose yet another depth piece when they lose their gold glove First Baseman, David Flint, to the Cannons. Flint hit .296 with 9 homers and provides excellent defense. Flint is signed to a three-year deal.

Those were all the major moves! Lots of small depth pieces were signed and traded on one-year deals but if I go through every move, I’ll go crazy and you probably will too. But now the offseason is over. It’s 2001 and that means only one thing.

BASEBALL IS BACK.