The Northwest League

[ifspuds]

Inspired by such classic dynasty threads as Matt from TN's Time Warp Baseball and metsgeek's once-defunct but now returned Doubleday Federation, which allowed you to create players that would join the league, I bring you the Northwest League.

EDIT: To sign up as a player for the league, visit HERE

The premise of the league is based on a near future (the year 2009) in which economics and scandals have reduced the number of teams in the major leagues and ended many of the affiliations between the majors and the minor leagues. Communities around the country still wanted the chances to take in a ballgame, but with fewer teams and less money to spend on tickets, going to a major league game just wasn't an option. So a number of former minor league teams banded together, along with other cities and locales around the northwest, to form the 24-team Northwest League. The Western League boasts teams from Washington and Oregon, and the Eastern League has teams from Idaho and Montana. While due to travel time and cost issues there is no interleague play, the champions of the two leagues meet at the end of the season in the Northwest Championship.

The teams are made up of former minor leaguers cut loose when many major league teams jettisoned their minor league franchises, as well as major leaguers from contracted teams that couldn't catch on with another team. The stadiums are small, the pay not nearly as lucrative as the majors, but the fans are some of the most devoted in the entire country.

I plan to run two-week sims on a regular basis (probably not every day, but hopefully twice a week at least) and report on the standings and goings-on in the league. This will include stories about players, teams, and assorted other details. Financials are on, but the contract values aren't appropriate to the league. Coaches and scouts are off, and I will use Catobase after each season to record league history. Most importantly, this is a Talent Only league: no actual ratings, and no star ratings.

I am also going to open things up for readers to create players that can join the league as drafted prospects and move up through the ranks to hopefully become stars. To sign up for the league as a player, visit this thread (NOTE: link to be added soon!). Unlike Time Warp, I don't intend to open this up as an online league, but that may change in the future. For now, sit back and enjoy the Northwest League!

I would like to give credit to a few folks who have either provided inspiration or made contributions to the league:

Matt from TN for inspiration -- Time Warp Baseball was the first dynasty thread I started reading regularly -- and for allowing me to use his player creation model and giving me some helpful tips.

knuckler for 23 of the 24 team logos (all except Portland) and pepeda for the 24th logo. The generous work of the OOTP community never ceases to amaze.

The many dynasty threads I've read and enjoyed, too many to list them all here. The talent and creativity of the many authors is a great source of inspiration.

[ifspuds]

The Northwest League: A History

After the success of the Seattle Mariners in the late 90s and the 116-win team of 2001, interest in baseball in the northwestern US was at a level not seen since the heyday of the old Pacific Coast League. Portland, Oregon made a play to bring the Montreal Expos to town when Major League Baseball decided to relocate the team, but was ultimately unsuccessful as MLB granted the franchise to Washington D.C. in 2004, to begin play as the Washington Nationals in 2005. No one entirely expected what happened in the 2005 season, however. It started with the 2004 offseason's steroid use revelations: as the 2005 season opened, some fans stayed away from the ballpark as their method of protest over the scandal. But while recent historians have blamed the decline of Major League Baseball primarily on the performance-enhancing drug fiasco, one only has to look at the decline in attendance of all major sports in 2005 to see what the true cause of these declines was: economics.

Economic woes gripped the nation in 2005, and for a number of fans, disposable income for pursuits such as attendance at sporting events became severely curtailed. As a cost-saving measure, 6 major league teams were contracted (Colorado, Washington, Arizona and Milwaukee in the NL and Tampa Bay and Kansas City in the AL). At the same time, the major leagues cut loose many of their minor league teams. Suddenly there were a number of players without a roster spot, and no minor league team to go to even if they wanted to remain under contract to the organizations that had cut them loose without much regard for their personal well-being.

But while fans couldn't spend the money for major league tickets, they still loved the game of baseball. A number of former minor league teams had called the northwest (here defined loosely as Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana) home, and began discussions to start what would become the Northwest League in 2009. It started small, with 12 teams in Washington and Oregon. The original teams in the league were (in Washington) Longview, Olympia, Port Angeles, Spokane, Tacoma and Yakima and (in Oregon) Bend, Corvallis, Eugene, Medford, Portland and Roseburg. As news got around, however, communities in Idaho and Montana expressed interest in franchises. By the time the projected opening date of April 1st, 2009 approached, the league had grown to 24 teams, with a Western League and an Eastern League, each with two divisions. Teams in Idaho included Boise, Caldwell, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Sandpoint and Twin Falls. Teams in Montana included Billings, Bozeman, Glacier Park, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula. In order to cut down on travel time and costs, the Western League and Eastern League decided not to play interleague games, though they would meet for the Northwest League championship at the end of the season.

Some former major league players joined the ranks of the Northwest League, as well as a number of minor league players who suddenly found themselves without jobs. The setup of the league resembled major league baseball rather closely, though the money available to sign players was predictably far less than what MLB had to offer. Still, as April 2009 approached, the excitement over the opening of the new league was evident from north to south, east to west.

[ifspuds]

Northwest League Begins Operation
by Tom Varney
Portland Journal

The inaugural Northwest League dispersal draft began yesterday as the Sandpoint Foresters selected former Milwaukee Brewers centerfielder Ariel Castano with the first pick. Many expected the five-tool 26-year old to land with one of the 24 remaining Major League teams, but after the contraction dispersal draft, he found himself on the outside looking in. The Foresters were more than happy to give him a new home.

"I owe this league a lot. There aren't as many chances for a baseball career as there used to be, so to get another shot means a lot to me and my family," said Castano after being introduced to the media by league commissioner Henry Anderson. Castano's comments once again raised a question voiced by many observers of the fledgling league: if a player is a star in the Northwest League, will the majors come calling for him? Will the Northwest League become simply a glorified minor league system? League officials have stated that questions like these are being addressed, but thus far they have no official comment.

After Castano, the Twin Falls Twins selected right fielder Robert "Grasshopper" Sailor. The 32-year old slugger last played for the Colorado Rockies, where he held down the fourth outfielder/right-handed pinch hitter role after a few productive seasons with the Detroit Tigers. The Idaho Falls Spuds then snapped up shortstop Josiah Davey. After his public run-in with Cincinnati Reds management in a public feud at the end of the 2008 season, he found himself without a job and no one calling on the phone. The man they called "Viper" for his quick bat and lightning reflexes in the field had earned another aspect to his nickname. Many will be watching to see if Spuds manager Matt Forrest will get along any better with Davey. The first five picks rounded out with Bend's selection, slugging first baseman Ralph Wilson.

The Boise Buckaroos took the first pitcher, Eduardo Carpio, last seen working his magic for the Minnesota Twins in the 2006 World Series. Shoulder troubles sidelined the ace for two full seasons, and if he's able to return with anything like his earlier form, the Buckaroos will be ecstatic. One of the surprise picks in the draft was Bozeman's selection of 25-year old starter Kip Bray with the #19 pick. The second-youngest player selected in the first round, just two months older than new Helena third baseman Desmond Rosado, Bray was long touted as a future ace for the Washington Nationals. Major league scouts soured on him after a disastrous callup to AAA in 2007 and an equally difficult second tour in 2008.

For a full recap of the 50-round initial draft, please go to our website.

In the end, it was an exciting day for the new league, as the questions surrounding its inaugural season were hushed by optimism and anticipation of watching these players take the field for the first time in cities and towns all across the greater northwest. Opening Day is on the way, and fans across four states are ready to pack the parks.

[canadiancreed]

Very cool idea, if you make this a online league id' be intrested.

Although i'm kinda disapointed that there is no Victoria or Vancouver in the league We like baseball too you know

[ifspuds]

Thanks. Keep in mind this is the first season. And regarding Canadian teams, I doubt some of these teams will remain in their current cities for the whole history of the league. There are a number of stories outside the gameplay I have planned.

[canadiancreed]

good stuff

well if it does make it to an online format.....keep me informed, and i'll guarentee that teams wil be moving

[Matt from TN]

I look forward to this. After reading your Pirates notes & Pirates history on the TWB forums, I know how well-written this will be. Can't wait!

[ifspuds]

Team Previews: Western League

Oregon Division
(listed in predicted order of finish)

Eugene Emeralds: A powerful offensive team led by first baseman William Imler. At least seven players on the roster can steal bases consistently, and they play good defense. The rotation lacks a standout ace, but one through four, they're all solid.

Top Hitters:
1B William Imler
LF Jose Alcala
C John Savory

Top Pitchers:
SP Ariel Diez

Medford Grizzlies: A young, talented offensive team. Very young -- three of the lineup regulars are 25 or younger, so they could take off or struggle just as easily. The rotation is led by 26-year old Robert Martin, an early Pitcher of the Year candidate.

Top Hitters:
RF Garrett "Space" Rosenthal
3B Anthony Gilder
1B Jose Corujo
SS Matthew Nowlin

Top Pitchers:
SP Robert Martin
SP Jason Chase

Corvallis Rivermen: There's a lot of hitting talent on this team, but there's some worry that they'll have to take the field with walkers. The Rivermen picked up a lot of veterans in the draft hoping to compete early, but there's the chance that they'll decline early. They'll have to score a lot of runs, because the pitching isn't all that good.

Top Hitters:
1B Marion Laboy
LF Billie Gamache
C Brenton "Hollywood" Judkins
2B Teddy Morse

Top Pitchers:
SP Condel Gonzales

Bend Volcanoes: Ralph Wilson and Juan Rondon are huge talents, but the rest of the lineup is unremarkable. The rotation has a good 1-2 punch at the top and the bullpen is sharp at the setup and closer positions. This could be a pretty good team.

Top Hitters:
1B Ralph Wilson
3B Juan Rondon

Top Pitchers:
SP Dion Varela
SP Bill Valdez
CL Johnny Barry

Portland Roses: Like Bend, Portland has two outstanding hitters and a lot of holes around them. The Roses' strength is in starting pitching, with the top 3 pitchers in the rotation all very solid. They'll need to be. The bullpen isn't very good at all.

Top Hitters:
C Danny Corcuera
CF Balta Reyes

Top Pitchers:
SP Yoshinobu Yoriyuki
SP James Dry
SP Hoyt Northup

Roseburg Rogues: Marc Kujawski is going to spend most of the season wondering who took the rest of his team's bats. There's just not much else in the lineup. The pitching staff should keep them in some games. The bullpen is top-notch, and they're going to get a lot of work.

Top Hitters:
1B Marc Kujawski
SS Kenneth Randle

Top Pitchers:
SP David Clark
SP Humberto Canales
CL Jack Silverstein

Washington Division
(listed in predicted order of finish)

Olympia Sounders: This could be one of the top teams in the Northwest League. Victor Lugo is maybe the best hitter in the entire league, and he's got some help up and down the lineup. The pitching staff is solid as well, with good arms in the rotations and in the pen.

Top Hitters:
1B Victor Lugo
3B George Pedraza
LF Danny Hockenberry

Top Pitchers:
SP Jeremy Nelson
SP Alberto Verona
SP Michael Simpson
CL Merk Kerfoot

Tacoma Rainiers: Good power and they'll hit for average, and they know what to expect from a veteran-loaded lineup. They've got one of the favorites for Pitcher of the Year at the top of their rotation and the #2 starter is nearly as good.

Top Hitters:
SS Jesus Prados
CF Paul Hepner

Top Pitchers:
SP Leopoldo Siddiqui
SP Casimiro Diaz

Spokane Snakes: There are three quality hitters in the lineup, but they're likely to struggle if they can't find someone to get on base. The pitching staff is not going to dominate, and that might be their downfall.

Top Hitters:
RF Daren Moromao
3B Wayne Sampson
C Milo Strum

Top Pitchers:
SP James Santora

Longview Trojans: Not a good offensive team, though Dennis Rhodes is a potential Batter of the Year. The pitching staff is very good though, with talent both in the rotation and the bullpen. But they're still going to struggle to remain competitive.

Top Hitters:
RF Dennis Rhodes

Top Pitchers:
SP Tyrone Kam
SP Roy Kim
SP Tony Cruz
CL Michael Carmon

Port Angeles Olympics: One good hitter and a whole lot of speed. Pedro Villa and Jesus Sanchez might be battling each other for the league lead in steals. The rotation is similar: one good pitcher and a whole lot of other guys.

Top Hitters:
3B Ariel Mendoza
2B Pedro Villa

Top Pitchers:
SP Johnnie Devitt

Yakima Yaks: There's just not a lot of standout talent on this team. Some capable hitters and capable pitchers, but no one that's going to dominate. It could be a long year in Yakima.

Top Hitters:
SS Chet Myers

Top Pitchers:
SP Daryl Greenlaw

[canadiancreed]

that analysis style looks familiar

[Jestor]

Since I know people in the Tacoma area, I'll mark myself down as a Rainiers fan

[ifspuds]

Team Previews: Eastern League

Idaho Division
(listed in predicted order of finish)

Idaho Falls Spuds: This spot could go to any one of 4 teams in this division. Fans in the state of Idaho are going to see some excellent baseball this year, but the Spuds look like the class of the division at this point. Excellent offensive team, possibly the best in the NWL. Their pitching is average, but that's all they need to be.

Top Hitters:
SS Josiah "Viper" Davey
LF Anthony Williams
RF Billy Disney

Top Pitchers:
SP Denis Taylor
SP Frank McFerren

Sandpoint Foresters: Like Idaho Falls, this is a talented offensive team, and could very well end up in first by year's end. The key to their season will be how well Arturo Herrera -- the top catching prospect in the league -- takes to his new position of... shortstop. A strong pitching staff as well, with live arms throughout.

Top Hitters:
CF Ariel Castano
C Lucas Lozano
SS Arturo Herrera

Top Pitchers:
SP Michael Veltri
SP Tommy Zazeuta

Boise Buckaroos: An outstanding rotation puts this team in the hunt, as their #2 and #3 starters could be aces on some other staffs. Teams are going to have to hope they knock out the starters early, too: the top 2 pitchers in the pen are lights-out. Good power and discipline in the lineup, and a couple of outstanding basestealers.

Top Hitters:
RF Jesus Morales
C Mateo Aguilera

Top Pitchers:
SP Eduardo Carpio
SP Darrell Bain
SP Armando Patino
RP Mike Peer
CL Brian Grindstaff

Pocatello Pinecones: The rotation is loaded with promise, as the top 3 pitchers are all 26 or younger, and the bullpen could be the best in the league. The middle of the lineup is solid, but John Oliveri is at an age where he could hit a serious decline at any time.

Top Hitters:
1B Zachary Baker
3B John Oliveri

Top Pitchers:
SP Guillermo Reyes
SP Gary Hansen
SP Nick Leland

Twin Falls Twins: There's enough offense here to potentially be a surprise. If Robert Sailor can get help from the players around him, their average rotation might be enough to challenge for the upper spots in the division.

Top Hitters:
RF Robert Sailor
SS Ricardo Santamaria
C Ariel Ruiz

Top Pitchers:
SP Manuel Rivas
SP Jim Donnellan

Caldwell Cowboys: It's not that they're bad. The Cowboys mostly get this spot because someone has to. They lack home run power in the lineup and they don't have speed, so they'll have to rely on putting a lot of runners on. The bullpen is the most talented part of this team.

Top Hitters:
SS Walter Alvis
CF George Doty

Top Pitchers:
MR Gordon Rutz
CL John Robinson

Montana Division
(listed in predicted order of finish)

Missoula Bears: Huge power on this team, with up to 5 lineup regulars capable of 30+ homers. The rotation is just as strong, too. They have excellent control, and they'll probably keep the ball in the park pretty well. As good as the defense is behind the pitchers, that bodes well for Missoula fans.

Top Hitters:
LF Carlos Serra
C Ivan Abalo
CF Julio Perez

Top Pitchers:
SP Rex Klassen
SP Samuel Diaz
CL Jeffrey Everett

Great Falls Explorers: Great Falls has a lot of power, but they won't hit for a very high average. The rotation is good, though all of the starters are 32 or older, so it could collapse without much warning.

Top Hitters:
3B Jesse Barrett

Top Pitchers:
SP Richard Kreps
SP John King
SP Kijuurou Washichi

Glacier Park Rangers: This will be a fun team to watch. They have a ton of speed and they steal bases very well. The hitters are just good enough to keep the baserunners circling. The rotation is solid, but very young: 3 of the top 4 pitchers are 25 years old. If the youngsters come through, the Rangers could move up.

Top Hitters:
RF Elmo McCray
CF Bradley Chinn
3B William Albers

Top Pitchers:
SP Charles York
SP Lorenzo Villaran

Billings Bison: Some good hitters on this team, and they'll kill right-handed pitchers, so they could rank in the upper half of the league in runs scored. Unfortunately, the pitching staff isn't great. They won't walk many, but they'll allow a lot of balls in play. The defense isn't good enough to handle that many.

Top Hitters:
1B Patrick Miller
2B Jerry Calabro

Top Pitchers:
SP David Brown
CL Richard Halls

Helena Capitols: Outside of Desmond Rosado and John Willoughby, there's not much offense. Still, those two are 25 and 28 years old, so there's some time to build around them. The bullpen is probably the best in the Northwest League, and they're likely to get a lot of work.

Top Hitters:
3B Desmond Rosado
C John Willoughby

Top Pitchers:
CL John Harrington
RP Coleman Pontius

Bozeman Bashers: This team is in trouble. The offense won't put many balls in play, and they're allergic to walks. It's a young team, though, so it could improve eventually. As thin as they are at the plate, the pitching is just as meager. Outside of Kip Bray, there's not much here.

Top Hitters:
SS Asdrubal Cuesta

Top Pitchers:
SP Kip Bray

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

that analysis style looks familiar

Hey, if it works, steal it!

Originally Posted by jestor

Since I know people in the Tacoma area, I'll mark myself down as a Rainiers fan

The Rainiers appreciate your support!

[canadiancreed]

Hey, if it works, steal it!

ey it's what i'll be doing for mine in the new year

[ifspuds]

 Western League Standings
  Oregon Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT 	GB	Streak	Last10
 Roseburg	5	2 	.714	- 	W2	5-2
 Bend		4 	3	.571 	1.0	L1	4-3
 Eugene		4 	3	.571 	1.0	W1	4-3
 Portland	4	3 	.571	1.0 	L2	4-3
 Corvallis	2	5 	.286	3.0 	W1	2-5
 Medford	2	5 	.286	3.0 	L1	2-5
  Washington Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT 	GB	Streak	Last10
 Longview	5	2 	.714	- 	L1	5-2
 Olympia	4	3 	.571	1.0 	W1	4-3
 Spokane	4	3 	.571	1.0 	W1	4-3
 Port Angeles	3	4 	.429	2.0 	L1	3-4
 Yakima		3 	4	.429 	2.0	W1	3-4
 Tacoma		2 	5	.286 	3.0	L1	2-5
  
  
  Eastern League Standings
  Idaho Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT 	GB	Streak	Last10
 Caldwell	6	1 	.857	- 	W4	6-1
 Twin Falls	5	2 	.714	1.0 	W4	5-2
 Boise		4 	3	.571 	2.0	L1	4-3
 Pocatello	3	4 	.429	3.0 	W1	3-4
 Idaho Falls	2	5 	.286	4.0 	L3	2-5
 Sandpoint	1	6 	.143	5.0 	L4	1-6
  
  Montana Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT 	GB	Streak	Last10
 Bozeman	5	2 	.714	- 	L2	5-2
 Helena		4 	3	.571 	1.0	L1	4-3
 Missoula	4	3 	.571	1.0 	W2	4-3
 Glacier Park	3	4 	.429	2.0 	L2	3-4
 Great Falls	3	4 	.429	2.0 	W2	3-4
 Billings	2	5 	.286	3.0 	W1	2-5
          

(I'd like to point out that it took me a hell of a long time to get those standings to line up right... )

The web pages are updated.

Opening Day arrived on April 9th, and the first week of Northwest League baseball took off with a bang. Every team has at least one win, and every team has at least one loss, so at least in the early going, there's plenty of competition. We saw our first trade, as the Pocatello Pinecones sent veteran third baseman Richard Hirst to Tacoma for pitching prospect Jaime Velez. Hirst is hitting .421 in the early going for the Rainiers, but it hasn't helped them much, as they're sitting in last place at 2-5.

Northwest League News
Players of the Week

The first winners of player of the week awards in the Northwest League are Portland Roses third baseman Taylor Eilerman, who hit .600 in 20 at-bats, and Glacier Park Rangers left fielder Shane Aparicio, who hit .529 with 10 RBI in 17 at-bats.

Rosado Goes Off, Ropes 5 Hits

There was some question before the season as to whether 25-year old Helena third baseman Desmond Rosado could hold his own, but those questions have been safely put to rest so far. Rosado has hit safely in all 7 games so far, including a scintillating 5-hit performance against Billings on the 14th. Rosado homered twice, scored 3 runs and drove in 5, leading his Capitols to an 11-6 win over the Bison. The young man with the infectious grin followed that performance up with a 3-hit game the next day, but Helena fell to Billings 5-4. "I've got nothing to lose," said Rosado after his 5-hit game, "I'm here to have fun and put the bat on the ball and enjoy myself. If I keep doing that, all the other stuff falls into place."

[rudel.dietrich]

I hope this turns into a online baseball league soon. I love regional baseball leagues.

[Jestor]

Ouch. Tacoma has a rough start in the early going. Hopefully they'll be able to pick it up though.

[ifspuds]

Team Profile: Bend Volcanoes (I'll do an occasional team profile/history throughout the season until I get through all of them)



Manager: Glen Morris
Stadium: Volcano Park
Current Record: 4-3 (April 16, 2009)

Top Draft Picks: 1B Ralph Wilson, 3B Juan Rondon, SP Dion Varela, SP Bill Valdez, SP Vance Simonetti
Top Prospects: CF Bobby Hassey, SP Phillip Berkman

Manager Glen Morris spent nearly his entire career in the minor leagues, getting cups of coffee with three major league teams before he finally hung up his spikes. He knows the ropes, travelling to small towns and small parks and playing for the love of the game. He's seen young phenoms and he's seen aging stars on their way down, and that's a skill the Volcanoes appreciate in their manager: this is a young team, with good prospects to be a contender in at least their division. After securing the middle of their lineup in the first two rounds of the initial draft, Bend set the top of their rotation with 3 quality starting pitchers. Volcano Park is expected to play very neutral despite the higher altitude than some other cities in the Oregon Division, so the balanced approach to team construction is probably wise. The minor league system ranks squarely in the middle of the pack, though a lot of that is due to one player we'll discuss below.

Named for the volcanic mountains of the Cascade Range, the Volcanoes have become very popular in a short time in this rapidly growing central Oregon city. With the majestic Three Sisters mountains poking up behind the outfield fence of Volcano Park, you could almost forgive batters for being a little distracted when they step to the plate. It hasn't fazed young Juan Rondon, who's ranked as the #11 prospect in the Northwest League: he's hitting .444 with 2 homers in his first 7 games. At age 24, the second round pick from Venezuela is still adjusting to life in the Northwest, but it hasn't seemed to affect his play. Rondon is expected to hit for a very high average, possessing an almost uncanny ability to put the bat on the ball. He won't walk a lot, and he's probably not going to hit 30 homers, but don't be surprised if he contends for a batting title every year. He's an incredible defender as well, and can play anywhere on the infield with the best of them.

[ifspuds]

            Western League Standings
  Oregon Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT GB	Streak	Last10
 Bend		13 	8	.619 -	L3	6-4
 Eugene		11 	10	.524 2.0	L1	4-6
 Medford	10	11 	.476	3.0 	W4	7-3
 Corvallis	9	12 	.429	4.0 	W1	4-6
 Portland	9	12 	.429	4.0 	L1	4-6
 Roseburg	6	15 	.286	7.0 	W1	1-9
  Washington Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT GB	Streak	Last10
 Olympia	13	8 	.619	- 	L1	6-4
 Port Angeles	12	9 	.571	1.0 	W1	7-3
 Spokane	12	9 	.571	1.0 	W1	6-4
 Longview	11	10 	.524	2.0 	L3	4-6
 Yakima		11 	10	.524 2.0	L1	6-4
 Tacoma		9 	12	.429 4.0	W2	5-5
  Eastern League Standings
  Idaho Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT GB	Streak	Last10
 Boise		13 	8	.619 -	L1	6-4
 Pocatello	12	9 	.571	1.0 	W2	6-4
 Caldwell	11	10 	.524	2.0 	W2	4-6
 Twin Falls	10	11 	.476	3.0 	L2	4-6
 Idaho Falls	5	16 	.238	8.0 	W1	2-8
 Sandpoint	5	16 	.238	8.0 	L8	1-9
  Montana Division
 Team		W 	L	PCT GB	Streak	Last10
 Glacier Park	15	6 	.714	- 	W1	9-1
 Missoula	12	9 	.571	3.0 	L1	5-5
 Bozeman	11	10 	.524	4.0 	L1	6-4
 Great Falls	11	10 	.524	4.0 	W1	5-5
 Helena		11 	10	.524 4.0	W1	5-5
 Billings	10	11 	.476	5.0 	L1	7-3

Web pages are updated!

I'd like to add a big, big thanks to LivnLegend, whose fictional facepack I'll be using on occasion to add faces to names.

After the first month of the Northwest League season, the Glacier Park Rangers are the surprise team, boasting a 15-6 record on the strength of the top offense in the NWL. The interesting thing, however, is that they're doing it without home runs -- they rank last in the Eastern League in longballs. But they're tops in average and walks, and they lead the entire NWL in doubles.

One of the other surprises is the struggles of the Idaho Falls Spuds and Sandpoint Foresters. Both teams were expected to make a lot of noise in the Idaho Division, but both teams have slumped to 5-16 records. Sandpoint's hopes took a hit when their young shortstop Arturo Herrera went out with a broken foot. He's expected to miss up to two months. Observers are saying that the Idaho Falls rotation was overestimated, and they might be right: after a month, only Frank McFerren is pitching very well at all. Still, they might have overcome that if Billy Disney was hitting. He remains at the cleanup spot in the Spuds order, but fans have been calling for him to be dropped down in the lineup.

One major disappointment came at the end of April, when Missoula ace "Carrot Top" Klassen went out for the season due to a torn back muscle. Klassen was 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA at the time of the injury. Bill Schmidt was called up to take his place in the rotation, but the 2nd place Bears will definitely miss Klassen as they try and keep pace in the Montana Division.

The Washington Division is the closest of all, with first place separated from last place by just 4 games. The Olympia Sounders hold down the top spot for now, but as many as three teams have been tied for that position at times.

Batters of the Month

Brenton Judkins (COR)

Corvallis Rivermen catcher Brenton "Hollywood" Judkins wins the Western League honor, hitting .362 with 8 homers and 19 RBI in April. His Rivermen are just 9-12 on the season, but it's not Judkins' fault. Over in the Eastern League, phenom Desmond Rosado is the first Batter of the Month winner, for hitting .345 with 10 homers and 20 RBI.

Pitchers of the Month

Darrell Bain (BOI)

Longview Trojan Tony Cruz wins the Western League Pitcher of the Month award for April 2009, going 2-0 in 4 starts with a 1.67 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Cruz is allowing just a .194 opponents' average and less than a baserunner per inning. Boise Buckaroos ace Darrell Bain, the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month, went 3-0 in 5 starts and leads the NWL in ERA at 1.42.

[Jestor]

Love the write-ups

Is the facepack you're using available at ooptdownloadcenter? Because I was thinking of using a facepack for the Octopus League as well, though I'm not certain what one to use, or even how to use one when I get it, exactly.

[ifspuds]

Thanks, Jestor.

As far as the facepack, I originally downloaded it from the USBA (LivnLegend's league) site. I don't know if he still makes it publicly available to people, but you might fire him a PM and see. As for how to use it, you simply put the picture files into the Photos folder in your league folder and Enable All Photos from League Setup in-game. I also made sure that pitchers didn't have photos of a guy holding a bat, and tried to match Hispanic and Japanese players to proper photos as well. If you get around to adding a facepack and need some help, feel free to PM or e-mail me and I'd be glad to help out.