Nationals Season 6 Preview

After winning the NL East in season 5 handily.   The Nationals were shut down by the strong pitching  of the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Nationals have a strong bullpen, good starting lineup, decent starting pitching and good defense.   The problem is and has been they do not have two top Ace pitchers that can shut down the other teams lineup in the playoffs, when every run scored or prevented is crucial.  Nationals management did not address this issue during the spring, but will be on the lookout for something to develop later in the season.   The Nationals starting line-up for Season 6:

C: Karim DeRojas offense fell off a bit from season 4

Ned Holmes will be the back up.

1B: Miller Locke had a nice sophomore season.

2B: Eric Brantley tailed off a bit from season 4.

3B: D'Angelo DeLeon moved to 3B last season, think he's more suited there

SS: Chad Fitzgerald gold glove winner last season

Horace Curtis will see some time at SS, in the IF and OF

 Ralph Rivers listed at SS, but more of a backup at 3B and the OF

LF:  Tomas Pascual not ready to start at 2nd but bat is too good

CF: Enrique Rodriguez not ready to play SS, will give him a shot at CF

Duffy Bell gold glove winner last season, will backup in the OF

Juan Rosario backup in the OF

RF: Evan Strange moved him to RF last season

The Nationals Pitching staff for Season 6:

SP1:  Dave Rizzo lack of a good 2nd pitch hurts him at times 

SP2:  Pedro Torres had a nice season last year

SP3:  Mark Knight made a starter in season 4 and hasn't dissappointed

SP4: Del Jang 

SP5:  Albert Ontiveros hoping for a breakout year this season

LRA:  Butch Barker mopup, the odd start

SuA:  Earl Simmons hoping for a big year from him

SuA:  Matt Cole 

SuA:  Carlos Nieves

SuB: Mike Linton

SuB: Scooter Mann Rule 5 pick this season

CL: Vic Toca was great last year

Youngsters:  Ross Lamb, Herman Mahler, Alex Mercado may see some 

time in the Majors this season. Nationals management is excited 

about this season. Management expects to make the playoffs, 

than who knows what will happen.

Chicago White Sox Season 6 Preview

Season 6 will be the second season under new ownership here in the Windy City. Season 5 showed signs of progress for the Pale Hose. Despite finishing just below .500 at 80-82, the Sox outscored their opponents by 84 runs in season 5. That projects to an 89-73 record normally. So the Sox really underperformed their true talent last year. The vast majority of the blame has to go to the bullpen, which was atrocious at times and had a gaping hole at closer. The Sox one major Free Agent signing this offseason was a major move to address that deficiency. Let's take a look at the team.

Position Players:

First Base: Benji O'Keefe
O'Keefe established himself as a force to be reckoned with as a rookie in S5, putting up .284/.348/.561 with 38 HR and 105 RBI. He was a top 5 selection for the AL ROY. At 24, he should be a solid contributor for seasons to come.

Grade: B+

Second Base: Carlton Barker
Barker was the Sox' biggest FA signing of S5 and he paid immediate dividends. Barker won the Silver Slugger award for 2B, posting a .315/.393/.523 line with 26 HR, 95 RBI and 35 SB from the top of the order. He also scored 114 runs. Barker earned his hefty paycheck of $8.75 million and will be expected to repeat his S5 performance. His range has diminished at age 32, so there are concerns about his defense. The White Sox system is rich in 2B prospects, so he will need to remain at the top of his game to avoid being shifted to the outfield.

Grade: A-

Shortstop: Wilfredo Lopez
Lopez may carry a bat made of balsa wood, but his glove is made of the finest leather. Lopez won the AL Gold Glove award in S5, making 9 + plays and just 12 errors. As long as he's vacuuming up balls in the IF, he should continue to play regularly and keep the job from Delanor Hemingway, who is also a gifted fielder with some power. Both are young, Lopez is 25 and Hemingway is 27.

Grade: C+

Third Base: Neal Kelly
Kelly carries a lot of thunder in his stick. Kelly led the AL in HR's with 52 while driving in 119 runs. His line of .272/.338/.566 was rock solid. Kelly was underutilized as a DH under the previous regime. While his defense is not stellar, it is more than adequate to play the field regularly. Kelly is just 28 and was signed this offseason to a very reasonable 4 year contract at $4 million per season. Expect another truckload of bombs this year.

Grade: B+

Left Field: Davey Morales
Morales is another power bat in the Sox lineup. Morales contributed 31 HR and 91 RBI while posting .260/.339/.473 in S5. In three big league seasons, Morales has averaged 34 HR per season. An adequate defender, Morales would seem to be holding a place for super-prospect Benito Andujar, whose ETA is S7. His reasonable arb-contract of $1.8 million makes him a sensible holdover this year.

Grade: B-

Center Field: Juan Diaz
After GM Ferris Bueller dealt high-ceiling CF Paul Wagner early in S5, the job fell to Diaz. Diaz is a player of modest talents, but he stepped up and outperformed Wagner, posting .275/.355/.373 from the #2 spot in the lineup. He also chipped in 26 SB and solid defense. Diaz would seem to have a hold on the position for the next 1-2 seasons until prospect Aaron Taylor is ready.

Grade: C

Right Field: Deivi Mercado
Deivi is a player that seems like he should be better than he is. He is talented, with good splits, power and a decent eye. He posted .256/.327/.456 in S5 with 30HR and 96 RBI. He was drafted as a SS and was the franchise's first #1 draft pick, going #17 overall. At just $378K, Mercado is worth the starting nod for another season, but a lack of improvement may hurt his chances with the team long term.

Grade: C+

Catcher: Sandy Webster
Sandy was acquired from the Reds before S5 to address the Sox' serious OBP deficiency. Webster delivered, hitting .319/.399/.452 from the #3 hole. His defense and pitch calling is merely adequate, which is why the Sox keep a defensive stalwart, Teddy Smalley, on the roster to back Sandy up.

Grade: A-

DH: Josias Vega
Vega is yet another youngster on the Sox roster at 25, but is entering his 4th ML season. Vega's specialty is hitting RHP and getting on base. His .305/.369/.459 line shows he succeeded at that goal. This is an area that could be open to upgrade, should the Sox find the right deal.

Grade: B

Pitchers:
SP1: Garry Brinkley
Garry is a 22 y.o. wunderkind and was the #1 overall selection in the Season 2 draft. S5 was his rookie year, and after a mediocre first half, he tore through the league after the All Star break. His final numbers showed a 16-9 record in 33 starts. He threw 218.1 innings and posted a 3.13 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Brinkley earned a spot on the AL ROY ballot for that performance. The Sox expect big things from Brinkley in S6 and a 20 win season is not out of the question.

Grade: A

SP2: Daryl Payton
Payton was the 2nd big free agent signing of the S5 preseason and was handed a handsome 5 year contract that pays about $11 million per season. Payton has a terrific 80-46 career record, but was only 13-12 with a 4.05 ERA in S5. Payton is going to need to improve on those numbers to pull the Sox into playoff contention in S6.

Grade: B

SP3: Thomas Connor
Connor is entering his 5th season in Chicago pinstripes. After signing a 3 year/$21 million extension before S5, Connor posted a solid 12-6 mark with a 4.01 ERA in 197.1 innings. With his good control and solid splits, the 29 y.o. Connor should anchor the #3 spot this year.

Grade: B+

SP4: Felipe Lee
Lee is the sole left hander in the rotation. Lee is just 23 y.o. and has some ability. He comes off a disappointing S5, when he went just 9-14 with a 5.01 ERA. He started 32 games but pitched just 169 innings. That's not going to get it done. If Lee can return to S4 form and post a mid 4's ERA and pitch over 180 innings, he will be an asset.

Grade: C-

SP5: Ned Gaston
Gaston has a lot of ability, when he knows where the ball is going. The current White Sox regime places a large emphasis on control, which would seem to make Gaston's position in the rotation tenuous. Still, the 25 y.o. went 9-12 last season with a 4.96 ERA in 194.2 innings. That's not bad for a #5 starter. Still, Gaston would seem to be keeping a seat warm for Kane Delaney, who will be starting at AAA in S6.

Grade: C-

Long Relievers: Eugene Carey Warren Perez
Both are options as starters, but given their control problems, seem best suited for long relief roles. While Perez was nothing special in S5, Carey posted a 3.05 ERA in 85.2 innings. He may see some time in the rotation should Gaston or Lee falter.

Grade: B-

Setup Men: Torey Lee Al Tomlinson Ben Gray Ira Lawrence
Lee and Lawrence were nice finds by GM Bueller in S5. Lee was picked up in the Rule 5 draft and posted a 3.81 ERA in 106.1 innings. That is a valuable setup man, and he's a lefty to boot! Lawrence was released by the Rockies in S5. So while the Rockies pay Lawrence's $5.6 million salary for the next 3 seasons, Ira comes off a 3.44 ERA in 55 innings.

Tomlinson is last year's (failed) closer. While he converted 28/34 saves in S5, he was awful in other situations, posting a 2-11 mark with a 6.84 ERA. He has been shifted to 2nd lefty behind Lee. He has talent and may perform better in lower leverage situations. He had 2 fine seasons before S5.

Ben Gray was a F.A. signing before S5 and disappointed. He was paid $5 million (incl. bonus) in S5 and rewarded the ChiSox with a 5.59 ERA in 75.2 innings. He also has a better prior track record and is hoping to rebound.

Grade: B

Closer: Yuniesky Romano
Romano is this season's big free agent prize for the Sox. After a bidding war, the Sox signed Romano to a 3 year/$20 million contract. At 35 y.o., Romano is a risk, but the Sox have cranked up their training budget in an attempt to keep his (and the other vets) skills sharp. Romano has 135 career saves and a 3.21 ERA. He is desperately needed to stabilize the end of the game and allow the Sox to play up to their Pythag record.

Grade: A

The Sox had the talent of an 89-73 team last season. Had they played up to that run differential, they would have snagged the #1 wild card slot in S5. By addressing the bullpen woes, the Sox hope to close the gap between potential and reality. Another year for young studs like Brinkley and O'Keefe should also help. The goal of this year's Sox is to finish with 88-92 wins and make the playoffs. The ultimate goal is S7, with the integration of prospects Andujar and Delaney, followed by Taylor in S8 when the Sox hope to compete for the whole ball of wax.

A Look Ahead to Season 6 for the Minnesota Twins; Part 2 - Position Players

Join us as we preview the position players for the Twins as the try to make it back-to-back-to-back World Series titles. Also, don't forget to check out the preview of the pitching, posted earlier.

Without further ado, here's the position-by-position breakdown for the coming season - at least as things stand right now.


Catcher
Jesus Alcantra
S5 stats - .348/.414/.719
Career - .285/.349/.551
Contract - $1,730,000, 1 year
Outlook - The Twins are counting on Alcantra to stay healthy this season. He'll be a part-time player due to his 38 Durability and lack of strong pitch-calling (65), but he needs to produce about 200 PA of quality for things to go according to plan.

Brutus Morris
S5 stats - .221/.308/.326
Career - .217/.286/.364
Contract - $1,290,000, 1 year
Outlook - Morris will hopefully log a lot of AB this year, both as a starter and as a defensive/rest replacement in any game started by Alcantra. His splits and contract are poor, but reasonable eye (52) and solid power (76) enable him to have a bit of pop (23 career HR in just over 1 full season of AB). Really though, he fits with the Twins' focus of pitching and defense, and his 92 pitch-calling has helped him post sub-3.75 CERA in each of his 3 MLB seasons.

Overall Rating: C+
The combo of a good bat and good glove make this a slightly above average position, but nothing spectacular. Hopefully the two combine for 15-25 HR and Good D.


First Base
Herbert Lieberthal
S5 stats - .303/.386/.891
Career - .321/.406/.584, 215 HR, 393 XBH, 600 RBI, 597 runs
Contract - $7,650,000, 1 year
Outlook - The Iron Man of the World, Lieberthal hasn't missed a game in 5 seasons. Although Father Time has sapped him of some of his power (now 62), his contact, splits, and eye have remained very strong (all over 80). This may be the first season Twins management gives him some time off, both to keep him fresh for any possible post-season run and to see whether any of the newcomers has the chance to take over in S7.

Overall Rating: B+
In his prime, Lieberthal was an easy A and a consistent MVP candidate. He's coming off an All-Star appearance in S5 and can still rake, but he isn't the long-ball threat he used to be. Thankfully, as the younger Twins have developed, he isn't asked to carry as much of the load and can provide veteran leadership and timely hitting instead.


Second Base
Ed Wheat
S5 - .261/.340/.412
Career - .270/.343/.425
Contract - $360,000, 1 year
Outlook - Wheat has shown flashes of having his bat break through and his career .768 OPS is respectable, but he's really there for his glove. His still-improving 82 Range, 83 Glove, 88 Arm Strength, and 78 Arm Accuracy might be sufficient to play SS, but the Twins focus on D and so have Wheat playing 2B instead. It seems to have paid off, helping the Twins turn the 5th most DP last season despite the pitching staff posting the lowest OAV and WHIP in the league. The Twins are hoping the D holds strong and Wheat takes a modest step forward offensively, perhaps approaching 20 HR in S6.

Overall Rating: B+
Wheat seems unappreciated by the public, having never won an award and being overshadowed by his flashier teammates, but he is the type of glue guy that really does help win championships. His outstanding glove and arm make him among the best fielding 2B in the World, and his bat brings more to the table than people realize.


Third Base
Virgil Mendoza
S5 - .291/.344/.640
Career - .276/.335/.577
Contract - $360,000, 1 year
Outlook - A season 5 All-Star, Mendoza is an absolute force on offense. Another transplanted SS, he's above average on defense too (81-77-86-84 and improving). With 49 HR in only 131 games last season, he may push 60 HR if the Twins end up playing Virgil in 150+ games.

Overall Rating: A
Mendoza will challenge for an MVP in the near future. Offensively he's among the best at any position and defensively he's among the best 3B in the World.


Shortstop
Anthony Haney
S4 - .224/.277/.262 (only 40 AB in S5)
Career - .246/.296/.337
Contract - $1,505,000, 1 year
Outlook - Not particularly effective with the stick, Haney is in the lineup for his glove. 88-86-95-98 translates into gold glove level defense and the Twins are more than willing to sacrifice a little offense for great defense. That said, if he can stay healthy, Haney should be able to produce something positive with the bat, particularly against left-handed pitching (rated 71).

Russell Simpson
S5 - .267/.311/.289
Career - .270/.318/.301
Contract - $378,000, 1 year
Outlook - Simpson is the prototypical super defensive utility man (89-84-92-87) and speedster (98 speed). He filled in admirably at SS when Haney went down last season and also logged innings at 2B, 3B, LF, and CF. More effective versus right-handed pitching (rated 77), he gives the Twins the option of having an effective SS platoon without sacrificing a late-inning defensive replacement.

Overall Rating: C+
Excellent defense more than makes up for average bats, and the combo results in the SS position being slightly above average for the Twins.


Left Field
Michael Gordon
S5 - .260/.362/.540
Career - .277/.358/.537
Contract - $378,000, 1 year
Outlook - Gordon is one of the real sluggers on the Twins. His Power/Eye combo of 93/97 and his ability to switch-hit results in a high frequency of home runs - 15 HR in 79 games in S3; 32 HR in 119 games in S4; 35 HR in 126 games in S5. While his D is slightly below league averages, the Twins think it's worth it to get his bat into the lineup, and he is generally replaced by a better defensive player late in the game.

Overall Rating: B-
His bat strikes fear into opposing pitchers - particularly those with a penchant for giving up the long ball - but his sub-par D keeps Gordon from being a truly exceptional LF option.


Center Field
Jesus Morales
S5 - .253/.290/.427
Career - .251/.288/.437
Contract - $378,000, 1 year
Outlook - Consistent with the Twins M.O., Morales offers defensive first, bat second. While his batting average and on-base percentage leaves something to be desired, he does have some pop (75 power) and is good for about 20 HR per 130 games. His real value, however, is his (Gold) glove. After winning the 2B Gold Glove in S3 and th CF Gold Glove in S4, Morales was beat out in S5. In each of the last three seasons, he's recorded 14 plus (+) plays. Like others on the Twins, his defensive ratings (91-93-87-81 and improving) might make him a SS on other teams, but on the Twins he's a top-flight defensive CF.

Overall Rating: B
The combo of Gold Glove defense and ~20 HR per season is tough to find at the CF position and, despite the low BA/OBP, Morales is well above average.


Right Field
Hiram Bang
S5 - .304/.380/.594
Career - .289/.369/.547
Contract - $6,500,000, 4 years
Outlook - The switch-hitting Bang was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension following S5, and he had more than earned it. Bang has recorded a .975+ OPS since arriving in Minnesota, and seems poised to play a central role in the future of the Twins. His defense is slightly below average for a RF but not terribly so, and his big bat forces itself into the lineup.

Sydney White
S5 - .300/.355/.508
Career - .284/.342/.463
Contract - $5,140,000, 1 year
Outlook - As previewed in the prior Trade Spotlight, the Twins are looking to move White in order to play Mendoza full-time at 3B and Bang full-time at RF. White pushed his way into the lineup last season, starting games at both 3B and RF and coming in as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement. While he can certainly produce, especially against right-handed pitching (rated 85), with Bang locked up long term White's future with the Twins seems limited.

Overall Rating: A-
Bang is an excellent RF option that most teams would love to have. Likewise, White would start for many teams and he is almost certainly the best backup 3B/RF guy in the World. If he isn't traded, he'll likely force his way into the lineup against right-handed pitchers again this season.


Designated Hitter
Curt Falk
S5 - .340/.401/.675
Career - .290/.382/.613
Contract - $4,600,000, 1 year
Outlook - As a S5 All-Star and MVP candidate, Falk really made the Twins offense go last season. His 1.076 OPS led the team (amongst players with 100+ AB). He has the potential to see some time at 1B/LF, but is more well-suited to DH, so the Twins plan on using him primarily in that role.

Overall Rating: A
Falk is on par with the very best of the World's designated hitters. He should play a big role in the center of the Twins lineup in S6.


Others
There are a few other Twins competing for positions with the major league team. While it is unlikely that more than one or two of the following guys stick to begin the season, they are worth keeping an eye on should a trade go through or the injury bug strike the team.

Moe Larkin
S5 - (AAA) .346/.416/.685
Career - (minor league) .313/.403/.644
Contract - $343,000, 1 year
Outlook - Rookie Larkin is particularly effective against left-handed pitching (rated 73) and his Power/Eye combo (82/85) should make him worthy of at least a modified platoon. His defensive allows him to play part-time at RF/LF/1B/DH, so he has a good chance of sticking with the big league club.

Blade LaRue
S5 stats - (AAA) .271/.347/.606
Career - (minor league) .293/.391/.622
Contract - $343,000, 1 year
Outlook - Sub-par splits and the presence of Lieberthal have kept LaRue from capitalizing on his spectacular Power/Eye combo (93/92). After years of dominating the minor leagues, it's time to see whether LaRue can make the leap up in competition and contribute to the ML club.

Carson Parrish
S5 - .243/.302/.262
Career - .245/.318/.300
Contract - $378,000, 1 year
Outlook - Parrish is reasonably effective against right-handed pitching (54 rated) but isn't really much of a threat offensively. While his defense (86-83-97-89) is excellent, it may be tough for him to stick behind both Simpson and Haney.

Julian Ross
S5 - (AAA) .324/.395/.698
Career - (minor league) .311/.401/.695
Contract - $343,000, 1 year
Outlook - Ross is something of a duplicate of LaRue and it may be tough for both of them to make the team. While Ross does have the benefit of being a switch hitter with the excellent Power/Eye combo (95/88), his defense is weak even for 1B and management seems to have a preference for LaRue.

OVERALL TEAM POSITION PLAYER RANKING: A-
There are likely better offensive lineups than the Twins - indeed 4 teams scored more runs in S5 - but it is tough to find a better defensive team. While 3 teams had a better fielding percentage and 4 teams had more DP, the Twins tied for the league lead in plus (+) plays and had the fewest minus (-) plays in the World in S5. The combo of above average offense and great defense gives the Twins one of the best all-around group of position players in the World.

Atlanta Tribune: Braves Season 6 Preview

ATLANTA- After getting dominated by the Minnesota Twins in the World Series, the Braves come into season 6 with some difficult expectations- anything short a WS title will be a complete disappointment. With an aging pitching staff, this may also be the last chance Atlanta has before the pitchers file for social security and the team rebuilds with youth.

So far this offseason GM Shaka Zulu has already made some moves that could improve a team that has averaged over 104 wins per season since he took over, including a WS title in season 3. The first big move was to acquire slugging 3B Stew Hanson from the Royals.

"We wanted Stew last year, but we just couldn't get the right package together," Zulu said. "Fortunately this time we were able to work it out. He's a younger guy who's put up some real nice numbers in the past and we feel that in the middle of our lineup he's only gonna hit better."

Hanson will be one of two new additions to the lineup, joining free agent acquisition Paul Wang. Wang had a down year offensively in season 5, so the Braves are hoping that he can return to the form that made him a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger. With Wang joining the outfield, Zack Rusch will move from RF to 2B- this transition has many worried that the defense will let down the NL's 3rd best pitching unit from season 5. Management is clearly counting on the offensive improvement to outweigh any deficiencies in the field. With last season's batting champ Garrett Woodson and season 4 MVP Miguel Martin preceding Hanson, Wang and Rusch in the lineup, they might just be right.

While the defense may suffer, the pitching staff was bolstered by the trade for 2-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year, Calvin Hyun. He'll have big shoes to fill, as he takes former Cy Young winner Vinny Andrews' spot in the rotation. After another great season, management decided Andrews would better serve the club coming out of the bullpen after seeing his IPs decrease each of the last two seasons. Andrews will be counted on to anchor a bullpen full of question marks after the loss of last season's workhorse, Yuniesky Romano, following Romano attacking rookie catcher Carlos Oropesa after getting lit up in Game 3 of the World Series.

But the man toeing the hill on opening day may be biggest question of them all. Acquired prior to season 3, Sam Betemit made a historic conversion from reliever to starter punctuated by a Cy Young Award and a WS title. Each season since then his innings pitched have gone down while his ERA and WHIP have gone up, and after a terrible season 5 postseason performance some think he may be headed back to the bullpen before long.

Returning the bulk of the roster from last season's 102-win team, it's tough to see this club failing to make a sixth consecutive trip to the postseason. But with the incredible strength of the NL South- Houston and StL joined Atlanta in the playoffs with 103 and 92 wins, respectively, while Florida won a very respectable 77- nothing can be taken for granted. On paper things seem to have improved slightly from a season ago, but the Braves are still an injury or two away from watching the playoffs at home. Shaka Zulu insists he isn't done improving the team yet, as he still covets a good right-handed reliever and another bat to come off the bench. With the Rule 5 draft approaching, and plenty of time to swing more trades, chances are this isn't the finished product.

Owner Interview: zbrent716

Welcome to the first installment of a new series, "Owner Interview". Up first, MInnesota Twins owner and two-time Major Leagues Champion, Zbrent716.


1. How did you get into whatifsports?

Sad to say this, but I don’t actually remember. To be fair, it has been almost 7 years since I joined in January 2002. I came in around the same time that Fox Sports had some sort of ad for WhatifSports, but I think I just stumbled across the site while surfing the web.

2. What is your favorite thing about HBD?

The extended time frame and the chance to see players complete a full career. Toward the end of my time playing simleague baseball, I played almost exclusively in progressive leagues because they share some of the same characteristics; HBD just takes that to the next level.

3. Least favorite thing about HBD?

I know it is controversial, but the lack of H2H play is probably my least favorite thing about HBD. I initially tried HBD when it first came out, but it didn’t hook me right away, in large part because I was so active in SimLeagueLive leagues. It wasn’t until quite a bit later than I gave HBD another try and got really into it (primarily through my involvement in Major Leagues), effectively cutting into my time playing SimLeagueLive leagues. Combining HBD with H2H play would be a combination of the two things I like most in WhatifSports, and while there are issues that would have to be resolved, I think the final result would be well worth the effort.

4. How did you find out about Major Leagues?

I think one of the things I wasn’t a huge fan of with HBD when I first tried it was that it used make believe players, with make believe franchises, in make believe (or at least minor league) parks. Coming from SimLeagues, I didn’t fully embrace the idea of getting rid of the familiar aspects of baseball in their entirety. I think I first saw Major Leagues being discussed in the forum (not sure if it was an official recruitment thread or just a discussion of setting up a “realistic” World) and I really liked the idea. When I was given the opportunity to join with my favorite MLB team, I jumped at the chance.

5. Who is zbrent716?

Zbrent716 is a generally good guy who has spent the better part of his life in school of one sort or another. He’s (relatively) recently finished with his education (at least for now) and is working as an attorney in New York State.

6. What are your favorite sports and/or sports teams?

Baseball is my favorite sport without question. My favorite pro sports teams are the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Celtics, and the San Francisco 49ers. I despise the Yankees and it still makes me a little nauseated when I think about the fact an owner (I forget who) made reference to the Major Leagues Twins trying to become a dynasty like the Yankees.

7. All-time favorite sports moment?

While the Twins’ World Series wins in ’87 and ’91 rank up there (’91 more so just because I remember it better) and actually being in Yankee stadium to see the Yankees fall in Game 6 of the ’03 series to Josh Beckett was awesome, I think my favorite sports moment actually isn’t from baseball. I’m a graduate of UAlbany, and in March of 2006 I saw the Great Danes play in the first NCAA tournament game in the school’s history. For the first 30 minutes of the game, the #16 seed Great Danes were playing with the mighty #1 UConn Huskies. Later that year, UConn sent 5 players to the NBA – four first round picks (Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams, and Josh Boone) and one second round pick (Denham Brown). UAlbany went on a run in the second half to open up a double-digit lead with about 10 minutes to go, and it looked as though they were going to pull off the unthinkable – a #16 beating a #1 – and destroy 99.9% of the brackets in the country. Unfortunately, UConn rallied and pulled out the win, but for UAlbany to play toe-to-toe with the best the country had to offer for that long was truly fantastic.

8. What other baseball games have you previously played? (tabletop, fantasy, video, computer, i.e. anything from Strat-O-Matic to Baseball Mogul to RBI Baseball and everything in between)

I’ve played fantasy baseball of one form or another for about 15 years or so. The first league I did was a stock-market style game, but I do mostly roto-style leagues now. I also played in a lot of SimLeagues before HBD.

9. What player, in your minor league system, has the most potential to be a star and why?

For the most part, the future stars in my system have already broken into the major leagues. Of those left in the minors, I think the most potential would be found in one of two players: (1) Harold Creek, RP or (2) Harry Rivera, 1B. Creek has a really rare combination of control, splits, and pitches. According to my advanced scouting, his control should top out in the mid-90s, with his vLH in the mid-70s, his vRH in the low-90s, a first pitch of 99 and a second pitch of 87. With 53 durability and 27 stamina, he won’t be a workhorse, but he should be very effective for the IP he throws. Harry Rivera, on the other hand, reminds me a lot of the offensive rock of my major league club –Herbert Lieberthal. He projects to 85+ in contact, power, vRH, and eye, with his only (relative) weakness being a 70+ vLH. If he develops fully, he has a good shot to be the second Twin who becomes a member of the 500 HR club (Virgil Mendoza should get there first).

10. Who is your Franchise Player and/or team MVP?

Chris Y. Nen. While many players have contributed, the 5-time All Star and 5-time Cy Young award winner is in a class all of his own.

11. What are your team's prospects in the short, medium and long-term?

Short term, we’ve got a decent chance to make it back to the playoffs. Once there, anyone can win, so we may have a shot to take back-to-back-to-back World Series titles. Medium and long-term, the outlook is a little less rosy. It has been tough to land the true studs picking in the back end of the draft, so there will likely be a significant downturn and retooling at some point. Hopefully Twins fans will be patient and realize that we’ll be doing everything we can.

12. Who is your biggest Major Leagues rival?

I’ve got good rivalries with a few owners, and I have a ton of respect for my fellow AL North owners – toughest division in the World! That said, my biggest rival has to be the commish – pstrnutbag44. While I’ve had the upper hand in the major leagues so far, he’s always tough and he’s kicked my butt out of a few minor league playoffs. The wins, when they come, are just a little bit sweeter when they are against Oakland.

13. What do you look for in a Hitter?

In a Hitter, the Contact-Power combo. In a position player generally, the Defense first and then power. I’d had success with guys like Jesus Morales – no dominating offensive ratings, but decent (75) power and a great glove. I’ll take his 18-20 HR and Gold Glove defense and love it.

14. What do you look for in a Pitcher?

Control is the only must-have for me in a pitcher. This goes hand-in-hand with my focus on Defense. If I have guys like Jesus out there, I want the ball put in play so he can help the pitcher out. The pitcher who puts men on via the walk doesn’t make proper use of the talent I put behind him.

15. What is the best move you’ve ever made in Major Leagues?

My best move was probably either drafting Virgil Mendoza with the 12th pick in the S1 draft or dealing Kent Davey and Donaldo Benitez for Gabby Martin. That trade was towards the end of S1 and Kent Davey had been having a fine season for me – ended up going .297/.364/.563 with 26HR in 394 AB. Donaldo projected to a marginal inning-eater SP, and that’s basically what he has become (4.68 career ML era). In return, I got Martin – a great SP who is only lacking in the workhorse categories. He may only throw 150 – 175 IP in a season, but he’ll be among the best for those innings. He made his debut in S4 and contributed to a World Series win and then took a step forward and became a great #2 behind Nen in S5, helping lead to another title. In S5 he finished top 5 in the Cy Young voting, going 15-3 in 157.2 IP with a 1.08 WHIP and a 3.08 ERA. Speaking of Nen, meeting his demands after S3 and signing him to an extension was a pretty good move too. An honorable mention goes to locking up the unsung hero of the staff – John Jang – to a 4-year contract after S1 for only $3.0M per year.

16. What is the worst move you’ve ever made in Major Leagues?

The Vin Navarre fiasco. Reviewing it now, it could have been much worse, but it was just a complete mess on my part. I dealt for Navarre from Baltimore, giving up Bryan Blue, Ted Chapman, and Jeromy Hudson. Hudson never made the majors and Chapman has never had more than a cup of coffee with a ML club, but Blue has had a solid, if not spectacular, ML career. He enters S6 with a 54-37 record, 690.1 IP, and a 4.26 ERA. That said, it wasn’t so much the players involved as the fact I gave up on Blue too quickly – he had a 6.67 ERA in 6 starts for me and I wanted to trade him too much. Things went from bad to worse when, less than a month later, I turned around and dealt Navarre to Boston for Benjamin Surtain, Harry Williamson, and Yamil Rosado. Williamson was dealt away in a later small deal and never reached the majors. Rosado was taken from the Twins in the Rule 5 draft. Surtain never played in the majors for the Twins, but was at least part of the package that landed Buddy Bryne. The deal was really bad though, because, just like I had been impatient with Blue, I was similar with Navarre. With Baltimore before the Twins, Navarre had a 3.15 ERA and a 3-1 record. With Boston after the Twins, Navarre had a 3.28 ERA and a 7-3 record. With the Twins, Navarre went 3-8 with a 6.21 ERA. For his career, Navarre has tallied 1099.2 IP and posted a 69-46 record, a 1.27 WHIP, and a 3.90 ERA. I would probably have been better off riding it out with Navarre or at least getting more back in a trade.

17. What is your most memorable HBD moment, any world?

Winning S4 ML World Series in 5 games. (Dis)honorable mention – missing out on the Rookie, Low A, and AA playoffs in S4. Prior to that the Twins franchise had made the postseason at every level for the first 3 seasons.

18. What is your team’s #1 strength?

Pitching. Nen obviously is a great anchor, but the rest of the staff has been exceptional as well. In S4, the Twins set a World record for fewest runs allowed, giving up only 579 runs the whole season (539 earned) – the only time a team has broken the 600 run level. We gave up the fewest runs again in S5 (641) but a number of teams closed the gap significantly. Despite being in a park that (slightly) favors hitters, the fact that the Twins had given up the fewest runs during both World Series runs shows that the true strength of the team is its Pitching. Honorable mention to the Defense, which certainly contributes to allowing so few runs.

19. What is your team’s #1 weakness?

More of a franchise/ownership weakness, but I’m going to go with the inability to land everyday studs via the amateur draft. With the exception of Virgil at pick 12, S1 and (maybe) Harry Rivera, I haven’t drafted much more than role position players. Part of it is my focus on pitching, part of it is not having very high picks, but part of it is just not doing the best possible job with my rankings as well, and now it is beginning to become evident looking at my minor league system.

20. In what ways, if any, do you think Major Leagues could improve?

Blog activity may be the only way I can think of. We have an good league where owners are consistently trying to improve their teams, so there is plenty of activity within the World. Keeping turnover relatively low has allowed some good-natured rivalries to develop too. If the Blog, which is sort of our voice to the outside HBD community, reflects the true nature of the World, I think we’d be all set.