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LAST YEARS RECORD:99-63
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Not quite as I predicted but not a bad first season for 421werd and the Cards. The Cards had the second best defense in McCabe (.987 FPct, 81 errors) and that will keep you in alot of games.In fact they would have made the post-season but lost a tiebreaker to the Red Sox.As I look at this team thru the Franchise Rankings page. The St louis Cards are near the bottom in Pitching and are an average hitting club.Can they continue to play above their overall ratings? May be a down year for "Back" Werd. LOL. PREDICTION:72-90
OUT: Tony Cortes , Dude Colbrunn
IN: Tim Lucas , Nick Buford
PREVIEW: Congrats to Werd and his Cards for winning the Series. No longer can I call him Back Werd and the Franchise Rankings doesn't rank Heart. Werds boys rode Tony Cortes all the way to the Championship then he left for free agency, ala Albert Pujols.St louis will have a tough time repeating without him but who can afford tying up 20 million a year. The problem with winning the Series is everyone wants to get paid! The Cards were the 5th best hitting team(.279 Team BA), 7th best in pitching(3.87 ERA), 7th best in fielding(85 Team Errors.In the offseason Werd re-signed Enrique James and Edgardo Villa and then he let Cortes and Colbrunn head to free agency.With just a couple of spots open Werd signed free agents Lucas and Buford to fill them. Not sure if you can replace a Cortez but this team is still solid without him.And a highly placed source inside the Cardinals organization had this to say "Cards have gotten rid of the steroid-swilling,overpaid Tony Cortes, they finally have room to make full use of some excellent outfielders ie: Fred Rooney and Cliff Maxwell. Oops, I forgot that I also signed Nick Buford for 5 mill. Point is, the Cards won't even miss what's-his-name." They will challenge for the division crown.And the Cards were a force in last years playoffs.Just get there Baby!! PREDICTION:90-72
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LAST YEARS RECORD:84-78
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Ajaxx is no longer a rookie owner. His Astros finished 8 games below .500 . Not bad for a first year guy. The Astros had a decent offense (.271 BA) but their pitching was the second worst in Wrigleyville (5.52 ERA,1.53 WHIP). The Defense was porous and they commited 117 Errors while turning only 324 doubleplays(4th worst).This team has some very nice players but can they start winning? The pitching staff has been revamped but the defense is pretty much the same with a Rookie Fielding coach. That spells doom.PREDICTION:72-90
OUT: Delino Castillo , Howard Hudson
IN: Herb Fingers , Zip Ramsey , Harvey Guerrero
PREVIEW: The rookie fielding coach didn't spell doom in fact he doesn't know how to spell. Ajaxx and his Astros had a great bounce back year with 84 wins and they grabbed th final W/C spot. In the post season the Astros took the Red sox to a 5th game but lost. In all it was a very good year even though a dubious forecaster saw doom,That Bastard!.The Astros were above average in hitting(.271 Team BA), 5th worst in pitching(5.12 Team ERA), 7th worst in fielding(121 Team Errors). In the offseason Ajaxx let Castillo and Hudson go to free agency.Thats it ....Nice! With only a couple roster spots open Ajaxx signed free agents Fingers and Ramsey then he promoted Guerrero.Its amazing how well the Astros did last year with lousey pitching and fielding. Fingers will help with the pitching problem and Ramsey has great range for a LF'er but Guerrero isn't a good defensive SS. Perhaps this year they can hit their way to another W/C spot. But pitching and defense are a must in the post season.PREDICTION:81-81
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LAST YEARS RECORD:81-81
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: I'm always overly opptomistic when I look at my team. I brought most of these guys up through the farm system and have wished they perform like i thought they should. But like my grandpappy said once: Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up the fastest. My left hand is almost overflowing and I will have to start flinging dung soon. It seems my pitching staff has already been throwing like Crap (4.95 ERA , 1.54 WHIP). So either these guys start playing like big leaguers or the shit will hit the Fan.I still have 2 roster spots open and I may choose to fill them with a free agent or promote from within. Right now my team will be lucky to hit .500. PREDICTION:81-81
OUT: Alvin Farrell , Johnny Green , Turk Rivers , Joaquin Nieves
IN: Louie Chang , Torey Tabaka , Bryan Brow
PREVIEW: I felt lucky to hit .500 seeing how my pitching was terrible.The Rangers did hit the ball very well thanks to 3 Silver Sluggers,one of which was co-MVP(Diory Park). Other than learning how to spell optimistic correctly, it was a failed season.My Rangers were the 2nd best hitting team(.286 Team BA), 3rd worst in pitching(5.26 Team ERA), Average in fielding(96 Team Error).In the offseason I re-signed Cesar Sanchez and let Farrell and Green go to free agency.Then I released Rivers and traded away Nieves to San Francisco.With about 3 holes to fill I signed free agent Chang a traded for Tabaka and Brow. My pitching was so bad that I likened it to a scab I had on my Pecker once from a rough nite at Mamasitas house of Pinoche. It kept me from doing what I wanted to do and I couldn't ignore it. So I brought in three solid pitchers and hope it clears up the problem with my pitching staff.My other Staff.....well they make this cream made from Yak Semen.That shit will clear up just about anything. With just a little improvment in my pitching this team may finally get back to the post season.PREDICTION:87-75
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LAST YEARS RECORD:80-82
LAST YEARS PREVIEW: Congrats TenaciousTYT and the Kansas City on winning their first A L South division title. The Royals had a breakout season and picked up a couple tasty prospects to boot (Barry Henley, Eliezer Delgado). But in the playoffs they lost a heartbreaking game 5 to the Red Sox.The Royals should be in the hunt for another division title while trolling for a IFA or two. PREDICTION:90-71
OUT: Buck Reed , Shane Gentry , Louie Chang , Rick Ward , Del Frazier
IN: Tom Metzger , Tony Cortes , Dick Jarvis , Joaquin Nieves
PREVIEW: Perhaps the loss to the RedSox last season was harder on Tenacious and his Royals than I thought.They finished 10 games below predictions but still not a bad season. This division and league has alot of teams right on the edge of making it into the playoffs and the Royals missed it by 4-5 games.The Royals were above average in hitting(.268 Team BA), 7th worst in pitching(5.02 Team ERA), Average in Fielding(98 Team Errors).In the offseason Tenacious let Reed,Gentry,Chang and Ward go to free agency and he traded away Frazier.Now that Tenacious had a few holes to plug he signed free agents Metzger,Cortes and Jarvis then traded for Nieves.The addition of Super free agent Cortes may just be what the Royals need to get back to the top of this division. But the Pitching may keep the Royals flushed. I just think it was a down year for Tenacious and this team and they will battle the rest of us to the bitter end.PREDICTION:87-75
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