#5 Anaheim Hitmen (106-56) vs. #4 New Orleans Jazz (91-71)
ANAHEIM- The reigning AL Champs seemed to be on cruise control with the AL West and a Wild Card Round all but locked up. But the Camels got red hot, and the Hitmen went 6-14 in their last 20, including losing 7 of their last 8. Despite their late season futility, the Hitmen still finished with 106 wins and the 3rd best record in the SPL. Budding superstar LF Orber Martin (.322 AVG, 38 HR, 94 RBI) followed his historic postseason heroics with the best season of his young career. The charismatic outfielder has quickly become one of the faces of the franchise and one of the most recognizable athletes in Southern California. The Hitmen certainly aren't a one-man show though. Their lineup boasts four player with 30+ home runs this season and three others with between 20-30 home runs. 3B Cristobal Roque (.273 AVG, 51 HR, 128 RBI), who finished 2nd in the AL in HR, and CF Ryan Bradford (.283 AVH, 48 HR, 131 RBI) team up with Martin to form the meat of the Anaheim lineup. SP Julian Belliard (19-5, 2.68 ERA) had a Cy Young caliber season and continues to establish himself as one of the top starters in the AL. Despite his 2-7 career postseason record, he has aways pitched well in the playoffs but never had any help in the way of run support.
NEW ORLEANS- The New Oreans Jazz have now won back-to-back division titles and three of the last four. Late in the season, the Jazz lost the services of veteran lefty SP Jamie Ellis (9-7, 4.39 ERA) to what may end up being a career ending elbow surgery. His loss will certainly be felt on a team that is not blessed with great pitching depth. Veteran 1B/DH Juan Tarraga (.286 AVG, 35 HR, 112 RBI) continues to be a savvy pickup by New Orleans management. He is one of the top offensive threats on the New Orleans squad along with IF Tracy Bold (.291 AVG, 27 HR, 106 RBI) and COF/1B Giomar Cervantes (.271 AVG, 32 HR, 103 RBI). They form a potent middle of the order but the rest of the lineup is a bit thin. The hidden strength of the Jazz is their defense. The team is ranked 5th in the AL in FLD. They are also ranked 1st in most '+' plays, 1st in fewest '-' plays and 1st in highest CS%. Their rangy, athletic defense helps boost a sometimes shaky pitching staff.
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: Zephyr Field, ANA: Jullian Belliard (19-5) vs. NO: Fernando Dominguez (15-7)
Game 2: Zephyr Field, ANA: Tomas Valentin (14-10) vs. NO: Howard Howell (12-12)
Game 3: Angel Stadium, NO: Bill Maduro (9-9) vs. ANA: Sherry Bottenfield (15-14)
Editor's Pick:
The Hitmen and the Jazz matched up in the AL Wild Card Round last season, and the Hitmen were victorious 3 games to 1. Expect the rematch to have a pretty similar result. New Orlean's only real advantage is a superior defense. The Hitmen have a deeper rotation and a deeper lineup. They should be too much for the Jazz to overcome. Anaheim wins in four.
#6 Honolulu Rainbow Warriors (92-70) vs. #3 St. Louis Redbirds (95-67)
HONOLULU- The Honolulu Rainbow Warriors franchise is back in the postseason for the first time in seven seasons. They went 12-6 to finish the season and pass the Philadelphia Stomp on the second to last day of the season. They'll have to venture into the playoffs without their young SP Alfredo Tejada (4-3, 3.36 ERA) who had a serious shoulder aneurysm early in the season. He is out indefinitely and many medical professionals question if he'll be able to resume his career. Tejada's injury has been quite a blow for the Honolulu franchise, as he was developing into a solid player. LF Gerald Martin (.313 AVG, 46 HR, 134 RBI) is one of the front runners for the AL MVP award, and deservedly so. Young slugging C Samuel Walker (.338 AVG, 27 HR, 106 RBI) has developed into a capable sidekick to Martin and also won the AL Batting Championship by leading the league in batting average. The injury to Tejada has put alot of pressure on the Warriors' other young SP Alfonso Espinosa (16-10, 4.85 ERA) to become the staff ace. His season has been up and down, but he will need to pitch well if he wants his team to make a deep run into the playoffs.
ST. LOUIS- The American League's heritage franchise has once again won their division. Their fans though, are unaccustomed to the Redbirds not finishing with triple digit wins. Many fans are wondering if their team is slowly slipping in the wrong direction. When you're the most spoiled fans in the SPL, its easy to nit pick. Take a look at this team's roster and you'll see only two positional starters who are over 30 years old. If you look at their key pitchers, only Redbirds legend CL Shin-Soo Nakamura (7-6, 35 SV, 3.40 ERA) is over 30 years old. This team is not only still among the elite in the AL, but also constructed to remain so for many seasons to come. CF Hector Brown (.283 AVG, 19 HR, 74 RBI) is on the AL MVP ballot. He had a historic season by tying the single season record for walks with 131. The Redbirds' lineup is deep and powerful. It boasts 8 players with 20+ home runs this season, and 3 others with between 10-19 home runs. The pitching rotation didn't have any one standout, but did have four starters who earned at least 14 wins. Three of those four had an ERA of under 4.50.
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: Busch Stadium, HON: Alfonso Espinosa (16-10) vs. STL: Victor Rodriguez (14-6)
Game 2: Busch Stadium, HON: Harry Gray (12-11) vs. STL: Bobby Wunsch (16-11)
Game 3: Aloha Stadium, STL: Willie Corey (15-7) vs. HON: Carl Shaw (8-8)
Editor's Pick:
For the Redbirds, it seems to be business as usual. For the Warriors, you have to wonder if the team is physically and emotionally exhausted after such a torrid run down the stretch. Honolulu's lineup almost matches up with St. Louis'. They even have an advantage with the glove. The Warriors led the AL in FLD and were 2nd in '+' plays. But the Redbirds pitchers have a distinct advantage in depth and experience. St. Louis wins in four.
National League
#5 Chicago Gray Stockings (97-65) vs. #4 Los Angeles Sharks (84-78)
CHICAGO- The Gray Stockings were won of the hottest teams in the SPL to end the season. They went 18-6 to finish the season, and managed to put some pressure on the defending champion Polar Bears before coming up short. In one stretch, the pitching and defense were in the zone, allowing only 1 run over 5 five games. Off season signing 1B Russ Charleston (.341 AVG, 31 HR, 101 RBI) is a leading NL MVP candidate and won the NL Batting crown by leading the league in batting average. SP Carter Maybin (20-4, 2.69 ERA) had a Cy Young season, and has surpassed future HOFer SP Julio Telemaco (13-7, 2.48 ERA) as the staff ace. SP Willis Bottenfield (8-13, 3.61 ERA) started off the season very poorly, but finished strong. He went 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA in his last 6 starts.
LOS ANGELES- The Sharks, who have been one of the elite NL teams during the last few regular seasons, had a rocky season. Their roster was plagued by injuries. CF Christian Burns (.247 AVG, 12 HR, 44 RBI) had two trips to the DL and SP Harold Paquette (11-8, 2.25 ERA) went to the DL during the season as well. SP Howard Gilbert (4-0, 2.09 ERA) started the season like a man on a mission, before having a season ending elbow injury. Their on the field play was inconsistent. They had a league worst 16-game losing streak mid season that they never quite seemed to recover from. Despite these setback, the Sharks stood tall and won their division once again. And once again they will meet their old rivals, the Gray Stockings, in the Wild Card Round. These two teams have met three teams in the last five seasons. The Gray Stockings have won two out of the three. With Paquette and SP Esteban Hernandez (15-14, 2.47 ERA) at the top of the rotation, the Sharks can be a very dangerous team in the postseason.
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: Dodger Stadium, CHI: Carter Maybin (20-4) vs. LA: Harold Paquette (11-8)
Game 2: Dodger Stadium, CHI: Julio Telemaco (13-7) vs. LA: Esteban Hernandez (15-14)
Game 3: US Cellular Field, LA: Einar Rios (12-7) vs. CHI: Wayne Spence (11-8)
Editor's Pick:
The Sharks have been very hard to predict this season. At times, they are amongst the best teams in the league capable of playing with anybody. Other times, they are among the worst teams in the league and can't seem to beat the local high school team. Who wins this series will depend on which Sharks' team shows up. The Gray Stockings have been red hot though, and look to carry that momentum into the series. Chicago wins in five.
#6 Cleveland Lake Shores (90-72) vs. #3 Richmond Rebellion (87-75)
CLEVELAND- The Lake Shores held off the surprise Helena Bighorns to take the second Wild Card berth and earn a trip to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. The Lake Shores were quietly one of the best teams in the NL. They were 3rd in the NL in runs scored and 3rd in fewest runs allowed. They also led the NL in most '+' plays and fewest '-' plays. Here at the SPL, we consider Cleveland to be the dark horse in the NL. 1B Oswaldo Canseco (.270 AVG, 32 HR, 96 RBI) injured his quad late in the season, but was activated after the season finale and will be ready to go for the playoffs. The Lake Shores will be relying on the veteran duo of SP Sammy Dali (12-9, 2.76 ERA) and SP Clinton Charles (12-5, 2.74 ERA) to carry the pitching loads this postseason.
RICHMOND- The Rebellion are one of the young, up and coming teams in the NL and have now won their division for back-to-back seasons. 3B Justin Kingland (.266 AVG, 20 HR, 83 RBI), C Alexi Andino (.284 AVG, 32 HR, 102 RBI) and LF/1B Maicer Almanza (.267 AVG, 39 HR, 94 RBI) form the foundation of the teams offense for this season and many to come. The team's lineup is very good. The team is lacking an ace to anchor the starting rotation though. That may prove to be their Achilles' heal during the postseason until they can improve there.
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: The Diamond, CLE: Clinton Charles (12-5) vs. RIC: Phil Chang (13-12)
Game 2: The Diamond, CLE: Sammy Dali (12-9) vs. RIC: Phillip Hill (11-8)
Game 3: Jacobs Field, RIC: Thomas Stratton (11-12) vs. CLE: Arlie Kingland (12-10)
Editor's Pick:
This is a series that could go either way. But we're betting that the experience of the Cleveland starters will give them an edge over the youthful Rebellion. Cleveland wins in five.
