Once again, kiddies, it's time for....
Morris Division | Hanover Division
February 23, 2001
- Arkansas Falcons -- The best pitching staff in the league, hands down. The Big Three (Pedro Martinez, Kevin Brown, Curt Schilling) will be joined by Rick Ankiel and Scott Williamson this year. The rotation makes this team
an instant contender. The bullpen is deep as well, with John Rocker and Trevor Hoffman closing games. The offense should have enough firepower to keep this team at the top, though they are not getting younger. Barry Bonds and Barry Larkin continue to
be cornerstones of this offense, along with Larry Walker and Phil Nevin.
Batting: A-; Starting Pitching: A+; Relief Pitching: A
- Vancouver Iron Fist -- Vancouver's lineup is powerful as always. The Outfield is stacked with great players, including Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, and Darrin Erstad, and Edgar Martinez returns to DH. The infield features strong hitters as well, such as
Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent. Vancouver's season hinges on the performance of its pitching staff. The rotation appears to be deep, with Greg Maddux anchoring the staff for the eight season.
There are many youngsters after Maddux and fellow veteran Brad Radke, and the youngsters will have to step up to the challenge. The bullpen appears solid, though unspectacular. Armando Benitez should be a top-notch closer.
Batting: A+; Starting Pitching: B; Relief Pitching: B+
- Carolina Mudcats -- The Mudcats feature an interesting mix and need a lot of things to go right for them to contend. Though the outfield and DH is stacked with quality bats, the infield seems mediocre compared
to other lineups in the league. The rotation is solid from one to five. Barry Zito joins a solid crew, including Mike Mussina and Tim Hudson, which should keep this team in games. The bullpen appears solid, with Bob Wickman entrenched in
the closer role. How well they hold up over the course of a season remains to be seen.
Batting: B-; Starting Pitching: B; Relief Pitching: B
- Vatican City Cardinals -- The Cardinals could face the most improvement this season. Their lineup looks pretty impressive on paper, with no weaknesses at any position. Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado are the
top names in this lineup which features a good blend of speed and power. The pitching staff is where this team shows a weakness. Though Bart Colon should do well, the others are question marks. The bullpen looks to be decent, yet may prove to
be mediocre. Kazuhiro Sasaki should do well as the closer, and the other relievers could do well, but may end up taking a big workload if the rotation does not produce.
Batting: A+; Starting Pitching: C+; Relief Pitching: B-
- Kentucky Hillbillies -- The once powerful Hillbilly lineup is now merely formidable. The outfield is still stacked with Vlad Guerrero and Andruw Jones roaming the outfield grass. However the infield is below average,
with Rafael Palmeiro the only quality bat. If Fernando Tatis and the other infielders can get hot, then the lineup could produce enough runs. The rotation, however, will have to keep them in games. With Livan Hernandez as the staff ace, the rotation
may not be up to the task. The rotation is young, but needs to give the bullpen innings so they won't be overworked. The bullpen looks solid, with Roberto Hernandez closing, and need to remain solid, as they will
likely be called into action often.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: C; Relief Pitching: B+
- Philadelphia Endzone Animals -- The Endzone Animals face a possible struggle this season. The lineup is mediocre compared to some of the powerhouses in the league. Troy Glaus, Jose Vidro, and Geoff Jenkins should produce some runs
but the bottom of the order could make it hard to keep rallies alive. Shortstop and catcher are glaring weaknesses and the outfield in general is unspectacular. The biggest improvement here will be on offense. The pitching staff looks ready to
play with the big boys. Jeff D'Amico gives them a true ace for the first time in franchise history. The other starters round out the rotation well and barring injury should keep the Endzone Animals competitive. The bullpen is decent, but could have some holes
to fill if the rotation breaks down. There doesn't seem to be enough quality arms to eat up the innings if they are given a heavy workload. The closer situation is iffy between unproven Curt Leskanic and shaky Outlaws castaway Jeff Shaw.
Batting: B-; Starting Pitching: A-; Relief Pitching: C+
- Columbia Crusaders -- Columbia faces an uphill climb in this division. Though the infield is solid, the outfield is very sub par and need to be improved for this team to be competitive. Paul O'Neill, Trot Nixon, and Troy O'Leary
are worthy backups on most teams, but should not be the starting three on a contender. To make matters worse, the rotation for the Crusaders does not look very spectacular either. Frank Castillo should put together a nice season, but everyone else is a question
mark. The bullpen looks very good, and they will have to be.
Batting: C; Starting Pitching: C-; Relief Pitching: B+
- Newark Sugar Bears -- Another year, another playoff berth, most likely. The Sugar Bears are poised to contend this season. The offense is top-notch once again, despite the loss of Mark McGwire for the year.
No glaring holes here, and the platoons make up for any deficiencies in the lineup. The rotation is solid, anchored by Randy Johnson. The others are above average and should make the Sugar Bears tough to beat. The bullpen
is average, though they should be enough to keep the lead from slipping.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: B-
- Matthew's Mighty Men of Stanhope -- It was quite a coup for the defending champions to acquire Todd Helton in a hot-stove league trade. The acquisition filled a hole in their offense. The lineup now is most impressive
and enough to score a barrage of runs against the best pitching staffs. The pitching staff will probably not be much help in keeping the scores low, however. The rotation could be solid, then again, they could fall apart at any given
moment. The bullpen will be busy this year, and luckily for the Mighty Men, they should do the job well. Mariano Rivera remains one of the best at closing.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: C-; Relief Pitching: A
- Hoboken Cutters -- One of four new faces this season, the Cutters seem to possess a lot of promise. The offense looks good with Mike Piazza and Brian Giles among the top names. The only possible
weakness is at third base, with Chris Truby taking that position, but it's only one spot. The rotation will have to be improved to compete with the big boys. Though the pitchers are decent and may even keep this team competitive
at times, none of the starters are spectacular. The bullpen seems adequate and should be decent.
Batting: B+; Starting Pitching: C-; Relief Pitching: B-
- Austin Outlaws -- There will be some work for new owner Eric Wickstrom to do in order to keep this teams untarnished consecutive playoff record alive. The offense is solid
though only Gary Sheffield impresses in the outfield. The pitching staff is mediocre, though it does feature two aces in Al Leiter and Tom Glavine. The other starters will make or break this team's chances
for the season. The bullpen should hold up well, with Derrick Lowe shutting the door in the final innings.
Batting: C+; Starting Pitching: C+; Relief Pitching: A-
- Phoenix Dragons -- The Dragons lineup could be very impressive. Johnny Damon and Nomar Garciaparra give the Dragons two big names among an array of young stars on the rise. The rotation does not
pack the same punch, though there are a few decent arms in the organization. The bullpen seems to be short on arms, and this is one area the Dragons will need to improve if they wish to compete.
Batting: B+; Starting Pitching: C+; Relief Pitching: D
- Honolulu Sharks -- The Sharks need a little more to become competitive this season. A lot of youth was taken in the draft this season, and the Sharks may have to wait a season to be
competitive. The offense is mediocre, with Jason Giambi, David Justice, and Jason Kendall the only real superstars in the lineup. The rotation looks to be decent and may give the Sharks a good chance to stay in
games. The bullpen is adequate, with Dave Veres closing.
Batting: C-; Starting Pitching: B-; Relief Pitching: C+
- Brookly Bean Counters -- Another new face, the Bean Counters, could face stiff competition this season. The lineup does not inspire much enthusiasm, as there is no superstar to really
carry the squad. The Bean Counters will have to rely on all players carrying their share of the load. The rotation is decent, but gets thin at the number four and five slots. Luckily for the Bean Counters, the bullpen
looks like they will be the strength of this team.
Batting: C-; Starting Pitching: B; Relief Pitching: A
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