[Chief Rum]

Believe it or not, I am going to try to keep this short. If that's possible.

STARTING PITCHING

SP Demesu Berui (15-15, 2.97, 241 K)
SP Tu-Fu Qian (17-13, 3.00, 271 K)
SP Ron Clarke (1-0, 2.13 in 12.2 IP)
SP Dominic Shearer (3-2, 2.47 in 76.2 IP)

Backups: Doyle Adams (14-7, 3.18), Nori Kitamura (10-20, 3.63, 171 K)

I experimented last year with a four-man rotation modelled after muns' very successful rotation, and I had some pretty good success with it. There are four main guys, and two backups who rotate in a little to alleviate the pressure a bit. Berui and Qian are the stars, but I have high hopes for both Clarke (the ultimate soft tosser) and Shearer (a former Pooner). They switched into the rotation from the backup spots, while last year's starters, Adams and Kitamura go back to the backup spots. I had the 4th best starters ERA in the CL, and I felt that was brought down a bit by Kitamura. So we'll see how things go.

RELIEF PITCHING

Closer: Dennis Marnane (3-7, 45 SV, 1.77)
Setup: Stan Miller (5-1, 2.09)
Setup: Stan Osborn (1-3, 3.62)
Middle Relief: Gerald Grant (6-0, 2.32)
Middle Relief: John Martland (32 SV, 3.33 in AAA)
Middle Relief: Sean Reinhart (2-1, 3.00 in AAA)
Long Relievers: Adams and Kitamura

This was an area of strength for me last year, as I had the best pen in the CL. It should be as strong this year. Marnane, Miller and Osborn have been dominating at the top for a while, and Grant was last year's rookie phenom in the staff. Martland and Reinhart are two long awaited stid relief prospects who are finally ready to reach the bigs. They still have growing to do, and will only get better as the season goes on.

CATCHING

Jose Lopez (.255, 0, 26, .637)

Backup: Eric Cherry (.219, 5, 33, .602)

Lopez has very nice ratings at the plate, but has yet to match it with the stats. I am hopeful he will breakthrough this year, as he is similar in ratings to old Colorado backstop Alfredo Alvarado. Cherry is actually a 1B who masqueraded as an awful defensive 3B last year. He isn't starting this year, so when I needed to drop my backup catcher, Vicente Mota, to create room for a potential free agent pickup, Cherry got the call to grab the catcher's mitt on those days Lopez can't go. Lopez is a terrific defensive catcher, so he'll play as much as I can make him.

INFIELD

First Base: Carlos Trujillo (.237, 11, 53, .688)
Second Base: Larry Abbott (.303, 8, 46, .809, 50 SB)
Shortstop: Rodrigo Cruz (.274, 14, 57, .757 with NPV)
Third Base: Teobaldo Cutileiro (.288, 10, 68, .745 in AAA)

Backups: 3B Yoshi Kiyomizu (.207, 7, 28, .660 with SD), 2B Luis Castillo (.287, 1, 43, .729 in AAA), and 1B Cherry

As you can see, I have a lot of INFs, and I am even trying to sign another one. Most of them had disappointing seasons, which is why there are some new faces. Another reason why the change up is that my team defense (easily the worst at .975) was clearly the culprit for us falling short, as both pitching and hitting graded out very well. Abbott was platooned a little, but he should play a full season this year, which, combined with a bounce back, should allow him to put up star numbers. Trujillo had his worst year ever, and I don't see him not bouncing back with the power numbers unless my free agent signee takes at bats from him. Cherry is backing him up. Cruz and Kiyomizu were key pickups who bring power and solid defensive credentials to the left side of the infield, replacing Alex Garcia and Javier Rodriguez, who were let go. Cutileiro is this year's top hitting rookie in the system. He is a poor defensive 3B, but should still do much better there than Cherry and John Hunt did last season, neither of whom are 3B. Castillo is a quick bat, good defense player who will lend a defensive hand at all of the infield positions.

OUTFIELD

Left Field: Jose Gonzalez (.217, 15, 61, .639, 44 SB)
Center Field: Alan Poole (.322, 10, 56, .838, 17 SB)
Right Field: Roy Sullivan (.293, 8, 40, .790)

Backup: Wilson Contreras (.304, 18, 87, .804 at AAA)

This was the center of the Crackers' offensive universe last year, and it actually underperformed. Gonzalez was a HOY candidate and the CL homerun leader three seasons ago, but has underachieved two years running. I believe he is too talented to do that three years in a row. Sullivan was a quality signing from Wyoming before last season, and I think he can do very well in a better hitter's park. With Hunt allowed to leave in free agency, Sullivan gets all the at bast in RF this year. Poole was easily the team MVP last year, becoming the first Cracker to win the CL batting title since Rich Haas in 1976. He has been one of the better under-rated signings I have made. Contreras is another young player looking for a chance. He will back up all three spots.

OUTLOOK

Like last year, not really sure. Two years in a row, and three in four, my hitting has been pretty depressed by the pitching-heavy CL. The one year it didn't, I went to the Classic. So I am counting on the new faces to have an impact, and the old ones to bounce back from poor years. It's a big risk going with Clarke and Shearer at the #3 and #4 spots, and I have a lot of kids on this team. So I can't see winning the CL, although I do think I can reproduce last year's 81-73 record and 3rd place finish.

In fact, that's what I am predicting. 80-ish wins and 3rd place. Just outside of the playoffs (unfortunately).