Introducing the Footnote League

[Brad K]

Actually I'd go crazy with facegens.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Actually I'd go crazy with facegens.

They can tend to make the screen look like one of those creepy doll museums... But I like them. They do, however, make for a lot of files. I've reduced them to Jan 1 update / no mood changes for the ACBA to hopefully reduce that a bit.

[Brad K]

I play usually starting in the 60s. I know what many of the players look like. Facegens would be jolting.

[ALB123]

Originally Posted by luckymann

I've also kept the MLB teams to a lower number and only put 3 MiLB levels in. But at its full expansion the league will still have 400+ teams.

Wow. I know everybody's a little different, but I'll bet it's going to take you at least three to four weeks before you have every team's roster memorized. Maybe 3.5 weeks. That sounds about right...

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Do you get confused when players of the same era have non correlating ages? I mean say Player 1 is five years older real life than Player 2 but in the game its reversed.

It's can get really strange when you get a father and son combo in one of your leagues and the son is older than the dad.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by David Watts

It's can get really strange when you get a father and son combo in one of your leagues and the son is older than the dad.

I trust you're referring to the Bonds family affair going on in your RD league there David?

[ALB123]

Originally Posted by David Watts

It's can get really strange when you get a father and son combo in one of your leagues and the son is older than the dad.

That just cracked me up.

[luckymann]

Apologies for the extended hiatus Footnote fans, the website is taking longer than expected and I think it will work best if I wait for it to be completed.

Shouldn't be too long!

I'll post the 1904 season previews to whet your collective appetites and tide you over until the real action begins.

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 51-89 31 GB, last / .285 / 3.99
BNN PREDICTION: 69-85 19 GB, 7th / .255 / 3.08
FARM SYSTEM: 3rd
BEST PROSPECT: P Len Barker (10th)
PAYROLL: 13th, $22,796
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: OF Homer Smoot, $2,660
CASH BALANCE: $86,901
GAINS: C Jayhawk Owens (trade); 2B Brent Butler (trade)
LOSSES: SS Mark Grudzialanek (trade); CL Jim Otten (trade)

Even with the number of scheduled games rising from 140 to 154 for the 1904 campaign, the fact that the Americans are predicted to win a bunch more times this season than they did in 1903 but still finish 19 games back tells you all you need to know about what a disastrous year they are coming off. And 1904 doesn’t look likely to be all that much more enjoyable for Americans faithful.

They still possess an extremely potent offence, with all the pieces from last season still in place. OF Homer Smoot delivered on his promising rookie year with a great 1903 campaign, and I see no reason he shouldn’t do so again this time around. Eric Young remains a solid contributor at 2B, as does outfielder Bunk Congalton. Oscar Charleston didn’t quite have the year the Americans would have been looking for from him, but at just 20 still projects to become one of the league’s superstars. 3B Joe Randa also looks set to become an impact player of note. They have serviceable players at every position and a decent enough bench. They should score plenty of runs; in fact, they are predicted to be the second-best team in the AL in this category.

The problem is that this may not be enough to cover their hinky pitching squad, which is predicted to surrender the most runs of any in the division, some 49 more than they are predicted to score. The rotation remains intact from 1903, led by Pat Zachry who didn’t make his return from the torn labrum that saw him miss most of 1902 until mid-season, and while he still managed to provide more than 2 WAR he is hardly a world-beater. Jose Quintana was much better than his league-leading 23 losses would have you believe, but still not all that good. Eric Show’s .375 BABIP says he may have been unlucky as well, but we all know you make your own luck in this game. Doc Scanlan took over Quintana’s mantle as the Wild Man of Boston and seems unlikely to sort that out at 28 years of age. Top prospect Len Barker is still a fair way away from action in the bigs, so for now the Americans are stuck with the devils they know. And if they perform as they did last year, then so will the team.

PLAYER TO WATCH: OF Oscar Charleston

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 67-73 13 ½ GB, 5th / .287 / 3.66
BNN PREDICTION: 91-63 7 GB, 1st / .263 / 2.95
FARM SYSTEM: 10th
BEST PROSPECT: P Charlie Smith (7th)
PAYROLL: 1st, $33,805
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: SP Carl Lundgren, $3,000
CASH BALANCE: $193,478
GAINS: 3B Mike Sharperson (trade)
LOSSES: P Matt Herges (trade); P Ambrose Puttmann (trade); RF Jack Rothrock (trade)

As opposed to their crosstown AL counterparts things look on the up-and-up for the Beaneaters, who are predicted to convert the promise they showed last season to finish atop the NL. They remain one of the most even squads in the game and once again this looks to be their strength.

But the bench needs to step up this year. While their four qualified batters in 1903 – 1B Leon Durham, 3B Sean Burroughs, RF Warren Cromartie, and LF Gates Brown – all hit above .300 and had an OPS of .750+ last season, contributions from the other members of the squad were on the disappointing side. Veteran outfielder Frank Thomas in particular went missing, hitting a Mendoza-like .206 with a wRC+ of just 66 and seeing far less action (just 70 PA) as a result than he should have for a player of his calibre. If he, and others such as SS Bill Spiers and CF Jerry Browne, can turn around their lacklustre performances of a season ago, then the sky’s the limit for the boys from Beantown.

Ace Andy Coakley put together the sort of season you’d expect from a hard-throwing rookie, with moments of brilliance interspersed with the sort of erratic showings that reduce the life expectancy of big-league skippers by a decade. Most importantly, he stayed healthy, and he should be greatly improved by the experience. Behind him Carl Lundgren and Chappie McFarland should give the Beaneaters plenty of innings and their share of wins. It is only with Erskine Mayer in the SP4 slot that the rotation seems weak, so getting top prospect Charlie Smith into the mix as quickly as possible must be the goal, and his hot start in the early PSL games indicate he is as close to ready as you can be in this most inexact of sciences. If they can get him up and have him not be disastrous then that could prove the decisive factor in the success / failure of this franchise this season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Andy Coakley; P Charlie Smith

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 77-64 1 GB (LOST IN TIEBREAKER), 2nd / .303 / 3.59
BNN PREDICTION: 71-83 20 GB, 7th / .255 / 2.71
FARM SYSTEM: 2nd
BEST PROSPECT: P Mike Lynch (8th)
PAYROLL: 9th, $25,466
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: OF Mike Shannon, $1,800
CASH BALANCE: $186,959
GAINS: P Ray Francis (trade); P Duane Pillette (traded)
LOSSES: P Ed Hughes (trade)

There’s usually only ever one of two ways a playing group responds to the disappointment of throwing away a shot at glory the way the Superbas did in 1903: either they are hardened by the experience and redouble their efforts to make amends, or they fold like an accordion under the influence of a heavy-handed instrumentalist. Which of these will befall the Brooklynites this season? The experts fear it will be the latter; me, I’m not so sure.

It certainly seems the management have no concerns about the talent of the squad and its ability to compete, with Brooklyn being almost completely absent from the off-season market. And that’s fair enough—it’s a good squad. A dearth of big names is offset by a raft of dependable everyday guys who’ll get the job done more often than not, such as OF combination Mike Shannon, Patsy Dougherty and Delino DeShields, 2B Jim Gantner and catcher Ellie Rodriguez. And the rotation has been bolstered to a certain degree by the one offseason acquisition of note, Duane Pillette, although he’ll need to be much better than he has been in previous years at this level. Hopefully a full year at Bridgeport will have had some effect in that respect. Mike Lynch projects to be a gun, and both Rube Manning – who led the NL with 25 wins last year – and Ben Cantwell are reliable types who are his perfect foils.

But when all is said and done, the 1904 Footnote League season will be more about the hearts and minds of those wearing Superbas uniforms than about their arms and eyes and legs. And that makes their fortunes this year nigh on impossible to predict with any confidence whatsoever. If they can put 1903 in their collective rear-vision mirror then I see no reason why they can’t finish way higher than others are foreseeing. If not, then those in the know may just be right.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Mike Lynch; OF Patsy Dougherty

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 66-74 11 ½ GB, 6th / .289 / 3.49
BNN PREDICTION: 80-74 20 GB, 7th / .255 / 2.71
FARM SYSTEM: 14th
BEST PROSPECT: P Sam Streeter (9th)
PAYROLL: 3rd, $30,255
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: P Bob Ewing, $2,700
CASH BALANCE: $233,223
GAINS: 2B Mark Grudzialanek (trade); P Dave Dravecky (trade)
LOSSES: P Wilbur Wood (retired); C Jayhawk Owens (trade); 2B Brent Butler (trade); RF Mark Teahan (trade); P Bill Parsons (trade)

Same time last year in my preview for the Cubs I noted their “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” stance and offseason trade inactivity. Well it obviously was broke, if their 1903 performance is any indication, and this offseason they have tried to fix it. I remain unconvinced that they have. Then again, I’m not sure it was really all that broken.

The acquisition of reigning Cy Young pitcher Dave Dravecky is a key one, going a long way to fixing the rickety bridge between ace Bob Ewing and the rest of the rotation. A half-year under the belt after missing 1902 with injury should have greatly benefitted SP2 King Cole, which will also help this cause. SP4 remains a worry, but top prospect Sam Streeter could fix that. He’s started 1904 at Reading but that may just be service time related, as I can see no other reason for him not being with the parent club. When he comes up the Cubs should be in possession of a rotation sturdy enough to keep them in plenty of games.

Second baseman Mark Grudzialanek, their other notable offseason acquisition, is another canny add. He won’t start many games but offers experience and a steady backup option in the middle infield behind Woody Woodward and Charlie Gelbert. But at 34 he’ll only do so for a season or two, so they will need to recruit well to shore up that section of their roster, especially with Gelbert also being on the slippery slope of mid-thirties life. And not just there. This is a fairly old group that needs upgrading at a number of positions, and that takes time. Perhaps too much time, given the poor state of their farm system. So they may need to wade back into that marketplace to bide them over.

That said they also have some great young guns. Frank Snyder had a slightly off year last year but still projects into the stratosphere at catcher. 22-year-old LF Greg Gross was one of the real unsung heroes last season, leading the division in plenty of offensive stats and winning the batting title, while 23-year-old Todd Dunwoody has already shown us what he is capable of. The third member of the outfield, powerhouse RF Jay Johnstone, is hitting his prime at 26 and could be the lightning rod for the Chicagoans this campaign.
So all in all I don’t think the Cubs will be as dire as the experts are saying. Nor do I think they’ll figure in the pointy end this time around.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: P King Cole; C Frank Snyder; RF Jay Johnstone

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 79-61 3 GB, 3rd / .303 / 3.46
BNN PREDICTION: 84-70 4 GB, 2nd / .255 / 2.63
FARM SYSTEM: 5th
BEST PROSPECT: OF Harry Lumley (4th)
PAYROLL: 6th, $26,826
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: OF Solly Hemus, $1,968
CASH BALANCE: $145,765
GAINS: OF Harry Lumley (FA signing); (trade); P Ham Iburg (trade); P Elmer Stricklett (FA signing)
LOSSES: 2B Adam Kennedy (trade)

Looking back on my 1903 season preview for the White Sox, only one thing has really changed for this year – the likelihood of there being an all-ChiTown Series. Although I do believe the Windy City will have at least one representative flying the city’s colours.

We can only speculate upon how much the Pale Hose would have won the AL by last season were it not for a horrendous start. They went a torpid 17-23 in their first 40 games, which means they went a torrid 62-38 after that, falling just 3 games short of Washington. Shortstop Solly Hemus and LF George Stone did indeed haunt opposing pitchers all season, with Stone’s .367 winning the batting title and Hemus posting a near-10 WAR season en route to MVP honours. They were ably supported by CF Austin Jackson and 2B Hector Lopez, both of whom finished top-ten in BA as well, with Jackson also leading the league with 7.7 RC27, and they were the only outfit to post a team BA above .300. Only 1B Steve Cox had a down year, and him only slightly (.288 / .361 / .376, 2.8 WAR). All of these pieces are still in place this season, so the Sox look set to be rattling the fences once again.

They have also made some astute acquisitions in OF Harry Lumley, who has started the year at PSL Waterloo but surely won’t be there long, and a couple of pitchers in screwball specialist Elmer Stricklett and stopper Ham Iburg. The former proved most fortuitous when Lefty Tyler was lost for the season in Spring Training, and they still have Rollie Naylor and the somewhat injury-prone William VanLandingham to call upon if needs be. Either way, their rotation remains one of the best in the business.

I said this time last year that the White Sox could be the Footnote League’s first dynasty and, if anything, I feel this even more strongly 12 months on.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Elmer Stricklett; 1B Steve Cox; OF Harry Lumley

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 65-75 12 ½ GB, 7th / .291 / 3.76
BNN PREDICTION: 60-94 31 GB, last / .243 / 3.37
FARM SYSTEM: 6th
BEST PROSPECT: C Patsy Gharrity (1st)
PAYROLL: 11th, $24,840
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: OF Mark Brouhard, $1,700
CASH BALANCE: $140,175
GAINS: P Mark Gardner (trade)
LOSSES: NIL

You’ve got to say one thing for this current incarnation of the Cincinnati Reds: they are remarkably consistent, finishing with almost an identical record last season as they did in the one before. Which would be a good thing if only they were near the top of the standings, rather than the bottom.

The Reds were a tale of two cities last season. Their offence scored the second-most runs in the NL, had the second-best BA with .291 and were equal leaders in HR with 30. Four of their everyday players – catcher Joe Ferguson (.338), along with outfielders David Murphy (.337), Vin Campbell (.324) and Kyle Blanks (.314) all broke .300, with Ferguson posting better than 6 WAR for the campaign. And rookie Sam Mele, who got a late-season call-up last year and didn’t disgrace himself (6-for-24 / 3 RBI), will be with the big-league club on Opening Day and should get plenty of game time. So I don’t see their run production falling off the precipice in 1904, especially if boom catcher Patsy Gharrity – rated the league’s #1 prospect – comes on as projected when he finally reaches the bigs; although, sadly for Reds fans, that is more likely to be next year than this.

It better not. If it does, they’ll lose 100 because – without putting too fine a point on it – their pitching is in the toilet. Reds hurlers gave up 782 runs last year, some 46 worse than the team above them, the equally sucky Giants (more on them later), with a league-worst 433 walks the main culprit. All of which makes it inexplicable that their only offseason move was the acquisition of 34-year-old Mark Gardner. With the trade bait of so many decent position players on their roster, most of whom are getting little game time or stuck in the minors (the highly paid bench-warmer Mark Brouhard, currently riding the pine at Cedar Rapids for $1700 a season, for one...), surely they could have done better than that?
Apparently not. So the way I see it, if they finish last as is predicted, well they kind of deserve it. I don’t think they’ll finish last. But I’d bet London to a brick they finish closer to last than they will first. At least the up-highs drafted OK, so hopefully the turnaround has begun. Until then, long seasons abound for Reds fans.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: OF Sam Mele; C Joe Ferguson

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 61-79 21 GB, 6th / .284 / 3.54
BNN PREDICTION: 59-95 29 GB, last / .244 / 2.91
FARM SYSTEM: 11th
BEST PROSPECT: P Johnny Lush (13th)
PAYROLL: 12th, $22,970
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: OF Willie Wilson, $1,893
CASH BALANCE: $110,253
GAINS: 3B / RF Jack Rothrock (trade); P Steve Fireovid (trade)
LOSSES: C Al Fitzmorris (trade)

It is tough to fathom how and why Cleveland have been so terrible the past two seasons, in which they went a combined 122-158 and finished next-to-last both times. Unfortunately for Naps fans, the experts are predicting an even rougher ride in 1904. And still I don’t fathom why. I don’t think they’re that bad. Nor do I think they’re that good.

They do have one of the league’s premier players in centerfielder Willie Wilson, who put together a stellar 1903, leading the AL in hits (208), runs (119) and total bases (281) while amassing 5.3 WAR and providing 24 Batting Runs. His counterpart in left, Luke Scott, is another solid player. But – exacerbated by the tragic loss in a freak accident of RF Turkey Stearns for the season and perhaps beyond – the dropoff from there is fairly pronounced, and it is this thinness of calibre across the position players that is undoubtedly the main culprit in the club’s poor performance. Making matters worse is the fact that their farm system at the moment does not look to hold the answers to turning this around.

If there is any hope of this team avoiding the cellar this year it is their pitching. They have a really sturdy rotation, led by gun Cy Falkenberg, who’s just about the best pitcher in the FL and should improve on his 12-14 / 3.44 rookie season. He is backed up by three solid hurlers in Dickey Kerr (15-13 / 3.32), Barney "The Yiddish Curver" Pelty (10-20 / 3.82) and rookie southpaw Johnny Lush. But all four are young and pretty raw, which could mean a lack of consistency that, when combined with a sputtering offence that’s fairly easy to pitch around, will rack up more losses than one would like. 95 of them, if the experts are to be believed. Ouch.

As I said, I don’t share the thought that this group will finish last, I see them more as mid-standings gonfalon. It’s where the Naps go from here that interests me. Should they use their high Draft picks wisely this year – especially at catcher, 1B, and in the middle infield – the club has the makings of a decent squad a few seasons down the track. Until then, however, I suggest Cleveland fans take the lead from their team’s nickname and go for a nice long nap.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Cy Falkenberg; P Johnny Lush; CF Willie Wilson

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 81-59 1 GB, 2nd / .290 / 3.25
BNN PREDICTION: 79-75 9 GB, 5th / .236 / 2.44
FARM SYSTEM: 12th
BEST PROSPECT: P Bruce Hurst (35th)
PAYROLL: 5th, $27,849
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: OF Gene Richards, $1,800
CASH BALANCE: $150,994
GAINS: NONE
LOSSES: NONE

The Tigers did everything but actually win the AL Pennant last season and I’m afraid it looks as if they are going to spend this season regretting more and more with every loss endured not having done so when they had the chance. Because I don’t see them as having much of one this season.

On offence, a lot of what happens for Detroit depends on whether or not 2B Sam Mertes can get his 32-year-old body to defy Father Time. If 1903 is any indication, the signs aren’t promising in this regard, with a marked fall in his run production and some niggling injuries that limited his time on the diamond. His partner in the middle infield, SS Eddie Kasko, is the same age and, despite his solid output last year (a team-leading 3.85 WAR), must also be a concern in this respect. Should age weary one or both of them, younger players such as 1B Patsy Tebeau and outfielders Joel Youngblood and Milt Cuyler – none of whom are by any means superstars to begin with – will be left decidedly vulnerable to a lack of protection. OF Gene Richards is a bit of a wild card. He is one of those players who always seems to get the most out of their talent, and once again led the side in most hitting stats in 1903. He’ll need to repeat this magic trick again if the Tigers are going to have any chance at remaining competitive.

The one bright spot for Detroit is their young gun rotation. If Elden Auker, Doug Rau, Melido Perez and Weldon Henley can reproduce or even improve upon their performances of a year ago, the Tiges’ chances increase exponentially. Perez, in particular, had a fantastic 1903 going 18-11 with an AL-leading 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 80 FIP- and 6.5 WAR, and Auker can only have been improved by his rookie campaign. With an average age of just 22 they should keep Detroit in games for years to come. But they wouldn’t want to lose any of them to trade or injury, because there’s nobody behind them. In fact, the Detroit farm system is an embarrassment to the franchise, with their top prospect coming in at number 35. And their lofty finish last year means they won’t be getting anywhere near the cream of the crop come Draft Day. So they better get well busier in the trade market than they were this past offseason.

What does all of this portend? Well the Tigers aren’t without some hope. But they will need everything – and I mean everything – to fall into place for them to be in the mix, and we all know that doesn’t happen very often.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Elden Auker; P Melido Perez; 2B Sam Mertes

[ALB123]

Jerry "The Governor" Browne. That's hilarious. I think I'm going to have to keep my eye on that rascal.

That Stats Plus page is going to be awesome for those of us who follow this crazy league. It will be so nice to be able to quickly pull up stats and game information.

Go Highlanders!!

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by ALB123

Jerry "The Governor" Browne. That's hilarious. I think I'm going to have to keep my eye on that rascal.

That Stats Plus page is going to be awesome for those of us who follow this crazy league. It will be so nice to be able to quickly pull up stats and game information.

Go Highlanders!!

Not long now!!

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 64-76 13 ½ GB, last / .287 / 4.20
BNN PREDICTION: 77-77 14 GB, 5th / .259 / 3.18
FARM SYSTEM: 8th
BEST PROSPECT: 3B Pete Ward (11th)
PAYROLL: 10th, $24,898
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: P Bob Rhoads, $2,480
CASH BALANCE: $182,104
GAINS: P Ed Hughes (trade)
LOSSES: SS Terry Harmon (released); P Duane Pillette (traded); P Jack Hamilton (trade); P Kelvim Escobar (released)

OK, I am man enough to admit it: that wasn’t the greatest call of my life I made about these here Jints this time last year. To recap in paraphrase, I am beyond surprised that BNN has tipped them to go backward this year. I see it going the other way.

BNN 1, Me 0.

Yeah, yeah—that’ll be quite enough out of you thanks Mr Harry Hindsight, Monday morning QB extraordinaire. I don’t care what you say, I’m still aboard the Giants Express.

Why? For exactly the same reasons I was last year.

Neither OF John Titus (.318 / 6 HR / NL-top 81 RBI) nor catcher Bill DeLancey (.301 / league high 10 HR) did anything last season to dissuade me from my fanboy status. They still have quality – and, in some instances, numerous – options around the diamond in players such as 3B Pete Ward, RF Al Shaw and veteran OF "Gentleman" Jim Hickman.

They still have an absolute gun heading the rotation in Barney Wolfe, another who looks like he’ll be a gem in Moose Haas, and Bob Lemon still holds plenty of promise even though he’s taking his good sweet time to deliver on it. They also have one of the better bullpens in the game, not that they see much use in this era. Still, in a division as close-fought as I think the NL might be this season, those few bullpen wins and holds and saves may turn out to be crucial.

But, as the Giants’ 1903 season is testament to, all the talent in the world don’t add up to a hill of beans if you don’t use it. Wolfe and Haas can project as guns all they want, but the ERA+ south of 80 both of them posted last season is the pitching equivalent of firing blanks.

So, yes, this franchise had an annus horribilis in 1903. Hey, it happens. But I don’t see lightning striking twice, and so I’m backing the Giants to shoot the lights out this year. I feel they are right in this up to their eyeballs. The madness persists.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: OF John Titus; C Bill DeLancey; P Barney Wolfe

[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 71-69 11 GB, 5th / .280 / 3.33
BNN PREDICTION: 83-71 5 GB, 3rd / .240 / 2.40
FARM SYSTEM: 4th
BEST PROSPECT: OF Frank Schulte (5th)
PAYROLL: 14th, $22,673
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: 2B Danny O’Connell, $1,900
CASH BALANCE: $118,284
GAINS: NONE
LOSSES: NONE

Despite winning 9 more games than the year before and halving the gap between them and the top club, the Highlanders will most likely feel somewhat underwhelmed with their 1903 season. At times they looked like world-beaters, only to completely lose their way and take some time to find it again. That’s how it usually works with young clubs on the way up, a fact that should temper any sentiments of disappointment. As should the fact that they aren’t far off the pointy end right now.

This is a special group New York has put together, of that I have no doubt. But I’m worried they didn’t make efforts to improve it even further in the offseason. Not on the offence, where players such as outfielders John Wilson, Frank Schulte and Moose McCormick, and infielders Danny O’Connell, Eric Soderholm and Jack Wilson (that’s not confusing at all...) are good enough thanks very much. Really they don’t have a weak link among their position players, and even their secondary lineup would give a few FL teams a run for their money.

No, it is in the pitching ranks I would have liked to see them shore things up. Not that their rotation – Jeremy Bonderman, 20-game winner Mike McCormick (really, is this some sort of set up? I’m glad I’m not their equipment guy...), 20-game loser Juan Nieves and Marty Pattin – didn’t do a pretty good job last year, posting the third-best ERA and lowest RPG total in the AL. But injuries happen, and should they happen in this group there’s not much by way of backup. So an insurance policy or two would perhaps have been prudent. Of course, with all that excess talent in the playing group, said insurance policy is only a phone call and some keen negotiating away at all times.

You almost get a sense of inevitability about this Highlanders club at the moment. This may not be their year, they may need just one more; but I reckon they’ll give it an almighty shake all the same. A few of their AL counterparts would be feeling pretty nervous I’d say.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: OF John Wilson; P Jeremy Bonderman; OF Frank Schulte