NL Wrap Up, One of Two

Ottawa Great Lake St: With a 97-million dollar payroll and only 79 wins to show for it, Ottawa finished 7 games behind its record in season one, but managed to move up from third in the division to first. The NL North Division Champs were ousted in the first round of the playoffs, and survived a slumping Johnny Cambridge (.242, 62 RBIs) thanks to the emergence of 23-year-old 1B Harry Torres and his 115 RBIs. Staff ace Pedro Beltran continues to be among the better starting pitchers in the NL, and a stocked farm system includes Jermaine Pierre, who cleaned up on the awards circuit: AA Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year, All-Star, and Most Valuable Player, even after being named the High A MVP last season. Ottawa hopes the minor-leagues’ most decorated player will have similar success if he’s promoted next season.

Chicago Whales: A team with a lot of free-swingers (a .261 team batting average), Chicago fans were always left wanting more when two-time All-Star closer and fan favorite Tony Black closed out games: this season, he was successful on 31 of 32 attempts and was again among the best relief pitchers in Doubleday. Chicago hopes blossoming 2B Brett Fonville continues his evolution and rebounds from a so-so season two effort to showcase his first season. And center field was always an adventure with Damien Wang, who had nearly as many errors (27) as homeruns (29). Chicago’s search for a rangy centerfielder will continue in season three, as will their search for a division title.

Detroit Wolverines: Detroit cut payroll and spent big on amateurs, continuing a youth movement that led to a third-place finish in the NL North. With little pop (127 team homeruns) in their lineup, Detroit had to win low-scoring games by calling on Woody Wilkerson, their all-star closer and among the most improved players this season in Doubleday. Wilkerson notched a 1.85 ERA and 42 saves and was on the short list for Fireman of the Year. Freddy Dimaggio, one of the stars of the Detroit youth movement, was an all-star in Low A and a .381 hitter with 130 RBIs. He has the potential to someday be one of the best contact hitters in Doubleday.

Cleveland Captains: Sporting a 60-102 final record, the Captains suffered through a second consecutive last-place finish in the NL North. Wild-hacking Billy Myers continues to be one of the team’s big attraction: he promises lots of homeruns (57) and lots of strikeouts (160) and finished among the league leaders in both categories. As a team that was actually better on the road than at home, the Captains hope staff ace David Shin and his sizeable contract (10 million) will prove in the long haul to be smart investments.

Durham Tobacconists: With a league-record 119 wins and a win streak that hit 20 games, the Tobacconists were Doubleday’s most feared team until a Louisville team shocked them by not doing what everyone else had done: roll over and quit. NL MVP Dan Hudler went from minor player in his first season to superstar, with 34 HRs and 163 RBIs to go along with a .356 average. Behind him was Durham’s two 22-game-winning pitchers, Rafael Mercado and Miguel Alou. Only an anemic farm system could possibly worry Durham fans.

Tampa Bay Seminoles: The Seminoles realized their first playoff birth with a wild-card finish and second place in the division. Midseason acquisition Bernie Alvarez joined hurler Ben Neal to form one of the NL’s most formidable tandems, and Pat Brantley’s 30 HRs and 119 RBIs carried an offense that struggled early in the season but came on late. Speedy Willy Sodowsky’s 89 stolen bases ranked among the best in the NL, and the Seminoles hope to improve upon their 92 wins next season as their young hitters continue to get better.

Toledo Maumees: Last year’s division winner was forced to settle with 91 wins and a wild-card berth; partly to blame is the disappearing act that is Chad Restovich, an All-Star, Silver Slugger, and MVP finalist from season one who was limited to only 14 HRs and 61 RBIs. Ace Leon Haynes continued his dominance to the tune of a 2.46 ERA and 15 wins. Hitting coach Dan Allen, who worked magic with Restovich and company in season one, didn’t have the same impact this year. Still, the Maumees look to be set to compete for a playoff spot again next year.

Pittsburgh Crawfords: Not in an enviable position is Pittsburgh, with three playoff-caliber teams above them in their own division. Boomer Brooks, the acquisition that was supposed to help Pittsburgh contend, fizzled after being one of the AL’s most feared hitters a season earlier. The young centerfielder will soon have reinforcements when the Crawfords’ best minor leaguers start to come up. Keep an eye out for 19-year-old Nolan Cain, a dynamic second baseman with a beautiful swing and speed to boot. He is perhaps one of the most intriguing minor leaguers in Doubleday.