Team Spotlight: The Revamped Jackson Senators

The Jackson Senators have enjoyed a dubious former life in San Juan, mustering a measely 105 wins over their first two season and cementing themselves as perennial cellar-dwellers within the AL.

Now, a new locale and new ownership have translated into a 13-12 record and dreams of a postseason birth. Such dreams would've been scoffed at in previous years, considering all that the Senators have to show for their first two seasons are two fourth-place finishes in the AL South.

Yet in season three, the wide-open South has emerged as one of the league's most intriguing divisions. Through the first 25 games, the South remains the most wide-open division in DoubleDay, with Huntington (14-11), St. Louis (14-11), Jackson (13-12), and El Paso (13-12) all virtually deadlocked in a four-way standoff. In the past, Huntington has shown a propensity for being a fast-starter; last year, it was El Paso who enjoyed a breakthrough season; St. Louis enjoyed one of the AL's fastest starts before dropping three straight. Yet it is the Jackson Senators who remain the division's biggest surprised and the resident darkhorse.

Part of Jackson's reversal of fortunes can be attributed to General Manager Caracarn's willingness to spend in order to win immediately. With $16 million already invested in a new coaching staff and a payroll a shade under $77 million, the Senators have brought in high-profile offseason acquisitions to retool.

Spearheading the rebuilding effort is Jackson's new rotation, including the acquisitions of former Montreal stars Bruce Shea (1-1) and Tom Lofton (2-2) and 33-year-old Vin Blanco (1-3). All three have started relatively slow but offer great promise for the future. Perhaps the Senators' most-improved player is SP Roy Sparks, who has rebounded from a dismal 7-16 season-two campaign to rocket out to a 3-1 start.

After a somewhat disappointing rookie season, DH Nicholas McGee has emerged as the team's most dangerous hitter and a potential All-Star. The second-year McGee is batting .324 with 19 RBIs and remains one of the most dangerous hitters of lefties in the AL.

Behind the ML roster is the best AAA team in the AL, which contains a number of future ML players. Among them is Theo McCurry, who has smashed AAA pitching en route to a .452 average with 11 HRs and 44 RBIs in only 25 games.