SSL Preview: National League East
by Jonathan Adelman (Shrikes)
All five teams in the East can win games, and they all do it different ways. While
these clubs lack the pure talent of the boys over in the Central, there should be plenty
of interest to see here as the playoff races come alive in September.
Team: Hoboken Hitmachine
Owner: David Dietzel
Overview: A slightly above-average offense won't hurt the misnamed Hitmachine much;
this club has some very good pitching to throw at the opposition. No one superstar jumps
to mind when thinking of Hoboken's club, but they may just be the best in the East.
Batting: Lots of veterans here, which mean two things - they can hit, and they get
injured. David Justice and Rafael Palmeiro may be the only two worth counting on for
full seasons; Ellis Burks, Alex Ochoa, Craig Biggio, and Ken Caminiti are all banged up
to some extend. Even Aaron Boone is a bit hobbled. If the Hitmachine could get 140 games
out of each member of the starting lineup, they'd be in great shape, but they'd have better
luck wishing for the Tooth Fairy to renovate the stadium.
Pitching: The staff is ten deep, which helps tremendously. Tim Hudson and Mike Mussina
are probably the two big fan favorites, and they can both pitch this team to many wins.
Third and fourth starters Chuck Finley and Paul Abbott could be twos or threes on most
clubs. The bullpen doesn't have any one dominant member, but it does have depth and overall
quality.
Intangibles: These boys are old; their time is now, if not yesterday. Defense is
average at best, and the team is mostly slowed by ancient feet - but make no mistake, those
feet will be seeing bases quite often this year.
Outlook: The Hitmachine are a strong team; albeit one with its fair share of
weaknesses. The playoffs are a distinct possibility; much depends on the overall health
of this ballclub.
Team: Memphis Largemouth Bass
Owner: Lee Vieron
Overview: The LMB may have more quality starters than they know quite what to do with.
If their offense had any punch, they'd be a major threat; as it is, they have plenty to
throw at their opponents.
Batting: Richie Sexson and Jeromy Burnitz are the two big bats in this lineup, and
Adrian Brown and Roger Cedeno provide plenty of potential ribbies, but there's not a lot
else here. Torii Hunter has potential, but isn't quite there yet.
Pitching: Some teams struggle to find one premier pitcher; the LMB are oozing with them.
Randy Johnson heads an outstanding group of names; top prospect Barry Zito could join the
club soon after the season starts, and should play as one of the best #2's in the league.
Adam Eaton and Jim Parque are two more young guns, and Dustin Hermanson is a great #5.
If the bullpen were better, the 'Bass would be riding high, but Billy Koch doesn't have
much to work with. Surprisingly, the staff is only slightly above-average after factoring
in the pen.
Intangibles: The Big Unit is the only grandpa on the club, and he could be good for
many more years, mutant that he is. Besides their youth, the Largemouth Bass have a fair
bench, plenty of speed, and some good team defense.
Outlook: Add a few bats, and you're looking at a fantastic team; until the bats arrive,
Memphis just doesn't have enough run-scoring capability to outgun some of the big boys in
the division - unless things break right. There's certainly enough starting pitching here
to capitalize on the mistakes of others.
Team: Minnesota CMC
Owner: Paul Nascene
Overview: Todd Helton's team has pretty good hitting and pretty good pitching; throw
in some depth and a few other very promising players, and you have a solid team with
playoff aspirations - The Captain Morgan Club.
Batting: It starts and ends with Helton - Mr. CMC himself. Of course, Jermaine Dye
is about as good a Robin as you can find for Helton's Batman act. The rest of the offense
is either average or mediocre, although none of the regulars are atrocious.
Pitching: Andy Pettitte and Bruce Chen give a lefty-lefty punch that few teams are
equipped to handle; throw in fellow southpaw Kirk Rueter and you've got problems for the
opposition. Steve Trachsel is a capable back-end starter, and the bullpen is actually
quite deep, and effective - especially when the versatile Chen occasionally stops by for
a relief outing or three.
Intangibles: Pretty good bench to complement the solid bullpen; and there's glimpses
of good defense and a pinch of speed. Most of the key elements that make the CMC good are
young, so the fans in Minnesota are definitely looking at a comer.
Outlook: The playoffs may be a small stretch, but they aren't out of the CMC range,
even for this year. Only the Hit Machine can easily outpitch this club, and only the
Sliders can easily outslug it.
Team: South Coast Sliders
Owner: Eddie Sarussi
Overview: Speak of the devil...here they are - in all likelihood the top offensive
team in the NL East. South Coast fans should come to expect loads of runs from the bats
of Mike Piazza and Gary Sheffield, although the pitching may return the favor.
Batting: Piazza is perhaps the best offensive catcher of all time, and Sheffield is
one of the top run-scoring machines in baseball. Add a few youngsters like Mike Lowell and
Rich Aurilia, along with OBP-man Benny Agbayani, and you've got an offense worth talking
about. Surprisingly, first base is the only weak link.
Pitching: So-so. Robert Person and Dave Burba are good starters, but not aces,
although Person may become one. Ramon Ortiz has as much potential as any young starter
in the game, but with that comes a boatload of inconsistency. The rest of the rotation is
trouble, although the Sliders may dip into the minors for some help. The bullpen starts
off quite well with Terry Adams and/or Paul Wilson to close games, but goes downhill
quickly.
Intangibles: The Sliders are surprisingly young, considering their lack of team speed
and their average-at-best defense. The bench is capable, if not stellar.
Outlook: They'll hit you hard, but the soft underbelly that some call "pitching" is
especially vulnerable in South Florida. Even so, this team has enough to realistically
challenge for a postseason spot.
Team: Vermont Expos
Owner: Bill Cleaver
Overview: Perhaps the best outfield in the NL can be found here, headed by an Expo
who is rumoured to already have his own "Day" in Vermont's schedule - Andruw Jones. Even
so, the pitching isn't great (yet), and the offense has holes (for now).
Batting: A game of catch in the outfield goes something like "Jones to Moises Alou to
Shannon Stewart", and the three combine to form the heart and soul of the Expo lineup.
Others also contribute - Mo Vaughn is solid, as are Randy Velarde, Joe Randa, and Neifi
Perez...but the triumvirate from the depths of Olympic Stadium take center stage.
Pitching: Freddy Garcia and Wade Miller are already frontline starters, and they project
to get even better, although the usual warning about young pitchers applies. James Baldwin
and Todd Ritchie are decent options, as well. The bullpen features plenty of closer-types.
All in all, thought, there's not a ton of depth in either the rotation or the pen, and
Miller may be used sparingly for his first season in the bigs.
Intangibles: There's plenty of youth - Jones, Stewart, Miller, and Garcia could be
heading up a top-notch squad in a few years. The defense is also superior, especially
up the middle with Velarde, Perez, and Jones. The bench is pretty good, too, and will
likely be needed.
Outlook: They can play right now, although better years are on the horizon. The
playoffs aren't a likely bet, but don't count the Expos out; this team has enough going
for it to get hot and pull away from a fairly tight NL East if things go "very" well for
Vermont. Until the youngsters hit their prime, fans will be celebrating Andruw Jones day
as they watch a very fun team.
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