AL-E Season 24 preview part 2 - Wichita Wolves

Its been nearly 2 weeks since I did part 1, I hope to do the next 3 parts a little quicker.

The Wolves have had an easy time of it the past 4 seasons finishing 1st in the AL-E each season, averaging nearly 90 wins per season.  Unfortunately the lions share of their players are 30 or older.  Looks to be a make it or break it season for Awilley.  So far Awilley has made no ML free agent signings and picked up 2 rule 5ers.  But with his good college scouting hopefully he can pick up a good prospect or 2 this draft.

One of the first things that springs out at you with this team is the overwhelming NL style offense, the team stole a total of 448 bases last season!  With one guy taking over 100 by himself!  Pretty impressive I must say.  With future hall of famer 2 time MVP 7 time all star Dan Blank reaching his twilight years but still a potent force the Wolves are possibly in a transition year, the question is does Awilley trade Dan for some serious prospects, or does he reload for a deeper run in the playoffs?  Either possibility is there with this team.

For the future we have an interesting 2b by the name of Kent Stewart, a prototypical Wolf with awesome speed and good baserunning, I can see this dude coming up this season and adding to those steal totals.  Yet another future stealer extraordinaire in Greg Volstad, this dude has wheels, alas his baserunning isnt the best, but he will be ready for prime-time this or next season for sure.  Another good-un is Lou Millar hes young at 22 with 2 pro years, no big surprise this guy is going to be eating up bases too, maybe not as well as the aforementioned Kent and Greg, but this guy has pop in his bat, and should hit for average too.  Pitching wise the Wolves have some hit or miss prospects but also this diamond coming up Heath Williams, this guy is going to be an unstoppable closer, a perennial fireman contender no doubt.  Philip Murphy is going to be a lights out LRA in a couple seasons too.

In conclusion this team has some bright spots in its future, but is Willey going to go into rebuild or go for the fences?  Either is a possibility, one needs to be decided as far as I can tell. 

Good luck Awilley!

AL-E S24 preview part 1 - Pittsburgh Sluggers

AL-E Preview:

Pittsburgh Sluggers:
With 16 full seasons at the helm Larr100 has had some ups and some downs, with a massive upswing this past season.  From 51 wins in 22 to 79 in 23 I dont know if I have ever seen that before.  Not when the team hasnt changed hands anyways.  The question is whas it a fluke, or a harbinger of a serious contender coming out of the AL-E?  It looks as though this team is a season or 2 away from serious contender status.  Good thing is its pretty young, and with some key acquisitions the Sluggers could be in the thick of it. 

For the future we have an exciting prospect by the name of Russell Kemp, looks like he could possibly be a C with some serious power, he knocked in 23 HRs in less then 250 ABs.  Definately a guy to look out for.  Next up we have Phillip Bottenfield, another 1st rounder from a couple seasons back,  this guy has some real heat on his sinker, and should be pretty good at keeping balls from going yard.  This SP hopes to break into the bigs in 2 or 3 seasons.  A couple seasons ago Larr picked up a pretty decent IFA by the name of Carlos Olivo, this 2b/LFer should end up being a solid ballplayer in a couple seasons he wont wow you in any one way, but hes got no flaws. 

This reporter caught up with the wildly popular SS Fukudome and heres how our conversation went:
Greeny9; "So, can I call you Fucku?"
Michael exasperates; "ugh. whatever floats your boat"
"Great!, so Fucku you have had 3 seasons with the big club, do you feel as though this is your breakout year?"
"Absolutely, I think Lars is going to see my worth this year and give me the lions share of SS IP"
"Heres hoping Fucku!  I love your name, Fucku!"
"My names not Fucku! its Fukudome, its a common name in the Rhode Island Japanese community"
"Great, ok, well it was good talking to you Fucku, and have a good season!"

Was that a riveting interview?  I hope so!

Well, I think thats about enough for this preview.  Lets all wish Larr100 good luck with season 24!

AL East Season 20 Team Previews

Twenty Seasons! Where does the time fly. Admittedly, I haven't been here all 20 seasons (you'd have to be one of the CRAZY ones to admit to that!), but as one of the most seasoned veterans in the AL East, it has been quite the roller-coaster ride, for sure. As a 'knowledgable' owner (I know, that is DEFINITELY a relative term), I can honestly say that the AL East has been the most enjoyable division that I have been a part of. Enough of the waterworks -- let's look at these schmoes that I have to contend with :)



Pittsburgh sluggers


Owner: larr100 (13th Season, 901-1,043, 2 Playoff Appearance, 2 Division Title)



Franchise History: 1,502-1,574, 5 Playoff Appearances, 3 Division Titles)



Season 19 Recap:



Record: 67-95 (4th Place, 18 GB)


BA / OBP / SLG: .260 / .330 / .431


R / HR / RBI / SB: 794 / 206 / 774 / 111


ERA / WHIP / SO: 4.89 / 1.49 / 1,030


Fld % / CS %: .981 / .354


Additions:

Brad Williamson, SP (Free Agent from Boise)
Davey Torres, SP (Free Agent from Tampa Bay)
Juan Santiago, C (Claimed off Waivers from Omaha)
Juan Santiago, C (Promoted)
Erik Cooper, SS (Traded from Texas)
Lenny Page, RP (Traded from Texas)
Gerry Narveson, RP (Promoted)
Socks Hamilton, LF (Promoted)


Departures:

Phil Boggs, RP (Traded to Texas)
Ted House, 2B (Free Agency)
Alex Valenzuela, LF (Free Agency)
Vince Baker, RP (Released)
Louie Canseco, SS (Released)
Felipe Montero, CF (Released)


Another disappointing season in Pittsburgh, another busy offseason for larr100. Now 2 seasons removed from his Division championship (albeit won on a tie-breaker from yours truly), this team has fallen on some tough times. Statistically, this team has trended downward in each season since that division championship. Looking at the team, it doesn't make sense to me. Offensively, this team is led by Jose Pascual and Doug Fox, who are both capable of 20/20 seasons. On the pitching side, they have Pedro Tavarez, who is always capable of stopping losing streaks. What they need is to stop the losing streaks and start the winning streaks. Despite the downturn the last 2 seasons, this team can still become a worst-to-first team in this division. Health seems to be a major concern early in the season though. Pittsburgh doess NOT need any long stints on the Disable List, or it will be another long season in the Steel City.




Wichita Wolves


Owner: awilley14 (2nd Season, 78-84)


Franchise History: (1,513-1,575, 6 Playoff Appearances, 6 Division Titles, 1 American League Championship)



Season 19 Recap:


Record: 78-84 (3rd Place, 7 GB)


BA / OBP / SLG: .259 / .327 / .376


R / HR / RBI / SB: 749 / 122 / 731 / 351


ERA / WHIP / SO: 4.04 / 1.36 / 1,053


Fld % / CS %: .982 / .223


Additions:

Tom Bryant, SS (Free Agent from New Orleans)
Darrell Stark, SS (Free Agent from Trenton)
Felipe Arroyo, RP (Free Agent from Ottawa)
Shawn Griffiths, SP (Rule V from Seattle)


Departures:

Napoleon D'Amico, SS (Free Agency)
Tom Justice, 3B (Free Agency)



When an owner comes in and improves a team's season win total by 43 games, you take notice! OK, OK -- so he didn't have a high bar to set, and the team he had was not a total waste dump. And the owner in question is actually an established owner that KNOWS what he is doing. But, still, 43 win improvement! Offensively, this team returned to its rightful perch atop the league standings in Stolen Bases, improving THAT statistic by 199 from the previous season. Realizing that these players will NOT hit home runs, awilley turned the green light on and broke the switch to make sure it stayed on green. Manufacturing runs kept this team in the running until the very end, where it seemed the team just ran out of steam. The bases will once again be in jeopardy this season, led by

Rafael Navarro (who was perfect in 87 stolen base attempts last season), Dan Blank, Eduardo Miranda, and Osvaldo Montero (between these 4 players, you are looking at 242 of the team's 351 stolen bases). On the mound, they are still looking for a comnplete rotation, but having J.P. Henriquez and B.C. Grace is a good start. For this team to compete, they will need to round out the rotation after Henriquez and Grace. All the speed in the world won't help if your pitchers aren't helping you out!



Philadelphia Phillies


Owner: bball10 (11th Season, 650-970, 1 Playoff Appearances)


Franchise History: (1,289-1,789, 2 Playoff Appearance, 0 Division Titles)


Season 19 Recap:


Record: 82-80 (2nd Place, 3 GB -- Lost to Charlotte in Division Play-in Series, 3-2)


BA / OBP / SLG: .268 / .333 / .420


R / HR / RBI / SB: 772 / 185 / 748 / 160


ERA / WHIP / SO: 4.67 / 1.45 / 1,045


Fld % / CS %: .975 / .263


Additions:

Malachi Reitsma, 3B (Traded from Louisville)
Geovany Cruz, SP (Promoted)
Geovany Rosado, RP (Promoted)
Kouhei Chang, RP (Promoted)
Hal Beech, C (Traded from Dover)



Departures:

Javier Manto, SP (Traded to Louisville)
Paul Leslie, 1B (Released)
Dion Gray, 1B (Released)
Fausto Pineda, RP (Released)
Rick Ulrich, RP (Released)
Raul Candelaria, C (Traded to Dover)


FINALLY! After 10 seasons of building/rebuilding (and then rebuilding again, if I recall), the Phillies made the playoffs for the first time under bball's regime. The race for the East was tight all season long, and bball pushed it to the brink, only to lose it out when they got swept against Norfolk to close the season out (sorry, HAD to put that out there for all to read). Despite how the season ended, I think that this is the beginning of a long run for this team, as it has a low budget going into this season, young players, and they are finally starting to fill the wholes that it has been missing during the previous seasons. Offensively, Aaron Dolan and Larry Wilkins will continue to lead a team that should improve on an already good offensive production. On the pitching side, youth movement continues to surge, led by youngsters Geovany Cruz, Carlton Mussina and Lucas Tanner. This team, on paper, looks to have the best chance for this division. However, I believe it had the best chance last season as well, and it ended just short.



Norfolk Phanatics


Owner: ratatat72 (13th Season, 993-931, 10 Playoff Appearances, 8 Division Titles)


Franchise History: (1,509-1,569, 12 Playoff Appearances, 10 Division Titles)


Season 19 Recap:


Record: 85-77 (1st Place, Lost to Las Vegas in the Division Championship Series, 3-1)


BA / OBP / SLG: .256 / .328 / .414


R / HR / RBI / SB: 780 / 197 / 758 / 139


ERA / WHIP / SO: 4.29 / 1.35 / 1,052


Fld % / CS %: .984 / .246


Additions:

Jose Romo, SP (Promoted)
Stephen Lowry, RP (Promoted)


Departures:

Danys Veras, RP (Free Agency)
Philip Pagnozzi, SP (Free Agency)
Albert Castillo, SS (Free Agency)
Darryl Whiteside, SP (Released)


Once again, the Phanatic fans reveled in another AL East championship season. And once again, the Phanatic fans got to see their team unravel against yet ANOTHER AL West opponent (should I feel better that it was the World Series Champ I lost too? NAH!). This team continues to age like a fine wine, defying the experts who see this team and wonder how they compete year-in, year-out. This season was especially challenging, as the emotional leader of the offense, Darrell Rossy, was out for almost the entire year with a torn hamstring. Despite that and not having a legit #5 pitcher, this team still scratched and clawed their way to the championship. Offensively, Rossy and Brian Brown will need to produce to provide more offensive spark to a team that lacked that a LOT last season. Pitching, the SP1 through SP4 is the same as last year, with Brett Henry anchoring the staff. Last season, the Phanatics got 'fortunate' despite the loss of Rossy and other health concerns (age, stamina). I don't think that they will be as fortunate if the same thing happens this year. Unfortunately, the end is nigh for this group of ballplayers.

Organizing Minor Leagues during Spring Training

Here is the article jceffali was referring to in chat in regards to Minor Leagues. As always, excellent reads for all newbs (and some vets)!

Here are a few tips for newbies on organizing your minor leagues. Your goal is to have 5 viable teams that don't get overtired, and to develop prospects with potential.

Why is it important? To develop prospects properly you need to give them proper playing time, have them at proper positions, and give them orderly promotions. If they don't play enough or don't get promoted, then they won't develop. If they play too much and tire they are more likely to be injured and if you put them at the wrong position their defensive ratings won't grow properly.

Also, if you ignore your minors, you'll irk your fellow owners because it throws off the realism of the league.

To do list:

#1: Resign all of your minor league free agents. You'll need them and its easier then finding free agents

#2: Identify your key prospects. (The team depth chart under World Office: Reports is handy for this; sort by projected ratings) Who is projected to be major league quality or at least close? For a pitcher they should have a vs. R and control of at least 50, preferably 60. Like MLB, hitters are much more dependent on positions, if someone gets to recommended defensive levels at CF, 2B, SS, C, they can make the majors even with a weaker bat....but everyone else has to hit very well to make it.

#3: Promote key prospects. Development can be stunted by staying at the same level two years in a row, so if you see a potential future major leaguer, be sure he's not at the same level as last year.

#4: Check defensive positions. On your edit rosters page if you click on the defensive position (i.e. "2B") it will show you recommended fielding levels. Hit the "show recs (proj.)" button and save that. If your team wasn't well run, you'll have guys listed as SS and 2B who really have no business playing there. If I was taking on a new team I'd do this for everyone in my system, but at least do it for key prospects.

#5: Assign your "needing assignment" (resigned free agents) guys where it looks like they will be needed. See below for what is needed.

#6: Promote your "non-prospect" prospects a level if you need them at the level above.

#7: Clear out Rookie League if you need them at higher levels. Rookie League doesn't start 'til after the draft so you can empty out your roster down there if you need fillers.

#8: Sign minor league free agents to fill spots.

At the end, your goal should be to have the following:

AAA and AA: 1 per defensive position + 3-5 subs (at least 1 of those needs to be a C and 1 should be able to play SS). 13-15 pitchers, at least 5-6 should have stamina at 65 or so plus so they can start. This many players means you should start with a couple inactive players, who should be the weakest guys.

HiA and LoA: 1 per defensive position + 4-6 subs (especially C and infield). 14-17 pitchers. You should have 2-3 inactive pitchers at all times...you'll need them during the year when your guys tire and get hurt. You need more guys at A ball since stamina is lower and injuries more frequent.

Any questions? Post them on the chat board or ask a veteran.

Spring Training Tips for Newbies

This is the article that jceffali was referring to in the chat. Excellent high-level understanding of how to handle Spring Training!

Spring training is a time to try out some new players, get used to the game, and give your prospects some work. It seems like every experienced owner handles this a bit different, but here is what I do:

Spring Training Roster: Go to Manager's Office: Player Settings: Spring Training Squads. You will automatically have your entire major league roster already. I suggest adding your best prospects (about 15-20 total though can vary) from AAA and AA, and maybe even a top-notch prospect from HiA. I don't tend to use my youngest prospects in ST, but that's just me.

Veteran Players: Apparently there is a penalty of some sort if veterans don't get used enough during spring training, so you want them to get some work. However, there is no benefit to working them full time, as they will tire needlessly and be exposed to injury risk. I usually put my veterans on rest after about 25-30 ABs or 3-5 pitching appearances.

Prospects: Give them as much work as you can, especially the ones with a lot of upside in projections.

Lineup Strategies: There are multiple ways to do this: One is to start with your veterans then put them on rest when they get enough work. Another is to edit manager settings so that it rests starters after 5 or 6 innings. Be sure to set pinch-hitters, defensive replacements, and player rest or it won't work correctly.

Pitching Strategies: Again, there are options. A lot of owners use tandem starters, which allows certainty that those two pitchers get in the game. Another option is to use a standard rotation but put the veterans on rest after they get work in and start prospects later on. In any case, after setting the pitching staff, adjust the player settings for pitch counts.

A Note on Rest: Pitchers get fatigued with every appearance, then gradually work back up to 100%. If your pitch count is above recommended levels they may not be back to 100% for their next start. Batters fatigue cumulatively over the season. If not rested they may stay at 100% for half a season and then start to gradually drop right when the penant race is hot. For that reason, try to give batters occasional rest all through the season. For batters, the durability rating is the driver. If its in the 90s, a player will need very little rest. If its in the 80s, the player may need to rest once a week to stay at 100%. If its in the 70s, even more rest is needed, and a platoon may even be best. Below 70 is certainly a platoon player.

AL East Season 19 Team Previews

As I embark on this the 9th installment of the AL East Preview, I reflect back on the past seasons and try to remember the good times that has been my tenure in the Jersey League AL East. I have developed good rivalries with 2 of my fellow AL Easterners (larr100 and bball10), as well as a (hopefully) mutual respect for other AL teams (I still hate the AL West, but for respectful reasons). Here are your Season 19 AL East teams at a glance:


Wichita Wolves

Owner: awilley14 (1st Season)

Franchise History: (1,435-1,491, 6 Playoff Appearances, 6 Division Titles, 1 American League Championship)


Season 18 Recap:


Record: 35-127 (4th Place, 62 GB)

BA / OBP / SLG: .267 / .334 / .422

R / HR / RBI / SB: 774 / 176 / 756 / 151

ERA / WHIP / SO: 8.66 / 2.06 / 867

Fld % / CS %: .974 / .256

Additions:
Napoleon D'Amico, SS (Free Agent from Kansas City)
Johnny McClain, SP (Free Agent from Norfolk)
Ira Harper, CF (Claimed Off Waivers from Trenton)
Rafael Navarro, LF (Claimed Off Waivers from Trenton)
Brent Maurer, C (Free Agent from Syracuse)
Vince Baker, RP (Claimed Off Waivers from Texas)
Eduardo Miranda, 2B (Free Agent from Ottawa)
Don Nady, RP (Rule V from Dover)
Darwin Stynes, RP (Rule V from Tacoma)
Caleb Hoes, 2B (Rule V from Houston)
Alex Johns, C (Claimed off Waivers from St. Louis)


Departures:
Raymond Reese, RP (Free Agency)
Richard Withem, 1B/DH (Free Agency)
Frank Bates, 2B (Claimed Off Waivers)

UGH! Just 2 seasons ago, this team was a perennial contender for the AL East Crown. I was fortunate (sometimes lucky) to beat them out in the end. A good offensive club that seemed to lack just a piece or 2 on the pitching side, it seemed that it was only a matter of time before this team would be taking its turn in the postseason. But the disappearance of piratestros, plus the non-involvement of theo_epstein, and this team has fallen to the ranks of major rebuild in no time. New owner awilley14 (who isn't really that new, as he was in the league during Seasons 1-2 overseeing the current Norfolk franchise and took over for psanders club last season) has been busy, to say the least. On offense, this team still has some very formidable parts. Dan Blank and Osvaldo Montero return, and have a new supporting cast of support, led by the signing of D'Amico and Harper. On the pitching side, awilley14 made sure to bring back SP J.P. Henriquez in hopes of being competitive in the East. When all is said and done, I have no doubt that Wichita will improve on the 35 wins from last season. And, as active as awilley14 has been (and continues to be), it wouldn't surprise me to see this team back in the division hunt as early as next season.



Philadelphia Phillies

Owner: bball10 (10th Season, 568-890, 0 Playoff Appearances)

Franchise History: (1,207-1,709, 1 Playoff Appearance, 0 Division Titles)


Season 18 Recap:

Record: 58-104 (3rd Place, 39 GB)

BA / OBP / SLG: .260 / .324 / .420

R / HR / RBI / SB: 763 / 219 / 744 / 109

ERA / WHIP / SO: 5.48 / 1.54 / 1,043

Fld % / CS %: .975 / .299

Additions:
Wayne Doyle, SS (Promoted from AAA)
Lucas Tanner, SP (Promoted from AAA)
Steven Ross, SP (Rule V from Houston)
Julio Matos, 3B (Promoted from AAA)
Julian Domingo, RP (Claimed Off Waivers from Richmond)
Kennie Jenkins, RP (Free Agency from Tucson)
Donn Fuller, RP (Free Agency from Helena)

Departures:
Lew Runyan, RP (Free Agency)
Edgardo Santana, RP (Released/Retired)

I can see why bball10 was so anxious to see the AL East Preview for this year. The Youth Movement has arrived in Philly! After selling off most of the team the last 2 seasons, we are finally starting to see some of the talented youth that has been claimed via IFA and the draft over the last few seasons from this ball club. This is most noticeable on the offense, where Woody Ganzel is now joined by Matos and Doyle. Team that up with Aaron Dolan, and you have a very solid infield (offensively). On the pitching side, they focused on bullpen help in the free agent market. This team is young, cheap (under $42M with a $67M payroll budgeted, so you can expect another huge IFA signing this season), and the future looks promising for Philly. We will see if the youth movement will be enough to close the 39 game gap between them and Norfolk, but I know it won't make it worse.


Pittsburgh sluggers

Owner: larr100 (12th Season, 834-948, 2 Playoff Appearance, 2 Division Title)

Franchise History: 1,437-1,479, 5 Playoff Appearances, 3 Division Titles)


Season 18 Recap:

Record: 76-86 (2nd Place, 21 GB)

BA / OBP / SLG: .263 / .342 / .430

R / HR / RBI / SB: 833 / 214 / 802 / 114

ERA / WHIP / SO: 4.69 / 1.44 / 1,070

Fld % / CS %: .980 / .339


Additions:
Alving Vazquez, 3B (Traded from Boise)
Jeromy Olmos, SS (Free Agent from Tampa Bay)
Steve Ruffin, C (Claimed off Waivers from Texas)
Ivy Mullaney, SP (Free Agent from Seattle)
Felipe Montero, CF (Free Agent from Boise)
Terry Perry, RP (Promoted from AAA)


Departures:
Doc Cox, RP (Released)
Anthony Ducati, 1B (Released)
David Moreno, 3B (Released)
Al Perez, SS (Released)
Ryan Nicholas, C (Released)


I can't put my finger on why this team didn't do better than the record indicates. They still had the same team that won the division in Season 17. Statistically, they were about even (although ERA did jump up a little last season). That's what makes this game so loopy sometimes. You can be better than the season before, and end up lower in the standings. This team still has great pitching, led by All-Star Pedro Tavarez. They did become active on the offensive side, hoping to find the right combination of players to excel this team to the next level. After Tavarez, the pitching needs to step up in order to re-claim the top spot in the AL East.


Norfolk Phanatics

Owner: ratatat72 (12th Season, 908-854, 9 Playoff Appearances, 7 Division Titles)

Franchise History: (1,424-1,492, 11 Playoff Appearances, 9 Division Titles)


Season 18 Recap:

Record: 97-65 (1st Place, Lost to Iowa City in the Division Play-in Series, 3-2)

BA / OBP / SLG: .279 / .346 / .445

R / HR / RBI / SB: 893 / 227 / 869 / 192

ERA / WHIP / SO: 4.26 / 1.39 / 1,021

Fld % / CS %: .986 / .198


Additions:
Brian Brown, 3B (Promoted from AAA)
Julio Martinez, 2B (Promoted from AAA)
Sam Bishop, RP (Free Agent from Scranton)
Rico Wilfredo, 1B/DH (Free Agent from Tucson)
Tony Alonso, SS (Free Agent from St. Louis)
Danys Veras, RP (Free Agent from St. Louis)

Departures:
Johnny McClain, RP (Free Agency)
Mateo Flores, 3B (Free Agency)
Derek Hughes, 2B (Free Agency)
Ross Hart, LF (Free Agency)
Nick Shipley, RP (Free Agency)
Felipe Arroyo, RP (Free Agency)
Dion Hundley, 1B (Free Agency)
Gary Garcia, SP (Released)

After breaking a streak of 4 consecutive AL East crowns last season, Norfolk returned to claim the throne outright last season. And, in true fashion, they proceed to get manhandled by yet another AL West foe in the playoffs. After finishing with the best record in the regular season for this franchise, they left the season with a bitter taste in their mouth. The offseason wasn't too kind either, as the Phanatic faithful watched as many regulars had to depart due to contract demands. They got a bigger scare when ace Brett Henry declined his option and tested free agency. ratatat72 made priority #1 be the re-signing of Brett Henry. After that fell into place (a BIG sigh of relief was felt in the Virginia Bay area when that happened), they then turned to addressing other holes needed to be filled. Although no big deal was made (the signing of Wilfredo was the biggest offensive splash they invested), this team continues to plug-and-play in hopes to remain competitive for another season.

FINALLY -- Prince is King of the Hill

Blaine Prince St. Louis Cardinals Age: 39 B/T: L/L Born: Bath, ME Position(s): P (SP2) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Jersey World saw its first 300 Game Winner yesterday afternoon, when Blaine Prince accomplished the feat at home against the Oakland Irish A's. St. Louis won the game 3-2. In true Hall-of-Famer accomplishment, he succeeded in obtaining Win #300 on his first attempt. Although it took him a little while longer than most people anticipated (some thought that the feat would occur last season, but it was not meant to be), the fact that he won it at home is rewarding enough. Blaine Prince has been with this franchise from the beginning, which alone is a feat in today's world of trading-happy GM's and inexperience owners. I said last season that the extension he signed last season might have been a little too much and might hurt missouridawg's chances of signing better talent to offset the eventual retirement. But, I also think that, in all Fantasy Baseball aside, the deal is about what a REAL player who has devoted his entire career to one franchise would be offered, and he has earned it. Congrats to Blaine Prince, the true King of the Hill!