1.  SENATORS

Strength:

Pitching.  If all goes as expected, this is the top starting staff in the league, and if Gagne gets healthy, the top relief corps of all time.

Weakness:

Where to start:  Possibly one of the worst HSL outfields of all time, and third base and second base are also glaring weaknesses.

Top Pick:

Sosa in the 7th.  If Sammy has any pride at all, getting him this late will prove to be a steal. 

Biggest Gaffe: 

Roy Halliday in the 6th was probably about five rounds sooner than I needed to take him. 

Skip Sez:

The 2005 Senators do not seem likely to be the first HSL since the 1989 Tigers to repeat -- although with my usual adroit management and a little bit of that ol’ Itchie magic, anything is possible.  I’d like to blame my lackluster Draft performance on SloPay’s selection of Adam Dunn in the 1st -- which slacked a dozen jaws in the room and pretty much changed everyone’s Draft strategy, if not the course of world events -- but it was probably the pressure of drafting from the No. 1 hole that caused me to spit in my own mess kit.  As U-Bob has observed in the past:  Heavy is the head that wears the crown. 

Predicted

Order of

Finish:

8th. 

2.  REDBIRDS

Strength:

Outfield.  With Guerrero and Abreu, it is strong, and with Crawford, Crisp and Damon, deep. 

Weakness:

Starting pitching.  After Zambrano, lots of question marks. 

Top Pick:

Billy Wagner in the 7th.  If he’s healthy all year, he could very well be the top closer in the league. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Chris Carpenter in the 5th.  Tirebiter loves his Cardinals a bit too much.  Carpenter probably would have lasted until at least the 9th or 10th round. 

Skip Sez:

This is a strong and balanced team.  If Greinke and Horatio can deliver as advertised, barring unusual injury problems, this team should be in contention for the title come September.  Could this be the year Tirebiter gets the monkey off his back?   Swami says yes.

POF:

1st.

3.  TIGERS

Strength:

Left-handed starting pitching. 

Weakness:

First base, lack of pitching depth.

Top Pick:

Alfonso Soriano in the 4th.  With Teixeira and Blalock batting behind him, Soriano should get lots of pitches to hit and score about 140 runs. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Taking both Santana (1) and Beltre (5) early after career-like years.  Doubtful that both will repeat.

Skip Sez:

Big Guy has a nice corps of stud starters in Santana, Beltran, Cabrera, Soriano, Beltre and Guillen, but an alarming lack of depth at almost every position.  One also has to wonder about taking Moises, Sweeney and Griffey in three consecutive rounds (10-12).  This could be a very painful trio to manage on the same team and in the same season. 

POF:

10th. 

4.  WAHOOS

Strength:

Starting pitching.  If RJ, Schilling and Burnett perform up to expectations, and if Millwood and Clement return to form, Possum’s starting staff could be devastatingly good. 

Weakness:

Outfield.  Wow.  Maybe I didn’t pick the worst outfield of all time.

Top Pick:

Jimenez in the 16th.  I have a feeling this is going to be his bust-out year. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Jim Thome in the 3rd.  You need to get over your infatuation with this guy, Possum.  Teixeira was the right pick. 

Skip Sez:

It will take a whole lot of connivery, double-talk, deception and sleight of hand for Possum to manage this drafted group into contention.  Unfortunately for the rest of us, he is just the man for the job. 

POF:

4th. 

5.  SKIPJACKS

Strength:

Starting pitching and infield corners. 

Weakness:

Outfield and middle infield. 

Top Pick:

Peavey in the 4th.  This guy might win the Cy.

Biggest Gaffe:

Bonds in the 6th.  But it’s all the media’s fault. 

Skip Sez:

Though on paper this team looks like the Weak Sisters of the Poor, we can expect Dr. Itchie to dispense enough snake oil to his team members to cure any ailments and invigorate them all to have career years.  With his renowned Itchie magic, you never count a Thielen-drafted team out.  Ever. 

POF:

3rd.

6.  REDS

Strength:

Hitting.  This team will score a lot of hitting points, at virtually every position. 

Weakness:

The quid pro quo of great hitting is usually weak pitching, and Magpie’s team is no exception.  Unless Sheets can repeat and Webb and Pineiro can do complete about-faces, the Reds’ starting pitching will be their Achilles’ heal. 

Top Pick:

Durazo in the 12th.  This is the year Erubiel finally lives up to his press clippings. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Edmonds in the 4th.  This is the year that Jimmy’s wheels start to fall off. 

Skip Sez:

Lots to like about this team’s every-day hitters, but probably not enough potential pitching points to get Tricko back up on the medal stand. 

POF:

5th. 

7.  CHIEFS

Strength:

Lots of starting pitchers whose last names begin with the letter M.

Weakness:

Relief pitching is as weak as B.T.’s late-round puns. 

Top Pick:

Getting Aramis in the 5th was a steal.

Biggest Gaffe:

Pedro in the 2nd.  As an overpaid Met, El Coo´-Kay, was not the 19th best player available.  Steinbrenner must have insisted on this one. 

Skip Sez:

In spite of (or is it “because of”) the combined brainpower of Screech and B.T., this team doesn’t look like it has the horsepower to go the distance in 2005.  With some attention to detail on Sunday nights, the team could potentially finish as high as 3rd or 4th, but I think it is more likely that they will barely dip their toes into the Upper Division waters. 

POF:

6th. 

8.  BOMBERS

Strength:

Two top-notch closers and an outfield that is very strong and very deep. 

Weakness:

The infield is a virtual x-ray negative of the outfield, marginal and razor thin.  Average age of starting pitchers is equivalent to average age of HSL owners. 

Top Pick:

I love Carlos Lee in the 5th, but if he’s healthy, I love Troy Percival in the 15th -- especially pitching for an improved Tiger team in pitcher-friendly Comerica Park -- even more. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Skip Sez:

On paper, this is Mouse’s best team yet.  If he can make a few decent free agent selections during the year and avoid being hornswaggled by certain of his salivating co-owners, this could be the year that Mouse breaks the curse of the Bomberino.  At a minimum, they should finish in the top three.

POF:

2nd. 

9.  IRATES

Strength:

Infield has fewer holes than usual. 

Weakness:

Staff aces are Kelvim Escobar, Freddie Garcia, and Daniel Cabrera.  Need I say more? 

Top Pick:

Bobby Madritsch in the 17th.  He has budding superstar written all over him. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Kelvim Escobar in the 8th.  Is SloPay’s hearing so bad that he thought somebody said it was the 28th round?  My, oh, my. 

Skip Sez:

As usual, SloPay took the road less traveled on Draft Day, listening to voices that no one else in the room could hear.  His selection of Adam Dunn in the first round threw the entire draft room into a tizzy, but judging by Possum’s angry reaction and the fact that Dunn hit two home runs on Opening Day, maybe it’s the rest of us who don’t get it.  In any event, while SloPay mixed a number of savvy draft selection in with his usual clinkers, it looks like the Irates are heading south of the border for the 2005 season. 

POF:

12th. 

10.  BLUES

Strength:

Relief pitchers are an outstanding quartet. 

Weakness:

Severe power outage in the outfield, and very soft up the middle. 

Top Pick:

Vernon Wells in the 6th.  VW is poised for a huge comeback year. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Taking a singles hitter like Ichiro in the 1st over a power hitter or first tier pitcher was questionable, to say the least. 

Skip Sez:

Of course, I could be wrong -- it happened one other time -- but I don’t see a lot of potential upside with this team.  While a finish anywhere in the Lower Division is possible, I think it is most likely that the Blues will be joining the Irate flock and migrating southward. 

POF:

11th. 

11.  CUBS*

Strength:

Rock-solid infield, strong and deep. 

Weakness:

Every single Cub* outfielder is either as old as Shamu or on at least as many medications. 

Top Pick:

I like Jeter in the 3rd and Kent in the 8th, but Dontrelle Willis in the 17th may be the best late pick of the Draft. 

Biggest Gaffe:

Delgado in the 2nd may have been a round or two early, but if he has a big comeback year, who cares? 

Skip Sez:

Shamu ended up with so many of the players that I wanted (Gonzo, Preston Wilson, Jeter, Huff, Kent, Hafner, Russ Ortiz, Willis) that I’m pretty sure he must have secretly secured a copy of my Draft strategy sheet.  This team has enough pitching, power, balance and experience to make a huge vault to contender status, but for now I’ll temper my prediction by forecasting a mini-vault to the top of the Lower Division. 

POF:

7th. 

12.  TRIBE

Strength:

Starting pitching.  With  Smoltz, Wood, Prior, Lowe, Sabathia, Wells and Lopez, this could be one of the best HSL staffs of all-time, if healthy.  If healthy.  If not, tune in to Paul Harvey for the rest of the story. 

Weakness:

The septet that makes up U-Bob’s outfield may rival that of the Senators in terms of ugliness. 

Top Pick:

Prior in the 5th, Wood in the 6th.  In terms of bold moves, taking this duo in succession rivals the Bay of Pigs.  Hopefully, it will turn out better for U-Bob than for Kennedy’s CIA operatives.  Huge risk, huge potential award.  Even if it doesn’t pan out, I say Bully!

Biggest Gaffe:

See section above.  Just kidding.  Taking Pappy in the 1st round following a career year in which the Red Sox broke the curse simply has to be a bad idea. 

Skip Sez:

After 17 consecutive years of ignoring pitching, the light bulb over Underbelly’s head finally has been energized, as evidenced by his selection of five pitchers in the first ten rounds.  While the 2005 Tribe probably doesn’t have enough firepower to break into the ranks of the contenders, it’s a good start. 

POF:

9th.