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1. BEARS |
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Strength: |
With Pujols and Delgado at 1st and Cabrera and Chavez at 3rd, this team is as powerful at the corners as any in recent history. |
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Weakness: |
With the H Brothers heading up the rotation (Haren, Hamels and Hill), this may be the weakest starting pitching staff in the league. |
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Top Flyer: |
By taking Delmon Young in the 6th, SloPay may have snapped up the next Ken Griffey, Jr. in his bust-out year. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Waiting until the 7th round to take a starting pitcher. |
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Skip sez: |
Some savvy drafting by our reigning champion, especially snapping up Michael Young in the 4th while the rest of the dullards in the room sat by in slack-jawed amazement. Nobody has repeated in this league since the dead ball era of the late ’80s, but with this squad and plenty of time to manage them, SloPay has got a shot. |
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Predicted Order of
Finish : |
2nd. |
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2. WAHOOS |
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Strength: |
With Santana, Beckett and Peavy leading the rotation, the starting pitching is solid. |
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Weakness: |
With three of Possum’s six outfielders in their early to mid-50s (Bonds, Edmonds and Alou), this may be the oldest outfield of all time. |
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Top Flyer: |
First sacker Adrian Gonzalez, playing in the midst of a strong Padres lineup, will be a pleasant surprise. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Waiting until the 6th to draft his top closer, and then drafting Tom Gordon and trying to pass him off as a top closer, will be disastrous for the Wahoos. |
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Skip sez: |
This is not a good team. It will take an unsurpassable amount of Possum fleecings, rule-manipulating, coercive activity and other skullduggery (all givens) for this Wahoos team to have a chance at an Upper Division finish. |
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POF: |
6th. |
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3. HIGHLANDERS |
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Strength: |
Superior infield, with the exception of the shortstop position. |
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Weakness: |
Jason Bay aside, this is a stinko outfield. |
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Top Flyer: |
Howie Kendrick embarks on what will prove to be a star-studded career. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Taking a crippled up old-timer like Sheffield in the 5th round, who will be playing in spacious Comerica Park, was a total brain freeze. What was Magpie thinking here? |
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Skip sez: |
No way can Tricko recover from his disastrous Draft Day. This team will be lucky to avoid a cellar finish in the 2007 campaign. |
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POF: |
10th. |
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4. MILLARD MONARCHS |
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Strength: |
Led by the Z Brothers, Zambrano and Zito, this looks like a very solid starting pitching staff. |
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Weakness: |
Relief pitching is nauseating. |
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Top Flyer: |
Markakis, a virtual unknown on Draft Day, could be a household name by season’s end. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Jermaine Dye in the 5th is definitely not “to Dye for.” |
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Skip sez: |
I’ll quote young Will on this one: “This team makes me vomit.” Enough said. |
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POF: |
9th. |
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5. CUBS* |
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Strength: |
Starting pitching is solid, with Matsuzaka, C.C. and Company, R.J. and Escobar. |
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Weakness: |
As Joe put it, “Uncle Shamu’s closers make me sad.” |
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Top Flyer: |
For Shamu, any player under 35 years old could be classified as a “Flyer,” but let’s go with the Japanese import on this one. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
B.J. Ryan in the 3rd. Can you say “panic button”? |
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Skip sez: |
With nothing but time on his hands these days, Shamu obviously spent his preparing for the Draft. Though most of us didn’t realize it until the Draft was over, Shamu has picked himself one heck of a squad. |
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POF: |
Your 2007 Champion. |
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6. TIGERS |
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Strength: |
Top flight starting pitching, with ample depth. |
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Weakness: |
Severe power outage in the outfield, with nary a 30 HR or 120 RBI guy among them. |
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Top Flyer: |
After Todd Jones breaks down, Zumaya could enjoy a huge year as the Tigers’ closer. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Brandon Webb in the 3rd. Taking a guy that early after his Cy Young year is usually a recipe for disaster (does Bartolo Colon ring a bell?). |
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Skip sez: |
Big Guy picked what could best be described as a “lackluster” team. They won’t finish in the money, but they won’t finish in the cellar. At best, this squad will be vying for an Upper Division finish. |
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POF: |
7th. |
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7. REDBIRDS |
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Strength: |
Infield gets a smiley face. |
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Weakness: |
Relief pitching blows. |
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Top Flyer: |
Verlander comes of age on the Redbirds staff. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Carpenter in the 2nd was just plain silly. |
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Skip sez: |
Jim Ed had a lot on his mind on Draft Day, but unfortunately, very little of it had to do with baseball. This clunker of a team doesn’t stand a chance to finish in the money, and will be darned lucky to stay out of the league cellar. |
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POF: |
8th. |
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8. SKIPJACKS |
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Strength: |
Difficult to find anything worth bragging about, but let’s go with catching. |
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Weakness: |
With the exception of Man Ram in left, this outfield is one of the biggest busts of all time. |
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Top Flyer: |
Hanley Ramirez in the 4th. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Taking somebody named Ian in the 7th round. |
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Skip sez: |
If Itchie can pilot this rustbucket full of shark chum to anything higher than 8th place, he should get Manager of the Year. Jugdish really let Itchie down on Draft Day this season. |
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POF: |
12th. |
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9. BOMBERS |
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Strengths: |
With Rivera and Hoffman waiting in the wings, the Bombers probably have the best relief corps in the league. With Holliday, Beltran and Abreu, the Bombers also have arguably the best starting trio of outfielders. |
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Weakness: |
With Schilling, Mussina and Pettitte as the headliners, this is a very old, and fragile, pitching staff. |
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Top Flyer: |
Not many Flyers on this superannuated squad, so let’s go with Fernando Rodney in the 20th. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Ignoring starting pitching until the 6th, and then getting Schilling as his ace. |
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Skip sez: |
Although the Bombers got off to a woeful start during the first week, this is a solid team with many veterans. Once the weather warms up, this team should start playing some decent ball and carry Mouse to an Upper Division finish. |
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POF: |
5th. |
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10. SENATORS |
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Strengths: |
Starting pitching, infield, catching, you name it. This team has it all. |
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Weaknesses: |
None apparent. |
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Top Flyer: |
Robinson Cano in the 6th. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Sans gaffes. |
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Skip sez: |
In Joe and Will’s words, “There will soon be much rejoicing!” |
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POF: |
3rd. (Modesty does not permit more, and no way will Skipper jinx himself.) |
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11. BLUES |
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Strength: |
The infield is superior. |
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Weakness: |
Starting pitching is deeply disturbing. |
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Top Flyer: |
Lincoln’s own Alex Gordon in the 12th (and never mind his 1-for-19 start at the plate). |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Picking a one-tooled player (Dunn) in the 4th round. |
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Skip sez: |
Although the Blues are off to a torrid start, McBlunder has far too few digits to plug all of the holes in this dike. |
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POF: |
4th. (We’re being generous.) |
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12. TRIBE |
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Strength: |
Still looking . . . . |
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Weakness: |
What else: starting pitching. Ugly to the 3rd power. |
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Top Flyer: |
Ricky Weeks in the 8th could be salutary. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Paul Konerko in the 3rd was nothing short of boneheaded. |
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Skip sez: |
Even Sparky Anderson would be discouraged with this pile of crap. If ever a manager had a reason to exclaim, “I hate my team” during this year’s Draft, it was Bob. |
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POF: |
Dead last. |
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13. CHIEFS |
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Strength: |
Starting pitching looks strong, especially if the young Turks come through. |
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Weakness: |
Other than Lance Berkman, the outfield is a pack of punch-and-judy hitters. Serious lack of power here. |
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Top Flyer: |
Anibal Sanchez in the 12th could fill the bill. |
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Biggest Blunder: |
Using the swinging gate to draft J.J. Putz and Brad Lidge in the 5th and 6th rounds. Not much bang for the buck. |
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Skip sez: |
For somebody who hasn’t read a box score for six years, B.T. acquitted himself nicely on Draft Day. With adroit management, his Chiefs could finish even higher, but at a minimum, they will stay out of the league basement. |
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POF: |
11th. |
