Lp2 Baseball

Mock Draft, 5-10

2008-02-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

Today we will take a look at picks 6-10. On my last revision we noticed how power house teams such as the Accies and Soldiers are controlling this draft. We will start with again with the Accies who have the 6th overall pick of this draft.
p.s-Morgan, I think we need to update the picks file. =)

6) Bristol Accies, Mark Reynolds, 3B/2B-The Accies are loaded as far as the rotation is concerned. They are thin at 2B with all-star Chase Utley missing some time last year. Utley is expected to be healthy this year but could miss most of spring training and a few weeks after the season starts. Aside from that history tells us that the Accies love having depth up the middle. Reynolds is coming off a solid campaign in the minors and is expected to be a solid addition to this team who can contribute on his first year. Reynolds is a full time 3rd bagger who belted 17 dingers in only 366 at bats of minor league ball. But being that he played a few games at 2nd last year he'll be able to come in and log some games at 2b for the Accies. It is safe to say that he will eventually be moved back to 2nd base as he has played all four infield positions in the minor leagues.

7)South Side Soldiers, Yovani Gallardo, PThe Soldiers are up and they eventually are going to take the youngest and most successful arm available in this draft. They will think about taking Dice-K but the age difference won't be enough for them to even think about going with him. Yovani can come in and produce great dividends for an already loaded rotation. He's a top prospect but most importantly he is ready now as we learned from his season last year in the minors (9-5 110 innings, 101k's, hitters just .245 against him). History tells us the Soldiers will take him use him and then bait him in order to get more picks for next year's draft. It is a method that like the Acciess, replenishes it's farm consistently. Unlike the Acciess, the Soldiers are always willing to move their super prospects for the right price.

8)Bristol Academicals-Jacoby Ellsbury, OFThe Academicals are up once again. Being that they picked someone who will actually contribute on his first year, the Acciess will go back to their old ways here and pick a hot prospect who will actually blossom a couple of years from now. Jacob Ellsbury is fancied by many GM's around the LP2. "Jacob is a baseball prodigy" said one scout. Jacob appeared in a few games last year for his minor league team but actually had a great season. "He's a guy that does the little things, things that go unnoticed only for so long!" said a source within the league. Bristol loves stacking up prospects and this is one guy that they are completely enamored with.

9)New York Knights, Daisuke Matsuzaka, PThe New York Knights are coming off a very successful campaign. They are stacked up the middle and have great corners rounding up the infield. K-Dice drops right into the Knights arms and it's a match made in heaven.. K-Dice had a good season in the minors last year. He's a foreign import who is followed around by all of Japan. K-dice doesn't only bring stability to this rotation but it also buys the Knights about a 1 million new fans in the far east! "This is the perfect city for K-Dice to come and excel his long awaited professional debut!" said an LP2 scout. K-dice is known for his ferocious ability to pile up K's. He struck out 201 hitters in 204 innings of work last year. "K-dice is capable of having days were his nasty stuff is just ridiculous but is also known for having bad games. He once gave up 7 runs in only 5.1 innings of work and allowed 10 hits!" Said a GM who has been following K-dice since his days in Japan. The Knights and K-Dice are perfect for each other.

10)Boston Bombers, Yunel Escobar-SS/2BThe Bombers had an off season last year and they have turned toward rebuilding their team. They have a solid foundation with the likes of Ian Snell, Delmon Young, Adrian Gonzalez, J.J. Hardy, etc. Yunel Escobar fits in perfectly. Yunel is highly touted around the league. "He's a guy that can play any infield position but catcher, and even then we might never know!" said a league source. It's true Escobar's got a quick nifty swing and is very pesky around the bases. Like Ellsbury and Pence he's a player that gives it his all. His potential is not huge as far as power numbers are concerned but we can definitely see him leading off a very promising Bombers lineup in the not so distant future.
Stay tune for part 3...

2008 Mock Draft

2008-02-02T12:06:00.000-05:00

It is that time of the year again fellas. I'd like to share with everyone who I feel will be chosen this year in LP2's 8th Annual Rookie/Free Agent draft. Today I will be mocking the top 5 picks in the draft. Two of them belonging to the powerhouse South Side Soldiers. This year what we have is a mixed of young players and veterans who are ready to lend a helping hand to all LP2 Teams. Probably one of the deepest draft in LP2 History but never the less risky as usual! "It's all about getting lucky, you don't know what you get despite each player's track history at the amateur level!" said John Colangelo, an LP2 consultant. With the first pick of the 2008 LP2 Professional Draft the Sun City Devils select....

1)Sun City Devils, Tim Linecum, PThere has been little rumors here and there about this organization moving the pick. Truth to be told is there is a lot of turmoil upstairs. Bobby Natural is definitely on the hot seat according to various inside sources within the organization. "It's all a matter of timing, the Devils would love to bring in a new GM but they are just unsure about whether they should do it before or after!" There's also rumors that the Devils might try to run a GM by committee kinda thing. One LP2 scout said "The Devils have been at the bottom of the cellar for many years, but they have the chance to pick a savior this year. Someone who can help David Ortiz as far as the marketing of this team goes. Rumors have it that Natural is enamored with Tim Linecum's nasty stuff. But at the same time they are not sure if they are ready to make the 22 year old their grand prize draft acquisition. "They are going to have to pay big bucks regardless of who they pick, I always say this is the best and worst spot to be in the LP2. I think Tim Linecum is a can't miss prospect who could very well shine in the LP2 in just his first year!" Will the Devils move the pick, pick a prized arm and break the bank or will they go with offense? "They will determine the rest of the draft, the Devils can go various routes as there are teams willing to meet the price to move up and pick first overall.

2)South Side Soldiers, Ryan Braun, 3BThis team is a pitching powerhouse! They are just solid everywhere but at 3rd base. Here comes the million dollar question? Should the Soldiers invest so high in 3rd baseman Ryan Braun? "It seems like a no-brainer to me!" said Braun's agent. "Ryan Braun is 24 years old, hits for huge power and played collegiate ball at one of the best universities in the Nation. He showed huge power potential by banging 34 dingers at UM last year and those numbers can very well carry over in his rookie year." It all seems nothing but a no-brainer. Many scouts around the league are terrified of the monster Braun can become defensively. "His defense is just disgusting! If it wasn't for his age I'd have to say he'd made a great DH!" It's been said before that Braun might be moved to the outfield by whomever selects him in this draft. But if the Soldiers come knocking on draft day I cannot see them moving Braun at all. "It's a risk they will have to take. Braun is an excellent hitter but when it all comes down he's pretty much a one dimensional player. I can see him being picked as high as 2 or as low as 9th. I am going to stay safe here and say that the Soldiers will go with Ryan Braun. "This move will definitely make them the favorites if they aren't already!"

3) Finger Lake Flashes, Phil Hughes-PIt is no secret the Flashes are hungry for arms. After their amazing season the Flashes are coming off their first ever World Series appearance. "Pitching is very thin for them this year and I assume they will be looking at a few arms. " The question is will they go for a veteran arm such as Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12 4.40 ERA 201K) or will they go for the potential in Phil Hughes. I am going with Hughes simply because the potential in this kid is untapped. He's not a flamethrower like Time Linecum but that might be to his best advantage as we have seen what has become of guys like Kerry Wood and Mark Prior in the past. "Phil Hughes is an artist!" said one scout. I tend to agree, his slider is beautiful not to mention the command and control he poises on the mound. The Flashes are a smart organization and in my opinion they will not let Hughes slide down past 3rd.

4)South Side Soldiers, Hunter Pence, OFBeing that the Soldiers have so much pitching depth I think it will come down to them picking the best offensive player available. Barry Bonds is nearing retirement and Andruw Jones had miserable season. So it's safe to say that Matt will definitely go with Hunter Pence. Hunter is the type of player Matt likes, a 5-tool player. He can hit, he can run, he can hit for power and he can definitely play D. There is no going wrong with him this high in this draft. The only questions surrounding Hunter is his ability to stay healthy. He was hurt plenty of times throughout his collegiate career. It might be a result of his own blessing as he's a player that likes to give it all he has. "There is not a player that works harder then Hunter, he's just a student of the game. His father a disciplinarian has definitely rubbed off on him. This adds to the already stacked Soldiers offense. "They will be as dangerous as any other team I've ever seen in LP2 History, another 100 win season is not out of the reach!

5)Bristol Acciess- Joba Chamberlain, PSpeaking of powerhouses, we now have the Acciess on the clock. It is not a surprise that they are picking so high despite winning their division last year. The Acciess are known to be enamored with young talent. Otherwise known as the New England Patriots of the LP2, Geoff has been instrumental in building this franchise from scratch. "Everyone knows that Bristol will in the mix of things year in and out. They are an organization filled with great scouts and a great Owner/GM in Geoff." said an league source . I definitely see the Acciess picking the best talent available at this position. I just don't see many holes within this team and in fact knowing what I know about Geoff they will probably go with the best prospect available since they have no need for immediate impact. Joba Chamberlain fits right in and is a Geoff type of player. Geoff loves young arms and Joba is probably the most touted closer prospect ever in LP2 history. Some scouts are not convinced though. "He played little ball in a big market, he had an amazing outing but not enough for me to be convinced he can repeat year in and out. It does help him though that his college manager is one of Geoff's closest associates in the business.

I will cover the rest of the first round in our next edition of the official 2008 LP2 Mock Draft.

Magicians Announce Their 20...

2007-12-20T19:35:00.001-05:00

The Herkimer Magicians have submitted their list of 20 players protected. In addition to 3B/Hitting Coach Paul Molitor, the Magicians have decided to keep catchers Mike Napoli, Javier Valentin, and Jason Kendall, first baseman Justin Morneau, second baseman Jeff Kent, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, outfielders Aaron Rowand, Eric Byrnes, Manny Ramirez, and Gary Sheffield, starting pitchers Jason Bergmann, C.C. Sabathia, John Lackey, Carlos Zambrano, Jon Lester, Mike Pelfrey, Chris Sampson, and Boof Bonser, and relievers Jon Rauch and Zach Miner. Notable players not protected include CF Mike Cameron and DH Frank Thomas. "We tried in earnest to trade Mike someplace where he could have value next season, but we were unable to come to an agreement in time with anyone. As far as the Big Hurt, the fact that he is strictly a DH significantly lowers his value in this league, so while we could have used his 25 HR power, he would have been severely limited as a pinch hitter and only a pinch hitter, and it doesn't make sense to protect a pinch hitter," GM/Owner Tim Farmer stated.

Magicians Add Yet Another Big Bat

2007-12-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

The Herkimer Magicians added another big bat in what has become a strong offseason, acquiring All-Star right fielder Gary Sheffield from Bristol. The two teams end up swapping draft picks in the 2009 draft. "After acquiring Manny Ramirez earlier in the offseason, we needed another corner outfielder to complement Manny for when he goes down for the season to pair up with Eric Byrnes. Who better to add than another all-star in Gary Sheffield?" Owner/GM Tim Farmer remarked in a press release. "We now believe we have the depth in our offense, getting another 25 plus home run bat, not to mention a little more speed (22 steals) to compete with just about any other team in the league this year, and with the three aces we believe we can contend to win the title this season." There are still players to be had, and the team would like to acquire one or two more starting pitchers before the draft.

Magicians Add Third Ace; All-Star Left Fielder

2007-12-20T19:33:00.000-05:00

The Herkimer Magicians have pulled off a blockbuster trade, dealing SP Joe Blanton, RF Brad Hawpe and a bunch of draft picks including the #3 overall pick to minor league partner Finger Lakes for All-Star starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, All-Star left fielder Manny Ramirez, and top setup man Jon Rauch. "Along with the acquisition of Jeff Kent earlier this winter, we believe that gaining a couple more stars in Zambrano and Manny will deepen our lineup and rotation and give us arguably one of the two best one-two-three starters in the league, and putting Manny's bat in the middle of this lineup with Jeff will make it difficult to pitch around the middle of our lineup," Owner/GM Tim Farmer said in a press release. "With CC (Sabathia), John (Lackey), and Carlos anchoring our rotation, this gives us three extremely talented young starting pitchers to build around."

Magicians Acquire All-Star Second Baseman

2007-11-20T19:27:00.000-05:00

The Herkimer Magicians have quickly entered the trading fray, acquiring All-star second baseman Jeff Kent from the defending champion Ybor City Rollers for OF prospect Adam "Don't Call me Pac-Man" Jones.

"We have a lot of depth in the outfield and decided that we could part with a good young prospect in Jones. We had the ability to acquire a star player at a position of need in Jeff and we are continuing to try to improve our roster for next season," Owner/GM Tim Farmer said in a press statement.

The fact that the Magicians were able to add to their roster without having to cut into their 20 man protected list should not go unnoticed, and allows them to drop one of their outfielders or relievers.

Seattle Sold, Relocating...

2007-11-18T19:11:00.001-05:00

For the second consecutive year, the Seattle Rainiers, formerly known as the Santa Clarita Saints, have re-located due to attendance problems in the Seattle area. It seems the new ownership group hates the rain and cold, which makes no sense as to why they are moving the team just outside of Cooperstown, New York, in the tiny hamlet of Herkimer. New Owner and General Manager Tim Farmer, who used to be an owner in LP2, has returned to prominence in the financial market and has purchased the Seattle Rainiers franchise for the cold sum of 5 magic beans and a bag of Starbucks coffee. "We figured that the beans might be coffee, and since Seattle was home of Starbucks, we could easily entice the old ownership with some coffee. Who knew they were so gullible to take such a soft offer as that?" Mr. Farmer laughed as he spoke to an audience of 1500 people near the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. "Seriously though, after taking some time off from the game to clear my head, and gain some experience in the minor leagues, I've decided that the timing is right to come back to the big leagues of the LP2, and make an immediate impact on the league. We are changing the team name from the Seattle Rainiers to the Herkimer Magicians. I believe that within two years the Magicians franchise will be ready to contend for a playoff spot, and bring Central New York some excitement in the baseball community. Our first order of business is to find a partner to collaborate with the minors that is worthy of the magic of the Magicians." The Magicians have some solid pieces in place with reigning MLB American League Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia, MLB AL Cy third place finisher John Lackey, and the should have been National League rookie of the year in Troy Tulowitzki. "With CC, John and Troy anchoring this franchise for the next ten years, there's no reason we can't build a winning atmosphere and franchise for a very long time." Mr. Farmer said.The Magicians have added hitting coach to Paul Molitor's duties, Rickey Henderson as first base coach and speed consultant, Dennis Eckersley as pitching coach, and Marty Barrett as third base coach.

Florida Christians Unveil New Uniforms

2007-11-10T13:22:00.000-05:00

Following the unveiling of the LP2's new logo last week, the Florida Christians became the first team to show off their new look today. The Christians maintained their blue and silver color scheme while gaining a new logo. Carlos Beltran and Jimmy Rollins will look sharp as they look to return to the promised land next season.

New LP2 Logo Unveiled

2007-11-02T23:22:00.000-04:00

Following another exciting World Series, the league offices unveiled a new league logo. The logo is part of an exciting rebranding, helping to give the league an identity of its own. As part of the project, each team will receive its own original logos and uniforms designed by the LP2 Design office with assistance from the owners of the respective teams. Over the course of the offseason and leading up to the next draft, the team's new looks will be unveiled here. Additionally, the league office will be opening up new merchandising venues for all the die-hard LP2 fans out there. Stay tuned for an exciting new LP2!

Webb, Ichiro lead Rollers to their 3rd Lp2 Title!

2007-10-23T23:12:00.001-04:00

The Ybor City Rollers counted on co-ace Brandon Webb throughout the regular season, getting 23 wins in the process. So it seemed only fitting that with a chance to finish off the Lp2 World Series they would hand the ball to their 28 year old ace.
Webb was masterful against the Finger Lakes Flashes, holding them to just a Maicer Izturis homerun in seven innings, handing the bullpen a 3-1 lead. B.J. Ryan and Joe Nathan, both acquired during the regular season, were up to the task, allowing just a Rich Aurilia homerun to seal a 5-2 victory and clinch the Rollers 3rd Lp2 title.
Mike Mussina was also brilliant in defeat, allowing just one run in six innings, striking out five. The bullpen couldn't stop the Rollers potent offense as Joel Zumaya and Brian Fuentes surrendered two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings.

Ichiro Suzuki was the catalyst the team needed, picking up four singles, stealing two bases, and driving in two runners. Joe Mauer (.458), Carlos Guillen (.478), Miguel Cabrera (.391) and World Series MVP Stan Musial (.478) all hit over .390 for the series, and were a big reason for the Rollers .318 team average and 40 runs in the six games.
"The Flashes are a fantastic organization who had an excellent season. They were playoff contenders from the outset of the season, battled 'til the very end to win the Wild Card and really turned some heads in the postseason," GM Morgan DeMarco commented. "The hard work that general manager and owner Harry Fanelli has put into that squad shows up in their team's effort, and they are a shining example of what happens when a bright GM sticks to a plan in the Lp2. We wish them all the best in the future and know that they will be a constant threat both for the Bambino Conference title as well as the Lp2 title."

2006 Postseason

Rollers Jump all over Verlander, Flashes; Move within a Game of Championship

2007-10-22T07:39:00.000-04:00

In game one the Rollers used the longball to beat Justin Verlander, in game five they decided to use the same strategy, homering five times and chasing Verlander after three innings as they cruised to a 16-1 victory and a 3-2 series lead.

Carlos Guillen led the charge, as his three-run homer in the first put the Ybor City Rollers on the board first, he finished the game with three hits (two homers) and 6 RBI's. Stan Musial was a perfect 4-for-4 with five runs scored, and just needed a homerun to hit for the cycle. Joe Mauer and Miguel Cabrera added three hits and three runs apiece.

Verlander lasted just 3 2/3 in game one, allowing seven runs, and tonight he gave up eight runs in his three innings, walking one and striking out four. Rollers starter Chris Carpenter was very sharp, allowing just 3 hits in 7 innings, and registering 7 strikeouts.

The teams travel back to Ybor City for Game 6, where Brandon Webb will be looking to lead the Rollers to their 3rd Lp2 Championship, while Mike Mussina will be looking to force a game seven for the Finger Lakes Flashes.

Flashes use Longballs late to tie Series at 2

2007-10-21T00:28:00.000-04:00

The Finger Lakes Flashes used four homeruns, including two from Manny Ramirez, to first erase a 5-2 Rollers lead, and finally earn a 9-6 victory in Game 4.

Ramirez, who homered in the bottom of the first to put the the Flashes ahead, had three hits on the night, to go with his four RBI's. His second homer, a 3-run shot off of Ruddy Lugo in the eighth, gave the Flashes some breathing room after they had taken a one run lead.
Bronson Arroyo wasn't as sharp as he would have liked, allowing five runs in 6 innings, including a solo homer to Raul Ibanez and a 3-run shot to Stan Musial.
His opponent, Ervin Santana, was better, allowing just 2 runs in 6 innings and departed with a 5-2 lead, but the normally stingy Ybor City Rollers bullpen allowed the Flashes back into the game. B.J. Ryan allowed 3 runs in the seventh on a Rich Aurilia homerun to tie the game, and Lugo allowed homers to Michael Barrett and Ramirez to take the loss.

Led by Manny, the Flashes win first Lp2 World Series Game

2007-10-20T13:17:00.001-04:00

Back with the comforts of their home stadium, the Finger Lakes Flashes had the bats going, and used their 12 hit attack to pull the series to 2 games to 1.

Manny Ramirez set the tone with his solo homer in the bottom of the first, and his second homer of the game in the fifth gave the Flashes some breathing room. Alex Rodriguez added three hits, while Jason Giambi and Maicer Izturis contributed 2 hits each.

Carlos Zambrano, starting the biggest game of his Lp2 career, settled down after surrendering the lead in the second, finishing the game with seven strikeouts in his six innings, earning the victory. The Flashes bullpen shutdown the Rollers offense, as Joel Zumaya, Jason Isringhausen and Takashi Saito fired three scoreless innings to preserve the win.

Ybor City Rollers starter Javier Vazquez wasn't as sharp as Zambrano, but he was able to induce double play balls in the second and fifth innings to lessen the damage. Carlos Guillen led the Roller offense with two hits, but his error in fourth led to the winning run, and he was also picked off firstbase to end the top of the fourth.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow night in Yankee Stadium when Bronson Arroyo and Ervin Santana face off.

Musial allows Rollers to "Walk" Away from Pither's Duel up 2-0

2007-10-20T13:15:00.000-04:00

Game 2 was dominated by the starters Mike Mussina for the Flashes, and Brandon Webb for the Rollers, but Stan Musial again provided Ybor City with the margin of victory.

Just like Game 1, Grady Sizemore drove in the Finger Lakes Flashes first run in the first inning, this time with a solo homerun to right. The Flashes stretched the lead to 2-0 in the third when Sizemore tripled and was driven home by Wily Mo Pena. Webb settled down from that moment on, scattering just two hits over the rest of his seven innings, finishing the game with seven strikeouts. His offense got him back in the game in the bottom of the third, on RBI hits from Joe Mauer and Miguel Cabrera.

Mussina matched Webb scoreless frame for scoreless frame, exiting after six solid innings, allowing just the two runs on seven hits. Flame throwing righthander Joel Zumaya shut down the Rollers offense for two innings, fanning three, before giving way to Brian Fuentes in the ninth.

Pinch hitter Josh Bard got Ybor going with a one out single, before Fuentes got Josh Willingham to strike out for the second out. Mauer and Musial struck again for the Rollers, as they followed with back-to-back singles off the lefty, the second single driving in Bard for a 3-2 Rollers victory.
In the celebration that followed, Musial had to be helped from the field, the injury did not seem serious and he should be able to start Game 3, when the series travels to Yankee Stadium for a pitching matchup of Carlos Zambrano for the Flashes against Javier Vazquez for the Rollers.

High Powered Offenses Square Off, Rollers use Longball to Take Game 1

2007-10-20T13:09:00.001-04:00

The only two teams to score over 1000 runs during the regular season, the Finger Lakes Flashes and Ybor City Rollers, figure to have a lot of high scoring affairs this Lp2 World Series.
The Flashes struck first, as they have all postseason, scoring two runs in the top of the first off of Rollers starter Chris Carpenter. Grady Sizemore's triple drove in Arky Vaughan, and Manny Ramirez's sac fly scored Grady, putting the Flashes up 2-0. The Rollers would respond in the bottom of the inning, as Joe Mauer and Stan Musial hit back-to-back homers to right to tie the game at 2.

Finger Lakes starter Justin Verlander couldn't contain the Rollers bats, even after his team had staked him to a 5-2 lead courtesy of a two-run double by Michael Barrett, his own RBI groundout and a Vaughan RBI single. He promptly walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, before surrendering a sac fly to Mauer and 3-run blast to Musial to put the Rollers in front 6-5.

Mark Teixeira added Ybor's fourth homer of the game in the 8th, and Jon Papelbon was able to finish off the 9-6 win with a scoreless 9th.

The two teams square off again tomorrow, with the Flashes sending Mike Mussina to the mound against Ybor's Brandon Webb.

Another trip for the Knights?

2006-08-01T19:35:00.000-04:00

GM Pete Grassi has taken his team to Europe this week for some fine Italian food as the wonderful schedule makers of the LP2 have given the Knights another week off!! They left for Italy after their game on July 27th and will be returning stateside on August 2nd to prepare for their next game on August 3rd. "We would like to thank the schedule makers" GM Pete Grassi said. "I have never before been able to take a team on a vacation during the season, nevermind two!!. These guys have worked hard all season and deserve a break". Players were unavailable for comment on these trips.

USA ALL-STAR LINEUP ANNOUNCED!

2006-07-18T23:37:00.000-04:00

Ybor City-After it was all said and done the divison leading Christians are sending 8 players to the All-Star game. The Gamblers were next in line sending 6 players. The Expansion teams San Benito and Homestead are sending 2 and 3 players respectively. Pythons owner and GM, Espinosa, announced his lineup shortly Tuesday night. He's tabbed Nolan Ryan as his opening starter. Ryan leads the league in K's with over 160 K'S. "I feel I was very fair about choosing the right players. We defenitely chose atleast one player from our pool of teams. We have a tough game against the World Team. Certainly their pitchers lead the league in many pitching categories. But we feel we have enough firepower to overcome any obstacle. This is a great honor for me and I am looking forward to managing this group of guys into a win!!" The team features four 4 starters 1 mr and 4 lclosers. It sure looks like this team can rack a pile of K's, very scary lineup and pitching staff but after all this is the all-star game!! From Ybor City this is Marky Mark for LP2TV!

Starting Lineup

2b-Nap Lajoie, Gamblers

SS-Jimmy Rollins, Christians

LF-Manny Ramirez,Flashes

1B-Derek Lee, Christians

RF-Jason Bay, Gamblers

3B-David Wright, Flashes

CF-Yastrzemski, Gloves

C-M. Barrett, Flashes

P-Nolan Ryan, Pythons

Bench

Of-Klein, Christians

2B-Alfonso Soriano, Christians

C-B. Molina, Gamblers

SS-Bill Hall, Gamblers

CF-Tris Speaker, Bombers

1B-Ryan Howard, Gamblers

3B-Aramis Ramirez, Christians

RF-Larry Walker, Pythons

Pitching Staff

Sp1-Nolan Ryan, Pythons

SP2-Randy Johnson, Christians

SP3-A. Harang, Knights

LR1-S. Baker, Gloves

MR1-U. Urbina, Gamblers

CL-D. Hermanson,Christians

CL-Chad Cordero,Christians

CL-Huston Street,Knights

CL-Joe Nathan,Pythons

Knights enjoying sabatical

2006-07-14T20:22:00.000-04:00

The New York Knights are currently enjoying a nice vacation in sunny Bahamas as they have 8 consecutive days off! Having last played on July 9th (a 4-2 win over Sun City) the Knights do not have another game until July 17th. GM Pete Grassi decided to send the team to the Bahamas for a little RnR to clear their heads. "The team has played well since starting 1-11" said Grassi. "They have a record of 43-37 since. With the way South Side and Brossard have played we are happy were we are right now. We have a good young core and are looking to improve our roster". The Knights have made three moves in the past week which will be detailed in a future article.

DOOMSDAY:GONE IN 60 SECONDS....

2006-07-04T00:08:00.000-04:00

Homestead-The Pythons have started their fireworks early. In what is probably one of the largest blockbuster deals in the LP2 the Pythons found themselves making two deals in one night. In the First deal the Pythons have traded stud shortstop Jose Reyes, Fernando Rodney, Dan Johnson and Horacio Ramirez to the Knights in return for yet another 2nd round rookie pick and a 3rd round rookie pick, highly touted super prospect Matt Cain, Julio Lugo, Joe Nathan, Torii Hunter, Lyle Overbay and Freddy Garcia. "This is one of our biggest deals ever, although we are building for the future we still would like to atleast remain competitive, our goal this year is to finish atleast .500 and build on that momentum going into next year where we will hand out our staff to our young guns. We were very against dealing Jose Reyes since he is a fan favorite down here and we are completely enamored with his game but we just couldn't say no to this deal in which we fill many holes. All of the guys acquire will be in the major league club and will help achieve our short and long term goals. Matt Cain gives us a future rotation of Josh Johnson, Matt Cain, Zach Duke, Chien Ming Wang and perhaps Chuck James. We acqure more picks and now have five 2nd round rookie picks along with 2 more 3rd round rookie picks. We are extremely excited to welcome this guys to Homestead!"s aid Espinosa. Earlier the Pythons agreed to send M. Mulder and Ybor City's 3rd round rookie pick less then 24 hours of acquiring him to Sun City in return for slugger Carlos Lee and utitlity man Casey Blake. "We are hoping this deal will jumpstart a sluggish offense, we feel we have lost 46 games in part because of our offense. We are ecstatic to welcome Carlos Lee to South Beach!!" Perhaps with more to come this is Matt Treanor reporting live from Homestead.

Homestead looking towards future?

2006-07-02T01:09:00.000-04:00

Although not set in stone the Pythons may be starting to look towards the future. In their latest deal the Pythons send Moises Alou, Dustin Hermanson and Tom Glavine to an already talented Christian's team of Florida. In return the Pythons get yet another 2nd round rookie pick along with Mark Mulder. Mulder apparently is being brought in to provide another sort of leadership that Nolan Ryan hasn't been able to provide to there young leaders. It is expected that Mulder, who's 28 will be able to interact more with the Pythons young guns like Josh Johnson, Zach Duke, Chien Ming Wang and Chuck James. "Mulder is a guy we are not banking on to be a savior if not a leader who can provide clubhouse leadership. Mulder's only 28 and yet he has the rep. of being an ace. Most importantly we acquire a 2nd round rookie pick, we love loading talent and this is another opportunity at doing so." This deal gives the Pythons a total of four 2nd round rookie picks and two 3rd round rookie picks in next year. "We advice contenders to contact us as we may have the missing piece to your puzzle!"

Scotty Doesn't know!

2006-06-12T22:49:00.000-04:00

With all of the problems the Sun City Devils have been having in the pitching department and the inability of starters to come up to the hill and plant their feet the devils have rewarded Scott Downs as the new fifth starter for the club. It seems to be a band aid solution but with no real pitching prospects in the rotation and a mix of veteran starters who have been nothing short of terrible, the Devils hope that this move can spark thier club to a better fortune in the near future.

Griffey Traded!

2006-06-08T23:02:00.000-04:00

The rumors wouldn't cease, and finally the trade of Ken Griffey Jr. became a reality.

"Tonight is a sad night, as we announce the departure of one of the faces of this franchise, but we will always be able to look back on all of Grif's accomplishment's and times with this organization."

Griffey was an original draftee of the franchise, when they were born as the Evansville Pimps. He hit 33 homers his first year, driving in 108. His second season he hit .297 with 20 HR and 104 RBI. Unfortunately, injuries started pilling up for Junior, as he never appeared in more than 116 games in a season after that.

Through it all he has amassed a cumulative line of .255/.337/.481, with 143 homeruns, 408 runs and 446 driven in, in 2472 at bats (Through games of 06/08).

He was a part of the back-to-back LP2 Champion Roller's teams and slugged .765 with 16 HR in just 136 at bats during the 2004 "B" season. He leaves the Roller's just three homers short of Gary Sheffield for 5th in Roller's history, while his 446 RBI's place him 7th.

On the other side of the deal, the Roller's are excited to have acquired Adam Dunn.

Dunn is a mountain of a man, 6'6", 275 lbs, and the ball just makes a different sound when he connects.

So far during the "A" season, he's hit .227/.385/.513, with 12 homeruns, 30 runs, 31 driven in and 37 walks. He also adds versatility as he's capable of playing both 1B and OF.

During his first two years in the LP2, Dunn has hit 73 homeruns, drove in 202 runs, walked 201 times, and struck out an amazing 383 times!

Also involved in the deal were 1B Conor Jackson and OF Scott Hairston. Jackson was a 2nd rd pick by the Roller's in the past Rookie Draft, while Hairston was selected in the 3rd round of the 2004 Rookie Draft.

Dukes of Homestead!!

2006-06-06T11:37:00.000-04:00

Homestead- After long hours of negotiations both expansion teams reach an agreement. The Pythons have acquired rookie phenom Zach Duke along with Garret Atkins, Fernando Rodney and a SB's 2nd Rnd Rookie pick. The Pythons gave up in return Ybor's first round rookie pick along with Freddy Sanchez, Sergio Mitre, Geoff Jenkins and rookie Jason Botts. "We didn't want to give up Botts in this deal since we've had our eyes on him for a while but we feel this deal while it makes stronger in the future it also gives us an impact this year. We want to turn things around down here, our current record is not something that will make us give up on the race. It's a long season and a lot can happen in a span of 100+ games. Zach is just a phenom and coupe him next year with phenom Josh Johnson and Wang and we already have our first three starters punched in. " Zach learned of the trade early on Tuesday morning and when asked what his expectations were he basically said "Going to the east coast is going to be a lot of fun, I plan to soldify the Python's need and from what I hear they are a great organization with a lot of expectations. I'm thrilled to be going to Miami." Garret Atkins provides a solid platoon at 3rd base with Pedro Feliz. "Garret has a lot of potential, we haven't seen the best of Atkins yet! Fernando Rodney will give us a solid season this year and will reign over the closer spot next year we expect" Said Espinosa.

Eisenreich has had enough!

2006-05-19T13:17:00.000-04:00

Miami-The Pythons skipper has had enough. After 5-1 loss to the league best Soldiers Jim Eisenreich went in a rampage. He's made some changes to his lineup. Espinosa apparently has seen enough of Loaiza and Jenkins aswell as he's demoted them to AAA. "Jenkins has had a problem with his ankle and he needs to get a few atbats in AAA before he can help us out this year. As far as Loaiza we feel he needs to get in touch with his mechanics. We know he can dominate anda re willing to do whatever it takes to help him. Espinosa activated Kennedy from the DL which should boost this lineup which practically has been dead thep ast 5 games. Kennedy was hitting around .370 before he got injured. He also calls up David Wells to take Loaiza's spot in the rotation. "David has had a few impressive outings in the winter league and we want to see what he can do for us." Last time Eisey had a tirade like this the Pythons went on to win 7 of their next 10 games. We can only hope this is a spark!! He's giving Belliard, Podsednik a rest and has moved up Alou in the lineup who has a .410 onbase percentage. Belliard and Pods need some rest, apparently the heat has gotten the best of them in the past few games. "They are still my starters but they need to condition themselves to this 95 degree weather. Boston ain't so sunny!!" said the Skipper.

Juan gone

2006-05-17T14:10:00.000-04:00

The Clashing of heads at the top of the Sun City Devils hierarchy has ended with a deal which sent Juan Pierre and unproven Sean Burroughs for Ezequiel Astacio and Dave Williams. It was a tough go around for Pierre. he endured losing when the team moved from Los Angeles to San Diego. He is was't hitting well at the time of the trade rumours and then He had it with GM Bobby Natural.
"He's an absolute nut job" Pierre said. "I feel for some of the guys that are there to put up with his mess". When Burroughs was asked for his comments. He wqas tight lipped as usual. His response a simple "good".
"This trade opens up opportunities for Chone Figgins to use his talents as our lead off hitter". GM Bobby Natural said. This team needs some more spark that Pierre lost in his Devils years. We ac also call up Alex Rios or Jeff Francoeur to play in right field while Vernon Wells becomes our everyday center fielder. "It's a great opportunity for our club to move up now because players don't have to share playing time anymore" Natural said. "Our offense should flourish because no one has to look over thier shoulder. I should have made this move sooner!"

Our thanks go out to Boston for taking these fine players.

Checking in with the Roller's...

2006-05-05T15:12:00.000-04:00

The Roller's stand a half game behind the Florida Christians so far this season with a record of 17-14, 5th best in the LP2. They've played decently at times, but have struggled in front of the home crowd with a 5-9 record.

The offense has been led by the 3-4 hitters Mickey Mantle and Miguel Cabrera.Mantle has shaken off a slow start to post a .309/.463/.670 line with 9 homers, 26 runs and 28 walks. Cabrera has given him plenty of protection, he's at .320/.343/.586, also with 9 homers to go with his 29 RBI's.

The Roller's are just 6th in the LP2 in runs and the struggles of Raffy Furcal (.181/.267/.286), Eric Chavez (.248/.297/.410), Jeff Kent (.261/.317/.405) and Todd Helton (.278/.340/.495) are a big reason why.

On the mound, Tim Hudson has gotten off to a strong start posting a 3.28 ERA in 6 starts (3-2). Ace Chris Carpenter (3-2, 3.61) and Brandon Webb (4-2, 3.79) have also been very good. In the bullpen, Scot Shields and Brad Lidge have struggled (combined 6.53 ERA, although with 44 k's in 30 1/3 innings), but they have been picked up be tremendous work from Chad Qualls (1.62 ERA), Brad Thompson (2.20), Cliff Politte (3.12) and Juan Rincon (3.86).The Roller's have two more games with the Sun City Devils, before facing the NY Knights and South Side Soldiers. Management continues to try and work a deal to help solidify the team before division play begins on the 31st of May...

An Accord for Cordero...

2006-04-22T19:39:00.000-04:00

The Christians, who were said to be in the rebuilding phase, have pulled off a trade in an attempt to put (or keep) themselves in contention. "It's a big deal for us," stated the GM, "but, it cost us a lot of future talent. That said, we felt it was definitely worth the move." In the blockbuster, the Christians acquired three bagger Aramis Ramirez and stud closer Chad Cordero, along with B.Y. Kim and Angel Berroa in exchange for a seven-pack of players, Adrian Beltre, Rocco Baldelli, B.J. Upton, Clint Barmes, Octavio Dotel and Hee Sop Choi. "Aramis gives them a solid hitter at third base," stated a league scout, "and Cordero may be exactly what the doctor ordered for their depleted bullpen. I believe they'll most likely move Ryan to set-up and insert Chad as their closer."

Gone now are a number of Florida future hopefuls, as well as one of Florida's winningest pitchers in Octavio Dotel (60-21; 5th all-time in team history). "Octavio gave us a lot of wins," he continued, "he's our all-time winningest pitcher percentage-wise (74.1% of his decisions). We're extremely thankful for what he has done for our organization and we wish him and the rest of the players the best of luck in Boston." Dotel is also second on the Florida career saves list, behind Keith Foulke, with 27 career saves.

Pictured: Aramis, currently on the DL, warming up with his new team. Currently, Ramirez has been on the DL for the past two weeks and is expected to spend at least another week in rehab before joining his new team.

Great day for Knights

2006-04-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

The New York Knights had a great debut in the Trop as they won their first game in franchise history 5-2 over the Sun City Devils. Carl Crawford was the offensive star with a 2 run homer in the 5th. Ace Roy Oswalt was stellar going 7 1/3 giving up 6 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 6 in getting the first win in franchise history. Joe Nathan threw only 13 pitches to get the last 5 outs and the save. Victor Martinez get the first hit in Knights history while Wily Tavares scored the first run. The Knights look to continue their run Wednesday when Brett Myers takes the mound.

"Jae" It Ain't "Seo"!

2006-03-16T17:50:00.000-05:00

Jae Seo followed up Mark Prior's no hitter with a gem of his own. Seo went out and only allowed one more hit than Prior in 9 innings, one hitting the Tottenham Blue Jays. "I know it's just spring training, but I feel great," Seo said through a translator, "not as good as Mark did, but it is nice to go out there and try to earn a job on this team." In the last 18 innings, opponents have a grand total of zero runs on one hit against Christian pitchers Prior and Seo.

In other ST news, Joey Gathright of the Pythons went 5-5, as Jenkins hits a PH grandslam. The Gloves play another long one, this time against the Flashes in an 18 inning affair. Miggy Cabrera hits a walk-off for the Rollers, Nixson hits one for Batons. Carrasco wins again for Flashes with another strong outing.

Prior to the Season, Mark No-Hits Accies in ST

2006-03-14T21:27:00.000-05:00

It may be Spring Training, but Mark Prior didn't get the memo. Prior went out and no-hit the Bristol spring squad, allowing just 2 walks. "I couldn't pull him," stated Cal Ripken Jr., "the guy was just on fire. Ideally, he would have thrown about 6 innings, but once he had the no-no, I wasn't about to take him out." Prior threw a total of 111 pitches, 69 for strikes. Helping out the cause was Kenny Lofton, who had 5 hits and Coco Crisp who had 4 hits. "We all know the kid can pitch," said Ted Williams who went 0-3, "today he went out and proved it once again." The Christians won 14-0.

Eisenreich irked!!

2006-03-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

Homestead-It's only spring training right? Wrong. Not according to Jim Eisenreich. Word has spread that the Pythons manager held a closed door conference with this team after the pythons 4-3 loss to Boston. "He was irked and said losing was never an option not in Spring Training and not in baseball." said one source who's name we will reserve as per his request. The Pythons manager seemed to be more frustrated with Pythons pitching then with the hitters. He singled out veteran Tom Glavine in his ugly performance which lasted about an inning. "He basically said if you don't want to be here let me know now, this ain't a playground, I refuse to see any of you guys smiling after embarassing performances like that. You guys are more capable of achieving. The fact that it's only spring doesn't mean a darn thing. I want you guys to play every game like if it were your last. No one here is assured of anything!" shouted Eisenreich After the meeting Espinosa made a few moves. He called up Larry Walker and Scott Elarton while sending Cory Lidle and Dave Roberts down. Roberts apparently will be on the opening day roster but he sprained his ankle and will be sent down to take a couple of days off. In the meantime it allows the Pythons to see what Walker can offer. "We can't be leaving guys on base and I will make sure this gets corrected. Everything starts with techniques, if everyone does there job right then as a unit we will all be able to get the wheel rolling"said Eisenreich. We approached one of the players (a key one) and he said "I am glad our manager actually cares, Jim is a tremendous character and a lot of these guys have been feeling a little too loose and flexible around here after practices. More seriousness should be taken even if it's spring training."

Spring Training Begins!

2006-03-11T16:13:00.000-05:00

The Lp2 Spring Training has begun! Each team plays every team one time in their 13 game schedule. On the first day, Joe Blanton of the Knights threw a complete game 3 hitter versus the Devils. "Most leagues normally don't like pitchers to go that long in the spring," stated the manager, "but we play year round so their arms are always ready and in shape." In other news, the Batons and Gloves went 17 innings in their first game of the spring, as Johnny Damon finally ended it with an RBI single for the Batons. It was the first time that both teams had suited up for a game in the Lp2. All results and stats can be found on the DMB Web section of the webpage.

The Devils are coming.

2006-02-25T14:16:00.000-05:00

The Devils are Coming!

Last season...100 losses. Gone are the Devils past like Willis, Lugo, Maddox and Lilly and Hampton. this off season ad been a real showing that this tam needed to improve in key areas like some pop in the middle, corner depth and especially PITCHING. Key additions like David Ortiz, Vernon Wells, MarkMulder, Chone Figgins, David Eckstein, and Mike Mussina will give the Devils some teeth when they needed to win.
The team has also made some strides in picking up rookie picks like Jeff Francoeur and Bobby Jenks. this tam make make moves in the Cool Papa Bell Division.

There are teams to beat! Always the Soldiers but to look past the lineups of the Batons and the Knights will be absolutely ridiculous. We will compete game in and out.

Pythons Pitchers and Catchers Report: Pythons unveil new uniforms!

2006-02-23T16:26:00.000-05:00

AP-Homestead- Baseball season has official begun when pitchers and catchers officially reported to camp yesterday. Among the recognized pitchers where Nolan Ryan, Tom Glavine, Matt Clement, Esteban Loaiza and Horacio Ramirez which appears to be the rotation set going into the season. Other pitchers battling for long relief spots are David Wells, Mike Maroth and Cory Lidle. "Homestead reminds me a lot of Texas, it's very country down here, lot of new developments. Homestead has one of the most beatiful sunsets. The Everglades is quite an experience. This place is beatiful!" Ryan who recently bought a 2 million dollar ranch in nearby Redlands can relate to country. But it's not all about country the Keys and South beach are short drive away. "I love it, I was at Mynt yesterday (famous south beach club) and it was great. My wife loves it and I'm looking forward to this season" said Andrew Sisco, the 23 year old flamethrower who got picked up in Free Agency. Among the catchers who reported are Rod Barajas and Jason Larue who are set to split time behind the plate and powerful prospect J.D. Closser. When asked to give his feelings about his pitching staff Jim Eisenreich, pythons skipper said "We defenitely have a lot of guys who can give us over 200 innings. The bullpen is defenitely the key of this pitching staff with Juan Padilla, Andrew Sisco,Brian Shackelford and Fernando Cabrera setting up for Dustin Hermanson, I mean that's a very low combined opp. b avg. we're talking about between all of 'em guys. I'm defenitely looking forward to managing all these guys..There is a good blend of veterans and young guys." When asked about the young hurlers this team has he had this to say "I'm telling you what those 5,6 guys that will probably start the season in AAA, thse guys are going to be a force to reckon with in the future...The future rotation of this team is right in front of our eyes in Olsen, Johnson, James, Howell, Mitre and Juan Dominguez." 2,000 were in attendance for the expansion's first ever practice. "This is going to be great, can't wait for the season to start, GO PYTHONS!!" said one of the many fans in attendance.

Beantown Purchased, Moved North.

2006-02-20T13:13:00.000-05:00

The Beantown franchise has been acquired and moved north of the border, leaving the Boston Bombers as the only hot baseball ticket in town. “It’s gonna be great for revenue,” stated a Bomber’s team executive, “but, we would have loved to have a cross town rival.”

As for Beantown, they have been purchased (in principle) by real estate tycoon Howard Trager. Trager, who has owned a few independent teams in other leagues, was ready for the big show. “I think he wanted to get into a league with longevity,” stated one Lp2 member, “it’s nice to be in a league that’s structured and built for the long haul. Especially, when you see so many leagues try to copy us and fail.”

The Beantown franchise is now located in Brossard and will be known as the Batons. Chris Taylor, who sold the franchise, leaves the league with a respectable 250-236 record. “He just got so caught up in work that he just didn’t have the time to commit to running a competitive franchise,” stated a family friend.

Beantown Sold To Front Office...

2006-02-03T07:20:00.000-05:00

Today, the Lp2 Front Office announced that they have acquired the Beantown franchise and will be taking over until the team is sold to a new owner.

In a press conference, Taylor, Beantown's former owner, announced the news. "This league has such a feverish attitude towards it, that I'm not doing it justice because I'm unable to give it the time and dedication that it and it's owners deserve. I'm at a time in my professional career that I need to be dedicated to my work, and I don't think I can put any sort of spin on that to make it not so. I was really excited about the direction and outlook of the Beantown franchise, and wish that I could be right there watching as the team is finally turned around, but I know that it's not possible. I'd like to thank you Joe for the opportunity to be a part of the league, and hopefully one day I might have the time that this league deserves. I will continue to follow the LP2 from afar, and maybe I'll get Morgan to let me tag along for one of the LP2 Weekends... but for now I think it's best for me, my team and the league if we part ways."

The league office is in search of a new owner.

Pythons acquire Sweeney and select Shin-Soo Choo

2006-01-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

The Pythons and Knights worked out on a deal that sent 1B-Lyle Overbay, Pitcher Danys Baez and a 7th and 9th round FA picks this year in return for slugger 1B-Mike Sweeney, pitcher Dustin Hermanson a 3rd, 4th, 5th fa pick this year and another 4th fa next year. Here's a statement from the skipper, Eisenreich"Sweeney is a fantastic hitter, although defensively he's a notch behind Overbay, offensively this guy is a hitting machine. Here's a guy that can hit over .300 and hit over 30 homers any given year. Last year he was slowed down by some shoulder pain which is why he only hit 21 homers in 400+ atbats. I am happy with the first four 6 hitters in our lineup. Sweeney just enhances our lineup even further, our first 6 batters have an average .295 batting average"

With the 3rd round pick (2nd overall) the Pythons selected highly touted prospect Shin-Soo Choo. Shin-Soo Choo was hitting over .282 with 15 dingers and swiped over 30 bases at the minor league level. He is being labeled as the next Ichiro Suzuki who was just recently acquired by the Knights in a seperate deal. "We were missing a couple of rookie picks this year and Choo feels like an early rookie pick selection. I anticipate for him to be ready next season (2006)!" were the words that came out of the Python's arquitecht. The Pythons who will be up again with the 38th overall pick in the 3rd round have been actively hitting the phone lines. "We're getting calls, that's for sure!" said Espinosa.

NEW YORK/SOUTH SIDE BLOCKBUSTER!!

2006-01-20T21:23:00.000-05:00

New York is at it again with another blockbuster. They have shipped outfielder Andru Jones to South Side for outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. "With the aquisition of Willy Taveras in the free agent draft, we felt we did not need to carry three centerfielders in Andru, Torii (Hunter) and Taveras. We made the decision to move either Jones or Hunter. When the Soilders came calling and offered up right fielder Ichiro, we felt it was a no brainer. Ichiro adds more speed to the quickest lineup in baseball and a gold glove in the outfield. We will miss Andru and his power" GM Pete Grassi was quoted. In another smaller deal, the Knights reaquired pitcher Shawn Chacon from San Benito for the #9 pick in the 1st FA round. The teams also swapped picks later in the draft.

Knights have successful 1st rookie round

2006-01-12T21:45:00.000-05:00

The New York Knights had a successful 1st round of the rookie draft. With an unprecedented 6 first round picks, it was hard for the Knights to not have a good draft.

With their first pick, the Knights selected pitcher Matt Cain. Cain, a big 6'3''righty has a huge upside and all the tools. He throws a 94-97 fastball for strikes and has a solid major league ready curveball.

Their second pick was 3b stud Ryan Zimmerman.

Zimmerman is already drawing comparisons to Brooks Robinson for his glove. He is also projected to be a great hitter with a little pop. He should fit in nicely as a strong #2 hitter.

Their third pick was big first baseman Prince Fielder.

Fielder is projected to have 35-40 homer power and the only real concern on him is his defense.

With their fourth and fifth picks the Knights selected 2b Robinson Cano and closer Huston Street.

Both players have shown they are major league ready and will look to contribute immediately, especially Street who will compete with Joe Nathan for the closer role.

The Knights final pick was a risky one, taking oft injured pitcher Anthony Reyes.

Another one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, Reyes has had trouble staying healthy. If he stays healthy, he could be one of the best pitchers in baseball. A bit of a stretch, the Knights felt they could take a chance with their 6th and final first round pick.

Soldiers Take Felix Hernandez #1

2006-01-11T11:40:00.000-05:00

Fresh off their first Lp2 World Series title, the South Side Soldiers added three big time prospects today in the first day of the Lp2s annual Rookie draft, always a very exciting and hyped up day(s) around the league. The Soldiers made 20-year old stud righthander Felix Hernandez the Lp2s 1st overall pick in the draft. What more can be said about the man they dubbed, the "King". He has an explosive fastball, nasty hook, and developing 'plus' changeup. Picture perfect mechanics and smooth delivery make Felix the envy of most teams. The Soldiers continued their focus of young arms when they selected 22 year old lefty Francisco Liriano. Perhaps a surprise pick to some, but not the Soldiers, "We were going to take him 2nd after we watched him pitch in Detroit, his physical tools and presence on the mound for his age were just amazing." Liriano features a blazing fastball, solid changeup (should get better working with Johan Santana) and an extremely nasty slider. With the 3rd pick, the Soldiers finally went to a position player, and what a player it could turn out to be. Jeremy Hermida, a 21 year old outfielder with a sweet lefty stroke who has drawn immediate comparisons to Eric Chavez & Paul O'Neill, although Hermida himself says he models his swing after Shawn Green. Blessed with a strong eye and plate discipline, as well as a solid arm and good range in right or centrefield should pose well for the Soldiers in the future of their outfield.

Lugged!!Lugo ecstatic!

2006-01-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

"Estoy feliz de la vida porque voy a estar con mi familia en el condado Dade-County!" 'I am ecstatic to rejoin my family in beatiful Dade-County!' where the words of a man that looked nothing short of upset about leaving Sun City. In what perhaps seems to be a need for speed the Pythons slowly but surely have retooled there lineup. Once lacking speed and base patrols..these new lineup will include Joey Gathright and Julio Lugo patroling the top. The Pythons also got younger in the pitching department. Horacio Ramirez and Vargas provide the Pythons with a potential 2-3 punch in the future. It's not sure if Ramirez will crack the rotation this year because of David Well's emergence but he will defenitely be in there somewhere. "This kid can give us 7-8 innings a night if needed. We lost some workload when we trade Javy but we picked it right back with Horacio who pitched over 205 innings last season." said Espinosa when asked about Horacio. In a span of 3 days out went Javy Vazquez, Justin Morneau, Mike Mussina, Jaque Jones and Juan Encarnacion and in came Lyle Overbay, Geoff Jenkins, Joey Gathright, Horacio Ramirez and Vargas. The only player over 30 packing there bags to Homestead is Geoff Jenkins. "We were defenitely concerned with our age but I think just got a sprinkle from the fountain of youth! It will be an exciting season!"

No Longer called a snake!

2006-01-02T22:04:00.000-05:00

Actually they are no longer Pythons as soon as he got his bags off the plane Mike Mussina was traded to the Sun City Devils along with David Eckstein, The Pythons #rd Round Rookie pick from 2005 and the *th round Free Agent Pick from @005 for Julio Lugo, Claudio Vargas and Horatio Ramirez. ThePythons wanted to pair up Lugo with recently Acquired Joey Gathright. The Devils now anchor another Ace in their budding rotation by adding Mike Mussina and solidify their infield with the acquisition of David Eckstein. "It was tough to lose a guy like Julio Lugo who was skilled and an excellent addition to our clubhouse. If it wasn't for the addition of the rookie pick this was no deal. The Devils now have four Rookie Picks to build for the future.

Blockbuster deal:Pythons-Beantown

2005-12-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

After hours of negotation reports confirm that the Pythons have agreed to send Javier Vazquez and Justin Morneau (both acquired from the academicals) to the Beantown Monstahs in return for Lyle Overbay, speedemon Joey Gathright, Mike Mussina and a 2006 2nd round rookie pick (next year's). Overbay seems to be taking over at 1B while Mussina will be taking over Vazquez rotation. There has been rumors Gathright will be platooning with speedster Dave Roberts in centerfield. "We made this deal simply because we loved Joey Gathright from the start. Joey brings an amount of speed much needed to this team and he will be the firestarter on this lineup. " When asked about other deals he said "We are in talks with other teams the mold of this team is not set. I think after all is said and done this the fans will have much to cheer about. This will be an expansion team like no other!" Vazquez apparently was upset over the trade when reached by phone. "I had no idea I kept hearing rumors but I thought rumors were just that. It's fine I'm looking forward to going to Beantown. I'm dissapointed I'll be a little further from home but Beantown is baseball city as we all know it. The Pythons will regret this day, I guarantee you that!" Looks like there's something already to look forward too for both this teams.

The Catch!

2005-12-29T21:35:00.000-05:00

In a Stunning move to sure up the backstop position for a new rotation the Sun City Devils send Jorge Posada to the Bristol Academicals fot Gregg Zaun and Miguel Olivo. Jorge was one of the few members left from the former LA Kings franchise and will always will be remembered for his efforts for the team over the years. With the additions of Zaun and Olivo the Devils no longer need to actively persue a catcher in the upcoming draft and have a reliable backup which is what they missed last season.

Rumours still swril about Julio Lugo Being shopped around but associate GM Bobby natural still hasm't pulled the trigger on that deal.

We will keep you posted on any other Devils developments.

Devils shopping.

2005-12-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

The Sun City devils are trying to establish a nucleus of good arms and talented players. Unfortunately those dreams have to be made realities soon before they lose out on prospects. The Devils have made rumors about moving superstar SS Julio Lugo. since the team Acquired the versitils Chone Figgins and already have the veteran leadership of Ray Durham and David bell, there seems to be an availability in the devils infield. "All we want is the best for the fans in San Diego" said Associate GM Bobby Natural. We may not even move a soul because we've got good guys on the squad and winning will make them stay. "There are other players that need to be moved before Julio. If he goes then it better be a whopper of a deal" After all he's the starting SS of the Sun City Devils.

Huddy looking ahead to better times

2005-12-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

Tim Hudson's return to Ybor City didn't turn out as well as expected. Acquired near the trade deadline in hopes of bolstering the Roller's postseason rotation, Hudson pitched poorly down the stretch, recalling moments from his first failed stretch with the franchise.

Hudson made 57 starts for the Roller's during the 1999 "B" and 2000 "A" seasons, combining for a 16-20 record and ugly 5.23 ERA. He bounced around the next 3 seasons, pitching for Sante Fe, Bristol and Florida before landing with the West Baden Sprudels and enjoying a run of 5 seasons with double-digit wins and sub-4.50 ERA's.

He had another good season going last year for the Gamblers, before the trade he was 7-6 with a 4.79 ERA. But in a Roller uniform he imploded to the tune of 2-6 with a 6.07 ERA. He surrendered 71 hits in just 59 1/3 innings pitched. He did help in the postseason, winning Game 2 versus Bristol by throwing seven solid innings.

"It was a rough stretch, especially after the elation of returning to this franchise and hoping to bring home a championship. Luckily we get to start from scratch. Going into this season my ERA is 0.00, and I hope to go out and do my job. We've got some pretty high expectations here, and I'm looking forward to helping the team meet them." Hudson commented.

If Hudson's ERA is residing in the 5's come July it might be the end of his second honeymoon in Ybor and perhaps the end of the Roller's streak of playoff appearances.

From across the pond

2005-12-22T12:39:00.000-05:00

Throughout the sunny southwest of Britain, billboards announcing "H2S4" are everywhere to be seen. Originally thought to represent yet another manufactured pop band or some diabolical chemical combination of Hydrogen and Sulphur, it turns out it's simply the monicker for the starting pitchers of the local Academicals. H2 are Rich Harden (10-5, 2.53) and Danny Haren (14-12, 3.73) , while S4 are Johan Santana (16-7, 2.87), John Smoltz (14-7, 3.06), Ben Sheets (10-9, 3.33), and C.C. Sabathia (15-10, 4.03). Along with the bullpen trio of Mariano Rivera, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jesse Crain, the Academicals hope these pitchers will play an important role in their attempt to win what is shaping up as a competitive Big Train Division.

Offensively, Teddy Ballgame returns for his farewell season in the LP2. Teddy obtained his first LP2 championship ring in the 2004A season, and hopes to add to his colection before heading for the big freeze. Teddy is joined in the outfield by LP2 stalwarts Bobby Abreu and Gary Sheffield, while the infield consists of Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Cantu. Cantu takes over from Scott Rolen, who underwent shoulder surgery earlier this off-season. Utley platooned with Mike Lamb in the 2004A season, but now gets the keystone gig on a full-time basis. Behind the plate, Gregg Zaun takes over from fan favourite Paul LoDuca, who was traded to Tottenham.

The off-season has been quite busy, seeing a flurry of movement. Lost in the expansion draft were Justin Morneau, Fernando Cabrera, and Jose Castillo. While all three players will be missed, they will have an opportunity to get more playing time with their new team. In addition to LoDuca, a number of players, including Randy Johnson (the Accies all-time leader in wins - 98), Javy Vazquez, Jason Marquis, Chone Figgins, and Nick Swisher have moved on, with the Accies obtaining a number of draft picks. Speaking of draft picks, the Accies have four 2nd round and two 3rd round picks in the upcoming rookie draft. Hopefully these picks will allow the Accies to select some players that will hone in their skills for the AAA Cardiff Devils before making the jump to the big leagues.

In a Huff...

2005-12-21T07:59:00.000-05:00

Late last night, the Florida Christians reacquired Aubrey Huff in exchange for catcher Johnny Estrada and a 1st round rookie pick. "We've tried to acquire Huff a number of times since we let him go," stated GM Matt Williams, "but we never could pull it off. This time, it cost us Johnny and a high draft pick, but we just couldn't pass it up." Also coming to Florida in the deal is a 3rd round free agent draft pick. "Draft scouting is the most important aspect to this game," Williams continued, "we have to make these selections count."

Huff will most likely see time at 3rd base, as well as in the outfield. "I'm just happy to be here," the cyber Huff stated.

Rock -Oh or Rocco?

2005-12-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

Rumors over the off season have the Devils looking to move Rocco Baldelli with the addition of Vernon wells to the team. "Yes we do have a log jam in CF but Rocco is too good to move at this time", an unnamed devils executive said. Although he has been slated to have surgery a move may prove a problem in terms of trade value. The devils have made some questionable moves as of late including dealing LP2 juggernaughts Jason Giambi and Jermaine Dye and Bartolo Colon for future picks and prospects. But the team remains optimistic in the upcoming season. The move to San Diego is the first good slate for us. We have a permanent home with exciting fans and a wonderful city. The Acquistions of David Ortiz, David Bell Chone Figgins to name a few will carry us farther then we did last season. "It's still a baby step with us. We just need to put the aces in their places".

Stay tuned to more news from the Sun City Devils

News From the Finger Lakes

2005-12-19T22:12:00.000-05:00

The Finger Lakes Flashes have done some significant retooling since the end of the A season. The lineup for the 2005 seasons appears to be set with Jason Giambi at first, Marcus Giles at second, newcomer Hall-of-Fame shortstop Arky Vaughan, stud third baseman David Wright, Left Fielder Manny Ramirez, Center Fielder Grady Sizemore, Right Fielder Jermaine Dye, and Catcher Michael Barrett. Trot Nixon and AJ Pierzynski will see a significant role off of the bench. As of now, the rotation appears to be Bartolo Colon, Carlos Zambrano, Brad Penny, Paul Byrd, and Tomo Ohka. Jose Valverde, Brendan Donnelly, and Duaner Sanchez appear to have three of the six bullpen spots nailed down. As the team heads toward the drafts, it would like to pick up some early FA picks, and perhaps a high-OBP outfielder to send Dye to the bench. Nixon, Dye, and Pierzynski, along with draft picks have all been discussed in trade talks, but nothing appears imminent at this time.

Just about every team in the league has asked for Sizemore, one team even going as far as ask for Sizemore, Pierzynski and a pick in exchange for a slap-hitting outfielder who doesn't walk much. Evidently the league is sour on missing out on the future All-Star, as none of the offers to come in have been worth consideration. The team has stated that their second round rookie pick from last year, who was absolutely stolen at that spot, is not leaving, unless a young, high on-base, power hitter were acquired in return. A team source states " Grady is a 30-30 talent who plays a supreme centerfield. At this point in his young career, we couldn't imagine trading him at all. We never say never, but let's just say the only guys we'd take for Grady probably aren't getting dealt." The team has a solid mix of youth and veterans, and is in no rush to break up that nucleus. An unidentified source within the organization said, "We had a tremendous draft last year, as the result of some solid scouting. We are not going to be snakebit as we were in years past. We have all learned and studied the game much more in the past 18 months, and become more friendly to statistical analysis. We refuse to be the league whipping boy anymore, and look forward to a couple more steals like we picked up last year. I mean to get DW at three, and Sizemore at the end of the second; some clubs weren't doing their homework. We did ours and it paid. We've done even more work this year, and expect even better results from our draft. This is notice to the LP2 that the Flashes are for real."

Rumors that the team is exploring relocating and/or a name change prior to the 2005 seasons have been making the rounds in upstate New York, with an LP2 source saying, "It wouldn't shock me. They've massively overhauled the club, maybe a new image would help along with a new name and shiny new logo." More on that story as it develops.

Power Outage?

2005-12-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

"Not in Florida," states GM Matt Williams. According to a couple of published reports, the Christians may be looking to deal some of their power in the likes of Troy Glaus, Alfonso Soriano and Jim Edmonds. "Florida can afford to move a power hitter," said a league official, "they have a number of guys that can flat out knock the ball out of the yard."

On team official stated that a number of teams have already expressed interest but stopped short of saying any deal was in the works. "Nothing has been agreed to," he stated.

Giambi, Or Not to Be?

2005-12-18T16:28:00.000-05:00

Can Jason Giambi return to the form that racked up 350 HR's (12th Lp2 all-time), 1167 RBI's (11th Lp2 all-time) and .413 OB% (9th Lp2 all-time)? The Flashes sure hope so. Giambi has been marred in a 2 year slump, that's seen him get most of his at bats in the Kings and Flashes minor league system. "The steriod allegations have really had a negative impact on Jason emotionally," stated a league official, "in order for him to become anything like the player he was, he's going to need to focus on playing ball and not focus on what the media is saying about him."

The Flash offense, led by newly acquired Manny Ramirez (Christians) and 2004 1st round draft pick David Wright, could use the help that Giambi can provide. "We need him," stated Wright, "we need him producing if we're going to have any chance in this division."

New York ready for LP2 Baseball!

2005-12-17T17:59:00.000-05:00

New York City is ready for another team to play in LP2 this year. The Denver Broncos will be moving to the Big Apple and the team will be named the Saints. Team owner is excited about his rebuilt team. "We have aquired many players this offseason already including Carl Crawford, Freddy Garcia, Roy Oswalt, Torri Hunter, Akinori Otsuka, Damien Miler and Adam Kennedy. With these new fresh faces, we feel we will be ready to compete for a division title in our first season in NY". The Knights also own 5 first round rookie picks in what looks like a very strong and deep draft. It should be good times in New York this season.

"Alex"ander the Great

2005-12-17T14:18:00.000-05:00

Alez Rodriguez of the Soldiers has 523 career homeruns in the Lp2 and is currently in 3rd place on the all-time list, behind Lou Gehrig. The Soldiers and Matt Bracken hope that by the end of the 2005 A season, Alex is in sole possession of 2nd place on the all-time list. "If he hits 48 home runs, not only will he be in second place, he would have had another big season," stated Matt Williams, GM for the Florida Christians, "and if he has another big year, I expect the Soldiers to compete for another title.

Retired Christian Babe Ruth leads all jackmasters with 703, followed by the retired Iron Horse at 570. Rodriguez sits at 523, while Roller Barry Bonds is 2 behind at 521.

Vazquez on the block?

2005-12-16T11:38:00.000-05:00

Rumors abound that the Homestead Pythons offered the Ybor City Rollers starting pitcher Javier Vazquez in a deal for Todd Helton. Javier, who was one of the first players acquired by the expansion team via a trade with the Accies seemed ambiguous about the rumor. "I thought they really wanted me here," said Vazquez, "But, if they want to trade me that's fine, too. If I get traded to the Rollers, I'll be playing for a title immediately. If I stay here, I can help bring up the young guys. I'll pitch anywhere."
Others felt the deal was just a rumor. "I don't see the Rollers moving Helton for Vazquez," stated one team executive, "I don't see them moving Helton unless a major upgrade comes their way."

Feelin' Felix

2005-12-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Felix Hernandez is a hot topic around the Lp2 baseball league. Nearly everyone expects the Soldiers to take him first in the upcoming Lp2 rookie draft and he's probably a shoe-in to be the first pick in the inaugural AFL draft. "I don't see how the Soldiers would take anyone else," stated one GM, "We all know why he traded up for that selection and Felix is the reason." Many feel that Hernandez will make an immediate impact in the Lp2 bigs, as the Soldiers look to get him some work right away. "He's going to get some innings with the Soldiers, that's for sure," said one scout, "They'll limit his usage, but he'll definitely be throwing a few innings." Will the Soldiers make him the first selection? We'll soon find out.

Helton Packing Bags?

2005-12-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

News out of Ybor City has the Rollers in talks with an unnamed team. These talks supposedly involve a top Ybor player, rumored to be Todd Helton. The rumor surfaced this morning on the Roller team board and simply stated, "Word has surfaced out of Ybor that Todd Helton's name has come up in trade discussions. More news as it becomes available."

The first basemen has spent the past 6 plus years in Ybor, and ranks among their all time most prolific hitters. He is also poised to pass the recently retired Babe Ruth for the all time LP2 record for career doubles. Helton currently has 493 to Ruth's 524.

Could Helton, who has led the Rollers to the top of the heap over the past 6 years actually be heading to another team? "I'm just looking to play some ball," said Todd, "Wherever I play I'm going to make the best of it."

Rookie League: A Few Good Men

2005-12-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

The Lp2 Rookie and Winter Ball league is still looking for a few good men for its inaugural season. "It's going to be a lot more fun than you think," stated the commissioner, "I think it's going to be one of the selling points to future members. " The league, which is in the organizational stages, will not only allow prospects a chance to play in the Lp2 long before they reach the MLB, players drafted into the AFL will be allowed to come back each winter until they reach the age of 26. "I wish this league was around before I got here," stated B.J. Upton.

New Front Page

2005-12-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

The temporary "Lp2 Gazette" page has been replaced. Now, www.lp2baseball.com will utilize a much more user-friendly, participatory and interactive "home base". With this page, Lp2 members can not only keep abreast of what's going on in the Lp2 leagues, but they can also add to the headlines and discussions!

"We are always looking for new ways to keep our pages fresh and organized," stated the commissioner, "this not only gives us the opportunity to do that, but it also gives us much, much more in the way of interactiveness."

The new home base was created for not only the Lp2 members, but for its fans and visitors. "We wanted to be able to give not only our members, but our fans and visitors
something more organized," continued the commissioner, "We felt that this would be a great addition to our highly visited message board, as now Lp2 members can actually post news briefs and articles from any Lp2 league directly on the front page. It will become a 'must-visit' for all Lp2 leagues."