NL East

We've had three World Series titles in this division with three of the four teams winning one each. The one franchise goose egged is the Chicago Wet Bandits, despite 14 playoff appearances, tying them with the Boston franchise, for divisional post-season showings. For a team this was the division powerhouse but lean times have arrived and Chicago fell to fourth for the first time in team history. Still looking kind of lean this season. Amazingly, on a sub .500 team Cooper Lincoln went 14-7 season despite 29 control leading to 105 walks. Almost by default Wilfredo Alonso is the best hitter. Not saying he isn't good, but he's more of a complimentary type guy than someone you build a line-up around. Plus he's a shitty catcher, basically a DH in the NL. Defense has a lot of range to get to balls, but not the gloves to consistently make the play.

Florida 66'ers scraped together 81 wins last season. I don't see that happening this season. No player truly stands out. the defence is the opposite of Chicago, not much range but solid glovesmanship, if that's a word and I'm aware that it isn't. t he offence won't score much and the pitching, despite fairly good control, won't overpower opposition line-ups. Expect a good draft spot next season .

Well, Pep Choo you had a helluva run, enjoy this season because I doubt you will be signed to a ML contract next season. Should make the Hall Of Fame easily, one would think. It's unlikely Choo and his Baltimore Lake Trout co-horts wikll go out on a high note. There's definitely a bat or two to get some run production, especially Gordon Maranville and Juan Frieri (who, despite playing in the NL, is listed as a DH). Pitching is real concern interms of quality and, more critically, quantity. Defence isn't so shit hot either.

Guided by BPF's only real life baseball mind (that we know of), the Boston Brewers won an astonishing 95 games last season, making a mockery of my predicted 82 wins. A mockery, I tells ya. How, I have no idea, but then no one has ever hired me to run an actual baseball team, so there you go. Looking at the team, no one really jumps out at you. There's a line-up full of extremely similar hitters, not great, but not terrible. Still no real catcher for the pitchers to throw to, and the rest of the defense is not exactly a collective Ozzie Smith. Good control will help keep some batters from reaching first, but hits are another matter. If m22pank gets 95 wins again, he is the best manager in HBD.

Predicted order of finish:
BOSTON  81-81
CHICAGO  73-89
BALTIMORE 72-90
FLORIDA  64-88