NOTE: Looks like we're down to one team open so this is your last chance to join this great group and have have some fun.
With 5 openings, Warning Track is looking for a few solid owners before beginning another season. This is a very competitive world with solid and knowledgeable owners that are willing to answer questions and help out new owners. Here’s a brief review of the teams available:
AL NORTH
Former Helena franchise (76-86, 4th place)- TAKEN
http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseProfile.aspx?fid=4645
This team has a proud tradition that included 9 consecutive playoff appearances while finishing 1st or 2nd each of those years. However it’s been 5 seasons since those glory days so it will be necessary for the new owner to come in and make changes to resurrect this franchise.
Marcus Baxter (.292, 62 SB), Rolando Vargas (17, 98, .303), Earl Wise (36, 112, .240) & MVP candidate Lloyd Helms (36, 112, .321) lead a potent offense that hit .273 as a team. With 198 HR’s & 188 SB’s this teams attack is well balanced so while minor adjustments may make it even more dangerous, wholesale changes aren’t necessary.
The pitching staff on the other hand wasn’t as solid a group as its team ERA of 5.11 indicates. 16 game winner Tom Lange led the starters and team in wins yet his 5.46 ERA shows he’s not a #1. Kennie Millwood (11-16, 3.95, 216 IP) had a solid season and chewed up innings. Closer Butch Hinch (35 sv, 3.11) did a top notch job of anchoring the bullpen.
The new owner will need to upgrade the starting rotation if this team is to get into the playoff hunt. An experienced owner could get things turned around in a hurry if he can make some solid maneuvers. A newbie could handle this team but it may be wiser to move some of the offensive talent to restructure this team from top to bottom.
AL EAST
Former Dover franchise (81-81, 2nd place)- TAKEN
http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseProfile.aspx?fid=4652
Unlike the previous team, this franchise has had little success. There have only been 2 playoff appearances in the first 21 years of operation and it’s been quite some time since the last of those. Previous management spent 5 seasons hovering around .500 as it teased him with the hopes of grabbing a playoff spot.
Al Lincoln (37, 116, .294) is the offensive star however 5 other players had 20 or more HRs & 5 players had at least 75 RBIs. With a respectable .263 team batting average this team was capable of more.
Billy Richardson converted 38/43 save opportunities, had a WHiP of 0.89 and an ERA of 2.61 that shows why he was the FOY. The team ERA of 4.73 wasn’t horrible and combined with a solid offensive attack this team may have under produced.
New ownership will need to address a weak pitching staff that has 2 solid starters but will need to add more if it hopes to do better. Teams that get stuck around .500 for several seasons never get high enough draft picks to bring in the talent needed to push it to the next level. This would be a decent starting ground for someone newer to the game since it’s competitive. However it will take a veteran owner to turn this from a borderline .500 team into a playoff contender in a very winnable division.
AL WEST
Former Las Vegas franchise (94-68, 2nd place)- TAKEN
http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseProfile.aspx?fid=4657
Last season produced a tie atop the division but by virtue of a tie breaker this team was a wildcard entry and with 4 playoff appearances in the last 5 season this team is ready to compete.
If you like a team built to take advantage of the long ball then this is your team with 271 HRs. 7 players hit more than 20 HRs & had at least 75 RBIs with Eliezer Lecuona’s 42 HRs & Cap Simms 98 RBIs setting the pace respectively.
Kazou Woo led the team with 18 wins while only starting 4 games. The only real shortcoming of this team is they had no legitimate closer and as a team blew 26 save opportunities. However it’s scary to think how good this 94 win team could have been if they had converted a reasonable number of those blown saves.
This team is ready to compete for a title and appears to be only a strong closer away. For that reason this team is a good fit for someone of any experience level.
Former Boise franchise (59-103, 4th place)- TAKEN
http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseProfile.aspx?fid=4655
After a 9 season playoff run with 3 WS titles, the last being 3 seasons ago, this team has fallen on hard times.
Daryn Dorsey (33, 108, .281) & Fernando Montanez (28, 101, .285) carry the big bats for this team. It will be necessary to add more power and speed to this team’s lineup if it wants to compete for titles again.
On the bump, Cesar Moreno (10-14, 3.76) & Dennis Minor (12-10, 4.40) are reliable pitchers however too many appearances and innings were given to players that had no business in the majors. This makes it necessary to bring in several new arms to upgrade the pitching staff and stop any further slide for this once great team.
This franchise is in bad shape after a 100 loss season so a vet that knows how to set a budget and invest wisely in new talent could make a big difference in season 22. This team has sunk to such low levels it would also be a team a newbie would be able to handle since it would be difficult to make things much worse.
NL EAST
Former Tampa franchise (73-89, 2nd place)
http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/FranchiseProfile.aspx?fid=4666
After 15 frustrating seasons with only 1 playoff appearance there has been an ownership change. While it was able to finish in 2nd place last season, it was also 17 GB and 9 games under .500 so major changes will need to be made for this team to continue playing in the fall.
The offense didn't scary anyone with its .243 team batting average. The bats only produced 615 runs scored, 156 HRs and 97 SBs showing there was no part of their attack that worked well last season.
At the other end of the spectrum, the pitching wasn’t bad and probably deserved better. Chip Conseco (14-10, 3.22) was one of three workhorses in the rotation to throw over 200 innings. Overall the staff was solid but the addition of a true #1 SP and a shutdown closer would make the staff dynamic.
With so little playoff success and so many sub .500 finishes someone will need to come in and thoroughly go through this whole organization. It’s in desperate need of a change of direction but with bats being the most pressing need it may not take that long to turn things around. This team would probably be a better fit for a veteran owner with a good plan to build the offense and inject some talent into the farm system.