Hawaii Preview 2009

Team, Division, League, Playoff, and all other comprehensive previews go here.
felipe
Ex-GM
Posts: 4560
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 11:21 am
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Hawaii Preview 2009

Post by felipe » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:14 pm

Lineup:
1. LHB 2B .Kanzaburo Yamaguchi, projection: .39 OBP/.85 OPS
Yamaguchi is an OBP machine, with a nice blend of power and speed. A 20-20 season can be counted on every year. He is just entering his prime years, and is a masterful fielder. Despite his incredible attributes, the Japanese star is only a two time MBBA all-star; expect 2009 to be his third.

2. RHB 3B Robert Jowers, projection: .38 OBP/.81 OPS
The aging ‘Puffy’ Jowers, is entering his third season in Hawaii, and appears to be slightly slowing down. Jowers should still get on base lots in 2009, but his fielding at third (while not a weakness) is no longer the strength it once was. Expect the thirty-six year-old to reach several personal milestones in 2009, including 1000 runs, 2000 hits, and 300 doubles. He has a career .400 OBP.

3. LHB LF Nigel Halime, projection: .37 OBP/.90 OPS
Nigel is an absolute slugging beast, and has never hit below 20 homeruns in a season, and averages 33 per. The thirty-three year-old had a banner 2008, and should do the same again.

4. LHB DH Jean-Claude Marceau, projection: .32 OBP/.80 OPS
Old. Old and acquired from Buffalo for two players Hawaii picked up as free agents. Marceau still slugged 27 homers and batted nearly .300 last season. Will he do it again? One year remaining on his contract at $1.6 million, makes the thirty-eight year-old a risk-free proposition as a RHP DH.

LHB DH Neil McKinney, projection .30 OBP/.65 OPS
Neil is old too. Neil slugged 12 homers last season in a part-time role. Neil has 438 career homeruns and three years left on his contract. Why get Marceau? Why not let poor McKinney get a chance to get to 500. Maybe his .213 average has something to do with that.

5. LHB C Pedro Berrios, projection: .36 OBP/.90 OPS
Pedro is a good catcher. Pedro is mid-prime and had a very good 2008. Expect Pedro to build on this.

6. LHB RF Pat Clark, projection: .30 OBP/.80 OPS
Clarkie won the Zimmer Glove Award at RF last season. He is also fairly handy with a bat.

7. RHB CF Jeff Stanley, projection: .36 OBP/.85 OPS
Stanley is a former rookie of the year. He’s also a pretty good CF. He had a poor (by his standards) 2008. Expect the thirty year-old to rebound somewhat.

8. LHB 1B Felix Mendoza, projection: .3 OBP/.75 OPS
Felix got his first real ‘meaning-full’ playing time in 2008. He showed his power off with 22 homeruns. He also missed the ball a lot. It will be interesting to see what he does this season. It’s a make or break year for the thirty year-old slugger.

RHB 1B Jay Burns, .33 OBP/.67 OPS
Jay flunked out of Paris in the EBA in 2008, and finished the season on their AA team. He appears to still have the tools to do the job, but hasn’t really produced the good since 2005 with Las Vegas. I can’t see the thirty-nine year old rebounding this season either.

9. RHB SS Benton Bobke, projection: .30 OBP/70 OPS
Benton has been a part-timer the last couple of seasons for Hawaii, but there’s nothing wrong with the thirty year-old’s glove. He should be fine as a full-time guy…he was before.

Rotation:
1. LHP Daffy MacNeill, Daffy is in his prime, and signed to a real sweetheart of a deal. He would seem a lock for twenty wins for the foreseeable future.

2. RHP Jim Seddon
Big Jim is a quality pitcher. He gives the tropics two number one starters.

3. RHP Johnny Carter
Carter signed a sweetheart deal this offseason too. The right-hander gives Hawaii three excellent starters.

4. LHP Jake Kestle
Kestle is still rolling at age thirty-seven. Likely better than Louisville’s ageless wonder Izzatt.

5. RHP Jose Baca
Baca ain’t gonna win any awards, but as the fifth starter he won’t have too. Typical end of roster filler guy.

Bullpen:
Michael McNeill and Josh O’Kennelly would seem to be the anchors of a decent pen. McNeill would seem to still have some life as a thirty-seven year old starter, but I guess someone has to fill Sachse shoes. The Seeker can learn from the old master this season and be groomed to take over the next.

Overview:
Very solid. There is a reason Hawaii ran away with the JL last year. There are some key guys getting old, but there is still a solid core of prime age guys, with some youngsters coming up to fill the cracks. Hawaii is a freakin juggernaut. With all their sweetheart deals, Hawaii would seem poised to be the class of the league for a long long time.

User avatar
trmmilwwi
BBA GM
Posts: 5222
Joined: Mon May 07, 2012 5:05 pm
Location: Chicago
Has thanked: 238 times
Been thanked: 213 times

Re: Hawaii Preview 2009

Post by trmmilwwi » Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:40 pm

Yum... I could sue a few seetheart deals...

Image

Wait, you're not talking those sweethearts?! Oh well then forget it... errr... wait. I like those sweethearts too! But alas, I have no players to offer them too.

Daffy's a stud muffin, no doubt about it. He can have the "whiz kid" sweetheart! Hawaii should be set at the top for quite some time. Good work on building the team Al!

Good writeup stupie!
trmmilwwi - GM San Antonio Outlaws
MBWBA Manager of the Year FL 2010, JL 2016, JL 2018

felipe
Ex-GM
Posts: 4560
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 11:21 am
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Re: Hawaii Preview 2009

Post by felipe » Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:24 pm

sorry its so shit...time constraints at the moment, i'm afraid

Al-Hoot

Re: Hawaii Preview 2009

Post by Al-Hoot » Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:20 pm

I liked the preview. You hit upon the franchise's weakness. Which means that, until VAL and CAL threaten, it will be which tottering "empire" Vancouver or Hawaii lasts longest before imploding.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Previews”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests