2010 Atlantic City Gamblers

[JohnC]

2009 Review: The Gamblers finished +.500 for the third consecutive season with a record of 82-80, finishing 2 games back of Carolina in the FL Atlantic. Ownership decided to make a change as new GM Ryan Scott was brought in to try and the Gamblers to the next level. Ryan will have some challenges ahead with a payroll in the top 10 of the league.

Offense
Starting Lineup

1B Ashton Fontenot - The $30m man is the highest paid player, but not the only player in a pretty good looking offense. He hit for a very good average last season at .323, but his power numbers are not the kind of production you would like from a corner IF. With 19HR's and 74 RBI's, he will need to improve on that if the Gamblers expect to challenge for the division this year. He was recently signed to qa 5 year, $64M extension.

2B Eric Martin - There is plenty to like about this speedster. This career .305 hitter could challenge for the batting title in the next couple of seasons. While not a power hitter with only 8 career dingers in 2300 AB's, he is your prototypical leadoff hitter who can also play better then average defense at all of the infield positions.

CF Milt Linares Jr. - Another player similar to Martin, Linares is an elite defensive CF who played full time for the first time last year. Stealing 61 bases was the highlight for him....striking out 183 times was heartache for Gamblers management. If he can cut down on the K's he could be a very effective #2 hitter behind Martin.

OF Bob Goodwin - Another player possibly entering his prime in AC. Last season was a bit of a down season after back to back 30+ HR seasons. His overall production was down a little. Look for him to bounce back and have a big season hitting in that coveted #3 spot in the order with a couple of speedsters hitting in front of him. Although he hasn't done it yet in his career, Goodwin is also capable of stealing 20+ bases as well.

3B Wilfredo Bonilla - Veteran Bonilla provides a little power to this lineup. While he won't hit for a real high average, he doesn't strikeout much and he draws alot of walks. The veteran is a clubhouse leader and has a very reasonable salary of $2.4m. Acquired from Omaha last season, Bonilla saw his production increase while with the Gamblers and he will try and provide some protection for Fontenot in the middle of the Gamblers lineup.

OF Valentin Lugo - Yet another talented hitter in the AC lineup. Lugo is a career .333 hitter with 135 career SB's. While more of a leadoff type hitter, Lugo may find himself batting in the lower half of the lineup to try and balance out the order. The Gamblers have several hitters like Lugo and perhaps he could find himself on the market this season if AC looks to add more power to the lineup by trading Lugo for a power hitting OF.

C Wesley Brummett - His catching skills are nothing to write home about, but this veteran can still swing the bat. Acquired from Greenville after the 2009 season, Brummett will cary the load against RHP. Brummett put together another solid, but less then spectacular season hitting .281 with 57 RBI's. Not really the production you are looking for from an offensive catcher making $10m a season. However, he does provide some solid pop down towards the bottom of the lineup.

OF Claude Arcimboldo - Maybe the least known player to hit 30+ HR's in each of the last two seasons in the MBWBA. An all or nothing hitter, Arcimboldo adds some much needed power to the Gamblers lineup. After a massive 2008 season that saw him crank out 42 HR's, he followed that up last year with 30 HR's. He also can play some decent defense at all three of the OF positions.

SS Melvin Lopez - Nothing too exciting about Lopez. He provides adequate defense and can hit a little if given the proper playing time. The veteran had a great year in 2008 when he hit .285 with 16HR's, but don't expect him to match that kind of production again.

Pitching
Rotation

David Crocker - The #1 guy out of the gate for AC had an off year in 2009 only winning 8 games. His actual numbers were not that bad, sporting a 3.10 ERA, and a 1.25WHIP. He just didn't get the run support. Perhaps he was cursed after a dominating 2008 season that saw him go 19-2 with a solid 2.80 ERA. A sinkerball pitcher, Crocker also has a great Forkball. He matches up very well against all the other #1's in the FL Atlantic.

Jared Dorsey - This LH posses electric stuff. A Fastball, Sinker, Slider, and Forkball pitcher with each pitch being as good as the last. Control is the big thing for Dorsey. With 89 walks last season in 196 innings pitched, which was actually an improvement over 2008, he is allowing too many base runners per 9 innings. If he can harness his control then along with Crocker the Gamblers would have a very tough 1-2 punch in the rotation.

Ira Arthur - In spite of the fact that his name is Ira, he managed to establish himself as a decent middle to back end starter last season. With a WHIP of 1.41, Arthur was constantly pitching out of tough jams last season. Arthur will need to be more then a .500 pitcher if the Gamblers want to get back to the postseason.

Brett Cochran - The #4 spot in the rotation looks to be his to lose. The 24yr old pitched primarily out of the pen in 2009. He doesn't have overpowering stuff so he will need to rely on keeping the hitters off balance and pounding that sinker down in the zone. A supplemental pick all the way back in 2003, Cochran has taken his time getting into a ML rotation and will be in a battle all season to keep his spot.

Gary Lammond - This veteran may be on a really short leash. With a vesting option for 2011, requiring him to make 20 starts, he may be cut short of that if Gamblers management decides that they don't want his contract in 2011. Lammond gave up a staggering 284 hits last season between Omaha and AC.

The Pen

Joe Miller - He may be the strongest arm in the pen, and that should tell you all you need to know about this staff. Miller is a good quality LH reliever who had a sparkling 2.46ERA last year. Very good at holding runners, Miller may be best suited into a LH setup role, but may forced into a closer's role depending on how other members of the pen pitch this season.

Jorge Estrada - Yep, that's right. He may be the #2 man in this pen. Acquired in late 2009 from Greenville, Estrada sports a "nifty" career ERA of 5.07. He will need to fond something in that arm that will see him have a good season as he may be counted on to be one of the go to guys in this pen.

Richard Taylor - If 2010 sees Taylor return to his 2008 form, then he will play a prominent role this season. After having a great rookie season that saw him post an ERA of 2.70, Taylor really struggled last season with a 5.02ERA and a 1.62WHIP. A late bloomer in getting to the ML, perhaps Taylor ran out of surprises for hitters in 2009. This could be a make or break season for him in the big leagues.

The rest of the pen is mainly made up of guys trying to establish themselves, or guys just trying to hand onto a ML job. This bulllpen could make or break the season of the Gamblers in the wide open FL Atlantic.

Prediction

A tough one. This team has some really nice offensive pieces. They should be able to score enough runs so there top two starters have good seasons. The bullpen will be a major factor in the success of this team. With no real help on the horizon in AAA, as top prospect C Maxwell Weiss Jr. is sill another season away from being a ML player, the current roster is on it's own barring any trades.

82-80 again, in a fight with Montreal and Carolina for the division.

[Cliche]

Thanks for the preview!

I'm excited about the season, but I am bummed that we weren't able to address the bullpen better. That will remain a focus as the season progresses.

I think we should score a good number of runs and I like our rotation for the most part, so I think we have a shot at the division (given what it took to win it last year), but we will need some good luck in close games.

[JohnC]

Thanks for the preview!

I'm excited about the season, but I am bummed that we weren't able to address the bullpen better. That will remain a focus as the season progresses.

I think we should score a good number of runs and I like our rotation for the most part, so I think we have a shot at the division (given what it took to win it last year), but we will need some good luck in close games.

Agreed. I really like your bats. Maybe just need a little more power? I also like the top end of your rotation. Need to stay healthy as well.