2063-06: Talons' Single-A Toledo Could be up to 30 Games Worse This Season and Still Win 25th Consecutive Division Title

[jiminyhopkins]

Toledo, OH--

2062 was a magical year for the Toledo Liberty, as they went 124-16 in perhaps the best season in professional baseball history. They clinched the division in late July and ended up winning by 59 games over second place Dearborn Heights. The club lost a single game in August, and only a solitary extra-inning loss in the first round prevented them from sweeping the CPL playoffs. Toledo averaged 6.4 runs per game and allowed only 2.6 over the course of the season.

The CPL Baxter League 2062 leaderboards tell the tale, especially on the pitching side, as numerous top-5 categories including Wins, Winning Percentage, Walks/9, and K/BB are populated entirely by Liberty players. Not to mention the hitters, as a Liberty player took home the team's 4th straight batting title as well as the fourth straight league MVP award.

That's all well and good, but it's now officially in the past, as Phoenix has come calling for, get this, up to 10 of Toledo's best players to the big club in 2063. Hitters Sergio Leon, Israel Perez, Pedro Toro, and Billy Bonnar are locks for Phoenix, with C Diego Montoya a possibility. Meanwhile, on the pitching side, starters Javier Duarte, Francisco Moreno, and Antonio Michels are almost certain to make it, with relievers Augusto Ramirez, Gabriel Carlos, and Manny Parra also near locks for the Talons.

So where does this leave the Liberty? Even a 30 game deficit compared to last year would still net them 94 wins and likely the division. And with all that WAR gone, that is a likely scenario, and there is also a distinct possibility that the Liberty might not even break 90 wins for only the second time since 2042.

So who is left, especially after top prospect Daniel Grasia was traded to Nashville? Well, not much to be honest. Average Single A players like Lawrence Forest, Zolio Stamatas, and Fred Baker will likely lead the rotation, with the bullpen featuring some interesting relievers like Javier Orduno, Jim Gaston, and Benedikt Krook. On the hitting side, Ryan Gould, Alfredo Sloan, Trenton Riddell, and Taisuke Kamimura (again) will lead the offense.

But the Liberty are a shell of their former self. Who knows how far they will fall. The Liberty have been known to make their own deals in the past, authorized or not. And they will definitely have their work cut out for them as they try to continue the tradition of winning here in Northwest Ohio.

Go Liberty!

[BaseClogger]

Hopefully the frontier division crown makes up for it.

[RonCo]

Going to be a fun story to cover for Phoenix beat writers.

[Trebro]

Can't wait to see how those players do on the BBA level.

[CTBrewCrew]

As long as they don't super-size those Denny's meal in CF - they should be okay