The transition from S7 to S8 has brought us 5 new owners to the Shoeless Joe family. Four brand spankin' new owners, and one who we're familiar with. Here's a look at all of them.
jshirley, Milwaukee Naturals
The lone AL team that needed to be filled in S8, SJ commissioner Rob Root needed to make sure a quality owner took the reigns on this club. jshirley is no stranger to success in the HBD world, making the playoffs 5 times out of 7 total seasons. He's got 4 division titles in his trophy case, and his club is in excellent shape to possibly earn him a 5th.
mgdtiger, Seattle Fish Mongers
Rob Root loves enthusiasm in his owners, and that's exactly what he's got in mgdtiger. He's excited to take the Seattle franchise to the top of the division, and there's no reason to think he won't. mgdtiger is a veteran HBD owner with experience in some of the best worlds, and he'll bring even more competition to Shoeless Joe here in S8.
jt3, Montgomery DeepSouths
Before Rob Root found the owner of the Montgomery franchise, he knew he needed somebody who wanted a challenge. Montgomery hasn't seen much success lately, but he knew with the right owner in charge, things can definitely change. Enter, jt3. Root saw first hand what jt3 can do with turning a franchise around, as he single handedly turned around the New York franchise in the Doubleday world. Don't expect Montgomery to be in last place for long, as long as jt3 is the owner.
Sipe, Santa Cruz Sequoias
Another newer owner in the HBD world, Sipe takes over the Santa Cruz franchise in the NL West. A veteran in Cobb world, he took over a 100+ loss team and led them to first in their respective division. And if you've seen the pitching staff Santa Cruz has, there's no reason to think he won't do it again here in Shoeless Joe. This team is on the verge of something special, and Sipe just may be the owner to take them to the top.
mele316, Arizona Barkleys
And last, but definitely not least, a familiar face comes back to Shoeless Joe. The one-time owner of the Minnesota franchise from two seasons ago (now located in Cincinnati), mele316 has proved he's got what it takes to be successful in this world. He comes back with a proven team, and a sure-fire first ballot HOFer in Nicholas Lanier in his lineup. Arizona has won 3 straight NL West Division Titles. With mele at the helm, and Lanier in the lineup, I can definitely see #4 on the way.
reigny / m22pank / austinfan1 / rcktchamp / jstnklly