IT'S A DYNASTY, FOLKS!

Salem, OR

Well Shoeless Joe fans, it appears as though we have a dynasty on our hands.

The Rochester Mountain Dwellers, led by bobkordecki, just won their second World Series in a row last night, defeating the Salem Lights in 5 games.

Rochester came bursting out of the gate with a 3-0 lead, and Salem couldn't never quite recover. Salem was able to squeek out a game 4 victory, extending the series to another day. However, Rochester proved to be too much for the Salem squad and took game 5 to win the series.

The Shoeless Joe Blog would like to congratulate the Rochester Mountain Dwellers on a fantastic season, and another WS victory.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW - WORLD SERIES

SEASON SERIES: FIRST MEETING BETWEEN TWO TEAMS

ROC TEAM RANKINGS: .270 BA (9th-ML); 3.68 ERA (3rd-ML)

SAL TEAM RANKINGS: .263 BA (T14th-ML); 3.80 ERA (5th-ML)

ROC KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: Milt Kipling, C; Casey Combs, 2B

ROC KEY PITCHERS: Brady Darwin, SP; Hick Quinn, RP

SAL KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: Denny Gaston, 3B; Bill Barkley, 1B

SAL KEY PITCHERS: Jaime Jefferies, RP; George Garcia, RP

ROC COMMENTS: "Salem has a couple of good hitters and a couple of gold glovers to go along with a bullpen that rivals our own. It makes it an interesteing match up."

SAL COMMENTS: "I honestly have no clue how this series is going to go. Rochester steamrolled through the NL this season and last. Nobody came even close to knocking these guys off. This will be our first meeting, and anything can happen."

SUMMARY: The first meeting between these two SJ powerhouses. Rochester and Salem are almost mirror images of one another: a high potent offense which gets you the lead, and a dominating bullpen which maintains it. Salem and Rochester were 5th and 6th in the world in runs scored, respectively. Rochester is led by the likes or Kipling, Combs, the ageless Hector Rodriguez, and Aaron Frye, just to name a few. They score runs fast and often. Their starting rotation isn't bad either, with guys like Darwin and Gerald Vining leading the way. Once Rochester gets the lead late, it's almost an automatic win. Mac Griffith and Don Morris know how to hold a lead, and Quinn shuts the door. Rochester is used to winning, they're the defending champs.. and they can easily make it two in a row.

Salem has a high potent offense of their own. They can score runs in buckets, with guys like Gaston, Barkley, Geronimo Elcano, and Edgard Tarraga doing the dirty work. Tarraga is Salem's version of Hector Rodriguez, a guy who continues to produce at an older age. Salem uses tandems, so their starters don't go very long. Their Long-Relievers do the majority of the work, especially guys like S8 All-Star John Wang and Wesley Brow. Like Rochester, they have a devastating bullpen. Jefferies and Garcia can easily go a combined 300 IP, and they both bring nasty stuff to the mound. Once the game goes to the ninth, expect Teddy Hubbard to seal the victory.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION: This won't be a lopsided series, by any stretch. I fully expect this series to go the max 7 games. The winner? How can you bet against the defending champs? That's right, you can't.

in 7 games

PLAYOFF PREVIEW - LCS ROUND

SEASON SERIES: PAW, 7-3

PAW TEAM RANKINGS: .261 BA (19th-ML); 3.94 ERA (9th-ML)

SAL TEAM RANKINGS: .263 BA (T14th-ML); 3.80 ERA (5th-ML)

PAW KEY PLAYERS: Cristobal Nieves, 2B; Hank Hall, SP

SAL KEY PLAYERS: Bill Barkley, 1B; George Garcia, RP

PAW COMMENTS: "I think the key is my starting pitching. If Dingman and Hall pitch great and at least 2 of the other 3 SPs (Blasingame, Ramirez and Gold) pitch well, we have a solid chance."

SAL COMMENTS: "This is a perfect opportunity for us to get revenge on Pawtucket. Last season's playoff exit still doesn't sit well with us, and what better way to get revenge than to defeat Pawtucket here, and head to the World Series. Sounds good to us."

SUMMARY: It always seems as though there's this one team that does well against you. No matter how good you are and how bad they are, they seem to have your number. That's Pawtucket, and if you're a Salem fan, this series does not bring good news. Pawtucket owned Salem in the regular season. They just came from dispatching the #1 seed New York Nippers home for the rest of the playoffs. Does Salem have a chance? Of course they do, but they need to be running on all cylinders. Teddy Hubbard had a meltdown in game 4 against Trenton, that can't happen again. Same with George Garcia, who was automatic during the regular season. For Salem to even have a chance, they need to hang onto any lead they get. Pawtucket SPs Toby Blasingame, Pablo Ramirez, and Hank Hall have pitched beautifully so far in the Post-Season. Salem brings some big bats into this series, with the likes of Bill Barkley and Geronimo Elcano, to name a few. If Pawtucket can get 6-7 solid innings each start in this series, then the Bombers will find themselves in the World Series.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 7 games





SEASON SERIES: TIED, 5-5

ROC TEAM RANKINGS: .270 BA (9th-ML); 3.68 ERA (3rd-ML)

PHI TEAM RANKINGS: .272 BA (T5th-ML); 3.50 ERA (1st-ML)

ROC KEY PLAYERS: Hector Rodriguez, SS; Hick Quinn, RP

PHI KEY PLAYERS: Troy Coffman, 1B; Terrell McCartin, SP

ROC COMMENTS: "Philly has a great pitching staff. We have to keep on hitting to advance."

PHI COMMENTS: "I definitely would feel better about my chances with [Paul] Lecroy. However, I think it is going to be a long series. We split the season series and If I can get a lead in the series feel like have a great chance to go to the series."

SUMMARY: Everybody knew about Philadelphia's dominant Starting Pitching. It's no secret that it was widely considered one of the league's best. However, when Paul LeCroy went down with an injury, nobody gave a second thought. As good as LeCroy was, the Philadelphia Starting Rotation without him was still pretty damn good. Ask San Juan how good Philly's pitching is. They held San Juan to 12 runs in 4 games. But now, the Defending Champions come into town, the Rochester Mountain Dwellers. One reason why Rochester is so dominating: they're good at everything, and they're consistent. They don't let up at all, in any area. Philadelphia had early success against Rochester, winning 5 of the first 7 matchups. Rochester went on to win the next 3, tying the season series. For Rochester to win, they need to get the lead early. Let their dominating closer Hick Quinn seal the victory. Philadelphia needs quality starts from their Starting Rotation, which hasn't been a problem all year.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 7 games

PLAYOFF PREVIEW - DCS ROUND

SEASON SERIES: NY, 7-3

PAW TEAM RANKINGS: .261 BA (19th-ML); 3.94 ERA (9th-ML)

NY TEAM RANKINGS: .274 BA (T4th-ML); 3.89 ERA (8th-ML)

PAW KEY PLAYERS: Pedro Rodriguez, RF; Rudy Dingman, SP

NY KEY PLAYERS: Jimmie Moreno, 1B; Emilio Mieses, SP

PAW COMMENTS: "I think the key to the series will be my starting pitching. If Dingman, Hall, Blasingame and Ramirez pitch very well, my team may have a chance."

NY COMMENTS: "I think it all depends on our starting pitching, they've knocked us out two seasons in a row and our guys are still bitter about the sweep last season. Jake Brantley will also be critical as he is our only lefty slugger against a righty-heavy pitching staff."

SUMMARY: Meeting #4 between these two powerhouses. New York won the first meeting back in S5 in the Play-In Round. Pawtucket has taken the final two meetings in S6 and S7, including a sweep last season. Will Pawtucket knock New York out of the playoffs for a third straight season? If they are, then Rudy Dingman and Toby Blasingame are going to have to come up huge for the Bombers. New York's offense needs to attack early and often to have any chance at all.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 5 games




SEASON SERIES: SAL, 8-2

SAL TEAM RANKINGS: .263 BA (T14th-ML); 3.80 ERA (5th-ML)

TRE TEAM RANKINGS: .272 BA (T5th-ML); 4.45 ERA (21st-ML)

SAL KEY PLAYERS: Denny Gaston, 3B; George Garcia, RP

TRE KEY PLAYERS: Phil Anderson, 2B; David Wang, SP

SAL COMMENTS: "We do not take Trenton lightly. We realize just what a tough division the AL North really is. Trenton has nothing to lose, and they'll come at us with everything they have. It's our job to keep home field and move on."

TRE COMMENTS: "If Trenton can steal a game in Salem, I think they can push it to a fifth game and score a huge upset!"

SUMMARY: Stats are somewhat misleading in this contest. As a team, they're only 14th in the ML. However, they have 3 of the biggest bats you'll ever find in Gaston, Bill Barkley, and Geronimo Elcano. I think they're too tough for Trenton's underrated pitching staff to handle. And if Salem gets the lead, good luck getting back in the game with Garcia and Jaime Jefferies standing in the way.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 4 games




SEASON SERIES: ROC, 9-1

ARI TEAM RANKINGS: .268 BA (11th-ML); 4.26 ERA (16th-ML)

ROC TEAM RANKINGS: .270 BA (9th-ML); 3.68 ERA (3rd-ML)

ARI KEY PLAYERS: Nicholas Lanier, LF; Jimmie White, SP

ROC KEY PLAYERS: Casey Combs, 2B; Hick Quinn, RP

ARI COMMENTS: "To make it a series, my line-up needs to produce, because there's no shot we're shutting down Rochester's offense. Any team with Nicholas Lanier always has a chance."

ROC COMMENTS: "Arizona is a tough club and we ill have to pick up where we left off during the regular season. We plan on defending our title and this is the first step to that goal."

SUMMARY: One word: domination. That describes Rochester to a "T". Last season, and this season, Rochester has the makings of something special. Do we dare say the "D" word (dynasty)? Maybe, but they have to get through Arizona first, and Nicholas Lanier.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 4 games




SEASON SERIES: TIED, 5-5

PHI TEAM RANKINGS: .272 BA (T6th-ML); 3.50 ERA (1st-ML)

SJ TEAM RANKINGS: .271 BA (T8th-ML); 4.23 ERA (14th-ML)

PHI KEY PLAYERS: Josh Miller, 2B; Terrell McCartin, SP

SJ KEY PLAYERS: Shane Fleming, 1B; Stuart Murphy, SP

PHI COMMENTS: "Comments not available"

SJ COMMENTS: "Offensively, our teams are nearly identical. Where Philly would appear to have the distinct advantage is in pitching. Even with LeCroy hurt, a 1-2-3 of Porter, McCartin, and Small is terrifying. However, Murphy has to be one of the hottest pitchers in the world right now, Huckaby is consistently reliable, and Reese has pitched his best games against the top competition, including only giving up one ER in 17 IP against Philly. Obviously, you would have to give the edge to Philly, but I think that the margain in a short series is close enough that it could go either way."

SUMMARY: Comparing pure talent, this series would have been all Philadelphia. Then the injury bug hit the Cheese Steaks. They've lost the likes of Earl Shaw and Paul LeCroy to devastating injuries. Philadelphia's pitching rotation is still strong, but will it be enough to hold San Juan down? We think it will.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 5 games

PLAYOFF PREVIEW - PLAY IN ROUND

SEASON SERIES: Tied, 5-5

CIN TEAM RANKINGS: .269 BA (10th-ML); 4.60 ERA (25th-ML)

TRE TEAM RANKINGS: .272 BA (T5th-ML); 4.45 ERA (22nd-ML)

CIN KEY PLAYERS: Heinie Roberts, 2B; Hugh Dolan, SP

TRE KEY PLAYERS: Phil Anderson, 2B; David Wang, SP

CIN COMMENTS: "This could really go either way. After I won the first 5 matchups H2H, he stormed back and won the final 5 to split the season series. We both needed to keep pace with each other just to get into the wild card. I think the key comes down to capturing Game 1. I think my pitching is more geared for this series than his, so I think that might just be the difference."

TRE COMMENTS: "We'll win the series, but no doubt it'll go 5 games."

SUMMARY: Throw the seeds out the window on this series. These two clubs are as even as you can get. It could have easily been Trenton winning the AL North and Cincinnati getting the Wild Card. Statistically, they're pretty even all the way around. So who do I like? I focus on the stars. I like Heinie Roberts, Hugh Dolan, and Darrin Baldwin. Don't bet the house on this, but I think the Red Stockings will squeek it out.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 5 games




SEASON SERIES: Tied, 5-5

PAW TEAM RANKINGS: .261 BA (19th-ML); 3.94 ERA (9th-ML)

MTY TEAM RANKINGS: .271 BA (T7th-ML); 4.40 ERA (19th-ML)

PAW KEY PLAYERS: Pedro Rodriguez, RF; Rudy Dingman, SP

MTY KEY PLAYERS: Jim Bailes, 1B; Olmedo Guerrero, SP

PAW COMMENTS: Not available for comment.

MTY COMMENTS: "My lineup is solid, Any given game I could throw 6 or 7 runs out there, and my pitching gives me a shot to win a close game as well. Getting Carson back if I make the Divisional round would be great. And usually if I can get it in Charlie Wilson's hands he is gonna win that war."

SUMMARY: A tale of two teams. Pawtucket came into S8 with glowing expectations. Due to New York's dominance this season, Pawtucket took a back seat and grabbed the #5 WC seed. Always a dangerous team, Pawtucket is not to be overlooked. Monterrey decided to fire sale earlier in the year, and traded away some of their top players, including Hi Priest and Steve Wynn. However, they find themselves once again in the playoffs. Monterrey enters the playoffs on a serious roll, having won 7 out of their last 10, including a W6 to end the season. However, Pawtucket is just a hair too powerful.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 4 games




SEASON SERIES: SJ, 7-3

SJ TEAM RANKINGS: .271 BA (T8th-ML); 4.23 ERA (15th-ML)

SFE TEAM RANKINGS: .288 BA (1st-ML); 4.44 ERA (20th-ML)

SJ KEY PLAYERS: Shane Fleming, 1B; Stuart Murphy, SP

SFE KEY PLAYERS: Luis Trevino, 1B; Willie Ramirez, SP

SJ COMMENTS: "We have great respect for Santa Fe. They have a championship and you have to respect a champion because they know what it takes to get it done. That said, we went 7-3 against Santa Fe head-to-head in the regular season and are just hoping that we can continue that success in the postseason."

SFE COMMENTS: Not available for comment.

SUMMARY: The question of this series is, "Can Santa Fe's offense be powerful enough to carry them through the playoffs?". We all know about Santa Fe, and how deadly they are offensively. Their big question mark is pitching, and San Juan can definitely take advantage of that. San Juan is a team on the rise, which is all due to the outstanding work of team owner Natas46. One key stat to keep in mind, Santa Fe has home field advantage. As long as Santa Fe has that advantage, I'll always take them.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 5 games




SEASON SERIES: ARI, 6-4

BOS TEAM RANKINGS: .274 BA (T3rd-ML); 3.69 ERA (4th-ML)

ARI TEAM RANKINGS: .268 BA (11th-ML); 4.26 ERA (16th-ML)

BOS KEY PLAYERS: Billy Lamb, 1B; Jose Fernandez, SP

ARI KEY PLAYERS: Nicholas Lanier, LF; Jimmie White, SP

BOS COMMENTS: "I think we have a decent shot in this series. We have the pitching to win but our hitting has been suspect all year. If we hit, we'll win. If we don't hit, we'll be making tee times for Thursday."

ARI COMMENTS: "We played them basically even during the season, but that was with Patterson healthy. Without the #1 pitcher on the staff, there is more pressure on the lineup to produce. The good thing about this team is even when the extra base hits don't happen, we can make things happen on the base paths."

SUMMARY: This has the chance to be the best play-in round series. Two of the world's biggest superstars go at it, as Billy Lamb goes up against Nicholas Lanier. Offensively, these two teams are pretty near even. However, Boston gets the edge because of their solid pitching. I think Lanier by himself can keep Arizona in this series, but look for the Stricken Gods to eventually pull this one out.

SJW BLOG PREDICTION

in 5 games

PLAYOFF UPDATE

Cincinnati and Trenton are separating themselves from the pack. Cincinnati defeated Syracuse, officially eliminating Syracuse's playoff chances. Trenton has taken the first game of the series with Milwaukee. What each team needs to do from now on out:


Cincinnati/Trenton: Keep winning! Neither team has an easier road, so just stay with the plan and hope you come out on top. Cincinnati might have the edge because they are playing at home, while Trenton is in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee: You're at a crucial stage right now, fellas. You can NOT lose any more games, period. And, you need some help from Syracuse.

Syracuse: You are playing the role of "spoiler" now. Since you've been officially eliminated from the playoffs, maybe sending Cincinnati to a couple losses will make this season a little more worthwhile.


Regardless of the outcome, the S8 AL North race has been extremely exciting to say the least. Stay tuned to find out who wins this division!




Pawtucket has one spot wrapped up, this we know. As far as the second, your guess is as good as mine. You may as well write a team name down on a piece of paper and pick from a hat. Vancouver has a one game lead over the 4-team pack, and they continue their series against a star-resting Salem squad. So, if I had to pick a favorite, I'd pick them. But in all honesty, I haven't a clue who's going to get that 2nd WC spot.




This is the only race in the NL that hasn't been figured out yet. All four divisions have champions, and we know who the Wild Cards will be. We just don't know which WC will get the better seed. Now, just our luck, Boston and San Juan are playing in the last series of the season. Boston took game one, 11-6. And, unfortunately for San Juan fans, was with superstud SP Bobby Reese getting drilled for 6 runs in 4 IP. If San Juan hopes to get that better seed, they need other players to step it up.. and in a hurry.

NL WEST CHAMPS!

The Shoeless Joe Blog would like to congratulate...



THE ARIZONA BARKLEYS (owned by mele316)

...on winning the NL West!