Capra Hardball Dynasty League

The National League should be highly competitive this year. As the season gets ready to kick off, there are no clear "rebuilding" clubs and several teams are hovering around the .500 mark talent-wise. All this should make S21 a fun season, full of surprise dark horse teams and down-to-the-wire division races. However, expect defending champs Tampa Bay, Anaheim and Louisville to stay well above the pack and go deep into the playoffs. NL West Prediction: 1.) Anaheim Anteaters (100-62) 2.) Vancouver Maintaineers (90-72) 3.) St. Louis Archers (81-81) 4.) Seattle Picards (76-86) Anaheim should be able to coast to the division title again. Vancouver looks primed for another playoff run. Seattle and a quickly improving St. Louis squad will likely battle it out for 3rd place. NL South Prediction: 1.) Jacksonville Bulls (83-79) 2.) Little Rock Travelers (79-83) 3.) Florida SunRays (79-83) 4.) Huntington Honey Badgers (76-86) The NL South is a wide open division. Any one of the four te...

Vancouver made significant financial commitments during the off season by signing pitchers R.J Gardner and Lon Lee and right fielder Ricardo Seanez to long term contracts. The continued emphasis is to keep talented farm products. The strength of the team is pitching. The challenge is for Hitting Coach Chad Reese to get more offensive production. If they can find 50 more runs scored in season 21, they will be poised to go deep in the playoffs. If not, they will be scratching for a wild card birth in a very completive NL West. Rotation The top four starters return, led by last year’s Cy Young candidate Jamie Bradley. His career record is 107-52. Gardner scored career bests in ERA and WHIP in season 20. Yorvit Molina had a rotation-best 1.13 WHIP. Lon Lee had 3.45 ERA as combination starter and reliever, expects to stay in the rotation. Lou O’Brien, the Über set up man, brings his .195 opponent average to the rotation. Bullpen This year’s pen i...

Overview After missing the playoffs last season, Seattle made a flurry of trades as S21 kicked off. Whether the new personnel help the Picards close the gap against superior division rivals Vancouver and Anaheim remains to seen. Starting Pitching The rotation should be the strength of the team. With newly acquired Brandon Groom (1.31 WHIP with Jackson) and the debut of 20 year old uber-prospect Junior Hernandez, the Picards hope they have a formidable 1-2 punch to build their team around. Solid vets David Armas (8-5, 3.46 ERA), Junior Funaki (1.18 WHIP) and Denny Martin (16-8, 2.81 ERA) round out the rotation. Bullpen Unhappy with Slash Clay's inconsistencies (3-10, 34 saves), the Picards signed ex-Anteater Sid Watson (1.50 ERA, 40 saves) to try to nail down 9th inning duties. ROY Pat McCullough, Harry Hammond (1.22 WHIP), Rolando Diaz (1.24 WHIP) and Clay give the Picards plenty of late inning options to get the ball to Watson. Catcher long-time backstop Julio Concepcion (.319 avg...