32 Predictions Revisited

Prediction: Atlanta's Juan Beltre, who two months ago yesterday in real-life time was signed as an international FA, will explode onto the ML scene, and find himself on the ROY ballot at seasons end.

Actually: Incorrect. Beltre only got into 111 games, recording 377 at bats. He did belt 28 home runs and drive in 72 runs, but his .255 average and lack of games kept him off the ROY ballot.

Prediction: The Charlotte knights will win more games than the previous season for the third straight year, and that will this time result in them getting a first round bye.

Actually: Half-correct. With 1 game to play, the knights have 103 wins, one more than last season. Mathematically still in the running for AL's #2 seed with two games to go, the knights now find themselves locked into #3 in the AL.

Prediction: Sammy Cordero will prove that he's a product of Colorado Springs, as he has his first 4+ ERA since season 3 this year, his first in Cheyenne.

Actually: Correct. Snarf argued this one quite strongly early in the season, and although Cordero finished the season with a very nice 16-10 record, his 1.48 whip & 4.47 ERA were both the highest marks he's ever had in his career.

Prediction: The return of Gregg does nothing for Chicago, as they once again finish last in the NL North.

Actually: Correct. Gregg lasted a mere 10 games in Chicago before getting the boot (and subsequent perma-ban from Sharkey's World). JohnCFremont stepped into a disaster, and did an admirable job guiding the Smooth Horses/Orphans to next seasons #1 overall draft pick.

Prediction: The Cleveland Steamers eventually get over the loss of John Bird. Getting over finishing within 5 games of the playoffs and missing out for the second straight year is a little more difficult.

Actually: Incorrect. Cleveland loses 12 (or 11, depending on tonights PM2 game) more games than last season, and finishes 10 games out of the playoffs.

Prediction: The Colorado Springs AltiDUDES win 95+ games again. Win their division again. And don't make the NLCS, again.

Actually: True, true & a potential NLDS matchup with Texas makes part three of that prediction possible.

Prediction: The Detroit Tigers win at least 61 games for the first time since season 4.

Actually: Incorrect. The Detroit Tigers are 50-111 with 1 game to play.

Prediction: The acquisition of Henry Etherton went mostly unnoticed, but it helps Fargo win their division for the 6th time in 7 seasons, an accomplishment only Colorado Springs, Texas, Pawtucket & Kansas City have been able to achieve.

Actually: Incorrect. Etherton finishes the season with a .308 average, 29 home runs & 75 RBIs, but the Nines fall to 78-83 (one game to play) and finish 4 games out of first place.

Prediction: Billy May doesn't quite make his way onto the ROY ballot, but he has a very solid season, and his speed helps fans of the Fire Dragons get over the impending loss of Danys Castillo.

Actually: Correct. Getting over losing a player of Castillo's ability is never an easy task, but May lives up to his end of the bargain. He somehow gets robbed of a spot on the ROY ballot, but finishes the season with a .309 average, 89 runs scored, 16 home runs, 92 rbi's & 38 SB's in 156 games played.

Prediction: Hartford finishes last in the division again, but wins 10 more games than the 54 they had last season.

Actually: Incorrect. Hartford sits at 56 wins with one game to play, but is two games ahead of the Indianapolis Racers in the AL East.

Prediction: Houston's Esteban Rincon wins Rookie of the Year, the first of many awards he wins throughout his career.

Actually: Potentially correct. Rincon almost helped the Aggies make the playoffs for the first time since season one. He is currently second on the AL's ROY ballot, and finished his freshman season with a .301 average, 103 runs, 31 home runs & 121 RBIs.

Prediction: Michael Chang returns to the bigs in Huntington, where this time its for good, as he saves 30 games for the up & coming Cousins.

Actually: Semi-correct. Chang did complete the entire season at the ML level, pitching 72 innings out of the 'pen, and the Cousins definitely proved they are up & coming, but Michael never made it into the closers role, saving only one game in six chances.

Prediction: The Indianapolis Racers, who finished above .500 6 times in 6 seasons under rmkelley, finally get back to that level of play for the first time since his unexpected departure.

Actually: Insanely incorrect. The Racers 54-107 mark puts them in 15th place in the American League.

Prediction: The Jacksonville Juggernauts win their third straight AL pennant, and play one of the two teams they've already played (Texas/Pawtucket) in the season 9 World Series.

Actually: Yet to be determined, although the Juggernauts are the current favorites to win the World Series in this years playoffs.

Prediction: The Kansas City Shuffle, still very much good, but quietly aging/losing key underrated players, win 100+ games again, and make the playoffs, again. But they do not win the AL West.

Actually: Semi-correct. Two out of three ain't bad. The Shuffle sit at 90-71, did not win the AL West, and are in the playoffs.

Prediction: Andres Pineda, Vicente Crespo, Matty Plata, and Andy Thomas join the aforementioned John Bird as rookies on Litle Rock... and the next great AL Dynasty is born (although still a year or two away from being seriously dangerous).

Actually: Maybe. The Big Rocks won 24 games more than they did a season ago, but still only sit at 74-87. Time will tell if they will be the next great dynasty.

Prediction: Achilles Mitchell and Kevin Ball turn out to be a lot of money thrown around for not a lot of results, and Memphis once again finishes 7th in the NL.

Actually: Correct. Mitchell's numbers closely resemble his career averages, while Ball had major drops in most statistically categories, most notably his average dropping from .359 in season 8 to .283 in season 9. The Hound Dawgs, who also had trouble with this prediction early in the season, finish with the 6th best record in the NL, but due to divisional rules, technically find themselves as the NL's #7 seed, and out of the playoffs.

Prediction: The Monterrey Cervezas quietly collect their 9th straight season of .500 or better ball.

Actually: Incorrect. A 73-88 record ends the Cervezas run of above .500 ball.

Prediction: The New Orleans Breeze challenge Texas for the division championship all season long, losing out in the last few days, but take the 5th seed in the NL playoffs, possibly with the 2nd or 3rd best record in the NL.

Actually: Incorrect. The Breeze finish with the 2nd best record in the NL (or possibly tied for the first), and win the NL South.

Prediction: The New York Moon Shots don't come close to reaching the same level of improvement they showed in season 8, when they won 14 games more than season 7. But they do improve, 4 games more than season 8, and get to 90 wins.

Actually: Semi-correct. The Moon Shots actually don't improve, losing 3 more games than a year ago, but do manage to win the AL East, something they didn't do a year ago.

Prediction: The Norfolk Nomads return to the playoffs after a one year absence, and once again play Colorado Springs in the first round.

Actually: Semi-Correct. The Nomads are back in October baseball, but they play division rival Pawtucket in round one.

Prediction: Cy Young Ramirez breaks at least 3 of these milestones/league records: 300 IP, 300 K's, 28 wins, 0.89 whip, 1.82 ERA.

Actually: Incorrect. Ramirez, for the second straight season, breaks his own ERA mark, finishing with a 1.72, but his league-leading 256 IP, 278 K's, 0.98 whip and 23 wins do not come close to making this prediction correct.

Prediction: Tony Pelaez has his best season to date in Richmond, but still doesn't throw more than 140 innings due to his atrocious durability concerns.

Actually: Correct. Palaez's 4.21 ERA is his best mark during his ML career, but in 19 starts (and 24 total apperances), Palaez is only able to throw 104 innings.

Prediction: The Rochester Raging Rhinos join Fargo in their quest of joining Colorado Springs, Texas, Pawtucket & KC as the only teams to win their division at least 6 times in a 7 season stretch... and succeed.

Actually: Correct. The Raging Rhinos finish below .500, but win the NL North.

Prediction: The Salt Lake City Dodgers 63 wins in season 8 were 13 more than their 50 in season 7. They match that improvement in season 9 as they win 76 games.

Actually: Correct. The Dodgers currently sit at 79-82 with one game to play.

Prediction: The San Francisco Sourdoughs finish 16th in the NL, as its full-fledged rebuilding time in the Bay Area.

Actually: Incorrect. The Sourdoughs actually finish 14th in the NL, with Chicago & Scranton behind them.

Prediction: The Scottsdale T's win 90+ games. Which may or may not be good enough to finish 3rd in the AL West.

Actually: Incorrect. The T's are 76-83, 4th in the AL West.

Prediction: The Scranton Dunder-Mifflins give San Fran a serious run for their money in the battle for last place. The entire Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area is officially on R-Pod watch, and will continue to rebuild until the kid is ready for the bigs.

Actually: Semi-correct. The Dunder-Mifflins turned out to be far worse than San Francisco, but far better than Chicago, which ran away with worst in the NL.

Prediction: The St. Louis Birdnals continue to prove that their season 6 divisino championship was a fluke attributed solely to the MVP season of Steve Randolph, as they lose 95 games for the second straight year.

Actually: Correct. The Birdnals are currently 66-95 with one game to play.

Prediction: The Texas Tittyballs do not win their 4th NL Pennant.

Actually: Yet to be determined, but as the #5 seed in the NL, the odds are stacked against them.

Prediction: The Trenton Terror more than double their season 8 win total, as they win at least 75 games in season 9.

Actually: Incorrect. The Terror's 67 current wins are 30 more than last seasons 37, but are not double, nor more than double.

Prediction: Tuscon at least matches their 86 wins of a season ago, but does not make the playoffs this time around.

Actually: Incorrect. Tuscon's 76 wins are 10 less than a year ago, the the Turbocors easily missed the playoffs.

Prediction:

Division Champions
Fargo Nines
Charlotte knights
Jacksonville Juggernauts
Fresno Fire Dragons
Rochester Raging Rhinos
Pawtucket Polythene
Texas Tittyballs
Colorado Springs AltiDUDES

Wildcards
Kansas City Shuffle
Cheyenne Chilipeppers
Norfolk Nomads
New Orleans Breeze

LCS
Jacksonville Juggernauts over Fresno Fire Dragons
Pawtucket Polythene over New Orleans Breeze

World Series
Jacksonville Juggernauts over Pawtucket Polythene in 5


Actually: 5 of 8 division champions correct, missing on Fargo (2nd to New York), Fresno (2nd to Cheyenne), and Texas (second to New Orleans). 11 of 12 playoff teams correct, missing only on Fargo.