All Star Break Power Rankings

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Name: John Paul Starkey

All Star Break Power Rankings

Post by Cardinals »

Wrestling done by Aaron
Baseball tidbits done by me. Enjoy.

1- Braves-----The Dangerous Alliance. Brandon has seemingly come out of nowhere to lead the league in wins by a wide margin. The Dangerous Alliance was formed in 1991 on WCW Saturday Night after a Clash of the Champions special. The stable consisted on Paul Heyman as the manager and mouthpiece, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbyszko and Madusa. The stable dominated WCW for 6 months and feuded with Sting and others. The angle was ended with the greatest War Games match of all time in 1992. This was basically the NWO angle, except not drawn out years too long.

Atlanta has all but secured the division, running away with it, up 14.5 games on the Phillies and 19 games on the reeling Marlins who have recently thrown the white flag up. Hiram Bocachica the MVP? .355/.466/.726 with 30 HR and 30 SB at the all star break, along with 82 runs and 93 RBI. How wil lthe team fare in the postseason? Escobar, Gorz, Slowey are solid pitchers, but theres no overpowering ace.

Needs: Legit #1 SP, production out of Wily Taveras (.244/.278/.303), a healthy Pedro Martinez.
Strength: Overall offensive depth and the bullpen with Nathan/Marte/Broxton/Wickman/Kline.
Forecast: A trip to the playoffs is all but secure, beyond that without an ace? Cloudy.



2- Yankees-----The Four Horsemen. The standard bearer for excellence in pro wrestling are the Horsemen. They are the greatest stable of all time and the original cool heels. The Horsemen dominated the NWA and WCW for about a decade. The centerpieces were always Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, but the group had many members, like Tully Blanchard, Lex Luger, Sid, and many more. JB has been the dominant franchise in the IBC since the demise of Josh, and with a fully loaded roster of young studs, it doesn’t look like that will be changing. What Ric Flair said about the Horsemen can easily be said about JB, “Whether you like it, or you don’t, learn to love it, cause it’s the best thing going.”

The Bronx Bombers are easily the most talented team top to bottom in the league. Sizemore, Jeter, Vlad, Pujols, Mauer, Felix, Wang, A-Rod, with players as Lowell and Youkilus just hangin' around on the bench. After a slow start, the Yanks are tied for first in the AL East and look as if they will run away with it- as the talent on their roster indicates. Sizemore, Pujols, Vlad and A-Rod are all playing under projection right now, so watch out in the second half.

Needs: A healthy roster. There's no gaping hole. I suppose some more pen help.
Strength: Offense. Incredible offense.
Forecast: A second IBC Championship, barring injuries.



3- Red Sox-----The NWO. The Horsemen were the dominant force in WCW until the New World Order came along in 1996. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash declared war on WCW and started attacking anyone in sight, and doing things never before seen in wrestling, like powerbombing Eric Bischoff off the stage and throwing Rey Misterio head first into a production truck. With the addition of Hulk Hogan, the NWO was complete and dominated WCW storylines and main events until 2000, when fans had long tired of it. Bren is placed as the perfect foil to JB; both have the same number of championships and look to fight it out the rest of the year. As Scott Hall proclaimed on his debut on Nitro, “You want a war, you got a war!”

The former commish has assembled a pretty fierce team, led by Peavy, Webb and Carpenter who will be off the DL shortly. The BoSox have a lineup that is deadly 1-9, but not quite in the class as the Yankees, but then again, that's not really possible. The one thing that will eventually come back to haunt the Red Sox is the GM's philosophy of a bullpen not being important. Valverde is the only noteworthy arm at all in the pen. Buehrle and Silva provide reasonable depth in the rotation, and I would say Schilling as well, but because of a DL violation he's out an additional month.

Needs: Pen arms, pen arms and pen arms.
Strength: Starting pitching 1-5, notably 1-3.
Forecast: A bit cloudy despite being #3 as the lack of a bullpen could come back and really bite Boston in the ass.




4- Cardinals----The Hart Foundation. The Hart Foundation formed following the aftermath of Wrestlemania 13, when Bret Hart beat Steve Austin in a submission match but the crowd turned on Hart and started cheering for Austin. Hart then turned on the fans, recruiting brother Owen and brothers-in-law Jim Neidhart and Davey Boy Smith along with Brian Pillman, who was trained by Bret’s father and was Austin’s former tag team partner, as a pro-Canadian stable that was hated in the US but loved in Canada and Europe, making it a truly unique experience to watch on television and the roles of faces and heels changed depending on the location of the event. The stable met an early end, as Pillman died in October of 97 and Bret left for WCW in November, as did Neidhart and Smith. While their run at the top was short, it was memorable and helped cement Steve Austin as a main eventer. The Cardinals, like the Hart Foundation, are a mixture of true talent and overachievers. Every member of the stable started their careers as tag team wrestlers and only later broke out as singles stars to be noticed. The Cardinals have no true superstars, just a collection of solid performers who show up and get the job done.

Coming into the year, many people expected St. Louis to be good but not this good. The Reds were supposed to be winning this division, and the Cardinals were supposed to vy for the Wild Card. It however has been the opposite as the Cardinals have opened up a six game lead and are now trying to fend off the suddenly surging Reds (Cin: 9-1 in L10.) The Cardinals have very good overall team depth, but not much in the way of superstar talent. The team is built on it's depth, and the SP trio of Oswalt (11-4 , 5 CG), Sowers (11-2, 4 CG), and Garland, (11-5, 3 CG) have been getting it done.

Needs: A legit 1B, and possibly a better 2B.
Strength: Depth. The SP is solid, the offense is solid, the RP are solid.
Forecast: A trip to the playoffs with the NL Central crown and a legit chance at a pennant.




5- Blue Jays-----The Dungeon of Doom. The Dungeon of Doom was born in 1995. Its purpose was to destroy Hulk Hogan. The Dungeon was a hodgepodge of guys with weird gimmicks (The Yeti), career midcarders (The Barbarian) and one young man that would get a huge push (The Giant), all led by Kevin Sullivan. The Dungeon never destroyed Hulkamania, and when the NWO came into being, the Dungeon was obsolete. Pat’s team is a hodgepodge of good projections, solid but not spectacular players and some true studs. Whether or not he can overcome Bren and JB remains to be seen.

The Jays have done a remarkable job keeping pace with the Red Sox and Yanks in the AL East, only 2.5 games behind both of them at the break. All the success is somewhat remarkable when you look at the players projections vs. actual performance thus far. Santana 5-7 with a 3.72 ERA? Smoltz is 11-3, but with a 4.59 ERA. The pitchers are going to have to step it up for this team to get over the hump of the Red Sox and Yanks and grab a playoff spot.

Needs: To trade Johan to Houston; more production out of the offense and adding another bat or two.
Strength: Johan/Smoltz is still a great 1-2 punch; Bonds/Granderson/D Lee/ Polanco are all terrific hitters even if Granderson is underachieving.
Forecast: If the Jays stand pat, they will miss out on the playoffs. With a few moves, they could easily find themselves in October rather than Boston.



6- Athletics----The Jersey Triad. Consisting of Diamond Dallas Page, Chris Kanyon and Bam Bam Bigelow, all New Jersey natives, the Triad came into being in 1999. They didn’t have a real notable feud and they never really stuck out and go anyone’s attention. Their main accomplishment was 1 tag team title run by DPP and Kanyon. The A’s are much the same, when you look at the team, nothing may jump out at you. However, they do when and have been at the top of the AL West all year. It remains to be seen if they can stay at the top, but if they do, they could be a tough out in the playoffs.

The A's have benefitted heavily from Seattle's injury woes and have recovered mightily from their 0-7 start to the season. With a .614 WP, this team has played way better than anybody could have thought. What will happen in the second half? Bill Hall is now on the DL, although Piazza should be back soon and give Oakland some more offense to compensate. Still, it will be a race to watch to see if the A's can fend off the M's.

Needs: Legit #1 SP for this season; Haren is clearly the answer next year; closer.
Strength: The HR power that this team brings. Straight up 90's style baseball.
Forecast: Unless the A's make a move or two, it'll be a fierce battle to the finish. With a #1 SP and a shut down closer, Oakland would easily take the AL West crown.


7- Dodgers----The Fabulous Freebirds. The original badass heels. Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Jack Roberts formed one of the most cohesive units in wrestling history, with each man providing a vital part of the team. Hayes was the chickenshit heel that riled up the crowd, Gordy was the tough as nails brawler and Roberts was the technical wizard. They had a legendary feud with the Von Erichs in WCCW that put them on par with the WWF and NWA, then moved on to WCW in the late 80s. The also established the Freebird Rule, meaning any 2 members of the team could defend the tag team titles when they held them. Shawn’s team is loaded with talent, and while he might not be the talker Michael Hayes was, he is set up to have a run like the Freebirds, where he could be dominant for years and years.

LA has been a funny story this year. The hitting has been fantastic; the pitching has been awful. Brett Myers move to the pen and subsequent DL trip has stunted this teams growth. With SF finally dead, Colorado and SD are providing the competition for LA. San Diego is only 4 back and Colorado only a half game behind them. A healthy Liriano and this team would be up further and running away with the division. Rich Hill and Joe Saunders have been the only effective SP, so it'll be interesting to see with the Padres recent acquisations in Hamels and Dice K affect this race.

Needs: An ace, if not two, for this season.
Strength: The bats, which will get even better with Baldelli's return.
Forecast: If the roster stays as is, LA will be in a seriously difficult race to the finish with SD.


8- Mariners-----The Million Dollar Corporation. Ted DiBiase’s gang of henchmen never reached the levels of success some thought they would and wound up hurting the careers of some members. While the stable feuded with the top stars of the company, they never posed a serious threat. Ropers’ team has good parts, and can be a contender and make the playoffs, but once in, like the Corporation, it may not have the success it’s looking for. Hey, as long as he don’t bring out a fake Albert Pujols when he plays JB, like when DiBiase had a fake Undertaker, then we’ll be good.

Seattle has been seriously hit by the injury bug. Josh Johnson, AJ Burnett, Adam Everett, Mike Hampton are all or have been on the DL for a solid length. This team is similar to St. Louis in that it really doesn't have a huge superstar. I wouldn't call Delgado or Willis a superstar at this point, but that's not to say they aren't great players. This team is going to have to get healthy and perhaps grab another impact bat to go along with Delgado, Lopez and Swisher. Burnham isn't getting it done.

Needs: Health, some more bats.
Strength: Depth, but it's been snakebit by the injury bug.
Forecast: Without a significant move to bolster the offense, I can't see this team overtaking Oakland this year.



9- Orioles----Camp Cornette. In 1996, Jim Cornette led one of the most promising, and ultimately misused heel stables in recent times, consisting of Vader, Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. While Vader did challenge Shawn Michaels for the title and fail to win it at Summerslam, Owen and Davey Boy were relegated to the tag team ranks. The power of Vader and Smith along with the technical ability and awesomeness of Owen should’ve led to this faction dominating the company, but it did not. Dan has a solid team full of good to great players, but is stuck in the toughest division in the league (copyright NL Central 2002-2006). Maybe he can break out in the 2nd half, but he may be stuck playing second fiddle like Vader, Owen and Bulldog.

The O's have a terrific squad assembled top to bottom. It just hasn't translated into postseason success or any postseason at all to this point. Papi, Tulowitzki, Pence, Aramis Ramirez, Crawford and Matsui make up a pretty damn good offensive base. Verlander, Sheets is a great 1-2 punch with Gio Gonzalez on the way with Duke, Bonser, Adam Miller and Micah Owings all in the mix. This team may not win a playoff berth this year, but it's possible with all the talent they have.

Needs: Time and a better bullpen.
Strength: SP abundance and the amount of impact bats.
Forecast: Perhaps with Pence, Tulowitzki and Loney this team can make a charge this year, but I don't see them being a playoff team this season.



10- Reds-----The Flock. When Raven debuted in WCW, he didn’t wrestle for months, instead sat at ringside surrounded by his lackies. Raven could deliver promos that were better than some of the matches that were being put on and had character depth unseen before or since. Raven and the Flock were never given a real chance to move up the card, always overshadowed by the NWO and held down by Hulk Hogan not wanting to give up the spotlight. Raven could have been a huge star that could’ve carried WCW into the 2000s but instead ending up getting fed up and going back to ECW. Since the beginning of the IBC, Nate has had the potential to be a dominant force. Circumstances beyond his control, like injuries, have held him back. He looks to be making a run now that will spell trouble for the rest of the NL. It remains to be seen if he will rise to the challenge, or be squashed like the Flock.

The Reds have underachieved this season, and despite this, the team is still one of the most dangerous in the league. Ichiro, Hanley, Dunn, Wright and Thome is a fierce 1-5 with Posada, Iwamura and the slumping Andruw Jones. Halladay has been great, 9-1 with a sub 3 ERA. On the flip side of that, Cain is 6-8 with an ERA nearing 6. (5.88). This team has been surging as of late, 9-1 in their last 10 to finally take the NL Wild Card lead.

Needs: Another ace to go next to Halladay for the sim this year. Cain just isn't getting it done.
Strength: The bullpen and the offense.
Forecast: Wild Card with a chance to represent the NL in the World Series on the shoulders of Halladay.


11- Twins----The Blue World Order. ECW’s version of the NWO, Stevie Richards “Big Stevie Cool”, “Hollywood” Nova and “Da Blue Guy” the Blue Meanie came to the ring and announced they were taking over. The crowd ate this up as did all the wrestlers in the back. While the group never achieved great success, the high point being Richards competing in a 3 way match for a shot at the title at the first ECW PPV, they are still remembered and loved by fans everywhere. As a whole though, they accomplished very little. Andrew has proven that last year wasn’t a fluke and is once again leading the AL Central. If he holds one, he’ll once again have a tough road in the playoffs but will be better primed this year to compete. The BWO was wrestling’s version of the little engine that could. The Twins could prove to be the IBC version.

Minnesota looks poised to grab their second AL Central title, again as an underdog. With the Royals surprisngly struggling big time and gearing towards 2008, the division is pretty much the Twins to lose. The Indians could make a late run, but that's doubtful. Billingsly, Gallardo and Jered Weaver make a formidible young trio of starters that can go toe to toe with any young 1-3 in the league. Ryan Howard is a beast.

Needs: Theres no glaring hole as the pen is solid and the lineup is over-achieving 1-9, so we'll go with a legit closer to move Rincon to setup.
Strength: Rincon/Gregg/Betancourt.
Forecast: The AL Central crown, but if matched up against one of the AL East teams, a quick exit.


12- Phillies----The Alliance. Ah, the most poorly executed money making angle in wrestling history, something that could’ve lasted years that was instead used up in a matter of months. With the purchase of ECW and WCW, the WWE had a virtual monopoly on North American wrestling. The Alliance were former ECW and WCW wrestlers teaming up to take down the WWE. The problem was, it was all midcard guys that nobody bought as a real threat, and instead the angle centered around the McMahon children and of course, ended up bombing because nobody gave a shit when they realized it was going to be another McMahon ego trip. The only bright spot that came out of the Alliance was Kanyon’s “Invasion MVP” shirt. Nick’s team is in the hunt, and while he does have credible talent, it remains to be seen if he is a believable contender for the World Series. If he is, then his season will turn out a lot better than the Invasion angle.

The Phils are coming into the break only one game behind the surging Reds in the Wild Card, so a playoff berth for the inagural champ is still feasible. They will need work to be done. Theres no chance of catching Atlanta, none. The Reds can be caught. The remarkable thing about this team is that they are only one out of the wild card with Bedard having a record of 3-8, and an ERA at 4.75. The offense has been great, as to be expected in that ballpark. Berkman is having a great year at .350/.453/.613, but needs some help.

Needs: A top of the line SP for this year; big bopper to go with Berkman.
Strength: Closer with Cordero and a pretty solid lineup 1-9.
Forecast: Unless this team gets a big P and/or a big bat with Berkman, they'll be on the outside looking in come October.

13- Padres---Team RECK. In 2000, Rhino, Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle joined forces. The stable is mainly remembered for its comedic heel promos but the team achieved a lot of success. The group formed shortly after Angle won the King of the Ring in 2000. The group was very popular as comedy heels all the while maintaining a seriousness to their characters. The group self destructed when all four men reached the semifinals of the King of the Ring in 2001 and had to face each other. Every member of the group has gone on to hold the heavyweight championship in the WWE or TNA, Rhino was also the last ECW champ. The stable also holds the distinction of having the most combined titles of any stable in history, with 55. The Padres are a young team full of talent that is poised to break out like Edge, Christian, Rhino and Angle did after the demise of the stable. With so much top shelf pitching, this team will be a force for a long time.

The Padres have been bit by the injury bug in the SP department, losing Schmidt. The bullpen hasn't really been solid, but an offense with Manny, despite his underachieving, should click. The Pads have made some deals recently to bring in some aces and vets: Renteria, Dice K, Hamels, Orlando Hudson have all been brought in for the second half stretch run. This should be a very interesting race between San Diego and LA down the stretch.

Needs: A closer and a setup man.
Strength: Sabathia, Chris Young, Dice K, Hamels...
Forecast: LA and SD will duke it out to the finish with currently the slight edge going to SD thanks to the SP...but with no bullpen? Who knows.


14- Indians----The NWA. Formed in 1998 by Jim Cornette, he claimed his stable was going to bring tradition back to the WWE. It consisted of Jeff Jarrett as the centerpiece, former NWA champ Barry Windham, the Rock N Roll Express, Dan Severn and The New Midnight Express. Despite having a bunch of talented performers, the NWA was lost in the shuffle of the Attitude Era. Craig is 4 back of Andrew at the break and has some talented performers as well; some young like Jarrett was at the time, some way past their prime, like Windham and the RNR Express were, but could pester Andrew the rest of the season. Or they could easily get lost in the shuffle as they have no shot at the Wild Card.

The Indians have been a bit of a surprise to the league so far but not to me. This team is loaded with offensive projections. Matthews, Uggla, Morneau, Ordonez, Kouzmanoff, House...this team has one potent offense. The problem is the pitching staff as a hole. There's not a ton there. Jake Peavy has departed, and while the team waits for Clay Bucholz, there's not a ton to be excited about. Dave Bush is pitching like an all-star, and Chuck James is holding his own. Brian Lawrence is a surprise at 3-1 and a 2.26 ERA, but that can't last. The bullpen needs help, too. With a little activity, this team CAN overtake the Twins and go to the playoffs.

Needs: Frontline SP, closer, setup man.
Strength: The offense.
Forecast: If the team stays as is, the Indians will finish second in the AL Central. If they make some moves, they can easily win the division.


15- Rockies---The Varsity Club. In 1988, Kevin Sullivan recruited former collegiate amateur wrestlers Rick Steiner and Mike Rotunda (IRS) to be his running buddies. They would brag about their athletic superiority to other wrestlers and wear their lettermen jackets to the ring. The club had some success, with Rotunda winning the World TV title at one point and Steiner holding the Florida heavyweight title. The Rockies have a lot of talent too and are hanging around in the West, but to achieve greater success, like all members of the Varsity Club eventually did, it will take some retooling and hard work.

Colorado has surprisngly hung in the NL West with San Diego and LA. Only 4.5 games out, this team can still make the playoffs. The pitching has been surprisingly good with Cliff Lee posting a sub 3 ERA, and Kevin Sampson pitching to the tune of 7-4, 3.69 ERA. Otsuka, Dempster, Feliciano, Bell and Mujica comprise of a solid bullpen. The offense has been solid, but not spectacular, led by Paul Konerko and Kenji Johjima. This team can stay in the race, but it remains to be seen in what capacity.

Needs: Front line high GB SP.
Strength: Overall bullpen depth.
Forecast: With no moves, a third place finish.


16- Cubs----The Old Age Outlaws. This was a short lived stable in WCW after people stopped watching, led by Terry Funk but also included Arn Anderson, Larry Zbyszko and Dusty Rhodes. It was mainly to make fun of the popular New Age Outlaws tag team in the WWF. While it was sort of popular, the shelf life was very short and they disbanded pretty quickly. The reason I picked this for Gabe is because every year, his team gets older in his “who needs prospects I wanna contend” mindset that won him a title last year. Soon or later, trading a quarter for two dimes is gonna leave you with empty pockets though and pretty soon Gabe might be begging for change if he don’t make some moves.

The defending champs have had a rough go this season. Soriano is leading the way on offense, slamming 28 first half homers. Eric Chavez has added 23 of his own. The problem has been starting pitching, and they have been hurt a bit by injuries losing the recently departed Anibal Sanchez for the season hurt a pretty good bit. The bullpen is in shambles. This team is going to have a tough climb over a lot of teams to get into the Wild Card spot and defend its title come October.

Needs: SP, RP, Youth.
Strength: Offense
Forecast: Missing the playoffs.


17- Pirates----Ministry of Darkness. The Undertaker’s dark and awesome satanic gimmick was a highlight of the Attitude era. The ministry were his followers who did all of his dirty work. The Pirates have some true talent in McCann and others, but the rest of Ryan’s roster is a bunch of guys that have little effect, much like the Ministry, when you got past Taker, there wasn’t much there. Ryan’s hanging around, but needs to step it up if he wants to stay in the race.

The Pirates have surprisingly hung around the .500 mark, entering the break at 45-45. Sexson, who was recently traded, was a pretty good part of that reason, slugging 21 first half homers. McCann has been struggling mightily which is quite surprising. Hinske and Byrnes have been solid offensive contributors. Padilla, Baek and Cabrera have all posted ERA's around or under 4.00 to keep the SP afloat. With no real bullpen and the offense looking a bit shabby, expect this team to fall off considerably in the second half.

Needs: Closer, top line SP.
Strength: Catcher.
Forecast: Missing the playoffs.




18- Marlins----The Christian Coalition. The closest thing TNA has ever had to a dominating, Four Horsemen like stable has been this group. While it originally included Scott Steiner, now it consists only of Christian, AJ Styles and Tomko. Much like with the Horsemen, Styles and Tomko’s job was to make sure Christian kept the belt. Though he lost it in the King of the Mountain match, he has yet to be pinned or submit in TNA. The Coalition also laid down one of the best beatdowns of the decade on Abyss back in April. Ken’s wizardry of the sim is legendary and helped him run away with the NLC the past couple years. A move to Florida has turned out to not be all that was expected as his voodoo doesn’t work as well at the edge of the Bermuda Triangle. The team still has loads of talent and will once again be at the top of the heap, it’s only a matter of time, just like the Christian Coalition.

The Marlins run of division titles (formerly Astros) is going to come to and end. Mired in a 12 game losing streak headed into the all-star break, the GM has all but waved the white flag, looking for deals to help the clubs future. The sim magic has run dry in Florida, and injuries to Duchscherer and B.J. Ryan have played a role in that. Once the teams strength, it is now a weakness. 19 games behind Atlanta and 5.5 behind Cinci and falling, it's not looking good for Florida.

Needs: Ace SP
Strength: Healthy bullpen
Forecast: Missing the playoffs.


19- Royals-----The Stud Stable. No, not my constant pimping of Edwin Jackson, Gavin Floyd, Cole Hamels and Josh Barfield a few years ago. The Stud Stable was headed by Colonel Robert Parker and employed mainly brawlers like Blacktop Bully and Dick Slater, as well as true talents like Arn Anderson, Meng and Steve Austin. Arn eventually reunited with Ric Flair and Austin was fired over the phone, so the Stud Stable never reached its full potential. I’m still a firm believer that with Parker as his mouthpiece, Meng could’ve been a monster heel main eventer along the lines of Vader or Umaga today. Z’s team is also a tale on unrealized potential, as this is the second year in a row he’s been pegged to be the ALC leader and he’s below .500 at the AS break.

The Royals were the favorite to win the AL Central and have faltered this year. The GM has quickly turned his approach into looking ahead into 2008. Only 9.5 games behind the division leading Twins, it's still feasible that KC could make a late second half run. Losing Huston Street for an additional month will hamper that ability to come back. Billy Wagner has been lights out in the pen, and the lineup is looking better than ever in KC. The playoffs may be too far out of reach for this year though, but that seems to be OK with the managment in KC.

Needs: Another top line SP alongside Lackey.
Strength: Street/Wagner/Soriano/Wilson
Forecast: Missing the playoffs, but making a run for it.


20- Mets-----NWO Hollywood. Ah, the NWO B-team as it is known today. The focus of Hollywood was on Hogan, while the other members were nothing special at all, consisting of guys like Stevie Ray and Brian Clarke. While, because they still had the NWO name, they were pushed, they were never serious threats to anyone. Jim’s team is the same way, it will hang around, but it will not be a threat anytime soon.

The Mets are one of the weirdest teams in the league. There is a solid young nucleus with Cabrera and Rollins, along with Montero, Patterson, Moss and Scott. Kershaw is one of the best pitchers in the minors. The mystery is in the fact that Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux are still in the rotation. The sim doesn't teach leadership. The team also lacks a bullpen in the worst way possible as Todd Coffey is currently closing. There is little to no chance at the playoffs this year, and it's difficult to see the Mets making an impact next year with not a ton there at SP behind Capuano.

Needs: Starting pitching.
Strength: Left side of the infield (Rollins/Cabrera)
Forecast: Missing the playoffs.


21- Astros-----The Legion of Doom. When wrestling still operated under the territory system, the Legion of Doom were a heel stable in the Southern territories consisting of four men that would go on to great success. They didn’t operate as a unit but were bound together by a common manager, as many stables were in those days. The Legion was made up of King Kong Bundy, who would headline Wrestlemania 2 against Hogan, Jake Roberts and the Road Warriors. At this point in time they were just getting their feet wet. The Warriors would go on to be the greatest tag team of all time and Roberts as one of the best pure evil heels of all time, cutting some of the most intense, dark interviews you’ll ever see. JP’s crew hasn’t yet reached their potential and his youth movement has actually stuck, something a lot of people figured would last weeks or maybe months at most. It remains to be seen what kind of ceiling they have, but like the Legion’s potential, the Astros is also tremendous.

2008 IBC Champs.

Needs: A year
Strength: Tim Lincecum and the GM
Forecast: Champs in 08.



No but seriously... Lincecum/Bailey/Harden/Anibal Sanchez/ Mulder or Prior and other various arms will be the strength and backbone of the team. Heilman, Wise, Javier Lopez are very solid setup men. A closer is needed. Beltran can hold it down in CF as an elite talent. Sexson/Koshansky will provide some solid pop at 1B. Lugo needs to pick it up, and Willingham is a pretty good bat taylor made for Minute Maid Park. Snider is a ways away in RF, and the team lacks a true 3B.

Needs: 3B, RF sooner rather than later
Strength: Tim Lincecum, Homer Bailey, Rich Harden, Anibal Sanchez.
Forecast: No playoffs, but look out in 2008.

22- Rangers----3 Count. Why am I giving the Rangers a boy band gimmicked stable? I look at the roster and see young guys in prominent positions when they’re not ready to be there yet. 3 Count was put in positions they shouldn’t have been in, like the WCW Hardcore division. One day, perhaps the Rangers will have the success that Sugar Shane Helms did when he started using the Hurricane gimmick, but it will be a long time before that success is reached.

Texas just received a new GM and he's already made a few big deals trading off Zambrano and then Dice K to acquire Reyes and Scherzer. Reyes is a franchise talent and Max is certainly on the rise. Texas won't be doing anything this year but losing ball games, but the future is better than it has been in Arlington. Marmol and Marcum have been great in the MLB, but more arms will be needed. The offense will need some lifts too, but Nady, Reyes, and Melky is a solid start.

Needs: SP, RP
Strength: Jose Reyes
Forecast: No playoffs in 07.


23- Giants---- NWO 2000. The last WCW version of the New World Order consisted of Jeff Jarrett, Bret Hart, Scott Steiner and Kevin Nash. By this time, everyone was sick and tired of the angle and nobody cared anymore. It was a bunch of old guys (excluding Jarrett who was 29 or 30) hogging the spotlight and not knowing when to let other guys shine. Nils has dominated the NL West since he moved there in 2003. This is his first year not being in the spotlight. As a formerly dominant team, Nils is having to learn what it is like to not be in the spotlight this year.

The mighty have fallen. The Giants sit a 39-49, 10 games under .500 headed into the all-star break. Once a dominant force in the NL, the G-men are now the 4th best team in their own division. This team still has the arms: Bonderman, Beckett, Penny, Zito are all very good pitchers, and with AT&T Park, the Giants will be staying in the race next year with that foursome. It's the offense and bullpen that will let the team down. Aside from Rios and Hamilton, there's not a ton to be excited about on offense and nothing at all to get worked up about in the pen besides Neshek and the head case Lidge.

Needs: More offense, bullpen
Strength: SP
Forecast: Missing the playoffs.


24- Tigers----The Impact Players. When Justin Credible left the WWF after the Aldo Montoya gimmick, he adopted a grungier, cockier attitude and with his trainer, Lance Storm and valet Dawn Marie, dominated ECW. They held the tag team titles on two occasions and Credible held the ECW title once. Brett P’s team has had to take its lumps, like Aldo Montoya, but now is poised to break out next year and be an Impact Player in the IBC.

Talk about a team full of talent. The Tigers can easily shoot up from 24 to the top 5 next year. An infield of Alex Gordon, Stephen Drew, Howie Kendrick and Prince Fielder with Salty behind the plate is lethal; let's not forget Delmon Young in right field or Jeremy Hermida either. Philip Hughes and Scott Kazmir sitting atop the rotation with unbelievable minor league pitching depth awaiting. The only thing this team needs is time as well as a bullpen. There's nothing in the way of a bullpen in Detroit, but with the surplus of arms, some could be moved to the pen, or traded for dominant pen arms.

Needs: A bullpen
Strength: Infield, SP Depth
Forecast: Missing the playoffs



25- D'Backs---Demolition. I know, some of you are saying Demolition was a tag team, but at the end of their run, Ax, Smash and Crush formed a viable heel stable. Demolition was the dominant tag team in the WWF in the late 80s. By the time their stable was formed, it did not have much legs left, especially with the Road Warriors coming in. Jag doesn’t have the legs to compete this year, but given time, could have a run like Demolition had in the late 80s. Only time will tell.

Arizona has assembled some of the best young talent in the land. Justin Upton is pretty much the best prospect in the minors. Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gonzales, Felix Pie, Jeff Francoeur comprise of a ridiculous outfield core that is overflowing. Mark Teixiera, Reid Brignac, Ricky Weeks, B.J. Upton and Russ Martin on the infield. Joel Zumaya and Bobby Jenks in the pen. The only question mark is SP. Matt Garza looks to be solid, Pelfrey has some obstacles to overcome, Loewen got hurt, Germano has stepped up. This team could be interesting next year and it's success hinges upon it's SP.

Needs: More sure-fire starters and a few more pen arms.
Strength: Outfield
Forecast: No playoffs.


26- Brewers----Team Canada (TNA version). Team Canada was a spin-off of the WCW faction of the same name. It began as a unit competing in the World X Cup in 2004, kind of a World Cup style tournament of cruiserweight wrestlers representing their home country. Team Canada lost the 04 Cup to Team Mexico. They lost the tiebreaker match in 06 to Team USA and soon after were forced to disband. Throughout their run in TNA, Team Canada mainly served as goons for people like Jeff Jarrett and rarely won matches without interference from their manager. Since disbanding, nobody has broken out as a star, though Bobby Roode has a shot at becoming a main event level player in another couple years. Jake’s team is curtain jerking the NL Central right now. There’s not shot of a breakout anytime soon and patience will be key, along with bringing in some real talent. Remains to be seen if the Brew Crew have the future of Bobby Roode, a potential champ, Petey Williams, someone who is always in the middle of things but never a threat, or A1, who was never used and then fired because he sucked.

The new GM in Milwaukee has made a ton of moves, starting a youth movement headlined by Wade Davis and Evan Longoria; two top Devil Ray prospects. The recent breakout of Daric Barton regains his status to one of the better prospects in the minors. Cueto has been solid in the minors, but I'm not sure that there will be enough next year on the pitching side of it for this team to compete in 2008 in the NL Central without some more moves.

Strength: Evan Longoria, Brad Hawpe, Daric Barton comprise a solid core.
Needs: Help in the pitching staff.
Forecast: No playoffs.


27- Angels----The Mean Street Posse. Shane McMahon’s rich friends from Greenwich, CT were often seen after Shane-O-Mac debuted in the WWF. While they did bring sweater vests back into style, they didn’t do much else. Well, DT’s not gonna be doing a lot either. Sorry Dave, makes some deals and you’ll get a higher ranking but right now ya just suck. I would make a joke about your girlfriend sucking as well to fill space but I won’t.

The Angels are caught in no mans land. There's not a ton to be excited about but they are trying to head in the right direction. Danks is a solid P and Votto looks like he'll be a very productive hitter. Humber, Villaneuva could be solid. This team needs a lot of work on both sides of it, but being in the AL West, it's feasible that Anaheim can turn it around in less than a season.

Strength: Outfield.
Needs: SP
Forecast: No playoffs


28- White Sox----The DOA. Hey, lets make a biker stable led by Crush, I’m sure everyone will love that. The DOA was a terrible idea filled with terrible wrestlers that the crowd didn’t care about. When Crush was a part of the original Nation of Domination, some people cared, but this offshoot, nobody cared about or paid attention to. Nobody is paying attention to the ChiSox these days, as the AL Central crown and 100 win season of 2002 seems like a decade or more ago. Degan better get working fast, or like Crush and Brian Lee, he’ll be stuck jobbing to everyone with a pulse.

Chicago has been trying to undergo a youth movement, but hasn't done it to a full enough effect yet. Bringing in Brandon Wood and Adam Wainwright are steps in the right direction. Adrian Gonzalez and Aaron Harang are both very solid players. JJ Putz is a terrific closer and Corey Hart has shown up to play this year. Aside from that, there just isn't that much depth, and none of the aforementioned players are superstars.

Strength: Gonzalez/Wood tandom on offense, if Wood can achieve his potential that is.
Needs: Impact players on both sides.
Forecast: No playoffs and an uphill climb in the ALC.


29- Nationals-----The Truth Commission. War criminals from South Africa in 1996, a gimmick that was at least 8 years past relevance when it debuted. The Truth Commission met little success. Kurgan had a push as a monster heel but the fans never cared and soon the stable faded into obscurity, mainly remembered by fans in USWA where the stable first formed and had some success. The Nationals are a team that has a lot of talent that has had success in the past but is not performing well this year. Some moves need to be made ASAP in order to right the ship or else they will remain in obscurity too.

Paging the Washington GM: Anybody home? No? Well thats ok, this team isn't going anywhere. Though it does have a solid young offensive core with Ryan Braun and Chris Young in CF. Griffey is having a terrific season. Maine and Hoffman are solid on the pitching staff, and Kuo could be dealt for a pretty nice prospect come trade deadline. This team has talent and can be rebuilt, it just needs a GM to do it.

Strength: Braun/Young.
Needs: Depth on both sides
Forecast: No playoffs, but a comeback in 08 is highly possible.


30- Devil Rays----The J.O.B. Squad. Pin me, pay me was their motto, as the JOB squad was an assortment of wrestlers that lost the majority of their matches and were, in wrestling lingo, jobbers. While Al Snow and Bob Holly went on to gain some popularity, the JOB Squad never amounted to anything. The Rays are the JOB Squad of the AL East and that won’t be changing.

The youngest team in the IBC might as well stay that way. Mired in the AL East, this team is destined to doom until at least 2009, but that's the GM's approach anyway. Rasmus, Billy Butler are two very good/elite minor league (and now major league) bats. Andrew Miller will anchor a young rotation which will be pretty solid in a few years if all goes well. This team certainly has talent, but being in the AL East, it's the toughest task of any GM in the league.

Strength: Young talent
Needs: Time, SP, terrific draft
Forecast: Two losing seasons and competing in 2009.
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Post by Royals »

No offense to brandon, but the NLE is soft... he'd be fighting Dan for 4th in the ALE...
A good read though, as always.
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Post by Cardinals »

Wake me up when you're playing .700 ball.
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Post by Astros »

That's why Bren's the NWO, always the heel, brother.
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Post by Royals »

Gotta keep it interesting :)
Brandon would be crushed in the ALBeast, JB or I would be playing .750 ball in the NLE...
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Post by Cardinals »

Brian Shackelford.
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Post by Royals »

*yawn*

Peavy, Webb, Buehrle, Carpenter
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Post by Cardinals »

When's Carpenter pitching? Another setback...and after all that grief you give me about Harden...
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Post by Braves »

RedSox wrote:No offense to brandon, but the NLE is soft... he'd be fighting Dan for 4th in the ALE...
A good read though, as always.
We played what 6 games? I'm pretty sure I won 4 of them. Had guys like Kevin Barry & Wandy Rodriguez shut your offense down. While I faced Peavy, Halladay . . .
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Post by Royals »

Astros wrote:When's Carpenter pitching? Another setback...and after all that grief you give me about Harden...
Yup, Carpenter had a setback (that's got to be a bittersweet thing for you eh?), how's Prior... I mean Harden doing?

Brandon, enjoy your moment in the sun and your nice soft division... Come the end of the season, it'll be another AL Champ in the WS, almost certainly from The Beast.
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Post by Cardinals »

Considering you're trying to trade me Carpenter for Harden it's funny how you rag on him.
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Uh Oh

Post by BlueJays »

Don't look now.. 10 in a row. and 4.5 back.

Aaron claims he aint sweatin it.. but you know he's more wet than his grandma when she starts talkin about how the south is going to rise up again...

Look for a 2nd half surge from Cain.. just like in MLB circa 2006.

edit..

forgot to say nice work fellas.. good read as always.
"Hating the Yankees is as American as pizza pie, unwed mothers, and cheating on your income tax."
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Post by Rockies »

Lookie what I found.. Someone move this to the power rankings forum..
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