Another Saturday night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

               Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and George Dickell and Johnny Walker

Elijah: Fellows we need to figure out season 62. We need to get ahead of it. Ottawa won the world series in season 61, so we will start with Al-North.

George: So you're asking us to evaluate Ottawa, Buffalo, Fargo and Minnesota, is that right Elijah?

Elijah: Why can't we just start with the stats from last year. Wins, losses, run differential. payroll budget, payroll spent.

Jim:  Ottawa              100-62       +152             93mil                 90.33mil

         Buffalo               95-57       +125           109mil                102.75mil

         Fargo                  85-77       + 57              77mil                  67.33mil

         Minnesota          75-87       -110               73mil                 73.00mil

Elijah: George you take Minnesota.

George: Minnesota is a young club.  8 players 27 or older only 5 of those over 30. The lineup is virtually the same as last years. The changes they made were to the pitching staff 2 new starters and 5 new relievers.

Jack: I'll take the Mud Dogs, Elijah. They are not an older team but have more guys over 30 than the Twins. The thing that stands out to me is that 40% of their roster is between 26 and 28; primed for a run, if not this season then certainly in 63. No change to their line up. Although familiar faces are in new places. Last years right fielder is on first base. The first baseman is in left field and the left fielder has moved to right. On the pitching side they let 2 starters in go in free agency and signed Earnest Laker in free agency to be their closer. Six games into the season already two to their pitchers have landed on the DL.

Jim: The Miners are pretty much the exact opposite of Minnesota and Fargo. Almost half their roster is over 28 and only 4 players under 27. They added Bart Cooke, Brian Thielbar, and Moises Alcantara and only lost Apollo Berroa, who had been beaten out of the DH job. Cooke is a good one he created 99 runs last season in Seattle. The players who got demoted created 49 runs and the departed Berroa created 75. Can the Miners pitch better or does the rookie Thielbar have to create over 50 runs in his rookie season for the Miners to overtake Ottawa.

Johnny: Ottawa hasn't really lost anybody and they added Apollo Berroa from Buffalo. Half their players are under 28. This could be the new dynasty.

Elijah: Good job fellows! Well I'm going to predict that Buffalo makes it closer this year than the five games they lost by last year.  Fargo will lay in weeds for another season or two before they launch their next dynasty like they did from season 45 through season 53. And Minnesota is going to use this season to keep building their player system.