THE BBL BUZZ

November, 1998 Newsletter

This will be my feeble attempt to handicap the league for this season. I hope I don't offend anyone with my predictions. This is all in fun. It's impossible to accurately predict how draft leagues will finish, so here it goes ...

NORTHEAST DIVISION

Definitely the toughest division in the BBL, the Northeast could provide the league champion this year. With the departure of our beloved Braves franchise, the Yankees and the defending-champ Mets are the pre-season favorites. Rumours around the Bronx say that Tod "The Ghost" Grimm "is no Joe Torre." Boston bolstered its bullpen in the draft, adding lefty Andy Pettite, bullpen ace, Paul Quantrill. League newcomer, Myron DeVoto of the Expos blew the wheels off the draft, acquiring a new right infield with Chuck Knoblauch and Jeff Bagwell. Jake Smith is still plugging away with the Phillies, bless his heart. Since he took over as the commish, he's stuck in this league, and even worse, he's stuck with the Phils.

SOUTHERN DIVISION

Don't expect a repeat performance from the Marlins this year. Their bullpen looks to be shaky and they upgraded for age in the draft. The Oriole's pitching staff looks strong, but don't be fooled by the all-star lineup that may not produce in the high-octane offense of the BBL. The Padres and Rangers should lead the division this year with solid pitching from the Pads and neck-snapping ding-dongs from the Rangers. The Dodgers could be the real sleeper, as I don't see where they'll fall in this division.

CENTRAL DIVISION

The Indians should run the table in the BBL-C this season. An Indians team with pitching could be lethal. (I just want to put the pressure on Rocco.) The Mariners, who were squeezed out of the old West Division last season, may not be able to duplicate last year. They had a poor position in the draft and look to be retooling for the future. John Mettler's Pirates could turn the corner with the right amount of leadership. The addition of Chipper Jones and Andy Benes could be the keys to the postseason for the Bucs. The Rockies are going to still try to bomb their opponents into submission with football scores, and the Reds added much-needed pitching in the offseason with John Smoltz, Jeff Fassero and Rick Reed.

Anyway, this was all in fun. Good luck and let's look forward to a great season!

Take me home.

Any questions on this site, contact Larry Korb