For part one and a more overall preview of the German Baseball-Bundesliga follow the link.
Some notes on the northern conference clubs:
Solingen Alligators:
They stopped the winning streak of the PADERBORN UNTCOUCHABLES, winning the championship in 2006, but failed to start an own dynasty last season, when they were eliminated in the semi-finals by the MAINZ ATHLETICS. Nevertheless 2007 was a success for the ALLIGATORS. They lost just two games during the regular season and dominated the north.
During the winter they changed head coaches and replaced Zeke Mitchem (new assistant coach at Georgia State) with Craig Spilker. They also added two new Americans to the roster with Chris Beck and Derek Malikian. From the BONN CAPITALS joins them infielder Christian Nsien. He and Dominik Wulf of Solingen led the league in batting last season.
In addition to the acquisitions they extended the contract with southpaw and national team ace Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez, who forms the best 1-2 starting pitcher tandem of the league in combination with fellow lefthander Andre Hughes. Both excelled recently at the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Taiwan.
There is nothing left to say. They are the team to beat in the north due to their abilities on the pitching sector and offensive wise. It would be a big upset, if they were not at the top of the standings throughout the season. They should be the only club of the north, which is capable to challenge the southern teams during the playoffs.
Prediction: SOLINGEN reaches the postseason easily and then everything is possible.
Paderborn Untouchables:
They are currently in a somewhat of a rebuilding mode. They reached the playoffs last season in second and lost in the first round to the HEIDENHEIM HEIDEKOEPFE.
During the winter they had to replace manager Martin Helmig, who resigned after the disappointing season and left for REGENSBURG. They now rely on player-coach Octavio Medina and Stefan Fechtig at the helm. Their best hitter Jerin Harper followed Helmig. Medina and the former minor leaguer Mitch Franke have to replace his production.
Starter Benigno Ozuna extended his contract and leads the pitching staff, joined by Eugen Heilmann und Daniel Hinz.
They are no more on the same level like SOLINGEN, but still the second force in their division. PADERBORN is not going into the playoffs in a walkover, though they should reach them in second like last year.
Prediction: A second place finish follows elimination in round one of the playoffs.
Bonn Capitals:
They made it quit interesting in the end of last seasons regular season, challenging the UNTOUCHABLES a bit for second place, but lost against the ATHLETICS in the quarterfinals.
Their Offseason didn’t go that well. They could replace catcher Joel Rodriguez with Jonathan Marshall. But this was all they would do, besides some young guns, who join the Bundesliga squad in 2008. Their best batter Christian Nsien left for the ALLIGATORS, which leaves a deep hole in the already not that much fearful offense.
Just days before the start of the season they received another blow and this will hurt. Their number one starter and former minor league pitcher Tim Henkenjohann, who touches still the high 90’s, broke his hand and will miss the first six to eight weeks. They now have to rely mainly on fellow national team pitcher Mirko Heid and Martin Amparo, who extended his contract.
If BONN stays in the hunt until Henkenjohann’s return they will have a chance for the playoffs. They feature one of the youngest squads in the game and it is going to be tricky, as the promoted WANDERERS, the STEALERS and maybe also the CARDINALS will pursue them.
Prediction: They are going to miss the playoffs.
Cologne Cardinals:
They made the playoffs each in the past few years, but lost every time in the first round. In 2007 they were eliminated by the LEGIONAERE, after finishing fourth after the regular season.
They are going to miss quit a lot of their major pieces of the playoff run. Starter Dirk Fries is leaving for the DISCIPLES, outfielder Philipp von Soosten joins the STEALERS and catcher Marcus Gienger signed with REGENSBURG. Taishi Nakamura returns to the club after an injury-plagued year in BONN. Benjamin Shepers who is coming from a lower level team is trying to replace Fries as number one starter. The number two, Moritz Sckaer returns to the staff after finishing the college season. They didn’t sign any players from outside of Germany and are hoping that their youth thrive them to another berth in the postseason.
This should be impossible regarding the plans of the STEALERS and WANDERERS in addition to the holes in the pitching department and the offense. They could even face relegation games at the end of the year.
Prediction: They are going to finish in the bottom third of the league.
HSV Stealers:
They had some problems to kick off last years campaign. The STEALERS needed several weeks to gain some confidence and win some games. They missed the playoffs, but throve in the Playdowns.
The reason for the resurgence in the second half was the signing of American pitcher Thomas Haugh, who led the club to several victories. He stays with the team and gets support from new head coach Shawn Pynn and Boston College product Peter John Frates. Outfielder Philipp von Soosten is the third significant signing of the winter. He is coming from the CARDINALS.
In comparison to the other clubs in front of them like PADERBORN, BONN and COLOGNE, they should have bettered up their roster. The HSV is going to be in the hunt for the playoffs.
Prediction: They clinch a berth for the playoffs.
Neunkirchen Nightmares:
Their goals were and are pretty low. They finished in sixth of seven teams and they didn’t do much against it in the winter.
William Secor, their best pitcher last season left the team and they signed Brett van Hooser to replace him. That was it. We didn’t hear a single word this winter about transactions, which is not a good sign for a bottom half team. They are in danger to get relegated after the season.
Prediction: They are finishing the season in last place.
Hanover Regents:
They were new in the league a year ago and were overmatched from the start until the end in nearly every match. The only reason they weren’t relegated was the fact, that there was not an eighth team in the league. They won just one game.
Nevertheless they will give it a second try. They signed Mike Lantzy in the winter and hope that he will coach, pitch and hit them to some more victories. In addition with Yonathan Werchow his performance will lead to wins. Is he good, the team will thrive. If not, see the scores from last year.
Prediction: They are going to win a few games and climb the ladder upwards.
Dortmund Wanderers:
They won the second Baseball-Bundesliga and were promoted into the first one. This is club, which is very motivated and has big expectations with one of the best ballparks in Europe.
Coach Jens Hawlitzky has nearly the same roster like last year under his control. In difference to some other German clubs the WANDERERS gave their foreign spots to position players and rely on the locals on the pitching staff at the start of the season. There are rumors that they will sign another American pitcher in a few weeks. Catcher Jack Kopacz and first baseman Josh Lively are supposed to thrive the offense this season. They also signed the pitching prospect Raul Vychodil, who is going to be in the rotation with Michael Kalber and Marco Dietsch.
They should be competitive right from the start. During the preseason they only were beaten by the ALLIGATORS but impressed against other German teams.
Prediction: They are going to land a spot in the playoffs.
“From the BONN CAPITALS joins them Christian Nsien, who is returning to his former club.”
Nsien came from Bennigsen to Bonn. I’m pretty sure he never played for Solingen before.
“In difference to some other German clubs the WANDERERS gave their foreign spots to position players and rely on the locals on the pitching staff.”
The American pitcher will arrive in the next couple of weeks.
Thank you for the heads up.