For part one and a more overall preview of the German Baseball-Bundesliga follow the link.
And finally some notes on the southern clubs:
Mainz Athletics:
They had quit a drive at the end of last season and surprised themselves and the whole league with their performance during the playoffs. They overcame a 0-2 deficit to win the final series against the LEGIONAERE in five games. In the semis they already had kicked out the 2006 champion ALLIGATORS, which was already an upset.
But it is going difficult to repeat the success. The ATHLETICS had to make some changes during the winter. Playoff hero Keigo Miyagi left the club as well as the catcher Flavio Rinaldi and Janusz Radicke, who both hung up their cleats after the season. Ulli Wermuth moves to the coaching staff. They signed shortstop/pitcher Daniel Hayes and bring back Raeff Hobbs-Brown from the Templiers. Obviously they needed to add a new catcher and brought in the Japanese Shu Sasaki, who is going to miss the first two weeks due to an eye injury.
They also extended the contracts with outfielders Sascha Lutz, Mike Larsen and pitcher Nils Hartkopf. Also back is Manuel Moeller, who is supposed to start together with Hayes.
Their success in 2008 relies mostly on the ability of Hayes in the second game of the weekly doubleheaders and how they can replace Rinaldi and Radicke behind the plate.
Prediction: They might drop a bit in the standings but will still make the playoffs.
Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg:
For the second time in two years, the LEGIONAERE missed the championship in the last game of the year. They dominated the regular season from day one on and marched through COLOGNE and HEIDENHEIM into the finals. They built a 2-0 lead after the first two home games, but lost the next three and the trophy.
They had to revamp the team during the winter as several players left the club. The prospects Ludwig Glaser and Donald Lutz followed teammate Rodney Gessmann into the minor leagues. Simon Kudernatsch and Tony Younis joined college squads. Catcher Beau Milner and pitcher Jakub Vancura also aren’t any more in Regensburg.
But they could replace all of them. New manager Martin Helmig welcomes catcher Markus Gienger and Jerin Harper from COLOGNE and PADERBORN in Bavaria. The Czech Jakub Sladek, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, joins the LEGIONAERE until he finishes school next year. The Dutch Mike Bolsenbroek (Santa Ana College), Craig Crow (Texas Rangers Single A) and Daniel Husband (former Tranas, Sweden) are coming from overseas. Bolsenbroek and Crow start the season in the bullpen as Helmig appointed the German nationals Martin Almstetter and Benedikt Antwi as the starters.
They can also rely on one of the deepest talent pools in the league and will be a dominant force in the future. There is not an if, it is just a when they are going to win the championship in the future.
Prediction: They are going to clinch again the top spot in the standings.
Heidenheim Heidekoepfe:
They are the offensive powerhouse of the Baseball-Bundesliga. The HEIDEKOEPFE led by former YANKEES minor leaguer Ben Himes and catcher Simon Guehring lost for a second year in a row against REGENSBURG in the semi-finals.
They always had a powerful offense, but their pitching staff is staying behind and denies the last step up in front. And the front office knows that. So they made the biggest splash during the winter with the signing of former Major League Pitcher Mike Hartley, who has the experience of more than 200 games in the MLB in his pocket. But he is already 46 years old and we cannot project his numbers for the upcoming season. He is going to be the new head coach and is in HEIDENHEIM to bring their pitching staff a towards the top. He is also supposed to pitch and he is still capable to dominate as he demonstrated and last years CEB Cup.
Himes left the club after a dominating season together with Doug Kruthaupt. But they found replacements with Keith Maxwell and Ted Lilly. Their batting order still is as fearful as any other. But their pitching staff has to improve to make a playoff team into a title contender. It is going to be interesting to see, which impact Hartley will have on the team.
Prediction: They could challenge Regensburg for the top spot, if they find consistency in the pitching department.
Mannheim Tornados:
They have won eleven championships in the past, but the last one was in 1997. They started slow in 2007, but managed to reach the playoffs in fourth place. However in the first round they were the only team from the south to get kicked out.
The TORNADOS also were quit active this winter. They signed the best pitcher of the league with Eddie Aucoin, who had a 117/9 strikeout/ball ratio in 99 Innings for the DISCIPLES in 2007. He will be joined in the rotation until mid May by the British pitcher Geoff Freeborn. Afterwards Martin Dewald (returns from the US) takes his spot. They also signed the Australian Craig Pycock for the bullpen. Offensive-wise they added David Selsemayer and utility man Chris Falls. They also were interested in shortstop Ian Mattiace, but he got ill right before his arrival in Europe and will miss the season. MANNHEIM is searching for a replacement and they are going to sign another infielder until the summer.
Despite their acquisitions there are still some question marks in the pitching staff, which is might not deep enough. And another powerful bat would be in the strong conference also helpful. Besides these things, their roster is stronger than in 2007.
Prediction: They are one of six teams, which fight for four spots.
Saarlouis Hornets:
In difference to the TORNADOS they started strong, challenging the LEGIONAERE for the first few weeks, but they had some off-field issues and the focus shifted to other things. They dropped a few games and in the standings, missing the postseason.
But they are poised for a rebound year. New head coach Fred Beitler is trying to get some spirit in the team. They added Simon Prochaczka (from Slovakia) and Patrick Carlson (from PUC) to the bullpen and Carlson to the top of the batting order. Catcher Bernd Goudswaard played for the TUEBINGEN HAWKS in 2007. They also bring back Chris Sweeney, who arrived in better shape and is highly motivated to repeat his hot start from last year. Sam Jew returns at the end of May.
Sweeney and Ales Keprta are going to start on the mound. Javier Perez, Eddie Martinez and Torsten Dehm together with cleanup hitter Sweeney are hoping for a better year. If they can concentrate on baseball, they could reach the playoffs.
Prediction: Like MAINZ, MANNHEIM and perhaps HAAR, they are in the race for two of the four front spots.
Haar Disciples:
The promoted club from last year’s campaign stayed in the league, by finishing in sixth. They had a great pitching staff with Eddie Aucoin at the top, which helped out the dismal offense several times. They tried to change this during the winter months.
As everybody know, Aucoin left for MANNHEIM. He is going to be replaced by the combo of Austrian Baseball League MVP Clemens Cichocki and of course German national team pitcher Dirk Fries, who won two games this Offseason in Taiwan at the Baseball World Cup and the Olympic Qualifier against Thailand and South Africa. However there he was a reliever. In HAAR he is supposed to start. Gregor Klinc is also in the mix for a starter job.
More importantly were the other signings. They bolstered the offense with Israel Baseball League players Adalberto Paulino and Nate Fish. They also had an agreement with the Cuban slugger Alexis Hernandez, but he suffered a season ending injury during workouts in Nicaragua in mid-March.
Despite the two additions for the batting order, they are still not in the same league offensive-wise like HEIDENHEIM and REGENSBURG. They need good and constant pitching performances to compete for a playoff berth.
Prediction: If they got off to a great start and stay hot, they could clinch a spot in the playoffs. But due to the other teams competitiveness it is going to be difficult.
Gauting Indians:
Like the years before they were a team in the bottom third of the standings. The INDIANS won the relegation series against INGOLSTADT and secured their spot in the Baseball-Bundesliga.
During the winter they signed a new head coach with the college and high school proven Robert Fritz. But he stayed just a few days and they had to search for a replacement. They found one, but if he could lead them into the playoffs is nearly impossible. Just a few days before the start of the season they also brought in two American players, with pitcher/utility man Matt Fuller (Niagara/St. John Fisher) and shortstop Seth Binder (Israel Baseball League/Oberlin College). Both will miss the first doubleheader.
In addition to the late arrival of some help for the roster their best German player Christopher Howard is still injured at the start of the season. The signs in GAUTING are not encouraging and they are facing similar year like 2007.
Prediction: The INDIANS are probably going into another round of relegation games in September.
Neuenburg Atomics:
They are the only promoted club in the southern conference. The ATOMICS finished as runner up behind the undefeated farm team of the LEGIONAERE in the second Baseball-Bundesliga.
It is not going to be easy for the new team. They lost one of their best batters, as Lukas Egetmeyer tries his luck in the United States. New on the roster are the relievers Andreas Schwarzl and Bernardo Marino. They only needed three pitchers last season to get through the year. This is going to be difficult as they have to adjust from the 7/7 doubleheader in the second Bundesliga to the new format in the first one. The starter Andreas Gerth and Lars Giemsa have to go deep into the games.
They are certainly not capable to challenge any of the playoff bound clubs in more than perhaps a game or two. During the preseason they lost a game to SAARLOUIS by a score 0-16, but won the second one 7-6. They might challenge the INDIANS for the next to last place in the standings, but only if they adjust fast to the league.
Prediction: It is going to be a short stint at the highest level in Germany.
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