{mrb-schedule:2009-04-04|2009-04-05|DE}
by Dirk Fries
Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg
Last year’s champion is expected to again be one of the two top teams in the southern division. With only one significant roster change, the team might even be better than 2008.
Even with Dutch Mike Bolsenbroek playing in professional ball in the US and Craig Crow not being resigned, the acquisition of Eddie Aucoin from MANNHEIM should strengthen the LEGIONAERE pitching staff even further. With lefty Martin Almstetter, Benedikt Antwi and Aucoin as starters, as well as lights-out Philipp Hoffschild in the bullpen, REGENSBURG still has enough depth to avoid overusing its staff. Opponents should continue to have a tough time scoring runs against LEGIONAERE pitching.
The offense, which ranked near the top in average, runs and homeruns in 2008, was kept intact. A lineup including Klaus Hopfensperger, Markus Gienger, Rodney Gessmann and Alexander Lauterbach will be joined by former GAUTING player Christopher Howard, brother of national team second baseman Philipp Howard. Steady Cedric Bassel and a group of talented youngsters, round up the offensive force.
Especially the matchups against the HEIDENHEIM HEIDEKOEPFE and MANNHEIM TORNADOS figure to be played at a very high level. If Martin Helmig’s team can win the bulk of these contests, in a stadium remodeled and upgraded for the upcoming Baseball World Cup, Regensburg is set to become the center of German Baseball for the summer.
Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
2008 southern division champions HEIDENHEIM seem poised for making a run at their first championship. After being ousted in the semifinals last year by underdog MANNHEIM TORNADOS, manager Klaus Eckle intends to field an even stronger ball club this year.
SS and offensive force Ryan Lilly is brought back for 2009, as is head coach and part-time pitcher Mike Hartley. While powerful first baseman Keith Maxwell is not expected back, the club uses its good contacts to lure high quality personnel to the small town.
The pitching staff is set with Hartley, former MLB pitcher Dusty Bergman, Markus Winkler and Peter Dankerl. Utility players Hagen Raetz, Marcel Hering and Robert Gruber round out the bullpen.
The offense, which ranked 1st in almost every offensive category, will again be highly dependent on Lilly, catcher Simon Guehring and the likes of Gruber and Andreas Janzen, Sam Whitehead, newly acquired American speedster Ray Stokes as well as younger players like David Fuesser and Hering also look to contribute.
Mannheim Tornados
The surprise team of the 2008 playoffs will try to challenge REGENSBURG and HEIDENHEIM for the southern division crown.
With pitcher Jan Ruessel coming back from a year abroad, and Michael Otto back in the first league after a year as head coach at DARMSTADT, Mannheim’s pitching staff has added two strong German players. Yet the loss of American Eddie Aucoin (REGENSBURG) might still not be compensated. Lefthander Rene Franke and Ruessel should share the workload in game 1, while former Philadelphia Phillies Minor Leaguer Clary Carlsen takes over the role of the foreign pitcher in game 2.
Georg Bull’s team is expected to bring back most of its offensive forces. Marvin Appiah, Jens Heymer and American Billy Hess will make up the heart of the lineup. Newly acquired Sascha Lutz (from MAINZ) will add a potent bat, speed and good outfield defense. Big things are also expected from South African Justin Lazarus.
Sebastian Nowak will do most of the catching, while Fred Kraft will most likely guard third base. Alex Szalay has his best shot in a utility role, spelling Heymer at first base and seeing time in left field and as the team’s DH.
Mainz Athletics
After winning the league title in 2007, past season was an uphill climb for the Mainz team. With several players retiring, and top player Sascha Lutz injured for the bulk of the season, the A´s struggled early on and had to fight hard for its playoff spot. In the end Cae Santos’ team did qualify, but was eliminated in the first round.
With the loss of Lutz and without any incoming impact players, 2009 figures to be a repeat. Mainz should not be expected to challenge REGENBURG or HEIDENHEIM, and will have to battle SAARLOUIS and HAAR for the remaining playoff spot.
With Manuel Moeller and Nils Hartkopf the club has two experienced German pitchers that can limit any team’s offense to only a few runs. Up and coming Max Boldt can also eat some innings, and will most likely be on the first ones out of the bullpen.
While there might be skepticism about bullpen depth, the A´s will stand or fall with its offense. Boldt should lead the team again, and with capable foreigners the heart of the order should be solid. If some of the guys at the bottom of the order can improve on their 2008 performances, MAINZ has the inside lane to the playoffs.
Saarlouis Hornets
In 2008 the HORNETS had some bad luck with their personnel: Their head coach Fred Beitler did not get along with former stud player Chris Sweeney. Both were dismissed a few games into the season and Tom Gapp took over the coaching duties.
For this season management has succeeded in luring an experienced coach to SAARLOUIS. Leo Vivona, who last year worked as an assistant for DRACI BRNO and the CZECH NATIONAL TEAM, takes over the squad, looking to guide the team into the playoffs.
The team that shall accomplish that goal is almost identical to last year’s. Only the foreign players Sal Messina and Seth Nowakoswki and German first baseman Torsten Krapf need to be replaced. The club’s biggest player acquisition is Kenny Camp, who will pitch in the second game. Workhorse Czech Ales Keprta will be Saarlouis´ number one.
Offensively the HORNETS depend mostly on Eddie Martinez and Javier Perez. Besides the two, John Patrick Carlson, Camp, new catcher Whitney Pierce and Michael Kratz need to produce and the bottom of the order guys need to be scrappy and fight their way on base.
The HORNETS´ biggest question mark is depth, both in regards to pitching as well as on offense. Carlson is the club’s only experienced reliever, unless Sam Jew joins the team after finishing the college season.
If Vivona manages his options well, SAARLOUIS can beat out MAINZ for the 4th and final playoff spot.
Haar Disciples
The club from suburban Munich has undergone quite a transition since 2008. Last year’s head coach Michael Almstetter stepped down after the season due to personal reasons. His assistant Chris Haas will also not be back. Instead, 2009 will be the first year for Chris Dresel at the helm. The young coach, who is also in charge of Bavaria’s junior State Team, spent 2008 with INGOLSTADT of Germany’s 2nd league.
Just as the coaching staff, the roster offers a very different look. Foreign players Nate Fish, Adalberto Paulino and Austrian Clemens Cichocki will not be back.
Newcomers include Americans Tavo Hall and Ty Eriksen, as well as German Michael Stephan, a promising first baseman from local rival GAUTING INDIANS. To give the roster more depth, Lukas Steinlein, Stefan Mueller (from INGOLSTADT) and Christoph Ziegler (GAUTING) were also acquired.
Philipp Dresel was brought in from REGENSBURG to give some depth in the pitching department besides Dirk Fries, Gregor Klinc and Ted Gieschen.
The DISCIPLES figure to repeat their 2008 showing when they made a run for the playoffs, but in the end had to settle for a 5th place tie. With an inexperienced team they might be able to rack up some surprise wins against the top teams and should be in good shape to compete at the level of SAARLOUIS, GAUTING and MAINZ.
Gauting Indians
The INDIANS finished 7th last season, and avoided being relegated by beating BAD HOMBURG.
Yet there is limited reason for optimism in GAUTING. The roster is depleted, especially in regards to German players. With talented youngsters Michael Stephan and Christoph Ziegler moving across town to join HAAR and veteran Georg Starek, who ended his tenure with the INDIANS to rejoin his hometown club in FÜSSEN, there aren’t a lot of position players left from 2008. To top it all off, young catcher Christopher Howard also left the INDIANS, choosing REGENSBURG as his 2009 club.
The Indians will open the season with a new coach. Trey Hendricks is the new man in charge of the team. He seems to have been able to assemble a powerful cast of foreign players.
Last year’s import players, shortstop Seth Binder and pitcher Matt Fuller, who were both solid, will be replaced by Australia’s Brad Dutton and US-Boy Chris Clem. This seems to be a major upgrade, as Dutton was on Australia’s World Cup Team in 2007 and also played in the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in 2008.
To bolster the pitching, which has Dominik Hartinger returning, the club agreed to terms with British hurler Paul Waterman, who was with MANNHEIM last year. Young Alexander Howard can give the squad some innings, but there is little depth behind the two starters. British National team member Will Lintern replaces C. Howard behind the plate.
Even with a handful of proven players coming in, overall roster depth is still questionable. After losing most of its starters, the club is really low on German nationals. As those are hard to find, expect management to try and bolster the team with more EU-players.
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