#1 - Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles (AL) eryanf View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 107

Cumulative Record: 669-465

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S3, S4, S5, S6 & S7); Division Championship Winner (S3, S4, S5 & S6); League Championship Winner (S4, S5 & S6); World Series Champion (S4, S5 & S6)

Best Season Record: Season 7 (113-49)

Worst Season Record: Season 2 (74-88)

Franchise History- Yes folks, here we have it, the true Dynasty in Glavine300. The Baltimore Orioles are one of the original franchises in Glavine300. They have been here since Season 1 and had a period of pure domination in Seasons 3-6. It is amazing to see how many star players have worn the Oriole jersey. Glendon Carter, Douglas Hunter, Ken McInerney, Vic Estrada, Al Urbina, Kip Kingland, Ned Cook, Ray Gilmore, Melvin Zhang, Glendon Boggs, Gaylord Glass, Glenallen Gibson, Ed Hitchcock, Gene Vickers, Shannon Cortes, Lynn Grebeck, Alvin Ingram, Stan Nathan, Reginald Hall, Kirk Dwyer, Shayne McBride, Don Lee, Rico Estrada, Bronson Stone, Chris Camilli, Jay Bottenfeld, Vince Fabregas and David Molina have all hung their hat in Baltimore at some time during their career. Most of these players have some sort of award ranging from All Star Team to Cy Young to MVP. It’s incredible to see the talent that eryanf has had access to. A lot of it traded for or traded away…some great trades and some horrible ones, anyway you slice it eryanf has found a way to win. It is arguable that he was handed down the most loaded franchise in the league from Season 1. When you look at the names on his original roster it is easy to see why he was able to build a dynasty. There was an awful lot of talent at his disposal to use to build the ultimate franchise. Either way, by Season 3 the Orioles were emerging as the team to beat in the American League. (Their first 2 seasons were quite uneventful) They made the playoffs in Season 3 but were defeated in game 7 of the ALCS by the San Juan Warlords. This would be the last time they were beaten in a playoff series for quite some time. In Season 4, 5 & 6 they won an unprecedented 3 championships in a row. (Defeating the Arizona Dust Devils, Buffalo Nanucrons and San Francisco Zodiac in the World Series.) The team was unstoppable…until Season 7. Season 7 saw the resurrection of the Warlords and the begin of a decline for the Orioles. They were still a dominant team but could not keep pace with San Juan and were defeated by them in the DCS ending the most amazing run in Glavine300 history.

Franchise Outlook- The future remains uncertain for the Orioles. (Owner eryanf has announced his retirement since the start of these write-ups.) Without eryanf, it is unclear whether or not the Oriole Magic will continue. The team is still in decent shape though it looks as if payroll is going to be an issue in the not too distant future. It doesn’t look like their minor league system is stocked either as eryanf has traded most of their recent draft choices away. (Jemile Ross and Clem Rizzo are two of the bright spots in the minors.) Anyway way you slice it, whoever is lucky enough to take over this storied franchise will have a tremendous amount of work to do to re-create the magical run that this team has had so far. GSPN will be interested to see what happens.

#2 - San Juan Warlords

San Juan Warlords (AL) jwinner5 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 81.5

Cumulative Record: 550-584

Playoff Achievements: Wild Card Berth (S1, S7); Division Title (S2, S3); Division Championship Winner (S1, S2, S3 & S7); League Championship Winner (S1, S3 & S7); World Series Champion (S1, S7)

Best Season Record: Seasons 2, 7 (97-65)

Worst Season Record: Season 6 (48-114)

Franchise History- The San Juan warlords are the proof in Glavine300 that there are many ways to skin a cat. They came in as the #2 overall ranked team but have an overall losing record of 550-584. Jwinner is one of the original owners in Glavine300 and started out strong. In Season 1his team went 93-69 to claim a Wild Card berth and made it all the way to the World Series, defeating the Memphis Mancs, 4 games to 2. In Season 2 they were back at it again but were knocked out of the ALCS by the Las Vegas Dealers. Season 3 saw another playoff run, the Warlords went 96-66 and went to the World Series for a second time, but were defeated by the Arizona Dust Devils. At this point, the tides turned for the Warlords. They had let a lot of players leave for free agency and things just went south. The next three seasons they went 52-110, 67-95 and a pathetic 48-114 respectively. Rumors swirled in the GSPN offices that San Juan was tanking their team in order to get top tier draft picks. Either way, in Season 7 they caught on fire again, winning 97 games and taking their second World Series. (The writers at GSPN also think it noteworthy that since the start of these articles, the Warlords have also won the Season 8 World Series.)

Franchise Outlook- The Warlords are a powerhouse franchise. They have big bats and stellar pitching and it looks as though they will be the team to beat in Glavine300 for the next several years. The pitching staff is headed up perennial Cy Young winner Danny Cummings. There are also some young studs on that staff too including Wayne McCartney and Miguel Castro. The Warlords also have a stellar hitting lineup led by Kirk Dwyer, Shigetoshi Wang, Rolando Diaz and Wilfredo Johnson. Basically, this team is full of studs…and a lot of them are studs that get paid the league minimum. It won’t be until the majority of this team starts making money and jwinner tanks his team again that this squad might be disassembled. When that time comes, maybe someone else in this league will have a chance at winning.

#3 - San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants (NL) dcinto View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 77

Cumulative Record: 630-504

Playoff Achievements: Wild Card Berth (S3, S6); Division Title (S4, S7); Division Championship Winner (S3, S4, S6 & S7); League Championship Winner (S3, S4 & S6); World Series Champion (3)

Best Season Record: Season 4 (112-50)

Worst Season Record: Season 1 (82-80)

Franchise History- This franchise started out in Arizona as the Dust Devils. They spent their first 5 Seasons there with some considerable success. They started out rather slowly, posting winning records in Seasons 1 & 2 but failing to make the playoffs either year. In Season 3, they went on a tear. The Dust Devils went 92-70 to secure a Wild Card spot in the playoffs and then got hot and made it all the way to the World Series where they defeated the San Juan Warlords 4 games to 3. They also made it to the World Series in Season 4 but were taken down by the Baltimore Orioles 4 games to 1. In Season 5, the franchise was bought by sweetsalve, renamed the Zodiac and moved to San Francisco. They found similar success, making it to the World Series in Season 6 (lost to Baltimore, 4-2). Season 7 was another successful year for the Zodiac, they won the NL West but were knocked out of the NLCS by the Buffalo Nanucrons, 4 games to 1. In Season 8 the team was sold to dcinto and renamed the Giants (they stayed in San Francisco) dcinto hopes to continue the success of this storied franchise and bring home yet another championship.

Franchise Outlook- This team is unquestionably led by stud pitching ace Tony Cordero. He has pitched incredibly for this franchise, amassing 122 wins and a handful of awards (including ROY and Cy Young) over the last several seasons. Tony is the kind of pitcher you can build a franchise around. The Giants have some other serious talent at the major league level as well, including Bernard Elarton, Vic Bennett and Ray Orosco. There is not a tremendous amount of talent in the minors for this team. Kenny Blair and Rudy Bold are a couple of the bright spots from recent draft years. The lack of minor league talent is not that alarming for this squad though. The major league team is pretty young, so they have a few years before they will really need to start turning the team over and it looks as if there are replacement players in the minors for the older vets who will be retiring soon. All in all, this team is in decent, playoff contender shape. It will take a couple of moves to get them back to the World Series but they are a lot closer than a lot of teams.

#4 - Detroit Wheels

Detroit Wheels (NL) afeigenb View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 70

Cumulative Record: 649-485

Playoff Achievements: Wild Card Berth (S6); Division Title (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 & S7); Division Championship Winner (S1, S5 & S7); League Championship Winner (S5, S7)

Best Season Record: Season 5 (101-61)

Worst Season Record: Season 4 (84-78)

Franchise History- This franchise is the model of success for the National League. They are one of the original franchises in Glavine300. Starting out as the Buffalo Nanucrons, they have dominated the NL North since their inception. They have made the playoffs every year in the first seven seasons of play, winning the NL North a record six times. They have also made it to the NLCS three times in Seasons 1, 5 & 7 and made it to the Worlds Series in Season 5 (lost to Baltimore 4-3) and again in Season 7 (lost to San Juan 4-1). After Season 7’s World Series defeat, the team’s original owner, afeigenb, packed up the team in the middle of the night and moved them to the Motor City where they became the Detroit Wheels.

Franchise Outlook- While this team’s resume is incredibly impressive, they still have not been able to bring home a championship. Hurlers Ebeneezer Miller and Frank Matsui head up their formidable pitching staff and the lineup is led by Wiki Ramirez and Lorenzo Sanchez. This, however, has still not been enough to push them over the hump to a championship. Unfortunately, there minor league system is not loaded with talent. This leaves a big question mark about the future of this franchise. How will afeigenb get this team to walk away from a World Series a winner? Time will tell, and hopefully for his sake and the sake of his fans he will find a way…because noone ever remembers who lost the World Series.

#5 - Las Vegas Dealers

Las Vegas Dealers (AL) TheCoach21 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 68

Cumulative Record: 670-464

Playoff Achievements: Wild Card Berth (S6, S7 & S8); Division Title (S1, S2, S3 & S5); Division Championship Series Winner (S2, S7); League Championship Winner (2); World Series Champion (S2)

Best Season Record: Season 5 (106-56)

Worst Season Record: Season 4 (89-73)

Franchise History- This franchise started out in the Great Northwest as the Tacoma Starbucks. They started out dominantly as one of the best teams in the American League. They had a 104-58 in Season 1 and won the AL West but were unexpectedly swept out of the DCS by the San Juan Warlords. The team was sold to TheCoach21 before Season 2 and renamed the Las Vegas Dealers. The Dealers coasted to a 100 win season and a World Series victory in TheCoach21’s first year. They defeated the Salem Witch Hunters in the Series 4 games to 1. The Coach found similar success in the following years, but none like his first year at the helm. In Season 3, the Dealers won the AL West but were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Baltimore Orioles. In Season 4, the Dealers slipped and did not make the playoffs at all. In Season 5, they won the AL West again but again were beaten in the second round. That would be the last year to date they would win the division. In each year since they have secured a Wild Card berth and had some success in the playoffs. Season 7 saw them make the ALCS where they were swept by the San Juan Warlords.

Franchise Outlook- The Dealers major league squad has some serious talent. The bats are led by sluggers Ken McInerney and Manny Lewis and the pitching staff is led by Harry Hendrickson, Max Renteria and Victor Prieto. The one thing the Dealers lack though, is youth. Three of the Dealers top pitcher are 31 or older and 15 out of 25 on the major league roster are at least 30. This means there will have to be some major changes in Las Vegas for this team to keep its second place spot in the AL West. The Dealers has drafted some young talent that is currently in the minors, including players Kirt Turner and Corban Rolls. Ichiro Kojima and Wiki Santos are International Prospects currently in the minors that show some promise as well. However, the 4 players I just mentioned will not even begin to fill the holes that will be in the Las Vegas lineup over the next few years. If TheCoach21 wants to remain competitive, he is going to have to find a way to fill his holes…the writers at GSPN think that Jumbo Dong might be just the right fit…

# 6 - Honolulu Monk Seals

Honolulu Monk Seals (AL) nadawg77 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 49

Cumulative Record: 675-459

Playoff Achievements: Wild Card Berth (S1, S2 & S5); Division Title (S4, S6 & S7); Division Championship Series Winner (S6)

Best Season Record: Season 6 (115-47)

Worst Season Record: Season 3 (80-82)

Franchise History- The human drama of competition…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…In our #6 ranked franchise, we have a team that has experienced a fair amount of both. The Honolulu Monk Seals are another one of the original and most storied franchises in Glavine300. They are also the winningest franchise in Glavine300 history in the regular season (675-459). It is the postseason where they stumble. In Seasons 1 & 2, they secured a Wild Card berth in the American League but were defeated in the DCS. Season 3, they posted their only losing record (80-82) and also failed to make the playoffs for the only time in their history. Season 4 saw them declare themselves the “class of the American League” and win the AL West for the first time. They faltered, however, in the first round of the playoffs. In Season 5, they entered the playoffs with their third Wild Card berth but were swept out of the DCS by the Baltimore Orioles. The following year, they won the AL West with a dominant 115-47 record and marched to the ALCS without losing a game. Their progress was quickly halted by the Baltimore Orioles again, who swept them out of the playoffs for a second year in a row. Season 7 saw another dominant year, 110-52 and another AL West Championship. Yet again, they faltered in the postseason, getting swept out of the DCS by the Las Vegas Dealers.

Franchise Outlook- The future looks pretty bright for the Monk Seals, they have consistently been one of the most competitive teams in Glavine300. They will, however, need to keep improving if they want to make the move from a playoff team to a champion. They have some serious talent on their major league squad. Veteran Ace Douglas Hunter leads up their pitching staff while hurler Raul DeLeon represents the new regime of arms in Honolulu. They also have some strong young bats on the team too. Julio Pena, Glendon Carter, Javier James and Melvin Zhang are all dynamite and under 30 years old. The Monk Seals also have some future talent in the minors, including potential Ace Samuel Cannon and slugging Catcher Theo Wynn who should be on the major league squad in the next season or two. Hopefully, for the Monk Seal faithful, owner nadawg77 will find the right formula to win in the postseason and produce a champion.

# 7 - Salem Witch Hunters

Salem Witch Hunters (NL) thebug715 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 48

Cumulative Record: 595-539

Playoff Achievements: Wild Card Berth (S4, S5); Division Title (S1, S2 & S3); Division Championship Series Winner (S2, S4); League Championship Winner (S2)

Best Season Record: Season 3 (99-63)

Worst Season Record: Season 6 (70-92)

Franchise History- In the Salem franchise, we have another one of the pioneers of Glavine300, thebug715. He started out strong, managing his Witch Hunters to NL West division titles in Season 1, 2 & 3. (Season 2 also saw a run all the way to the World Series where they were defeated by the Las Vegas Dealers, 4 games to 1.) Seasons 4 & 5 also saw some success; the Witch Hunters took Wild Card berths into the playoffs both years and in Season 4 the Salem team made it to the NLCS where they were edged by the Arizona Dust Devils, 4 games to 3.) Things haven’t been so kind to the Witch Hunters lately, the team has not posted a winning season since Season 5. In Season 6 they posted a paltry 70-92 record, their worst ever, and in Season 7, things were not much better. The team went 73-89 and failed to make the playoffs again.

Franchise Outlook- The Witch Hunters major league squad has a core of talent. The team’s youth movement is led by slugging third baseman, Vicente Guzman, and future star left fielder, Lazy Harris. Hurler Phillip Coleman is also a player of note. Minor League players of note are Shortstop Carl Townsend and pitchers Rob Barrett and Julian Reyes. The writers at GSPN think the Salem franchise has a good chance of returning to prominence in the NL West as well, due to good drafting. Some notable draft picks that have not already been mentioned are Vin Mangual, James Crow and Steve Hartman. It looks as if this franchise will be ok. They may have slumped the last few seasons but they will return to their winning ways soon enough. They are well managed, well run and should be a competitive force in the National League again very soon.

# 8 - Tampa Bay Flamingos

Tampa Bay Flamingos (NL) flamingojoe View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 47

Cumulative Record: 614-520

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S1, S2 & S2); Division Championship Series Winner (S1, S3); League Championship Winner (S1)

Best Season Record: Season 3 (112-50)

Worst Season Record: Season 7 (67-95)

Franchise History- The Tampa Bay franchise started out in Memphis as the Mancs and they started out strong. In Season 1 they went 108-54, won the AL South, won the DCS, defeated the Buffalo Nanucrons in the NLCS but couldn’t bring the Title back to Memphis. They were defeated in the Season 1 World Series by the San Juan Warlords, 4 games to 2. Season 2 saw another dominant year; the team went 106-56 and won their division again but were defeated in the second round of the playoffs. The team was sold in Season 3 and went through a series of ownership changes over the next few years. In Season 3 they became the El Paso Spicy Queso, they were successful in El Paso, going 112-50, winning NL South and making it all the way to the NLCS where they were defeated by the Arizona Dust Devils. In Season 4 they became the Kansas City Kings and had a terrible season (68-94). In Season 5, they became the Santa Fe Habanero and posted a paltry record of 78-84. They finally found an owner and a home in Season 6. The team was bought by flamingojoe and moved to Tampa Bay. They were named the Flamingos and have stayed ever since. Though they have not had much success in their new home, the players and coaching staff are happy that at least they have one.

Franchise Outlook- This team has some young talent on it. Team Leaders Arnold Lara, Vin Jacquez and Marty Rodgers are all well under 30 and have bright futures. The team has drafted relatively well too, with young stars like Victor Wilkins, Shawn Radlosky and Felix Durbin in their minor league system right now. The Flamingos will have to do some serious work to make it back to the World Series, but with the young core they have, the future is looking bright for this franchise.

# 9 - Nashville Posse

Nashville Posse (AL) dennisdee View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 43.5

Cumulative Record: 628-506

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S2, S3); Division Title (S1, S4 & S5); Division Championship Series Winner (S1)

Best Season Record: Season 4 (101-61)

Worst Season Record: Season 1 (79-83)

Franchise History- With the # 9 ranked franchise, we have one of the pioneers of Glavine 300. Dennisdee is one of a handful of owners who has been around since Season 1. The Posse started in Santa Fe and spent Seasons 1-4 there. These were successful years for the Posse. In Season 1, they won 101 games and the AL South Division Title. They also won the DCS, but were defeated by the San Juan Warlords in the ALCS 4 games to 1. Seasons 2 and 3 saw them making the playoffs with a Wildcard Berth but not really making any waves in the postseason. In Season 4 they won the AL South again but were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. After Season 4, the team moved to Music City, where they kept the same name and had similar success in Season 5. They won the AL South again, but were knocked out again in the first round. This would be the last time they made the postseason to date. Season 6 saw a decline in production out of the Posse, they went 85-77 and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in the history of the franchise. In Season 7 they were even worse, posting their first ever losing season at 79-83.

Franchise Outlook- This franchise looks as if they have slowly deteriorated over time. Their best year was their inaugural season and they have failed to relive that success to date. The team is lead by SS Patrick O'Donnell and youngster Andrew Gload, who are both good players. What the team lacks is a formidable pitching staff and in all reality, unless they get better pitching, they won’t compete in the American League. There are some bright spots in the minors, including Clay Linton and Rod Thompson but again, these are position players. What the Posse needs is arms. Hopefully dennisdee will address this issue as the AL South is a tough division and it will take some work to get to the top of it again.

# 10 - St. Louis Aristocrats

St. Louis Aristocrats (NL) mattjmiller View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 41

Cumulative Record: 645-489

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S4, S7); Division Title (S5, S6); Division Championship Winner (S5)

Best Season Record: Season 4 (107-55)

Worst Season Record: Season 1 (65-97)

Franchise History- This team started out in the Great Northwest as the Seattle Sexy Girls. They found no success in Seattle, putting up the franchise’s worst ever record of 65-97. After Season 1, the team was sold to bpdelia and moved to Helena where they became the Camp Disappointments. This is where the franchise found their first taste of success. They steadily improved, behind Danny Cummings, getting better every year until they made the playoffs for the first time in Season 4. Seasons 4, 5 & 6 were impressive years for the Helena Franchise. They won over 100 games each year securing two division titles and winning the Division Championship in Season 5. The end of Season 6 saw the departure of Helena’s ace, Danny Cummings, it also saw a sharp decline in Helena’s success. The team went 91-71 in Season 7 and secured a wildcard berth but was not nearly the contender that it had been with their ace. After Season 7, a heartbroken bpdelia sold the team to mattjmiller. The team was moved to St. Louis and renamed the Aristocrats. Dejected owner bpdelia was arrested and is currently serving time in Puerto Rican prison for stalking Danny Cummings.

Franchise Outlook- The Aristocrats are a team in need of some help. The Major League Squad is led by All Star Veteran Rico Estrada and new comer Nigel Yang but the team struggles in the area of pitching. Their best pitcher is arguably 38 year old Socks Ferrelll who can’t have much left in the tank. There is also a serious lack of talent in the minor leagues. If this team is going to return to the glory they once had under bpdelia’s leadership, they are going to need some major pitching help moving forward. Not every team can have a Danny Cummings, but this team will have to make some moves if they want to stay on top of the heap in the NL West.

# 11 - Cincinnati Knights

Cincinnati Knights (NL) Sonofodin52 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 36

Cumulative Record: 579-555

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S2, S3, S4, & S5); Division Championship Winner (S2)

Best Season Record: Season 2 (89-73)

Worst Season Record: Seasons 1 & 7 (77-85)

Franchise History- This franchise started out in the City of Brotherly Love…no…not San Francisco…Philadelphia. They were the Isotopes, played there for one season and posted a franchise worst record (77-85). The team was sold after their inaugural season to Sonofodin52, move to Richmond and renamed the Knights. They then went on a tear…winning the NL East for the next 4 seasons in a row and winning the DCS in Season 2. Season 6 saw the beginning of a decline for the Knights as they slipped out of playoff contention. They have not returned since. The team moved from Richmond to Cincinnati after Season 7.

Franchise Outlook- The Outlook for the Cincinnati Knights is not too great. Only 3 members of the major league squad are under 27 years old. They have some talent in the minors, including Draft Choices, Peter Milton and Charles Bland, but for the most part, this is a team that will face some concerns in the next several seasons. Some of the Knights best players will have to be replaced in the next 3-5 years, so the Knights will have to find a way to fill in the spots left by those players. Sonofodin52 is not active in the International Market, so the next few years will have to be key drafting years or the Knights will have to make some important free agent signing if the team wants to return to rule the NL East.

# 12 - Atlanta Vipers

Atlanta Vipers (NL) viperxx79 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

#12 Atlanta Vipers

Franchise Power Points: 35.5

Cumulative Record: 602-529

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S2, S5); Division Title (S4, S6 & S7)

Best Season Record: Season 2 (97-65)

Worst Season Record: Season 1 (71-91)

Franchise History- To begin the story of this franchise, we must look to the old Dust Bowl…Oklahoma…the franchise started in Oklahoma’s capital as the Sooners. They stayed for one year in the Sooner State, putting together a 71-91 record. The team was quickly sold and moved to sunny Georgia where they became the Atlanta Traffic Jamz. The team had minor success as the Jamz, taking a wildcard spot and posting a franchise best record (97-65) in Season 2. In between Seasons 3 & 4, team owner mileininger sold the team when his son was disqualified from the National Spelling Bee for spelling all of the words that ended in the letter “s” with the letter “z”. When asked why he made this ridiculous blunder, the youngster clearly placed the blame on his father saying, “That’z the way my dad alwayz taught me to do thingz and what my dad sayz, goez.” Mileininger retired from baseball to home school his children. The team was bought by viperxx79 , stayed in Atlanta and was renamed the Viperz…oh…excuse me…the Vipers. The Vipers quickly found success and have made the playoffs every year under their new ownership.

Franchise Outlook- This team is loaded with young talent. Albert Barrios, Ronnie Parkinson, Tony Mercado, Carlos Leon and Shannon Cortes are just some members of the youth movement in Atlanta. There are some young stars in the minors too, including hurlers Earl Coleman and Mel Edwards. As long as the Vipers can continue to draft well and replace their aging veterans, they should continue to be a power house in the NL South for many seasons to come.

# 13 - Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins (AL) 100mark View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 34.5

Cumulative Record: 558-576

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S4, S5 & S6) Division Championship Series Winner (S5)

Best Season Record: Season 5 (104-58)

Worst Season Record: Season 2 (47-115)

Franchise History - The Pittsburgh Penguins franchise has a history of mixed results. This franchise has spent time as a serious contender in the AL and also has spent time as one of the laughing stocks of the AL. The franchise started out in Detroit as the Vipers and spent two laughable seasons in the basement of the AL North posting 100+ loss seasons both years. They were acquired by cincysteve in Season 3 and a serious rebuilding project began. They spent Season 3 in Pawtucket as the Amish Electricians but couldn’t keep the lights on, so after one season they packed their bags and moved to Toledo. Under the moniker, War Kittens, this franchise found their first taste of success. They recorded their first ever winning season (92-70) in Season 4 and won the AL North. They dominated the AL North in Seasons 5 & 6 too taking the Division Title in both of those seasons and winning the DCS in Season 5 after posting an impressive 104 win season. Before Season 7 cincysteve unexplainably sold the team and left town. The town was purchased by 100mark, move to Pittsburgh and renamed the Penguins. They were able to have a winning season in Season 7 but were unable to make the playoffs.

Franchise Outlook - The Penguins are the force to be reckoned with in the AL North. They are the favorite to win the AL North this year and are tough competitor for any team that faces them. They are led by free agent acquisition Julio Medrano and aging vet Felipe Arias. Pitchers Sparky Salmon and Dick Creek are also notable hurlers in the Penguins’ rotation. With relatively weak draft picks in the minors and a lack of star International Prospect signings, the Penguins will have to make some moves in the near future to stay on top of the AL North. They have some quality aging players on their team that will have to be replaced. It will be interesting to see what they do in order to stay competitive.

# 14 - Charlotte Greener Pastures

Charlotte Greener Pastures (AL) JIMMYOF View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 31.5

Cumulative Record: 601-533

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S3, S4 & S5), Division Title (S1)

Best Season Record: Season 1 (99-63)

Worst Season Record: Season 7 (71-91)

Franchise History - The Charlotte franchise started out in Burlington Vermont as the Screams. In Season 1 they jumped out to an early start, posting an 85-77 record and winning the AL East. In Season 2 they posted a similar record (83-79) but failed to make the playoffs. In Season 3 the team was sold to new owner JIMMYOF. Jimmy quickly made some moves to make his franchise, the Greener Pastures, more competitive. The most important of these moves was the acquisition of Cy Young Winner Wayne Stratton in a trade with the Salt Lake City JAZZ. Stratton and crew then went on a 3 year run of contention. In Season 3 they won a wildcard berth (#6) but were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Las Vegas Dealers. In Season 4 they made another run for it going 99-63 (their best ever record) and securing the #5 spot in the playoffs. They were swept again, this time by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round. In Season 5, the Greener Pastures made their final run to date. They secured the #6 wildcard spot and were taken out in the first round by the Toledo War Kittens. The Greener Pastures’ lack of playoff success caused serious heartburn for owner JIMMYOF and in Season 7, he had a complete meltdown, trading off some of his best players including pitching ace Wayne Stratton and players Mark Wanatabe, Ray Orosco and Jose Sosa. The Greener Pastures…and Jimmy…have never been the same. GSPN reports that JIMMYOF is often seen late at night walking the streets of Charlotte alone weeping and muttering to himself about how much better of a pitcher Wayne Stratton is than Jumbo Cruz . It is also reported that he still sleeps with a life-size inflatable Wayne Stratton doll. The writers at GSPN find this last piece of news to be a little bit creepy.

Franchise Outlook- Now that JIMMYOF has realized that his former Wayne Stratton glory days are a thing of the past, he can go about the process of rebuilding. The 8^th overall pick in this year’s Amateur Draft should help that process. Perhaps picking a big bat this year will help their relatively inept offense. (Only Cleveland has scored less runs in the AL this year.) Tyler Taylor, Apollo Cummings and B.C. Lopez are some of tomorrow’s stars in Charlotte. It looks, however, that JIMMYOF is going to have to make some serious moves in the next few seasons to return this team to contention.

#15 - Cleveland Steamers

Cleveland Steamers (AL) v0kal View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 30

Cumulative Record: 537-597

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S1, S2 & S3)

Best Season Record: Season 1 (100-62)

Worst Season Record: Season 7 (24-138)

Franchise History- Some may wonder how on Earth it is that the Cleveland Steamers landed this far up on GSPN’s Franchise Power Ranking list. When crunching the numbers, the writers at GSPN asked themselves the very same thing. Just last year, the Steamers posted the absolute worst showing in Glavine300 history…a pitiful 24-138. Recently, they have certainly lived up to their name…though the steaming pile they have left is not on their opponents but on the hearts of the children of the city of Cleveland. Those little fans who have had their highest hopes dashed and who probably cry themselves to sleep every night because their beloved baseball team is the laughing stock of the entire league. In every other household of every other baseball city in America, Canada and Puerto Rico…no matter how their team fares…fathers pat their sons on the head and say “At least we don’t live in Cleveland”. In order to see why this franchise has made it this far up on the list, we must look into the past…all the way back to Season 1. This team started as the original Trenton Toll Booths. Owned by bobkordecki (who now owns a team by the same name in the NL East) this team came out very strong. They won the AL North in Seasons 1, 2 & 3 posting 100-62, 95-67 and 87-75 records respectively. The team however, was never able to make it into the later rounds of the playoffs and seeing their record slowly decline; bobkordecki sold the team off and disappeared after Season 4. The team was bought by v0kal, who inherited a mess of overpaid, underperforming, aging veterans. He tried to make it work with what he had but was unable to put a winning team onto the field. Realizing that things were not working, he completely dismantled his team through trades, waiving and letting free agents walk away until there was no one left. He then proceeded to set every record in the book in Season 7 as the worst team in baseball history.

Franchise Outlook- The writers at GSPN have looked carefully at this anomaly of a team to find out exactly what happened and in v0kal’s defense, he certainly inherited a mess. Bobkordecki made quite a few signings in his first few years at the helm and many of them were bad. He then up and left the team…and left it a bit of a mess for someone else to clean up. (One can only hope, for the league’s sake, he does not repeat this with his new NL team.) Players were overpaid for their value and v0kal inherited several bad contracts. Put this together with some bad decisions he made on his own and he had quite a mess in Cleveland early on. It seems as though he has started to right the ship for the future of this franchise. He got rid of a couple of players that were all stars, but were a waste of money (and talent) on a team that wasn’t ready to compete yet. He got prospects out of those deals and has made some key moves to bring young guys into the fold. He scored big in the Rule 5 this year, grabbing J.P. Marichal with the first overall pick, he has also signed stud left fielder Jorge Velazquez and young pitcher Rigo Gonzalez in the International Market this year. Add this to the 1^st and 12^th overall picks in this year’s Amateur Draft and a smattering of young talent in the minors and it looks as though in the not too distant future, the Cleveland Steamers can expect to win many more than 24 games.

# 16 - Florida Fuego

Florida Fuego (AL) chunkym View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 29.5

Cumulative Record: 617-517

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S6 & 7)

Best Season Record: Season 7 (106-56)

Worst Season Record: Season 1 (76-86)

Franchise History- Chunkym is yet another one of the pioneers of Glavine300, he helped found the league and has put a consistently competitive (and improving) product on the field down in Florida. Season 1 has been their only losing season, they went 76-86. From there they have slowly but consistently improved. They hovered in the 82-85 win range from Season 2 to Season 5 and broke out in Season 6, posting a 99-63 record and taking the AL South. They got even better in Season 7 when they went 106-56 and won their division for the second time in a row.

Franchise Outlook- Expectations are high in Florida. The Fuego are a team loaded with talent, heading up the pitching staff is Cy Young winner Wayne Stratton and two time All Star Pedro Estrella. Young up and comers include Shortstop Omar Limon and Second Basemen F.P. Shelby and Charlie Becker. There is some talent in the minors too, including pitchers Alton Allen and Tim Kashmir. With the ability to bring these young players up to replace the aging veterans, the Fuego look like they are going to be a hot team for years to come.

# 17 - Montreal Ice

Montreal Ice (NL) nosirrommij2 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 29.5

Cumulative Record: 596-538

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S3 & 7); Division Title (S6)

Best Season Record: Season 3 (95-67)

Worst Season Record: Season 1 (78-84)

Franchise History- In Montreal, we have another one of the founding member of Glavine300, Nosirrommij2, or as his fans lovingly call him, Mr. Mojo Risin brought the team to Montreal at the inception of the league. They started out mediocre and consistently got better, posting their franchise best in Season 3 and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They sunk back into mediocrity in Season 4 and 5 until they were able to Break on Through (to the other side) again in Season 6 when they won the NL North. Last year they were able to make the playoffs again with a wildcard berth. They are hoping that last year isn’t The End of their playoff experience.

Franchise Outlook- Strange Days have found the Montreal Ice, they’re going to destroy their casual joys if they cannot continue their recent success. The team is led by veteran Center Fielder Cap Jefferies and young bullpen Ace Esteban Tavarez. The rest of the major league squad is a nice mix of young players, veterans and Unknown Soldiers. The attitude in the clubhouse is one of a team that has Been Down So Long that it is their time to Take It As It Comes and dominate the NL North. There is some talent at the minor league level including minor league Shortstop Vic Eusebio and Third basemen Marshall Walbeck. With guys like this in the minors and their balance at the major league level, the citizens of Montreal now spend their winters Waiting for the Sun, not just because it means summer is coming…because it also means they have a playoff potential baseball team to watch.

# 18 - Syracuse Fade to Black

Syracuse Fade to Black (NL) longdayintro View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 29

Cumulative Record: 539-595

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S6 & 7); Division Championship Series Winner (S6)

Best Season Record: Season 6 (92-70)

Worst Season Record: Season 2 (58-104)

Franchise History- In the Fade to Black we have another of the originally owned franchises. The Up-staters had trouble finding success at first, not recording their first winning year until Season 5. Things have gotten better since. In season 6, they won the NL East and advanced to the NLCS where they were defeated by the San Francisco Zodiac 4 games to 1. Season 7 found similar success; the Black won the division again but only made it to the Divisional Round where they were defeated again by the San Francisco Zodiac, 3 games to 1.

Franchise Outlook- Things aren’t looking to good for the Fade to Black these days. Their owner, longdayintro, who has cultivated this franchise from a laughing stock into a contender over the past seven seasons has been missing since July 14^th. His picture can be seen on the side of Byrne Dairy milk cartons on breakfast tables all over the Syracuse area and police haven’t given up on the search. The writers at GSPN magazine send our condolences to the family and the players and sincerely hope nothing bad has befallen him. His absence has been catastrophic for the team; top player J.P. Marichal was lost in the Rule 5 draft due to his lack of protection. Spring Training has also been all but wasted due to the lack of leadership in Syracuse. This is a ship without a captain. Unless longdayintro is found, the fans of Syracuse may never see that World Series Trophy they have been dreaming about. They know all too well if the team is taken over by another owner, the chances of their beloved Fade to Black staying in Syracuse is slim to none.

# 19 - Washington D.C. Snipers

Washington D.C. Snipers (AL) dunndada View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 27.5

Cumulative Record: 590-544

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S4); Division Championship Series Winner (S4)

Best Season Record: Season 4 (90-72)

Worst Season Record: Season 6 (79-83)

Franchise History - Beantown was the original home of this franchise, playing out of Fenway Park as the Boston Boppers. They were unimpressive, posting three mediocre seasons and failing to make the playoffs. The highlight of the team’s tenure in Boston was the selection of power hitter Dean Wells with the 51st overall pick in the Season 1 Amateur Draft. The end of Season 3 saw the lights go out in Fenway as the team was bought by dunndada and moved to Washington D.C. Originally monikered the Crackhead Mayors, the D.C. franchise came out swinging. They took the #6 seed in the playoffs in Season 4 and in true Cinderella story fashion, made it all the way to the ALCS. Unfortunately for them, the glass slipper didn’t fit and they were knocked out in the League Championship Series. Season 5 saw an inability for the team (now the Snipers) to return to their former glory; they went 84-78 and missed the playoffs by 4 games. Season 6 was a whole different story…the Snipers started out worse than they ever have in Franchise History. They went 2-18 in their first 20 games and simply could not put wins together…and then the meltdown came…the Snipers’ absolute inability to win caused owner, dunndada, to have a nervous breakdown. In a fit of fury he traded the Snipers two best players, Don Lee and Douglas Hunter to the Baltimore Orioles and Honolulu Monk Seals respectively. With Season 6 a wash, they tried to play respectable baseball but finished with a 79-83 record which was certainly short of team expectation. Season 7 saw a return to the teams winning ways, they finished 87-75 but, yet again, were unable to secure a playoff spot.

Franchise Outlook - The Snipers are a mixed bag, they have some young talent heading up their major league squad, including power hitting DH Dean Wells and pitcher Marco Person. The problem is age, half of the roster is over 30…this means that there will have to be serious turnover if this team is going to stay competitive. They have some talent in the minors, including CF Willie Cruz, SS Max Bennett and pitchers Ralph Collier and Parker Stratton. Mix this in with some good drafting and the Snipers should be able to compete in one of the most brutal divisions in the league.

# 20 - Dover Delaware Destroyers

Dover Delaware Destroyers (AL) canesfan4369 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 27.5

Cumulative Record: 588-546

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S6); Division Title (S7)

Best Season Record: Season 7 (93-69)

Worst Season Record: Season 5 (66-96)

Franchise History - In the Delaware franchise we have a team on the rise, this team has consistently gotten better over the last several seasons. They started out as the Hartford Harpons with a 79-83 one and done season. In Seasons 2 and 3 they moved to Dover for the first time as the Chicken Haulers and recorded two winning seasons even though they didn’t make the playoffs. In between Seasons 3 & 4 the team was bought by canesfan4369. He has retained ownership of the team but has moved them several times. In Seasons 4, 5 & 6 the hailed out of St. Louis as the Buds and played competitively, securing a wildcard berth in Season 6. They became the Milwaukee High Life and took the AL North in Season 7, registering a 93-69 record. Season 8 finds them back in Dover, hailing as the Delaware Destroyers with their home base at Watkins Field.

Franchise Outlook - The reigning AL North champs have some talent. All Stars Kenneth Steele, Cookie Otanez and Gaylord Glass lead the team. Their most celebrated player in the minors is Catcher Deivi Goya. Even though they traded away their first pick in the draft this year to sign a Free Agent, the Delaware Destroyers look like a strong contender in the AL North.

#21 - El Paso Pack Mules

El Paso Pack Mules (NL) luisemilio View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 25

Cumulative Record: 536-598

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S1); Division Title (S5)

Best Season Record: Season 5 (91-71)

Worst Season Record: Season 3 (48-114)

Franchise History - This NL South franchise came out in Season 1 both guns blazing as the San Antonio River Stumblers. They took one of the wildcards and but were quickly shot down in the playoffs. In Season 2, under new ownership, they moved to St. Louis renamed themselves the Kings and put up a laughable season. Broken and dejected they were bought by luisemilio and moved back to Texas to try and find their Season 1 playoff glory. They moved to the red hot El Paso, TX and named their team the Pack Mules…causing many other league owners to ask themselves, “What are those Mules packing, anyway?” After a franchise worst 48-114 run in Season 3, the pack Mules have slowly been on the rise. Taking the NL South in Season 5 and registering winning records in Seasons 6 & 7. Luisemilio was under investigation by the league regarding where he was secured his funds to build the state of the art new stadium in El Paso. People have speculated, that he chose a city so close to the border because the Pack Mules aren’t the only mules that he has running for him.

Franchise Outlook - The Mules are a nice mix of young talent and veteran leadership. Players like Bart Rusch, Ken Lowe, Andy Rosen and F.P. Peterson head up the roster. The one thing that the Mules desperately need is pitching depth, they have a couple of decent pitchers on staff but need to add more depth in order to be a serious threat. They have some serious talent in the minors (Jocko Patterson, James Dransfeldt) but again lack that depth at pitching to make them a serious powerhouse in the NL. The good news is that a couple of moves could put the Pack Mules into serious contention.

# 22 - Kansas City Mickey Mice

Kansas City Mickey Mice (AL) gomiami1972 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 22.5

Cumulative Record: 555-579

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S2)

Best Season Record: Season 2 (92-70)

Worst Season Record: Season 7 (69-93)

Franchise History - This franchise started out as the Huntington Hammerheads. They fared relatively well in their tenure there, providing winning seasons in two out of four years and winning the AL East in Season 2. Since the sale of the Huntington franchise in Season 5, they have not been able to find a suitable home. They have changed cities and owners every year representing the AL East as the Columbus Buckeyes, New York New York (Bronx), New York New Age Dynasty (Queens) and this year as the Kansas City Mickey Mice. The changes in scenery have not been a recipe for success as the team has never revisited the success it had in Huntington. Their last winning season was in Season 3.

Franchise Outlook - Young Short Stop Pepper Lamb leads the major league squad. Aside from him and a few other young players, this team lacks major league talent. What they do have is the 7th, 21st, 28th, 40th and 46th picks in this year’s Amateur Draft. Combine this with minor league stars Daniel Craddock, Peter Tatum and Clyde Hunter and the Mickey Mice could possibly be the Cinderella story of the AL East.