# 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.

# 23 - Philadelphia WatchDawgs

Philadelphia WatchDawgs (NL) rockydawg07 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 22

Cumulative Record: 577-557

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S2)

Best Season Record: Season 2 (89-73)

Worst Season Record: Season 7 (76-86)

Franchise History - “Well, look out folks, we have a winner!”…we have finally arrived at a franchise with a winning record. This franchise started in Madison as the (Red) Menace and posted a one and done season at 77-85. They quickly moved to Philadelphia and became the Revolution when they were bought by owner armymp in Season 2. Armymp managed them well, posting 4 consecutive winning seasons and secured the team a wildcard berth in Season 2. Armymp was forced to sell the team in Season 6 when his true identity was discovered. It turns out that millionaire baseball owner was merely a secret identity for armymp and he was moonlighting as Philadelphia’s masked crusader…“Freedom Boy”…after his identity was revealed it was impossible for him to maintain the team. He can still be seen on the rooftops of Philadelphia at night, fighting the forces of evil. The team was sold to rockydawg07 and stayed in the City of Brotherly Love, being renamed the WatchDawgs. They have struggled lately to maintain their success, enduring their first losing season since Season 1 last year.

Franchise Outlook - This team has some talent, they are led by stud pitcher Vicente Reyes and young Center Fielder John Wanatabe. International Free Agent Brian Gao and draft pick Olmedo Romo also head up the franchise. With a mostly youthful team and the 11th pick in this year’s draft, the WatchDawgs should be back to their winning ways in no time…and they better be…Freedom Boy is watching…

#24 - Trenton Toll Booths

Trenton Toll Booths (NL) bobkordecki View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 21

Cumulative Record: 521-613

Playoff Achievements: Division Title (S1)

Best Season Record: Season 7 (83-79)

Worst Season Record: Season 3 (68-94)

Franchise History - The history of this franchise starts in the Big Apple…New York City. The team was the Meteors, hailing out of Queens. They made their first and only playoff appearance in Season 1, taking the NL East with a losing record (80-82). They were knocked out in the first round and have never returned. The Meteors stayed a little worse than mediocre through Season 5 until they were sold to warswics. They stayed in Flushing Meadow in Season 6, renaming themselves the Baseball Giants and providing the New York fans a giant disappointment. After yet another losing season, warswics pulled a Walter O’Malley, took his marbles and ran to Durham. He renamed the team the Warbulls and gave baseball ownership one more shot. He was able to provide the franchise their first ever winning season (83-79) but decided to hang it up when he fell in love with a part time model he met while having kebabs in downtown Durham. The franchise was bought by former team owner bobkordecki, who decided he wanted to bring baseball back to New Jersey. He bought the team, named them the Toll Booths and moved them to Trenton, a former site of one of the franchises we have yet to cover.

Franchise Outlook - This team has a solid young core. International Free Agent Jesus Urbina is one of the young leaders of the squad with Santos Olivo, Sherm Good and Edgardo Rosario also providing leadership roles. The team was also active in free agency, signing pitchers Don Lee and Freddy Bunning to lucrative contracts. The writers at GSPN thinks the Trenton squad can make a playoff run this year and the Toll Booth fans hope that their team will stay this time for many years to come.

#25 - New Orleans Voodoo

New Orleans Voodoo (NL) mgdtiger View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 20

Cumulative Record: 511-623

Playoff Achievements: Wildcard Berth (S1)

Best Season Record: Season 1 (90-72)

Worst Season Record: Season 7 (55-107)

Franchise History- With the New Orleans Voodoo, we have our third original owner on the list, mgdtiger. They fared best in Season 1, posting a franchise best 90-72 record and securing a #5 Wildcard seed in the NL. They were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs and have never returned. The Voodoo have gotten consistently worse over time. They have slipped from that playoff appearance in Season 1 into insignificance over the last several seasons. They have not had a winning record since Season 3 and posted their franchise worst last year (55-107).

Franchise Outlook- The writers at GSPN are confounded by the New Orleans franchise. Nothing directly points to the atrophy of this team over the past several Seasons. They have continued to draft relatively well with players like Daniel Downing, John Gibbs and Ivan Pelaez spotting the minors and also have a balanced trade history. They also have not suffered any major losses in the Rule 5 draft. Whatever the reason, the Voodoo are making strides to get back in the playoffs. They signed all-stars Paul Adams and Johnny Meyers this season and hope that those two players can provide leadership and teach the young guys on the team how to win baseball games.

#26 - Hartford Homers

Hartford Homers (AL) kj45 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 18

Cumulative Record: 532-602

Playoff Achievements: none

Best Season Record: Season 2 (91-71)

Worst Season Record: Season 7 (60-102)

Franchise History - The Hartford Homers franchise has changed hands more times than Paris Hilton’s va-jay-jay. They started out in Toronto as the Blue Jays posting an unimpressive 79-83 season. At the end of Season 1, the team was sold and moved to Hartford for the first time as the Red Sox. Under owner, mcseoin_bosx, the team posted their best ever season record of 91-71 in Season 2. They then moved to Pawtucket in Season 3 and went 79-83. In between Seasons 3 and 4 the team was sold again when former owner mcseoin_bosx had a mysterious nervous breakdown…giving up all of his worldly possessions including the team. (He can still be seen wandering around Fenway Park muttering to himself about having been a Red Sox fan his whole life.) The team was bought by larkin_11, moved to Cincinnati and renamed the Redlegs where they posted three unimpressive seasons. Season 7 saw another change for this franchise when they were bought by former corn magnate nesman. Nesman had heard a faint whisper when working in his corn fields…a whisper that softly stated…”If you build it, they will come”…so nesman did. He built a stadium, bought the team, moved them to Iowa City and named them the Farmers…no one came…and the team was awful. The team went 60-102 and had a terrible time selling tickets. Apparently the fine folks of Iowa liked their corn fields much better than a baseball diamond built in the middle of them. Nesman sold the team immediately to cover his losses and went into acting…he was last seen on the big screen in a terrible film about a world made entirely of water. Season 8 sees the team back in a familiar city with familiar fans under new ownership. The citizens of Hartford are very happy to have their team back.

Franchise Outlook - The Homers have a mix of grizzly veterans and young up and comers. The major league squad is currently lead by players Ty Neal, Benito Pena and Lorenzo Sanchez. They also have some serious talent in their minor league system with players like Willie Stuart, Max Martin and Milt Lollar. Mix these with the 4th overall pick and this year’s draft and the Homers look like a team on the rise. Hopefully they have rediscovered a permanent home in Hartford and will be there for many years to come.

#27 - Colorado Waterseekers

Colorado Waterseekers (NL) goofballhell View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 16.5

Cumulative Record: 493-641

Playoff Achievements: none

Best Season Record: Season 7 (82-80)

Worst Season Record: Season 3 (60-102)

Franchise History- The Colorado Waterseekers are a team of consistency. They are the first team on our list so far that has had the same owner (goofballhell) and same city through all of our seasons in Glavine300. Unfortunately, the Waterseekers have been consistently sub-par too. They posted losing seasons every year up until last season when they won 82 games.

Franchise Outlook- One thing that the Waterseekers have done consistently well is draft. With young leaders like Brent Carillo, Horace Daal, Miller Post and Jim Robertson heading up the Major League squad and players like Cesar Padilla and Bobby Dunham in the minors; the Waterseekers are moving toward fielding a young and competitive team for many seasons to come. Their first winning season ever last year looks to be the beginning of a very bright future.

#28 - Charleston Arsenal

Charleston Arsenal (AL) acn24 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 16

Cumulative Record: 489-645

Playoff Achievements: none

Best Season Record: Season 7 (87-75)

Worst Season Record: Season 6 (57-105)

Franchise History - Durham was the original home of this franchise, under the moniker “Devil Dogs” this team spent their first 5 seasons grinding away in the AL South putting up sub-mediocre numbers. In between Seasons 5 and 6, former owner giant_dwarf was hospitalized when he realized that he, in fact, was not a giant dwarf but was merely a regular sized man. He never recovered and was forced to sell the team. The franchise headed to the Bluegrass State for a new start and under majresorter found some of their first success as a franchise. They posted their first winning season in season 7 going 87-75 but falling short of a playoff spot.

Franchise Outlook - The team is under new ownership again for Season 8. Acn24 bought the team and moved it to sunny South Carolina to try and keep up the franchise’s recent winning ways. In a recent interview with acn24, he was asked how he thought the future of the franchise looked. He replied, “I’ve got Jumbo Dong, and when you’ve got Jumbo Dong in your pocket you’re bound to win.” For his sake, he better be right.

#29 - Burlington Bombers

Burlington Bombers (NL) enforcer64 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 16

Cumulative Record: 488-646

Playoff Achievements: none

Best Season Record: Season 5 (80-82)

Worst Season Record: Season 2 (58-104)

Franchise History- With the Bombers we have the first owner on our list so far who has been with the league since its inception. Enforcer64 started this franchise in Chicago under the name Davros Destroyers posting two unimpressive Seasons (including a franchise worst) before moving the team to Burlington in Season 3. The team hasn’t found much more success in Burlington as it has yet to have a winning Season. There does not seem to be any obvious reason for the lack of production other than questionable drafting and general sub-par play.

Franchise Outlook- The Bombers should be on the rise considering their history. In the past 7 seasons, they have had 7 top 20 draft picks. Some of the young players they have brought into the system via the Amateur Draft are SS Eddie York, and pitchers Tommy Kline and Jacob Stanley. The Bombers also have the 5th overall pick in this year’s draft to secure a young stud. Hopefully, enforcer64 will be able to put the right product out on the field to secure the fans in Burlington a winning season this year.

# 30 - New Britain Codgers

New Britain Codgers (NL) RoyalOkie View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 15.5

Cumulative Record: 474-660

Playoff Achievements: none

Best Season Record: Season 6 (82-80)

Worst Season Record: Season 4 (44-118)

Franchise History - With all this talk about Mormons it seems only appropriate that the next team that we cover started in the very city where our last team ended…Salt Lake. They originated as the Jazz…and had as much trouble finding wins as a Jazzman would have finding an all night club at which to blow his horn and lay down with some easy women. The Salt Lake City Jazz started out mediocre and ended up terrible, posting the franchises worst ever record in Season 4 (44-118). After Season 4 the team was forced into auction when the former owner’s compound was raided by the FBI. Charges were filed…but that is for another article…we’re talking about baseball here. Everyone had given up on the Jazz…everyone except for RoyalOkie. He saw potential where no one else did, bought the team at auction, moved them to New Britain, CT and renamed them the Codgers. They have been on an upswing ever since…posting their first ever winning season in Season 6 (82-20) and generally moving away from disaster and toward mediocrity.

Franchise Outlook - The Codgers are on the move…when RoyalOkie bought them at auction they were one of the most hopeless teams in Glavine300. The team is led by former draft pick Clyde Blake and veteran pitcher Kennie Service with young talent Joe O'Keefe the minors waiting to get called up. With the sordid past of this franchise…up is about the only way the Codgers can go…

#31 - Salt Lake City Silver Kings

Salt Lake City Silver Kings (AL) picc818 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 13

Cumulative Record: 431-703

Playoff Achievements: none

Best Season Record: Seasons 3 & 7 (76-86)

Worst Season Record: Season 5 (45-117)

Franchise History- Here we have another team in Glavione300 that has not been able to put a winning season together. This franchise started in Tucson, Arizona as the Vultures. They showed no success at their Tucson home and if remembered correctly were abandoned in Season 1 by their owner. They were sold to owner picc818 and moved from sunny Arizona to the hills of Colorado where they became the Colorado Springs Cougars. In Seasons 3-6, the Cougars struggled to put wins together and finished in the bottom half of the AL West every year. After 4 seasons in Colorado, picc818 noticed how much time his players had been spending drowning their sorrows with “the Banquet beer” and “the Silver Bullet”. He decided if he was going to have a successful team, he needed to take them somewhere where binge drinking like that was frowned upon. So, in Season 7 he moved them to the Mormon Capital of the world, Salt Lake City. Here, the players, and their multiple wives, have all given up drinking, are active in their churches and are trying their best to put together a winning ball club.



Franchise Outlook- The future of the Silver Kings is as bright as the Angel Moroni shining his light down upon Joseph Smith. Ned Duff, Hoss Glynn and Raymond McFeely are just a few of the star prospects in the Silver Kings’ minor league system. The team is also led by stars Morgan Jorgensen, Dave Rando and Eduardo Crespo. With these players currently playing and in the minors, it is only a matter of time before Mormons all over Utah are singing the praises of the Silver Kings.

#32 Scottsdale Daddies

Scottsdale Daddies (AL) Natic_Empire View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Franchise Power Points: 11

Cumulative Record: 402-732

Playoff Achievements: none

Best Season Record: Season 6 (74-88)

Worst Season Record: Season 3 (45-117)

Franchise History- The team originated as the Vortex, hailing out of Vancouver, British Columbia. They found little success there, posting their best record in Season 1 (66-96) and the worst record in franchise history in Season 3 (45-117). The only highlight for Vancouver fans while the Vortex took up residence there was the arrival of Glavine300’s original 20 million dollar man, Henry Garcia in Season 2. After 3 fruitless seasons, the owner of the Vancouver franchise decided to go into the maple syrup business and sold off the Vortex franchise to Natic_Empire. Natic took the franchise, with their bloated contracts and barren minor league system to the desert in search for an oasis…and the Tucson Daddies were born. The new found team had similar success over the next 3 seasons, compiling their franchise best record of 74-88 in Season 6. Ticket sales were a major issue in Tucson so in Season 7 the franchise moved 120 miles up Route 10 to Scottsdale to try and find a better market. Seasons 7 and 8 found more fans for the Daddies but not more success, the team has continued to struggled to find consistency and has had a very hard time climbing out of the basement of the AL West.



Franchise Outlook - One of the benefits of being at the bottom is that you get to pick at the top…and the Daddies have certainly had their share of top picks. With players like Rule 5 pickup Derek Patterson and draft picks like Willis Simmons, Erv Lewis and Bo Park, this franchise should be able to compete very soon.

GSPN Power Rankings - Introduction

Heading into Season 8 of Glavine 300, the writers at GSPN magazine decided to take a look at the franchises of seasons past. How have they fared? What path did they take to get where they are today? Have they been successful, or one of the dogs of the league? What GSPN has come up with is a cumulative Power Ranking system. Over the next few weeks all 32 teams will be combed over and ranked based on past success…and failure. Each franchise will be ranked based on all 7 of its previous seasons…so yes…if you picked up your team in season 5…you may not like the ranking. If this is the case, our advice to you is; a.) Work to raise the ranking b.) Start your own magazine. The rankings will take place over the next few weeks as we work our way through Season 8.

At GSPN, we decided to save the best for last, so our ranking system is going to work from the bottom up. First we will be looking at the franchises who, despite their efforts, have not been able to find any success. Team abandonment, mismanagement, injuries, bad trades and poor drafting are the hallmarks of these franchises.