# 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.