Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Pittsburgh NABA Team Previews. Western Conference Finalists: Hebrew Oilers, & Warriors

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League News.
For those who don't know yet,
Drastic rule changes have been implemented for the 2009 season.
Everyone will make the playoffs.
There is no limit on innings pitched per week during the regular season.

Here is my solid proposal for an everyone makes the playoffs format,

The best part of everyone making the playoffs, is that it should lead to more playing time for bench players.
The downside is some crap team with one good pitcher can get lucky in a one-game playoff before losing to in a 3 game series.

The no innings limit benefits teams who don't have depth at pitching.

The Gray Bats could not be happier.

(look at that ecstatic twinkle in the one functioning eye)


Where were these rules two years ago when South Oakland had one good pitcher and played everyone on the roster and lost a shit-load of games?

Whatever, in a way I like the move towards a more recreational atmosphere, especially as the players get better, and the quality of play rises, as it most certainly has and will continue to do, it's really not a big deal.
The Ducks voted against this addendum.
The baseball will be more intense because the product will be better.

The cream will still rise to the top.

There will be less bullshit as a result, no proposals to throw games in order to keep teams out of the playoffs.


(No room for Shoeless Joe in the hall? no room for this joke of a human being. If every team in the NL West made the playoffs, it would have made betting on his own team a lot harder, if not pointless. Every game he didn't bet on his team was logically a bet against them. Worse than steroids. )





On to the previews.

The Hebrew Oilers:
Last season: 2nd place Allegheny Conference, lost in ACCS to Warriors 2-0.

The Warriors swept the Oilers in convincing fashion in the Allegheny Conference Finals last season.
Then Roy Hobbs went to the NY Knights, and Wayne Gretzky signed with the LA Kings.

2008 PItcher of the year, Jason Ashcroft is no longer an Oiler, but apparently they picked up some guy from the Rakers, who will take his spot at the top of the rotation.



Last year the Ducks beat the Oilers 15-0 when they threw their number two starter, but when Ashcroft pitched in an early season matchup, South Oakland lost 3-2 on a bloop single in the bottom of the seventh.
Jason is a difference maker.


He won the innagural game of the Pittsburgh Blues, pitching a complete game 4-3 victory over the Lancaster Illusion in D.C. last summer.
He threw a no-hitter against teh Bulldogs in the Campbells Conference Wild Card Game
He's moving east to become a dentist or something.
Godspeed, Jason.

(Props to the Oilers for the The Natural refernce in their name)

There's no way their new ace is as good as Ashcroft.
This could be bad news for the Oil.

(and the Campbell's Conference reference in their logo)

They are pretty solid up the middle, their shortstop hits homeruns at a Kenny-Raylian rate, I think he led the league last year.
Their catcher can hit, and they have a couple Asian players, one is significantly better than the other, but I forget which one.
Im sure they got better in the draft.

This team has traditionally been really bad, but they made a drastic improvement last season.
The Allegeheny is basicaly the Warriors and everyone else, so they will battle the Bulldogs for second.



The Ducks will probably play the Oilers once this seaosn, so that's one loss for them right off the bat.

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The Wheeler Warriors
Last Season: Allegheny Division Champions
lost Championship 2-1 to Owlz

creepy

This movie titled "The Warriors" is sweet.

I haven't read the book. it is appaently a video game now too.
The movie is alluded to by The Wu-Tang Clan in this song.
listen for it, ODB is on it.
36 Chambers is one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.

This should be the Warriors' logo









I give the Warriors all the credit in the world, for breaking down societal barriers and becoming the first team with an openly gay couple as co-managers.

(Steve and Jason, comiserate after a tough loss to the Owlz in the Championship.)

Craig Boley is having shoulder surgery, may miss some time, he was kind enough to give us a few words about the upcoming Warriors' season.
He's anxious to get back on the field.



These guys have had the same core group of fundamentally sound, solid players for five years.
They keep adding pitching, that's why they win 80% of their games.
Basically how it works is they get one or two dominant pitchers, who barely break the minimum innings pitched necessary to be added to the playoff roster, then you face them in the playoffs, and your more surprised, confused, and hurt than that time when you woke up next to a dude after a night of blackout drinking.
Unless you're the Owlz then you're ready for it.


Last year the Warriors to the Owlz in the finals on the last at bat.
They beat the Ducks 7-4 or something.


Their head coach makes a lot of enemies, some people think he's a dick, they could just be homophobic.

Rumors floating around the fall-ball circut, (and we know how reliable they are) had overbaugh and doyle going to the Oilers, this would shift some of the balance of power.
Due to this the Oilers were going to be my sleeper team to lose in the finals, but Ashcroft is gone, so if I had to pick one team in this conference to unseat the Warriors, I like the Bulldogs. If anyone can do it these guys can.




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Keep reading, both of you, for the next round of NABA Team Previews featuring the defending champion OwlZ, and the Black Sox.


Followed by the 2009 South Oakland Ducks preview.

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Quack.