| RANK |
TEAM |
COMMENTS |
| 1 |
HONG
KONG |
Gotta
give props to the defending champs, they get the
top spot in the Power Rankings. With the exception
of Weaver Series MVP Joey Hamilton all of the key
elements of the team are back this season. Can they
become the first back-to-back champions since Rio
in 04-05?. |
| 2 |
RIO
DE JANERIO |
Midseason
trades last season, including the addition of the
amazing Smokey Joe Wood, nearly catapulted the Capys
to the Roehm title. They'll have the team together
for a full season this year and they look as strong
as any team in the league. |
| 3 |
LONG
BEACH |
As
always the Lobsters will be a force to be reconed
with in the Roehm Division. They managed to hold
off Havana and Rio in a tough pennant race last
season, and it ain't gonna get any easier this year. |
| 4 |
NEW
YORK |
The
Nukes offense took a hit with the losses of Rogers
Hornsby and Manny Ramirez to retirement, but as
long as Willie Mays stays in the heart of the order
they'll be alright. |
| 5 |
JOHANNESBURG |
The
best defense a good offense. Speed kills. Either
could be the motto of the Steelmen this season.
Despite several key losses to their pitching staff
in the offseason, management decided to concentrate
on assembling a fast and lethal lineup from top
to bottom. |
| 6 |
HAVANA |
The
Cigars, like every other team in the Roehm Division,
have their work cut out for them. With so little
margin for error in the Roehm, the Cigars weak hitting
outfield may be their undoing. |
| 7 |
SICILY |
Last
season the Godfathers came painfully close to taking
the Barnes title, losing out to Hong Kong on the
last day of the season. They came out of the offseason
in fairly good shape (other than the retirement
of super-rental Lou Gehrig), and last season's disappointment
should add extra motivation this year. |
| 8 |
BOMBAY |
Whitey
Ford may never fill the shoes of his predecessor,
legendary Elephant ace Jim Palmer. However, with
no clear challenger in the Polanski Division other
than possibly Honolulu, he should fill in well enough
to help Bombay win another division title. |
| 9 |
VANCOUVER |
They're
probably good enough to win in the Polanski Division,
but unfortunately for the Mounties they're in the
Roehm Division. The season will be an overwhelming
success if they can manage to crack the top three
in the Roehm. |
| 10 |
BORA
BORA |
A
season after missing the playoffs for the first
time in twelve years, the Surfriders are probably
gonna be on the outside looking in once again this
season. Look out in a few years though, they've
got some frighteningly good pitching prospects in
the minors. |
| 11 |
HONOLULU |
The
Volcs are the only thing close to a legitimate threat
to Bombay taking the Polanski Division again this
season. Al Rosen has emerged as a potential MVP
candidate. |
| 12 |
ARGENTINA |
They're
pretty much where they've been the last few years,
just on the edge of contention. Who knows though,
an acquisition here, a key injury to a competitor
there, and the Archers could be in the thick of
things in the Polanski Division. |
| 13 |
TEHRAN |
Welcome
to life without Lou Gehrig. The good news: Their
offense should still put up decent numbers at their
hitter friendly home field. The bad news: Their
pitchers have to pitch there. |
| 14 |
MOSCOW |
Weaverball
returns to Moscow after a six year absence! Many
are expecting the Cosmonauts to increase their win
total by 5 or 10. This is based solely on the confidence
boost the players will receive from not being known
as the Port Louis Dodos anymore. |
| 15 |
TOKYO
|
Look
for the Tsunamis to make a big jump in the standings
this season. Steve Carlton joins an already solid
young pitching staff, and their lineup is vastly
improved compared to where it was at the beginning
of last season. |
| 16 |
EDMONTON
|
With
his 263 career victories, free agent acquisition
Paul Wilson has 63 more wins than the combined
total of the rest of the Orcas staff.
|
| 17 |
AMITY |
The
White Sharks fall in the Polanski Division last
season was much more dramatic than most expected.
The pickup of geriatric All-Timer Warren Spahn more
than likely will not dramatically improve their
fortunes. |
| 18 |
LOS
ANGELES |
With
the trade of Jeffrey D'Amico and Ron Wright to cross
town rival Long Beach, the Riots signaled the end
of an era. Other than closer Billy Wagner, no significant
pieces of their championship teams are left. |
| 19 |
COZUMEL |
They
traded Smokey Joe Wood. |
| 20 |
STOCKHOLM |
After
making a promising Weaverball debut in 2011 with
36 home runs and 101 RBI, Ernie Banks hasn't been
the same since suffering a season ending injury
in 2012. Here's hoping he rebounds this year. |
| 21 |
CHERNOBYL
|
Rookie
centerfielder Hector Fulmer will give Mutants fans
a glimpse of the future, they'll be thankful to
get a chance to avert their eyes from the present. |
| 22 |
CAIRO |
The
team raised a few eyebrows when they traded Joe
Morgan halfway into his first season with the team.
He wasn't the only one shown the door. Sridhar Krishnan,
Ron Patrick Jr, James Coleman... gone, gone, gone.
Management has made no bones about it, they're in
hard core rebuilding mode. |
| 23 |
JAMAICA |
Free
agent pickup Darius O'Neal and super prospect Ed
Paskert will put two legitimate threats in the Rastas
lineup... which is exactly two more than they had
all last season. |
| 24 |
BERLIN |
I
guess as long as you're gonna be bad, you might
as well be the best at it! Fans in Berlin have
been known to become physically ill watching this
team... although the consumption of mass quanitities
of beer may have something to do with it.
|
