The Hanover Park Hornet Baseball team is closing in on final rosters as of Tuesday, March 11th. The team has made its first round of cuts today, most of which made sense; Jordan Perreira, Jeremy Olsen, Luke McNally, and Jimmy Cichinno. The last of the previously stated bewildered the entire program. "Grandpa", the nickname bestowed upon him during freshman year baseball, was a key component of the Junior Varsity team last year and was cut unjustly. A friend of yours and ours, he played valiently during this years tryouts. He didn't screw up; he didn't throw a ball through an exit sign (McNally); he played his heart out. He played the game the right way. He is a pitcher with a rubber arm that ate up innings and played unassuming, without an air of arrogance. Jimmy will be sadly missed by all of us that made it past the first round of cuts. This controversial call will come back to haunt them, they missed out on quite the player. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise, Jimmy will now anchor the Walterball baseball team on Sundays this following spring and hopefully he'll come out for the team next year and show the coaches what they had missed out on this spring. Keep Working Grandpa, Keep on Working.
Update: As a young, wise man once said Grandpa's game was not really about the statistics, it was about the intangible characteristics he brought to a team. Teams need these kinds of players, who know their role on a team and will not pout on the bench. He is the epitome of the team player and a true sportsman
Third base is like 1st base, the big boppers, however, with added speed. The avg. third basemen hits 18-20 homeruns with 70-75 RBI's, 65-75 runs scored, and 10-12 SB's. Third base has many elite players this season.
1. A-ROD- Enough said...
2. David Wright- Can do it all, hit HR's, steal bases, hit for average, clutch....30/30
3. Miguel Cabrera- He hits in the middle of the most lethal lineup in baseball right now will hit for elite numbers that could rival A-Rod's, but minus the 20 steals.
4. Ryan Braun- Sophomore slump? I don't think so. Expect a slight drop in Avg. because he hit well over .400 against LHP's last year and no one can keep that up. Expect similar power numbers though.
5. Chone Figgins- Multiple position eligibility. Will be among league leaders in SB's and will hit .300+
6. Chipper Jones- If he could only stay healthy, he would be a spot or two higher on this list. He's one of the best pure hitters in the game, but he just gets injured too many times.
7. Aramis Ramirez- He has 40 homer potential and you can get him in the 3rd or 4th round. He'll put up good numbers.
8. Alex Gordon- Has 1B eligibility also. Will break out after a dissapointing, hype-filled rookie season. 20/20 is within range.
9. Garret Atkins- Also has 1B eligibility. Hits in the Rockies lineup so he will produce and score runs.
10. Mike Lowell- Had a great season last year, but don't expect that much from him this season. He just hit too well above expectations, I don't buy it.
11. Josh Fields- Will give you the most bang for you buck. Elite HR and RBI numbers, but complete crap at the avg. department.
12. Adrian Beltre- Not the same after the contract season, but is showing signs of brilliance in short spurts last season.
13. Ryan Zimmerman- The National's best hitter is quietly having very solid numbers, he scores around 100 runs and drives in 100 runs despite the lineup. He'll need to steal a few more bases and hit a few points higher to advance up the list.
14. Hank Blalock- He returned after injury last season with an impressive OPS, he'll slide into the middle part of the Texas lineup and produce fairly well.
15. Evan Longoria- The Tampa Bay Rays are looking good this year. This young stud will post high OBP numbers, which will translate into many runs scored in this up and coming lineup. He'll hit 18-25 homers too. He's a superstar in the makings.
Sleepers
Jose Bautista
Andy LaRoche
Maicer Izturis
Mike Lamb
