Gotham City Gargoyles 2004
After finishing 75-87 in 2003 the 2004 Gotham City version will attempt to improve on that mark.
Projected Line-up
Carlos Guillen
Jose Cruz Jr.
Gary Sheffield
Eric Chavez
Jeff Bagwell
Chipper Jones
Mayne/ Pratt
In 2003, GCG out-homered its opponents 264 to 205 but was outscored by 60 or so runs. The main reason was the lack of on base percentage from the top of the order. The number one and two positions held an OB% of .306 and .302 respectively. Essentially there was no one on base for the 3-4-5-6 hitters. Hopefully that will change with Carlos Guillen and Jose Cruz Jr. (100 walks) at the top of the order.
Jason Johnson
Darrin Oliver
Brett Myers
John Lackey
Billy Traber / Joe Kennedy
Gotham City finished 2003 with and ERA of 5.12 which
was 23rd of 24 Brassworld entries. Gone are the likes of Travis
Phelps (11.27), Luke Prokopec (8.31), and Shawn Estes (6.95). Brett Myers
should improve on his 8.64 ERA of 2003. Joe Kennedy, by far our most effective
starter in 2003, will be relegated to a swingman role in 2004. Jason Johnson,
free agent addition Darrin Oliver, John Lackey and Myers head up an improved
rotation. Improved is a relative term, as the starters had a 5.49 ERA in 2003.
The 2004 starting rotation total salary is 3.3
million of a total team payroll of 41.5 million. This is a mere 8% of total
payroll. Now I have not had time to check the percentage spent on starters but
I cannot imagine any team in Brassworld spending a lower percentage on their
starting rotation. Now this is not something we are boasting about, it is just
the way it worked out. GCG did turned down a free agent bid on Darrell may for
3 years $9 million simply because he didn’t seem like the type of pitcher who
will be worth $3 million two years from now.
Jason Johnson is the highest paid at 1.2 million, no
one else is over a million. The bullpen is deep and strong, it would have to be
in order to support such an average starting staff. Latroy Hawkins leads a list of no less than
10 relievers that will be shuttled in and out from month to month.
Truthfully, barring something unforeseen, the best GCG
could finish is 3rd in the Ruth Division. Plum Island and Portland
are very strong. Toontown and Williamsburg are returning play-off teams so
we’ll have our work cut out for us.
The team is pretty much intact until the end of the
2005 season. Then Bagwell, Cruz Jr., and Sheffield will become free agents, and
Cuddyer is entering arbitration. The development of Heilman, Traber, Myers, and
Lackey are key to developing a solid pitching staff while controlling
costs.