The Recipe - How They Did It!

Here is an overview of the players and transactions that help propel New Orleans out of the cellar and into their 1st ever playoff appearance.

The Lineup:
1. Dan Franco - 2B - 21 HR, 64 RBI, 75 SB, .418 OBP, 132 R
2. Chad Mays - CF - .383 OBP vs. RHP, .986 Fld%
3. Javier Servet - 3B - 36 HR, 131 RBI, .307 avg
4. Tony Saitou - LF - 35 HR, 113 RBI, .320 avg
5. Jacob Hansen - C - 36 HR, 80 RBI, .265 avg
6. Andrea Denham - RF - 24 HR, 85 RBI, .286 avg
7. Teddy Simon - SS - 13 HR, 52 RBI, .99+ Fld% including 45 starts at 3B w/o an error
8. Michael Woo - 1B - 16 HR

Contributors:
1. Pascual Tavarez - Utility - .268, 12 HR, 19 SB
2. Rodrigo Rincon - Utility - .990 Fld%, 140 Games

Pitchers:
1. Bryan Dodd - SP1 - 11 Wins, 4.22 ERA, 34 Starts
2. Victor Torres - SP2 - 12 Wins, 3.41 ERA, 1.25 Whip
3. Micah DeJean - SP3 - 10 Wins, 4.60 ERA, 120Ks
4. Jose Alcantara - Bull Pen - 16 Wins, 3.92 ERA
5. Vasco Urbina - Closer - 38 Saves, 2.74 ERA, 0.89 Whip

Transactions:
1. Dan Franco - 1st Rd draft pick Season 4
2. Chad Mays - Acquired via trade from Az for Lazy Hammond in Season 7
3. Javier Servet - Acquired via FA Season 7 - 4 yr $4 M
4. Tony Saitou - Acquired via FA Season 7 - 4 yr $5.5 M
5. Jacob Hansen - Acquired via FA Season 9 - 2 yr $1.8 M
6. Andrea Denham - Acquired via FA Season 7 - 5 yr $4.3 M
7. Teddy Simon - Acquired via Trade with Ismael Leon from Az (then Honolulu) for Trash
8. Michael Woo - Claimed off Waivers Season 6 - Had a down year but has 96 HR and 255 RBI since joining the Pelicans

9. Bryan Dodd - Claimed off Waivers Season 8
10. Victor Torres - Int. FA Season 5 $9.1 M bonus
11. Micah DeJean - Claimed off Waivers Season 8
12. Jose Alcantara - Season 6 Rule 5 selection
13. Vasco Urbina- Int. FA. Season $11.1 M bonus

Finally they Call us Winners!

It was one for the ages in New Orleans as the Pelicans finally broke out of the cellar and advanced to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. New Orleans got off to a fast start and never really looked back and were able to push their lead to 12 games at one point late in the season. Fans got nervous down the stretch as the Pelicans suffered through a couple of long losing streaks and saw their lead shrink to as few as 5 games before finally clinching the division. The early clinch allowed for the Pelicans to rest players and give some younger guys a lot of extra time in the field.

With high hopes the Pelicans advanced to the 1st round of the playoffs and faced a very talented D.C. team. Game 1 had fans near riot level as the Pelicans moved towards their 1st playoff win ever only to see D.C. rally in the 8th and 9th to win Game 1. It appeared that reality was really setting in as Game 2 entered the bottom of the 9th with the Pelicans down by a commanding 10-4 score. What followed will forever be remembered in Pelicans lore as one of the greatest comebacks ever! The bottom of the 9th was one for the ages as the Pelicans sent 9 men to the plate and saw superstar in the making Dan "The Franchise" Franco deliver the gaming winning double. That would be the last of the highlights for the Pelicans as D.C. cruised to the series win after Game 2.