Big Time Off-Season

New Orleans, La - The Pelicans made their first big time off-season splash under the management of RDS. Benny Alfonseca was some how convinced to suit up for one of the worst franchises in the league. However, Benny has played on one of the best franchises and said in his press conference, "I have played for a true winner and me coming to New Orleans is not about money. I know from past experience what it takes to win and this team has it!" It goes without saying that Benny spent a lot of time in the French Quarter and he will probably sober up at some point this season and demand a trade. Alfonseca will play 3B in New Orleans and will bat 3rd or 4th depending on the pitching matchup. Management feels confident that even at 32 Alfonseca will be able to earn his paycheck for the next 3 seasons in New Orleans.

Additional Moves - New Orleans let go a number of FA and arbitration eligible players that played a role in getting the Pelicans in the playoffs for the 1st time ever back in Season 9. Also, Christopher Flynn was signed to play 1B and a number of rookies will be expected to play major roles this season. A number of spots are up for grabs this spring including RF, LF, SS, all the starting pitching spots and to a lesser extent 1B. However, Flynn is expected to be the opening day 1B and play the majority of the season there.

Predicting the Future

We have been saying down here in New Orleans that winning is right around the corner and there is reason to believe that this is really true. Over the next couple of weeks I will take a look into the future to see what the starting lineup may look like in 3 seasons:

1. Dan Franco - 2B - Franco is 25 now and will be in his prime in 3 seasons. Franco should be anchored in the leadoff spot for years to come with a great eye and excellent speed.

2. Al Duran - CF - Duran is a defensive wizard in CF and at 24 is probably still one year away from the show. Duran will never hit for avg. or power but should have a high OBP and steal a lot of bases. Duran may be more suited for the leadoff spot, especially if his OBP translates to the Bigs. If his OBP translates then Franco should either drive Duran in or move him into scoring position on a regular basis.

3. Don Lee - SS (2B) - Lee has the making of true superstar and should hit for both power and avg. The major concern is that Lee won't reach his fielding potential and will be force to a corner OF position or 2B. Offensively Lee will be ready for the Show in one season but his glove may keep him down, unless he is moved to another position.

4. TBD - April 1st

Half Way Home!

After a rocky start and piss poor 1st quarter we are slowly fumbling our way past the halfway mark but are amazingly in 1st place! The Pelicans are two games up but still one game under .500. New Orleans is fighting it out and hopes to be the least worst team in the worst division in baseball once again. There are not many highlights up to this point and this seasons draft was less than spectacular. With not much to report on we will recap the draft, off-season moves, and look at some top prospects.

Ranking the Off-season Moves in the Big Easy

1. Acquiring Chance Edmonds via trade - Edmonds was acquired in exchange for a pitching prospect. Edmonds was penciled in at 3B and has performed better than expect with 16 HR, 41 RBI, and a .290 AVG while turning in solid defense at 3rd.

2. Not getting caught up in FA and cutting bait with a number of players that wanted bigger contracts than they deserved.

3. Morgan Shipley signed as a backup catcher. Nothing spectacular here but Morgan has filled the role nicely and provides a strong defensive catcher that can hit a little.

Draft Recap

1. Jorel Holmes - Holmes projects as a solid bullpen guy in the future. Overall this was a weak draft but several players that were drafted after Holmes will probably end up having better big league careers.

2. Clem Wells - Wells projects out as a solid long reliever and appears to be a decent value for this portion of the 2nd rd. Wells will have to really work on his control to effective at the big league level.

3. A bunch of trash!

Top Prospects Review

1. Fausto Rivera -

2. Don Lee -

3. Trace Roberston -

4. Tito Petersen -

5. Stretch Perez -

6. Juan Marquez -

7. Melvin Ono -

8. B.J. Campbell -

9. Orber Amaro -

10. Brandon Radmanovich -

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.

Holy Cow!

Pelicans are in 1st place at the 40 game mark!! New Orleans finds itself in the very unusual spot of being in 1st place with a record of 23-17. The Pelicans have opened up a 5 game lead on 2nd place Louisville. They have been able to build their lead even with Dan Franco not living up to expectations. Franco is hitting under .300 and only has 4 HR but has stolen 18 bases. The biggest surprises so far on offense has been Javier Servet who is on pace for a career type year. Servet is crushing the ball to the tune of .351 with 9 HR and 34 RBI.

Don Lee Update

International superstar Don Lee is getting his hacks in down in Low A. Lee is off to a fast start hitting .380 with 7 HR and 24 RBI. However, he still has a ways to go with his glove work and has made 7 errors in 20 games.

Don Lee!!!!!

Don Lee is a Pelican! Not since Reggie Bush was drafted #2 overall by the New Orleans Saints has a player generated this much buzz in the Crescent City. The Pelicans dug deep into the banking account but it looked like they were not going to have enough cash to win the Lee sweepstakes. However, management sent one last ditch offer and before you could say, "how much money!?" Lee was on his way to New Orleans.

Another Season in the Dirty

The Pelicans won't be making the playoffs this season but there is reason to believe that things are about to take off in the positive direction. There are four reasons things are starting to look up in New Orleans: Wil Hollins, Craig Bowen, Victor Torres and Julio Izquierdo. All four will make their ML debut at some point this season. Management has a history of playing it overly safe with players but all four will get the call this season depending on how the Pelicans do. A fast start could see Torres and Hollins coming up relatively quickly followed by Bowen and then Izquierdo. Hollins will slide into the primary setup role allowing Rodrigo Seanez to move to the primary long relief role. Seanez was a workhorse out of the pen last season. Torres could factor into the starting rotation or be a useful arm out of the pen. Hope springs eternal on opening day!

A Season in Review

More of the same in New Orleans but reason for optimism... The Pelicans avoided another NL South last place finish and won 70 games - a one game improvement over last season. Season 6 waiver wire claim Michael Woo was the offensive MVP for the Pelicans posting a .310 Avg with 36 HR and 102 RBI. Offensive ROY honors go to Dan "the Franchise" Franco who played in only 62 games but was very impressive posting a .332 Avg with 10 HR, 48 RBI, 27 SB and a .437 OBP.

New Orleans Catches a Break

Local fans and talk radio questioned the judgment of Pelicans management not too long ago when they made it known they were willing to trade Cliff York and pick up most of his remaining contract. Management also let it be known they were not looking for much in return but were just looking to get "something" for the star slugger that never produced in New Orleans. It was rumored that New Orleans was close to a deal with St. Louis earlier in the season but the two clubs could never come to an agreement. One team insider called the deal, "nothing more than rearranging chairs on the Titanic" due to the players and contracts involved.

The final straw for York and the Pelicans came in the series against Ottawa when York only produced 1 RBI and allowed 9 SBs while only throwing out 1 runner. York was designated for assignment and Craig Bowen was promoted to AAA. Then the Pelicans finally caught a break when York was claimed off waivers by San Antonio. The move opened up nearly $4 million in contract space that the Pelicans plan to use to sign another international player or two.

Winning?

New Orleans has surged into 2nd place in the NL South by winning 7 or their last 8 games. Before you stop the presses it should be noted that the Pelicans are still 17 games out of 1st!

Top Batting Prospects

Update Coming Soon

Top Pitching Prospects

Update Coming Soon

4 for 4 with 4 HRs!

Dan "The Franchise" Franco turns in one for the ages in the 6.26.08 game vs. Oklahoma's AAA team. Franco was 4 for 4 with 4 HRs and 7 RBIs. Asked for his thoughts on the game Franco simple said, "I'm ready for the show"

Draft Recap

It is the happiest time of the year for New Orleans fans... the Draft! Each season New Orleans fans basically only have the draft and minor league playoff runs to look forward to and the draft at least makes the nightly news. The Pelicans went into this draft looking to try and solidify their 3rd base situation. They were looking for a college player who would be ready in a couple of seasons. The Pelicans went into the draft with the 6th overall pick and ended up getting 7 players out of their Top 100 during the first 211 picks. However, doubt and controversy will linger over this draft for seasons to come. New Orleans had Trace Robertson at the top of their draft board based on need but many in the front office felt that Kordell Forbes should have been the top target. While still others wondered what the fuss was given that the Pelicans were drafting 6th. Both players were still on the board when New Orleans drafted at 6 and the advocates of drafting a 3B ended up winning out.

So on to the draft recap!

1. Trace Robertson - Rated as one of the top SS prospects Robertson will play 3B for the Pelicans. Not an overly flashy player but should bat for a nice average with some power. The biggest concern with Robertson is that he won't reach his arm strength and accuracy projections and New Orleans will be stuck with another 2B or light hitting OF.

2. Osvaldo Bennett - Another 3B but will probably end up playing 2nd or OF. Projects out as a solid bat and should be able to contribute at the big league level.

3. Calvin Stahl - Ehh, nothing special here but has an outside shot at making the bigs.

4. Vladimir Campbell - It pretty much goes without saying that this will end up being a wasted pick. Campbell doesn't have the defensive skills to make up for his lack of offense.

5. Robert Romano - Outside shot at making the big league team. Decent offensive skills might just be enough to make him a cheap bench player for a few seasons.

Long Shots

1. Jeff Stankiewicz - 18th rd pick that has a shot at being a setup man. However, already being 22 is a major disadvantage but could make the show if he progresses rapidly.

2. Homer Dunham - 19th rd pick that is in the same boat as Stankiewicz.

Most Rediculous

1. Wolf Ledesma - 24th rd pick that is being represented by his mother and is demanding $5.5 million!

Another Disappointing Start

After a strong finish to last season hopes were high in New Orleans heading into this season. However, Cliff York went down before the season started and add an 0-7 start to that and it is more of the same in New Orleans. The Pelicans are 28-48 but there have been a few bright spots. The play of Pascual Tavarez, Rodrigo Seanez and Vasco Urbina has fans buzzing about the future. Look for the Pelicans to make a run at the playoffs in the next 2 to 3 seasons.

Trouble on the Bayou

New Orleans suffers a major setback before the season even starts. Starting catcher and leading slugger Cliff York suffered a neck injury in a meaningless spring training game and will miss the 1st month of the season. York was projected to anchor the Pelicans offense and was looking for a big season in the last seasons of his two year deal with the club. Paul Wilkins will start the season behind the plate and will be backed up by a yet to be determined veteran catcher that the Pelicans will call up. Management has resisted calls by the fans to call up #1 catching prospect Craig Bowen and said they plan for Bowen to spend much of the 08 season in AAA after a start in AA.

Pelicans Turn Back on Native Son

Mike O'Donnell from Patterson, La has been a fan favorite since the day he joined the big league team. However, O'Donnell and New Orleans are set to part ways in order to avoid arbitration. The Pelicans are not willing to pay 5.5 million to the 29 year old CF. O'Donnell is also seeking a longterm deal that doesn't work for either party. O'Donnell is two season removed from his best year that saw him hit .320 with 22 HRs and 40 SBs.

Retirements - No Big Deal in NO

New Orleans, La - Another off-season has come and gone in New Orleans and the Pelicans are as optimistic as ever. The Pelicans don't plan to be overly active in FA this season and will look to continue on the improved play that highlighted the second half of last season. A number of players announced their retirements but New Orleans didn't see anyone hangup the uniform that looked to play a part in the future of the organization. Over the coming days we highlight some of the top prospects in AA and AAA who will look to try and break into the Bigs this season.