Park	Guerrero	Zaun

TEAM: Mighty Mice
OWNER: Eric Hanson
ESTABLISHED: 1987
CHAMPI0NSHIPS: 1 (1997)
YEARLY FINISHES: 7, 8, 9, 5, 10, 8, 12, 8, 1, 9, 8, 10
MANAGER: Bob (Mickey) "Mice"lotta-shortstop for the Phillies in 1954-55, 17 games, 0 for 7 career (just like Nigel Wilson-see Iguanas)

HISTORY: In 1988, Eric Hanson founded the Ponchos and they entered the league as an expansion team. The Ponchos, despite a record low ratio by pitcher Pascual Perez, were only able to finish seventh.

The following year was a disappointing eighth . It was at this moment when Jay, Eric, and other brother Dave decided to join forces into one club. Obviously, the disruptions in management had a severe effect on the ball club as they finished in the cellar for the second time in their history.

Things began to sway toward the positive however in 1992. A solid all-around team barely missed out of the money, being nudged at the wire by the Iguanas by a single point.

1993 could be typified by four words: worst pitching staff ever. Never has the BLOBB seen such a pitiful array of bums and journeymen. 4.717, 1.451 Need we say more about 1993? The Packers finished in 10th place. At least they were able to beat out the expansion Sloppy Gaines.

In 1994, they became the Blind Mice, yet their fortunes did not change. The '94 Mice were a team of little distinction, in other words, a typical eighth place team.

1995 gave us the best last place team in BLOBB history (36 points) with the '95 Mice. Frantic pitcher acquisitions allowed them to reach the IP minimum, although having 11 pitchers with ERA's over 5.00 made it a relatively moot point. On the bright side, the Mice did lead the league in saves behind solid seasons from Rod Beck and Todd Worrell.

In 1996, the Blind Mice again checked in at eleventh place. Doomed by only 11 hitting points, the Mice battled but could never get any momentum going. Big years from Gary Sheffield and Javy Lopez, and the acquisition of Andres Galarraga could do little for the hitting poor Mice.

1997 was the year that sight came to the Mice as the little critters marched all the way to the promised land. Outstanding trades (Dunston and Karros), dynamic front line pitching (Glavine, Schilling, and Smoltz), and shrewd pickups (Mark Smith, Doug Strange, Turner Ward, Tripp Cromer) paved the way to victory despite the loss of closer Jeff Brantley early in the year. Following the season in a moment of triumph/delirium the Mice changed their name to the Mighty Mice.

1998 saw the Blind Mice officially become the Mighty Mice. However, it also saw them slip back into the second division with a 10th place finish. The Mice possessed excellent pitching but were without any semblance of a bullpen and finished dead last in every hitting category, despite the presence of Vladimir Guerrero and Andres Galarraga (which tells you about their hitting depth).

In 1999, the Mighty Mice were among the most active of teams with a seemingly endless rotation of bit players. However, the tinkering was more a sign of searching as opposed to fine tuning as the Mice finished in the middle of the pack in 8th place overall. The Mice were severely lacking in power (last in HR), though they featured a very strong balanced bullpen (4 double figure save guys) behind devastating rookie Scott Williamson.

2000 was another rough year for the Mice as they dropped to 10th place overall. Randy Johnson gave the Mice some big pitching numbers and Danny Graves was a bullpen stud, while Phil Nevin had a surprising season offensively. However the Mice lacked the depth to contend.

BEST TRADE:In their title run of 1997, the Mice acquire Eric Karros for Deion Sanders. Karros delivers big time and gives the Mice much neeeded pop to go along with 14 surprising steals. Later the same year, while pushing for the pennant, they gain Shawon Dunston (.312, 12, 39, 16 in limited time) for retread Curt Leskanic. These two trades set the tone for their glorious triumph.

WORST TRADE: Barry Bonds to the Ticks for Greg Zaun, Brent Brede, and Greg Jefferies in early 1998. All three of the Tick players were getting ample playing time, with Jefferies putting up all-star numbers while Bonds was scuffling in an early season slump. After the trade, Bonds reverted to form while Zaun and Brede were benched and Jefferies fell like a meteor.

FRANCHISE MVP: Mike Piazza

CAREER LEADERS:

AB			H			HR			RBI				
O. Smith	1566	M. Piazza	453	A. Galarraga	102	A. Galarraga	313
M. Piazza	1380	O. Smith	440	M. Piazza	90	M. Piazza	296
A. Galarraga	1359	A. Galarraga	425	G. Sheffield	63	K. Young	216
S. Berry	1299	S. Berry	356	V. Guerrero	57	R. Gant	        197
C. Carr	        1261	K. Young	342	R. Gant	        53	G. Sheffield	191

SB			AVG			IP			W			
C. Carr	        115	Ch. Jones	.337	C. Schilling	609.3	C. Schilling	35
O. Smith	91	M. Piazza	.328	Z. Smith	516	Z. Smith	34
G. Young	65	A. VanSlyke	.320	K. Gross	433	P. Harnisch	30
R. Gant	        58	D. Slaught	.318	P. Harnisch	407.3	J. Navarro	23
Q. Veras	56	R. Henderson	.318	P. Perez	386.3	K. Gross	23

SV			RAT			ERA
R. Beck	        121	G. Maddux	1.03	Mk. Williams	1.55
R. Dibble	75	P. Perez	1.04	Ra. Johnson	2.25
D. Graves	57	Ra. Johnson	1.04	J. Tudor	2.38
To. Worrell	55	J. Lima	        1.05	X. Hernandez	2.40
J. Brantley	45	R. Beck	        1.05	T. Fossas	2.45