The Puppets are one of the founding teams of the Interstate League.  The owner/manager is also the League Commissioner.  The first season was not a particularly good one for the franchise.  The team finished in ninth place out of 14 teams.  The pitching staff was mediocre at best.  The offense had potential (Helton, Alfonzo, Vidro, and Berkman).  At the end of the 2000 Season, the team made a major gaff by releasing Lance Berkman.  In a keeper league, how does anyone drop Berkman?

During the 2001 pre-season draft, the Port Washington Puppets decided to gamble on two newcomers in the early part of the draft by selecting Ichiro Suzuki and Jimmy Rollins in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds.   In need of an outfielder and overstocked at second base, the team traded away Jose Vidro for Luis Gonzalez.  Gonzalez had a phenomenal year and was named the team’s co-MVP.

During the season, the team picked up several other young players like Toby Hall and Josh Beckett.  The team finished the Regular Season in fifth place (195-178-45, .520 pct.), 34 games back.  In the first round of the Playoffs, the Puppets squeaked by The Greats, 9-8.  However, it was their Regular Season record that cost them in the semi-finals against the Rib Eaters.  They played to an 8-8 tie.  The tiebreaker went to the team with the better Regular Season record.  Nevertheless, the Puppets beat the defending champs, baseball08, by a score of 12-7 in the playoff for Third Place in the tournament.

Maybe the tide is turning for this team.

13 Keepers