In this edition of the 2007 Open Cup, Ben Lapointe will break down the NL and SL to determine who has the best matchup, chance of winning it all, and chance of going home early. Lapointe and Alicea's predictions are completely seperate so there could be instances where one thinks a team will lose and the other does not.
Northern League
By: Ben Lapointe
Chicago Cardinals
Opening Round: Bye. Chicago await the winner of either Hickory, Minnesota's AA team and seeded 57th or Lincoln, St. Louis's A team and seeded 72nd. Hickory finished better than Lincoln despite playing at a higher level and should be expected to dispatch of Lincoln easily and meet the defending champs in the second round. Prediction. Hickory in 3.
1st Round: Lincoln. Chicago is an amazingly deep team and Hickory failed to finish over .500. Chicago won the ABLCS and looks to defend their title against Miami and it all starts with this series against Lincoln. Lincoln doesn't have much of a team this year as Owner Tim Schneider moved up Garret Mauritz to AAA, Javier Villegas remains on the DL, and David Chisea, a player best suited for AA and maybe AAA is seeing time with the big club. Prediciton. Chicago in 2
2nd Round: Norfolk. A tougher matchup than in the previous rounds for Chicago is Norfolk, Las Vegas's Triple A team which is lead by Diego Martinez who has made 3 AAA SL Allstar teams and played in two world cups. Martinez brings some legitimacy to the Nighthawks's lineup and has had success in the past hitting 99 HR's in 3 years and even hitting .330 in 2004. Regardless, Martinez is an aging minor leaguer and the Cardinals are defending champs. Expect the Cardinals to roll over Norfolk and maybe drop 1 game. Prediction. Chicago in 3.
3rd Round: Carolina. A major league team challenges Chicago and a good major league team at that. Carolina is fresh off a Wildcard Berth in 2006 and is confident that they can have a good showing at this year's Open Cup. In the offseason Colt Ciccone traded reigning MVP Marc Poles and 20-game winner Millard Salters to Philladelphia for Sebas Solorio and some nice complementary pieces. Also gone in the offseason were solid SP Jeffery Randall to MIN, 12 game winner Fred Seifert to IND and All-ABL First Team 1B Jack Harris to PHI. All said this is a much weaker team than we saw last year and the champs remain unchanged. Prediction. Chicago in 3.
4th Round: Miami. A rematch of the leagues best teams and the first dynasty in the ABL awaits the Cardinals and this time I think the better team wins out. This may suprise some, as a former coach of Chicago, but I think Miami's lineup has much more power to drive in hitters than Chicago's does and is equally as balanced. The Talon's pitching staff is top heavy but in a short series they will be able to start Gandolfo twice, maybe three times. Prediction. Miami in 5.
St. Louis Stallions
1st Round. Peoria. Boston's A team has some talent but all of it is undeveloped, thus the reason it remains on the A team. Peoria, the only Boston team with a losing record was below average at the worst level while St. Louis excelled at the highest. Look for some blowout games as Tepper, Biro, Fox and Soontaek take advantage of the Peoria pitchers.
2nd Round. Atlanta. The Sun Devils are the 2nd worst team in the ABL at any level and they haven't changed much. Their hitting is anemic at best and they still carry the 0-22 Oscar Cierto on their roster. Though former Biro award winner Michael Taisho still has amazing talent he can only carry Atlanta so far. Prediction. St. Louis in 3 after Taisho steals a game.
3rd Round. Dallas. A formidable Dallas squad helped rebound to a 31 game improvement over 2005 and was led by its pitching staff. In the offseason Dallas traded from strength to weakness by giving up its 2nd and 3rd best pitchers for an underachieving power hitting 1B in Thomas Ullery and a decent back of the rotation starter in Nam Chiyung. Dallas hurt its team with this move but Winans, Medrano, Espana and Bern get past St. Louis. Prediction. Dallas in 3.
Detroit Bulldogs
1st Round. Raleigh. Carolina has a godawful farm system and is sending its best team against Detroit. Even the best team sucks and Detroit shouldn't have any trouble getting past these clowns with a pitching staff featuring the likes of Roy Hitchens, Lorenzo Rodriguez and Jonathon Dirks.
2nd Round. San Diego. Alonzo Riojas, Roy Hitchens and Lorenzo Rodriguez are simply on another level when compared to San Diego's pathetic offense which struggled to maintain a team average above the Mendoza line in its inaguaral season. Adrian Partino had a career year in 2006 and may be able to win a game if he stays in the whole 9 and doesn't let his bullpen near the field. Prediction. Detroit in 2.
3rd Round. Houston. The 2nd ML team from the Southwest in as many rounds for Detroit and unfortunately this one will have more success than the last. Houston's young offense complements a pitching staff with 3 great starters and a lightout bullpen. Pitching wins this for Houston. Prediction. Houston in 3.
Minnesota Monarchs
1st Round. Columbia. Tampa has a farm system stocked with hitters but most of them are stuck in AAA (Accardi, Chavez, Klein, Zamora, Arroyave, Kubo, Camunas) Minnesota has an old team which shouldn't expect to equal last years 88 wins but shouldn't even worry about advancing past the 1st round. Prediction. Minnesota in 2.
2nd Round. New Orleans. Clitzy vs. Delion. The Schmito battle. Minnesota won far more games last year but is aging while New Orleans is coming into their own. Prediction. New Orleans in 3. Yes, I am on the New Orleans bandwagon and I am predicting right now that the Colonels will win the Wildcard and not Carolina.
Indiana Eagles
Opening Round. Providence. The AAA associate of Connecticut is a solid team and will challenge the much-maligned Indiana Eagles. Indiana caught a break by not having to face rising star Chris Kummer but still must go up against Eric Bruhn, William Palacio, George Robinson and Dean Myron. Still, a retooled Eagles squad will win in Maarteen Sneidjers first ever game as an Indiana Eagle. Prediction. Indiana in 2.
1st Round. Madison. Our first inter-organization matchup comes when historically one of the winningest teams in the ABL facest one of the losingest. The loser comes out on top here because an A team simply can't compete with a ML team. (For future reference, Cleveland is not a ML team) Prediciton. Indiana in 2.
2nd Round. Daytona. Miami's double a team is stacked and would like nothing more than to pull off an upset of Indiana. 5 of Miami's top 9 prospects are in AA most of the team is allegedly ready for AAA. A tougher challenge than in round 1, Indiana finds a way but drops 1 game. Prediction. Indiana in 3.
3rd Round. Boston. Boston holds the edge in every single category. By a lot. Who cares, its my team, my predictions, its a a 3 game series so anything can happen. Sure, I'm biased. No, I don't expect to win. But hell, I'll have a little fun with this. Prediction. Indiana in 3.
4th Round. Houston. Houston is a team that like Indiana, is built for the future. Houston is more ML ready though having had a one year headstart and the oppourtunity to build through the Inaguaral draft. Houston is better than Indiana but less of a challenge than Boston. Again, I don't expect to win, but what the fuck? Prediction. Indiana in 5.
5th Round. Miami. Indiana Sucks. Miami doesnt. Miami walks all over the cinderella story in a assraping. Prediction. Miami in 3.
Connecticut Thunder
Round 1. Montgomery. LA's AA team has some decent talent in AA, some which should be there (Garalfo and Garcia) and some which shouldn't (Barco and Heredia). Connecticut is a well-balanced team and has only gotten better since Alan Oldigues took over the reigns. They are aging but have solid replacements in the farm system. Bottom Line: Tomatsu knows what he is doing and there is now way he loses to a AA team. Prediction. Connecticut in 2.
Round 2. Philladelphia. Of the three owners named after the 2004 season this matchup features the two most successful in Bryan Svec and Alan Oldigues. Svec has made some great trades getting the better of Fink, Alan, Cano, Romito and just recently Colt. Svec wasn't dealing from a position of strength but Philladelphia is a team on the rise. They just aren't at Connecticut's level yet. Prediction. Connecticut in 3.
Round 3. Buffalo. Suprisingly, Chicago's AAA team will give Connecticut a run for their money. They have four great pitchers but not enough hitters to beat Connecticut. Connecticut is to the ABL what the Detroit Pistons are to the NBA. They are balanced at all parts of the game, excel at all areas, have veterans and prospects, no overpowering star, great depth. Buffalo challenges Connecticut but the Thunder take care of Buffalo in 2 close games. Prediction. Connecticut in 2.
Round 4. New Orleans. The second lowest remaining seed meets the second highest and the Thunder don't mess around. New Orleans has talent but nothing compared to Connecticut. Another series, another rout for the Thunder who look invincable going into going into the final 4. Prediction. Connecticut in 3.
Round 5. Las Vegas. I know Connecticut is the better team but I just have a feeling about Las Vegas and they are a team to watch this year. While the season may prove otherwise, Las Vegas plays the better baseball and wins in 5 tight games. This is the series to watch in all of the open cup should it happen. Prediction. Las Vegas in 5.
Boston Bears
Round 1. Charleston. San Diego has a nice system but it lacks depth in other levels besides AA. Boston should be pleasantly suprised by Charleston thanks to future stars such as Manuel Quijada, James Woods, Ken Takenaka and Jon D'Angelo. Boston is too good to lose even one game though. Prediction. Boston in 2.
Round 2. Milwaukee. Matt Hodge gets his first taste of the ABL with one of the league's top 5 franchise's and the Bears will leave him no chance to showcase any of his untapped talent. Another Boston blowout. Prediction. Boston in 2.
Round 3. Indiana. Boston holds the edge in every single category. By a lot. Who cares, its my team, my predictions, its a a 3 game series so anything can happen. Sure, I'm biased. No, I don't expect to win. But hell, I'll have a little fun with this. Prediction. Indiana in 3.
Philladelphia Demons
Round 1. San Jose. Philladelphia is a balanced team and should have no trouble with San Diego's AAA team. Watch out for Alejandro Dimmagio if he starts against them. We could see something special. Prediction. Philladelphia in 2.
Round 2. Connecticut. Of the three owners named after the 2004 season this matchup features the two most successful in Bryan Svec and Alan Oldigues. Svec has made some great trades getting the better of Fink, Alan, Cano, Romito and just recently Colt. Svec wasn't dealing from a position of strength but Philladelphia is a team on the rise. They just aren't at Connecticut's level yet. Prediction. Connecticut in 3.
New York Bombers
Opening Round. Duluth. An A team versus a two-time division winner. The results won't be close and New York will hit at least 10 HR's during this two game series. Silva, Wheeler and Vasquez will each have a multi-HR game. Prediction. New York in 2.
Round 1. Miami. New York's Bomber's (literally) will light up hte scoreboard in game two but they don't have enough pitching to win a game. Gandolfo will take them out in game 1 and the Miami offense will score enough to win in game 2. Prediction. Miami in 2.
Cleveland Crusaders
Cleveland sucks. They won 28 games out of 162 so its entirely possible to lose 2 in a row to a AA team. One of them is already out of the way as I write this, so I'll amend my prediction and say they lose the second one.
Southern League
By: Nick Alicea
Dallas Rattlers
1st Round. Des Moines- The Rattlers get an easy draw in their opening matchup with Atlanta's A team. Pitching is always a big factor in a short series, and Des Moines has 3 pitchers that could be in AA right now. However, Dallas is a pretty decent team and should have no trouble with Des Moines. Prediction: Dallas in 2.
2nd Round. Lousiville- Indiana's AAA Lightning should make it to the 2nd round, with 2 matchups against AA and A teams respectively. Louisville does have some talent that could give Dallas a little trouble, especially with the addition of DeShante Louixville. Dallas' Medrano, Winans, and company should still hit the ball well against a team with 4 pitching prospects in AAA. The Rattlers should take this in 2, but maybe 3. Prediction: Dallas in 2.
Sweet 16. St. Louis Stallions- Dallas is a good team right now, but they are a team of the future, and the Stallions have plenty of talent in the majors right now. This Rattlers' team is a little under-developed at the moment while Fink's Stallions have a good mix of hitting and pitching that was enough to make the playoffs. Fink even bolstered his bullpen by adding a reliever for $12 million a year. Dallas can get 1 in this series, but that's all they will win. Prediction: St. Louis in 4
Houston Outlaws
Round 1. St. Lucie- Boston's AA team may not have great pitching, but son't sleep on their lineup. James Wafer can play anywhere in the infield and could be in AAA right now, but at the moment he will try and lead the Seagulls to an upset victory over the Houston Outlaws. But as it was previously mentioned, the pitching just isn't enough to hold off the Outlaws' bats. Look for a couple of high scoring games with Houston on top in both. Prediction: Houston in 2.
Round 2. Huntsville- Next, Borland's Outlaws could take on Indiana's AA Hawks. And again, Houston should not have much trouble with this Hawks' team. Whether it's Moretti, Olivier, or anyone who comes to pitch for Houston, he should be enough to contain Huntsville easily in this series. Huntsville has some players that probably should be in A, and if they make it to the 2nd round, they will be stopped by the Outlaws. Prediction: Houston in 2.
Sweet 16. Detroit- Another Midwest-Southwest showdown may take place in the Sweet 16 since the Bulldogs really only have to get by San Diego to get here. New owner Anton Massey will be looking for his Bulldogs to overcome Houston in this series. He is taking over a team that missed the playoffs by 1 game after a 1-game playoff loss to St. Louis. Detroit has the edge in hitting while Houston has the edge in pitching. If the order of the pitching rotation favors Houston like it should, they could take this series. It could go either way and will probably go 5 games. Prediction: Houston in 5.
Quarterfinals. Boston- This great run by Houston should stop here against the Boston Bears. Boston is an outstanding team, notable by their 107 wins last season. The Outlaws will have their hands full trying to keep up a great lineup and quality pitching staff. However, the Outlaws are not completely out. Again, if Moretti and Olivier can pitch some good games, there's no telling what could happen. However, this will be the best lineup they face in the tournament, which should cause their demise. Prediction: Boston in 4.
Las Vegas Scorpions
1st Round. Sacramento- Looking at the AAA roster of Cleveland, there are many players who may not be suitable for AAA. However, one would think they have a good enough chance of beating a AA team. Then again, the Crusaders themselves have already lost against AA Macon. This Las Vegas team is good enough to handle Sacramento or August easily. Prediction: Las Vegas in 2.
2nd Round. Albany- The Scorpions were able to take the final 3 games of last season from Los Angeles, and shouldn't have any trouble with LA's AAA team. To pull the upset, Jamie Ramirez will have tp pitch an outstanding game along with another pitcher having to step it up. Also, Thomas Williams will have to lead the way for the Beavers' offense against a good Las Vegas pitching staff. However, Albany just does not have enough talent to stop the Scorpions. Prediction: Las Vegas in 2.
Sweet 16. Los Angeles- The 2 division rivals will most likely face off in the Round of 16. The Lions haven't forgotten how the Scorpions swept them in the final 3 games of the season to give the Scorpions their first Southwest title. Now, this 5-game series will come down to pitching which Las Vegas has the advantage. Kopp can easily get the Lions 1 win, but the Scorpions have 4 good pitchers while LA has Kopp and Esqueda and no one else. The Scorpions should prevail once again. Prediction: Las Vegas in 4.
Quarterfinals. St. Louis- One of the very interesting players in this matchup is 2B Alejandro Martinez. Martinez was shipped in the offseason for 3 players and a 1st round pick. Now, a Las Vegas team that has lacked a consistent 2B will look to Martinez to fill the hole. However, the key in this series is pitching; Las Vegas has good depth which should be enough to take down Fink's Stallions. Whether Martinez has a good series or not, Las Vegas should emerge victorious. Although a good series by "Ale" would make the trade look even better from the Scorpions' point of view. Prediction: Las Vegas in 4.
Semifinals. Connecticut- In the matchup of the two LCS losing teams, both Las Vegas and Connecticut will look towards their depth in pitching once again. Both teams have 4 good starters that could make a difference and similar lineups that are deep 1-9. These two great teams are so evenly matched that it could be one of the best series in the entire tournament. I'll be stunned if this series doesn't go 6, and should go 7. Something just tells me the Scorpions will get it done. Prediction: Las Vegas in 7.
Finals. Miami- Last season, the Miami Talons defeated the Scorpions in the SLCS in 5 games. However, it was the inability to finish games in the 8th and 9th that cause Las Vegas that series. The Scorpions could have easily been leading 3-2 if Ice had gone the distance or Garcia could have completed a save. Instead, it was an easy series victory. Now, the Scorpions will look to avenge the 3-time SL Champs in a matchup of most likely the 2 best SL teams. It should be an outstanding series, but Miami maybe just too much to handle. Prediction: Miami in 7.
Los Angeles Lions
1st Round. Rochester- The Lions get the team that went the furthest in the 2005 Open Cup in Rochester. However, the Lions should easily take care of business in 2 because of David Kopp and Danilo Esqueda. There should be no trouble for the Lions here. Prediction: Los Angeles in 2.
2nd Round. Greenville- This is a series the Lions cannot sleep on. After going through their ace and above average pitcher, they don't have much else to throw out in a 3-game series. Houston has a lot of upcoming talent in AAA and could be prime for an upset. If Kopp pitches in this series, which he probably will, then Los Angeles should have an easy victory. However, LA could be upset if they don't respect this Greenville team.
Sweet 16. Las Vegas- The Lions will probably need Kopp to finish off Greenville, so their pitching staff may struggle against a solid Las Vegas lineup. The Scorpions took down the Lions last season in the final 3 games of the season to win the Southwest Division for the first time. Nate Morse would love nothing more than to see Los Angeles take 3 games this time. Sorry Morse, it ain't gonna happen. Prediction: Las Vegas in 4.
San Diego Pelicans
Opening Round. Saginaw- A major league team against an A team should bear an easy victory, correct? That didn't seem the case in game 1 of the Pelicans/Saginaw series as San Diego amassed 19 hits in 13 innings but only scored 3 runs, and had to win it in extra innings. The Pelicans should dominate game 2 as I don't see another 1-run victory. San Diego should easily win game 2 of the opeining round and advance to face another A team. Prediction: San Diego in 2.
1st Round. Appleton- Once again, San Diego gets the honor of facing another A team in Chicago's Appleton Axemen. And once again, they shouldn't have a lot of trouble. They have already gotten 19 hits against Saginaw, so they should still rack up a lot of hits in this series as well. Now they just have to figure out how to string a few hits together for a rally. No problems in this series for the Pelicans. Prediction: San Diego in 2.
2nd Round. Detroit- Now the Pelicans have to face a team with actual talent, the kind of teams these Pelicans struggled with all of last season. The Pelicans themselves are a little like a AAA team from talent's standpoint. They definitely don't have the pitching or hitting to keep up with the Bulldogs. Prediction: Detroit in 2.
Atlanta Sun Devils
Opening Round. Ocala- Facing a AA team, Atlanta shouldn't have much trouble getting out of the Opening Round, especially with Taisho on the mound. Taisho should easily take care of business in game 1 and then it's just win 1 out of 2, which the decent Atlanta hitters should have no trouble doing. Prediction: Atlanta in 2.
1st Round. Sarasota- With the great depth in the minor leagues, Dallas' AA Sarasota has some players that could be in AAA right now. And they will get to face a team that's already played a couple of games and can steal games against the lower part of a bad pitching rotation. if they get by Oscar Camarillo in game 1 then this series could be easily over, whether Taisho pitches game 2 or 3. If Taisho is scheduled to pitch game 3, then Ocala gets a 20-game loser in Navares. If Taisho pitches game 2, then Ocala gets Roberto Cierto, who pitched his way to a mindblowing 0-22 last season. I'm going to say that the Seminoles get Taisho in game 2 and are able to beat the other 2 pitchers to win the series. Prediction: Ocala in 3.
Carolina Cobras
1st Round. Richmond- It doesn't matter whether Carolina faces Richmond or Columbus, Carolina's overpowering pitching staff should get the job done. Sebas Solorio has some big shoes to fill in replacing the MVP, Marc Poles. However, Solorio is a very good pitcher as well, and will show the Carolina faithful why Colt Ciccone traded the MVP to get Solorio in a Cobra uniform. Prediction: Carolina in 2.
2nd Round. Kansas City- The Tampa Tigers may be ownerless right now, but Ty Heath set the foundation for future success in Tampa. Plenty of his top prospects are in AAA and are formidable to cause some havoc. However, Carolina won 104 games last year and are still a good team after the recent movement of players to Philadelphia. Look for Carolina to take care of business again. Prediction: Carolina in 2.
Sweet 16. Chicago- The Cobras now get to face the defending champs in the Chicago Cardinals. They should have no competition in their first two games and will come out strong against the Cobras. Chicago has an outstanding lineup that will give even Carolina's pitching staff trouble. Carolina can win 1, maybe 2, but the pitching won't hold out the entire series. Prediction: Chicago in 4.
Miami Talons
1st Round. New York- The Talons' first series is tougher than a lot of the ML teams have to start the Open Cup. However, this is Miami, the city that has the most dominating team in the league that's lost 1 meaningful game in 3 seasons. Gandolfo will dominate in game 1 and Locascio should do well in game 2. Prediction: Miami in 2.
2nd Round. Ann Arbor- Miami now gets the pleasure of facing their own A team. The A players get to face some solid talent of the players they might be replacing some day, if they are lucky. The Aces are good enough to get by Dallas' A team but they will get slaughtered in a series that a lot of people think will contain the highest scoring victory by any team in the Open Cup. Prediction: Miami in 2.
Sweet 16. Dayton- Miami will be facing a AAA team in all likelyhood in the Sweet 16, since Cleveland sucks and if Macon wins, they may struggle against Dayton. The Aviators probably could have had a great chance to advance to the Quarterfinals if they were playing a different ML team rather than Miami. Dayton can match up with some ML teams, but definitely not Miami. Prediction: Miami in 3.
Quarterfinals. Chicago- The Talons will look to avenge their first title defeat in the 3 seasons of the ABL against Chicago. The Cardinals did the improbable by being the first team to knock out the 2-time champions, but Miami still has a good enough rotation to win in 5 games, especially if Gandolfo pitches twice. This should be a great series where Miami may suffer their first loss. This series could go either way with the victor a favorite to go to the finals. Prediction: Miami in 5.
Semifinals. Boston- The two teams on the complete opposite sides of the Soester Bracket will probably face off in the semis. There's no doubt that Boston is a very good team, but they were swept last year by Chicago in the playoffs and are looking to prove how good they really are. Their lineup should be enough to take a couple games, but Gandolfo starting twice equals 2 victories for Miami, meaning they just need to win 2 out of the other 5. Prediction: Miami in 6.
Finals. Las Vegas- The Scorpions and Talons faced of in the SLCS last year, with Miami winning the series in a short 5-game series. The Talons had to pull some come from behind victories to win a couple of the games. In fact 3 of the 4 wins in the SLCS came with Miami tied or trailing after the 7th inning. With Pablo Vivieros closing out games for the Scorpions, the leads will be harder to break. However, Miami should have the pitching to win this series. Prediction: Miami in 7.
New Orleans Colonels
Opening Round. Rockford- There's really no point in talking about this series. Jay Soester himself will probably drive in more runs than Rockford does in 2 games. Colonels have no trouble in this series. Prediction: New Orleans in 2.
1st Round. Syracuse- Syracuse was outstanding a year ago, and had the 6th best record of any team at any level. However, the Storm are facing an upcoming Colonels' team that will look to Soester and Muir to hammer the ball. The great SS/2B tandem will help overpower the Syracuse pitching. Prediction: New Orleans in 2.
2nd Round. Minnesota- Monarchs' owner Timothy Schneider knows that he has a very good hitting team. He also knows that his pitching sucks badly, the key that will decides who wins this series. If the pitching is strong for the Monarchs, they should have the clear edge. However, I don't think they have enough pitching, and the Colonels win this series. Prediction: New Orleans in 3.
Sweet 16. Hartford- Philly's AAA team has an easy road into the Sweet 16 by playing some pretty crappy teams. Next, they get to take on a rolling Colonels team which should be good enough to get by another minor league team. New Orleans' hitting should help overcome Hartford, and keep this cinderella team alive into the Quarterfinals. Prediction: New Orleans in 4.
Quarterfinals. Connecticut- After insiring the fans of an underwater city, the dream has to end somewhere. The Thunder pitching rotation is very good 1-4 and should be able to contain the great 2B-SS tandem at the top of the Colonels' order. It's been a great run for New Orleans, but they just cannot beat Rikjaards, Levine, and the Connecticut pitching staff as well. Prediction: Connecticut in 4.
Tampa Tigers
Opening Round. Gainesville- The Tigers are better than the Crusaders, so they should not struggle against a AA team. Tampa should be able to get by Carolina's AA team in this matchup. Prediction: Tampa in 2.
1st Round. Buffalo- Chicago's AAA team is not too shabby. There are 4 SP that are top prospects in the Chicaho organization. The Tampa Tigers didn't have a great year and may struggle against this staff. The ownerless Tigers will go down here, against the Buffalo Blue Jays. Prediction: Buffalo in 3.
The teams that will go the furthest in the 2007 Open Cup clearly are the ML teams. Among the favorites to win it all are last year's playoff teams with a few surprises mixed in as well. It may not count at all towards the regular season, but it should be exciting to watch the Open Cup unfold. Hopefully the 2007 Open Cup will bring plenty of excitement and plenty of upsets.
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