SML action returns Monday

Just two weeks after the Saipan Major League Baseball Association returned to the confines of Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field, the organizers gave the players, coaches, and umpires some time off to retune their offenses, tighten up their defenses, and reaffirm the bonds with their families during Holy Week.

This season’s line up has more people involved in the sport across the island than last year, as seven teams are competing for the pennant compared to four in the 2004 edition.

The Ford Rangers made a statement early by combining to score 35 runs in their first two games, while only allowing a total of four.

The majority of its players were carried over from the Pirates, but a few key off-season additions to the roster have paid off. The first change that the Rangers made was reacquiring the services of manager Glen Palacios.

Last year, the Pirates blew the doors off of the competition by rocketing out to a 3-0 start, but they followed up with a 0-3 performance that could have been due in part to a lack of direction. They pulled off a coup for their second addition of the off-season when they managed to lure pitcher Roy Celis away from the defending champion Miller Lite Brewers. The hardball community was shocked to see “The Rocket” make the switch, as the Rangers added an ace to their pitching staff.

Another plus for the Rangers is the return of flame-throwing pitcher Chris Nelson to the lineup. Though he hasn’t made an appearance to the mound thus far, the mere mention of his return brings smiles to the faces in the Rangers dugout.

At 2-0, the Rangers sit atop the league, but last season’s runner-up team plans to give them all they can handle.

After winning the championship in 2003, the Northern Yankees are 1-0 as a result of their 5-4 win over the Brewers in the season opener, and they look to join the Rangers in first place when they return to the field on Monday night to take on the Freedom Air Masters.

The pinstripers showed that they weren’t satisfied with second prize, and manager Tino Camacho won’t allow his squad to settle for anything but the best.
The Yanks have a wealth of talent on their squad, and are hungry to avenge their loss to the champs in the 2004 finals by claiming the 2005 trophy.

They have some of the top young pitchers, as well as big name players in the outfield, infield, and at the plate. They are serious contenders for the SML title, but they have to prove that they can win the big games later on in the season.

The defending champions of the SML lost a couple of players in the off-season that have made a dent in what was a solid team in their 2004 campaign. Pitchers Roy Celis and Bobby Castro defected to the Rangers and San Antonio Mets, respectively, to leave manager Tony Rogolifoi scratching his head.

The good news for the Brew Crew is that much of their line-up is intact, and they picked up pitcher Jonathan Camacho to help fill the void on the mound. Camacho threw a heck of a game in his first start against the Mets last week, and the rest of the blue and gold have recovered from their loss to the Yanks in the opener.

The Brewers also have the only player to hit a homerun at Palacios field in the wooden bat era on their roster, and Manny Sablan is also a deadly catcher from behind the plate. Sablan is a consistent hitter with speedy legs, and combined with one of the league’s top hitters in Tony Celis, they provide a one-two punch that could bring them another winner’s trophy at the end of the year.

The Mets of San Antonio are currently in last place following a rocky 0-2 start, but the yellow-clad nine show a lot of promise. They out-hit the Brewers in their latest loss in Oleai, but it was the performance of their pitching staff that raised a few eyebrows during their outings.

If Ryuji Kobayashi and Toru Tarutani get some consistency from their fielders, they may come back to make a run to the postseason. The players from the south side of the island have an extra week to get the wrinkles ironed out, as they return to Palacios field on Monday, April 4, to challenge the Masters.

At 0-1, the Masters are also in search of their first win, but the “old guard” is using this season as more of a tool to shake the rust from their cleats and put oil in their gloves in preparation to represent the CNMI overseas. They received a rude awakening in their first outing against the Ford Rangers in which they surrendered 23 runs in a mercy-rule shortened affair, but one can never underestimate the powers of cagey veterans on the diamond.

The two remaining untested teams will see action next week, as the Toyota Tacoma take on the Brewers on Wednesday, March 30, and the Budweiser Kings face the Rangers on April Fool’s, Friday.