8 Teams in 8 Days: The Bamford Bears

Fogelberg – Today we start our tour around the league as we profile one team each day for the next 8 days.

We start our tour in the city of Bamford where the Bears hold a decisive advantage in this years Classic with the number one overall pick in the Single Season player draft. Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle will be at their disposal along with a fertile crop of newcomers in John McGraw, Max Bishop and Roy Columbine. If the Bears fail this year, it will not be due to the lack of a SERIOUS threat in their lineup.

The Bears have improved their scouting department and draft philosophy throughout the year by participating in the I-70 Baseball Classic (3rd place finish) and now look to become a serious threat in the ASB Classic. With at least one juggernaut in their lineup, Bamford will need to decide weather to build around power-hitting, on-base, or a balanced attack. In a limited number of games, all signs point to Player/Manager Pete Rose gambling on a balanced attack as he anchors the 1 or 2 spot in the lineup in front of either Williams or Ruth.

A lack of key hitting on Sundays has left Bamford in the bottom 2 finishers in the first 2 Classics. The franchise has a history of finishing well on Saturday and falling flat on Sunday. If this trend continues, look for public outcry to remove Rose as manager.

“You know, I think they are not too far away from being a BIG factor in the Classic,” Merrimack Owls lifetime player Ryne Sandberg said Tuesday. “They were REALLY tough in the I-70 and I think their scouting department has figured out how to draft a solid team.”

“They have a HUGE block to build around and I think that Rose is going to have them playing with a fire this year. Whenever you talk to him you can see that he wants it REALLY BAD, and he thinks this is his year… I think he might be right!”