Well, the ‘hammer is at it again. Here is his preseason California Top 10 Team rankings sure to get reactions up and down the Golden State. Feel free to post your own by visiting Fastpitchwest Forum’s most popular section, “Rumor Central”. After more than 11,000 page views in 2005, Sledgehammer’s Rumor Central has more than 23,000 page views for 2006 — in the first two months!)
1. Casa Trejo Bombers (A lot of Firepower..period.)
2. Team Rainey (Haven’t seen their roster but they win…a lot.)
3. A-1 Tank (Pyle gets better with some veteran pitchers, and a potent lineup….if they all show up.)
4. Taylor Farms (No Roster yet, but if they bring the same team back they have what it takes, pitching and solid defense.) (Ed.note: Taylor posted roster just after the release of this top 10)
5. River City Rockers (Proven winners for years but gettin older.)
6. El Segundo Rounders (If Barnes puts it together they can have a solid pitching staff, and that wins.)
7. Bakersfield Lumberkings (Unknown team but they have a solid lineup. Pitching still the question.)
8. Snakes (Solid pitching staff of Rupp and Blackburn.)
9. Rude Pac (They’re definitely rude but they hit and they’re young.)
10. Raymar (Not sure here, but they have finished third at an ASA C national.)
Editor’s Notes: Don’t think you’ll get much argument about the top 2 teams, Bombers and Rainey, as they are clearly a cut above the rest, having proven that they belong among the games elite teams, competing for the ISC World Tournament title. By finishing 10th in that ISC World Tournament last year (first time a California team had done so in more than a decade), the Bombers could lay claim to the top spot, even before the free agent shopping spree that made George Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman’s handiwork pale by comparison. The rest of the top 10 is where the debate begins. Post your list today!
Some of the teams in the top 10 (Rounders, Raymar, Rude Pac (?)) will get their first tests of the young season, as the So Cal ASA A/B league begins play this weekend at Santa Fe Springs. Ah, here’s an interesting matchup: 4:45pm, Diamond 2: Savala Rounders vs. the Long Beach Black Sox. 🙂