| < Opening Night | Week 2 > |
| Lafayette Park | The Zoo | The Zoo | The Zoo | ||||
| 4/27 | 4/29 | 4/29 | 4/29 | ||||
| FS | 2|3 | JM | 0|1 | WA | 1|2 | WA | 1|7 |
| CC | 1|2 | DK | 1|2 | DK | 0|0 | KF | 0|0 |
| Probable Starters: | |||
| Game 1: | Adam Cosby | vs. | Maclin Malloy |
| Game 2: | Jason Hewlett | vs. | Joe Seto |
A month before the start of the season this Donkeys vs. Mattseals match-up would have been looked at completely in reverse from how it is now. The 'Seals would have been the team surrounded by uncertainty and performance questions; today it is the Donkeys who are a riddle in their full-time roster. Everyone would have expected the Donkeys to tear off to a hot start the Ringler Division; now, it is the Mattseals who are being talked-up to jump out in the strong division. This is all due to their respective performances in the Spring Tournaments: the Mattseals shocked the world as a very competitive team with skill in all facets of the game. The Donkeys, on the other hand, played with a three-man lineup and struggled in every aspect.
Shore and Seto in Warriors throwbacksTo be fair, "three-man lineup" is the key to the questions about the Donkeys. This Saturday they are slated to have their full roster, including Maclin Malloy and Alex Shore. When they have all of their talent, this roster will be a strong threat. Joe Seto and Malloy will form a tough rotation, and Shore can fill in equally well, if needed. In order to capitalize on this, the Donkeys are front-loading their schedule (ten games in three weeks) to get Shore in as many games as possible. I imagine the Mattseals were chosen as Week One opponents to ease into the season, however, this match-up will be a huge first test for both rosters in the competitive Ringler Division.
2012 Mattseals (sans Paquin)For their part, the Mattseals are not your father's Mattseals. They have bulked up incredibly this offseason, like Brandon Inge and his blacksmith arms. Unlike Inge, though, this team has solved their issues at the plate. New captain, Greg Franzen, along with his additions - Mike Myers, Adam Cosby, and Chris Paquin - bring good contact and bat control. Returning players Imran Kakli and Jason Hewlett have also made good strides in the offensive part of their game. On the mound Cosby adds an arm equal to Hewlett's, giving them a nasty one-two punch in their rotation.
If both teams can field their full rosters, then I expect this Opening Weekend series to go blow-for-blow for all ten (possibly ten-plus) innings. It may only be Week One of fourteen, but close wins will be the official currency of the Ringler Division this season. Picking up a couple extra at any point could be the difference between the seventh and third seed. Expect good-to-great pitching, tactical hitting, and aggressive baserunning. If this comes down to one thing that gives either team an advantage, it is team fielding. And that is why I might give a slight edge to the made-over Mattseals in this Opening Weekend series.
Shore and Seto in Warriors throwbacksTo be fair, "three-man lineup" is the key to the questions about the Donkeys. This Saturday they are slated to have their full roster, including Maclin Malloy and Alex Shore. When they have all of their talent, this roster will be a strong threat. Joe Seto and Malloy will form a tough rotation, and Shore can fill in equally well, if needed. In order to capitalize on this, the Donkeys are front-loading their schedule (ten games in three weeks) to get Shore in as many games as possible. I imagine the Mattseals were chosen as Week One opponents to ease into the season, however, this match-up will be a huge first test for both rosters in the competitive Ringler Division.
2012 Mattseals (sans Paquin)For their part, the Mattseals are not your father's Mattseals. They have bulked up incredibly this offseason, like Brandon Inge and his blacksmith arms. Unlike Inge, though, this team has solved their issues at the plate. New captain, Greg Franzen, along with his additions - Mike Myers, Adam Cosby, and Chris Paquin - bring good contact and bat control. Returning players Imran Kakli and Jason Hewlett have also made good strides in the offensive part of their game. On the mound Cosby adds an arm equal to Hewlett's, giving them a nasty one-two punch in their rotation.
If both teams can field their full rosters, then I expect this Opening Weekend series to go blow-for-blow for all ten (possibly ten-plus) innings. It may only be Week One of fourteen, but close wins will be the official currency of the Ringler Division this season. Picking up a couple extra at any point could be the difference between the seventh and third seed. Expect good-to-great pitching, tactical hitting, and aggressive baserunning. If this comes down to one thing that gives either team an advantage, it is team fielding. And that is why I might give a slight edge to the made-over Mattseals in this Opening Weekend series.
