Season 14!!!

AAAAHHHHH, another season here in J5B! Time for stadium goers to dust off their team jerseys and oil up the gloves and  TV watchers to prep their spouses on the lack of attention they will recieve for the next few months. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Spring Training is upon us! The smell of freshly mowed grass is here. The cold spring air anticipates the smell of wet clay and chewing tobacco. The nightmares of seasons past are laid aside. This is our year!!!  Our teams will be victorious!!! On this day, we will not doubt, we will not fear! Come with me my J5B brothers. Our journey to Title Town starts now! Play ball!!

HOF Can Wait

Pepper James Boston Patriots Age: 37 B/T: R/R Born: Polson, MT Position(s): CF/CIF/2B/OF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Future Hall of Famer, Pepper James, has signed a one year deal with the Boston Patriots worth $1.7 million. The deal ends speculation that James may hang up his cleats after the eight time All-Star struggled last season in Houston. James hit .259 with an OBP of .335 last season, while hitting 15 home runs and driving in 74. These numbers aren't terrible compared to the average major leaguer, but when you're talking about a player like James we've all come to expect the .317/.437 32/108 line he put up just two seasons ago during his MVP campaign in season 11'. One major league scout said, "He's still talented, still driven. He's just 37 years old."

The $1.7 million owed to James is a far cry from the $15 million he was scheduled to make this year, before he and Houston agreed to a buy out. James confirmed today that it wasn't the money he was after. "I love this game, and I still have a passion for it. I wasn't sure what opportunities would be available to me, but I'm still close with Raul [Tatis] and we talked about how cool it would be to play together again. When [Boston GM] Nate called and offered me a job, it really was a no brainer." Tatis and James were teammates on the J5B champion Tractor Pulls of season 6.

The Patriots All-Star Center fielder, had this to say about his friend. "I'm thrilled to have him here. He's a great talent, a great teammate and a great friend. He's just happy to be here and whatever kind of role he's in, he'll embrace and work as hard as he can to help us win a World Series."

James projects to primarily contribute offensively off the bench and have occasional DH duties. Though his invaluable leadership ability and experience will play a much bigger role in helping the defending AL Champion Patriots get back to the World Series.

LA's newest Angels

Victor Candelaria Anaheim Angels Age: 32 B/T: R/R Born: Elias Pina, DO Position(s): 3B/MIF/RF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Jimmie Wright Anaheim Angels Age: 31 B/T: R/R Born: Andrews, TX Position(s): P (SP1) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Victor Candelaria is one of the newest members of the LAA Angels, as the 32 year old former All-Star signed a new 3 year deal worth $7.5 million annually. The type A free agent will cost the Halos their first round pick in this years amateur draft, where the DeathPanel will will now pick at number 32.

Candelaria sports a .265 lifetime AVG and .336 OBP, but it's his glove that has most people talking. The life-long short-stop is projected to move to third base for this upcoming season. A move that new fielding instructor Seth Young says has "Gold Glove potential".

Another new addition is two time World Series champion & All-Star, Jimmie Wright. Wright signed his new deal early Wednesday morning. The deal is being reported as a four year $40.5 million deal, with a mutual option for a fifth year at $8 million.

Over his first six major league seasons Wright has an ERA of 3.58 and a 1.28 WHIP, while also bringing home two World Series rings with the Bay City Bullies organization. An experience he hopes to share again with his new teammates.

Two major signings for an already competitive Angels team make them an early favorite for the NL West.

Meet Halfhorse

Halfhorse has been a part of J5B since season 10 and turned a losing team into a two-time Wild Card team.

Name: Mike

Age: Just turned 50. Yeah, that's hard to type and even harder to say (Editor's note-man, you're old!!!:-).

Marital status: Single

Kids: None- but have three cool nephews and three sweet nieces.

Occupation: Sports writer- won 16 career writing awards (including three national ones) while covering an NFL team and college sports for a Southern Californian newspaper. Currently write MLB, NBA, college football and college hoops reviews and recaps for one company, handle a college basketball conference weekly report for another company that runs on the major sports Web sites, cover the home games of a Division I college basketball program for the nation's leading wire service, do freelance sports coverage work for a local newspaper and use any available free time to chime in on sports on my own personal sports blog (Editor's note- wow, very impressive).

Do you know any J5B owners: Nope, not a single one.

Favorite HBD moment: Hopefully coming with my first playoff series win. In only my fourth season of doing this and currently making second postseason appearance.

Favorite J5B player: Can't say I have one yet. When one of my draft choices makes it big, perhaps then.

Favorite sports teams: When I was a kid, I adored the Padres and Chargers. Journalistic objectivity/ethics and the rude way athletes, coaches, general managers and owners treat you quickly prevent you from ever again having a favorite (Editor's note-I'm saddened by that).

Favorite Band: John Waite, former lead singer of The Babys and Bad English in addition to being a longtime solo act. Dynamic live performer too.

Meet Burk

Burk was here for the inauguration of J5B, and won the AL South in season 1 and was a WC in season 2.

Name: Kevin

Age: 44

Marital status: Single. Never married.

Kids: No kids

Occupation: Special Ed teacher and high school assistant baseball/head girls golf coach. I do know two professional sports athletes because I coached them when they were growing up. There names -PGA Golfer- J.B. Holmes and 3B Zack Cox-currently AA ball in the Cardinals organization. I'm proud of both those guys.

Do you know any J5B owners: I know no owners.

Favorite HBD moment: My favorite moment is when my team in Edmonds made it to the WS in season 18.

Favorite J5B player: Trenidad Balboa is my favorite player in this world, but my future favorite may be Phillip Swann.

Favorite sports teams: My favorite sports teams are the Boston Red Sox, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Heat and Spurs-I love Tim Duncan. Really favorite sports team is the University of Kentucky, born there-live there. Love the cats. We are going to win #8 this year.

Favorite band: I like the old band KISS and Journey.

Meet Kjeverhart

Kjeverhart has been a part of J5B since season 6 and was a Wild Card in season 10.

Name: Kevin

Age: 36

Marital status: Single

Kids: None

Occupation: Transportation Dispatcher

Do you know any J5B owners: I've known Peagles99 since childhood. Brought him into the league. Sometimes regretted it.

Favorite HBD moment: I'd go with finally building the team up to the playoffs in season 11. It was a long road. Steven Peterson winning the Cy Young in season 12 is a near-miss.

Favorite J5B player: Kind of a tie, between Bailey Cohen and Hersh Maholm. They were my first rounders in consecutive seasons (6 and 7), both drafted as 2Bs, and they've been the heart of the Destroyers for the last couple of seasons. They were my first two big draft picks.

Favorite sports teams: I'm a Philadelphia sports fanatic, so the 4 Philly teams, with the Phils on top (Editor's note: That's what I'm talking about!).

Favorite band: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It's a bit of a Jersey stereotype, but I got into the music around the time of the Reunion Tour, and it just clicked for me.

Meet Larryvegas

Larryvegas has been a part of J5B from it's incipiency and has won the AL West 3 times.

Name: Mark

Age: 44

Marital status: Married

Kids: 3 kids

Occupation: Golf professional, I work in Massachusetts (Editor's note- how do I fix my damn slice? ;-).

Do you know any J5B owners: Don't know any owners.

Favorite HBD moment: No favorite moment YET.

Favorite J5B player: Eddie Leary (first player drafted in this league for me).

Favorite sports teams: Green Bay Packers, Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox...in that order.

Favorite band: Favorite band and best concert I've ever been to would be Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.