The North hasn’t put a team in the Championship for the last 4 years, but each playoff team from the North made moves over the winter to change that. The fight over the last playoff spot in the North has been intense over the last few years, and this year there will be more pressure on Solingen for the top spot. Last year’s last-in Hamburg Stealers have made some big additions, while Paderborn and Bonn looked to add role players and depth. The Berlin Sluggers will play in the top league for the first time in more than a decade, and teams from the middle of the pack look to separate themselves from the rest and have a new team represent the North in the playoffs.
Solingen Alligators (24-4)
The Alligators enter the season with a new coach, David Daniels, after winning the Bundesliga North by 4 games last season and eventually being swept out of the playoffs in the semi-finals by Heidenheim. Although they are the favorite to win the division again, there are questions as to whether some noteworthy departures will be balanced by their new acquisitions. The 2010 North Division Pitcher of the Year Josh Rickards went to Italian club Palfinger Reggio Emilia, German National Team pitcher Nils Hartkopf went to the Haar Disciples, and the team fired coach Andy Fleischacker, who lead the team to a strong European Cup Qualifier. Filling the gaps will be Americans SS Phil Ortez (Golden Baseball League) and RHP Jerome Burton, who had a short and rough stint with Regensburg last season. Dominik Wulf and brothers Dustin and Andre Hughes will lead the team towards what they hope will be their 6th consecutive division championship. Solingen also returns to the European Cup Qualifier as hosts for the second consecutive year, after German Champion Regensburg declined participation in the Cup.
Paderborn Untouchables (20-8)
Last time Paderborn played in the championship, they won it; but that was 2005. The team overcame a two game deficit in the first round of the playoffs last year to eliminate Mannheim, but couldn’t get past eventual champion Regensburg in the second round. The core of the team returns, including slugger Michael Franke and top fielder Jendrick Speer. RHP Eugen Heilmann won 10 games last year, and the team will look to him to repeat his strong performance in order to break Solingen’s hold on the top spot. Replacing the departing P/3B Daniel Meier are INF/C Ryan Hall, and P Brian Fields. Making the leap from South to North after 6 seasons will be P/UTL Craig Pycock, who has hit .284 while playing filling open spots around the field, and a 2.69 ERA as a reliever. The added depth will help Paderborn in their quest for the championship, and give them a better matchup against the top teams from the south. Given all the moves in the North, Paderborn could finish in any of the top 4 spots, and is a sure bet to make the playoffs again.
Bonn Capitals (16-12)
Strong pitching from Tim Henkenjohann and American Bryce Schoening helped the Capitals to a 3rd place finish, but they couldn’t make up for a shortage of offense against Heidenheim in the playoffs. This offseason they have been active in adding players in hopes of making a deeper playoff run this coming summer; Swedish catcher Timor Kombarov will get time behind the plate, Philipp Spade comes in from Pulheim, Michael Kratz joins from Saarlouis, Florian Nehring and national team pitcher Moritz Sckaer come over from Cologne, and Nick Shay from the US will add depth and talent to the to the team. With Americans Jon Marshall C and Schoening returning for another season, and the addition of key talent, the Capitals have their sights set on home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Hamburg HSV Stealers (12-16)
The Stealers made a dramatic push into the playoffs over the final weeks of last season, jumping from 7th to 4th place over two weeks. They relied heavily on a team effort throughout the year, with seven players picking up at least 10 innings pitched, and six players scoring at least 10 runs; although they were one of the worst hitting teams in the league. Coach Jens Hawlitzky was busy in the offseason, adding key pieces to ensure a return trip to the playoffs. Catcher Jakub Vojak had an outstanding season for Saarlouis last year and fills the shoes of the departed Patrick Maat. Pitcher Rene Herlitzius went 5-0 for Regensburg and adds a bat to the lineup. American utility man Max Warren brings his Greek passport with him and adds important depth in the bullpen and infield, and SS Sam Boone will be a much-needed glove for the team that lead the league in errors. Also announced was the return of RHP Justin Prinstien, who pitched two complete games for HSV with a 0.51 ERA to end the season. Top players from last year’s team Daniel Harms (4.89 ERA) and Philipp von Soosten (.820 OPS) will be looking forward to the help this season, and depending on how all the new pieces are able to fit together, don’t be surprised to see Hawlitzky’s squad on top of the standings through the season.
Pulheim Gophers (11-17)
Pulheim finished the season in a three-way tie for 5th, but missed out on the playoffs when they were swept on the final day of the season by Solingen, allowing HSV to take the final spot. The Gophers rode their two starters Markus Solbach (3.78 ERA, 100 IP) and Bryan Roberts (2.88 ERA, 109.1 IP) the whole season. Solbach is headed to the minors next season, but the team brings in US pitcher Ronnie Glunt, likely moving Roberts to the field. INF Anderson Alvarez joins the team from the relegated Cologne Cardinals, and the team has indicated an effort to sign another German pitcher. On offense, Daniel Lamb-Hunt returns to feast on the league pitching once again. He was first in the league in home runs and OPS last season, easily winning the Best Batter award in the North. With the loss of their top German hitter Philipp Spade to Bonn, their isn’t much pop to the lineup, and unless they are able to replace the loss of Solbach on the mound, they will struggle to match their performance of last year.
Dortmund Wanderers (11-17)
Dortmund also stayed in contention for a playoff spot until the end, but a 1-10 start to the year was ultimately the pitfall, even though they were in 4th for a short while midway through the summer. Matthias Winklareth comes from the 3rd league to the Wanderers, who again will be built around American pitcher Matt Kemp (148 K’s, 2.15 ERA), and his countryman Trevor Howell (3 HR, .939 OPS). Australian Baseball Leaguer and former minor leaguer Elliot Biddle has been signed to work the outfield, although he can also pitch, perhaps giving Kemp a break occasionally. Perhaps the most important player to the Wanderers playoff chances will be Aljosha Heller, who had a breakout season to lead the team in a number of offensive categories. If he is able to repeat his performance, and the team grows from the experience of last season, Dortmund could surprise some teams.
Dohren Wild Farmers (11-17)
Dohren was among the teams tied for 5th at the end of the season, although they finished last in offense and second to last in pitching. The bright spot on the team was league MVP Vince DeCoito, who racked up 136 K’s in 110 innings on the mound. An encore appearance this season appears unlikely, however. On offense, infielder Tyson Jaquez had a great season. Promising young players Maik Ehmke (heading to Regensburg for high school) and Gerrit Reger have left the squad, meaning more players will need to step up in order for Dohren to avoid relegation this season. Key players for the Wild Farmers this year will be Johannes Petzold, and 3B Sebastian Japp, as well as any foreigners the team decides to add.
Berlin Sluggers (Promoted)
Berlin is represented in the Bundesliga again, with the Sluggers moving up to replace the relegated Cologne Cardinals. The team enters as the biggest question mark of the season, perhaps even more so because they might look completely different from the team that won the 2nd league North last year. Departed American SS Nat Pedley leaves a hole in the infield, which coaches Sean Sullivan and Duane Philipps will concentrate on filling. Christian Pfeiffer did the majority of the work on the mound last year, going 8-1 with a 3.36 ERA. Offensively, Benjamin Kleiner swings a big stick and has had success in the top league before, albeit back when they still used metal bats. How the team’s powerful offense from last year will translate to the top league filled with outstanding pitchers will be the key. New faces include Iwan Galkin and Felix Schwarzbauer (Berlin Roadrunners), Valentin Hufen, Janek Lorenzen (Belgium), and Ales Keprta (Saarlouis). The former Czech national team pitcher Keprta has proven himself in the Bundesliga, having an ERA of 4.00 over 4 seasons in the South. His experience and leadership on a team filled with unknowns could help them stay in the top division for a few years.
Part two of the Preview for the upcoming season in the German Baseball-Bundesliga with a look at the southern teams will follow on Friday.
Photo: Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de