A Dynasty Without A Ring?
A Look Back At 2019:
Dynasty had a team with an astounding 6 players with an OPS over 1.500 leading to a record of 15-7. The defense was as strong as ever and the pitching had an ERA of 8.6, which lead to a strong regular season. BUT, and this is a big BUT, Saj’s Dynasty always finishes the postseason with the ultimate cliche “Close But No Cigar”, or “Always the Bridesmaid, never the Bride”, “Almost Doesn’t Count”.
The lineup of Yamin, Amit, the Liang brothers, Omar, Ariel, and Adrian bring huge offensive power, had massive years with slugging and OPS, they also had a plus run differential of +98, which was good for number two in the league . But once again where it matters most, in the Playoffs, the bats disappeared or pitching/defense fell apart. They lost in the first round to Bengals after being heavily favored in 3 close games.
Maybe its time for Saj to loosen up the pants, because at this point what else can he do? Just let the twig and berries breath, take the “heat” off of them & the team.
A Look Ahead At 2020:
The core of the team is right back at it for 2020. Setting their sights at that elusive Trophy. With the core back we can expect the same……….or can we? Saj has recruited a great player, Ali Ghumman, and his pitching and bat will be an asset when they need it most. Ali has pitched and won many championships.
In addition to Mike Liang, Amit, Omar, Yamin, Ariel, Adrian that we spoke about earlier, they bring back the underrated Milan Patel who is very versatile and had a career year at the plate. They also added Kunal Oak from rivals TSFE, which should boost the backend of their rotation.
Have they worked on their nerves? Stopped choking on who knows what ( we have a few ideas) in the playoffs? Will they go balls to the wall in every game? have they added any other role players? A deeper bench so they can finish at a higher seed? Only time will tell if they are to go down in SASL history as the perinial Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda’s.
Our Prediction:
The team was good enough to win it all last year. They were able to beat all the top teams in the regular season. They bring the same core back and added better role players. They should finish around the 4/5th seed and get to the Semifinals if everything falls right in the playoffs.
Best Players:
Yamin Patel, Amit Bhasin, and Mike Liang were among the top 5 in every offensive category last year, which includes HR’s, RBI’s, Runs, Slugging, OBP, OPS, Total Bases. Amit Bhasin finished 2nd in the NL for MVP followed by Mike Liang. Omar is also up there in this crew as a talented outfielder with top of the order skills. Individual awards dont matter for these guys.
Players To Watch For:
Ali Ghumman. His solid bat and capability of placing the ball coupled with his pitching will bring the team higher in the standings. Remember Ali played in the AL, with one league expect his ERA to drop and his BA to climb. It also allows Omar to move back to the outfield. Adrian won 2019 NL Rookie of the Year. You can expect him to take another step forward now that he has adjusted to the league.
Hear It From The Captain: Sajid Kakana
1. What do you enjoy most about your role as team captain?
—Being captain allows me to build a group of cohesive guys that are passionate about the sport and showing up to play with no drama.
2. Who do you think will be your toughest competition this season?
—I don’t pick and chose but the rosters look aggressive, I know a few long time captains that have easy access to good talent and always have an advantage in the season. Hopefully the rating system creates parity for a well rounded competition.
3. What do you think are your team’s strong points? Weak points?
—Strength comes from the players and their dedication, they show up to play and little drama. Dynasty always recruits to play hard and never forfeit. Weakness lies in the ability of all players to deliver and not top heavy, if the bottom line delivers it will be a solid season.
4. How do you see your teams season play out this season?
—Dynasty has changed philosophy to have fun playing and not sweat little things, we enjoy our company and enjoy the sport, if a chip is won it would be the cherry topping but the goal is to have fun and stay competitive.
