Team Review: Arkansas Golden Falcons

The Arkansas Falcons finished eighth overall, 12 games out of a playoff spot and 12 games under .500, making it the second straight losing season for the Falcons. 2008 was the worst ever finish for the proud franchise. The Falcons were built to compete on offense, and neglecting the pitching staff. However, the strategy soon sunk the Falcons roster as many of the top teams had both very good offenses and very good pitching staffs.

What went right: With an offensive mindset as a goal early in the season, the team ended up finishing 5th in team OPS and 5th in total runs scored. Most of the runs were scored by slugging away - the Falcons were second in team home runs (3 behind Newark), and 5th in slugging percentage (.457). Alex Rodriguez had a great year hitting .297 with a .993 OPS, 38 homers and 99 RBIs. David Wright put together another MVP-caliber season - .306, 45 homers, 115 runs, 115 RBIs, and 13 SBs.

What went wrong: The lack of attention to the pitching staff hit the Falcons harder than expected. While youngster Jeremy Bonderman was solid, as was veteran Curt Schilling, the rest of the rotation was horrendous. So bad, in fact, that the Falcons resigned Roger Clemens to give them a fighting chance for the playoffs. Brandon Phillips, Lance Berkman, and J.J. Hardy were disappointing. Adam Dunn was mediocre, though he was shipped off to Philadelphia in a mid-season trade.

2009 Outlook: Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have announced their retirement. The Falcons should have enough offense for next year, but again, the problem will be with the pitching. Curt Schilling will miss next season and may also retire. Pedro Martinez also will most likely not contribute much in '09, leaving the rotation in the hands of Cliff Lee and, well, not much else. Wandy Rodriguez and maybe Andy Sonnanstine will likely occupy spots in the rotation. Unless the Falcons have a stupendous draft, they'll once again face an uphill climb.