Federal League Baseball | Minnesota

Throughout this week, sports enthusiasts everywhere are engaging in the timeless tradition of prediction. They peer into crystal balls, pore over trading cards, and eagerly fill out tournament brackets in hopes of winning their office pool. Football fans anxiously await the upcoming draft, fervently wishing their beloved Vikings will select a promising quarterback. (Please!) Meanwhile, baseball aficionados meticulously fine-tune their fantasy teams, preparing for a season filled with roster additions and drops. It's the season of prognostication, where everyone is eager to forecast the future of sports.

So, why not add a twist to the excitement? Let's conduct a poll among Federal League players and managers to gather their predictions. Will our league exhibit the clairvoyance of Nostradamus or the duds of Carnac the Magnificent? Place your hand on the Tarot deck and let's find out together.

Wait. Quick reminder let's keep the fun and entertainment at the forefront of our minds as we delve into these predictions. It's all in good spirits, and how you interpret the results is entirely up to you. If I can take the answers of “Your Mom” and “Lars sucks balls!” and people wishing personal injury for me this season as a way to improve the league, I’m sure you can handle the slight disappointment of sixty-seven online poll taking strangers picking your team to only win the Class A title. Deal? Ok, let’s get started. Hand back on the Tarot deck.


Let’s start with the first question in the poll, who will win the American East?

East Metro Mammoth (58 votes)
South Metro Saints (5 votes)
River Falls Groupers (2 votes)

No surprises here! The East Metro Mammoth have been dominating the Class AAA scene, clinching the championship title for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022. With the recent additions of Emery Hull, Dan Casazza, and Hans Heggerness, they've only strengthened their roster. Despite falling short in the Semifinals last summer, they're still considered a top contender for the AAA title once again. South Metro has also garnered some attention, particularly after acquiring Josh Conley. They proved to be a formidable opponent last season, and with players like Grant Schara potentially in the running for MVP, the Saints could certainly shake things up. With a perfect blend of experienced veterans and promising young talent, they might just pull off an upset this season. Don't count out the River Falls Groupers who have a .732 winning percentage since 2010 - and have Dave Meyer. Also lurking are the RC Rockets who have some new faces to go with last year’s rookie wonder Colin Warren. St. Croix can put up runs in a hurry and before you know it you are in the parking lot with an L.

   

Who will win the American West?

Waconia Islanders (25 votes)
Chaska Voyageurs (18 votes)
Rockford Rail Splitters (15 votes)

This vote went more democratic with newcomers the Waconia Islanders winning over the Federal faithful. Jeremy Salden’s group already has a reputation of winning before stepping in the box. Following closely behind are the 2023 Class A Champions, the Chaska Voyageurs, who many believe will make significant strides this year, especially with players like Jeff Clabots and "Rookie of the Year" favorite Keith Bistodeau in their lineup. However, let's not underestimate the potential of the new and improved Rockford team. With a handful of fresh faces joining forces with seasoned legends like Todd Haag, Jeremy Loretz, and Troy Loomis. The injection of new blood might put the Rail Splitters back on top. Also in the mix are the newcomers Eden Prairie Flyers and Chaska Diamonds. Not much is known about the Flyers and the Diamonds can upset the best of them.


Who will win the American South?

Burnsville Bulldogs (54 votes)
Milltown Outlaws (8 votes)
Hastings Hurricanes (3 votes)

It's no surprise that Burnsville emerged as the overall favorite among pollsters. With talents like Trent Larson, Mike McCallion, and the rest of the dog pound, the Bulldogs are poised to fiercely contend for an AAA spot this summer. The Milltown Outlaws have sprung the imagination of the entire league with their bold acquisition of Mike Rothstein, pair that with Nick Davis and Bill Dunker and the Outlaws could be riding into your town like Wyatt Earp ready to kick up some dust - hide the red sashes. Although the Hastings Hurricanes' Hot Stove pickup may not have been as headline-grabbing as some had hoped, manager Nick Tuckner has instilled excitement and determination in his storm chasers, earning them some well-deserved votes. The Northfield Millers, last year's hyped team for a major leap, may just fulfill expectations this season. With players like Maximiliano Arcia and Tony Rome earning early MVP votes, the Webster Wildcats could be on track for championship success, whether in Class A or beyond.

    

Who will win the American North?

Minnoka Grays (57 votes)
St Michael Angels (7 votes)
Minneapolis Bombers (2 votes)

The North's favorites are none other than last year's AAA, State, and MSBL 35+ World Series Champions, Minnoka. With a roster boasting pitching depth, solid defense, and an impressive ability to score runs, they're primed for another successful season. Even the potential setback of a Nick Larson injury doesn't seem enough to derail this powerhouse. The voters widely considered the Grays as front-runners for a repeat championship in 2024. The St. Michael Angels aim to bounce back from a disappointing early exit in last summer's AA playoffs. Led by Dan Pluff and hopefully bolstered by more consistent attendance from key players, the green and gold squad could certainly shake things up and cause some upsets. The Minneapolis Bombers picked up some votes, and why not, any lineup with the Linders and Chad Stewart can do some damage, but can they stop from inflicting that same damage to themselves? In the same boat is the Red West Legends, always a top team with the stick - can they stop others from crossing the plate. Both the Bombers and Legends can make a quick turnaround and compete in any playoff bracket with a quality arm to emerge. Because both teams can send the ball in orbit. As for Capital City, some voters may have lost faith following significant losses of Michael Lewis and Steve Kleppen, but if James Zapf can increase his game appearances and Nate Ackman can shoulder more innings, they could make some nights uncomfortable for opposing teams. Their speed and scrappiness could prove to be valuable assets come August.


Who will win the National East?

Rosemount Pipers (34 votes)
Apple Valley A’s (26 votes)
St Anthony Norse (4 votes)

The Pipers boast a formidable offensive lineup and a standout ace in Cliff Christopherson. However, playoff success often hinges on pitching depth, raising questions about who will step up to throw for the Pipers beyond their ace. Nevertheless, they remain a favorite in whichever top bracket they find themselves in. While Apple Valley relies heavily on their pitching depth, led by the duo of Tim Scott and Josh Stoll to stifle opponents. Scoring runs against top teams proved challenging for the A's last season and could continue to be a concern this year. Nonetheless, they are still considered strong contenders for a deep postseason run, though uncertainty remains regarding which bracket they'll compete in with the new division format. St Anthony had a great start last summer before the wheels came off in July. Then they decided to watch the playoffs from a vacation lake. Will the Norse raid the new division they find themselves in or hand out goodies and sit the postseason out again? This hard playing bunch can pull some wins together though. The St Paul JTs went on a nice post All Star Game streak last season leading them to a Class B title last season. It's the final season for Jim Block wearing the maroon and gold and it's just baseball magic that the JTs will win another title for Block, according to voters it will be another Class B title. Meanwhile, the St. Paul Senators, winners of the Class B in 2022, faced setbacks last season. However, with players like Nick Campion and Pete Kostichka contributing offensively, and potential improvement on the mound led by Ed Wigfield, the Senators could emerge as a surprising force this summer in the lower Classes.

 
   

Who will win the National West?

Minnetonka Saints (23 votes)
Tonka Bay Lakers (19 votes)
Metro Loons (14 votes)

The National West, also known as the Big Willow division, features all the Minnetonka teams, one wannabe Minnetonka team and the Snappers. Who will win the battle of Big Willow - according to the voters it looks like the Minnetonka Saints are the favorite.

With exciting new additions like Steve Kleppen and other Park National veterans, the Saints emerge as the exciting pick to shake things up in the AAA league this season, following their AA title win in 2023. Hot on their heels are the Tonka Bay Lakers, formerly known as the Minnetonka Lakers, as they embark on their debut season in the Federal League. With Jim Brower leading the charge, the Lakers boast a solid foundation that promises fierce competition right from the start. Their presence is sure to make waves in the league. The Metro Loons are just that steady team that doesn't make major moves and are content with their guys, players like Jason Bujold, Ryan Hess and Grant Barthel will score runs, strike guys out and irk umpires. The TC Snappers lost a good chunk of their starting lineup in the offseason in a very public transfer of power. But the Snappers can still pitch and that's all you need to be successful in this league, Jason Kapaun and Dave Killion are a respectable 1-2. And you still have to deal with Ryan Marshall, Nate Johnson, and Yulian Oviedo. Maybe subtraction is the addition for the turtles this summer. The Minnetonka Mustangs picked up some youth this offseason as they raided the leftover Diablos that still wanted to play ball. Matt Rocz was a bright spot for the horses and Tony Brown had a 3.10 ERA last summer. If Brown can get run support, they could compete again and disrupt the plans of their opponents.


Who will win the National South?

Lakeville Lobos (30 votes)
New Market Northerns (27 votes)
Lonsdale Jokers (6 votes)

You could say this might be the toughest division out of the new seven. The National South boasts Lakeville, New Market, an improved Lonsdale, Elko and Veseli. Yikes. Voters picked Lakeville winning by a hanging chad over New Market. But voters overall don't know what to think about the Lobos this summer as they were the only team to get significant votes in all brackets - you'll see later - but the voters do think that Matt Meyer will win MVP, and a Meyer, Don Erdal, Jamie Steinberg rotation is phenomenal. But the question that haunts the Lobos, who will show up in August? New Market once again fell in the AAA Championship game, the fourth time since 2018. Don't give them the Buffalo Bills tag just yet - the Northerns are still solid with the 1-2 punch of Rian Heaslip and Matt Germar. With a Park pipeline, they will remain contenders. Lonsdale went from almost folding a few years ago to almost winning the AA title last August. Led by the two Mikes, Madison and Alvestad, the Jokers will be back and inspired by the "Alimagent Job" where they got a raw deal on rescheduling the rained out AA Championship game. They have a solid starter in Brian Vosejpka, but probably need another arm to step up to compete with New Market and Lakeville. Many voters are picking Elko to be the surprise team this season, the once royalty of the Federal League had a slip up last season, losing in the A title game to Chaska. Elko can slug with the best of them but needs a pitcher to go out and dominate, is Craig Osborn that guy? Looks like Veseli had a big overhaul on their roster, but still have studs like Eric Steinhoff, Eric Ceplecha and Rick Majerus. Hopefully one of these new guys can eat some innings on the bump.

       

Who will win Class AAA?

Minnoka Grays (21 votes)
Lakeville Lobos (17 votes)
East Metro Mammoth (14 votes)

Last year the Grays weren’t even picked to win their own Division, now they are the ones with the target on its back. Can Minnoka handle the pressure? Lakeville with the Meyer factor is a favorite to win with an updated Lobos roster. Don’t forget the two time AAA champions in the Mammoth. With only one at-large bid this year, you need to play almost perfect ball just to get a ticket to this big dance.

Who will win Class AA?

Lakeville Lobos (9 votes)
South Metro Saints (7 votes)
New Market Northerns (6 votes)

Again, the Meyer factor at play? Voters are thinking the Meyer less Lobos fail to make the AAA but win the AA? Will New Market not make the big dance but win it’s second AA title in three years? The South Metro Saints have a well-rounded team that can compete with anyone but get sent to the AA because they share a division with the Mammoth.

Who will win Class A?

Chaska Voyageurs (7 votes)
Lakeville Lobos (5 votes)
Red West Legends (4 votes)

The 2023 Class A champs are picked to repeat by the voters. Chaska did lose Brower to Tonka Bay, but they saw Andy Dauwalter and Tyler Nawrocki step up during the playoffs, and any lineup with Jeff Clabots you got to respect. Red West lost some players this past winter due to expansion but maybe now they have the right players to win, Issac Wales was everyone’s winter ball superman. Maybe Tupper can get some innings out of him. And Lakeville in the Class A? Come on.

Who will win Class B?

St. Paul JTs (16 votes)
RC Rockets (11 votes)
Lakeville Lobos (6 votes)

What better way for Jim Block to go out as a Champion, and a repeat Champion for the B title as the JTs claimed that last season. The RC Rockets always make a good run in August, with new depth and a healthy Colin Warren, they could be a class up. Again, Lakeville getting votes. Probably not going to happen guys. But at least you didn’t vote for “Who Cares” and “Your Mom” that got 3 votes each.

And who cares? I do. The board does. The players playing in this bracket do. Just because the letter has some humps to it, doesn’t diminish the fact that one of these teams are closing the season as a winner and that’s more than 31 other teams going home kicking rocks.

Who will be the "surprise" team this season?

TC Snappers (6 votes)
South Metro Saints (4 votes)
Elko Chuggers (4 votes)

When most people saw Trevor Stolhanske, Rick Aubuchon and Brett Larsen leave for Lakeville, rumors went hard that the Snappers were going to fold. It's impressive that Jeff Wilson was able to keep the Snappers team intact despite the departure of key players. Wilson's decades of experience could be a valuable asset in guiding the Snappers through this transition period. If the team can rally together and use the loss of players as motivation, they may surprise their opponents and prove that they are still a competitive force in the league. It will be interesting to see how they perform this summer and if they can indeed "shell shock" some opponents. Voters think so.

Who will have an MVP season?

Matt Meyer – Lakeville (8 votes)
Tom Corcoran - East Metro (5 votes)
Emery Hull - East Metro (4 votes)

Voters think Matt Meyer is going to dominate the Federal League this season, but will he play enough to dominate? Rumor is Meyer is anxious to show how well he can hit besides pitch. Watch out. Tom Corcoran had an “off” year in 2023, off season for him anyway. Look for Tommy to put up 2021 numbers again along with his teammate Emery Hull. These two can stuff the stat sheet making number crunchers glutton. Other receiving multiple votes were Jack Nelson, Dan Skog, Joey Olson, Cliff Christopherson, Trent Larson, Tim Scott and Grant Schara.


Who will be the hot new "rookie" in the Fed this year?

Keith Bistodeau – Chaska Voyageurs (4 votes)
Mike Rothstein – Milltown Outlaws (3 votes)

Bistodeau technically is not a rookie as he played last season for Chaska batting .364 and having a good playoffs for the Class A Champs. While Rothstein in the late 90’s was All-Big Ten Conference honors as a junior first baseman for the Boilermakers and batted .350 with 10 home runs that season. He lettered four years at Purdue. Numerous other names were also mentioned; Anthony Dress, Brian Heil, Nick Vickstrom, Matt Ruban and Dickie Thon – what is a better answer than “Who cares” or “Grays suck balls”


Best Manager in the Federal League?

Lars Larson – Minnoka Grays (15 votes)
Randy Schmidt – East Metro Mammoth (8 votes)
Jeff Wilson – TC Snappers (6 votes)

Totally flattered about this, but I don't deserve this honor. Maybe the best GM? A lot of the Grays in game decisions are team votes or when things are getting dramatic, we just ask Dan and Joey what to do. Randy Schmidt definitely deserves the recognition, trying to manage, keep the peace and find playing time for basically an TCMABL All-Star team with a couple hot heads is a skill not many have. Two Championships in three years aint bad either. Jeff Wilson, Tori Holt and Wade Peterson also received multiple votes.


    

Best Field in the Federal League?

Chaska Athletic Park (13 votes)
Memorial Park Dundas (13 votes)
1st National Bank Field in River Falls (8 votes)

It seems that Chaska Athletic Park and Memorial Park in Dundas are the top choices for the best fields in the Federal League, with 13 votes each. Chaska Athletic Park is noted for its old-school charm with wooden bleachers that give it a nostalgic feel, you think Shoeless Joe is going to slide up next to you while you are in the restroom, while Memorial Park in Dundas provides a tranquil oasis setting with its riverside location in a quaint town surrounded by miles of bland farmland. 1st National Bank Field in River Falls also received recognition, particularly for being a newer stadium, but some traditionalists may not appreciate the turf playing surface.

Overall, the Federal League is fortunate to have access to such great ballfields that offer unique atmospheres and experiences for players and fans alike.

Best Uniform in the Federal League?

Minnoka Grays (9 votes)
Rockford Rail Splitters (6 votes)
Metro Loons (5 votes)

No one can deny the blue pants. Seems like voters love uniform sets with more than one option. The Grays, Splitters and Loons all have multiple sets of unis. Lonsdale and the Lobos also had multiple votes. The Saints also had multiple votes, but what Saints? There are two of them. Your mom also got two votes.  

   

What is one issue you'd fix in the Federal League?

The most reoccurring answers was to put the divisions back as they were or move to two conferences like the NBA and NHL. A league baseball was proposed to use by everyone. Strict age requirements, checks, no recruiting current players and no paying players with money or gifts. Two umpires for playoffs and championships. And numerous voters expressed slower expansion.


Here were some other suggestions:

Expanded tourney. More teams and bigger brackets. More games on a weekend so teams can’t get by with 1-2 pitchers.

Field integrity. Some fields such as King and Harding shouldn't be allowed.

CHS Field for Championship Games.

Have a physical Hall of Fame. A local bar or establishment that could donate a wall? Or build a wall with plaques at a designated ballpark. This league is too important to the state of baseball in Minnesota, and it should be remembered and recognized.

Your girlfriend loves it raw.

Outlaw recruiting and building super teams and have a player draft based on previous years record. Drafted player must stay on team for at least 2 seasons before they can file for free agency. This will help with competitive balance.

Why can't we use our own fields for playoffs until Delano is available? Home team gets to pick but can use Alimagnet as a backup. Once Delano is available then that becomes the default fields for AAA playoffs.

League costs.

Reward money for Championship winners.

Have open and fair elections. National Anthem should be played at every park before a game.

Excluding ex-professionals in the league.

Get the Star Tribune to post scores.

Quit acting like the Federal League is so important. Go back to the old ways of just playing baseball and having fun. No more stats. Just drink and play ball.

I wouldn't mind seeing the AAA go to a best of 3 series taking place over 3 straight weekends. I think it would take a more complete team effort to win in this type of format.

Pitchers can’t pitch until they are 40 years old.

Have one big Federal League All Star Team and travel to Tournaments.

Fire Tupper and the whole board. They are going unchecked, and we need new leadership. Open elections!

Get cable access channels to broadcast games.

More teams should be in the AAA bracket. If a AA team or a A team wants to compete in the AAA bracket you should let them in no matter the regular season record.

Quit having so many games at Big Willow. I didn’t join a house league.

Playoffs. Having them in early August makes it hard for some to be around on those weekends due to family vacations or commitments.  It’s hard to figure that out and please everyone involved but should be looked at by the league.  

The Grays are assholes. I hope Lars gets injured. It would be funny trying to see him wobble around all summer.

Too many divisions, so some winners of a division may lead to a weaker playoff format.

Guys should play on teams closest to their home addresses.

The Old Hickory should count in overall record and we should have 1 underage exception spot per roster.

Absorb the MSMABA and be the official 35 league for the State of Minnesota. Get recognized by the MBA and have our players voted and nominated to the MBA Hall of Fame in St. Cloud.

Other teams shouldn’t try to recruit current players in the league. Install a tampering rule.

Better umpires. Some are brutal and as the quality of the league improves the umpires should as well.

Playoff bracket. Too much weight goes into the regular season. Seed all the teams and the first two playoff games determine what bracket you go into.

The favoritism the league social media shows towards the Lobos, Mammoth, Grays and Voyageurs. I think other teams should get a chance to be highlighted.

Too many divisions, go back to 2 divisions and play every team in your division once. That way playoffs are top 4 in each division and so on.

State final weekend. Same park complex for all teams. Would be a great atmosphere. 

Your mom.


We will consider these ideas and discuss them throughout the season. Thanks to everyone who participated in this poll. We wish everyone good luck this season and have a healthy and full summer of baseball.

This open anonymous poll was posted online and ran from Friday March 29th to Sunday March 31st.