Today, we're going to take a look at the top 5 franchises in HRL history .  Since it's difficult to nail down specific seasons, we're going to rank based on each  franchise's best season(s).

1.  Gashouse Gorillas/Elite - This team came together after years of playing together in other leagues.  From the moment they stepped on the HRL fields, they were dominant.  Power bats throughout the lineup, veterans with tremendous leadership and an undeniable swagger that intimidated most of the opponents they faced the first few years.  At their peak, they were as close to a perfect league team as you could get.  Great chemistry, all-world talent and the best offense the league has ever seen.

Power Grade: 97

2.  Big Woody's/D&M/YAH - A team full of young talent that grew up together and a group of 3 called "The West Shore Crew" that really helped take them to the next level.  The managerial and front office leadership helped build this team into a consistent winner which ultimately took down the Gorillas for the HRL title in the later years.  This team was built on speed and power which stifled its opponents year in and year out for the better part of 5 straight years.

 Power Grade: 93

3.  G-Mac - This team didn't stick around for very long but they certainly made their presence felt.  They were built solely on offense and just enough defense to get by.  Like Gashouse, they had a swagger that would put most opponents to bed after jumping on them early.  While they may be viewed as a "poor man's Gashouse", they were certainly a dominant team at their peak and one that gave Gashouse all they could handle while they were around.

Power Grade: 91

4.  Smokin' Joes - Built on chemistry and longevity, they were dominant in the Pre-Gashouse era.  While they struggled mightily as the league talent rapidly grew, they eventually caught back up in the latter part of the HRL era to reach another championship game.  They were a prototypical Sunday league team that ended up giving a lot of teams fits.  They may not have had a ton of superstar power but they played extremely well together and really only struggled with the 3 teams above them in these rankings.

Power Grade: 87

 5.  DRS -  This team may be awarded the biggest disappointment in HRL history.  Their roster had superstar talent and it's surprising that they didn't win more or stick around longer.  Power bats were scattered through the lineup and they had some great defensive players.  In the end, I think it came down to chemistry and it just wasn't there for the short time they played together.  What could've been...

Power Grade: 85

Do you agree with these rankings?  What teams were missed?  What franchises do you think were the biggest disappointment?

WELCOME BACK!!! 
After a 4 year hiatus, the war room is back!  While we don't have a league yet, we can use this website and forum reminisce about the  glory days of the HRL!