New Orleans Penguins
 

https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...000_ffffff.png

Well, I don't think we're a dynasty yet, but we managed to win an Iron series.

"BIG DEAL!" Well, everybody has to start somewhere.

136-61. Baby steps.

The Penguins ongoing story can be followed here:



facethecurtain.wordpress.com

Verlander grumble whine complain
 

Justin Verlander All-Star card.
https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...verlander2.jpg
https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre.../verlander.jpg
Do you see the problem?


The first year he started 27 games, 3 SHO, and won 22. ERA 2.61.
The very next year, he's started 9 times and won 2. No complete games, he's never pitched out of the 6th inning. HR at 4x rate, walks at 4x rate. ERA over 8, a third of the way through the season???


This is not a "live card," it has not changed one iota between the two seasons. The ratings are all exactly the same.


I'm mystified, this is way outside the range of year to year variation, it's like his arm fell off and he blew his elbow up at the same time.
Except that can't happen. It's not a Live card. Right?



Also...no injuries in this mode. No "moods." No angry punk hurling helmets around the dugout. No contract negotiations. None of the normal excuses why a pitcher's arm has detonated.

Sorry Justin, thanks for the ERA title last year, looks like you're spending the rest of this year in the bullpen.


:sigh:

July 4 update
 

…in beautiful Bronze.234. Also known as Thursday morning.


Well, our lovable misfits had a roller coaster ride in June. They went 16-10 (.615), quite streaky, in my opinion.


Our only decent all star vote-getter SS Bo Bichette went stone cold at the plate for much of the month. The voters have completely forgotten his face by this point. Unlikely to make the AS team. Votes are announced 7/20, so yeah, no Penguins in the AS game this year.


The starters continued to give up the gopher balls.


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Excerpt. Follow the continuing evolution at the Face The Curtain blog,

Props for starting a new dynasty this late into the season. It's never too late!

The birth of your Penguins
 

Probably should've opened the thread with the first post, but whatever...
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In the wayback of the late 80s and early 90s, some of my friends and I ran a fantasy baseball league using dice and cards, published by Strat-O-Matic.


https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...atic.jpg?w=700
Pre-internet, and largely before ubiquitous personal computers and broadband, this was the technology of the time. Dice and cards.


My team was the New Orleans Penguins. Chosen for a) a city with no existing MLB franchise and b) the first team I drafted was slooooooow, so very very slow. They could have been the Sloths, but Penguins suited my sense of sarcasm better.


More...

Aug 4
 

15-8 in July, so not much to whine about. Things are looking up.


The starters are still being abused, but the bullpen keeps us in it, along with the sticks.


And the really good news:


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Sept 4 (also known as Saturday)
 

Well. August was a kinda good month, I guess. So-so.


I’m kidding.


We crushed it.


The Penguins went 24-5 in August (.828)


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Batting Title
 

Tony Gwynn and Kirby Puckett are in the running for the B.234 batting title.


Just...your daily awwwwwww 90s nostalgia.

Oct 6 (sunday morning) Regular season ends
 

Anyway, here’s the Penguins for the playoffs:
https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...ct6d.jpg?w=700
I can already see many of the holes that need to be plugged in the first Silver season.


Work work work.
--Lemmy


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Nov 8
 

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Ugly series. 4-3 games in the LCS, 4-3 games in the WS.


But we did win it in a pretty dramatic fashion, with a walk-off HR. The fans love those!


Eat your heart out, Kirk Gibson.


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Welcome to Silver.333
 

Lots of good news and bad news, Pythagoran says we should’ve been 16-10. So we’re scoring the runs, just dropping the close games. Which means RP are getting hurt, and our defense isn’t up to playing in this park.


https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...may2.jpg?w=700


Igloo has those big, roomy outfield corners where doubles and triples rattle around (singles 1.005, doubles 1.044, triples 1.12), and those fences that take away homers (.900)–pull lefties do a little bit better (.925).


So I should have lots of contact hitting, speedy, gap power, high defense players out there…oh. Right. We’re Penguins, we ain’t got no legs or range. Well I guess that’s something to work on (as usual).


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Jun 2 ho hum
 

We are the Kent Hrbek of this league. A little pop now and then, but no dazzle.


We are Julio Franco and Mike Greenwell and Kelly Gruber.


Meh mighty aquafowl, just Meh.


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July 1
 

https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...uly1.jpg?w=700


The division is really three teams, Busch has lead it, Richmond has lead it, and I’ve been nibbling at both their heels since the season started. A hot streak from anybody in September probably seals the deal.


But then there’s this:


https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...ly1b.jpg?w=700


2nd place in this division = 3rd in the league as a whole.


...


I’m just not sure.


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Mid-Season Eval
 

For the month of July, we crushed it. Again.


WinPs by month: April .538 May .571 June .704 July .833

https://facethecurtain.files.wordpre...aug2.jpg?w=700


If I had my wishes I’d be more comfortably distant from the Renegades, but considering I started July behind him, I’ll take what I have.


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Sept 3. Fat Lady?
 

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19-7 for August, solid work from the chilly birds. We’ve finally managed to open up a substantial lead in the division, 12 1/2 games up with a Magic Number of 17. Thing is, they could possibly overcome a lead that large except that we don’t have many games left on the schedule in this division.


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Unfortunately, we’ll be turning the management over to our Bench Coach for the rest of the season. A lexis I nfante will do his best while I’m on vacation, I’m sure.


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Lemmy here, on the road in Toronto. Assuming that sig file down there is accurate, and I've no reason to believe it isn't, the AI puled the Penguins through our third series victory without any further help.

So in a few hours they should be auto-piloting through the early Gold season.

Should be fun, doubt they'll be up to it.

Hope we don't end up back down in Silver the following Monday.

Go go Penguinbots.

vacation
 

Got to briefly visit Rogers Center, but the Blue Jays weren't home. On our way to Montreal tomorrow morning.

Wonder how the Penguins are doing in Gold under AI management.

No way to check remotely, tho. Sigh.

Montreal update:
Well, I see from my Sig that the Penguins are still in Gold, neither promoted nor demoted. Which probably means AI bench coach is playing somewhere between .400 and .600. That'll do pig, that'll do.

Montreal and Quebec City may be the two sadest cities in sports. Montreal lost the Expos and QC lost the Nordiques.

Given the exchange rate of Dollars Canadien, it's unlikely either will be back any time soon.

There is a speculator working on the Expos. He's got a location but neither stadium nor team (yet?)

Anyway, I should be back stateside and managing the chillybirds again by Friday. Who knows if that's soon enough to save a losing season, I'm bettin it ain't.

Gold317, July 8
 

My first look at this Gold league. Scary pitching was my first impression.


While I was away on vacation, our bench coach Alexis Infante managed the Penguins to 152-98 (.608), including a trip to the playoffs (last season), which we did not win. So far in this season, 2047, we’re a half game back in the division currently, so 2nd. Not bad.


Recent Acquisition: Robin Yount @ SS (96 SE Card).


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Aug 1
 

In this edition, Lemmy just wants it all. Spoiled brat.


Nothing remarkable to report. 15-10 for July, .600. We lead the division by 1 1/2 games, not a comfortable cushion but it’ll do for now. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied. Bench coach did his best with what he had to work with.


Overall, we’re .579. In a three-way tie for 2nd WinP in the league, so other managers are also feeling my pains. No one seems to be breaking away from the pack yet.


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