OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Bub13 · 06-18-2017, 03:06 PM

June 15-17 @ ST LOUIS
The Cardinals are terrible (19-46) and have been terrible for years. They were good in the teens, and they had a good run in the late 20s, winning the division twice and last making the playoffs with a 90-win season in 2029. Since then it's been a high of 76 wins, and a low of 53 wins. This year, nothing is working: bottom tier pitching (but decent bullpen ERA), bottom tier hitting (but not striking out much), and bottom tier fielding (but...nothing). Only two batters are hitting over .250, and three of their starting pitchers have a combined record of 1-21. Claudio Madrid, who never showed any flash in twenty years in Cuba, is their third-year manager. The players are feuding, and fan interest has dropped to a 52.

#65: WIN 3-2...Player of the Week Adam Groff hits a 3-run HR...Wunderlich scatters 5 hits, but a 1:4 K:BB ratio...Hebert injured dtd for 3 weeks
#66: WIN 6-2...Drayton and Collins 3 hits each...Clark Ks 13 in seven innings...OF Martinez out for a week after getting hit on the shoulder
#67: LOSS 4-5...Crap, really wanted the sweep...DiFranco yields a 3-run HR in the second, and we strand runners in every inning

Stupid loss in that last game. Ah well. We're still one up on Oakland, two on Seattle. We also made a roster move, signing 39-year-old 1B Cisco Videira to a one-year deal. Nate Hullinger has been our DH all season, and has slumped to .203 with only 5 HR. So Videira will play there, and spell Dunklee at first as well. Cisco's got 2838 career hits; he'll have to go absolutely friggin nuts to reach 3000 with us. He does still have good contact, gap, and power, and won't strike out a ton. His fielding makes him a perfect DH. We send down RP Adrian Bolin (he of three appearances this season) and will go with 11 pitchers for the time being.

June 19-21 @ NEW ORLEANS
The Zephs are in their fourth year of existence, and have hit 63, 49, and 66 wins. They're currently 25-41, with terrible hitting but average pitching. None of their players stand out, but closer Sam Berisford has wicked stuff (but with no fastball). MLB has him as the 22nd in the league, the best rank on the team. Manager CJ Wu is in his second year, after decades in Korea and Mexico. He too doesn't stand out. The fans have not yet taken to this team, and attendance is below 20K per game (but better than the Cards).

#68: WIN 5-2...strong 8 innings from Brock, 5 hits and 7 K...four singles and 2 RBI for Collins
#69: WIN 8-0...15 hits, including Groff's 20th dinger...90-minute rain delay ends Little's night after 2.2 innings...bullpen 2 H, 1 BB in 6.1 IP
#70: WIN 4-0...Wunderlich goes the distance, gives up just 3 hits...gets 2 hits of his own too, and an RBI

I know, it's only New Orleans, but a sweep is a sweep. Oakland got pushed around by the Pirates and Expos and is now in third place, 3.5 games back (half game behind Seattle). We're now 43-27, half a game up on Boston, and one up on Pittsburgh, for best in baseball. Now we're off to play those Pirates and finish up interleague play for the year.

June 22-24 vs PITTSBURGH
Both of you regular readers know that the Pirates have been the cream of the league for five years now. They've been able to pair a murderer's row lineup with top rank pitching to dominate the NL and go to three World Series in four years. This year, the batting is still there: first in runs, BA, OBP, and second in HR. But with three starting pitchers on the DL, it's no surprise their starter's ERA ranks 15th, and they're 14th in runs against. The pen has been stout, as well as their defense. In my fevered brain this is a World Series preview...

Peng-Fei Tu is in his fifth season as manager, with two championships and three Manager of the Year awards under his belt. His players like him, and he's an excellent developer of talent. It's no wonder that they've consistently been able to quickly bring along their young stars, and now feature a lineup where the top players run in age from 27 to 21.

#71: LOSS 6-7...lost in the 14th...all six relievers went today, as Clark only made it 4 innings due to rain...Groff four more hits
#72: WIN 1-0...third shutout in four games!...Dunklee's solo shot makes the difference...three hits for Videira...8 IP for DiFranco, 10th win
#73: LOSS 3-5...we give up 4 more HR...definitely need a new ballpark...Groff tho, with another HR

Well, that was disappointing, but at least we played them tight every game. We're nearing the end of June, and I continue to be encouraged by our overall high quality pitching and hitting. If only we could keep the opponent's ball in the yard. Yes, I want us to hit 4 a game, but to not give up any. Not too idealistic, is it?

June 25-28 vs. HOUSTON
These guys again. We are 1-4 against the Astros, who come into this series in fifth place, 33-39, 10.5 games back. And a week ago they traded their best player this year (CF Joe Osmun, hitting .337) AND a prospect catcher for a one-pitch-having, 33-year-old starting pitcher. Smrt.

#74: WIN 8-6...a home run park + 12 MPH wind blowing out = 8 home runs combined...Little goes 5 poor innings and hurts his wrist...bullpen mops up, 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER
#75: LOSS 2-3...we have 30 losses, and I bet we've outhit our opponents in, oh, 25 of those games
#76: WIN 4-3...Moreno pinch hit 2-run HR in bottom of ninth wins it...Clark gets 11 K in 7 IP
#77: WIN 4-2...DiFranco 7 strong innings, Miller gets his 26th save

Finally we beat these little b*stards. In injury news, Shewmake comes off the DL and begins his rehab stint in KC. 2B Hebert gets another, more serious, dtd injury, so I put him on the 11-day DL. Josh Robertson gets his second bite at the apple, will platoon with Ervin Miranda.

June 29-30, July 1-2 @ SEATTLE
Split our first four-game series back in May. The Mariners are 43-33, 3.5 games behind us. They're doing it all on the strength of their pitching, as they're last in BA and HR, and in the bottom quarter in everything else but stolen bases. Pitching, however, is top-five. Best hitter is LF Jose Basulto, a five-tool .300 hitter...but he's out for this series.

#78: WIN 4-3...Collins 2-run double puts us up...Brock 6.2 good innings
#79: WIN 11-4...Little a complete game, now 11-2...three HR, including Groff's 25th...every starter gets a hit
#80: WIN 4-3...Dunklee solo HR in ninth, RBI single in 10th...Wunderlich 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER
#81: LOSS 4-5...Clark gives up 5 ER in 6 IP, including 2 more HR...Drayton hurts his back ("substantial") and is dtd (ie, out) for 5 days

Aw, no sweep. Still outhitting opponents every game. Pitching looks good, but Clark is a continued concern. He's got the worst ERA on the entire staff, and his year-end projections show him with a WAR under one, and giving up 50 home runs. Fifty! He's at the end of his deal too, making 3.5M. For his next contract he wants boosts to 4.4, 8.1, 11.6, then 7 years at 15.1 each, but with an opt out after year three. I might just give it to him, and figure I can trade him (he's just 27 currently) if his production doesn't match his cost.

At the other end of the spectrum, whipping boy Wunderlich has been on a roll of late, dropping his ERA nearly a point in his last six starts. He's projected to have his best year as a pro, too. Contract is up after 2039 (making 6.5M per), which to me is high for my #5 starter. I dunno...I'm not going to complain about my pitching right now, seeing as things are going well (for now), but I've got some interesting decisions to make this fall.

Next up: A look back at June, the start of the International FA period, and a look around the league at the halfway mark.

06-18-2017, 03:06 PM	#40
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	Rest of June...and a bit of July June 15-17 @ ST LOUIS The Cardinals are terrible (19-46) and have been terrible for years. They were good in the teens, and they had a good run in the late 20s, winning the division twice and last making the playoffs with a 90-win season in 2029. Since then it's been a high of 76 wins, and a low of 53 wins. This year, nothing is working: bottom tier pitching (but decent bullpen ERA), bottom tier hitting (but not striking out much), and bottom tier fielding (but...nothing). Only two batters are hitting over .250, and three of their starting pitchers have a combined record of 1-21. Claudio Madrid, who never showed any flash in twenty years in Cuba, is their third-year manager. The players are feuding, and fan interest has dropped to a 52. #65: WIN 3-2...Player of the Week Adam Groff hits a 3-run HR...Wunderlich scatters 5 hits, but a 1:4 K:BB ratio...Hebert injured dtd for 3 weeks #66: WIN 6-2...Drayton and Collins 3 hits each...Clark Ks 13 in seven innings...OF Martinez out for a week after getting hit on the shoulder #67: LOSS 4-5...Crap, really wanted the sweep...DiFranco yields a 3-run HR in the second, and we strand runners in every inning Stupid loss in that last game. Ah well. We're still one up on Oakland, two on Seattle. We also made a roster move, signing 39-year-old 1B Cisco Videira to a one-year deal. Nate Hullinger has been our DH all season, and has slumped to .203 with only 5 HR. So Videira will play there, and spell Dunklee at first as well. Cisco's got 2838 career hits; he'll have to go absolutely friggin nuts to reach 3000 with us. He does still have good contact, gap, and power, and won't strike out a ton. His fielding makes him a perfect DH. We send down RP Adrian Bolin (he of three appearances this season) and will go with 11 pitchers for the time being. June 19-21 @ NEW ORLEANS The Zephs are in their fourth year of existence, and have hit 63, 49, and 66 wins. They're currently 25-41, with terrible hitting but average pitching. None of their players stand out, but closer Sam Berisford has wicked stuff (but with no fastball). MLB has him as the 22nd in the league, the best rank on the team. Manager CJ Wu is in his second year, after decades in Korea and Mexico. He too doesn't stand out. The fans have not yet taken to this team, and attendance is below 20K per game (but better than the Cards). #68: WIN 5-2...strong 8 innings from Brock, 5 hits and 7 K...four singles and 2 RBI for Collins #69: WIN 8-0...15 hits, including Groff's 20th dinger...90-minute rain delay ends Little's night after 2.2 innings...bullpen 2 H, 1 BB in 6.1 IP #70: WIN 4-0...Wunderlich goes the distance, gives up just 3 hits...gets 2 hits of his own too, and an RBI I know, it's only New Orleans, but a sweep is a sweep. Oakland got pushed around by the Pirates and Expos and is now in third place, 3.5 games back (half game behind Seattle). We're now 43-27, half a game up on Boston, and one up on Pittsburgh, for best in baseball. Now we're off to play those Pirates and finish up interleague play for the year. June 22-24 vs PITTSBURGH Both of you regular readers know that the Pirates have been the cream of the league for five years now. They've been able to pair a murderer's row lineup with top rank pitching to dominate the NL and go to three World Series in four years. This year, the batting is still there: first in runs, BA, OBP, and second in HR. But with three starting pitchers on the DL, it's no surprise their starter's ERA ranks 15th, and they're 14th in runs against. The pen has been stout, as well as their defense. In my fevered brain this is a World Series preview... Peng-Fei Tu is in his fifth season as manager, with two championships and three Manager of the Year awards under his belt. His players like him, and he's an excellent developer of talent. It's no wonder that they've consistently been able to quickly bring along their young stars, and now feature a lineup where the top players run in age from 27 to 21. #71: LOSS 6-7...lost in the 14th...all six relievers went today, as Clark only made it 4 innings due to rain...Groff four more hits #72: WIN 1-0...third shutout in four games!...Dunklee's solo shot makes the difference...three hits for Videira...8 IP for DiFranco, 10th win #73: LOSS 3-5...we give up 4 more HR...definitely need a new ballpark...Groff tho, with another HR Well, that was disappointing, but at least we played them tight every game. We're nearing the end of June, and I continue to be encouraged by our overall high quality pitching and hitting. If only we could keep the opponent's ball in the yard. Yes, I want us to hit 4 a game, but to not give up any. Not too idealistic, is it? June 25-28 vs. HOUSTON These guys again. We are 1-4 against the Astros, who come into this series in fifth place, 33-39, 10.5 games back. And a week ago they traded their best player this year (CF Joe Osmun, hitting .337) AND a prospect catcher for a one-pitch-having, 33-year-old starting pitcher. Smrt. #74: WIN 8-6...a home run park + 12 MPH wind blowing out = 8 home runs combined...Little goes 5 poor innings and hurts his wrist...bullpen mops up, 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER #75: LOSS 2-3...we have 30 losses, and I bet we've outhit our opponents in, oh, 25 of those games #76: WIN 4-3...Moreno pinch hit 2-run HR in bottom of ninth wins it...Clark gets 11 K in 7 IP #77: WIN 4-2...DiFranco 7 strong innings, Miller gets his 26th save Finally we beat these little bstards. In injury news, Shewmake comes off the DL and begins his rehab stint in KC. 2B Hebert gets another, more serious, dtd injury, so I put him on the 11-day DL. Josh Robertson gets his second bite at the apple, will platoon with Ervin Miranda. June 29-30, July 1-2 @ SEATTLE Split our first four-game series back in May. The Mariners are 43-33, 3.5 games behind us. They're doing it all on the strength of their pitching, as they're last in BA and HR, and in the bottom quarter in everything else but stolen bases. Pitching, however, is top-five. Best hitter is LF Jose Basulto, a five-tool .300 hitter...but he's out for this series. #78: WIN 4-3...Collins 2-run double puts us up...Brock 6.2 good innings #79: WIN 11-4...Little a complete game, now 11-2...three HR, including Groff's 25th...every starter gets a hit #80: WIN 4-3...Dunklee solo HR in ninth, RBI single in 10th...Wunderlich 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER #81: LOSS 4-5...Clark gives up 5 ER in 6 IP, including 2 more HR...Drayton hurts his back ("substantial") and is dtd (ie, out) for 5 days Aw, no sweep. Still outhitting opponents every game. Pitching looks good, but Clark is a continued concern. He's got the worst ERA on the entire staff, and his year-end projections show him with a WAR under one, and giving up 50 home runs. Fifty! He's at the end of his deal too, making 3.5M. For his next contract he wants boosts to 4.4, 8.1, 11.6, then 7 years at 15.1 each, but with an opt out after year three. I might just give it to him, and figure I can trade him (he's just 27 currently) if his production doesn't match his cost. At the other end of the spectrum, whipping boy Wunderlich has been on a roll of late, dropping his ERA nearly a point in his last six starts. He's projected to have his best year as a pro, too. Contract is up after 2039 (making 6.5M per), which to me is high for my #5 starter. I dunno...I'm not going to complain about my pitching right now, seeing as things are going well (for now), but I've got some interesting decisions to make this fall. Next up:* A look back at June, the start of the International FA period, and a look around the league at the halfway mark.