2039 Season
Well, I fell for it again, looking at the pre-season predictions before they were official. Turns out MLB has us winning 101 games and our division by 16 over the Rangers. First in hitting, first in pitching, second in HR. I'd take that. Groff, Dunklee, and McArthur look to have big years at the plate, while Hart and Kieffer lead the way on the mound. (Where's Casillas?) Meanwhile, the Mets figure to be the top team in the NL with 100 wins.
Opening Day!
We begin our sixth season in MLB, and I for one have very high hopes for 2039. All of our key players are into or just beginning to hit their prime years, and only four players (three relievers and backup OF Ian Hoppmann) are over 30. On paper, we're strong nearly everywhere, with the only real question mark being our new SS, rookie Mike Hunter. We did lose three key relievers from last year's team, but I think we'll be okay with their replacements. And when injuries strike, I feel like our AAA club in KC is well stocked with capable fill-ins. Our owner wants a championship team by 2041: that's a three-year window, and I think we're well set up to bring home a trophy...maybe even more than one.
April 4-6 vs TAMPA BAY
MLB has the Rays finishing with 74 wins, last in the East. RF Ricky Chavez, 1B Andy Catron, and C William Antonio lead a paltry-looking attack, while Joe Ingram is the best pitcher of a scattered group. Former big leaguer Dee Brown is in his first year as manager, after two seasons as bench coach. There's better news long-term in that their prospect pool is #4 overall, with three players in the top 25.
HAW pitchers w/ 2038 stats: Leon Casillas (18-10, 2.49) / Rob Hart (10-2, 2.38) / Eric Jones (19-5, 2.80)
TB pitchers w/ 2038 stats: Joe Ingram (5-5, 4.56) / Nelson Gonzalez (8-16, 5.26) / Jordan Sanchez (3-3, 3.98)
#1: WIN 6-1 ... back to back 2nd inning dingers from Dunklee and Martinez, and 14 hits overall...Casillas yields 1 run in 7 innings
#2: WIN 6-5 ... Groff with a two-run shot, McArthur with 3 hits and 2 runs...Hart gets slapped around for 10 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings...Kieffer his first save
#3: WIN 2-0 ... nine hits combined, with Martinez driving in both runs...Jones just 3 hits and 0 runs in 6.2 IP, Kieffer another save
Sweep! Nice start, and we're one of 6 teams to sweep their opening series. Too early to say much else.
April 8-10 @ NY YANKEES
If the Yanks, picked to win 82 games this year, match that, it will be the first time they've topped .500 since 2029. They've got talent -- Tony Villarruel is the #2 pitcher in baseball, and all-timer Ty Cobb holds the fort at shortstop -- but they're not deep, and will struggle to score and hit for power. Miguel Rodriguez is entering his third year as manager, after 21 years as pitching coach for Campeche in Mexico.
HAW pitchers: Bobby Little (15-4, 3.72) / Mark Phillips (9-3, 2.35 in AAA) / Leon Casillas (1-0, 1.29 in 2039)
NYY pitchers: Justin Darrisaw (11-11, 4.10) / Rafael Aragon (1-0, 3.83) / Tony Villarruel (1-0, 2.00 in 2039)
#4: WIN 6-2 ... Dunklee and Hullinger go deep, and we put 18 runners on base...Little's line: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
#5: WIN 5-4 ... Down 4-1 in the ninth, McArthur hits a grand slam, and Kieffer sets them down in order...Phillips MLB debut: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
#6: WIN 2-0 ... McArthur with another HR, Wiggins with 3 hits, and Casillas goes 7.2 innings this time...Villarruel Ks 12 Islanders
Even better start! The only downer is CF Josh Drayton separated his shoulder against the outfield fence and will miss 5-6 weeks. Chris Wiggins came off the DL on the same day, so at least there were no roster moves necessary. ELSEWHERE: Angelo Partida was part of the package we sent to STL along with Ken Clark at the end of camp. On the 9th his season ended with a ruptured UCL. Sucks for the Cards.
April 11-13 @ MIAMI
The opposite of the Yankees: a strong lineup but with weak pitching. They're off to a strong start, at 4-2, and have already hit 11 home runs. LF Ricky Beard and 3B Sergio Torres lead the attack (Torres currently on the DL however). Tony Diaz is in his second season as manager.
HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (0-0, 9.00) / Eric Jones (1-0, 0.00) / Bobby Little (1-0, 2.70)
MIA pitchers: Chris Keast (1-0, 2.25) / Jeff Heller (1-0, 6.00) / Matt Rubin (1-0, 1.29)
#7: WIN 4-1 ... Hullinger parks two, Martinez doubles twice...Hart bounces back with 8.2 strong innings...Kieffer gets his fifth save
#8: LOSS 4-10 ... it was bound to end sometime...we gave up 13 hits and committed 3 errors...Jones only lasts 5.2 innings
#9: WIN 4-3 ... Groff with 2 hits and 2 RBI; Martinez now hitting .542...Little with 6 good innings, bullpen Ks 5 in 3 innings
Okay, we lost a game, but we're still off to a terrific start. Pitching is ranked 1st, and we're 2nd in batting (but only 11th in runs scored). Our rotation is pitching so well that we still have two relievers who haven't yet made an appearance (Yates and Mayer). Fun fact: going back to his brief callup last summer, Nate Hullinger now has a 16-game hitting streak. ELSEWHERE: Ricardo Balderas, one of SEVEN closers the Dodgers signed as free agents in the off-season, hurt his shoulder and is done for the year. One down, six to go...Cleveland has been hotter than the Islanders, leaving the gate at 9-1, but only a game ahead of the 8-2 Tigers. Pittsburgh is riding a six-game losing streak, pushing them down to 2-7.
April 15-17 vs TEXAS
Off to a 4-5 start, although MLB has them winning 85 games and finishing second, behind us. They're led by rookie 2B (and self-described "selfish punk") Luis Olivo and second-year RF Todd McNearney, and my scouts tell me they're best pitcher is Jamie Bell. Remember him? Owner of a 10.59 ERA over five starts for the Islanders in 2036? No? Well, since then he's gotten below half that startling ERA only once. I'm beginning to think my scouting staff needs a long vacation... Anyway, Drew Saylor is in his seventh season as manager, having broken .500 only once. At least his players like him, probably because he's not pushing them to, you know, win games or anything like that.
HAW pitchers: Mark Phillips (0-0, 4.50) / Leon Casillas (2-0, 0.61) / Rob Hart (1-0, 3.95)
TEX pitchers: Amir Farland (1-0, 1.23) / Mike Rath (0-1, 4.72) / Seth Purdy (0-1, 3.12)
#10: WIN 4-2 ... Rangers score twice early on, but a two-run fifth propels us to the win...Phillips goes just 5.1, but Ks seven
#11: WIN 9-0 ... we turn 8 hits and 8 walks into 8 runs early, and coast...Casillas goes the distance with a four-hitter
#12: LOSS 3-5 ... three HR aren't enough, and our pen blows it in the 11th...Hart threw well but stayed in too long, giving up two in the 8th to tie the game
Josh Robertson comes off the DL before the first game; John Martin (.196) goes back to AAA...I'm now extremely greedy for wins and am disappointed we missed out on the sweep. I shouldn't complain, but it's hard not to...We're still getting on base (3rd in AVG and OBP), but not scoring runs (10th), so I might tweak the lineup juuuust a bit...Hullinger goes oh-fer in the first game: hitting streak over... ELSEWHERE: Pity the Cardinals, who now have four pitcher from their opening day roster on the 60-day DL. Or don't....The Angels are scraping the bottom at 3-10. Guess who we play next?
April 18-20 vs LA ANGELS
Still in their rebuilding phase, and off to a 3-10 start, with subpar hitting and atrocious pitching. Having six players on the DL already doesn't help either. Their two best players are a pair of 36-year-old C/DH, Jarod Grose and Devlin Ransberger. You think they'll trade one or both before the deadline? Yeah, you'd think that, but probably not. Manager is Crayton Barrell...erm,
Bare, coming off three years in Mexico. More than half the team already dislikes him...and yet owner Arturo Moreno Jr. is "ecstatic." What am I missing here.
HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (1-1, 3.65) / Bobby Little (2-0, 2.84) / Mark Phillips (1-0, 3.97)
LAA pitchers: Milt Schott (1-1, 6.17) / Bryan Gruber (1-1, 2.70) / Jeff Caraway (0-2, 6.32)
#13: LOSS 8-9 ... hubris kills, apparently...Jones and Stanley get lit up, and despite putting 19 runners on base, we still lose
#14: WIN 5-4 ... Groff taps one up the middle in the 11th for the win...Stanley blows chunks all over once again; why was he even out there again?
#15: WIN 11-5 ... Phillips gets hurt after 2 innings, so guess who comes in for him? Sigh. This time, tho, Stanley gives up nada in three innings...12 hits and 3 HR for the good guys
While Pat Stanley was sucking eggs, Jay Yates and Chris Mayer had yet to make an appearance this season. Then Yates takes the mound in the sixth in game 15 and promptly gives up 4 hits and 4 runs. Maybe I'll just shut up now....Phillips has an elbow boo-boo and will miss 1-2 weeks. Bryan Hardin, at 31, earns his first call-up to the bigs since 2035... ELSEWHERE: STL now has five pitchers on the DL, so of course they had starter Frank Renteria go 10.2 innings in his last start....Pittsburgh continues to prove that an all-star lineup (5th in runs, 1st in HR) can't make up for middle school pitching (last, last, last), as they're now 4-10.
Next up: April, continued