OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Westheim · 08-28-2018, 02:30 PM

2025 ABL PLAYOFFS

It had been done – the playoff field for the 49th ABL postseason had been set, although it took a day and a game longer than originally scheduled.

Here it was, the weirdest beast – an ABL playoff team that had won 90 games while scoring fewer runs than they had conceded. The 2025 Cincinnati Cyclones had achieved the seemingly impossible, winning their division while plating 683 runs, and getting scored on 698 times. Unsurprisingly, their numbers relative to the rest of the Federal League were … "spotty". The 9-time playoff participant and 2-time champions (most recently 2010) from Ohio had ended up merely ninth in runs scored, right at the bottom even in home runs, and tenth in on-base percentage, and merely sixth in runs conceded. Their rotation was one of the best in the Federal League with a 3.72 ERA; their bullpen was an abhorrence. They did know their way around the bags with stolen bases (2nd), and played a top-3 defense, but it wasn't like they could run out left-hander Adam Moran (17-8, 3.05 ERA) every day and expect to come away with wins. Crucial players were also on the DL, including Frank Kelly (15-7, 2.87 ERA), Troy Charters (4-5, 2.35 ERA, 37 SV), and Nando Maiello (.312, 2 HR, 49 RBI). Their team leaders in home runs, Eddie Moreno and Tim Rush, tied for 12 dingers apiece. They did not have a qualifying batter with a batting average better than Ricardo Rangel's .287 mark. They had a tough time ahead of them.

Opposing them were the routine winners of the FL West, which the 98-win Scorpions had taken for the 14th time, and the seventh time in a row. They had three championships to their name, most recently in 2020. Besides averaging 102 wins for the last seven seasons, they had also crushed the FL with the most runs scored (855), the highest OBP (.375!), and had two 100+ RBI guys in the middle of the order in 31-year-old "Japanese" "rookie" David Drews (.313, 24 HR, 119 RBI) and Luis Moreira (.258, 21 HR, 109 RBI) that were being fed runners all day long, every day. While they lacked a real ace pitcher and had only the seventh-best rotation in the Federal League, their bullpen was largely spotless, and ready to extinguish any sort of rally. They really just had to overcome their pronounced spotlight panic. Not only were they a 102-win team averaged over the last seven years, but they also had lost to mostly inferior opposition in the FLCS no less than five times in that timespan…

In the Continental League, the 102-60 Titans had won their division handily, the only team to make the playoffs before the final weekend of the season, and were trying to extend their golden streak to an unheard of fourth consecutive championship. Their overall record was bewildering; in their 11 playoff appearances prior to 2025, they had won the title seven times. And they sure carried a good deck in their hands, having led the Continental League with an impressive 878 runs while conceding only 609, second only to the Raccoons. On-base percentage was the name of the game, with the Titans reaching base as a team at a .369 rate, which was incredibly impressive. They were not really into the power game, but were stealing bases well and had a lineup that was almost consistently throwing .290 batters at the opposition. Their rotation was flawless even after the early loss of southpaw Dustin Wingo, and Morgan Shepherd had tied for the league lead with 21 wins, also achieving a 2.96 ERA. If there was anything about the roster that looked off, it was the lack of left-handed pitching. The Titans had gone from four or five left-handed relievers to just one, and that was their closer, Brent Beene, who had saved 45 games this season.

Opposing them were the 90-win Aces, who only made the postseason after winning a walkoff thriller in a tie-breaker game against the Condors. The Aces had tied for third place in offense in the CL, albeit almost 170 runs behind the Titans, and their pitching was average at best, with a sixth-best rotation by ERA, and also the sixth-fewest runs conceded in the 12-team league. Except maybe for home runs, the team seemed to lack everything; they couldn't offer a qualifying starter with a better ERA than Abramo Archibugi's 3.74 mark, and their bullpen was mostly comprised of 4-ERA pitchers. Yes, they played good defense, better than Boston, but the lack of aces in the rotation and also the lack of Justin Dally, who had missed almost the entire season, in the lineup meant that the Aces had to fight a tremendous uphill battle in their sixth postseason ever. They had won the title twice, back-to-back in 2018 and 2019.

Was there any doubt about the rematch of the 2024 World Series, Scorpions trying to get back at the Titans?

I didn't think so, either.

+++

2025 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

CIN @ SAC … 6-5 … (Cyclones lead 1-0) … CIN Tim Roush 2-3, BB, 2 2B, RBI; SAC Pablo Sanchez 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; SAC Justin McAllester 3-5, HR, 3 RBI;

CIN @ SAC … 2-14 … (series tied 1-1) … SAC Trey Rock 3-5, 2 RBI; SAC Luis Moreira 3-4, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI; SAC Justin McAllester 3-4, BB, 2 HR, 5 RBI; SAC Jorge Castro 3-4, BB, 2B, RBI;
LVA @ BOS … 1-2 (11) … (Titans lead 1-0) … LVA Samuel McMullen 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; BOS Keith Leonard (PH) 1-1, RBI; BOS Jeremy Waite 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; BOS Brent Beene 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;

LVA @ BOS … 9-2 … (series tied 1-1) … LVA Allen Retzer 3-5, HR, 2 RBI;

SAC @ CIN … 0-1 … (Cyclones lead 2-1) … SAC Jordan Caldwell 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, L (0-1); CIN Adam Moran 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (1-0);

Doug Stross dropped Ricardo Rangel's fly to left to begin the bottom of the first inning and the Cyclones maneuvered their leadoff man around for a free run that turned out to be the difference in Game 3. The Scorpions suffered an additional damper with a hamstring strain ending Jorge Castro's season.

SAC @ CIN … 2-5 … (Cyclones lead 3-1) … CIN Danny Munn (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI;
BOS @ LVA … 0-1 (10) … (Aces lead 2-1) … BOS Julio San Pedro 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K; LVA Tom Dunlap 2-3, 2 2B; LVA Abramo Archibugi 8.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K;

While the Scorpions are back in a familiar spot – the edge of the volcano – thanks to Danny Munn blasting a game-winning 3-piece batting for their starter Trevor Dixon in the bottom 7th, the sole run in CLCS Game 3 scored on Allen Retzer's sac fly off Jose Fuentes, plating Jesus Moroyoqui.

I should let the picking of winners just be…

SAC @ CIN … 7-8 (12) … (Cyclones win 4-1) … SAC Pablo Sanchez 2-6, 2B, 3 RBI; SAC John Byrd 2-4, 2 BB, 2B; SAC Bob Nash 2-2, BB; CIN Manny Ramirez 3-6, 2 2B, 3 RBI; CIN Chris LeMoine (PH) 1-1, RBI;
BOS @ LVA … 7-6 … (series tied 2-2) … BOS Adam St. Germaine 3-4, 2 2B, RBI; LVA Casimiro Schoeppen (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI;

Manny Ramirez' third hit of the day, a 12th-inning single off Ben Marx, who funnily enough had soiled the Capitals' playoff ambitions in 2022 with absolutely atrocious (17.55 ERA) pitching, and remains an 8.86 ERA pitcher in the postseason, plates Ben Lowe from third base and casts the Scorpions and their 102-wins-a-year into the abyss for good.

Right in the face, Cincy's Danny Munn was named series MVP. The 38-year-old Munn started no games, always came off the bench, but that was enough to murder the Scorpions for two homers and 7 RBI.

BOS @ LVA … 1-6 … (Aces lead 3-2) … LVA Tom Dunlap 3-4, RBI; LVA Jose Navarro 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; LVA Corey Curro (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI; LVA Joel Trotter 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, W (2-0);

LVA @ BOS … 1-3 … (series tied 3-3) … BOS Tim Robinson 4-4, 2B, RBI; BOS Gil Cornejo (PH) 1-1, RBI; BOS Morgan Shepherd 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (1-1);

Shepherd's season-saving outing was curtailed by an hour-long rain delay.

LVA @ BOS … 1-4 … (Titans win 4-3) … LVA Allen Retzer 2-4, RBI; BOS Tim Robinson 2-4, HR, RBI; BOS Adam Corder 2-3, BB;

+++

2025 WORLD SERIES

Seriously, how were the Cyclones dreaming to stack up against… maybe I should just let it be.

The Titans were far ahead of the Cyclones in pretty much every category one could dream up. They had scored 195 more runs. They had conceded 89 fewer runs. They had more home runs. They were on base more often. They had a better bullpen. They had… even fewer injuries …!

These teams had never faced another in the World Series before. The Cyclones had previously played in The Show against the Bayhawks (1-0), Raccoons (1-0), and Crusaders (0-2). The Titans had faced the Capitals (2-1), Blue Sox (2-0), Buffaloes (1-0), Wolves (1-0), Gold Sox (0-1), and Scorpions (1-0) before.

Titans in five!

+++

CIN @ BOS … 2-3 (10) … (Titans lead 1-0) … CIN Graham Wasserman 7.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; BOS Jeremy Waite 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; BOS Javy Salomon 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W (1-0);

Adam St. Germaine scores the winning run in the 10th on a throwing error by Cincy's backup catcher Ben Lowe.

CIN @ BOS … 2-6 … (Titans lead 2-0) … BOS Adam Braun 1-2, 2 BB, HR, RBI; BOS Adam St. Germaine 4-4, 2B; BOS Gil Cornejo (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; BOS Brent Beene 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

BOS @ CIN … 4-0 … (Titans lead 3-0) … BOS Rhett West 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; BOS Morgan Shepherd 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (2-1);

The Cyclones are caught stealing three times by Keith Leonard and never reach third base in this potential neck breaker.

BOS @ CIN … 5-4 … (Titans win 4-0) … BOS Yasuhiro Kuramoto 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; BOS Adam Corder 1-2, BB, RBI; CIN Raul Maldonado 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI;

St. Germaine, Keith Spataro, and Jamie Wilson hit straight 1-out RBI singles off new reliever Jesus Pamatz in the eighth inning to break up the 3-2 Cyclones lead and zoom 5-3 ahead. The Cyclones pull one run back in the bottom of the inning, but can't get a hit off Julio San Pedro in the ninth inning and go down in defeat.

2025 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
BOSTON TITANS
(8th title)

08-28-2018, 02:30 PM	#2592
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 14,082	2025 ABL PLAYOFFS It had been done – the playoff field for the 49th ABL postseason had been set, although it took a day and a game longer than originally scheduled. Here it was, the weirdest beast – an ABL playoff team that had won 90 games while scoring fewer runs than they had conceded. The 2025 Cincinnati Cyclones had achieved the seemingly impossible, winning their division while plating 683 runs, and getting scored on 698 times. Unsurprisingly, their numbers relative to the rest of the Federal League were … "spotty". The 9-time playoff participant and 2-time champions (most recently 2010) from Ohio had ended up merely ninth in runs scored, right at the bottom even in home runs, and tenth in on-base percentage, and merely sixth in runs conceded. Their rotation was one of the best in the Federal League with a 3.72 ERA; their bullpen was an abhorrence. They did know their way around the bags with stolen bases (2nd), and played a top-3 defense, but it wasn't like they could run out left-hander Adam Moran (17-8, 3.05 ERA) every day and expect to come away with wins. Crucial players were also on the DL, including Frank Kelly (15-7, 2.87 ERA), Troy Charters (4-5, 2.35 ERA, 37 SV), and Nando Maiello (.312, 2 HR, 49 RBI). Their team leaders in home runs, Eddie Moreno and Tim Rush, tied for 12 dingers apiece. They did not have a qualifying batter with a batting average better than Ricardo Rangel's .287 mark. They had a tough time ahead of them. Opposing them were the routine winners of the FL West, which the 98-win Scorpions had taken for the 14th time, and the seventh time in a row. They had three championships to their name, most recently in 2020. Besides averaging 102 wins for the last seven seasons, they had also crushed the FL with the most runs scored (855), the highest OBP (.375!), and had two 100+ RBI guys in the middle of the order in 31-year-old "Japanese" "rookie" David Drews (.313, 24 HR, 119 RBI) and Luis Moreira (.258, 21 HR, 109 RBI) that were being fed runners all day long, every day. While they lacked a real ace pitcher and had only the seventh-best rotation in the Federal League, their bullpen was largely spotless, and ready to extinguish any sort of rally. They really just had to overcome their pronounced spotlight panic. Not only were they a 102-win team averaged over the last seven years, but they also had lost to mostly inferior opposition in the FLCS no less than five times in that timespan… In the Continental League, the 102-60 Titans had won their division handily, the only team to make the playoffs before the final weekend of the season, and were trying to extend their golden streak to an unheard of fourth consecutive championship. Their overall record was bewildering; in their 11 playoff appearances prior to 2025, they had won the title seven times. And they sure carried a good deck in their hands, having led the Continental League with an impressive 878 runs while conceding only 609, second only to the Raccoons. On-base percentage was the name of the game, with the Titans reaching base as a team at a .369 rate, which was incredibly impressive. They were not really into the power game, but were stealing bases well and had a lineup that was almost consistently throwing .290 batters at the opposition. Their rotation was flawless even after the early loss of southpaw Dustin Wingo, and Morgan Shepherd had tied for the league lead with 21 wins, also achieving a 2.96 ERA. If there was anything about the roster that looked off, it was the lack of left-handed pitching. The Titans had gone from four or five left-handed relievers to just one, and that was their closer, Brent Beene, who had saved 45 games this season. Opposing them were the 90-win Aces, who only made the postseason after winning a walkoff thriller in a tie-breaker game against the Condors. The Aces had tied for third place in offense in the CL, albeit almost 170 runs behind the Titans, and their pitching was average at best, with a sixth-best rotation by ERA, and also the sixth-fewest runs conceded in the 12-team league. Except maybe for home runs, the team seemed to lack everything; they couldn't offer a qualifying starter with a better ERA than Abramo Archibugi's 3.74 mark, and their bullpen was mostly comprised of 4-ERA pitchers. Yes, they played good defense, better than Boston, but the lack of aces in the rotation and also the lack of Justin Dally, who had missed almost the entire season, in the lineup meant that the Aces had to fight a tremendous uphill battle in their sixth postseason ever. They had won the title twice, back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. Was there any doubt about the rematch of the 2024 World Series, Scorpions trying to get back at the Titans? I didn't think so, either. +++ 2025 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES CIN @ SAC … 6-5 … (Cyclones lead 1-0) … CIN Tim Roush 2-3, BB, 2 2B, RBI; SAC Pablo Sanchez 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; SAC Justin McAllester 3-5, HR, 3 RBI; CIN @ SAC … 2-14 … (series tied 1-1) … SAC Trey Rock 3-5, 2 RBI; SAC Luis Moreira 3-4, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI; SAC Justin McAllester 3-4, BB, 2 HR, 5 RBI; SAC Jorge Castro 3-4, BB, 2B, RBI; LVA @ BOS … 1-2 (11) … (Titans lead 1-0) … LVA Samuel McMullen 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; BOS Keith Leonard (PH) 1-1, RBI; BOS Jeremy Waite 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; BOS Brent Beene 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K; LVA @ BOS … 9-2 … (series tied 1-1) … LVA Allen Retzer 3-5, HR, 2 RBI; SAC @ CIN … 0-1 … (Cyclones lead 2-1) … SAC Jordan Caldwell 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, L (0-1); CIN Adam Moran 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (1-0); Doug Stross dropped Ricardo Rangel's fly to left to begin the bottom of the first inning and the Cyclones maneuvered their leadoff man around for a free run that turned out to be the difference in Game 3. The Scorpions suffered an additional damper with a hamstring strain ending Jorge Castro's season. SAC @ CIN … 2-5 … (Cyclones lead 3-1) … CIN Danny Munn (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI; BOS @ LVA … 0-1 (10) … (Aces lead 2-1) … BOS Julio San Pedro 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K; LVA Tom Dunlap 2-3, 2 2B; LVA Abramo Archibugi 8.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K; While the Scorpions are back in a familiar spot – the edge of the volcano – thanks to Danny Munn blasting a game-winning 3-piece batting for their starter Trevor Dixon in the bottom 7th, the sole run in CLCS Game 3 scored on Allen Retzer's sac fly off Jose Fuentes, plating Jesus Moroyoqui. I should let the picking of winners just be… SAC @ CIN … 7-8 (12) … (Cyclones win 4-1) … SAC Pablo Sanchez 2-6, 2B, 3 RBI; SAC John Byrd 2-4, 2 BB, 2B; SAC Bob Nash 2-2, BB; CIN Manny Ramirez 3-6, 2 2B, 3 RBI; CIN Chris LeMoine (PH) 1-1, RBI; BOS @ LVA … 7-6 … (series tied 2-2) … BOS Adam St. Germaine 3-4, 2 2B, RBI; LVA Casimiro Schoeppen (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI; Manny Ramirez' third hit of the day, a 12th-inning single off Ben Marx, who funnily enough had soiled the Capitals' playoff ambitions in 2022 with absolutely atrocious (17.55 ERA) pitching, and remains an 8.86 ERA pitcher in the postseason, plates Ben Lowe from third base and casts the Scorpions and their 102-wins-a-year into the abyss for good. Right in the face, Cincy's Danny Munn was named series MVP. The 38-year-old Munn started no games, always came off the bench, but that was enough to murder the Scorpions for two homers and 7 RBI. BOS @ LVA … 1-6 … (Aces lead 3-2) … LVA Tom Dunlap 3-4, RBI; LVA Jose Navarro 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; LVA Corey Curro (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI; LVA Joel Trotter 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, W (2-0); LVA @ BOS … 1-3 … (series tied 3-3) … BOS Tim Robinson 4-4, 2B, RBI; BOS Gil Cornejo (PH) 1-1, RBI; BOS Morgan Shepherd 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (1-1); Shepherd's season-saving outing was curtailed by an hour-long rain delay. LVA @ BOS … 1-4 … (Titans win 4-3) … LVA Allen Retzer 2-4, RBI; BOS Tim Robinson 2-4, HR, RBI; BOS Adam Corder 2-3, BB; +++ 2025 WORLD SERIES Seriously, how were the Cyclones dreaming to stack up against… maybe I should just let it be. The Titans were far ahead of the Cyclones in pretty much every category one could dream up. They had scored 195 more runs. They had conceded 89 fewer runs. They had more home runs. They were on base more often. They had a better bullpen. They had… even fewer injuries …! These teams had never faced another in the World Series before. The Cyclones had previously played in The Show against the Bayhawks (1-0), Raccoons (1-0), and Crusaders (0-2). The Titans had faced the Capitals (2-1), Blue Sox (2-0), Buffaloes (1-0), Wolves (1-0), Gold Sox (0-1), and Scorpions (1-0) before. Titans in five! +++ CIN @ BOS … 2-3 (10) … (Titans lead 1-0) … CIN Graham Wasserman 7.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; BOS Jeremy Waite 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; BOS Javy Salomon 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W (1-0); Adam St. Germaine scores the winning run in the 10th on a throwing error by Cincy's backup catcher Ben Lowe. CIN @ BOS … 2-6 … (Titans lead 2-0) … BOS Adam Braun 1-2, 2 BB, HR, RBI; BOS Adam St. Germaine 4-4, 2B; BOS Gil Cornejo (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; BOS Brent Beene 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K; BOS @ CIN … 4-0 … (Titans lead 3-0) … BOS Rhett West 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; BOS Morgan Shepherd 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (2-1); The Cyclones are caught stealing three times by Keith Leonard and never reach third base in this potential neck breaker. BOS @ CIN … 5-4 … (Titans win 4-0) … BOS Yasuhiro Kuramoto 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; BOS Adam Corder 1-2, BB, RBI; CIN Raul Maldonado 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; St. Germaine, Keith Spataro, and Jamie Wilson hit straight 1-out RBI singles off new reliever Jesus Pamatz in the eighth inning to break up the 3-2 Cyclones lead and zoom 5-3 ahead. The Cyclones pull one run back in the bottom of the inning, but can't get a hit off Julio San Pedro in the ninth inning and go down in defeat. 2025 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS BOSTON TITANS (8th title) Attached Images __________________ Portland Raccoons, 96 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 * 2071 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.