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Bub13 · 08-09-2019, 05:48 PM

New Season! 2048 Opening Day and Beyond

So as Opening Day was April 6, and we didn't have a game, it turns out that Groff won't miss any games at all. At least, not until he gets hurt again... April has us with 22 games, 10 at home, including a six-game set to open the season.

April 7-9 vs BOSTON 2047: 77-85, 6th place // 2048 prediction: 88-74, 2nd place
The Sox look like they had a good off-season: they added ace SP Mike Wiater, slugging SS Victor Sanchez, speedy OF Faustino Whitton, and CL Lance Hansen. They also added former Isles star catcher Austin Collins, who used to bat .300 in his sleep, but at 38 now has trouble getting out of his crouch and is at best a .260 hitter with little power. But he is captain material, which they're going to need as they added a bunch of troublemakers to the squad, and team chemistry is already listed as "unhappy." Manager Sean Ochinko is back for his third go-round, having won 77 and 78 games previously. He also won 81 games in a one-year stint with the DBacks, which means that he can actually coach, given their recent track record. Fun Fact: Whitton, from Brazil, is 149 hits behind countryman Macario "The Brazilian Waxer" Fiel, who went into the HoF in '43. Whitton isn't a Hall consideration right now, but if he can stay healthy for a few more years (narrator: he can't) he might reach 3000 hits. (He has 2236 currently.)

HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (21-6, 3.76) / RH Shamar Jackson (17.12, 3.73) / LH Eric Jones (14-8, 3.95)
BOS pitchers: RH Mike Wiater (13-13, 3.74) / LH John Baldwin (10-16, 5.21) / RH Fernando Alameda (6-1, 2.81)

#1: LOSS 5-6 ... 7 strong innings for Ratliff, but first Ramirez and then Crowley blow up and lose it in extras...HR for Groff, Frederick, and Rangel
#2: WIN 2-1 ... pitcher's duel, and we score one run off an error and another after a walk, WP, and a double...eleven hits combined tonight
#3: WIN 6-5 ... Padilla's solo shot ties it in the 7th, and Rangel wins it in the 10th with an RBI double...Groff also homers...4.2 shutout, no hit innings for the pen

Disappointing opening game, but I'll take the two wins. Three one-run games too. Can't read anything into that yet, right?... Nice 5-for-12 start for new RF Josh Frederick, but Padilla and Rich only got one hit in that series.... Where are the fans? We sold out for game one, but had about 10K empty seats for each of the next two games. What else could people have to do in Hawaii in April?... ELSEWHERE: You might remember me making fun of SD when they signed 39-year-old SP Levi Brady to a three-year deal, saying he'd either be an overslotted #2 or a meh #4. Well, he's actually their #1 and he tossed a 5-hit shutout on Opening Day. Sure.... Major news out of Richmond, where 2B Philip Easterday announced his retirement at the end of the season. Previously, he spent nine seasons with Toronto, and when reaced for comment, the Jays PR department could not for the life of them remember a single one of his 400 at bats during those nine years.

April 10-12 vs TORONTO 2047: 81-81, 2nd place // 2048 prediction: 78-84, 3rd place
The Jays didn't add much from what barely worked last year. In Jose Gonzalez and Andy Janski they have a new double play combo that hits about .230 every year, with little power. SP Robby Liantonio might still have something left in the tank, but he looks like their worst SP, in my humble opinion. And new closer Brandon Jarmon was a so-so starter for Miami last year; he looks like he'll be so-so in his new role too. Add to that rookie LF Chris Piper, getting his first crack at a big league job. Manager Jose 'A' Jimenez worked in our system for over a decade, before going off to helm the Yankees for two unimpressive seasons. He did better in his first year in Toronto last season, tho. Fun Fact: Fan Interest dropped and twitter was abuzz when free agent Jordan Cruz signed with Montreal after two years with the Jays. Cruz has one impressive stat: his strikeout totals rival Nolan Ryan. Problem is, he's a shortstop.

HAW pitchers: RH Ben Germann (0-0, 4.13 in '47) / RH Shaun Gates (0-0, 2.57 in '47) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-0, 2.57)
TOR pitchers: LH Frank Tate (2-2, 4.91 in '47) / RH Matt Sheil (7-6, 4.14 in '47) / RH Luke Weaver (0-1, 1.13)

#4: WIN 8-5 ... Germann isn't great (7.2, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 HR), but we pound out 13 hits, including six for extras...3 hits for Klein, 3 RBI for Simmons
#5: WIN 6-5 ... down 5-0, we score in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th to pull one out of the fire...4 hits for Simmons, HR for Padilla and Frederick...Gates is no bueno
#6: WIN 5-3 ... Cam Daley Show tonight, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBI doubles and a walk...Ratliff is good tonight, but gets a no-decision

Sweep! We've started the season 5-1, tying for first with Texas (!!). LA and OAK are 4-2. Early days, but every one counts, as they say.... That mystery pitcher we've been negotiating with keeps upping his demand. It's still a cheap deal, but I'm getting frustrated and may just give up. We'll see.... Klump has started the season .111/0/1, and may be playing his way to a front-row seat if he doesn't get in the swing quickly. The kids are pushing you, Johnny.... ELSEWHERE: Milwaukee rookie Johnny Brownlee won't soon forget his MLB debut, a 5-hit shutout of the Astros.... Tampa dropped their fist six games before becoming the final team to register a win this season. Brooklyn, St Louis, and New Orleans also have one win apiece.... Washington OF Kevin Mazurowski was coveted so much coming out of college that the Nats made him the #1 overall pick in '41. Then he didn't sign. So they picked him again in '42, at #2 overall. After a couple of so-so years he finally broke out with 33 HR and a .292 average last season, and has started off this year with 5 HR in 7 games (for a cool 116 HR pace).... Austin's Tom Bruce has saved 5 of their 6 wins.

April 14-16 @ BALTIMORE 2048: 2-4, 4th place // 2047: 78-84, 4th place
First road trip of the season. The O's feature all-everything OF Cesar Alvarenga (.400/2/5 so far), and they've surrounded him with a few power bats, including newbie C Brad Duscher (from Richmond). But there are glaring holes, still, mainly 2/3 of the OF and the left side of the infield are made up of has-beens or no-hopers. The pitching staff is similarly feast-or-famine, with ace Brian Simons, closer Curt Paddock, and a couple other RP looking very sharp. But if the middle of the lineup hits, the pitching stays healthy and a couple guys pitch over their heads, they could surprise. The AL East is wide open, with no one looking dominant in the pre-season predictions or in early season play. Former Isles field boss Pat Wilson is the new guy calling the shots, after 11 great years with us, and three bad, worse, and even worse years in Texas. Fun Fact: Names. I was really hoping pitcher Henry Weareorwear would make the team, but he got hurt in the spring. Now I'm pinning my hopes on top prospects named Blizard, Freerks, and Cassette. (All are Americans, so I'm not picking on anyone else, you scold.)

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (1-0, 1.13) / LH Eric Jones (0-0, 8.44) / RH Ben Germann (1-0, 4.70)
BAL pitchers: RH Danny McCanless (0-0, 13.50) / LH Jeremy Stines (1-0, 1.80) / LH Jonathan Bell (0-1, 6.23)

#7: LOSS 10-11 ... a 10-4 lead in the 9th inning with the league's "best" closer ought to be safe, huh?
#8: WIN 6-0 ... Jones walks 5 but is otherwise sharp in 8 IP...Padilla with a HR (and 2 last night) and 4 RBI, 4 hits for Klein, 3 each for Groff and Simmons
#9: WIN 5-3 ... Germann plays with fire all night, but scrapes by and is now 2-0...Sanabria recovers from his earlier meltdown for save number 3

That was an epic blowup in that first game, ruining a great night for Padilla, who drove in 5 runs with 2 HR.... Remember the nickname Earl Weaver gave closer Don Stanhouse in the late 70s? Stanhouse was a flaky guy with a big perm, and always seemed to put guys on base late and then get out of jams he had created. So Weaver dubbed him "Fullpack" saying that's how many cigs he'd go through every appearance. I don't smoke, but Germann is already making me thing he's Fullpack 2.0.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego is giving me the finger with their 8-2 start, including two wins and a 1.20 ERA for Levi Brady. Well, just keep it up, smart guys.... St Louis is 1-8, and you can hear the crying clear across the continent. One-time golden boy Steve Rutledge (first overall pick in '38 btw) is now a bench-warmer, and my scouting director says he's shocked at how far the 30-year-old's skills have already plummeted.... SD's Blake Langer won the NL batting crown last year, and is off to a fun 18-for-36 start for the Padres. Screw .400, let's see someone hit .500 for a season.... The body of Pittsburgh owner Robert Nutting was found at the base of a cliff near his seaside home this week. The coroner ruled his death "natural causes." His son....wait for it...Robert Nutting, Jr, will take over running the club and spending all of daddy's cash.

April 17-19 @ HOUSTON 2048: 4-5, 6th place // 2047: 85-77, 3rd place
Can the Astros make the playoffs for the first time since 2018? A lot of the pieces are there. The rotation looks decent, with a sterling 1-2 punch at the top, and the bullpen is a nice mix of flamethrowers and groundball control pitchers. Leadoff batter Dan Phoenix is good for .300 every year, and there's punch in the next five slots behind him. After that, however, there's very little. They added LF Jason Molnar from Boston, but he's 33 and clearly in decline. With Oakland and Seattle loading up, and Texas looking like a real team for once, the road is not a smooth one for these hopefuls. Manager Dylan Barrow, in his fourth year, was the only survivor of a coaching purge that swept away every other guy on the big club. Fun Fact: Yes, it has now been 30 years since their last playoff appearance, and they've finished higher than third only once in that span. That's some high-grade futility right there.

HAW pitchers: RH Shaun Gates (0-0, 7.94) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-0, 3.46) / RH Shamar Jackson (1-0, 3.94)
HOU pitchers: RH Chris Driscoll (0-0, 9.64) / LH Chris Harris (0-1, 5.25) / RH Dustin Springer (0-1, 2.87)

#10: LOSS 4-5 ... a triple in the 17th is tonight's difference...three Houston pitchers left the game with injuries...Sanabria blows the save opportunity
#11: LOSS 2-8 ... we give up five HR tonight, and generally look terrible everywhere...we do injure another Astros pitcher, however
#12: LOSS 2-4 ... another flat game, despite outhitting them

Well that's a kick in the teeth after the previous series. We're now 7-5 and I think it's time to reconfigure the lineup a bit. We're getting hits and runners on, but are only 10th in runs. MORE CLUTCH BATTING NEEDED, since that's totally a real thing.... So we went out and signed a guy, who I've been teasing for a couple of weeks now. Lefty Brandon Mercer agreed to a one-year, $3.9M deal and will be slotted in as the #5 starter. (Shaun Gates returns to AAA.) Mercer, 30, pitched six seasons for Richmond, earning 18 WAR and picking up 64 wins (mostly over the last four seasons). He did lose 20 last year, but for a bad Eagles team. He keeps the ball down, and is a gamer, which is good since we do play games.... ELSEWHERE: Injuries are biting hard at AL wannabes. Detroit lost slugger Sean West for three months; Yankees closer Brendan Gallo is done for the year; and Houston suffered eight injuries in their series with Hawaii, three of whom having pending diagnoses.... St Louis is now 1-11, losing 8 straight. And San Fran's promising 2047 has devolved to a 2-10 start. As I predicted, they've benched a career .320 hitter who also hits 50 doubles a season, in place of a free agent slugger who so far has gone ...checks notes... .120 with zero home runs.

......

TL;DR Version: The joys of a sweep are often followed by the uglies of getting swept. (I think Confucius said that.) At least we almost literally killed a bunch of their players tho, right? Yes, if you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up. We're 3rd in AVG, 6th in OBP, but only 10th in runs. That's gotta change. (Smart guy, I am.) Fourth in runs against, so the pitchers are generally on top of things. Our run diff is only +5, so we've got to start producing, and soon. Klump (DH) and Rich (C) are not producing, but most others are, including six regulars batting over .300. And is closer Sanabria doesn't stop stinking things up every other appearance, he'll be swapped out quickly.

08-09-2019, 05:48 PM	#264
Bub13 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 748	New Season! 2048 Opening Day and Beyond So as Opening Day was April 6, and we didn't have a game, it turns out that Groff won't miss any games at all. At least, not until he gets hurt again... April has us with 22 games, 10 at home, including a six-game set to open the season. April 7-9 vs BOSTON 2047: 77-85, 6th place // 2048 prediction: 88-74, 2nd place The Sox look like they had a good off-season: they added ace SP Mike Wiater, slugging SS Victor Sanchez, speedy OF Faustino Whitton, and CL Lance Hansen. They also added former Isles star catcher Austin Collins, who used to bat .300 in his sleep, but at 38 now has trouble getting out of his crouch and is at best a .260 hitter with little power. But he is captain material, which they're going to need as they added a bunch of troublemakers to the squad, and team chemistry is already listed as "unhappy." Manager Sean Ochinko is back for his third go-round, having won 77 and 78 games previously. He also won 81 games in a one-year stint with the DBacks, which means that he can actually coach, given their recent track record. Fun Fact: Whitton, from Brazil, is 149 hits behind countryman Macario "The Brazilian Waxer" Fiel, who went into the HoF in '43. Whitton isn't a Hall consideration right now, but if he can stay healthy for a few more years (narrator: he can't) he might reach 3000 hits. (He has 2236 currently.) HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (21-6, 3.76) / RH Shamar Jackson (17.12, 3.73) / LH Eric Jones (14-8, 3.95) BOS pitchers: RH Mike Wiater (13-13, 3.74) / LH John Baldwin (10-16, 5.21) / RH Fernando Alameda (6-1, 2.81) #1: LOSS 5-6 ... 7 strong innings for Ratliff, but first Ramirez and then Crowley blow up and lose it in extras...HR for Groff, Frederick, and Rangel #2: WIN 2-1 ... pitcher's duel, and we score one run off an error and another after a walk, WP, and a double...eleven hits combined tonight #3: WIN 6-5 ... Padilla's solo shot ties it in the 7th, and Rangel wins it in the 10th with an RBI double...Groff also homers...4.2 shutout, no hit innings for the pen Disappointing opening game, but I'll take the two wins. Three one-run games too. Can't read anything into that yet, right?... Nice 5-for-12 start for new RF Josh Frederick, but Padilla and Rich only got one hit in that series.... Where are the fans? We sold out for game one, but had about 10K empty seats for each of the next two games. What else could people have to do in Hawaii in April?... ELSEWHERE: You might remember me making fun of SD when they signed 39-year-old SP Levi Brady to a three-year deal, saying he'd either be an overslotted #2 or a meh #4. Well, he's actually their #1 and he tossed a 5-hit shutout on Opening Day. Sure.... Major news out of Richmond, where 2B Philip Easterday announced his retirement at the end of the season. Previously, he spent nine seasons with Toronto, and when reaced for comment, the Jays PR department could not for the life of them remember a single one of his 400 at bats during those nine years. April 10-12 vs TORONTO 2047: 81-81, 2nd place // 2048 prediction: 78-84, 3rd place The Jays didn't add much from what barely worked last year. In Jose Gonzalez and Andy Janski they have a new double play combo that hits about .230 every year, with little power. SP Robby Liantonio might still have something left in the tank, but he looks like their worst SP, in my humble opinion. And new closer Brandon Jarmon was a so-so starter for Miami last year; he looks like he'll be so-so in his new role too. Add to that rookie LF Chris Piper, getting his first crack at a big league job. Manager Jose 'A' Jimenez worked in our system for over a decade, before going off to helm the Yankees for two unimpressive seasons. He did better in his first year in Toronto last season, tho. Fun Fact: Fan Interest dropped and twitter was abuzz when free agent Jordan Cruz signed with Montreal after two years with the Jays. Cruz has one impressive stat: his strikeout totals rival Nolan Ryan. Problem is, he's a shortstop. HAW pitchers: RH Ben Germann (0-0, 4.13 in '47) / RH Shaun Gates (0-0, 2.57 in '47) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-0, 2.57) TOR pitchers: LH Frank Tate (2-2, 4.91 in '47) / RH Matt Sheil (7-6, 4.14 in '47) / RH Luke Weaver (0-1, 1.13) #4: WIN 8-5 ... Germann isn't great (7.2, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 HR), but we pound out 13 hits, including six for extras...3 hits for Klein, 3 RBI for Simmons #5: WIN 6-5 ... down 5-0, we score in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th to pull one out of the fire...4 hits for Simmons, HR for Padilla and Frederick...Gates is no bueno #6: WIN 5-3 ... Cam Daley Show tonight, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBI doubles and a walk...Ratliff is good tonight, but gets a no-decision Sweep! We've started the season 5-1, tying for first with Texas (!!). LA and OAK are 4-2. Early days, but every one counts, as they say.... That mystery pitcher we've been negotiating with keeps upping his demand. It's still a cheap deal, but I'm getting frustrated and may just give up. We'll see.... Klump has started the season .111/0/1, and may be playing his way to a front-row seat if he doesn't get in the swing quickly. The kids are pushing you, Johnny.... ELSEWHERE: Milwaukee rookie Johnny Brownlee won't soon forget his MLB debut, a 5-hit shutout of the Astros.... Tampa dropped their fist six games before becoming the final team to register a win this season. Brooklyn, St Louis, and New Orleans also have one win apiece.... Washington OF Kevin Mazurowski was coveted so much coming out of college that the Nats made him the #1 overall pick in '41. Then he didn't sign. So they picked him again in '42, at #2 overall. After a couple of so-so years he finally broke out with 33 HR and a .292 average last season, and has started off this year with 5 HR in 7 games (for a cool 116 HR pace).... Austin's Tom Bruce has saved 5 of their 6 wins. April 14-16 @ BALTIMORE 2048: 2-4, 4th place // 2047: 78-84, 4th place First road trip of the season. The O's feature all-everything OF Cesar Alvarenga (.400/2/5 so far), and they've surrounded him with a few power bats, including newbie C Brad Duscher (from Richmond). But there are glaring holes, still, mainly 2/3 of the OF and the left side of the infield are made up of has-beens or no-hopers. The pitching staff is similarly feast-or-famine, with ace Brian Simons, closer Curt Paddock, and a couple other RP looking very sharp. But if the middle of the lineup hits, the pitching stays healthy and a couple guys pitch over their heads, they could surprise. The AL East is wide open, with no one looking dominant in the pre-season predictions or in early season play. Former Isles field boss Pat Wilson is the new guy calling the shots, after 11 great years with us, and three bad, worse, and even worse years in Texas. Fun Fact: Names. I was really hoping pitcher Henry Weareorwear would make the team, but he got hurt in the spring. Now I'm pinning my hopes on top prospects named Blizard, Freerks, and Cassette. (All are Americans, so I'm not picking on anyone else, you scold.) HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (1-0, 1.13) / LH Eric Jones (0-0, 8.44) / RH Ben Germann (1-0, 4.70) BAL pitchers: RH Danny McCanless (0-0, 13.50) / LH Jeremy Stines (1-0, 1.80) / LH Jonathan Bell (0-1, 6.23) #7: LOSS 10-11 ... a 10-4 lead in the 9th inning with the league's "best" closer ought to be safe, huh? #8: WIN 6-0 ... Jones walks 5 but is otherwise sharp in 8 IP...Padilla with a HR (and 2 last night) and 4 RBI, 4 hits for Klein, 3 each for Groff and Simmons #9: WIN 5-3 ... Germann plays with fire all night, but scrapes by and is now 2-0...Sanabria recovers from his earlier meltdown for save number 3 That was an epic blowup in that first game, ruining a great night for Padilla, who drove in 5 runs with 2 HR.... Remember the nickname Earl Weaver gave closer Don Stanhouse in the late 70s? Stanhouse was a flaky guy with a big perm, and always seemed to put guys on base late and then get out of jams he had created. So Weaver dubbed him "Fullpack" saying that's how many cigs he'd go through every appearance. I don't smoke, but Germann is already making me thing he's Fullpack 2.0.... ELSEWHERE: San Diego is giving me the finger with their 8-2 start, including two wins and a 1.20 ERA for Levi Brady. Well, just keep it up, smart guys.... St Louis is 1-8, and you can hear the crying clear across the continent. One-time golden boy Steve Rutledge (first overall pick in '38 btw) is now a bench-warmer, and my scouting director says he's shocked at how far the 30-year-old's skills have already plummeted.... SD's Blake Langer won the NL batting crown last year, and is off to a fun 18-for-36 start for the Padres. Screw .400, let's see someone hit .500 for a season.... The body of Pittsburgh owner Robert Nutting was found at the base of a cliff near his seaside home this week. The coroner ruled his death "natural causes." His son....wait for it...Robert Nutting, Jr, will take over running the club and spending all of daddy's cash. April 17-19 @ HOUSTON 2048: 4-5, 6th place // 2047: 85-77, 3rd place Can the Astros make the playoffs for the first time since 2018? A lot of the pieces are there. The rotation looks decent, with a sterling 1-2 punch at the top, and the bullpen is a nice mix of flamethrowers and groundball control pitchers. Leadoff batter Dan Phoenix is good for .300 every year, and there's punch in the next five slots behind him. After that, however, there's very little. They added LF Jason Molnar from Boston, but he's 33 and clearly in decline. With Oakland and Seattle loading up, and Texas looking like a real team for once, the road is not a smooth one for these hopefuls. Manager Dylan Barrow, in his fourth year, was the only survivor of a coaching purge that swept away every other guy on the big club. Fun Fact: Yes, it has now been 30 years since their last playoff appearance, and they've finished higher than third only once in that span. That's some high-grade futility right there. HAW pitchers: RH Shaun Gates (0-0, 7.94) / RH Ryan Ratliff (0-0, 3.46) / RH Shamar Jackson (1-0, 3.94) HOU pitchers: RH Chris Driscoll (0-0, 9.64) / LH Chris Harris (0-1, 5.25) / RH Dustin Springer (0-1, 2.87) #10: LOSS 4-5 ... a triple in the 17th is tonight's difference...three Houston pitchers left the game with injuries...Sanabria blows the save opportunity #11: LOSS 2-8 ... we give up five HR tonight, and generally look terrible everywhere...we do injure another Astros pitcher, however #12: LOSS 2-4 ... another flat game, despite outhitting them Well that's a kick in the teeth after the previous series. We're now 7-5 and I think it's time to reconfigure the lineup a bit. We're getting hits and runners on, but are only 10th in runs. MORE CLUTCH BATTING NEEDED, since that's totally a real thing.... So we went out and signed a guy, who I've been teasing for a couple of weeks now. Lefty Brandon Mercer agreed to a one-year, $3.9M deal and will be slotted in as the #5 starter. (Shaun Gates returns to AAA.) Mercer, 30, pitched six seasons for Richmond, earning 18 WAR and picking up 64 wins (mostly over the last four seasons). He did lose 20 last year, but for a bad Eagles team. He keeps the ball down, and is a gamer, which is good since we do play games.... ELSEWHERE: Injuries are biting hard at AL wannabes. Detroit lost slugger Sean West for three months; Yankees closer Brendan Gallo is done for the year; and Houston suffered eight injuries in their series with Hawaii, three of whom having pending diagnoses.... St Louis is now 1-11, losing 8 straight. And San Fran's promising 2047 has devolved to a 2-10 start. As I predicted, they've benched a career .320 hitter who also hits 50 doubles a season, in place of a free agent slugger who so far has gone ...checks notes... .120 with zero home runs. ...... TL;DR Version: The joys of a sweep are often followed by the uglies of getting swept. (I think Confucius said that.) At least we almost literally killed a bunch of their players tho, right? Yes, if you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up. We're 3rd in AVG, 6th in OBP, but only 10th in runs. That's gotta change. (Smart guy, I am.) Fourth in runs against, so the pitchers are generally on top of things. Our run diff is only +5, so we've got to start producing, and soon. Klump (DH) and Rich (C) are not producing, but most others are, including six regulars batting over .300. And is closer Sanabria doesn't stop stinking things up every other appearance, he'll be swapped out quickly. Attached Images __________________ Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!