Quote:
Originally Posted by HumanRainDelay
Now those were memorable first three selections by your Mets. I would bet that in 20 years, a statue will be commissioned in your honor to celebrate the years of dominant pitching.
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Pitching indeed, HRD. This Mets franchise will only go as far as the pitching staff takes them, as they were drafted under the premise that pitching, speed, and defense wins ballgames. They had been been ranked towards the bottom of the league in runs scored much of the season prior to a 3 game explosion in Minnesota just before the all star break, plating 40 runs in a sweep of the Twins. A closer look shows the Mets are first place in most pitching categories, zone rating, defensive efficiency, and stolen bases. It has made for a lot of exciting games, although it really feels like every run is a grind when we're rolling out a lineup with a .685 team OPS.
Since HRD is on my mind, it reminded me that I wanted to follow up on his namesake, Mike Hargrove. When we last checked on the Cyclones right-fielder, I may have said some harsh words about the slow start to his season. And, apparently, he may have taken it personally, as shortly after my commentary, he single-handedly eviscerated the Cyclones. The Human Rain Delay went 2 - 3 with his first homerun of the season, driving in all 3 runs in a 3 - 1 victory over the Mets on May 17, 1980. The very next day, Grover hit his second homer of the season in a 9 - 3 loss. On the series, Hargrove went 5 - 15, 2 hr, 4rbi. This seems to have kickstarted his season, as his numbers have been trending upwards since feasting on the Mets pitching staff. So, apologies are in order. Although, I do stand by my statement that he has no business as a starting rightfielder, owing to his -7.9 ZR through 95 games. I would, of course, fall over myself to plug a guy like this into RF for the Mets.
Hargrove sticking it to me for a series after I questioned his abilities is a close second to my call of The Babe taking Roger Clemens deep in their first faceoff, as far as the coolest things that have immersed me in this sim.
The All Star Break is upon us! Not much has changed in the standing since we last checked in. The Mets and Braves have padded their leads in the eastern divisions. While out west, the Giants and Missions continue to lap their rivals. The central divisions look to be the tigthest right now, although with the dog days of August just around the corner, there could be a shakeup in the standings coming soon.
With the Mid-Summer Classic upon us, that also means the trade deadline is coming in less than two weeks. While there are some very interesting players to target - Jay Payton would be a fantastic fit, and who wouldn't want Bobby Grich at the key stone? - I am not sure what can really be offered in barter. As the league currently has no free agency, a relatively sparse 15 man reserve roster, and no draft pick trading as I continue to debate how to add new players following the season - I don't really see what can be done on the trade front without giving up legitimate MLB pieces. Which I suppose is fair - do I trade from strength and attempt to swap Scott Kazmir for a Ryan Zimmerman type to plug into the middle of the order? I'm a tinkerer by nature, but the relative dearth of depth gives me pause. Additionally, I can't help but note that almost all of the "name" players on the trading block have personality issues. Although the clubhouse is humming and can absorb a difficult character, it may not be a great idea to experiment with team chemistry mid-season. I may have to stand pat this trade deadline, but will be sure to report on any blockbusters that come down the pike.
Finally, with the all-star break here, let's highlight some of the stars chosen for the mid-summer classic.
The leading vote-getters in 1980 were Matt Carpenter of the Salt Lake Bees in the American League and Ellis Burks of the Colorado Rockies in the National League. I couldn't reset popularity prior to starting the season, although I did make it of low importance towards All Star voting. Nonetheless, these two players have been absolutely tearing up their respective leagues and are deserving honorees.
Here are some of the pitching stars of the first half:
Dock Ellis has already won 17 games to pace the American League, 3 wins ahead of Hal Newhouser of the Tigers. HIs 30:52 BB:K ratio falls in line with the times and isn't too big of a concern. Can Dock Ellis get all the way to 30 wins?
Roger Clemens is leading the National League in the Triple Crown pitching categories, although Nolan Ryan is nipping at his heels with just 6 fewer strikeouts, and All-Star snub Steve Carlton has just one less victory than the Rocket. Clemens has cooled a bit of late, losing three of his last four decisions. It will be interesting to see if he can continue his record pace.
Arguably the most dominant left handed pitcher in the National League is Clayton Kershaw, who has managed to put up a 12 - 6, 2.69, line for a Dodgers squad that is struggling to get to .500. Can Kersh win the coveted Hurler of the Year Award for a losing team? Can I come up with a better name for the pitching award, specifically one that does not invoke images of aces vomiting? Time will tell on both fronts.
Finally, out of the pen the highly controversial Roberto Osuna of Mexico City is off to a tremendous start, notching 13 saves on his way to accumulating 2 WAR coming on in relief. Osuna has only given up 3 earned runs during the first half of the season, and is an early front-runner for the Fireman of the Year Award in the National League. The Diablos are actually a very interesting squad and we'll be sure to take a deep dive on them in a future post.
On the offensive side of things, let's take a look at some of the stars of the first half of the season.
Reggie Jackson has been a central figure of the A's potent offense, leading the AL in WAR and putting himself in the Most Valuable Player conversation. The A's are currently in second place in the standings, giving him a leg up on other offensive standouts playing for less competitive squads, such as Miguel Cabrera.
Miggy, while absolutely blistering the ball at a .348/.414/.532 clip, is performing in relative anonymity as the Cleveland Indians, the team that picked him 9th overall, flounders along with a 40 - 58 record, 22 games back of the division leading Pirates. Perhaps Miggy will be in consideration for the Golden Spikes Award, an honor meant for the best hitter in each league.
Finally, in the National League, an early MVP candidate continues to be Babe Ruth, of course. His 11 triples on the year is still my favorite part of his statline, as he could post the first 20/20/20 (doubles/triples/homeruns) statline I have ever seen. Babe continues to lead the league in home runs, slugging, OPS, and general awesomeness. His WAR may be dinged for his defense, but it's been a real treat seeing him light it up at the dish.
Speaking of legends doing legendary things, I'll just sneak in a peak at Ty Cobb before signing off. The Georgia Peach is leading the AL in batting avg, hits, runs, doubles, extra base hits, and total bases. Unfortunately, he sprained a knee and will spend the next 4 weeks recovering, forcing him to miss the all star game. We'll see if the Tigers can continue their strong start without him.
