Quote:
Originally Posted by pauwoo
The youth movement begins... good stuff, man. One of my faves.
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All those young guys plus three 30+ pitchers (one is 39!). Feels like it all balances out...
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2047 SEASON OPENER
Here we go again. 2047 will be our 14th season in MLB, and we'll be looking for our 11th division title and our 4th championship. If we match MLB's prediction of 109 wins, that will be our 2nd best season all-time: the 2044 champs won 114, with attendance topping 4 million. Not too shabby, eh? You'd think that with all our success, the fans would be busting down the doors; and yet, our Fan Interest meter is at 89, and we failed to meet our goal of 21,000 season tickets (reaching 19,918 by opening day). Anyway, here is our projected regular lineup, with platoons indicated:
CF Jim Klein
SS Rich Stoneback
1B Adam Groff
DH Jonathan Klump (vs LHP: Dante Padilla)
RF Joseph Hart
LF Kenny Welch (vs LHP: Cameron Daley)
2B Manny Rangel
3B J.J. Simmons
C Rob Rich (vs LHP: Dave McCollum)
I should also note that MLB has bumped up big league rosters to 26 players. That has allowed me to keep Phil Lasky with the big club, as he'll be a backup outfielder and will also get some innings in the bullpen. As I said above, this is our 14th season; for next year, we'll probably roll out some new unis and a new logo, just for kicks.
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April 1-3 vs CLEVELAND
Winners of 75 games last year, they've made just four playoff appearances in this dynasty, all within the last 11 seasons. They didn't add much this off-season, and figure to have just an outside chance of contending. Leadoff hitter DJ Grace, at 24, is an excellent 2B and team captain. The middle of the lineup--newbie Mike Blough, and holdovers David Van Eschen and Eddie Hummel--could each hit 40 HR, seriously. After that, it drops off. DH Sean Kropp is also the #5 starting pitcher, and batted just .215 last year; CF Pat Daniels has power but nothing else; 3B Jon Robertson is an average-looking rookie; and C Austin Collins (former Isle) is 37 and over the hill. The rotation looks just okay, although former ace Zach Gioeli looks cooked at just 29. Closer Tim Stoner isn't scary, and setup man Bryan Altier was a starter last year and is NOT happy about his current move. The bullpen has some depth to it, however. The prospects rank #22, although there are some nice-looking hitters at the top; but they're all at least a couple years away. GM is Geison Aguasviva, and manager is Jose Ariza; both are in their 7th seasons. Gotta hope one day we see more of pitching coach Fðrat Rahim, tho. Budget and payroll are 33rd, and fan interest is at 55 (although attendance is predicted to rise by 28%).
HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (19-3, 3.28) / RH Ryan Ratliff (14-5, 3.52) / RH Joe Koval (11-6, 3.78)
CLE pitchers: LH Roberto Maldonado (7-12, 4.58) / LH Zach Gioeli (14-14, 4.63) / LH Matt Grigg (11-11, 4.03)
#1: WIN 7-5 ... Blough gets his 2000th hit, but we come back from a 5-0 deficit...Jones struggles, but the pen comes through...Groff hurt already, because why not
#2: WIN 9-4 ... outhit again, we somehow turn 7 hits into 9 runs...Klein triples and homers for 7 RBI...we only draw 31K to this one--what the hell?!?
#3: WIN 7-1 ... four HR for the good guys, and 7.2 IP in Koval's debut...35K attend this one, the fickle jerks
We get outhit twice, but still manage a sweep. Nine walks in that second game helped some.... Bullpen weirdness: two LR and Pat Stanley have been used, as well as closer Brown getting a save. But our four other top RP were kept nailed to the bench for the series.... Groff's injury is minimal, but is for two weeks. I'll probably spell him occasionally, although I'm sorely tempted not to.... Now we get a day off, because we're exhausted after [checks notes] just three games.... ELSEWHERE: Boston's Andrew Taylor entered the season with a 27-game hitting streak; after opening day, however, he is now on a zero-game hitting streak.... I love stats after the opening series: like Seattle's Luis Cantu leading everyone with a perfectly sustainable 2.102 OPS, and Austin slugger Roberto Miranda batting .750.... And one-time Islander pitching prospect Angelo Partida has retired, after attempting yet another rehab stint. He made 25 starts over three seasons ('35 thru '37) for us, and looked like a sure-thing mid-rotation guy, but just couldn't stay healthy. We traded him to STL in the ill-considered Ken Clark trade (OY!), and injuries continued to plague him. He pitched parts of seven more seasons, with five teams, but only once threw even close to 100 innings, making just 13 starts over that span. I hear he's going to have his arm amputated at the neck. Maybe he can get a robot replacement.
April 5-7 vs MINNESOTA
More Central Division fun, this time against the Twins, another team that looks like a middling bunch. What an odd lineup: their contact hitters have no power, and their power hitters have no contact. The one exception is Brendan Glenn, a two-time MVP with the Pirates, who is 34 and could have 500 career HR if he could've just stayed healthy. Anyway, they rebuilt the top end of the lineup by adding Max Mangini, a .250 hitter who likes to walk; Kyle Crowl, a former Hawaii-reject who looks about done; and cleanup hitter Jake Laufer, a career .215 batter. I do like their rotation, although at 36, #2 guy Scott Kopetsky is getting by on spit and guile. Closer Rogelio Ramirez comes over from Cleveland, but is unproven in the role. Prospects rank 4th, and there is no reason why #5-in-MLB guy Josh Jacobson isn't batting cleanup RIGHT NOW, other than rank stupidity or cupidity. GM is Richie Lentz, who's been in the chair since 2029; manager is Ruben Vasquez, now in his 6th year. Budget ranks 8th, payroll 15th; fan interest is at 88, although attendance looks to fall a bit this year.
HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (0-0, 4.13) / RH Shamar Jackson (6-3, 5.23) / LH Eric Jones (2047: 0-0, 9.00)
MIN pitchers: RH Lawrence Teklu (6-5, 4.22) / LH Manny Casillas (12-15, 5.16) / LH Jonathan Esparza (13-11, 4.80)
#4: WIN 10-6 ... four more HR come from nowhere, with Welch hitting two...Perry is not good, but Lasky goes again (!), fanning six in 3.2 IP for the win
#5: WIN 14-1 ... 3rd HR for Groff, and 2 hits each for Padilla, Rangel, and Simmons...Jackson fans 11 over 8.2 IP, getting lifted for that crucial final out in the ninth
#6: WIN 10-1 ... 3 hits and a 2-run HR for Hart, and two more hits for Groff, now at .684...the old Eric Jones shows up, tossing a complete game but with zero strikeouts
Well what can I say? Suddenly the bats come alive, the pitching shows up, and this after I said nice things about the Twins pitching staff.... Notice that five of our six games have been against LH pitching; we'll see two righties next series.... Some bad news: our #2 SP prospect, Jonathan Ashton (with A ball Eureka), was in the 6th inning of what would be a shutout win when he left the game with a sore elbow. Sadly, he'll need surgery to remove bone chips and will miss the rest of the season. He's just 19, so he's not up against the aging curve; but he'd been progressing pretty quickly, and this will definitely be a setback. How much of one is yet to be determined, of course.... ELSEWHERE: What is the first thing you expect to see four games into a season? Why, clubhouse fights, of course. Houston lost three straight, which was just ONE TOO MANY for pitcher Joe Jones, who went off at teammate Doug Apostolidis. "When we lose, it's his fault," said the entirely-rational-sounding pitcher. And Jones, of course, knows about losing, having personally dropped 21 games for the perennial sad sack Diamondbacks in '44. Manager Dylan Barrow, showing some great parenting skills, said only "Boys will be boys.".... Washington has won four in a row, giving up 0, 1, 0, and 0 runs. Maybe they're finally good?.... Detroit is also 6-0, and no one (womp womp) is winless.
April 8-10 vs MILWAUKEE
Last year's division champs are predicted to fall hard by MLB this year. But they're holding tight at 3-3 so far. Four players are already on the DL, including their #1 and #2 SP. This team bashed tons of HR last year, but has only 2 this year. And, like last year, they're scoring runs (6th) while not hitting well (13th). Despite the injuries, pitching ranks 3rd in runs, with new additions Marcus Richardson and Luis Munoz off to solid starts. Closer Hyun-ook Kara won the '46 Hoy Wilhelm award for some stupid reason (17 saves? 1.7 WAR? Dunno.), and is 1-for-1 in save opps this year. New regulars 3B Bill Callahan and 1B John Lessman don't add much hitting to the lineup, and while newbie 2B Sean Young does, he's more of a defense-first singles hitter. Prospects rank 8th, with #4 Oscar Espinosa a can't-miss slugger, and SP Ryan Shaheen cranky that he's not on the big club already. GM is young (35) Rich Vincent, in his 2nd season; manager Seon-gwon Che is also in his 2nd, and won AL Manager of the Year last season, which was just wrong. Budget and payroll rank 7th, and fan interest is a healthy 93. Despite that, attendance estimates are down about 2K per game, although revenue looks to be higher.
HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (1-0, 2.57) / RH Joe Koval (1-0, 1.17) / RH Dennis Perry (0-0, 10.38)
MIL pitchers: LH Jim Gilbert (0-1, 6.43) / RH Marcus Richardson (1-0, 2.57) / RH Luis Munoz (1-0, 1.29)
#7: WIN 10-5 ... our 4th straight game in double figures...3 hits each for Groff and McCollum, and 4 RBI for Padilla...Ratliff goes 7 for the win
#8: WIN 6-1 ... Koval is gold, fanning 10 and yielding just 2 hits over 8 IP...Groff gets 2 more hits then sprains his knee, is dtd, will sit tomorrow
#9: LOSS 4-5 ... awww, dang...we score 4 in the 9th, but can't complete the comeback...3 hits for Rangel, and a 3-run HR for Stoneback...Perry is bad again
Well, shoot, I guess it had to end sometime.... Klein has scored a run in all nine games.... Groff hurts his knee, and while it's just a 4-day dtd injury, he'll sit some to get it healed up properly.... Two relievers have still not pitched, and two others have combined for 1.1 innings. Sigh.... SP Dennis Perry is really fighting it, after tearing it up in spring training.... OF Kenny Welch also gets hurt, diagnosis pending.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit is mirroring us at 8-1, while the Mets are trailing everyone at 2-7. They've lost six in a row.... STL closer Frank Casper has saved all five Cards wins; ditto for Richmond closer Jay Debus (4 wins = 4 saves).... HAW Adam Groff and CIN Jose Tavares took home the first player of the week awards.
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TL;DR Version: Can't complain at all about an 8-1 start. Now if we can only keep this train rolling. We have scored 77 runs while giving up just 29. Some minor grievances, tho: SP Dennis Perry is ice cold, and manager Matt Sargent must be saving our better RP for mid-summer, seeing as two of our top four guys haven't even thrown a ball yet. Next we're off on a ten-game road trip, where we'll see division rivals Oakland and Houston, then to Kansas City. We'll finish the month with home series against Detroit and Chicago, then start another road trip against Seattle. Onward!