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08-13-2007, 06:43 PM
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#101 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2012 ACS Previews
On the last day of the season, the Denali Division was still technically up for grabs. If North Pole lost both games of their doubleheader at Whitehorse, while Mat-Su won both games of their doubleheader versus Sitka, then the two teams would tie for the lead. Juneau was out of the picture, having dropped too far in July and early August. Sitka had been eliminated the day before.
In the afternoon games, Sitka tore up Mat-Su, 11-3, ending their chances, while North Pole fell to Whitehorse, 5-2. In the evening games, Sitka held off Mat-Su again, 5-3, and North Pole nailed down a 6-3 win. In the Seward Division, the Jets ran away with it, setting the team wins record in the AKL, and finishing 19 games above the second-place teams (the Bucs, Glacier Pilots, and Grizzlies all tied with 52-56 records). So the North Pole Nicks were returning to the Alaskan Championship Series for the first time since 2008, when they won it, while the Jets would see postseason action for the first time in their history. Team Comparisons Lineups C - Bob Russo (ERC) (.253/.338/.451) vs. Alan Sellick (NPN) (.290/.379/.560) - NICKS+ (Russo is awesome defensively, but the edge still goes to the Nicks) 1B - Stanton Ryan (ERC) (.312/.368/.421) vs. Edison Dwyer (NPN) (.288/.360/.577) - NICKS+ 2B - John Hauk (ERC) (.234/.346/.354) vs. John Abston (NPN) (.307/.380/.560) - NICKS++ (Hauk is better defensively, but still no contest) 3B - Luke York (ERC) (.291/.340/.474) vs. Dennis Roy (NPN) (.166/.282/.223) - JETS++ (York is battling a calf injury that could see him replaced with Jonathan Bertrand, see below) SS - Mike Gaston (ERC) (.275/.317/.408, 23-3 SB-CS) vs. Leonard Marshall (NPN) (.283/.337/.390) - JETS+ (Gaston is noticeably better defensively) LF - Phil Botfield (ERC) (.308/.383/.550) vs. Keith Willerton (NPN) (.257/.310/.339) - JETS++ CF - Jimmy Williams (ERC) (.287/.369/.590) vs. Dominique Gaudet (NPN) (.313/.411/.572) - NICKS+ (Williams has a pinched nerve in his neck that could affect his play) RF - John Horswill (ERC) (.285/.373/.450) vs. Bob Horton (NPN) (.325/.396/.586) - NICKS+ Injuries: RF Connor Poapst (NPN) (.267/.364/.483) has been out most of the year and will not make it back in time to play. Overall: Chugiak outscored North Pole 591-586 this year, but in an apparently weaker division. Also, much of that production came from their bench. North Pole has a significant team OPS advantage (.794 vs. .771) and has out-homered Chugiak 161-117. That's an amazing number of home runs. Advantage: NICKS. Rotations 1. Louis Mays (ERC) (162 IP, 8 HR, 48 BB, 110 K, 2.38 ERA) vs. Chip Becker (NPN) (181 IP, 12 HR, 40 BB, 110 K, 2.88 ERA) - EVEN (tough comparison, Becker gets an edge for endurance, but Mays has been more dominant over his career) 2. Eugene Pond (ERC) (142 IP, 13 HR, 33 BB, 105 K, 3.30 ERA) vs. Chance Major (NPN) (141 IP, 10 HR, 45 BB, 154 K, 3.01 ERA) - NICKS+ (another difficult comparison, but Major's amazing stuff is incomparable, and he also has a slight endurance advantage over Pond) 3. Monzaemon Mihashi (ERC) (138 IP, 10 HR, 36 BB, 74 K, 2.61 ERA) vs. Tom Pick (NPN) (165 IP, 21 HR, 44 BB, 57 K, 4.63 ERA) - JETS++ (Mihashi is a converted reliever but still adds much more value than Pick) Overall: Probably a slight advantage to the Jets. The series format favors the Nicks, because they don't have to use their horrid #4 and #5 starters. Bullpens Chugiak will have usual starters Ryan Dye (9-7, 2.77) and Charles Pretty (9-5, 4.45) in the 'pen, and can also rely on one of the most dominant closers in the game, Jason Hilton (28 SV, 6.7 K/9, 3.05 ERA). Besides Dye, they can go to Ronald Hawk (34 IP, 4 HR, 13 BB, 26 K) for a reliable lefty arm, and Doug Miles is another great alternative. A very deep bullpen. The Nicks have a dominant closer of their own: Ed Staitie (16 SV, 8.08 K/9, 2.76 ERA). However, they never really had clear #4 and #5 starters throughout the year, and beyond Staitie, the bullpen is pretty bad. Setup men Mike Watanabe and Alec Walker have ERA's of 5.88 and 6.08, respectively! Overall: Huge advantage to the Jets, which is important given their starters' lack of stamina. Their team strategy has to be to try to wear down the Nicks' starters and go deep into their ragtag bullpen. Bench The Jets have a strong defensive backup catcher, Dave Lepine (.277/.314/.366, 63 games), who started for them last year, a great hitter who can play every infield position (and pretty well!) in Jonathan Bertrand (.277/.414/.511 in 137 AB), a middle infield defensive wizard in Carl Whitehead (.154/.211/.246, 38 games), a jackrabbit for pinch-running purposes in John Fox (.195/.286/.230, 8-2 SB-CS in 87 AB), and two very good defensive outfielders in Scott Jayne (.000/.000/.000, 25 games) and Lou Bowden (.346/.357/.500, 27 games). They have just about every bench need covered. The Nicks' bench, by contrast, is mostly just a motley collection of not-very-good players. The one glaring exception is center fielder George Mullins, who started most of the year and hit .300/.367/.482. Gaudet played most of the year in left but moved over to center to make room for the rookie Willerton. It is unclear whether Stanford Rawson will stick with Willerton in the ACS or bring back Mullins to start. Overall: Clear advantage to the Jets. Managing The Jets' manager is Raul Delcon, an offensively minded manager with 23 years' professional experience, mostly as a bench coach, and is known for a cautious approach toward base running. He tends to let his pitchers try to pitch their way out of trouble. He likes to take a role in teaching baseball techniques to his players, rather than leaving this task solely to the coaches. This is his first year as a manager at any level. The Nicks' manager is the popular Stanford Rawson, a former pitching coach who is known for daring tactics, such as squeeze bunts in unexpected situations and an emphasis on the running game. He likes to play for platoon matchups and has been accused of over-managing, but he is beloved by his players and has a long record of winning clubs, having managed the reliably over-.500 Miners the previous three years, once to a pennant in 2010. Overall: The advantage has to go to the more experienced Rawson over the technically-oriented, cautious Delcon. Prediction: This should be an exciting series, but the Jets have home field advantage and the edge in a number of key categories. Both teams are hungry, as neither has tasted success for a while, but you have to give the edge to the winningest team of all time. Jets in 7. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 08:01 PM. |
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08-15-2007, 07:59 PM
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#102 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2012 Acs
 View near Eagle River Nature Center Game One  Chip Becker (17-3, 2.88) vs.  Louis Mays (14-4, 2.38) August 31, 2012 - The sixth annual Alaskan Championship Series opened on an unseasonably warm evening at Oberg Field in Chugiak. Oberg Field is known for its hitter-friendliness, with both batting averages and home run rates significantly above normal. It is particularly friendly to right-handed hitters. The Jets had, however, built a pitching staff around control and home run prevention and were thus a tough opponent in their home confines. The Nicks wasted no time in getting on the board, putting together a couple of singles and working a run home to take the first lead of the series. The Jets took the lead in the bottom of the third when center fielder Jimmy Williams blasted a two-run home run, and that got the sellout crowd of 1,600 rocking. North Pole promptly struck again in the third, benefiting from timely hitting, good baserunning, and a miscue by Mays to score two runs and take a 3-2 lead. In the fourth they extended the lead to 5-2 on a run-scoring double by Comeback Player of the Year candidate Dominique Gaudet. Errors in the field continued to plague Chugiak, and it was 6-2 in the middle of the 6th. The Jets then got things going with a leadoff homer by young outfielder Phil Botfield, followed by a couple of singles and then a three-run shot by third baseman Luke York. 6-6. The scoring didn't stop there, though, but unfortunately for the home team, it was all North Pole the rest of the way. Mays was finally chased in the 8th, and Ryan Dye yielded a grand slam to John Abston to put the game out of reach. Final score: North Pole 11, Chugiak 6. A sloppy game in which the Jets made 4 errors and the Nicks 2. Four home runs in all. Game Two  Chance Major (9-6, 3.01) vs.  Eugene Pond (10-5, 3.30) (the uniform gives away where he will sign when he hits free agency after the season) September 1, 2012 - It would be the veteran fireballer Chance Major versus the phenomenal young control pitcher Eugene Pond, two perennial Pitcher of the Year candidates. Would bad fielding and park effects make this one another slugfest, or will the pitchers crack down? The first inning gave the answer to that question. After North Pole scored a run off an RBI double by Bob Horton, the Jets answered with five against Major, four of them coming on a grand slam home run by Jimmy Williams. In the top of the 3rd, North Pole came back to tie things up on a five-hit parade. In the bottom half, the Jets took the lead again on a solo blast by York. Then in the top of the 4th, the Nicks came right back and tied it up by putting together a reached on error, walk, and single. Pond's pitch count was too high by this point, and he was pulled before pitching even four innings. Score: 6-6. In the 6th, the Nicks took the lead on Jet reliever Doug Miles when Abston jacked a solo shot to lead off the inning. The crowd was getting really nervous now, as going down 2-0 in the series seemed quite possible now. In the bottom of the 7th, the Jets took the lead back when first baseman Stanton Ryan hit a two-run homer. 8-7 Chugiak. Two insurance runs came in the 8th when shortstop Mike Gaston got in on the fun and hit a two-run homer of his own. Final score: Chugiak 10, North Pole 7. Who says pitching & defense win championships? Only one error in this game, though.  Game Three  Monzaemon Mihashi (12-4, 2.61) vs.  Tom Pick (8-10, 4.63) September 3, 2012 - A chilly 40 degrees at game time in North Pole in front of a packed house, with 200 fans occupying temporary seating. This game looked much more like a pitching and defensive battle from the start. Bob Horton did give the Nicks a two-run lead on a home run in the 1st, but otherwise Mihashi was solid. Pick, likewise, was almost dominant, with some help from his defense. The Jets put together two walks and three singles in the 2nd but could only get 2 runs out of all that action. The score remained 2-2 until the 6th, when Horton struck again, doubling in a run and then scoring on a wild pitch. 4-2. In the 8th Ryan Dye came in again to keep things close, and again he failed. He yielded another grand slam, this one to Edison Dwyer! Dye had now allowed eight runs, seven earned, in the postseason, without getting anybody out! This was a guy who posted a 2.77 ERA as an elite starter in the regular season. Final score: North Pole 8, Chugiak 2. This really put the screws on the Jets for game 4. No errors in this game! Game Four Mays vs. Becker September 4, 2012 - The Nicks continued their tradition of striking first in this series when Abston managed to lift a solo shot out of the park against Mays in the first inning. However, in the 3rd, the Jets got to Becker, as Ryan tripled in Mays, who was hitting .750 in this series now (!), and Gaston, then scoring himself on a sac fly. Chugiak 3, North Pole 1. In the 4th the error bug hit the Nicks, and the Jets made them pay. York and Mays both reached on errors, and a single and sac fly made it 5-1. Dominique Gaudet got a two-run double for North Pole in the 5th, and Becker pitched a complete game, but Hilton came in and nailed down his second save of the series, as Chugiak tied it up. Final score: Chugiak 5, North Pole 3. One more game in North Pole before the series heads back to Chugiak. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 08:01 PM. |
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08-16-2007, 01:14 PM
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#103 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2012 ACS Games 5 & 6
Game 5 Pond vs. Major September 5, 2012 - The two aces would do battle once again, and this time each of them hoped to shut down the other side's offense a little better than in Game 2. This time Chugiak got things going at the start, when Ryan doubled, stole third, and scored on a Botfield grounder. 1-0. Both teams were getting guys on base, but they just couldn't push them across. Finally, in the 4th inning, the Chugiak pitcher - the Jets pitchers were hitting extremely well this series - knocked home Jonathan Bertrand, who was starting at third against the lefty Major, on a single. 2-0. In the bottom of the 4th, Bob Horton hit a solo home run on the first pitch to him, after Abston had worn down Pond with 5 consecutive foul balls before flying out. Sellick, Dwyer, and Roy all followed with singles, then Gaston muffed a groundball to allow the third run of the inning to score. North Pole 3, Chugiak 2. Chugiak threatened again in the 5th, but a Bertrand double play ended the inning without damage. The Nicks added to their lead in the same inning, when rookie shortstop Leonard Marshall homered, then Abston singled, Horton doubled, and Dwyer got Abston home on a groundout. 5-2. In the 7th, the Jets got another run, but it came on a Botfield double play, as they failed to take advantage of 3 baserunners in the inning. 5-3. Meanwhile, the Jets' fielders went back to their error-prone ways. They gave up five errors in the game, Gaston, Bertrand, Ryan, Botfield, and Whitehead (a defensive substitution!) making one apiece. Unearned runs would provide the difference in the game, as the Jets set things up in the 9th down 6-3. Ryan doubled, Botfield was intentionally walked, and then Williams flied out to make two outs. Whitehead then came to the plate and delivered a clutch double, knocking home Ryan. Foolishly, Botfield went for home. There was no need, as the score was 6-4, and even if he scored, they would still be down a run. But he blew right through the stop sign and was thrown out at the plate. The coaches were livid with fury, but it was too late. Final score: North Pole 6, Chugiak 4. Series lead stands at 3-2 as we return to Chugiak. Game Six September 7, 2012 - Game 3 starters were reprised, and despite Pick's shut-down performance in that game, Jets fans had to be happy about having Mihashi on the mound against Pick on the home field. The Nicks got things going right from the start. Gaudet singled to lead off the game, then Marshall hit into a fielder's choice. Abston singled to right, and a throwing error put both him and Marshall into scoring position. Marshall then scored on Horton's infield hit, and Abston came in on a sac fly by Sellick. 2-0 just like that. Pick hardly looked invulnerable, though. In the 2nd, the Jets got to him when Mihashi - the pitcher again! - doubled home both Williams and York to tie the game. Horswill then gave the Jets the lead by hitting a solo shot in the 3rd. In the bottom of the 4th they got a little insurance when Gaston doubled in Russo and then scored on a Botfield single. 5-2 Chugiak. Things started to go sour for the Jets in the 5th. Mihashi stayed in there but yielded a two-run homer to center fielder George Mullins (he had been started this series after all; see previews above). He got into more trouble when Abston doubled but got out of the inning without further damage. 5-4. Mihashi was lifted in the 6th, and Pick after 6. The score remained 5-4 Jets until the 8th. The shellshocked Ryan Dye came in to pitch to two lefties. He gave up a seeing-eye singled to Abston, then got Horton to ground into a fielder's choice. Doug Miles then came in and got the second out, but yielded a two-run homer to Dwyer. The Nicks had come back to take a 6-5 lead. In the 9th they got two more runs off Miles, and now it was 8-5 with the Jets down to their last 3 outs. Watanabe stayed in to pitch for North Pole. Uncharacteristically, he struck out the first two batters, and then caught a sharp line drive off the bat of Horswill to end the series. Final score: North Pole 8, Chugiak 5. Indeed, who says pitching and defense wins championships? This series the offensively minded team won the series by outslugging the other side. And yes, defensive miscues by the Jets did potentially make the difference in two games. This was the 5th of 6 Alaskan championships won by teams now in the Denali Division. The only exception was the upset victory by Peninsula over Mat-Su in the 2010 series. It was the second championship for North Pole. The ACS MVP was 39-year-old Bob Horton, putting up this ridiculous line: .500/.536/.885, with 4 doubles and 2 homers in 26 at-bats, to go with 6 R and 8 RBI. Lifetime, he had a 1.460 OPS in the postseason (his only other experience came in the Nicks' 2008 championship run). Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:57 PM. |
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08-17-2007, 07:19 PM
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#104 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2012 AKL Awards
 2012 was a very good year for Juneau Senators left fielder Wynn Dunsmore, this season's Alaskan League Hitter of the Year Award recipient. Dunsmore had a sensational year, hitting .355 with a .448 on base percentage. He totaled 139 hits, 22 doubles, 1 triple, 26 home runs, 73 RBI, and scored 89 runs (that's equivalent to 134 runs scored in a 162-game season!). In 2012, the premier pitcher in the Alaskan League was Chance Major. The North Pole starter is this year's recipient of the Pitcher of the Year Award. The trophy winner posted these stats this season: 9-6 record, 3.01 ERA, 22 GS, 140.2 IP, 107 HA, 45 BB, 154 K, .212 OBA. He was second in the league in park-adjusted DIPS ERA as well. This is Major's second Pitcher of the Year Award.  The AKL's premier rookie is Julien LaFlamme, catcher for the Anchorage Bucs. He took the Rookie of the Year Award by batting .277 and collecting 92 hits, 17 home runs, 74 RBI, 37 walks, 62 runs scored, and a .354 on-base percentage. LaFlamme turns 27 in December.  Kodiak closer Ron Yuke has won another Reliever of the Year Award, this time in a tightly contested vote. With a dERA of 3.447, he was third among relievers, and he led all closers in innings pitched, with 56. Coming in second was North Pole closer Ed Staitie, followed by Fairbanks closer Bill Hearn.  It was a frustrating 2011 for Anchorage Glacier Pilots catcher Vincent Leroux, but that's precisely what made him eligible for the CPoY Award this year. In a closely contested vote, Leroux took the honor over Dominique Gaudet and Bob Horton of North Pole. Leroux hit .297 this year with 23 HR and 78 RBI, compared to .234/12/41 last year. The catcher remains the subject of persistent trade rumors, as the Pilots' caretakers have announced that, to maximize sale value, they will try to cut payroll before selling the franchise this fall. Leroux is the Glacier Pilots' most highly paid player. Sitka has been mentioned as a possible destination. |
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08-17-2007, 10:45 PM
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08-17-2007, 11:38 PM
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#106 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2012-13 Offseason
After the GM's and managers voted on the player awards, the players got their turn to vote for Manager of the Year. In the end, Stanford Rawson of North Pole won the honor for his team's storybook run to the championship. He certainly knew how to get every last ounce of effort out of his veterans. The league was doing well. Almost every team had made money this year. The only teams that had lost money were the Bucs, Grizzlies, and Oilers. As already intimated, the Glacier Pilots had made so much money that after revenue sharing, they could pay off all their outstanding debts. The league office was hoping for a quick sale, and to reduce payroll to the bone they traded away Comeback Player of the Year Vincent Leroux, now 32 and making $80,000 a year. He was dealt to Sitka for much-traveled outfielder Doug Beard and a minor leaguer. At the end of September, this year's free agents filed. With all the money floating around out there, this year's crop could expect to make a bundle. Here's a countdown of the most attractive players available: 15. RP Philippe Bisaillon, age 27. Had a 6.11 ERA in 2012 with the Bucs, but he had a fastball that regularly topped 90 and a couple of good seasons prior to this past one under his belt. His big problem was the long ball: he gave up 10 of them in 63 innings last year. He also needed to work on his control (36 BB's last year). His raw talent would surely prove too much for some team not to take a chance on him, though. Bucs can't re-sign him. 14. RF John Horswill, age 30. Horswill, a lefty, put up a respectable .285/.373/.450 line, which is basically average for a corner outfielder (14.6 VORP). He can play the field well, even has a little experience in center. He's loyal and could re-sign with Chugiak. 13. RF Mike Collette, age 29. Not related to Juneau 1B Ralph Collette. Mike hit .290/.378/.445 last year with 22 doubles in 321 AB. The Mushers could afford to bring him back, but he's made it clear that he's going to play the field and take the highest offer. 12. SS Sloan Starr, age 33. One of the real veterans of the league and a key part of the 2008 Nicks championship club. He spent 2012 with the Anchorage Bucs, hitting .266/.364/.488 with 21 HR, actually playing third more than short, along with a little first base. He can play all those positions pretty well, although not quite as rangey at short as some. Good hitters and fielders at third and especially short come at a big premium in this league. Bucs can't re-sign him. 11. CF Olivier Theriault, age 28. Theriault is one of the best center fielders in this league, although obviously nothing special by major league standards. He will probably command a high price, despite hitting just .250/.346/.388 with Juneau last year. Some scouts insist he hasn't hit his peak yet. Two Glove Wizard awards. 10. SS Mike Gaston, age 27. Another Jet lost to free agency; it's unclear whether he could yet be re-signed. Still young and a very solid fielder, though not outstanding. Hit .275/.317/.408 last year, good for 9.2 points of VORP. Blazing speed and stole 23 bases last year, getting caught just 3 times. Scored an eye-popping 74 runs hitting leadoff for this potent offense. 9. 2B Charley Logan, age 30. One of the guys who came up from the Lower 48 last year, he hit .294/.410/.425 last year with Sitka. A solid but not outstanding second baseman, who gets value from posting a high OBP at a low-offense position. Sitka probably can't afford to keep him, unless they make some hard decisions. 8. OF Francis Ikarashi, age 30. Actually played a lot of center last year, even though it's definitely not his natural position. He was another former minor leaguer who tried his luck in the AKL and got picked up by the southerly-located Sentinels. He hit .258/.395/.371 (13.9 VORP). He walked a whopping 73 times in 329 AB's. With just 41 K's last year and a string of .300+ batting averages in his minor league career, his batting average looks set to increase. He could be an OBP monster next year. His value is pinged a bit by reports he is demanding a 7-year contract, almost unheard of in this league (see: Rancourt, Mike for the exception). 7. SP Monzaemon Mihashi, age 36. There aren't many good pitcher free agents this year, so the ones that are on the market can expect to strike it rich. Mihashi is a former closer that the Jets converted successfully to the rotation last year, going 12-4 with a 2.61 ERA and 2:1 K:BB ratio. An extreme groundball pitcher who yields few home runs, he really fits the Chugiak model of the careful pitcher. They could re-sign him, and he has stated that he would prefer to stay, but again, he could command a pretty penny. 6. CF Bryce Payne, age 27. He's not a great-fielding center fielder, but he's good enough. An All-Star each of the last two years, he hit .304/.343/.438 (21.0 VORP) last year in something of a down year for him. Extremely fast on the basepaths, he put up a 23-5 SB-CS last year. The Mushers will likely make a push to re-sign him, but center fielders are valuable, and he could be lured away. 5. CL Ron Yuke, age 31. After struggling with injury in 2007 and missing all of 2008, Yuke has come back to establish himself as the elite closer of the Alaskan League, making the All-Star team the last three years and winning Reliever of the Year the last two. He has dependably struck out more than a batter an inning his whole career, and he has pinpoint control as well, an unusual combination. He doesn't throw hard, but he's perhaps the most intelligent pitcher in the whole league. A native of Healy, Alaska. The Grizzlies won't be able to re-sign him after losing a bunch of money last year. He could end up anywhere and will probably be well compensated. 4. RF Bob Horton, age 39. If he were even a couple of years younger and hadn't been injured in 2011, he'd be the #1 free agent this offseason, no doubt. Brash and arrogant, Horton is the top hitter in Alaskan League history. He gave North Pole another championship and for that is beloved in this tiny community. His career line is an ungodly .337/.424/.604, and he hit .325/.396/.586 last year with the Oilers and Nicks. The Nicks may pay top dollar to keep him around and the fans happy. 3. LF Sean Heath, age 25. Already one of the biggest offensive forces in the league. Had his best year in 2012 with Sitka, hitting .309/.411/.621 with 32 homers in 369 at-bats! A lefthanded hitter who's not bad in the field either. The only thing dragging down his value is his me-first reputation. Sitka probably can't re-sign him. 2. SS-3B Sherman Ferris, age 26. Ferris is a unique talent in this league. He's an outstanding shortstop and third baseman, good enough to impress at the major league level. He can also hit well enough for the Alaskan League and is still quite young. He hit .284/.373/.377 with Mat-Su last year (23.4 VORP). The Miners' coaches were hoping that his power would develop, but it never has (an average of 6 homers each of the last three years). He's also been disillusioned with being started at third each of the last two years (and winning Glove Wizard awards there). So it seems he will probably leave Mat-Su for a place where he can start at shortstop. 1. SP Eugene Pond, age 24. If Chugiak ends up losing this guy, it will hurt like hell. Still young, he could dominate this league for the next decade if he stays healthy. His K:BB ratio was better than 3:1 last year. His 3.30 ERA doesn't really do his talent justice, although that's a full run better than league average. Other than perhaps Wynn Dunsmore, he's probably the most valuable player in this league if you can get him locked up long-term. The knock against him is his work ethic, and he was never beloved in Chugiak, although the fans respect his contributions on the field. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:58 PM. |
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08-18-2007, 03:22 PM
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#107 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2012-13 Offseason: Major Transactions
2012-13 Offseason: Major Transactions The first big free agent signings were announced October 10th. The Bethel Mushers were bringing Sean Heath, signing him to a 2-year, $174,391 deal (loss to Sitka). The Yukoners made a splash by landing shortstop Sloan Starr (loss to the Bucs), signing a somewhat risky 4-year, $252,630 contract. Finally, the Chugiak Jets gave in to Ikarashi's 7-year contract demand, signing him to $53,000 per year. The signings started to come fast and furious after that. The Jets stole away the Nicks' closer, Ed Staitie, for a mere $22,000 per, but the Nicks more than avenged themselves, taking premier FA Eugene Pond for $70K per year for two years. Olivier Theriault opted to come back to Juneau as widely expected, on a reasonable 3-year, $35,000 per year deal. Monzaemon Mihashi decided to re-up with Jets, signing a 2-year, $127,264 deal. The Nicks brought back Bob Horton for two years at almost $90,000 per year. Some contracts looked smart, others not so much. The Yukoners paid through the nose to get Charley Logan, giving him a 4-year, $341,087 deal. That's a lot of money for a guy who really hasn't proven himself in this league yet. On the other hand, the Glacier Pilots, now in the hands of new ownership, landed aging center fielder Dominique Gaudet from the Nicks for two years at just $15,000 per. This is a guy with a .983 OPS last year - in center field! The Jets took a bit of a risk in bringing back Mike Gaston for three years at roughly $35K per year. He really hasn't broken out yet, though some say he hasn't reached his potential yet. John Horswill also re-signed with the club for almost the same money per year. He's more of a known quantity, reliable but not really a star. The team inexplicably shelled out almost $40K a year to bring back Jonathan Bertrand, who will apparently start at first base for them this year after Stanton Ryan left for Mat-Su. This is a team decimated by free agency: they've done their best to bring guys back and even bring in some new faces, but that's getting really costly for them. The Glacier Pilots then really started opening up the wallet, bringing back 2B Chris Webb for more than $50,000 per year (not so savvy) and bringing on SS Sherman Ferris for three years at less than $80,000 per year (a more calculated risk). Bryce Payne, meanwhile, left Bethel for Mat-Su and will make $39K a year for two years. His friend, teammate, and fellow outfielder Mike Collette also decided to leave Bethel for Mat-Su and will make almost $50K a year for two years. The Whitehorse Yukoners ended up winning the Ron Yuke sweepstakes. He will make $52,000 for one year before presumably hitting the FA market again. Whitehorse also got a solid setup reliever in Philippe Bisaillon, who will make $19K a year for two years. The Yukoners are apparently going to try to make a push in the Denali this year. It's about time. By December, the feeding frenzy had died down, and the trading season really got into full swing. There was one blockbuster deal this offseason, not counting the Leroux deal in September, which was a clear salary dump. The Jets traded away 27-year old catcher Bob Russo, a defensive wiz best known for his work with Juneau's championship teams (hit .253/.338/.451 for Chugiak in '12), to the Kodiak Grizzlies, getting back former Jet starting pitcher Martin Gagnon, the 2011 Pitcher of the Year (8-3, 3.11 last year) and now 35 years old. Russo is making $14K more per year than Gagnon. Apparently the Jets are going to go with Dave Lepine, also a defensive stalwart, as their starting catcher again, and this deal replaces Eugene Pond in the rotation. For the Grizzlies, this move positions them better for the future. They weren't likely to contend in 2013, but they don't want to go into a complete rebuild either. Their rotation will be weaker, particularly after also dealing Jesse Alexander to the Bucs for outfielder Kelyn Birley. However, they have Mexican national Cisco Pena coming up through the system, and they hope (probably vainly) that former stars Ron Quinton, Stephen Hill, and Geoffrey Townend will return to form. As spring tryouts began in April, the Glacier Pilots dropped a bombshell on the league. As one of the few teams left with ready cash (it just sounds wrong to say that about the Pilots, doesn't it?), they were able to think outside the box, and so they did. They brought in 26-year-old Tommy Okawa, who had made it to AA as an outfielder last year and hit .392/.524/.505! When the Blue Jays organization informed him that they viewed him as a prospect no longer, he requested and received his unconditional release. Tommy has family in Alaska; in fact, his younger brother Stan is working in Anchorage and playing for their ATL affiliate, the Cook Inlet Glacier Pilots. Stan even got 45 AB's with the big-league club last year. Tommy would make $55,000 per year over the next three years. Two more players from the Lower 48 were said to be in negotiations with the Glacier Pilots: center fielder Elvis O'Halloran, thirty years old (hit .242/.349/.420 at A ball last year), and third baseman Tim Arnold (hit .279/.374/.407 at A ball last year). In fact, on opening day, the Pilots announced contracts with them both. They would actually have a fairly decent lineup in 2013, even after losing Leroux. The irony is that Okawa and O'Halloran will certainly push out of the lineup either Beard, the guy they got for Leroux, or Gaudet, another free agent signing. The recent trend toward signing out of state players was starting to cause grumbling among some of the other players, but especially the owners of small-market teams (excluding Sitka, which had benefited from the practice). The league office remained studiously silent on the issue, but a rule change might be in the offing. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:58 PM. |
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08-18-2007, 07:37 PM
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#108 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2013 Previews
2013 Previews The Pilots could be the big surprise out of the Seward Division. They aren't likely to unseat the Jets as favorites, but they have improved offensively. However, they are likely to have one of the worst pitching staffs in the entire league. The Pilots' major stars are 1B Tanner Bourque (career .281/.393/.507), 1B-2B-3B Tim Arnold (career .245/.334/.368 at A ball), SS Sherman Ferris (career .268/.355/.361), LF Tommy Okawa (career .284/.382/.385 at A ball), CF Elvis O'Halloran (career .249/.347/.403 at A ball), and RF Doug Beard (career .294/.393/.493). However, their #1 starter is Newt Langille (career 4.27 ERA), and their closer is John Adams (career 3.01 ERA, but now 34 and in decline), acquired in the offseason from Peninsula in exchange for a minor leaguer. Predicted finish: 2nd in Seward. _Bucs_050050038_255246213_255255255.png) The Bucs really disappointed last year and lost a lot of money. Accordingly, they also lost a couple of marquee free agents, and are likely to fall further this year. Catcher and Rookie of the Year Julien LaFlamme (.277/.354/.533 last year), third baseman John Brown (career .307/.393/.483), and right fielder Mark O'Feeney (career .256/.306/.400 in limited action, just 23 years old) will buttress the offense, while the rotation will again be anchored by veteran Jack Hatt (career 3.56 ERA). The rest of the rotation looks iffy, although the team hopes that recent acquisition Tom Pick will return to form. Predicted finish: 5th in the Seward.  Life is never easy for a small-market club, and the Mushers evince that. On the one hand, they seem to have done most things right to stay within budget and keep a quality product on the field, but they seem to be treading water, losing players to free agency just after they've started to develop their potential. Their key hitters will be C Greg Britton (career .263/.298/.448, age 26), 1B Adam Joly (career .320/.413/.520), and LF Sean Heath (career .293/.387/.524, age 26). Their rotation is weak, with 22-year-old Shane Russell (10-9, 3.51 last year) at the top. A 37-year-old Loren Coleman, pilfered from Juneau, will get another chance to close (66 career saves, 3.43 ERA). Predicted finish: 4th in Seward.  The Jets have to be considered the favorites in the Seward Division again, but they look to be weaker this year. Their key offensive contributors look to be: rookie infielder Brett Small, LF Phil Botfield (career .309/.370/.488, age 24), and CF Francis Ikarashi (career .270/.396/.373 at A ball). Despite the loss of Pond, pitching will likely continue to be a strength, with Monzaemon Mihashi (career 2.71 ERA), Martin Gagnon (career 2.91 ERA), Louis Mays (career 2.68 ERA), and Ryan Dye (career 3.66 ERA) providing a formidable 1-2-3-4 punch. Their closer will once again be former major league cup of coffee Jason Hilton (42 career saves, 2.54 ERA in AKL). Predicted finish: 1st in the Seward.  The Goldpanners remain the laughingstock of the league. They actually did make a little money last year, but their attendance was by far the worst in the league and if it continues to decline, they won't be able to keep making money. What they need is to get Gary Johnson off the payroll finally. Almost everyone else is making league minimum. The Panners actually do have a couple of prospects and young players that could contribute if they, err, pan out. Third baseman Mark Beach (.329/.357/.380 last year at age 19), rookie right fielder Colin Garrett, and starting pitchers Tim Myers (1-12, 5.09 last year at age 19) and Sawao Kawano (6-11, 3.68 last year at age 20) are key examples. If they continue building through the draft, they could eventually be decent - if the franchise lasts that long. Predicted finish: 6th in the Denali.  The Senators had money to spend in the offseason, and they spent it. They look to be strong contenders once again. On offense, they expect big contributions from 1B Ralph Collette (.276/.361/.475 career), SS Gates Matkin (career .290/.335/.364, age 22), CF Olivier Theriault (career .250/.324/.397), and RF Wynn Dunsmore (.320/.401/.551 career, age 26). Their pitching isn't as good as it used to be, but the 1-2 punch in the rotation is still great: Don Taggart (47-34, 2.97 ERA lifetime) and Anthony Sonier (3.33 career ERA, 23 years old). The inconsistent Bill Colwill (118 career saves, 3.85 ERA) will close. Prediction: 2nd in the Denali.  The Grizzlies are forced to go into another rebuild due to finances. The team isn't terrible but isn't expected to do anything much this year. On offense the main stars are C Bob Russo (.264/.346/.434 career), 3B Doug Griffin (.279/.347/.376 career, age 26), and SS Scott Wilkinson (.258/.348/.436 career, just awarded a 6-year contract extension). Tom Robbins, the Alabama Slamma, is still with the club but has been plagued by injury and will probably retire after this season. He hit a more than respectable .297/.393/.651 last year in 212 AB, though. The pitching looks to be pretty bad with Gagnon's departure. Stephen Hill (47-48, 3.80 lifetime, now 35) will be the #1 starter. Predicted finish: 6th in the Seward.  The Miners were good last year, continue to enjoy great fan support, and may have even improved over the offseason. Their big stars on offense are C Pierre-Alexandre Langlois (.321/.418/.533 career, now 41!), 1B Don Goodyear (.272/.366/.489 career), 2B Dave Colwell (.232/.313/.360 career, but just 24 and has big upside), LF Greg Trudel (.306/.393/.552 career), CF Bryce Payne (.283/.331/.397 career), and RF Mike Collette (.251/.343/.377 career). The pitching will be a problem, however. They have a collection of veterans, most of them past their due date. Number one starter John Dewitt (59-49, 4.06 lifetime) has always been reliable, except for his ill-fated stint with Sitka, but hardly dominant. Closer Bryant Brenton (85 career SV, 3.68 ERA) is now 40. Predicted finish: 3rd in the Denali.  The Nicks confounded the pundits last year and they might do it again this year. However, they will be missing both Bob Horton and Eugene Pond to start the season, both of whom were injured in training camp. Their big hitters are: C Alan Sellick (.285/.374/.511 lifetime), 2B John Abston (.296/.361/.537 lifetime, still just 26), and of course Horton (.337/.424/.604 all-time). The starting rotation could be the most formidable in the division, with Pond, Becker (63-36, 3.26), and Major (41-30, 3.28). However, the bullpen got even weaker, as Mike Watanabe has become closer (4.61 career ERA). Predicted finish: 5th in the Denali.  The Oilers have finally gotten out of their financial rut after going through a quick rebuild immediately after their championship. It might still be a bit early for them to contend, but they're putting a strong emphasis on good defense. On offense the major contributors are 1B Dale Robison (.259/.341/.389 career but just 23 and has major upside) and LF Dave Bonnar (.311/.404/.491). They have a pretty solid 1-2 punch in the rotation with Mike Rancourt (54-44, 3.84 career, now 36) and Bryan Kendall (54-51, 3.63 career, now 34). Lefty Braedon MacDonald will be their closer. He's highly touted but as a rookie last year put up a 4.54 ERA and more walks than K's. Predicted finish: 3rd in the Seward but below .500.  The Sentinels made a big push last year and almost got into the top slot. They have almost everyone back this year and even made some improvements. This looks like a well-rounded, deep club that won't knock your socks off, but should contend. On offense they expect big things from 3B Nick Bedford (.287/.349/.497 career) and SS Jack Hussey (.328/.412/.391 career, still just 21). Of course, they have Vincent Leroux as well, but no one is quite sure what he'll do, whether last year was a fluke. Their rotation is reasonably strong, with Al Simmons (19-14, 3.60 in two years, age 24), former Miner Will Blain (38-24, 3.48 lifetime but 4.79 last year), and Harvey Romanov (7-10, 4.49 over short stints covering 4 years, just 23) fighting for respect. Brad Morris (80 career SV, 3.25 ERA) will close. Predicted finish: 1st in the Denali.  The Yukoners this year remind me of the Sentinels last year. They bought some high-priced free agents and made some surprising trades last year, breaking with the franchise tradition of keeping their players year after year. Offensively, they look pretty good, with 1B-2B Zander Sabin (.265/.337/.402), 2B Charley Logan (.239/.333/.325 career at single-A), SS Sloan Starr (.260/.348/.439), CF John Dugles (.295/.360/.400 and just 24), and RF Kisei Suto (.313/.397/.461 and just 23). The rotation is more problematic and will be led by John Mack (54-56, 3.34), entering his 7th season with the club, and Rick Sonier (40-36, 3.51), entering his 5th season with the club. Ron Yuke will close (77 career SV, 3.29 ERA). Predicted finish: 4th in the Denali. The Denali appears to be more up in the air than the Seward. Any of the teams ranked 1-5 in the eastern division could end up walking away with it, while the winner of the western group seems pre-ordained. But that's why you play the games, because you never know... Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:58 PM. |
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08-18-2007, 08:18 PM
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#109 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: dirty jerz
Posts: 1,339
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Poor Panners... it would be heartbreaking to see them go under. Perhaps a crazed Russian billionaire could take them over and dump buckets of cash at the club?
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08-21-2007, 12:59 PM
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#110 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2013 - First Month
Quote:
May-June 2013 As of June 9, there were some surprises in both divisions. The Peninsula Oilers had a surprise lead in the Seward Division, owning the best record in the league at 24-13. How were they doing it? Well, they were getting outstanding performances from two veteran pitchers. Mike Rancourt was 7-1 with a 2.30 ERA, while Bryan Kendall was 6-2 with a 2.74 ERA. Veteran outfielder Dave Bonnar, the former outfield partner of Tom Robbins on the Glacier Pilots, was having the best year of his career so far, with a .394 batting average and .477 OBP! The Oilers also didn't shed too many tears over Chugiak's injury problems. The Jets lost top starter Ryan Dye for an entire calendar year due to a ruptured disc in his back that would require disc replacement surgery and extensive rehabilitation. Their best hitter, Phil Botfield, was also out for a few weeks with back trouble. Chugiak stood 2.5 games behind the Oilers at 20-14. In the Denali Division, the slugging Mat-Su Miners held a slim lead over their rivals with a record standing at 21-14. The Yukoners were just behind them at 21-16, with Juneau, North Pole, and Sitka bunched just behind. Fairbanks had the worst record in the league (11-23), no surprises there. This season was shaping up to be a hitters' year. So far the league average was .269, while league BABIP stood at a rather high .292. There were several explanations for the offensive trend of the past two years. Perhaps the most important was the recent influx of talent from the Lower 48, which had been concentrated among position players. Another was that recent draft classes had been light on defense, and many of the hitting stars of the league were really not very good defensively. Some of the veteran players had deteriorated a little defensively over time. On the other hand, catchers were apparently stronger than ever, as league runners thrown out percentage was standing at 37.5%. One of the saddest stories of the league's history happened this month. Walt MacKay, a native of Soldotna, came up to the Whitehorse Yukoners in late May and threw a shutout in his first career start on May 27, blanking the Goldpanners on six hits. His next start was four days later in Kenai. He struggled through four innings, giving up four runs, and he must have been over-pitching in an attempt to get his team back on track. At any rate, he had to come out of the game after feeling a burning sensation near the top of the shoulder. It turned out that MacKay had ruptured a bicep tendon. For all intents and purposes, his career was done. Still just 21 years old, MacKay put a brave face on it. Now he could go back to college, finish a degree, and get a "real job" that paid the bills. But whatever baseball dreams he may have had after his Alaskan League debut were finished forever. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:59 PM. |
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08-21-2007, 09:55 PM
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#111 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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It's finally happened
Former Alaskan Leaguer Reaches Major Leagues! OK, OK, so I'm actually a year late on finding this, but it's finally happened. Floyd Arrington was a young reliever for Peninsula in 2009, age 22. He threw just eight innings of work, posting a 5.63 ERA, before the team released him. Arrington didn't let his baseball dreams die there, though. He had a fastball that topped 90 and could either rise up on hitters or take a wicked sink. He knew major league clubs would take a look at him, and he was right. The Oilers didn't know what they had. Arrington signed a minor league deal with the Cubs and worked his way up through the minors. He started 2012 in AA, where he struck out 20 batters and walked 6 in 18 innings, earning a promotion to AAA. There he posted a 2.04 ERA and struck out 49 hitters in 35 innings! Those stats caught the attention of the major league scouts, and he was called up to the Cubs in August 2012. His devastating stuff continued to serve him well, as he K'ed 24 major leaguers in 19 1/3. But he tried to nibble the corners too much and also gave up 15 walks. His ERA was a respectable 4.19, though. He started 2013 at AAA Iowa and had posted a 1.38 ERA. Now 26, and just a reliever, the major league franchise didn't consider him a big prospect or a high development priority, and he was cut despite his good numbers. Floyd decided to head back to his native Anchorage, where he was the toast of town. It wasn't long before Alaskan League clubs came calling, but Floyd made it clear that he wanted to play for an Anchorage club. That narrowed it down to the Glacier Pilots, because the Bucs simply didn't have the money. So on May 31, 2013, the Glacier Pilots signed him to a one-year contract, and the next phase of his career began. How would this youthful former major leaguer perform in this remote "bush league"? We'll just have to wait to find out. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:59 PM. |
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08-25-2007, 12:21 PM
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#112 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2013 All-Star Game
 Bethel, Alaska 2013 All-Star Game July 21, 2013 - The 2013 All-Star Game was held at Bethel Ballpark this year. Bethel Ballpark tended to favor right-handed hitters over lefties, because of the way the breeze blew in from the sea. It was the first All-Star game held here; it became eligible for the honor after expanding to seat 1,400. The Denali Division could expect to benefit from the park's dimensions, because its lineup was chock full of righties, while the Seward Division lineup was mostly lefties. Chip Becker of North Pole (7-3, 5.22) started for the Denali Division, while Martin Gagnon (10-4, 2.41) started for the Seward Division. The Denali Division took a 1-0 lead in the first, but catcher Bob Russo of Kodiak hit a two-run homer off Becker in the second to give the Seward Division the lead. The Denali Division hung three runs on Vincent Wood of the Bucs (1.38, 11 SV) in the 4th inning to take the lead back. Glacier Pilot center fielder Elvis O'Halloran knotted things up at 4 with a two-run home run off John Dewitt of Mat-Su (12-4, 2.48 - why didn't he start?). So things remained until the 7th inning, when the Denalis worked a series of walks and singles against a succession of three Seward pitchers: Memoto, Mays, and Arrington. That was good for two runs and gave the Denali Division the lead for good. Final score: 6-4. Bob Russo on the losing squad won All-Star MVP for his 2-for-3, 1 HR day. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 08:00 PM. |
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08-26-2007, 12:55 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2013 pennant chases heat up
2013: The Stretch Run Standings Here are the Alaskan League standings as of August 15, 2013: Seward Division
Denali Division
In the Seward Division, the natural order had seemingly righted itself. The Jets had passed the Oilers, who had even sunk to the level of the Mushers. The Glacier Pilots surprised a bit, but their late signings were really propelling them. They had a fantastic offense but a horrible defense, winning one August game against Sitka 22-12. In the Denali Division, the Yukoners had faded and now were surging again, trying to take back the lead from the Miners. The Sentinels and Nicks were still disappointing but had started to show some life in the past two weeks. The Senators had been treading water all along, but with the Miners' recent drop, they found themselves in contention as well. Schedule Much to the relief of the Mushers and Oilers, the Jets and the Glacier Pilots will now do battle for four games, two at Oberg followed by two at Mulcahy. The Jets then have a gruelling schedule with three each at Kodiak and versus the Bucs, including two doubleheaders with no days off. Then they will host Peninsula for three, finally get a day off, and finish out the season at Peninsula for two. It will be a tough schedule for them. The Glacier Pilots will host the Oilers for three games after the Chugiak series, then play the Mushers for three, and finally the Bucs for three to finish out the season. Not as tough a schedule for them, although the Oilers and Mushers are hardly pushovers. The Miners will have to weather a storm up front, playing Juneau for three games, then Whitehorse for three, then Juneau again for three. After that there will be a respite, however, as they will play North Pole for two and Fairbanks for three to finish out the year. Their rivals will need to strike early before Mat-Su gets that easy schedule at the end. Whitehorse rests on the 15th, then gets two against North Pole, followed by three at Mat-Su, then three at Fairbanks, finally followed by three against Sitka to finish the season. It will be a relative cakewalk for them, assuming they can do well against Mat-Su. The Senators, meanwhile, will have their fate in their own hands, with the six games against Mat-Su remaining. However, they will also get a chance to beat up on Fairbanks for three games and will also play North Pole twice and Sitka three times. So the bottom three in the Denali will get ample opportunities to play spoiler, and the only thing one can say about that division is that it ought to be a fight to the very end. Transactions There was only one major deadline deal this year. On June 24, the Glacier Pilots sent reliever Zander Dyck (1-0, 4.61) and outfielder Harry Harkness (.282/.331/.435), reliever Alec Walker (0-0, 5.26), and 3B prospect Aaron Spurrell to the Bucs for good-fielding shortstop Walt Duff (.286/.324/.347) and starting pitcher Jesse Alexander (2-1, 2.51). The trade made sense for the Pilots because they had just lost star shortstop Sherman Ferris for two months. They also had lost second baseman Chris Webb for the rest of the season, so they would move Tim Arnold from third to second and start Scott Bradley at third, another recent signing who had come back to Alaska after a long absence (he hit .292/.363/.471 in 2007 with Kodiak). For the Bucs, it was a move that dropped some salary and made them a bit younger. Nevertheless, ownership continued to insist that they were committed to winning in the short term, whatever the standings may have said. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 08:00 PM. |
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08-26-2007, 05:12 PM
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#114 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
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In their August 15 game, Anchorage defeated Chugiak to get within 2 games. It was to be their high-water mark. Chugiak took the next three to put the Pilots 5 back, and then kept on winning. On August 24, the Jets clinched a second straight pennant with a victory over Peninsula.
Meanwhile, in the Seward Division, things were just heating up. On the 23rd, Whitehorse defeated Fairbanks and Juneau beat Mat-Su 6-4 in a hard-fought, 11-inning game, giving Whitehorse a half-game lead over Mat-Su. The Senators weren't out of it either, sitting 1.5 back. And don't look now, but here come the Sentinels, winning seven of their last ten to come within 2.5 games of first. Let's take a look at the race down the final five days of play. August 24 Whitehorse faces off against the Sentinels in Sitka. Al Simmons for Sitka versus Rick Sonier for Whitehorse, both 9-game winners. Simmons is injured on the first play of the game, and the Sentinels' bullpen takes over. The score remains 0-0 until the 8th inning, when the Sentinels score two runs on four hits on Sonier. Sonier gets the complete game and the hard-luck loss as Brad Morris closes it down. Simmons will miss the rest of the season and perhaps the beginning of next. The Senators are in Mat-Su again and with the Yukoner loss can move into a tie with Mat-Su for first with a victory. Pete Strelioff for the Miners versus Anthony Sonier (brother of Rick) for the Senators. Juneau builds a 4-0 lead in the 4th, but the Miners respond with 3 to narrow the lead to 1. Juneau adds 2 insurance runs in the 5th. Mat-Su comes back with 4 in the bottom half to take the lead, then extends it to 8-6 after 6. Juneau roars back in the top of the 8th with 3 runs to make it 9-8 Juneau. Bill Colwill comes in in the bottom of the 9th to nail down the save, but an error, single, and sac fly tie it up & send the game to extras. Mat-Su takes it in 11 innings on a walkoff solo shot by Bryce Payne, capping a 6-for-7 day for him. Mat-Su takes 1st back, Whitehorse 0.5 back, Juneau and Sitka both 2.0 back. August 25 Whitehorse at Sitka, Krieger (4-6, 4.61) vs. Romanov (2-11, 5.13). Big bats come out for Sitka as they romp to a 10-1 victory on the strength of a 3-for-5 day for CF Anthony Garant, a 4-for-4 performance for RF Jim Greene, and 3-for-4 for Ryan Harvey. Juneau & Mat-Su both off. Whitehorse now 1 game back, Sitka 1.5, Juneau 2. Magic number at 3. August 26 Miners in North Pole for a doubleheader, first game: Dewitt (14-6, 2.90) vs. Major (7-5, 2.86). Major has pinpoint control & hurls 6.1 shutout innings. North Pole hangs up "3" spots in the 2nd and 3rd, with a two-run homer from 1B Garrett Shears. Final score: 7-1. Second game: Gibbon (9-9, 4.24) vs. rookie Nick Redmond, making his AKL debut. Redmond pitches well until the 3rd, giving up 2 runs on 3 singles in that inning. The Nicks get 1 back in the 5th, then tie it in the 6th, but the Miners hang another run on Redmond, who is pitching beautifully, in the 7th. Nicks, with nothing to play for, nevertheless work a run in the 8th and send it to extras. Redmond has a 9-inning complete game but is relieved in the 10th by Mike Watanabe. Miners bring in their closer Bryant Brenton, who gives up 3 hits, culminating in a walkoff single by SS Ken Swerdlow. Final score: North Pole 4, Mat-Su 3. Sitka in Juneau for a doubleheader, first game Harold Smith, making his AKL debut, vs. Scott Northeast (3-7, 4.33). Slugfest from the start, tied 5-5 after 4, but both pitchers make it through 7, Juneau leading 7-6. Sitka ties it in the 8th off Northeast, but in the bottom half, Trevor Quinton in relief yields a two-run homer to 3B Bill Seguin. Final score: Juneau 9, Sitka 7. Second game Leif Morris (4-8, 4.92) vs. Don Taggart (9-8, 3.82). Sitka gets revenge, striking quickly with 4 in the first. Young Sitka LF Jim Hanlon goes 4-for-4. Juneau never catches up. More seriously, Senator ace Don Taggart tears a rotator cuff and will need surgery. The 28-year-old three-time All-Star with a career 3.11 ERA may never be the same pitcher again. Final score: 8-5. Whitehorse off. Mat-Su and Whitehorse tied for 1st, Sitka 1/2 game back, Juneau 1 game back. North Pole up to 3.5 back but already eliminated. August 27 Sitka @ Juneau, Ernie Baird (0-1, 7.04) vs. Vincent Robinson (7-6, 4.90). The losing team can only hope to tie for the pennant. Sitka takes a 2-0 lead on a Vincent Leroux homer in the 2nd, extends it to 4-0 in the 4th on a second homer by Leroux! 6-2 after 5 innings, but Robinson is staying in there. Senators get back 3 in the bottom of the 6th, then tie it in the 7th, chasing Baird. Sitka brings in youngster Bill Gardner to pitch in the 8th, and he gives up 2 runs and the victory. Final score: 8-6. Mat-Su @ Fairbanks, Don Thomas (4-9, 5.25) vs. Ernie Geldart (3-14, 4.04). Mat-Su takes a quick 4-0 lead and there it remains until the 7th. 5-2 in the bottom of the 9th, but the Panners score 2 and load the bases with one out on Brenton. But Gary Johnson and Terry Hauk both pop out to end the game. Final score: 5-4. Whitehorse off again. Mat-Su in 1st, Whitehorse 0.5 back (1 in loss column), Senators 1 back, Sentinels 1.5 back. Miners & Senators have 2 games each left, Yukoners & Sentinels have 1 each. August 28 - Last Day of the Season Juneau @ North Pole, first in a doubleheader, Quinn Spence (8-7, 4.87) vs. Chip Becker (12-4, 4.66). A surprisingly hard-fought game as the Nicks try to play spoiler. Juneau goes up 2-0, but the Nicks plate 5 in the bottom of the 3rd. Juneau fights back to tie it up in the 5th, then takes a 6-5 lead in the 7th. In the 8th, Spence runs into trouble but is left out there just long enough to give up a three-run homer to John Abston. Dunsmore leads off the 9th for Juneau with a home run to make it 8-7 North Pole. They get a couple of singles but fail to score again. Juneau can now at best tie for the pennant, if Sitka, Mat-Su, and Whitehorse all lose all their remaining games, and Juneau wins the 2nd game today. Second game, Anthony Sonier (11-8, 3.57) vs. Eugene Pond (3-3, 4.07). A walk, single, and a couple of doubles against Pond give Juneau a 3-0 lead, which holds up until the 7th. In that inning, Sonier is now gone, and North Pole lines up a hit parade against the bullpen. An intentional walk, five singles, and a double later, and it's 5-3 North Pole going to the 8th. Pond is now gone as well, and Juneau fights back, leading off with 3 straight singles to load the bases. A fielder's choice and a single tie the game. Then 1B Ralph Collette cranks a double to make it 7-5. Final score: 10-5. Juneau still theoretically in the hunt. Mat-Su @ Fairbanks, first of a doubleheader, Thierry Tremblay (6-6, 4.30) vs. Tim Myers (7-8, 4.84). A Miner victory guarantees them at least a tie for the division title. Surprisingly, it is a pitchers' duel. The Panners score first in the 3rd, and that 1-0 score holds up until the 6th, when a crucial error by the shortstop with the bases loaded allows two runs to score. Waylon Ellsworth nails down the save for Mat-Su in the 9th. Final score: 2-1. Juneau & Sitka eliminated. Mat-Su @ Fairbanks, second game, Pete Strelioff (11-3, 3.85) vs. Jimmy Johnston (5-7, 4.03). This one is a battle. It's tied 4-4 after the full 9 innings. Mat-Su has Ronald Hawk in there, and he pitches through the 11th. Fairbanks puts Walter Teranishi out for extras, and he pitches two scoreless. Ford Currell comes in & loads the bases in the 12th, but catcher Harmon Moore flies out to center to end the threat. In the bottom of the 12th, Melvin Phillips comes in to pitch for Mat-Su. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, he throws a ball in the dirt to LF Will Dunbar, it skitters past the catcher, and just like that Fairbanks has won it 5-4 in 12 innings. Whitehorse can hope to force a tie with a win in Sitka tonight. Whitehorse @ Sitka, former teammates John Mack (8-10, 4.72) and John Lynn (6-2, 2.82) face off against each other. In the top of the 1st, three singles and a hit batsman give the Yukoners a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half, SS Jack Hussey triples and scores to make it 2-1. In the top of the 3rd, LF Aaron Ladner gives the Yukoners a little breathing space with a solo shot. Sitka answers right back in the bottom of the 4th with a two-out, three-run rally to take the lead. It remains 4-3 until the 8th, when catcher Ryan Harvey salts it away for the Sentinels with a three-run blast down the left field line. Final score: 7-3. MAT-SU WINS THE DIVISION! It was Mat-Su's fourth pennant, and they would face Chugiak in the Alaskan Championship Series. Both teams were hungry: the Miners hadn't won it all since 2007, and the Jets never had. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 08:00 PM. |
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08-26-2007, 08:12 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
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2013 ACS Preview
2013 ACS PreviewHitting Comparisons Chugiak Stats
Mat-Su Stats
Team Stats Chugiak - .262/.329/.427, 564 R Mat-Su - .269/.347/.422, 601 R Lineups vs. RHP Chugiak 1. Gaston, SS 2. York, 1B 3. Botfield, LF 4. Ikarashi, CF 5. Horswill, RF 6. Small, 3B 7. Hauk, 2B 8. Lepine, C 9. P Mat-Su 1. Payne, CF 2. Collette, RF 3. Langlois, C 4. G. Trudel, LF 5. Goodyear, 1B 6. Colwell, 2B 7. House, SS 8. Saslove, 3B (but Steve Davis will be allowed to come back from the DL mid-series) 9. P Assessment When Davis comes back, the Miners will have a more potent starting lineup than the Jets. The Miners have a couple of decent hitters coming off the bench: Luc Trudel (Greg's brother) and Rob Corley. The Jets can counter with Jonathan Bertrand, who can also field pretty well in the infield. The Jets also have some nice defensive backups and one designated pinch-runner, John Fox. Defensively, they are also superior to the Miners. For instance, House really has become a black hole at shortstop. Pitching Comparisons Chugiak Stats
Mat-Su Stats
Team Stats Chugiak - 3.73 ERA (3.92 starters, 3.29 bullpen), 487 RA, .285 BABIP Mat-Su - 4.12 ERA (3.95 starters, 4.76 bullpen), 534 RA, .294 BABIP Starting Rotations Chugiak 1. Mihashi 2. Gagnon (not #1 due to tiredness) 3. Mays Mat-Su 1. Dewitt 2. Gibbon 3. Tremblay Assessment Chugiak is the only team in the league with a team ERA below 4.00, even though league ERA is a reasonable 4.34. They have the best bullpen, by far, in the league, while Mat-Su has the worst. Part of the reason for the pitching difference is defense (see BABIPs above), but Chugiak is particularly well equipped for the series format, as their #4 and #5 starters (Griffin and Pretty) are rather weak. Mat-Su's #5 starter, Thomas, is terrible, but their #4 starter, Strelioff, has been good for them. He will be relegated to bullpen duty barring injury or managerial change of heart. It's also worth pointing out that Mihashi and Mays have seemingly under-performed this year. These are usually guys with sub-3.00 ERAs. Mays finished the season extremely strong. Major injury: Chugiak lost Ryan Dye early in the season for the whole year. Managerial Comparisons Raul Delcon still manages the Jets and presumably has learned some lessons from last year. Mat-Su has Joe Burrell, a relatively unknown figure they hired out of the Texas League before the 2012 season. He tends toward aggressiveness on the basepaths. The advantage here has to go to Delcon and Chugiak. Punditry: Chugiak in 7 Last edited by Elendil; 08-26-2007 at 08:52 PM. |
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08-27-2007, 06:17 PM
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#116 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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2013 Alaskan Championship Series
 Anchorage skyline Game One August 31, 2013 - The 2013 Alaskan Championship Series opened at Oberg Field in Chugiak, the Jets' home field located 20 miles north of downtown Anchorage. John Dewitt and Monzaemon "Money" Mihashi, both veterans in this league, squared off for a pitchers' duel that left both sides scoreless through five innings. In the 6th, the Miners finally broke through, as Mihashi walked a couple of batters and then gave up a three-run homer to Gary Trudel. In this game, that 3-run lead looked insuperable. In the bottom of the 7th, the Jets struck back, loading the bases for a clutch, two-out single by Phil Botfield that plated two runs. However, Ikarashi fouled out to end the threat. Dewitt made it through eight innings and was lifted in the bottom of the 9th for Bryant Brenton, the score now 4-2. Bertrand worked a leadoff walk but was quickly erased by a double play, and Montgomery, pinch-hitting, flied out to end the game and give Mat-Su the series lead. Final score: Mat-Su 4, Chugiak 2. Game Two September 1, 2013 - This was a must-win for the Jets already, as they didn't want to go to Mat-Su down 2-0. Another sellout crowd of 1,600 awaited the opening pitch from ace Martin Gagnon, pitching on three days' rest. Dave Gibbon was pitching for Mat-Su, and it didn't take the Jets long to get to him, putting up 8 runs in the first 5 innings and knocking him out of the game. Amidst the offensive explosion, it suddenly became clear that the Miners had not yet gotten a hit. Gagnon kept throwing. Despite his age and three days' rest, he threw 117 pitches through 7 innings of no-hit, 10-strikeout ball. He batted in the bottom of the 7th and the crowd expected him to come out to continue the no-hit bid. But he didn't. Doug Miles relieved him and promptly gave up the no-hitter with a solo home run by Bryce Payne. "At first, I thought I could go out there again," Gagnon explained after the game. "But then I realized I just had nothing left in the tank. Hey, it's just great to get the win in such an important game for us." And so the fans went home without seeing history: the first postseason no-hitter ever thrown in the Alaskan League. But they were happy, because the bats had come alive for their Jets. Final score: Chugiak 10, Mat-Su 2. Horswill's two home runs were overshadowed by Gagnon's heroics. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:27 PM. |
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08-28-2007, 03:11 PM
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#117 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: dirty jerz
Posts: 1,339
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Wow... a near no-hitter in the ACS!
I see my Panners didn't exactly light things up this season again did they? What's the talent pool looking like for them these days? Surely they've got one or two talented players coming up by now right? 
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08-28-2007, 06:50 PM
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#118 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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Quote:
 They didn't lose any more money this year, but they didn't really make any either.However, they do have some excellent young players in the majors now, as well as the #1 minor league system. 3B Mark Beach, who was signed after having been foolishly released by Chugiak a couple of years ago, got the AKL batting title, hitting .357/.404/.439 in his 2nd season. OF Terry Hauk hit .330/.395/.503 in his 3rd season. 1B-2B Dale Eteldrum hit a respectable .278/.355/.380 in his 2nd year. 22-year-old SP Sawao Kawano is now the ace of their staff, putting up a 3.38 ERA with 115 K and 55 BB in 154 IP. They debuted a rookie closer, Walter Teranishi, and he struck out 49 in 41 IP (3.05 ERA). Finally, even Gary Johnson seems to have found the fountain of youth, hitting .340/.417/.455. He has indicated that he will accept his player option for next year, so he'll be around for at least one more season at a six-figure salary. So yeah, the team actually has a pretty good future ahead of them. I helped them out a bit with personnel signings this year, actually (the AI makes some dumb decisions in this area sometimes), so I think they're set to rise in the standings in '14. Last edited by Elendil; 08-28-2007 at 07:26 PM. |
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08-28-2007, 07:26 PM
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#119 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
Posts: 2,318
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 Hatcher Pass, Palmer, Alaska Game Three September 3, 2013 - Thierry Tremblay would take the hill for the Miners, while the Jets would counter with two-time Pitcher of the Year Louis Mays. In theory, this matchup strongly favored Chugiak. Tremblay actually walked more batters than he struck out this year, while Mays had well over twice as many K's as bases on balls. Mays wanted to go out there and show everyone that his disappointing season (5.02 ERA) had been a fluke. Unfortunately for him, it didn't happen that way. He started out pitching reasonably well. He didn't have great stuff, but at least he had control. But the Mat-Su hitters just made him pay with every pitch over the plate, knocking a triple, two singles, and a double in the first (three runs) and three singles and a double in the second (three more runs). By the time Mays was pinch-hit for in the top of the 4th, it was 6-3 Mat-Su. In that 4th inning, though, the Jets got revenge. Crawford opened things up with a single, advancing to second on a bobble by the left fielder. Gaston then got an infield hit. York then plated Crawford on a fielder's choice. Botfield and Ikarashi loaded the bases with one out with back-to-back walks. Horswill knocked in a run with a groundout, then Small followed with a two-run seeing-eye single. 7-6 Jets. So things remained until the 7th inning. Ed Staitie was going for his fourth scoreless inning in relief of Mays when he ran into trouble. Throwing 53 pitches, he was just left out there too long. Don Goodyear hit a solo home run to tie the game, and Staitie was immediately lifted. Things stayed at 7-7 through the regulation nine innings. In the 10th inning, Don Thomas retired the Jets, getting the final out by picking off John Hauk. Closer Jason Hilton then came in for the Jets. However, he was anything but dominant, giving up a leadoff single to Steve Davis, and after he was bunted over to 3rd intentionally walking the dangerous leadoff hitter Bryce Payne. Johan House followed with an infield single to load the bases. Unforgivably, Hilton walked in the winning run to Greg Trudel. Final score: Mat-Su 8, Chugiak 7 (10). Series lead 2-1 Miners. Game Four September 4, 2013 - The Jets were up against another seeming must-win game. Mihashi would try to hold back the Mat-Su offense, while the Jets would try to figure out John Dewitt. Mat-Su scored first in the bottom of the 2nd when Dave Colwell lofted a three-run home run to deep right-center. The Jets then started nibbling away at the lead. Botfield hit a bases-loaded sac fly in the 3rd to make it 3-1. Hauk homered in the 4th to make it 3-2. But then the Miners responded by loading up the bases, then scoring a run on a double play in the 4th. 4-2. Mihashi was eventually pulled in the bottom of the 6th after giving up a walk to Goodyear. Copeland came in, but allowed Goodyear to come around to score when Steve Davis hit a line-drive double off the deep center field wall. 5-2. Hauk was trying to be the hero, but no one else was answering the call: he homered again in the 7th to make it 5-3. The Miners then had a golden opportunity to break it open in the 8th with 1st and 3rd, one out, but they only managed a sac fly to make it 6-3. Dewitt was lifted for closer Bryant Brenton in the 9th, and the Jets got the first two runners on, but after that, the offense fizzled, Lepine grounding out, Bertrand popping out, and Thompson flying out to end the game. Final score: Mat-Su 6, Chugiak 3. Game Five September 5, 2013 - If the Jets won this game, then they could return home for two, so perhaps the odds weren't quite as dire as they seemed. Of course, the fans had spleen aplenty for the wasted opportunities in the series thus far. Gagnon would go again for Chugiak, while Gibbon looked for redemption. This game ended up being something of a pitchers' duel, although it didn't look that way at the start. The Jets struck quickly. In the top of the 4th, York reached on an error by the second baseman, and Botfield doubled him home. Ikarashi then singled, putting runners on the corners. Gibbon then bore down and K'ed Horswill & Small to end the threat with minimal damage. 1-0. In the top of the 2nd, the Jets added another run on a solo shot by Dave Lepine. Gagnon then benefited from a double play that wiped the bases clean, because Davis hit a solo homer for Mat-Su with two outs in the bottom half of the 2nd. 2-1. And so it remained. Both teams had chances. Mat-Su's best came in the 6th, when they got a leadoff double off Gagnon from Collette. With one out, G. Trudel then reached on error to put runners on the corners. Gagnon then struck out Goodyear, and having thrown just 85 pitches, was lifted for Bryce Brown, who struck out Colwell to end the threat. After putting runners on 1st and 2nd in the bottom of the 9th, Hilton succeeded in nailing down the save for Chugiak. Final score: Chugiak 2, Mat-Su 1. Series lead 3-2 Miners. |
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08-28-2007, 09:37 PM
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#120 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: the dynasty forum
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 Sunset over Cook Inlet Game Six September 7, 2013 - A cloudy, cold, and windy day at Oberg Field, but the stadium was packed to the gills, many Miners diehards having made the drive down to Chugiak. Louis Mays would be starting for Chugiak, looking for redemption after getting rocked in Game 3. Thierry Tremblay would again take the mound for Mat-Su. Bryce Payne led off the game by doubling down the first-base line. After a House groundout, Greg Trudel got the scoring started with a big fly to left-center. 2-0. Not to be outdone, the Jets responded quickly. In their half of the 1st, York singled, and Botfield finally answered the call in a big way, going deep just inside the left field foul pole. 2-2. Mays then dug his own grave in the 3rd. He simply collapsed, giving up four consecutive walks to start the inning, and then another walk after striking out Goodyear. At one point he threw 10 consecutive balls. Something was clearly way off with his mechanics, but he completed the inning, at the end of which Mat-Su led 5-2. He was seen conferring with the pitching coach in the dugout afterwards. Mays came out again in the 4th, to some murmured disquiet in the bleachers. He struck out the pitcher but then grooved a pitch to Bryce Payne, which he struck for a triple. Mays gave up two more walks in the inning, but the only Mat-Su run came on a sac fly. 6-2, and hope began to ebb. In the bottom of the 4th, the Jets loaded the bases on three consecutive singles, but then the rally was wiped out when pinch-hitter Bob Crawford grounded into a double play. Steve Griffin came in to pitch the 5th, but the Miners kept up their attack, putting together a walk, stolen base, and single to go up 7-2. The Jets tried to claw their way back, but it was too late. Hauk homered for the 3rd time this series in the 7th. Horswill did the same in the 8th. 7-4 now. In the bottom of the 9th Bryant Brenton came in to secure the save. He promptly gave up a home run to Jonathan Bertrand. 7-5. But he retired the last three batters to give the Miners the victory. Apart from the minority of Miners fans and their team, silence reigned in Chugiak. They had lost the Championship Series in the sixth game, on home turf, for the second straight year. For Mat-Su fans, though, it was glory long-delayed. Mat-Su had gone to the ACS 4 times, more than any other team, and they had now won it twice, tying Juneau and North Pole among Alaskan League franchises. Players who had been on both the 2007 and 2013 championship clubs included: catcher Pierre-Alexandre Langlois, outfielder Rob Corley, and pitchers Don Thomas and Bryant Brenton. Longtime second baseman Rene Fortier missed out on his second ring after having been claimed off waivers late in the season by the Glacier Pilots. The 2013 Miners were the team with the worst winning percentage ever to win the ACS: .528 (57-51). Bryce Payne was named ACS MVP for hitting .333/.407/.750 (1.157 OPS) in 24 AB with a double, a homer, and three triples. He scored seven times, drove in one run, and even stole two bases without getting caught. Last edited by Elendil; 01-14-2008 at 11:15 PM. |
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