Orcin Returns

[Orcin]

LOUISVILLE COLONELS (May 18, 2017 – 40 Games)



The starter’s ERA should improve with the substitution of Ordonez for Lopez. The rest of the stats look very good relative to the rest of the league. Castro should be back soon and I hope he continues where he left off.

Prospect SP Dean Daniels is having a rough time getting adjusted to AAA. This is a good example of why I don’t like to rush young pitchers. His movement potential dropped in the spring, and he seems to be hanging his slider. I hope he is able to make the adjustment over the course of the season. Plenty of time - we don’t need him yet.





I will sign Longoria up for 20 wins and 8 WAR right now. Ordonez seems to have no ill effects from his injury (fingers crossed). Graves and Bowles are outstanding #3 and #4 starters.

The back end of the bullpen is solid too, although Polk is just a rookie. I think Jackson will come around and keep his job as the primary setup man, but right now it is Carlson in that role.

Before you say anything, -0.1 WAR from our catchers is a big upgrade over last season. I remain confident that Edwards will hit. Otherwise, there is not much to complain about among the position players.

Carson has found a niche as a pinch-hitter and caddy for Martinez and Gillespie. I hope I can afford to keep him.

McConnell needs to run a little less often batting ahead of Martinez.

Guillaume is a base-stealing machine, and he has started to hit lately (.450 OBP in May). I hesitate to bring Morales up with Guillaume playing well.

If we can get our outfield healthy, I may not have room for Wagner. Several teams have been interested in him. I would rather trade Harmon because of the salary, but it might be hard (because of the salary).

[Orcin]

May 22, 2017

Subject: Week 7 Notes

Record: 26-17, .605, - GB
Position: 1st place (3.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 212 – t4th in Federal (4.9/G)
Runs Allowed: 173 – 2nd in Federal (4.0/G)
Defense: .707 – 4th in Federal
Power Ranking: 107.8 (6th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Very Happy; Fan Interest: 92/100

• Last week (3-3): 3-0 vs. Milwaukee, 0-3 at San Diego
• 05/15: LOU 6, MIL 3 – Bowles 8 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 K, W (4-1, 3.21 ERA)
• Brendan Polk picked up his first major league save (Flores had the day off).
• Lexington SP Mauro Acevedo threw a shutout at Fresno, allowing 3 hits and a walk while striking out 8. The 22 y/o RHP is 5-0 with a 1.40 ERA. See more below.
• 05/16: LOU 4, MIL 3 – Gillespie 2-4, walk-off HR to win the game
• 05/17: LOU 12, MIL 4 – Holcomb 2-4, DBL, HR, 2 RBI
• We travel to San Diego where the 16-25 Stallions hope to end our 5-game streak.
• Game 1 of the series features Ordonez against 19-year-old prospect Sam Connor, making his major league debut against the hot-hitting Colonels.
• 05/19: SD 9, LOU 3 – sloppy conditions led to 6 unearned runs for San Diego
• Both starting pitchers left after 4 scoreless innings due to a 1-hour rain delay.
• 05/20: SD 3, LOU 2 (12) – McConnell 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; Harmon 0-5, 2 K, 4 LOB
• 05/21: SD 6, LOU 4 – Martinez 3-4, 2 DBL, HR, 3 RBI
• We sweep Milwaukee, and then get swept by San Diego. That’s baseball.
• CF Jose Diaz was sent to Lexington on a rehab assignment. It will be a long one while we evaluate his readiness to play in the majors before burning an option.
• This week: 3 at Philadelphia (19-25), 4 at Denver


Top AAA prospect Mauro Acevedo was obtained from Philadelphia along with Nathan Graves and Ricky Allen in return for Wallace Trauttmann and 2 fringe veteran players. That is looking like a superb trade now. Acevedo’s career AAA stats would be a great season: 28 GS, 188 IP, 16-2, 1.82 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 173 K’s. We might be seeing him in the majors soon as a fifth starter with Yang in the bullpen.

[Orcin]

May 29, 2017

Subject: Week 8 Notes

Record: 31-19, .620, - GB
Position: 1st place (5.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 242 – t3rd in Federal (4.8/G)
Runs Allowed: 196 – 2nd in Federal (3.9/G)
Defense: .715 – 1st in Federal & CBA
Power Ranking: 114.6 (3rd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Very Happy; Fan Interest: 92/100

• Last week (5-2): 2-1 at Philadelphia, 3-1 at Denver
• 05/22: LOU 4, PHI 2 – Gillespie 2-3, DBL, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB, 3 RS
• 05/23: PHI 4, LOU 2 – middle of the lineup was a combined 0-10 with 10 LOB
• Hector Castro suffered a setback in his recovery from a strained lat and he will be out for at least two more weeks.
• 05/24: LOU 5, PHI 2 – Ordonez 8 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 K, W (1-0, 1.93 ERA); Gillespie 3-5, DBL, RBI, 2 SB, 2 RS
• Lexington SP Dean Daniels struck out 16 in a 4-3 win over Des Moines.
• We travel to Denver to face the 21-25 Miners, who were just swept by L.A.
• 05/25: DEN 6, LOU 4 (12) – Jackson (1-3, 5.82 ERA, 20 G, 17 IP) gave up a walk-off homer, sparking a post-game discussion on his immediate and long-term future.
• SP Mauro Acevedo was called up from AAA and will start vs. Denver on Saturday.
• Chao Yang will pitch out of the bullpen for the moment, giving us a second lefty.
• Charles Jackson refused a demotion to AAA. He was shopped around the league, and the offers were underwhelming. He forced my hand, and I played it.
• Jackson was waived and designated for assignment. If he is not claimed, we will eat his contract for this season. No quarter… I want to win now.
• 05/26: LOU 4, DEN 1 – Bowles 8 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W (6-2, 3.44 ERA)
• New York acquired veteran CF Richard Burnett from rebuilding Denver for the CBA’s #1 prospect, 18-year-old left-handed SP Thibault Demange.
• 05/27: LOU 6, DEN 5 – Vargas 4-5, 2 RBI including GWRBI in the 8th
• Acevedo 3 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 HR, ND; Yang 4 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, W (6-2, 3.67 ERA)
• Detroit, Providence, San Diego, and finally Denver claimed Jackson. Enjoy Denver, Charles. You might have been back here for the playoffs had you cooperated.
• 05/28: LOU 5, DEN 3 (10) – Gillespie bases loaded double in 10th for GWRBIs
• C Ryan Edwards left the game with a sore back. He will miss the next series. Phil Gillespie would be our emergency catcher but no one wants to see that.
• L.A. SP Frank “Colonels Killer” Hicks is out for the year with a bum shoulder. Aw.
• Houston LF Luis Soto will miss 3 weeks with a hamstring strain.
• Who’s Hot: Nobody.
• Who’s Not: Nobody.
• This week: 3 at Seattle (20-30), 3 vs. Indianapolis

[gehrig38]

I was thinking on this when you posted it awhile back, how you'd gone to 'hide injury rating' for more FoW.
As a guy who loves realism I followed suit (as with many other of your ideas) in an effort to not 'game' the game.
I think I've played for 2 seasons now and it dawned on me early, but only tonight fully hit me.
On the off chance you were doing it, like me, to make it more realistic, I realized tonight it's really the opposite.
Next to a players stats a players health, and health history, are the most important pieces of data a team can/and does scout and accumulate.
The Injury data is, at least for me, a compilation of all my scouts, coaches and medical staffs data on a player. It's actually MORE realistic on than off.
I am only mentioning this in case you were thinking otherwise. As it's a huge piece of information come draft time, and when a team works to sign a FA.
Sorry to hijack! Back to the Colonels good start!

[SurfRat61]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

I was thinking on this when you posted it awhile back, how you'd gone to 'hide injury rating' for more FoW.
As a guy who loves realism I followed suit (as with many other of your ideas) in an effort to not 'game' the game.
I think I've played for 2 seasons now and it dawned on me early, but only tonight fully hit me.
On the off chance you were doing it, like me, to make it more realistic, I realized tonight it's really the opposite.
Next to a players stats a players health, and health history, are the most important pieces of data a team can/and does scout and accumulate.
The Injury data is, at least for me, a compilation of all my scouts, coaches and medical staffs data on a player. It's actually MORE realistic on than off.

Orcin, I, too, apologize for the hijack but take it as a compliment. You are obviously highly regarded on here and I wish to comment on this topic.
gehrig38, with all due respect, have whatever setting YOU want that yields the most pleasure for you but keeps the reader interested. To be honest, I set my injury setting low. I mean who wants to read about Clemente or my team if the main characters are constantly injured?
There are main characters I follow when I read your page or Orcin's page. Although, I understand injuries are a part of the game, too many can distract the reader. I know I mentioned this to another writer and got blasted for it, however, if your story is specific to a player, having the player injured for the sake of "realism" turns the reader off in my opinion. In Orcin's case, Longoria and Arkle have been the subjects that I have followed for a while and as a fan, have immersed myself in them. Yours has been the rebuild and your attempt to topple the Iron Pigs.
Lastly, judge your realism based on your reader. A lot of readers? You can assume you're doing just fine and last look, both of you have an outstanding following.
Again, sorry for using your thread Orcin and thanks for listening.

[Orcin]

@SurfRat61: I know what you mean. I have a historical league with no minors that I fiddle with sometimes. I turned injuries off in this league. When I do fire it up, I want to see the name players in the lineup. I realize that it will distort the stats, but it is still more fun for me that way. It's a single-player game, so it should be played the way that gives you the most enjoyment.

Originally Posted by gehrig38

Next to a players stats a players health, and health history, are the most important pieces of data a team can/and does scout and accumulate.
The Injury data is, at least for me, a compilation of all my scouts, coaches and medical staffs data on a player. It's actually MORE realistic on than off.

Interesting. I hadn't thought about it this way. Teams give players a physical before they sign a contract. That information comes along with the data that I have now, i.e. the actual injury history. Sure, it's a doctor's opinion and not a prediction, but teams have certainly backed off on a signing because of a negative opinion.

The real reason I turned it off was that I thought it was giving me a false negative opinion on guys. Everytime the "fragile" label appeared, I started trying to trade the guy. I am not sure that behavior has changed at all. I have just shifted from looking at the label to looking at the history tab and counting injuries. I still prefer players that are steady, consistent, and healthy. I just have one less piece of info now.

Not a hijack at all, by the way. The dynasty forum is the best place to talk about the game. We have the longest running beta tests in existence.

Speaking of beta tests, I might as well bring this up now. I know that you (gehrig38) have commented on your poor draft pools. I am certainly annoyed with mine. There is a looooong thread on the topic here. I am becoming convinced that it is a problem associated with leagues that have been imported from OOTP13 to 14. Not good news if true.

Feel free to continue to comment on game mechanics here. No problem for me. But, in the meantime, fans are waiting so back to our regularly scheduled program.

[Orcin]

Memorial Day Second-Guessing

Let’s get an update on some former players of interest. This list has gotten longer since the flurry of deals last season. Some of these players remain on the list only because of who we got for them.

C Gary Arkle, DEN 41G, .167/.175/.333 (wow, that’s bad!), traded for Edwards
SP Jerome Clark, NSH 9G, 4-4, 5.02 ERA, traded for Guillaume
CL Bruce Brooks, BAL 23G, 1-3, 3.33 ERA, 11SV, traded for Flores
CF Joe Young, BAL 45G, .245/.337/.534, traded with Brooks for Flores
MR Wallace Trauttmann, NY 6 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, traded for Graves, Allen, Acevedo
2B Jonathan Kelly, unsigned free agent, traded for Graves, Allen, Acevedo
SP Ben Gentry, CIN 9G, 2-1, 4.64 ERA, traded for Yang
SP Marcos Maestas, AAA 9G, 1-2, 5.16 ERA, traded for Yang
MR Jorge Merced, NY 23G, 2-2, 3.00 ERA, 6 SV, traded for Daniels
LF Dennis Bennett, NY 38G, .198/.259/.351, traded for Daniels
SP Pippino Franchitti, unsigned free agent, traded for Longoria
SP Edison Mazzone, unsigned free agent, traded for Martinez
CF Jose Cruz, BAL 60-day D/L, traded for Martinez
3B Shane Plumbly, DEN 40G, .258/.307/.422, traded for Holcomb
SP Will Spencer, unsigned free agent, traded for Morales, Fuller, & Bustamante
SS Jason Searles, HOU 49G, .274/.320/.358, traded for Morales, Fuller, & Bustamante
CF Rafael Valdez SEA 38G, .243/.386/.458, traded for Ray Forrest
SP Mike Anderson, unsigned free agent, traded for Diaz & Polk
RF Eduardo Sanchez, DET 47G, .272/.333/.394, traded for Bowles
LF Rafael Vasquez (not Valdez), SAC 50G, .295/.393/.481, traded for McConnell

How’s Denver treating you, Arkle? I hope you and Jackson enjoy your time together in the bullpen there. You won’t be in the lineup anytime soon with the way you are hitting.

If I had it to do over, I would have kept Vasquez (not Valdez) and traded Ferguson for McConnell. Vasquez is much closer to a star than Ferguson. However, Vasquez makes $6M per year and Ferguson $3M, so maybe it worked out for the best this way.

Young is playing exactly to form, and there are days that I wish I had kept him and traded Bustamante. Again, the money might have prevented this from working.

Bennett has crashed and burned in New York. Maybe he was nothing but fool’s gold all along. I didn’t see why every team was in love with him then, and maybe I was right.

[gehrig38]

Originally Posted by SurfRat61

gehrig38, with all due respect, have whatever setting YOU want that yields the most pleasure for you but keeps the reader interested.

Couldn't agree more. I would like to think I can offer a little different perspective than most around here, and wanted Orcin, and anyone else interested, to know that should you choose that setting, there's a realism argument that supports it.
And like you I too have injury settings to low, anything higher is unrealistic, highly imo.

[cmdrsam]

I'm gonna toss out my two cents. I change my settings from time to time. The last couple of games I have played I have done this.

Injury settings
Spring Training: Normal OTTP
April-May: Realistic
June-July: Normal OTTP
August-Playoffs: Very Low

Also change the AI trading settings as well.

Ratings Currant yr Last yr 2 yr old stats
April 50 0 30 20
May 50 30 15 5
June 50 10 30 10
July 50 15 30 5
August 50 20 30 0
September 50 25 25 0
October 50 30 20
1 January 50 0 30 20

This one I will take it a step further, If other team I am looking to trade with has Win now/ or a neutral stance I will keep setting for neutral as well. If team is looking to rebuild I will change the setting to favor prospects.


The injury settings have been fun, and I haven't been torched yet. Small stuff, few weeks, couple of months. But nothing career ending, at least for my team.

The trading, well. I have never been a master of trades. Always feel like I'm the one getting fleeced. So I defer all expertise to you gentlemen. Just was throwing out another set of ideas is all. Hope it helps someone.

[cmdrsam]

One more thing If I could Orcin? I am on ver 13. Really planned on switching to 14 at the end of the game year. I have read the topic you posted with the link on the drafts. Is this a deal breaker? I really don't want to stop where I am at in my game but really don't see the point of going on if it is a deal breaker. Thoughts?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by cmdrsam

One more thing If I could Orcin? I am on ver 13. Really planned on switching to 14 at the end of the game year. I have read the topic you posted with the link on the drafts. Is this a deal breaker? I really don't want to stop where I am at in my game but really don't see the point of going on if it is a deal breaker. Thoughts?

I can't answer that question honestly. I haven't played enough to see the new draft classes develop (or not).

On the other topic, I play with injuries on Normal until August 1 (after the trade deadline passes), then I set them to Low until spring training.

[Orcin]

June 5, 2017

Subject: Week 9 Notes

Record: 36-20, .643, - GB (21-7 in May)
Position: 1st place (7.5 game lead over Indianapolis)
Runs Scored: 274 – 3rd in Federal (4.9/G)
Runs Allowed: 210 – 1st in Federal, 2nd in CBA (3.75/G)
Defense: .714 – 1st in Federal & CBA
Power Ranking: 120.7 (2nd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Delighted (improving); Fan Interest: 92/100

• Last week (5-1): 3-0 at Seattle, 2-1 vs. Indianapolis
• 05/29: LOU 5, SEA 3 (11) – Harmon 2-5, DBL, RBI, 2 RS; Morrison GWRBI DBL
• 05/30: LOU 8, SEA 1 – Graves 8 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K, W (3-1, 3.77 ERA)
• 05/31: LOU 6, SEA 2 – Bowles 7 IP, 2 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 8 K, W (7-2, 3.36 ERA)
• SP Michael Bowles was our Pitcher of the Month for May: 5-1, 2.60 ERA
• 2B Patrick Guillaume was our Player of the Month: .394/.444/.556, 4 HR, 19 SB (is patience paying off?)
• Lexington SP Clyde Fuller (7-1, 3.15 ERA) was AAA Pitcher of the Month with a 5-0 record and a 2.42 ERA. Fuller missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.
• Indianapolis (28-26) comes to town in second place after winning 8 of their last 11 games. Milwaukee has lost 5 straight games, and has dropped to third.
• 06/02: LOU 4, IND 1 – Harmon 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Acevedo 7 IP, 1 ER but 5 BB, ND
• 06/03: LOU 8, IND 2 – Gillespie 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; McConnell 3-4, DBL, HR
• 06/04: IND 5, LOU 1 – Yates (IND) 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 6 K, W (5-4, 3.49 ERA)
• We ran into a tough pitcher in the series finale. The loss snapped our 8-game winning streak.
• This week: 3 vs. Chicago (21-35), 4 vs. Dallas

[gehrig38]

Originally Posted by Orcin

I can't answer that question honestly. I haven't played enough to see the new draft classes develop (or not).

On the other topic, I play with injuries on Normal until August 1 (after the trade deadline passes), then I set them to Low until spring training.

NEVER thought to do this, now I can't imagine NOT doing it as I've had some years with really stupid injuries late in the year.
Nice.

[Orcin]

Otto Orcin’s Journal – June 2017

It is time to start thinking about trades. Who is expendable?

• RF Jason Harmon (makes $6.5M, will be a free agent)
• SP Chao Yang (will be eligible for arbitration with a >$2M estimate)
• 2B Lance Morrison (arbitration eligible with a $3.4M estimate)
• LF Jacob Wagner (journeyman, too many RH-hitting OFers)
• SP Danny Robertson (30 y/o vet signed to a minor league contract)

What type of player would be an attractive addition?

• Top-rated prospects at any position
• Another solid young RH starting pitcher
• Young shortstop with minor league options


Mid-Season Focus Changes

Teams that may be buyers at the trade deadline:
• Milwaukee Eagles have set their team focus to “Win Now”.
• Washington Admirals have set their team focus to “Win Now”.
• Orlando Sharks have set their team focus to “Win Now”.
• Detroit Titans have set their team focus to “Win Now”.
• Charleston Generals have set their team focus to “Win Now”.
• Sacramento Outlaws have set their team focus from “Rebuilding” to “Neutral”.
• Phoenix Coyotes have set their team focus from “Rebuilding” to “Neutral”.

Teams that may be sellers at the trade deadline:
• New York Monarchs have set their team focus from “Win Now” to “Neutral”.
• Chicago Cougars have set their team focus to “Rebuilding”.
• Seattle Falcons have set their team focus to “Rebuilding”.

It is a good time to contact all of these buyers about some of my available players. I like to start early rather than wait for the trade deadline. My experience has been that the early bird gets the worm. The field of available partners can shrink rapidly by late July.

[Orcin]

June 5, 2017 (cbatraderumors.com)

Subject: Admirals Acquire Harmon, Robertson from Colonels

The first-place Washington Admirals added veteran help for their pennant drive today, but at the expense of their two best prospects.

The Colonels dealt 30-year-old right fielder Jason Harmon and 30-year-old starting pitcher Danny Robertson to the Admirals in return for 23-year-old minor league center fielder Steve Evans and 25-year-old minor league shortstop Rich Seaman.

Harmon is hitting .280 this year with 3 home runs and 19 RBIs. He also has an OBP of .354 with 13 walks. Harmon will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Colonels GM had this to say about Harmon. “Jason Harmon played very well for us but it was becoming clear that we would not be in a position to sign him beyond this season. It was not fair to Jason to keep him in a reserve role after Hector Castro returns from his injury, so we felt that a trade to another contender was the best solution for all parties.”

Robertson has been pitching at AAA, where he was 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 9 starts. The Admirals will use Robertson in the middle of their rotation, replacing veteran Preston Bennett who is out for the year with a torn rotator cuff.

Evans is the #6 prospect in the CBA. The 23-year-old right-handed power hitter was taken by Washington in the third round of the 2015 draft out of UC-Irvine. A five-tool player, Evans hit .335 with 14 home runs in rookie ball last season. The young slugger will report to the Colonels’ AA affiliate in Dayton, following a brief stint in class A.

Seaman is the #27 prospect on BNN’s rankings. He is a slick fielding middle infielder with speed, but the question has been his bat. He has impressed this season with a stat line of .270/.360/.589 and 14 homers in 48 AAA games. Seaman is a team leader and considered a coach on the field. He will play shortstop for the AAA Lexington Legends.

The Colonels now have the CBA’s #1-ranked minor league system with the addition of Evans and Seaman. Sources tell BNN that GM Otto Orcin has been under pressure from team owner Gordon Cooper to improve the standing of the farm system.

Jose Diaz was activated from his rehab assignment to replace Harmon on the Colonels roster. The Colonels moved quickly to replace Robertson in their AAA rotation with a trade of 31-year-old minor league infielder Richard Griffith to Providence for 29-year-old Dan Gregory, a 6’3” hard-throwing right-hander who has been used primarily out of the bullpen by the Grays. The Colonels are hoping to turn Gregory into a starting pitcher by improving his third pitch, a curve ball, to augment his 99 mph fastball and wicked slider. Gregory will report to Lexington after he clears waivers.

[bigrevkev55]

Finally got caught up on this. I have very much enjoyed reading your entries, have learned much, am going to try some new things now, and wish you luck. I feel a deep playoff run this year.

[Sal, The Barber]

Originally Posted by Orcin

June 5, 2017 (cbatraderumors.com)
The Colonels GM had this to say about Harmon. “Jason Harmon played very well for us but it was becoming clear that we would not be in a position to sign him beyond this season. It was not fair to Jason to keep him in a reserve role after Hector Castro returns from his injury, so we felt that a trade to another contender was the best solution for all parties.”

The Colonels now have the CBA’s #1-ranked minor league system with the addition of Evans and Seaman. Sources tell BNN that GM Otto Orcin has been under pressure from team owner Gordon Cooper to improve the standing of the farm system.

Wait. Orcin. That's not how Sal wrote it up for you. If you're not going to let Sal help you with community relations ...

And tell Mr. Cooper that if he wants the #1 rated farm system he ought to put that as a bonus clause in your contract! Come on! Let Sal be part of your contract negotiation team!

[Orcin]

June 12, 2017

Subject: Week 10 Notes

Record: 37-26, .587, - GB
Position: 1st place (2.5 game lead over Indianapolis)
Runs Scored: 296 – t3rd in Federal (4.7/G)
Runs Allowed: 246 – 3rd in Federal (3.9/G)
Defense: .717 – 1st in Federal & CBA
Power Ranking: 96.7 (9th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Happy (double-declining); Fan Interest: 93/100 (+1)

• Last week (1-6): 1-2 vs. Chicago, 0-4 vs. Dallas
• 06/05: CHI 3, LOU 2 – Ramos (CHI) 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 9 K, w (6-3, 5.26)
• RF Jose Diaz was injured in a collision at second base. He will go back on the D/L with a back strain and is expected to miss three more weeks. *sigh*
• Hector Castro was activated from the D/L with no rehab. Castro will play left field with Ferguson and Wagner platooning in right field.
• C Ben Holcomb (.150/.271/.300 in 22 games) was optioned to AAA. Veteran C Gregory Gardner (.333/.476/.545 in 22 games) was called up to back up Edwards.
• RF Miguel Bustamante (.219/.296/.313 in 38 games) was optioned to AAA.
• LF Shawn Tanner (.304/.402/.638 in 22 games) was added to the 40-man roster and called up. He will be used primarily for pinch-hitting and late-inning defense.
• Lexington SP Clyde Fuller threw a shutout to improve his record to 8-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 11 starts. He has 83 Ks in 83 innings with 26 walks and a 1.02 WHIP.
• 06/06: LOU 6, CHI 5 (10) – Gardner 2-4, DBL, 2 RBI (good first impression)
• Patrick Guillaume was injured in the game and placed on the 15-day D/L with a strained oblique. Rookie Paco Morales (.283/.387/.540) was called up from AAA.
• 06/07: CHI 6, LOU 5 – Acevedo pitched well (6 IP, 3 ER) but the bullpen lost it late
• Next up… we meet the Dallas Rattlers (32-27) for the first time this season.
• 06/08: DAL 6, LOU 3 – Longoria 6 IP, 5 ER, L (6-5, 3.72 ERA); team LOB = 12
• 06/09: DAL 6, LOU 1 – Ordonez 2 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 3 HR, L (1-2, 4.06 ERA)
• Lexington 1B Ricky Allen (.348/.438/.667) will miss 4 weeks with a torn hamstring.
• 06/10: DAL 7, LOU 5 (14) – Graves 2 IP, 5 ER, “bad starter syndrome” is spreading
• 06/11: DAL 3, LOU 0 – Bowles 9 IP, 3 ER, but we only got 3 hits
• What a horrible week… a 5-game losing streak and two injuries. Indianapolis has won 7 of their last 10 and gained 5 games on us last week.
• Who’s Hot: Nobody.
• Who’s Not: Nobody.
• This week: 3 vs. San Francisco (surprisingly only 28-35), 3 at Sacramento

[Orcin]

June 15, 2017

Subject: First-Year Player Draft

The Charlotte Knights had the first overall pick in today’s draft, and they selected RF Jack MacSorley. The 20-year-old left-handed batter played for St. Johns University, where his stat line was .397/.522/.527 with 40 stolen bases in 60 games.

The top 10 players on the pre-draft list were gone after pick #15. By the time pick #23 rolled around, there was one player left on the board above 2.5 stars. I selected him, despite the fact that my scout recommended two players that he rated much lower.

Louisville selections:

Round 1 (#23 overall): SS Vincent Gamble (age 22, bats R, 4-star), University of Tennessee, a five-tool player, played shortstop in college but also plays 2B/3B and has great outfield ratings with some experience in CF, stole 32/35 bases in 55 games, good eye with 40 walks and only 25 strikeouts in 275 plate appearances, high intelligence and work ethic, rated normal to sign, wants $2 million bonus vs. $1.2M slot

Round 2 (#58 overall): SP Ruben Pereiro (age 18, throws R, 1.5-star), fastball of 86-88 mph is a concern, curveball and slider show promise, high stamina, normal intelligence and work ethic, rated extremely hard to sign, wants $2M bonus vs. $400K slot

Round 3 (#93 overall): SS/3B Chris Terry (age 22, bats R, 1-star), Bradley University, no future in the big leagues, projects as a poor contact hitter, no power whatsoever, poor bat speed, poor plate discipline, average fielder at best, great speed, really smart, rated extremely hard to sign but only wants slot money (best player left on the board)

Round 4 (#124 overall): 1B Norm Ford (age 22, bats R, 1-star), University of Texas-Arlington, future as a batter looks bleak, below-average potential as a contact hitter, some raw power, very patient approach at the plate, a little slow defensively and no speed at all on the bases, intangibles are nothing special, rated very easy to sign (slot)

Round 5 (#158 overall): SP Kevin Maxwell (age 22, throws R, 0.5-star), University of Utah, might have a big league career – in the broadcast booth, below-average stuff, throws dead straight, inconsistent control, very low intelligence and work ethic, best pitcher available at this point on the draft, rated easy to sign and you can see why

This year’s draft class only gets worse from here. I used auto-draft after round 5 to complete the ordeal without wasting any more of my time. I saw no reason to choose one piece of garbage over another. It is clear that my strategy for building a farm system has to change. The only way to do it is through trades for good prospects that have experienced some development bumps. The draft has become a pointless exercise.

To illustrate my frustration with the OOTP14 draft/development changes, here is the player card of third-round pick Chris Terry:

[bigrevkev55]

I agree. Any chance they make it better in an update?

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