Union Baseball League - Rewriting History with a Centralized League 1871-Present (ft. Participation)

[OrangeP47]

(And now for a proper update. Things might slow down now as the new Nintendo Switch is finally supposed to arrive today, but I'm pretty hyped for this season, so we'll see)

We start off May with a series that technically starts in April, two away games against the Bald Eagles, so one team at 1.000 will not be staying that way through the week, maybe both. The first matchup is a classic Little vs Padilla. While Padilla has one of his trademark good games against us, it isn't what secures the 7-8 win for Philadelphia. Instead, credit largely goes to Willie Hall, their right fielder, who goes 4 for 5. He's been a decent player in his first two years, but is starting 1874 with a massive .500 batting average and one homer to his name, though not in this game. Game two was looking to go the same way, with excellent Bald Eagles pitcher Ontiveros on the mound, but in the 9th inning they sub in closer Steve Baker who blows the save. At the time the score was 3-4 in their favor, but Baker allows 3 quick runs, and Philadelphia are unable to respond in their one window. So now neither team has a perfect record. Disappointing, but still not a bad spot to be in for the Barons.

Next up is our home opening series, three games against rivals Strongmen, a perfect setup. The Strongmen are 2 and 5 going into this, too, so hopefully they provide some easy wins. We start things on the wrong foot, however, with a close 4-5 loss. This is really a pitching duel, and Murphy even gets player of the match despite the loss. Errors are to blame, we had 11 to their 1, with a whopping 5 from Estrada. This is really concerning, but uncharacteristic from him, so unless it happens again it can probably be shrugged off. The next day we have another one run game, but this time a victory, 8-7. The fans were in for a real treat, with both teams having a homer. All but one of our 8 runs came in the 5th, so home team action was maybe a bit compact otherwise. Our star was Estrada, making up for his performance the day before. To wrap up the series we win by a tiny margin on Saturday too, 7-6, in a walk-off win this time. We were up 5-4 going into the 9th, but the Strongmen then scored two, forcing us to really work for the win. Estrada was once again the star, going 2 for 4 with an additional on base via a hit by pitch. Hartman was the one to hit the walk-off though. Two out of three wins over our rivals isn't bad.

Completing our circuit of teams faced, next up is three home games against the Washington Diplomats. They had a decent start, but are now only 2 and 8, so these may be easy games. The first game is rained out, forcing a double header on the day of what would have been the second. The early game is a loss, 6-7. The newspapers largely chalk this up to good pitching from Washington starter Joel Dudley, who you might remember as one they took from our affiliate the Dutch, so this one stings a bit extra. The late game is a nice 6-3 win, this time thanks to good pitching on our part, and Scott Murphy deservedly gets player of the match. Another small factor might be that the Diplomats' players are a little less fit than ours, and also they suffered some minor injuries that they played through in the early game that wore on them in the second. That's just how double headers go sometimes, though. With a few days of rest, the Diplomats get another one over on us, unfortunately, in a low scoring game with a final scoreline of 1-2. Joel Dudley seems to do very well for them, perhaps as revenge for us never giving him a call up to the bigs. It's not like we let the game get away from us, either, having only allowed two runs, so this really is almost as pure of a pitching duel as a game can get without shutouts being involved. The Diplomats must be elated, but this can't help but feel like a missed opportunity. In weekly awards, Dudley gets player of the week, something he richly deserves with absolutely phenomenal numbers.



Finishing our homestand, we have two games against Boston. They have a losing record at the moment, but only just. In what is seriously becoming a trend, the first game is another one-run affair. We win 8-7 after scoring in the 9th to walk off. There were a lot of solid performances, even Murphy despite the scoreline being a bit higher than an actual pitching duel. Not everything is roses, though. Hartman was injured running the bases, and while he'll be fine, long term, soreness in his hamstring will mean he's not at peak fitness for the second game. It's a tough call, but he gets the start for the next game anyway, and rewards us which a great performance, going 3 for 5, on our way to another one-run victory, final score 10-9. Minutemen superstar Josh Goff gets player of the match, though, after going 4 for 4. Our victory is attributed to, at least by the media narrative, an error in the 8th that allowed Estrada to hit a 2 run single. While it's true this is what produced the final scoreline, the reduce the game to this moment is, well, reductive, but focusing on it may explain the narrative choice in the papers at least. Speaking of big stories, in other news, during the game Minutemen Dave Garcia was hit by a pitch and shattered one of his fingers. He'll be out 9 weeks. Obviously this isn't like the Strongmen where both teams are known to bean each other on purpose, and we never seek to injure another player, but this type of injury to one of their superstars is exactly the type of thing that can change the complexion of a season, and being caused by a hit by pitch means it's controversial... to say the least...



Speaking of the Strongmen, we cap off the month with some "away" games that consist of a crosstown trip of three games. Their record at this point is 5 and 10, but they might have some more gumption at home. The first game is our first extra-innings game of the year, and another one-run victory, 6-5. We had been on our way to a comfortable victory, but the Strongmen scored two in the bottom of the 9th to force extra-innings. Estrada and Coronado quickly put something together in the 10th, however, and though it was only one run, the effort could be characterized as "easy" by some. In the next game, we finally get a win by a more comfortable margin, 7-3. Michael Little's good pitching gets the credit in the papers, but we had a lot of good hitting as well. Unfortunately, Ramirez overstrained his hip running the bases. He can still play, but it'll be a week before he's 100% again. The third game is so action packed Barons' fans were jealous it wasn't a home game after reading about it. We win 23-10, with 9 runs in the 1st and 8 runs in the 2nd. That means we went through our entire batting lineup twice in a single inning this game, if not had everyone score. It only could have been better if we'd further limited the Strongmen's runs, but considering we doubled their tally, not too many can complain. Such an action packed game doesn't come without risk, however, and we suffer two injures, Chris Fulmer after being hit by a pitch and David Alvarado running the bases. Alvarado's injury is serious, a broken bone in his elbow, and he'll be out 5 months, or basically the entire season. He's just a fringe player, though, and this is actually only his second game in the bigs for us after getting called up to fill gaps after expansion. Still, a big shame. Fulmer's injury, at least, turns out to be nothing more than a bad bruise, and after a day or two he's ready to go again.

At the end of the month we get a nice surprise in that Hartman is named batter of the month. He's been a real silent workhorse. He had a slow start, but is now back on par with where he was in the previous two seasons, and is definitely one of our best hitters. He may not have stood out during any individual game for the most part, but he's been seriously consistent, enough so to win him this award.



Looking at the standings, we're in first, though it's more like a tie and there's a lot of technicalities going around. Still, a good spot to be in indeed. The Iron Pigs have made a comeback somehow and are in third, notably, too. Other than that, three teams aren't having the best of seasons so far, but it's early. Probably too soon to draw many conclusions, but maybe we can say this validates our protection strategy in the expansion draft, as things seem to be running like a well oiled machine at least.

[StLee]

The Strongmen and Minutemen should be ashamed of themselves being in the same depths and below one of the expansion teams.

[OrangeP47]

Just a small situational update. Things will take a bit longer, not only because I'm distracted, but also because I've decided to upgrade my PC to Windows 10 this week. This will certainly cause some disruption, but things should be back on track soon.

[OrangeP47]

June is a jam packed month, with mostly home games. We start with two home games against Philadelphia. They're probably the toughest competition in the league right now. Through 7 innings we're ahead in the first game, but then the Bald Eagles slowly build a comeback, winning 5-3 in the end. We had been tied going into the 9th inning but the game slipped away from us. Not a great result, but realistically it was a game either team could have won. None of the 5 runs are chalked up as an earned run against pitcher Little, but he still takes the loss. The second game was one we really should have won, however, but once again the 9th inning lets us down. The scoreline against us is 6-10 in the end, but the Bald Eagles scored 7 of their 10 in the 9th. Unlike the first game, the majority of the runs were earned runs, so to a degree Murphy can be blamed. This is a disappointing week, but it's only one stumbling block, the first we've encountered this season, and we can't let it affect our mentality, and shouldn't take it as a sign of reversing fortunes necessarily.

The next week we host the other Pennsylvania team, the Iron Pigs, for three games. On paper they should fold easily, but they're comfortably in third too, so we won't take any wins for granted. The first game is a 4-2 win that is wholly unremarkable. The newspapers barely devote more than a paragraph writeup to it. The next game on Wednesday gives the fans some proper back and forth entertainment, though. It's another one-run victory, 9-8. The first inning sees both teams score 4, then the Iron Pigs take a large lead in the following innings. We claw our way back at the very end and eventually get a walk off in the 9th. Also notable is that the Iron Pigs used famed pitcher Jon Castillo on the mound. Despite being absolutely amazing, he can't carry their squad all by himself. His ERA is a phenomenal 1.66, but this game brings his record to 5 and 5. The Iron Pigs prove too hot to handle on Saturday, however, winning 7-4 in front of a sellout crowd. This is mostly because the 4th inning got away from us and they scored 5, and sometimes a single out of control inning is all a team needs to capitalize. To the Iron Pigs' credit, they also brought in former Strongmen pitcher Chris Schaefer, who is performing very admirably for them. Their team philosophy seems to revolve around pitching, much as ours does, they just struggle at times due to being an expansion team.

Mid-month we have the month's one road trip, three games in the nation's capital. The Diplomats aren't doing so great, but haven't had the worst June, so we still need to be vigilant. Indeed, the first game of the series was quite nerve wracking, requiring extra innings, but we got the win. Final score was 7-5 after 10 innings. We were up 5-4 going into the 9th, but a last minute attempt at heroics forced extra-innings. We also had a scare in the 7th where the Diplomats briefly took the lead after a 3 run rally, but countered with 3 of our own in the 8th. Overall quite exciting. The second game Washington manages to show us up, though, but only by one run. We lose 8-9. The stars of the show are Brad Dill at Shortstop and Joel Dudley pitching, both players drafted from our organization, rubbing extra salt in the wound. In the end, we lose the series too, with the final game going against us 3-6. It comes down to one inning getting away from us again, the 8th. After hitting in a few runs, and having two men on, Eric Cardinale hits a triple to drive in more, that inning in the end being responsible for 5 of their 6 runs. Some discussions are had to see if we can maybe adapt our strategy to more aggressively try to pick players off the bases, but Manager Cleland, who is usually quite agreeable, draws a redline at this one particular aspect he won't budge on for some reason, and insists we don't need to adapt and these situations are just flukes. We'll see, but 1 out of 3 in DC is still a big disappointment for June.

For the final full series of the month we have two home games against the Minutemen. They're not doing so hot, having been really picked over by the expansion draft, but we can't sleep on them. Despite being a Tuesday, the first game is in front of a near sellout crowd, though the action is rather sleepy until the very end, when our home team unfortunately takes a loss. The game had been tied at 2-2 for most of the afternoon, until the 9th inning. A few sneaky sacrifice flies from the Minutemen and we end up with 2-4 for the visitors. Aside from that, not much for either team to write home about. Despite the loss, the crowd comes back Friday, and this time are treated to a home win, 7-2. Credit is given to Scott Murphy for his excellent pitching. Murphy, who is only 26, also signs a 5 year contract extension this week that is quite lucrative. On offense, everyone was great, but particular note goes to Hooks who was 3 for 5 with an RBI and 2 runs.

With the end of the month, we have some sad news, the league's first ever retirement due to injury, in this case due to a broken hand that won't heal. What's more, the player is for the Iron Pigs, who really can use all the players they can get.



As for the actual standings, things are becoming more stratified. The Bald Eagles are running away with the League, but we're solidly in the second place spot. The Iron Pigs are in third and reasonably so. Everyone else isn't doing so great, though perhaps notably the Diplomats are now in fourth. Kind of a great shame on the Minutemen and Strongmen in particular.

[StLee]

That's a little rough patch where you could be in first place or Philadelphia could depending on who is hotter. Your team still looks to be in great shape compared to the rest of the league.

[OrangeP47]

The weekend June turns to July we have two home games against Philadelphia. The first game once again has a sell out crowd. We're getting some good attendances this year, which is sure to please the owner. There are reasons to be nervous heading into this first game. Ontiveros, a known ace, and their chosen starter, has an unreal ERA of just 1.70. They do win, but it turns out to not be a pitching duel, final scoreline 5-13 their favor. It was the perfect storm of good hitting by the Bald Eagles and a comedy of errors by our outfielders. Both teams were actually dead even in terms of hits, but the disparity in runs tells you all you need to know. We may have lost anyway, but it really was on us, we need to improve the defense. The second game has a similar score line, 7-13 in their favor, but is an even bigger heartbreak. The Bald Eagles went up 7-0 by the midpoint of the game, only for us to claw our way back into contention. We took it to extra innings, where the 12th decided it. Unfortunately, they were able to get away from us and score 6 more. An extra-innings win is a win, but it just feels a little extra embarrassing with that margin in extra-innings. Two losses to the top team may not be an unexpected result, but it still feels as if we could have done better.

During this series, the international free agency period starts. Though we don't pick up any (none are at positions we need to work on), it is still notable for the offerings on hand more than doubling what was available in previous years. Expanding the league has really attracted attention, and talent for that matter. Though it was initially feared there might be a shortage of players, it seems the bigger we get, the more will want to play.

Next up are three home games against rivals Strongmen, who are in last place by a fair margin. They've only won 10 of 30 games. We can't get complacent, but it would be great to pile on the misery. The first game is a comfortable 12-5 win. At one point the Strongmen did lead early on, so it wasn't totally drama free. For a change of pace, all 5 runs against us were earned runs, really demonstrating that our outfield had a good day on defense, though given we hadn't made any changes, this was just serendipity and not something we can count on. Also shows that the Strongmen actually had decent hitting on this day, it just wasn't enough to complete with us, who were better by a country mile. Adding insult to injury, Closer Erwin tears his rotator cuff pitching and will be out for the season. Last season he set the single season ERA record at 1.64, so to say he will be missed, on a team that is already struggling, is an understatement. The second game is much closer, but still a win, 7-4. Again, the Strongmen take an early lead, but don't hold it for long. By mid game we were adding runs just to make the margin a bit more comfortable. Player of the game is Hooks, who went 3 for 4 with a double, two singles, 2 RBI, and 2 runs. The last game of the series was about as low scoring as you can go, a 2-1 victory, but it had many more hits than the scoreline would have suggested. People were just prevented from coming home, so the fans were probably well entertained despite only 3 combined runs. A nice sweep of our rivals, even if we didn't run up the score as much as might have been liked, but still nice. On Monday Hooks is named league Player of the Week, for his performance in game two and general solid performance in addition to that.







For mid-month action, we have two away games in Boston. The Minutemen are only doing slightly better than the Strongmen, a real fall from grace, but again, we can't get complacent, and these are away games. The first game is another that just slips away from our grasp. We had it well in hand, until the Minutemen score 5 in the 8th, going on to win it 8-6. A pitching change on our part stops the bleeding, but by that point it was too late, and as per usual, outfield errors are really the root cause. Sometimes just doing something, anything at all, can bring back confidence to put a halt to a death spiral. The Minutemen were also aided by a well timed double from Ken Kennedy, someone with potential but who hasn't made a name for himself yet. That brought home two right at the crucial moment, and might be the start of Kennedy's road to glory. While hesitant to call anything luck, this game did have a certain flukey quality to it. To make matters worse, after the game Coronado reports back stiffness. He can still play, but he won't be at 100% for the coming week. He soliders on during the next game, however, and we barely scrape a victory there, 7-6. We score 3 runs in the top of the 9th to take the lead right down at the wire, and the Minutemen counter, but only with 1, which is not enough to even force extra innings. Not a pretty split series, but better than nothing.

The last full series of July sees us back at home for three games against the Diplomats. They're in third now, but they have a losing record of 17-18. For those of you not paying attention, that does indeed mean that only the Bald Eagles and us have winning records in the league right now. Expansion really did a number on everyone. Despite having the edge, the first game is a complete disaster, with our team chalking up a loss 6-14. That may not seem that bad at first, but the opening runs of the game were in the top of the 2nd, where the Diplomats score EIGHT. This seems to send Cleland into some sort of despair. He subs in most of our second and third string players, he makes random pitching changes even when the pitchers aren't at fault, it's as if he's not even trying to win the game. It's honestly amazing we manage to score 6 runs to keep the scoreline from being a complete embarrassment, especially considering we recorded no extra base hits. His contract is up at the end of the year, and he may not be renewed because of this... For the second game, there's a notable drop in attendance, the fans' confidence has taken a hit after that last game. We get a solid, albeit close, win, which will hopefully help with that, 5-4. We had nearly twice as many hits as the Diplomats did, so we didn't do a good job of capitalizing when we could, though that didn't come back to bite us this time. The fans seem to forgive us, though, as the house is packed for the third game, and Hooks makes it a night the fans will never forget. He hits the first ever Barons' grand slam! Never mind the fact that we were up 13-6 at the time, it was still something special. Final score was 19-6 so we got a few more runs as well. A thoroughly dominant performance such as that is a real confidence booster after that first game, and just what we needed. A great way to end the month, too!

Speaking of the end of the month, it's time to check the standings. Things are much the same as they were last month, though the lower positions are a bit tighter. That matters not both for the Union Series implications, and for implications involving us. With all four teams doing so poorly, it doesn't really matter which is which at this stage, at least not after going 2 for 3 against the Diplomats, disaster first game non-withstanding, or the added consideration of wanting to beat our rivals non-withstanding.

[OrangeP47]

Apologies for the delay, it was a very busy week last week. Also I'm once again trying to copy paste directly from my notes, hopefully there will be less formatting errors this time, but if this trick works, it should speed things up. Also please provide feedback on if you prefer me linking screenshots this way or the old way. I feel that on some sites I post this on, having the screenshots embedded really took up too much space on the page (because they don't have the spoiler folders to hide them when not in use). But if people don't mind being assailed by large images in the middle of text, I'll go back.

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We begin August by offering new contracts to the upcoming free agents, where appropriate. By and large we don't feel the need to make any big changes, since we're doing well, aside from cutting out deadwood, the nuts and bolts of which do not need to be discussed. Of course, we're second, not first, so so new acquisitions as replacements to bring us up will eventually be brought in, but that's a conversation for another day.


Our first opponent heading into the month is the Bald Eagles, and we play two games at their field. It'll be a tense affair, 1st against 2nd, and we're not the favorites. In a tight pitching duel, we edge out the first game, however, with Little on the mound against their ace Ontiveros. The scoreline is only 3-2, and we were down until the very last inning where we manage to sneak in two quick runs. Catcher Amburgey has the winning RBIs with a 2 on double. Catcher isn't known as a good hitting position, but he's certainly making a name for himself despite that. The second game, we're not so lucky, but it's a close, good game despite us taking a loss, final score line 8-6 for the Bald Eagles. We had a pretty commanding early lead, but between the 7th and 8th innings the Bald Eagles scored 5 to come back and win. Despite this, Jerry Coronado was named player of the match, going 3 for 4 and getting 2 RBIs and 2 runs. When we're not playing the Strongmen the media bias against us is a little less noticeable, perhaps.


On a high note, Hooks picks up Batter of July, and Little the pitching award. We've definitely done enough to deserve it. Also of note is our young talent is finally getting a chance to shine. Thomas Alexander Jones finally has playing time, though the Dutch are in 5th place. He's hitting .320 through July though. As for the other prospect everyone has their eye on, Homer Pickman hasn't played that much for the River Rats minor league team this year, but when he has played, he's been good. Such is the life of a Closer, though at least he's been mostly used for pitching now. He's closed out 3 games, with 2 wins and 1 loss credited to him, meaning he's really being put into high pressure situations. His ERA is 2.35, which is pretty good. The River Rats are in 3rd, though have a losing record, the situation in the UDL kind of mirrors the main league at the moment in terms of structure.

https://imgur.com/a/RFlzIwE (Several screenshots in album format to save space)


Also to note is like the international free agents last month, more players are eligible for the draft, and this year looks like it's going to be a good draft. Not only are there some players with real potential, but some are already backup quality without needing to be developed much. The actual draft isn't until the season is over, but the list of eligible players has been announced at this time.

https://i.imgur.com/Dcm412Y.jpg


Next up we have a four, technically three game away series against Pittsburgh. The first game is a double header due to an earlier canceled match. This is the first time we'll be playing the same team four in a row, so it'll be an interesting experience, if a bit odd. The first game of the double header we win 10-4. The newspapers credit our pitcher Scott Murphy's excellent pitching with our victory, and while he did indeed pitch well, that ignores our dominant offense. It also ignores the Iron Pigs abysmal pitching. They used three pitchers, because nobody could find a rhythm. Pitching is supposed to be their strong suit, so that really hurt them. With everyone a bit tired in the second game, we lose, 8-10. Despite the previous comment, the Iron Pigs found a new strong suit and really found their bats, or at least one player did, Center Fielder Ben Konrad. He was 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and a single, and those doubles really gave them the edge. He was also 2 for 4 in the early game, so he's definitely someone on their roster to watch out for! Two days later, after the players have had a little rest, the teams meet again, and take it to extra innings. It's 4-4 after the 9th, but the Iron Pigs manage a walk off in the 10th. That's the sort of win a team like Pittsburgh can steal if you're not careful. Disappointing, but it's also the type of loss you just can't let get to you. What's worse, though, and what starts real signs of worry, is when the last game is another walk-off for the Iron Pigs. They win 7-6, but what really stings is the winning RBI comes from a player they swiped from us in the expansion draft, Guillermo Mojica. We're still in 2nd, but Pittsburgh is only 1 game behind us now.


No matter how we have, other teams are doing much worse. There's signs of serious discontent within the Minutemen. After riding high for so long, it's no wonder they are out of sorts.

https://imgur.com/a/AgYj8cN


Next we have three cross-town games against the Strongmen. They're last by a good margin, and playing under .333, so hopefully we can rally our record here. Unfortunately, we continue our slide in the first game, losing 5-7. It's a fairly unremarkable game, and the only real analysis that can be said is that Little had a bad game on the mound. Errors weren't to blame this time, so it really came down to just him, the Strongmen weren't even that productive in producing anything more than singles, after all. The second game, however, is a confidence booster, if not where we start to right the ship. We win 13-3 in a game where we have multiple people get 3 hits. Estrada gets a homer in the 1st inning and it really sets the tone for the game. It's his second of the year. The last game we make it one more and win 14-3, though this time we have to do it by way of one massive inning where we get 7, as opposed to spreading out the runs over the whole game. Still, this is just what we need. We're back up to two games ahead of the Iron Pigs for the second Union Series berth. Estrada rightfully wins player of the week from the league.

https://i.imgur.com/Kcs9v10.jpg


Completing our circuit of road trips for the time being, we next have two away games in Boston. If the team is as demoralized as the reports say, these may be easy games. The Boston fans are certainly demoralized, as well, as they're drawing sub-1000 attendances now. What happens next shocks everyone, though, and might be just what the Minutemen need to start turning things around. We get shutout. Jorge Lujan is the man who does it. It's close to being a no-hitter, but we do get 3 hits. They get 5 runs, more than enough to win when we have none, but they had a run in the 1st so we were under pressure the entire time and just couldn't do it. The Barons are a frustrating team, but good for the Minutemen. The crowd is reinvigorated, and they almost manage to snap up a second victory over us on the weekend. We take a large early lead 6-0, but then in the back half they score 7. In the 9th we manage one more to take it to extra innings. In the 11th we score 3, which surely seems like enough to win, but they give us a good scare by getting two. That's not quite enough to keep the game going though, so close but no cigar. In the end, we just have to feel really, really lucky to even get a single win out of this series, but maybe if the Minutemen are back, they can take some wins off the other teams for us.


To cap off the month, we welcome Philadelphia for two home games. We split the series last time, so maybe we can do so again even though they're top of the standings, especially at home. We lose the first game, 4-6. Ontiveros had a good game pitching, as can be summed up by the fact that our pitcher, Little, was noted as being one of our best batters on the day. Estrada and Amburgey had good days too, but for a pitcher to even make the same conversation, albeit one known for hitting, just shows what kind of form we were in. At least that game was competitive, though. For the second game, we're shutout for the second time in four games. Padilla is on fire. His record this season is 19-2. A lot of that is just because of how good the Bald Eagles are, but there's no doubt he's found his best season yet after having had a mediocre 1872 and 1873. He's always seemed to have a particular grudge against us, too...


At the end of the month, we've fallen even with the Iron Pigs. Looking at predicted wins/losses, though, we're about where expected, and they're doing quite a bit better than the mark, so maybe they can't maintain this level. We can still be said to be the favorites. Elsewhere, though they have little to no chance of catching up to a Union Series berth, the Minutemen have risen to being tied for 4th, so they have kicked it into gear at least a bit.

https://i.imgur.com/GwC6ov2.jpg

[StLee]

That 3-7 mark in the last 10 most certainly did not help, especially the series loss to Pittsburgh. I don't know if Brooklyn has Philadelphia on the schedule or not, but they most certainly need to have more of those offensive outbursts to clinch that wildcard spot.

I also see that T.A. Jones is doing quite well on the season. He still has some developing to do, but hitting .320 is not too shabby at any level.

For your dynasty, I think it is ultimately up to what you want to do with it. In my case, I always go into a dynasty with a plan. Once that plan is enacted, I find some things work well but many do not for me. I also come up with different ideas that did not occur to me before I started. I think that is true for most dynasties. The beginning days seem to be different dynasties altogether. Keep tweaking at your leisure seeing what works for you and what you enjoy doing. That's my two caps!

[OrangeP47]

I'm going to get back to this soon, I promise. I'm actually pretty excited for it. Just been dealing with the roof leaking in my walk-in closet (that I don't go in very often, so it was quite a disaster in there by the time I discovered it). TBH on the scale of problems I've had to deal with in the past two months it's actually not very stressful compared to the others.

[OrangeP47]

Hey all, sorry for the long break, but I'll get back on this soon (actually promise this time). Just had several covid scares in my family (none serious), and it's been the Holidays, this is all on top of October-November being the busy time in my line of work (I work in politics, I know, not the most fun subject to talk about), and all of this was on top of the series of mini-issues ranging from friends in a car crash to the roof leaking again I was already dealing with. Things have settled down again though now I believe so I can probably get this rolling sometime this coming week.

Edit: Also throw in in there upgrading my computer to Windows 10 while we're at it, that definitely caused some delays for a few weeks as all the problems were ironed out, though less than I expected, but TBH I'm liking the new computing environment a lot more than 7 which I didn't think I'd be saying.

[OrangeP47]

Once again attempting copy paste apologizes if there's some wrong formatting, please let me know if there is. Also early on stylistically it may be a bit off, it took me a bit to get back into the swing of things.

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Heading into the final month of the regular season, it's make or break time for the Barons. At least a third place finish is probably assured, but second is that coveted prize to get into the Union Series. There are only 4 series to go to make the difference, and the team is currently tied for the position with the Iron Pigs, though how precarious the position is is somewhat of a surprise.


Starting September are three away games against the newly formed Diplomats, one of the teams tied for fourth, though they're far and away behind the teams with a positive record. Statistical analysis says they're probably worse than the Minutemen, if you go by the major categories of runs scored, conceded, batting average, etc, which is probably to be expected from an expansion team. The first game isn't until the 2nd, and the Minutemen play and win on the 1st, so by the time the we face Washington they're sole holders of fifth place, bringing a bit more confidence that the team can pick up some road wins. The first game is quite a good showing all around. Barons win 14-6, so a clean victory but with plenty of action. Notable highlights include First Baseman Chris Fulmer going 5 for 5 and Dave Trillo hitting a bases loaded triple in the 9th. Fulmer's feat ties the league record for hits in a regular innings game, and at the same time he ties the team record for most runs in a game, at 4. The Diplomats don't have many star players, but after this game, one of their best, Justin Velasquez, takes the rest of the series off to be with his wife after the birth of his first child. A joyous moment, but it'd be a lie if the Barons weren't also smiling because it made the next two games a bit easier as well. For the second game it doesn't seem to matter, however, as the Diplomats blow out the Barons 10-1, in large part thanks to starting their best pitcher, Chris Moore. All remaining Diplomats just seemed to deliver stand out performances as well, proving despite being in the bottom half their morale wasn't shattered. They're not able to keep it together for the third game, though, and the last game is an 11-9 Barons victory. Offensively, the Diplomats actually played better, but defensively, they had 8 errors, many at crucial moments, and the media credit those errors with the outcome, probably rightfully so. Our offense was good too, with both Trillo and Amburgey going 3 for 5 in but one notable highlight, but probably would not have been good enough on their own.


Next up are two home games against the Minutemen, a team with a losing record, but still probably quite dangerous. Monday also brings the news that the Bald Eagles can now no longer finish lower than second even if they lose all their remaining games and every single result elsewhere goes exactly against them, meaning they've booked their ticket to the Union Series with three weeks to spare. Unfortunately, the first game against the Minutemen is a 7-3 loss. Things were fairly even up until the 7th inning when the Boston team started to run away with things, scoring 2 in the 7th, 2 in the 8th, and 1 in the 9th. Defensively we did well until those closing innings, when a lapse in concentration really brought the errors on and cost us. Only 3 of the 7 opposing runs were earned runs, which says it all. This result means the Bald Eagles are confirmed first place in the league. The second game is sadly another frustrating loss. It's a one-run difference, final score 2-1 to the Minutemen. Both teams were even at 7 hits. With those sorts of numbers, it feels a bit lame to say, but it really came down to luck, and luck went against us. The Barons are not a team known for luck. Delving into what's a bit of black magic for 1874, “experts” still give us a 57.9% of making the Union Series at this point. We're technically in third, but the Iron Pigs have played two less games. It's really hard to compare a 30-25 record (our record) and a 29-24 record (their record), but the bottom line is, we're not out of this yet.


All of this may be moot, however, as the penultimate series we face each other, home field advantage Barons. We start strong, winning the first game 8-2. They did take the lead first, but our answer was instant. We were quite prolific with hits, and they were sloppy with walks too, so we could have possibly had more, but a good win nonetheless. Both teams are feeling the pressure, much to the detriment of the pitchers on the mounds. We win again the second game, but the scoreline is 18-11. Aside from the pitchers, every single Barons player got multiple hits, and Estrada, the star of the show, was 5 for 6. There were some reports that Iron Pigs fans were quite distraught upon reading of the loss, some going as far as accusing the Barons of cheating. Though the Barons already have a rival in the Strongmen, and the Iron Pigs were partially brought in to be a rival for Philadelphia, the intensity of September baseball is forming new rivalries in only Pittsburgh's first year of existence. The Iron Pigs do get some consolation in a 6-3 victory on the final day. That means the last series matters. A Barons' victory would have meant a near certainty of making the Union Series.


Unfortunately, our last two games are against the dominating Bald Eagles. Longtime nemesis Padilla just broke the league strikeout record, and we're going to have to face that... The Iron Pigs, meanwhile, play fellow expansion team the Diplomats.




We lose the first game to the Bald Eagles 4-3. We probably actually hit better, but errors cost us again. Defense actually wasn't that bad, it was just enough to make a difference in a one-run game, though. News arrives that the Iron Pigs lose their first game to the Diplomats as well, however! If we win the next game, that's it, we're into the Union Series for the first time. If we lose and they lose, we're still in. If we lose and they win, then there's a one game tie breaker, and that's something at least.


The second game is a close run affair. The Bald Eagles score first, one run in the first. We come back with two in the second, but then they score one more in the bottom half to tie it up. So on and so forth the entire game, every lead taken is instantly erased in the next available half-inning. Finally we make it to the bottom 9th inning. The score is 8-8. Nobody has scored since the 7th. With two outs and a runner on 1st and 3rd, Willie Hall hits a single to drive in Matt Hall (no relation) and they win the game at the last moment. If the Bald Eagles still had something to play for at this moment, they'd probably be elated at winning the game in such a manner, but for us it's a crushing defeat. The Iron Pigs win their game, we're tied for 2nd.




-----

I will run the play-in game as a special commentated game in a separate post, and the Union Series will be the same way if we get in.

[StLee]

Welcome back!

I know it's the 1800s, but it is so strange to see that 35 strikeouts sets the season record for a pitcher in 241 innings pitched!

[OrangeP47]

Originally Posted by StLee

Welcome back!

I know it's the 1800s, but it is so strange to see that 35 strikeouts sets the season record for a pitcher in 241 innings pitched!

Even though the parks I've generated have "modern" dimensions, the other differences alone mean even the best players are topping out at maybe 6 HR a season too, it's wild! Granted, there's a lot fewer games, but that's not THAT big a factor.

[OrangeP47]

Please let me know if you like this format. It was a lot of work, and for series longer than 1 game I don't know if I'd keep it up if it's not popular.

Pictures of the box score will be at the end, I apologize for having to have so many individual shots that overlap, but I have a monitor locked to 1360 x 768, so I don't get much vertical space when taking a screen.

-----

September 28th is the play-in game. We have homefield advantage, and most of our players are more highly rated than the opposition. We're using a healthy lineup of stars, with Little on the mound. We're favorites, but we shouldn't take it as a given that we'll win.


It's a later game, though it must still wrap up before it gets dark. Weather is partially cloudy, 62 degrees, with wind out to left at around 11 mph. Decent chance for a homer or two. First up is Dante Guzman for the Iron Pigs, formerly of the Minutemen. After being taken to a full count, he flies out to center. Not a bad start to the game for our team. Their half of the inning is quickly over with another catch by Hooks at Center Field, then a quick ground out just left of Second Base.


On our first at bat, Hooks gets taken deep in the count, but eventually hits a grounder off Castillo right at Lima, the Iron Pigs' second baseman. He bobbles it, though, granting us a man aboard. Not bad for a lead off hitter. Castillo seems to take personal offense to this, and wastes the next several minutes trying to pick him off, but no dice. When he actually does throw a pitch to Coronado, the Left Fielder masterfully hits it right into the gap, though Hooks is overly cautious and only advances to second. Estrada is up next. On the 1-1 count both baserunners make to steal. Coronado, who is quite slow, gets tagged out a Second, but you really can't throw two runners out at the same time in this situation, so Hooks safely makes it to Third. One out and a man on Third is a good position to be in. Next pitch Estrada grounds out to Shortstop, but Hooks is home, we're ahead 1-0. Fulmer is up next, but doesn't manage to do anything noteworthy.


First pitch of the second inning, Lastaneda manages to get aboard to a chorus of boos from the home crowd. He then successfully steals Second. Behrmann pops one straight up for Amburgey to catch for an out, but Coop hits one to third which Estrada bobbles, allowing another man on and Lastaneda to advance. The next two batters are a strikeout and a fly out to center again, though, saving us the tying run. Bottom half, Hartman fails to get a hit, but Amburgey gets to first after him. Trillo then hits a grounder and fielder's choice throws him out at First. First pitch to Shortstop Ramirez is a flyout to Left Field, ending the inning.


Third inning Castillo leads off, who is actually decent at batting. He gets aboard, but only because of another error on our part. Guzman then bunts to advance him to Second, but is himself thrown out at First. Lima is next and hits a grounder, also thrown out at first, but now Castillo is on Third. Only one out to go, though. Unfortunately Moreno hits it right into the space between Third and Shortstop. It's only a single, but it's enough to get Castillo home. The game is now tied. The half ends right after with a grounder to first.


As luck would have it, our pitcher Little is also up first in the bottom of the third, though he quickly hits a fly ball to center and is out on the first pitch. Hooks after him gets aboard, though. He advances by one, and Coronado gets aboard too on a single, after Left Fielder Lastaneda misses a catch. Next pitch Hooks steals Third. Unfortunately, Estrada then hits into a double-play, and he can't make it home for the run.


Top of the fourth, Behrmann makes it aboard because of an error by Ramirez. Coop tries to bunt, and it doesn't work out no less than FOUR times, before he actually hits it normally and gets a single, Behrmann advancing to Second. Next, Strauss bunts (it takes him a second try to get it right) and the runners advance by one but he's out at First. This appears to be a major strategy of the Iron Pigs and it's so blatant they don't care if everyone knows. Konrad is deliberately walked next, perhaps to set up for a possible double play to prevent a run, though also because Castillo is the next batter. Castillo hits a fly to Left Field and is out, which makes things a lot simpler. Guzman hits a grounder to Shortstop and a runner is thrown out at second, ending the scoring threat.


For our part this inning, the first up is a fly out, but then Hartman gets a double, the first extra-base hit of the game. Amburgey then gets a deep single and Hartman is home, putting us back in the lead. Trillo gets out, but Ramirez gets aboard. That's where the inning ends, though, as the next batter easily gets out.


The top of the fifth starts with Lima getting a single. This is followed by one from Moreno, but the outfielders quickly get the ball to Third to prevent too much advancement. Lastaneda bunts, and it looks at first like it's going to be just a case of runners taking Third and Second and an out at first, but a missed catch by Fulmer leads to no out and more advancement, meaning yes, the game is now tied again. A single from Behrmann and the runner on Third scores, Iron Pigs are now up 3-2. This might be where the game gets away from us. There are still no outs this inning. Next play we get a double play, but unfortunately they still score from Third, meaning it's now 4-2. That's not an insurmountable lead, at least, and the game is only around half-over, so we're still in this. The last batter hits it deep to center, but it's caught.


Bottom of the 5th, we're at the top of our lineup. Hooks gets aboard. Coronado then hits a double deep to right and Hooks scores all the way from First! The deficit is cut in half! Estrada grounds out. Then Fulmer pops it up right to First and the Iron Pigs have all the time in the world to catch it. Hartman then gets a single and Coronado tries for home. At first it looks like it's not even going to be close, he's going to be thrown out, but the catcher misses the catch! Another run, tie game! Hartman of course takes Second while Coop is scrambling after the ball. Amburgey gets a perfect gap hit and then we have runners on Third and First. Trillo grounds into Shortstop Dave Strauss, but he has trouble picking it up, preventing the out, and allowing us to take the lead! A very similar occurrence happens when Ramirez grounds to Third, allowing the bases to be safely loaded. Michael Little does the exact same thing, and once again Third Baseman Behrman bobbles the ball. The Iron Pigs are falling apart! Scoreline now 6-4, our favor. Back to the top of the lineup, Hooks unfortunately hits a fly to right that's caught, but it had to end sometime, and the inning is over.


The 6th inning starts off unassuming, with an out. The Iron Pigs call for a pinch hitter, Adrian Conn. He's a fast runner and makes it to First on a grounder. The next batter he would have been out at Second had it not been for a missed catch there on that grounder, but that play was far from the worst disaster, as runners only take First and Second. Unfortunately, a passed ball allows them both to advance one. Lima, the batter, grounds out shortly thereafter, but the runner from Third does score to squeeze it to 6-5. The other runner is able to tie the game when Moreno hits the next single, and we're back to a close game... Lastaneda grounds out and fortunately it ends there.


For the bottom half, George Holden takes the mound. He's a former Strongman, and didn't do well there, but he's had a phenomenal season for the Iron Pigs, with an ERA of 1.05 in relief. Though our first batter, Coronado, flies out, Estrada, up next, gets a single, so things aren't all doom and gloom. That is all we get, though, but maybe next inning.


The Iron Pigs don't make any ground in the 7th, at least. Not even a hit. We once again get our second batter on base, Trillo, but it just ends with a double play the next pitch. Top of the 8th is a repeat of the 7th, three up three down. Bottom of the 8th Cleland calls for a pinch hitter for Little, Il-hwan Lee. He has a nice hit and makes it on. With two attempts, Hooks bunts Lee to Second. Unfortunately, the next two up make for easy outs, so it wasn't much of a power move.


Taking the mound for the 9th is Murphy for our team. Again, it's three up, three down. Now there's a chance for us to walk it off we if can break the tie, and avoid extra-innings. Lead-off hitter Fulmer has a single, but barely, right over the heads of the First and Second Basemen where they can almost grab it. Hartman bunts him over to Second, and unlike most who've tried that maneuver today, actually does so on his first try. On a full count Amburgey hits a fly deep to right field, it looks easily caught, but the fielder misses the catch! Fulmer is on to Third, and we have only one out! The Iron Pigs, probably in desperation, put Bill Gutierrez on the mound in a substitution. He's not as good as Holden, but Holden was quite tired at this point, a lack of stamina being his weak spot. It works. Two pop flies and the inning ends, we're headed to the 10th.


The Iron Pigs finally get some purchase on their second batter with a decent single. Taking advantage of the situation their manager starts to call for pinch hitters on field players when he thinks it might be a benefit. Wilfredo Lopez steps to the plate and grounds out, but their runner Coop advances to Second. Another pinch hitter is called, Mojica, one of our former players. He hits it to deep left field, but it's easily caught, top of the 10th over.


Cleland starts by having Al Guckert pinch hit for Murphy. It's all for naught in a ground out. Hooks is out too, but then Coronado has a single. Estrada singles to right field and Coronado, knowing what the situation is, puts in a little extra and makes it to Third. We have 2 outs, but it's still a better spot than if he'd stopped at Second. Indeed, it matters. The very next pitch, to Fulmer, their Shortstop tries to throw to Second to force and out but his throw is wild. Coronado makes it home, and we have the walk-off, 7-6! We've made the Union Series, a first for the team!

https://imgur.com/a/vj2pUQB

[StLee]

Congrats on making the Series! I would say that all dynasty choices are up to you. You mentioned that it was time-consuming, so that may be your clue. Unless you have the time to write out inning-by-inning results, it may take you an extra amount of time to get through a single season.

I always try to make a decision on asking myself what I want to go back and read later. I had ideas before that I scrapped because of the time factor with the general disinterest on my part, like the regular season series preview--I notice in my managed teams I skip over those emails, too.

The great thing about the dynasty is that it can evolve and change as you want/need it to.

[OrangeP47]

Union Series 1874 Game 1

(Once again, pictures will be at the end in an album)

The Union Series starts in Philadelphia on October 1st, a clear day of 71 degrees. Despite the Bald Eagles' season dominance some pundits think we have momentum. Hooks is the first batter on the day and singles to First after his hit evades the Bald Eagles' second baseman Mike Taylor. Fielder's choice on the next hit and he's out at Second, though, before a pop fly to Right Field gets Coronado over into scoring position on Third with only one out. Fulmer flies out, but Hartman is able to get another single to drive the first run of the game in, and we're off to a scoring start! At this point there are two outs and runners on First and Second, to recap. The Bald Eagles seem a bit discombobulated by our strong start, and the first pitch after the run is a passed ball, allowing both baserunners to move up one. Unfortunately Amburgey hits a really simple to catch ball right to Second Base, and the half is over. In the bottom half, the Bald Eagles fly out then ground out before their Second Baseman Mike Taylor gets a Double after bouncing one off the back wall. It doesn't matter, though, as the fourth batter is quickly out with a grounder to First.


In the 2nd inning, Trillo flies out, but then Ramirez gets a nice hit to Left Field for a single. Michael Little, not confident in his batting ability, manages to strike out attempting to bunt, which is still a questionable decision. We're back to the top of the lineup, but Hooks pops up a short ball that's quickly caught and we're not able to repeat our success.


The bottom of the 2nd starts strong for us again, but is then marred. Eric Rabon almost gets a home run but it's caught shy of the wall. Then Victor Oviedo, a player to watch on their lineup, makes it to second after First Baseman Chris Fulmer fails to make a routine catch after a simple grounder. He ends up making Second. He's actually playing with a strained hamstring, which will affect him for the duration of the Union Series, but it's too soon to know if it'll make a real difference. The next batter is easily retired, but Oviedo is over to Third. The one after that too, with yet another grounder, but that sequence is very close, so the Bald Eagles came inches from making it a tie game.


The Bald Eagles start the 3rd with an excellent diving catch from Center Fielder David Garcia to rule Coronado out. The next two batters, Estrada and Fulmer, make it aboard, though only because Right Fielder Hall bungles the catch on the latter's hit. It doesn't matter, however, as Hartman hits into a double-play at Third and Second on the very next pitch.


Bottom of the 3rd, Ontiveros in a display of great luck for a pitcher makes it to second, in part due to an error, but his actual hit was quite good as well, it would have been a single even without the error. A passed ball takes him over to Third. Next pitch is a really slow grounder that the infielders have trouble with, resulting in both a single and a run scored for the Bald Eagles. Tie game. Willie Hall tries to bunt, but the runner, David Garcia, wants to take matters into his own hands and tries to steal Second. He fails. The inning quickly wraps up with two fly outs, leaving the score at 1-1.


Through the first four batters of the 4th inning, we get a fly out, a single, another fly out, and another single. The first baserunner, Trillo, advances to Third on the second single. It's Pitcher Little who got him there. This brings us back around to to the top of the batting order and Hooks, arguably one of if not the best batter on our team. Unfortunately, on a 1-0 count, he line drives it right to their Second Baseman and it's caught, and we don't make any gains this time around. Fortunately, the Bald Eagles get no purchase at all, three up three down in quick succession is the name of the game for the bottom half of the inning.


Leading off in the 5th, Coronado gets a single with a hit that bounces out to Right Field. Estrada is next, and hits a strong hit right to the Right Field corner, earning a double, though Coronado only makes it to Third. Still a good position to be in, though. Fulmer is up after that, and on the first pitch hits what is probably the gentlest arcing fly ball to Center Field, but be it overconfidence or something else, David Garcia fails to make an adequate catch. Coronado comes home safely, Estrada advances, and Fulmer makes first. Ron Hartman hits a line drive on his first attempt right between Third Base and Shortstop. We have another runner home, and more runners on First and Second with no outs. This inning is looking pretty good. Amburgey, taking a different approach, bunts (and actually manages to do so on the first attempt). It's a good bunt, but he's still out at first, but the other two runners advance to load scoring position. Seeing as he's a pretty good hitter, it's a questionable decision, but given the entire situation, probably too many factors to say if it was right or wrong no matter how it plays out. Trillo pops one fairly high and it's caught by their Second Baseman for the second out, no advancement, and then Ramirez is deliberately walked to load the bases, bringing Pitcher Little to the plate. He grounds out, can't really fault him for trying, and the half ends with us up 3-1.


In the bottom half, the first batter flies out, then Catcher Michael Shirley gets a single. Pitcher Ontiveros tries to bunt him to Second, despite already having one out, but quick thinking by our infielders forces the out at Second instead of First. The ball then gets away from Little and David Garcia is hit with a pitch. He's fine, but now there's a runner on First and Second just like we didn't want. Fortunately, Hall hits a line drive down the first baseline and it's caught, though with some difficulty, but the inning is over either way.


We're back at the top of the lineup again, but Hooks flies out, as does Coronado. Estrada grounds out, for a little something different, but either way, the 6th is very disappointing for us. In their half, the Bald Eagles get batters two and three aboard. A single from Oviedo right in the gap brings one runner home, making the score 3-2. A fly out and a ground out end the inning right thereafter, however, so we maintain the lead, for now...


To lead the 7th, Fulmer flies out deep to Right. Hartman gets on with a single, though, after going deep in the count. The crowd is starting to grow discontent and boo whenever we do something well. After going to a full count, Amburgey eventually hits it to dribble right to the pitcher's mound. Ontiveros throws to Second for the second out. Trillo does the same, but this time Ontiveros throws to first... and the First Baseman fails to make the catch! Our runners advance to Third and Second. Ramirez tries the exact same tactic, but proving the third time's the charm, the Bald Eagles succeed in getting the third out.


The Bald Eagles lead their half with a double from Ontiveros that makes Hooks jump for it, but he fails to catch it. It's not an error, just too difficult. Next is a single from Garcia, and there's runners on First and Third with no outs. Right Fielder Hall grounds out, the hit is very close to Third, so Ontiveros doesn't try to run. A close in fly that results in an out and then a quick ground out to first prevent what could have been a disaster. We really could use an extended lead.


Only a small glimmer of that happening shines through in the top of the 8th. The first two outs happen quickly, then Coronado reaches Second on an error, but the next batter flies out right after, so it doesn't matter.


The opposition are getting desperate, though. After a decent single by First Baseman Rabon, a pinch runner is called, not due to injury, but simply because they want someone speedy on base. Antonio Perri is indeed speedy, scoring nearly perfect scouting marks in that regard. The next batter bunts him to Second and gets out for his trouble. The batter after that flies out, but then Catcher Michael Shirley reaches First and gets Perri over to Third with a grounder that's just in the sweet spot where the infielders have to run out of position for it, allowing speed to prevail. A pinch hitter is called for Ontiveros. Miguel Lopez hits it along the ground right between Little's legs, and in the confusion, Perri is able to score. Tie game, 3-3. The inning is over on the next pitch, but it's now an uphill battle.


Fulmer singles to Right Field to lead the 9th. He's out at Second while Hartman takes his place at First following a grounder to Third, though. Amburgey waits for the right pitch, then sends the ball deep to the right corner, earning a double and moving Hartman to Third. Trillo is next, and given the intentional walk, likely for the double-play chance. Cleland makes a pinch hitting call of his own now, bringing in Il-Hwan Lee. He's not played much for us, but when he has, he's been very good. He has a batting average of .357 (.375 when used as a pinch hitter) and an OPS of .821. Can he take the pressure? On a 1-1 count he pops up a high fly to second and is easily out... but it was a good plan. Now it's up to Little at bat to make a difference, with two outs. He hits a hopper to Shortstop and the force out is made at Second. Hopefully that wasn't our only chance, and this can get taken to extra-innings.


Willie Hall reaches First on an error. Another error allows the next runner to first, and Hall to Second. We may be out of steam after that last push. Greg Dill is the third batter. On the third pitch, he claims to get nicked by the ball, and to be fair it's close, but debatable. The umps rule in his favor, and he's awarded First, advancing the others. Unsurprisingly, a pinch hitter is called for the fourth batter. Eddie Salinas flies out to Right Field, however. That only means Oviedo has a chance. He hits much the same, but not quite directly to the fielder, and it works, the Bald Eagles have a man home. They have a 4-3 walk-off victory in the 9th, taking the series lead 1-0. It was competitive, though, and this is far from over...

https://imgur.com/a/Cf7pXOb

[bsmuke22]

Just starting to follow your league, loving it and congrats to the Barons for making the series, hoping that they can overcome the game 1 loss!

[OrangeP47]

Game Two

(Pics once again at the bottom)

Game Two is also at Bald Eagles Park. Pitching first is Padilla, and we'll have Murphy on the mound. Trillo is up to bat first. On a 2-2 count he hits it deep to left, where Antonio Noguera is waiting for an easy catch. Hartman, up next, gets a quick single up the middle, though, and we're off with a hit. Or we would be... Estrada is up next and almost grounds into a double play, but he's just quick enough to take first, so it's not the worst thing... still not great. The half unceremoniously ends when the next batter, Hooks, grounds right to second, so an easy third out. At least we're getting hits.


The Bald Eagles lead off with star David Garcia. He almost legs out an infield single, but the umps decide he's out at First. The next two up fly out, so at least they're starting even worse. Unfortunately, our chance during the second goes much the same way of their chance during the first. After the first two batters fly out on the first pitch, Amburgey at least goes deep in the count, but ends up meeting the same fate.


The first batter for the Bald Eagles in the second grounds out, but then two errors back to back (by different people) let two base runners on First and Second. A legitimate hit to Left Field from Noguera then loads the bases. The next batter hits it to Left Field again, but this time Coronado is in position to catch it. Two outs. Up steps pitcher Padilla to the plate. Not many of the pitchers in the league are as good at batting as the ones on the Barons, and certainly not the ones on the Bald Eagles. Nonetheless, after a few pitches, Padilla manages to hit a perfect ball right in the gap in center. One man comes home and the ball is thrown to the plate to try to stop additional runs, but a second runner thinks he can make it. He cannot, and he's tagged for the third out. They still get a 1-0 lead, but the inning is over, and it could have been a lot worse.


In the top of the third, only our pitcher makes it aboard, which isn't enough to make a push. The Bald Eagles get two hits, but the inning still ends pretty easily because second baseman Greg Dill gets a little too cute and tries to make it to Third on the last one and gets tagged out for his trouble. Aggression must be the name of the game for the Bald Eagles. Hasn't paid off for them yet, but it's early. The top of the forth sees Fulmer get a double. That's all we get out of that half, though.


After Eric Rabon hits a fly to Left Field for an easy out, Victor Oviedo reaches base on an absolutely infuriating error by first baseman Chris Fulmer. Even with his failure to pick up the ball in a timely manner, he's so close to the base it's almost comical he doesn't make the out. Noguera is up next and hits a single to Right Field, Oviedo moves to Third... into scoring position, and this time there's not someone to tag him out. The next batter flies out to Right Field, however, and it once again comes down to Padilla to make the play. In four pitches he strikes out, the first of the game, so he can't repeat his previous heroics and despite it looking dangerous the score at the end of the 4th remains 1-0 in the Bald Eagles' favor.


First up in the fifth is Amburgey. After a few pitches, he's struck by a stray ball, and thus takes First. Shortstop Ramirez is up next and flies out to Center, then Murphy bunts Amburgey over to Second. For a pitcher, Murphy is pretty good at hitting, with a batting average of .253 on the season, so this might not be the best call. Trillo is up next and hits the ball right to Noguera on the first pitch, ending the half. In their half, the Bald Eagles' top of the batting order is up, but none of them can get on base.


Ron Hartman is up first in the sixth. On a 1-1 count he flies out to Noguera, who's been quite busy. On a full count Estrada hits a real awkward ball between the mound and First, in just the right spot that by the time someone scoops it up and tosses it over he's made it safely to the base. Two more fly outs mean the half is quickly over, though the home fans in attendance do get a show from a diving catch by none other than Noguera once again.


Greg Dill leads the bottom of the inning for the Bald Eagles, but flies out to left field. Eric Rabon looks to do the same, but to Center Field, until Hooks drops the ball when making the catch. Rabon will take second safely. Oviedo grounds out to Shortstop before Hooks redeems himself making the third out catch to end the inning.


We try to get something going in the seventh. Coronado gets a nice base hit up the middle to lead off, met with a chorus of boos from the home fans. Amburgey bunts him to Second. Lee is again called as a pinch hitter. Though he failed to connect last game, he does have a .357 season batting average. He grounds out to First, but Coronado makes it to Third. That leaves Murphy to make the big play, much as Padilla has been called on for the Bald Eagles. After two strikes, he flies out to Noguera, and this chance is over. Not many more chances to go...


The bottom half of the inning starts similarly to the top half, except they reach on error. Padilla then bunts the runner to Second but gets out. Things take a different turn, then, when a bad throw to catcher Amburgey allows a free move over to Third, with only one out. A fly out from Garcia and a ground out from Hall end the inning before the Bald Eagles can score again, though, and the score remains 1-0 through the seventh.


The eighth starts out not looking like our inning either, a runner only managing to get on board after two outs have already been recorded. The home fans boo furiously. Despite the lack of runs, they're very into the onfield display. Hooks is the batter up, and he's not doing so well, but finally hits a great ball out to Right Field. At first it looks like a hit, but emulating Noguera from earlier, Hall makes a great diving catch against the back fence and the third out is recorded. We have but one more chance to turn it around, or at least take it to extra-innings, and the Bald Eagles can still extend their lead.


Their first batter is out via Hooks, then Dill hits one between him and shortstop Larry Bond for a single. Eric Rabon is next up. On a 2-2 count, he hits one down the First Base line that slows considerably once it makes it past Fulmer, but it's still fast enough to go all the way to the corner while right fielder Trillo gives desperate chase. When all is said and done, Rabon will on Third and Dill will have a run. Score 2-0, Bald Eagles favor. The next batter hits a grounder between Third and Second. He's forced out and First, but now Rabon is home too. Score 3-0. Our hope is fading, fast, and the rest of the game might just be a formality. They get two more runners on before we can get the third out, but they don't score again.


The ninth starts out with Fulmer very weakly grounding out. Coronado gets a gap hit to center to get on base, though. Amburgey is close to grounding out, but a missed catch by Bald Eagles' first baseman Rabon means he's aboard too. Larry Bond is next, who's season batting average is .176. He grounds to Second, resulting in Amburgey being forced out, but he does make it to First. A pinch hitter is called for Murphy. Roberto Altamirano has had 6 at bats all season and had a hit in none of them, but is believed to stand a better chance. He grounds right to their second baseman and is thrown out at First, ending the game. We're behind 2-0 in the series, but the game did seem competitive, for the second time. It may seem tough goings, but we're still in this.

https://imgur.com/a/3fkPCmp

[OrangeP47]

Game Three

The series hangs in the balance with Game 3. A loss here means we're sent packing, but at least we have home field advantage finally. We're just 1 shy of capacity on a cool, rainy day. The weather obviously didn't keep the fans away. Little is once again on the mound.


The game starts with a strikeout, hopefully a good sign for us. The Bald Eagles quickly get their next two runners on base, though, with a decent hit followed by an error when the third batter grounds to second. Slow fielding allows the next up batter to load the bases. The fans are having none of it, hurling abuse left and right. Eric Rabon is up next, on the second pitch he's drilled with the ball. It's just an accident, and he's okay, but this is literally the easiest run the Bald Eagles will ever score no doubt that's just been forced in, and all signs of a dream start are long gone. Oviedo flies out, before what looks like a simple grounder to first should end the inning. Little runs to first to receive the ball to force the runner out, but misses the catch, and by the time he can recover, two more runners have scored. This is a disaster from the start! Fortunately, that's the end of it. In our half we're only able to answer with one baserunner, and due to an error at that, before the entire 1st is over.


We get off to a worrying start to the 2nd too, allowing the first two runners aboard via an error and then a single to shallow left. The home fans are still in an uproar. A hit to shallow right by Willie Hall loads the bases with no outs. Mike Taylor is up next and does a repeat of that hit and gets two RBI for his trouble. We're down 5-0 in the 2nd. Little doesn't finish the inning, getting yanked for Martin by the time we're down 7-0. By the time it's our batters turn, we're losing 9-0, and the fine minutia of the game no longer really matter, most likely. The bottom half again sees us get nothing but one baserunner on an error.


We do start to mount something of a comeback eventually. Between innings 3 and 4, we score 5 runs, but they also score 2 more, making it 11-5 their favor. In the 3rd in particular we were aided by a sequence in which the Bald Eagles made four errors, unfortunately we couldn't capitalize more. The 4th saw the Union Series' first, and only home run, by a Bald Eagles' player unfortunately, the ever dominating Eric Rabon. Nobody was on base, at least.


From then on, we'd trade runs here and there over the innings, but in the end, we ended up losing 14-10. The Bald Eagles sweep the series. Was this game competitive? Maybe. If we hadn't had that disaster first two innings, we'd have won, but then again, that was just as much a part of the game as the other 7.


In the end, while disappointing, we did at least make it to the Series this time, which is improvement. We still have a solid base to build upon. Expect a more traditional season wrap-up update this weekend or Friday.

https://imgur.com/a/uZLSXMV

[StLee]

Made the Show but forgot to show! Those Eagles were just too powerful to beat. Hopefully your team can find the right pieces to make a better run next season.