Growing Baseball Worldwide: A Business Dynasty

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 9, 2009



League Leaders



News & Updates



The biggest news of the week was a major loss for New York, as three time All-Star SS Tonito Caguioa (USA) has been sidelined for 6 weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee. As usual, Caguioa was as his productive self, hitting .478 with 2 HR and 6 RBI with 0.9 WAR in just 7 games, and his loss will certainly put a lot of pressure on New York to compensate in other areas. Caguioa is expected to return before the end of the season, but how effective he will be coming off a major injury is up in the air.

In the meantime, New York has called up 22-year old Mark Williams (USA) to play 2B while Victor Veeck moves to SS. Williams, an Ohio native, was named the 95th top prospect this season and was selected 17th Overall in the 2005 Draft by Dallas before moving around organizations for a few seasons. Williams will be making his USABL debut as an injury replacement.



Some good news from San Francisco as Closer Dustin Calder (USA) has signed a 3-year extension that will keep him in San Francisco through 2012. He will make $2,840 each season from 2010 through 2012. This is Calder's first year as a closer in San Francisco, saving 3 games with a 7.36 ERA so far in 4 games this season.

Originally drafted as a starter as the 2001 #1 Overall Pick by Philadelphia in 2001, Calder moved from Philly to LA from 2002-2004 before settling in as a reliever in 2005 with SF. Finally getting a chance to start in 2008, Calder went 4-5 with a 4.26 ERA in 12 starts with 57 strikeouts in 74 innings and a 0.8 WAR. The 27 year old was set to be a Free Agent after the season.



It hasn't been easy for Philadelphia, once again, and now they will have to be without their first baseman for a month. Jason Carter (USA) was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and was placed on the Disabled List. In 8 games this season, Carter was hitting .192 with 0 HR and 1 RBI for -0.2 WAR.

The team will now turn to 27-year old Donald Clark (USA), an Illinois native who performed well for the club last year, hitting .297 in 64 AB and 38 games. Clark originally got his start with Chicago in 2006, before getting released and signing on with Philly to play in spot duty. He'll get his first real opportunity to make an impact this season.

[Rain King]

How large are your reserve rosters? How many rounds in your amateur draft? How many international free agents do you generate per team?

I'm loving this thread and playing around with a similar concept and just wondering what has worked for you.

[CivicEvo]

Originally Posted by Rain King

How large are your reserve rosters? How many rounds in your amateur draft? How many international free agents do you generate per team?

I'm loving this thread and playing around with a similar concept and just wondering what has worked for you.

Thanks! Happy to help. Reserve rosters at the present moment are at 50, but they were originally at 25, and I think I'm going to lower them to 45 after the season to ideally get more guys into the free agency pool for the new teams, especially guys that haven't had much of a chance. I don't think I am going to go lower than that again though - ultimately teams should develop their own talent and the AI generally doesn't keep players based on potential from my experiences.

The Amateur Draft at this point is 7 rounds, and I think I am going to keep it at that. The way the reserve roster is handled lends me to believe that any more would essentially defeat the purpose of having the draft.

International Free Agents are at the max 4 per team, but I do not have established FA or discoveries on at all, just to keep it easier to track and follow these guys' careers. I do not anticipate this changing at this point since the world has evolved at a pretty good rate so far.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 12, 2009



Chicago and Houston remain strong about 20% of the way through the season.

League Leaders



News & Updates



Despite his injury, All-Star shortstop Tonito Caguioa (USA) was named this week's Player of the Week. Playing only 4 games, Caguioa went 8-for-14 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. He is hitting .478 this season with the same amount of homers and runs batted in playing in 7 games with a 0.9 WAR.

This was a very light update in terms of news - hopefully more to come next time around.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 16, 2009



League Leaders



Not a bad start by Houston at all.... wow!

News & Updates



A brutal loss for Dallas as 20-year old breakout start Antonio Palacios (MEX), who threw the first no-hitter in league history, will be out for the rest of the year with surgery in his elbow to remove bone chips. The team thought it was best to take care of the issue now before it got worse. Palacios, who was a lock for the Mexican Gold Cup team, will also miss that tournament. He finishes his 2nd year in the Dallas rotation with a 1-1 record in 3 starts, with a 4.15 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17.1 innings and 0.4 WAR.

He will be replaced by 21-year old Texas native, Jon Moss (USA), who has yet to make his USABL debut. Moss was a 5th round draft pick back in 2006, but has progressed well and was named the #56 overall USABL prospect in 2009.



The second big injury of the day is to star outfielder Dan Gibson (USA) of Los Angeles. In a recent game against Houston, Gibson broke his finger and will need surgery on it, leaving him out for approximately one month. Gibson is the second starting outfielder that the struggling Los Angeles club will be without long term, alongside reigning MVP Brad Lange. Gibson has played 13 games this season with 0 HR and 2 RBI with a .275 AVG and 0.2 WAR - a disappointing start, but his bat will be severely missed.

As a result, LA will turn to 26 year old California native Ken Hicks (USA), a former #1 Overall Pick by Philadelphia in 2002. The most games Hicks has started in a season was for Philly in 2006 when he started 15, so this will be only his second real opportunity to make an impact in his career. The first go around wasn't great - Hicks hit .224 with 0 HR and 2 RBI.



Finally, a disappointing start to a season following a playoff berth has caused San Francisco to take some action. They announced on July 17 that Manager Chad Mitchell has been relieved of his duties. Mitchell was the manager of the club for three seasons, and the former pitcher went 56-73 for the club with one playoff berth that occurred in 2008.

The club did not immediately name a replacement, but former pitcher and current bench coach Tom Humphrey is expected to take over in the interim. It's very clear that ownership does not feel that 4-11 is an acceptable start to the season.

More to come next time...

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 19, 2009



Same four teams remain in a playoff spot, but look at Washington making a push!

League Leaders



News & Updates



Dallas is finally starting to get into gear and they are once again being led by 3-time All-Star 3B Danny Ratzlaff (USA). Ratzlaff was awarded the Player of the Week after a 12-for-24 week with 0 HR and 6 RBI. The 33 year old has been solid once again with 2 HR and 12 RBI with a .309 average in 18 games this season for 1.3 WAR. After missing the 2007 Gold Cup, everyone is expecting him to start at third base for Team USA this time around as he maintains his spot as one of the top third basemen in the league.



San Francisco has made an announcement as after the firing of former Manager Chad Mitchell, they have hired Fred Jordan, the former Philadelphia 3B and Dallas manager. Jordan has a career 122-87 record as manager of Dallas, leading them to two playoff berths in 2006 and 2007 before being let go after another early exit. With SF coming off a playoff berth of their own, Jordan will be expected to come in and turn the 5-13 club around before it is too late.



Finally, some good news for Los Angeles as Brad Lange (USA) has returned from his injury, putting one of LA's two injured outfielders back into the lineup. With Dan Gibson still out, Ken Hicks will return to the bench and Francisco Garcia will continue to start - but in left field for the duration of the Gibson injury. Los Angeles has struggled so far this year, starting just 6-11, but with Lange back in the lineup, prognosticators are not writing them off whatsoever. They'll be a team to watch as the playoff chase is set to begin over the next few weeks.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 22, 2009



League Leaders



News & Updates



The biggest news this week comes from a superstar we don't hear too much about anymore. During the rise of Washington in only their second year as a franchise, they suffered a big time hit as C Milo Hoover (USA) was hit by a pitch in a recent game and broke his foot, leaving him out for 5-6 weeks. The team and their doctors are leaving open the possibility that Hoover could return this season, but it's not overly likely. At this point, Hoover was hitting .250 with 2 HR and 5 RBI in 17 games for 0.7 WAR.

He will be replaced in the lineup by prospect C Terry Treier (USA). The 20-year old 7th Round Pick in the 2007 draft will hit 8th in the lineup, and so far this season is hitting .368 with 0 HR and 3 RBI, but in just 19 plate appearances. We'll see how he fares in a more prominent position in the lineup.



Andrew McKinney (USA) has bounced around for a few years now, but he showed everyone in Chicago that he is still a productive player as he tied a USABL single-game record with 5 hits in a 9 inning game. McKinney, who is the starting second baseman for Chicago, is hitting .231 with 0 HR and 2 RBI in 19 games with 0.3 WAR. This isn't major news, but wanted to give the veteran some props for what was a record tying performance.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 26, 2009



League Leaders



News & Updates



A perfect game! On July 25, the first perfect game in USABL history was thrown as Jacob Dempsey (USA) of San Francisco defeated first place Houston by a score of 1-0. Dempsey improved to 2-3 on the season with a 3.48 ERA and 0.8 WAR. Here's the news story below:





Santo Domingo born Jose Espinosa (DOM) became the first Dominican player to win the Player of the Week Award, after hitting .536 over the last 7 days with 2 HR and 8 RBI. Espinosa took over the starting second base role for Los Angeles last year, winning the USABL title with the team in 2008.

So far this season, he is hitting .337 with 2 HR and 10 RBI with 1.0 WAR and is right in the running to win his first All-Star Award.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 29, 2009



Everything still is pretty close, outside of San Francisco and Philadelphia (these two poor franchises). Washington teetering, but Houston looking good!

League Leaders



News & Updates



Just one bit of news to report on this time, but it's pretty big news. After being injured in a game last week, and after days of x-rays and other tests, New York's star LF Reid Landry (USA) announced on his Twitter account that he will miss the rest of the season with a major break in his thumb. Landry said it is possible, that if all heals well after surgery, that he will be able to return for the USABL Finals if New York makes it, but the team indicated that would be questionable at best.

In terms of the 2009 Gold Cup, sources from New York are reluctant to let him go, but due to a lack of a CBA, there's not much they can really do to tell him not to play. Landry seems to be a total and complete lock to be on the team.

Landry will finish his disappointing 2009 season hitting .276 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in just 23 games with 0.6 WAR. Ricky Garrison will move over to left field to replace him, and veteran OF Pat Ingram (USA) will enter the lineup and start in right field, where Garrison was playing.

New York does seem to be a lock for the playoffs, but they could be looking to make a move for an outfielder sooner rather than later to shore up that depth.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 1, 2009



Holy smokes it is getting close all across the board. Playoff odds will return with the next update!

League Leaders



Players of the Month



Rejuvenated OF John Lee (USA) has won the Player of the Month Award for July as the 3rd place hitter for the first place Houston club. The 36 year old has been outstanding since signing a three year deal with the club during this past off-season. So far this season, Lee has played 29 games and has 5 HR with 17 RBI while hitting .320 with 1.6 WAR. He's undoubtedly been a huge reason for the success of Houston, and is a front-runner to be named MVP of the league.



Jeremy Mitchell (USA) is just 22 years old and has already been in the league four seasons, but he's never performed as well as he did during July. The Chicago ace was spectacular going 5-1 with a 2.23 ERA and 45 strikeouts in just 44.1 innings. His 0.5 is not the best in the league, but he deserves to be rewarded for the breakout season Chicago is having with him as the centerpiece of it all.



Better start remembering this name. After starting in 30 games last season, Billy Mire (USA) is on his way to starting all 60 this season for San Francisco. The third baseman was named the Rookie of the Month for July, in a breakout month where he stole 15 bases, hit .279 with 1 HR and 19 RBI with 0.6 WAR. Mire was recently moved up from 8th in the order to 2nd, and it seems likely he'll be a lock at the top of that San Francisco batting order for a long time.

News & Updates



As if Los Angeles did not have enough outfield injury problems, Paul Parker (USA) added insult to injury suffering a knee injury that the team is deeming will keep him out for approximately a month. That would effectively end Parker's season, though he could return for the first round if Los Angeles (currently in 5th) makes it to the postseason. Assuming he cannot return, Parker will finish his stellar 2009 campaign by hitting .311 with 1 HR and 10 RBI and 0.7 WAR in 29 games.

Los Angeles will now turn their attention to shifting their outfield again. This time Brad Lange will stay in right field, Francisco Garcia will move from left field to center field, and Ken Hicks (USA) will move back into the starting lineup and will start in left field. Hicks has 28 at-bats so far this season, and is hitting .286 with 0 HR and 4 RBI for 0.0 WAR.



Another week, another injury for San Francisco left fielder John Bartlatt (CAN). This time, it is a strained oblique that will keep the star outfielder out for 2 weeks. With San Francisco all but out of the playoff picture, however, the team is expected to let Bartlatt heal at his own pace (which could be quite slow!). Bartlatt is currently hitting .306 with 3 HR and 15 RBI for 0.6 WAR in 27 games so far this season.

While Bartlatt is out, San Francisco is expected to play veteran OF Kevin Conley (USA) in the outfield. The 35 year old Oklahoma native is hitting just .111 in 18 at-bats so far this season, and is not much of an impact player at this point in time.

Trade!



That's right! Bill Evans (USA) is on the move back to New York for a second stint, with New York sending their 6th (Fitzsimmons) and 8th (Josey) best prospects back to the once-again rebuilding San Francisco club.

New York is currently 17-12, which puts them in a tie for 2nd and .5 games behind Houston for first, but just 2 games up on Los Angeles in a playoff spot. With half the season to go, it's no surprise the team decided to make a big move to keep their long-standing playoff streak alive. Evans should slide right in as the ace of the staff once again, and now with Kevin Adkins and Dave Collins, even in an older form, should be a top notch rotation. Add in Ethan Woodall of Trinidad & Tobago, and they could be elite once again.

There's no doubt that at 12-18, San Francisco's season has been disappointing at best coming off a playoff appearance. Even though Bill Evans is signed for next season, the team simply felt that it makes the most sense to acquire as much young talent as possible now, especially with the addition of 5 new teams to the IBF universe coming in 2010 (Boston + 4 Canadian teams). So in the short-term, there's no question that San Fran fans are heading for some pain, but it can certainly be for the best in the long term.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 4, 2009



Playoff Odds

Houston - 93.0%
Dallas - 91.0%
Chicago - 74.8%
New York - 73.3%
Los Angeles - 60.2%
San Francisco - 4.2%
Washington - 3.4%
Philadelphia - 0.1%

League Leaders



News & Updates



Despite his trade back to New York, SP Bill Evans (USA) was named the player of the week. In two starts, Evans went 2-0 last week, pitching 16 innings to a 0.56 ERA with 10 strikeouts and 4 walks. Both starts took place while Evans was a member of San Francisco. This was the first time Evans has won this award, even though he has been named the Pitcher of the Year twice in his esteemed career. Upon his return to New York, Evans was officially named the ace of the staff and will make his debut for the club this week.



Los Angeles' fifth starter Geoff King (USA) will miss the rest of the season with a strained biceps injury. King, who is 24 and debuted this season, will finish his rookie campaign going 1-0 in 4 starts, with a 2.29 ERA and 0.4 WAR. The 2004 6th Round pick has never been considered a top prospect before this season, but up until his injury was acclimating quite well as Los Angeles goes for their third title in a row.

In the meantime, Los Angeles will bring up SP Ed Peterson (USA). Peterson last appeared in the USABL with Los Angeles in 2006, when he pitching 7.1 innings in 4 games, giving up just one run. With Los Angeles just one game back, many believe that a trade for a starter to replace King could be coming as soon as possible.



We have a trade to announce!



Two quick notes on nationalities: Contreras is from El Salvador, and Colley is from the US Virgin Islanders.

It's easy to see why both teams completed this deal. Lee Burkett (USA) has played his full career with Philly, so there's no doubt it was tough to deal the 25-year old reliever. Still, it looks like Philly got peak value for him, getting 2 top 220 prospects and 2 other flyers.

For Los Angeles, who is going for title #3 in a row, Burkett provides much needed depth in their bullpen. Los Angeles does not intend for Burkett to close in LA as he did in Philadelphia, as that role strictly belongs to Phil Martin.

At the end of the day, as much as I want to love this deal for Los Angeles, any time you can trade a reliever for four prospects, you have to do it. Advantage: Philadelphia

More to come...

[edtheguy]

I'm late to the party here - but what a party this is! This is fascinating, really great stuff - I love watching your game world evolve. Cant wait for more!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 8, 2009



This one is turning into a crazy race... five teams realistically fighting for four spots, but Washington still lurking around.

Playoff Odds

Chicago - 92.6%
Houston - 89.6%
Dallas - 84.9%
Los Angeles - 66.2%
New York - 60.6%
Washington - 5.1%
San Francisco - 1.1%
Philadelphia - 0.1%

League Leaders



A pretty quiet few days in the league, so no real news to report, but I do have to say, this is probably the most exciting season yet! As more talent from around North America enters the league, we should continue to see this competitiveness going forward.

Originally Posted by edtheguy

I'm late to the party here - but what a party this is! This is fascinating, really great stuff - I love watching your game world evolve. Cant wait for more!

Thank you so much for reading!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 11, 2009



Well the last three days cleared nothing up...

Playoff Odds
Chicago - 96.7%
Houston - 84.7%
Dallas - 77.5%
Los Angeles - 71.3%
New York - 66.9%
Washington - 2.5%
San Francisco - 0.4%
Philadelphia - 0.1%

League Leaders



News & Updates



George O'Bryan (USA) was named the Player of the Week, after a 10-for-24 stretch with 3 HR and 7 RBI in 6 games. Not bad for the cleanup hitter that is leading streaking Los Angeles back into the playoff race. The two time All-Star at 1B is once again performing to his high standards, hitting .321 with 6 HR and 31 RBI in 38 games for 1.9 WAR, which currently leads all first basemen.



After a really hot stretch to start the season, Bill Stewart (USA) suffered through mediocrity for San Francisco before succumbing to a rotator cuff strain that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. The 20 year old center fielder will finish his sophomore campaign hitting .215 with 1 HR and 13 RBI with 5 steals and 0.5 WAR.

To take his place, San Francisco has called up 52nd Overall (8th team) prospect Ernie Larkin (USA) to play centerfield. Larkin appeared briefly in 2008, going 2-for-8 with 2 RBI. He'll likely take over the starting role for the rest of the season in Stewart's absence.



Finally, Philadelphia announced that 1B Jason Carter (USA) has been activated off the DL and will return to the starting lineup and hit 3rd. Carter has been out for 6 weeks with a sprained ankle, and was hitting just .192 with 0 HR and 2 RBI before his injury. This is a curious move by Philly, who had 27 year old Donald Clark (USA) in that role, where he hit .259 with 0 HR and 10 RBI for 0.2 WAR in 37 games. With Philly essentially eliminated already, it's surprising they are not trying more youth in that role.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 14, 2009



Los Angeles loses 3 in a row, moving them to 2 back of both Chicago and Dallas. All of a sudden, New York is (again) 0.5 games out of first place...

One note: August 15, is the trading deadline in the USABL, so we will see soon if there will be any additional trades this season other than the Burkett and Evans deals.

Playoff Odds
Houston - 97.8%
New York - 90.6%
Chicago - 89.6%
Dallas - 87.1%
Los Angeles - 31.1%
Washington - 3.5%
San Francisco - 0.4%
Philadelphia - 0.1%

League Leaders



News & Updates



Some good news to report on this week. Los Angeles, in the midst of the playoff chance, will be getting All-Star OF Dan Gibson (USA) back into the lineup after missing a month with a broken finger. Gibson marks the second of the three outfielders to return to LA after they have been mauled by injuries this season. In 15 games, Gibson is hitting .268 with 0 HR and 4 RBI with 0.2 WAR, but the 2 time All-Star will undoubtedly be a key to the lineup as Los Angeles tries to make a push with just 18 games to go.



For San Francisco, oft-injured RF John Bartlatt (CAN) has also returned from injury. Bartlatt, who is one of the best players to hail from Canada, was placed on the DL with a strained oblique and missed 3 weeks. The 24-year old will hit 3rd in the San Fran lineup and so far this season in 28 games is hitting .295 with 3 HR and 15 RBI for 0.6 WAR. He will assuredly be on the Canadian roster for this year's Gold Cup if he can remain healthy through the end of the regular season, as San Francisco seems like a major longshot to reach postseason play this season.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 17, 2009



Playoff Odds
Houston - 99.0%
New York - 97.2%
Chicago - 94.2%
Dallas - 62.3%
Los Angeles - 43.6%
Washington - 3.2%
San Francisco - 0.5%
Philadelphia - 0.1%

League Leaders



News & Updates



Ace pitcher Richard Woodard (USA) has been maybe the biggest driver in Houston's surge to the top of the USABL standings this season. Coming over as a free agent from two-time champion Los Angeles, Woodard has been expected to carry the load atop the team's rotation. He has done that and more, with his seminal moment coming on August 17, when Woodard threw his first career perfect game against state-rival Dallas.

Woodard threw 106 pitches in the game, striking out 8 to improve to 5-3 on the season with a 1.47 ERA and 2.6 WAR. He is the clear leader in the clubhouse to win this year's Pitcher of the Year. For lack of a better term, he has been outstanding, and could be a big driver in keeping Houston at the top of the standings for years to come.



Sticking with Houston, former first overall pick 3B Kent Marsh (USA) has won this week's Player of the Week Award. Marsh went 12-for-26 this week with 2 HR and 9 RBI scoring 5 runs for Houston, as the 22-year old won his first weekly award.

This season, Marsh has continued his linear improvement, hitting .293 with 4 HR and 31 RBI with 2 steals for 2.2 WAR in 42 games. He's a contender to make the USA Gold Cup roster, but sources close to the team think he may just have to wait until 2011 with guys like Danny Ratzlaff still ahead of him. Still, there's no question Marsh has the potential to be a star for years to come.



New York got some good news as they start their surge to the top of the standings as SS Tonito Caguioa (USA) has returned from the disabled list. Caguioa missed 6 weeks after a torn meniscus, and has only played 9 games this season, where he is hitting .414 with 0.9 WAR. The 27 year old is currently hitting 6th in the lineup, but could move up quickly as the team is still missing future HOFer Reid Landry from the lineup.



Finally a weird story, as Philadelphia RP Juan Fernandez (MEX) was placed on the 60-Day Disabled List after punching out a wall. Despite a very tough season where he went 0-2 with a 8.79 ERA and -0.7 WAR with a save, the 24 year old was a likely candidate to be on the Mexican roster for the Gold Cup. With this injury, he will miss the entire tournament, putting Mexico down two pitchers (Antonio Palacios) already. A tough break for the 3rd ranked country (out of 3) heading into a big tournament.

[royalflush]

Loving This Thread! Keep it up!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 21, 2009



Looking more and more like one of Los Angeles or Dallas will miss out this season.

Playoff Odds

Houston - 99.7%
New York - 98.9%
Chicago - 97.4%
Los Angeles - 52.3%
Dallas - 50.8%
San Francisco - 0.9%
Washington - 0.1%
Philadelphia - 0.1%

League Leaders



News & Updates



With Dallas now on the outside looking in (0.5 back of Los Angeles), things are a bit tense in the clubhouse. That's not going to get better with the news of All-Star 3B and MVP candidate Danny Ratzlaff (USA) breaking his foot, leaving him on the sidelines for 3-4 weeks. Given how late we are in the season, Ratzlaff's 2009 campaign is effectively over. In another phenomenal season, Ratzlaff hit .270 with 5 HR and 24 RBI for 2.7 WAR in 44 games. He remains the frontrunner to win the All-Star award at 3B, and will be healthy to compete in this year's Gold Cup.

In the meantime, Mexican prospect Edgar Bonilla (MEX) will take over the role and hit 7th in the Dallas lineup. Bonilla, who is just 19 years old, has appeared in 11 games this season and is 4-for-14 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. He'll be called on now to try and keep Dallas alive in the playoff race.



Although their season is pretty much over, Milo Hoover (USA) has returned from injury and will rejoin the Washington lineup (hitting 6th). Before breaking his foot, Hoover had played in 17 games this season for DC where he hit .250 with 2 HR and 5 RBI. Now 37 years old, Hoover is on the brink where he will start to think about his future. One of the only questions remaining - will he get to appear one more time for Team USA in the Gold Cup?

Terry Treier (USA), the 20 year old Miami native, filled in admirably for Hoover, hitting .264 in 91 AB with 0 HR and 7 RBI. The 2007 7th Round Pick has played in 32 games this season with 0.2 WAR. With Hoover an upcoming free agent, the job could be Treier's as soon as next season.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 24, 2009



- Philadelphia eliminated, again - still just one playoff appearance for them so far.
- New York has again climbed to the top of the standings and will likely make the playoffs again
- Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles are fighting for the three remaining spots - possible Original 4 playoffs this season?

Playoff Odds

New York - 99.8%
Houston - 91.1%
Chicago - 86.8%
Dallas - 62.6%
---
Los Angeles - 59.7%
San Francisco - 0.1%
Washington - 0.1%
---
Philadelphia (ELIMINATED)

League Leaders



News & Updates



After a 12-for-27 week, 1B George O'Bryan (USA) has won the Player of the Week Award for the second time in three weeks. It is also the second time O'Bryan has won this award. The Los Angeles first baseman has been outstanding this season, hitting .323 with 8 HR and 45 RBI in 51 games for 2.5 WAR. The 2008 All-Star at 1B could be looking at his second consecutive award as O'Bryan continues to be a key driver in Los Angeles' improbable playoff push.



San Francisco got some terrible news as former #1 overall pick George Gregg (USA) will be out for the rest of the season and more with a fractured elbow. Gregg, 24, was just starting to find his rhythm after breaking out in 2008 with a 6-4 3.18 ERA season with 1.2 WAR. This season, Gregg finished 6-3 with a 3.61 ERA, 9.5 K/9 and the same 1.2 WAR in 10 starts. While he was just an outside candidate to make the Gold Cup roster for this year, he was certainly on Team USA's radar, and this injury really hampers his status with the international club now and in the near future. Team doctors are expecting Gregg to be ready for the start of the 2010 season.

In the meantime, San Francisco will play out the string with 27 year old Greg Doyle (USA), who has a career 5-19 record with a 4.96 ERA and 0.0 WAR. No doubt this is a major downgrade for a team that has gone through a very disappointing season.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 27, 2009



- Washington and San Francisco have been eliminated.
- Still looking like three teams fighting for two spots - just 6 games to go, and no one has clinched!

Playoff Odds

New York - 98.8%
Houston - 97.8%
Los Angeles - 82.3%
Dallas - 68.3%
---
Chicago - 52.8%
---
San Francisco - ELIMINATED
Washington - ELIMINATED
Philadelphia - ELIMINATED

League Leaders




News & Updates



Once again, the streaking Los Angeles club - who have won eight games in a row - could not be doing this without the returns of their star outfielders. This was accentuated in a 15-4 win against San Francisco on August 27, where reigning MVP OF Brad Lange (USA) went 3-for-5 with a homerun and a record tying 7 RBI.

Lange, who hits cleanup for LA, has appeared in 40 games this season hitting .297 with 4 HR and 24 RBI for 1.7 WAR. It's been another solid season for Lange, who may not win the MVP but remains a key part of the club.



However, all was not great for LA this week as starting shortstop Juan Guzman (PAN) will be out for 2 weeks with a strained oblique, putting him at risk to miss the first round of the playoffs. The Panamanian shortstop was moved into the starting lineup 10 games ago, and has been really good - hitting .263 with 1 HR and 9 RBI and 4 steals for 0.7 WAR in 18 games this season. The 24-year old breakout candidate will be replaced by veteran Sterling Flowers (USA), who is hitting just .177 with 0 HR and 5 RBI in 29 games for -0.9 WAR this season.



Finally, some minor news out of Philly where their new closer Jesus Ramos (USA) will be shut down for the remainder of the season with elbow soreness. Ramos, 28, was put into the role after Lee Burkett was traded to Los Angeles and performed decently, finishing the season with 19 appearances in 3 saves with a 4.80 ERA and 16 K in 15 innings for 0.1 WAR. In the meantime, marginal reliever Ray Holzer (USA) will take over his role, but with Philly at 17-37, pundits believe it will be more of a committee situation until the team retools in the off-season.

Two updates to go before the playoffs - don't think I forgot about the new-to-come Canadian League or the 2009 Gold Cup! Plenty of information to come on those once the USA season ends.